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Gaining Momentum

Nora Fisher

God is desperately looking for people that can persevere beyond all obstacles. Consider various Bible characters that often felt they had lost momentum with the Lord. In reality they were gaining momentum.

Joseph's brothers, because of jealousy, placed him in an unwanted and undeserved hole in the ground. Do you think he wanted to be placed here? God used that very hole to gain momentum in Joseph's life. Baby Moses certainly didn't cast a vote when he was placed in a basket and shoved down the river to who knows where. Yet again, God hands were on his future. Do you think Ruth didn't have second thoughts about leaving her family and joining her mother-in-law? I am sure she did even in her submission to Naomi. What about Abraham, he was asked by God to leave everything he was familiar with and go, again, to an unknown land.

Time and time again the Bible reflects stories of people having to leave comfortable settings for strange territories. God continues to do this to us on purpose. He gives us dreams, desires, goals that are so much bigger than we are. If they were smaller than us we wouldn't lean on Him.

Satan's trick is to remind you about the past. He will whisper things like, "Time is passing you by", "You should have done this", "You're lazy" and the voice continues on and on. When the Lord speaks He gently will remind you, "Keep going on", "I have so much prepared for you and your family" and so forth.

We are privileged to have an ongoing BANQUET with the Lord. You can only handle and eat a small portion at a time. Whatever fear, apprehension, set backs you may be experiencing now, may be only for a season. We are most beautiful when we rejoice in the position God has us serving in now.

Everything you need to know God has already placed in your hands. It is His role to give you day by day instructions. Take a deep spiritual breath and keep moving! Maintain that momentum. Stay in God's word (His wisdom) and ask Him to help you see life as He does. It opens up "miracle land".

Nora Fisher and her husband Gary are long-time members of Christian Challenge where both are very involved in ministry. Nora has taught classes in our School for Christian Workers as well as our high school Sunday School class. She currently ministers on the worship team and to many women in her daily activities as a Mary Kay consultant.

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Hebraic Antiquities

Elaine Ward

Mikveh: a purifying bath, to remove uncleanness, or, to be made ritually clean and fit for service.

The Torah required a purifying bath to remove uncleanness caused by leprosy, childbirth, contact with anything dead and a woman's monthly cycle. (Lev 12:2; 15:5-13; Num 19:19) Today our need for cleansing becomes obvious because we are surrounded by unclean things. (TV, movies, music, conversations ... the list is endless.) The Mikveh was an outward sign of man's necessity to stay PURE before a Holy God. It was meant to give Israel a purity consciousness.

The source of water for the Mikveh had to be running water from a stream, spring or river. The entire body had to be immersed. Yochanan (John the Immerser) was doing this very thing in the river Jordan (Mat 3:1-6). The ancient ritual of Mikveh for cleansing and repentance was bringing many to the banks of the river for Mikveh.

The 2nd portion of Mikveh was used when one had to be ritually clean and fit for service. One the same banks of the river comes Yeshua for Mikveh. How can this be? The Lamb of God, certainly not needing cleansing or repentance, yet here for Mikveh. Yochanan was the son of Zacharias, a high Priest of the order of Abijah, therefore John too was in line to be High Priest. Mikveh was a requirement, as preparation for service in the priesthood. John was witnessing and passing the high Priesthood to Yeshua, the only rightful high Priest. This ritual ended the Old Testament division of the priesthood. Yeshua fulfilled all righteousness and was now Fit for Service as the new and permanent High Priest.

So what does Mikveh mean to the Christian? For almost 2,000 years in streams, rivers and churches we as Christians fulfill righteousness in obedience and become fit for service. When these waters of God's Spirit rush within our souls an inward Mikveh takes place. It cleanses and washes the dark places within. The prophet Ezekiel in 36:25 was possibly alluding to Mikveh when he records what God says: "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols."

My prayer for all believers in Yeshua is that the waters of God's Spirit would RUN deep within us. These living waters of the Spirit can then flow out of our innermost being to bring life to dry thirsty places.

Shalom.

Elaine Ward has been a member of Christian Challenge for nearly 20 years. She teaches the Old Testament Bible Survey in our School for Christian Workers and has a passion for the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith.