Our society as a whole and many people in our society are going through an identity crisis. The question many people are asking is who am I?
Many in an effort to answer that question go on a journey to find themselves -- maybe a physical journey a relationship.........
You will fine some folks going to a psychologist who may help them answer this question as to their identity. But I am convinced that this is the wrong question to be asking. The question that we should be asking is, who is God?
Genesis 12:2-3. states that Abraham had an encounter with God, vs, 2 state that God spoke to Abraham "I will make you a great nation, I will bless you and anyone that bless you I will bless him, and anyone that curse you I will curse him.
Jacob had an encounter with an angel of God. Genesis 22 vs 24-28. The angel asked Jacob, "What is you name?" and Jacob answered "My name is Jacob" the name Jacobs means a deceiver. The angel said to him "From today your name shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel".
According to the book of Genesis 37:5 Joseph had an encounter with God in a dream.
And over 3,000 years ago an 80 year-old man was standing on a mountain in the Sinai desert according to the book of Exodus Chapter 10-30, Moses was standing before the burning bush -- his sandals were off because he was standing on holy ground. And God told Moses that he had been chosen to deliver God’s people from Egypt. "BUT MOSES SAID TO GOD, `WHO AM I THAT I SHOULD GO TO PHARAOH AND BRING THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT..’"And God did not answer Moses question as to his identity, but rather told Moses that the God who is will be with him.
I believe that man’s fundamental problem is not a "self identity crisis" -- it is a God identity crisis -- If we want to know who we are -- then we need to know who God is.... When we find out who God is -- then and only then will we know who we are...
This question was asked by Jesus 2,000 years ago -- and it is still be asked today WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? This question has to do with the identity of Jesus -- In the 16th chapter of Matthew, we find Jesus and the disciples traveling into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, and as they were going along, Jesus paused and asked the men a couple of intriguing questions. First, He wanted to know who others thought He was, and then He wanted to know who they thought He was.
The most important things we will ever do in this life and the most important decisions we will ever make hinge on those questions,
Peter said, "You are the Christ." In other words, you are the Messiah, the Anointed One of God.
The name Christ is the official title of our Lord, occurring 514 times in the New Testament. It means that He was anointed or consecrated to His great redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King. He is Jesus the Christ. To believe that "Jesus is the Christ" is to believe that He is the Anointed, the Messiah of the prophets, the Savior sent of God.
The scripture tells us that Joseph the carpenter, the husband of Mary, the stepfather of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was also the father of James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. In Mark 3:21, Jesus’ brothers were ready to take Him away as a crazy man. In John 7:3-5, his brothers mocked Him, and it says point-blank that they did not believe in Him. Moreover, this was while it was popular and safe to be one of Jesus' disciples.
However, something changed after He had died, rose from the dead, and returned to heaven. Acts 1:14 says that Jesus' brothers were among those who were praying in the upper room, waiting for the Spirit to be given. It does not say "some of Jesus' brothers." It says, "Jesus' brothers." That means all of them, all four of them. Now that Jesus had been condemned and executed as a blasphemer, now that being a follower of Christ was not quite so safe anymore, now His brothers are following Him. They were being right up front with their faith in Jesus. I Corinthians 9:5 say they all married Christian women. Moreover, it is commonly believed that James, the Lord’s brother, wrote the epistle of James and that Judas, the Lord’s brother, wrote the epistle of Jude. These are the same men who, a couple of years before were mocking Him and thought He was insane. What happened to turn these people around?
Is it because He rose from the dead?
The Bible says that Jesus is Lord.
· He is our comforter
· He is our advisor
· He is our mediator
· He is our advocate
· He is our strength
· He is our inspiration
· He is our protector
· He is our provider
· He is our shepherd
· He is our master
· He is our peace. Who is He to you?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Discouragement
Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. William Ward.
The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther are the last three history books found in the Old Testament. These three books tell us what happened to the Jewish people after the Babylonian Captivity. Discouragement is not new to God’s people. Going from the mountaintop to the valley. I think of Elijah. From Mt. Carmel to underneath a little tree.
Over a thousand years ago, the nation of Israel was defeated, and taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar. They were dragged off to Babylon, where we learn in Jeremiah 29 they would have to live, dwell, raise their families for how many years? (70)
The 70 years did pass, and it would seem that this season of hardship was over. The prophet Daniel initiates a period of prayer and fasting in the life of Israel, and the Lord personally begins to work and move on their behalf. In fact, we can read in 2 Chronicles 36 that the Lord Himself comes to the King of Persia, King Cyrus, a Gentile, and directly appoints him to initiate the building of the temple in Jerusalem.
So Cyrus takes a national offering, restores the treasures that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Holy City, and issues a decree authorizing the people of God to return to Jerusalem.Then we come to the book of Ezra 4:4 which states, “Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.”
Okay, check this out. These people begin talking into the ears of the Israelites. They write a letter to King Artaxerxes, who ends up issuing a letter demanding that the work on the temple stop. And look at verse 24 (read).
Scholars estimate that this work of restoring the temple stopped for almost 20 years. 20 years! And it was stopped in part because of blackmails, and false accusations, and political fear . . . but what are we told was the start of this downward spiral? “Then the people of the land. . .” What? “Discouraged the people of Judah.” Discouragement is an enemy that is powerful in its ability to paralyze us in our Christian walk towards. It is at times subtle. Often unforeseen. And if not discerned, crippling. So, by definition, what is discouragement? It is to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit; weaken. Most of our translations use the word weaken, or discouraged. And when we move it to our English language, and apply the word we think best describes what the original language was talking about, we end up with this word that has two parts to it. Dis, which is a prefix which means such things as the opposite of, or to deprive of or the exclusion or expelling of, and courage.
For someone to discourage you, is for someone to deprive you, to exclude you, to make you the opposite of someone with courage. Sounds about right, doesn’t it? How many of us are ready to conquer the world when we are discouraged? How many of us are ready to take on great challenges, scale new heights, launch new adventures, and build a temple for the Almighty God when you are discouraged? How many of us are ready to fight the enemy, battle the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional demons of our lives, when we are discouraged? And that is why discouragement is a powerful tool of the enemy in its ability to paralyze us in our Christian walk towards victory. Subtle, but powerful. And if not discerned, crippling.
How does this happen? How does discouragement enter into our lives and our spirit?It is really quite simple. Through our senses. This is how it works. Our senses receive negative information, our attention, our mind, our spirit turns its focus towards those negative pieces of data, and discouragement enters our life.
No matter what our position in life, we all encounter disappointment that can quickly lead to discouragement and paralysis. No one is immune. While everyone suffers in this way, some seem to be down and out much longer than others. It is important to realize discouragement is a choice. We can settle into disappointment and accept our discouragement, or we can look straight at it and consider our assets. Is there a broken temple needing repair in your life? He who is in you is greater than any obstacle hindering its repair.
The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther are the last three history books found in the Old Testament. These three books tell us what happened to the Jewish people after the Babylonian Captivity. Discouragement is not new to God’s people. Going from the mountaintop to the valley. I think of Elijah. From Mt. Carmel to underneath a little tree.
Over a thousand years ago, the nation of Israel was defeated, and taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar. They were dragged off to Babylon, where we learn in Jeremiah 29 they would have to live, dwell, raise their families for how many years? (70)
The 70 years did pass, and it would seem that this season of hardship was over. The prophet Daniel initiates a period of prayer and fasting in the life of Israel, and the Lord personally begins to work and move on their behalf. In fact, we can read in 2 Chronicles 36 that the Lord Himself comes to the King of Persia, King Cyrus, a Gentile, and directly appoints him to initiate the building of the temple in Jerusalem.
So Cyrus takes a national offering, restores the treasures that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Holy City, and issues a decree authorizing the people of God to return to Jerusalem.Then we come to the book of Ezra 4:4 which states, “Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.”
Okay, check this out. These people begin talking into the ears of the Israelites. They write a letter to King Artaxerxes, who ends up issuing a letter demanding that the work on the temple stop. And look at verse 24 (read).
Scholars estimate that this work of restoring the temple stopped for almost 20 years. 20 years! And it was stopped in part because of blackmails, and false accusations, and political fear . . . but what are we told was the start of this downward spiral? “Then the people of the land. . .” What? “Discouraged the people of Judah.” Discouragement is an enemy that is powerful in its ability to paralyze us in our Christian walk towards. It is at times subtle. Often unforeseen. And if not discerned, crippling. So, by definition, what is discouragement? It is to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit; weaken. Most of our translations use the word weaken, or discouraged. And when we move it to our English language, and apply the word we think best describes what the original language was talking about, we end up with this word that has two parts to it. Dis, which is a prefix which means such things as the opposite of, or to deprive of or the exclusion or expelling of, and courage.
For someone to discourage you, is for someone to deprive you, to exclude you, to make you the opposite of someone with courage. Sounds about right, doesn’t it? How many of us are ready to conquer the world when we are discouraged? How many of us are ready to take on great challenges, scale new heights, launch new adventures, and build a temple for the Almighty God when you are discouraged? How many of us are ready to fight the enemy, battle the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional demons of our lives, when we are discouraged? And that is why discouragement is a powerful tool of the enemy in its ability to paralyze us in our Christian walk towards victory. Subtle, but powerful. And if not discerned, crippling.
How does this happen? How does discouragement enter into our lives and our spirit?It is really quite simple. Through our senses. This is how it works. Our senses receive negative information, our attention, our mind, our spirit turns its focus towards those negative pieces of data, and discouragement enters our life.
No matter what our position in life, we all encounter disappointment that can quickly lead to discouragement and paralysis. No one is immune. While everyone suffers in this way, some seem to be down and out much longer than others. It is important to realize discouragement is a choice. We can settle into disappointment and accept our discouragement, or we can look straight at it and consider our assets. Is there a broken temple needing repair in your life? He who is in you is greater than any obstacle hindering its repair.
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