deliver

Worship IX Day 15 The God Who Is

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
Exodus 34:4-9
Isaiah 57:15-20
Colossians 1:3-23
Revelation 5

Worship IX, Day 15

It was a quid pro quo arrangement with God.
My part was excellence on all points in Christian living;
His was to deliver my version of the blessed and beautiful Christian life.

Despite my quest for perfect performance, my only consistent accomplishment was failure. I was caught in a self-defeating, self-inflicted trap. My expectations and reality were worlds apart, resulting in a brutal head-on collision. I slumped in the wreckage of disappointment, a casualty of my own deception. Had I misunderstood Him; did I even truly know Him?

My disillusionment led me to Scripture, where I encountered the tender, yet terrifying God Who Is. 

I found God reveals Himself in seemingly-opposing ways.
He honors humans with intimate friendship, yet acts independently,
delineating His realm of existence; we are creatures, He is Creator.
In divine wisdom, He takes action, reinstating order where humans create chaos,
all the while working out His redemptive plan for humanity.

The Creator “walk[ed] in the garden at the time of the evening breeze” with Adam and Eve in Eden. (Genesis 3:8)
He also banished them from Eden following their rebellion. (Genesis 3:22-24)

In Noah, He confided His regret in creating mankind, and His plan to decimate creation with a deluge, restarting with Noah and his family. He dictated instructions for their ark of rescue, then proceeded with the deluge. (Genesis 6, 7, 8, 9)

He chose a pagan named Abram, renamed him Abraham, and honored him with covenants and promises. God called Abraham His friend, yet clearly illustrated to Abraham that his Friend was the Divine Power. God made shocking demands of Abraham, yet in the process, sketched His overarching plan for humanity’s redemption. (Learn more about Abraham in Genesis 11-25)

He shepherded Abraham’s descendants through multiple generations, revealing Himself by the name “I AM” to Moses, and honoring Moses with the first character description of Himself. (Exodus 3) Once again, when the evil of mankind had reached His limits, “I AM” stepped in, restoring order, wielding judgement, and delivering Israel by His bared, holy arm. (Learn more about God’s rescue of Israel in Exodus 1-14)

“I AM” guided Israel by a pillar of cloud and fire, protected them, and established them as a nation. He called men and women who followed Him for bold missions, feats of valor, and fearless preaching. Prophets foretold “I AM” would come in human form. His mission would be to redeem fallen humanity. (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

Weathered sages scratched truth-filled messages and prophetic visions onto sacred scrolls. Once again, they told of “I AM,” Who seeks tender friendship with mankind, yet, remains “in a high and holy place.” (Isaiah 57:15)

He speaks comfort, extends lovingkindness, and powerfully protects. (Isaiah 41:8-11)
In the same breath, He holds mankind accountable for their choices. Once again, “I AM” emblazons the distinction between mankind and Himself. (Isaiah 40–41)

All the while, “I AM” is weaving together our redemption, revealing with uncanny clarity His jaw-dropping plan to redeem mankind by coming in human form as their Passover Lamb. (Isaiah 53)

Prophetic words came true; “I AM” arrived as “God with us.”
The Holy Spirit divinely fathered Jesus in Mary’s womb. (Matthew 1:18-23)
He lived a common, yet wholly uncommon life; fully human, fully God. Jesus championed authentic religion marked by ongoing compassion for the helpless and hopeless while offending the elite with truth. He revealed His divine power and identity simply to undergird the tenderly flowering faith of His followers and underscore His bold assertions, He was eternity’s “I AM” in human form.

He was “I AM” submitting to the slashing whip and criminal’s crucifixion.
God, slaughtered as the unblemished Passover Lamb. (Matthew 26-27)

“I AM,” “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth” (Exodus 34:6), so accessible and relatable— so killable. He was born to die, all while remaining God and conquering death. Resurrection Day both seals and celebrates His resounding victory! (Matthew 28)

Following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, His disciples were freshly empowered by the truth and His indwelling Holy Spirit. (Acts 2) So, they turned the world upside-down with the gospel. In a stunning vision, the aging Apostle John received a glimpse into Heaven’s throne-room where his Friend awaits. It was Him! Israel’s Passover Lamb; Judah’s warring Lion; his Friend, Jesus of Nazareth, the Great “I AM”! (Learn more about John’s vision in the book of Revelation)

Dwelling in holy friendship with such other-worldly majesty—how can it be?  What does He want with us?

Simply, He wants us.
The stunning truth is that dwelling amidst His holy thunder, communing with “I AM” as Friend with friend, is a reality available to all who are unafraid to press in and follow Him in trusting obedience. (Isaiah 57:15-21, Micah 4:1-8, James 4:4-10)

We will never understand Him; He is incomprehensible.

We will never grasp the magnificent condescension of His redemptive work on our behalf.  However, like the heavenly throng, the unnerving eye-covered creatures and the Apostle himself, we too can gaze transfixed upon the Victorious Lamb, joining the unending chorus, crying, “Blessing and honor and glory and power [. . . ] be to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5: 9-14)

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Prayer Day 14 All Of Everything: Digging Deeper

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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 All Of Everything!

The Questions

1) Why don’t all versions of the Bible have the bracketed section? Is my Bible really reliable?

2) Why do end a prayer with a “doxology”? Where else do we see this modeled in Scripture? 

3) How does the “doxology” tie back to the Lord’s Prayer?

Matthew 6:13 (HCSB)

And do not bring us into temptation, 
but deliver us from the evil one. 
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.]

Original Intent

1) Why don’t all versions of the Bible have the bracketed section? Is my Bible really reliable?
This is a great question, and one that Merry did an excellent job of covering in her Journey Study yesterday. We can both acknowledge the squirmy, uncomfortable way it makes us feel to wonder, ‘what if the Bible isn’t reliable?!’, while also knowing with extreme confidence that the Scripture you and I hold in our hands is 100% trustworthy. The fact that Scripture even reveals its variances for our inspection is proof that the Lord is not afraid of our investigation. The God of the Universe is big enough to handle our doubts and misunderstandings. Editors didn’t need to edit out variations between eyewitness accounts or different authors, because only one Author’s voice counted, The Holy Spirit. Were those words in the brackets actually spoken by Jesus at the conclusion of His model prayer? Maybe. Maybe not. But the truth they hold is not only biblical, and found other places in Scripture, it anchors us and our prayers in a world of unknown. The kingdom is His. The power is His. The glory is His. He is Sovereign, my friends, and there’s no better “last word” than that one!

2) Why end a prayer with a “doxology”? Where else do we see this modeled in Scripture?
A “doxology” is defined as an oral or written praise to God and is often found at the end of prayers throughout Scripture, going back to the Old Testament all the way to the New. In fact, one of David’s most famous doxologies is extremely similar to the one found here in Matthew 6. Seriously, go look it up; you’ll be amazed! (1 Chronicles 29:11-13) It’s so similar in fact, that scholars believe it was held as a model and it became common for God’s people to verbally end their prayers with not simply an “Amen”, but with a doxology that recognized the sovereign power and authority of the God to whom they prayed. Interested in studying more doxologies in Scripture? Check out David in Psalm 41:13 or Psalm 72:18-19 along with many other Psalms. See a few of Paul’s in Romans 11:33-36, Galatians 1:5, Philippians 4:20, or Ephesians 3:20-21. The author of Hebrews includes a beautiful one in Hebrews 13:20-21. Peter records his in 2 Peter 3:18 and John’s doxology shouts of God’s glorious, eternal victory in Revelation 5:9-14.

3) How does the “doxology” tie back to the Lord’s Prayer?
The words of the doxology are beautiful enough as they are and precious in the truth they hold, but when we examine how they tie back into the model prayer, the depth and creative intricacy is truly incredible!
“Our Father” and “Your Name be honored as holy” are found at the beginning of the prayer, and at the end, these are summed up in a single word: Yours. One name, one Lord, one God of all; there is none other.
“Your kingdom come” reminds us of the un-crossable chasm that exists between God and man without Jesus’ sacrifice to bridge that gap. The prayer ends with the affirmation: Yours is the kingdom. The kingdom is God’s alone, it’s His creation, His plan for eternity, and though He has designed us to join us in His work, the work is His.
“Your will be done…” leads us into the next section that encompasses our everyday physical needs as well as our spiritual ones and is brought full circle with the phrase: Yours is the power. We pray because He holds all power and we are utterly incapable without Him. We pray because we cast ourselves entirely upon His ability and none of our own. It’s His power that supplies, His power that equips and fuels us. His alone; not ours.
Finally, we are brought to a breathless close with: Yours is the glory. Our hearts know, and gladly rejoice, in the praise that is rightfully God’s alone. His is the kingdom. His is the power. His is the glory.

Everyday Application

1) Why don’t all versions of the Bible have the bracketed section? Is my Bible really reliable?
Have you allowed yourself permission to ask the tough questions about Christianity? Whether you’re a Christ-follower or not, I encourage you to keep a list of gut-honest questions. God is big enough to defend Himself. And honestly, if He’s not, then He isn’t mighty enough to save. As I recently asked a friend of mine, “wouldn’t you rather know? For sure?”. Wouldn’t you? If we are staking our eternity on the reliability of what Scripture teaches, we have the right to question its trustworthiness. What are your questions? What makes your stomach turn with un-announced queries when you read the Bible? Sister, there are answers! Good Answers! Ask your questions, take the Lord up on His invitation to know Him better. Trust me, no, trust HIM, the reward will be sweetly worth it!

2) Why end a prayer with a “doxology”? Where else do we see this modeled in Scripture?
The Lord’s prayer begins with the intimate title of “Father” and concludes with all glory and praise being given to the Most High God of All. He is both the safe haven to cling to and the Mighty Warrior who reigns in awe and victory. Closing our prayer time with a doxology is an invitation for us to be reminded that He is God of all, we are not, and we praise Him for that! We take great comfort in knowing that the Sovereign King of Heaven loves us as a Father, cares for every broken heart, knows every hair on our head, and holds final authority over all creation. A doxology is an expression of our faith like nothing else. We are praising Him not because He needs to hear it, but because our hearts are re-focused and peace floods within us when we simply praise and adore the King of Kings. Have you ever considered how you close your prayers? Consider writing a few doxologies yourself. Study some in Scripture and take a few days to craft your own. Practice the art of praising the Lord and watch your faith grow, your peace deepen, and your relationship with the Father become richer!

3) How does the “doxology” tie back to the Lord’s Prayer?
As we slow down to examine the details of these few words in the doxology and how they tie to the Lord’s Prayer, consider how each of these phrases apply straight to your everyday life right now.
Yours – Where are you relying on something other than that One Name to satisfy and fulfill? Where are you glorifying an object or a relationship or a person above the Lord?
Yours is the kingdom – Whose kingdom do you spend your days building, the Lord’s or your own? What do your schedules and text messages and interactions with people and where you spend your money say about whose Kingdom you’re most invested in?
Yours is the power – Fearful? Worried? Overwhelmed? Tense? These are each signal flares that you’re walking away from the truth that the power is the Lord’s, not ours. When our trust is focused on our ability to perform or control, we have forgotten that the power is His, and we’ve forfeited His peace in the process.
Yours is the glory – Much will quickly be righted in our world when we consciously choose to slow down enough for praise and adoration. Consider the type of words that first form on your lips in any given situation and you’ll quickly get a gauge for the status of your heart attitude. Critical, angry, tense, annoyed, frustrated….these types of words come from a heart that insists on the glory being our own. When we begin training our hearts and tongues to first praise Jesus, giving Him the glory due Him, our hearts are made new right in the middle of our everyday lives! Try it!

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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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Prayer Day 11 Delivery, Please

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 6:5-15
Romans 7:15-20 
Hebrews 10:19-25 
Matthew 4:1-11  

Prayer, Day 11

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” ~Jesus
Temptation is the desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment,
while threatening long-term goals.

It’s something we all face and have all given in to.
“We have all fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 

The face of temptation looks different for everyone,
but one thing is the same, when we follow temptation, sin will drag us in. 

Every. Time.

For some, it may be the urge to spend money on things you don’t need.
For others, it could the desire to eat or drink or medicate the pain away.
Or maybe for you, it’s looking to the internet to satisfy a sexual urge.
The urge to share that juicy story, the desire to arrogantly prove yourself right, the lust for more.
Temptations are everywhere, for everyone.  

As we walk through life, we look for healthy ways to handle temptations.
We put money in safe places, so we can’t spend it.
We lock away the food and drinks.
We pursue accountability partners and even counseling. 

But, if we are completely honest, even with all the safeguards, we still give into temptation. 

Because here’s the truth about temptation for anyone who does not have Christ. 
You cannot win against the temptation to sin. 
It’s absolutely impossible. 

The apostle Paul says of himself before Jesus:
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  So now it is no longer I who do it, but Sin that dwells within me. 
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. 
For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
Romans 7:15-20 

See, without the rule and reigning authority of Christ and His Righteous Life indwelling us, making us free, we are dead to life. 
We are chained to sin.
Temptation will always grip us.  

But guess what?
There is hope!

Paul concludes his description with a desperate, pleading question:
“Who will deliver me from this body of Death?!” (verse 24)

Who??!
Jesus.
Jesus delivers.

And so, Paul shouts with triumphant victory!
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (verse 25)

Under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we are freed unto Life! 
We are no longer under the reign of Sin and Death, tied down with no choice but to accept Temptation’s death knell, we are free. 
Free to walk away from Temptation and her seductive lies.
She doesn’t.
The Enemy never does. 

James wisely teaches, “Resist the Devil (by submitting to God), and he will flee from you.”

Peter reiterates, “Resist him (the Devil), be firm in your faith…”

Freedom from temptation begins and ends with Jesus Christ.
First, our lives fully surrendered to Him.
Second, our moments of temptation given over to Him.

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

This was Jesus’ own prayer.
It was His modeled invitation declaring Himself to be
the only way out of temptation. 

Want true deliverance?
It’s found in nothing else than by calling on the Sweet Name of Jesus. 

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul says, “God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

During Jesus’ own experience with temptation, He again modeled for us the proper way to fight temptation: with the all-powerful Word of the LORD.  Matthew 4:1-11.  

We must use God’s Word of God to fight temptation.
Until we start fighting spiritually,
we will continue to fall into Death instead of living real life.

Just as Paul knew that through Christ alone, who took our punishment for our sin in our place, giving us His righteousness and free access to God through Himself,
he knew every victory was bound up in that powerful name of Jesus Christ.

Victory to break the chains of sin that temptation brings.
Chains keeping us in darkness.
Chains holding us in bondage.
Chains keeping us from experience of redemptive power of grace.
Chains holding us back from being fully used to glorify God. 

Temptation is strong, but our God is stronger! 

So Lord, “lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:13
Lord, “search our hearts, know us, and remove any evil way in us.” Psalm 139:23-24 

God, You have already won the battle of our hearts, so help us walk in that freedom!
Teach us to rely solely on you, using your Word to keep us firm.
Remind us, Spirit, that we are Dead to Sin because of Jesus Christ!
Teach us, every day, in all the ways we are tempted, to give ourselves fully over to You. 
Deliver us Lord, like only you can!
And we will join with the shout of Paul,
“Thanks be to God (for the freedom that comes) through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

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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 Prayer Week Three! 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 Prayer!