Embraced by the Father

When I think of the connection between faithfulness and trustworthiness, I think of a marriage relationship. I know that my husband if faithful to me when we are apart - I trust him to remain faithful. I am the one having the trust and he is the one who is remaining faithful. The same is true with God. I am his bride and I will trust Him to keep His word. He will remain faithful to His word. I can always trust Him to be who He says He is. He will always in the future be who He says He will be. I trust in a God like that! Faithfulness must always be in our character if we want to be like God. That is my constant prayer - Lord, I want to be more and more like You! Also when we are in relationship with other people it is important to be faithful to them. If we say we are going to do something, than we must try our best to carry it out. In that way we are demonstrating the character of God within us. If we can't be trusted, then how can others see Christ through us?

Israel continued to be rebellious towards God and his commandments. If God was not a forgiving God, Israel would have been destroyed even before they crossed over the Red Sea! It was important for Israel to be forgiven so that God's plan of salvation would be fulfilled. Israel needed a forgiving God and that is what our God is. God supplies all, absolutely all, of our needs and one of our needs is to be forgiven. I thing Israel was contrite, but they soon "forgot" who God is and turned back to their sinful ways. But God was patient over and over, like He is with me, and forgave them each time. That is what is so amazing about God's forgiveness. He is patient with us. I cannot fathom what that patience and mercy is fully like. I can be patient with people, but my patience eventually runs out and anger or bitterness wells up inside of me. I am so very grateful that God is not like that. He loves me very much and will continue mold me into a sanctified and holy child of His.

I think we lose the understanding of authority if we remove the word

God is the owner and a loving authority figure over Israel. As a husband, God provided for them, loved them and was in a personal relationship with them. He communicated with them as a husband communicates with his bride. He shared his heart with Israel. This is the same thought in the New Testament. We, the church, is his bride and someday he will take us unto himself as a bride and groom becoming married. As a bride He provides for us and loves us very intimately. God is jealous when another person of things takes the place of his place as ruler of our life. If we turn to our money to provide for us, God is jealous. We are to give him our resources and He will then provide for us. If we spend time watching TV or other activities instead of giving him time in our daily lives, God become jealous. Finding time ALL day long for Him is the best. When we talk with him throughout the entire day we are acknowledging him as our

Jesus and the Father are one in that they are the Trinity. The Trinity is God in One: God the Father, God the Holy Spirit and God the Son, Jesus Christ. Together the three are One God. Even though the Trinity is very difficult, if not impossible to understand, I think of it in terms of three manifestations or activities. Jesus

The Jews understood their fathers to be distant and who rules with harshness and authority. They didn

For me Abba Father again reminds me that our Father desires that we be obedience to Him. We obey him because we can trust that his ways our not our ways. I want to rest in him, knowing that he will always protect me and care for me, as an earthly father is to care and love his children. Two characteristics: the father rules as head of the household and he has absolute authority over his family; and he has the responsibility of guarding, supporting, and helping the other members of his family. I am learning to lean more and more upon His provisions. It is easy to say "I trust the lORD" but our actions do not reflect that! The head knowledge that I have about God is shifting to the heart. I believe in my heart that what my Father says in the Bible is the truth! If he says he will provides for all my wants as a Heavenly Father, than I place myself into his embrace and rest. My obedience to him is for mine and others best interest. I love him with all of my life and trust in Him completely. Sometimes I shove aside the obedience part because I know my Father cares for me. I want to become more and more obedient to Him because I know that is my Father's heart desire.

About six months ago the Holy Spirit gave me a picture in my mind of Jesus and me dancing in a pool that surrounded a fountain. It was so impressed upon my mind, that I had the picture painted on one of the walls of our youth outreach ministry building. Rhinestones were then glued where the water was being poured out of the foundtain. Each time I look at it it reminds me that we are purified in the Living Water. Jesus died on the cross so that we are cleansed - forever purified and made holy. His presence is always IN me. I am always dancing in the Fountain of Life.

As Americans we are taught to be independent and self-sufficient. We are encouraged to get an education so that we can "make something of your life." This kind of thinking is so contrary to what God wants from us. He was us to be completely dependent upon Him. We need to trust Him only and not follow after our own understanding. We are required to "follow" the Shepherd. It is a picture of a Shepherd walking in front of his flock and the sheep are following Him. It required us to have faith in God. "Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding."

Yes, I have relied upon the Good Shepherd many times. As I get older and go through more trying experiences I recognize more and more the need for provisions from my Shepherd. When I was young I thought I could conquer most problems by using the educational degree that I have. I could figure out most problems by myself. Later in life, I realized that my decisions concerning the problems did not always work out for the best. Now I have learned how to lean not upon my own understanding, but upon answers from God. I have had to learn to wait and the answers will come in God's own timing. I coordinate an outreach ministry in Chicago. It is a ministry that I have relied totally upon the leading of the Lord and hearing His Voice. He has provided me with donated food from sources that I didn't have to ask for. Twice unknown people have stopped by the church and gave us food for the ministry! I have asked the Lord for a male role model to come and spend time with the youth - a Chicago policeman started coming after work because he see the importance of getting the youth off of the street. I continue to rely on Him for direction and offering programs. When we ask for something, we can wait from our Shepherd to give us the answer!

I think that Abraham was truely expecting to sacrifice his son. It was a common practice of other groups of people around him so it really wasn't totally an unexpected request from God. He demonstrated his faith in God by obeying. I think God gave Abraham the words to say to his son Isaac. Sometimes I am surprised to what comes out of my mouth when I am speaking what I feel in my heart that the Lord wants me to say. Abraham had such a close intimate relationship with Isaac that He was speaking the words of the Lord God. It was not the words that he, Abraham, had thought of himself. In other words, Abraham was a prophet - speaking the words of the Lord as he heard them in his heart. God provides our needs all the time and most of the time it is at the last minute. For example, I was bringing a friend to a very large county hospital in downtown Chicago last fall. I dropped her off at the ER door and asked the Lord to give me a parking place. I asked him which way I should turn out of the ER entrance and I felt He said right. I turned right and immediately in front of me a car pulled out and I just slipped right in! Now that is provision of our needs and waiting at the last second to give it!! He is always waiting for us to ask because He always has an answer for us. Most of the time we don't receive is because we don't ask! The other condition is that we must believe that He will answer. When I ask him for a provision, I wait to see his answer without putting on time restrictions or conditions. He knows my situation and I will wait on Him to answer in his own time and way.

He guards our hearts because once we have committed our hearts to Him He will not permit the evil one from snatching our hearts away. We are always in His safe keeping. He does not allow anything to happen to us that He does not know about. He will keep us from falling out of His care. We don

God is a Rock because He will not be moved. He is completely trustworthy and keeps all of His promises. When I call out to him I know He will always be there because He does not move away from me. He is the Rock eternal (Isaiah 26:4) because I am guaranteed a place with him in eternity. He will not go back on that promise. It is a solid truth. His works are perfect and ways are always just (Deut. 32). As a Rock He is strong and Mighty

He is a Shield against any criticism and back stabbing that others hurl against me. As anyone knows who is in ministry, we often get arrows shot towards us in the form of criticisms. That is when I trust God to be my shield. I am shielded from the arrows because God takes the hits for me because He is my Shield. Even though these arrows of criticism hurt, I am learning to let them bounce off the shield and go forward with His kingdom

In times of danger one is to

Some religions believe that Jesus lived, but was a human being. They deny his diety and that he was the Divine Son of God. As true believers we confess that Jesus is Lord

Governments that honor Yahweh as King have rulers that are servants of God. They carry out the righteousness that God has ordained. They rule with the same kind of justice that God would be ruling with. All of the people under that rule of government would honor that government

As a child of the King, I accept Him as the final authority in my life. He is one to be reverend as the One who is all-knowing. Yes, it is difficult to submit to the One who is a King because I, as an American, love my freedom of choice. But as I realize who my King is, it becomes easier to submit to him. I have all trust in Him for He is a Righteous Ruler and will always provide for me. His ways will always be the right ways

Samuel told the people that a king who reigned over them would need a tenth of their crops so that he would have food for him and his family. If the Israelite family accepted their king, they would joyfully give the king what was expected of them. Tithing in the New Testament has not changed. Christ is now our King, and our response to tithing is an indication of how we honor our King. Everything that we have already belongs to Him, so why not give back to him a portion of the gifts that he has given us? In the New Covenant we are not excused from giving to God what is due him. I feel that we need to give back to him AT LEAST 10 percent at the minimum. Unless families are on fixed income budgets, I feel that we can give back to the Lord more than the

Justice: impartiality, fairness, the quality of being right or correct Vengeance: the return of an injury for an injury in punishment or retribution; revenge Mercy: a refraining from harming or punishing offenders or persons in one

We are the vessels through which God operates on earth. In that regard, we are prompted by His Spirit to help those who are the widows, the orphans and the poor. I think we need to come to the Lord in prayer and seek his guidance on those we are to help. Because there are so many around me here in Chicago and beyond that fit that category, I seek out the Lord

Q2. If we believe that truth and morality are all relative to one's culture, how can we know and understand the Righteous and Upright God? Extra credit for present-day evangelists: How can we declare God and his Son Jesus Christ in a relativistic world? What is an effective approach? (There is no simple answer here. What is an effective communication strategy in your community?) I don't think that we can come to a truthful understanding of a Righteous and Upright God if it is based on one's culture. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is not defined by one's culture or system of morality. For example, in China, the cultural belief that is based upon communism assumes that there is no God. A righteous and Upright God does not exist if one believes their cultural beliefs. The Christians in China refuse to go along with their cultural beliefs and they believe in a Righteous God. True, they are persecuted for that, but they put their cultural beliefs aside and put their trust in God who is Truth. We can declare the truth about God by challenging others in a "relative" culture to seek and discover who God is. I believe that the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth of our Righteous God to those who earnestly seek after him. In our community, our evangelistic outreach is bawsed upon giving God's love to them. They see us offering them free meals and opening our facility for young people to come and play basketball. They ask "why" and we tell them it is because God loves them. We then can reach out to their brokenness with the love of the Lord. People in our community are trapped within traditionalism within the church. We are reaching out to them and showing them God's love which reaches beyond the cold of traditionalism. They see the real God who is Righteous and Holy.

Q1. (Isaiah 6:1-8) How does a realization of God's holiness affect Isaiah? Why is Isaiah afraid? How does God make Isaiah holy? What is the symbolism of the coal from the altar? Now made holy -- dedicated to God -- how does Isaiah respond to God? When Isaiah realizes that he is in the presence of God, he falls down and declares that he is a person that is unclean. He is not worthy to be in the presence of a Holy and Pure God. He is stained with sin because he lives among sinful people. He feels shame and unworthy. He is afraid that he will die because the Old Testament says that no man that has seen the face of God can live. He is afraid that his life will end because he is in the presence of a Holy and Pure God. God makes Isaiah holy by cleansing him from his sin. A seraph tookt a live coal and touched Isaiah's lips. The seraph declared that his guilt was taken away and his sin was atoned for. He was now clean and worthy to be in the presence of God. The symbolism is from the Old Testament sacrificial laws. In the Old Testament a person's sins were atoned for from sacrifices that the priests offered on the altar. The live coal was taken from the embers of a sacrifice. It indicated to Isaiah that his sins were atoned for and that he was now cleansed. Isaiah responds to God's question of "whom shall I send?" with a response of "Here am I, Send me!" This is a revelation of how God uses us. God requires us to "be renewed in our minds," to "put off the old and take on the new," and "be holy as I am holy," and "present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pure before the Lord," and etc. These and other verses remind us of the importance being a pure vessel so that we can be used of God in his Kingdom's work. When we are saved and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, we become holy and pure. When we respond "Here am I, Send Me" we are also saying that we will keep ourselves pure and holy. In my life, I have found that when I have a pure heart, I am much more effective in the prayer ministry that He has called me to be in. When other things of this world begin to push their way in, the prayer ministry suffers. He is always faithful to cleanse me and draw me back to him when I confess that I have allowed the worldly values to influence my thinking and actions. Praise the Lord that we have a merciful and patient Father.

Repeated words: Do you not know? Have you not heart? I am again humbled to think abiut this past week when I felt so weary from just trying to keep up with the demands of life! Yes, I have heard and yes, I do know that my Lord is the everlasting and eternal God, the Creator. He doesn't grow tired or weary and His understanding is limitless. It is my God that gives strength when I am weary. I cannot pick up myself - He reaches down with his loving arms and embraces me and says "Come, draw your strength from Me." I like the amplified Bible for verse 31 - But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. What a beautiful picture of being able to lift up my wings (arms) and fly close to God. It is only then that my weariness disappears. I am healed by my Creator. We, who put our hope in God, will stay strong when we are held close and embraced by the Father's love.

Verse 1 He is Lord - I acknowledge him as the only God and Deity, One who is everlasting and Ruler of the universe. He is our Rock, a strong Fortress in which I will always feel safe. He will always be there when I need Him. He is my Salvation - Out of His great love for me, He reached down and rescued me through the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross and I can live with him eternally. He is the One who is worthy of our praises and adorations. Verse 2 He provides all my needs - A reason I come to Him with Thanksgiving. He is Approachable - I can come before Him because I am His child and my Father desires to be with me. I can come before His throne and acknowledge him for is saving sacrifice on the cross and pledge my continued allegiance to Him. He created music and song - When I sing to him with music and song, I am giving back to him the gift of music that He gave us. He has created our voices to sing for him and has inspired songs to be sung to His Honor and Glory. Verse 3 He is the great One: great in power, wisdom, justice, truth, mercy, and grace. He is the King of the whole universe: his kingdom rules over all creation. He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords; He is King over all of his saints. All rulers and presidents are under Him. He is the only God - no other gods exist for He is the Only deity God. Verse 4 All things are governed by his providence: He is ruler of the depths of the earth and the foundation of the earth. No man can dig a hole so deep that the Lord already has the ownership and authority of. The hills, that are both high and strong, are within His power, and are at his command to bow and tremble. Verse 5 He is the Creator of Everything: The sea and its creatures and the dry land and its creatures are all created and owned by God. There is nothing that exists that was not made by Him. Verse 6 He is a God to be Awed and Honored as we, his children, bow and worship Him. Verse 7 God has chosen us, his created beings to have a relationship with. We are the desire of His heart. He is a God that is in love with his children. He is Emmanuel - God with us. God is a Provider - He has given his children a pasture, a place to live and flourish. He is the Shepherd - We are led and guided by our Shepherd for He cares for us. He didn't just create us and then left us to wander all alone. We have complete dependence upon Him if we are to have abundant and joyful living. The Psalmists calls upon us to sing for joy, shout, come with thanksgiving, sing songs and talk to Him. That's worship! The reason we worship Him is because we recognize his majesty and His dominance over his Creation. He is worthy of our worship because of His goodness towards us, his creation. He is worthy of our worship and our love.