Life on E Street

I spent the first part of the week focusing on El Kanna. I meant to spend the end of the week on Esh Oklah, but I was playing catch-up with my schoolwork that had to be turned in by last night at 10:59pm when my class ended and baking orders, which resulted in minimal sleep this week. So basically, life was lifing this week, but it’s all good. We made it to Saturday, schoolwork was turned in, and everything was baked and delivered on time. Life has so many distractions, so many things that we “need” to do, it’s easy to get sidetracked from taking time to spend with God. I made a New Year’s intention to put God at the beginning of every day. No exceptions. So I start the day, no matter if it is at 6 am or 2 am, to spend time with God first. Yes, it may require losing an hour of sleep, but what better way to make up for it than in the presence of God? I did spend time with God; I just didn’t get a devotional written and posted. 

If El Kanna is jealous for me, then I need to be jealous for Him and my time with Him. I have been learning that lesson this year. I am thankful for it, and I am blessed by it. The harder part is allowing Esh Oklah to burn away some things in my life. Esh Oklah is a consuming fire. Fire burns; it destroys, but it also purifies and refines. 

Malachi is a short book that ends the Old Testament; it is only four chapters long. It is found on page 1261 (in my Bible, thank you, Dad, for your sense of humor). Malachi is a record of six disputes of the Israelites and Malachi’s call for reformation and the promise of God’s Messenger.

Chapter 3 opens with:

“I’m going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way ahead of me. Then the Adonay you are looking for will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the promise will come. He is the one you want,” says Yahweh Tseboath. But who will be able to endure the day he comes? Who will be able to survive on the day he appears? He is like a purifying fire and like a cleansing soap. He will act like a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify Levi’s sons and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will bring acceptable offerings to Yahweh.”

Here, Malachi is referring to God as a purifying fire. He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver. 

Do you know what the process is to refine silver?

A silversmith has to heat the silver to 1,764°F. That’s hot. Like really, really hot. The silversmith heats the silver until it reaches nearly 1,800 degrees. In that intense heat, the impurities rise to the surface and are removed. He has to watch this process to make sure he doesn’t overdo it and ruin the silver. The silver is ready once he can see his reflection in it. 

Malachi is relating God to a purifying fire. He is a refiner and purifier of lives. When we are in the fire, God is watching us closely as our impurities are burned away. He is watching how we respond in the fire. He is holding us in the hottest of heats to make sure we are purified and not damaged. He pulls us out once he can see his reflection in our hearts. 

This really makes me ponder on James 1:2 when it says, “consider it pure and great joy, and be very happy when you face troubles of any kind.” That is when you are being refined. When you endure, and your faith produces perseverance, you are then made complete. How can I not face trials now without knowing that God is using them to refine me and then burn away the impurities that are floating around inside of me so that He can see His reflection in me?

To that end, are you prepared to ask God to refine you? Can you confidently ask God to reveal to you what you need burned away? Can you subject yourself to the flame? It will probably hurt; fire normally does, but isn’t the reward worth the pain?

If you’re brave enough, pray this with me:

Esh Oklah, reveal to me what needs to be refined. I place myself into your hands to hold me to the flame. To burn away the impurities of my heart. I want you to see your reflection in me. You called me to be holy as you are holy, and the only way to do that is to purify me. You are the silversmith of my life, Esh Oklah. May your fire consume me and claim me as yours. I want the jealousy of El Kanna to pursue me and for me to pursue him with the same zeal. Boldly, I ask this in the name of Yeshua, your Son. Amen.

Have a great day with Jesus.

My dad was invited to speak at our church’s Lenten Lunch. I sang with him at the beginning.

His message is wonderful and I hope you take a moment to listen to what he says.

Be blessed!

A few months ago, I had 3 interactions with complete strangers that had me chuckle but also had me questioning some things. 

1. I was leaving the Pig one day. The girls climbed in through the back as I was loading groceries. I was approached by this young lady who had just passed me on the way to her truck with her friend. She got out and came up to me and said, “I would like to invite you to come to church with me on Sunday.” I was caught off guard but was quick to say, “Thank you, but my husband is a pastor, and we have a great church home.” She seemed kinda let down, then said, “I guess you know Jesus then.” Yes, yes, I do. Thank you for asking!
   
2. I was at Walmart, in a big hurry; I had to run in and grab 3 things. (I didn’t even grab a buggy!) I was reaching for a gluten-free item when this lady with purple hair walked up to me and said, “May I ask you a question? Do you know Jesus?”
   Now, I have no problem with you coloring your hair. If that’s your thing, then go for it. It is not me, and in my southern upbringing, it really caught me off guard to the point that I think I let out a chuckle when I realized what was happening. “Yes, yes, I do. My husband is a pastor. But thank you for asking.” She then went on to explain that her father was a preacher before he passed, and she felt compelled to try to reach others for Christ as well.
   
   At this point, I am truly beginning to wonder if I have an “I’m a sinner” vibe. “Please ask me to go to church.” This happened within days of each other. 
   
3. I pulled into my driveway, again with groceries. (I’m starting to see another theme here; it always involves groceries.) I have my arms loaded down with bags, and a young man appears and says, “Can I help you carry those in?”
   Imagine the shock on my face. 1. I don’t know you. 2. You are not coming into my house. I don’t know you. 3. Thanks for asking, but no, I don’t know you. 4. My very large and tattooed husband is inside; I will have him come out and meet you, though….I don’t know you.
   I was polite; I said, “No, thank you. What can I do for you?” (Keep in mind, we are standing in MY driveway.)
   “I just wanted to know if I could tell you about Jesus.”

Y’all! 3 times. 3 TIMES! In less than 2 months, this happened! I started asking friends who knew me if I had a look of “please come tell me about Jesus” on my face. I was really questioning things about how I am seen, especially when I am out of my element. 

But it also had me questioning, “Am I telling people about God?”

I can answer that one for you: no, I was not. I am a very quiet person. I don’t approach strangers unless I have the conversation mapped out in my head. I don’t chit-chat with people because I don’t know what to say. (Seriously, I have read books to try and help me with this; it is not a natural gift of mine.) I get nervous talking to people, even people I know (sometimes). 

Shy, “don’t talk to anyone,” me- needs to step out of my comfort zone and speak HIS truth and HIS love and invite people to meet HIM.

Am I talking about HIM when I am at home AND away? Do I have his word on my wrist, in my heart?

One of the things I admire most about my dad is that he can quote the Bible. You can ask him where something is found, and he can tell you the book, chapter, and verse. Ok, sometimes he is off by a verse or two, but he is pretty spot on most of the time. 

My “rememberer” isn’t that great, but am I making a conscious effort to learn his word? Am I binding it to my forehead? Am I making it a part of my everyday language? 

Now, I don’t think I will ever be as knowledgeable as my dad or be able to quote the Bible like he can, but I do believe it is gravely important that we memorize scripture. 

If you remember in Matthew 4, when Jesus was tempted, he was combating those temptations with scripture. He was affirming his commitment to El Kanna; his loyalty was not divided. 

If we are to ward off our own temptations, then we need to have weapons. Those weapons are scripture. The only way to use those weapons is if we have that scripture bound to our hearts and in our minds and allow it to be our strength. 

Esh Oklah, El Kanna wants to protect our relationship with Him. He is fiercely protective of His people. If we are His, then our commitment should be to Him alone. Lining the walls and doorposts of our homes and minds is a great way to keep us focused on Him and not allow our eyes and minds to wander from Him. 

Furthermore, if we are in a great relationship, we want everyone to know. We tell people when we meet “that person,” the one who gives us butterflies, who makes us smile. If we can do that with human love, why are we not approaching people and telling them about Jesus?

Last week, I talked to someone about God. Now, she was raised a youth pastor’s kid, so she was not unaware by any means. But I was able to speak to her with confidence in knowing that, no matter what she is going through, God will be with her. I know, because I have been there. I know because I JUST studied HIS name, which told me that he would provide for her and her husband. I know, because I have this growing relationship with Jesus, and I wanted her to know about it. Was I nervous? Not really; I knew enough to know she would be receptive. Was it out of my comfort zone? Absolutely. God is making me brave this year. Not sure how I feel about that, but a little more bravery has never been a bad thing. 

Let me encourage you this week to pick a verse and start memorizing it. Our church puts out one monthly. Print it out and go over it every night at dinner with your family. Prepare yourself for battle, because if you aren’t in one, you either just came out of one or are about to be in one. Spiritual warfare is real, and the only way to fight is with God’s word. 

Covet your time with God. Make it a priority. God is jealous FOR you, and you need to protect that relationship with Him.

Have a great day with Jesus!

I love when God speaks to me in my personal devotional time. Part of my reading this morning was in Deuteronomy 6. Israel is getting ready to go into the Promised Land, and Moses is recounting the journey that got them to this point, reminding them of where they have been and where they are going, and establishing laws and rules to live by as they move in. 

Verse 4 is probably well known to most of you. It was the lyrics of a devotional song that I sang growing up, and some of you may know it as “The Shema.” 

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

We are talking about El Kanna this week, our jealous God. We established yesterday that He is the ONE God, and our affection, our loyalties, our worship, and our attention should not be split between Him and any other person, place, or thing. 

I think most of us want to do that. We want to be engrossed in God’s word, we want Him to be the center of our lives and of our homes, and we want to worship Him only. But how do we do that? What does that look like?

Good news, scripture tells us, just keep reading. 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 13-15

“Listen, Israel: Yahweh is our Elohim. Yahweh is the only God. Love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words that I give you today. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. Write them down, tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates.

You must fear Yahweh your Elohim, serve him, and take your oaths only in his name. Never worship any of the gods worshiped by the people around you. If you do, Yahweh your Elohim will become very angry with you and will wipe you off the face of the earth, because Yahweh your Elohim, who is with you, is El Kanna.”

Now, I have done pretty well with the “write them on your houses part.” I have scripture all over the place. But what I think I could and should do better at is having it as part of my everyday language, especially with my kids. Yes, we do Bible lessons. We go over the memory verse for the month every night at dinner; we have a nightly devotional at dinner, but is it a part of my daily conversations with them? Is my correction of them out of frustration or backed up in scripture? Can I correct with a word from God? Instead of “STOP WHINING!” (in a loud, frustrated tone because they have been whining constantly for the past hour), maybe I should remind them that whining is not acceptable in our home because Jesus doesn’t like it, and be able to quote Philippians 2:14 to them.

I am not saying beat your kids over the head with scripture to the point that they end up turning from it when they are older. What I mean is, explain why something isn’t tolerated in our home and back it up with scripture. Explain that we love God so much that we don’t want to hurt him with our actions, and what they are doing is “breaking his heart,” as my kids would say. God gave us these kids to raise and to raise in Him and for Him. The sooner I start instilling His word in Him, the better. 

My kids hear me sing. ALL. THE. TIME. in the kitchen. I have mentioned before that that is where I worship God. There have been times when they come in and question me because tears are streaming down my face, times when they have to touch me because my eyes are closed and hands are lifted, and times when they know the song and sneak in and sing along (those are my favorite times). God, His word, His law, and His love must be a part of your everyday life. 

For today, I’m going to start working scripture into my everyday conversations. I spend all day with my kids, so that is where I am starting. Not just when I discipline, but when we talk about how nice of a day it is, I am going to remind them that God created all that we see. (Just last night, as I was putting the girls to bed, SarahBeth said, “Mom, what did God make on day 1?” “Did he make everything?” “Did he make our house? ”)

Does El Kanna know that you love him? Are you making it apparent that your loyalty is to him? Do you covet your relationship with him as much as he does with you? Is your everyday conversation one that is filled with God and what he is doing in your life?

These are the questions I’m mulling over today.

I’ll unpack more of this verse tomorrow. I had a four-page post written and realized that I should probably break it up so you don’t use up all of your screen time reading my ramblings. 😆

Have a great day with Jesus!

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Last week, we studied Yahweh Nissi, the Lord my Banner. This name was given by Moses after they defeated the Amalekites in battle. One of my favorite parts of this story is how Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses and held his arms up in battle to ensure the victory. 

Has Yahweh Nissi ever sent others to help you in the midst of battle? Who and how?

My Sunday school class is mine; they held me up during our health scare.

What does it mean to you that “His banner over me is love”?

To me it is walking in the confidence of knowing that God loves me and there’s nothing I can do to mess that up.

This week, we will be studying a couple of names that I am not as familiar with, Esh Oklah and El Kanna. Esh Oklah means consuming fire, and El Kanna means jealous God. These two names are paired together in Deuteronomy 4:24, “Yahweh your Elohim is Esh Oklah, El Kanna.”

The word “Oklah” means “consume,” “devour,” “burn up,” or “eat,” and “Esh” means “fire.” 

What do you think of when you think of fire?

I often think of a fireplace for warmth or aesthetics, fire for cooking if I am camping or grilling, or more often than not, I think of fire as destructive. 

In scripture the presence of God is often associated with fire. 

In Genesis 15 he was the smoke and fire that passed between the animal pieces to seal the covenant with Abraham.

In Exodus 3 he was the burning bush when he spoke to Moses.

In Exodus 13 he was the pillar of fire who led the Israelites. 

In Exodus 19 he came down as fire on Mt. Sinai when he spoke to Moses.

In Leviticus 9 fire came out of Yahweh’s glory and consumed the burnt offering offered by Aaron in the presence of the Israelites.

In 1 Kings 18 fire came from heaven and consumed the offering, altar, and trench of water set up by Elijah.

In Judges 6, fire flared up from a rock and burned the meat and bread that Gideon offered to the Messenger of Yahweh. 

In 2 Kings 2 he was the fiery chariot and horses that took Elijah up to heaven.

And in Acts 2 he appeared as tongues of fire when the Holy Spirit filled the believers.

He appeared as fire to show his holiness, his guidance, his power, his acceptance of sacrifice, his authority over false gods, his calling, his glory, and the power of the Spirit.

I am sure there are more references in scripture that I didn’t mention, but that is what I found in a quick search and what I could think of. However, one I left out of the list is Numbers 11; it is where fire from Yahweh began to burn those who were complaining. Now, I don’t know about you, but I am sensing a theme with God and people who complain. He has threatened to abandon, refused to let them into the promised land, and sent fire and snakes, that I can think of, to deal with complainers. I am really beginning to take Philippians 2:14 to heart. Stay away from complaining. 

Their complaints were complaints about Moses and God and what they felt was the lack of belief that God couldn’t or wouldn’t take care of them, which is why their punishment was so harsh. This wasn’t just a venting of frustrations; their complaints were based in lack of faith and trust in God. It was a heart problem, not a bad day problem.

So consuming fire represents God’s holiness and judgment; it also represents his refining and purification, as mentioned in Malachi 3:2. 

We are to approach God with awe and reverence, as Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “We must be thankful that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Because we are thankful, we must serve God with fear and awe in a way that pleases him. After all, our God is a consuming fire.”

God’s fire is not only about his holiness; it is also about His love and covenant. 

Just as fire consumes, surrounds, and protects what it has engulfed and claimed, God refuses to share the hearts of his people with idols or divided loyalties. 

This is where our second name, El Kanna, comes in. Our God is a jealous God. 

What do you think of when you think of jealousy?

Jealousy often comes from a place of fear or insecurity. It can cause pain and damage. 

Human jealousy can be selfish and controlling. But God’s jealousy is different. It comes from a place of love, His covenant love and His holiness. 

Last week, we talked about Yahweh Nissi, and I made a post about his banner over us being love. Because of that love, we can walk confidently in knowing that he loves us, and under his banner, we have an identity, a belonging. El Kanna is jealous of that love for us. He does not want to share us with other idols or split loyalties. 

The jealousy of God is not petty; instead, it is an intense, zealous protection of His people. Deuteronomy 6:4 “The Lord our God is one.” Deuteronomy 4:39 says, “Remember today, and never forget that Yahweh is Elohim in heaven above and here on earth. There is no other god.” This signifies that there is only one God, our Elohim, El Shadday, and our loyalty to him should not be split.

His jealousy is inseparable from his holiness. Deuteronomy 4:24 says, “The Lord your God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God.” 

Now, God is not jealous OF you. He doesn’t want what you have. He is jealous FOR you. His jealousy is protective. He wants to keep you from things that will destroy you. We are referred to in scripture as the Bride of Christ. Just as we would be jealous for our spouse, we want to protect the intimacy, the exclusivity, and the commitment with our spouse. In the same way, God wants to protect our intimacy, exclusivity, and commitment with Him. 

He wants to protect you against idolatry, specifically against idolatry in worship. When our worship is split between God and something else, we begin to give our affection, our time, our attention, and our dependence to things that were never meant to fill that space. 

Idolatry is not always a golden calf. Today it is often viewed as success, self-image, approval of others, money, or ownership of things that take the place of honoring God. Whatever the thing is that is keeping us from spending time with God and that which takes our worship from him. God knows that anything that we place above him will fail us. That is why he is so jealous FOR us, because he wants to protect our hearts that were created for him, and him alone. 

El Kanna passionately pursues his people who are devoted to him. Esh Oklah burns away what competes with Him. He refines us for him and into who we are made to be.

In scripture, we see a pattern of his people; when they turn to idols, God’s jealousy stirred in Him to call them back to Him. He wanted to restore them to him. To protect them. The same God who raised the banner over his people is the same God who burns with a holy fire to keep that committed love undivided. 

So, as we start this week with El Kanna and Esh Oklah, what are some things that might be competing with our devotion to God? Is there something, or even someone, that we have placed in a higher place in our lives that should belong to God? Or maybe there is something that we are allowing to take up time and space in our lives, and it is diverting us from worshipping God the way we need. 

Are there things that have taken the place of worship, trust, or dependence on God?

Are we willing to allow his fire to refine us and draw us back to him?

His consuming fire isn’t meant to destroy us; it’s meant to purify, restore, and protect us.

It’s going to be a good week getting to know Esh Oklah and El Kanna.

Have a great day with Jesus.

In my personal study yesterday, I came across a perfect example of our Yahweh Nissi. At the end of Numbers, Moses gives a summary of Israel’s journey from Egypt and desert wandering for forty years. It’s the recap before he dies, and they enter into their Promised Land. 

If you remember, Moses did not want this role. He begged Yahweh Adonay to choose someone else. He dug his heels in until God agreed to let Aaron go with him and “be his voice,” so to speak. But Moses did obey and got a front-row seat to see some incredible things that God did through him. Now, Moses did have to endure a LOT of complaining and whining from the Israelites in the process, which tells me that he is a better person than I because I feel like I would have put them all in time-out and walked away when they weren’t looking. But he didn’t; he endured out of love and respect and for God. 

Moses—an Israelite by birth but raised as an Egyptian prince; an innocent defender who became a fugitive after killing a bully; a shepherd of sheep who would become a shepherd of people; a man who protested God’s call yet ultimately followed it; once afraid to step forward, later glowing because he had seen the glory of God—went from palace dweller to desert wanderer and was used by God and for God to accomplish God’s purpose. His shepherd’s staff, which became a snake and then went back to a staff, was used to demonstrate God’s power before Pharaoh; it was used to turn the Nile into blood and to bring about the plague of frogs and the plague of gnats; it brought down hail from heaven, parted the Red Sea, aided in the defeat of the Amalekites, and brought forth water from a rock.

This staff, this “banner,” was a visible reminder to him that God was with him, and it became a visible reminder to the Israelites that Moses was their leader and deliverer. Earlier in our studies, we saw how Abraham’s faith grew from the first time he was mentioned in scripture to the last. We also have seen how Moses grew in faith from first protesting at the burning bush, full of questions and doubt, to now standing tall, holding a staff up in trust to lead the Israelites to victory. 

But before the Red Sea moment, the Israelites had only seen the plagues. They saw what their God could do. And here is the verse that called to me. Numbers 33:3-4: “They moved from Ramses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. The Israelites boldly left in full view of all the Egyptians. The Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom Yahweh had killed in a mighty act of judgement on their gods.”

The BOLDLY LEFT and IN FULL VIEW. They didn’t cower. They didn’t hide. No, it was a BOLD Exodus. It was a break in command. No longer were they slaves to a Pharaoh, but they were claiming their title as God’s chosen ones. 

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and your staff give me courage.”

Your banner gives me courage. You, Yahweh Nissi, are my banner. You, Yahweh Nissi, give me courage.

If the Israelites, who lived in this captivity for 400+ years, can BOLDLY leave, walking through their valley of death, in the presence of their enemies, being led by one who carried a staff that was a symbol of God’s power, then we can walk BOLDLY in our day-to-day lives in the presence of our enemies because Yahweh Nissi is with us. 

God commands us several times in scripture to “be not afraid.” Why? BECAUSE HE IS WITH US. Because he leads us. Because He is our standard that we look to for healing, for strength, for belonging, and for identity. 

In ancient times, soldiers would carry their banner into battle. They could look to it for strength. When we are faced with our own personal battlefield, if we lift our eyes up to our banner, our Yawheh Nissi, we can draw strength in knowing that he is with us. Fighting for us. Exodus 14:14 (my favorite verse) says, “The Lord will fight for you, if you will just be still.” Sometimes, it’s as simple as being still in the chaos, adjusting our focus from the battlefield to the one who commands the angel armies. We do not fight alone. The same God who parted the Red Sea is the same God who parts the pain, the chaos, the crazy, the overwhelming pain, and the “I just don’t know how I can overcome this.” And he leads us BOLDLY to victory.

That is who our Yahweh Nissi is. 

Rest assured, wherever our Yahweh Nissi is, victory is not far behind. 

Have a BOLD day today with Jesus!

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How do you act differently when you know you are loved?

This is the great pondering of the early morning hours today. Think about it. When we were younger and attempting to catch the eye of that cute boy in school, we would dress up, do our hair and make-up, stare, and do anything to get his attention. But what about when we were older and starting to look for a mate?

We would dress up, do our hair and make-up, stare, do anything to get his attention…right?

Fun fact about Amy. I didn’t date much in school. Ok, I didn’t date in school. I don’t know if I wasn’t pretty enough to catch any guys’ eyes, if it was because I was shy and no one wanted to take the effort to get to know me, or if it was because my dad was a teacher at school and no one wanted to get on Mr. T’s bad side. Whatever the reason, no one asked me out on a date. Did that have an effect on my self-confidence? ABSOLUTELY! But we aren’t going to unpack that baggage today; we’re just gonna tuck it in the back of the attic under the dust bunnies to live for another decade or so.

Ahem. Moving on….When I was ready to start to try and date again after my world turned upside down, I wondered, “Where do I even meet anyone these days?” The guys at church were all married, and the ones that weren’t were either way too young or way too old for me. Bars were not an option. And the guys I met at the gym were, well, not husband material. 

So I did what any reasonable woman in her late thirties with a child would do and turned to online dating. Yes, I typed that sentence and see the horror of my rationalization, but bear with me. It wasn’t all bad. I started with a Christian dating service. I found out REAL quick that not all men on there were, in fact, Christian. Like, not even a little bit. 

So I did some praying and decided to try one that was a “proven success.” I signed up for a short membership just to see. I developed my own questions that I would ask to see if they were even worth my time. 

Now, at this point in my life, I had come out of a very hurtful relationship, I was coming out of a pit, and I was really learning about who God was and really started having a relationship with him. He was no longer the storybook God but the real, tangible God that I was talking to and with every day. It was important to me that the person I was going to date knew who God was as well and wasn’t just a pew sitter on Sunday morning. (Little did I know what I was getting into.)

I had my list:

• Needs to be taller than me. (I’m tallish; I really wanted someone whom I could physically look up to. It’s a me thing.)
• Needs to be an Auburn fan. (It’s not that I am anti any other team, but I wanted someone I could watch games with and where we could pull for the same team.)
• Needs to be musical. (Okay, so I didn’t hold strong on this one; if you know my husband, then you know there’s not a musical bone in his body, but he makes up for it in other ways.)
• Needs to have a relationship with God. (This one was a hard and fast rule for me. If he didn’t know God, then he wasn’t going to get to know me. I was done with being unequally yoked in relationships, so I decided that this was the most important factor.)

So one November day, this guy that I had been matched with sends me a “wink.” In that platform, you could send a wink or send your list of questions that they had built in. So I responded with the app’s questions. It was a several-step process; if they answered and you liked their answers, then they could send questions…. I don’t remember it all; I just remember it was a few steps before we actually had the freedom to talk with one another. But when we did, I asked him what his favorite Bible verse was. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love John 3:16, but normally if someone tells you that, it’s because it’s the most well-known Bible verse.

What was this guy’s response? John 3:16. (Insert heavy sigh and a thought of, “Great, this one’s a dud.”) 

So I asked why that was his favorite, and he actually had a response! It wasn’t “uhhh….. I don’t know.” No, he had an actual response. (And he has it tattooed on his arm.) Let’s just say the rest is history.

Now, I tell you all that to say, when you want to be loved, you act one way. When you KNOW you are loved, you act differently. 

When you want to be loved, you act in a way to seek attention. You flirt. You possibly put yourself in situations that might not be the best to try to get the attention you think you want. You send winky faces. You go where the single people are. You get on online dating sites and give your mom gray hairs. You are insecure, you step out in stupidity, and you sometimes act foolishly.

When you KNOW you are loved, you are secure, you are confident, you step out in faith, you trust your partner, and you don’t have to be in constant competition. You are free to relax a little, maybe not hold your guard up as much; you rest in knowing that person is there with you and for you and that they will love you even when you make mistakes. 

Song of Solomon/Songs (depending on your translation) 2:4 says, “He leads me to his banqueting table, his banner over me is love.”

His BANNER over me is LOVE.

If God’s banner is LOVE, and I find my identity, my rallying point, and my hope, then that means I am loved. 

When you KNOW you are loved by God, you walk in confidence, in freedom, you take steps of faith; you trust that God is going to take care of you, and you relax a little because you know that God is going to LOVE you no matter what, even when you mess up, even when you fail, and even when you think the world is falling in on you. God’s LOVE is your banner. There is no shame, there is no condemnation, there is only love. 

John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

If that isn’t a testament of love, I don’t know what is. He gave his SON for us. That is real love. 

You aren’t just tolerated. You aren’t a burden. You are chosen! Adopted! When you know you are loved, your worship isn’t a performance but a genuine outpouring of praise. Your posture changes from attention seeking to love giving. Your repentance becomes restoration instead of humiliation. 

My sweet friend, you are so loved. I hope you know that God is inviting you to his banquet table. He has pulled out the fresh linen and the fine china and has the best chef on standby. He is waiting for you to come and allow him to show you just how much he loves you. Know you are loved by a God who sent his Son to die for you so that you can one day live with him. 

Walk tall today. Hold your head up in confidence. Roll those shoulders back and shake off the shame. It has no place in your life. The one who loves you the most is the KING. There is no greater love than that. 

Have a great day with Jesus!

Yahweh Nissi is The Lord My Banner. He goes before me. He is who I look to in times of trouble. He is my rallying point when I am weary. 

In reading over the study this morning, Ann Spangler pointed out the attacks in spiritual warfare and posed the question, “How do you deal with them when you are under attack?” This question made me think, what exactly is spiritual warfare? We will often say when things are going wrong that “we are under attack.”But how are we attacked?

True, there are weeks where we consistently have things that just go wrong, but is that an attack or is that just a good run of bad luck? I guess the question should be, is what is happening bringing you down? Is it causing you to doubt? Possibly even making you question your faith? If the answer is yes, then you, my friend, are under attack.

Those attacks are easy to see and to name. I do believe the first step in conquering is naming who your enemy is, so when your car won’t start, and you’re in a hurry, or you lost your job without any warning, or maybe your friend turned their back on you, and you are now mourning a relationship you thought was solid, you can give that a name. That is an attack, and satan loves to attack. 

But what about anxieties? Attack. Worries? Attack. Increase of temptation? Attack. Bills that are piling up…ok, not an attack, just part of life. Self-doubt? Insecurities? Fear? These are all attacks designed to bring you down out of your posture of praise and turn inward. If you rely only on yourself to conquer these attacks, then you are taking your focus off of your Yahweh Nissi, the banner, the standard, the thing that has been lifted up and is calling to you to remind you to WHOM YOU BELONG!

A banner is not just for decoration, nor is it just something to look at as it waves in the wind. It’s a source of identity. A source of strength. 

As Americans, we (most of us) still have pride in the American flag. We recount the countless lives lost and damaged in an effort to protect that flag and what it stands for, our freedom. But do we as Christians have a physical flag we can look to?

Many will say the cross. That’s why there are crosses erected in front of churches, along highways, displayed in homes, and hung around necks, arms, and ears. But has the cross become too “common”? I’ve seen crosses displayed as decoration and not as a reminder of the sacrifice. I’ve seen crosses worn as embellishment and not as a call to surrender. 

How do we remove the commonality of the cross to a more banner-worthy position? It begins with an internal shift in thinking. It comes with a relationship with God and a heaviness of knowing that the cross is a reminder of what Jesus did for us on that cross. When he was high and lifted up, he bore the sins of us all and made a way for us to join Him in glory when that day comes. When he came off that cross and rose from the dead, he broke the bondage that we have from our sin. 

He also became our banner. The one we look to when we are under attack. He is our rallying point, he is our refuge, and he is where our identity is found. So when the attacks of self-doubt creep in, remind yourself who your God is. When temptations come, speak the name of Jesus! When worries and anxieties threaten to take you down, look up to the banner that waves proudly and protectively and the banner that wraps itself around you with love.

Isaiah 54:17 says, “But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you will succeed.” You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

The cross was not meant to be a decoration but a declaration. It’s meant to be a standard to which we look, reminding us that God always has and always will take care of us. Even when we are struggling and under attack, it is our Yahweh Nissi who goes before us and reminds us of the victory that we already have in him. 

Be victorious today and have a great day with Jesus!

Last week, we studied Yahweh Ropheka, the Lord our Healer. This is a self-proclaimed name of God. God is the healer of land, air, body, mind, and spirit. 

In what way have you seen Yahweh Ropheka heal this week?

I saw him working on a relationship where a sin tore it apart, but things seem to be moving in the direction of reconciliation. A relationship that I once thought was broken beyond repair—I heard of conversations being had, time spent together, and softening of hearts that are moving to repair. God’s healing is sometimes gradual, but it’s still healing. 

In the book of Exodus 15, the children of Israel often complained before they cried out. Do you find yourself complaining before you go to God?

I know it is definitely something I struggle with. I am better than I used to be but definitely a work in progress. 

As I studied this week about healing, I had a lot of emotional moments realizing how God has worked in my life and how he is working now with his healing power. We all know my big one is Braxton’s healing. But as I shared on Thursday, God worked to heal the emotional damage of my past. Wounds that I thought I would always suffer from, I am now realizing, have started to heal. Yahweh Ropheka didn’t just restore my circumstances; he has restored me.

Can anyone share how you have seen Yahweh Ropheka work to heal in the past or past hurts? Maybe it wasn’t instant but gradual healing?

This week, we are going to be spending time getting to know Yahweh Nissi/Jehovah Nissi, which is the name I have always used. Yahweh Nissi means “The Lord My Banner.” 

This name is used once in scripture in our key verse in Exodus 17:15-16.

To set the scene, the Israelites have been brought out of Egypt; they witnessed the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, they have wandered on rocky barren ground, they are tired and weary, they have whined and complained and witnessed the bitter water turning sweet, they have been given manna and quail from heaven for food, they have whined and complained some more, and they saw water come out of rock. And now here they are, about to face their first military battle as a nation as they approach the Amalekites. 

The story where this name is given is one of my favorite examples of friendship and support of the community. The Israelites are facing off against the Amalekites. Moses told Joshua to take some men of his choosing and to fight the Amalekites. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went on top of a hill, and as long as Moses held up the staff of Elohim, the Israelites would win; as soon as he put his arms down, they would start to lose. 

This isn’t an hour-long battle. This is an all-day affair. Moses’ arms were trembling as he lost blood flow from them being elevated above his head. He was probably growing weary as he stood. Sun beating down, sweat dripping, arms going numb. His desire to keep the staff raised was waning due to his human ability and gravity. 

Here’s the part that I love. Aaron and Hur didn’t just stand by and plead with Moses to keep his arms up. No, they took initiative and acted to support him physically. They brought over a big rock for Moses to sit on, and then they held his arms up so that the Israelites would win the battle. 

Two things I see here. One is that it is crucially important that when you are facing a battle, you have friendships that will hold you up despite what is thrown at you. We all want to take things on and show how strong we are, or maybe we are too afraid to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. You need Aarons and Hurs in your life. You need people to recognize when you are weary, to see when you need support and step up to help you, not just cheer from the sidelines, but who actively step in and help. Community is not optional; it is actually God’s design. I am so humbled and honored to say that I am surrounded by a fine example of Aaron and Hur right here in this room. 

The other thing I see is that when you are faced with a battle, posture matters. Moses’ arms weren’t magical. It’s the alignment with God that matters. Even if you have to sit down for a bit, keep your arms raised in prayer and praise, lifting God up. I have found that if I focus up, then the heavy stuff can’t bring me that far down. Praise shifts perspective, and prayer steadies the nerves. 

Nissi means banner, sail, flagpole, standard, or sign. It typically means something that is lifted high, is visible, and is used as a directive. It is used as a rallying point, a sign of warning, a sign of protection, or a sign of victory. A banner could be made of wood, cloth, or bronze, as we saw last week with the bronze snake. 

After the battle, Moses made an altar and named it Yahweh Nissi—The Lord is My Banner.

He didn’t say the staff is my banner, Joshua is my banner, or I am the banner because I held my hands up. No, he said, “The Lord is My Banner.” 

Moses could not, humanly speaking, influence the battle. It was more likely that he held up the rod as a sign to the people that God was with them. Moses raised the staff of Elohim to win the victory. The same staff was used to show God’s power by turning into a snake, to part the waters of the Red Sea, and to strike the rock to bring forth water. It was a constant reminder that the victory belongs to the LORD. They fought under the direction of God; they got their strength from the LORD.

Psalm 60:4

“Yet, you have raised a flag for those who fear you so that they can rally to it when attacked by bows and arrows.”

This banner marks a rallying point between human weakness and God’s divine power and strength. We run to the banner or standard for safety. When we fear God and keep his commandments, we can come to him for protection from the attacks of the evil one. 

As we saw last week in Numbers 21, the banner or standard was the bronze snake. The banner, or pole lifted high with a bronze snake, was a sign of healing and also a foreshadowing of Christ, as it was mentioned in John 3:14-15. As Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.

The trend here is something or someone that is lifted up, a visible sign, a meeting place between the divine and human weakness.

Isaiah 11:10-12

“At that time the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the people to gather around. The nations will come to him. His resting place will be glorious. At that time Adonay will use his power again to recover what remains of his people in Assyria, Upper and Lower Egypt, Sudan, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations to gather around. He will gather outcasts of Israel and bring together the scattered people of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”

The banner is raised, the scattered come home, and outcasts are reclaimed. God is the banner that we run to, where we find our identity. 

Isaiah 62:10-11

“Go through! Go through the gates!
Prepare a way for the people!
Build up! Build up the highway!
Clear away the stones!
Raise a flag for the people!
Yahweh has announced to the ends of the earth; 
“Tell my people, Zion, your Savior is coming. His reward is with him, and the people he has won arrive ahead of him.”

Here, our banner/flag is a sign of hope. 

Numbers 2:2 tells us that each sect or family of Israelites would camp under their standard or banner to keep order as they moved and traveled.

When we call on Yahweh Nissi, we are declaring:

He is our hope.

He is our identity.

He is our gathering place.

He is our source of healing.

He is our warning system.

He is our sign of victory. 

When God is our banner, and he goes before us. 

I have called on him to go before me in the courtroom when the outcome was uncertain. I have called on him on the way to the doctor’s office when the diagnosis was scary and weighty. I called on him in the hospital room when fear was about to take over. I called on him in this classroom for wisdom and steadiness of nerves. I call on him to prepare the way when I can’t see the way.

Moses built the altar after the battle. God had already won the battle. Moses just named it.

If you are in a battle right now, praise God. If you are struggling to stand, lift your arms and heart in praise. If you can’t, let us know so that we can come beside you and hold you up and pray and praise with you. There is no greater feeling than having your faith family come alongside you in prayer and petition to usher you into the throne room of God.

Yahweh Nissi isn’t just a flag waving in the wind; he is a sign of victory, of strength, of refuge, and of identity. And every time, the victory belongs to the Lord. 

Have a great day with Jesus!

There is one more healing I want to talk about before I wrap up the week on Yahweh Ropheka. I truly hope and pray that you have found some healing this week, or at least begun to call on Yahweh Ropheka for healing in a way that you haven’t before. I realize that I haven’t been as consistent in posting this week as I need to be. I’ve had a lot on my plate this week and very little sleep, so when I have sat down at my computer, my eyes have closed, and nothing has gotten done. I think God was telling me I needed rest, which is also an essential part of healing. 

Sometimes we need physical healing, our land needs healing, and emotional wounds need healing, but spiritual sin also needs healing. I am sure we all call on God to forgive us of our sins, but how often do we seek healing from those sins?

Granted, if we sin, we can seek to acknowledge that we have sinned, think on what we have done, seek forgiveness, and work to make amends. And as I always tell my kids, you can’t just say, ‘I’m sorry’. If you are really sorry, then you have changed your behavior. That’s the key. Live out the apology. If you do what you have always done and don’t seek a change in your behavior, are you truly sorry?

Now, some think that you have to go forward at church and announce all your sins before the world. My dad has always taught me that your apology should be as public as your sin. If you hurt one, you go to the one. If you hurt many, you go to the many. If you hurt God, you go to God. Once you seek forgiveness for your action, then seek healing. 

I think healing from sin looks different for every person and every sin. Sometimes that healing is a removal, and sometimes it’s a reconciliation. But reconciliation can be hard. Reconciling with a person can be very difficult because we, as humans, have a memory (some better than others), but we all almost always remember who and what hurt us. We will remember what someone did to us longer than what someone did for us. Pain causes wounds, and wounds need to heal.

Now, on the flip side, we need to forgive. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.” Maybe I am wrong, but to me, that says that if I want to be forgiven for all the junk I have done, then I’d better start forgiving some people. Even the ones that hurt me deeply. But just because I forgive them does not mean that I open the door and let them take up space in my life. No, forgiveness also means boundaries, so if you need to forgive that person and the only one that knows that you forgave them is God, then so be it. (There are some that think that because you forgave them, then they are free to continue doing whatever it was that hurt you in the first place. No, no, and no. That’s not how this works.)

But how are we healed from our own sin?

Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wound we are healed.”

This passage almost always puts a lump in my throat and has since I realized the gravity of it. By HIS WOUNDS we are healed. 

Healed.

Because Jesus was beaten, we are healed.

Because He had a crown of thorns pressed down upon His head, we are healed.

Because he was stripped down and had his clothes sold for lots, we are healed.

Because he had nails driven through his hands and feet, we are healed.

Because he was crucified on the cross, we are healed.

We are healed by what YAHWEH ROPHEKA did FOR us. 

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 says, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are healed from the sting of sin, the wound of sin, and the punishment of sin because of Jesus. 

Romans 6:1-2 says, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

So I think the answer to how we are healed by his wounds is changed behavior. It’s repenting when we mess up. It’s recognizing what we have done, learning from it, seeking forgiveness, and then changing what we are doing so that we don’t do it again. John 8 has a story that many of us know very well. It’s the story of the woman caught in adultery. Now I have a small problem with this story. This was obviously a setup. In order to be caught in the act, they had to know it was going to take place. Which means these goons planned all this out to trap Jesus. AND they only pulled the woman out for humiliation. (Last time I checked, it takes two to tango.) Anyway, here they are, accusing this woman of adultery. She was probably wearing hardly any, if any, clothing. Standing there ashamed, being used as a pawn in the Pharisees’ game, almost assuredly facing death, and this man that they are trying to trap is doodling in the sand. 

Then he makes a statement: “Whoever is without sin, let him cast the first stone.”

Faces switch from accusation to self-reflection. Arms lifted and aimed with a stone suddenly fall, and the stones drop to the ground. Feet placed in a stance of stability suddenly tremble in realization that they, too, are sinners. Accusers are now the victims. The ones ready to hail down judgment on a woman they set up now scatter in defeat of their own sin. 

The only one who could throw the stone is doodling in the dirt. He rises and looks at the woman and asks, “Woman, where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord.”

“Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” 

There’s the whole point. Sin no more. Are we going to mess up? YEP. Most definitely. 100% yes. We are going to make mistakes, we are going to say things we shouldn’t, think things that would make our mamas blush, and do things that make our dads shake their heads, and all the while we will think, why did I do that? Because you are human. It is what it is.

BUT, we have Yahweh Rophkea, and HE is the one who heals us. He hears our cries. He sees us repent. He watches us try with everything in us to do better. He knows our hearts. And most importantly, He loves us. 

By HIS wounds we are HEALED, so GO AND SIN NO MORE.

I hope you know how much God loves you. I hope you feel his presence in your life today, and I pray that you take time to talk to God. Thank him for all he has done, seek his forgiveness, and sin no more. But don’t worry, I’m on the struggle bus right next to you. I’ll help you if you help me. 

Have a great day with Jesus!