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!
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
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!
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Our Frame Of Mind
Ephesians 4: 31-32
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
______________
Bitterness=acidity, especially poison.
Wrath=(breathing hard) fierceness, with indignation.
Anger=(excitement of the mind) violent passion, vengeance.
Clamor=an outcry of tumult or grief, crying.
Slander=vilification, railing, evil speaking.
Malice= depravity, malignity, evil, wickedness.
______________
Kind=useful in manner or morals, better, easy, goodness, gracious, kind.
Tender-hearted=well-compassioned, sympathetic, full of pity.
Forgiving=grant as favor, gratuitously, in kindness, pardon, rescue, deliver, frankly forgive, freely give, grant.
_______________
So we are to depart from all that would be hurtful or would injure the other person; and freely forgive them, having compassion for them, seeking to do them good, to bless them. To be Christ to them.
God has freely forgiven us in Christ, when we did not deserve to be forgiven. No matter what we do, we could never deserve forgiveness, but God forgives us anyway. So we shouldn't wait for the other to apologize before we extend forgiveness to them. This frees us from the bitterness that grows from blaming and holding grudges.
God always provides an example for how He wants us to think, speak and do. He has already given us His best, His firstborn, and He forgives us freely, drawing us to Himself and filling us with His good Holy Spirit to give us the ability to do what He asks us to do.
God is changing us, molding our characters to think and act according to the rightness and righteousness of Christ Jesus our Lord. He only asks us to cooperate with Him in conforming our thinking processes to align with His. And to deliberately depart from any attitude that is contrary to His grace and graciousness.
We are responsible for everything we choose; what we allow our eyes to see, or our ears to hear, or our minds to dwell on any kind of entertainment or teaching or attitude; to decide if it is edifying or breaking down that good character God is building in us.
May we continually watch ourselves, so that we don't slip into any of these negative frames of mind; and keep ourselves always in the attitude of prayer, practicing the presence of God, as Brother Andrew put it, having a running conversation with Him all day every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
______________
Bitterness=acidity, especially poison.
Wrath=(breathing hard) fierceness, with indignation.
Anger=(excitement of the mind) violent passion, vengeance.
Clamor=an outcry of tumult or grief, crying.
Slander=vilification, railing, evil speaking.
Malice= depravity, malignity, evil, wickedness.
______________
Kind=useful in manner or morals, better, easy, goodness, gracious, kind.
Tender-hearted=well-compassioned, sympathetic, full of pity.
Forgiving=grant as favor, gratuitously, in kindness, pardon, rescue, deliver, frankly forgive, freely give, grant.
_______________
So we are to depart from all that would be hurtful or would injure the other person; and freely forgive them, having compassion for them, seeking to do them good, to bless them. To be Christ to them.
God has freely forgiven us in Christ, when we did not deserve to be forgiven. No matter what we do, we could never deserve forgiveness, but God forgives us anyway. So we shouldn't wait for the other to apologize before we extend forgiveness to them. This frees us from the bitterness that grows from blaming and holding grudges.
God always provides an example for how He wants us to think, speak and do. He has already given us His best, His firstborn, and He forgives us freely, drawing us to Himself and filling us with His good Holy Spirit to give us the ability to do what He asks us to do.
God is changing us, molding our characters to think and act according to the rightness and righteousness of Christ Jesus our Lord. He only asks us to cooperate with Him in conforming our thinking processes to align with His. And to deliberately depart from any attitude that is contrary to His grace and graciousness.
We are responsible for everything we choose; what we allow our eyes to see, or our ears to hear, or our minds to dwell on any kind of entertainment or teaching or attitude; to decide if it is edifying or breaking down that good character God is building in us.
May we continually watch ourselves, so that we don't slip into any of these negative frames of mind; and keep ourselves always in the attitude of prayer, practicing the presence of God, as Brother Andrew put it, having a running conversation with Him all day every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Every Generation
Psalm 78: 5-7
For He issued His decree to Jacob; He gave His Law to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them--even the children not yet born--that they in turn might teach their children. So each generation can set its hope anew on God, remembering His glorious miracles and obeying His commands.
We who know the Lord have the responsibility to teach His ways to our own children and grandchildren. The purpose of this is so that this Truth will not be lost, which can happen in only one generation. If we love our children, and their children, and theirs, then we will take seriously this charge to make sure they understand how God has made this world for us, and how to interact with it, as well as all the supernatural miracles He has done.
As our Maker, He can do whatever He wants. Because He is good, what He wants will always be good for us. His Word shows us how to take care of this world and each other, and also tells us how He has already met all of our needs. He has met our eternal need by sending His only Son to be our Sacrificial Lamb, Who has taken our death for each of us in payment of the debt we each owe to God.
He has also given us His rules and regulations, like the instruction book you get with a new car, explaining all the functions you can play with, along with how to take care of your vehicle in the type of fuel to use and when to change the oil. The same way, our Maker wants us to follow His instructions so that we can enjoy this world and have beneficial relationships with others in our path of life.
So love really does make the world go 'round! God's love! And when we know this love, and love others with this genuine love, and take care of our environment where He has placed us, then we will enjoy all the good things God has prepared for us to enjoy. And we will enjoy Him forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For He issued His decree to Jacob; He gave His Law to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them--even the children not yet born--that they in turn might teach their children. So each generation can set its hope anew on God, remembering His glorious miracles and obeying His commands.
We who know the Lord have the responsibility to teach His ways to our own children and grandchildren. The purpose of this is so that this Truth will not be lost, which can happen in only one generation. If we love our children, and their children, and theirs, then we will take seriously this charge to make sure they understand how God has made this world for us, and how to interact with it, as well as all the supernatural miracles He has done.
As our Maker, He can do whatever He wants. Because He is good, what He wants will always be good for us. His Word shows us how to take care of this world and each other, and also tells us how He has already met all of our needs. He has met our eternal need by sending His only Son to be our Sacrificial Lamb, Who has taken our death for each of us in payment of the debt we each owe to God.
He has also given us His rules and regulations, like the instruction book you get with a new car, explaining all the functions you can play with, along with how to take care of your vehicle in the type of fuel to use and when to change the oil. The same way, our Maker wants us to follow His instructions so that we can enjoy this world and have beneficial relationships with others in our path of life.
So love really does make the world go 'round! God's love! And when we know this love, and love others with this genuine love, and take care of our environment where He has placed us, then we will enjoy all the good things God has prepared for us to enjoy. And we will enjoy Him forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, November 25, 2016
A Disgrace To Any People Group
Psalm 106:35-37
Instead, they (Israel) mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs. They worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall. They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons.
Proverbs 14:34
Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
We see here the example God gives us of His people, the twelve tribes of Israel, who were given God's wise rules to live by, but didn't. They looked instead at the world around them, at what the people did, and lived how they did, instead of considering that God was the Maker and Owner of the world, and had given them His Manufacturer's Instructions. They wandered away from God and made foolish choices, which always causes problems for us. They even went so far as to kill their newborn children to try to appease these other gods.
So God took them out of the good land He had given them and scattered them over the face of the whole Earth.
When we tell God we want to do it our own way, He lets us have our way, and suffer the consequences. But we can always turn back to God and His ways.
When America was founded, the government was based on the godly principles found in Scripture. And we enjoyed much prosperity and peace, in following God's directions. As time has progressed, however, we have gotten away from our good roots, we decided that the world also had "good ideas" and started to follow them, instead. So now in America, good is being called evil, love is called hatred, darkness is considered light, and we are killing our children even before they can be born. But God still has His people here, who have risen up and noticed what has been going on, and we have rejected the evil for the good.
Now those who have rejected the godly ways are throwing temper tantrums because they didn't get their way in the election, like two-year-olds.
I trust that God will continue to stand with His Own here, keeping us strong, and leading us back into His righteousness and the good that results from it, in spite of the backlash from those who have been deceived by the enemy.
Pray with me, as I continue to lift up America to the Lord's care every day, to lead and guide us in His faithfulness, to show the world His wisdom and love.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Instead, they (Israel) mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs. They worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall. They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons.
Proverbs 14:34
Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
We see here the example God gives us of His people, the twelve tribes of Israel, who were given God's wise rules to live by, but didn't. They looked instead at the world around them, at what the people did, and lived how they did, instead of considering that God was the Maker and Owner of the world, and had given them His Manufacturer's Instructions. They wandered away from God and made foolish choices, which always causes problems for us. They even went so far as to kill their newborn children to try to appease these other gods.
So God took them out of the good land He had given them and scattered them over the face of the whole Earth.
When we tell God we want to do it our own way, He lets us have our way, and suffer the consequences. But we can always turn back to God and His ways.
When America was founded, the government was based on the godly principles found in Scripture. And we enjoyed much prosperity and peace, in following God's directions. As time has progressed, however, we have gotten away from our good roots, we decided that the world also had "good ideas" and started to follow them, instead. So now in America, good is being called evil, love is called hatred, darkness is considered light, and we are killing our children even before they can be born. But God still has His people here, who have risen up and noticed what has been going on, and we have rejected the evil for the good.
Now those who have rejected the godly ways are throwing temper tantrums because they didn't get their way in the election, like two-year-olds.
I trust that God will continue to stand with His Own here, keeping us strong, and leading us back into His righteousness and the good that results from it, in spite of the backlash from those who have been deceived by the enemy.
Pray with me, as I continue to lift up America to the Lord's care every day, to lead and guide us in His faithfulness, to show the world His wisdom and love.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Thanksgiving
Psalm 107
(V. 22) And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.
This whole Psalm, all 43 verses of it, recount the downward spiral of how God's people were blessed by the Lord, then turned from Him and suffered the consequences, then turned back to Him and His ways, and were again blessed. Over and over again.
Our thanksgiving is a sacrifice when we are thanking God for His goodness even though we are experiencing troubles or sorrows. God is still good, and He still wants to bless us with every blessing in every area of our lives. Our attitude of thanksgiving will put us in the place where we will be able to receive His goodness.
What we focus on becomes magnified in our view, and other things fade into the background. So if we're focusing on our troubles, they will loom large, and the good things will fade. Likewise, when we decide to focus on God's goodness that He never stopped showering on us, then that will fill our consciousness, letting our problems fade away, doing the things in life that will tend to solve the problems, and bring more goodness into our daily living.
We will never be without troubles and sorrows in this world, but let's focus instead on how God's blessings bestow upon us the Sun to rise every morning, the rain to water our food crops, and the beautiful Moon every night. And God's people will never be without clothes to wear or food to eat, that is promised.
This Psalm ends with the conclusion:
(V. 43) Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.
Amen, and Amen!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(V. 22) And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.
This whole Psalm, all 43 verses of it, recount the downward spiral of how God's people were blessed by the Lord, then turned from Him and suffered the consequences, then turned back to Him and His ways, and were again blessed. Over and over again.
Our thanksgiving is a sacrifice when we are thanking God for His goodness even though we are experiencing troubles or sorrows. God is still good, and He still wants to bless us with every blessing in every area of our lives. Our attitude of thanksgiving will put us in the place where we will be able to receive His goodness.
What we focus on becomes magnified in our view, and other things fade into the background. So if we're focusing on our troubles, they will loom large, and the good things will fade. Likewise, when we decide to focus on God's goodness that He never stopped showering on us, then that will fill our consciousness, letting our problems fade away, doing the things in life that will tend to solve the problems, and bring more goodness into our daily living.
We will never be without troubles and sorrows in this world, but let's focus instead on how God's blessings bestow upon us the Sun to rise every morning, the rain to water our food crops, and the beautiful Moon every night. And God's people will never be without clothes to wear or food to eat, that is promised.
This Psalm ends with the conclusion:
(V. 43) Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.
Amen, and Amen!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Stone To Remember Help
I Samuel 7: 12
Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (stone of help), for he said, "Up to this point the Lord has helped us."
God has helped us at so many times and in so many ways that we may not even be aware of. Samuel knew that it was the Lord who enabled him to accomplish everything he had been able to do, so he set up this stone to remember to give God the credit.
May we always recognize that without Him we can do nothing, and that everything we accomplish is through His strength and wisdom. Then we will give Him the glory that is due Him, for He planned it all out before any of it existed, and He is carrying out His plans in and through all of us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (stone of help), for he said, "Up to this point the Lord has helped us."
God has helped us at so many times and in so many ways that we may not even be aware of. Samuel knew that it was the Lord who enabled him to accomplish everything he had been able to do, so he set up this stone to remember to give God the credit.
May we always recognize that without Him we can do nothing, and that everything we accomplish is through His strength and wisdom. Then we will give Him the glory that is due Him, for He planned it all out before any of it existed, and He is carrying out His plans in and through all of us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Watch Over Or Turn Against?
I Peter 3: 12
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil. (See also Psalm 34: 15-16.)
My son once told me that the Bible contradicts itself because God does not treat everybody the same way. He had read some skeptic who quoted "contradictory" views on what kind of character God has, loving or vengeful. But even we don't treat everybody the same; we love our friends who love us, but do not trust those who show themselves to be our enemies. God knows who His enemies are, who are the victims of our enemy's lies and deceptions, so they rebel against Him.
All of us are born as unclean beings, and need to be redeemed. But those who refuse to admit their culpability will not accept His outstretched hand that offers redemption, and so they choose to go to the place God created for the Devil and his demons, even after repeated pleadings to turn around their behavior and return to the Lord.
Ezekiel 33:11 tells us, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked would turn from his way and live: Turn, turn from your evil ways; for why do you want to die, O house of Israel?
And
II Peter 3:9 says that God is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Repentance is a turning around, realizing that we're going the wrong way and turning away from the evil toward the right and good. That's what God wants us all to do. But not everyone is willing to humble themselves before the righteous God, so God must put their punishment on them, instead of on Christ, because of their stubbornness and pride. So He "turns His face against" them.
But He "watches over" those who have turned to Him, "and His ears are open to their prayers." We need to be sure to never give up praying for those of our loved ones who have not yet known redemption, bringing them before the Throne of Grace, constantly pleading God's mercy on them.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil. (See also Psalm 34: 15-16.)
My son once told me that the Bible contradicts itself because God does not treat everybody the same way. He had read some skeptic who quoted "contradictory" views on what kind of character God has, loving or vengeful. But even we don't treat everybody the same; we love our friends who love us, but do not trust those who show themselves to be our enemies. God knows who His enemies are, who are the victims of our enemy's lies and deceptions, so they rebel against Him.
All of us are born as unclean beings, and need to be redeemed. But those who refuse to admit their culpability will not accept His outstretched hand that offers redemption, and so they choose to go to the place God created for the Devil and his demons, even after repeated pleadings to turn around their behavior and return to the Lord.
Ezekiel 33:11 tells us, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked would turn from his way and live: Turn, turn from your evil ways; for why do you want to die, O house of Israel?
And
II Peter 3:9 says that God is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Repentance is a turning around, realizing that we're going the wrong way and turning away from the evil toward the right and good. That's what God wants us all to do. But not everyone is willing to humble themselves before the righteous God, so God must put their punishment on them, instead of on Christ, because of their stubbornness and pride. So He "turns His face against" them.
But He "watches over" those who have turned to Him, "and His ears are open to their prayers." We need to be sure to never give up praying for those of our loved ones who have not yet known redemption, bringing them before the Throne of Grace, constantly pleading God's mercy on them.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, November 21, 2016
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12
Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the Law and the Prophets.
This is the "Golden Rule." It is revered in every land, every culture, every time period. It is also a description of everything that had been written in the Hebrew Scriptures, and also in the New Testament.
Jesus said that to love God and to love our neighbor would result in obeying all the laws that had been given. To be thoughtful and kind and generous with others is how God designed us to behave. And to realize and understand how God loves us so deeply and passionately elicits a loving response from us.
John tells us that, "God is love" (I John 4:8), so those who know God, who have experienced His indescribable love, will also love others. If someone does not know how to love, it shows that they do not know God.
This does not mean that if I like strawberries, then I'll give you strawberries; but you may be allergic to strawberries. We must look deeper to understand this: If I want others to understand me, then I must learn to understand them, too; if I want others to grant me the benefit of the doubt, then I must also grant them the benefit of the doubt.
May God grant us to know His love, so we can love others with genuine love, not the "fake" love of the world. May He help us to see others with His eyes, understand with His discernment, and love them with His love. May He fill our minds with His thoughts, and fill our hearts with His love for others.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the Law and the Prophets.
This is the "Golden Rule." It is revered in every land, every culture, every time period. It is also a description of everything that had been written in the Hebrew Scriptures, and also in the New Testament.
Jesus said that to love God and to love our neighbor would result in obeying all the laws that had been given. To be thoughtful and kind and generous with others is how God designed us to behave. And to realize and understand how God loves us so deeply and passionately elicits a loving response from us.
John tells us that, "God is love" (I John 4:8), so those who know God, who have experienced His indescribable love, will also love others. If someone does not know how to love, it shows that they do not know God.
This does not mean that if I like strawberries, then I'll give you strawberries; but you may be allergic to strawberries. We must look deeper to understand this: If I want others to understand me, then I must learn to understand them, too; if I want others to grant me the benefit of the doubt, then I must also grant them the benefit of the doubt.
May God grant us to know His love, so we can love others with genuine love, not the "fake" love of the world. May He help us to see others with His eyes, understand with His discernment, and love them with His love. May He fill our minds with His thoughts, and fill our hearts with His love for others.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, November 20, 2016
A Secure Refuge And Life-Giving Fountain
Proverbs 14: 26-27
Those who fear the Lord are secure;
Everyone who recognizes God's power and authority over us all will have placed their lives on the firm foundation of His unchanging Person and Word.
He will be a refuge for their children.
They will have reared their children to know the Lord, and to trust in Him.
Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;
Submitting to God's authority and living according to His principles will bring abundance and prosperity in life, in the physical and the emotional areas of life.
It offers escape from the snares of death.
Snares are small traps, for capturing small animals. Snares of death would be all the little things in life that tend to trip us up in our everyday living that, accumulating, would lead to poor health, troublesome relationships, and separation (death).
The better we know God and His ways and follow them, the more we will be able to enjoy this world He made and the people He has put into our lives. We will have the benefits, and He will receive the credit, the glory, because that's how He designed it all to function.
I pray for the children of all those who have tried to live their lives in a godly manner, and taught their children so, as I know that all these children also have their own minds and wills, and some will reject what they have been taught and trust their own minds and the world's philosophies over the Lord's ways.
We cannot reason or argue them into God's Kingdom, all we can do is love them with God's agape love and keep them constantly in prayer. As they grow up and leave our parental hands, they are in His hand now.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Those who fear the Lord are secure;
Everyone who recognizes God's power and authority over us all will have placed their lives on the firm foundation of His unchanging Person and Word.
He will be a refuge for their children.
They will have reared their children to know the Lord, and to trust in Him.
Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;
Submitting to God's authority and living according to His principles will bring abundance and prosperity in life, in the physical and the emotional areas of life.
It offers escape from the snares of death.
Snares are small traps, for capturing small animals. Snares of death would be all the little things in life that tend to trip us up in our everyday living that, accumulating, would lead to poor health, troublesome relationships, and separation (death).
The better we know God and His ways and follow them, the more we will be able to enjoy this world He made and the people He has put into our lives. We will have the benefits, and He will receive the credit, the glory, because that's how He designed it all to function.
I pray for the children of all those who have tried to live their lives in a godly manner, and taught their children so, as I know that all these children also have their own minds and wills, and some will reject what they have been taught and trust their own minds and the world's philosophies over the Lord's ways.
We cannot reason or argue them into God's Kingdom, all we can do is love them with God's agape love and keep them constantly in prayer. As they grow up and leave our parental hands, they are in His hand now.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Pleasing Thoughts
Psalm 104:34
May all my thoughts be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
O my Father, I pray that You would put a guard on my very thoughts and attitudes, that I may be pleasing to You. Fill my heart with the goodness of Your Spirit, and let all my thought processes be pleasing to You; then my words will also be positive to build up and encourage those around me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
May all my thoughts be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
O my Father, I pray that You would put a guard on my very thoughts and attitudes, that I may be pleasing to You. Fill my heart with the goodness of Your Spirit, and let all my thought processes be pleasing to You; then my words will also be positive to build up and encourage those around me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, November 18, 2016
The Story Of Jephtha
Judges 11 and 12
These chapters tell us the story of Jephtha, one of the saints listed in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 11, the faith chapter.
In these chapters in Judges we find out that Jephtha is Gilead's son by a prostitute, and Gilead's legitimate sons chased him off of the family's property. But when the Ammonites attacked, the elders called Jephtha back to lead the military against them, and he did, to receive the honor and respect as the ruler that he did not get from his half-brothers.
But Jephtha made a foolish vow, and, being an honorable man, he was true to his word, even thought it grieved him terribly. And we never do learn the name of this young woman, only that she is Jephtha's daughter, his only child.
May we consider the consequences before we speak, and always honor what we have said, even if it is to our own hurt (see Psalm 15:4). This is what Jephtha did, and God put him into His Hall of Heroes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
These chapters tell us the story of Jephtha, one of the saints listed in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 11, the faith chapter.
In these chapters in Judges we find out that Jephtha is Gilead's son by a prostitute, and Gilead's legitimate sons chased him off of the family's property. But when the Ammonites attacked, the elders called Jephtha back to lead the military against them, and he did, to receive the honor and respect as the ruler that he did not get from his half-brothers.
But Jephtha made a foolish vow, and, being an honorable man, he was true to his word, even thought it grieved him terribly. And we never do learn the name of this young woman, only that she is Jephtha's daughter, his only child.
May we consider the consequences before we speak, and always honor what we have said, even if it is to our own hurt (see Psalm 15:4). This is what Jephtha did, and God put him into His Hall of Heroes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Wise People And Fools
Proverbs 13:16
Wise people think before they act; fools don't--and even brag about their foolishness.
This foolish person was me before God found me, so I understand the pride and low self-esteem that causes people to brag about all the foolish choices that bring problems and griefs into their lives. They're trying to either validate that they aren't any more stupid than others, or trying to get others to join them in their misery.
I would like to say that I haven't been that fool since I became a Christian, but I can't; it has taken me several decades to gain any measure of godly wisdom to be able to think clearly before I make decisions.
May our Father grant us all His wisdom in all our choices, to remember to think about the consequences for ourselves and others before we take that fateful step.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wise people think before they act; fools don't--and even brag about their foolishness.
This foolish person was me before God found me, so I understand the pride and low self-esteem that causes people to brag about all the foolish choices that bring problems and griefs into their lives. They're trying to either validate that they aren't any more stupid than others, or trying to get others to join them in their misery.
I would like to say that I haven't been that fool since I became a Christian, but I can't; it has taken me several decades to gain any measure of godly wisdom to be able to think clearly before I make decisions.
May our Father grant us all His wisdom in all our choices, to remember to think about the consequences for ourselves and others before we take that fateful step.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Our Earth
Psalm 104
This Psalm lays out all God has done for providing everything we need in this Earth. We see that God has formed and made this world, placed it in its place in the Universe, and designed all the Earth Systems to work together to give all its inhabitants food to eat and places to live; everything works together and complements one another to enable this world to be self-sustaining and pleasurable, so that all can have a productive life and enjoy the good things God has provided. And the goodness of God leads us to repentance, that we can see the harm that our ungodliness produces in our own bodies, our society around us, and the very Earth itself.
We are to love God and love other people; and our love will give us good sense in caring for one another and the animals and other creatures and this world we live in, which is our home for all the time we dwell here.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This Psalm lays out all God has done for providing everything we need in this Earth. We see that God has formed and made this world, placed it in its place in the Universe, and designed all the Earth Systems to work together to give all its inhabitants food to eat and places to live; everything works together and complements one another to enable this world to be self-sustaining and pleasurable, so that all can have a productive life and enjoy the good things God has provided. And the goodness of God leads us to repentance, that we can see the harm that our ungodliness produces in our own bodies, our society around us, and the very Earth itself.
We are to love God and love other people; and our love will give us good sense in caring for one another and the animals and other creatures and this world we live in, which is our home for all the time we dwell here.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
East And West
Psalm 103:11-12
For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the Earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the East is from the West.
Once you start travelling East, you will continue to travel East, round and round the world. To go West you need to turn around. That's how far God has removed our sins from us, through Christ Jesus, as we turn around (repent) in turning to Him from our sins.
Praise You, Lord, for Your great mercies! Bless You, Lord, for Your great love that is far above and beyond every other love we can know. Praise You, Lord, for Who You are--You are Love, and everything You do comes from Your loving Nature: Your mercies and compassion; Your righteousness and perfection in all Your Truth; Your vengeance and punishment of sin and all who are wicked, who refuse to humble themselves before You to allow Your Son, our Lord Jesus, to bear that penalty for them.
All that is done, You do. All that has been done, You have done. All that will be accomplished, You will finish, perfectly and in Your perfect time. Praise You, Lord, I praise You with all my heart, soul, mind, strength and my whole being!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the Earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the East is from the West.
Once you start travelling East, you will continue to travel East, round and round the world. To go West you need to turn around. That's how far God has removed our sins from us, through Christ Jesus, as we turn around (repent) in turning to Him from our sins.
Praise You, Lord, for Your great mercies! Bless You, Lord, for Your great love that is far above and beyond every other love we can know. Praise You, Lord, for Who You are--You are Love, and everything You do comes from Your loving Nature: Your mercies and compassion; Your righteousness and perfection in all Your Truth; Your vengeance and punishment of sin and all who are wicked, who refuse to humble themselves before You to allow Your Son, our Lord Jesus, to bear that penalty for them.
All that is done, You do. All that has been done, You have done. All that will be accomplished, You will finish, perfectly and in Your perfect time. Praise You, Lord, I praise You with all my heart, soul, mind, strength and my whole being!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, November 14, 2016
Perfect? Or Available?
Judges 14: 6, 19
At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon [Samson], and he ripped the lion's jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. ... Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved his riddle.
Samson was a super hero, having super-human strength when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. But his moral character was not what we would recognize as godly. His failings were great and frequent and led to his eventual demise, yet God used him powerfully.
I do not have to be perfect for God to use me, either, just available and clean.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon [Samson], and he ripped the lion's jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. ... Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved his riddle.
Samson was a super hero, having super-human strength when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. But his moral character was not what we would recognize as godly. His failings were great and frequent and led to his eventual demise, yet God used him powerfully.
I do not have to be perfect for God to use me, either, just available and clean.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, November 13, 2016
All Who Repent
Luke 24:47
It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His Name to all the Nations (all People Groups), beginning in Jerusalem: "There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent."
I think the key word here is "repent." Forgiveness comes after the payment has been paid. Now that Jesus has died, taking upon Himself our very sin-nature on the Cross in payment for each one of us; now whenever we realize that we personally deserve death for our sins, and that Jesus is the One Who died our death, that is the "repentance" that is referred to here. One needs more than to just ask Jesus to save them, they must realize their lost state, and their inability to do anything in their flesh that God can accept, and let Jesus take their place in death. That's when God will place His own Holy Spirit in them, causing their dead spirit to be alive and capable of communicating with God, Who is Spirit.
Everyone in the whole world, in every Nation, every People Group, every dialect of every language, can now turn to Jesus to redeem them from the slavery of sin. By His Divine Blood shed at Calvary Jesus purchased the whole world, the whole universe. So we all now belong to Him by both Creation and by purchase, we are His property. And when He becomes our Savior, we also are His by Redemption, cleansed and purified to spend Eternity with Him.
Jesus has sent us out into the World to proclaim this Good News (Gospel) to everyone we meet, wherever we find ourselves in the world. We must each start in our own Jerusalem, our own families and neighborhoods, then our own state or province, and on to the whole world.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His Name to all the Nations (all People Groups), beginning in Jerusalem: "There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent."
I think the key word here is "repent." Forgiveness comes after the payment has been paid. Now that Jesus has died, taking upon Himself our very sin-nature on the Cross in payment for each one of us; now whenever we realize that we personally deserve death for our sins, and that Jesus is the One Who died our death, that is the "repentance" that is referred to here. One needs more than to just ask Jesus to save them, they must realize their lost state, and their inability to do anything in their flesh that God can accept, and let Jesus take their place in death. That's when God will place His own Holy Spirit in them, causing their dead spirit to be alive and capable of communicating with God, Who is Spirit.
Everyone in the whole world, in every Nation, every People Group, every dialect of every language, can now turn to Jesus to redeem them from the slavery of sin. By His Divine Blood shed at Calvary Jesus purchased the whole world, the whole universe. So we all now belong to Him by both Creation and by purchase, we are His property. And when He becomes our Savior, we also are His by Redemption, cleansed and purified to spend Eternity with Him.
Jesus has sent us out into the World to proclaim this Good News (Gospel) to everyone we meet, wherever we find ourselves in the world. We must each start in our own Jerusalem, our own families and neighborhoods, then our own state or province, and on to the whole world.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Grief And Suffering
Job 2:13
Then [Job's friends] sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. And no one said a word, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.
God is with us in our grief and suffering. Let us also be with others in their need, and when there are no words let us keep silent. "Each heart knows its own bitterness" (Proverbs 14:10). Let our hearts break with the brokenhearted, let us weep with those who weep; and also let us rejoice with those who rejoice in the Lord, that He may be honored and magnified, and receive all the glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Then [Job's friends] sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. And no one said a word, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.
God is with us in our grief and suffering. Let us also be with others in their need, and when there are no words let us keep silent. "Each heart knows its own bitterness" (Proverbs 14:10). Let our hearts break with the brokenhearted, let us weep with those who weep; and also let us rejoice with those who rejoice in the Lord, that He may be honored and magnified, and receive all the glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, November 11, 2016
Confidence
Judges 6:11
Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.
Luke 22:61-62
At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know Me." And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
Both Gideon and Peter had no confidence in themselves. But God's plans for them were not anything they would have tried on their own. Gideon became a mighty warrior who led Israel to great military victories; and Peter became one of the most outspoken and powerful of the Lord's witnesses and was a pillar of the early church.
How often do we think we can do something great for God, but it falls flat. God doesn't want us to be useful for Him, He wants us to be devoted to Him. Only when we recognize our inability to accomplish anything will God show His power in us to do what we would never even imagine.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.
Luke 22:61-62
At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know Me." And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
Both Gideon and Peter had no confidence in themselves. But God's plans for them were not anything they would have tried on their own. Gideon became a mighty warrior who led Israel to great military victories; and Peter became one of the most outspoken and powerful of the Lord's witnesses and was a pillar of the early church.
How often do we think we can do something great for God, but it falls flat. God doesn't want us to be useful for Him, He wants us to be devoted to Him. Only when we recognize our inability to accomplish anything will God show His power in us to do what we would never even imagine.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, November 10, 2016
The Mind Of Christ
I Corinthians 2:15-16
But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For, Who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? (Isaiah 40:13) But we have the mind of Christ.
We "have the mind of Christ," which enables us to understand and evaluate all things of this World accurately. But the "natural man" has not "known the mind of the Lord," this "mind of Christ," Who is the Lord; so the natural man cannot understand the spiritual man.
More and more I have observed in this World system, that those who do not know the Lord, in not being able to understand spiritual realities, tend to be afraid of what they do not understand; and this fear is bringing more and more anger toward God's people.
Anger is increasing, and being promoted by our Enemy and those who are subject to our Enemy's influence. He knows his time is short, so is furiously working hard to not only kill, steal and destroy, but also to eliminate God's influence by negating His Word and persecuting His people. I expect this to continue to increase, as God has told us in His Word. But I also pray for my land, my country, that God's righteousness would return to our Government, leading my people toward God and His ways, before the end.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For, Who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? (Isaiah 40:13) But we have the mind of Christ.
We "have the mind of Christ," which enables us to understand and evaluate all things of this World accurately. But the "natural man" has not "known the mind of the Lord," this "mind of Christ," Who is the Lord; so the natural man cannot understand the spiritual man.
More and more I have observed in this World system, that those who do not know the Lord, in not being able to understand spiritual realities, tend to be afraid of what they do not understand; and this fear is bringing more and more anger toward God's people.
Anger is increasing, and being promoted by our Enemy and those who are subject to our Enemy's influence. He knows his time is short, so is furiously working hard to not only kill, steal and destroy, but also to eliminate God's influence by negating His Word and persecuting His people. I expect this to continue to increase, as God has told us in His Word. But I also pray for my land, my country, that God's righteousness would return to our Government, leading my people toward God and His ways, before the end.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
A Human Point Of View
Mark 8:33
"Get away from Me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's."
Jesus' words here to Peter reveal that there are two opposing viewpoints, human and God's. Peter was thinking only on the human level, the reasonable thinking processes that wanted to defend Jesus from being taken and executed. Common sense would demand this. But God's view was that Jesus came to this Earth, becoming human, in order to be His sacrificial Lamb to die in payment of our sins.
We know that Jesus was tempted in every way we can be tempted, and His strong language here to Peter indicate that He was strongly tempted to let Peter fight for Him, to deliver Him from this consequence. His prayer in the Garden, repeated three times, shows us that, in His flesh, when it really came down to it, He really didn't want to have to go through this horrendous, grisly, painful process of dying for us, but He knew that there was no other way to redeem us. Only this would have the power and authority to remove the sins and the state of sin that separates us from God. Only this would allow us to be with Him for all eternity. So He prayed, "Not my [human] will, but Yours [ours from all eternity] be done." That's how much He loves us!
May we endeavor to think God's thoughts, through the Spirit Who lives in us, instead of succumbing to the reasonable, common sense, worldly way of thinking.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"Get away from Me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's."
Jesus' words here to Peter reveal that there are two opposing viewpoints, human and God's. Peter was thinking only on the human level, the reasonable thinking processes that wanted to defend Jesus from being taken and executed. Common sense would demand this. But God's view was that Jesus came to this Earth, becoming human, in order to be His sacrificial Lamb to die in payment of our sins.
We know that Jesus was tempted in every way we can be tempted, and His strong language here to Peter indicate that He was strongly tempted to let Peter fight for Him, to deliver Him from this consequence. His prayer in the Garden, repeated three times, shows us that, in His flesh, when it really came down to it, He really didn't want to have to go through this horrendous, grisly, painful process of dying for us, but He knew that there was no other way to redeem us. Only this would have the power and authority to remove the sins and the state of sin that separates us from God. Only this would allow us to be with Him for all eternity. So He prayed, "Not my [human] will, but Yours [ours from all eternity] be done." That's how much He loves us!
May we endeavor to think God's thoughts, through the Spirit Who lives in us, instead of succumbing to the reasonable, common sense, worldly way of thinking.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Old Age In The Lord
Psalm 92: 12-15
But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, "The Lord is just! He's my Rock! There is no evil in Him!"
These are wonderful promises for those who are getting "up in years." To flourish and grow strong, and still produce fruit after many years, vital and green. Trees can live hundreds of years, growing ever larger and more beautiful. I pray that I will continue to grow in the Lord, that I will never give in to "old age," always seeking a deeper understanding of God's Word. And to be able to share God's Truth with an ever wider audience, who will participate with me in this profitable and fruitful study.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, "The Lord is just! He's my Rock! There is no evil in Him!"
These are wonderful promises for those who are getting "up in years." To flourish and grow strong, and still produce fruit after many years, vital and green. Trees can live hundreds of years, growing ever larger and more beautiful. I pray that I will continue to grow in the Lord, that I will never give in to "old age," always seeking a deeper understanding of God's Word. And to be able to share God's Truth with an ever wider audience, who will participate with me in this profitable and fruitful study.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, November 7, 2016
Number Our Days
Psalm 90:12
Teach us to number our days (Teach us to realize the brevity of life).
O my Father, teach me to be constantly aware of how precious each moment is that you grant me to live. Help me to consider each day as an irretrievable gift from You to spend--not waste--doing the things You have planned beforetime for me to do, to accomplish Your plans for my life, plans for my good, that further Your great Plan of the Ages, and will bring glory to Your Name.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Teach us to number our days (Teach us to realize the brevity of life).
O my Father, teach me to be constantly aware of how precious each moment is that you grant me to live. Help me to consider each day as an irretrievable gift from You to spend--not waste--doing the things You have planned beforetime for me to do, to accomplish Your plans for my life, plans for my good, that further Your great Plan of the Ages, and will bring glory to Your Name.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, Conclusion
John 17: 24-26
We will now see Jesus' conclusion, His summary of His prayer:
Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am,
Jesus wants us to be with Him, wherever He is or will be; He wants us to be beside Him, He wants us to spend all our time with Him. That's how much He loves us. He wants us to joy and rejoice with and in Him in the Love that pervades everything He is and does.
and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me
To rejoice in His value, His worth, His importance, His magnificence.
because You loved Me before the creation of the world.
His glory, what gives Him that value, worth and importance is the Love that the Father has given Him, since before He decided to create. Love is what gives value and worth.
Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me.
Those in the World System have no idea of Who God is, or what He is like. Jesus came from the Father, and knows Him intimately. And we who belong to Him understand that the Father sent His Son Jesus into the world to save us.
I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known
Jesus has revealed to us Who He is, Who the Father is, and Who the Holy Spirit is; and He will continue to reveal this to His own throughout all the ages He calls people out to Himself, through His Holy Spirit Who He sends to live in us.
in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.
It's all about Love. Love is the center of Who God is and what He does. God loves Himself in His three persons, the Family, the Community that is our One God. And He loves His creation, all He has made. He loves Mankind, and gives us the choice whether to love Him back.
Jesus is praying for all of us, every one of us who has chosen to seek Him and to believe His Truth. He wants all of us, from His apostles and disciples through the ages to each of us today, to believe, to trust in the exact same Truth He taught His followers when He walked this Earth. He wants all of us to be one in our love for Him in believing Him, and our love for one another. This love is our basis of and foundation for all we believe, trust in and do in our moment-by-moment daily lives.
God's Truth sets us free from all the lies and deception all around us. What we believe and trust in affects how our daily lives function, whether we do well or are enticed to make poor choices. Jesus saves us from the punishment for our sins, but not the consequences of our decisions. These consequences are to teach us to obey His ways, the principles He has given us in His Word, the Bible.
Jesus asked His Father to protect us (v. 11), so that we can all be one. Let us all decide to formulate our thoughts around what is true, just, honest, pure, lovely, of good reputation, virtuous and worthy of praise (God's thought-list, Philippians 4:8), so we will view others in a positive frame of mind and love them with God's love in us, and choose to obey all God wants us to be and do.
Let's all be one, doing our best to "keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; in the one spiritual body; all being called in the same Hope; in One Lord, one Faith, the same spiritual Baptism [in being immersed into the same Body], into One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:3-6). Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
We will now see Jesus' conclusion, His summary of His prayer:
Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am,
Jesus wants us to be with Him, wherever He is or will be; He wants us to be beside Him, He wants us to spend all our time with Him. That's how much He loves us. He wants us to joy and rejoice with and in Him in the Love that pervades everything He is and does.
and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me
To rejoice in His value, His worth, His importance, His magnificence.
because You loved Me before the creation of the world.
His glory, what gives Him that value, worth and importance is the Love that the Father has given Him, since before He decided to create. Love is what gives value and worth.
Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me.
Those in the World System have no idea of Who God is, or what He is like. Jesus came from the Father, and knows Him intimately. And we who belong to Him understand that the Father sent His Son Jesus into the world to save us.
I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known
Jesus has revealed to us Who He is, Who the Father is, and Who the Holy Spirit is; and He will continue to reveal this to His own throughout all the ages He calls people out to Himself, through His Holy Spirit Who He sends to live in us.
in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.
It's all about Love. Love is the center of Who God is and what He does. God loves Himself in His three persons, the Family, the Community that is our One God. And He loves His creation, all He has made. He loves Mankind, and gives us the choice whether to love Him back.
Jesus is praying for all of us, every one of us who has chosen to seek Him and to believe His Truth. He wants all of us, from His apostles and disciples through the ages to each of us today, to believe, to trust in the exact same Truth He taught His followers when He walked this Earth. He wants all of us to be one in our love for Him in believing Him, and our love for one another. This love is our basis of and foundation for all we believe, trust in and do in our moment-by-moment daily lives.
God's Truth sets us free from all the lies and deception all around us. What we believe and trust in affects how our daily lives function, whether we do well or are enticed to make poor choices. Jesus saves us from the punishment for our sins, but not the consequences of our decisions. These consequences are to teach us to obey His ways, the principles He has given us in His Word, the Bible.
Jesus asked His Father to protect us (v. 11), so that we can all be one. Let us all decide to formulate our thoughts around what is true, just, honest, pure, lovely, of good reputation, virtuous and worthy of praise (God's thought-list, Philippians 4:8), so we will view others in a positive frame of mind and love them with God's love in us, and choose to obey all God wants us to be and do.
Let's all be one, doing our best to "keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; in the one spiritual body; all being called in the same Hope; in One Lord, one Faith, the same spiritual Baptism [in being immersed into the same Body], into One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:3-6). Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, Part 4
John 17:20-23
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one,
Wow, Jesus prayed not only for those disciples who walked with Him, but He looked down the corridor of Time and saw all of those through the centuries who would come to Him through the words the disciples wrote, which became the New Testament. Jesus wanted all of us to believe the same Truth He taught His followers who walked with Him in Palestine.
There is no "New Christianity" that is the Truth Jesus taught; that sounds like a "new gospel," something different than what the Church taught from the beginning on the Day of Pentecost. Paul wrote to the Church at Galatia that they were "turning to another gospel--which is really no Gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from Heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse!" (Galatians 1:6-9).
Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us
God is in perfect agreement with Himself: the Father, the Son and the Spirit. And He wants us also to be in perfect agreement with Him, in believing and trusting and living out all that He has given us in His Word, not adding anything to it or taking anything away from it.
Written language is "words that stay," (to quote a line from The Dark Chrystal movie). Words that are written down do not change their meanings, if they are understood according to the writers' intentions. And if these intentions are changed by someone else, then the truth of them is removed and the new meanings are deceptive. This applies to every piece of written material, whether it is ancient Egyptian, original Parchments, our American Constitution, or our Bible.
Jesus tells us why He wants us to be in agreement with Him:
so that the World may believe that You have sent Me.
No one alive has any excuse for not believing God. The Creation itself testifies to God's divine nature and eternal power (Romans 1:19-20). And when Jesus' Body on this Earth, His Temple built of Living Stones, is in agreement with Who God is and what He has said, believing it and trusting in it and living it out in our love for him and one another, then the World around us will know for a certainty that Jesus did come, even if they refuse to believe it.
I gave them the Glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one--I in them and You in Me--so that they may be brought to complete unity.
The glory: the dignity, the integrity, the honor of the Truth. Jesus wanted us to be confident in our Faith, having the complete, finished Bible, and each one of us trusting in the same Truth. God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, and the Church on this Earth, all One in faith and doctrine.
Then the World will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
The center of it all is Love. God is Love, He loves what He has made, He loves His own Son, and He also loves us with that same Love. It's Love that makes the world go 'round, and our Love for one another will demonstrate God's love to the World.
This prayer is the most important passage in the whole Bible to show us Jesus' heart for us, God's concern for our good. And it's all about Love.
We will study through the Chapter on Love, after we see the conclusion of this prayer.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one,
Wow, Jesus prayed not only for those disciples who walked with Him, but He looked down the corridor of Time and saw all of those through the centuries who would come to Him through the words the disciples wrote, which became the New Testament. Jesus wanted all of us to believe the same Truth He taught His followers who walked with Him in Palestine.
There is no "New Christianity" that is the Truth Jesus taught; that sounds like a "new gospel," something different than what the Church taught from the beginning on the Day of Pentecost. Paul wrote to the Church at Galatia that they were "turning to another gospel--which is really no Gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from Heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse!" (Galatians 1:6-9).
Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us
God is in perfect agreement with Himself: the Father, the Son and the Spirit. And He wants us also to be in perfect agreement with Him, in believing and trusting and living out all that He has given us in His Word, not adding anything to it or taking anything away from it.
Written language is "words that stay," (to quote a line from The Dark Chrystal movie). Words that are written down do not change their meanings, if they are understood according to the writers' intentions. And if these intentions are changed by someone else, then the truth of them is removed and the new meanings are deceptive. This applies to every piece of written material, whether it is ancient Egyptian, original Parchments, our American Constitution, or our Bible.
Jesus tells us why He wants us to be in agreement with Him:
so that the World may believe that You have sent Me.
No one alive has any excuse for not believing God. The Creation itself testifies to God's divine nature and eternal power (Romans 1:19-20). And when Jesus' Body on this Earth, His Temple built of Living Stones, is in agreement with Who God is and what He has said, believing it and trusting in it and living it out in our love for him and one another, then the World around us will know for a certainty that Jesus did come, even if they refuse to believe it.
I gave them the Glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one--I in them and You in Me--so that they may be brought to complete unity.
The glory: the dignity, the integrity, the honor of the Truth. Jesus wanted us to be confident in our Faith, having the complete, finished Bible, and each one of us trusting in the same Truth. God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, and the Church on this Earth, all One in faith and doctrine.
Then the World will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
The center of it all is Love. God is Love, He loves what He has made, He loves His own Son, and He also loves us with that same Love. It's Love that makes the world go 'round, and our Love for one another will demonstrate God's love to the World.
This prayer is the most important passage in the whole Bible to show us Jesus' heart for us, God's concern for our good. And it's all about Love.
We will study through the Chapter on Love, after we see the conclusion of this prayer.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, November 4, 2016
Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, Part 3
John 17:13-19
I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them.
Jesus is known as a "Man of Sorrows," but if His life was all sorrows He would not have attracted followers; who wants to hang around a sad sack? Jesus attended the parties, He told jokes; maybe He wasn't the "life of the party," but He knew how to have fun. In the Old Testament He told His people to come to His House (Temple) three times a year for a week-long party! That's what a feast was, a party.
Now Jesus is going to leave Earth, His work here was being completed and finished, but He wanted to make sure to tie up all the loose ends before He left. It was very important to Him to have His followers know the Joy of the Lord in their lives. "The joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10) that we will need in our battles with the evil one, our enemy, just as "for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross" (Hebrews 12:2).
I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
He knows that His joy is what we will need when we face the hatred of the world. Jesus was not of this world, because He came down from Heaven and took upon Himself a human body (Isaiah tells us that the child was born, but the Son was given in 9:6), and as He has caused us to be "born of God," we are not of this world, either. In the world we tend to be afraid of what we don't understand, and in our fear we hate it. The world does not understand spiritual truths, that is where the hatred comes from. That's why the world hates us. We need His joy to counter these attacks.
My prayer is not that You take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
Jesus does not ask the Father to take us out of the world, because He has purpose for us here in the world, to spread His Gospel throughout the world, to find the lost lambs and carry them into the fold. So He wants the Father to protect us from the onslaughts of our enemy while we carry out His mission here.
Sanctify (make separate) them by (to live in) the Truth; Your Word is Truth.
Jesus is asking the Father to separate us from the deceptions of the World by believing and trusting and living according to the Truth of the communication He has given us, His Word. Only the Truth of His Word is strong enough to keep us from being pulled away from what is right by the lies of this world we live in.
As You sent Me into the World, I have sent them into the World. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus has separated Himself from the World so that we, also, will really be separated and protected from the evil and destructive ways of this World.
Jesus is doing everything He could possibly do for us, in His love for us, and wanting us to spend a joyous eternity with Him.
Let us continue our study of this wonderful prayer.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them.
Jesus is known as a "Man of Sorrows," but if His life was all sorrows He would not have attracted followers; who wants to hang around a sad sack? Jesus attended the parties, He told jokes; maybe He wasn't the "life of the party," but He knew how to have fun. In the Old Testament He told His people to come to His House (Temple) three times a year for a week-long party! That's what a feast was, a party.
Now Jesus is going to leave Earth, His work here was being completed and finished, but He wanted to make sure to tie up all the loose ends before He left. It was very important to Him to have His followers know the Joy of the Lord in their lives. "The joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10) that we will need in our battles with the evil one, our enemy, just as "for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross" (Hebrews 12:2).
I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
He knows that His joy is what we will need when we face the hatred of the world. Jesus was not of this world, because He came down from Heaven and took upon Himself a human body (Isaiah tells us that the child was born, but the Son was given in 9:6), and as He has caused us to be "born of God," we are not of this world, either. In the world we tend to be afraid of what we don't understand, and in our fear we hate it. The world does not understand spiritual truths, that is where the hatred comes from. That's why the world hates us. We need His joy to counter these attacks.
My prayer is not that You take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
Jesus does not ask the Father to take us out of the world, because He has purpose for us here in the world, to spread His Gospel throughout the world, to find the lost lambs and carry them into the fold. So He wants the Father to protect us from the onslaughts of our enemy while we carry out His mission here.
Sanctify (make separate) them by (to live in) the Truth; Your Word is Truth.
Jesus is asking the Father to separate us from the deceptions of the World by believing and trusting and living according to the Truth of the communication He has given us, His Word. Only the Truth of His Word is strong enough to keep us from being pulled away from what is right by the lies of this world we live in.
As You sent Me into the World, I have sent them into the World. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus has separated Himself from the World so that we, also, will really be separated and protected from the evil and destructive ways of this World.
Jesus is doing everything He could possibly do for us, in His love for us, and wanting us to spend a joyous eternity with Him.
Let us continue our study of this wonderful prayer.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, Part 2
John 17:6-12
I have revealed You to those whom You gave me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me
Everyone who lives belongs to God, He is the Maker and Owner of everything. God the Father chooses who would come to Jesus (John 6:44) and draws them to Him.
and they have obeyed Your Word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them Your Words and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
Those the Father draws to Jesus will come to Him and be able to believe what He says, to trust that all Jesus taught was Truth, and that He really is the Son of the Father in Heaven, sent to be Messiah and Savior.
I pray for them.
He doesn't just use His authority over all to cause everything to go well for us, He prays for us.
I am not praying for the World, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours.
Jesus was not praying for all the other people who will not come to Him, or for the World System, either; but only for the certain people who have become His disciples and trust Him.
All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine.
God, Father and Son and Spirit, is Creator and Maker of all Creation. So whatever, everything, that belongs to one belongs to all, to God.
And glory has come to Me through them.
This is another glory that He receives through the people who trust Him. So there is His eternal Glory that He shares with the Father, and there is the glory He receives through His followers.
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You.
Jesus says, "I'm leaving, but they're still here." He's concerned for us.
Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name, the Name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are One. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that Name You gave Me.
Jesus is concerned that His Church would remain faithful to the Truth He taught them, as He is leaving, and He knows that the Enemy, the god of this world, will come in to "sift" them. He is asking the Father to watch over them.
God's "Name" is His character. All the "names of God" that we find in Scripture are descriptive of His character qualities, what He is like. This "Name" that the Father gave to the Son is the Personhood of Who God is. That's why He told Philip, "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
This refers to Judas, who betrayed Him for the price of a slave. The Scripture said that, "Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me" (Psalm 41:9). Jesus knew every portion of Scripture, since He was the God Who inspired the writers what to write. And as a child, had studied all of the Old Testament. He knew that all the Scriptures pertaining to His first Coming were to be fulfilled, and He did fulfill them all, over 400 of them.
This prayer shows us Jesus' heart for men (and women). He is concerned that we will not be drawn astray from the Truth. Only the Truth is true, every other idea or belief is deceptive. He does not want us to be deceived, so He prays to the Father to protect us, since Jesus won't be here to guard us. Prayer was the weapon Jesus constantly used against the enemy His whole life here.
And if even Jesus needed to be in prayer regularly, how much more do I.
We will continue to study this prayer.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I have revealed You to those whom You gave me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me
Everyone who lives belongs to God, He is the Maker and Owner of everything. God the Father chooses who would come to Jesus (John 6:44) and draws them to Him.
and they have obeyed Your Word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them Your Words and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
Those the Father draws to Jesus will come to Him and be able to believe what He says, to trust that all Jesus taught was Truth, and that He really is the Son of the Father in Heaven, sent to be Messiah and Savior.
I pray for them.
He doesn't just use His authority over all to cause everything to go well for us, He prays for us.
I am not praying for the World, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours.
Jesus was not praying for all the other people who will not come to Him, or for the World System, either; but only for the certain people who have become His disciples and trust Him.
All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine.
God, Father and Son and Spirit, is Creator and Maker of all Creation. So whatever, everything, that belongs to one belongs to all, to God.
And glory has come to Me through them.
This is another glory that He receives through the people who trust Him. So there is His eternal Glory that He shares with the Father, and there is the glory He receives through His followers.
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You.
Jesus says, "I'm leaving, but they're still here." He's concerned for us.
Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name, the Name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are One. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that Name You gave Me.
Jesus is concerned that His Church would remain faithful to the Truth He taught them, as He is leaving, and He knows that the Enemy, the god of this world, will come in to "sift" them. He is asking the Father to watch over them.
God's "Name" is His character. All the "names of God" that we find in Scripture are descriptive of His character qualities, what He is like. This "Name" that the Father gave to the Son is the Personhood of Who God is. That's why He told Philip, "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
This refers to Judas, who betrayed Him for the price of a slave. The Scripture said that, "Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me" (Psalm 41:9). Jesus knew every portion of Scripture, since He was the God Who inspired the writers what to write. And as a child, had studied all of the Old Testament. He knew that all the Scriptures pertaining to His first Coming were to be fulfilled, and He did fulfill them all, over 400 of them.
This prayer shows us Jesus' heart for men (and women). He is concerned that we will not be drawn astray from the Truth. Only the Truth is true, every other idea or belief is deceptive. He does not want us to be deceived, so He prays to the Father to protect us, since Jesus won't be here to guard us. Prayer was the weapon Jesus constantly used against the enemy His whole life here.
And if even Jesus needed to be in prayer regularly, how much more do I.
We will continue to study this prayer.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Jesus' Prayer As Our High Priest
John 17:1-5
This is known as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer. We will begin to study this prayer.
(v. 1) Father, the hour has come.
It's time.
Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.
"Lift Me up and exalt Me, so that I will be able to lift You up and exalt You, Father."
(v. 2) For You granted Him (Me) authority over all people
"All people" means everybody, every person who has ever or will ever live. He has ownership authority over all of us, both by Creation and by purchase with His Blood on Calvary.
that He (I) might give eternal life to all those You have given Him (Me).
With the ownership authority Jesus has over us all, the Father can now give Him anyone He wants to give Him out of all people. So everyone God the Father chooses out of all people everywhere will come to Him, will seek Him out, will search for the Truth which is Jesus, and each one will realize and understand that He is their Savior, Who took their death on the Cross for them. And by this faith, this trusting in Him, they will receive that real life, the spiritual eternal life to live forever.
(v.3) Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.
Jesus said that real life is spiritual (John 6:63) because life itself comes from God and He is Spirit. So to "know" God Himself is to believe and trust Him to be Who He says He is and to do what He says He has done and will do. The way we can learn about Him is through language, communication, words; and His Word is the body of Truth that He has communicated to us, the Bible.
(v.4) I have brought You glory on Earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do.
Jesus has given the Father all the credit for everything He said and did while He walked on this Earth: teaching people Who God is, and how God has designed this world to work. And proving that He spoke the Truth by doing all the miracles He did, demonstrating His authority over all Creation to manipulate matter and beings in ways that do not conform to the way things always normally work.
(V. 5) And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.
Now that Jesus is going back to Heaven, He will again enjoy the state of Being that the Triune God had before He began to create. This is the original Glory with which God has been and will be eternally glorified.
Jesus left this Glory for a time to come to this Earth as a Human Man, in order to accomplish the legal requirements on our behalf to enable us to spend eternity with Him. This was excruciatingly painful for Him (see especially Luke 22:41-44, saying the same prayer 3 specific times), but His love for us had Him do it anyway. That's how much He loves us.
We will continue to study through this chapter.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This is known as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer. We will begin to study this prayer.
(v. 1) Father, the hour has come.
It's time.
Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.
"Lift Me up and exalt Me, so that I will be able to lift You up and exalt You, Father."
(v. 2) For You granted Him (Me) authority over all people
"All people" means everybody, every person who has ever or will ever live. He has ownership authority over all of us, both by Creation and by purchase with His Blood on Calvary.
that He (I) might give eternal life to all those You have given Him (Me).
With the ownership authority Jesus has over us all, the Father can now give Him anyone He wants to give Him out of all people. So everyone God the Father chooses out of all people everywhere will come to Him, will seek Him out, will search for the Truth which is Jesus, and each one will realize and understand that He is their Savior, Who took their death on the Cross for them. And by this faith, this trusting in Him, they will receive that real life, the spiritual eternal life to live forever.
(v.3) Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.
Jesus said that real life is spiritual (John 6:63) because life itself comes from God and He is Spirit. So to "know" God Himself is to believe and trust Him to be Who He says He is and to do what He says He has done and will do. The way we can learn about Him is through language, communication, words; and His Word is the body of Truth that He has communicated to us, the Bible.
(v.4) I have brought You glory on Earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do.
Jesus has given the Father all the credit for everything He said and did while He walked on this Earth: teaching people Who God is, and how God has designed this world to work. And proving that He spoke the Truth by doing all the miracles He did, demonstrating His authority over all Creation to manipulate matter and beings in ways that do not conform to the way things always normally work.
(V. 5) And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.
Now that Jesus is going back to Heaven, He will again enjoy the state of Being that the Triune God had before He began to create. This is the original Glory with which God has been and will be eternally glorified.
Jesus left this Glory for a time to come to this Earth as a Human Man, in order to accomplish the legal requirements on our behalf to enable us to spend eternity with Him. This was excruciatingly painful for Him (see especially Luke 22:41-44, saying the same prayer 3 specific times), but His love for us had Him do it anyway. That's how much He loves us.
We will continue to study through this chapter.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Strange Signs
Luke 21:25-28
And there will be strange signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars. And here on the Earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the Earth, for the powers in the Heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near.
I will be looking for the strange signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars; Nations are already noticing the environmental problems, and, not wanting to acknowledge God, are blaming Mankind. I wonder how they will be able to connect human responsibility to the celestial happenings?! Everything is coming together for the revealing of the Man of Sin (the anti-Christ) and the coming of the Lord our King.
May we all be ready.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And there will be strange signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars. And here on the Earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the Earth, for the powers in the Heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near.
I will be looking for the strange signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars; Nations are already noticing the environmental problems, and, not wanting to acknowledge God, are blaming Mankind. I wonder how they will be able to connect human responsibility to the celestial happenings?! Everything is coming together for the revealing of the Man of Sin (the anti-Christ) and the coming of the Lord our King.
May we all be ready.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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