The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 2

July 2, 2022 by Katelyn Palmer Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 2

Katelyn Palmer

July 2, 2022

Broken,Character,Christ,Community,GT Weekend,Hope,Humility,Jesus,Scripture,Truth,Unity

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

This Week's Journeys

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Psalm 103:1-6

“My soul, bless the LORD, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the LORD, and do not forget all his benefits. He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with Faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, You have told us we are not of this world (John 15:19) and neither is Your Kingdom of this world (John 18:36), yet we are to remain here, shining as lights in the darkness until Your return. (Philippians 2:15)

Please keep my thoughts centered on Your Kingdom, Lord, especially when the darkness seems overwhelming. Use me to reflect Your light so others may be drawn to You and a little more darkness is squeezed out of the broken places. Guide my quiet time with You, still my mind and heart so I may hear Your whispers, God.

Yahweh, you are the Shepherd (Psalm 23), the Teacher (Psalm 25:5), and the Lord of Armies (Psalm 46:7). You quench the thirst of my soul like a glass of ice water in the desert (John 4:14). I ache to be close to You, to feel Your love and warmth in my soul. Equip me to reflect this love to Your creation and renew my strength to push forward each morning against the rulers of this world in Your power. (Ephesians 6:12)

I pray for opportunities in this coming week to lift up someone who is low in spirit and point them back to You, Father. I move as You command; in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE
As Christ-followers, we must hold to truth when it seems hatred is around every corner and division on every billboard. Scripture reminds that our fight is not temporal but spiritual. (Ephesians 6:12)

Of course, we battle our flesh daily, but a spiritual enemy uses our physical world to attack our spiritual livelihood. The enemy’s tactics have remained the same since time began: lying, deception, misinformation, distortion, and misinterpretations of God’s truth.

How do we fight against that? First, we educate ourselves on the enemy’s battle plans, like deception through social media or the division rising up around us. (1 Peter 5:8) We must study Scripture to understand and identify truth, praying for guidance and wisdom. We can stay informed on world events through multiple sources and strain our responses through the safeguard of Scripture. Second, we engage. We must start a dialogue with those inside and outside our circle with open minds and soft hearts about the brokenness of our world with a willingness to take action. Third, we seek community. God designed us to seek support from our brothers and sisters of all backgrounds. God did not promise us a life free of storms;
He promised to be present with us through them. (Isaiah 43:2)

JOURNAL TWO
It’s easy to acknowledge that we live in a damaged world and that humanity is flawed, but what happens when the finger is pointed at us?

The most effective way to attack oppression, hatred, and evil, is by looking inwardly first. Zechariah reminds us to have compassionate hearts for others (Zechariah 7:9-10), and Jesus taught us to love one another as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-39) Isaiah calls for us to repent of our sin, be cleansed, and learn what it looks like to do right in order to stand against injustice. (Isaiah 1:17)

All of these Scriptures appeal to Christ’s Church, that’s us! Imagine if the whole of believers around the globe actively lived out these verses in our everyday relationships. What peace and pushing back of oppression would result! Conquering hate and bringing unity to our communities must start at home. We must also pray fervently for leadership in our churches and our world. (1Timothy 2:1-4) Where we have the privilege to elect government officials, do so by searching the Scriptures and using your vote to elect righteous leadership. Have conversations, not debates, about what righteous leadership looks like that protects people, lifts oppression, and promotes justice. (Jeremiah 22:2-3, Proverbs 31:4-5; 8-9, Matthew 20:26-28).

It is our duty as Christ-followers to lead and pray with zealous love as God has commanded us to in order to reflect His light in the darkest places.

JOURNAL THREE
Have you ever heard the saying “practice what you preach?” Better yet, have you ever met anyone who could do it? I can think of one person who practiced everything He preached, and the world was quite literally saved in the process. Jesus.

He experienced sorrow, oppression, discrimination, and hatred, as well as taught about it in the synagogues, in boats, in fields and in city centers. Jesus illustrated how to suffer silently with purpose (Mark 15:3-5), but also how to boldly call out sin. (Matthew 21:12-13) He showed us how to lift up the lowly (Luke 8:43-48) and stand firm against the enemy, both spiritual and worldly. (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 23:1-7) More than all of that, Jesus showed us how to bring our brokenness to God in humble submission. (Mark 14:33-36)

In His submission, Jesus was renewed in His mission for God’s glory, for it is in tribulation where we develop endurance; endurance produces proven character, which produces hope. (Romans 5:1-11)

I challenge each of us as we face adversity in the next minute or the next week to rejoice at the opportunity God has allowed to further shape us into the image of His Son that we might proclaim Him all the more! (Romans 8:29)

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Beautiful,character,Christ-followers,compassion,engage,heart,leadership,righteous,seek,whole

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Training Day 14 Much More Than: Digging Deeper

February 10, 2022 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Much More Than!

The Questions

1) Who were the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders worshiping? (verse 10)

3) What is the significance of the seven items ascribed to The Lamb in verse 12?

3) Why is it important that every creature join in the praise? (verse 13)

Revelation 5:8-14

8 When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth. 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. 12 They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! 13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! 14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Original Intent

1) Who were the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders worshiping? (verse 10)
In Revelation 4:3 we are introduced to the Throne Room of heaven, with God the Father sitting on His throne. Surrounding Him are the thrones of the twenty-four elders. There are many theories about who they are, but according to Meyer’s NT Commentary they are “the representatives of the entire congregation of all believers, to whom…belong the holiness and glory indicated by the white robes, and the royal dominion by the thrones and crowns”. The four creatures are representatives of some of the characteristics of God. “These four creatures represent dominance and majesty (lion, the king of animals), vigor (calf), wisdom (man), and speed or sovereignty (eagle).” (Verse By Verse Commentary) Their role is to praise God forever. (Revelation 4:8) We see them in chapter 5 still in the Throne Room, but this time joined by the Only One able to open the scroll and break the seven seals. (verse 5) He is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (Revelation 5:5) but is presented in the Throne Room as a slain lamb with “the marks of omnipotence (seven horns) and omniscience (seven eyes).” (Enduring Word Commentary) Who is this Lion of Judah (Genesis 49:9-10), this “Lamb of God” (John 1:29) who was slain but is still alive? It is Jesus, to Whom the elders and creatures offer praise for being the Only One worthy to open the scrolls and break the seals. Jesus is the One who gave His life to purchase His people (verse 9) and made us a “kingdom of priests…holy nation”. (verse 10)

2) What is the significance of the seven items ascribed to The Lamb in verse 12?
The twenty-four elders, the four living creatures, and the thousands upon thousands of angels (verse 11) are all praising and celebrating Jesus, the Lamb, listing the things He is worthy to receive. But Jesus already has all these things because He is God, the Creator and Sustainer of everything. John Gill explains it this way, “…when He is said to be worthy to receive these, it is not to be understood of His receiving the things themselves, but of the praise of them; and that these are to be observed in Him, and to be ascribed to Him.” Specifically, those characteristics are “power-omnipotence; riches-beneficence; wisdom-omniscience; strength-power in prevalent exercise; honour-the highest reputation for what he has done; glory-the praise due to such actions; and blessing-the thankful acknowledgments of the whole creation.” (Studylight.org) Because of how magnificent Christ Jesus is, He alone is worthy to receive all honor and glory.

3) Why is it important that every creature join in the praise? (verse 14)
Philippians 2:9-11 tells us of Father God’s intentions with Jesus. He gave Jesus “the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”. Every creature giving Jesus praise in the Revelation passage shows the fulfillment of God’s plan. Job even said to God, “I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2) Also important is that by joining in the praise of Jesus, the worshipers are acknowledging Him as God, for only God deserves all worship, “There cannot be the slightest doubt that the Lamb is to be reckoned with God and as God.” (Enduring Word) This is evidenced by the elders worshiping in complete surrender. (verse 14)

Everyday Application

1) Who were the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders worshiping? (verse 10)
The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders were worshiping the Lamb who was slain but was yet alive. They worshipped Him as the Lion of Judah and the Root of David. (Revelation 5:5) We know Him as Jesus. We worship Him as the Lamb because He went to the cross to pay for our sins. (1 John 3:16) We worship Him as the Root of David because “the Messiah was the Branch that would grow from Jesse’s root to restore David’s dynasty.” (Global Study Bible) Jesus is that Messiah. Finally, we worship him as the Lion of Judah because He conquered sin and the grave. (2 Timothy 1:10) Just as Jesus was worshiped by the living creatures and the elders, so should we worship Him for Who He is and what He has done for us. Consider your own view of Jesus in your everyday life. How often do you consider worshiping Him for Who He is in the middle of your daily routine? If heavenly elders and creatures worship Him on their faces, how can we do less?

2) What is the significance of the seven items ascribed to The Lamb in verse 12?
Each of the seven items are characteristics we can observe in Jesus. The Lord Jesus has the power to do what He plans, therefore, we can depend on Him to handle every situation. Every resource belongs to Jesus. He is able to bless us with those riches, of which the most precious is His grace “that He richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:8) All wisdom comes from God. (Proverbs 2:6) We only need to ask and He will give it “generously and ungrudgingly.” (James 1:5) In everything we face, we can be strong because David reminds us in Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.” We all like to be recognized for our accomplishments. Jesus who “suffered the ultimate dishonor of being crucified as a common criminal to pay for our sins” and who “focused on honoring His heavenly Father during His ministry” (Kids Talk About God) deserves all honor due Him. Yet He also honors us! (John 12:26) Glory is the praise received for doing something of great significance. There isn’t enough space here to list all the things Jesus has done that are of great significance. Given they are too numerous, this alone is more evidence pointing to Him deserving all glory. And finally blessing. Jesus was there in the beginning with Father God crafting all of creation. (John 1:1-5) Jesus is the holder of blessings, which He freely gives to us. (James 1:17-18) Looking at this list, we begin to see the depth of Jesus’ goodness and His supreme holiness. How blessed we are to be able to worship Him and lavish Him with praise!

3) Why is it important that every creature join in the praise? (verse 14)
In our current culture, there are many who do not believe Jesus is God. There are many who don’t even believe there is a God. In Isaiah 45:22-23, God declares this unchangeable and inevitable truth, “For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.” Since it has been established that Jesus is God, then just as every knee will bow and confess God as God, then so too must every creature confess Jesus as Lord. They must acknowledge His divinity and bow in worship to Him. We are able to freely choose this worship today and should make every effort to do so as often as we can. Jesus is Lord. Let us offer Him our praise and worship! On the day Christ returns to earth to set up His rule and reign, the choice will no longer be ours to make. Every tongue will confess Him as Lord, but the opportunity to surrender willfully will have passed. The decision to reject Christ as Lord will be honored by God and all who have willfully rejected Him will spend eternity apart from Him. Choose today to surrender in full worship with your life!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship IX Week 2

November 27, 2021 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

1) James 1:22 tells us to “be doers of the word and not hearers only”. One topic the Word covers is worship that is acceptable to God. He told the Israelites from the beginning to worship Him alone. They did, but it was often not acceptable. God requires us to worship Him, not by checking a box on a worship “to-do” list, but by knowing and living His truth and confessing when we dishonor Him with sin. But how do we find this truth? We can know His truth by renewing our mind, as we are instructed in Romans 12:2. Evaluate your own worship this weekend. In what areas do you see yourself leaning towards “checking boxes”? What distractions can you eliminate so you can better connect with God? Are you allowing God to transform you through His Word and your relationship with Him? Write a prayer to God asking Him to help you identify areas you are more rooted in ritual than truth. Check out 1 Samuel 2:30 for encouragement about honoring God and the reward He gives!

2) Jesus kicked everyone out of the temple and overturned the money changers’ tables. This shows us how seriously He takes the command from Exodus 20:4-6 to not make or worship other gods. When we place more importance on anything other than God, our worship is misplaced. God wants to be the sole focus of our worship and rightfully so. Nothing and no one can match God’s greatness. Yet people have idols, even today. Let’s decide together to not allow anything to take first place in our life except God. Consider plotting out the ways you spend time this week, asking the Lord to open your eyes to time you could repurpose for intentional worship. When we focus on who God is and why He deserves our worship, everything else falls into a right perspective. Choose some passages from Exodus this weekend and read of God’s faithfulness to Israel. How has that same patience, mercy, grace, lovingkindness, and power shown up in your life? Record some instances to help you place your focus and worship squarely on the One who deserves it.

3) In Friday’s Journey Study, we learned how the Old Testament fellowship offering was for communion with God, and the burnt offering was for forgiveness of sins. Yet, neither of these sacrifices could truly fix Israel’s sin problem. The ultimate sacrifice, with the power to conquer sin once and for all, was Jesus, which is why we should worship Him with our whole lives. King David was good at worshipping whole-heartedly as he had made worship the practice of his life. We read his songs of worship throughout the book of Psalms and in his Psalm of Thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16. The way he continually worshipped God provides us with a beautiful model for how we should worship. When was the last time you worshipped with everything within you? Did you share your experience with anyone or encourage them to lean into worship? Jesus has given us an incredible gift that deserves our full worship, but let’s not keep it to ourselves. Encourage your family and friends to adopt a lifestyle of praise along with you!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 1 Chronicles 16:28-31 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him.
The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

Prayer Journal
Lord, there are many places we can direct our worship. Sadly, it’s not always to You. I acknowledge there is no one like You. You are worthy of every bit of my praise. I want my life to reflect love and gratitude for Who you are and all You do for me. Spirit, remind to meditate on Your character because I know that when I do, You remind me I owe everything to You. They remind me of the great sacrifice Jesus made to reconcile me to You. May I never again give Your importance to another. Instead, let me proclaim Your glory with my life. May it spill into others’ lives, so they may also be drawn into worshipping and honoring You. Let me bask in Your glory, Lord, and declare it with my life so everyone knows You are the One True God, worthy of all our praise.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Pause IV Day 1 The Outcry

September 14, 2020 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

It’s difficult to read Habakkuk’s words and not feel an inward groan,
an ache of knowing that so much is deeply broken.

Pause IV, Day 1

Certainly, each of us, have echoed Habakkuk’s cries.

Everywhere I look, I see brokenness, God!
Fighting in the streets.
Marriages dissolving.
Children being abandoned.
Babies murdered.
People groups oppressed because of the shade of their skin.
Justice doesn’t even have a chance of prospering because the governing systems are so broken.

And we wonder where God is.
Does He see?
Can He not hear?
Doesn’t God care?!

Strange, isn’t it? To read ancient writings and watch them fit so perfectly in our own time as if they flowed from our pen.

Habakkuk had watched the slow degradation of his beloved nation for years. He had studied Israel’s history and traced her moral decline. He waited for God to move. He cried out for God to hear, and see, and do something!

Even as he threw his angry fists at the sky, tossing up his big, audacious questions, he also knew in his core, that God was real. He was present. He did see. He had not forgotten His people and walked away. Habakkuk knew truth.

This reality of God’s unchanging character both soothed and irked him. He knew God saw all the brokenness, yet Habakkuk was angry that God had not yet chosen to act as Habakkuk felt He, the Lord God, should act.

That’s a painful glimpse in the mirror for me, Sister.
Because Habakkuk is me.

Sit still with me here in the tension of an unchanging, always present, always loving God and the sinful, rebellious world we live in.

Consider the message the Lord had for Habakkuk, and ask what He has for you.
Choose to limit your words, and read His words before ours.

Grab your Bible, a journal and pen,
and open your heart to bask in the presence of the Almighty!

Today's Challenge

Today’s Challenge
1) Read Habakkuk 1, then circle back and re-read verses 1-4 a few times through.
Answer these 3 questions in your journal from verses 1-4:
a) What do these verses tell me about God and His character?
b) What do these verses tell me about others and the world around me?
c) What do these verses tell me about me and my heart?

2) Close your time by praying for these truths to take root in your heart and for the Holy Spirit to remind you and teach you more about these things today. Be sure to write out any questions you have as you read! If you’d like to send your questions to us, we’d love to study with you!

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Habakkuk 1

The pronouncement that the prophet Habakkuk saw.

²How long, Lord, must I call for help
and you do not listen
or cry out to you about violence
and you do not save?
³Why do you force me to look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
⁴This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.

God’s First Answer
⁵Look at the nations and observe—
be utterly astounded!
For I am doing something in your days
that you will not believe
when you hear about it.
⁶Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans,
that bitter, impetuous nation
that marches across the earth’s open spaces
to seize territories not its own.
⁷They are fierce and terrifying;
their views of justice and sovereignty
stem from themselves.
⁸Their horses are swifter than leopards
and more fierce than wolves of the night.
Their horsemen charge ahead;
their horsemen come from distant lands.
They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.
⁹All of them come to do violence;
their faces are set in determination.
They gather prisoners like sand.
¹⁰They mock kings,
and rulers are a joke to them.
They laugh at every fortress
and build siege ramps to capture it.
¹¹Then they sweep by like the wind
and pass through.
They are guilty; their strength is their god.

Habakkuk’s Second Prayer
¹²Are you not from eternity, Lord my God?
My Holy One, you will not die.
Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock, you destined them to punish us.
¹³Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are you silent
while one who is wicked swallows up
one who is more righteous than himself?
¹⁴You have made mankind
like the fish of the sea,
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
¹⁵The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,
and gather them in their fishing net;
that is why they are glad and rejoice.
¹⁶That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet
and burn incense to their fishing net,
for by these things their portion is rich
and their food plentiful.
¹⁷Will they therefore empty their net
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with a simple challenge. Each challenge is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Pause IV Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause IV!

He Day 15 El Gibhor

June 19, 2020 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 9:6-7
Luke 23:44-24:8
Isaiah 53
Romans 8:1-4
1 Peter 3:17-22

He, Day 15

When I first began reading the Bible, I didn’t understand much of it (can you relate?). I thought Revelation was the “scary” book and Isaiah was the unnecessarily long one. I found Jesus’ death tragic.

I also wasn’t sure how, or if, all the different books fit together. And finally, I was confused by all the different names of God. Fortunately, God is teaching me a lot about His Word, and I’m honored to share some of what I’ve learned.

Throughout the Bible, God is referred to by many names, each revealing something about His character. One name, El Gibhor, or “Mighty God,” is found in Isaiah 9:6. We frequently hear this verse at Christmas, in reference to Jesus:

“He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

But Mighty God is not only found in this verse; the book I used to think was unnecessarily long, Isaiah, contains many prophecies about Jesus.

Isaiah 11:1-5 foretells of a mighty God who will come from the line of King David. He will be full of God’s Spirit, wisdom, strength, and the fear of the Lord (Father God). He will be a righteous judge for the oppressed and slay the wicked.

The theme of our mighty God as defender of the oppressed is echoed in Daniel. In chapter 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire because they would not worship false gods. And yet, they were not harmed.

Why? Because El Gibhor protected them by walking in the fire with them.
And then, all who witnessed this deliverance believed in Him and His mighty power. (Daniel 3:28-29)

Isaiah 42:1-16 speaks of a servant who will have God’s Spirit on Him. He will bring justice. He’s appointed to be a covenant to the people, a light bearer, and a rescuer of those imprisoned and in darkness.

Jesus refers to Himself as the light of the world in John 8:12-19. When the religious leaders question His authority, He tells the Pharisees that Father God testifies about Him. And God did, through Isaiah.

I can also personally testify Jesus is our light and rescuer. There was a time, not so many years ago, where I was deep in a pit of sin. I vacillated between wanting the sin and wanting to return to the Lord.

After months of turmoil, and feeling so broken and confused, I asked God to take it all from me if it wasn’t His will. My prayer seems crazy to me now, because of course sin wasn’t His will. But in the dark, you can’t see.

Within the week, I was back in that same sin, but it felt different. I started thinking about consequences and reasons why I was even in this pit. And suddenly, what I was doing made absolutely no sense to me. El Gibhor had shone His marvelous light into the dark prison of sin and pulled me out. Praise Him!

And now we come to my misunderstanding about the death of Jesus. I’ve come to realize it is so much more than just a tragic story; it is the story of our mighty God.

First, Jesus died because of us. Jesus was rejected by sin-filled humans, just like us (foretold in Isaiah 53:3-9, fulfilled in Luke 23:13-25).

Second, Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary, as payment for our sin. Isaiah 53:5-6 describes how He was pierced, crushed, and punished for my sin and my rebellion.

For all of our sin.
Romans 3:23-24 reiterates, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Third, it was voluntary. Isaiah describes how the Lord’s “own arm brought salvation” when “he willingly submitted to death.” And in the New Testament, we need only peek into the Garden of Gethsemane to hear Jesus say, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39, echoed in Matthew 26:42)

And so, Jesus chose death . . . death unto life. (Luke 23:44-24:8)
El Gibhor, our mighty God, conquered sin and the grave.

You see, the death and resurrection of Jesus was a precursor.

As outlined in Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus’ redemption of His children foreshadows Christ’s return to earth for His people, the ultimate defeat of His enemies, and the establishment of a new heaven and earth.

In Revelation, we see our mighty God, our resurrected sinless sacrifice, ending the rule of sin on this fallen earth once and for all. El Gibor alone is capable and worthy of final victory, final authority, and final creation of a perfect eternity.

Friends, only Mighty God can accomplish these things. There is no person or thing who can do what Jesus, El Gibhor, can. May we live in anticipation of the glorious day when all prophecies will be fulfilled and we will live and reign with Jesus forever.

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He Day 5 Yahweh

June 5, 2020 by Merry Ohler Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 33:13-23
Exodus 34:5-9
Psalm 20:1-7
Isaiah 30:27-33
John 17:1-19

He, Day 5

Yahweh. YHWH. The moniker God claimed as His own is most commonly translated as “LORD,” out of respect for the very holiness of the name. “Yahweh” is used many times throughout Scripture, including in the account of creation. However, the emphasis God placed on the name when He first revealed it to Moses, personally, on two separate occasions, reveals much about His character.

In Exodus 6, God spoke to Moses about how He would deal with Pharoah’s resistance, and told Moses who He was with great intention. Through the context of the words He spoke, we know the Lord places great value in His name. He reminded Moses He had appeared to other men before him, but He pointed out how this interaction with Moses was different from previous experiences.

God is unchanging, but there will always be more to his character than we have previously known, because he is God. In this moment, He wanted to reveal more to Moses, and to us. In this moment, He chose to reveal the tangible reality of His immediate presence. His very nearness. From the beginning of creation, God has always invited His people into personal relationship with Him.

We see His heart for mankind evidenced in every page of Scripture…

He walked through the garden in the cool of the day,
and He spoke to and cared for Adam and Eve (even when they chose self over submission).

He fulfilled every promise He gave Abraham (even when he chose his way over God’s way).

He provided for the Israelites (even when they were griping and complaining in the wilderness).

He called David a man after His own heart (even after he succumbed to lust and killed a man).
He sent His very Son, Jesus Christ, to live a sinless life and be crucified on the cross as payment for all sin (even though not all will choose Him).

But what sets this name apart and above the rest?
In “Yahweh,” God reveals personal relationship has always been and will always be His heart for us. It may be tempting to try to divorce the God of the Old Testament from the God of the New Testament, but nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is often referred to as Emmanuel (God With Us). This is true, but we can’t ignore the truth that God has always been “With Us.”

Over and over throughout the course of Scripture, we see His pursuit of mankind. He has never merely wanted our obedience, or our tithes, or our actions, or our words, or our praises.

As a young woman, when I turned and walked away from Him, He pursued me. When I walked far and long, and turned my back on all the things I knew to be true and right, He never left me. He called me, and He kept calling me. He never closed His eyes, or turned to look away.

Even when I didn’t answer.
Even when I couldn’t answer.

Even when I didn’t face him.
Even when I couldn’t face him.

And the same is true for you, too, Love.

He’s after our hearts. He’s always been after our hearts. And because He’s after our hearts, when we surrender our hearts and lives to Him, He loves to show us He alone is both Yahweh and Emmanuel to us.

In our broken relationship,
and our broken heart,
and our broken home.

In our sickness,
and our loss,
and our grief.

In our waiting,
and our longing,
and our not enough.

He is right here with us in it all.

Steady and sure. Whether we know Him already, or haven’t yet given our lives to Him, He waits for us to turn.

Away from our sin,
and our reasons,
and our distractions,
and ourselves,
and to the only One who will ever be able to fulfill our great need.

To Yahweh!

Father, you alone are Yahweh. Your nearness is my good. Today, I repent of attempting to meet a need only You can fill in my own way. You know my needs, and I trust You will provide. I want to see Your kingdom come in my life and here on earth. Help me to yield to what You’re doing in my life and heart and mind. Everything I have is Yours. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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He Day 3 Adonai

June 3, 2020 by Kendra Kuntz Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Jonah 3
Acts 8:26-40

He, Day 3

“Through your love and through the ram,
You saved the son of Abraham;
Through the power of your hand,
Turned the sea into dry land.
To the outcast on her knees,
You were the God who really sees,
And by your might,
You set your children free.”

Amy Grant.
Just her name triggers an avalanche of childhood memories.
From concerts, to cozy Christmases at home, to road trips with my mom, and, oddly enough, my alone time playing with Barbies, because yes, I totally named one after my favorite singer.

Her voice, along with Rich Mullins’ and Michael W. Smith’s, filled the quiet and stillness of my childhood home, and has worked its way into all of my memory’s cracks and crevices. One of the first songs I remember singing along to was, “El Shaddai”.

As I’ve studied Adonai, and pondered this Journey Study, the song has been echoing in my mind constantly …

“El shaddai, el shaddai,
El-elyon na Adonai,
Age to age you’re still the same,
By the power of the name.”

This song was my first, and until recently, only interaction with the term Adonai. I’ve heard this name of God over the years, but never understood its meaning. As I looked up the lyrics to refresh my memory, I had the “Aha!” moment I get every time I write a Journey Study. I need the topic to be real for me, to hit home. Then I am able to share what God is revealing to me.

Adonai is used throughout Scripture, not only in reference to God, but to anyone with authority as “lord” or “master.” Jews have been careful not to take the Lord’s name in vain, and often believed YHWH (Yahweh) to be so holy, they couldn’t even utter His Name aloud. In fact, Jews will still say Adonai, even if YHWH is written.

Additionally, Adonai was often the name Gentiles used for God, instead of YHWH. As we read Scripture, when LORD is spelled in all caps, then the translated word is YHWH. However, if it is spelled Lord, whether referring to God or anyone else, the translated word is Adonai. And when we see “Lord of lords” in the Bible, the phrase is actually “Adonai of adonais.”

Finally, in Scripture, YHWH is often used in God’s dealing with the Jews, while Adonai is used in His dealings with Gentiles. This subtle change paints a beautiful picture of God’s heart and character; as my friend, Rebecca, explains, “He wasn’t the one who changed; neither was His message of hope and redemption. Rather, simply by being called a different name, He flung wide the door for all to see He is for ALL peoples and ALL cultures.”

The idea of a God for all peoples of all cultures is seen throughout the Bible. Immediately, I am reminded of the Ninevites and their story of salvation in the book of Jonah. The inhabitants of the infamous city of Nineveh were Gentiles, yet God used His prophet to declare the freedom and peace found in repenting from sin and living for the Lord.

Adonai.

I’m reminded, again, of when Philip shared the Gospel with the Ethiopian traveler. The Holy Spirit directed Philip to a chariot on the road, where Philip had the opportunity to present the Gospel to a man who was so excited about the Good News of Jesus, he insisted on being baptized that very moment!

Adonai.

Now back to my “Aha” moment …
“To the outcast on her knees…
You were the God that really sees.”

These lines struck a chord in my heart as I imagined a myriad of encounters between God and an outcast woman in which He proved He saw her, both for who she was and who He created her to be . . .

Rahab. The prostitute.
Hannah. The wife who struggled with infertility.
Esther. The Jewish orphan-turned-Gentile-queen.
The Samaritan woman who was living in shame from failed marriages and relationships.
Maria Skobtsova. The single mom who was divorced twice and eventually became a nun.
Jackie Hill Perry. The woman who was a lesbian.
Kendra Kuntz. The woman who struggled with sexual sin in high school, shame throughout college, and eventually became a single mama to three girls.
You. All of your story.

Adonai.

And we’re just the very tip of the iceberg.

God is the Master. He is the Lord. He is the God who is for all people and the God who really sees.

We get yet another beautiful glimpse of who He is when we read Deuteronomy 10:12-22.
This whole section of Scripture gets my heart beating faster and my eyes welling with tears, but for me, the most meaningful part is in verses 17-19:

“For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords [read: Adonai of adonais], the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing.”

We serve a God who is for ALL PEOPLE, from orphans and widows to immigrants. He is YHWH and He is Adonai.

He is MY Adonai.

He is my Lord.

And He is Lord for all people.

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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched VI Week 1

October 5, 2019 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

Worship Through Journaling

1) God loves you fully! This was a stunning realization for Rhonda as she found herself on the backside of an abortion. Shame weighed her down like a wet cloak, reeking of heavy grief everywhere she went. Surely, God had rejected her and written her off! But His loving pursuit finally won her over. As she surrendered to Him, He prompted her to transparently share of her own tragic experience; she came face to face with her shame and the Lord transformed it into a tool to reach others with His love and encourage them to leave the heavy load of shame with Jesus. Where are you carrying shame, regret, and guilt? Don’t shy away! Identify them clearly and take the bold move to share part of your story with someone this week, even if it’s a close friend. The Lord wants to us our stories to point others to Himself and the hope He offers!

2) In Pat’s sharing of her story, we see deep heartache and tragic wounds, which could have (and should have) left her bitter, hurt, angry, and on the sidelines for the rest of her life as she despised other’s happiness. So much was stolen away from Pat! Rather than bitterness and anger, Pat’s life reflects beauty, grace, tenderness, and mercy. As she attests, the only difference is Christ, His salvation, and His continuous comfort meeting her where she was and moving her into a sweet relationship with Him. Where have anger and hurt felt justified for you in your story? How has Jesus made a difference for you? If you’ve never surrendered those hurts to Him, what might it be like to be free from those old chains or anger and resentment? Speak with the Lord about these!

3) Paula described how she would follow the Lord, then stall out and wander slowly away from Him over time. Each time, despite Paula’s unfaithfulness (like all of us!), the Lord was faithful in His love to her as He pursued her and showed her His relentless, never-giving-up love. Paula’s faith journey grew every time, and her faith in Christ grew stronger, the more she embraced living within biblical community, serving in her local church, and leaning in to God’s true character over her own ideas. In what ways do you see some of Paula’s story in your own? Where are your own cycles of walking away and being drawn back?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 46:1-3 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though hits waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

Prayer Journal
You are the God who offers continual refuge, strength, and help, yet in my foolishness, I often try to manage my trouble on my own. How good You are to me as you remind me of Your character and Your faithful love! Lord, I confess that from my limited perspective, I don’t recognize You drawing me back to you, instead I only see situations which frustrate me. Remind me, Spirit, that You have plans far above my own, that Your heart is for me to know You and walk in daily trust with You. Keep drawing me back to Your side, Abba!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Relentless Day 6 Faith or Fear?

September 16, 2019 by Lesley Crawford 33 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:11-18
Lamentations 3:21-26
1 Corinthians 1:26-30

“Thanks for coming for the interview yesterday. We’d like to offer you the job.”

As I stood with the phone to my ear, letting the words sink in, all I could think was there must be some mistake. Surely, they weren’t seriously offering me the job!

Doubts and insecurities flooded my mind. As much as I wanted this job as a school’s worker with a Christian charity, I didn’t feel capable. I was too inexperienced, too lacking in confidence, definitely not good enough to even consider this. Although I wanted the job, the chances of being selected had seemed so small, I’d really only gone to the interview for the experience.

Plus, I’d been dealing with some difficult things lately. There was no way I felt strong enough to take this on right now. All too conscious of my weakness, I was sure they could have found someone better.

I imagine Gideon’s feelings may have been similar when the angel of the Lord appeared to him. Cowering at the bottom of a winepress, threshing wheat, hiding from the Midianites who had destroyed the Israelites’ crops and reduced them to starvation, he wasn’t exactly a picture of strength.

When the words, “valiant warrior” are uttered, I picture him looking round in bewilderment to see who the angel is addressing, not thinking for a moment that the greeting is intended for him.

What’s more, the angel announces that God is with him! Gideon has little confidence in either part of this greeting. He struggles to see beyond his fear and his weakness to consider himself a “valiant warrior,” while also finding the idea of God being with him difficult to believe. After all, the Israelites’ oppression at the hands of the Midianites has been going on for seven long years. By this point, Gideon is worn down and out of hope. He can’t help but blurt out his honest question:

“If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13)

Don’t we all ask similar questions at times?

Whether it’s a significant time of tragedy or loss, a situation where our hope and hard work give way to disappointment, or simply a day when the pressures and frustrations of life seem to mount up, it’s easy to question where God is and why He has allowed these things to happen.

Maybe, like Gideon, we have tried to hold on to God’s promises and the ways we have seen or heard of His power in the past, but, when we look at our current situation, we feel abandoned. The idea of God having a good plan for us can seem hard to believe.

It’s reassuring that God doesn’t rebuke Gideon for asking this question, but neither does He provide an explanation.

Judges 6:14 provides an intriguing twist: “the Lord turned to him.” As He calls Gideon to go forward in the strength he has and lead Israel to victory over the Midianites, it seems Gideon suddenly realises he is not merely talking to an angel, but God Himself.

God’s response to Gideon’s question is not to answer, but to draw close and reveal Himself. He shows Gideon He has not abandoned him, but that, even in the midst of the suffering and oppression, He is right there with him.

As God continues to speak, we see His relentless love both towards the Israelite nation and towards Gideon as an individual. By this point, the Israelites have been spiralling round in a self-destructive cycle of sin for several years. God has forgiven them time and time again, yet still they continue to turn away. It would have been understandable for Him to have rejected them, but instead He remains committed to the rescue.

The manner in which He chooses to effect that rescue is through Gideon, even in his weakness. Despite Gideon’s doubts and hesitation, his lack of confidence, and his fear, God’s commitment to His plan for Gideon is relentless. Gideon still doesn’t understand, and he continues to question his ability and seek reassurance, but despite this he is called to move forward and to step out in faith.

Gideon is faced with an important choice: follow God, or follow his fears.

As I considered my unexpected job offer, I had a similar decision to make. When I looked at myself, I felt inadequate and ill-equipped, but then I remembered my many prayers that God would let the right person get the job, and in the end, I knew my reasons for hesitating were due to fear. Instead, I knew I had to step forward in faith, trusting that God had answered my prayer, that He would be with me and help me, and that His strength would be enough.

As I did so, I saw His relentless faithfulness in providing all I needed and leading me into a place where I could serve Him and flourish. As I look back, twelve years later, still happily involved in the same ministry, I’m grateful He enabled me to choose faith over fear and as God used me even in my weakness!

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