Blog - Do Not Depart

Eternal Treasure Boxes

November 24, 2011 by Patti Brown 4 Comments

Did you have a treasure box when you were a child?

I had a special box just for my rock collection, a plastic box with a bow on top. Even more precious to me was a carved wooden box that had been my grandmother’s. It had a tiny padlock on it, and in this box I kept only my most cherished treasures.

Now I have a special drawer which I fill mostly with letters and pictures from those dearest to me. Sometimes when I am struggling, I will open my drawer and pull out a handful and soak up the love written and drawn just for me.

If you have spent much time here at Do Not Depart, you are surely familiar with this verse:

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (nlt) Psalm 119:11

Many of you have joined in the Hide His Word challenges to memorize scripture. And many of you have dug deep into the Word in bible studies with us.

But did you know that the word translated “hide” doesn’t just imply study and memorization? Some versions actually translate it as “treasure.”

Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You. (nas) Psalm 119:11

Photo Credit
A treasure, to be tucked away in my most tender and precious place… my heart. God’s Word is a sweet gift to be delighted in.

I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (esv) Psalm 119:16

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (esv) Psalm 119:103

The scriptures are a God-sized, holy version of the drawer of precious letters written full of love and encouragement just for me. This treasure is a free offering, given for each one of us, accessible at all times!

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, and families around the country will be sitting down to share a meal and count their blessings. As believers, we know that we are to joyfully give thanks every day and in all circumstances.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Certainly, one of the greatest blessings and joys for which I am thankful is God’s Word. While I was raised in a Christian home, I didn’t really read and study God’s Word until I was an adult. It is not an exaggeration to say that it completely transformed my life.

As we head into the days after our Thanksgiving holiday, much time and money will be wrapped up in pursuing earthly treasures. Gift shopping has become so deeply a part of our culture at this time of year that we have special names for the days after Thanksgiving… Black Friday… Cyber Monday.

But you and I, children of God, have the privilege and joy of pursuing heavenly treasure.

Let us delight in His Word, and make our hearts eternal treasure boxes!

Three Reasons Why YOU Should Vlog

November 22, 2011 by Katie Orr 2 Comments

The Hiding His Word link-up is coming, December 2. Come and share your own vlogs, blog posts, and instagrams, or simply leave a comment to let us know how your scripture memory journey is going!

Abiding Fruit :: Goodness :: Tasting the Real Thing

November 21, 2011 by Katie Orr 3 Comments

I am not a big fan of sugar-free food. I cannot stomach diet soda (as much as my love-handles would love for me to make the switch.) And fat free dairy? Blech.

Give me the real thing.

Even if you do “like” diet soda or non-fat milk, you can taste a difference. Advertising companies would love us to believe otherwise, but the bottom line is: diet soda, skim milk, and fat-free snacks just do not taste like the real thing.

Good Stuff

The fruit of the Spirit is…goodness. Galatians 5:22

We looked at another portrait of the fruit-bearing life this week, through Proverbs 31:10-31. I love the picture painted in verse 12, “She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.”

Whether married or not, I think all of us desire to be one who does good to those around us.

The greek word used in Galatians 5:22, from which goodness is translated from, is agathosyne, which means: uprightness of heart and life; goodness; kindness

There are only three other places this particular Greek word is used in the New Testament.

One is in Romans 15:14. Paul talks of the Roman believers as being “full of goodness.” Then, in Ephesians 5:9, Paul teaches that the “fruit of life” is found in all that is good, right and true.

Good. Right. True.

The fruit of the Spirit filling our hearts will result in that which is good, right and true to His character. So, as we keep in step with the Spirit, we will become just like Spirit; we will become just like the real thing.

The Taste Test

When my husband Chris and I were engaged we were invited to have dinner with Dan and Sue. Dan would be performing our wedding ceremony, and they wanted to have us over to talk through the big day. We enjoyed a yummy meal and great conversation.

Being good coffee-lovers, they brewed a pot of dark brew, to go with our dessert. I watched as Dan pulled out the cold, white cream from the fridge and a sugar bowl from the cabinet. I put some sugar in my and Chris’ coffee, added some half-in-half, and just as the warm goodness was reaching my lips, I look up to see Chris’s puzzled expression.

“It’s not sugar.” he ekes out, trying to catch me before I take by own swig of caffeinated sea water…

Too late.

Photo Credit

It looked like sugar, but it most certainly was NOT. Dan had grabbed a bowl of SALT, and offered it to us as sweetener for our coffee!

By His Power, By His Grace

I don’t think any of us want to be like that hot, salty nastiness to those around us—repulsive. We want to bring good to those around us, so how do we obtain goodness? How can we taste like the real thing?

Psalm 34:8 declares, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” He is the only one who is good, right and true. He is the good shepherd (John 10:11). His goodness is declared all throughout the Old Testament.

So, if God is the only source of all that is good, how do we access that?

Enter 2 Thessalonians 1:11, the forth time agathosyne is used, where Paul offers a prayer for the people of God:

To this end we always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of his calling

and may fulfill every resolve for good

and every work of faith

by his power,

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,

and you in him,

according to the grace of our God

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I love this! God is the one who makes us worthy. He gives us the resolve for good, by His power, according to His grace! His desire is for us to be the real thing; for people to encounter us, His children, and taste a bit of Him—the all-good God. And this is all for His glory.

People can tell the difference. They can see right through our games of trying to be a good person. They know when we are faking it. But a child of God, who is walking in the power of the Holy Spirit? Fruit is dripping off of that dependent one. Good fruit—the real stuff.

____________________

What did you learn from your study this week?

(As we consider the goodness of God…I am having a giveaway over at Living Devotionally. Just hop over and declare God’s goodness in the comments, for a chance to win! Giveaway ends on Tuesday!)

Jesus – The Same Yesterday, Today & Forever

November 18, 2011 by Stephanie Shott Leave a Comment

Today, we are wrapping up our study of Jesus in the Old Testament. I’m so glad we’ve been able to pull back the curtain of history and get a glimpse of God’s glorious revelation of Himself to mere man long before the birth of Christ.

During this most wonderful time of the year it’s easy to get our hearts fixed on the babe lying in a manger but Jesus is truly the Great I Am. He has always been. He will always be. He is God.

Revelation 1:8 declares the eternally, unchanging nature of Christ…

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Our precious Lord made Himself known in days of old declaring throughout the corridors of time not only that He is God, but that He loves us and desires a relationship with us.

We have found Him to be:

The Covenant making and covenant keeping God as “The Son of Man” for “The Children of God”
The permanent reminder of of God’s salvation as “The Lamb of God”
The Promised One who is the “Christ of Old Testament Prophecy” – the One who fulfilled every prophecy of Himself
The One who made Himself known in what is called theophanies reminding us that “Before He Came, He Came”

Aren’t you glad Jesus has chosen to saturate history with His presence and allow us to see He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

How has this study of Jesus in the Old Testament strengthened your faith? Have you learned anything new? What particular account of Christ in the Old Testament has ministered to your heart throughout this series?

The Tragedy in Jonah Wasn’t the Big Fish

November 17, 2011 by Lara 6 Comments

I’ve heard the story since before I could walk. Jonah disobeyed God and got swallowed by a big fish. But last week as I waded through the short pages of the book of Jonah, a deeper tragedy hit me.

Jonah’s heart.

flickr photo credit: brent pearson

God lavished His grace on Jonah. But Jonah couldn’t pour out that same grace on his own enemies. Instead he wanted God to smote them. He wanted revenge.

But God was grace.

I needed that reminder last week. I needed to remember. When left to me, the only thing I *deserve* is His judgment. Yet He so mercifully pursued me, even when I rejected Him. He so tenderly extends great grace in my life, day after day after day. How dare I not extend that same grace to those beside me.

To think I could have skimmed that familiar story and missed it. I could have flipped through the pages instead of allowing His alive Word to minister to my deceptive heart.

It’s so tempting to do. We come to a passage we’ve read before so we rush through. But even those familiar passages breathe with life. Even the story of Jonah contains a fresh word for my today.

How do you remain intentional in your Bible study even when reading those familiar passages?

Before He Came, He Came

November 16, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 5 Comments

A moment of honesty here: When Stephanie assigned me the topic “The theophanies of Christ” as my post for this series on Christ in the Old Testament, I felt really dumb. I had never heard the word theophanies before and I had no idea what it meant.

So, I did what all good researchers do, I Googled it! And with a lot of help from Bible.org, I discovered that I did know what theophanies are.

Theophanies are “the preincarnate appearances of God the Son in angelic or human form.”

There are many examples of these preincarnate appearances in the Old Testament. Here are a few of the people who experienced theophanies (now that I know this word, I’m sure I’ll be using it as often as possible!):

Abraham – Genesis 22:11-8, 24:7, 40
Jacob – Genesis 31:11, 48:15-16
Moses – Exodus 3:2, 13:21, 14:19
Balaam – Numbers 22:22-35
Gideon – Judges 6:11-24

This is certainly not an exhaustive list but it gives you a sampling of these experiences.

Theophanies of Christ, Jesus in Old Testament, Hagar and the Angel of God — Image Credit

Today, though, I want to focus on what we can learn from the first recorded theophany. Generally speaking, theophanies reference “The Angel of Jehovah.” We find the first use of this term in Genesis 16:7:

The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.

Hagar … Abraham’s concubine … was the first one to encounter the preincarnate Christ.

And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Genesis 16:8

He found her. Alone and afraid, Hagar had fled from her abusive mistress. And the angel of the Lord sought her.

In the rest of this passage (Genesis 16:9-13) we find Hagar received comfort and assurance from the Angel. He told her of her pregnancy and prophesied about her son.

And her response? She was the first one to give God a name. El Roi, the God who sees me.

Isn’t that one of the most beautiful attributes of Christ in the New Testament – He saw people. The woman caught in adultery, the Samaritan woman at the well, Zaccheus hiding in the tree, shaggy fishermen and arrogant tax collectors … Jesus saw people.

This angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar again in Genesis 21:17 – 19.

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

Exiled by her son’s father at the command of Sarah, Hagar was, again, in the wilderness. This time, though, she was not alone. She had her son Ishmael with her and she was watching her own son die.

And once again, this God she had encountered, saw her. Speaking words of encouragement and prophecy, He encouraged Hagar not to give up. He met her needs – emotional and physical.

Just as He met Hagar’s needs, Christ met the needs of those He encountered during His earthly ministry. He reached out to the lonely, rejected, and outcast … lepers and lame, blind and broken, He healed them … body and spirit.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Before He came to dwell, He revealed Himself … hints of the fullness of what was to come.

How does reading Hagar’s story encourage you about God’s presence in your own life?

Christ in Old Testament Prophecy

November 15, 2011 by Sandra Peoples 2 Comments

Remember counting down the days until Christmas when you were a child? The anticipation? There were signs Christmas was coming: decorations, Christmas songs, and gifts showing up under the tree. Even if you were too young to find December 25th on the calendar, you knew when it was getting close.

Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people were eagerly anticipating the coming Savior. Through the biblical writers, God gave clues to when the God-man would arrive. We now call those prophetic passages—they point to a time to come. Today, in our series on Christ in the Old Testament, we’re going to look at a few of these passages.

The first mention of a Savior comes in Genesis 3:15, what we refer to as the protoevangelium, or first announcement of the gospel. In giving the curse, God says to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). The New Testament tells us Christ overcame Satan, just as this passage predicted (see Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8; Luke 10:18; John 12:31; 1 Cor. 15:24; Col. 2:15).

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the coming Savoir, predicting many details about His birth, life, and death. Here are just a few:

Isaiah 7:14 says He will be born of a virgin (see fulfillment in Luke 1:26-31).
Isaiah 9:7 says He will be an heir to the throne of David (Luke 1:32, 33).
Isaiah 40:3-5 says He will have His way prepared (by John the Baptist, John 1:19-28).
Isaiah 53:1, 3 says He will be widely rejected (John 12: 37, 38).
Isaiah 53: 6, 8 says He will be our substitute (Romans 5:6, 8)
Isaiah 53:9 says He will be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Matthew 27:57).

The book of Psalms also foretold of events that happened hundreds of years later at the cross:

Jesus was crucified (Psalm 22:16; Matthew 26:56).
His garments were divided (Psalm 22:18; Matthew 27:35).
He was given wine with gall (Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34, 48).
He cried out from the cross (Psalm 22:1; Mark 15:34).
He had no broken bones (Psalm 34:20; John 19:33).

We can praise God today for fulfilling the promise He gave for a Savior! His Word points to Christ as the promised one, the spotless lamb, our redeemer. Thank God today, because He still fulfills His promises to us!

Primary source used: The Woman’s Study Bible

Abiding Fruit :: Titus 3:3-8 :: Undeserved Kindness

November 13, 2011 by Heather 14 Comments

My Heavenly Father is not only just, but kind.

He is El Shaddai, meaning “God Almighty”, who possesses the power to adequately nourish, supply and satisfy. He is the ultimate nurturing Parent.

He is a Father who sees and cares. He saw Hagar in the desert as she abandoned her dying son under a tree. He provided a way out.

“God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation. Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water…God was with the boy as he grew up.” (Genesis 21:17,18, 20a)

The Greek word for kindness is chrestotes, which means “tender concern for others. It is the genuine desire of a believer to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats him. It is the grace which pervades the whole nature, mellowing all which would be harsh and austere.” (The MacArthur NT Commentary Galatians).

Every week of the “Abiding Fruit Bible Study” I found myself specifically needing the fruit of the Spirit we are studying. This past week was no exception.

Last Thursday my 2-year-old was sick. Fever and weakness removed his independent spirit and he melted into my arms. He longed for my comfort. In his pathetic state it was natural for me to be tender & nurturing.

While I was preoccupied with my sick son, my 4-year-old son was desperate for attention. He acted out at every chance he had; disobedience, aggression towards his brothers, destroying everything in his path. It was difficult for me to want to show him grace. My innate reaction was harshness & frustration.

As parents we love our children. God made us, in His image, to nurture and care for them. However, we also know that there are times it is difficult to show them kindness.

I realized through reading Titus 3:3-8 that God demonstrated His kindness towards us not while we were easy to nurture, but in our sinful state (“foolish, disobedient, deceived…in malice and envy”).

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Titus 3:4-5a

We had done nothing to endear us to Him. We deserved wrath and harshness but were granted tenderness. Undeserved kindness.

God went beyond just comforting us in our sin. He sacrificed His own Son to save us from our sin. Then he poured His kindness generously. He gave us full access to Him through the Holy Spirit, made us His own sons and daughters and gave us the hope of eternal life with Him!

This generous kindness is available to us through His Spirit. By abiding in the Spirit we can have the disposition of kindness.

It doesn’t stop there. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…all proceed goodness. All the fruit that we have learned to this point are necessary for us to do good works for His glory.

We will see this week that goodness is kindness in action.

“Without kindness, goodness becomes harsh and self-righteous. Without goodness, kindness becomes indulgent tolerance. Only the Holy Spirit can provide balance…” -Beth Moore

May you be nurtured and loved by your Heavenly, Almighty, Father. May you abide in His Spirit to take on the disposition of kindness, to those who are deserving and undeserving. This week may you learn how the Spirit allows your kindness to take action in your goodness.

The Lamb of God

November 11, 2011 by Kathy Howard 4 Comments

About fifteen years ago, friends invited our family to share their Passover Seder. Since they knew all about our faith in Jesus they graciously encouraged us to talk to our children during the ceremonial meal about the Christian significance of each element.

I will never forget the experience. We were so honored to be included in this special occasion, but more than that we were overwhelmed by how completely and thoroughly everything pointed to Christ and the salvation He offers.

God established Passover with the nation of Israel at the end of their Egyptian slavery. It was to be a lasting observance to remind them of His dramatic deliverance (Exodus 12:14). Pharaoh had hardened his heart through the first nine plagues God brought on Egypt. The tenth plague would be the last, but God had to provide a way to protect His own people.

Through Moses, God instructed each household to kill, roast, and eat an unblemished lamb. They were to smear some of the lamb’s blood on the doorposts of their home. The blood would be a sign to God as He brought the death plague to all the firstborn males in the land. God would see the blood and “not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you” (Exodus 12:23).

Passover stands as a permanent reminder to Israel of God’s salvation. The blood of the lamb without spot or blemish covered them and protected them from death. There would have been no salvation without the blood. There would have been no blood without the death of the lamb.

Jesus and lamb — Image from VisualBibleAlive.com

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is our Passover lamb.

John the Baptist proclaimed it. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Jesus’ trial and crucifixion corresponded with the “Day of Preparation” and the slaughtering of the Passover lamb in the temple (John 19:14, 31,42).
Jesus Christ, our spotless Lamb (1 Peter 1:19) was sacrificed for our salvation (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Only the blood of the spotless Lamb of God can take away our sin and provide eternal life. No death, no blood. No blood, no salvation.

If you’d like to find out more about a traditional Jewish Passover check out these links:

Judaism 101: Passover

Guide to Passover Seder

If you’re interested in celebrating a Christian Seder, check out these resources:

Introduction to a Christian Seder

The Christian Seder Haggadah (the telling)

The Passover was established as a permanent reminder of God’s salvation. What ways do you purposefully work to remember the salvation provided by your Passover Lamb?

Introducing…

November 11, 2011 by Katie Orr 8 Comments

…a new contributor!

I am so excited to announce the addition of Heather to our writing team. I have been stalking her blog for quite a while now, and I know you all will be blessed by her words and her teaching.

She blogs over at God Centered Mom and you can also follow her on Twitter.