Embracing God

Genesis 32:24-28 “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."

In verse 28 it says “you have struggled with God …. and have prevailed. Jacob wrestled or more accurately embraced God all night. Even after God touched his hip socket, Jacob would not let go until God blessed him with a new identity. Instead of Jacob the “deceiver” he became Israel “Prince with God or He Strives with God.” Jacob would not settle for anything less than his full inheritance.

Why could God not get free from Jacob? How can a mortal man wrestle with God and prevail? THE KEY! God cannot break the embrace of faith. The blessing was Jacobs. It was established by God in Genesis 25:23 and declared by Jacob’s father, Isaac, in Genesis 27:27-29. Esau who represents the flesh was coming to take Jacob’s blessing. Jacob did not fight or wrestle with Esau, the flesh, natural man, circumstances, (we do not wrestle with flesh and blood) but Jacob embraced God the true source of the blessing and did not let go of God until the promise was confirmed and established.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) There is perseverance, a diligent seeking of God to receive the promises that He has given to us. God desires that we pursue Him. He is not withholding something from us but challenging us to go after Him and to walk with Him into the fullness of what He has planned for us.

“By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11) Notice the focus of Abraham’s faith was on the faithfulness of God. For 25 years Abraham embraced God, not the promise but the giver of the promise. And the Bible says that he was called “the Friend of God.” (James 2:23)

What greater thing is there in life than to be called the friend of God. When we embrace God, we embrace everything that He is. And it is out of that intimate relationship that everything else in life flows.

Andy Clark

Transformational Grace

I never cease to be amazed at the grace of God. God’s grace has not only saved me from sin and made me a new creature in Christ Jesus, but His grace has enabled me to travel all over the world and do things that I could never do myself. It is by His grace and only His grace that I stand today.

When we truly come into revelation knowledge of God’s grace, it liberates us from our carnal nature, whether rooted in pride and self-righteousness, or feelings of inadequacy and failure. Grace is the equalizing factor in every one of our lives because grace is not of us but rooted and grounded in the very character and nature of God. Grace is not a license to sin or be slack as a Christian but enables us to live Christ-like. Grace is all about God and what He can do in and through us.

Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.” Grace does not excuse us from good works but actually enables us for good works, and not any good works, but “good works which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.” 

Grace moves us from our good works to works that are initiated by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit. Grace takes our eyes off of ourselves and fixes our eyes upon Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. The brilliant Apostle Paul, who authored most of the New Testament, never ceased to be amazed at the grace of God that enabled him to be an apostle. In Romans chapter 26, when Paul was brought as a prisoner brought before King Agrippa and Bernice with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, he does not give an eloquent sermon but testifies to the grace of God that saved, called, and enabled him to be an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Somehow, we have to move from ourselves, our failures, shortcomings, strengths, and accomplishments and be consumed by the grace of God in our lives. By the Spirit we need to allow God’s grace to permeate every part of our nature and all that we do. When we do, God’s grace will enable us to praise and worship Him in the midst of our greatest trails and afflictions as well as our times of success and victory.

Romans 5:2 says, “We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.”  In these changing times God is calling us to put our trust totally in Him, so that in time of need we will have access to the abundance of His grace.  This grace that He offers not only sustains us in time of need, but also enables us to be triumphant. May you rise up every day awed by God’s grace that can transform your life and the lives of those around you.

Andy Clark

Sit and Behold

Ezekiel 37:1

“The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.”

The hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel and brought him out. The Lord of glory wants to bring you out. He wants to bring you out of your environment, out of your circumstances and situation, out of your business and routine, out from what is preoccupying your time and energy. I don’t know what Ezekiel was doing when the hand of the Lord came upon him. In any case, when the hand of the Lord comes on you, it is time to stop doing what you are doing, no matter how important or urgent it may seem to be, and focus on what the Lord is about to tell you or show you.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (KJV) The NKJV reads, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” We live in a day where there is no vision. If we are not careful, we get caught up in the linear or natural plane in which the world operates where we only see with our natural eyes and perceive with our natural mind. However, God wants to enlarge our vision to see what He sees. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.”

The Spirit of the Lord set Ezekiel down because God wanted to show him something. To be set down is a position of rest. We often want a quick word from the Lord, a plan of action, or a quick response to an inquiry of the Lord or a prayer request. Before God speaks, He often wants to show us something. The promise of revelation knowledge in I Corinthians 2 begins with “Eye has not seen.” Before God can speak to us in a way we will understand, he needs to show us His perspective. Romans 8:7 says, “The carnal mind is enmity against God.” The mind that operates simply on the linear or natural plane cannot understand the things of God.

There are some things God wants to show us. A picture is worth a thousand words. In Ezekiel’s case, in chapter 37, God wanted to show him the desperate condition of the nation of Israel, “A valley full of dry bones that were scattered everywhere across the ground.” It was only when Ezekiel saw the depth of the hopelessness and depravity of Israel that God was ready to speak a prophetic word through him over the nation. Not only did He speak the word but caused Ezekiel to see in the spirit realm the actual fulfillment of the word, the restoration of Israel, long before they went into captivity.

We must be careful that we do not become so absorbed with the news of the day or so busy in our hectic life that we fail to allow the hand of the Lord to bring us out in the Spirit and set us down to behold things which we cannot even imagine or think that God has prepared for those who love Him.

Andy Clark