Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Jabez: Expand my Boarder

1 Chronicles 4:9...
9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain." 10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.…


.....and expand my border.. 
Extend my border.  A border is a land marker.  Did ancient Jabez mean extend my lands? It is evident that an extension of land would mean and extension of influence.  It is taking you from your current standing to a new standing in the community.  Again it could be looked upon as a selfish prayer, but God granted him all that he requested so let's look past appearances.  

Last time we examined Delighting in the Lord.  If we delight in Him God gives us the desires of our heart and if we truly begin to delight in God our desires begin to line up with God's.  We then begin to desire what is close to God's heart.  Influence left to itself can be selfish, but influence yielded to God can fulfill His purposes.  

Let my borders increase Lord.  Give me your heart towards people, toward business, towards the church, towards this life.  There are many borders.  Some financial, some relational, and some that forge a godly path.  Keep me from selfish expansion.  

Take a minute and look at who influences you in your life and who you influence.  Lord, give us patience to touch the life of a sticky little child whose energy may tire us physically, give us the words for the forgotten of this world that may see Your face, give us the boldness to believe that you put us in places of influence even with men and women of influence according to our society and pour out Your Spirit through us.  Mold us always into your image and give us godly influencers in our life. 

Expand our borders beyond what we have dreamed.  Expand our borders beyond what others think is possible.  May we always be yielded to You, Lord Jesus.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Jabez: Delighting in the Lord and Blessing

1 Chronicles 4:9
9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain." 10Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.…


Bless me
"Oh that You would bless me indeed...."  Some biblical scholars believe that bold prayers like this are wrong and self seeking.  Yet, the Bible says that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.  We all know folks who care only for themselves having no heart for God or people and as a result we might tend to shrink from such a prayer. On the other hand notice God's verdict at the end..."And God granted him what he requested."  

The patriarchs understood blessing and verbally blessed their children believing that blessing held great weight.  Jewish parents today still recite blessing over their children especially at the Sabbath meal.  We don't know a lot about Jabez except that he was an honorable man and that God answered his prayer.  When we pray for God to bless us we can believe that is exactly what he desires.   Psalms 34:4 tells us that when we delight in the Lord he will give us the desires of your heart.  Read in context one realizes that promise is not a free for all cart blanch promise.  Delighting in God is more than attending services, more than talking a certain religious language, more than the wearing of certain apparel and more than mental ascent to biblical doctrines.  Delighting in God is giving him your all, allowing him to transform your thinking, your actions and every facet of your being. 

Let's take a look at the verse in it's context.
3Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it...

God desires to bless His people and He desires His people to love Him with all their hearts.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Jabez: Deciding which labels to wear

1 Chronicles 4:9
9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain." 10Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.…


Labels:  Continuing looking at how the labels we give ourselves or allow to be placed on us affect how we view our worth and ability to go forth in God's Kingdom.

A label seeks to define an item or a person.  It gives a description of a product, procedure or a person's character or abilities.  Labels can be based on truth or simply on perception or bias opinions.  They can be given by others or even put in place by the individual who wears the label.  We may not like all of the labels we wear especially if we've been labeled negatively by someone with ill will.  Sometimes even though we don't enjoy the label if we would take a while to examine ourselves we would see to some extent we've embraced it giving credence in someway to its existence.  Maybe a long time ago someone told us we'd never amount to anything and we see ourselves as a failure at life.  We don't like it, yet our mindset and actions scream that we've accepted the label making it visible to all those we come into contact with in our lives.  I realize this may be an uncomfortable prospect to face. 

Speak God's Word over you instead a destructive label.

A few days ago we looked at Judges chapter eight found that God called Gideon to rescue His people. Let's dig a little deeper.  Gideon's perception of himself threatened to derail God's plan for his life.  He saw himself as insignificant in the scheme of things.  This came about because the enemies of Israel taunted his people making them fear even for their livelihood and his tribe was considered the least of the least with him at the bottom of the pole.  The Angel of the Lord proclaimed over him...."you mighty man of valor"  Gideon needed to change his concept of himself and accept God's truth over him. 

The Process
There are examples of God changing a person's name to reflect their destiny in Him.  He spoke over Gideon, Paul reminded timothy t remember the sure word of prophecy spoken over him.  The process of changing a label that seeks to keep you from accomplishing your dreams may not be a one time event.  It may well require that you speak over yourself what The Holy Spirit has spoken over you.  It may take consistent speaking that truth in the face of the enemy of your soul trying to kick you to the curb and bring defeat your way.  Gideon had to come to see God's calling and let go of his feeling of failure.  A wonderful place to start is a study of who we are in Christ.

Some homework
It's one thing to read about labels and to even look at Gideon's story, but looking the mirror to see your own hindering labels is a bit harder.  Take a few minutes to be honest and write down labels that have been hurtful in your life.  What is God speaking to your in His Word about those labels?  Some of the labels may be valid in someway, but God's Word and the precious blood of Jesus can break any curse or sin,  You are free.  Speak God's Word over yourself.  Do a study of who you are "in Christ"

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Jabez Prayer: What labels do you wear?

A few days ago I wrote a message about the Jabez Prayer on the church facebook.  I'd like to take a few weeks to examine the prayer more fully. There are many powerful prayers that can aid us in coming to the Lord with bold prayers of faith.

1 Chronicles 4:9
9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain." 10Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.…


Let's take the next few days to examine labels placed upon us by others or our own perceptions.

Labels
Jabez is found in a genealogy of Judah.  His life is summed up in two verses of the Bible and could easily be overlooked.  Many people skip over the Bible's records of descendants that hold names that we can't properly pronounce and whose lives seem to be just fillers in a long list of who begot who among the ancient Israelites. 

Jabez was said to be more honorable then his brothers but for some reason his mother named him Jabez which means, sorrow, trouble and pain.  We don't know why his Mother put such a permanent label on him.  She said she bore him in pain.  One would think it would be more than the pain of childbirth.  Perhaps her circumstances  at the time of his birth were less than ideal.  The name may explain why Jabez ends his prayer with asking God to keep him from pain.  Jabez grew up with a hurtful name and label, yet turned out to be an honorable man. 

Judges chapter six tells us about another man with a label.  Gideon grew up with an inferiority complex.  His country needed someone to lead them and bring victory over a formable enemy.  The angel of the Lord came him a mighty man of valor,but he saw himself as little and insignificant. The Word tells us that his mindset was stuck in wondering where the God that his ancestors had described was because he hadn't seen victory in his life.   He didn't see God in his everyday and questioned the evidence of God's love and provision.  He felt alone and abandoned.  God moved through the Angel of the Lord  to change his mindset because he was chosen to bring deliverance to his people. Shaking the label he grew up with was the first step to becoming what God called him to do.  Letting go of feeling like God didn't care about him or his people was absolutely required in order fulfill what God planned for him.  He felt little and without resource.  Jesus wants to call us by the name he has called us to not a false label put there by man or even by our perceptions of our circumstances.  He speaks our name, the character He has determined and bids us to shed the limitations of the label we've worn that seeks to keep us from His call and belittle the potential He's placed in us to accomplish His will for the Kingdom of Heaven in our life. Are you brave enough to examine the things that have hindered you?  What labels do you wear from childhood, from life experiences, from the past, from failures, from the screams of others?  Truthfully some of the labels may have validity in that you've acted a certain way, went a certain path, believed a lie, or accepted a label as fact.....but the God of the universe whispers your true identity in Him and my friend His Word changes everything if you allow it too. He is our righteousness.