18
Jul

A Field and a Redeemer

This week the #IKnowHim blog team is meditating on the powerful, personal name of God, Redeemer. This is a name that is defined by Webster’s dictionary as:

“A person who brings goodness, honor, etc., to something again : a person who redeems something;

“A person who redeems; especially capitalized :  Jesus”

There is a beautiful story in the Bible about a woman named Ruth. She was widowed at a young age, and her mother in law, Naomi, also happened to experience the same grief with the loss of her husband. Instead of leaving her mother-in-law behind to start a new life, she chose to remain steadfast in her loyalty to her husband’s family and returned with Naomi to the land of their forefathers, destitute and with no provider. There she found herself working in a field that belonged to a man named Boaz, one of her husband’s relatives. Unbeknownst to her, Boaz had been keeping watch over her and ordered his men to leave enough barley for her to harvest so that she and Naomi would not go hungry. In a beautiful turn of events, Boaz fell in love with her and became what in those days was called her kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 3:9), someone who offered to stand in the gap for someone who had lost their provider and specifically someone that was a relative of the deceased. In this story full of divinely orchestrated events, it is evident that this is a foreshadowing of the Redeemer to come.

The world in which we live has been covered it darkness it seems, sin and death leaving a trace of sorrow every way we look. If we are honest, we too must fight our own sin nature constantly. The very moment that we are sincere in our evaluations, looking down at our dirty hands and dark hearts, realizing that we too are broken and poor in spirit with nothing to offer, our very own Redeemer willingly steps in. The story of Jesus is one of a loving God who saw someone in need, before the world ever began and decided to stand in the gap of sin, becoming our Redeemer. Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Christ willingly picked up the burden and the shame of sin and carried it on His shoulders for my sake, for your sake. No matter what our circumstances are we can be certain that He is there fulfilling our payment. Just as Boaz displayed his love for Ruth by providing for her even without her knowledge, God often displays His love for us in ways we cannot see or haven’t realized yet. He is always there for those that love Him, making sure they have everything that they could ever need. By way of the cross, He has already paid the price for our sin and given us the gift of a new life.

Boaz and Ruth’s marriage meant that she no longer was on her own, desperately trying to make it day to day. It meant that someone had loved her enough to offer her a new life, a life where she was once again loved and cared for. Christ offers to come redeem us, and in addition to paying for our sins, He also offers to give us life abundant while we are here on earth. When we have a relationship with God and know Him intimately, it changes our entire outlook on the lives we are currently living. Becoming a follower of Jesus does not mean an easy road, but in fact many trials and persecution (John 16:33). Despite this, we can take heart, because our Redeemer has already overcome the world. Our Redeemer has paid the price of sin, defeated death, and is coming back for His beloved—His Church.

I’d like to conclude by sharing one more detail from Ruth’s story. She and Boaz go on to have child. A son, whom they name Obed. Obed becomes the grandfather of a man named David, who happens to be the forefather of Jesus.

God has always had a plan of redemption, and you and I are given the chance to be a part of it, today and everyday. If you ever find yourself wanting to make any kind of spiritual decision, we would love to talk to you about it. Send us an email (iknowhimblog@hotmail.com) that we can be praying with you. We’d love to connect you with a local church as you can continue to grow in your relationship with Him.

“O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause; You have redeemed my life.”

Lamentations 3:58

Rachel

14
Jul

Unexpected King

I used to be a regular evening news viewer, but I watch with angst more and more because it makes me so sad.  Anyone else feel discouraged by the world around us?  Innocent people being killed, cancer robbing our loved ones of life, Alzheimer’s robbing our families of decades of memories, innocent children being enslaved and used for prostitution, husbands leaving their families, the fatherless never knowing a daddy, parents abusing their own children, and starving babies are just a fraction of the sorrow we see.  Seeing suffering like this over and over again could leave one feeling hopeless.  However, as a Christ follower I have hope because I have a King, not an earthly king, but a Holy King.

God reveals Himself as King and it is a little bit like what fairytales describe. Some of the words in scripture that describe God in this way include: majesty, splendor, glory, reigning, sitting on a throne, jewels, victory and power. That pretty much sums up what image appears in my head when I think of a king. But a rather significant difference from fairytales is that Jesus isn’t fictional. His reign is real and He is a victorious king. He is sovereign over the world and ALL that is in it, including all that grieves me on the evening news. 1 Chronicles 16:27 says,

“Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.”

God also reveals Himself in an unexpected way, as a humble king. He first came to earth not as royalty dressed in robes on a white horse with an orb in his hand, but as a humble man, a carpenter. Several hundred years before Jesus came to earth, a prophet of God wrote this:

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!  Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!  See, your king comes to you righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Zechariah 9:9

God reveals Himself not only as a majestic ruler, but also a humble king.  Israel had waited for what many believed to be a military type authority and king, but instead He came as an unexpected king born in a stable.  Why is it significant that God reveals Himself as King both majestic and humble? The answer is because humanity needs both.

Humanity needs a majestic and humble King as we encounter this world. We NEED a majestic king to reign over this mess. We can rejoice that He is a reigning King who has DEFEATED darkness and is victorious.  But, we also need a humble King.  Because of God’s great love for us King Jesus has walked on earth as a man. He experienced pain and suffering as we do. Our King reigns with justice and mercy.  So, I am encouraged despite the pain I see on the evening news because God has revealed Himself as the sovereign ruler who loves us enough to experience the pain with us. I am so grateful that I can lay down these burdens at the foot of His throne and know that He is there and He loves the world He has created.

King over all the earth, we acknowledge our need for you as a Holy, perfect, reigning King. We need your wisdom to help us to discern right and wrong. We need your justice. We need your power to redeem us from this mess. We need you as our humble King. We need to encounter you personally and experience first hand the love of a living God. You are our Humble and Majestic King.

 Amy

13
Jul

The King of Glory

Several months ago, I found myself driving around for a few moments of blessed alone time. (And all the mommies said, “AMEN!”). I had been wrestling with some pretty heavy things and was seeking the Lord in the solitude. I had some new worship music blaring and it was just about sunset. I began to sing and pray and all of a sudden, the atmosphere changed. As I meditated on the words of the song and prayed honest, raw prayers, I began to feel this incredible adrenaline rushing through my veins. Though the day had been hot, and the temperature still lingered around 80 degrees, I was suddenly chilled and the air was heavy. I knew that the presence of God was with me. All of a sudden I was weeping in my car, and felt the Spirit leading me to claim the authority I had in Jesus over the enemy. In those powerful moments, I began to claim His promises in Scripture, His power over sin, and His power living within me. After that experience, I realized that God was giving the privilege of being in the presence of His glory. The sunset, the atmosphere, the authority…This is what He does when He shows up in our lives, and we are changed because of who He is. Psalm 24 is entitled King of Glory, and I wanted to share a few verses from that powerful passage…

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates!

And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts,

he is the King of glory! Psalm 24:7-10 (ESV)

Author and pastor Richard Strauss writes, “The most common word for glory in the Old Testament comes from a root that means literally “to be heavy.” In Old Testament times, a person’s weight was his glory….a person who was considered to have glory in that day was usually one who had some kind of weight, such as the weight of riches, the weight of power, or the weight of position. A man’s glory referred to what he was and what he had—his honor, his reputation, or his possessions….The phrase “the glory of the LORD” appears with such frequency, we begin to suspect that it refers to more than just one attribute of God….God’s glory is who He is, what He possesses, and what He is like. God’s glory is God Himself in His essential being.”*

It is so fitting that when we experience the presence of God in our lives we also experience the weight of His glory. When the Alpha and the Omega enters the room, when the Creator of the world comes to meet with us, the atmosphere changes because of who He is and everything He possesses. What we do understand about God’s glory is that it is eternal, never ending and never failing. Because God’s glory is eternal, and He is the King of Glory- no one has ever had or will ever have more ‘weight’ than God, His Kingdom is unshakable. His reign will never end.

This is important for us as we seek out what it means to know God for a few reasons. First, it means that we can be confident that He is the eternal King. Despite the broken world and all the people that inhabit it, He remains on the throne steadfast in His authority. Second, by spending time getting to know Him through reading His word and prayer, His glory should be evident in our lives, shaping us to look more like Him. Just like the atmosphere changes when He enters the room, our lives should also be transformed by knowing Him. By the cross we have the eternal God living in us, and we can boldly walk in the confidence that no person will ever be greater or higher than the King of Glory.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25

Rachel

Resources *https://bible.org/seriespage/24-king-glory

12
Jul

Jesus is My King!

It seems to me that you either love politics or you hate it. I love politics, well it is actually a love-hate relationship. I love it if my candidate wins and the people we elect are doing what I feel they should do for our country. But if my candidate loses…not so much love. I am one of those people that loves talk radio and can get totally obsessed with the whole election process and with this being a presidential election year it seems like politics is everywhere. Who will be our president? How will they lead? Will they keep our Christian values or will we be lead further from Christ as a country by our new president?

Our president is our version of a King in the United States. It is the person that we as citizens place our trust and faith in to lead us and our country. But if we are placing our faith in anyone that is not Jesus Christ we are going to be disappointed. No matter who we choose to be president in November, they will fall short. They will make choices that anger us and leave us shaking our heads in disbelief, because they are human and flawed just like the rest of us. Our faith is to only be placed in the one true King Jesus Christ!

Jesus is our king and He portrays a completely different type of king then what we see in our President or our political leaders today. He did not come to this world with pomp and circumstance, instead He chose to take off His crown and come to Earth as a lowly babe in a manger. Jesus spent His time on Earth not demanding we serve Him, but instead came to serve those around Him, to teach us how to live, and to be sacrificed for our sins and bring salvation.

We as Christians know that in the end, however long that may be, there will be only one King remaining and He is Jesus Christ. You see, it doesn’t matter who our next president is if we have placed our trust in King Jesus. This world will soon pass away along with politics and our sinful nature and we will finally see Jesus upon His throne. Until then, we are to keep our focus on Him and lead people to know Jesus as their personal savior. This way when Jesus comes to claim His kingdom we will have brought many to the Kingdom of God!

“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are called Chosen and faithful.” Revelation 17:14.

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

11
Jul

Sit at the Table

This week we have the privilege of sharing an #IKnowHim story that many of us can relate to in one way or another. As you read Sydney’s story, we encourage you to think about which participant you might have been in life: the individual that gives time and love to someone in need, or have you ever been on the receiving end of such a gift? Maybe you have had the honor of experiencing both? We would love to hear from you, share your experiences with us in the comment section of this post!

My I Know Him story is an on-going journey that’s been lifelong. I grew up in a home in which Jesus was worshipped, and my parents taught us from our earliest years how much He loved us and sacrificed for us to know Him. Some of my first memories of knowing God came through the example of my Mom’s love, beginning when I was a very young girl. My Mom has this beautiful, extraordinary way of befriending people who could easily be written off in the eyes of the world. People no one else notices become the apple of her eye – the recipients of living water for which they didn’t even know they were thirsting. Some of these women have been oppressed, abused, and acquainted with great evil – yet they learn the gentle and fierce love of Christ and how He’s been searching for them – across her dining table or in a bible study she prepares and goes through together with just that one.

As a child, these acts of her sitting and sharing her time and loving people who were lost, searching, and in need moved me in a profound way. There is something so powerful about sitting across the table from someone who is desperate for the hope of Jesus Christ, and being the person who steps into what can seem like a mess in order to introduce them to that Hope. As I grew older, those examples became so personal realizing that Jesus did the same and more for me. He stepped into the mess to suffer the consequence of my sins and die in my place. In addition to the act of saving my life, He prepared His time and His love as gifts which I desperately needed, and still need every day. And He has helped me to see that some of the places I can know Him most deeply are at the tables which He would sit, lovingly going after just that one.

In Matthew 25 we read, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.'”

In a world cursed – compounded, muddied, and bleeding with sin – people are starving for the Good Word. We can take on the yoke and heart of that Good Word – Jesus Christ. Saying “I know Him. I was lost and lonely but I can help show you the way to wholeness, because He has restored me, and He can give you restoration and fullness of life too!”

It would absolutely be more convenient to live life with only people and comforts we’ve always known, never opening our lives to those who might make us feel out of place. But Christ lived a new adventure each day by being prayerful and ready to meet with the needs of humanity by lovingly engaging the next person searching for Him with truth and grace.

Jesus came that all men might be saved, and understanding that truth can’t help but fill my heart with gratitude for His gift of salvation, then shifts my focus outward, and makes each breath weighty, each meal meaningful, each minute urgent in giving the gospel to searching people. He loved others beyond any fear or insecurity about what the world thought, though it pressured Him and scoffed at how he spent His time with people viewed as unworthy. He saw past each of our shallow labels and masks we’ve chosen to wear, and loved and shared the same good news with every man and woman He encountered – including you and me.

He knew we would murder Him, and still He sat at the table for a meal and conversation with us. How can I be unwilling to do the same?

Knowing Jesus corrects my perspective – helping me remember my own desperate need for Him, and equips me to provide for needs while sharing the Good Word with those searching for Him – so that they might come to know the power of His extravagant love and redemption in their lives too.

I came to know him initially as a little girl, but He’s showing me that I get to know Him more and more as I choose to walk in step with His Holy Spirit, watching for that next opportunity to sit at the table with one more person, just like Jesus did for me.

Sydney Clark is a Texas girl who has served the Panhandle in ministry for 8 years with her husband, and stays home raising their 3 awesome kiddos. She loves Jesus and His Church, and enjoys writing, singing, and all things artsy. 

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07
Jul

Pep Squad Identity

As we continue to meditate on how the names of God help us to know Him more, we learn a third name of Jehovah.  Jehovah Nissi means the Lord God OUR Banner.  Meditating and knowing God through this name helps us define OUR identity by what He has done for us.

I think most people are looking for an identity and we don’t always start with God’s thoughts about us.  Often, we start searching for our identity for the first time in junior high. I had a pretty good case of identity searching too.  I tried multiple activities and groups as I searched for my identity. I tried athletics, drama, band, and even dance.  The dance identity is probably the one that makes me giggle the most.  If you know me well you would have never ever guessed that I would have wanted to dance.  But, a friend of mine wanted to audition for the Pep Squad at school and I agreed to participate in a week long camp and audition with her for the squad.  When tryout day came, I performed the routine we had learned and felt quite confident that I would not be on the squad.  After a week of totally uncoordinated movements I had figured out dance was not for me.  The Pep Squad list was posted on the cafeteria door and I was relieved to find I was not on it! However, some “dance moms” whose daughters didn’t make the team complained enough that it was decided that anyone who tried out would be on the team.  I followed my friend to join and we ordered our pleated cheerleader skirts and pom poms.

pepsquad

Here is a critical detail you need to know about me in junior high.  At this particular time I was about 6 inches taller than most of the other girls in my grade.  It turns out the tallest girls get placed on the 50 yard line and then the height descends on either side.  So, my incredibly uncoordinated, shy, modest 12 year old self was dead center of the entire football field shaking her hips.  This is the stuff nightmares are made of.  While I can’t say that at the end of the year I had figured out who I was, I definitely had taken a step in the process.  I had learned that my eternal identity was not going to come from an extracurricular activity and God was beginning to reveal to me that His activity in my life was far more important that any identity I could create for myself.

In scripture we see this when God did something amazing for the Israelites in the desert, as they were learning their identity from His perspective.  Israel went into battle with a group of people and Moses positioned himself in a place where he would raise his arms and pray for God to give Israel victory.  The battle was won through God’s intervention.  In fact, the Lord tells them He would blot out this enemy completely from under heaven.  Total VICTORY!!!  Moses built an altar to mark this milestone for the Israelites to remember.  He called it Jehovah Nissi, the Lord Our Banner.

The Olympics are coming up and one of the things you and I will see over and over again is when athletes win they will raise their country’s flag over their heads in victory.  The victory in Exodus was celebrated by worshipping God, by figuratively waving a banner in worship over their lives.  It also foreshadows a victory God has over our lives today.  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice we can claim a new identity and we can celebrate with a banner of God’s victory over our lives.  Junior High wasn’t the last time I struggled with my identity.  I continue to this day to wander from this truth and become distracted by trying to DO things to create an identity.  I sincerely hope that when I am tempted to claim an identity other than His banner I will remember to stop and know that He has already claimed an identity on my behalf.  He is my Jehovah Nissi.

“And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner”

Exodus 17:15

Amy

 

06
Jul

Jehovah Rapha

This week my faith was tested in a real and tangible way. I felt it to my very core. I knew that Satan had found my weakness, my family, and more specific the fact that I truly have no control of how long I have with my precious loved ones. When we get to the heart of our humanity we realize that we don’t know how long we have here on Earth, but God does. And as I sat in a waiting room with my family I felt one thing… helpless. My mom was in the back having tests run and we heard things like “a spot we want to look at, sonogram, biopsy and recurrent breast cancer.”  Our world had once again stopped.

We had watched my mom go through the fight of her life 5 1/2 years ago. A fight no one should face; though countless people fight cancer everyday. Surgeries, chemo, radiation, side effects, weakness, nausea…this fight is horrific. She won her battle the first time and did it with courage, strength and above all with her mighty belief in Jehovah Rapha-The LORD that heals you. My mom knew without a doubt that God was going to heal her and He did. She also knew that even if she wasn’t healed here on Earth, she would be in Heaven. Her faith during this time was palpable and contagious.  Her focus stayed on her creator and her healer.

“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.”  Jeremiah 17:14.

As we sat in an all too familiar waiting room with tears flowing at the memories that lingered and the fear of what this second journey might hold, I was reminded that Jehovah Rapha has this. He knew what this test would show, when my mom’s battle with cancer would be won and most importantly when He will return and our would will never hear another horrible diagnosis. There will be no more pain, no more cancer and no more death.

Thankfully we heard just 24-hours later that my mom doesn’t have recurrent breast cancer.  The spot was benign! Again tears flowed, but this time in relief and thankfulness.  I have always said that when I get content and too comfortable I’m frightened that God will have to get my attention by taking my legs out so that I find my knees in prayer.  I found my knees last week and I know that without a doubt that Jehovah Rapha was with my family and healed us closer together once again, but more importantly we were all drawn closer to Him.

Whether you are facing an unthinkable diagnosis, a broken spirit or even an addiction… our God is a healer!  Nothing we can face is bigger than Him.  We can give Him all of our battles and we know that He is with us.  Just as my mom demonstrated for my family, we too can show those around us the power and glory of Jehovah Rapha!

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

05
Jul

A Lamb and an Alter

This summer the #IKnowHim blog team has been meditating on different names of God in order to know Him better. This week we are going to be looking at 3 names of God found in Scripture that reveal different ways that God cares for us.

In one of the most suspenseful stories in the Bible, we are introduced to God as Jehovah Jireh, which means “the Lord will provide”. We find this account in Genesis 22:14, when a father takes a son to an altar to perform a sacrifice. During their journey, the young boy notices that they seem to have forgotten the sacrifice. He asks his father, who was named Abraham, where the sacrifice was. For the first time in Scripture, Abraham answered his beloved son—the one he longed for so many years, with this name of God. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. If you aren’t familiar with this story, earlier God had instructed Abraham to take his son, Isaac, up to the mountain and offer him up as a sacrifice, hence the lack of sacrifice Isaac questioned. Soon enough, Isaac realized that his father didn’t forget the sacrifice at all. Abraham laid his son on the altar, raised his weapon to strike, and at the very last moment heard his name called from Heaven, as an angel of the Lord releases him from the task. Abraham, after hearing the angel’s voice looked up…and we see God given this name, Jehovah Jireh.

“And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”;as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:13-14)

In my own life, I too have often asked of my Father, “Where is the sacrifice? Where is this thing that we so desperately need?” For example, I have a friend with a beautiful family that loves and follows God, but there is so much hurt in their hearts for various reasons. For years now they have been praying for a breakthrough out of the darkness, out of the chaos. Yet it seems to be one thing after another, heavy burden after heavy burden. In my own prayers for them I have found myself asking God, “Where is their breakthrough? Where is their victory?”  Maybe you have, too. Where is the healing? Where are the finances? Where is the joy? Hear this today, friend: The Lord will provide.

This particular name reflects the truth that He sees every need we could have. Rest assured that God knows just what we need and the exact moment we are desperate for it. He is fully aware of every need from physical to financial, to emotional, to spiritual, and everything in between. However, sometimes just like Abraham we must show that we are willing to be obedient to the hard things and trust that He has already provided what we need— before we ever see the provision manifested. We often are fully aware of what we are asking God for, but we may need to ask ourselves if we know what God is asking us to do first. Not because He is a conditional God, because He isn’t—but because our faith is refined when we must believe without seeing. Before we seek God’s provision, we must seek a relationship with Him. He is a good Father that longs to give us the desires of our heart, but He can’t do that if we neglect to establish a relationship with Him. It is after we have faith that God already did provide for us, through Jesus on the cross, that we can have faith that God will provide in other areas of our lives, because we understand the love He has for us.

We know that God’s love for us is unconditional because what happened that day with a father named Abraham, a son named Isaac, and an altar was a foreshadowing of when God would make the ultimate provision. Thousands of years later, God the Father would provide His one and only Son named Jesus—the spotless Lamb, on the altar of a cross. This was the final sacrifice that would seal His provision and love for us forever. This sacrifice of the Lamb meant that every need we would ever have would be heard and met by a Father that loves us, despite our brokenness.

He sees you, He hears you, and He will provide for you. Take a few moments and if you can write down what it is you are asking God to provide. Then meditate on this promise from Genesis that God will provide. Finally, begin to ask God what He might have you do, so that your faith might be strengthened in the waiting.

Let us know how God has provided for you in your life! We’d love to hear your #IKnowHim story of God’s faithfulness. Keep pressing on,

Rachel

29
Jun

GOD ABOVE ALL

The worship team at my church released an incredible album a few years ago, and for the past 2 years the only song my son will listen to or sing is one of their songs. It’s an upbeat song called Lord Most High (you can listen to it at the bottom of this post). Every time we get in the car, I immediately hear him request this song by yelling, “MOST HIGH!” He got a guitar for Christmas and he will walk around the house at lease once a day eyes squinted, head bobbing, jamming to one of the phrases from the song singing “WE BELIEVE GOD FATHER” (the lyrics say “We believe in God the Father) at the top of his lungs. It is one of the most precious things in the entire world, even though I am so over the song itself by this point. What I love most about this is that even at such a young age, the song that he has become attached too has imprinted the most incredible truth on his little heart. He may not understand the words, but he understands how he feels when we all sing it together. He may not understand the theology of the song, but he knows that he was made by the God that the song is about, and that’s good enough for him. And me.

The name Elyon, which means Most High, is mentioned 31 times in the Old Testament. When paired with the Hebrew word for God, El, it becomes God Most High. This is one of the many names of God that is found throughout Scripture. Author and Pastor Randy Alcorn describes this as a name that “emphasizes God’s uniqueness and his supremacy.”*

The name God Most High resounds the truth that God is above ALL. He is above all creation, man and nature alike (2 Samuel 22:14, Ps. 18:13. Ps. 47:2, Ps. 83:18, Genesis 14:18-20). He is the one that establishes purpose and accomplishes things for man (Ps. 57:2). He is the one that ultimately gives and takes away (Lam. 3:38, Daniel 5:18, Daniel 7:18).

Acknowledging that God is above all is fundamental for believers. When we believe that He is the Lord Most High, we are acknowledging that no one else is. We can be secure that in every moment of every day, He is the one that holds the world and all things in it. And the beautiful thing is that when we belong to Him, there is nothing that could ever be against us (Romans 8:31). He is the ultimate shield, a place for us to rest in when we are weary. A place for us to be strong in Him when we are weak.

Ps. 91:1 says “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Likewise, verses 9-12 of the same chapter say, “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

No matter what opposition we are faced with, we can be confident that we serve the Lord Most High and nothing is above Him. When all is said and done, if we have a relationship with the God above all, we are on the winning team. Thanks be to Him, the Lord Most High, for loving us, pursuing us, and protecting us.

Rachel

**sidenote- This whole album is really incredible, I encourage you to check out the other songs if you ever have the chance!

*http://www.epm.org/resources/1995/Jun/1/elyon-what-does-it-mean/

28
Jun

Jesus is Bigger

The Lord Most High. Let that sink in for a minute…how amazing is He. He created all things, knows all things and knows each of us so intimately that He knows the number of hairs on each of our heads, Luke 12:7. Yet, we tend to minimize who He is and what He is capable of. We make rules in our lives and in our churches that limit God not only who He is, but what we are able to do in His name.

About 6 months ago, I was confronted by someone I hold very dear to my heart. She is one of the most precious people I know. She asked me a lot of questions about my beliefs on topics like baptism (submersion or sprinkling), should the Lord’s supper to be taken every time we meet as a church, should there be instruments played during church…etc. I was upset at first because I felt like my beliefs were being questioned, but then I spent hours upon hours in God’s word justifying my beliefs, not to her but to myself. I know what I believe, but why do I believe in the things that I do? Is it because this is what I have been taught all of my life or is it because this is what the Bible teaches me? This was one of the best gifts that I have ever been given, because today I can show anyone what my beliefs are based upon in the Bible. I now have a better understanding of the fact that if our focus is on telling others about how great Jesus is then our focus will no longer be on how a church service is being run, but it will instead be on the one who created the church.

Some churches, in fact, judge each other and some even teach that we will all be judged by what denominations we follow. They believe that we will all face judgment one day for these beliefs and how we worshiped Jesus Christ. I agree that I should have to stand before the throne of God on judgement day and be punished for how I lived, the sins I have committed (unfortunately there are many), and how I have raised my family. My name will be called and God could and should render me a sinner that is not worthy. Yet, before I am judged, The Lord Most High, Jesus Christ will stand and say “She is Mine.” For my name will be written in the Book of Life! There will be nothing to judge because Jesus has already died for each and every one of my sins and He is bigger than any sin I could ever commit. He paid the price so I wouldn’t have to. Jesus is the Lord Most High and He is over all people and all denominations for He is the Church and we are His bride.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11.

You see, we can all use our denominations and our beliefs to minimize who Jesus is. He is bigger than all of our rules and He is bigger than our minds can truly grasp. He is the Lord most High!

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

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