Who's your daddy; knowing God as Abba Father: January 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

The key to prosperity

The Boys Scouts were founded in the early 1900’s and remain one of the few organizations that still embrace an ageless “oath” that embodies the core values they still believe in and live by to this day:

“On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

In a day and age when boys are finding more ways to find more trouble, the Scouts offer their followers a way to stay focused on what they embrace as right. The benefit of being a “Scout” is to know that you are not alone in what you believe and that you can find common ground with other “a-like” believers through the core values and standards set forth by the organization as a whole. God’s word provides the same benefits for those who desire to keep it, as well.

^“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8/NIV)

Uncomplicated and very straight forward, God’s word gives us a way that leads us to prosperity and success, protection and provision, honor and respect. Following it places us not only in good company but protects us from uncertainty.

Thought to live by: Obedience to follow God’s word is the key to prosperity.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Double portion: Heeding the call upon your life

When the prophet Elijah began to make his journey to his final destination on earth, Elisha (his “prophet” in training and closest friend) relentlessly followed him to the very end. Even though Elijah “released” Elisha from his responsibilities, Elisha dared not leave his friend and God’s prophet. After having seen the incredible anointing God had placed upon Elijah, Elisha knew that one of two things would happen once Elijah was taken up into heaven: The end or the beginning of his own ministry would occur. Wanting so badly to “have” what Elijah had, Elisha asked for a “double portion” of God’s anointing. However, it wasn’t Elijah’s to give – regardless of how much he wanted his friend to continue on in his shoes. The only way Elisha would receive the anointing was through God – not man.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹² Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.¹³ Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

The empowerment of God’s anointing never comes through man but only through our faith in Him. Elisha spent the greater part of his life relentlessly pursuing God through serving Elijah in his ministry. So often, when we see the anointing on someone’s life we instantly want “what they’ve got”, don’t we? Unless God ordains His will in our lives will not receive God’s will for our lives. Notice how God (not Elijah) controlled whether or not Elisha would receive the anointing? In the spiritual realm, only God could open Elisha’s eyes to see Elijah’s spirit ascending to heaven. Even more amazing is how God allowed Elijah’s “garment” to fall away from him as he ascended, to be used once again in the ministry of God’s newly appointed prophet Elisha.

The beauty of this scripture comes through how we see God always remaining in control of our destiny and how He honors our hearts desire(s) when we seek Him. The anointing we seek only comes through God, our daily discipline for seeking His will in our lives and our obedience to follow Christ. To be “anointed” by God is to be made ready to serve God fully in the anointing. Elisha faithfully “served” Elijah and was made ready through his obedience to God.

If you’ve been seeking God’s anointing, asking Him for a “double portion” remember the obedience of Elisha and how he relentlessly followed, obeyed and served God’s anointed leader, Elijah, before God entrusted him with the anointing.

Thought to live by: Our obedience is a vessel for God’s anointing.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Altar Moments

The popular catch phrase “Can you hear me now?” from a well known cell phone commercial grew quickly in popularity for one obvious reason: If you’ve ever owned a cell phone you’ve experienced a dropped call. We’ve all experienced that “moment” when the conversation we were a part of seem to drop in mid-air. It’s not until we start waiting for the recipient on the other end of our conversation to respond to us when we realize they’ve not been “on the line” for quite some time. Although we never fully know exactly when they stopped hearing us, we feel certain it was probably a longer time ago than we realize.

“Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” (Genesis 35:3 NIV)

God’s people have been building altars since the beginning of time. Some were meant to sacrifice a burnt offering (something of value from us to God). Others were built to demonstrate our willingness to submit ourselves to God (a “smoke” signal communicating our message to God expressing our desperate need to hear from Him). Each holds a common thread; our humble act of obedience and willingness to submit our lives to God. And each holds a promise; God’s willingness to listen and answer.

The beauty of an “altar moment” is simply this: It can happen anywhere, at any time. Our “call” will never be “dropped” and the listener (God) will always be available to receive the call.

Thought to live by: An “altar moment” with God is a life changing encounter.