The Table California
The Table is a church family in Arroyo Grande, California. Our desire is to give Jesus His desire...a house where He can be Himself with His family. This podcast hosts the weekly teachings from our Sunday evening gatherings and occasionally supplemental conversations throughout the week.
The Table California
Ceaseless Radiance: No One But Jesus Only
In this message we examine how Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, the exact representation of His nature. We look at the Greek term "character," found in Hebrews 1:3, which emphasizes Jesus as the authentic and permanent imprint of God's essence, like a stamp engraved on a coin. Jesus consistently radiates God’s glory, comparable to the constant presence of stars, even when hidden by daylight. This metaphor teaches that despite our distractions, Jesus remains with us, ready to reveal God in our situations.
This message underscores the principle "whatever you look at, you empower," cautioning us against fixating on inferior distractions over Jesus, our true guiding light. Our focus determines whether we empower earthly issues or magnify God's presence in our lives. This is a call to enthrone Jesus by focusing on Him amidst adversities, thus dethroning problems and placing them under God’s dominion.
Peter’s encounter during the Transfiguration (Matthew 17) reveals the folly of equating Jesus with mere historical figures like Moses (the law) or Elijah (the prophets). When overshadowed by divine presence, Jesus stands out as the sole representation of God’s glory and essence.
In conclusion, focusing on Jesus rather than temporal or troubling circumstances empowers us to experience God’s glory and guidance. Jesus is the unwavering light in the midst of darkness.
For more information on THE TABLE please visit:
www.thetablecalifornia.com
So good. Thank you, thank you both. Amen, oh man, praise God. Does anybody want to be baptized? I mean that We've got the tank, we've got water. I'm going to ask that every time we gather from now on. Yeah, we got a tank right here. We can fill it with water If anyone wants to be baptized. What's that she said? Do we have hot water? Well, the baptism is kind of contingent on the temperature of the water. I have wetsuits that you can put on. Seriously, I want us to be a church culture that is ready at all times for the waters of baptism. Okay, there's one other announcement that we need to make. This one. I'm actually kind of excited about this. I know Lindsay is too.
Speaker 1:The weather, obviously, is beginning to change. We're getting ready to come into daylight savings time in a few weeks. So we've been thinking like, okay, what do we do when that happens? And we've just asked a few people if we move to service our gathering time to the morning, would that affect folks? It sounded like that would affect quite a few people. So we want to keep the gathering time like it is, at four o'clock, but we're going to transition in two weeks into this building right here, so we're still going to be here. We're just going to be inside of that beautiful glory chamber right there, and wonderful folks have been kind enough to lend a tent for us to use for the winter months. So if we need extra space, and I imagine we will, we're going to butt that up against the garage door, open the garage door. That allows for more chairs. We have heaters that will turn on in there. If you haven't been in the building, it is super cozy, super awesome. We've got a wood-burning fires, wood stove in there, some cozy furniture. I love it in there. Probably too much, but it's another conversation. So in two weeks we're going to shift there.
Speaker 1:The thing is we're going to need to start at four o'clock. So I'm going to start saying we start at three 59 so that you guys think, okay, well, I need to get there by three 45 so that I can hang out, I can bring whatever talk to whoever gets settled, but we're going to need to start right at four o'clock. So just make preparation for that. If you're late, it's cool, there's grace, we understand. Things happen, cars break down, there's traffic, kids, whatever. But if you could just as best as you can, get here before 4 o'clock so that we can jump in and begin at 4 o'clock. That's going to be helpful.
Speaker 1:Second important thing we're not going to do a meal every Sunday. The kids are just heart, they're just destroyed right now. We're not going to do a meal every Sunday during these winter months. Practically, logistically, it would just be a challenge. But what we are going to do is the third Sunday of every month we will have a meal, and so that time is going to look a little similar to a few weeks ago when we had, like the barbecue and there were tables set up in here and it was fellowship time. So that third Sunday of the month we will do a meal and we'll remind you guys of these things as we go on. I just want to let you know ahead of time. So, two weeks get here before four o'clock. If you want to get here and hang out, come at 3.30. Like, help move chairs, hang out, we're here. Get here by four o'clock and we will not have a meal that first Sunday.
Speaker 1:Any questions? Okay, let's pray and then we'll jump into the word. Thank you, lord. Lord, I ask that you give me the grace to communicate things that are much too big for me. Oh, give us all the grace to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Holy Spirit, exalt Jesus in our midst. Holy Spirit, reveal Jesus to us through this living word of yours. Thank you, god. We love you. We desire to love you so much more. Give us that grace now as we open your word In Jesus' name. Amen.
Speaker 1:Okay, open up to Hebrews, chapter 1. Hebrews, chapter 1. Hebrews, chapter 1, beginning in verse 1. God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in the past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom he also made the world. Verse three and he, jesus, is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his nature. He upholds all things by the power of his word. Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression, the exact representation of God's nature. Jesus is not a reflection of the father. Jesus is the essence and the nature of God. Jesus wasn't kidding around when he said if you've seen me, you've seen the father. Jesus is exactly what God wants to say about himself. As I heard someone put it so perfectly Jesus is exactly what God wants to say about himself. Now I want to point out something in verse three that is pretty fascinating. Verse three says he's the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his nature. The Greek word for that phrase that we translate exact representation is charakter. Say charakter, charakter. Now this is the only time that this word charakter is used in scripture.
Speaker 1:This word charakter means to be embossed onto a coin, or engraved or stamped onto a coin. It's the writing style that is so unique to an individual. Caractere is the bodily and psychological structure that you were born with. That makes you completely unique from anyone else on the planet. Caractere is the quality of a snowflake that makes it unlike any other snowflake. Caractere is something that is innate. It just is Like. When you look at a coin, it just has that engraving on it. It just is. When you look at a snowflake, it just has its own uniqueness to it. You have your own distinction about you. That's charakter. Charakter is something that just is. It doesn't change, it doesn't develop over time. It is like the coin doesn't improve itself with further engraving. It is, it has it. So this is where we need to make the distinction.
Speaker 1:It's not character, although it sounds like it would be, because our character matures and develops over time. Character it just is. Hebrews 1.3 is saying that Jesus reveals God in a unique and a complete way that only God himself can reveal. Jesus is the fullness of deity in bodily form, as Paul says in Colossians 2.9, jesus is God and Jesus perfectly reveals God.
Speaker 1:Now, as cool as that all that is, that's not the main throcks of my message today. It's not where we're going to spend the majority of our time, but I do want to flesh out this word character a little more. Character is constant. It's always present. Again, the stamp on the coin is always there. Character is always present, even if it's not always seen. Just because I have a coin in my pocket doesn't mean that it's no longer engraved with the image. Even if character is hidden from sight, it's still there. So, kids, let me ask you a question Are there stars in the sky right now? I don't see any stars, yeah, right now. Are there stars above us right now? We got some yeses, we got some no's. Why are you saying there's no stars in the sky right now? Because you can't see them? Yes, okay. Why are you saying that there are stars in the sky?
Speaker 3:because if you go up in space, you can see the stars. You can't see stars because they're blue.
Speaker 1:The sky is hiding them. Okay, so there are still stars there, we just can't see them. Okay, that's charakter. Even though we can't see it, it's still there. Even though we can't see the stars right now, joshua, there are stars above us. What do we do? Even Even though we can't see the stars right now, joshua, there are stars above us. Even though we can't see the stars, they're there. They're just currently overshadowed by something else, like a star that seems to be hidden in the daytime. It's still up there. It's still radiating glory. The star is still shining. It's just overshadowed right now by something brighter the sun. In the same way, now we're getting to the meat.
Speaker 1:Jesus is always with us. He's always radiating glory, he's always revealing God. He's like the North Star in the sky. He's constant, he's unchanging, it's always there. It's always shining brightly and pointing the way home. Come on somebody.
Speaker 1:But sometimes he's overshadowed by something inferior that we're giving more attention to. When Jesus is my obsession, he is the brightest star in my solar system. Can we say it that way, using the metaphor? When he's everything to me, he is the brightest star in my universe. When I take my eyes off of Jesus and I give attention to something that's happening around me. He's still there and he still wants to reveal God into my situation, but he's overshadowed by something that I'm giving higher priority to. For example, the North Star is always going to be the brightest star in the sky. What happens when I give my attention to an airplane that's flying by? I get distracted and I follow this airplane. The lights on the wings of that plane become the brightest thing in my universe. But what's brighter the North Star or the blinking light on a plane? The North Star or the blinking light on a plane? The North Star. But by giving attention to something inferior, I'm tricking myself into thinking it's the brightest thing in the solar system.
Speaker 1:Here comes a good line for you. You ready? Are you listening? Get your pens ready. I get to determine which star shines the brightest in my solar system. He's unchanging. He's always radiating glory. I'm the one who changes and gets distracted and become fascinated with inferior things. I get to determine which star is shining the brightest in my solar system.
Speaker 1:So let's apply this metaphor to our day-to-day lives. I get to determine if my problem is shining the brightest or if Jesus is shining the brightest. I get to determine if my feelings are shining the brightest or if Jesus is. I get to determine if my feelings are shining the brightest or if Jesus is. I get to determine if my bank account is shining the brightest or if Jesus is. I get to determine if the diagnosis is shining the brightest or if Jesus is. I get to determine fill in the blank. I get to determine fill in the blank or if Jesus is.
Speaker 1:And here we arrive at the main point that I want to make Whatever you look at you, empower Whatever you look at. You. Give authority to Whatever you look at you. Empower we good. So far, everybody tracking. I've done good with my analogies and my metaphors and my illustrations. So good. She says it's my daughter, everyone.
Speaker 1:I can't look at two things at the same time. Right, I can't look at Jesus and my situation. I can't give a hundred percent to Jesus and a hundred percent to my problem. So when I look at my situation, I can't give a hundred percent to Jesus and a hundred percent to my problem. So when I look at my problem, or I look at my feelings or I look at my fears and I give more attention to those things than I do to Jesus, I'm empowering my situation. I'm feeding that problem more than I am empowering Jesus to reveal God into my situation. Whoever sows to the flesh will reap destruction from the flesh. What am I doing? I'm sowing, I'm empowering, I'm fueling things of the flesh. And what's going to happen? I'm going to reap destruction of the flesh. Whoever sows to the spirit, whoever focuses on the spirit, empowers the spirit, will reap eternal life from the spirit. It's Galatians 6.8. Whatever you look at, you empower.
Speaker 1:Now I'm going to use a story from scripture to illustrate my point. So turn to 2 Chronicles To illustrate my point. So turn to 2 Chronicles, chapter 20. Tommy's going to read a verse for us. You ready, bud. I'm excited about this. While Tommy gets ready, 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, I'm going to summarize the backstory. I know it's distracting because Jack is cutting a field next door, but try to stay locked in. You're doing good, all right. 2 Chronicles, chapter 20. This is a fantastic story. I would encourage you to study it, read through it, meditate on it on your own time. It is an awesome story.
Speaker 1:The Reader's Digest version 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, tells a story of King Jehoshaphat Seth Olivia, there's another name for you for baby number two Jehoshaphat, maybe King. The first name, jehoshaphat, the middle name King Jehoshaphat Brigham, the first King Jehoshaphat. He was king over God's people at a time when the Moabites and the Ammonites and other nations that surrounded Israel, they all came together and declared war on God's people. King Jehoshaphat, he sees his enemies advancing and surrounding them. So what does he do? He determines to seek the Lord. He proclaims a fast and he gathers all of God's people together in Jerusalem so that they could seek the Lord together. And when the nation, when God's people gathered together, the king stands in the middle of the assembly and he says this in verse 12. Go ahead, tommy, let it rip. Good job, buddy. Thank you. Good job, tommy. Can I read it again? In case somebody didn't hear that, I'm going to read it again. Is that cool, okay?
Speaker 1:Second Chronicles, 20, verse 12. This is what Jehoshaphat the king proclaims in front of the entire nation oh Lord, our God, will you not judge our enemies? For we have no power against this great multitude that's coming against us, nor do we know what to do. Can you imagine Trump or Biden standing up in front of the nations that I have no idea what to do? In fact, I'm powerless. That wasn't a political statement. That's why I said Trump or Biden.
Speaker 1:Imagine any king standing up and saying that oh Lord, our God. We are completely powerless. We have no idea what to do, but listen to what he says next. Our eyes are on you. Our eyes are fixed on the one who's unchanging and all powerful. Jehoshaphat's eyes were not on his enemies assembling together just outside of the border. His eyes were not on his military leaders getting counsel from them. His eyes were not on his allies. His eyes were not on his weapons, his strategies that may have worked in the past. His eyes were on Yahweh, a complete posture of humility in front of the entire nation. Now look at the result of what happens next.
Speaker 1:Verse 13. Now, all of Judah with their little ones, their wives, their children. I love that, that multi-generational picture. We're all in this together, man. Now, all of Judah with their little ones, their wives, their children. They stood before the Lord. Do you remember that language from a couple of weeks ago? That's priestly language standing before the Lord, ministering to him. They stood before the Lord, ministering to him. They stood before the Lord.
Speaker 1:Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jehaziel. Who's Jehaziel? We don't know. We don't know. He's just some dude in the crowd. There's nothing special about him. He's not a high, anointed prophet in the land that everyone's looking to for the word of the Lord. He's just some guy there in the midst of humble, broken, contrite Israel, with their eyes fixed on Jesus.
Speaker 1:And the spirit of the Lord comes on this young man and he says this listen, all of Judah and you, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. He's talking to the king, king, listen to me, I got a word from the Lord. Thus says the Lord to you. Oh boy, you better get this one right. Young man Thus says the Lord Don't be afraid because of this multitude, for the battle is not yours. The battle belongs to the Lord. Tomorrow, go down against them and they will surely come up by the ascent of Zs, verse 17,. You won't need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Do not fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow, go out against them, for the Lord is with you. Their eyes were on the Lord, not their situation. And then God rewards them by saying you're going to see my salvation tomorrow.
Speaker 1:The next day, they go out to the battlefield worshiping. We don't have time, but on your own, look at that. It's awesome, a beautiful picture. They go out in praise. Praise becomes their weapon. They go out onto the battlefield worshiping and their enemies begin fighting one another. The Lord brings confusion on their enemies and the Moabites and the Ammonites. They fight each other. Israel wins. As God's people lifted their eyes off of their enemies and looked to the Lord, they saw his salvation released over their situation. God was empowered in that moment to be God over Israel's enemies. The humility of his people made room for God to be God. That's a good statement right there. The humility of God's people made space for God to be God.
Speaker 1:If you belong to the Lord, the battle does not belong to you. It belongs to the Lord. See how that works. If you belong to him, the battle doesn't belong to you, it's his. If you belong to the Lord, your situation doesn't belong to you. It belongs to him. If you belong to the Lord, your diagnosis doesn't belong to you. It's in his hands. You belong to the Lord. Your bank account doesn't belong to you. It belongs to him. Your lost family members, your prodigal children, your past, your present and what happens in the future. It doesn't belong to you. It belongs to him If you belong to the Lord, then you've been crucified with Christ. Your life is no longer your own. You've been bought at a price. The moment that you give more attention to your situation than you do to the God of your situation is the moment that you take ownership of your problem. I'm going to read that one again, because that's a doozy the moment that you give more attention to your situation than you do to the God of your situation is the moment that you take ownership of that problem.
Speaker 1:If Jehoshaphat would have kept his eyes on Moab and Amon, he would have had to come up with the solution. That problem would have belonged to him. But that posture of fasting and humility in front of the entire nation, lord, I have no idea what to do, but my eyes are on you. God's like great. I can be myself. Now, now that you're out of the way, I can actually be God in this situation. When your eyes are on him, your enemies become his enemies. I like that one. I don't want my enemies to be my enemies. I want god to deal with the wicked. I want god to speak and defend me. I want god to move on my behalf. I can't do it the way that he does. When my eyes are on him, my enemies become his enemies and he's undefeated. He bats a thousand.
Speaker 1:King Jehoshaphat understood something that is very important for us to understand the threat against God's people was a threat against the testimony of God in the earth. Moab wasn't coming against Jehoshaphat. Moab was coming against God, the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob, the God of Israel, the God of Jerusalem. Moab was taking a stand against Yahweh. If Jehoshaphat as a righteous king who genuinely sought the Lord, if Jehoshaphat is destroyed by the enemy armies, what's this going to say about Jehoshaphat's God? What's the testimony of God going to be in the earth in Jehoshaphat's generation? So, were the Moabites Jehoshaphat's problem or God's problem? It's a rhetorical question. The Moabites were not Jehoshaphat's problem. They were God's problem, as long as Jehoshaphat kept his eyes on Yahweh.
Speaker 1:Was Goliath David's problem or God's problem? Was Goliath David's problem or God's problem? Because the way I read the story, goliath is running his mouth not against Saul and his army, but against the God of Israel. Goliath was God's problem. Goliath didn't know it. He had picked a fight with Yahweh. Was the lion Daniel's problem or God's problem? Because Daniel had lived his entire life worshiping and declaring this God of Israel and how great he is. All right, let's throw that troublemaker in with the lions and see how great this God is. The lion was God's problem. Was Pharaoh Moses' problem or God's problem? Because Moses talked a big game about how awesome Yahweh was and Pharaoh wasn't buying it. Pharaoh was God's problem as long as Moses' perspective was right.
Speaker 1:The enemy wants to use Goliath to disprove what God says about himself. I'm going to say that one again too. The enemy wants to use Goliath to disprove what God has said about himself. The situation standing in front of you is not a problem for you to figure out. It's actually an assault against the testimony of God in your life. Man, if we can get a hold of this, it puts problems in a really good place. This situation standing in front of you is not a problem for you to figure out. It is actually an assault against the testimony of God in your life.
Speaker 1:When I know that the diagnosis is an assault against who God says he is, I don't focus on the diagnosis. I come to him and I say Lord, did you hear what the doctors were saying about your son? When the prodigal child has not come home, of course we pray for them to come home. Don't hear what I'm not saying. Of course we go to doctors and we trust in the wisdom that God has given doctors to heal us with on occasion. But we go to God and we say Lord, it's not okay that one part of my family is in the kingdom but the other part is not. That's an assault against your testimony. Because you are a multi-generational God, you're the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob. Because you are a multi-generational God, you're the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob. Let me see if I can make this point In my head. It's really good.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's go back to the very beginning Eve's mistake. Where did Eve get it wrong? She engaged with the serpent who was taking aim? Not Eve. She didn't care about Eve. The serpent's aim was on the testimony of God in creation. That's where I'm going. Did God really say he's trying to snake his way in to get her eyes off of God?
Speaker 1:She got her eyes off of God and onto something forbidden and the serpent says don't listen to God. He knows. If you eat of the fruit what's going to happen. Your eyes will be opened. That's what Genesis 3 says. Your eyes will be opened. That's what Genesis 3 says your eyes will be opened and you'll be just like him. So she looked at the fruit and she sees wow, it's actually beautiful to the eyes, genesis 3, 6. What's the strategy of the enemy? Get your eyes off of the radiant one and onto something inferior, no matter how beautiful it may appear. She got her eyes off of the most beautiful thing in the solar system and became infatuated with something inferior. Remember that next time you're tempted to look at pornography, she enthroned her temptation by fixing her eyes on it. She empowered the temptation by fixing her eyes on it.
Speaker 1:But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, we're enthroning him, empowering him to be God in our situation and we're dethroning our problem. We're enthroning the king and we're dethroning the temptation or the situation. By fixing our eyes on Jesus, we're putting our situation into its proper place. We're putting our listen to this. By fixing our eyes on Jesus, we're putting our situation into its proper place. We're putting our problem where all of God's enemies belong underneath his feet. That's where all of his enemies end up underneath his feet. That's where all of his enemies end up, underneath his feet. And by fixing our eyes on him, we're dethroning our problem. Enthrone Jesus by fixing your eyes on him in the midst of your enemies, which simultaneously dethrones your problem. And now that big, scary problem has become part of the footstool that lifts Jesus higher and higher. Come on, man, this good stuff, this big scary problem, now gets put in its proper place, underneath the feet of Jesus, and what does that do? It exalts him even higher. That's him turning all things together for good.
Speaker 1:Whatever you look at, you enthrone. Whatever you look at, you empower. Whatever you look at, you move towards Any surfers in here. We need Shane here. He could, he could verify. Okay, yeah, we'll get some surfers over here. Whatever you look at, you move towards. How about motorcycle riders? Any motorcycle riders? No, guys, come on, man. We need to do this family thing. We need to surf together. We need to get on the road and ride motorcycles together. We'd be like the coolest church around. Kayaking, yeah, kayaking, kayaking, kayaking, okay, I think, kayaking, okay. I think the principle would work there. The point that I was trying to make in my silly way whatever you look at, you move towards. One of the principles of surfing is wherever you look, that's where you're naturally going to go. Same with a motorcycle wherever you look, that's where the motorcycle is going to end up going. The same thing with a car. Okay, maybe it works for a car too. The motorcycle metaphor is just so much cooler. All right, we're almost done. Whatever you look at, you enthrone. Whatever you look at, you empower. Whatever you look at, you move towards. Whatever you look at, you empower. Whatever you look at, you move towards.
Speaker 1:I'm going to close with this story from Matthew 17. You can turn there if you want, but I can summarize it. It's the story of the Mount of Transfiguration Peter James and John. They were taken up on this mountain. Kids, listen to this. This is going to be really good. You're going to like this mountain. Kids, listen to this. This is going to be really good. You're going to like this story.
Speaker 1:Jesus takes Peter James and John three of his disciples up onto this mountain to pray with him, and they have one of the most remarkable encounters any human being has ever had. They saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus, like, literally, moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets talking with Jesus. They saw Jesus begin to glow like lightning. That's cooler than any Marvel character they've ever come up with. Jesus was glowing like lightning.
Speaker 1:Peter's initial response is to what? Let me build. Let me build something. Peter's response is to build a monument to this incredible encounter. Three tabernacles, one for Moses, one for Elijah, one for Jesus. Good job, peter. You just made Jesus equal with Moses and Elijah.
Speaker 1:Peter is completely out of his mind. He just made Jesus equal with the law and the prophets. That's another message for another day. But Jesus just completely ignores Peter. He makes no acknowledgement of his foolishness. Then they become overshadowed by this glory cloud. They heard, from the midst of this cloud, the voice of the heavenly father, like they heard the voice of the father saying this is my beloved son, peter James and John. They fall down on their faces in absolute terror. They are beyond themselves, shocked, amazed and terrified. Jesus comes over to comfort them and reassure them. It's going to be okay. And then Matthew closes out the story with this incredible line Matthew 17, verse 8.
Speaker 1:When they, peter James and John, lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Was he still glowing? It's a great question. I don't know, but this is one of the most helpful and practical verses I think that we can meditate on. They saw no one but Jesus only. Can you say that about yourself. Can I say that about myself? I'm going through my day and I'm just seeing nothing but Jesus.
Speaker 1:As amazing as the encounter was for Peter, james and John, the point was not for them to build a monument on the mountain commemorating the situation. The point was to see Jesus as the radiance of the father's glory and the exact expression of the father's nature. The point was to see Jesus measured against the law and against the prophets. The point was to see Jesus measured against the glory cloud. The point was to see Jesus measured against their own fear. The point was to see Jesus measured against their own fear and to see him shine as the brightest thing in the universe. And then to come off that mountaintop encounter, enter back into real life with Jesus and find him in the day-to-day rhythm of life. They learned to see no one but Jesus only.
Speaker 1:There's a verse I believe it's Psalm 16, 8. I have placed the Lord always before me Because he's at my right hand. I will not be shaken. We don't go through life with our heads in the sand. So I'm just looking at Jesus. I'm not looking at the bill that just came in the mail. I'm not looking at what the doctors just showed me x-rays, for we have to have wisdom, but we see those things through the cross. We have to have wisdom, but we see those things through the cross. We put it in the proper perspective. I'm looking at Jesus first and then letting him tell me about the situation, letting him deal with the situation, letting him be God in my situation.
Speaker 1:Years later, peter recalled this mountaintop encounter and he wrote these words in 2 Peter, 2 Peter, I believe it's chapter 1. I didn't make the note here. I think it's 2 Peter 1, verse 18 and 19. He says, man, we heard the Father's voice. He says, man, we heard the father's voice. We heard the voice which came from heaven when we were with Jesus up on the mountain. This is what he says. We heard the voice that said this is my beloved son. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed.
Speaker 1:Listen to this, which you do well to pay attention to, to fix your eyes on, to gaze, to look at. You do well to pay attention to as a light that shines in a dark place. Come on, man, he makes the darkness tremble Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Jesus is the light shining in dark places. Jesus is the morning star rising in the dawn, he's the radiance of the Father's glory and the exact expression of his nature, and when our eyes are on, him only and he shines his glory into whatever situation he allows us to be in. That's another message for another day as well. Whatever you look at, you empower. Whatever you look at you enthrone. Whatever you look at you worship. Whatever you look at, you move toward Psalm 119, I'll close with this. Psalm 119, verse 37, turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me in your ways. And Psalm 123, verse one unto you I lift up my eyes, oh you who dwell in the heavens, amen, amen.
Speaker 1:Any questions? Comments? How about Tommy? Tommy did a great job. Thank you, buddy, good job, thank you. Any questions? Comments? Contributions? Yes, sir, oh yeah, come on. The light of the body is the eye. Yeah, yeah, it's good. Anyone else?
Speaker 3:I want to share the Russian translation, Hebrews 1-2. It says God now speaks to us openly In the language of a son. The Hashem translation, Hebrews 1, 2,.
Speaker 2:It says God now speaks to us openly in the language of a son.
Speaker 3:So good. I like that. That's God's language. So good.
Speaker 1:And I appreciate that, because that's exactly what the writer of Hebrews moves into, comparing Jesus to Moses. Moses is a servant, jesus has a son, so good, can you say it again, regina? Yes, I'll read it to Moses.
Speaker 3:Moses a servant, Jesus as a son. So good. Can you say it again, Regina? Yes, I'll read it to you, but to us living in these last days, God speaks to us openly in the language of a son, the appointed heir of everything. But through him God created the panorama of all things in all time, and then it goes into say he's the exact expression. So, God speaks to us in the language of a sign man.
Speaker 1:So good, beautiful, yeah, good question. So, basically, what are some practical ways that we can stay focused on Jesus in the midst of a crisis? For me personally, praying in the spirit is a big one of a crisis. For me personally, praying in the spirit is a big one. If I'm in the midst of something, I'm going to lock away and I'm going to pray in tongues a lot.
Speaker 1:Fasting is another one. We saw that in the story of King Jehoshaphat, so I'm going to use that as an opportunity to fast. So within that fast, I'm also going to be seeking the Lord through prayer and other ways. I'm going to be finding scriptures that apply to the situation and I'll be declaring those of the situation. Um, so, in in that way, what am I doing?
Speaker 1:I'm taking that posture of humility. I don't even know what to pray, lord, but your word says that in in situations like this, the Holy Spirit prays with. But your word says that in situations like this, the Holy Spirit prays with groans too deep for understanding. So, rather than take this with a grain of salt, but rather than pridefully speak in my own language, I'm going to, like a child, babble in the tongues of the Spirit, trusting that you're going to be God in that situation. That's an act of humility.
Speaker 1:I think praying in tongues is an incredible act of humility. It's foolish. That's even what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14. It's foolish. Anyway, that's another message for another day too. Fasting is also another act of humility. I am entering into this place of weakness, humility, brokenness. Why? Because I don't even believe I have the strength to approach this problem, so I'm going to pull myself out and let God be God in this situation. I believe that finding scriptures and declaring God's word is also an act of humility, but it's an act of aggression because you're declaring something. You're using that sword of the spirit to declare over the situation.
Speaker 3:And also asking for prayer from others to support to focus on God.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so if you feel it necessary to involve others in as well, that's another good thing.
Speaker 1:No because you can. You can end up. It's kind of tricky because you don't. You don't want to be the person who's calling 127 prayer warriors. Every time there's a situation like, God wants to mature us and grow us up into a place where we can be like David and be like I'm I'm getting ready to destroy Goliath right now because no one else is willing to do it, you know. And then there's other times where you need to be like Jehoshaphat and look at everyone around you and be like hey, does anyone have a word? I have no idea what to do, but the point is that, like there's not like black and white, oh, when I have a problem, I've got my 12 people that I always call. Like no Lord, grow me up into maturity and make me a weapon, make me an arrow in your quiver.
Speaker 2:I have one thing yes ma'am. It did say he was a Levite, the man that spoke up. So I've been reading Exodus and I believe the Levites were the priests right, they were the ones that were separated as priests. They were even like you were talking last time. They were adorned with the garments and they were consecrated. So it doesn't surprise me that it was a Levite that spoke out in that moment which I think is great, but but the word meant to point that out.
Speaker 1:It says that he was a son of is it Zachariah? And then son of a son of a son of a son, and then it said a Levite. One of them was. One of them was there was a, so he was also the son of Asaph and that specific lineage were worshipers. So he was, he was Levitical, but he was, like, designated as a worshiper and that in itself, I think, is beautiful too.
Speaker 2:Which, answering that question too, is praise and worship. It's awesome. It's usually where I go, and I even choose specific songs sometimes that are really good at like getting my attention on what God can do rather than what I can do.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that's another practical thing that you can do Worship, worship in the midst of your situation.
Speaker 2:One of my favorites is stomp, that really old one Sometimes I will bring that one out. Or who's coming after me.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It always gets me so fired up. Yep, oh my.
Speaker 1:God, yeah, speaking of not separating the holy and the mundane, the meal is still sacred. We're not leaving the sacred space and going into the mundane. That table is still holy, amen, okay, thank you, jesus. Lord, we exalt your name. Holy Spirit, give us eyes to see Jesus exalted, radiant, glorious, holy. Give us the grace, in the daily rhythm of life, to keep our eyes fixed on the King and Lord. Let us be amazed as everything around us falls into place. Thank you, lord. We love you. I pray that this word would sink down deep into the soil of our hearts and we would not be the same. Thank you, lord. In Jesus name, we pray, amen.