We Are Anchored

"This is not a time to fear. Instead, it is a time to anchor yourself to God and His Word - who He is, what He says, and what He is doing. ... As you do so with intentionality and regularity, adding to it consistent declarations of what He says, not only will you remain focused, but your faith will grow."

Prayer Request, and Today's Word

My wife will undergo surgery on the broken bones in her left ankle this afternoon. Please join me in prayer to guide the hands of the surgeon, and for rapid, complication-free healing. Thank you.

Today's encouraging word for us:

Wisdom From A Founding Father

 “It is in the interest of tyrants to reduce the people to ignorance and vice. For they cannot live in any country where virtue and knowledge prevail. The religion and public liberty of a people are intimately connected; their interests are interwoven; they cannot subsist separately, and therefore, they rise and fall together. For this reason, it is always observable that those who are combined to destroy the people's liberties practice every art to poison their morals."

~ Samuel Adams

He Came!

 

Once Broken, Now Beautiful

 

From a Staff to a Scepter

We decree that God is greater than our failures, the injustices inflicted on us by others, and our pain.

Passion Week: The Agony of Gethsemane & A Prayer for America

From Dutch Sheets:

I think it is appropriate to pray a prayer of agreement regarding the 40-day prayer strategy Holy Spirit gave Jane Hamon before I actually read today’s post on Christ’s Passion Week.

Father, we agree in prayer with many people around our nation, asking for the hearts of any deceived leaders in our government to turn, just as Jonah’s heart turned. Save them, deliver them from deception and all demonic influence. And we pray for America, that a spirit of repentance would indeed invade our land, turning the hearts of millions back to You. If this could happen in Nineveh, it can happen in America. They were spared great judgment, and received great revival. We pray that for this nation, in Christ’s name.

Passion Week: The Agony of Gethsemane

“Leaving there, He went, as He so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed Him. When they arrived at the place, He said, ‘Pray that you don’t give in to temptation.’” (Luke 22:39; MSG)

“The Place” spoken of by Luke was Gethsemane. It had become Christ’s favorite place of prayer. This is how Judas, who had left the last supper early, knew where to take the soldiers to find Him. Christ would spend three hours there that night agonizing over the ordeal He was facing. During this time He would wrestle with His human desire for this cup of suffering to pass from Him: “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

The agony of these three hours was horrible beyond description. Combining the accounts of the gospels, we know that Christ started this prayer time on His knees (Luke). But Matthew tells us that He eventually fell on His face as He agonized. Mark added that He fell repeatedly. Christ would kneel, fall on His face, get up, and repeat the process. At one point, the agony of what He was experiencing, as well as what He knew was coming soon, was so great that the capillaries in His face burst and blood mixed with sweat oozed through the pores of His skin (Luke 22:44). This is a medical condition known as hematidrosis. I believe our redemption was actually beginning here when the first drop of Christ’s blood was shed, not when He finally made it to the Cross.

Again, through a harmony of the Gospel accounts, and by more in-depth definitions of the words chosen by Holy Spirit, we can get a much more complete look at what Jesus truly experienced in the garden.

When Christ “withdrew” from the disciples to pray by Himself (Luke 22:41), Luke uses a stronger word than the other Gospel writers (apospao). It means “to tear away.” Wuest translates it accordingly, “He tore himself away from them.” Probably more than any time in His life, Christ wanted the comfort of being with friends, yet He knew He would have to face this ordeal alone.

We are told that Yeshua became “sore amazed, exceedingly sorrowful and very heavy” in His emotions (Matthew 26.37-38; Mark 14:33-34). More literal definitions of the words used by Holy Spirit give us powerful descriptions of what He was feeling:
Ademonein: “to be troubled and in anguish, to be in a state of great anxiety; used of one who is rendered helpless, disoriented, agitated, and anguished by the threat of an approaching event.”
Perilupus: “to be very sad, environed or surrounded with deep grief.”
Ekthambeisthai: “to be exceedingly astonished, either with wonder or fear; to be in the grip of a shuddering horror.”

Wuest says Christ was “thoroughly alarmed.” The intensity of what was happening was even greater than what He had expected. It was alarming to Him! Matthew 26:38 says He was agonizing “to the point of death.” The word used demands that this is taken literally. Though death could NOT take Christ before it was time for Him to yield up His spirit, humanly speaking, He was close to death in the garden.

Again, I believe our redemption - specifically, the taking of our emotional wounds, rejections, and sorrows upon Himself - began in the garden of Gethsemane. Isaiah prophesied of Christ:

“He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging, we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5; NASB)

Don’t waste a moment of Christ’s suffering for you. Everything He did was redemptive. Every second of suffering and abuse was for you and me, taking our place. Let it bring healing to every part of your soul that may be hurting. Jesus can heal every form of abuse, rejection, betrayal, and loss. He paid for this! Receive it now.

After three hours of this agony, Christ prevailed. He broke through into peace and was now in complete control of every emotion. At this point, Judas came with soldiers and betrayed Christ with a kiss, kataphileo. This form of the word was more than just the friendly kiss on the cheek (phileo), a common greeting in many countries. This form of the word implies a stronger affection, perhaps with a hug or a lingering kiss on the cheek. That is why in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus questions Judas, “Are you betraying me with this type of affection, Judas?” (Luke 22:48)

Christ then asks the soldiers, “Who are you seeking?” When they told Him they were looking for Jesus, He simply said, “I AM” (John 18:4-5). Not, “I am He,” as most translations say. But Jesus spoke His God-name from throughout eternity: “I AM.” And the power of His name, of His words, knocked the soldiers backward onto the ground. Christ is, indeed, the Almighty.

At this point, Peter pulled out a sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the High Priest. Jesus promptly touched it and healed it! (Luke 22:51) The great I AM, indeed! The Healer! The Great Physician! And in this time of His redemptive suffering, He is seen ministering even to his enemies.

At this point, Jesus was led away to be tried and crucified. We will look at this tomorrow.

Pray with me:

Father, we can think and muse on the sufferings of Christ, but we can never fully understand what it must have felt like for God, Himself, to be placed in a human body so He could feel our pain and agonize for us. As His Father, the agony You must have felt on that day had to have been immeasurable. The temptation to answer Christ’s prayer, “Let this cup pass from Me,” must have been overwhelming. But You knew there was no other way to save us - we had to have a perfect, sinless substitute. You who spared not Your own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall You not also with Him, freely give us all things! (Romans 8:32) Thank You!

And Jesus, words fail us. You, the Prince of Peace, suffered mental anguish and emotional trauma for us. You allowed Yourself to feel mental and emotional pressure until Your capillaries burst and Your skin oozed blood. Now, You truly are our unexplainable peace and unspeakable joy. You are! We worship You today. We exalt You above all others. We love You from the depths of our hearts. May our incense of worship rise before You, bringing You the pleasure You so deserve.

And for the satisfaction of Your heart, not ours, send revival to the earth! Bring a billion souls into the family in this coming revival. Satisfy Your love-filled heart with a billion more family members. You love them all.

In Christ’s name we pray, amen.


Copyright © 2022 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

A Word for Sunday, 7/12/2020

“God is redemptive. I remain conscious and aware that in the midst of all of the upheaval we are watching right now, there is something we need to remember beyond what our eyes can see. There is an original intention and redemptive purpose of God. It helps us to look from heaven’s vantage point. We should be able to receive our intel and what our perspectives are on what’s taking place in our culture from that view. We must understand in the midst of it all, God is working redemptively to restore His purposes. 

“I have come to a place where there is a positive expectation of things God wants to birth through this crucible we’re facing as a nation. There are times where we see things have become so compressed and tight and challenging that it can almost feel like a death sentence. However, it is in those very moments where God has life in the birth canal of His people. He’s birthing something new into the earth according to His purposes. We have to keep that reality in mind and realize God is working redemptively in this hour. 

“In the day of King David, when God was going to establish the true throne of David where His son, Jesus, would sit, a giant arose in the land. Goliath mocked both God’s people and God’s promises. His voice was loud and consuming and he caused the armies of the living God to cower and to be stricken with fear. I see something very similar playing out in this nation now. There are voices mocking God’s purpose and intention for this nation, as well as mocking the people of God. These voices have loomed louder and louder over these last few months. It is over the racial unrest, over the coronavirus, etc. The volume of this mocking has caused fear to grip so many. However, we have got to see the redemptive purpose of God in the midst of it. 

“I believe that just as in the day of David, the people of God are being given the charge to possess the entire promise of God. Here is the wisdom of God: He caused to arise someone in the land whose heart was totally dedicated to Him, who spent time in His presence, and who spent time hearing the intel of heaven. In the midst of the fear, courage and a sense of mission and purpose gripped him, while fear was dominating the landscape. Today, in the midst of all of this shaking, just like then, God is raising up Davids and unveiling His unshakable Kingdom.” 

“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:1-4; NIV) 

[This helpful comment is from Chris Mitchell, Jr., on the monthly One Voice Prayer Movement Call, 7/7/20.]

God's Word for Monday, 4/13/2020

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 3:23-24 KJV

What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23-24 MSG

God's Word for Thursday, 12/12/19

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Galatians 4:4-5 KJV

But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.

Galatians 4:4-5 MSG

God's Word for Friday, 11/15/19

Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.

Psalm 119:143 KJV

Even though troubles came down on me hard, your commands always gave me delight. The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest.

Psalm 119:143 MSG

God's Word for Saturday, 11/9/19

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Isaiah 1:18-20 KJV

“Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.” This is God’s Message: “If your sins are blood-red, they’ll be snow-white. If they’re red like crimson, they’ll be like wool. If you’ll willingly obey, you’ll feast like kings. But if you’re willful and stubborn, you’ll die like dogs.” That’s right. God says so.

Isaiah 1:18-20 MSG

God's Word for Wednesday, 10/6/19

The narrative at the center of the book of Ruth (Ruth 3:1-8) depicts the scheming of Naomi and Ruth to attract the attention of Boaz, their kinsman-redeemer. The rest of the story (and history) hinges on Boaz’s response to their efforts. What will it be? Will he prove himself a kinsman-redeemer and redeem these needy women? Will he portray righteousness and Christ-likeness?

As the story unfolds, Ruth follows her mother-in-law’s advice and after perfuming and adorning herself with fine clothing, she hides herself in Boaz’s threshing house until he has feasted and drunk. Then, once he has fallen asleep, Ruth positions herself at Boaz’s feet and waits for him to notice her. Startled, Boaz awakens and immediately questions Ruth’s identity. Ruth replies with her identity and directly announces her mission; she proposes marriage to Boaz by requesting that he fulfill his role as kinsman-redeemer.

The role of kinsman-redeemer is found in Leviticus 25, in the case of an Israelite man’s death in which he fails to leave behind a son, the brother of the deceased man is commanded to take his widow as wife and both redeem the land and provide a son to carry on the deceased father’s name. This is Boaz’s alleged position as indicated by Naomi in Ruth 2:20 and it is this responsibility that Ruth pleads with Boaz to fulfill. Being the godly man that he is, Boaz graciously receives Ruth’s offer, but communicates that he is not the nearest kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 3:12). However, he promises that as soon as morning breaks, he will look into the situation. Additionally, he supplies Ruth with six measures of barley. Through a series of events, the door opens for Boaz to fulfill his position as kinsman-redeemer. With the greatest hesed  (compassionate loving-kindness), Boaz rises to the task of becoming kinsman-redeemer.

The story of Ruth portrays God’s blessing on the righteous. This outcome was only accomplished though, through Boaz’s righteous response. Through his actions, Boaz communicates Christ. His person and character illustrate the incredible hesed that Christ possesses for his people, as well as, the great measures he is willing to take to redeem his bride. Though Ruth arrives at Boaz’s bed, empty-handed and humbled to the core, Boaz treats her with respect and kindness (3:10-13). Disgraced by her position and despised for her ethnicity, the young Moabite woman appears to have little to offer. Yet, despite all this, Boaz views her as a worthy woman (3:11). Though Ruth comes from a family that has turned their backs on the Lord, the Lord turns his face towards Ruth and reveals himself to her through Boaz. Boaz foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate kinsman redeemer who will redeem a bride for himself—the church.

Though Boaz redeemed the line of Elimelek, Jesus would come to redeem all the people of God. It was him to whom Boaz’s position pointed to, for in the person and work of Christ was found the true definition of kinsman-redeemer.

God's Word for Tuesday, 11/5/19

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.'"

Exodus 6:6-8 KJV

Therefore tell the Israelites:

"I am God. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. I’ll take you as my own people and I’ll be God to you. You’ll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I’ll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God.”

Exodus 6:6-8 MSG

God's Word for 11/4/19: "Redeemed"

Book of Ruth, chapter 2:

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.

5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

When Ruth told Naomi the man who had been her benefactor was named Boaz, Naomi instantly saw the hand of God in the blessing. “Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!’ And Naomi said to her, ‘This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives’ ” (v. 20 NKJV).

The Hebrew word translated “one of our close relatives” is goel. It is a technical term that means much more than “kinsman.” The goel was a relative who came to the rescue. The word goel includes the idea of redemption, or deliverance. In fact, in order to express the idea more perfectly in English, Old Testament scholars sometimes speak of the goel as a “kinsman-redeemer.” In Scripture, the word is sometimes translated as “redeemer” (Job 19:25 NKJV) and sometimes as “avenger” (Num. 35:12 NKJV).

A goel was usually a prominent male in one’s extended family. He was the official guardian of the family’s honor. If the occasion arose, he would be the one to avenge the blood of a murdered relative (Josh. 20:2–9). He could buy back family lands sold in times of hardship (Lev. 25:23–28). He could pay the redemption-price for family members sold into slavery (Lev. 25:47–49). Or (if he were a single man or widower and thus eligible to marry) he could revive the family lineage when someone died without an heir by marrying the widow and fathering offspring who would inherit the name and the property of the one who had died. This was known as the law of levirate marriage, and Deuteronomy 25:5–10 presented it as a duty in cases where one brother (obviously unmarried and presumably younger) was living in the household of a married brother who died. If the surviving brother refused to fulfill the duty of the goel by marrying his brother’s widow, he was treated with contempt by all of society.

The Old Testament places a great deal of emphasis on the role of the goel. There was a significant redemptive aspect to this person’s function. Every kinsman-redeemer was, in effect, a living illustration of the position and work of Christ with respect to His people: He is our true Kinsman-Redeemer, who becomes our human Brother, buys us back from our bondage to evil, redeems our lives from death, and ultimately returns to us everything we lost because of our sin.*

* https://www.joshhunt.com/2019/06/21/what-is-a-kinsman-redeemer/

What is a Kinsman-Redeemer?

The kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who, according to various laws of the Pentateuch*, had the privilege or responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need.


 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth...
Job 19:25 KJV


Still, I know that God lives—the One who gives me back my life—and eventually he’ll take his stand on earth.
Job 19:25 MSG


* the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)

God's Word for Thursday, 10/31/19

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

1 Peter 5:8-9 KJV

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

1 Peter 5:8-9 MSG

God's Word for Friday, 8/18/17

Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose.

Philippians 1:21 MSG