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7/30/2015

Jehovah Tsidkenu

Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness.
Does the Lord have an interest in me? Well, He created us for His glory, and there will come a time when we will enjoy the presence of God. 
The revelation of Jehovah Tsidkenu is found in the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was in a difficult situation in a nation moving fast towards judgment. they'd gone beyond the power of prayer. 
Three times God said to Jeremiah that He did not want him to pray for them nor will He listen to their prayers. 

Jeremiah 23:5-6 “Behold, the days come,” saith the Lord, “that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch; and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is His name whereby He shall be called: The Lord Our Righteousness. 

Jeremiah 33:15-16 In those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.’ 

It's a promised given to Jeremiah that Israel would live in peace when the righteous King comes. 

Romans 10:2-4 For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. 

Israel was far removed from God. It's what caused the Babylonian captivity. There was nothing left for God to do but to judge righteously. 

Isaiah 46:12-13 Isaiah 45:23-25 “Hearken unto Me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near My righteousness; it shall not be far off, and My salvation shall not tarry; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory. I have sworn by Myself; the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, ‘In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Even to Him shall men come, and all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.’” 

He is the only One that is righteousness. Righteousness will win. There can be no peace on earth until the righteousness comes. 
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever. 

Isaiah 26:9-10, 12 With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early; for when Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace for us; for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 

Man has tried to bring what they call a "utopia." It is a wonderful thing, but man does not have the capacity to do it. Only the righteous can bring peace to earth because peace is the result of righteousness. There will only be world peace when righteousness sits in the throne.

Jesuschrist is our righteousness now. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu. 
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

We can't be righteous before God by our own doing. They are filthy rags. 
God will never recognize anything that men does as righteousness. 

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God. They have all gone from the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” 

Scriptures have concluded all under sin and unbelief.
Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all. 

Unless I am covered with the garments of righteousness, I can't come before God.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God. For He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

How much righteousness do you have? 
Titus 2:6 Titus 3:5 He saved us not by works of righteousness which we had done, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Likewise exhort the young men to be soberminded, 

Unless you have a righteousness that equals that of God, you cannot stand in His presence. Stop this idea of trusting something that you can do or hope to do. Christ is the only Savior. 

The law was never given to save you or justify you. The law demands things but gives you no strength to do it. Everyone of us was born in sin and shaped in iniquity with no righteousness at all how in the world can we keep a holy law? We have not the strength or capacity. It was given to show us our need of a savior. 

Galatians 3:24-25 Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

Christ did not die to secure your righteousness; you didn't have any. He died to vindicate the righteous character of God. He died to put away your sin. He did live to keep the law for you. He kept it to prove He was a fit sacrifice for sinners. The heart of man is primarily legalistic. We think we can add to the work of God. They think they are going to merrit favor with God. There is only One man God looks upon: His o ly begotten Son. You must be in Christ if you will stand before God. 

How can a righteous God pour His love upon sinners? He can't do it at the expense of His righteousness, His character. From your point of view you'd say it is hopeless. But God made the provision in Jesuschrist so we may stand not only forgiven of sins but in righteousness. 

Jesus died to make the righteousness of God available to men. 
Romans 3:24-28 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Him God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. 
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 

Romans 4:4-5 Now to him that worketh, his reward is reckoned not according to grace, but according to debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth in Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness, 

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. 

1 Corinthians 1:30 But because of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who from God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, 

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 

John Bunyan said;"Our righteousness is at God's right hand, where our good works cannot help it and our failures do not hurt it, and no one else is full of exultation when we say: 'We are accepted in the beloved.'" 

Christ is our righteousness now. For the nation of Israel, Christ will be their righteousness in the Millenium. When He reigns, they are going to call Him Jehovah Tsidkenu. But for us, we can have His righteousness now in Christ Jesus. 

No one will ever enjoy peace without righteousness. What this world needs is not a politician or a man-made king, or an economic genius or military strategist. We need righteousness to come to reign. When Our Savior comes a second time He will rule with a rod of righteousness. That gives us assurance. That is why Paul says He knows Whom he hath believed. 
Today, death reigns because of sin. But in His reign, righteousness will reign and we will experience peace. 

2 Peter 3:13-14 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. 








7/03/2015

Where are You, God?

Seriously? Where are You? 
I am feeling in despair, Lord. Everything just seems to go wrong, and I sit here and wonder, where are You? Are You listening to our prayers? Are You listening to my cries? 
I've often found clarity in my thoughts through writing, so here I go in search for You. 

Lord, everything seems to be going wrong. I am angry with you. Why did you take me out of my previous job to a better job, a job I have come to love and cherish, just to have it end the way it did?  Why?
Emmalee has an infected tooth that is going to cost us 375$ to fix if we want to save her four top incissors. If we don't, she risks the infection reching her bones or her brain. If she looses her teeth, we risk a speech impediment. Why?
We took the car today to have a repair done. We were thinking it was only a 50$ repair. Now it turns out it is a 180$ repair! A month after another car repair had cost us 300$. Why?
Rodolfo has been looking for a job since Janaury 1st of this year. We pray every morning for a job for him. We have tried everywhere, every contact, every friend, every work place. Nothing. Why?
Where are You? 
Where are You!

And then I can see it.
You are in my mother, who goes beyond her capabilities to support us and helps us through these hard times. "Where would we be without her?" I always ask, You are in my father, who for the first time in years has a business go right and what does he do with his earnings? He uses them to bless me and my family. You are in my Aunt Juanita, who has been seeking to help me keep my job and who sends us unbidden finantial support. You are in my friends and collegues, who advocate for me before my superiors. You are in my friends who are prayer warriors for us and offer encouragement. You are in my husband, who is loving, hard working, patient, and a good father. You are in my girls, who grow more beautiful, smart, taller, healthier each day with a great love for their mother. 

I had been receiving encouragement from my Bible studies of Your names. I had a lot of free time in school last week and wanted to finish the two lessons of the course. I allowed Satan to win that battle. I didn't want to hear You are Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord provides when I had been wondering where You've been.
As I said in the beginning of the post, I find clarity in my writing. 
Where is Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord provides? 
He is in the Cross, providing salvation of my soul for me. He is in the Cross providing a way for me to the Father, opening a path in which I can have fellowship with Him and walk with Him. 
Where is Jehovah-Shalom, the Lord is my peace? 
He is there in the Cross, giving me the peace that nothing in this world can separate me from His love and His hand because His sacrifice for me is enough to cover my sins. He is in the promise that I will not want. In the promise that he feeds the birds and clothes the fields and will do so with me. 
Where is Jehovah-Raah, the Lord is my shepherd?
He is in His Word, that guides me and renews my heart to be free from the bondage of sin. 
He is in the promise that even though I walk through the valley of death and sorrow, no evil will come to me because You are with me.
Where is Jehovah- Tsidkenu, the Lord is my righteousness?
Well, I definitely hope He gives me justice for the injustice I experienced, but He never promised an easy life. He promised He would be there. He is in the Cross, dying to pay the righteous debt I had against Him so that I could be justified through faith.
Where is Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is my banner?
He is there in the promise that everything that happens to us is for our good. He is in His will for us which is good, agreeable, and perfect. He is in the Cross telling us that if we believe in Him no one will take us from His hand. He will be with us until the end of time. 
Where is El Shadai, the fruitful One?
He is the one Who promised to refined us, but it was to be done through fire. He is the One Who asks us to consider it great joy when facing many trials because this perfects our faith and, in turn, perfects our love for Him. He is the loving God Who will not leave us in the state He found us, but works in us to make us more like Him. It is not an easy road and it hurts. The only meaningful change in our old sinful man hurts. 
El Shadai is also the One Who is sufficient. He is sufficient to meet our needs, even if it is not in the ways we want. 
Where is El Elyon, the possessor of everything and most high God? Or El Elohim, the creator of everything?
I battled with this one. Possessor of everything, can't you provide my husband with the job we need? Yes He can, but He has far greater things in sight than our material needs. He sees our hearts and our need to depend in Him wholeheartedly. 
He is in the Cross. The most High God, possessor and creator of everything, is in the Cross having taken the lowly form of man and shedding His precious untained blood and life for our life. 

To the Cross! To the foot of the Cross I must go and surrender to the will of my Lord. 
Would I be seeking where He is if everything went my way? 
Would I learn to value the Cross as I do today?
Would I learn His greatness even in my lowliness if I weren't lowly?
What then am I left to do?

Psalms 33:20-22
We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!                                                                            Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.                                                             Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.                                                                                                                   And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


And gratitude, as always, is the way to go:

Thank You Lord that we discovered Emmalee's tooth infection in time to be able to save her teeth. 

Thank You that even though the car's directional and wheels were malfunctioning, you guarded our lives and kept us safe and accident free. 

Thank You because even though Rodolfo still has not found a job, Your faithfulness allowed us to reach his graduation, something we thought could not come soon enough. 

Thank You for wonderful family that looks after us and provide for our needs. 

Thank You because financial problems are fixable. Because You refine us through tough times that don't include terminal illness, untimely deaths, or things that are uncomparable to material needs. 

Thank You for being there for us, for promising to be with us until the end of time, for promising to provide even for our material needs, and for dying for us in that Cross. 

Thank You for a strong and loving family. 

Thank You for beautiful growing daughters.

Thank You for lovely friends and prayer warriors. 

Thank You beforehand because I know You will provide a good job for me. 

Thank You Lord because through Your names I can call you MY: my banner, my peace, my shepherd, my provider, my salvation, my God.