GraceWalk - A Daily Bible Reading Blog

For some reason, I had to dig a bit to find something relevant to today. At first, I found the prescriptions for feasts and explaination of laws to be only applicable to the children of Israel.

But, I like what the Matthew Henry Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible had to say:

It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise, Behold, I send an angel before thee, mine angel. The precept joined with this promise is, that they be obedient to this angel whom God would send before them.

How reasonable are the conditions of this promise; that they should serve the only true God; not the gods of the nations, which are no gods at all. How rich are the particulars of this promise! The comfort of their food, the continuance of their health, the increase of their wealth, the prolonging their lives to old age. Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is. It is promised that they should subdue their enemies. Hosts of hornets made way for the hosts of Israel; such mean creatures can God use for chastising his people's enemies.

In real kindness to the church, its enemies are subdued by little and little; thus we are kept on our guard, and in continual dependence on God. Corruptions are driven out of the hearts of God's people, not all at once, but by little and little. The precept with this promise is, that they should not make friendship with idolaters. Those that would keep from bad courses, must keep from bad company. It is dangerous to live in a bad neighbourhood; others' sins will be our snares. Our greatest danger is from those who would make us sin against God.

I can vouch for this truth. For me, I can feel Him moving me towards Him little by little...sometimes it feels agonizingly slow, but those times I feel I'm being moved too fast, my nature tends to stiffen and resist. God knows exactly what He's doing and just when to do it.

Avoid hanging out with those who would make you sin against God. Good word, Mr. Henry.

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

As you can tell from my last post, I don't do well with laws. Praise God for the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross that frees us from the law:

10But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all these commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." 11 Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." 12 How different from this way of faith is the way of law, which says, "If you wish to find life by obeying the law, you must obey all of its commands." 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.

The encouragement today for me is to stop trying to live by the law, but to fall deeper in love with God. Christ has rescued us from having to obey each and every law, but took our sin upon Himself. My motivation to live right should be to please my God, rather than fulfill the law.

12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomachand the stomac is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

Since we're on the subject, I wanted to throw in a free story from Pastor Dan Dunn. During my recent weekend at Tres Dias, he told of how the Asyrians used to execute prisoners in the worst, most horriffic way possible. They would teather a dead corpse to the prisoner. The prisoner would eventually absorb that dead body into their own. The living would eventually die an agonizing slow death. In this way, we should think about being joined with Jesus, so close to Him that we absorb Him and become one spirit with Him.

Not much to do with Exodus 22, but this is what the Lord led me to today in my study.

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

From John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible on Exodus 21:

Their government being purely a theocracy; that which in other states is to be settled by human prudence, was directed among them by a divine appointment. These laws are called judgments; because their magistrates were to give judgment according to them.

Life before political parties. How nice is that to think about!? There was no finger-pointing, no political debates, no campaign finance reform, no "drive-by media." Law came straight from God.

Thinking about this as I read today's chapter caused me to ask myself several questions:

1) Whose authority am I under?
2) Where did today's laws come from?
3) Am I under the law?

I was reminded of what we read in Romans 6:

14 Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God's grace. 15 So since God's grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you. 18 Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.

For some strange reason, I struggle with the mandatory seat belt law. Last night, I heard on the news that Florida is one of the few remaining states that police can't pull you over because you aren't belted in. But, it looks like that's about to change.

I guess it says a lot about my rebellious nature, but when I get in the car I have to force myself to put on my seat belt. I mean each time I get in the car, it's like a struggle in my mind - like the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. I resent that there is a law that requires me to wear my seat belt and I want to leave it off just as a matter of principle. But, I know that it's the safe thing to do and there's no good reason to leave it off. I recruited the help of my 8 year-old daughter, Jesalyn. If she catches me driving the car without my seat belt, I have to give her a quarter. She used to do quite well, but I'm starting to learn.

Bottom line: I must obey man's laws, or else I'll suffer the consequences. I must respect the government because God has ordained our local, state and federal government. Laws, then, come from God - not man - because He put them in office.

Do you struggle with any little law like this? Speeding, perhaps?

Any thoughts?

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

Rather than comment on each of the ten commandments, I asked the Lord which ones I particularly needed to focus on. It seemed pretty obvious as I read through. I was compelled to study the third commandment:

7 "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."

Growing up, I understood this to mean that I was to never curse using the name of "God" or "Jesus." I heard it all around me, even from Christians. I heard substitute words like "gosh" or "jeez" but wondered what the difference was. I knew there had to be more to this "taking His name in vain."

One of the definitions of the word vanity (on dictionary.com) says this: Lack of usefulness, worth, or effect; worthlessness. I've come to understand "taking His name in vain" as something having more to do with what's in our heart just as much as what comes out of our mouths. Do we call ourselves Christians, but not live up to that profession? Do we make promises to God, but not carry through? The other commandment that I felt I needed to hear again this morning is the fourth:

8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Somehow, I've got to get back to this practice - not for "religiosity" but for my health and to focus on God. My weekly schedule can easily rob me of this day with the Lord if I let it.

Thank You, Lord, for these reminders today. I want to take my responsibilities as a godly man seriously. I never want to cause others to think You are worthless to me. I do not want to serve You in vain. And, I want to honor You by keeping the Sabbath holy. You are worthy, Lord!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 7:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

In Exodus 19, we're seeing how God wants to deliver His message (the ten commandments) to His people. God asked Moses to tell them:

4 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I brought you to myself and carried you on eagle's wings. 5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me. 6 And you will be to me a kingdom of priests, my holy nation.'

The people responded with, "We will certainly do everything the LORD asks of us."

But when it came time, and God showed up, they were afraid:

16 On the morning of the third day, there was a powerful thunder and lightning storm, and a dense cloud came down upon the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram's horn, and all the people trembled. 17 Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook with a violent earthquake. 19 As the horn blast grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply for all to hear.

Let's try a little interaction. Let me ask you a question. Why do you suppose God told Moses in verse 12:

12 Set boundary lines that the people may not pass. Warn them, 'Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Those who do will certainly die!

And, again in verse 21:

21 Then the LORD told Moses, "Go back down and warn the people not to cross the boundaries. They must not come up here to see the LORD, for those who do will die.

And then in verse 24, He told Moses:

24 But the LORD said, "Go down anyway and bring Aaron back with you."

Any thoughts?

The encouragement for me in this chapter, is that God needs us to be prepared to hear His Word. That may mean different things for everyone, but for me, I can't expect to sit down for 10 minutes and expect to receive from the Lord as much as I would if I'd prepare: pray first, ask Him to show me something, make time to read and listen instead of rushing through. I can't do that every morning, but I can tell a difference on those mornings I do.

Make time for God today!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

I appreciate Jethro. He brought Moses's wife and kids out to be with Moses, and he took the time to sit and talk with Moses. He ended up honoring him and encouraging him. They thanked the Lord together, they ate together and they made a sacrifice to God together.

Had it not been for Jethro and his wisdom, Moses may have continued to try to do all "the stuff" by himself. Instead, Jethro made a suggestion for Moses to set up trustworthy men as judges so they could resolve ordinary cases. This would free Moses up to decide on the more complicated or important cases. This would make the people happy because they wouldn't have to wait, and this would free up Moses' time so he would not burn out. Wise words to be sure, but did you catch the little phrase in verse 23?"

23 If you follow this advice, and if God directs you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace."

I'm talking about "and if God directs you to do so". Jethro may think he has a great idea, but he encourages Moses to seek God about it.

I'm finally on the last few chapters of the book "Why Men Hate Going to Church" and there is powerful wisdom in there. This morning, I read a similar concept to what Jethro is describing about the concept of "spiritual fatherhood" and how it's woefully lacking in today's churches. The author, David Murrow, suggests setting up a solid foundation based upon this concept of spiritual fatherhood and gives an example of how one church in Texas did it. They set up the pastor over 12 men, then each of those 12 men over 12 men, and so on. One person interviewed had a "lineage" of 108 men and he knew them all by name and knew when one was in trouble and responded individually. This church is growing by leaps and bounds and there is no typical "gender gap" (where a church is usually comprised of a majority of women) and men actually enjoy coming to church.

Our pastors were not meant to do everything. Men need to step up in the church and become the leaders God intends them to be (and in their homes as well). Men want to follow God, but we've created a woman-targeted environment in our churches that simply turns men away. That's what I love about Wildmen Ministries - encouraging men to step up and assume their rightful positions. That's how we're going to change the world.

We need each other, and as it says in Ecc 4:9-10, "Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble."

Pray for your pastor today, men. Pray to understand your role in all this.

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

I think this chapter gives us a little information into the question we've been asking about God hardening Pharaoh's heart:

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments

Reading today's chapter, I found myself fighting jealous thoughts. How cül would it be to have such an obvious, visible sign from God to follow? Oh, to have such rich traditions prescribed in eloquent detail for me and my ancestors to follow!

I don't know about you, but my Christian walk frequently calls for more faith than I think I have (especially lately). I long for visible or audible signs from God.

Look at these verses in Exodus chapter 13:

18 So God led them along a route through the wilderness toward the Red Sea, and the Israelites left Egypt like a marching army.

21 The LORD guided them by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. That way they could travel whether it was day or night. 22 And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from their sight.

Still, I don't have these visible or audible signs. Promptings...sometimes. But for the most part, it's a journey of faith and trust.

My encouragement is found in the book of John:

"You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway." John 20:29

Increase our faith, Lord!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments

My family never was much for rich traditions. I have fond memories of holidays and family times, but there was no annual rituals in which we all participated in together. I have known families who are deep in these kind of traditions and strongly hold to the performing of these. I admire this practice.

I guess I wondered where these traditions came from. With Passover, there's no question. God prescribes it with great detail in this chapter: what to eat, what to do, what to wear, etc. It's pretty clear.

I started thinking that perhaps I'm missing out. Afterall, I am a Christian and after what Jesus did on the cross, that makes me "circumcised at heart." Look what God says:

48 "If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the LORD's Passover, let all the males be circumcised. Then they may come and celebrate the Passover with you. They will be treated just as if they had been born among you. But an uncircumcised male may never eat of the Passover lamb. 49 This law applies to everyone, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner who has settled among you."

Do you and your family share in any traditions? I'd be curious to hear about it...

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

I continue to struggle, like many of you who have sent emails, about how God hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that he would not let the children if Israel go. We see it in this chapter as well:

11:10 Although Moses and Aaron did these miracles in Pharaoh's presence, the LORD hardened his heart so he wouldn't let the Israelites leave the country.

In chapter 7, we see another Godly "mind-control":

7:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh.

Now, look in the first part of chapter 11 for a supernatural influence of a different flavor:

11:2 Tell all the Israelite men and women to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold." 3 (Now the LORD had caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the people of Israel, and Moses was considered a very great man in the land of Egypt. He was respected by Pharaoh's officials and the Egyptian people alike.)

God caused the children of Israel's neighbors to favor them with riches.

I wish I could make all this make sense, but the truth is God's ways are higher than ours. I have no idea why He couldn't just cause Pharaoh yield the first time Moses went in. Why did countless horrible plagues have to occur? Why did many people have to suffer and die? I do know that I trust God. There will always be things I cannot fathom concerning the ways of Almighty God.

Perhaps it has something to do with reward. What do I mean?

Well, we see in this case how the children of Israel (through their own selfishness and sinfulness) were held in bondage for many years. The suffering and torture were tremendous. But God heard their call and not only rescued them from bondage, but gave them all the livestock, food, and riches they could carry with them. I don't pretend to know the heart of God, but I do know this: He does not waste suffering and He will reward His own.

For me, when I read stories like this or about Job, I am content with the simple fact that I will never completely understand His ways until I'm with Him...and even then I have a feeling the learning process will continue!

Lord, increase my faith in You. You promise answers for those who seek wisdom. You promise reward for those who trust You. I declare my trust in You today, Lord.

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

Many of you know that I used to be a magician as a young lad. I spent my summers entertaining at birthday parties and doing "illusions" for churches, schools and organizations. Once at a high school show, a woman approached me and began rebuking me for doing "magic." "This is an abomination to God," she said. She went on for several minutes about how I was dabbling in the occult and doing evil for my father, the devil. The interesting thing was, this particular show was for an evangelistic organization and I was telling the HS kids about God through my show.

I asked her if she had a $1 bill. Puzzled, she got a strange look on her face and reached in her pocket and produced the dollar. I folded it up very carefully in to a small wad, then slowly unfolded it. When I finished unfolding it, it had become a $100 bill - right in front of her eyes - no hands in the pockets, no faerie dust! Well, she was beaming with excitement and took the money and ran off skipping along the way.

Isn't it amazing how you can think of the perfect response after the fact? Don't you wish you could think of clever responses when needed? I was just kidding about the whole thing with the $100 bill. I know that illusion, but I didn't learn it until a few years later, and I didn't perform it for her. Unfortunately for her, she didn't suddenly find herself $99 richer and skip happily into the sunset.

Look at the Pharaoh's magicians in this chapter. They respond to Moses's miracles with like "miracles." I'm not sure if they performed "illusions" like I used to. Perhaps they had a snake "load" (a term magicians use to indicate a hidden dove, rabbit or snake [?] in a concealed pouch that they produce at just the right moment for effect) or perhaps they performed actual transformations from wood to water moccasin, as my female "fan" would say, with the help of their father, the devil.

Either way, God's snake ate the other. God's miracles are real and forever. His promises endure. He is faithful. No matter what the world or the devil can offer, it's all just smoke and mirrors compared to the matchless provision of our God.

Do you need a miracle?

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

Did any of you catch "The Ten Commandments" on ABC last night? I watched the 2nd hour. What? Did you think I was going to give up watching "24" for even one stinking night? NO WAY! Okay, the acting in the 10C was a bit hokey and I did miss the first part. But, from what I saw it seemed fairly accurate. I'm recording both nights so I can watch the whole thing later. Still, it's just not the same without Charlton Heston!

Exodus 5
Try to imagine if your kids came to you and you asked them to do something that would either cause discomfort or some kind of sacrifice (giving their toys to needy children, or hard-earned money to a missionary, for example). Would you want them to argue with you and try to give you reasons why they should not comply? Or, would you rather see them cheerfully and willingly trust you that they will be blessed?

Reading this chapter (and waching the show last night) really makes me feel bad for Moses. What a difficult position he's been put in. God tells him that he'll be the one to free the children of Israel. God tells him to go to Pharaoh and ask for a 3-day pass into the wilderness. Moses goes to Pharaoh (certainly not completely willingly) and, as you would expect, the king does not "share the vision." In fact, he increases the hardship for the slaves:

17 But Pharaoh replied, "You're just lazy! You obviously don't have enough to do. If you did, you wouldn't be saying, 'Let us go, so we can offer sacrifices to the LORD.' 18 Now, get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still deliver the regular quota of bricks."

This makes Moses a very unpopular person. How would you react in this situation? Have you ever been made to suffer because of something God asked you to do? Perhaps you've had to sacrifice time with your family to lead a Bible study. Perhaps you've had to get up early to read your chapter. Perhaps you've been mocked at work because of your stance on certain subjects.

Fortunately, we know how the Moses story turns out and, just like in your life, God is faithful. He won't put things on us that we can't handle. Even though we don't understand the reasons at the moment, we can trust Him that He's in control and He will work it out. Think about this - if Moses had said "no" how then could God's chosen be set free?

If not you, then who?

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

One of the things I love about dBragging is how I'm motivated to look for something interesting in each chapter. Some may question this motivation, but for me it makes me read differently. Rather than just reading, I'm looking for "nuggets" or "treasures" in the pages. Sometimes this is more of a challenge than other times.

Exodus 3

For what ever reason, I always thought the destination for the recently freed children of Israel was a mystery to Moses and those who would be traveling. I guess that was what I needed to think to justify a 40 year journey. This is not the case. Clearly, God told Moses from the beginning where the "promised land" is. As I have learned through the years, this land flowing with milk & honey was only 240 miles from where they started. So, not knowing what was ahead, Moses was concerned only with 2 things: 1) how am I going to convince Pharaoh to let all these slaves go? and 2) how am I going to convince all these slaves that God sent me.

God knew what would happen. As a matter of fact He spelled it out exactly as it would go:

19 "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go except under heavy pressure. 20 So I will reach out and strike at the heart of Egypt with all kinds of miracles. Then at last he will let you go. 21 And I will see to it that the Egyptians treat you well. They will load you down with gifts so you will not leave empty-handed. 22 The Israelite women will ask for silver and gold jewelry and fine clothing from their Egyptian neighbors and their neighbors' guests. With this clothing, you will dress your sons and daughters. In this way, you will plunder the Egyptians!"

Exodus 4

So he turned and ran away. When I read how Moses' staff turned to a snake, Moses's reaction disappointed me. Haha. I admit, I would likely have done no better. But, you'd think - after seeing the burning bush, realizing that God Almighty was conversing with you - what could a snake do?

To be truthful, Moses's conversation in these two chapters give me some kind of comfort. Like the "duh-ciples" in the New Testament, these "mighty men of God" we read about are really just like you and me: full of fears, full of "issues", full of doubts. I love this conversation with Moses & God:

10 But Moses pleaded with the LORD, "O Lord, I'm just not a good speaker. I never have been, and I'm not now, even after you have spoken to me. I'm clumsy with words." 11 "Who makes mouths?" the LORD asked him. "Who makes people so they can speak or not speak, hear or not hear, see or not see? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go, and do as I have told you. I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say."

Still, God chooses the simple things to confound the wise.

Lord, in spite of all my failures, my weaknesses, my insecurities - use me to bring You glory!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

Before I begin, I want to tell you about the "new" version of "The Ten Commandments" airing tonight on ABC. Set those Tivos for 9pm Monday & Tuesday evenings. Check out http://abc.go.com/specials/thetencommandments.html for more info. I'm sure it won't be good as Charlton Heston's movie, but it might be interesting to see hollywood's perception of this story as we read along. Be sure to compare everything with Scripture!

Well, we don't have too much information on Moses' childhood do we? We go from him being drawn out of the water to him killing the Egyptian thug. Hmmm.... What happened to all those chariot races with his Egyptian brother - you remember, the ones on the Disney flick "Prince of Egypt."

Did you notice the name Moses sounds like the Hebrew term for "to draw out?" The princess who named him had no idea what a dual meaning this name had for this young Hebrew child.

It must have been a strange childhood for Moses. He had an honored position in Egypt - as an honored son of the pharaoh - yet he was just as Hebrew as the slaves he oversaw. Finally, he had taken all he could and ended up killing the Egyptian, who was beating a Hebrew brother.

This threw him into exile in the wilderness, where he eventually met his wife, Zipporah. It's true what God promised - He will make good out of situations that the enemy had intended to bring evil.

At the end of this chapter, God hears the cries of His people:

23 Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites still groaned beneath their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their pleas for deliverance rose up to God. 24 God heard their cries and remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 He looked down on the Israelites and felt deep concern for their welfare.

From chariot races with his Egyptian brother to his journey to Midian, it is obvious that God was preparing Moses for something big.

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

Welcome to the land of Egypt, where the sun is hot and the Israelites are heavily burdened slaves. It is interesting that God is honoring His promise to Abraham and blessing them with accelerated fruitfullness! The Israelites are multiplying so quickly that the new Egyptian government is alarmed:

8 Then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. 9 He told his people, "These Israelites are becoming a threat to us because there are so many of them. 10 We must find a way to put an end to this. If we don't and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country."

This kind of reminds me of a certain crisis in our country right now with the illegal immigrants (not that I'm comparing our government with the foul Egyptian government).

The thing that stands out is how the new government makes it more and more difficult on the Israelites - increasing their labor to the breaking point, so they would not be able to overtake the land with their huge masses. Still, they increased. Pharoah tried to have all the male children killed as they were born, but God protected them and still they increased.

The encouragement for me is how God is faithful to His promises...even in spite of how His chosen people had disobeyed and pursued their own interests and gotten themselves into bondage in the first place, and in spite of how the enemy might try to prevent the fulfillment of the promises. Still, God is fulfilling His promises.

Thank You, Lord!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

As we close this book out, I want to say again how thankful I am to have you guys to read through the Word with! I couldn't do this on my own - I tried for years. I look forward to reading His Word now and I look forward to reading your emails and your thoughts. Thanks!

The one thing that sticks out in this chapter to me today is:

8 I, John, am the one who saw and heard all these things. And when I saw and heard these things, I fell down to worship the angel who showed them to me. 9 But again he said, "No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this scroll. Worship God!"

When I think of the mighty angels - six to nine feet tall, powerful, holy creatures - I can understand John's reaction to fall to his knees and worship. But what the angel says blows my mind: "I am a servant of God, just like you."

Wow. We must worship God, guys. That's why we were created. I'm not talking about singing songs on Sunday, but live a lifestyle of worship. He is awesome and mighty, full of power and love. He is faithful and merciful. He is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and truth.

I'm honored to have you all as my brothers!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments

I've really been seeking the Lord on which book to do next, and I must say it has been fairly obvious for me for quite some time. In the last few weeks, I've been hearing so much about the journey (exodus) of the children of Israel, I keep wanting to get more understanding of all they went through.

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

What an incredible description of the new heaven and new earth. Reading about gold so pure it's clear like glass, and all these precious gems and stones, and pearls as big as gates practically blows my mind. I'm intrigued, but somehow I can't relate. It's hard for me to get excited about these things because I've never had much in the way of gold or jewels.

But, when I read the part in verse 3 and 4:

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever."

Sorrows, pain, goodbye, rejection, abuse, crying - these things I can relate to. When I think of heaven, the absense of these things is what gets me excited. And, like I heard about last night in the Tampa Wildmen, my reward, like that given to Moses, will be the actual physical presence of God, not the gifts (as nice as I'm sure they'll be).

The other thing in this chapter that caught my attention is found in verse 8:

8 But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars – their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.

Look at this list again. These are descriptions of horrible, utterly despicable people. But look again at what the list starts with. Cowards. I remember the first time I heard this (I think it was in a John Bevere study) – it really struck me. Cowards are at the top of the list of those rejected by God.

What is a coward? It has something to do with fear, no matter how you describe it. Dictionary.com defines coward as “one who shows ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain.” This is not a fear of God, this is fear that doesn’t come from God. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the enemy – these things God hates.

It’s high time we Christian men took a stand and understood who we are in Christ. It’s the only way we’re going to reach other men, who are, for the most part, turned off by what they see happening in the Christian church. Did you know that the Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion on the earth? Did you know that more and more men (especially non-middle-eastern men) are converting to Islam? Why? Men admire the stand that men take in this religion.

Lord, give me the ability to see who I am in You. Let me see and understand how you’ve wired me up to not be a coward, but a bold and mighty warrior in your army, a prince and a son of the most High God. Help me to encourage my brothers to do the same. Fill this planet with powerful, effective Christian men that have no fear, but the fear of the Lord.

Strength!
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

Hmmm. Well, this thousands years (the millenium) has me puzzled with my forming timeline understanding. I certainly can't identify a time period that has already gone by when there was no satan. So, I guess that's where my "partial" preterest descriptor kicks in.

No matter - when this occurs, just imagine what life will be like. No tempter, no accuser, no lion roaming about looking to kill us, steal from us or destroy us. When I read the account of him coming back out of the pit and assembling his army, more numerous than the sand on the shore, I couldn't help think of the LOTR films. They are destroyed by consuming fire from heaven and at once wiped out completely and for good.

The other thing that caught my attention was in the last part of this chapter:

12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds. 14 And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

I remember hearing a sermon about "The Book or Books". Where is your name written? Everyone's deeds are recorded in the "books" but only those whose name is recorded in "The Book" will be spared from the eternal lake of fire.

When I think about this message, my heart rate quickens. We've got so much work to do. There are so many who think they're going to be okay when they die because of the "good life" they lead. They're in for a big surprise. We need to somehow make sure they know the truth.

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

Events in this chapter have been cited by premillennial believers. They see this as Jesus' second coming on a white horse and the army of God dressed in white behind him, and all believers will see Him. However, this confuses me. If you read Paul's account of His return, it is not described this way:

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." 1 Thess. 4:16 NLT

Instead, this appears to be the vision of a celebration before the final judgement of God. So, this would lead me to believe that the pre-millennial of Jesus may not be accurate. The final judgement of God doesn't happen until later in Revelation (after the millennium). Hence, the actual return of our Lord does not take place before the millennium. Hmmm...

Any other thoughts?

Either way, I got chills when I read of the celebration and the huge choirs singing. That will be quite something!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Is it just me? Or, do you also get a familiar feeling when you read this chapter? When I read the descriptions of her (Babylon), I couldn't help thinking about our world today and how people have turned away from God to pursue their own pleasures and greed. Blatently and out in the open our morals are being chipped away at and even governments support horrible acts of murder and imorality.

Again, I can't dicipher the timeline in this book. Just when I think I have a theory, the next chapter sends me off spinning in some other direction. But, this great prostitute, who represents Babylon, certainly bears great resemblance to today's situation in the world.

As with anyone who rejects God and pursues their own pleasure, she will be judged for her evil deeds:

6 Do to her as she has done to your people. Give her a double penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so give her twice as much as she gave out. 7 She has lived in luxury and pleasure, so match it now with torments and sorrows. She boasts, 'I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow. I will not experience sorrow.' 8 Therefore, the sorrows of death and mourning and famine will overtake her in a single day. She will be utterly consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.

The encouragement from this chapter to me is in verse 4:

4 Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, "Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her."

Stand strong!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments

My weekend was crazybusy, but I wanted to try to catch up on my chapters in Revelation. That's more difficult than usual because once I read the chapter, all I want to do is understand what I'm reading. But, I don't have time this morning!

But, I did want to comment on something from chapter 17.

15 And the angel said to me, "The waters where the prostitute is sitting represent masses of people of every nation and language. 16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns – which represent ten kings who will reign with him – all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. 17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will mutually agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

God puts plans into the minds of the beast and his ten horns to carry out His purposes. As I read this, I was assured that no matter how crazy my life gets - no matter what is yet to come, that God is still in control. He has the power and authority to do whatever it takes to see His will fulfilled. It is not going to surprise my King how this all turns out.

Those who mock Him and reject Him will be judged. Those who follow after "the prostitute" and her purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls, those who desire her gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality, will be judged.

Stand strong, my brothers! There is a great reward for those who remain faithful and resist the temptations of our enemy. God is in control!

peace,
e

Posted by Jaqua (Jāy 'Quāy) at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments