Numbers 17: 18
...The rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.
There was a lot going on here in this section of this book.
A little background first: The Israelites had come out of Egypt with extraordinary miracles worked against their slave-masters, and the Red Sea had parted for them to walk through it on dry ground, while the Egyptian army that followed them was drowned.
And Moses has received the Law from God on the mountain, and they have even by now built the Tabernacle with all its furniture and the garments for the priests to wear while doing their jobs in the Tabernacle.
And God was still meeting with Moses face-to-face to lead and direct him in everything God wanted him to do.
Now certain arrogant men gathered together against Moses, jealous of his position, and accused Moses of promoting himself over them.
Moses had never asked for all this. He had never wanted to lead this whole Nation at all, but God put him in that position. Now, when he heard what these people said, he fell down with his face on the ground! (16:4).
Then when God dealt with these complainers, the whole congregation was so shocked that they blamed Moses, again.
Finally, God said He would put an end to all this foolderall, and told him to gather a staff from each tribe, and the staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid Myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites (17:5). God is teaching these people instead of destroying them all (see 16:45).
God always does everything He can to deal with each one of us, and all of us, to convince us to follow Him, rather than our own ideas. Remember this when you are going through stuff in your life.
Now He said that the staff would sprout--Ha! See what it did:
...The rod of Aaron for the House of Levi had sprouted [like He said], and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds (Wow!) (17:18).
God never does a half-measure. He always goes above and beyond anything we could even hope for! He had said that one rod would bud, but it more than budded; it flowered and ripened the almonds, too! Way far above and beyond what any of them expected.
That's how God likes to give: Extravagantly! He likes to overwhelm us with His generosity, to lavish upon us His love and blessings!
O my Father, You pour out Your good gifts upon us so lavishly, according to Your lovingkindness and Your extensive, unlimited Treasures in Glory! You abound to us more than we can understand or withstand! O Father, thank You, thank You, that You are God Almighty, Who does all Your will, all the time, to accomplish and fulfill all Your purposes for all of us. Even when we continually grumble and complain, You teach us to change our outlook, to see as You see, not what the World presents.
Continue to teach us, dear Father, how to let Your joy of the Lord be our strength as we battle the World, our own flesh, and our enemy in high spiritual places. That we will think Your thoughts, not ours; live according to Your ways, not ours; and do the things You designed each of us to do, to serve You by serving others.
Then when all has been done, and the time has come, then You will send Your Son, our Lord and King, to return to this globe to set up His Kingdom, sitting upon His Throne.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Saturday, December 30, 2017
The Underlying Principle
Matthew 22: 37-40
And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; this is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy, His favorite Book. Here He lays it all out very specifically--the whole system of "the Law and the Prophets," which covers the whole Old Testament, is based on the principle of Love.
God loves us, and we are to love Him back. And we are to love who He loves, which is one another. When we love God, we won't put anything in front of Him between us, and we will respect and reverence Who He is and what He has said.
And when we love one another, we won't want to harm them in any way, but will want to do good to them instead. So we won't just not steal from him or covet what he has, but will rejoice with him in what God has given him.
Every law that is righteous promotes the freedom and rights of every citizen without regard to who they are or where they're from.
And God's laws apply to all of us of every Nation. So we are to respect one another, and honor their worth to God, Who loves them.
O my Father, thank You for Your laws and commandments and precepts and decrees. Thank You for showing us Your ways, so that we can formulate our laws to agree with Yours. Please be with our government people who have been elected and appointed at every level of governance. Protect them from deception and lead them to understand Your righteousness toward all of us, in ruling us with justice and equity. Help us, Father, to accomplish Your will for each of us and for all of us, to lead us into that great Kingdom of God that Your Son Jesus will head as our King over all kings and Lord over all lords.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; this is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy, His favorite Book. Here He lays it all out very specifically--the whole system of "the Law and the Prophets," which covers the whole Old Testament, is based on the principle of Love.
God loves us, and we are to love Him back. And we are to love who He loves, which is one another. When we love God, we won't put anything in front of Him between us, and we will respect and reverence Who He is and what He has said.
And when we love one another, we won't want to harm them in any way, but will want to do good to them instead. So we won't just not steal from him or covet what he has, but will rejoice with him in what God has given him.
Every law that is righteous promotes the freedom and rights of every citizen without regard to who they are or where they're from.
And God's laws apply to all of us of every Nation. So we are to respect one another, and honor their worth to God, Who loves them.
O my Father, thank You for Your laws and commandments and precepts and decrees. Thank You for showing us Your ways, so that we can formulate our laws to agree with Yours. Please be with our government people who have been elected and appointed at every level of governance. Protect them from deception and lead them to understand Your righteousness toward all of us, in ruling us with justice and equity. Help us, Father, to accomplish Your will for each of us and for all of us, to lead us into that great Kingdom of God that Your Son Jesus will head as our King over all kings and Lord over all lords.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 29, 2017
To Distinguish Us
Exodus 33: 16
For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Thy sight, I and Thy people? Is it not by Thy going with us, so that we, I and Thy people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the Earth?
God has discussed with Moses the possibility of God not going with them in the Desert, because if the people continually disobey Him, then He might destroy them. But Moses brings up that His reputation may be damaged among the peoples of the other Nations, and they would see Him as no different than all their false gods, if He doesn't go with them.
God always knows what He's going to do, but He poses questions and situations to get His people to think "out of the box" sometimes. Here He's wanting Moses to realize how different He is from every other god that is worshiped. His going with His people distinguished them from all others.
Then Moses asked to see God's glory, and God showed him His goodness, hiding him in the "cleft of the rock" and covering him with His hand until He passed by, so Moses only saw His back (v 18-23). This proved that He is not anything like any other in all the World.
That affected Moses so that his face glowed with the glory of God, and he was not even aware of it (34:29).
We also have our God going with us, His Spirit dwelling in our spirit, and when we spend time with God, our faces can glow, too. God is still God, and He does not change.
He deals with each of us differently, just as Jesus varied in His approaches to different people, because we are all different from one another in many ways. But we are all still of one blood, one race of Mankind, and we all have the same need for forgiveness and cleansing and Redemption.
And He goes with each of His Redeemed children, so we need to show forth this God in our lives, and live out the Redemption He has worked into each of us (Philippians 2:12). That is our responsibility, to cooperate with Him, and choose to do the right thing, even if it is difficult or inconvenient, or even impossible.
O my Father, You have distinguished Your people Israel by going with them in the Shekinah Glory over the Ark of the Covenant; and You have distinguished each of us Your children with Your Spirit living inside our spirit, making it alive; and giving us Your strength to do what we cannot do, and to grant us Your peace even in the midst of turmoil, beyond anything we can understand or reason.
Thank You, Father, for Your goodness and Your glory and Your greatness. Thank You that You are sovereign over everything You have made, and have decided the purposes for each part of Your creation. Thank You that You are faithful to say only what You mean, and to mean everything You say, to accomplish all Your will.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Thy sight, I and Thy people? Is it not by Thy going with us, so that we, I and Thy people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the Earth?
God has discussed with Moses the possibility of God not going with them in the Desert, because if the people continually disobey Him, then He might destroy them. But Moses brings up that His reputation may be damaged among the peoples of the other Nations, and they would see Him as no different than all their false gods, if He doesn't go with them.
God always knows what He's going to do, but He poses questions and situations to get His people to think "out of the box" sometimes. Here He's wanting Moses to realize how different He is from every other god that is worshiped. His going with His people distinguished them from all others.
Then Moses asked to see God's glory, and God showed him His goodness, hiding him in the "cleft of the rock" and covering him with His hand until He passed by, so Moses only saw His back (v 18-23). This proved that He is not anything like any other in all the World.
That affected Moses so that his face glowed with the glory of God, and he was not even aware of it (34:29).
We also have our God going with us, His Spirit dwelling in our spirit, and when we spend time with God, our faces can glow, too. God is still God, and He does not change.
He deals with each of us differently, just as Jesus varied in His approaches to different people, because we are all different from one another in many ways. But we are all still of one blood, one race of Mankind, and we all have the same need for forgiveness and cleansing and Redemption.
And He goes with each of His Redeemed children, so we need to show forth this God in our lives, and live out the Redemption He has worked into each of us (Philippians 2:12). That is our responsibility, to cooperate with Him, and choose to do the right thing, even if it is difficult or inconvenient, or even impossible.
O my Father, You have distinguished Your people Israel by going with them in the Shekinah Glory over the Ark of the Covenant; and You have distinguished each of us Your children with Your Spirit living inside our spirit, making it alive; and giving us Your strength to do what we cannot do, and to grant us Your peace even in the midst of turmoil, beyond anything we can understand or reason.
Thank You, Father, for Your goodness and Your glory and Your greatness. Thank You that You are sovereign over everything You have made, and have decided the purposes for each part of Your creation. Thank You that You are faithful to say only what You mean, and to mean everything You say, to accomplish all Your will.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 28, 2017
To The Third And Fourth Generations
Numbers 14: 18
... Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations.
Children learn from their parents and grandparents. What the parents do to deal with the problems and soothe their pains is how the children and grandchildren learn to be the ways to handle their own troubles. That means generational alcoholics, or temper fits, or whatever. We learn from our models.
We also can inherit in our genes the propensities to be vulnerable to certain failings of character. This is the "original sin" that Adam passed on to us, because the fruit he disobediently ate changed his physical make-up to make him vulnerable to death. Had he eaten instead from the Tree of Life he would have lived forever. Complete opposites.
But once he sinned, God forbade him the Tree of Life, because God wanted mankind to be able to die--this way he could have a Savior to die for him.
That's why Jesus was born--to die as the Sacrificial Lamb of God for us.
We don't have to do things the way our parents did them--we can learn God's ways and deal with setbacks with patience and endurance and perseverance. We can decide to focus on the positive and be thankful for all the blessings God showers on us every day. We can decide to forgive those who have hurt us and be kind to them, instead of holding a grudge against them.
When we do life God's way, to love Him and serve Him by serving one another, then the joy of the Lord will be our strength, and our example can even lead our "enemy" to recognize the Lord.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
... Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations.
Children learn from their parents and grandparents. What the parents do to deal with the problems and soothe their pains is how the children and grandchildren learn to be the ways to handle their own troubles. That means generational alcoholics, or temper fits, or whatever. We learn from our models.
We also can inherit in our genes the propensities to be vulnerable to certain failings of character. This is the "original sin" that Adam passed on to us, because the fruit he disobediently ate changed his physical make-up to make him vulnerable to death. Had he eaten instead from the Tree of Life he would have lived forever. Complete opposites.
But once he sinned, God forbade him the Tree of Life, because God wanted mankind to be able to die--this way he could have a Savior to die for him.
That's why Jesus was born--to die as the Sacrificial Lamb of God for us.
We don't have to do things the way our parents did them--we can learn God's ways and deal with setbacks with patience and endurance and perseverance. We can decide to focus on the positive and be thankful for all the blessings God showers on us every day. We can decide to forgive those who have hurt us and be kind to them, instead of holding a grudge against them.
When we do life God's way, to love Him and serve Him by serving one another, then the joy of the Lord will be our strength, and our example can even lead our "enemy" to recognize the Lord.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
In Our Own Sight & In Their Sight
Numbers 13: 33
...We became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.
This was when the Israelites first came to the Promised Land, and they sent the spies in to check out what lie ahead.
The spies came back with a wonderful report of the land and the abundant produce they found there. The problem was that the people who lived there were a very large, tall, strong tribe, called Anakim, and they were so much bigger than these sons of Jacob that they were afraid of them.
God had told them that the people there were bigger and stronger than them, but when they saw them they realized that there was no way they could beat them on their own. That's why God said He'd go before them to clear them out.
But they didn't trust God even yet, and when they felt like insects beside these "giants," they interposed their own view onto these big people, and assumed that they would see them tiny, too.
They were still depending on their own feelings, and put on them their own conclusions.
Haven't we all done that? How often do we think that other people think the same way we do? That they see things the way we do? When each person sees and perceives in their own way, through the multicolored glasses of our pasts?
Every person is wearing his/her own "glasses" through which we each understand the world around us differently from everyone else. Only when we put ourselves in their shoes, considering their own past experiences, can we even start to see how they feel.
But God knows each of us so intimately that He can tell us what we need to know to please Him in the way each of us is designed to do, each slightly (or more) differently than every other.
So, since God's people didn't trust Him even then, they doomed themselves to wandering in the desert for another 40 years, and only Joshua and Caleb trusted God to give them the victory over these Nations, so they were the only adults (20 years old or more) who were permitted to enter that Promised Land. All the rest died while they were still in the Desert.
O my Father, please help me to trust You to do what You have said You would do when my eyes show me that there is no way, it's impossible. Teach me to understand, not just know, that You are the God of the Impossible. Nothing is impossible to You, You can accomplish everything you want to do. Strengthen my dependence on You, to trust You more with more each day I live.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
...We became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.
This was when the Israelites first came to the Promised Land, and they sent the spies in to check out what lie ahead.
The spies came back with a wonderful report of the land and the abundant produce they found there. The problem was that the people who lived there were a very large, tall, strong tribe, called Anakim, and they were so much bigger than these sons of Jacob that they were afraid of them.
God had told them that the people there were bigger and stronger than them, but when they saw them they realized that there was no way they could beat them on their own. That's why God said He'd go before them to clear them out.
But they didn't trust God even yet, and when they felt like insects beside these "giants," they interposed their own view onto these big people, and assumed that they would see them tiny, too.
They were still depending on their own feelings, and put on them their own conclusions.
Haven't we all done that? How often do we think that other people think the same way we do? That they see things the way we do? When each person sees and perceives in their own way, through the multicolored glasses of our pasts?
Every person is wearing his/her own "glasses" through which we each understand the world around us differently from everyone else. Only when we put ourselves in their shoes, considering their own past experiences, can we even start to see how they feel.
But God knows each of us so intimately that He can tell us what we need to know to please Him in the way each of us is designed to do, each slightly (or more) differently than every other.
So, since God's people didn't trust Him even then, they doomed themselves to wandering in the desert for another 40 years, and only Joshua and Caleb trusted God to give them the victory over these Nations, so they were the only adults (20 years old or more) who were permitted to enter that Promised Land. All the rest died while they were still in the Desert.
O my Father, please help me to trust You to do what You have said You would do when my eyes show me that there is no way, it's impossible. Teach me to understand, not just know, that You are the God of the Impossible. Nothing is impossible to You, You can accomplish everything you want to do. Strengthen my dependence on You, to trust You more with more each day I live.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
The Law Of Love
Galatians 5: 14
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
And this one word is, "Love." When we love God and trust Him implicitly, then we will want to obey Him. And in obeying Him, we will love our neighbor as ourselves, the Golden Rule, and we won't want to do anything to harm them or cheat them or detract from their worth.
Love will fulfill every righteous law, whether toward God or toward each other. And we will go beyond the mere letter of the Law: We won't only not lie to our neighbor, we will want them to know the Truth. We won't want to commit adultery, we won't even allow ourselves to look upon another in an unwholesome way. We won't pray to anyone else, or "honor" anyone or anything else before we consider God's authority, or instead of thinking to ask Him first. No matter what kind of law it is, if it is a righteous law, then love will already have obeyed it.
Sometimes Man's laws are unrighteous, considering one class of people to the detriment of another class.
But we are all of one blood, all come from Adam, and all have equal value and worth in the eyes of our Maker (Acts 17:26, Galatians 3:28).
God so loved us that He gave us His only Son, so that if anyone of any Nation, or any color, or any language, anywhere in this whole Earth, would realize that they deserve death because of their sinfulness, and trust that Jesus paid in full that debt they owe to God in taking their death on the Cross, then they would not be subject to punishment or God's wrath any more, but have a New Life that will live forever (John 3:16-18).
We are all born from Adam's DNA that causes us to inherit that propensity to sin, to choose poorly, selfishly. That's why we are "by nature creatures of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3).
This is why Jesus was born, to be our Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice, that doesn't just cover sins, but actually washes them away. This is God's own Precious Blood, that has eternal value, more than enough to save every single one of all Mankind, every person who chooses to come to Him.
That's how much God loves us. Each and every one of us. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us any more or any less--it's perfect, unconditional love, that never changes. We can trust it. We can lean on it. We can depend on it.
And we're to love one another with His Love.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
And this one word is, "Love." When we love God and trust Him implicitly, then we will want to obey Him. And in obeying Him, we will love our neighbor as ourselves, the Golden Rule, and we won't want to do anything to harm them or cheat them or detract from their worth.
Love will fulfill every righteous law, whether toward God or toward each other. And we will go beyond the mere letter of the Law: We won't only not lie to our neighbor, we will want them to know the Truth. We won't want to commit adultery, we won't even allow ourselves to look upon another in an unwholesome way. We won't pray to anyone else, or "honor" anyone or anything else before we consider God's authority, or instead of thinking to ask Him first. No matter what kind of law it is, if it is a righteous law, then love will already have obeyed it.
Sometimes Man's laws are unrighteous, considering one class of people to the detriment of another class.
But we are all of one blood, all come from Adam, and all have equal value and worth in the eyes of our Maker (Acts 17:26, Galatians 3:28).
God so loved us that He gave us His only Son, so that if anyone of any Nation, or any color, or any language, anywhere in this whole Earth, would realize that they deserve death because of their sinfulness, and trust that Jesus paid in full that debt they owe to God in taking their death on the Cross, then they would not be subject to punishment or God's wrath any more, but have a New Life that will live forever (John 3:16-18).
We are all born from Adam's DNA that causes us to inherit that propensity to sin, to choose poorly, selfishly. That's why we are "by nature creatures of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3).
This is why Jesus was born, to be our Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice, that doesn't just cover sins, but actually washes them away. This is God's own Precious Blood, that has eternal value, more than enough to save every single one of all Mankind, every person who chooses to come to Him.
That's how much God loves us. Each and every one of us. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us any more or any less--it's perfect, unconditional love, that never changes. We can trust it. We can lean on it. We can depend on it.
And we're to love one another with His Love.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 25, 2017
The Christmas Story, Part 2
Luke 2: 1-7
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was engaged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Ta-daa! Here is the Birth of our Savior! God broke into our World, the same way we all enter it, by being born as a helpless baby! This is amazing. That the Lord God of the Old Testament would give up all His Divine prerogatives to dwell here on this Earth among us humans as one of us! This is incredible.
He didn't bake a cake, but God celebrated this Birthday with a Grand Announcement:
Luke 2: 8-20
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were terrified! But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the Town of David a Savior has been born to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." "Happy Birthday to You, Jesus!"
When the angels had left them and gone back into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off, searched, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby Who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
It's always, "just as they had been told." It was done to Mary just as Gabriel said, too. God always describes the future accurately, because He sees all Time as Now. He never mistakes anything.
This is also the time a very special Star appeared in the Far East to some scholars who were looking for it. So they started out on their long journey to see this wonder.
Matthew 2: 1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Wise Men from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the One Who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His Star in the East, and have come to worship Him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the Law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler Who will be the Shepherd of My people Israel.'" (Micah 5:2)
Then Herod called the Wise Men secretly and found out from them the exact time the Star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him."
After they heard the king, they went on their way, and the Star they had seen in the East went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the Star, they were overjoyed.
On coming into the house, they saw the Child and His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Now we see His birthday gifts: gold because He is a King; incense, frankincense, because He is our High Priest; and myrrh, which will be used to anoint His body in death. Very symbolic. Also, these gifts are all very costly, which they will need to finance the next part of their story.
Matthew 2: 13-18
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the Child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him."
So he got up, took the Child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called My Son." (Hosea 11:1)
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Wise Men, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Wise Men. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." (31:15)
Sometimes when we are obedient to the Lord, it causes hardship on someone else. How many times have I considered the other's hardship over obeying my Lord? That would be putting an obstacle between me and God, an idol.
God is responsible for what happens to others when we obey. Just because someone else may suffer, doesn't mean the Lord hasn't spoken to me, or I misread the signals. This is one of God's ways that is not our way. I want to still trust Him above all others, and trust the others to His care. I know He loves them more than I do anyway, and I can't see the whole picture, just the tiny portion that is my circumstance right now.
Matthew 2: 19-23
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up. Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the Child's life are dead."
So he got up, took the Child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in (another) dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
Joseph and Mary started off in Nazareth, where they were both from. So they went back home. They had stayed in Bethlehem for a couple of years after Jesus was born, as we see that they were in a house when the Wise Men came, and it had been that long since the Star first appeared in the Far East (2:7). Travel back then was slow by our standards, and it would have taken them years to come from that far away.
Someone counted that Jesus fulfilled over 400 Old Testament prophesies during His first coming, to be our Savior. That's a lot of details. These cited here were things that just happened to a small Child, through no choice of His own.
So, since they were still in Bethlehem, and Joseph wasn't home at the time, he was probably gone to work, and planning to settle there--until Wise Men came, and Joseph started to have dreams again. I'm glad Joseph trusted the angel in his dreams, and didn't question him, but obeyed instantly.
He woke up in the middle of the night, packed up, and left before dawn, to escape into Egypt. That's instant obedience.
O my Father, help me to always obey You instantly, like Joseph did, whenever I hear Your still, small voice in my spirit, and instantly do what You tell me to do. Don't let me "just finish this first," or "tomorrow," that never comes. Strengthen me to do today what You ask of me today. Help me to never put You off to some future time; delayed obedience is disobedience.
I love You, Father; I love You, Jesus; I love You, Spirit. I know You love me more than I can even imagine, and everything You do comes from Your love, because You are Love.
Let this Christmas Story sink down deep into my heart and my understanding. Let me know ever more of Your love in sending Your only Son, and give me the words to share that understanding, that others may also know You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And Merry Christmas to you all!
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was engaged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Ta-daa! Here is the Birth of our Savior! God broke into our World, the same way we all enter it, by being born as a helpless baby! This is amazing. That the Lord God of the Old Testament would give up all His Divine prerogatives to dwell here on this Earth among us humans as one of us! This is incredible.
He didn't bake a cake, but God celebrated this Birthday with a Grand Announcement:
Luke 2: 8-20
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were terrified! But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the Town of David a Savior has been born to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." "Happy Birthday to You, Jesus!"
When the angels had left them and gone back into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off, searched, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby Who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
It's always, "just as they had been told." It was done to Mary just as Gabriel said, too. God always describes the future accurately, because He sees all Time as Now. He never mistakes anything.
This is also the time a very special Star appeared in the Far East to some scholars who were looking for it. So they started out on their long journey to see this wonder.
Matthew 2: 1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Wise Men from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the One Who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His Star in the East, and have come to worship Him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the Law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler Who will be the Shepherd of My people Israel.'" (Micah 5:2)
Then Herod called the Wise Men secretly and found out from them the exact time the Star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him."
After they heard the king, they went on their way, and the Star they had seen in the East went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the Star, they were overjoyed.
On coming into the house, they saw the Child and His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Now we see His birthday gifts: gold because He is a King; incense, frankincense, because He is our High Priest; and myrrh, which will be used to anoint His body in death. Very symbolic. Also, these gifts are all very costly, which they will need to finance the next part of their story.
Matthew 2: 13-18
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the Child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him."
So he got up, took the Child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called My Son." (Hosea 11:1)
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Wise Men, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Wise Men. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." (31:15)
Sometimes when we are obedient to the Lord, it causes hardship on someone else. How many times have I considered the other's hardship over obeying my Lord? That would be putting an obstacle between me and God, an idol.
God is responsible for what happens to others when we obey. Just because someone else may suffer, doesn't mean the Lord hasn't spoken to me, or I misread the signals. This is one of God's ways that is not our way. I want to still trust Him above all others, and trust the others to His care. I know He loves them more than I do anyway, and I can't see the whole picture, just the tiny portion that is my circumstance right now.
Matthew 2: 19-23
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up. Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the Child's life are dead."
So he got up, took the Child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in (another) dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
Joseph and Mary started off in Nazareth, where they were both from. So they went back home. They had stayed in Bethlehem for a couple of years after Jesus was born, as we see that they were in a house when the Wise Men came, and it had been that long since the Star first appeared in the Far East (2:7). Travel back then was slow by our standards, and it would have taken them years to come from that far away.
Someone counted that Jesus fulfilled over 400 Old Testament prophesies during His first coming, to be our Savior. That's a lot of details. These cited here were things that just happened to a small Child, through no choice of His own.
So, since they were still in Bethlehem, and Joseph wasn't home at the time, he was probably gone to work, and planning to settle there--until Wise Men came, and Joseph started to have dreams again. I'm glad Joseph trusted the angel in his dreams, and didn't question him, but obeyed instantly.
He woke up in the middle of the night, packed up, and left before dawn, to escape into Egypt. That's instant obedience.
O my Father, help me to always obey You instantly, like Joseph did, whenever I hear Your still, small voice in my spirit, and instantly do what You tell me to do. Don't let me "just finish this first," or "tomorrow," that never comes. Strengthen me to do today what You ask of me today. Help me to never put You off to some future time; delayed obedience is disobedience.
I love You, Father; I love You, Jesus; I love You, Spirit. I know You love me more than I can even imagine, and everything You do comes from Your love, because You are Love.
Let this Christmas Story sink down deep into my heart and my understanding. Let me know ever more of Your love in sending Your only Son, and give me the words to share that understanding, that others may also know You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And Merry Christmas to you all!
Sunday, December 24, 2017
The Christmas Story, Part 1
Luke 1: 26-38
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Matthew 1: 18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Luke 1: 39-49
At that time (after the angel left her) Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed, "Blest are you among women, and blest is the Child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blest is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blest, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His Name."
O my goodness, there is so much here for Christmas Eve! I think I will just focus on a couple of things here, and maybe come back another time for the rest.
Let's look at who Mary was. She was a simple, young girl who loved the Lord, and had gotten engaged to a man who also loved the Lord, named Joseph. We find that, in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-16), Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, was directly descended from King David through Solomon and the whole list of kings, the regal line. And, from Luke's genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) we see that Mary also traced her line back to King David through his other son, Nathan (v. 31), so she also had royal blood. This gives Jesus the legal right to claim the Throne of David.
Even though Joseph traced his line directly back, he could not claim this throne, because his ancestor, King Jehoiachin (or Jeconiah, or Coniah), the last king over Judah, was so evil that Jeremiah pronounced a curse on him, that, "No man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah" (22:30).
But Jesus was not the "seed" of Joseph, just his legal Son, and His mother also was of King David's seed, his direct line. So Jesus does have the right to claim David's throne!
And Mary admitted that she needed a Savior (Luke 1:47), because she, like the rest of us, was born of Adam, with a human father.
And God did bless her, beyond all the other young women, in allowing her to be the mother of our Savior; and He also "pierced her heart [soul] with a sword" (Luke 2:35), when she witnessed the execution of her Son as a criminal.
God often "scourges" His most favored children (Hebrews 12:6), as we see in the Old Testament with Job and some of His prophets. Look at Hosea, who was told he'd fall in love with and marry a woman who would break his heart with infidelity to show Israel how she was breaking God's heart (Hosea 1:2); and God had Ezekiel's beloved wife die and he was not even to mourn for her, as a picture to Israel how God saw His wife, Israel (Ezekiel 24:15-18). He broke His own beloved, faithful prophets' hearts, and made their lives miserable.
Are we any less loved? When God breaks our hearts, it isn't to be mean to us, He still loves us more than we can imagine. But He trusts us, to still trust Him even when things go wrong for us.
When Mary was found to be expecting, she could've been stoned to death. She knew the consequences of her obedience. And can you imagine how Joseph looked at her when she told him she was pregnant? That must've hurt. So she took off to see Elizabeth. And stayed with her the last three months of her pregnancy to witness the birth and know what was in store for herself. (Luke finished one story before starting on the next, in 1:56.)
So, we find Mary pregnant and not yet married, and Joseph having to dream of an angel to convince him to trust her. And Mary did not doubt that her loving God was sovereign over her life in all of this.
Merry Christmas! We will continue this story tomorrow.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Matthew 1: 18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Luke 1: 39-49
At that time (after the angel left her) Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed, "Blest are you among women, and blest is the Child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blest is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blest, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His Name."
O my goodness, there is so much here for Christmas Eve! I think I will just focus on a couple of things here, and maybe come back another time for the rest.
Let's look at who Mary was. She was a simple, young girl who loved the Lord, and had gotten engaged to a man who also loved the Lord, named Joseph. We find that, in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-16), Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, was directly descended from King David through Solomon and the whole list of kings, the regal line. And, from Luke's genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) we see that Mary also traced her line back to King David through his other son, Nathan (v. 31), so she also had royal blood. This gives Jesus the legal right to claim the Throne of David.
Even though Joseph traced his line directly back, he could not claim this throne, because his ancestor, King Jehoiachin (or Jeconiah, or Coniah), the last king over Judah, was so evil that Jeremiah pronounced a curse on him, that, "No man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah" (22:30).
But Jesus was not the "seed" of Joseph, just his legal Son, and His mother also was of King David's seed, his direct line. So Jesus does have the right to claim David's throne!
And Mary admitted that she needed a Savior (Luke 1:47), because she, like the rest of us, was born of Adam, with a human father.
And God did bless her, beyond all the other young women, in allowing her to be the mother of our Savior; and He also "pierced her heart [soul] with a sword" (Luke 2:35), when she witnessed the execution of her Son as a criminal.
God often "scourges" His most favored children (Hebrews 12:6), as we see in the Old Testament with Job and some of His prophets. Look at Hosea, who was told he'd fall in love with and marry a woman who would break his heart with infidelity to show Israel how she was breaking God's heart (Hosea 1:2); and God had Ezekiel's beloved wife die and he was not even to mourn for her, as a picture to Israel how God saw His wife, Israel (Ezekiel 24:15-18). He broke His own beloved, faithful prophets' hearts, and made their lives miserable.
Are we any less loved? When God breaks our hearts, it isn't to be mean to us, He still loves us more than we can imagine. But He trusts us, to still trust Him even when things go wrong for us.
When Mary was found to be expecting, she could've been stoned to death. She knew the consequences of her obedience. And can you imagine how Joseph looked at her when she told him she was pregnant? That must've hurt. So she took off to see Elizabeth. And stayed with her the last three months of her pregnancy to witness the birth and know what was in store for herself. (Luke finished one story before starting on the next, in 1:56.)
So, we find Mary pregnant and not yet married, and Joseph having to dream of an angel to convince him to trust her. And Mary did not doubt that her loving God was sovereign over her life in all of this.
Merry Christmas! We will continue this story tomorrow.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Miriam & Aaron
Numbers 12
V. 1) Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.
Evidently, her complexion was darker than the tan of the Hebrew skin.
V. 2) "Has the Lord only spoken through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't He also spoken through us?" And the Lord heard this.
Okay, they were really envious of Moses' leadership.
So God called them out. He had Moses, Miriam and Aaron come out to the Tent of Meeting for a conference (vs. 4-9).
V. 10) When the cloud lifted from the Tent, there stood Miriam--leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her, and saw that she had leprosy.
The verb of complaint is in the feminine-singular, which shows that Miriam was the instigator and spokesperson. So God, in effect, said, "Okay, Miriam, you want to be white? Poof! You're lily-white!"
Vs. 11-13) [Aaron] said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."
So Moses cried out to the Lord, "O God, please heal her!"
What a dramatic moment in this family. They were all obviously upset at the complaint and it's result, and cried out passionately.
So Miriam had to spend a week away from people so she wouldn't spread the disease while she healed. Leprosy referred to any of several communicable skin conditions, and God healed Miriam within that week.
And Miriam and Aaron learned not to promote themselves over their little brother any more.
How hard does God need to lean on me when I am in the wrong? How serious are the circumstances I need to suffer, to learn my lesson?
God is a good, good Father to us. He will allow us to experience the consequences of our choices, even when they put us in dire circumstances. But when we turn to the Lord, agreeing with His assessment of our attitudes, and turn around our thinking processes, then He will heal our emotional hurts as well as Miriam's physical condition.
O my Father, please show me my erroneous opinions, my wrong attitudes, and my negative thinking processes. Forgive me these sins, Lord, and wash me clean again. Help me to recognize these faults before I fall into them; let me be mindful of my surroundings and my responses, so I will project Christ in me, not my flesh.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
V. 1) Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.
Evidently, her complexion was darker than the tan of the Hebrew skin.
V. 2) "Has the Lord only spoken through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't He also spoken through us?" And the Lord heard this.
Okay, they were really envious of Moses' leadership.
So God called them out. He had Moses, Miriam and Aaron come out to the Tent of Meeting for a conference (vs. 4-9).
V. 10) When the cloud lifted from the Tent, there stood Miriam--leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her, and saw that she had leprosy.
The verb of complaint is in the feminine-singular, which shows that Miriam was the instigator and spokesperson. So God, in effect, said, "Okay, Miriam, you want to be white? Poof! You're lily-white!"
Vs. 11-13) [Aaron] said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."
So Moses cried out to the Lord, "O God, please heal her!"
What a dramatic moment in this family. They were all obviously upset at the complaint and it's result, and cried out passionately.
So Miriam had to spend a week away from people so she wouldn't spread the disease while she healed. Leprosy referred to any of several communicable skin conditions, and God healed Miriam within that week.
And Miriam and Aaron learned not to promote themselves over their little brother any more.
How hard does God need to lean on me when I am in the wrong? How serious are the circumstances I need to suffer, to learn my lesson?
God is a good, good Father to us. He will allow us to experience the consequences of our choices, even when they put us in dire circumstances. But when we turn to the Lord, agreeing with His assessment of our attitudes, and turn around our thinking processes, then He will heal our emotional hurts as well as Miriam's physical condition.
O my Father, please show me my erroneous opinions, my wrong attitudes, and my negative thinking processes. Forgive me these sins, Lord, and wash me clean again. Help me to recognize these faults before I fall into them; let me be mindful of my surroundings and my responses, so I will project Christ in me, not my flesh.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 22, 2017
Manna And Quail
Numbers 11
This is the chapter that relates how the people got tired of only manna three times every day, so God sent them quail. God brought all these birds "out of the blue"! God can do anything!
But the people still suffered the consequences of their refusal to accept God's gracious provision. They just really found it hard to trust Him.
Psalm 78: 23-25 says, He gave command to the skies above and opened the doors of the Heavens; He rained down manna for the people to eat, He gave them the Grain of Heaven. Men ate the bread of angels; He sent them all the food they could eat.
The people still ate the manna; they could prepare it in all kinds of different ways, and it tasted good, like fresh olive oil, or honey wafers. It met all their nutritional needs, and it didn't cost them anything, either (vs. 7-8).
But they weren't satisfied with Angels' Food bread.
How often do we think we can take care of ourselves without God, or what He's already provided isn't good enough? How often do we complain, and overlook all the good He has already given us? Whatever we focus on becomes larger in our view, and will fill our vision; everything else just fades into the background.
That's why God wants us to control our own thoughts and attitudes, to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or worthy to be praised (Philippians 4:8). When we're focused on thanking Him for all the blessings He showers on us every day, then all the unpleasant and negative stuff will fade into the background.
We won't end up as Pollyannas, but we will have a more positive outlook on life. And if we all had a more positive outlook, we'd be more pleasant to be around. I think this is why, "have a nice day!" got to be such a popular good bye.
When we have a positive, thankful attitude toward God, He will continue to bless us with more. But if we choose to focus on the problems, the deficiencies, the wrong stuff; then the good things will fade and our vision will be filled with the negative, and we won't even be looking for things to get better.
So God sent the quail, so many that they got sick of quail!
And God still sent the manna, all the years they wandered in the desert, and even when they entered the Promised Land, until they harvested their first crop (Joshua 5:12).
But even with all these miracles, the people still didn't really trust Him, they kept getting pulled away by every opinion out there.
Let us not get distracted by all the allures of this World. God is God, and there is none other even similar to Him. He is our Source of everything we need to live and prosper and have fun.
When we follow His ways, we will reap and harvest His good crop of virtues and good times, and the freedom to enjoy them. Until He comes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This is the chapter that relates how the people got tired of only manna three times every day, so God sent them quail. God brought all these birds "out of the blue"! God can do anything!
But the people still suffered the consequences of their refusal to accept God's gracious provision. They just really found it hard to trust Him.
Psalm 78: 23-25 says, He gave command to the skies above and opened the doors of the Heavens; He rained down manna for the people to eat, He gave them the Grain of Heaven. Men ate the bread of angels; He sent them all the food they could eat.
The people still ate the manna; they could prepare it in all kinds of different ways, and it tasted good, like fresh olive oil, or honey wafers. It met all their nutritional needs, and it didn't cost them anything, either (vs. 7-8).
But they weren't satisfied with Angels' Food bread.
How often do we think we can take care of ourselves without God, or what He's already provided isn't good enough? How often do we complain, and overlook all the good He has already given us? Whatever we focus on becomes larger in our view, and will fill our vision; everything else just fades into the background.
That's why God wants us to control our own thoughts and attitudes, to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or worthy to be praised (Philippians 4:8). When we're focused on thanking Him for all the blessings He showers on us every day, then all the unpleasant and negative stuff will fade into the background.
We won't end up as Pollyannas, but we will have a more positive outlook on life. And if we all had a more positive outlook, we'd be more pleasant to be around. I think this is why, "have a nice day!" got to be such a popular good bye.
When we have a positive, thankful attitude toward God, He will continue to bless us with more. But if we choose to focus on the problems, the deficiencies, the wrong stuff; then the good things will fade and our vision will be filled with the negative, and we won't even be looking for things to get better.
So God sent the quail, so many that they got sick of quail!
And God still sent the manna, all the years they wandered in the desert, and even when they entered the Promised Land, until they harvested their first crop (Joshua 5:12).
But even with all these miracles, the people still didn't really trust Him, they kept getting pulled away by every opinion out there.
Let us not get distracted by all the allures of this World. God is God, and there is none other even similar to Him. He is our Source of everything we need to live and prosper and have fun.
When we follow His ways, we will reap and harvest His good crop of virtues and good times, and the freedom to enjoy them. Until He comes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 21, 2017
490 Years & 70 Years
Leviticus 26: 34-35, 43-44
Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.
For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected My laws and abhorred My decrees. Yet in spite of this, when they're in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking My covenant with them. I am the Lord their God.
God is saying that when they don't follow the Lord's statutes, and they will carried off to their enemies' lands, their own good land, the Promised Land, will get their sabbaths, that they didn't observe while they were in the land.
And since they will be in Babylon (and scattered into all the Nations) for 70 years; then the land will have it's 70 sabbaths, that it didn't have the 490 years the people lived there.
Why is it so hard to just take God at His Word? He says what He means, and He means what He says.
Now only God knows who His 10 "lost tribes" are.
But He will always have a remnant of Hebrew people, because He made promises to them, and He always keeps His promises.
The Good News today is that Jesus fulfilled that first sacrifice in Leviticus, the personal sacrifice, and anyone anywhere (not just those who can trace their genealogy back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) can admit that they deserve death (because the paycheck for sin is death) and let Him take their place in death for them; then God will place His own Holy Spirit into their spirit, making it alive. And this new life you will have is so much better than the old one. You'll still have the old one, too, but you'll have a truly free choice now. That's what I experienced, and you can, too.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And since they will be in Babylon (and scattered into all the Nations) for 70 years; then the land will have it's 70 sabbaths, that it didn't have the 490 years the people lived there.
Why is it so hard to just take God at His Word? He says what He means, and He means what He says.
Now only God knows who His 10 "lost tribes" are.
But He will always have a remnant of Hebrew people, because He made promises to them, and He always keeps His promises.
The Good News today is that Jesus fulfilled that first sacrifice in Leviticus, the personal sacrifice, and anyone anywhere (not just those who can trace their genealogy back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) can admit that they deserve death (because the paycheck for sin is death) and let Him take their place in death for them; then God will place His own Holy Spirit into their spirit, making it alive. And this new life you will have is so much better than the old one. You'll still have the old one, too, but you'll have a truly free choice now. That's what I experienced, and you can, too.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
The Feasts
Exodus 23: 14-17
Leviticus 23: 4-43
Deuteronomy 16: 1-17
The Feasts.
God has given Israel these six feasting times so they will remember all the powerful and wonderful things He had already done for them; and also to show them the whole story of what their Messiah will accomplish.
The Passover: Jesus is our Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God, Who shed God's own Blood to not just cover, but wash away all our sins from each of us.
The First Fruits: Jesus is the First Fruits of the Resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20).
Pentecost: is the birthday of Christ's Bride, the Church. This is the only feast celebrated with leavened bread, because we are not yet saved from the presence of sin.
These three feasts have been fulfilled.
The other three feasts will all take place within days of each other, all during the first two weeks of the 7th month: the First, the Tenth, and the Fifteenth.
Trumpets: This was essentially a concert. I see this as what theologians today call the "Rapture of the Church," (a term not used in Scripture, except its meaning to "catch away") when the last Trumpet will sound and Jesus comes with clouds and calls us out of this World, into the air to be with Him (I Corinthians 15: 51-52, and I Thessalonians 4:14-18). That's when we will be changed, our bodies will be like His Resurrection Body, and we will ever be with Him wherever He is.
The Atonement: This was the corporate sacrifice to cover the sins of the Nation Israel for the year. When Jesus fulfilled this sacrifice on Calvary, He purchased the whole World with His precious Blood; now He is our Owner by purchase as well as by Creation, giving Him the right to be our Judge.
I see Him fulfilling this Feast by scouring this Earth, cleansing it of all the sin; all the wrong, all the cruelty, all the pollution; everything that detracts from this Earth being the Paradise that the Garden of Eden was before the Fall. To set up His Kingdom here to rule in Righteousness for that 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-7).
The Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles: After Jesus scours the Earth of its cities we will need to rebuild, so we will be living in these temporary Booths while we build homes for us all.
These Feasts all looked back to what God did for His People Israel. And they also looked forward to the story of our Messiah, our Savior, our Sovereign King.
Our Father has told us the whole story. He has laid out through the whole body of Scripture, how everything began; how the corridor of Time will proceed in how He directs the Nations; and how the whole story of this Earth and our World upon it will conclude; and even hints to what will come after this Universe has accomplished its purpose.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Leviticus 23: 4-43
Deuteronomy 16: 1-17
The Feasts.
God has given Israel these six feasting times so they will remember all the powerful and wonderful things He had already done for them; and also to show them the whole story of what their Messiah will accomplish.
The Passover: Jesus is our Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God, Who shed God's own Blood to not just cover, but wash away all our sins from each of us.
The First Fruits: Jesus is the First Fruits of the Resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20).
Pentecost: is the birthday of Christ's Bride, the Church. This is the only feast celebrated with leavened bread, because we are not yet saved from the presence of sin.
These three feasts have been fulfilled.
The other three feasts will all take place within days of each other, all during the first two weeks of the 7th month: the First, the Tenth, and the Fifteenth.
Trumpets: This was essentially a concert. I see this as what theologians today call the "Rapture of the Church," (a term not used in Scripture, except its meaning to "catch away") when the last Trumpet will sound and Jesus comes with clouds and calls us out of this World, into the air to be with Him (I Corinthians 15: 51-52, and I Thessalonians 4:14-18). That's when we will be changed, our bodies will be like His Resurrection Body, and we will ever be with Him wherever He is.
The Atonement: This was the corporate sacrifice to cover the sins of the Nation Israel for the year. When Jesus fulfilled this sacrifice on Calvary, He purchased the whole World with His precious Blood; now He is our Owner by purchase as well as by Creation, giving Him the right to be our Judge.
I see Him fulfilling this Feast by scouring this Earth, cleansing it of all the sin; all the wrong, all the cruelty, all the pollution; everything that detracts from this Earth being the Paradise that the Garden of Eden was before the Fall. To set up His Kingdom here to rule in Righteousness for that 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-7).
The Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles: After Jesus scours the Earth of its cities we will need to rebuild, so we will be living in these temporary Booths while we build homes for us all.
These Feasts all looked back to what God did for His People Israel. And they also looked forward to the story of our Messiah, our Savior, our Sovereign King.
Our Father has told us the whole story. He has laid out through the whole body of Scripture, how everything began; how the corridor of Time will proceed in how He directs the Nations; and how the whole story of this Earth and our World upon it will conclude; and even hints to what will come after this Universe has accomplished its purpose.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
God's Glory
Exodus 29: 43
And I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory.
God's glory appeared as a consuming fire on the Mountain. Now His glory is consecrating all these things of the Tabernacle, and also consecrating these people by His glory.
His glory had some kind of effect on the Priests (and Levites, too) to protect them from the impact of the Ark of the Covenant. That's why God directed them to camp around the Tabernacle, between the Tabernacle and the other Tribes, to act as a barrier to protect the people (Numbers 2 & 3).
Later, when the Philistines captured the Ark in battle and took it to their own towns, to the temple of Dagon, they found their idol with its face on the ground in front of the Ark. Then the next day, their idol was not only on the ground before the Ark, but its head and hands were broken off. The demon behind the idol was compelled to bow before the Ark of the Lord God. (See Isaiah 45:23-24, Romans 14:11-12, Philippians 2:10-11, and Revelation 5:12-13.)
And God caused the people of those towns to have serious health problems, wherever they brought it (I Samuel 5). Finally they decided to return it to the Israelites (I Samuel 6).
We need to be careful how we approach our God--He is dangerous to us. That's why He gave so many specific instructions for the Ark and the Tabernacle: God told Moses to, Make this Tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you (Exodus 25:9). This "pattern" is the actual Temple in Heaven (Hebrews 9:11), which God showed Moses, so the people would be safe from it's powerful effects.
God's glory is something that I can't even imagine. That His glory would consecrate the items and equip the people who would serve near them to protect them, is something out of a fantasy novel to me; but I know that it's true, because God's Spirit of Truth lives in me, and teaches me what is true and what is deceptive.
I'm not even going to try to count all the times, all through God's Word, where we are cautioned to, "be careful," to, "give attention," to, "listen closely" to all that God tells us. Every book, every chapter, every word has been specifically given to us, God-breathed to His prophets who wrote down His Words (II Timothy 3:16).
Our God is Love, and how we love Him and one another is according to how He has loved us, and He has told us how in His Word.
God says what He means, and He means what He says. That's why He gave us His Spirit, not only to keep us from falling away, but also to teach us how to understand what God is saying to us in His Word. God wants us to know Him, and He wants us to welcome His knowing us--let Him in to our thoughts and attitudes, so that our words and actions will be according to how He wants us to relate to Him and to one another.
O my Father, Your glory is beyond what I can imagine. Help me to know You better each day, love You more every moment, and show Your love to others at every opportunity.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory.
God's glory appeared as a consuming fire on the Mountain. Now His glory is consecrating all these things of the Tabernacle, and also consecrating these people by His glory.
His glory had some kind of effect on the Priests (and Levites, too) to protect them from the impact of the Ark of the Covenant. That's why God directed them to camp around the Tabernacle, between the Tabernacle and the other Tribes, to act as a barrier to protect the people (Numbers 2 & 3).
Later, when the Philistines captured the Ark in battle and took it to their own towns, to the temple of Dagon, they found their idol with its face on the ground in front of the Ark. Then the next day, their idol was not only on the ground before the Ark, but its head and hands were broken off. The demon behind the idol was compelled to bow before the Ark of the Lord God. (See Isaiah 45:23-24, Romans 14:11-12, Philippians 2:10-11, and Revelation 5:12-13.)
And God caused the people of those towns to have serious health problems, wherever they brought it (I Samuel 5). Finally they decided to return it to the Israelites (I Samuel 6).
We need to be careful how we approach our God--He is dangerous to us. That's why He gave so many specific instructions for the Ark and the Tabernacle: God told Moses to, Make this Tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you (Exodus 25:9). This "pattern" is the actual Temple in Heaven (Hebrews 9:11), which God showed Moses, so the people would be safe from it's powerful effects.
God's glory is something that I can't even imagine. That His glory would consecrate the items and equip the people who would serve near them to protect them, is something out of a fantasy novel to me; but I know that it's true, because God's Spirit of Truth lives in me, and teaches me what is true and what is deceptive.
I'm not even going to try to count all the times, all through God's Word, where we are cautioned to, "be careful," to, "give attention," to, "listen closely" to all that God tells us. Every book, every chapter, every word has been specifically given to us, God-breathed to His prophets who wrote down His Words (II Timothy 3:16).
Our God is Love, and how we love Him and one another is according to how He has loved us, and He has told us how in His Word.
O my Father, Your glory is beyond what I can imagine. Help me to know You better each day, love You more every moment, and show Your love to others at every opportunity.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 18, 2017
The Very Best
Exodus 26 & 27
The Tabernacle.
The Courtyard's curtains hung from silver bands with silver hooks, the posts sat in bronze sockets with bronze pegs. And the Altar was bronze.
The Tent of the Tabernacle and all its furnishings were gold, and the posts sat in silver sockets.
The outside was of baser metals, but the inner was of gold. The closer to where God was, the finer the metals.
God deserves only our very best.
He gave His very best for us, His only Son. Now I want Him to have the very best of me: my thoughts, my words, my actions, my very life. My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Tabernacle.
The Courtyard's curtains hung from silver bands with silver hooks, the posts sat in bronze sockets with bronze pegs. And the Altar was bronze.
The Tent of the Tabernacle and all its furnishings were gold, and the posts sat in silver sockets.
The outside was of baser metals, but the inner was of gold. The closer to where God was, the finer the metals.
God deserves only our very best.
He gave His very best for us, His only Son. Now I want Him to have the very best of me: my thoughts, my words, my actions, my very life. My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 17, 2017
The Ark Of The Covenant
Exodus 25: 22
And there I will meet with you, and from above the Mercy Seat, from between the two Cherubim which are upon the Ark of the Testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
This wooden box covered in gold inside and out, with the cover of pure gold made in one piece with the two cherubim on it with their wings covering it--this is the place where the Presence of the Lord God was centered. Here He spoke with Moses.
And God's presence here affected this Ark, so that the populace of the Nation Israel had to be protected from it by the Levites camping around it between the Tabernacle and the other Tribes. The Levites shall pitch round about the Tabernacle of Testamony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the Tabernacle (Numbers 1:23).
When they were to travel to another place in the Desert, they would pack up everything, to set up again in the new spot.
But only the priests, the sons of Aaron, were allowed to see the furniture inside the Tent, to prepare them for travel by covering them completely and putting the poles into the rings for carrying (Numbers 4:5-14).
Then the Levites, the Kohathites, would come in to carry these holy items out of the Tent. But they were not allowed to touch or even look at them, only carry them by their poles (Numbers 4:15).
Then the Levites, the Gershonites would take down all the curtains of the Tabernacle and the Courtyard, and carry all the soft items in wagons, covered by the porpoise skins. These made them waterproof (Numbers 4:21-28).
Then the Levites, the Merarites, would gather all the frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and tent pegs, all the hard items, and carry those in wagons, also (Numbers 4:31-33).
Then God had them all set out in a specific order, all to make sure that no one would be harmed by proximity to this Ark that God "sat" upon (Numbers 10: 14-28). (See also what happened to Uzza in I Chronicles 13:7, 9-10.)
God is God, and He is so grand and glorious, to the extreme, that no person is able to survive too close a proximity to Him without God somehow enabling them (as He did with Moses and Aaron and his sons). I John 4:12 tells us that No man hath seen God at any time, and I Timothy 6:16 says that God is Dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, or can see, in the flesh we live in now. Only after Jesus returns again, and we are Glorified with that New Body that will glow like the Sun, then we will be equipped to see Him as He is (I Corinthians 6:35-58).
When Jesus fulfilled "all the Law and the Prophets," He also fulfilled all the parts of this Tabernacle and its furniture. He is pictured in every part of it. This Tabernacle shows us what Jesus would accomplish in His Life, Death, and Resurrection.
God has shown us His whole Plan of the Ages in His Word, and we need to be wholehearted in searching for His Truth, and persevere in digging deeper, in order to gain an understanding of what He is telling us.
It is a wonderful Plan, and I feel that I have barely scratched the surface of all God is telling us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And there I will meet with you, and from above the Mercy Seat, from between the two Cherubim which are upon the Ark of the Testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
This wooden box covered in gold inside and out, with the cover of pure gold made in one piece with the two cherubim on it with their wings covering it--this is the place where the Presence of the Lord God was centered. Here He spoke with Moses.
And God's presence here affected this Ark, so that the populace of the Nation Israel had to be protected from it by the Levites camping around it between the Tabernacle and the other Tribes. The Levites shall pitch round about the Tabernacle of Testamony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the Tabernacle (Numbers 1:23).
When they were to travel to another place in the Desert, they would pack up everything, to set up again in the new spot.
But only the priests, the sons of Aaron, were allowed to see the furniture inside the Tent, to prepare them for travel by covering them completely and putting the poles into the rings for carrying (Numbers 4:5-14).
Then the Levites, the Kohathites, would come in to carry these holy items out of the Tent. But they were not allowed to touch or even look at them, only carry them by their poles (Numbers 4:15).
Then the Levites, the Gershonites would take down all the curtains of the Tabernacle and the Courtyard, and carry all the soft items in wagons, covered by the porpoise skins. These made them waterproof (Numbers 4:21-28).
Then the Levites, the Merarites, would gather all the frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and tent pegs, all the hard items, and carry those in wagons, also (Numbers 4:31-33).
Then God had them all set out in a specific order, all to make sure that no one would be harmed by proximity to this Ark that God "sat" upon (Numbers 10: 14-28). (See also what happened to Uzza in I Chronicles 13:7, 9-10.)
God is God, and He is so grand and glorious, to the extreme, that no person is able to survive too close a proximity to Him without God somehow enabling them (as He did with Moses and Aaron and his sons). I John 4:12 tells us that No man hath seen God at any time, and I Timothy 6:16 says that God is Dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, or can see, in the flesh we live in now. Only after Jesus returns again, and we are Glorified with that New Body that will glow like the Sun, then we will be equipped to see Him as He is (I Corinthians 6:35-58).
When Jesus fulfilled "all the Law and the Prophets," He also fulfilled all the parts of this Tabernacle and its furniture. He is pictured in every part of it. This Tabernacle shows us what Jesus would accomplish in His Life, Death, and Resurrection.
God has shown us His whole Plan of the Ages in His Word, and we need to be wholehearted in searching for His Truth, and persevere in digging deeper, in order to gain an understanding of what He is telling us.
It is a wonderful Plan, and I feel that I have barely scratched the surface of all God is telling us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 16, 2017
The Law Of Love
Exodus 20
The Ten Commandments.
In Matthew 5: 17 Jesus tells us, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I've not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
When Jesus fulfilled the letter of all the Law, it included these Ten Commandments. Now we are not bound to do the very letter of each of these Commandments, but we are to obey the spirit of love that they are all based on. This goes much further than the mere letter of each law, much deeper.
For instance, not only are we to not commit adultery, but we are to love them and not even look upon another with lust. Not only are we to "do no murder," we are to love them and not even think ill of our neighbor, which is anyone and everyone in the World.
Even the Sabbath is not a specific day (the letter), but the principle of loving ourselves in taking a day off each week because it restores our own health and well-being, as well as loving God in remembering He is our Creator.
Jesus told us, In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). This is loving others as we love ourselves.
Matthew also tells us: An expert in the Law tested Him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:15-40). The whole body of all the laws, rules, commandments, regulations, precepts, orders, and decrees are all based on Love: our love for God, for ourselves, and for others.
So if we really love God, our love will constrain us to do what would be loving, and keep us from doing, saying, or even thinking something that would not be loving. This means that we will not be down on ourselves, because God values us greatly. We will not think ill of any other person, because he or she is our neighbor.
And we will consider our God to be the greatest, most wonderful and amazing Being Who ever was, is, or will ever be. He is good to the extreme, everything He does comes from the Love He is and has for all He has made.
Even what we would consider negative or even cruel, still comes from Love, in giving sentient beings the consequences of their own free choices, this freedom having been given in order that they might choose wisely instead of foolishly.
We see His love in being patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance, before the Day of the Lord comes as a thief [when] the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the Earth and everything in it will be burned up (II Peter 2:9-10).
Anyone who waits for that will be too late, the die will be cast, and their eternity will already be set. God has already waited over two thousand years since Jesus died, rose, and ascended back into Heaven. How much longer do you think He will wait? All the signs He gave for the End are present in our World right now.
Hebrews 3: 15 tells us, Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...
And II Corinthians 6: 2 says, ...I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of Salvation.
How much better to respond to His call today, because every tomorrow is uncertain. We have only right now when we can choose. Let's all choose our God, before our power of choice is over.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Ten Commandments.
In Matthew 5: 17 Jesus tells us, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I've not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
When Jesus fulfilled the letter of all the Law, it included these Ten Commandments. Now we are not bound to do the very letter of each of these Commandments, but we are to obey the spirit of love that they are all based on. This goes much further than the mere letter of each law, much deeper.
For instance, not only are we to not commit adultery, but we are to love them and not even look upon another with lust. Not only are we to "do no murder," we are to love them and not even think ill of our neighbor, which is anyone and everyone in the World.
Even the Sabbath is not a specific day (the letter), but the principle of loving ourselves in taking a day off each week because it restores our own health and well-being, as well as loving God in remembering He is our Creator.
Jesus told us, In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). This is loving others as we love ourselves.
Matthew also tells us: An expert in the Law tested Him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:15-40). The whole body of all the laws, rules, commandments, regulations, precepts, orders, and decrees are all based on Love: our love for God, for ourselves, and for others.
So if we really love God, our love will constrain us to do what would be loving, and keep us from doing, saying, or even thinking something that would not be loving. This means that we will not be down on ourselves, because God values us greatly. We will not think ill of any other person, because he or she is our neighbor.
And we will consider our God to be the greatest, most wonderful and amazing Being Who ever was, is, or will ever be. He is good to the extreme, everything He does comes from the Love He is and has for all He has made.
Even what we would consider negative or even cruel, still comes from Love, in giving sentient beings the consequences of their own free choices, this freedom having been given in order that they might choose wisely instead of foolishly.
We see His love in being patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance, before the Day of the Lord comes as a thief [when] the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the Earth and everything in it will be burned up (II Peter 2:9-10).
Anyone who waits for that will be too late, the die will be cast, and their eternity will already be set. God has already waited over two thousand years since Jesus died, rose, and ascended back into Heaven. How much longer do you think He will wait? All the signs He gave for the End are present in our World right now.
Hebrews 3: 15 tells us, Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...
And II Corinthians 6: 2 says, ...I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of Salvation.
How much better to respond to His call today, because every tomorrow is uncertain. We have only right now when we can choose. Let's all choose our God, before our power of choice is over.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 15, 2017
The Lamb Of God
John 1: 29
The next day (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the World!"
Jesus has been baptized by John, then went into the wilderness for 40 days. Now He's back where John's baptizing, and when John sees Him he proclaims that Jesus is God's Sacrificial Lamb Whose precious Blood will be powerful enough to pay for the sins of everyone in the whole World. Jesus shed God's own Blood, that has eternal value.
That means that, "the ground is level at the foot of the Cross," and every single person in the whole World has an equal opportunity to accept this verdict of death and let Jesus be their personal Sacrifice.
He also said, the same One Who called me to baptize with water also told me, "the Man on Whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God (John 1:33-34). This is a very strong testimony.
John probably didn't fully understand the full import of what he said here, because when King Herod put him in prison, he sent an inquiry to Jesus to ask Him if He was the One to come (Luke 7:18). So he still had doubts.
But we can know, and recognize Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah that had been promised since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). We can see that He came from the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and through the regal line of King David--directly through His legal father, Joseph (Matthew 1:1-16), and through David's other son Nathan through His mother (Luke 3:23-37).
We can also see that Jesus fulfilled over 400 of the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah, and He will fulfill the rest of them when He comes again to reign.
And if you have realized that Jesus suffered the death that you deserve as your personal Sacrifice, then you know that God gave you His Spirit of Truth to live in your spirit, and He is teaching you that all this is True.
I pray that all who read this humble blog of mine will be called of God to faith in Christ Jesus, even this Christmas season, as you think about the real Reason for the Season.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
That means that, "the ground is level at the foot of the Cross," and every single person in the whole World has an equal opportunity to accept this verdict of death and let Jesus be their personal Sacrifice.
He also said, the same One Who called me to baptize with water also told me, "the Man on Whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God (John 1:33-34). This is a very strong testimony.
John probably didn't fully understand the full import of what he said here, because when King Herod put him in prison, he sent an inquiry to Jesus to ask Him if He was the One to come (Luke 7:18). So he still had doubts.
But we can know, and recognize Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah that had been promised since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). We can see that He came from the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and through the regal line of King David--directly through His legal father, Joseph (Matthew 1:1-16), and through David's other son Nathan through His mother (Luke 3:23-37).
We can also see that Jesus fulfilled over 400 of the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah, and He will fulfill the rest of them when He comes again to reign.
And if you have realized that Jesus suffered the death that you deserve as your personal Sacrifice, then you know that God gave you His Spirit of Truth to live in your spirit, and He is teaching you that all this is True.
I pray that all who read this humble blog of mine will be called of God to faith in Christ Jesus, even this Christmas season, as you think about the real Reason for the Season.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Jesus, The Rock Of Living Water
Exodus 17: 6
"Behold I will stand before you there on the Rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the Rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so, in the sight of all the elders.
I Corinthians 10:4 tells us that it was a spiritual Rock that followed them in the Desert, and that Rock was Christ.
Moses was told to strike the Rock, as Jesus was struck down once for all in Crucifixion (Hebrews 10:10-14 & I Peter 3:18), and so much water poured out of it that all those people (millions!) had enough to drink, and water all their animals, as much and more than they all needed.
But when they came back to the Desert of Sin and needed water again, God told Moses to speak to the Rock, because He had already struck it before. But in his anger at the people, he struck it again, twice, and the water still flowed. But Moses had damaged the picture of what Christ would do, and was forbidden to enter the Promised Land with the people (Numbers 20:1-13 & Deuteronomy 34:1-4.) God is serious about our understanding of Who He is and what He does for us.
Jesus is our Source of Life, the life-giving water that we all need. He is sufficient to meet all my needs, even when He uses improbable and impossible sources. Even when I cannot see at all how my needs can be met, He will always come through for me.
Thank You so much, my dear Father, for sending Your only Son to be my Savior, to be my Lamb of God to take my place in death and cleanse me of all my stains, past, present and future. Thank You so much for loving me even though I know I will never be worthy of You, yet You deem me worth it. You have put such great value on me! And I trust You to keep all Your promises in Your Word, as You will always be true to Yourself.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"Behold I will stand before you there on the Rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the Rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so, in the sight of all the elders.
I Corinthians 10:4 tells us that it was a spiritual Rock that followed them in the Desert, and that Rock was Christ.
Moses was told to strike the Rock, as Jesus was struck down once for all in Crucifixion (Hebrews 10:10-14 & I Peter 3:18), and so much water poured out of it that all those people (millions!) had enough to drink, and water all their animals, as much and more than they all needed.
But when they came back to the Desert of Sin and needed water again, God told Moses to speak to the Rock, because He had already struck it before. But in his anger at the people, he struck it again, twice, and the water still flowed. But Moses had damaged the picture of what Christ would do, and was forbidden to enter the Promised Land with the people (Numbers 20:1-13 & Deuteronomy 34:1-4.) God is serious about our understanding of Who He is and what He does for us.
Jesus is our Source of Life, the life-giving water that we all need. He is sufficient to meet all my needs, even when He uses improbable and impossible sources. Even when I cannot see at all how my needs can be met, He will always come through for me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Cleansed With Blood
Hebrews 9: 22
...All things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
This verse is key to salvation. From the very beginning God taught that something or someone needed to die to cleanse from sin, killing the animals to provide Adam's and Eve's clothing.
Then when Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices, Abel brought a firstling lamb (a blood sacrifice), while Cain offered some of his vegetables (the work of his hands). Abel knew he deserved death, but Cain thought he could work his own way to God, and God did not accept his offering.
Then God gave the Law to codify this concept of a blood sacrifice.
This was God's plan from before the beginning, to send the Second Person of the Godhead to be the Sacrifice to redeem this race of Man. He was the Lord God Who always dealt with Mankind, then He broke into our World by being born as a Man, so He could die for us as the Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice, that would not just cover, but actually wash away every stain of sin, making us pure enough to withstand the very presence of our very God, without burning up.
Our God is more than we can stand. His being is so intense, a human person would be destroyed in His full presence. "There shall no man see Me, and live" (Genesis 33:20).
When Moses was on the mountain, requesting to see Him, but only seeing His backside, he came back down that mountain with his face glowing. He didn't feel any different, he didn't even know he glowed, until they made him wear a veil.
When Jesus came the first time, it was to fulfill all the Law, and to be the Final, Perfect Sacrifice for sin. When He died on the Cross, He fulfilled all the sacrificial laws, beginning with the first one, in Leviticus 1.
This is the first sacrifice every person was required to offer, the personal sacrifice. The individual would bring his own animal to the priest, put his hand on its head (identifying with it), and it would then be slaughtered, offered on the altar, and its blood would be splashed on the sides of the altar. Jesus fulfilled this, His Precious Blood splashed on the sides of His altar, the Cross. He died individually for each one of us, for salvation. We all deserve death, and He took our place, one by one, to pay for our sins.
He also fulfilled the corporate sacrifice, for the Nation, when He bought the whole World; He is now our Owner by Creation and by purchase, our rightful Judge.
Jesus fulfilled over 400 Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah. He will fulfill the rest of them when He returns again, to set up His Kingdom on this Earth, and rule justly for 1000 years.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
...All things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
This verse is key to salvation. From the very beginning God taught that something or someone needed to die to cleanse from sin, killing the animals to provide Adam's and Eve's clothing.
Then when Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices, Abel brought a firstling lamb (a blood sacrifice), while Cain offered some of his vegetables (the work of his hands). Abel knew he deserved death, but Cain thought he could work his own way to God, and God did not accept his offering.
Then God gave the Law to codify this concept of a blood sacrifice.
This was God's plan from before the beginning, to send the Second Person of the Godhead to be the Sacrifice to redeem this race of Man. He was the Lord God Who always dealt with Mankind, then He broke into our World by being born as a Man, so He could die for us as the Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice, that would not just cover, but actually wash away every stain of sin, making us pure enough to withstand the very presence of our very God, without burning up.
Our God is more than we can stand. His being is so intense, a human person would be destroyed in His full presence. "There shall no man see Me, and live" (Genesis 33:20).
When Moses was on the mountain, requesting to see Him, but only seeing His backside, he came back down that mountain with his face glowing. He didn't feel any different, he didn't even know he glowed, until they made him wear a veil.
When Jesus came the first time, it was to fulfill all the Law, and to be the Final, Perfect Sacrifice for sin. When He died on the Cross, He fulfilled all the sacrificial laws, beginning with the first one, in Leviticus 1.
This is the first sacrifice every person was required to offer, the personal sacrifice. The individual would bring his own animal to the priest, put his hand on its head (identifying with it), and it would then be slaughtered, offered on the altar, and its blood would be splashed on the sides of the altar. Jesus fulfilled this, His Precious Blood splashed on the sides of His altar, the Cross. He died individually for each one of us, for salvation. We all deserve death, and He took our place, one by one, to pay for our sins.
He also fulfilled the corporate sacrifice, for the Nation, when He bought the whole World; He is now our Owner by Creation and by purchase, our rightful Judge.
Jesus fulfilled over 400 Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah. He will fulfill the rest of them when He returns again, to set up His Kingdom on this Earth, and rule justly for 1000 years.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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