Ex. 10:2 "and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your sons son the mighty things I have done in Egypt..."
A heritage. A legacy. This is something that I have thought about for a while. What am I going to leave behind that will impact my kids and others? I guess it is part of why I do a journal. Not only so I can meditate on God's Word, but also so I can leave something that can influence others when I am just a memory.
The thing that hits me with this verse, however, is that God does not want me to leave a legacy for me, He wants me to leave a legacy for Him. That His Name is exalted. That His Name is remembered. That the mighty things that He has done be repeated in my kid's lives and in their kid's lives.
God said to Moses that He was hardening Pharoah's heart for future generations. He was causing Pharoah to refuse to let the Jews go so the people of Israel could tell their sons and their son's sons the mighty things that they did? No, so that they could recite the mighty things that God did. It was a legacy for God. How God worked. How God performed signs. How God moved. How God is powerful and mighty.
I have always thought that Dad's should develop a story for their kids. Basically a story of their life that their kids could read. Now I know that the story that needs to be told to our kids is not what we have done, not what we have accomplished, but rather what God has done. The mighty deeds that God has done in my life. Have I done that? Do I tell my kids how awesome God is so that they can tell their kids? I need to start. Develop this story centering on how mighty God is...how He has worked. His legacy, not mine.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Long Time Coming
Wow. It's been a long time since I last wrote. I have been journaling a lot. I just have not gotten around to posting any of it. I am not sure that anyone really reads this, yet, I will start again with the hope and prayer that it may impact someone's life.
I have been reading in the Old Testament. Right now I am in the middle of Numbers. Numbers? Isn't that a boring book? Not at all. I will eventually get some posts from that book, but for now lets hit Exodus 3:14
"And God said to Moses, 'I AM who I AM', and He said 'Then you shall say to the children of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
If someone comes up to me and asks: "What is your name?" my reply is: "Glen Richardson". My name identifies who I am in society. My first name is really no big deal because it is something that my parents picked out to distinguish who I am as it relates to my real identity which is indicated by my last name: Richardson. (My mom wanted to name me Gary. My dad won.) I am a part of the Richardson family. My Dad was Ralph Richardson. His Dad was Ralph Richardson. I guess it goes all the way back to England where it began as the Son of Richard. That is part of my identity. It helps define me in some way.
But God - When you ask Him His Name, He doesn't give a last name. He doesn't have a Dad. Instead, when Moses wanted to know who He was, when Moses asked how to identify Him, God said: "I AM who I AM - I AM." What does that mean? The Hebrew word is "hajah" and it means: "To be, to exist, to happen." In other words, who are you God? "I Exist". To Be. This really identifies Him as the eternally existant One. No beginning. No ending. He always was. Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End. The First and the Last. The same yesterday, today and forever. No Father. No Mother. No birth. No death. The God who always is. To Be. I Am. You know what is hard for me to grasp? That the forever God would be talking to a guy like Moses. That the eternally existant One would be willing to talk to me. That the One who is and always was wants a personal relationship with the one whose name is Glen Richardson, the temporal one...but He does.
I have been reading in the Old Testament. Right now I am in the middle of Numbers. Numbers? Isn't that a boring book? Not at all. I will eventually get some posts from that book, but for now lets hit Exodus 3:14
"And God said to Moses, 'I AM who I AM', and He said 'Then you shall say to the children of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
If someone comes up to me and asks: "What is your name?" my reply is: "Glen Richardson". My name identifies who I am in society. My first name is really no big deal because it is something that my parents picked out to distinguish who I am as it relates to my real identity which is indicated by my last name: Richardson. (My mom wanted to name me Gary. My dad won.) I am a part of the Richardson family. My Dad was Ralph Richardson. His Dad was Ralph Richardson. I guess it goes all the way back to England where it began as the Son of Richard. That is part of my identity. It helps define me in some way.
But God - When you ask Him His Name, He doesn't give a last name. He doesn't have a Dad. Instead, when Moses wanted to know who He was, when Moses asked how to identify Him, God said: "I AM who I AM - I AM." What does that mean? The Hebrew word is "hajah" and it means: "To be, to exist, to happen." In other words, who are you God? "I Exist". To Be. This really identifies Him as the eternally existant One. No beginning. No ending. He always was. Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End. The First and the Last. The same yesterday, today and forever. No Father. No Mother. No birth. No death. The God who always is. To Be. I Am. You know what is hard for me to grasp? That the forever God would be talking to a guy like Moses. That the eternally existant One would be willing to talk to me. That the One who is and always was wants a personal relationship with the one whose name is Glen Richardson, the temporal one...but He does.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Why?
Isaiah 53
I don't know how I can narrow this chapter down to one verse. It is obviously a specific prophecy concerning the life and death of Jesus. Frankly, I don't see how anyone can miss it. I mean, how do Jewish people deal with this? I know that the Jews have a rich heritage. They are religious people. I just went to a Jewish wedding and it was filled with spirituality and symbolism. The problem is, they miss the whole point - Jesus. I am not going to write about this prophecy, however. I am going to write about what Jesus did as it is outlined in this chapter.
He grew up. He wasn't handsome. Just an ordinary guy. Then everything hit the fan. He was despised. He was rejected. He was sorrowful and had grief. He was wounded. He was bruised. He was punished. He was whipped. He was oppressed. He was afflicted. He was slaughtered. He was stricken. He labored. He was made a part of sinners. He was killed...and He did not say a word through it all.
Why? Why would a guy do this? Let's assume it was just an ordinary guy, not the Son of God. If He was just a man this would make no sense. It would make no sense for a guy to die like this. To take this punishment because of a lie that He had been promoting. That is stupid. I mean, if Jesus was just an ordinary man He could have said: "Guys, its been a fun ride, but I am not going to go through all of this and die for a hoax that I have been playing these three years. Let me go. I won't be a pain any more."
But He didn't. Why not? Because He was the real deal. Because He was who He said He was...God in the flesh. The Messiah.
So again, Why? Why would God in the flesh do this? This really makes no sense either, does it? Yes it does. He did it because He realized that we were, I was, in need. We have griefs. We have sorrows. We have sin. We have rebellion. We have guilt. We are in need of peace. We need healing. We are lost. We need to be declared righteous when we are inherantly dirty. The only way that all of these needs were going to be met was by cleansing through blood. (Reference Old Testament sacrifices.) There had to be a substitute. The blood of bulls and rams could never take away sins forever so Jesus was that substitute. He did it because He hates the ugly state that we are in. He hates our need. He hates what we have to deal with. And He loves us. He loves us so much that He did something about it. He took all of our garbage on Himself and died. For you...for me. This is why.
I don't know how I can narrow this chapter down to one verse. It is obviously a specific prophecy concerning the life and death of Jesus. Frankly, I don't see how anyone can miss it. I mean, how do Jewish people deal with this? I know that the Jews have a rich heritage. They are religious people. I just went to a Jewish wedding and it was filled with spirituality and symbolism. The problem is, they miss the whole point - Jesus. I am not going to write about this prophecy, however. I am going to write about what Jesus did as it is outlined in this chapter.
He grew up. He wasn't handsome. Just an ordinary guy. Then everything hit the fan. He was despised. He was rejected. He was sorrowful and had grief. He was wounded. He was bruised. He was punished. He was whipped. He was oppressed. He was afflicted. He was slaughtered. He was stricken. He labored. He was made a part of sinners. He was killed...and He did not say a word through it all.
Why? Why would a guy do this? Let's assume it was just an ordinary guy, not the Son of God. If He was just a man this would make no sense. It would make no sense for a guy to die like this. To take this punishment because of a lie that He had been promoting. That is stupid. I mean, if Jesus was just an ordinary man He could have said: "Guys, its been a fun ride, but I am not going to go through all of this and die for a hoax that I have been playing these three years. Let me go. I won't be a pain any more."
But He didn't. Why not? Because He was the real deal. Because He was who He said He was...God in the flesh. The Messiah.
So again, Why? Why would God in the flesh do this? This really makes no sense either, does it? Yes it does. He did it because He realized that we were, I was, in need. We have griefs. We have sorrows. We have sin. We have rebellion. We have guilt. We are in need of peace. We need healing. We are lost. We need to be declared righteous when we are inherantly dirty. The only way that all of these needs were going to be met was by cleansing through blood. (Reference Old Testament sacrifices.) There had to be a substitute. The blood of bulls and rams could never take away sins forever so Jesus was that substitute. He did it because He hates the ugly state that we are in. He hates our need. He hates what we have to deal with. And He loves us. He loves us so much that He did something about it. He took all of our garbage on Himself and died. For you...for me. This is why.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Warped
Is. 47:10 "For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, 'No one sees me'. Your wisdom and knowledge have warped you. And you have said in your heart, 'I am and there is no one beside me'".
I read the front page of yesterday's Plain Dealer. It outlined how political corruption in this country is nationwide. It itemized various arrests and investigations that have taken place all over the U.S. . (In light of the Governor from Illinois' problems.) It described how this seems to be a national epidemic. Now, take that with the banking bailouts, and the Big 3 problems and the forecosure rates and Union's unwillingness to bend when needed. Everyone is trusting in their own wickedness. That is what is happening. We have a nation of people who have said: "No one sees me." Our wisdom and our knowledge have warped us. We say: "I am and there is no one beside me." That is - "No God is going to tell me what to do. No Bible is going to tell me how to live. There are no absolutes. I will live according to the dictates of my own wisdom and knowledge. I will do what is right for me because there is no right or wrong."
Where has this humanistic mindset left us? Where we are. Political corruption. Institutional corruption. Individual corruption. Now we are going to reap the consequences. v11 - "Therefore evil shall come upon you...".
Unfortunately, we haven't learned from the past. We don't look at nations that ignored God and went their own way in history. We forget about Babylon. We forget about Rome. We forget about Germany. Now we are warped and are repeating the wickedness of the past and will have to live with the results. God be merciful, please.
I read the front page of yesterday's Plain Dealer. It outlined how political corruption in this country is nationwide. It itemized various arrests and investigations that have taken place all over the U.S. . (In light of the Governor from Illinois' problems.) It described how this seems to be a national epidemic. Now, take that with the banking bailouts, and the Big 3 problems and the forecosure rates and Union's unwillingness to bend when needed. Everyone is trusting in their own wickedness. That is what is happening. We have a nation of people who have said: "No one sees me." Our wisdom and our knowledge have warped us. We say: "I am and there is no one beside me." That is - "No God is going to tell me what to do. No Bible is going to tell me how to live. There are no absolutes. I will live according to the dictates of my own wisdom and knowledge. I will do what is right for me because there is no right or wrong."
Where has this humanistic mindset left us? Where we are. Political corruption. Institutional corruption. Individual corruption. Now we are going to reap the consequences. v11 - "Therefore evil shall come upon you...".
Unfortunately, we haven't learned from the past. We don't look at nations that ignored God and went their own way in history. We forget about Babylon. We forget about Rome. We forget about Germany. Now we are warped and are repeating the wickedness of the past and will have to live with the results. God be merciful, please.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Big 3
Is. 33:2 "Lord be gracious to us; We have waited for you. Be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble."
I am sure that Israel was going through some pretty amazing days back when Isaiah wrote these words. The plunderer was going to be plundered. The treacherous were going to dealt with treacherously. (v1) In other words, what goes around comes around. What you sow, you will eventually reap. People were experiencing this and many were distressed over what was happening.
Kind of sounds like today. The plunderers, those who take advantage of people for gain, are going down. The treacherous, those who devised plans only for their own gain, are taking a hit. The problem is, our financial structure was being built on people who really did not care about the economy or capitalism. They could only think greedily about themselves. Now true captialism is coming back to bite them and they want the government to bail them out. Unfortunately this will effect all of the rest of us. There will be collateral damage. Even though the Big 3 mismanged their companies for years, those who supplied goods for Ford, Chrysler and GM and rely on the Big 3 for their existence may take a hit as well.
What does the believer do? How do we react during these times? The way Isaiah reacted. Oh God please be gracious to us. We should be praying. We should be pleading. We should be looking to God who is the giver of all grace and the supplier of every need. Why? Just like Isaiah, we should be waiting. That actually means that we are looking with hope. We are expecting that God is at work in all of this and we are eagerly watching to see what He is going to do. God, be our arm. Be our shoulder to lean on. Be our strength every morning. As we go through this, let us go through it one day at a time and realize that you are faithful every day. Let us just deal with today and today's strength. (Matt. 6:34) You are our salvation, our deliverer, our victory in this time of trouble and distress.
There is going to be a lot of fall out in the next year or so over what is happening in this country and around the world. We as believers need to go to the Lord and petition Him, relying on Him every day for our strength and realize that He alone is our salvation. Not our bank accounts, not the stock market, not our 401k's, not the government, not the Big 3. Only God. He is the Lord. Jehovah is our deliverance.
I am sure that Israel was going through some pretty amazing days back when Isaiah wrote these words. The plunderer was going to be plundered. The treacherous were going to dealt with treacherously. (v1) In other words, what goes around comes around. What you sow, you will eventually reap. People were experiencing this and many were distressed over what was happening.
Kind of sounds like today. The plunderers, those who take advantage of people for gain, are going down. The treacherous, those who devised plans only for their own gain, are taking a hit. The problem is, our financial structure was being built on people who really did not care about the economy or capitalism. They could only think greedily about themselves. Now true captialism is coming back to bite them and they want the government to bail them out. Unfortunately this will effect all of the rest of us. There will be collateral damage. Even though the Big 3 mismanged their companies for years, those who supplied goods for Ford, Chrysler and GM and rely on the Big 3 for their existence may take a hit as well.
What does the believer do? How do we react during these times? The way Isaiah reacted. Oh God please be gracious to us. We should be praying. We should be pleading. We should be looking to God who is the giver of all grace and the supplier of every need. Why? Just like Isaiah, we should be waiting. That actually means that we are looking with hope. We are expecting that God is at work in all of this and we are eagerly watching to see what He is going to do. God, be our arm. Be our shoulder to lean on. Be our strength every morning. As we go through this, let us go through it one day at a time and realize that you are faithful every day. Let us just deal with today and today's strength. (Matt. 6:34) You are our salvation, our deliverer, our victory in this time of trouble and distress.
There is going to be a lot of fall out in the next year or so over what is happening in this country and around the world. We as believers need to go to the Lord and petition Him, relying on Him every day for our strength and realize that He alone is our salvation. Not our bank accounts, not the stock market, not our 401k's, not the government, not the Big 3. Only God. He is the Lord. Jehovah is our deliverance.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Peace, Quietness, Assurance
Is. 32:17 - "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever."
Righteousness. Doing what is right. Doing what is pure in God's eyes. Living according to the standard that is God. A very high standard. A holy standard. A true standard. The thing that we are to seek first: "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." Matt. 6:33. If I am going after what God says is right, true,pure, holy and I am asking God to work that into my life beyond everything else then there is something that this righteousness does. It actually goes to work. It brings about a result. It has an effect. What is it? Peace, quietness and assurance.
When I look around at the world it seems that these qualities are lacking. People are not at peace. There is noise all around us and they are not assured of anything. It seems that the world is all screwed up and the people in the world know it. Financially, socially , politically. We have problems everywhere and people are scared.
Why has this happened? A lack of righeousness. A lack of living according to God's standard found in His word. This, of course, has happened over several decades of godless living. Any recovery from it will also take decades. In order for us to see peace, quietness and assurance in our nation and in our individual lives, we will have to start living righteously. For this to occur on a national scale will take a significant period of time. For this to occur on an individual scale can take only a minute. A commitment before God that I will, with His enablement, live a life that is consistent with His word. I can't do it myself but He can do it in me. The result will be peace and quietness and assurance.
The same is true on a larger scale. The is no reason that the church should be flipping out over what is happening in our world today because if the church is living righteously ,then we will be a community of peace and quietness and assurance. Can you imagine the world going crazy and the church living at peace? What a concept! What an example. What a refuge. It takes all of us, however, to see this happen within the Body of Christ. But it can happen. It should happen. It will happen if we commit ourselves to live Biblically.
Righteousness. Doing what is right. Doing what is pure in God's eyes. Living according to the standard that is God. A very high standard. A holy standard. A true standard. The thing that we are to seek first: "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." Matt. 6:33. If I am going after what God says is right, true,pure, holy and I am asking God to work that into my life beyond everything else then there is something that this righteousness does. It actually goes to work. It brings about a result. It has an effect. What is it? Peace, quietness and assurance.
When I look around at the world it seems that these qualities are lacking. People are not at peace. There is noise all around us and they are not assured of anything. It seems that the world is all screwed up and the people in the world know it. Financially, socially , politically. We have problems everywhere and people are scared.
Why has this happened? A lack of righeousness. A lack of living according to God's standard found in His word. This, of course, has happened over several decades of godless living. Any recovery from it will also take decades. In order for us to see peace, quietness and assurance in our nation and in our individual lives, we will have to start living righteously. For this to occur on a national scale will take a significant period of time. For this to occur on an individual scale can take only a minute. A commitment before God that I will, with His enablement, live a life that is consistent with His word. I can't do it myself but He can do it in me. The result will be peace and quietness and assurance.
The same is true on a larger scale. The is no reason that the church should be flipping out over what is happening in our world today because if the church is living righteously ,then we will be a community of peace and quietness and assurance. Can you imagine the world going crazy and the church living at peace? What a concept! What an example. What a refuge. It takes all of us, however, to see this happen within the Body of Christ. But it can happen. It should happen. It will happen if we commit ourselves to live Biblically.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day
Is. 12:6 "Cry out and shout O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst."
Today is a big day in this country...Election day. The biggie: The Presidential election. The day we will determine who will lead our country over the next four years.
I have heard all kinds of statements from people. Things like: "I'm scared." "I'm nervous." The question that needs to be asked is: "Why?" The reason that question needs to be asked is because, if you are a believer, you already know the end game. Here it is...the finale is this: That God, the great and Holy One of Israel is going to be in the middle of Jerusalem. Some day, Jesus will take up residence there and when He does, there is going to be a tremendous shout of joy. It will be the mother of celebrations. For great is the Holy, set apart One who is dwelling there.
It is interesting to watch the world. It just seems that God is up to something right now. I can't really put my finger on it, but God is orchestating the affairs of this world. The worldwide financial ups and downs, the events in the Middle East, the election in this country. It just seems that "There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear...stop children...everybody look what's going down." Remember that song? Another time with different circumstances, but major things are taking place right now. We need to pay attention. I may be all wet. I mean, God is always at work. God is always moving. He is always orchestrating the affairs of this world. It just seems that the events that are occurring are more significant now.
One thing I do know is that someday there will be amazing joy in Jerusalem. The children of God, both Jews and Gentiles will rejoice together. They will cry out, they will sing, they will shout because the Holy One, the Great One, the Redeemer of the world will there there. Seems strange in our current culture and mindset, but it is true.
"But I saw no temple in it (Jerusalem) for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illumined it. The Lamb is its light." Rev. 21:23
Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. This is the end game and God has it all under control.
Postscript: Now that we know who our president will be, think about this. How could Barak Obama lose? President Bush's approval rating was in the 20's, the economy went in the tank 6 weeks ago and Obama raised and spent twice as much as McCain. It would have been difficult for him to lose. Yet, if you would have asked any American 6 years ago if our next president would be an African-American with a Muslim name who only had two years of experience in the Senate, every one of them would have said: "No way." Interesting how things lined up for this historic event.
Today is a big day in this country...Election day. The biggie: The Presidential election. The day we will determine who will lead our country over the next four years.
I have heard all kinds of statements from people. Things like: "I'm scared." "I'm nervous." The question that needs to be asked is: "Why?" The reason that question needs to be asked is because, if you are a believer, you already know the end game. Here it is...the finale is this: That God, the great and Holy One of Israel is going to be in the middle of Jerusalem. Some day, Jesus will take up residence there and when He does, there is going to be a tremendous shout of joy. It will be the mother of celebrations. For great is the Holy, set apart One who is dwelling there.
It is interesting to watch the world. It just seems that God is up to something right now. I can't really put my finger on it, but God is orchestating the affairs of this world. The worldwide financial ups and downs, the events in the Middle East, the election in this country. It just seems that "There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear...stop children...everybody look what's going down." Remember that song? Another time with different circumstances, but major things are taking place right now. We need to pay attention. I may be all wet. I mean, God is always at work. God is always moving. He is always orchestrating the affairs of this world. It just seems that the events that are occurring are more significant now.
One thing I do know is that someday there will be amazing joy in Jerusalem. The children of God, both Jews and Gentiles will rejoice together. They will cry out, they will sing, they will shout because the Holy One, the Great One, the Redeemer of the world will there there. Seems strange in our current culture and mindset, but it is true.
"But I saw no temple in it (Jerusalem) for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illumined it. The Lamb is its light." Rev. 21:23
Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. This is the end game and God has it all under control.
Postscript: Now that we know who our president will be, think about this. How could Barak Obama lose? President Bush's approval rating was in the 20's, the economy went in the tank 6 weeks ago and Obama raised and spent twice as much as McCain. It would have been difficult for him to lose. Yet, if you would have asked any American 6 years ago if our next president would be an African-American with a Muslim name who only had two years of experience in the Senate, every one of them would have said: "No way." Interesting how things lined up for this historic event.
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