Tag: faith

Carrying His Presence

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Recently, I read an interesting account in the Bible (1 Samuel 5-6) about the theft of the ark of God (a wooden chest coated in pure gold that contained the tablets of the 10 Commandments given to Moses by God) taken into a place of idolatry. The placement of the ark, representing God’s presence, in this evil place, brought about a curse of tumors and death.

The Philistines who were enemies of Israel stole the ark and carried it to Ashdod, into the temple of their god, Dagon, and and set it beside him. When they got up the next day, Dagon had fallen on his face, so they stood him back up again. The next morning they found him fallen over on the ground with his head and hands broken off in the doorway and his torso remaining. Then, the people of Ashdod were afflicted with tumors.

(Image credit: Universal History Archive / Contributor via Getty Images)

Needless to say, the people of Ashdod wanted nothing more to do with the ark and moved it to a city called Gath. However, after they moved it there, the Bible says God afflicted the people of that city, “both young and old” with an outbreak of tumors. So they moved the ark to another city, Ekron, but as it was arriving, the people of Ekron cried out in fear that the ark was brought to kill them. Apparently, death had filled that city and those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors and there was a great cry toward heaven.

The Philistines later called for the priests and diviners to inquire what to do with the ark and they were instructed to return it with a gift, a guilt offering (with special instructions on how this would be done), as this would bring healing. As they moved on, sadly, on the ark’s trip back to the Israelites, God struck down some of the inhabitants of another city, Beth Shemesh, killing 70 of them because they looked inside the ark.

The people marveled asking, “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?” Messengers were sent to notify the men of a town, Kiriath Jearim, that the Philistines were returning the ark and they brought it to the house of a man named Abinadab. Afterward, the ark remained there for a long time, twenty years.

The ark of the covenant represented the presence of God for His people, the Israelites. But I pondered how it might relate to us, all of God’s people, today. Currently, believers in Christ are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the Bible tells us we are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in us whom we’ve received from God. We are not our own, but bought with a price and as such, we should honor God with our bodies.

Hence, our bodies are a place of holiness, set apart for God’s presence. Isn’t this an awesome thought that this could occur? I had to repent in my heart of any way I might have dishonored or disrespected this holy presence I carry by behaving in some way inappropriate for a child of God.

God is merciful and forgiving toward his children, yet to continually grieve God’s Spirit brings about consequences that would not be advantageous to us. Because we love God, we choose not to involve ourselves in idolatry or other acts of evil that might cause grievance to His Spirit within us.

We can clearly see from this, and other scriptural examples, how God feels about idolatry or the worship of other gods. So, even with Jesus’ atonement made for our sins, He can become saddened by our behavior. However, the good news is that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). We are privileged to carry the person and companionship of the One who created heaven and earth. This is mindboggling and thrilling to me.

How to Seek God

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Many of us have heard and thought about God, but feel at a loss in seeking or getting to know Him.  We’re accustomed to our ways of interacting with other human beings, but the thought of truly knowing a supreme being may appear to be out of our reach. We may even have a desire to worship such a person but don’t feel we have the tools to be successful in doing so.  Yet we can be comforted in knowing that Jesus, “…the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10/NLT). Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:8/NLT, “For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”  We can be confident that when we seek God with all of our hearts, we will find Him. (Deuteronomy 4:29, Jeremiah 29:13). 

The three ways I have sought and found God are through:

PRAYER

Prayer is simply communicating with God. We position ourselves to receive from Him when we, first, establish a relationship with Him by which we:

  • Acknowledge, Repent, and Submit to God.  Our prayer should be one of acknowledgment, repentance, and submission, accepting His Son, Jesus, as the Savior by which we are reconciled to God. We understand the first man and woman (Adam and Eve) had made us guilty of sin, and worthy of death, after which our Heavenly Father provided atonement for our dire consequences. Repentance is our willingness to turn from our old ways of doing and being to God’s ways.  By submitting,  we yield ourselves to His authority and participate in baptism, where we express identification with the Lord’s death and resurrection, carried out via the Lord’s gifts discussed later.

As we communicate with God we also offer Him:

  • Thanksgiving and Praise. Gratitude, adoration, and worship for all that He is and does for us.
  • Supplications.  Making our requests known to Him.

We can communicate with God at any time because the bible tells us He is omnipresent, capable of being everywhere at the same time. “Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth? says the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:24/NLT).  However, it would be a good habit of discipline to schedule a time daily to meet with God consistently during periods when there are fewer distractions. We choose a time when we feel most alert and at ease to spend time with God, whether for 15 minutes or an hour or more.  

THE BIBLE

In seeking God, the Bible is to be respected as the necessary guide for living a Christ-like life by the power of the Holy Spirit.  It contains the history and future of God’s relationship with mankind and contains His attributes, character, and will for our lives.  I’d say the Bible is the chief way of seeking Him; getting to know Him, and what He expects of us.  Reading or studying alone, and/or with others, is crucial to strengthening our faith and growth. “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ” (Romans 10:17/NLT).  Further, we know that seeking the Lord through His word is pleasing to Him. “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6/NLT).

THE BODY OF CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, the Body of Christ.  “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself” (Ephesians 1:22-23). 

As the Body of Christ, we have been given gifts.  The bible names, these gifts in Ephesians 4:11/NLT:  “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.”  After seeking God for His will for our lives in the place He chooses, and availing ourselves of these gifts (of which we may eventually become ourselves) we mature, growing in our faith into those who resemble our Lord in word and deed. “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29/NLT).

Perhaps the most precious gift working with us today is the gift of the Holy Spirit, who has been described as our Counselor, Comforter, and Advocate, and endues us with power for godly living and ministry.  “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26/NLT).  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8/NLT).

We have so many resources available to us as we seek God.  He has given us various additional gifts to help us to be successful in glorifying God in our families, careers, local church ministries, and simply, everyday life.  I’m remembering 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, and the nine gifts of the Spirit:  the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.  Not to mention the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

All of this and more involves seeking God, and as we do, we get to know Him, grow, and function in His grace as His very own children, dearly loved.

Who’s To Judge?

by Ms. Rita's Minute

There’s a phrase that we’ve all heard and may have even said at some point in our lives: “Don’t judge me.” It suggests we should not form a conclusion about a person with condemnation. Perhaps it’s even more than just examining the fruit of a person’s life, but passing a judgment where we don’t have the information about the person that God would have. Or the event we may not have the authority to judge.

Practically, every day in various ways we navigate through life with decision-making. We make determinations about what actions to take next on matters as well as who we seek for guidance, support, or friendship. But how might this relate to communicating with or evaluating another person? Or should we even assess people? Might we just pray about them and see if the Lord approves?

The Greek word for “judge” in the Bible is krino, which means to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong. Other definitions include to condemn, sentence, or levy a punishment. The scriptures are pretty clear in their references to judging. First, we’re told: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First, remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5/NKJV).

Hence, though we are told not to judge, it appears in Matthew 7:5 that we are allowed to move forward to help our brother when we’re able to see clearly to remove a speck from his eye when we’ve removed the plank from our own. In doing this we are taught in Galatians 6:1/NIV “… if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” So, we are shown in what Spirit we are to restore a person.

We are careful when we remember John 5: 22-23, “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. …” In addition, James 4:12/NIV, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

At the same time, Matthew 18:15-17/NIV tells us how to deal with sin in the church: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

Further, we’re reminded in 1 Corinthians 6:1-5/NLT, “When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves?  Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church?  I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? “

Another reference to judging is found in John 7:24/NKJV where Jesus says, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment,” another definition of “judgment” that would be valid. The Lord does not want us to be like the Pharisees whom he considered hypocritical in that they condemned others for the same sins they were committing.

Therefore, I’ve concluded we must look at all of the Bible’s references to judging to be able to accurately understand when and how to judge. We must remember the authority of the Bible in that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17/NIV). We know there are certainly times when encountering a problem and teaching the scripture as the solution is necessary.

There is much to be learned in the Bible about how we are to treat one another, all provided by the Scriptures, along with the Holy Spirit available to help us succeed. This is why we need to read the Bible daily and walk by the Spirit so that we can be obedient to God’s commands regarding judgment. Through consistent time spent with the Lord in prayer and study of the scriptures for knowledge and understanding, we prepare ourselves for the challenges we are certain to face in relationships.