Thinking. Reading. Praying. Planning. Looking at biblical examples. Asking God how and if they fit into the circumstances I am facing now as a person. Looking at my theological framework. Reading. Praying. Wondering what I can do for people. Wondering what to even to say to some people. Time. Money. Support. Miraculous intervention. All of the above.
My mind keeps returning to Hannah (an old testament Israelite)...
"There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat." - 1 Samuel 1:1-7 ESV
This issue went on for years... years!
Her husband loved her and did what he could to help. I look at the account and see his portion in her life. It was needed. It was real. He couldn't solve her problems but he did what he could to bring her to God's provision.
"And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head." As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, "How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you." But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation." Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him." And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad." - 1 Samuel 1:8-18 ESV
There is so much here.
Do you think that God doesn't know that leaders make stupid judgemental assumptions sometimes? God uses the partial blindness of people. Notice how Hannah found peace somehow. She prayed. That was part of it but she also interacted with Eli. God used both. God used all of it.
I sometimes look at situations and begin to judge. I see impractical decisions and even what looks to me at first glance like hyper-spiritual logic and start to judge but then I have to check myself. The situation is what it is. What are we going to do now? Prevention is great but any thoughts, or comments, of that nature are not going to be helpful.
It is a long story and I'll just say for those of you who don't know how it ends... God opens Hannah's womb and Samuel is born. He is the one these books are the Bible are named after. He becomes an important figure in Israel.
God comes through for Hannah.
My mind races and I think of a dozen people in need right now. Tears fill my eyes. If each of them cries out to God He Is going to help them. He Is going to come through for them. I don't know how He will. I don't even know my place in it.
I wonder what Eli thought when he saw little Samuel in the temple. Was he reminded of his idiotic behavior towards Hannah and think, 'I am such an idiot.'... maybe... but then standing next to her is that little miracle boy.
That idiot served a great God. God Is great in spite of his mistakes. Eli did it imperfectly and so do I. So I weep. I read. I pray. I ponder. I ask. I help where I can. Money. Time. Support. Prayer. I even rarely tell people what I think... very rarely... because this life has baffling problems that only God can solve.
This morning, as I look at my theological framework and compare it to scripture it has soundness. It is based on grace. Jesus is central. The work of salvation is finished. God loves us. In areas I have slipped I get realigned.
God will give us words when we need them. We pray looking like drunken fools and God answers in miraculous ways.
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Showing posts with label Supernatural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supernatural. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2017
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Awakened To The Supernatural
It is amazing how people adjust. The very abnormal can begin to seem normal. Natural seems normal. Seasons seem normal until you move to a place where there are no seasons. Abuse can seem normal until you are in an abuse free relationship. We see things and the alarm bells are ringing somewhere in our soul but we do not know the source of the sound. They are muffled or they are so loud that a person is surrounded by the noise and just reacts.
People can go through life like a sleeper who turns off their alarm clock in the morning but it doesn't wake them up.
The Bible teaches us that there are two supernatural kingdoms that overlap humanities experience. God's eternal kingdom and the powers of darkness that form as a seamless web.
"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?... Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee; for him sling stones are turned to stubble." - Job 41:1, 26-28 ESV
Darkness dwells in powerful arrogance. Humanity can not pierce it's armor.
"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel... Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." - Hebrews 12:22-24, 28-29 ESV
Darkness is not normal and neither is light. Darkness is an aberration and light is eternal. Forces overlap on us and even inside us that are not us. Sickness isn't normal. Death isn't normal. Hatred isn't normal. These are common things but not normal things. Immorality is not normal yet we adjust to it. The alarm bells are ringing but we don't know why.
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." - Romans 14:17 ESV
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." - Romans 15:13 ESV
When will will wake up? What will will it take to show us that being victims is not normal? What friend needs to come and show us another way. When will we listen? Much energy has been invested in adjusting, rationalizing and explaining. Denial can seem safer because it is done on our terms.
Hope makes our expectation of the future wonderful. We expect things that are not normal. We look for the side effects of blessing and we can live like a child on their way to an amusement park that they have never been to before.
Grace awakens us to God's dynamic. We see kingdoms and things begin to make sense to us. See what is natural and what is not. We begin to discern.
Faith is not normal but it is real and it has power because it is aligned with God's kingdom. Faith is revolutionary. It always has been and and it always will be.
People can go through life like a sleeper who turns off their alarm clock in the morning but it doesn't wake them up.
The Bible teaches us that there are two supernatural kingdoms that overlap humanities experience. God's eternal kingdom and the powers of darkness that form as a seamless web.
"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?... Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee; for him sling stones are turned to stubble." - Job 41:1, 26-28 ESV
Darkness dwells in powerful arrogance. Humanity can not pierce it's armor.
"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel... Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." - Hebrews 12:22-24, 28-29 ESV
Darkness is not normal and neither is light. Darkness is an aberration and light is eternal. Forces overlap on us and even inside us that are not us. Sickness isn't normal. Death isn't normal. Hatred isn't normal. These are common things but not normal things. Immorality is not normal yet we adjust to it. The alarm bells are ringing but we don't know why.
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." - Romans 14:17 ESV
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." - Romans 15:13 ESV
When will will wake up? What will will it take to show us that being victims is not normal? What friend needs to come and show us another way. When will we listen? Much energy has been invested in adjusting, rationalizing and explaining. Denial can seem safer because it is done on our terms.
Hope makes our expectation of the future wonderful. We expect things that are not normal. We look for the side effects of blessing and we can live like a child on their way to an amusement park that they have never been to before.
Grace awakens us to God's dynamic. We see kingdoms and things begin to make sense to us. See what is natural and what is not. We begin to discern.
Faith is not normal but it is real and it has power because it is aligned with God's kingdom. Faith is revolutionary. It always has been and and it always will be.
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Monday, December 30, 2013
Order We See Versus Life In Christ
"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." - Colossians 2:6-8 ESV
Human tradition and the elementary spirits (principles) of the world both appeal to us on some level. One is human order and the other is natural order... things people do and things we observe in nature.
People have traditions... cycles and methods they have developed. They are not spiritual though they may seem that way.
Nature reveals things about it's creator... those things don't go far enough. Nature is a creation and great to study but we must move beyond it.
Spirituality must zero in on Christ and Him alone. Communion is spirituality. Communion and fellowship... Everything else is window dressing.
"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. " - Colossians 2:9-15 ESV
In Christ something supernatural has happened and is happening. It is not common sense oriented. Traditions give structure and nature gives patterns but resurrection gives LIFE! That is what we need and what people need. If there is no life the structure is an empty husk. If there is life then there is reproduction.
Grace can not be passed on by tradition and it is not found in nature. It is fresh and from the throne or it is not present at all. There are no substitutes. Love, if it is Love, must be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Today we can live in a natural way or we can live as those who are raised from the dead. We can be filled with our own thoughts or we can be filled with the Holy Spirit. We can live for ourselves or we can reckon ourselves dead and made alive in Christ. Common sense can guide our decisions or faith can give us eyes to see the invisible.
A new year is coming and perhaps we start to think about what we want that new year be like. Does this year belong to God or to us? Who do we belong to?
God, Help us. Truly... We need you. We want to see You and be led by You. Before it is even here we give 2014 to You. We are Yours in it. We know nothing as we aught to. Our sight is limited but Yours is forever. Fills us, help us and go before us.
If this year is established 'In Him' it will be a wonder filled year.
--
Human tradition and the elementary spirits (principles) of the world both appeal to us on some level. One is human order and the other is natural order... things people do and things we observe in nature.
People have traditions... cycles and methods they have developed. They are not spiritual though they may seem that way.
Nature reveals things about it's creator... those things don't go far enough. Nature is a creation and great to study but we must move beyond it.
Spirituality must zero in on Christ and Him alone. Communion is spirituality. Communion and fellowship... Everything else is window dressing.
"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. " - Colossians 2:9-15 ESV
In Christ something supernatural has happened and is happening. It is not common sense oriented. Traditions give structure and nature gives patterns but resurrection gives LIFE! That is what we need and what people need. If there is no life the structure is an empty husk. If there is life then there is reproduction.
Grace can not be passed on by tradition and it is not found in nature. It is fresh and from the throne or it is not present at all. There are no substitutes. Love, if it is Love, must be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Today we can live in a natural way or we can live as those who are raised from the dead. We can be filled with our own thoughts or we can be filled with the Holy Spirit. We can live for ourselves or we can reckon ourselves dead and made alive in Christ. Common sense can guide our decisions or faith can give us eyes to see the invisible.
A new year is coming and perhaps we start to think about what we want that new year be like. Does this year belong to God or to us? Who do we belong to?
God, Help us. Truly... We need you. We want to see You and be led by You. Before it is even here we give 2014 to You. We are Yours in it. We know nothing as we aught to. Our sight is limited but Yours is forever. Fills us, help us and go before us.
If this year is established 'In Him' it will be a wonder filled year.
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