You give life

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.” And Ezra said: “You are the LORD, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you. (Nehemiah 9:5-6, NRSV)

We are to give blessing and honor and love to the Lord…

Why?

Because He alone gave us and everything around us life. He alone created all living things. He created the heavens and the heavens of heavens, and the hosts of heaven who bless Him…

He gave you life. And that is why we should praise Him!

can we?

“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? It is changed like clay under the seal, and it is dyed like a garment. Light is withheld from the wicked, and their uplifted arm is broken. “Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth? “Who has cut a channel for the torrents of rain, and a way for the thunderbolt, to bring rain on a land where no one lives, on the desert, which is empty of human life, to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground put forth grass? “Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the hoarfrost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together? (Job 38:12-38, NRSV)

Can you control the rain?

Can you control the sun?

Can you make the earth move?

Can you make grass grow?

Can you control any part of creation?

God continues His questioning of Job, reminding Him who is really in control…

God controls creation and also justice and judgement. And we do not always see or understand what the Lord is doing.

But we can always trust in the promises… Even when we don’t understand, the promises will always hold true!

questioned

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?—when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped’? (Job 38:1-11, NRSV)

How would you like God to question you?

Gird up your loins like a man, because I have some things to ask you…

Who laid the foundation of the earth?

Who determined its measurements?

Or stretched the line upon it?

Who laid the cornerstone for it?

Who told the sea to stop?

Well there is an easy answer to this… Yet who would want to be questioned by God?

God is the answer, not only to all of these questions He asked of Job, but to life.

The meaning of life is not 42… The meaning to life is living the life that God has called you to live, and then when He comes to ask the questions there is no need to fear!

thunder of his power

ZaphonHe stretches out Zaphon over the void, and hangs the earth upon nothing. He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not torn open by them. He covers the face of the full moon, and spreads over it his cloud. He has described a circle on the face of the waters, at the boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at his rebuke. By his power he stilled the Sea; by his understanding he struck down Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways; and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” (Job 26:7-14, NRSV)

Zaphon. Now this is a name we all know and love!

How many of you said what is Zaphon?

Well it is 2 different things…

It is a city on the eastern side of the Jordan River, taken from Sihon and given to the tribe of Gad (Josh. 13:27). Later it became a battleground between the forces of Jephthah and Ephraimites who assailed Jephthah for not inviting them to pursue the Ammonites (Judg. 12:1). Zaphon probably appears in the Egyptian records of 18th Dynasty as Dapuna, and in the Amarna Letters as Sapuna.

And it is a high mountain (ca. 1770 m. [5807 ft.]) on the coastal border between Syria and Turkey. It is the divine abode of the weather-god Hadad/Haddu, Lord of Zaphon (Baal-zaphon). The mountain plays a central role in Ugaritic/Canaanite mythological tradition and as such underlies the biblical accounts (Ps. 48:2[3]; Isa. 14:13; cf. Ps. 89:12[13]; Ezek. 1:4) and place names such as Baal-zephon (Exod. 14:2) and Zaphon (Josh. 13:27) may derive from Baal’s mythical abode.

So which one does the Psalmist refer to here?

Really to me it makes no difference!

This psalm tells us of the great power the Lord has. It is saying He took the city or the mountain and stretched it out over the void. He bound up the cloud and it did not bust, He stilled the sea. He has all power over creation to do what ever He wishes to do.

And how small a whisper we hear of Him…

We barely know what He can do. But what we know He will do is shelter us in His wings and watch over us as a mother hen watches over her young!

The promises are true and He will stand by them. So let His power thunder, but always trust in His love!

Creation!

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. (Genesis 1:1-2:4a, NRSV)

Reading this made me think of the joke, “Where is there baseball in the Bible?”

In the Big Inning…

This is the first of 2 different creation accounts in the Bible. The stories have completely different details on how it happened. In this account the wind blew over the water and the Lord spoke things into existence. In the second God formed man and breathed into him the breath of Life.

You see as Christians we read this story on Trinity Sunday (today in congregations that follow the liturgical calendar) because we see the Trinity in it. There is God, the Father. There is the Holy Spirit in the wind, you see the word in both Hebrew and Greek for wind, breath and spirit are the same word. So the wind blowing over the water is the spirit, and the word spoken is the word of God or the Son. Father, Son and Holy Spirit…

But stop for a moment and realize this story is from the Hebrew Scriptures, and is read by Jews who do not see the trinity here. True God does say later “Let us form man in our image.” But that is still not Trinity language to the Jews. That is the heavenly hosts, all the angels and other surrounding God.

So how did creation happen and was Jesus and the Spirit there?

I will answer those in reverse order. Yes Jesus and the Spirit were there. As Christians though we must remember while the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) our part of our story, they also belong to God’s chosen people that do not read Jesus and the Spirit there.

And how did creation happen… There is a lot to discuss here, but I will say I believe the Bible tells us WHO created. So there is no need for battle between Bible and science. Science may tell us how, but no one will convince me otherwise of the fact the Bible tells us who created! God created, and Jesus and the Spirit were there to be a part of creation.

Meaning they created you, and knew you before they knitted you in your mother’s womb!

So breath, and speak of the love God has given you!

saved?

Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind. From where he sits enthroned he watches all the inhabitants of the earth—he who fashions the hearts of them all, and observes all their deeds. A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save. Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.(Psalm 33:12-22, NRSV)

A king is not saved by his armies great or small…

A warrior is not delivered by his strength…

We can not hope in our war horses or tanks or naval fleet…

None of these things will save us in the end.

Only if the Lord is on our side will we prevail.

Only if we fear and honor God with our lives will we be set and saved!

Only God can deliver us from death and save us. Our hope can not be in anyone or anything else, or that hope will fail!

So hope in the one who can and will save you!

special mojo

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.” Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.” Now after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans. (Acts 8:14-25, NRSV)

If you could buy the ability to lay hands one someone and give them the Holy Spirit, what would that be worth?

The Samaritans had not yet received the Holy Spirit even though they had received the word of God. They had been baptized but the Spirit had yet to come to them…

So when the apostles came and laid hands on them, and the received power, of course someone thought that would be a great power to have and so offered money to get the special mojo…

But we all know that God can not be bought and those who do the will of God will do even greater things than Jesus did.

So in essence we all have special mojo, to do the will of God, and what did it cost?

God was willing to give His only Son so you could have the special mojo… but to you it is simply priceless, and freely given by grace through faith!

Through You!

After they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers have gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:23-31, NRSV)

They spoke the word of God with boldness!

Filled with the Holy Spirit we are given power from on High and have God in us to go and be the hands and feet of God. You see with the Holy Spirit living in us we are God at work in the world.

To show forth His

Love…

Grace…

Mercy…

Peace…

Hope…

We are His Hands and Feet so go and boldly speak, filled with the Spirit so all may know the love of God.

keep from speaking

The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;it has become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened. (Acts 4:5-21, NRSV)

Those who are not living in the truth when they hear it are drawn to it because it intrigues them.

They are drawn to it because it scares them…

They do not know how to handle it. They are put off by it and therefore lash out at those who speak it.

They will do what ever they can from having to face the fact they need to be changed by what they are hearing.

They will not want to get out of their easy lives, that are based out of the truth, but will keep the truth away and stay in their easy lives.

We can not keep from speaking the truth even in the face of intimidation, or ridicule, or threats or anything. We must press on with the power given to us by God through the Holy Spirit!

We are the messengers of God to all the world, and we can not keep from speaking!

glory

I will display my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. The house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day forward. And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt treacherously with me. So I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame, and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they live securely in their land with no one to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ lands, and through them have displayed my holiness in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God because I sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will leave none of them behind; and I will never again hide my face from them, when I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 39:21-29, NRSV)

Have you ever wanted all the world to know that God is the creator and ruler of all the universe?

Then you have the fire of the Holy Spirit in you. To go and spread the message of God to the world!

And yet it seems that some people just don’t want to hear it! They do not want to listen to reason, or anything…

Ezekiel tells us that God says that He will make His name known to all the world. Those who love Him and follow Him will be lifted high and those that do not follow will also know of His great power.

He will give us His spirit and live with us forever and all of the world will know His glory!