I only remember a few of the gifts my parents gave me. But I will always remember the gift my Dad gave me that Christmas, the Light of Christ from his life to mine, to guide me as I fathered my children. He had passed that light to me, and now I am passing it on to my children and grandchildren.
Archive for December, 2011
Unwrapping our Gifts from Jesus
Posted: December 27, 2011 in Christmas, David Discipleship, Hesed, Jesus Christ, Justice, light, Mercy, Mishpat, Righteousness, TsedaqaTags: Christmas Story, frankincense, Gold, Hesed, Justice, light of Christ, Magi, Mercy, Mishpat, myrrh, Righteousness, tsedeqah, unfailing love
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Are you Feeling Hopeless this Christmas?
Posted: December 22, 2011 in Grief, Hope, Jesus ChristTags: Christmas, Emptiness, Grief, Hope, hopelessness, Jesus Christ, Mary, Messiah, Simeon
Christmas time can be a very gloomy time for those who have lost a loved one recently. I saw a woman today that had just lost her husband to cancer. She has fallen apart, and doesn’t know how she can go on. She told me she feels so empty inside. I know other people who [...]
The Rock of Divide Makes Mighty Disciples
Posted: December 19, 2011 in David Discipleship, Discipleship, Fear of God, UncategorizedTags: Abiathar, Adullam, bitter in soul, David, distress, El Gibbor, gibborim, King Saul, mar nephesh, Mighty Men, māṣôq, nāshâ, Rock of Division, Rock of Escape, Sela-hammahlekoth
David Discipleship… Begins with a Heart Decision Grows from knowing the ways of God Develops as we practice mercy, justice and righteousness In a short period of time, David faced Goliath, King Saul, Doeg and Achish. God had David on a fast-track course of discipleship. It began with his decision to give God his whole [...]
The Doeg Days of David
Posted: December 13, 2011 in David Discipleship, Righteousness, TsedaqaTags: Ahimelech, daag, David, Doeg the Edomite, Fear, Gibeah, god, Jesus, Nob, Righteousness, Saul, tsedaqah
God used this time of forced exile to develop David into the Disciple worthy of the Kingdom, in fact, a Disciple worthy of leading the Kingdom. God wanted David to face various tests of his faith, trust and hope. God wanted David to lay the foundation of a Kingdom that one day His very Son would rule over. So that foundation must not be in anything of man, or man’s working. The Foundation of the Kingdom of Christ must be in His Justice and His Righteousness. Therefore David had lessons that God wanted him to learn, lessons that would develop David into the Disciple worthy of establishing the Kingdom of His Son!
Discipleship is all about knowing the ways of God, embracing and understanding all that He delights in. He delights in hesed, mishpat and tsedaqah. (Jer 9:24)
The hesed of God strengthens our heart to defeat Goliath. The mishpat of God enables us to endure the injustice of Saul, as we focus on our responsibility to build our house by reaching out to the lame and lost. The Tsedaqah of God allows us to conquer the Doegs of life by focusing on the Hope we have in Christ, and His righteousness.
David learned that the fear of the Lord conquers every other fear (vv. 9-16). When you walk in fear of the Lord, you walk in His Righteousness. When you walk in His righteousness, you are no longer walking in fear or anxiety. Doeg can never push you from the discipleship path!
