Jehovah Shalom: What is Our Focus?

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Be Magnified, Be Magnified by Don Moen, Be Magnified sung by Kim Hill, christian anxiety, christian depression, Gideon, Gideon's 300, godly peace, Isaiah 53, Jesus walks on the water, John 14:27, John 16:33, Judges 7, Matthew 14, Overcoming anxiety, overcoming depression, Overcoming fear, Peace, Peter walks on the water, Psalm 103, Psalm 68, that in me you might have peace, the peace of God, the story of Gideon, true peace

State by state, America is locking down again: Oregon, Washington, California, Michigan, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Delaware, West Virginia, Indiana, and now Ohio… And the world is locking down again: Australia, most of Europe including England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy…

And these lockdowns are accompanied by protests rife with frustration, destroyed businesses, imploding economies, and a fearful and depressed populace. Indeed, the really real pandemic and threat is that of emotional upheaval demonstrated through depression, anxiety, and fear, leading to alcoholism, drug abuse and even suicide. And Christians are included in this emotional pandemic.

Are you dealing with this perchance? Are you depressed? Are you feeling anxious? Are you afraid? How are you dealing with the lockdown, with losing your job, having your hours cut, being far away from you family, having your church closed, social distancing, facing a lawsuit for practicing your Christian faith, having to wear a mask when going to the store, your kids being home all the time, an overwhelming illness etc.? How are you doing if you are one of those who “knows too much” about this plandemic, the transhuman/chimerical/DNA altering vaccine, and the elite’s agenda for a new world order that is unfolding? How are you holding up?

Through Christ’s death we have received many benefits/gifts as listed in Isaiah 53. He bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was dishonored for our rebellion, was crushed for our depravity, was disciplined for the sake of our peace, and by his wounds and bruises and stripes we are healed. Psalm 103 also lists the benefits of forgiveness, healing, redemption, a crown of lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfaction and restoration of youthfulness. Whatever your emotional state at this time in human history and no matter where you are worldwide, let’s remember one of those many benefits (Psalm 68:19) that Jesus through His sacrificial death and resurrection gave to us freely if we will but receive it: peace. Isaiah 53 says that Jesus was disciplined for our peace.

There is a lot that could be said about this peace. To begin with, this is a peace between God and man. Secondly, it is a peace in spite of circumstances. Thirdly, and most importantly, it is a peace that only God has given and can and will give.

Gideon

In the book of Judges we find a story about Jehovah Shalom, “The LORD is peace.” Judges 6 begins by saying that Israel had done evil in God’s sight and because of that God had given Israel as a gift to Midian. Because of this, Israel was terribly oppressed even to the point of hiding in caves while Midian destroyed their crops and took all of their animals. It would be equivalent today of destroying all of our grocery stores, restaurants, the farms that produce all that, and taking anything edible away.

It is in this destitution and fear that we find Gideon secretly threshing wheat in a wine press. And a messenger of God appears to him as he hides in the wine press and addresses him as a mighty man of valor. One thing leads to another, and Gideon is gripped by the startling realization that he’s just seen a messenger of the LORD face to face. It is then that God speaks to him saying, “…Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.” Gideon is so moved by God’s words that it says, “…Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah shalom…” which means, “The LORD is peace.”

Yet, there was no peace in any of Gideon’s circumstances. Many fearful obstacles still surrounded Gideon and would continue to face him. Nevertheless, he moved forward at the prompting of the LORD. He tore down his father’s altar to Baal and grove of trees wherein the Israelites committed idolatry. He then faced the zealous, idolatrous men who would have killed him on behalf of their fallen idol. He then successfully gathered 32,000 men to do battle against the Midianites, and after getting further confirmation from God, prepared for battle. The man who at the beginning of the story was hiding in a wine press, and who throughout the story kept asking for signs, was unmoved by his and his nation’s overwhelming circumstances in light of the God of peace who had appeared to him and had spoken directly to him.

And things got crazier! God said that 32,000 soldiers was too many! Judges 7:1-3 reads, “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.”

So, there were to be ten thousand to fight against a multitude. Judges 7:12 says that “the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.” Ten thousand against an enemy so countless that they were like a swarm of locusts blackening the sky and devastating all in their path.

But God was not finished. It got crazier! Judges 7:4-8 continues, “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.”

Three hundred men. Three hundred men versus a multitude. But Gideon chose to rest in the LORD of peace, for the battle belonged to Him. And with the faith of that one man and the foolishness of three hundred men smashing pitchers and blowing on ram’s horns, God scattered the host of Midian and in their fear the enemy even killed each other.

The BIG Question

How big is our God? No I mean, how big is He in our lives today? When we are faced with great emotion, who is bigger? God or the emotion? Who is bigger? God or the problem? Who is bigger? God or the plandemic? Who is bigger? God or the vaccine? Who is bigger? God or the persecution? Who is bigger? God or the loneliness issue? Who is bigger? God or the loss of a job, the collapse of the economy, the destruction of our liberty, the frustrated protests, the unfolding of the new world order or . . . you think of your own situation whatever it might be? Who indeed is bigger? Has God become too small in our eyes?

You see, what we are focused on matters. Peter learned this first hand in Matthew 14.

Walking on the Water

In Matthew 14 we come upon a scene of amazing grandeur. There, Jesus has separated from His disciples and gone off to pray. The day had been wearying to Jesus and the disciples. Many had been healed, and it had ended in a mind-boggling multiplication of the five loaves and 2 fishes. The disciples had stood in shock as that meager amount fed a great multitude of hungry men, women and children. Now, Jesus had insisted on dismissing the enormous crowd himself and insisted that the disciples go ahead and sail to the other side of the great lake. He’d meet up with them later. Meanwhile, it says in verse 24 that they were in the middle of an agitated, restless sea that tossed their ship about as the wind blew antagonistically.

That of course is when Jesus appeared . . . walking on the water, and His disciples thought He must be a ghost. That’s when Jesus called out to them, and Peter daringly said, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.”

What was bigger in Peter’s eyes? On what was Peter focused? At first, as Peter stepped his feet out in faith upon that stormy sea, Jesus was bigger in Peter’s eyes. Step by step, he moved toward Jesus, focusing on Him, doing what no man has done before or since. But, after he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the wind thrashing about the choppy waves of the sea, he began to sink.

Conclusion

There is a difference between physical fact and spiritual truth. It was a fact that the army of Midian was enormous. But the truth was that God was greater. It was a fact that the wind was contrary and the waves rising, and that people plain and simply cannot walk on water, but the truth was that Jesus was the Lord of the wind and the waves (Psalm 93:5) and God alone treads upon the waves of the sea (Job 9:8). No matter how much Gideon planned or strategized, the army of Midian was still too vast and too numerous that even 32,000 men in their own strength could not have defeated them. General MacArthur himself could not have bombed, blasted or barricaded them away. And as for the sea, no one has ever tamed the sea nor ever will. Only God!

And indeed, it is no different in our lives when faced with the sea of anxiety and fear and emotions of all kinds, as well as army of physical problems, relationship issues, plandemics, or any circumstance that is overwhelming of unjust. It is then that the enemy of our entire being swarms upon us and rages against us like the fury of Midian, and we like Gideon hide in a wine press and wonder where God is. The sea comes crashing in and the wind threatens to sink us. But Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Let’s choose today, while it is still today, to get our eyes off of the multitude that has come to destroy us, the wind and waves seeking to drown us, the tribulation that is overwhelming us, and choose instead to accept Jesus’ gift of peace that He paid for on the cross for us to have freely. Let’s get our eyes off the insanity of this world and back onto Jesus, and let Him be magnified in our eyes today.

***********

Be Magnified

By Don Moen

“I have made You too small in my eyes
O Lord, forgive me;
I have believed in a lie
That You were unable to help me.
But now, O Lord, I see my wrong
Heal my heart and show Yourself strong;
And in my eyes and with my song
O Lord, be magnified
O Lord, be magnified.

Be magnified, O Lord
You are highly exalted;
And there is nothing You can’t do
O Lord, my eyes are on You.
Be magnified,
O Lord, be magnified.

Be magnified, O Lord
You are highly exalted;
And there is nothing You can’t do
O Lord, my eyes are on You.
Be magnified,
O Lord, be magnified.”

Other Jehovah Shalom Articles:

Part 1:

“Jehovah Shalom: What is Our Focus?” https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/11/19/jehovah-shalom-what-is-our-focus/

Part 2:

“Jehovah Shalom: Peace in Spite of Our Circumstances,” https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/11/23/jehovah-shalom-peace-in-spite-of-our-circumstances/

Part 3:

“Jehovah Shalom: Do Not Be Anxious,” (Puzzle Piece #1) https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/11/25/jehovah-shalom-do-not-be-anxious/

Part 4:

“Jehovah Shalom: Abiding in Christ,” https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/12/10/jehovah-shalom-abiding-in-christ/

Part 5:

“Jehovah Shalom: Thankful Prayer,” (puzzle piece #2), https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/jehovah-shalom-thankful-prayer/

Part 6:

“Jehovah Shalom: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/jehovah-shalom-turn-your-eyes-upon-jesus/

Part 7:

“Jehovah Shalom: Think on These Things,” (puzzle piece #3), https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2021/01/07/jehovah-shalom-think-on-these-things/

Part 8: (puzzle piece #4)

https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2021/01/12/jehovah-shalom-the-secret-ingredient/

Other Possible Articles of Interest:

“The Time Is At Hand: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/07/15/the-time-is-at-hand-turn-your-eyes-upon-jesus/

“At Home In Christ,” https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/09/09/at-home-in-christ/

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Days of Preparation: God’s Divine Construct

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Acts 2, don't give up, God's Divine Construct, Jack Hibbs, last day outpouring, more than conquerors, Moses, Moses and the 70 elders, Numbers 11, overcoming depression, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Zev Porat

Numbers 11:10-15
“10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.”

In this passage we see that Moses was overwhelmed to the point of not wanting to live anymore. He felt that God had put a burden on him that was too heavy, and he could not bear it anymore.

Do you feel that way today? There are Christians right now worldwide who are feeling this way today. They’ve lost their job, and they don’t know how to provide for their family. They need surgery, but doctors are not doing surgeries right now. They are in pain, but their therapists are unavailable because they are “self-isolating”. They are lonely because in the name of compassion their friends/family will not visit them. They feel trapped, isolated, depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, and that nothing makes sense. Is this you too?

In this story of Moses, Moses was overwhelmed. He was the one to whom nearly 3 million people came for answers, and he could not please them. He felt alone and heavily burdened, and threw up his hands in surrender.

But, God does not give us more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He divinely constructed us. He knows our build and make. An Architect builds a building with specifications otherwise known as “specs”. These specs are so important that without them a building would not be built correctly and costs would be exorbitantly high. “Simply put, construction specifications are documents prepared ahead of construction to describe how building should be carried out by contractors and subcontractors. As its name implies, they are descriptions that go beyond what photos and videos can explain and require a high-level of detail. As a rule of thumb, specifications will usually never over-explain how to build. The vast majority of problems occur when specifications fail to provide enough information. Without the dedication and proper execution of these documents, issues will likely arise when the project is finally executed.”*

Just like an architect knows how much a building can bear before they place any weight on it, and has every specific written down for the contractor, God also knows what each of us can bear. He is both our Architect and Contractor. “6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…” (Philippians 1:6)

So, God told Moses to gather 70 elders from among the people, and He would take from the Holy Spirit upon Moses and give of the Spirit to the 70 men. Those 70 men, including 2 who were not with the group, prophesied when God placed His Spirit upon them.

Now, what can we learn from the rest of this story? Moses had enough of the Holy Spirit for 70 men. Think about that! Read and reread that! Moses may have felt overwhelmed, but he had enough of the Holy Spirit resting upon him for 70 men!!!

And what of us? Are you a Christian? Do you have the Holy Spirit within you? Moses did not have the Holy Spirit inside him. He had the Holy Spirit upon him, but the Spirit did not reside within him. Furthermore, did you obediently wait for the empowering of the Holy Spirit like Jesus told His disciples to do? Did you receive the empowering of the Holy Spirit? Not only is this in Acts 1-2, it is also in Acts 19 wherein the people of Ephesus had believed in Jesus and were saved (were Christians) but had not yet received the empowering nor even knew who the Holy Spirit was. And even if you did and have done this, God wants us to be continuously filled and refilled with His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). So let’s obediently seek Him for more of His Holy Spirit today!

We are going through tumultuous times, perilous times, the times that try men’s souls. Suicides are on the rise, depression and anxiety are sky rocketing. According to pastors like Jack Hibbs (Real Life Ministry–source below), researchers like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of https://childrenshealthdefense.org/ (source below), and even politicians (was stated by the President himself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQj4OS_h3Ts), the very real coronavirus crisis ensuing right now is that of mental health not runny noses.

But, I want to remind everyone that God is our Architect. We have been made with a divine construct. God was very specific when He made us, and knows what we can bear. Not only this, but He gave us His Holy Spirit, and He wants to empower you with great power from on high that you might go through this very day as more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loves you! (Romans 8:37). Let us have our lamps burning and our extra oil with us (Matthew 25); let us “strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.” (Hebrews 12:12-13). Indeed, through His Spirit, and in the words of Zev Porat, “We’ve Got What It Takes!”

If you are feeling depressed today, and are a Christian, give it to the Lord! He’s not given you a spirit of heaviness but of praise (Isaiah 61). If you are afraid today and are a Christian, remember that God has not given you a Spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). If you are overwhelmed today, and are a Christian, say I am more than a conqueror, and give it to the Lord! If you are lonely today, and are a  Christian, remember that Jesus never leaves us or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5), and give it to the Lord! If you just want to sleep all day, choose to get up, and give it to the Lord! If you are not a Christian and are going through these things today, it’s time to become one so that you too can stand on the promises of God for yourself and overcome!!! (Look below the sources for further instruction).**

Jesus said in Matthew 11, “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

AND…

“Let EVERYTHING that hath breath, praise the Lord!!”
(Psalm 150)

Sources:

*“Construction Productivity Blog,” https://blog.plangrid.com/2018/02/building-101-what-are-construction-specifications/

“Covid Time… The Real Fight We Are In,” sermon by Pastor Jack Hibbs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUYTFn-65aw

“This Will Affect Everyone,” message by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-5Zpmh6yPI

“Construct, Divine Design,” sermon by Pastor Zev Porat,

 

**Becoming a Christian

To become a Christian, simply confess your sins to God, for He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). For those who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! (Acts 2:31 and Romans 10:13). Then, ask Jesus into your heart, and request that He empower you with His Holy Spirit (Acts 1-2 and Acts 19).

At this point, you will need to tell others you’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, for if we confess the Lord Jesus with our mouths and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, then we are saved! (Romans 10:9-19). Baptism in water must follow this confession of faith (Mark 16:16). Even Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3).

Then, it’s time to get into the Bible! A good place to start is the Gospel of John in the New Testament. It’s page number will be in the Table of Contents of any Bible.