Psalm 144: 3-4
O Lord, who are we that You should notice us? Mere mortals that You should care for us? For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow.
This year has gone by like a breath taken, in and out; or a shadow passing by. This is the finale of 365 days; what have I done with them? What differences have I made in this world or another's life? Or my own life? Have I brought light where there was darkness? Have I brought life where there was deadness? Have I brought any joy where there was sadness or grief?
Or have I pushed people away from the light; from life; from joy? Have I blundered forth in the weakness of my own flesh, instead of resting in the strength and power of my Lord and His Spirit that lives inside me?
O my Father in Heaven, please forgive me and cleanse me of all the foolish and selfish choices I have made this year. Strengthen me to start this new year tomorrow fresh, with a new dependence on You, disregarding my own understanding for Your wisdom, my own comfort for Your training in righteousness, my own will for Your plans for me.
For I know that only You are righteous, only You are wise, only in You is there life. Without You there is only darkness, despair, loneliness. Show me Your ways, Your path for my feet, Your frame of mind in all the situations I find myself in. Teach me to hear Your voice in my quietness, and to follow Your ways all the days of this new year. Bless this year to draw Your own ever closer to Yourself, protect us and bring all the honor and glory to Your Name.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Friday, December 30, 2016
Misunderstanding God
I Kings 13:16-17
"No, I cannot," he replied. "I am not allowed to eat or drink anything here in this place. For the Lord gave me this command."
The name of this man of God is not given. Even though he's given God's messages to proclaim, and is obedient and bold to proclaim them, he still doubted his own "sure word" from God for his own conduct when this old prophet (who also is not named) lies to him to convince him to return for a meal. He did not have a clear understanding of God's character, that He would never contradict Himself ("I am not a man, I would never change My mind," see I Samuel 15:29, Numbers 23:19, Malachi 3:6 and also James 1:17). He cast doubt on his own word from the Lord in deference to this other man, and ended up disobeying the clear command of God to him. You may read this whole chapter to understand the whole story.
May we remember this unnamed prophet when we are offered a different word than we have already clearly received from God, no matter who it is that gives it. We know that even Your people can be weak in Your Word, Lord, and even mistaken in their understanding of Who You are. May we never esteem another human being over our respect and obedience to God and His Word.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"No, I cannot," he replied. "I am not allowed to eat or drink anything here in this place. For the Lord gave me this command."
The name of this man of God is not given. Even though he's given God's messages to proclaim, and is obedient and bold to proclaim them, he still doubted his own "sure word" from God for his own conduct when this old prophet (who also is not named) lies to him to convince him to return for a meal. He did not have a clear understanding of God's character, that He would never contradict Himself ("I am not a man, I would never change My mind," see I Samuel 15:29, Numbers 23:19, Malachi 3:6 and also James 1:17). He cast doubt on his own word from the Lord in deference to this other man, and ended up disobeying the clear command of God to him. You may read this whole chapter to understand the whole story.
May we remember this unnamed prophet when we are offered a different word than we have already clearly received from God, no matter who it is that gives it. We know that even Your people can be weak in Your Word, Lord, and even mistaken in their understanding of Who You are. May we never esteem another human being over our respect and obedience to God and His Word.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 29, 2016
What We Can't Do, God Does
Psalm 130: 1-4
From the depths of despair, O Lord, I cry for Your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if You kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But You offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear You.
As we examine our lives and our ways in the light of God's ways, we find that in many ways we come up short of what God wants for us, and even of what we want to be, ourselves. There is no way that we can always be and do and treat others perfectly; we will find ourselves resorting to our flesh and reacting with sarcasm or hurtful comments; or we think that no one's watching, or we excuse our behavior by blaming someone else. Or any of a great number of ways we fail to show Love to ourselves, to God and to others.
God knows this. That's why He gave us The Law, so we would know how far we fall short. Then He gave us the Perfect Sacrifice, to not only cover over, but to actually take away our sins. We are all born "by nature, vessels of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3). But God has provided a "new birth" for us, in placing His Holy Spirit into our dead human spirit, making us alive spiritually. He does this when we recognize that Jesus is our Christ, Who took our death on the Cross for us. Each of us deserves death ("the wages of sin is death," Romans 6:23), and Jesus was born as a human to die our human death in our place: "God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us," (II Corinthians 5:21): "to be sin," take our sin-nature on Himself; "for us," in our place, each one of us.
If you have never admitted to God that Jesus took your place on the Cross, then ask Him to grant you the gift of faith to believe. "For we are saved by grace," God's undeserved blessings, "through faith," believing, trusting God implicitly, "which is not of yourselves," we cannot do this in our own selves, "it is the gift of God, not of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). God draws us and gives us the faith to believe His Truth; anything we do ("works") is polluted by our sin-nature, and is not acceptable to God. That's why Jesus said that "no one can come to Me except that God draws him." But God also said that, "If you seek Me, you will find Me, if you seek Me with your whole heart."
So I pray for all of you who have yet to be born into God's family, that He would draw you by giving you the desire to know His Truth, and to grant you that faith to believe. Then you will have God's power to help you do the right thing, every time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
From the depths of despair, O Lord, I cry for Your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if You kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But You offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear You.
As we examine our lives and our ways in the light of God's ways, we find that in many ways we come up short of what God wants for us, and even of what we want to be, ourselves. There is no way that we can always be and do and treat others perfectly; we will find ourselves resorting to our flesh and reacting with sarcasm or hurtful comments; or we think that no one's watching, or we excuse our behavior by blaming someone else. Or any of a great number of ways we fail to show Love to ourselves, to God and to others.
God knows this. That's why He gave us The Law, so we would know how far we fall short. Then He gave us the Perfect Sacrifice, to not only cover over, but to actually take away our sins. We are all born "by nature, vessels of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3). But God has provided a "new birth" for us, in placing His Holy Spirit into our dead human spirit, making us alive spiritually. He does this when we recognize that Jesus is our Christ, Who took our death on the Cross for us. Each of us deserves death ("the wages of sin is death," Romans 6:23), and Jesus was born as a human to die our human death in our place: "God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us," (II Corinthians 5:21): "to be sin," take our sin-nature on Himself; "for us," in our place, each one of us.
If you have never admitted to God that Jesus took your place on the Cross, then ask Him to grant you the gift of faith to believe. "For we are saved by grace," God's undeserved blessings, "through faith," believing, trusting God implicitly, "which is not of yourselves," we cannot do this in our own selves, "it is the gift of God, not of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). God draws us and gives us the faith to believe His Truth; anything we do ("works") is polluted by our sin-nature, and is not acceptable to God. That's why Jesus said that "no one can come to Me except that God draws him." But God also said that, "If you seek Me, you will find Me, if you seek Me with your whole heart."
So I pray for all of you who have yet to be born into God's family, that He would draw you by giving you the desire to know His Truth, and to grant you that faith to believe. Then you will have God's power to help you do the right thing, every time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
What God Wants
Micah 6:8
No, O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
No sacrifices of animals, oil, or even firstborn children would please the Lord, would make up for our unfaithfulness to Him. To walk humbly with our God is to have an intimate relationship with Him. When we learn of Him and follow His ways to re-mold our character into His character, then we will be humble before Him, we will do what is right because we will discern between right and wrong, and we will have access to His power to do right; and we will have mercy because we will realize how much mercy He has had on us, so we will also be merciful to others, forgiving their offences.
God looks at our thinking processes, our attitudes. That's why He wants to teach us His ways, to think His thoughts, see His viewpoints; and live our lives as people who are loved beyond what we can ever imagine.
It's all about Love, that Love Relationship we have with God and the Love we demonstrate to the others in our lives.
Lets begin this New Year with a renewed Relationship with our Father in Heaven through His Son, Christ Jesus: our Redeemer, our Lord, our King and our espoused Husband; and let us show this Relationship to our families, our friends, our co-workers, and the strangers we meet on the street or parking lot and in the stores, seeing them all as beloved creatures made in the image of God.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
No, O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
No sacrifices of animals, oil, or even firstborn children would please the Lord, would make up for our unfaithfulness to Him. To walk humbly with our God is to have an intimate relationship with Him. When we learn of Him and follow His ways to re-mold our character into His character, then we will be humble before Him, we will do what is right because we will discern between right and wrong, and we will have access to His power to do right; and we will have mercy because we will realize how much mercy He has had on us, so we will also be merciful to others, forgiving their offences.
God looks at our thinking processes, our attitudes. That's why He wants to teach us His ways, to think His thoughts, see His viewpoints; and live our lives as people who are loved beyond what we can ever imagine.
It's all about Love, that Love Relationship we have with God and the Love we demonstrate to the others in our lives.
Lets begin this New Year with a renewed Relationship with our Father in Heaven through His Son, Christ Jesus: our Redeemer, our Lord, our King and our espoused Husband; and let us show this Relationship to our families, our friends, our co-workers, and the strangers we meet on the street or parking lot and in the stores, seeing them all as beloved creatures made in the image of God.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Patience And Self-Control
Proverbs 16: 32
Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
How were your Christmas Day family times? Did everyone get along sweetly, and express thankfulness for all the gifts exchanged? Or were there arguments, fights, resentments or envy expressed?
If everything didn't go well, like the picture-books and holiday pictures, then what was it that marred the picture? How could we have made things better? Do we need to apologize? Do we need to forgive? Do we need to make amends for past wrongs, that are spoiling our relationships today?
Holidays are meant to be joyous, happy times. But so often there are things that spoil and destroy our joy. Let's examine ourselves to see if there is anything we can do to remedy whatever rifts there be in our relationships with those who should be close to us. People are precious, and need to be handled with care. And we are, too; so we need to grow a thick skin that negative words can roll off of, instead of sinking in. Let us learn how to love one another the way God loves us, and forgive one another as God, in Christ, has forgiven us.
May we determine today that this coming year will be the beginning of a whole new way of doing things. May we decide to say only positive words that will encourage others and build them up, and see others as God sees them, through His eyes of love for them, and consider their needs that we are able to help them with, no matter what it costs us. And stay in prayer every day, practicing the presence of God, to do what He prompts, say His words, and go where He would lead each one of us. May this be a new beginning.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
How were your Christmas Day family times? Did everyone get along sweetly, and express thankfulness for all the gifts exchanged? Or were there arguments, fights, resentments or envy expressed?
If everything didn't go well, like the picture-books and holiday pictures, then what was it that marred the picture? How could we have made things better? Do we need to apologize? Do we need to forgive? Do we need to make amends for past wrongs, that are spoiling our relationships today?
Holidays are meant to be joyous, happy times. But so often there are things that spoil and destroy our joy. Let's examine ourselves to see if there is anything we can do to remedy whatever rifts there be in our relationships with those who should be close to us. People are precious, and need to be handled with care. And we are, too; so we need to grow a thick skin that negative words can roll off of, instead of sinking in. Let us learn how to love one another the way God loves us, and forgive one another as God, in Christ, has forgiven us.
May we determine today that this coming year will be the beginning of a whole new way of doing things. May we decide to say only positive words that will encourage others and build them up, and see others as God sees them, through His eyes of love for them, and consider their needs that we are able to help them with, no matter what it costs us. And stay in prayer every day, practicing the presence of God, to do what He prompts, say His words, and go where He would lead each one of us. May this be a new beginning.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 26, 2016
The True Christmas Story
Matthew 2: 1-23 (The whole chapter)
This is the account of the Wise Men of the East who came to worship the King of the Jews whose star they saw while they were still in the Far East.
They followed the star to Jerusalem, where they talked to King Herod, who consulted the Jewish priests to find out where this was supposed to happen, and sent them off to Bethlehem. Then the star came back, and led them right to the house (not stable) where they found Jesus and His mother Mary (Joseph was at work). Then they gave them their gifts. There were three kinds of gifts, so we think there were three Wise Men, but they were most likely a large caravan of camels and people.
Matthew is writing his Gospel to present Jesus as the prophesied King, and the gifts these Wise Men brought bring this out: gold, because He is King; incense, because He is our High Priest; and myrrh, because He is our Sacrifice, the Lamb of God.
When God warned the Wise Men to not go back to Herod, He also told Joseph to flee Galilee, because Herod would try to kill Jesus. So when Herod found out that he was tricked, he unwittingly fulfilled the prophesy that Rachel would wail with the loss of her children, when he ordered that all the children under 2 years old would be killed.
Then, when Herod died, Joseph brought Mary and Jesus back, but not to Bethlehem, back to Nazareth, where he and Mary were originally from. So Jesus grew up as a Nazarene (not Nazarite, that was someone who vowed not to drink wine for a specific time). So everything that happened, even the tragic and sorrowful things, all happened to fulfill prophesies that had been written hundreds of years before.
So we have the whole Christmas story, actually beginning with the angel telling Zacharias that he and his wife Elizabeth will have a son in their old age, and to name him John (Luke 1:5ff). Then when Elizabeth is six months along, Gabriel comes to Mary, with the news that she would also bear a Son Whose Father will be God, Himself! And also tells Joseph not to divorce her, but to go ahead and marry her. And Mary visits Elizabeth for three months, until John is born. Then they have to travel 120 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay their taxes, when Mary is nine months pregnant; and the trip puts her into labor. And the rest of the story with the Angels and shepherds and Wise Men, with murderous Herod, the flight into Egypt, and their return back to Nazareth, where they started from.
This is the Christmas Story: How God's own Son became a Man, so that He could demonstrate to Mankind what God is like; to fulfill the whole Old Testament Law; and to be the Perfect Sacrifice, the sacrificial Lamb of God, that would not just cover, but actually take away our sins.
When the penitent would realize that he transgressed the Law, he would bring the animal to the priest, would lay his hands on the animal's head conferring his sin onto the animal, and the animal would die in sacrifice, taking the person's place in death so that the person could live. That is the same way Jesus took our sin-nature upon Himself to pay our "wages of sin" in dying the human death we all, each of us, deserves. When we repent and turn around our thinking to realizing that we deserve death for our sins, and Jesus took our place in that death, on the cross; that's when our sins are taken away, as far as East is from West, not covered temporarily. That's when God causes us to be born into His own Family, by placing His Holy Spirit into us making our dead spirit alive with His life. And with God's Spirit of Truth in us, we recognize the error and deception that formerly enticed us, and sets us free from its bondage. This is the True Christmas Story. Is it True in your life?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This is the account of the Wise Men of the East who came to worship the King of the Jews whose star they saw while they were still in the Far East.
They followed the star to Jerusalem, where they talked to King Herod, who consulted the Jewish priests to find out where this was supposed to happen, and sent them off to Bethlehem. Then the star came back, and led them right to the house (not stable) where they found Jesus and His mother Mary (Joseph was at work). Then they gave them their gifts. There were three kinds of gifts, so we think there were three Wise Men, but they were most likely a large caravan of camels and people.
Matthew is writing his Gospel to present Jesus as the prophesied King, and the gifts these Wise Men brought bring this out: gold, because He is King; incense, because He is our High Priest; and myrrh, because He is our Sacrifice, the Lamb of God.
When God warned the Wise Men to not go back to Herod, He also told Joseph to flee Galilee, because Herod would try to kill Jesus. So when Herod found out that he was tricked, he unwittingly fulfilled the prophesy that Rachel would wail with the loss of her children, when he ordered that all the children under 2 years old would be killed.
Then, when Herod died, Joseph brought Mary and Jesus back, but not to Bethlehem, back to Nazareth, where he and Mary were originally from. So Jesus grew up as a Nazarene (not Nazarite, that was someone who vowed not to drink wine for a specific time). So everything that happened, even the tragic and sorrowful things, all happened to fulfill prophesies that had been written hundreds of years before.
So we have the whole Christmas story, actually beginning with the angel telling Zacharias that he and his wife Elizabeth will have a son in their old age, and to name him John (Luke 1:5ff). Then when Elizabeth is six months along, Gabriel comes to Mary, with the news that she would also bear a Son Whose Father will be God, Himself! And also tells Joseph not to divorce her, but to go ahead and marry her. And Mary visits Elizabeth for three months, until John is born. Then they have to travel 120 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay their taxes, when Mary is nine months pregnant; and the trip puts her into labor. And the rest of the story with the Angels and shepherds and Wise Men, with murderous Herod, the flight into Egypt, and their return back to Nazareth, where they started from.
This is the Christmas Story: How God's own Son became a Man, so that He could demonstrate to Mankind what God is like; to fulfill the whole Old Testament Law; and to be the Perfect Sacrifice, the sacrificial Lamb of God, that would not just cover, but actually take away our sins.
When the penitent would realize that he transgressed the Law, he would bring the animal to the priest, would lay his hands on the animal's head conferring his sin onto the animal, and the animal would die in sacrifice, taking the person's place in death so that the person could live. That is the same way Jesus took our sin-nature upon Himself to pay our "wages of sin" in dying the human death we all, each of us, deserves. When we repent and turn around our thinking to realizing that we deserve death for our sins, and Jesus took our place in that death, on the cross; that's when our sins are taken away, as far as East is from West, not covered temporarily. That's when God causes us to be born into His own Family, by placing His Holy Spirit into us making our dead spirit alive with His life. And with God's Spirit of Truth in us, we recognize the error and deception that formerly enticed us, and sets us free from its bondage. This is the True Christmas Story. Is it True in your life?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Christmas Day
Luke 2: 6-20
And so it was that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: For behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying. "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men."
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us."
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
So after that arduous, bouncing, 120-mile donkey ride, this young teenager went into labor and her Son was born.
This Son was no ordinary Boy: God's holy Angels came from Heaven to announce His birth! Who did they tell, the political rulers? No. The religious leaders? No. No leaders at all, just humble shepherds who weren't expecting anything. And it scared them half to death!
But when the Angels left, the shepherds said, in essence, "What're we doing standing around with our mouths open--let's go see what they told us about!" So they hurried into the City of David--Bethlehem--looking into every barn and stable on the way, and found Him, just like they said. And when they went back, they told everybody that would listen all about it.
Christmas Morning. Straw, a Newborn wrapped in rags, and shepherds. But also, marvelous, glorious light surrounding Heavenly beings, announcing that a Savior has come to save us, to give us Peace here on the Earth, and God's favor toward Mankind.
And His mother wondered and pondered and mused on all these things the Shepherds said about the Angels about her Son. Did she connect the dots between this and what the Angel Gabriel told her nine months ago? What Gabriel said, did come true, about the pregnancy. But what does this mean now? Does it have something to do with what Gabriel said about His kingdom lasting forever? What kind of a kingdom could He have while Rome ruled them all? Would He lead a rebellion?
Mary did not have all the answers yet. And we may not be able to understand what is happening in our own lives, either. We're still in the middle of the story, like she was then. We know the end of her story, because it was recorded for us by those who knew her, or talked to those who knew her. Her answer to Gabriel showed her faith, in trusting God to be God, even when she didn't understand (Luke 1:38).
And we can also trust God, even when things look like we may get stoned, or shunned, or thrown out (like what could have happened to Mary, being pregnant before she got married). Even when we can't see out the other end of the tunnel we're in, or when we feel boxed in with no way out. We can still trust God to have His plan work out just the way He planned it in each of our lives. But while we're still in the middle of it, that's when we need to have faith, to trust Him.
Some day we will be able to look back and see just how all these troubles and problems and sorrows fit into the Big Picture of God's Plan of the Ages, and our parts in it; how all our dark threads set off the gold strands in His Weaving.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And so it was that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: For behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying. "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men."
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us."
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
So after that arduous, bouncing, 120-mile donkey ride, this young teenager went into labor and her Son was born.
This Son was no ordinary Boy: God's holy Angels came from Heaven to announce His birth! Who did they tell, the political rulers? No. The religious leaders? No. No leaders at all, just humble shepherds who weren't expecting anything. And it scared them half to death!
But when the Angels left, the shepherds said, in essence, "What're we doing standing around with our mouths open--let's go see what they told us about!" So they hurried into the City of David--Bethlehem--looking into every barn and stable on the way, and found Him, just like they said. And when they went back, they told everybody that would listen all about it.
Christmas Morning. Straw, a Newborn wrapped in rags, and shepherds. But also, marvelous, glorious light surrounding Heavenly beings, announcing that a Savior has come to save us, to give us Peace here on the Earth, and God's favor toward Mankind.
And His mother wondered and pondered and mused on all these things the Shepherds said about the Angels about her Son. Did she connect the dots between this and what the Angel Gabriel told her nine months ago? What Gabriel said, did come true, about the pregnancy. But what does this mean now? Does it have something to do with what Gabriel said about His kingdom lasting forever? What kind of a kingdom could He have while Rome ruled them all? Would He lead a rebellion?
Mary did not have all the answers yet. And we may not be able to understand what is happening in our own lives, either. We're still in the middle of the story, like she was then. We know the end of her story, because it was recorded for us by those who knew her, or talked to those who knew her. Her answer to Gabriel showed her faith, in trusting God to be God, even when she didn't understand (Luke 1:38).
And we can also trust God, even when things look like we may get stoned, or shunned, or thrown out (like what could have happened to Mary, being pregnant before she got married). Even when we can't see out the other end of the tunnel we're in, or when we feel boxed in with no way out. We can still trust God to have His plan work out just the way He planned it in each of our lives. But while we're still in the middle of it, that's when we need to have faith, to trust Him.
Some day we will be able to look back and see just how all these troubles and problems and sorrows fit into the Big Picture of God's Plan of the Ages, and our parts in it; how all our dark threads set off the gold strands in His Weaving.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Christmas Eve
Luke 2: 4-5, 7
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David [actually, the royal, kingly line from King David]; to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
and there was no room for them in the inn.
This must have been a very arduous journey for Mary, being at the end of her pregnancy, having no comfortable seat in a car or train. She may have had a donkey to ride, a very uncomfortable and bumpy ordeal, over such a long way. No wonder she went into labor that night.
Actually, having "no room in the inn" did not mean a private room, but room on the floor for their mat in the common room with all the other travelers. So being shown the barn was really their only option for privacy that night. A blessing in disguise. And it provided the best-fitting cradle for a newborn baby, a manger for holding animal feed.
So here is Joseph, concerned for his beloved, having to bed her down in a stable of domesticated animals for company, but also useful for warmth. And she is having labor pains, her child will be born soon. And here's Mary, never having had a child before, but having learned all about it from Elizabeth, her cousin, with John's birth. So now she'll have to manage it, all by herself? Well, she at least knew what to expect, if everything goes well.
I don't think either Mary or Joseph got much sleep that night, if any, with her in hard labor. This can be very scary, as I found out with my first. I'm glad she had Joseph with her to hold her hand, if not more. We don't know if he went out to find a midwife, that detail didn't seem significant to Luke, or Matthew, either, as they recorded this event.
We're only told that everything went well, both mother and baby made it through without mishap, and both were doing well. And Joseph didn't need to faint!
Have a Merry Christmas Eve, pondering these mysterious but telling lines.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David [actually, the royal, kingly line from King David]; to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
and there was no room for them in the inn.
This must have been a very arduous journey for Mary, being at the end of her pregnancy, having no comfortable seat in a car or train. She may have had a donkey to ride, a very uncomfortable and bumpy ordeal, over such a long way. No wonder she went into labor that night.
Actually, having "no room in the inn" did not mean a private room, but room on the floor for their mat in the common room with all the other travelers. So being shown the barn was really their only option for privacy that night. A blessing in disguise. And it provided the best-fitting cradle for a newborn baby, a manger for holding animal feed.
So here is Joseph, concerned for his beloved, having to bed her down in a stable of domesticated animals for company, but also useful for warmth. And she is having labor pains, her child will be born soon. And here's Mary, never having had a child before, but having learned all about it from Elizabeth, her cousin, with John's birth. So now she'll have to manage it, all by herself? Well, she at least knew what to expect, if everything goes well.
I don't think either Mary or Joseph got much sleep that night, if any, with her in hard labor. This can be very scary, as I found out with my first. I'm glad she had Joseph with her to hold her hand, if not more. We don't know if he went out to find a midwife, that detail didn't seem significant to Luke, or Matthew, either, as they recorded this event.
We're only told that everything went well, both mother and baby made it through without mishap, and both were doing well. And Joseph didn't need to faint!
Have a Merry Christmas Eve, pondering these mysterious but telling lines.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 23, 2016
The Oil Of Harmony
Psalm 133: 1-2
How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.
Oil is very soothing and healing; it is very penetrating and long-lasting. It is a lubricant to allow moving parts to slide smoothly against each other without harm or hindrance. That is why harmony is compared to oil--it allows people who are very close (brothers) to be able to function together without argument or animosity.
Many families are coming together for the Holidays from far distances as well as across town; people who in some cases have not seen or communicated much recently will be rubbing up against each other, and tempers can flare. May we all be aware of one another's personalities and temperaments, and be considerate of how they may receive what we have to give in conversation and gift-giving, too. The Oil of Harmony can only be achieved when we "consider other as better than ourselves" and love one another with God's unconditional love, mixed with mercy and forgiveness.
This will not be easy for many of us. Some may even forego travelling to be together, dreading the interchange of personalities. But with God, "all things are possible," even getting along with that difficult relative.
So let us all trust God, leaning on Him rather than our own ways, and let Him do a work in and through us to those who may not know Him yet, and be His witness to draw them into God's loving arms.
Merry Christmas!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.
Oil is very soothing and healing; it is very penetrating and long-lasting. It is a lubricant to allow moving parts to slide smoothly against each other without harm or hindrance. That is why harmony is compared to oil--it allows people who are very close (brothers) to be able to function together without argument or animosity.
Many families are coming together for the Holidays from far distances as well as across town; people who in some cases have not seen or communicated much recently will be rubbing up against each other, and tempers can flare. May we all be aware of one another's personalities and temperaments, and be considerate of how they may receive what we have to give in conversation and gift-giving, too. The Oil of Harmony can only be achieved when we "consider other as better than ourselves" and love one another with God's unconditional love, mixed with mercy and forgiveness.
This will not be easy for many of us. Some may even forego travelling to be together, dreading the interchange of personalities. But with God, "all things are possible," even getting along with that difficult relative.
So let us all trust God, leaning on Him rather than our own ways, and let Him do a work in and through us to those who may not know Him yet, and be His witness to draw them into God's loving arms.
Merry Christmas!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Beginning With The End In View
Ephesians 1: 10-11
And this is His plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in Heaven and on Earth. Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as He decided long ago.
As Christmas approaches, we are reminded of the beginning of Christ's career on this Earth, in being born as a human baby, just like all the rest of us. He began with the end in mind. He grew up in a family, no different from other families. His dad, Joseph, died sometime before His public ministry began, leaving His mother a widow with a family to raise. Mary had to be a strong woman to keep her four boys and a number we don't know of girls in line as they grew up, not an easy job.
Now we know that Jesus completed all the work of our redemption; there is no more work to be done by us, only to accept His gracious gift of faith in what He has done for us.
The story isn't over yet, Jesus' time on this Earth isn't over. He will return, right all wrongs, even all odds, and rule for a thousand years with a rod of iron. This will be Earth's Golden Age. Then Satan will be released to gather the armies of the World against King Jesus, and it will be the "right time" to bring everything together in Heaven and on Earth under Christ's authority, forevermore. And we are co-heirs with Christ in inheriting a place and position in this new order of being. God's great Plan of the Ages will be accomplished, completed and finished. He will be our God and we will be His people for all eternity future.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And this is His plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in Heaven and on Earth. Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as He decided long ago.
As Christmas approaches, we are reminded of the beginning of Christ's career on this Earth, in being born as a human baby, just like all the rest of us. He began with the end in mind. He grew up in a family, no different from other families. His dad, Joseph, died sometime before His public ministry began, leaving His mother a widow with a family to raise. Mary had to be a strong woman to keep her four boys and a number we don't know of girls in line as they grew up, not an easy job.
Now we know that Jesus completed all the work of our redemption; there is no more work to be done by us, only to accept His gracious gift of faith in what He has done for us.
The story isn't over yet, Jesus' time on this Earth isn't over. He will return, right all wrongs, even all odds, and rule for a thousand years with a rod of iron. This will be Earth's Golden Age. Then Satan will be released to gather the armies of the World against King Jesus, and it will be the "right time" to bring everything together in Heaven and on Earth under Christ's authority, forevermore. And we are co-heirs with Christ in inheriting a place and position in this new order of being. God's great Plan of the Ages will be accomplished, completed and finished. He will be our God and we will be His people for all eternity future.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20: 1-17
And God spoke all these words:
God was speaking directly to all the people that Moses had led out of Egypt.
(1) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
God is the One who has the power to break all of our "chains" that hold us in bondage: addictions, bad habits, physical problems, financial troubles, relational disconnects, emotional dysfunctions, spiritual doubts. Everything that would hamper our openness with God and others.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
Anything we put between us and God is a god, an idol.
(2) You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything
God will not allow any statues of anything . . .
in Heaven above
Like saints who have died before us, or angels, or our idea of what God or Jesus look like.
or on the Earth beneath or in the waters below.
Or in the shape of anything else anywhere.
You shall not bow down to them
Or kneel before them.
or worship them;
Or give worth-ship to them by praying to them or lighting candles to them.
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,
Jealous, as not willing to give His worth-ship to any other, only God has that worth, or deserves it.
punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,
Parents teach their children, and the children admire and model their parents, from generation to generation.
but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
As long as parents know and teach the Truth to their children, it can be passed from one generation to the next, without limit.
(3) You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name.
The Name of our Lord God, Jesus, has limitless power; to use this Name for no purpose, as an expletive, is to dishonor His greatness and authority.
(4) Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and made it holy.
God is always our example and our model that we are to emulate. God "rested" from Creation when He had completed it; now the First Law of Thermodynamics (what Science is based on) is the "conservation of matter," that nothing that exists can be destroyed or cease to exist, nor can any more matter than what is can be added to it: the Lord God is the Creator, and what He has done cannot be undone.
Before Jesus, mankind were like little children spiritually, needing all the details to be spelled out. While our Lord Jesus walked this Earth, He fulfilled all of the Law, the body of rules and regulations that spell out all the details. Now that Jesus has accomplished our Redemption and given His own Spirit of Truth to live in us, it's like we're adolescents now, with more responsibility before God. Now we can see that the "letter of the Law" is only the outward evidence of what God wants of us, to live by the "spirit of the Law," the principle the law is based on.
Jesus said that Mankind was not made for the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath was made for Man, for our benefit. So when we acknowledge that we need to take a regular day off from normal work, to rest and regenerate and revive, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, then we will care for our wellbeing as the Lord's body, and magnify Him in our lives.
(5) Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
To obey our parents is the only commandment given to children. If we learn to respect, obey and honor our parents as children, then we will be able to honor and obey all the other authorities that will be over us in life: teachers, mentors, law enforcement officers, church leaders; and we will also obey God, Who we cannot see. We will be able to get along with others in this world, and come to God when He calls us into His own Family.
(6) You shall not murder.
Jesus taught that if we do not love our brother, if we will not consider others as worth our consideration, if we hold a grudge against another; then we have already murdered them in our hearts. We are to love one another, to consider other as "better" than ourselves in considering their needs that we are able to help with.
(7) You shall not commit adultery.
Jesus also said that if a man even looks at a woman lustfully, he has already transgressed this commandment. The act of adultery is only the result of all the mental activity that has already been allowed. Instead we are to cultivate an attitude of respect and purity and modesty toward those of the opposite gender, being faithful in both body and mind to our own spouse, having "eyes" only for him or her, valuing our marriage, or saving ourselves for the one we will marry in the future.
(8) You shall not steal.
Honesty is in view here. Always love and respect for others is to undergird our lifestyles, which would not permit dishonesty in any matter.
(9) You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
We are not loving anyone we spread slander about, or lie about in any way.
(10) You shall not covet
To be envious of, and want to possess for ourselves anything that someone else has, is not respecting the other, or taking joy in their achievements.
your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Everything is spelled out here that someone may own in that time period, and in case someone thinks of something else, the "anything" will cover it.
We can take pride in and be glad for our neighbor if he or she surpasses us in quality or quantity of possessions. God has given each of us everything we need, both in this life and in the next.
These Ten Commandments seem to cover every area of life that we may experience, and God's Principles are all based on His love for us. Because He has loved us with such an unlimited and expansive and passionate love, we are to love Him back, and to love one another with His unconditional caring and consideration for others, no matter what it costs us.
Love really does make the world go 'round! God's love! And when we understand His love for us, it shows us how much we are worth to God, and frees us to love others the same way. When we do, then we will live our lives in sync with how He designed it to run, and everything will fall into place for us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And God spoke all these words:
God was speaking directly to all the people that Moses had led out of Egypt.
(1) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
God is the One who has the power to break all of our "chains" that hold us in bondage: addictions, bad habits, physical problems, financial troubles, relational disconnects, emotional dysfunctions, spiritual doubts. Everything that would hamper our openness with God and others.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
Anything we put between us and God is a god, an idol.
(2) You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything
God will not allow any statues of anything . . .
in Heaven above
Like saints who have died before us, or angels, or our idea of what God or Jesus look like.
or on the Earth beneath or in the waters below.
Or in the shape of anything else anywhere.
You shall not bow down to them
Or kneel before them.
or worship them;
Or give worth-ship to them by praying to them or lighting candles to them.
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,
Jealous, as not willing to give His worth-ship to any other, only God has that worth, or deserves it.
punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,
Parents teach their children, and the children admire and model their parents, from generation to generation.
but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
As long as parents know and teach the Truth to their children, it can be passed from one generation to the next, without limit.
(3) You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name.
The Name of our Lord God, Jesus, has limitless power; to use this Name for no purpose, as an expletive, is to dishonor His greatness and authority.
(4) Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and made it holy.
God is always our example and our model that we are to emulate. God "rested" from Creation when He had completed it; now the First Law of Thermodynamics (what Science is based on) is the "conservation of matter," that nothing that exists can be destroyed or cease to exist, nor can any more matter than what is can be added to it: the Lord God is the Creator, and what He has done cannot be undone.
Before Jesus, mankind were like little children spiritually, needing all the details to be spelled out. While our Lord Jesus walked this Earth, He fulfilled all of the Law, the body of rules and regulations that spell out all the details. Now that Jesus has accomplished our Redemption and given His own Spirit of Truth to live in us, it's like we're adolescents now, with more responsibility before God. Now we can see that the "letter of the Law" is only the outward evidence of what God wants of us, to live by the "spirit of the Law," the principle the law is based on.
Jesus said that Mankind was not made for the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath was made for Man, for our benefit. So when we acknowledge that we need to take a regular day off from normal work, to rest and regenerate and revive, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, then we will care for our wellbeing as the Lord's body, and magnify Him in our lives.
(5) Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
To obey our parents is the only commandment given to children. If we learn to respect, obey and honor our parents as children, then we will be able to honor and obey all the other authorities that will be over us in life: teachers, mentors, law enforcement officers, church leaders; and we will also obey God, Who we cannot see. We will be able to get along with others in this world, and come to God when He calls us into His own Family.
(6) You shall not murder.
Jesus taught that if we do not love our brother, if we will not consider others as worth our consideration, if we hold a grudge against another; then we have already murdered them in our hearts. We are to love one another, to consider other as "better" than ourselves in considering their needs that we are able to help with.
(7) You shall not commit adultery.
Jesus also said that if a man even looks at a woman lustfully, he has already transgressed this commandment. The act of adultery is only the result of all the mental activity that has already been allowed. Instead we are to cultivate an attitude of respect and purity and modesty toward those of the opposite gender, being faithful in both body and mind to our own spouse, having "eyes" only for him or her, valuing our marriage, or saving ourselves for the one we will marry in the future.
(8) You shall not steal.
Honesty is in view here. Always love and respect for others is to undergird our lifestyles, which would not permit dishonesty in any matter.
(9) You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
We are not loving anyone we spread slander about, or lie about in any way.
(10) You shall not covet
To be envious of, and want to possess for ourselves anything that someone else has, is not respecting the other, or taking joy in their achievements.
your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Everything is spelled out here that someone may own in that time period, and in case someone thinks of something else, the "anything" will cover it.
We can take pride in and be glad for our neighbor if he or she surpasses us in quality or quantity of possessions. God has given each of us everything we need, both in this life and in the next.
These Ten Commandments seem to cover every area of life that we may experience, and God's Principles are all based on His love for us. Because He has loved us with such an unlimited and expansive and passionate love, we are to love Him back, and to love one another with His unconditional caring and consideration for others, no matter what it costs us.
Love really does make the world go 'round! God's love! And when we understand His love for us, it shows us how much we are worth to God, and frees us to love others the same way. When we do, then we will live our lives in sync with how He designed it to run, and everything will fall into place for us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
An Understanding Heart
I Kings 3: 9-10
"Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern Your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of Yours?"
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.
God was pleased that Solomon had asked for "an understanding heart," and so He also gave him riches and wealth and honor and a peaceful reign. And God allowed Solomon to build Him the very first Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant of God.
Under Solomon's rule the whole, united nation of Israel (including Judah, all twelve tribes) had a glorious beginning, all the pieces were in place and God's great nation enjoyed a time of great peace and prosperity.
America also had a very good beginning, giving us a long time of relative peace and great prosperity. But, like Israel, our very prosperity has blinded our eyes to God's glory and blessings to us, and we have turned from His ways to indulge in our own lusts. This has resulted in our nation going from the world's creditor to great debtor, has stolen the value of our money, and robbed us of the prosperity we enjoyed previously.
O our great Father, please continue to wake up Your people to perceive how far we have fallen from Your ways, and teach us what we each must do to return Your righteousness to our nation; lead and guide those in our government into right ways to accomplish Your plans for us. May we once again be that "city on a hill that cannot be hid," Your light shining into the world to draw all nations to You and Your ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern Your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of Yours?"
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.
God was pleased that Solomon had asked for "an understanding heart," and so He also gave him riches and wealth and honor and a peaceful reign. And God allowed Solomon to build Him the very first Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant of God.
Under Solomon's rule the whole, united nation of Israel (including Judah, all twelve tribes) had a glorious beginning, all the pieces were in place and God's great nation enjoyed a time of great peace and prosperity.
America also had a very good beginning, giving us a long time of relative peace and great prosperity. But, like Israel, our very prosperity has blinded our eyes to God's glory and blessings to us, and we have turned from His ways to indulge in our own lusts. This has resulted in our nation going from the world's creditor to great debtor, has stolen the value of our money, and robbed us of the prosperity we enjoyed previously.
O our great Father, please continue to wake up Your people to perceive how far we have fallen from Your ways, and teach us what we each must do to return Your righteousness to our nation; lead and guide those in our government into right ways to accomplish Your plans for us. May we once again be that "city on a hill that cannot be hid," Your light shining into the world to draw all nations to You and Your ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 19, 2016
Whose Hearts Are In Tune
Psalm 125: 3-4
The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with You.
O my Father, You are righteous, and everything You do is right. You, Father, are the One Who sets up rulers and puts them down, Who turns the heart of the king into the ways You choose, like the rivers of water.
Thank you for overseeing this past election, Father, in waking up Your people to vote for Your choices on all the levels of government in our nation. You have set up many of Your godly people into positions of authority, and removed from office many of the evil ones who refuse to govern in Your ways.
Please, O Lord, be with those who are good, who are being installed into the positions of leadership they have won by election; lead them and guide them by Your own Holy Spirit of Truth, and strengthen them to do according to Your plans for us. Give them Your wisdom and discernment to surround themselves with godly advisers and companions, to accomplish the tearing down of all the pagan altars and idols that have captured the people of our land, and return Your righteousness to our public life.
Protect them from the anger and wrath of our enemy and his slaves, for he knows that his time is short, and he will multiply his strength against Your good ways. Protect their persons and their families and their associates who are doing Your will for our people, and turn our national heart toward You and Your good ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with You.
O my Father, You are righteous, and everything You do is right. You, Father, are the One Who sets up rulers and puts them down, Who turns the heart of the king into the ways You choose, like the rivers of water.
Thank you for overseeing this past election, Father, in waking up Your people to vote for Your choices on all the levels of government in our nation. You have set up many of Your godly people into positions of authority, and removed from office many of the evil ones who refuse to govern in Your ways.
Please, O Lord, be with those who are good, who are being installed into the positions of leadership they have won by election; lead them and guide them by Your own Holy Spirit of Truth, and strengthen them to do according to Your plans for us. Give them Your wisdom and discernment to surround themselves with godly advisers and companions, to accomplish the tearing down of all the pagan altars and idols that have captured the people of our land, and return Your righteousness to our public life.
Protect them from the anger and wrath of our enemy and his slaves, for he knows that his time is short, and he will multiply his strength against Your good ways. Protect their persons and their families and their associates who are doing Your will for our people, and turn our national heart toward You and Your good ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 18, 2016
The Lord's Side, Our Side
Psalm 124: 2-3, 6, 8
What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us? They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. ... Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart. ... Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
We need to be sure that we are on the Lord's side, if we want Him to be on our side. Public people have public enemies, and we private people have personal enemies. We all need to consider that God is over us all, and His plans for us all, both individually and nationally, are to give us hope, prosperity and a good future.
If we reject God's good ways and decide to go our own way, then we cannot expect for Him to defend and protect us; and our enemies' burning anger would have their teeth tear us apart. And we would have ourselves to blame.
God loves us, His creation. He made us, he put His order and His beauty into what He has made, and He wants us to cooperate with how He designed this world to run; so He gave us His Word to teach us and His Spirit to guide us. That is why we all, each of us, need to inform ourselves of God's program and plan, and conform our thinking processes to align with His. Then we will find everything "falling into place" in our lives, and enjoy all the benefits God programmed into the world for us to benefit by, and He will receive all the credit, the glory, for having planned and designed it so.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us? They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. ... Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart. ... Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
We need to be sure that we are on the Lord's side, if we want Him to be on our side. Public people have public enemies, and we private people have personal enemies. We all need to consider that God is over us all, and His plans for us all, both individually and nationally, are to give us hope, prosperity and a good future.
If we reject God's good ways and decide to go our own way, then we cannot expect for Him to defend and protect us; and our enemies' burning anger would have their teeth tear us apart. And we would have ourselves to blame.
God loves us, His creation. He made us, he put His order and His beauty into what He has made, and He wants us to cooperate with how He designed this world to run; so He gave us His Word to teach us and His Spirit to guide us. That is why we all, each of us, need to inform ourselves of God's program and plan, and conform our thinking processes to align with His. Then we will find everything "falling into place" in our lives, and enjoy all the benefits God programmed into the world for us to benefit by, and He will receive all the credit, the glory, for having planned and designed it so.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Shield, Rock, Fortress
II Samuel 22: 31-34
God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield to all who look to Him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God is my strong fortress, and He makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
("Hinds Feet On High Places.")
O my Father, I know that all Your promises have proved true, and they are all coming to be fulfilled according to Your ways and in your time. I trust in You, and I am learning to trust You more with every area of my life. Strengthen my faith to put into Your hands those things I have taken into my own hands, and have suffered the consequences. Lay Your peace upon me to rest in Your love, settle my heart and mind to leave my circumstances in Your care, not mine. And may You cause all the credit, all the honor and all the glory to redound to You, the only One Who deserves it all, because You have done all things.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield to all who look to Him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God is my strong fortress, and He makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
("Hinds Feet On High Places.")
O my Father, I know that all Your promises have proved true, and they are all coming to be fulfilled according to Your ways and in your time. I trust in You, and I am learning to trust You more with every area of my life. Strengthen my faith to put into Your hands those things I have taken into my own hands, and have suffered the consequences. Lay Your peace upon me to rest in Your love, settle my heart and mind to leave my circumstances in Your care, not mine. And may You cause all the credit, all the honor and all the glory to redound to You, the only One Who deserves it all, because You have done all things.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 16, 2016
National Righteousness
II Samuel 21: 1, 14
There was a famine during David's reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it. And the Lord said, "The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites."
Then the king ordered that they bury the bones in the tomb of Kish, Saul's father, at the town of Zela in the land of Benjamin. After that, God ended the famine in the land.
The story here is that the Israelites had previously sworn not to kill the Amorites, and the Gibeonites were Amorites. But Saul, in his mis-placed zeal, tried to wipe them out. Now David is suffering from the famine that resulted from this, and so he negotiated with the Gibeonites. After the execution of the guilty parties and their burial, God lifted the famine. God is very concerned for National righteousness.
O my Lord, what must we do to rectify all the evil that has been done in our own Nation, so that You can bless us with peace and prosperity? What must I do?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
There was a famine during David's reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it. And the Lord said, "The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites."
Then the king ordered that they bury the bones in the tomb of Kish, Saul's father, at the town of Zela in the land of Benjamin. After that, God ended the famine in the land.
The story here is that the Israelites had previously sworn not to kill the Amorites, and the Gibeonites were Amorites. But Saul, in his mis-placed zeal, tried to wipe them out. Now David is suffering from the famine that resulted from this, and so he negotiated with the Gibeonites. After the execution of the guilty parties and their burial, God lifted the famine. God is very concerned for National righteousness.
O my Lord, what must we do to rectify all the evil that has been done in our own Nation, so that You can bless us with peace and prosperity? What must I do?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 15, 2016
I Cried, He Answered
Psalm 120:1
I took my troubles to the Lord, I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer.
How many times I have cried out to God in my troubles and heartaches. And He has always answered me, since that day He found me, and, I believe, even before, protecting me and guarding me until I would be born into His own family. His faithfulness to me has been continual and constant, always for me, not against me, drawing me gently on.
He has seldom been harsh with me all these decades; the hardest was when He took my dear husband from me, and yet He has carried me in His arms since.
I know that the plans He has for me are for my good and His glory, and He is proceeding to carry out those plans for and in my life; and since He began a good work in me, He will continue until it is finished and perfected on that Day my Lord returns--my Lord, my King, my Redeemer, my espoused Husband.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I took my troubles to the Lord, I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer.
How many times I have cried out to God in my troubles and heartaches. And He has always answered me, since that day He found me, and, I believe, even before, protecting me and guarding me until I would be born into His own family. His faithfulness to me has been continual and constant, always for me, not against me, drawing me gently on.
He has seldom been harsh with me all these decades; the hardest was when He took my dear husband from me, and yet He has carried me in His arms since.
I know that the plans He has for me are for my good and His glory, and He is proceeding to carry out those plans for and in my life; and since He began a good work in me, He will continue until it is finished and perfected on that Day my Lord returns--my Lord, my King, my Redeemer, my espoused Husband.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Fair, Perfect And Trustworthy
Psalm 119: 137-138, 140, 142, 144
O Lord, You are righteous, and Your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. ... Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. ... Your justice is eternal, and Your instructions are perfectly true. ... Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.
O my Father, please help me to understand the spirit of Your laws. Show me Your wisdom in the righteousness and right-ness of Your decrees. Your faithfulness in keeping Your promises encourages and strengthens my faith and trust in You. I know that Your Truth and Your justice will set all things right; I need only to trust You and surrender to Your authority in all the matters of my life. Set me into the cleft of the Rock and cover me with Your hand, that others who see me may not see my flesh, which pushes them away, but that they may see You in me; Your character, Your goodness, Your beauty; and be drawn to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
O Lord, You are righteous, and Your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. ... Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. ... Your justice is eternal, and Your instructions are perfectly true. ... Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.
O my Father, please help me to understand the spirit of Your laws. Show me Your wisdom in the righteousness and right-ness of Your decrees. Your faithfulness in keeping Your promises encourages and strengthens my faith and trust in You. I know that Your Truth and Your justice will set all things right; I need only to trust You and surrender to Your authority in all the matters of my life. Set me into the cleft of the Rock and cover me with Your hand, that others who see me may not see my flesh, which pushes them away, but that they may see You in me; Your character, Your goodness, Your beauty; and be drawn to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Political Spying And Intrigue
II Samuel 15: 27-28, 34-36
David the king also told Zadok the priest, "Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan. I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you. ... Hushai, you return to Jerusalem and tell Absolom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice. Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace, and they will send their sons Ahimaas and Jonathan to tell me what is going on."
When King David fled from his son Absalom in order to spare the city of Jerusalem from being destroyed by Absalom's Israeli troops, he set up a system, a spy network, that reached all the way into the king's chambers to spy on Absalom and get word to David what was going on. David was very wise and shrewd to not leave himself blind to what would transpire in Jerusalem, the nation's capital.
This shows us that international intrigue is not necessarily evil, but is a necessary requirement in order to promote God's righteousness in the halls of power in the World.
May we all seek to have that same wisdom and shrewdness that David displayed in our world of politics and power. May we have eyes to see how God sees all that is going on in the governments of this world system, including our own.
Then we will discern how to conduct ourselves in our personal lives and our relationships with our loved ones.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
David the king also told Zadok the priest, "Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan. I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you. ... Hushai, you return to Jerusalem and tell Absolom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice. Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace, and they will send their sons Ahimaas and Jonathan to tell me what is going on."
When King David fled from his son Absalom in order to spare the city of Jerusalem from being destroyed by Absalom's Israeli troops, he set up a system, a spy network, that reached all the way into the king's chambers to spy on Absalom and get word to David what was going on. David was very wise and shrewd to not leave himself blind to what would transpire in Jerusalem, the nation's capital.
This shows us that international intrigue is not necessarily evil, but is a necessary requirement in order to promote God's righteousness in the halls of power in the World.
May we all seek to have that same wisdom and shrewdness that David displayed in our world of politics and power. May we have eyes to see how God sees all that is going on in the governments of this world system, including our own.
Then we will discern how to conduct ourselves in our personal lives and our relationships with our loved ones.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 12, 2016
Treasure And Delight
Psalm 119: 111-112
Your laws are my treasure, they are my heart's delight. I am determined to keep Your decrees to the very end.
O my Father, I know that Your ways are not my ways at all, and I thank You and praise You for revealing to us Your ways in Your laws and decrees. Your system of rules and regulations is the wisest and most advanced and righteous and just system this World had ever seen to the time You gave it to Moses, and it has never been improved upon since.
O Father, please help me to be able to truly follow You in every realm of living on this Earth: the physical and dietary, the moral and ethical, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual realms. Teach me how to apply Your principles every moment of every day, as I seek Your face and Your ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Your laws are my treasure, they are my heart's delight. I am determined to keep Your decrees to the very end.
O my Father, I know that Your ways are not my ways at all, and I thank You and praise You for revealing to us Your ways in Your laws and decrees. Your system of rules and regulations is the wisest and most advanced and righteous and just system this World had ever seen to the time You gave it to Moses, and it has never been improved upon since.
O Father, please help me to be able to truly follow You in every realm of living on this Earth: the physical and dietary, the moral and ethical, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual realms. Teach me how to apply Your principles every moment of every day, as I seek Your face and Your ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Waiting
Psalm 119: 81-82
I am worn out waiting for Your rescue, but I have put my hope in Your Word. My eyes are straining to see Your promises come true. When will You comfort me?
God has given us many precious promises, which He will fulfill in His time. He would never say that He will do anything that He would not be able to do, so we know that He will do everything He promised.
But it will all come in His time, not ours. We can wear ourselves out waiting for His rescue from the uncomfortable situation we find ourselves in. We can strain our eyes looking for His promises to come true. We can wait and wait for His comfort in our distresses.
But we will still put our hope in His Word, in what He has told us He will accomplish. We need never give up looking for His answers to our prayers. We can be assured that He will come through for us, as He has promised.
While we are still in this World, living among those who do not know Him (yet many who think they do, only know their own idea of Him), and we are surrounded by those who have a totally worldly world view, instead of God's Biblical view of reality; we must remember that we are to be His light in this darkness of understanding, we must be the salt that preserves and flavors the society in which we live, we are His witnesses to share with others the wonderful things He has already done for us.
God is faithful to us, and wants us to be faithful to Him, even when we don't see Him in our circumstances. If we want to see Him, He will show Himself, even in the most horrendous persecution we may be called upon to face. Some of us are already facing this opposition in the World, and others of us will soon also be confronted with it. Before long, every one of us who call upon the Name of the Lord will be the object of annihilation by those who are deceived by our enemy.
We all need to be strong in the Lord, availing ourselves of the Armor He has provided (Ephesians 6: 12-17), and standing watch against invasions of the Enemy into our attitudes and thinking processes.
And we know, because we've read the "last chapter," that God wins, and we win with Him, reigning with Him over all Creation, and enjoying Him forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I am worn out waiting for Your rescue, but I have put my hope in Your Word. My eyes are straining to see Your promises come true. When will You comfort me?
God has given us many precious promises, which He will fulfill in His time. He would never say that He will do anything that He would not be able to do, so we know that He will do everything He promised.
But it will all come in His time, not ours. We can wear ourselves out waiting for His rescue from the uncomfortable situation we find ourselves in. We can strain our eyes looking for His promises to come true. We can wait and wait for His comfort in our distresses.
But we will still put our hope in His Word, in what He has told us He will accomplish. We need never give up looking for His answers to our prayers. We can be assured that He will come through for us, as He has promised.
While we are still in this World, living among those who do not know Him (yet many who think they do, only know their own idea of Him), and we are surrounded by those who have a totally worldly world view, instead of God's Biblical view of reality; we must remember that we are to be His light in this darkness of understanding, we must be the salt that preserves and flavors the society in which we live, we are His witnesses to share with others the wonderful things He has already done for us.
God is faithful to us, and wants us to be faithful to Him, even when we don't see Him in our circumstances. If we want to see Him, He will show Himself, even in the most horrendous persecution we may be called upon to face. Some of us are already facing this opposition in the World, and others of us will soon also be confronted with it. Before long, every one of us who call upon the Name of the Lord will be the object of annihilation by those who are deceived by our enemy.
We all need to be strong in the Lord, availing ourselves of the Armor He has provided (Ephesians 6: 12-17), and standing watch against invasions of the Enemy into our attitudes and thinking processes.
And we know, because we've read the "last chapter," that God wins, and we win with Him, reigning with Him over all Creation, and enjoying Him forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 10, 2016
He Cannot Return To Me
II Samuel 12:23
But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.
This is King David speaking. He had taken another man's wife in adultery, murdered her husband to take her for his own wife, and now their child that resulted from the adultery has died. While the baby was still sick, David had fasted and prayed that his life would be spared. Then when he died, David got up off his knees, showered and ate dinner. This perplexed his servants, who thought he would mourn excessively for this child, and questioned him about it. This was David's answer: While the child lived, there was hope for life for him; but now that he is dead, the only hope left is that David would one day die also, and be with him in the place where all the dead go, but this boy will never return to the earth to live with David again.
This is a definitive passage for the question of the possibility for anyone who has died to return to the earth to live again or have anything to do with what is done "under the sun" (as Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 states).
The Epistle to the Hebrews 12:1 tells us that "we are surrounded by a huge cloud of witnesses," referring to all the saints in God's Hall of Heroes in the preceding chapter. So those who have died before us are watching us, but do not have anything to do with what is done here on Earth.
This is an interesting phenomenon, that our loved ones who have gone before us would be watching how we are doing, but cannot affect how things go for us.
I often wonder what my late husband thinks of how I've managed or mismanaged things since he died. But I know that I must be more concerned for how my Lord Jesus considers how I've done, because He is my Husband now.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.
This is King David speaking. He had taken another man's wife in adultery, murdered her husband to take her for his own wife, and now their child that resulted from the adultery has died. While the baby was still sick, David had fasted and prayed that his life would be spared. Then when he died, David got up off his knees, showered and ate dinner. This perplexed his servants, who thought he would mourn excessively for this child, and questioned him about it. This was David's answer: While the child lived, there was hope for life for him; but now that he is dead, the only hope left is that David would one day die also, and be with him in the place where all the dead go, but this boy will never return to the earth to live with David again.
This is a definitive passage for the question of the possibility for anyone who has died to return to the earth to live again or have anything to do with what is done "under the sun" (as Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 states).
The Epistle to the Hebrews 12:1 tells us that "we are surrounded by a huge cloud of witnesses," referring to all the saints in God's Hall of Heroes in the preceding chapter. So those who have died before us are watching us, but do not have anything to do with what is done here on Earth.
This is an interesting phenomenon, that our loved ones who have gone before us would be watching how we are doing, but cannot affect how things go for us.
I often wonder what my late husband thinks of how I've managed or mismanaged things since he died. But I know that I must be more concerned for how my Lord Jesus considers how I've done, because He is my Husband now.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 9, 2016
Ask For Anything
John 15:7-8
But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father.
This is a wonderful promise! But it has a premise--we must "remain in" Him and His "words" must "remain in" us. So what does that mean?
If we have repented, turned around our thinking processes to stop defending ourselves and realize that we deserve the death He died and He took our place on the Cross, that's when the Father will cause us to be born into His own Family by placing His Holy Spirit in us; that's when we begin to be "in Christ."
Then when we continue to consider Jesus to be Lord (Boss) over our lives, submitting to His will and ways, and live our daily lives conforming to the way He would have us to think, speak and act according to His Word, the Bible; that is remaining in Him and His words remaining in us.
That's why I seek to enter into His Words every day, why I post a new blog entry every morning, and keep myself aware of God with me every moment of every day, "practicing the presence of God," as Brother Andrew so aptly expressed.
Then when I ask for something I want, I can be assured that it is something God wants for me and wants to give me, so it brings glory to Him to answer my prayer.
So let us all continually search the Scriptures to see what God's Truth is concerning every matter we confront each day, to make sure we are remaining in Christ and His Word is remaining in us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father.
This is a wonderful promise! But it has a premise--we must "remain in" Him and His "words" must "remain in" us. So what does that mean?
If we have repented, turned around our thinking processes to stop defending ourselves and realize that we deserve the death He died and He took our place on the Cross, that's when the Father will cause us to be born into His own Family by placing His Holy Spirit in us; that's when we begin to be "in Christ."
Then when we continue to consider Jesus to be Lord (Boss) over our lives, submitting to His will and ways, and live our daily lives conforming to the way He would have us to think, speak and act according to His Word, the Bible; that is remaining in Him and His words remaining in us.
That's why I seek to enter into His Words every day, why I post a new blog entry every morning, and keep myself aware of God with me every moment of every day, "practicing the presence of God," as Brother Andrew so aptly expressed.
Then when I ask for something I want, I can be assured that it is something God wants for me and wants to give me, so it brings glory to Him to answer my prayer.
So let us all continually search the Scriptures to see what God's Truth is concerning every matter we confront each day, to make sure we are remaining in Christ and His Word is remaining in us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Criticism And Discipline
Psalm 119:29a
Keep me from lying to myself.
Proverbs 15:31-32
If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you will only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you will grow in understanding.
Who among us has never lied to him or herself!
O my Father, please keep me from lying to myself; don't let me listen to the lies my past tells me, help me to discern the Truth to recognize the lies and reject them; to replace the lies with Your Truth in my life about my life. Open my eyes to see Your Truth, open my ears to hear Your correction, open my mind to welcome Your view, Your understanding of my past and my life now; that I may see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, think Your thoughts in my mind, understand with Your perception of life and circumstances; that my hands would be Your hands doing Your work, my mouth would speak Your words, and my feet would go where You lead, whether to the next room or to the ends of the world.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Keep me from lying to myself.
Proverbs 15:31-32
If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you will only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you will grow in understanding.
Who among us has never lied to him or herself!
O my Father, please keep me from lying to myself; don't let me listen to the lies my past tells me, help me to discern the Truth to recognize the lies and reject them; to replace the lies with Your Truth in my life about my life. Open my eyes to see Your Truth, open my ears to hear Your correction, open my mind to welcome Your view, Your understanding of my past and my life now; that I may see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, think Your thoughts in my mind, understand with Your perception of life and circumstances; that my hands would be Your hands doing Your work, my mouth would speak Your words, and my feet would go where You lead, whether to the next room or to the ends of the world.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Who's In Charge?
II Samuel 3:39
And even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah--Joab and Abishai--are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds.
When King Saul died, his commander-in-chief Abner set up Saul's son Ishbosheth as king over Israel (II Samuel 2:8-9), but then argued with Ishbosheth and changed his allegiance to David (3:7-12), and would have peacefully united Israel and Judah under King David. But when Joab, David's commander-in-chief found out that David had sent Abner on his way in safety, he, against his king's wishes, called Abner back and murdered him in revenge for his own brother's death. David was very wise, recognizing that his commander was more politically powerful than he was even as king, and put him into God's hands.
There are several lessons here. A very relevant one is that the one in power is not necessarily the one with the most power--the power behind the throne is the one to be reckoned with politically. God is ultimately the One Who controls all things, so when things seem to be getting out-of-hand, beyond reasonable control, then God can be trusted to set all things right, both personally and politically. Good to know in these present troubling times.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah--Joab and Abishai--are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds.
When King Saul died, his commander-in-chief Abner set up Saul's son Ishbosheth as king over Israel (II Samuel 2:8-9), but then argued with Ishbosheth and changed his allegiance to David (3:7-12), and would have peacefully united Israel and Judah under King David. But when Joab, David's commander-in-chief found out that David had sent Abner on his way in safety, he, against his king's wishes, called Abner back and murdered him in revenge for his own brother's death. David was very wise, recognizing that his commander was more politically powerful than he was even as king, and put him into God's hands.
There are several lessons here. A very relevant one is that the one in power is not necessarily the one with the most power--the power behind the throne is the one to be reckoned with politically. God is ultimately the One Who controls all things, so when things seem to be getting out-of-hand, beyond reasonable control, then God can be trusted to set all things right, both personally and politically. Good to know in these present troubling times.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Our Disposable Life
John 12:25-26
Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be My disciple must follow Me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me.
Jesus was facing His death, and proclaimed that, as a kernel of wheat is planted into the ground and dies, then produces a whole crop of wheat; so likewise He would die and be resurrected, and produce the whole crop of Christians from that time until now. And that we, likewise, must consider our lives as disposable in the world, and then we will have our life forever with Him in His kingdom and forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be My disciple must follow Me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me.
Jesus was facing His death, and proclaimed that, as a kernel of wheat is planted into the ground and dies, then produces a whole crop of wheat; so likewise He would die and be resurrected, and produce the whole crop of Christians from that time until now. And that we, likewise, must consider our lives as disposable in the world, and then we will have our life forever with Him in His kingdom and forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 5, 2016
The Death Of Saul
I Samuel 31:6
So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day.
Saul had such a good beginning, having been chosen by God and anointed by Samuel to be Israel's first king.
But in his weakness he failed to complete God's vengeance on the Amalekites, and he never did return to the Lord. His life and his reign only deteriorated as Saul continued on the path of rebellion against the Lord, even to consulting a medium.
So Saul died, seriously injured by the Philistines, but by his own hand. And his armor bearer then followed his example and took his own life, also.
Saul had much to answer for, but will I see him in Eternity? After all, he was chosen by God, God's anointed. Samuel's apparition told Saul that, "tomorrow ... you and your sons will be here with me," in the place of the dead. Samuel was on the side of the chasm with Abraham.
I will find out when I get there, if Saul actually put his faith in God, even though he broke fellowship with God.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day.
Saul had such a good beginning, having been chosen by God and anointed by Samuel to be Israel's first king.
But in his weakness he failed to complete God's vengeance on the Amalekites, and he never did return to the Lord. His life and his reign only deteriorated as Saul continued on the path of rebellion against the Lord, even to consulting a medium.
So Saul died, seriously injured by the Philistines, but by his own hand. And his armor bearer then followed his example and took his own life, also.
Saul had much to answer for, but will I see him in Eternity? After all, he was chosen by God, God's anointed. Samuel's apparition told Saul that, "tomorrow ... you and your sons will be here with me," in the place of the dead. Samuel was on the side of the chasm with Abraham.
I will find out when I get there, if Saul actually put his faith in God, even though he broke fellowship with God.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Why I Love The Lord
Psalm 116: 1-2
I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!
O my Father, I do love You with all my heart. You loved me first, from before You even created this world, You chose me to be Your own. You sent Your own Son to satisfy all Your requirements for the atoning for my sins, and You have rescued me from a life of sin.
You have done so much in and for me: forgiving me, cleansing me, giving me Your own new Life, powered by Your own Holy Spirit; and You have answered my prayers all these years since You redeemed me. You have allowed me to draw closer to You to get to know You better, and in knowing You better I love You all the more. And You have drawn closer to me, given me Your peace and Your wisdom. Thank You so much, Father, for being such a good Father and Daddy to me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!
O my Father, I do love You with all my heart. You loved me first, from before You even created this world, You chose me to be Your own. You sent Your own Son to satisfy all Your requirements for the atoning for my sins, and You have rescued me from a life of sin.
You have done so much in and for me: forgiving me, cleansing me, giving me Your own new Life, powered by Your own Holy Spirit; and You have answered my prayers all these years since You redeemed me. You have allowed me to draw closer to You to get to know You better, and in knowing You better I love You all the more. And You have drawn closer to me, given me Your peace and Your wisdom. Thank You so much, Father, for being such a good Father and Daddy to me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Unfailing Love And Faithfulness
Psalm 115: 1, 11, 14-15, 18b
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name goes all the glory for Your unfailing love and faithfulness.
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is Your helper and Your shield. May the Lord richly bless both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord Who made Heaven and Earth.
Praise the Lord!
O my Father, You are my helper and my shield. I trust You, because You have shown unfailing love and faithfulness to me. It is You Who has made Heaven and Earth, and You it is Who sustains them.
O Father, I pray that You would continue to bless me and my children; draw them close to Yourself and teach them Your Truth, as You are teaching me.
And to You goes all the glory, both now and forevermore, because it is You Who are unfolding and accomplishing Your will, Your Plan of the Ages, which includes each plan You have for each one of us; plans not to harm us, but to give us prosperity and hope--because what is good for us brings glory to Your Name. Praise Your holy Name!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name goes all the glory for Your unfailing love and faithfulness.
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is Your helper and Your shield. May the Lord richly bless both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord Who made Heaven and Earth.
Praise the Lord!
O my Father, You are my helper and my shield. I trust You, because You have shown unfailing love and faithfulness to me. It is You Who has made Heaven and Earth, and You it is Who sustains them.
O Father, I pray that You would continue to bless me and my children; draw them close to Yourself and teach them Your Truth, as You are teaching me.
And to You goes all the glory, both now and forevermore, because it is You Who are unfolding and accomplishing Your will, Your Plan of the Ages, which includes each plan You have for each one of us; plans not to harm us, but to give us prosperity and hope--because what is good for us brings glory to Your Name. Praise Your holy Name!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 2, 2016
New Nature, New Person
Ephesians 4:24
You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness--righteous, holy and true.
O my Father, my holy God, my Lord and my King; teach me to live this new life, a righteous life, holy to You and true to Your Word and Your ways. Strengthen me to put off the old nature and attitudes that rebel against You in promoting self. You alone deserve all the credit for everything that is done, and You will receive all the glory and honor, for You are perfect and You have done all things according to Your perfect will.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness--righteous, holy and true.
O my Father, my holy God, my Lord and my King; teach me to live this new life, a righteous life, holy to You and true to Your Word and Your ways. Strengthen me to put off the old nature and attitudes that rebel against You in promoting self. You alone deserve all the credit for everything that is done, and You will receive all the glory and honor, for You are perfect and You have done all things according to Your perfect will.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Jonathan And David And Saul
I Samuel 20: 41
As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.
David and Jonathan had a friendship so deep and genuine, this parting is particularly heart-wrenching. They both knew that they probably would never see each other again. Jonathan was heart-sick over his father Saul's shameful behavior toward David (see v. 34), and David was willing to do whatever he could to get along with Saul (see v. 1). Both David and Jonathan were godly men whose lives were disrupted by an ungodly man, Saul. If Saul had not turned away from the Lord, he would have ensured that his own dynasty would have reigned, and Jonathan would have been the king after him. But, having turned away from God, he made himself an enemy to those who were godly, including his own son. And Jonathan and David suffered because of Saul's sins.
May we, like Jonathan and David, remain faithful to God even when our own friends and family would turn against us; even if we find ourselves running from the persecution, as David did. Let us keep our focus on our good God Who loves us and will protect and care for us, as He did David.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.
David and Jonathan had a friendship so deep and genuine, this parting is particularly heart-wrenching. They both knew that they probably would never see each other again. Jonathan was heart-sick over his father Saul's shameful behavior toward David (see v. 34), and David was willing to do whatever he could to get along with Saul (see v. 1). Both David and Jonathan were godly men whose lives were disrupted by an ungodly man, Saul. If Saul had not turned away from the Lord, he would have ensured that his own dynasty would have reigned, and Jonathan would have been the king after him. But, having turned away from God, he made himself an enemy to those who were godly, including his own son. And Jonathan and David suffered because of Saul's sins.
May we, like Jonathan and David, remain faithful to God even when our own friends and family would turn against us; even if we find ourselves running from the persecution, as David did. Let us keep our focus on our good God Who loves us and will protect and care for us, as He did David.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
The Scope Of God's Plan
Ephesians 3: 14-21
When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray ...
The scope, the wisdom; how high, wide, long, and deep; glorious, unlimited resources; love so great I will never fully understand it; by His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope--all for our good and His glory!
O my Father, thank You for the encouragement that my dream that You have placed in my heart is not dead, that I will be able to access all the resources You have already arranged to work out all the plans to accomplish this dream.
Keep me constantly aware of Your presence each day, to show me how to proceed in this path You have placed before me; to think Your thoughts, say Your words and do Your works. And as I focus on the big picture, let my notice not escape all the little things, the details, also.
May we all realize our God-given dreams, working out all His plans in this world, spreading the seed of the Gospel and demonstrating His love to the world, to prepare for His great Kingdom on this Earth.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray ...
The scope, the wisdom; how high, wide, long, and deep; glorious, unlimited resources; love so great I will never fully understand it; by His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope--all for our good and His glory!
O my Father, thank You for the encouragement that my dream that You have placed in my heart is not dead, that I will be able to access all the resources You have already arranged to work out all the plans to accomplish this dream.
Keep me constantly aware of Your presence each day, to show me how to proceed in this path You have placed before me; to think Your thoughts, say Your words and do Your works. And as I focus on the big picture, let my notice not escape all the little things, the details, also.
May we all realize our God-given dreams, working out all His plans in this world, spreading the seed of the Gospel and demonstrating His love to the world, to prepare for His great Kingdom on this Earth.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
After God's Own Heart
Psalm 110: 1
David wrote, The Lord said to my Lord ...
David worshiped Jesus (my Lord) as well as God the Father (the Lord). Whether he realized the full import of his words, God used him to pen this important revelation.
This is the Scripture Jesus referred to in declaring His own relationship as son of David as well as Son of the Father (See Matthew 22:41-46). David was called "a man after God's own heart" because God had his heart (I Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22-23).
May we also be known as people who are after "God"s own heart" as we give our hearts wholly to Him.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
David wrote, The Lord said to my Lord ...
David worshiped Jesus (my Lord) as well as God the Father (the Lord). Whether he realized the full import of his words, God used him to pen this important revelation.
This is the Scripture Jesus referred to in declaring His own relationship as son of David as well as Son of the Father (See Matthew 22:41-46). David was called "a man after God's own heart" because God had his heart (I Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22-23).
May we also be known as people who are after "God"s own heart" as we give our hearts wholly to Him.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, November 28, 2016
Our "Mother Hen"
Deuteronomy 32: 11-12
Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so He spread His wings to take them in and carried them aloft on His pinions. The Lord alone guided them; they lived without any foreign gods.
O my Father, as You carried Your chosen son Israel from the howling desert to the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey; so You have also carried me through my howling in the wasteland of my widowhood. I need no other gods but You alone; You are the Great Creator of all that exists, and all the minuscule details that make up the world and the galaxy and the universe. And all the
details of my life.
I want to follow You in Your paths; I place my hand in Yours, and I know that You will not let go of me. Let me not pull away from You, or turn off to the right or to the left, or wander away; but keep me firmly in the center of that path You have laid out before me. Strengthen me this day to take the step or two I take today in the true direction You are leading me; that You will receive all the honor and glory and credit for what You are doing in and through me today, and every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so He spread His wings to take them in and carried them aloft on His pinions. The Lord alone guided them; they lived without any foreign gods.
O my Father, as You carried Your chosen son Israel from the howling desert to the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey; so You have also carried me through my howling in the wasteland of my widowhood. I need no other gods but You alone; You are the Great Creator of all that exists, and all the minuscule details that make up the world and the galaxy and the universe. And all the
details of my life.
I want to follow You in Your paths; I place my hand in Yours, and I know that You will not let go of me. Let me not pull away from You, or turn off to the right or to the left, or wander away; but keep me firmly in the center of that path You have laid out before me. Strengthen me this day to take the step or two I take today in the true direction You are leading me; that You will receive all the honor and glory and credit for what You are doing in and through me today, and every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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