Light And Darkness

Psalm 139:11-12

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

This is physical light and darkness. God made light (Genesis 1:3-5), separating what was light from what was not light, or darkness. Then He made the "light-holders" (Genesis 1:14-19) to shine in our sky and delineate days, months, seasons and years, so we could keep time. So the light is what God made, and the darkness is the absence of light; but they're both the same to Him; He sees me and holds my hand regardless of whether I'm in the day or the night. He is always there to take care of me, I need never fear, His love holds me.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Love Makes The World Go 'Round

John 14:15-24

If you love Me, you will obey what I command. . . . Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. . . . If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. . . . He who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. . . .

Love really does make the world go 'round. God's love for us and for the whole universe He created. He put His order into it so it would run effectively, and He designed this world to provide everything we need right here. He told us to take care of it and use it, and He gave us His directions, the Manufacturer's Instructions, to keep it running for our benefit. When we love Him, we will follow His instructions, and when we love one another, our relationships will run more smoothly. It's when we don't follow His rules, and not love the way He loves, then we get into trouble environmentally, relationally and spiritually.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Why Satan Hates Us

A Meditation

God made the angels perfect, beings of light, beautiful, and incapable of dying. So when sin was found in them, when Lucifer decided that he didn't want to be #2, but elevated himself into God's #1 spot, he was so beautiful, charming and deceptive that he drew a third of God's angels after him in his sin. Since they could not die, there could be no redemption for them. They would have to bear the consequences of their choices for all eternity.

Then God made Mankind. He made Man capable of dying, so that if he made the wrong choice, he would be subject to death, and therefore eligible to be saved. If he had made the right choice, and ate from the Tree of Life instead (which was not forbidden), then Man would also live forever. But he ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, disobeying the only rule God placed on him.

Now we, as Adam's children, are all subject to death, the separation of our life (spiritual parts) from our bodies (corporeal part). And, because we can die, now we can have a substitute die in our place, and continue to live. This was the animal, that God demonstrated to Adam and Eve, that had to die to furnish their clothing, to cover their nakedness.

Then the Old Testament Law stipulated all the sacrifices, all the animals that were to die, and their life-blood poured out. This all gave Mankind the picture of what our Redeemer would accomplish for us.

Then when Jesus was born, lived and died, then was resurrected, He fulfilled more than 400 prophesies, pictures, that had been given over the ages past, so that we would recognize Him, and let Him take our place on that Cross of execution.

No wonder Satan (formerly Lucifer) hates us so much. He was perfect, he sinned, and there is no hope for him. We were made to have the possibility to become perfect, like Lucifer was. But we sinned, too. Unlike the angels, though, God made provision for us to be able to be redeemed, and to become beings of light; essentially to take Lucifer's place as God's worship leaders. And we will judge those angels that sinned, we will have authority over them. That's why Satan and his demons (fallen angels) are trying to destroy us, to destroy our society, and to claim our world for himself.

But God is still greater than our adversary, and He wins in the end. God has it all "on a string," like a yo-yo, and even as everything seems to be careening totally out of control, when it reaches a certain point, God will tug on that string, and this world and all creation will return to Him.

Praise God for His greatness, goodness, power, authority, wisdom, compassion, faithfulness, integrity, creativity, generosity, truth and love.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Loving Our Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48

You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor" and hate your enemy. But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

["Perfect" is "teleios" in the Greek, it means Complete, as in labor or growth, mental and moral character, etc. When paired with "the" it refers to full age, maturity, perfection.]

So to be fully mature, complete in the moral and spiritual growth God intends for us, to be "the man," is to give the same care to anyone who needs help; whether they are our brothers, our friends, or even our enemies. We are never to rejoice in the troubles of others, even of those who hate us. We are to do what we can to help them in their distress. 

But this does not mean that we should invite violent, hate-filled enemies into our home, our Nation. We also love our families and compatriots, and want to protect them from danger. God sends His sun and rain on both those who love Him and those who hate Him, but He doesn't invite enemies into His Heavenly home, He cares for them where they are. And if, by our care for them, they can see Christ in us and turn to Him from their darkness, then God gets the glory and we all share the benefits.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Loss And Gain

Philippians 3:2-7

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.

These are those who said they were Christians but demanded that to be a true chosen one of God they would have to obey the Old Testament Laws including circumcision.

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.

We are believing in and trusting in Jesus as God's Christ, who have circumcised our hearts in cutting away all that draws us away from God's Truth and realize that "the flesh counts for nothing" (Jesus, John 6:63), so physical circumcision becomes meaningless.

Though I  myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:

Paul had been Saul, and he will now tell us all about his perfect pedigree according to the flesh to be counted among God's chosen:

(1) Circumcised on the eighth day,

As an eight-day-old infant, the physical cutting-away.

(2) Of the people of Israel, (3) of the Tribe of Benjamin,

Saul had been born Jewish, as when the kingdoms separated after King Solomon died and his son became the king, the Ten Tribes became Israel while Judah and Benjamin became Judah, from whence we derive the designation "Jew."

(4) A Hebrew of the Hebrews;

He was at the pinnacle of Jewishness, or Hebrewness.

(5) In regard to the Law, a Pharisee;

In accordance with the Old Testament Law, Saul was educated to be at the highest, purest level of their religion, one who memorized the Scriptures the best and most extensively, and was a teacher to others of God's Word.

(6) As for zeal, persecuting the Church;

Saul's passion for God extended to the extreme against these people of the Way who seemed to be against the Jewish Religion.

(7) As for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

According to the legal standards, Saul was the Perfect Jew, who did everything right and reached the highest level of honor and authority.

But whatever was to my profit

All the things he just listed here.

I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

All these things that profited him in the world only drew him away from the truth of Christ, and became a barrier between him and God, keeping him away from being able to believe. That's why Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, to tear down that wall of religion and give him opportunity to put his trust in Jesus Christ.

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things; I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

Saul (means "great one"), now Paul (means "small one"), has lost his position and his possessions, but has gained immeasurably more.

I once put my trust in a religion, a system of doing "good works" to earn favor with God and work my way into Heaven. But it's God's Heaven, and He's the One who decides who gets to come into His home, not some collection of men. I had been looking for the Truth. It didn't matter to me whether it would be what I had always believed, or something completely different, or something in between; I just wanted to believe what was actually True, that I could trust would never change. 

I didn't know that Jesus was The Truth, but God honored my seeking (as He said He would) and let me know that Jesus took my place on the Cross; He didn't deserve any of it, I deserved it all. That's when He birthed me into His own Family, and gifted me with His Holy Spirit to dwell in me. 

I pray that you, dear Reader, also has put your trust in Jesus paying Your debt to God, and rising from the dead. That's how much God loves each of us, to send His only Son to die for us, and cause the miracle in each of our lives to be born into His own Family.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Entertainment

Proverbs 10:23

A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.

What kind of entertainment do I enjoy?

Would I prefer to watch a movie about how a gangster robs all those "shlups" and buys his way out of prison? Or would I rather watch something about how two friends deepen their friendship over the years? Or a Nature show demonstrating how God designed this world to operate by everything doing its part in relation to everything else, so that all are benefited?

What kind of humor do I laugh at?

Do I find humorous someone doing something that would hurt or harm himself or someone else? Or is it funny when someone successfully deceives someone else to trick him or cheat him? Even if we consider that the victim deserves it, will we be the judge to determine his sentence? 

Like a wise clock-maker, our Creator designed our world to run smoothly, with even the fires, floods and storms contributing to the health and well-being of this planet. And He has given us His Manufacturer's Instructions to show us how to live in this world, and how to relate to Him and one another to deepen our relationships. All for our benefit and He receives the glory, the credit.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Worship First

Ezra 3:2-3

. . . [Built] the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord.

When the people returned to the land of Israel from Babylon, everything had been destroyed. The first thing they did was not to build houses for themselves, but to replace the Temple that had been demolished. But even though the foundation of the Lord's Temple had not yet been laid (v. 6), they wanted to worship God. They knew that their power and strength were in the Lord their God, and they immediately went to the instructions and built the altar first, so they could obey God and offer the sacrifices prescribed by The Law, even in spite of their fear of the pagan peoples surrounding them. Worship itself came first, even before the Temple was begun.

Do we consider our Lord worth our worship first, before anything else we do each day? 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Salt And Light

Matthew 5:13-16

You are the salt of the Earth . . .

Salt flavors by bringing out the flavor of the food it is put on. As Christians, we need to bring out in others the good qualities with which God has gifted them, whether their natural or spiritual qualities. 

Salt also purifies and preserves. We are to purify our society and our families of the harmful attitudes that are drawing us away from the prosperity God wants for us.

You are the light of the world . . .

Light dispels darkness and fills the whole area. Our light shines out into our families, neighbors and our Nation, to show up what is hidden and to reveal secrets that are harmful. Sunlight is also purifying--our light can clean out hidden wounds so they can heal.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Nothing Is Impossible

Genesis 11:6

The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them."

Wow! When we get together and work together, understanding one another, then whatever we can imagine, we will be able to accomplish! God made us in His image, and we, like Him, are creative. We can imagine new things and plan out how to use the things God has created to build new things to carry out new concepts never done before! Nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them! Wow!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Foundation Of All Science

Isaiah 66:22a

"The new Heavens and the new Earth that I make will endure before me," declares the Lord.

The Earth and the whole Universe (the Heavens) are all wearing out, winding down under the present order of things. The Second Law of Thermodynamics is the Law of Entropy, that everything tends to degrade from order to chaos. This is the curse God placed on Creation because of Adam's sin. If we can't die, then we can't be redeemed. The angels who sinned couldn't die, so they couldn't be redeemed by a substitute dying in their place, and they are now what we call demons.

But when God destroys this scheme of matter and creates the new Heavens and the new Earth, Death itself will be destroyed, so that curse of death will be removed, and we will enjoy only the First Law of Thermodynamics, the Law of Conservation of Matter: What is, is, and can neither be increased or diminished, none more can be created nor can what exists be destroyed, it just changes form. It will endure.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Don't Quit Before Payday!

Galatians 6:8-9

The one who sows to his flesh, -- Works to please his own comfort.

from the flesh -- From the corrupted, sinful nature.

will reap destruction: -- Will die.

The one who sows to the Spirit -- Obeys the Law of Love, responding to others in love, not reacting to their (possibly negative) acts or words toward us.

from the Spirit -- From God's Holy Spirit, our seal, our deposit, our constant companion.

will reap eternal life. -- Eternal living that starts right now.

Let us not become weary -- Let's not get tired of, worn out.

in doing good, -- In always maintaining a positive attitude of seeing the best in others.

for at the proper time -- Not our time, but God's time, actual harvest time.

we will reap a harvest -- We will get our paycheck, our reward, our prize.

if we do not give up. -- Don't quit before payday! before the crop comes in!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

God's Reputation

Isaiah 36 and 37

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria, attacked. . . . "This is what the great king the king of Assyria, says, 'On what are you basing this confidence of yours? . . . Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?'" . . . Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the Temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. . . . "It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone fashioned by human hands. Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand so that all kingdoms on Earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God."

So God did deliver them, in a miraculous way! Wow! God told Hezekiah, I will defend this city and save it, for My sake and for the sake of David my Servant.

Then: The angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning--there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

One day . . . his sons . . . cut him down with the sword. . . . And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.

God will always defend His own reputation. Because this pagan king considered God to be no greater than the idols of the other countries, thereby blaspheming, lying about, Him, and because Hezekiah put his trust in God and prayed; then God pulled that king back home again and had him die there.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Desiderata

Romans 12:18,21

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

O my Father, although we try to do our very best to get along, we still come up short of what You want for us. We still find ourselves reacting negatively instead of taking the time to breathe in Your grace so we can breathe out Your mercy. Please help us to do what we are given to do, but not go too far. Help us to patiently wait on You to work in our own and others' hearts, to soften the hard places in them so we can respond to one another courteously and compassionately. Let us not be overcome by the evil in this world and in our own flesh, but to overcome the evil by doing the good of working out differences, working through difficulties, and relying on You to continue to work out Your will in us and in our relationships with one another. Keep us steadfast in persevering through the processes of reconciliation and healing, trusting that You want the very best for each of us, and Your desire is that we all come to repentance and righteousness.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

6 Cycles Of Rebellion And Blessing

Psalm 107

This psalm gives 6 cycles of different kinds of troubles people have faced: And called to God for help, and how He rescued them: Causing them to thank and praise the Lord. Then the last verses give the conclusion.

1-4 -- (Introduction.) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good: His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this--those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from East and West, from North and South.

(1) 4-9 -- Those who wandered in desert wastelands who were hungry and thirsty.Then they cried out to the Lord and He delivered them for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things, so they gave thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men.

(2) 10-16 -- Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So He subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled and there was no one to help.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

(3) 17-22 -- Afflictions resulting from rebellious dietary choices; they cried out to the Lord and were rescued from death by being healed and then they praised Him.

(4) 23-32 -- They took to ships and faced storms and tempests; they cried out to the Lord and He calmed the storm and provided a safe haven, and they praised Him.

(5) 33-38 -- He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into a thirsty ground and fruitful land into a salt waste because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

Then He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; There He brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; He blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and He did not let their herds diminish.

(6) 39-41 -- Then their numbers decreased and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow: He who pours contempt on nobles [The Lord, because of their pride] made them wander in a trackless waste.

But He lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks.

42-43 -- (Conclusion.) The upright see and rejoice in praising God, but all the wicked shut their mouths [they have nothing to say]. Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord.

God's love is the foundation of everything that is. God created, and He loves what He made. He fashioned this Earth for us to live here, and formed us from it. Then He gave us all the guidelines so we could know how to live here, how to take care of the Earth and relate to one another: which is to love, as He loves. God loves us, and wants us to love Him back. And He designed our world and us to love one another, and take care of all He has given us as we use this Earth for our benefit and take care of one another in it. When we follow His instructions, then everything works the way He designed it; but when we think we know better, or in other ways rebel against His rules, then we suffer the consequences of our poor choices. 

We cannot blame God for unfavorable circumstances in our lives when we don't follow (obey) His commandments and statutes. God has clearly given us the consequences of the kinds of decisions we choose to make, for our good or not. When we choose to live according to His ways, then we benefit and He gets the credit, the glory. When we choose to rebel against His ways in ignoring Him and deciding that we know better, then we reap the fruits of disease, of despair, of death, of everything that is against us. 

Let us get to know this God who made us, and learn of His ways, and choose to live our lives according to His revealed will for us to love Him and one another.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Daniel's Trust In God

Daniel 6:10

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Daniel's habit of seeking God on a regular schedule kept him close to God and steadfast in His ways. Even when he heard about this decree and that it was in effect, he didn't alter or change his schedule. He knew what the consequences would be, but still trusted that God could rescue him. He had the same view that his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had when faced with the fiery furnace: "The God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not . . ." (3:17-18). They all trusted God's power and care, but still left it up to God whether He will. They were ready to die.

I wonder how many Christians today would have that same strong confidence that Daniel and his friends had, that we would continue to have our quiet time, or continue to talk to others about Jesus, or continue to be bold about why we live the moral and honorable lives we live, if we knew that if it was known it could mean our own persecution or martyrdom.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Faith, Hope And Love

I Corinthians 13:8-10, 13

Where there are prophesies, they will cease; -- When all that has been predicted comes true.

Where there are tongues, they will be stilled; -- All the languages we speak will most likely be unnecessary when we are living on the New Earth.

Where there is knowledge, it will pass away. -- All the knowledge that we have learned about how this world functions and how the Earth fits into this Universe will be superseded by the realities of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. -- "Faith:" We will always trust fully in God. "Hope:" We will forever know that we are still growing, maturing, and healing from our brokenness, ever more being molded into God's image. "Love:" The caring that is the framework that everything hangs on and the overcoat that ties everything together; the whole reason for everything.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

God Is A Refuge

Nahum 1:7

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.

The 3 chapters of Nahum's prophesy are all about the destruction of that wicked city Nineveh. This is the same city-state that God had sent Jonah to, 100 years earlier. The repentance they had as a result of Jonah's preaching did not last, and new generations were born who went back to the same evil, violent and cruel lifestyle of their forebears. So now Nahum is pronouncing their downfall; Babylon will conquer Nineveh and wipe them from the face of the Earth, and it will disappear. We know that God later then destroyed Babylon, too. Then the Israelis will rejoice, the Jews will be freed from their chains, and God will restore Israel's bountiful land. This is God's way: To rescue those who call upon Him from the oppressor and punish the wicked who reject the good He offers.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Speaking Boldly

Acts 4:31

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.

Peter and John had healed a man who was crippled and were teaching about the Resurrection when the priests and Sadducees told them not to preach in Jesus' Name, and they replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God" (v. 19). So the priests and Sadducees threatened them again and let them go. They expected that they would intimidate these "unlearned" men. But Peter and John told their group what had happened, then they all prayed together and the place was shaken. Then when the Holy Spirit filled them, the result wasn't speaking in tongues, it was boldness in proclaiming God's Word!

O Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit to speak boldly and not miss an opportunity.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Making Aliyah

Isaiah 49:12

See, they will come from afar--some from the North [Russia], some from the West [Europe, the Americas], some from the region of Sinim [Hebrew for a distant Oriental region, e.g. the Far East: China, Japan, Korea].

God is calling His children Israel from all the countries of the world back to the land He gave to Israel so long ago. Individuals and families are "making aliyah," returning to the homeland. God will continue to call His people out of every nation to which they have been scattered, dispersed. Never before in the whole history of Mankind has a nation that was conquered and dispersed ever come back, 2000 years (and how many generations) later, to the very land they had before, to be the same Nation they were among the nations of the world! Always before, the conquered nations disappeared, swallowed up by the nations they were carried to. But not Israel! They retained their identity, everywhere they found themselves. God is carrying Jacob back to Israel, just like He said He would!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

"I Will Teach You What To Say"

Exodus 4:10,12

Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent. I am slow of speech and tongue." The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Is it not I the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

O my Father, I know that You have not given me to gain any collage degrees or high positions or mighty credits on my resume, yet You have seen fit to allow me to be taught how to study Your Word, how to draw out what You have put there, rather than try to find validation of what I may want to find there. You have also given me Your Spirit to teach me Your Truth, and to see how You have "lined up the dots" so that I can connect them. You have given me to write this blog to share with others what You are teaching me. 

You have shown me what You are doing, to accomplish Your Plan of the Ages, and I have read "the end of the story," and I have begun to understand how You are working in this world, among the Nations and in the lives of Your people and the leaders of this world. Help me, Father, to be Your hands and Your feet and Your voice to do Your work, to share with others how much You love them and have already met all their needs in Your Son Jesus through His death and resurrection. Help me to help to prepare Your people for the trials to come, that are already beginning to manifest even today. 

O Father, You have helped me to speak, and taught me what to say. Now, I pray, please bring those who need to hear to be drawn ever closer to You, Father, and to be strong, courageous and faithful through the times to come.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

An Undivided Heart

Psalm 86:11-12

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; --  When God teaches us His way, then we will be able to walk in His Truth.

give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your Name. -- A heart that is not divided between God's way and my way, God's way and the way of the world. Then I will have the proper respect and awe for who God is and His authority over me.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; -- When my heart is no longer divided between two worlds, then I will be able to give my whole heart to Him, and give Him the praise He deserves that I owe Him.

I will glorify Your Name forever. -- I will praise Him not only in this world, but I will continue to give Him glory throughout all eternity.

O my Father, Your ways are not our ways; teach me Your ways, so I will not fall into my fleshly ways, but I will walk in the path You have set before me, according to Your Truth that speaks against the world. Grant healing to my heart that it will not be divided, for I will give account to You. I want to worship You and magnify Your Name, Your authority, Your greatness, while I live here on this Earth now, and through all eternity.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

God's Right-ness

Psalm 145:7b

And joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

God's righteousness involves His justice as well as His mercy and grace. It is right-ness in everything He does, because He is love! Because He loves His creation, "He has compassion on all He has made" (v.9). He "opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing," which means that He causes the seasons to grow the food for all the creatures He has made, for this is right. It is often man's rule over his fellow beings that results in famine. We rejoice in God's goodness and righteousness, because when we know His ways and think His positive thoughts (see Philippians 4:8), then we will love Him and our fellow man, and be glad that God is such a good God who does everything righteously. We will rejoice in what is right, and sing the songs that praise His right-ness, His perfection.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Jealousy Versus Envy

Exodus 34:14

Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Moses was about to allow the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, and God makes this startling statement. We tend to see jealousy as a negative, even sinful trait. But it is envy that is wrong. Envy is lusting after what belongs to another. However, jealousy has been called a fear of losing what belongs to me. All worship rightfully belongs to God, and He knows that whenever we allow anything else to take first place in our lives, it is to our detriment. So He is jealous to have us for Himself; He will not share us with any other. Only He can give us what we need, no other. He knows how vulnerable we all are to think that we know better, or that something of this world can meet our needs. But He is our all-in-all, the only One who is to come first in all our thoughts, our attitudes and our decisions.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Workplace Attitudes

Ephesians 6:5-9

Slaves, -- Today that would be employees.

obey your earthly masters -- your boss

with respect and fear, -- considering the authority God has given them over you

with sincerity of heart, -- with integrity

just as you would obey Christ. -- how you would treat Jesus if He were your boss.

Obey them not only to win their favor -- Do not "brown-nose" or suck up to them

when their eye is on you, -- when they're watching

but like slaves of Christ, -- Jesus is really your boss

doing the will of God -- everything you know you should be doing, not slacking off

from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, -- put your whole self, all your energy into it

as if you were serving the Lord, not men, -- Your Boss really is Jesus, beyond and above your manager at work

because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, -- Remember the Judgement Seat of Christ (Romans 12:10, II Corinthians 5:10)

whether he is slave or free. -- It doesn't matter if your're working as an employee at a business or if you are the owner of the business working for yourself, we are all accountable.

And masters, -- Employers, managers, bosses of any kind

treat your slaves -- your employees, those who work under you

in the same way. -- Have the same attitude of mind in dealing with employees, customers, suppliers, whoever you do business with, as though Jesus was working for you, buying from you, or supplying what you need.

Do not threaten them, -- Don't be harsh, because God is gentle with us

since you know that He who is both their Master and yours -- Jesus is Lord, Boss over all of us

is in Heaven, -- He's up there, watching

and there is no favoritism with Him. -- It doesn't matter if He placed you high or low on the "ladder," you are still and always accountable to Him. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

A Lifestyle Of Adherence To The Law

Ezra 7:10

For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Ezra had chosen to live a lifestyle of devotion to the Lord by studying to know what the Law says, and to observe and practice in his life the lifestyle of adherence to the Law of the Lord. And he also had compassion for his fellow Israelites in teaching them how to follow the concepts of the Law so they also would live lives that could be acceptable to God to bless them with His goodness.

When we live our lives in accordance to how God designed this Earth to work by cooperating with the regulations and decrees He has given us, then the result will be that things will go well for us, and we will be blessed by God in this world, as well as inherit eternal life in His Kingdom.

We don't need to be born into a family of priests like Ezra was to be able to study God's Word for ourselves; each one of His children has His Holy Spirit living in us to teach us an accurate understanding of what He has written in the Bible. When we approach Bible study with the attitude of drawing out what is there, rather than trying to find validation of our own ideas, then His Spirit will guide us into His Truth. And the Truth will set us free from the erroneous and deceitful philosophies of the world.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Puzzle Pieces

Hebrews 11:39-40

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

All the Old Testament saints were parts of God's Plan of the Ages. But they weren't the whole picture, just a part of it. We also are parts of the whole, and only with all of us together can we see how glorious God's Plan is for us. We still don't have the complete picture, but like a puzzle, the pieces that are in place are showing how the rest of the pieces will look; and God has given us that picture, in His prophets, the teachings of Jesus, and in the Epistles and Revelation. I've read the "end of the story" and I can see enough of the picture to fill in a lot of the pieces not accomplished yet. 

Father, dear, help us to to be Your hands, Your feet and Your voice, to further along Your Plan, to do, to say, to be where You would have us be, do and say. May Your workers toil in Your fields to reap Your crop, Your fruits of Righteousness and find all Your lost sheep, to carry them into the safety of Your fold. And may Your will be done on this Earth, the same as it is done in Heaven.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Same Respect For All Persons Before The Law

Exodus 12:49

The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you.

God gave this stipulation to Moses and Aaron even before they left Egypt to go to the Promised Land. It has always been the Law for God's people Israel, and it continues to be the Law in Israel today, even for those who are Arab and Palestinian who live in Israel among the Jews. The same laws apply to everyone. That is a real wonder, that even today the Israelis have the same respect for all persons, regardless of pedigree, even knowing that there are enemies among them.

Thank you, Father, for Your faithfulness to Your promises, that You are keeping Israel in Your hand, protecting and preserving them for That Day!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Mending Family Relationships

I John 4:19-21

We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother (or sister), he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother (sister), whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother (sister).

The concept of "family" is to include all differences, accepting one another as we are, whether we agree or not. We may disagree on many issues, and we will offend each other from time to time; but we are to voice our complaints in a loving way within the family, without blaming or criticism. We are to love one another unconditionally, no matter what it costs us, as God loves us. We can do that by talking out our differences and being willing to come to some kind of agreement.

My dear Father, please teach us how to live in our Earthly families as we will live in Your Heavenly family, in the love with which You love us. Help us to accept each family member, recognizing the good and admirable in each other's personalities and characters, and reaching out compassionately to one another expecting eventual reconciliation of the differences that have built walls between us. Show us how we can demolish those walls, one stone at a time.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Governmental Authorities

I Peter 2:13-14

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: Whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

This means whether we agree with his politics or not, as long as we are not required by that obedience to sin against God's Law of Love.

Verse 15

For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

So when we obey God and live our lives according to the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), then that will counteract "the ignorant talk of foolish men:" Foolish in denying God's ultimate authority, and ignorant in ignoring His Word and ways.

Verse 12

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the Day He visits us.

This says that they will see our good works now, but they will refuse to give God the glory until they are forced to on That Day.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!