The Net (11/28/11)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Luke 5:1-7.

Can you imagine Peter, the seasoned fisherman, as he tries to explain to Jesus, the carpenter and traveling preacher, why going back out to fish again is rather ridiculous? He tries to be kind. "We've worked all night and haven't caught anything." He's trying to explain without being cruel and harsh that he knows his way around the lake and doesn't want to waste anymore time. Now we can imagine that he'd like to say, "I've worked this area of the lake since I was a little boy. I know when and where to fish. Who do you think you are, non-fisherman, to tell me how to do my job?"

But Peter graciously takes his boat back out. There was just something about Jesus that convinced him to take his chances with this odd bit of advice. The Master, as he was called, had earned the respect of his disciples. They honored his request because they wanted to give him honor. They trusted him so much that they obeyed him even when he was telling them something they didn't think he fully understood. They decided that going back out to fish was a good thing because their trusted teacher said they should. Now think about it. How many times have we ourselves said something like, "But you just don't understand," after hearing an instruction from our Lord?

The first test of obedience is found in the measure we're willing to follow Jesus. For these men who had left everything to follow him, Jesus offered a test of faith. Would the fishermen obey the instructions of the carpenter when it came to fishing? We get tested in similar ways. We think we know something really well, and then the Spirit instructs us to do something in that area which we know could never work. Will we trust and obey, or will we miss out on an unexpected blessing? The fantastic results the fishermen got certainly helped them learn to trust Jesus more and more.

Two boys decide to go fishing. They tell their mother not to make anything for supper because they planned on providing the meal. They pack a lunch, hike to their favorite fishing hole, and begin to fish. One of the boys notices a snake in the water and starts to throw rocks at it. Soon the other boy joins him as they see more snakes. All too soon they notice it's getting late. They pick up their gear and head for home.

But they head home without any fish. They spent all their time throwing rocks at the snakes. They must now go home and explain this to their mother.

Did you know that there are churches who do the same sort of thing? We spend too much time throwing stones, and not enough time fishing. We throw stones against Bible translations we don't like, or doctrinal interpretations we disagree with, or styles of baptism and worship music and liturgies. We throw many stones at what we consider to be sin that needs to be repented of or demons who need to be identified. But what about spreading the Gospel and helping people come to know Jesus as their Savior?

We're to be casting our nets, both where Jesus directs us to and where we know the fishing is good. Too much time is wasted arguing and debating theological points instead of combining our efforts to bless our communities. Too much time is wasted complaining about the sin in our world instead of offering the grace of Jesus Christ to overcome the darkness. Too much time is spent defending our comfort zones and allowing the spirit of slumber to keep us from being aware of the spiritual needs in our communities.

Had Peter not gone back out to fish, because he'd already spent all night without catching anything, he would have missed out on an amazing and powerful miracle. There's an awesome wonder connected to obeying our Lord God Almighty. Without knowing what was about to happen, Peter moved his boat out into deeper water just because his Lord asked him to. There the nets were lowered and the rest of the story points to to the miraculous power of Yahweh. Peter trusted Jesus and received an overwhelming blessing. We need to do the same thing.

We have a responsibility as followers of Jesus, to be "fishers of men." We need to be reaching out with Gospel into a lost and dying world. Do you know where your net is? If we never cast out our nets, we'll never catch anything. To be "fishers of men" means to be active about sharing the Gospel with the lost. We need to use our individual nets and our corporate nets. We each have an individual fishing role, and each body of believers has a combined function. But to do this we have to know where our nets are.

Sometimes we argue within our fellowships about the style of net to be used, and then never actually use it. Sometimes we put the net on display because of the time we actually caught something with it. Sometimes we ignore our nets because it's such a crude way of fishing. Sometimes we're only willing to cast it in places where the type of fish we'll catch will be acceptable within our fellowship. It sure seems like we have a lot of excuses for not following the direction of our Lord and Master.

Are there holes in your net? Then it needs to be mended. Too often we cause the holes ourselves by backing down and not maintaining the truth of the Gospel. When we agree that there are other ways to heaven we cut huge holes in our nets. When we compromise and water down the fact that full surrender to Jesus is necessary we let people out of our nets. When we proclaim that "evangelism isn't my gift" we deny the ability of the Holy Spirit within to speak through us. We've got to work at mending our nets instead of making them less effective.

Evangelism is the duty of the whole Body of Christ. We're all called to do this ministry of evangelism. No, you may not have the specific spiritual gift of evangelism, but you still have a responsibility to be part of the mission. Pray and ask your Lord what he thinks. Read your Bible and you'll not find a place which says you're not required to be a part of the evangelistic ministry.

The wonder of it all is that Yahweh calls each and every one of us to do this important task. If he called these simple fishermen to such an important work, then he can certainly use you and me. He doesn't need super saints, he needs obedient followers. Every Christian can share the Gospel. What we need to do is share it from our perspective. People need to hear what we know about Jesus. They don't need to hear what you heard some professional evangelist say. We need to become more comfortable with telling our version of the Gospel story, the version that we don't have to study because we've lived it.

Whatever business you're engaged in, whatever your occupation, Yahweh can and will use you. Whatever your talent happens to be, if you turn it over to your Lord he can use it to advance his Kingdom. Under Yahweh's direction we won't all be doing the same thing, or even talking to the same people. There's not a program or paradigm that works for every person. We just need to be under the Spirit's leading and direction, responding to his call to evangelize.

And don't worry about being absolutely tongue-tied whenever you try to talk about your Savior, just trust in his help and you'll eventually get it right. You may have to take a course on evangelism, or read some books with suggestions on how to share your faith, or just plain get out there and fail a few times for the experience. Whatever you do, speak to people about your Savior and your faith.

Evangelist Winkey Pratney shares this story. "As a shy, ex-research chemist whose only desire in life before becoming a Christian was never to travel, speak, or meet anyone; I've learned this: We must trust God or die. A friend of mine is one of the most witty, relaxed Gospel communicators I know. To hear him, you could never tell he is a hopeless stutterer."

"Unless the Lord touches him, he's a basket case. Would that we all had his problem. It's the story of all the Bible heroes and Christian giants throughout history: Trust God or die. Or sometimes, trust God and die."

Are you willing to die to yourself, to put down the shyness and doubt and stubbornness that keeps you from sharing your faith with other people on a regular basis? If Yahweh calls you, he's also able to help you perform whatever task he desires. Evangelizing our Lost world is one of those tasks. If you're not certain that's true then you need to read Matt 28:18-20. This work is for each and every member of the Body of Christ. It's a work that must be done for the Church of the Living God to continue on.

Find your net and use it. If you don't know how to fish seek out some help. If your net needs mending, fix it. Get into action, Yahweh has already called you.

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Caring For the Weak (11/21/11)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Rom 15:1-3.

Americans were asked: "What are you willing to do for $10 million?" These were some of their responses, and as we can see, some people don't have very good standards of right and wrong or any solid faith in anything outside themselves.

25% would abandon their family.

25% would abandon their church.

23% would become prostitutes for a week.

16% would leave their spouses.

16% would give up their citizenship.

10% would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free.

7% would kill a stranger.

3% would put their children up for adoption.

Marcus Aurelius, a noted philosopher and the Roman emperor about 100 years after the Apostle Paul's ministry, identified the following traits of a successful person. 1) Consciousness of an honest purpose in life. 2) A just estimate of himself and everyone else. 3) Frequent self-examinations. 4) Steady obedience to what he knows to be right. 5) Indifference to what others may think or say about themselves.

As we can see, standards of decency and justice haven't changed that much over the centuries. What people believe to be good and right has pretty much stayed the same throughout human history. The fact that we continue to have people who make their living caring for the weak points out that it's still a commendable thing in most people's minds. I know I appreciate those who work in nursing homes, assisted living homes, and other places where handicapped or hurting people are cared for.

Rom 15:1 says, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." Failings here means frailties. We're not necessarily talking about human failings. All of us struggle to some extent with these, those things we screw up and the things we just plain don't get right from day to day. Frailties here is referring to the kind of problems we encounter which can't be overcome without the help of others.

The literal translation of weak is "non-strong." This shows us there's a definite separation between the strong and weak. The scripture says the strong"ought" to help others strictly for the benefit of those we're helping. It's in the present tense, emphasizing our continuing obligation to offer help and assistance to those who're truly in need. Offering help to people who for the most part can't take care of themselves is a very good thing in the eyes of our Lord and Master. Many times I've heard people question why there are mentally and physically handicapped people in our world. The first answer is because we live in a fallen world where there are clear differences in people's abilities and obvious needs. The question we all need to consider is as followers of Jesus, "What is my role in caring for these needy people?" Our heavenly Father expects that we'll do our best to help even the most profoundly handicapped person to live well.

Maybe we all need to think a little more clearly about who and what we are ourselves. We all need to recognize that every human is weak in some form or fashion. Now, weak and strong are relative terms. They're never used in the Bible to speak of someone being absolutely weak or strong. Rather, the Bible let's us know that we're all weak and strong in certain areas of our lives. One of the reasons we need to live in community with other humans is because our Creator designed us to live in relationship and fellowship with others. He wants us to combine our talents and resources and efforts to provide for one another.

We need to offer our strength, whatever it may be, to help others who are weaker than ourselves. We need to set aside our weaknesses to provide strength for people who need our help. Yahweh tells us to care for those who truly need our help. He often speaks of caring for widows and orphans as being something truly right and good and just in his sight. We all need to encourage one another to do this kind of good and godly work. We need to bless one another in the efforts we put forth on behalf of needy people.

How does Yahweh view weakness? Words like weak and weakness appear 87 times in the New Testament. In all these passages there's not one word of condemnation for the weakness. The weaknesses aren't lifted up as worthy of praise either. Perhaps the best way we can put it is that Yahweh tolerates weakness. He strives to free all people from weakness and to have their needs provided for, either by attaining to individual maturity and learning ourselves, or by having those who are able to care for themselves also care for those who can't. If we have a heart to serve in honor of our Lord and Master, we can accomplish great things for Yahweh's Kingdom.

Matt 12:20 says this about Jesus: "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out." The reeds of that area grew up to 10-15 feet tall. They aren't flimsy, but are fairly strong and rigid. They were often cut off at the base and used as a measuring stick or even a walking stick. But if a reed happened to have a bruise on it, it was weak and not any good anymore. If that was the case it was broken off and cast aside.

How does Jesus view the "bruised reeds," the truly weak people in our world? He doesn't break them and cast them aside. Knowing how fragile they are, he loves them. He spends time with them. He identifies with their weakness. He doesn't cast them aside as many humans are prone to do with those they believe to be of no practical use. But he also challenges these weaker ones to attain to higher things, to attempt to become strong and able to help others.

What about the smoking wick? In those days homes were lit by lamps made from a bowl of oil with a strip of flax placed in it for a wick. When the oil burned low, the flax began to smoke and smolder. It was very irritating to have this smoke fill your house. The natural thing to do, and the simplest, was to reach over and snuff out the flax. Poof, and all you have is one dead wick. No more smoky irritation or weak light. To do this is perfectly understandable, all so perfectly human.

But Jesus wouldn't do that. He endures the irritation as he works to replenish the supply of oil. He leans over to carefully pour fresh oil into the bowl. He gently works to keep from snuffing out the wick, thereby returning the lamp to efficient use. That's how our Lord and Master tries to work with the weak. We need to learn how to use his gentleness and compassion to bless people who need our help.

Yahweh isn't naive. He knows about our weaknesses just like he knew about Peter's temper and loud mouth. Jesus knew the disciples would scatter the night he was betrayed. He accepted their weaknesses and he maintained his trust in them so they could eventually walk in spiritual strength to spread his Kingdom. Our heavenly Father loves the weak, and that includes each and every one of us. He loves those who help the weak, providing for their needs and caring for them with godly love and kindness.

Those who are stronger have a responsibility to care for those who are weaker. Strength isn't given to the strong so they can impose themselves on others, strutting around showing off their advantage. Yahweh strengthens people so they can then support the weak. We can't answer all the questions that are asked about why there's suffering and weakness in our world. But we can trust in Yahweh and believe that those who are strong can and should provide for the needs of those who are weak.

The evolutionary cry, survival of the fittest, is certainly not a godly position. We know there's some truth in this, but we also know that our Creator wants us to care for those who are weaker than ourselves. There's no room for imposing ourselves on others in Yahweh's Kingdom. The Creator, our Designer, has told us that the greatest among us will also be the greatest servant. That's a concept that we have to submit to because our natural inclination would have us striving for mastery over others. The instruction of Rom 15:1 ended with, "not to please ourselves." We're not to accommodate our own desires, but to bless and serve others first. This is what pleases our Father in heaven.

I want to say thanks to everyone for their outstanding efforts in caring for the needs of others. I want to bless anyone who does this work. I pray that the Body of Christ can step into this area with zeal and energy. May we provide comfort and care for those Yahweh places before us. May we all be more mindful of what Acts 20:35 tells us. "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Just War (11/14/11)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Rom 13:1-5.

Just war is a concept many people disagree about. Some say it's impossible for any war to be just. Others lean too far into the warmongering attitude and lose credibility. Just war has been debated since the beginning of Christianity. We need to consider every point and be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our study and when we have to make the tough choices that come with man's inhumanity to man.

On November 11th America celebrates Veteran's Day. It's a day set aside to honor those who have fought and died for the cause of freedom and liberty. There are some people who would suggest to us that Veteran's Day is outmoded, that it's a holiday that should no longer be practiced, that the time for remembering the sacrifices made in wars long past is unnecessary. They want us to move on to other things that don't remind us of death and destruction.

Some of these people would even suggest that Veteran's Day glorifies war and encourages people to think and believe that it's acceptable instead of abhorrent and ungodly. Some would say that to die fighting for one's country isn't a good and honorable thing. They say, "Don't do this, don't remember. Do something else, speak about the horror of war, and proclaim that our heavenly Father is against all violence, against all forms of man's cruelty to his fellow man."

Proper Christian thinking is guided by Rom 13:1-5. These verses include some very powerful words: "the authority does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." We should fight for justice. We should fight to punish evil. This is Yahweh's will. We don't love war. We fight because we have to.

Take for example - terrorism. The only reason to fight a war against terrorism is that by doing so we'll save lives. If our military attacks terrorists, say the leadership of Al-Queda, our main intent is to stop them from killing non-combatants. By doing this it's certain that some "innocent" people will be saved from death or injury. There is no negotiating with a people who believe it's right for them to tell lies to advance their cause.

We shouldn't be eager to go to war. Christians, especially, should go into any conflict with much sadness and humility. Our military uses smart bombs and other high-tech munitions, but smart bombs aren't omniscient. Terrorists will die. It's likely that innocent civilians will die. Our soldiers will die. But terrorists are murdering fanatics, and they've left us with some bad and hard choices.

Some people worry that viewing warfare as a positive good will incline us to be quicker to fight and slower to negotiate. But this simply isn't the case. Aquinas wrote of three requirements for just war: 1) Right Authority. 2) Just Cause. 3) Right Intention. Augustine listed sufficient provocation for waging a just war as: 1) Avenging Wrongs. 2) Punishing an Evil Nation. 3) Restoring What's Been Unjustly Seized. 4) Securing Peace. 5) Punishing Evildoers. Christians would be wise to always consider these criteria before waging war or battling evil.

The issue of how we fight is another matter. We must fight with right intention. We must intend to punish evildoers, not just anyone attached to them culturally or nationally. We should do our best to see that our use of force doesn't detract from our duty to uphold the good. Right conduct in war is dependent upon the virtues of the soldiers and their commanders. From Yahweh's point of view, he works through us to restrain evil within his creation. In using human beings to do so, Yahweh actually elevates the restrainers to a closer relationship with him. If they're just soldiers who fight for the love of God and neighbor, even in their use of force they're serving their Lord and Master. When soldiers asked John the Baptist what they should do, he didn't tell them to throw down their weapons and stop soldiering. He said, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely - be content with your pay" (Luke 3:14).

From the human point of view the virtue of charity, love for our God, drives just soldiers to do all they can to restrain evil, to see that justice is done, and this sometimes means using force. When evil men break into your home and begin to threaten or harm your children, isn't it right to fight for them? We're to defend those who can't defend themselves. Psalm 82:3-4 admonishes us: "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

A failure to engage in a just war is a failure of Christian virtue, a failure to act well on behalf of the weak. It's a greater evil for a Christian to fail to wage just war than it is for an unbeliever. When an unbeliever fails to go to war, the cause may be lack of courage or the sense of justice. He may be a coward or indifferent to evil. These are failures of natural moral virtue. When Christians fail to engage in just war, it may involve all of these natural failures, too. But more significantly it involves a failure of charity. The Christian who fails to use force when necessary to aid or defend his neighbor is being uncharitable. Christians who willingly and knowingly refuse to engage in a just war, when they have a very real ability to help, do a vicious thing. They fail to show love toward their neighbor as well as toward their Creator.

We look at what happens in a war and we don't like it. People have died. The ability of some soldiers to walk or see has been lost. Dreams for their future have been battered and even destroyed. And amazingly we Americans have benefited from these tragic losses. One soldier went to war and didn't return. Another went and did come back, but maybe now they're unable to play ball or build a house or see a sunset. But we're blessed because we have our freedom, our security, our prosperity. And we owe it to those who've lost a life, a limb, a loved one.

When I look at the level of sacrifice that was required for me to enjoy freedom, I'm amazed. When I look at the level of responsibility required of me to maintain that freedom, I feel inadequate. I especially feel inadequate when I compare my responsibility to those who've faced actual combat. But I also know I served 12 of my 21 years in the United States Air Force living overseas and working all kinds of odd shift schedules. I worked in confined spaces due to the high security level of what I was involved in. Many people can't relate because they have no military experience. But I know I've served and done my part to preserve freedom and I'm proud that I was able to do my small part.

As a Christian and a pastor I believe we need to look to the eternal guide of the Scriptures to see how to live properly and how to stand for freedom. When the prophet Zechariah (Chap 7) responded to questions from the Israelite people he didn't encourage them to mourn as they had in the past. He told them their days of mourning were over. Instead he told them to love truth and peace, and he reminded them of what all the prophets had said so long before. He spoke of what Yahweh had stated in the past. The prophet reminded them of the promises made by Yahweh in the days of Moses and all the other prophets.

They were told, "If you forget who your God is and what he can do, if you fail to keep the commandments to love your God and your neighbor, if you do evil rather than good, if you act unkindly toward foreigners and refugees, if you lie and steal and cheat, if you take bribes and pervert justice and slander your neighbors - then your land will be destroyed, your men killed, and your women and children enslaved."

So we need to think like this: "If we do what's right, if we care for the widows and orphans, if we give justice in our courts, if we seek to follow our Lord instead of greedily seeking wealth, if we obey Yahweh's laws rather than worshiping success or seeking popularity and recognition, if we're kind and merciful to one another - then our land will prosper and we'll live long and happy lives." These are the things we need to be much more mindful of. If we're truly thankful for those who've sacrificed so we could live in freedom, then we must take the torch they pass to us and carry it on high.

We need to live in the way that Yahweh meant us to live, in freedom and with the intention of preserving that freedom. Do what's necessary to maintain freedom. Do what's necessary to bring peace. Do what's necessary to bring justice to all people. Be a merciful person, walk humbly with your Lord God. Trust in his guidance. Those who seek him with all their hearts can know him in a very personal and special way. And he promises to speak with us, walk with us, and love through us.

If we can walk as true Christians, not just as people who claim its promises, but those who own it and possess it, we can see the nations more in line with our Creator's plan and purpose. If we walk away from Yahweh and his ways we ask for trouble and set ourselves up for terrorist activity. Isa 54:14 says, "In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you." Yahweh promises to protect us from terror and tyranny if we live as a righteous people. America found out it doesn't have absolute protection when the 9/11 attacks happened. We weren't standing in righteousness as a nation, and terror was allowed to strike us extremely hard.

We have a responsibility to live up to when we're a free nation. Taking our freedom for granted will only lead to an eventual loss of that freedom. We must stand strong and defend what's right and just. In a democracy we must stand strong and vote for men and women who'll lead the nation in a righteous way. We must support our military, our police forces, our firefighters - any and all who sacrifice for the greater good.

As we recall those who gave their lives for freedom, we must remember their purpose. They loved freedom and were willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for others. Yes, remember the horror of war and work to do all you can to avoid it. But also understand that there's a time and a place for righteous people to fight for justice. Commit yourself afresh and anew to the struggle against evil. Be willing to stand up for what's right and follow your Lord's leading in doing your part. Don't rush into a fight, but don't avoid one when it's in your power to protect someone weaker than yourself.

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Yahweh the Loving Daddy (11/7/11)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Zeph 3:14-20.

Zephaniah prophesied in the days of King Josiah. He played a major role in the revival that occurred during Josiah's reign. But even during this time of spiritual renewal Yahweh continued to use his prophet to speak words of the impending wrath to come. Yahweh understands his people well enough to know they won't maintain this spiritual upswing. He knows how they've blown hot and cold throughout their existence as a nation. Their revivals and times of good spiritual life were mostly driven by strong leadership, and often didn't last because the people hadn't really made a change of heart.

In the 3rd chapter of Zephaniah the prophet speaks of the remnant being saved and the introduction of a "pure" language to the earth. This is an obvious reference to the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. We see it envisioned as the Correct System of Thought About Our Creator. Zephaniah saw people speaking the Truth of Yahweh as normally as they speak everyday words. If we truly have the Creator in our hearts, this should be happening with us on a regular basis.

What do you believe most people think of when they attempt to picture our Creator God? Is he far or near? Is he powerful or passive? Is he disgusted with their sin or in love with all his creation? Is he like a mean old man or is he the kindly grandfatherly type? Is he listening to our cries and can he do anything to truly help?

What a person believes about our Creator is the most important thing contained in their mind. It affects everything about them. What they believe determines how they think and make choices. What they believes affects them spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. We will act in accordance with how we believe Yahweh will deal with us and our world..

Sadly there are many wrong impressions of Yahweh and how he deals with us commonly believed around the world. These misconceptions distort our prayers and in some cases they even prevent people from praying at all. For too many people, the God they envision seems remote, impersonal, and unknowable. Because of that, even some Christians suffer from the inability to feel truly forgiven or they're filled with nagging doubts or they have a general mistrust of God their Father.

Our prayers are shaped by the way we picture our heavenly Father. A dysfunctional picture of him results in a dysfunctional way of praying and sharing our faith. Those who had an earthly father who was never around when they needed him, or have experienced trauma or abuse or extreme discipline; will have a very difficult time personally pursuing an intimate, loving, and trusting relationship with Yahweh. They will more likely see him as a vengeful judge, the one who spews out wrath and retribution when sinners do what's natural by sinning.

If we've had a good relationship with our earthly father we're more likely to be able to enjoy the presence of our heavenly Father. Yahweh is a loving Father. He sent his Son to die on the cross so we could have our sins forgiven. He came to us to reconcile our broken relationship. We need to be like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and return to our father when things become too tough for us to handle. Actually we need to stick by his side in good and bad times, building a solid relationship of faith and obedience, because that's what our heavenly Father desires from each and every one of us.

The Bible declares that our Father's passionate rejoicing echoes throughout heaven. Luke 15:7 says, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who do not need to repent." Jer 32:40-41 says, "I (Yahweh) will make an everlasting covenant with them; I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul."

Our Great and Mighty and Awesome God, the Creator of everything, takes great delight and is filled with overflowing joy when we have a right relationship with him. You already read Zeph 3:17, but lets do it again. "Yahweh your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Our Father knows great contentment in his love for us. Someone once said that if Yahweh had a refrigerator, our picture would be on it. And if he had a wallet, our picture would be in it. He longs to hold us close and hug some peace and joy into our troubled lives. He wants to embrace us and let us feel the soothing of his closeness.

In Hebrew the word rejoice means dancing for joy or leaping for joy. The root meaning is to spin around with intense emotion. When we enter into our Father's presence, our great and mighty and awesome God will spin and dance in joy, displaying his great love for us. The word for singing means a shout of joy or loud cheering in triumph. Can you picture Yahweh hooting and hollering out of intense joy just because you showed up to visit him? Maybe we all should try very hard to see this beautiful picture.

The image portrayed in Zeph

Problematically, there are also unbelievers within our churches who cloak their activities away from the fellowship while "playing church" when in attendance. They're determined to continue to do what they want. They put on a mask to appear religious, but their lifestyle shows their bad fruit. Their major problem is that they believe in the concept of a God, but they have no experiential knowledge of him as a loving Father who hungers for intimacy with them. They must have some concept of their need for the God of the Bible, but they refuse to use the Bible as the instruction book for having a good relationship with its author.

This type of person spoils the image of love and joy in the heart of Christians because outsiders see these sourpusses and the devil lies to them that we're all hypocrites. Maybe these people are the ones who had rotten earthly fathers and they won't surrender deep enough to Yahweh because they're afraid of getting hurt again. Maybe these people are superficial because that's the way religion was taught to them. Whatever their reason, we need to encourage them to encounter the joyous singing and dancing of their heavenly Father.

If we expect Yahweh to be with us, we need to obey his Word. Throughout the Bible we can see him telling us, "If you will, then I will." His continued blessing of our efforts is conditional. We can't do our own thing and then expect him to pour out his spiritual riches on us. There's no automatic blessing for having said the sinner's prayer, nothing that opens up the windows of heaven so we can receive his riches without continued efforts at obedience. Only by obediently serving our Father can we obtain the promised blessings and avoid the curses.

We must first accept Jesus as our Savior if we expect to partake of Zephaniah's promise that Yahweh "will take great delight in us." To have our sins washed away, and then to obediently continue to serve our Master is the requirement for us to maintain our Lord's presence in our lives. Yahweh abides with those who abide with him. Where is your home? Do you live in his presence or just show up for an occasional visit? To enjoy all benefits of being children of the King means we have to abide with him. We have to purposefully work at living in his presence.

Every Christian is a love gift given by the Father to the Son. Jesus sees each individual believer as another opportunity to heal our broken relationship with our Creator. In his prayer of intercession in John 17, Jesus thanks his Father seven times for giving the true believers to him. The Father's deep love for the Son can be experienced by all of us. We can join the family through spiritual adoption and be as greatly loved as Jesus. His love is filled with joy and delight and anticipation just like any newlywed. Isa 62:5 says, "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."

Yahweh's delight in his children is seen throughout the Bible. Deut 30:9 tells us, he "delights in making you prosper." David understood the love of the Father and exclaimed to the world that "no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless" (Psalm 84:11). David also wrote Psalm 23:6. "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever." David also wrote Psalm 37:4. "Delight yourself in Yahweh and he will give you the desires of your heart." Jer 29:11 tells us of our loving Father's good plans for his children. "I know the plans I have for you, declares Yahweh, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future." None of these mean we get what we selfishly hunger after or greedily desire, but that we get what's in our Father's heart for us because we've obediently sought and served him.

Our heavenly Father's love is explained to us in Rom 8:28. "We know that in all things Yahweh works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Please don't misunderstand that this verse means all things that happen to us are good. What Yahweh is able to do is work everything out for our good. When evil occurs in our lives, he can overcome it and heal us. When we fall in sin, he can turn the consequences into a learning experience or at the very least an opportunity for building our godly character. There's no magic in what he does for us, just good old-fashioned teaching moments if we're paying attention.

Yahweh is love! Yahweh is Great! Yahweh is our Father! We can call him Abba, PaPa, Daddy, Dad, or whatever intimate title we favor. Because Yahweh's our Daddy, we need to give the gift of loving him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And we do that because that's the way he loves us.

Blessings & Peace, Mike