No More New Year’s Resolutions – Part 2

How’s your memory?

 

Does your memory last a lifetime?

Or a nano-second?

 

Do you have reminder alarms on your phone?

Or do you use sticky notes?

 

Do you conscientiously enter all your appointments into your calendar?

Or do you depend on reminder calls from other people?

 

Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future. Corrie Ten Boom

 

Have you heard of Memory Stones?

 

Genesis records Jacob setting up stones of remembrance several times to commemorate encounters with God.

18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.                 Genesis 28:18, 19 ESV

 

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.                        Genesis 35:14, 15 ESV

 

Upon entering the Promised Land, Joshua obeyed YeHoVaH’s command to set up stones to mark the miraculous crossing of the Jordan.

20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”                Joshua 4:20-24  ESV

 

 

The Psalms often retell the story of YeHoVaH’s works on the behalf of His people.

Psalm 105 narrates the story of the exodus from Egypt. It begins by calling for remembrance.

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! 2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! 3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! 4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! 5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered …

[See NOTE A]

 

After Receiving, comes Remembrance and Reconciliation.

 

Remembrance: Strength in the Past Gives Power for the Future

 

  1. Look back at your life. Not just the past year; but longer-term.

11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.                     Psalm 77:11 ESV

 

  1. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind incidents and times in your life:
  • What were the good times?
  • What were the best times?
  • What were the hard times?
  • When did you feel closest to God?
  • When did you feel God was far away?
  • Ask Him to show you when He acted in your life.

Do you recognize the “fingerprints of God”?

 

  1. Write down these times.

These are your “Ebenezers.”

These are your Memory Stones.

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.”                        1 Samuel 7:12 ESV

 

The name Ebenezer is a play on the Hebrew words “stone” and “help”

‘eben 68 a stone [rock, semi-precious stone, weight]

ezer5829 help [also a proper name]

 

Therefore,

Eben Haezer72 from ‘eben and ezer with the article [ha] inserted; stone of the help; Eben-ha-Ezer, a place in Palestine – Ebenezer; also, a commemorative stone

 

  1. Return often to this list of God’s presence in your life.

Remember His faithfulness.

8b And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”Zechariah 8:8b ESV

 

9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV

 

After Receiving and Remembrance comes Reconciliation.

 

 

Reconciliation: On the Way to Restoration

 

Restoration with God’s help requires Reconciliation with God.

God has reconciled us to himself, and he brings reconciliation and peace to every sphere of life. He is bringing peace to city streets and out in the wilderness and on farms and in the suburbs and in my kitchen. He is reconciling us to himself, to each other, and to the earth. God’s ministry of reconciliation works its way into all of life, even into these small moments of our day.                      Tish Harrison Warren

 

 

Why did God the Father send God the Son to take human form and live on the earth?

 

The short answer: Reconciliation

 

  • To reconcile humanity and the world to Himself

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.                   2 Corinthians 5:18,19 ESV

 

  • To reconcile the relationship between God and humanity that was broken in the Garden

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

15b For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man [Adam], much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.                        Romans 5:10-19 ESV

 

  • To redeem the slaves of sin to be righteous before YeHoVaH

16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.               Romans 6:16-18 ESV

 

  • To fulfill the messianic prophesies of the Hebrew Bible [see NOTE B], including the prophetic shadow pictures of the Feasts of YeHoVaH – which are indicative of the God-human relationship of His original intent

25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.                 Luke 24:25-27 ESV

 

  • To reconcile to Himself, through Christ, things on earth as well as things in heaven.

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,                    Colossians 1:19-22 ESV

 

  • To empower reconciliation between people

God asks us to be reconciled with people:

23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.                  Matthew 5:23, 24 ESV

 

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.                 Matthew 18:15 ESV

 

God gives us the Ministry of Reconciliation:

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.             2 Corinthians 5:18,19 ESV

 

As we reconcile with God, we reconcile our will to His will.

We submit to His desires for us, and do not give in to our own.

We agree with Him.

 

When we are yielded to Him, Restoration can begin.

 

 

More about that

… next time.

 

 

Blessings,

 

 

TLThomas

 

It’s ok to doubt, if you check it out!

 

Be a Berean!

 10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.                   Acts 17:10, 11 ESV

 

Please join me in this journey of discovery.

  • Share this blog with others, whether they are doubting, or not.
  • Take what I say and CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF!

 

NOTE A

David’s song in 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 begins the same.

 

NOTE B

The Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) is called the TaNaK.

The name TaNaK is based upon the Hebrew letters for T, N, and K. These are the initial letters of the three sections of the Hebrew Scriptures:

  • the Torah (the Teaching – also called the Books of Moses, or the Pentateuch)
  • the Nevi’im (the Prophets)
  • the Ketuvim (the Writings)

Britannica.com Hebrew Bible: Jewish Sacred Writings

See also:

No More New Year’s Resolutions! – Part 1

No More New Year’s Resolutions! – Part 3