"I AM-the-God-Who-Sees"

"I AM-the-God-Who-Sees."

"I AM-the-God-Who-Sees you." For some "I AM-the-God-Who-Sees you" (El Roi) strikes a chord of fear (minor of course), but in truth this is of great comfort. God sees us! He sees our struggles, He sees our finances, He sees our friendships, He sees our family, and He is the-God-Who-Sees me -- my heart, my thoughts, my intentions, my "why I do what I do"s; He is the God Who sees [me]. He is my El Roi!

How many times have I prayed "Jesus, save me![!!]"? Some days it is a prayer that reverberates repeatedly. No I'm not talking about the "Jesus save me" from hell. This "Jesus save me" is a crisis bellowing from deep within me and for no apparent reason except that I am faced once again with the realization that apart from Him I can do nothing.

Here I am, here -- right here -- in my life. I can think that we (George and I) have made all our decisions -- moving here, moving there, this job, that church, that..., this..., and on and on. But where is that in the life of a believer? The end of that kind of thinking is a pretty scary place. And it totally takes God's sovereignty out of the picture of our life -- your life, my life -- when His sovereignty is supposed to [and does] frame our lives.

Even if we have made decisions that weren't His best, our lives are still framed by Him. He surrounds us. He knows us. He loves us. He sees us!

Take comfort and regain some reliance that He is you El Roi too; He is the God Who Sees you!

From Genesis 16:13 "You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees."

Prophetic Lessons from Thessalonians

Prophetic Lessons from Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed…”

2 Thessalonians is specifically directive concerning the coming of the Lord – His return. Nevertheless, it can educate us on how to navigate current winds, reports, and prophecies, whether true or not.

Because many people are out to gain reputation for themselves and promote their name (among other motivations) there are all sorts of perspectives and winds voiced. People who engage in self-promoting mindsets usually are not people of prayer, since having a vital prayer life keeps us from such foolishness. Note the attitude of our Lord Jesus from Philippians 2, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form [morphe: internal manifesting externally] of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped [seized], but emptied Himself, taking the form [morphe] of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Because He was God, He lived as a servant. Furthermore, because He was God, He died. Intense!

Getting back to 2 Thessalonians. As stated, 2 Thessalonians is prophetic about the returning of our Lord Jesus. Since it is prophetic in nature, we also may be able to glean from it some helpful instructions on the prophetic. It seems there is so much more that resides within the depths of these scriptures.

Initially we have this exhortation, “do not be soon [hastily or quickly] shaken in mind or troubled...” This sets quite a sea-tossed stage in the Greek, denoting the imagery dominance of the word “shaken.” The Greek word means literally “the tossing or swell of the sea.”

Paul goes on to say how these winds can come to us, “either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us.” We may want to throw in “by phone, email, text, TV, radio, or web.” Demons can and do speaks lies to people that are then repeated through seemingly prophetic means. Throw into that mix people’s emotions and unspiritual thinking, you then end up with a ship tossed back and forth in hurricane force winds. (Sounds like Ephesians 4 – how desperately we need the 5-fold to rise up and equip the church!) Paul even says that these “prophecies” may even come through people in positions of authority “as if from us” – maybe even from people we trust in the church.

Basically, the Holy Spirit is saying, “Do not let things you hear create hurricane force winds in your thinking causing you to be frightened and alarmed.” Jesus said to take heed to both what [who, which, what] and how [in what way] we hear. Sometimes we do not have control over what we hear, but we always have control over how we hear. So, how can we be discerning and not tossed about? How can we stand stable in a fluctuating and violently blowing world?

First of all, as we hear it is essential we rely on the Holy Spirit and His Word to help us judge what we are hearing. Along with that let’s be courageous enough not to believe everything we hear no matter who we hear it from. Know God for yourself. Know His word so you have a context for things you hear. He has graciously granted us His anointing, Who teaches us all things. 1 John 2:27b (NIV) says, “But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit —  just as it has taught you, remain in Him.” We can rely on His anointing to guide us through the tumultuous seas and guide our ship safely to its haven. It is not counterfeit though the liar wants us to believe it/He is! We have the ability through the Holy Spirit to make righteous sound judgments. In fact, we are supposed to. 1 Corinthians 2:15 says that the spiritual person judges all things. Let’s stop being blown around, grow up, and make righteous judgments. (As a side note, sometimes we don’t “hear” a true prophecy because it doesn’t apply to us. It is for others but not for us.)

Interestingly this exact theme is in John 14:25-29, spoken to the disciples by Jesus. He told them the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth, that He would give them peace, and also that He was leaving and coming back again. There are plenty of reasons to live in the hurricane, but we can and should live in peace – peace that is discerning.

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

“You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.”

If you are in the hurricane, tossed to and fro, stop listening to the winds. Rely on His Spirit to guide you into truth. He is your Due North.

God Enjoys Revealing Secrets

God Enjoys Revealing Secrets

There are times when we think that God isn’t around; we feel lost and alone; we feel like God is silently leaving us with unanswered questions.

Hebrews 1 says that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father – the perfect imprint and very image of God, and that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

In Luke 24, right after the Resurrection, two disciples were walking on the road towards Emmaus. They were sad and had many unanswered questions. Their Hope had died. But as they conversed Jesus actually joined them; He entered into their discussion. Interestingly they admitted later on that they could feel His Presence, though at the time they didn’t realize what was Him.

Jesus is the same today. He joins us even when we don’t recognize He is with us. He speaks truth to our hearts and opens up scriptures that are veiled. I just don’t think we often recognize Him. Jesus spoke in John of the Glorious Holy Spirit Whom He would send; He would teach us things and reveal things to come. He – the Holy Spirit – will “glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” This is coupled with, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth…”

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would both tell us things and He would guide us into all truth. These are two different dynamics, though both are revelatory in nature. One is progressive, while on our journey down the Emmaus Road. It's truth spoken to us by the Holy Spirit and it builds upon itself. The other is a declaration – the text mood seems to point to an "in the moment" revelation – He will declare the things of Jesus to us.

However, three places in the New Testament the scriptures tell of times when He could not take people deeper or couldn’t feed them the meat of the Word (to the Corinthians, the Hebrews, and the disciples). Every time it was because they couldn’t handle it, not because God wanted to withhold the deeper things. The Father’s heart is to reveal the things of Jesus. Our hearts must be holy, set apart to Him; that good soil, prepared not only to hear, but also to allow that word to take root and bear fruit.

The Holy Spirit is always at work to guide us further down our Emmaus Road, but whether or not we hear Him, while on that road, is really up to us – our maturity. Daniel says “But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets...” That is Who He is! He enjoys revealing His secrets. 

Jesus answers our questions when we can hear them. Sometimes He even answers our questions, but we don’t recognize it is Him – like the guys on the Emmaus Road. He sent us the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth and to tell us things when we can bear them. Sometimes we don’t get answers because we cannot hear them yet. But, be assured that He is with us. He is walking with us. He may be veiled, our eyes may be restrained [divinely] from seeing Him, but be assured that He hears every word, sees every thought, and answers every question. Howbeit, when we can bear it.

John 16 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

Hebrews 1 “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Luke 24 “Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.  But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.”