Signet Rings

“On that day, declares the Lord Almighty, I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:23)

In the Old Testament book of the prophet Haggai, the final verses speak of the “signet ring” of God.  Through this prophet, the message to the governor of Judah at that time was that he would be like God’s signet ring, for he had been chosen by God.

In ancient and Medieval times, a signet ring was worn for several purposes. It bore marks which denoted the allegiance of the wearer to a certain person. For example, an official might wear a signet ring with the King’s insignia on it. Everyone who saw the marks on the ring would know the official was loyal to the King.

Sometimes official documents were authenticated by a circle of wax, into which the ring was pressed, leaving the imprint of the ring in the wax. This was an official seal and denoted the authenticity of a document and the approval of the owner of the insignia. Important messages were folded and sealed with the official seal, so that the recipient would know that the message contained inside had not been previously opened or tampered with.  Official documents and certificates today are often still marked with a decorative seal to denote their authenticity.

God is telling the governor, through His prophet Haggai, that he, the governor, would be used by God to display God’s power and authority throughout the land. The preceding verses describe how God is going to overthrow kingdoms and armies and royal thrones, but the kingdom of Judah has God’s blessing and “seal of approval”.

When we study the Bible, there are many parallel references contained therein between the Old and the New Testaments. What is begun sometimes in the physical in the Old Testament is extended into the spiritual realm more clearly in the New Testament era, after Christ has lived on Earth, died and risen again.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13,14)

This is such a powerful passage. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Ephesus is reminding us that we also bear a seal. We who have committed our lives to God bear His seal – not a ring, but the indwelling Holy Spirit that He gave to the body of Christ at Pentecost. We have His mark to say that we are loved by and love Him, are committed to Him and are loyal to Him. His Holy Spirit displays to all the world that we bear His favour, His power and authority. If anyone opposes us, they will be opposing Him.

We who bear the Holy Spirit need not fear the demonic realm or the attacks of sinful man. We do not become foolishly cocky or blasé about the evils of this world, but we have the blessed assurance of God’s protection and authority when it comes to spiritual warfare. Just as God assured the governor through Haggai that he would be successful in earthly battles, so we are assured of the victory of Christ in spiritual ones.

But more than this, the indwelling Holy Spirit has the power to draw unbelievers to Christ. Just as the seal proved the authenticity of a document, so the Holy Spirit authenticates Christ in us. There is no greater witness. Christ in us is real, He is loving, He is powerful, He is true. He is. And the world cannot deny Him, even when it tries to. He longs for the unsaved to come to Him. He does his utmost to draw them. Keep praying that the unsaved will see Him in your life, in your work, in your actions, in your words.

To God be all the glory. 

Not exactly signet rings....

but two beautiful engagement rings :)

Wrestling with God

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:28)

Jacob, who had deceived his brother and had subsequently been deceived by his first wife and father-in-law, is returning to his homeland to face his brother after twenty years in exile. On the night before his meeting with Esau, left alone, Jacob wrestles all night with God, in the form of a man or angel. This Godly being overcomes him but not before the following events occur:

The angel of God dislocated Jacob’s hip, leaving him with a permanent limp.

Jacob requests a blessing from God. (Mirroring the blessing he has tricked his father Isaac into giving him, this request may signify his desire for a genuine blessing from his Heavenly Father).

The man of God causes Jacob to identify himself. Again, Jacob had previously falsely identified himself as Esau when seeking his Father’s blessing.

The angel gives Jacob a new name, Israel, and blesses him. Jacob means deceiver. Israel means he struggles with God.

What can we learn from this passage? How does it relate to our lives today? I believe that struggle is an important part of a Christian journey. Either through our own sinfulness, the actions of others or because God allows a season of testing in our lives, we may find ourselves in a place where we are not enjoying the relationship with God and His peace amid our circumstances as we should have.

We may well argue with God, or berate Him or rage against our circumstances, the hurt of others, the unfairness of life. We can pray and fast. We look to God for answers and are sure our case is just. Sometimes when we expect God to swiftly come to our aid, “the heavens are as brass and the ground below as hard as iron” (Deuteronomy 28:23).

Just as Jacob wrestled with God throughout the night, so we too may have times when our wrestling will take a long period to work through. It may leave permanent scars. We will not be the same after such testing. But in the end, if we allow Him to, God will use it for our blessing. If we humbly turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and dependency on Him, He will change us for the better.

Like Israel, God has a new name prepared for each of us: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17)

Heavenly Father, I pray for every person visiting here who is struggling and working through the issues in their lives. Sometimes it seems to take such a long time Lord. We don’t always understand why situations take the course that they do. But Lord, we know that ultimately You can and will use any circumstance to reveal Your glory and holiness, above any plans or purposes that we make. Thank You that You comfort and sustain every heart that is dedicated to You. Thank You Lord Jesus for the sacrifice You gave for each one of us on the cross. I commit my brothers and sisters reading here to Your tender loving care in the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Deep calls to deep

There is nothing trite or superficial about the things of God. Sometimes life can become so busy that Christian disciplines such as quiet time for Bible reading and study and meditation on God’s word can be difficult to achieve. At other times we are blessed to have the moments when God’s word can really resonate.

“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls: all your waves and breakers have swept over me. (Psalm 42:7)

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.”(Psalm 42:11)

David wrote many of the Psalms in times of affliction and Psalm 42 reflects his understanding that his deep distress of mind and soul could only be responded to by the deep comfort of God. He recognised that it was foolish and useless to trust in human loyalty. He even recognised his own sinfulness. Yet many of the Psalms, including this one, finish on a note of optimism. Despite our human sin and frailty, God is ultimately faithful and compassionate to those who turn to Him in repentance and faith.

When crises happen, when tragedy strikes, when serious problems occur, we often ask the why? questions. We ponder life seriously. We do not want to be placated with smug phrases. The world and its values can rapidly lose its appeal. We need something more, something which ministers deeply to our need.  

“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-12)

When we commit our lives to God we receive many blessings, amongst which is the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit not only is present in this world as God’s witness, but indwells in each person belonging to Christ. Note that the above verses describe the Spirit who is from God – a personal being. In the original New Testament Greek the Holy Spirit was referred to as the Parakletos, which means called to one’s side. This Spirit is with us always as comforter, counsellor and advocate. In the context of the above verses, the Holy Spirit may also be viewed as an interpreter.

As we read the Bible, if we invite the Holy Sprit to open our eyes to the deep things of God, He will do so. God reveals Himself through His word and it is an ever more wonderful experience to grow in knowledge and relationship with our Father, His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. We grow in awe of His majesty, goodness and love. In every circumstance of our life – joy, grief, confusion, illness and many others, God is ready, willing and extremely able to minister to us through His word.

“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Commitment to God is not restricting, on the contrary, it enhances every aspect of our lives. First and foremost we have a wonderful relationship with the triune God, to which nothing else can compare. Other relationships, creativity, talents, intelligence and understanding, health, comfort in trials and every other aspect of our lives are impacted for the better by being a Christian. We discern the deep, and things which may have previously had great attraction become false and shallow.

I pray that as you read and study God’s word this week and seek Him in prayer, contemplation and Christian fellowship and discussion, the deep things of God will be ever more revealed to you through the direction of His loving Holy Spirit. May your life be blessed to bless others in His name. In the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Seasons change

Seasons change,
life continues,
love remains in all its forms
changing, yet unchanged
Time passes
days flow into years
and life courses
through its own seasons-
wiser, deeper, stronger
frailty embraced
O Eve, did you fear
the harsh winter chills
before the promise -
Spring again, life renewed
and the green earth rising
in sunshine.

Wolves

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.  Matthew 10:16

 

No wound? No scar?
Yet as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound nor scar?

“Hast thou no scar?” Amy Carmichael

The other gods were strong, but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.
“Jesus of the Scars” Edward Shillitoe


I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Acts 20:29

Oh Lord keep me from bein'
The one the wolves pull down

“Wolves” by Garth Brooks

I commend to you the teaching study Watching Out for Wolves (Romans 16:17-27)  by Bob Deffinbaugh, from the series Romans :The Righteousness of God, at Bible.org
http://bible.org/seriespage/watching-out-wolves-romans-1617-27

Unfailing Love

" the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him." (Psalm 32:10)

As I read through the Psalms, the phrase "unfailing love" repeats itself, catching my eye again and again. David knew what it was like to love people, only to be rejected and hunted down by those he had formerly served. Yet throughout the Psalms, as he pleads for justice and protection, there is a sense of his complete trust in the loving care of his heavenly Father. He knows that God's love is with him throughout all his trials.
"Love never fails." So reads the beginning of verse 8 of that most famous Biblical passage on love, 1 Corinthians 13. When I read those words, first and foremost addressed to the church, I feel such a sense of conviction of my own shortcomings. I have certainly failed those I love on many occasions and hurt them. Most of all I have failed to love God above all others and put Him in the place where He should be in my life. But He has never failed me. 
There are some quite spectacular examples of failed love in the Bible. The prodigal son asks his father for an early advance of his inheritance, the equivalent, in that culture, of  declaring that he wished his father dead. In a similar vein, Job's wife looks upon his suffering and tells him to "curse God and die."(Job 2:9). How's that for marital fidelity? The apostle Paul stood on trial, defending himself, abandoned by his friends when association with him could lead to hardship: "At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them."(1 Timothy 4:16). Most of all Jesus knew what it was like to love those who mocked and scorned him, denied him, questioned his sanity and constantly let him down. And you know what? Christians today are no better. We fail God and each other.
It's never quite possible to fathom God's love. Throughout the epistles the apostle Paul pleads for us to be aware of it, with the desire that the eyes of our hearts will be opened (Ephesians 1:18) and we will know the length, width, height and depth of God's love for us (Ephesians 3:18). It's immense. It's unstoppable. And it does not fail. We may not always understand why God leads us through the circumstances of our lives which can test our faith to the core, but we have the assurance that He does love us and will ultimately wipe every tear from our eyes. He loves us so much that He has given us His word, the Bible, full of wonderful truth. One of the greatest promises in the Bible is that in His unfailing love, God can somehow take all the pain and sorrow and bad stuff in our lives and use it for ultimate good: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
The entire Bible, the whole gospel story would make no sense at all without God's unfailing love. He created mankind to be in fellowship with Him. Even though He could not fail us, He made us with free will, to love or reject Him. When sin entered this world through the choices of man, God loved us so much that He made a way for forgivenss and reconciliation between Himself and humanity, through the gift of His Son, Jesus, who glorified His Father and became the sacrifice for our sin by dying on the cross. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.(Romans 5:8).  God loved us so much that He did not leave us alone after Christ's ascension, but sent his Holy Spirit, the Counsellor and Comforter, the Parakletos or One who comes alongside, at Pentecost to indwell in us and to be a witness in this world until Christ's return (Acts chapter 2). 
Many of us who have children know a little of what it means to be a loving parent. We love our children unconditionally and eternally. We want only good things for them. Our love does not depend upon what they do for us, or what they achieve, or even how much we are loved in return. We love them simply because of who they are. How much more does our heavenly Father love his children. We never cease at any time to love our children, but unlike God we are fallible humans and we fail our children as well as our husbands and wives, family and friends, work collegues, the unsaved..... the list goes on and on. Thank God that He loves us so much that He even understands and forgives our failings. His grace is sufficient. He looks not at my sin, but at Jesus' redemptive sacrifice.

Thank You, Abba Father, for Your eternal presence. Thank You for Your unfailing love.

OK God, where's my teeshirt?

This morning a galpal and myself completed the Bridge to Brisbane fun run/walk. We always have a great time doing so, enjoying the company and the crowd and the entertainment afterwards. Vanessa Amorosi performed this year and she was wonderful. If you've never heard "Shine" do yourself a favour and Youtube it.
At the end of the race we cross the finish line and collect our teeshirts, usually emblazoned on the back with "I finished." There's a great sense of camaraderie as everyone dons their teeshirts and mills around together. There are people of all shapes and sizes and ages and levels of fitness. We are there to support some wonderful charities who work tirelessly all year around to make our community a better place. This year it was for the Kids Helpline, which as the name implies, is a 24 hour telephone counselling service for young people in need of assistance. So most of the participants in the walk/run are there to help out someone else.
The apostle Paul likened the Christian life to running a race. In his letter to the Philippian church he writes: "Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13,14). We too have a distance to travel to our destination. We have a goal in mind - heaven. Our lives are not for our own benefit alone, but are undertaken to assist and benefit others and point them in the direction where they will be drawn to Jesus Christ through the power of His Holy Spirit. Yet, like the participants in the Bridge to Brisbane, by blessing others we are ourselves greatly blessed. It is a biblical principle that you reap what you sow. You cannot give to others without receiving encouragement yourself.
Like the apostle Paul, in his final epistle to his protege, Timothy, before his martydom, I would like to be able to say when my life is drawing to a close :"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
I want to remain true to Christ throughout my earthly life. And when I get to heaven, I want a "Life, I finished" teeshirt.

Irises

Indigo night passes

Purple irises bloom

Reminding

grasping fingers loose

their chilling clasp

and the touch of spring

grants life anew

to the wintered heart

Photo taken in my garden 1/9/12. Spring blessings everyone :)