Jeremiah 1: 1-8
(V. 1) The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
Here's Jeremiah's pedigree: he was a priest, born into the upper society, living in the territory that was given to the tribe of Benjamin.
(V. 5) Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the Nations.
Even before he was born God had chosen him to Himself and planned out his life.
(V. 6) Then I said, "Alas. Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am only a youth!"
Jeremiah was 20 years old when God called him to be His prophet; in that society he was still considered a child.
(Vs. 7-8) But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, I am only a youth, because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them..."
God's telling him not to use his weaknesses as an excuse. When God decides to do something, it's time to do it. And it doesn't matter what I think, He's God, I'm not, and He will use whatever He has given me to perform His will for me. I am just to believe Him and trust Him to work through me, even if I think it's crazy! It's not my decision, it's His, and He knows best.
Father, help me to trust You this way. Help me to see myself the way You see me, not how the World sees. You told Gideon to "go in the strength you have" (Judges 6:14) when he saw himself as very small and weak, but You knew he was a "valiant warrior" (Judges 6:12), and You made him into that strong soldier.
And You will make me into whatever You have planned for my life, even if I don't see myself that way yet.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Friday, June 29, 2018
He Is Lord
II Kings 20: 9-11
Isaiah said, "This is your sign from the Lord that He will do what He promises. Do you want the shadow to go forward ten steps or come back ten steps?"
Hezekiah replied, "It's easy for the shadow to extend ten more steps forward. No, let it come back ten steps."
Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow that had gone forward on Ahaz's stairway to back up ten steps.
Here's something God did that was impossible--He made the Sun go backward ten degrees on the sundial! That means that He added time to the day.
This is the Stairway of Ahaz which was a westward-facing flight of stairs which served as a sundial. The setting Sun's shadow would go up on the stairs as the Sun went down, but the shadow went back down ten steps before going back up again.
How could God do this? Did He stop the Earth? Did He move the Sun? We don't know how He did it, but whatever He did, it affected the whole Universe, because NASA's scientists found the anomaly in Time in their calculations.
Hezekiah thought he would die of this serious boil, but God told Isaiah to make a poultice of figs to put on it (v. 7), and he was healed, to live another 15 years (v. 6).
Nothing is impossible with God. He is God, He is the One Who made everything, and designed it all to run like clockwork. Since He made it, He can also mess with it, without causing a mess in it.
We think that if the Earth stopped or went backward, that the inertia would cause everything to go haywire! But God is God, we are not, and if God wants to suspend the operation of His rules a little, who can say He can't? He's Lord, He's the Boss!
Just like when my son made his villages and castles with Legos, he could move them around and remake them anyway he wanted, because they were his creations. He was the boss of them, just like God is the Lord over what He made.
This blows my mind! God can do anything He wants, even fool with Time!
O Father, You really can do anything! And what You do is always good, because You are good. You can mess with Time without everything crashing and colliding, because You hold us all in Your hand. Your power goes beyond anything I can imagine.
And You love me more than I can imagine. Thank You, Daddy, for making me Your little girl. Thank You for Your power, for Your greatness, for Your goodness. Thank You for calling out from every Nation, from every people, from every language, from every family line, to be Your own children, born spiritually into Your own family.
Thank You for telling me about how You will help me whenever I'm at the end of my rope; teach me to call on You before I reach the end. Let me turn to You first, not make You my last resort.
And thank You for telling me about the wonderful future You are preparing for me right now. I look forward to that indescribable time I will have with You in that eternity future.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Isaiah said, "This is your sign from the Lord that He will do what He promises. Do you want the shadow to go forward ten steps or come back ten steps?"
Hezekiah replied, "It's easy for the shadow to extend ten more steps forward. No, let it come back ten steps."
Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow that had gone forward on Ahaz's stairway to back up ten steps.
Here's something God did that was impossible--He made the Sun go backward ten degrees on the sundial! That means that He added time to the day.
This is the Stairway of Ahaz which was a westward-facing flight of stairs which served as a sundial. The setting Sun's shadow would go up on the stairs as the Sun went down, but the shadow went back down ten steps before going back up again.
How could God do this? Did He stop the Earth? Did He move the Sun? We don't know how He did it, but whatever He did, it affected the whole Universe, because NASA's scientists found the anomaly in Time in their calculations.
Hezekiah thought he would die of this serious boil, but God told Isaiah to make a poultice of figs to put on it (v. 7), and he was healed, to live another 15 years (v. 6).
Nothing is impossible with God. He is God, He is the One Who made everything, and designed it all to run like clockwork. Since He made it, He can also mess with it, without causing a mess in it.
We think that if the Earth stopped or went backward, that the inertia would cause everything to go haywire! But God is God, we are not, and if God wants to suspend the operation of His rules a little, who can say He can't? He's Lord, He's the Boss!
Just like when my son made his villages and castles with Legos, he could move them around and remake them anyway he wanted, because they were his creations. He was the boss of them, just like God is the Lord over what He made.
This blows my mind! God can do anything He wants, even fool with Time!
O Father, You really can do anything! And what You do is always good, because You are good. You can mess with Time without everything crashing and colliding, because You hold us all in Your hand. Your power goes beyond anything I can imagine.
And You love me more than I can imagine. Thank You, Daddy, for making me Your little girl. Thank You for Your power, for Your greatness, for Your goodness. Thank You for calling out from every Nation, from every people, from every language, from every family line, to be Your own children, born spiritually into Your own family.
Thank You for telling me about how You will help me whenever I'm at the end of my rope; teach me to call on You before I reach the end. Let me turn to You first, not make You my last resort.
And thank You for telling me about the wonderful future You are preparing for me right now. I look forward to that indescribable time I will have with You in that eternity future.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, June 28, 2018
"Spread It Out Before The Lord"
II Kings 19: 32-33
Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, "He shall not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; neither shall he come before it with a shield, nor throw up a mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city," declares the Lord.
Rabshakeh came from the king of Assyria with a letter to Hezekiah that equated the Lord God with all the idols the other Nations worshiped, that they had destroyed.
So Hezekiah spread the letter out before the Lord, admitting that this foreign king really had conquered all those peoples, and destroyed their temples and idols. And he thought he could do the same here; but the Lord God is not anything like any of these idols, He really is God.
So God told him He would take care if this guy. And He did.
The Angel of the Lord struck 185,000 men in the camp (v. 35), so King Sennacherib went home to Nineveh. There he was murdered as he worshiped his god Nisroch (vs. 36-37).
When we pray, and lay out before Him whatever it is we need help with, He will always answer. He loves to fight our battles for us.
The better we get to know Him, the better we understand His ways, then the more we'll trust Him to do what He wants to do for us.
We never need to be afraid of Him, but have the "fear of the Lord" that is a reverential awe for His greatness and power and ability to do everything. There is nothing He can't do, even if it's impossible for us.
O my Father, thank You for Your greatness and Your gentleness, thank You for Your justice and Your mercy, thank You for Your lovingkindness and Your grace.
Father, You are the Creator, and You made us in Your image, so we are creative, too. You are intelligent, and You gave us intelligence, too, to understand Your ways. We are Your imagination, and You have given us imagination also, so we can imagine You and what You have planned for us.
Whatever we can imagine, though, what You are preparing for us, is beyond anything we can imagine. I find that fact so exciting! O Father, You love me so much more than I can imagine, my future with You will be beyond exquisite, beyond wonderous, beyond any words I have to use.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, "He shall not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; neither shall he come before it with a shield, nor throw up a mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city," declares the Lord.
Rabshakeh came from the king of Assyria with a letter to Hezekiah that equated the Lord God with all the idols the other Nations worshiped, that they had destroyed.
So Hezekiah spread the letter out before the Lord, admitting that this foreign king really had conquered all those peoples, and destroyed their temples and idols. And he thought he could do the same here; but the Lord God is not anything like any of these idols, He really is God.
So God told him He would take care if this guy. And He did.
The Angel of the Lord struck 185,000 men in the camp (v. 35), so King Sennacherib went home to Nineveh. There he was murdered as he worshiped his god Nisroch (vs. 36-37).
When we pray, and lay out before Him whatever it is we need help with, He will always answer. He loves to fight our battles for us.
The better we get to know Him, the better we understand His ways, then the more we'll trust Him to do what He wants to do for us.
We never need to be afraid of Him, but have the "fear of the Lord" that is a reverential awe for His greatness and power and ability to do everything. There is nothing He can't do, even if it's impossible for us.
O my Father, thank You for Your greatness and Your gentleness, thank You for Your justice and Your mercy, thank You for Your lovingkindness and Your grace.
Father, You are the Creator, and You made us in Your image, so we are creative, too. You are intelligent, and You gave us intelligence, too, to understand Your ways. We are Your imagination, and You have given us imagination also, so we can imagine You and what You have planned for us.
Whatever we can imagine, though, what You are preparing for us, is beyond anything we can imagine. I find that fact so exciting! O Father, You love me so much more than I can imagine, my future with You will be beyond exquisite, beyond wonderous, beyond any words I have to use.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Cleaning Out The Filth
II Kings 18: 3
And he did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
This is high praise from the Lord.
King Hezekiah was Judah's last "good" king. He was Ahaz's son, and he tore down all the competing altars and broke down all the idols and places where these were worshiped with incense and infant sacrifice.
Would that the Lord would send us a Hezekiah to tear down and break down all the ideologies that are causing us to be worshiping the idols and demons and sacrificing our babies before they're even born.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And he did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
This is high praise from the Lord.
King Hezekiah was Judah's last "good" king. He was Ahaz's son, and he tore down all the competing altars and broke down all the idols and places where these were worshiped with incense and infant sacrifice.
Would that the Lord would send us a Hezekiah to tear down and break down all the ideologies that are causing us to be worshiping the idols and demons and sacrificing our babies before they're even born.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Lifestyle
I John 5: 8
We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He Who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.
(KJV: he that is begotten of God keepeth himself.)
This means that no one who has been born-again will allow himself to be caught up into a habitual sin, a sinful lifestyle.
Even when we may fall back into doing that foolish thing again, we will feel so bad about it that we will confess it and turn from it.
This is because God’s Spirit dwells in us, giving us the strength and the power to break that bad habit and replace it with good practices.
Then the evil one, our enemy, cannot lay hold on us or attach himself to us or grab us (touch).
God knows we are but dust, and we cannot continually walk in His ways without His help. So He puts His own Holy Spirit into our spirit as the deposit, the down payment on the eternal life He gives us. He is always with us, and when we do something that is not according to His ways (sin), He lets us know that He is not pleased with that and we feel guilty.
Before we were born spiritually, our sinful lifestyle didn’t bother us. But now God’s Spirit in us shows us His ways, and leads us into better lifestyles, that won’t harm us or bring harm to others.
O my Father, thank You for knowing me and loving me anyway. Thank You for choosing to call me to Yourself and place Your Spirit in me. Thank You that he He is always with me and guides my steps.
Teach me to know His voice when He whispers in my spirit, to follow His direction and form those good habits and lifestyle that will benefit others and bring glory to Your Holy Name.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He Who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.
(KJV: he that is begotten of God keepeth himself.)
This means that no one who has been born-again will allow himself to be caught up into a habitual sin, a sinful lifestyle.
Even when we may fall back into doing that foolish thing again, we will feel so bad about it that we will confess it and turn from it.
This is because God’s Spirit dwells in us, giving us the strength and the power to break that bad habit and replace it with good practices.
Then the evil one, our enemy, cannot lay hold on us or attach himself to us or grab us (touch).
God knows we are but dust, and we cannot continually walk in His ways without His help. So He puts His own Holy Spirit into our spirit as the deposit, the down payment on the eternal life He gives us. He is always with us, and when we do something that is not according to His ways (sin), He lets us know that He is not pleased with that and we feel guilty.
Before we were born spiritually, our sinful lifestyle didn’t bother us. But now God’s Spirit in us shows us His ways, and leads us into better lifestyles, that won’t harm us or bring harm to others.
O my Father, thank You for knowing me and loving me anyway. Thank You for choosing to call me to Yourself and place Your Spirit in me. Thank You that he He is always with me and guides my steps.
Teach me to know His voice when He whispers in my spirit, to follow His direction and form those good habits and lifestyle that will benefit others and bring glory to Your Holy Name.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, June 25, 2018
Will I Let
Ezekiel 36: 37-38
Thus says the Lord God, This also will I let the House of Israel ask Me to do for them ...
Wow, God “lets” us ask of Him!
He teaches us His ways, then He lets us ask Him to do for us the very things He wants to do! The things He planned to do from the start.
From the very beginning, God made this beautiful Earth, put it into this beautiful galaxy, in this beautiful Universe; then He made us of it to live here and enjoy all the good things He does for us.
And He gets all the credit, all the glory, because He planned it all out and designed it to function smoothly, when we just follow the “Owner’s Manual,” the “Manufacturer’s Instructions.”
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, June 24, 2018
My Holy Name
Ezekiel 36: 21-36
21 But I had concern for My holy Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God, It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.
23 And I will vindicate the holiness of My great Name ... Then the nations will know that I am the Lord God, when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.
God is holy. He will always vindicate His holy Name. He is concerned for His reputation: He wants everyone to know Who He is.
26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
This is when Jesus returns, all Israel is saved, and King Jesus has set up His throne to rule the World from Jerusalem. He will return Israel to the Land and the whole Land will flourish as never before.
32 I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Lord. ... Then they will know that I am the Lord.
As God regenerates His own people, both Israelis and gentiles, He puts His own Spirit in us, and we do, we want to, follow His ways; then He blesses us: We get the benefit and He gets the glory!
36 Then the nations that are left round about you ...
Not only Israel, but people in all the rest of the Nations of the World will be preserved, kept from receiving the sign of the beast in their forehead or right hand, and will also see Him as He arrives on His “white horse” to fight the Battle of Armageddon and set up His throne.
All those people will see Him as He appears and recognize Him as the Messiah, the Lamb of God, and the King of the World; and will be saved, to go into the Kingdom in their flesh, along with all of us who have been raptured at His appearing.
God will do all this to vindicate His Name.
He wants everyone to know Who He really is, what He’s like, His character and personality.
There is so much deception in the world, our enemy distorts God’s beautiful Truth to try to keep us from knowing God. His Name is Who Hie is: His authority to rule, along with all His attributes that give Him that authority. It includes His goodness and His beauty, His grace and mercy and justice, His wisdom and knowledge—everything He is. When we get to know Him, we do love Him, because He is eminently lovable.
He loves us more than we can even imagine, because He is Love.
And He will make sure that His Name is vindicated. Everyone will see Who He is, and either oppose Him, fighting against Him in the Battle of Armageddon; or accept Who He is, be saved, and enter into this Earth’s Golden Age.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, June 23, 2018
The Exact Truth
Luke 1: 1-4
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account ... Who from the beginning were eyewitnesses ... It seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it all out for you in order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you might know the exact Truth about the things you have been taught.
Doctor Luke was a man of science, who was very careful with discerning the Truth. Since "many" others had also compiled records of Jesus' life, Luke wanted his friend to be sure to know the actual Truth of all these accounts, many of which did not make it into Scripture because of inaccuracies. So he carefully investigated, interviewing the very people who were involved, to get down to the nitty-gritty of His life.
He wanted to make everything clear to his friend, and he also did so for all of us today, too.
O Father, You are so wise, so generous, so open with us. Thank You for having Luke state how meticulously he investigated to find out all the facts. Thank You for leading him in his search to write for all of us an accurate account of the Man Christ Jesus.
Thank You for leading Matthew, Levi the tax collector, who walked with Jesus, to show Him as our King, the King of Israel and the King of the World, and the Universe.
Thank You for having Mark, who travelled with Paul, and was personally acquainted with Jesus' family, for showing us how Jesus was our Servant, so we also will serve one another.
And thank You for having John the Beloved, who leaned close to Jesus at the Last Supper, laying his head on Jesus' breast, to record the life of our Lord God Himself in human flesh.
Thank You, Father, for overseeing the compiling of the New Testament with the very writings that will show us You and Your ways, to teach us how to order our thoughts, which direct our words and walk our daily lives.
Help us all to learn Your ways, think Your thoughts for us, use our words to build up others, and live our lives to Your glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account ... Who from the beginning were eyewitnesses ... It seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it all out for you in order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you might know the exact Truth about the things you have been taught.
Doctor Luke was a man of science, who was very careful with discerning the Truth. Since "many" others had also compiled records of Jesus' life, Luke wanted his friend to be sure to know the actual Truth of all these accounts, many of which did not make it into Scripture because of inaccuracies. So he carefully investigated, interviewing the very people who were involved, to get down to the nitty-gritty of His life.
He wanted to make everything clear to his friend, and he also did so for all of us today, too.
O Father, You are so wise, so generous, so open with us. Thank You for having Luke state how meticulously he investigated to find out all the facts. Thank You for leading him in his search to write for all of us an accurate account of the Man Christ Jesus.
Thank You for leading Matthew, Levi the tax collector, who walked with Jesus, to show Him as our King, the King of Israel and the King of the World, and the Universe.
Thank You for having Mark, who travelled with Paul, and was personally acquainted with Jesus' family, for showing us how Jesus was our Servant, so we also will serve one another.
And thank You for having John the Beloved, who leaned close to Jesus at the Last Supper, laying his head on Jesus' breast, to record the life of our Lord God Himself in human flesh.
Thank You, Father, for overseeing the compiling of the New Testament with the very writings that will show us You and Your ways, to teach us how to order our thoughts, which direct our words and walk our daily lives.
Help us all to learn Your ways, think Your thoughts for us, use our words to build up others, and live our lives to Your glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, June 22, 2018
Abundant Life
John 10: 10
... I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
When God made this Earth, He formed it and supplied it with everything we would need right here. He built into it an unlimited abundance of all the food, all the animals, all the resources we would want.
Then He gave us His rules and regulations on how to run the World to produce all this abundance, for our enjoyment, and derive our satisfaction in Him in providing it all. If only we would follow His ways.
When we buy a car, a book comes with it, explaining how to take care of it; what kind of fuel to use, how often to change the oil, how much pressure to put in the tires, etc. We can choose to follow the book, and the car will give us many years of use. Or we can ignore the book, and decide for ourselves what we want to do with it--and use the wrong fuel, never change the oil, etc--and it will not service our needs for very long.
Our problem is that we have not followed the directions we've been given to run the World, and people have been lied to, to think that there is a shortage of resources.
But more trees grow, more food grows, more animals are born and hatched, there's always more. And there is also no shortage of the creativity God put into Mankind, to take what God has made and use it to make all kinds of other things for our usefulness and pleasure.
So when we know God, learn Who He is, His character and personality; and we study His Word to learn His ways and follow them--then He will see to it that we can avail ourselves of all the abundance He built into this Earth for us.
Jesus came and showed us how to live our lives, then He died as our personal Sacrifice as the Lamb of God to atone for all our wrong choices, cleanse us of all the corruption and spoilage in our souls, send His Spirit to live in our spirit to make it alive, so that we will have His strength to follow His ways and experience all the abundance He wants for us right here.
Then to enjoy His very Presence forever, as He brings us to His home, in the New Heaven and New Earth, to live with Him and reign with Him.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
... I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
When God made this Earth, He formed it and supplied it with everything we would need right here. He built into it an unlimited abundance of all the food, all the animals, all the resources we would want.
Then He gave us His rules and regulations on how to run the World to produce all this abundance, for our enjoyment, and derive our satisfaction in Him in providing it all. If only we would follow His ways.
When we buy a car, a book comes with it, explaining how to take care of it; what kind of fuel to use, how often to change the oil, how much pressure to put in the tires, etc. We can choose to follow the book, and the car will give us many years of use. Or we can ignore the book, and decide for ourselves what we want to do with it--and use the wrong fuel, never change the oil, etc--and it will not service our needs for very long.
Our problem is that we have not followed the directions we've been given to run the World, and people have been lied to, to think that there is a shortage of resources.
But more trees grow, more food grows, more animals are born and hatched, there's always more. And there is also no shortage of the creativity God put into Mankind, to take what God has made and use it to make all kinds of other things for our usefulness and pleasure.
So when we know God, learn Who He is, His character and personality; and we study His Word to learn His ways and follow them--then He will see to it that we can avail ourselves of all the abundance He built into this Earth for us.
Jesus came and showed us how to live our lives, then He died as our personal Sacrifice as the Lamb of God to atone for all our wrong choices, cleanse us of all the corruption and spoilage in our souls, send His Spirit to live in our spirit to make it alive, so that we will have His strength to follow His ways and experience all the abundance He wants for us right here.
Then to enjoy His very Presence forever, as He brings us to His home, in the New Heaven and New Earth, to live with Him and reign with Him.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Our Words
Colossians 4: 6
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.
Salt is a flavor-enhancer, that makes bland food palatable. It is also a preservative, to keep the food from spoiling.
So our speech needs to be delicious and healthy; not have any corruption or obscenity, nor be insipid or bland.
O Father, how often have I just blurted out something without thinking, without seasoning my words with the salt of grace? Forgive me, Father, help me to repair what damage I have done in my relationships with my words.
Teach me to pause before I open my mouth, to consider the other's need, to say what would encourage them; instead of focusing only on myself.
Help me, Father; put Your kindness under my tongue and Your compassion in my heart. Give me Your stamina to do the work that is before me, and keep me constantly aware of Your holding me in Your hand.
Let my life and my words be a blessing to others You have put in my path, and draw others closer to Yourself through me, as Your channel.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.
Salt is a flavor-enhancer, that makes bland food palatable. It is also a preservative, to keep the food from spoiling.
So our speech needs to be delicious and healthy; not have any corruption or obscenity, nor be insipid or bland.
O Father, how often have I just blurted out something without thinking, without seasoning my words with the salt of grace? Forgive me, Father, help me to repair what damage I have done in my relationships with my words.
Teach me to pause before I open my mouth, to consider the other's need, to say what would encourage them; instead of focusing only on myself.
Help me, Father; put Your kindness under my tongue and Your compassion in my heart. Give me Your stamina to do the work that is before me, and keep me constantly aware of Your holding me in Your hand.
Let my life and my words be a blessing to others You have put in my path, and draw others closer to Yourself through me, as Your channel.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
In Deed And Truth
I John 3: 18
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and Truth.
John is addressing us as though we are still small tykes, which we are in God's sight. He's teaching us that mere words, nice conversation, is not the depth of the love we are to have for one another.
Yes, the right word at the right time can do wonders to encourage, but we are not to stop there.
Our love needs to have feet, to do for one another what we cannot accomplish on our own, by ourselves. And use it to communicate the Truth of God's character with our godly attitudes, and follow through.
Wash one another's feet.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and Truth.
John is addressing us as though we are still small tykes, which we are in God's sight. He's teaching us that mere words, nice conversation, is not the depth of the love we are to have for one another.
Yes, the right word at the right time can do wonders to encourage, but we are not to stop there.
Our love needs to have feet, to do for one another what we cannot accomplish on our own, by ourselves. And use it to communicate the Truth of God's character with our godly attitudes, and follow through.
Wash one another's feet.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Fire And Water
Psalm 66: 10, 12
You have tested us, O God. You have refined us in the same way silver is refined.
... We went through fire and water, but you brought us out and refreshed us.
The people went through all kinds of terrors and dangers, and God saved them out of all of it.
God still saves His people out of all kinds of situations that squeeze us, pound us, and try to shred us. All the problems, sorrows, and pain of life.
Just like He did in the past, God doesn't keep us from going through it, but He protects us so that it doesn't harm us. Like Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego in the fiery furnace--all it burned was the bonds with which they were tied up.
Whatever I face in life, whether hot or cold, whether "fire or water," my Father is bringing me through, refining me like silver, like gold. His pressure is making me like a diamond.
O my Father, You have been with me very powerfully through so many trials and sorrows and problems and dangers. You have shown Yourself faithful in protecting me and carrying me through all these days.
You have brought me out and refreshed me, and You are still with me.
Thank You, Father, for being our good, good Father. You are our Abba, our Daddy, Who loves us with a Da-Da's gentle love. In Your wisdom You allow us to go through and be surrounded with all the evil and wrong in the World, and You protect us from being harmed by it when we walk with You, hand-in-hand.
O Father, continue to lead us, guide us, protect us, and teach us Your ways as we travel through this "vale of tears." This World is broken, and it has broken us, because we have broken it by our foolish choices.
You meant for us to follow Your ways that You designed into this Earth, but we have built our World on it in defiance and rebellion against You, the Maker and Creator. No wonder it doesn't give us the bounty You built into it for us.
No wonder we think that what we need is scarce, and to have something it must be taken away from someone else. This is our enemy's tactic to produce covetousness and greed, and it deceives us.
When we believe You and think Your thoughts toward us, and live our lives in obedience to Your precepts, then the result is that we will gain the bounty You put here for us.
Whenever Your people worshipped You, they enjoyed Your bounty. But our own hearts lie to us, along with this World we live in, and the enemy who wants to destroy us. That's why we need to be diligent to stay in Your Word, to nourish our souls and keep our real life healthy.
Father, You are great and wise and strong. You are just and kind. You have given us an endless bounty in this Earth You made for us, and You want to bless us with the great prosperity that brings us joy.
Let me prosper, Father, in all the ways You intend for us all: spiritually, relationally, physically, and even financially. You meet all my needs in every area of my life, and You even give me extras, that I haven't even thought to ask You for.
You are so generous, Father. Teach me to be more like You every day, and restrain my mouth and my thoughts to only promote Your good toward others in my life today.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
You have tested us, O God. You have refined us in the same way silver is refined.
... We went through fire and water, but you brought us out and refreshed us.
The people went through all kinds of terrors and dangers, and God saved them out of all of it.
God still saves His people out of all kinds of situations that squeeze us, pound us, and try to shred us. All the problems, sorrows, and pain of life.
Just like He did in the past, God doesn't keep us from going through it, but He protects us so that it doesn't harm us. Like Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego in the fiery furnace--all it burned was the bonds with which they were tied up.
Whatever I face in life, whether hot or cold, whether "fire or water," my Father is bringing me through, refining me like silver, like gold. His pressure is making me like a diamond.
O my Father, You have been with me very powerfully through so many trials and sorrows and problems and dangers. You have shown Yourself faithful in protecting me and carrying me through all these days.
You have brought me out and refreshed me, and You are still with me.
Thank You, Father, for being our good, good Father. You are our Abba, our Daddy, Who loves us with a Da-Da's gentle love. In Your wisdom You allow us to go through and be surrounded with all the evil and wrong in the World, and You protect us from being harmed by it when we walk with You, hand-in-hand.
O Father, continue to lead us, guide us, protect us, and teach us Your ways as we travel through this "vale of tears." This World is broken, and it has broken us, because we have broken it by our foolish choices.
You meant for us to follow Your ways that You designed into this Earth, but we have built our World on it in defiance and rebellion against You, the Maker and Creator. No wonder it doesn't give us the bounty You built into it for us.
No wonder we think that what we need is scarce, and to have something it must be taken away from someone else. This is our enemy's tactic to produce covetousness and greed, and it deceives us.
When we believe You and think Your thoughts toward us, and live our lives in obedience to Your precepts, then the result is that we will gain the bounty You put here for us.
Whenever Your people worshipped You, they enjoyed Your bounty. But our own hearts lie to us, along with this World we live in, and the enemy who wants to destroy us. That's why we need to be diligent to stay in Your Word, to nourish our souls and keep our real life healthy.
Father, You are great and wise and strong. You are just and kind. You have given us an endless bounty in this Earth You made for us, and You want to bless us with the great prosperity that brings us joy.
Let me prosper, Father, in all the ways You intend for us all: spiritually, relationally, physically, and even financially. You meet all my needs in every area of my life, and You even give me extras, that I haven't even thought to ask You for.
You are so generous, Father. Teach me to be more like You every day, and restrain my mouth and my thoughts to only promote Your good toward others in my life today.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, June 18, 2018
Light Affliction?
II Corinthians 4: 17
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.
Paul's sufferings often brought him close to death, yet he could say that they are "momentary," "temporary," and "light," not heavy. And they cannot even compare with the enormous weight of glory that we will be rewarded with, and will last forever, will never end.
It's like we're in school here. We learn lessons, we take tests, we go on field trips. But after we graduate and apply all the knowledge we learned in the fulfilling work we can now do, we can look back at the schooling, all the hard studying, hard tests, rugged terrain; and say it was all worth it.
Even more, when we've finished our course here and gone on to glory, we will be able to say with Paul, "it was nothing!" It was only through the hardship, the pain, the sorrow, that we learned how gentle, how healing, how soothing and comforting our God is.
And by it all we can learn to be to others how our Father is to us, showing the World His character and personality. His goodness and graciousness. How He loves all of us so freely and greatly.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.
Paul's sufferings often brought him close to death, yet he could say that they are "momentary," "temporary," and "light," not heavy. And they cannot even compare with the enormous weight of glory that we will be rewarded with, and will last forever, will never end.
It's like we're in school here. We learn lessons, we take tests, we go on field trips. But after we graduate and apply all the knowledge we learned in the fulfilling work we can now do, we can look back at the schooling, all the hard studying, hard tests, rugged terrain; and say it was all worth it.
Even more, when we've finished our course here and gone on to glory, we will be able to say with Paul, "it was nothing!" It was only through the hardship, the pain, the sorrow, that we learned how gentle, how healing, how soothing and comforting our God is.
And by it all we can learn to be to others how our Father is to us, showing the World His character and personality. His goodness and graciousness. How He loves all of us so freely and greatly.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, June 17, 2018
To Be Reconciled
Romans 5: 10-11
For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received the reconciliation.
When I reconcile my checkbook to the bank statement, if there is any discrepancy, it's my checkbook I change, not the bank statement.
And when we are reconciled to God, it is we who are changed, to become more like our Lord God.
God does not change. We do. We must adjust our thinking, our attitudes, our very lives, to conform to His ways.
O my Father, You are so good to us to show us Yourself and Your ways. Your ways, Father, are not our ways. Our ways focus on ourselves, and are selfish and self-centered. Your ways, Father, show us that our focus needs to be redirected to be on others, not ourselves.
O Father, I know that my own flesh draws me away from loving others the way You have loved me. My own heart lies to me when I feel hurt, or lonely, or deprived in some way. Help me, Father, to take my focus off of my own circumstances and see the needs of others around me.
You are so generous with me, Father, out of Your great riches in glory, and I thank You so much for Your tender care for me. Since You care for me, help me to care for others.
Teach me how to trust You so much that I won't need to focus on my needs at all, knowing that You are caring for me. Free me, Father to care for others, and to show them by my life and attitudes how You care for them, too.
Continue to reconcile my thinking processes and attitudes to conform to Your ways, Father, not the World around me. You began this good work in me, and You will continue to perform it until I am perfected on that Day our Lord and King returns to rule.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received the reconciliation.
When I reconcile my checkbook to the bank statement, if there is any discrepancy, it's my checkbook I change, not the bank statement.
And when we are reconciled to God, it is we who are changed, to become more like our Lord God.
God does not change. We do. We must adjust our thinking, our attitudes, our very lives, to conform to His ways.
O my Father, You are so good to us to show us Yourself and Your ways. Your ways, Father, are not our ways. Our ways focus on ourselves, and are selfish and self-centered. Your ways, Father, show us that our focus needs to be redirected to be on others, not ourselves.
O Father, I know that my own flesh draws me away from loving others the way You have loved me. My own heart lies to me when I feel hurt, or lonely, or deprived in some way. Help me, Father, to take my focus off of my own circumstances and see the needs of others around me.
You are so generous with me, Father, out of Your great riches in glory, and I thank You so much for Your tender care for me. Since You care for me, help me to care for others.
Teach me how to trust You so much that I won't need to focus on my needs at all, knowing that You are caring for me. Free me, Father to care for others, and to show them by my life and attitudes how You care for them, too.
Continue to reconcile my thinking processes and attitudes to conform to Your ways, Father, not the World around me. You began this good work in me, and You will continue to perform it until I am perfected on that Day our Lord and King returns to rule.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Favor In His Sight
Exodus 33: 13
Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found favor in Thy sight, let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee, so that I may find favor in Thy sight.
Moses is saying that if God sees him favorably, then teach him Your ways so that Moses will get to know God; then he will be able to be a person God will find favor with.
So it's an upward spiral.
O may I find favor with God, to learn of His ways, to get to know Him better, and find favor with Him. That I be continuously on that upward journey.
May all Your children, Father, continue to seek Your face, learn of Your ways, get to know You better every day, and find favor in Your eyes. And to recognize the favor and blessings You lavish on all of us every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found favor in Thy sight, let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee, so that I may find favor in Thy sight.
Moses is saying that if God sees him favorably, then teach him Your ways so that Moses will get to know God; then he will be able to be a person God will find favor with.
So it's an upward spiral.
O may I find favor with God, to learn of His ways, to get to know Him better, and find favor with Him. That I be continuously on that upward journey.
May all Your children, Father, continue to seek Your face, learn of Your ways, get to know You better every day, and find favor in Your eyes. And to recognize the favor and blessings You lavish on all of us every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, June 15, 2018
Rahab The Harlot's Faith
James 2:25
And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
So what was her faith that was justified?
Joshua 2: 11
...The Lord your God, He is God in Heaven above and on Earth beneath.
So Rahab knew and believed that the God of Israel was the real God, not any of the idols they worshipped in the land. Because she believed, that's why she protected the spies who came to her "hotel."
Thank You, Father, for the gift of faith to believe You. Thank you that You draw people to Yourself through Your Son, our Lord Christ Jesus, to give them this faith. Thank You that the faith You give us is strong, and that You use our testimony along with the Blood of the Lamb of God to gain the victory over the evil one.
Thank You for giving us all the stories of those in Scripture who believed in You in opposition to the obstacles in their way, and trusted You over insurmountable barriers.
And thank You for putting Rahab's story in the record so we can get to know her. And You even put her into the very genetic line of Your Messiah for us. Proof that You change us fundamentally when You save and redeem us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
So what was her faith that was justified?
Joshua 2: 11
...The Lord your God, He is God in Heaven above and on Earth beneath.
So Rahab knew and believed that the God of Israel was the real God, not any of the idols they worshipped in the land. Because she believed, that's why she protected the spies who came to her "hotel."
Thank You, Father, for the gift of faith to believe You. Thank you that You draw people to Yourself through Your Son, our Lord Christ Jesus, to give them this faith. Thank You that the faith You give us is strong, and that You use our testimony along with the Blood of the Lamb of God to gain the victory over the evil one.
Thank You for giving us all the stories of those in Scripture who believed in You in opposition to the obstacles in their way, and trusted You over insurmountable barriers.
And thank You for putting Rahab's story in the record so we can get to know her. And You even put her into the very genetic line of Your Messiah for us. Proof that You change us fundamentally when You save and redeem us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Strife Or Cooperation?
Romans 13: 13
Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
We are to live our lives as in full daylight, not doing the kinds of things people do at night, like:
"Carousing and drunkenness" is the kind of partying that is destructive;
"Sexual promiscuity and sensuality" is all the sexual and sensual things people do to pleasure and please their bodies at the expense of their souls and characters; and
"Strife and jealousy" is all the competitveness in our relationships instead of working together in concert with one another, focusing on their positive qualities to build them up and encourage them.
There's nothing wrong with partying, Jesus loved to go to parties. But He never did do anything at parties that would be unhealthy to His body, or injurious to anyone else. He used these festive occasions to invite people into relationship with Himself, to present His Kingdom. The Lord's table in His Kingdom will be the biggest party ever!
And the sexual act, the "one flesh" of marriage, is a beautiful sharing between a husband and a wife. Our enemy has twisted the concept into unrecognizable forgeries and divorced it from marriage, which is very destructive deception.
Neither strife nor jealousy has ever helped anyone in either their emotional life or their relationships. How much better is cooperation and recognizing the different ways God has gifted us with varied abilities and propensities, to admire in one another and encourage each other.
Whenever someone is jealous of another's skill or ability, they are neglecting their own skill or ability with which to serve and bless someone else. And it's always more fun to give than to receive.
God designed this World to work on the basis of our loving one another, as He has loved us. When we understand what real love is, we realize that it is a sacrificial wanting the very best for the one loved regardless of the cost to ourselves. So when we love one another, we'll not think twice about doing for another what might be very costly to ourselves in time or energy or finances, because they have a need.
And we will be humble enough to allow others to also minister to us, in ways we are not able to do for ourselves.
Jesus taught this to Peter when He washed his feet at the Last Supper. He ministered to him in a way only the lowliest servant was required to, and showed him to accept this service even from his Lord.
O Father, help me to understand the balance of ministry that You desire of Your children. Show me how I can serve others, and give me the humility to accept their help with what I cannot do on my own. You never mean for any of us to be "on our own," You have put us into societies, organizations, neighborhoods. We all live together on this beautiful Earth, and we all have different personalities, different abilities, different interests; so that everything will get done.
Please teach all of us how to help one another with all the things You want us to accomplish in this age. Especially to share Your love with one another, and find all the lost sheep that belong in Your fold.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
We are to live our lives as in full daylight, not doing the kinds of things people do at night, like:
"Carousing and drunkenness" is the kind of partying that is destructive;
"Sexual promiscuity and sensuality" is all the sexual and sensual things people do to pleasure and please their bodies at the expense of their souls and characters; and
"Strife and jealousy" is all the competitveness in our relationships instead of working together in concert with one another, focusing on their positive qualities to build them up and encourage them.
There's nothing wrong with partying, Jesus loved to go to parties. But He never did do anything at parties that would be unhealthy to His body, or injurious to anyone else. He used these festive occasions to invite people into relationship with Himself, to present His Kingdom. The Lord's table in His Kingdom will be the biggest party ever!
And the sexual act, the "one flesh" of marriage, is a beautiful sharing between a husband and a wife. Our enemy has twisted the concept into unrecognizable forgeries and divorced it from marriage, which is very destructive deception.
Neither strife nor jealousy has ever helped anyone in either their emotional life or their relationships. How much better is cooperation and recognizing the different ways God has gifted us with varied abilities and propensities, to admire in one another and encourage each other.
Whenever someone is jealous of another's skill or ability, they are neglecting their own skill or ability with which to serve and bless someone else. And it's always more fun to give than to receive.
God designed this World to work on the basis of our loving one another, as He has loved us. When we understand what real love is, we realize that it is a sacrificial wanting the very best for the one loved regardless of the cost to ourselves. So when we love one another, we'll not think twice about doing for another what might be very costly to ourselves in time or energy or finances, because they have a need.
And we will be humble enough to allow others to also minister to us, in ways we are not able to do for ourselves.
Jesus taught this to Peter when He washed his feet at the Last Supper. He ministered to him in a way only the lowliest servant was required to, and showed him to accept this service even from his Lord.
O Father, help me to understand the balance of ministry that You desire of Your children. Show me how I can serve others, and give me the humility to accept their help with what I cannot do on my own. You never mean for any of us to be "on our own," You have put us into societies, organizations, neighborhoods. We all live together on this beautiful Earth, and we all have different personalities, different abilities, different interests; so that everything will get done.
Please teach all of us how to help one another with all the things You want us to accomplish in this age. Especially to share Your love with one another, and find all the lost sheep that belong in Your fold.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Incline Our Hearts
I Kings 8: 58
"That He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers."
This is part of King Solomon's dedication of the Temple he built, following his father King David's blueprints.
If only the people would have continued in God's ways!
But we all tend to follow our own ways, our natural instincts that lie to us and draw us away from God's good ways for us.
May God "incline our hearts to Himself," take the initiative to turn our hearts and attitudes toward His righteousness and love for one another.
To draw us into that warm, intimate relationship with Himself that He wants us all to have.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"That He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers."
This is part of King Solomon's dedication of the Temple he built, following his father King David's blueprints.
If only the people would have continued in God's ways!
But we all tend to follow our own ways, our natural instincts that lie to us and draw us away from God's good ways for us.
May God "incline our hearts to Himself," take the initiative to turn our hearts and attitudes toward His righteousness and love for one another.
To draw us into that warm, intimate relationship with Himself that He wants us all to have.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Showing Us Off
Ephesians 2: 7
In order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Wow! "Ages to come" means that after this present "age," there will be multiple more "ages to come," after this one, one after another!
We are "in school" in this age; we are children learning our lessons, taking tests, doing experiments, taking field trips.
Then when we "graduate," and are glorified when Jesus returns, we will be ready to take our part in running Dad's business, His Kingdom rule. For "Ages to come," forever.
Showing off the "surpassing riches" of His graciousness in all the kindnesses He is extending to us in Christ Jesus.
We are His trophies!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
In order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Wow! "Ages to come" means that after this present "age," there will be multiple more "ages to come," after this one, one after another!
We are "in school" in this age; we are children learning our lessons, taking tests, doing experiments, taking field trips.
Then when we "graduate," and are glorified when Jesus returns, we will be ready to take our part in running Dad's business, His Kingdom rule. For "Ages to come," forever.
Showing off the "surpassing riches" of His graciousness in all the kindnesses He is extending to us in Christ Jesus.
We are His trophies!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, June 11, 2018
God And The Weather
Job 37: 13
Whether for discipline (correction), or for the good of His Earth (His land), or out of mercy (lovingkindness), He makes the storm appear.
Elihu is talking to Job about the miracles of weather; how God brings the storms, the wind and rain, the lightning and thunder and snow. That God sends all this weather to correct us, to take care of this Earth He made, and to show His love for all of us.
God has set in place all the Natural Laws, the rules for the weather to obey, and it obeys Him and follows His direction.
O that we also would obey the rules He has determined for us in our relationships!
All His Law for Mankind is based on the foundational two: to love God and to love our neighbor. God is Love, everything He does is in love for us.
Father, teach me how to love others as I love myself, as Jesus taught us; and may my love for You grow fuller and deeper every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Whether for discipline (correction), or for the good of His Earth (His land), or out of mercy (lovingkindness), He makes the storm appear.
Elihu is talking to Job about the miracles of weather; how God brings the storms, the wind and rain, the lightning and thunder and snow. That God sends all this weather to correct us, to take care of this Earth He made, and to show His love for all of us.
God has set in place all the Natural Laws, the rules for the weather to obey, and it obeys Him and follows His direction.
O that we also would obey the rules He has determined for us in our relationships!
All His Law for Mankind is based on the foundational two: to love God and to love our neighbor. God is Love, everything He does is in love for us.
Father, teach me how to love others as I love myself, as Jesus taught us; and may my love for You grow fuller and deeper every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, June 10, 2018
The Pharisee And The Tax Collector
Luke 18: 9-14
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed (exalting himself) ... but the tax collector stood at a distance ... beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner" ...
I was once that Pharisee, having done everything my church said to do, and not doing what they said was a sin, and I thought I had earned my own way into God's Heaven.
So God, in His mercy to me, allowed me to stray so far from that self-righteous path that I would recognize myself as the sinner that the tax collector was. Then in His grace He drew me to Himself, and revealed to me His unfathomable love for me!
God loved me, one who could never deserve or be worthy of even a glance from Him; lavished His unconditional love over me, drowning me in His passion!
I still cannot fathom how God could consider me worth His consideration, but He considers me with extremely high value. His thoughts certainly are not my thoughts, so I must be in error, because He is True.
He loves me with the emotional passion of a newlywed groom for his new bride. And I cannot help but love Him back! He is so kind, so gentle with me; He is my Provider and my Source of everything I need and want.
He is my King, and I am His child, His princess. One Day I will reign with Him on His throne as His queen, governing in His Kingdom.
This is the future of all who will allow the Lamb of God to be their personal Sacrifice, dying the death they deserve, and allowing Him to be Lord (Boss) over their lives.
God is not willing that anyone perish, but that all would come to repentance.
Each one of us deserves death because of the defective human nature we are born into. That flesh is weak in the face of the World's allurements and the enemy's accusations. But we still convince ourselves that we deserve good, the best.
God wants to give us His best, not because we deserve it, but because He is good. But we can only receive His best when we face the truth of the whole situation, and let God be God.
He sent His only-begotten Son to be our atoning Sacrifice for each one of us individually (He saves us one-by-one).
Then He left us here to be His church, to lead others to Christ. And to help one another. To love Him and to love one another.
Until Jesus returns to this Earth to conquer all evil and set up His Kingdom to rule. Then when Satan is released, the Earth will explode, the Universe will implode, and He will "make all things new," as a New Heaven and a New Earth. Then the increase of his Kingdom will have no end, as we enjoy His unlimited creativity throughout all future eternity, for ever and ever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed (exalting himself) ... but the tax collector stood at a distance ... beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner" ...
I was once that Pharisee, having done everything my church said to do, and not doing what they said was a sin, and I thought I had earned my own way into God's Heaven.
So God, in His mercy to me, allowed me to stray so far from that self-righteous path that I would recognize myself as the sinner that the tax collector was. Then in His grace He drew me to Himself, and revealed to me His unfathomable love for me!
God loved me, one who could never deserve or be worthy of even a glance from Him; lavished His unconditional love over me, drowning me in His passion!
I still cannot fathom how God could consider me worth His consideration, but He considers me with extremely high value. His thoughts certainly are not my thoughts, so I must be in error, because He is True.
He loves me with the emotional passion of a newlywed groom for his new bride. And I cannot help but love Him back! He is so kind, so gentle with me; He is my Provider and my Source of everything I need and want.
He is my King, and I am His child, His princess. One Day I will reign with Him on His throne as His queen, governing in His Kingdom.
This is the future of all who will allow the Lamb of God to be their personal Sacrifice, dying the death they deserve, and allowing Him to be Lord (Boss) over their lives.
God is not willing that anyone perish, but that all would come to repentance.
Each one of us deserves death because of the defective human nature we are born into. That flesh is weak in the face of the World's allurements and the enemy's accusations. But we still convince ourselves that we deserve good, the best.
God wants to give us His best, not because we deserve it, but because He is good. But we can only receive His best when we face the truth of the whole situation, and let God be God.
He sent His only-begotten Son to be our atoning Sacrifice for each one of us individually (He saves us one-by-one).
Then He left us here to be His church, to lead others to Christ. And to help one another. To love Him and to love one another.
Until Jesus returns to this Earth to conquer all evil and set up His Kingdom to rule. Then when Satan is released, the Earth will explode, the Universe will implode, and He will "make all things new," as a New Heaven and a New Earth. Then the increase of his Kingdom will have no end, as we enjoy His unlimited creativity throughout all future eternity, for ever and ever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, June 9, 2018
The Universe Obeys God
Paslm 119: 89-91
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in Heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations. You established the Earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances. For all things are Your servants.
What God has said cannot be unsaid. What He has done cannot be undone. What He has decided cannot be changed. God will faithfully carry out everything He has planned, no one can thwart Him.
God made the Earth and established the Natural Laws to govern it, with the rest of the Universe. And it all operates according to the rules and perameters God set for it all; it all obeys God.
And we, also, will do well to obey.
It's when we disobey that we encounter troubles. When we think we have a better idea, or we just don't want to give up our pride and selfishness.
If only we would learn that loving God and loving one another is the only right road to take to get along with this World and with each other.
God loves us more than we can imagine, and He made this Earth for us, putting into it all the abundance we will ever need. And all we need to do is just obey the rules He set for us, to both enjoy the wealth and enjoy our relationships with one another.
Our problem is that pesky defect in our "flesh" that pulls us away from the good God wants to give us. And the World around us throws all kinds of alternatives at us. And then there's our enemy, Satan, who only comes around to kill, steal, and destroy.
Three against us, and "only" God for us. But God is greater than all of these together, and when He puts His Spirit into our spirit, then we have the power to overcome those wayward tendencies. Only God in us will gain the victory over the World, the flesh and the devil.
That's why Jesus came. And He is coming again, to finish the job. He will win the final victory over all our enemies, and we will reign with Him forever in the New Heaven and New Earth. And the increase of His Kingdom will have no end.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in Heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations. You established the Earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances. For all things are Your servants.
What God has said cannot be unsaid. What He has done cannot be undone. What He has decided cannot be changed. God will faithfully carry out everything He has planned, no one can thwart Him.
God made the Earth and established the Natural Laws to govern it, with the rest of the Universe. And it all operates according to the rules and perameters God set for it all; it all obeys God.
And we, also, will do well to obey.
It's when we disobey that we encounter troubles. When we think we have a better idea, or we just don't want to give up our pride and selfishness.
If only we would learn that loving God and loving one another is the only right road to take to get along with this World and with each other.
God loves us more than we can imagine, and He made this Earth for us, putting into it all the abundance we will ever need. And all we need to do is just obey the rules He set for us, to both enjoy the wealth and enjoy our relationships with one another.
Our problem is that pesky defect in our "flesh" that pulls us away from the good God wants to give us. And the World around us throws all kinds of alternatives at us. And then there's our enemy, Satan, who only comes around to kill, steal, and destroy.
Three against us, and "only" God for us. But God is greater than all of these together, and when He puts His Spirit into our spirit, then we have the power to overcome those wayward tendencies. Only God in us will gain the victory over the World, the flesh and the devil.
That's why Jesus came. And He is coming again, to finish the job. He will win the final victory over all our enemies, and we will reign with Him forever in the New Heaven and New Earth. And the increase of His Kingdom will have no end.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, June 8, 2018
Beholding The Glory Of The Lord
II Corinthians 3:18
But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
4: 7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.
As we "behold" Him by seeking Him in His Word, we are drinking in the "milk of the Word" and chewing on the "meat of the Word," nourishing our spiritual life. This is how we grow up in the Lord, by getting to know Him better every day and learning to live by His ways, loving Him and loving one another more each day.
This glory is growing in our spirit through the ministry of the Holy Spirit Who lives in our spirit. This "treasure" is God's life in us, and we are to let it grow. All living things grow if they're not hindered. That's why we are to see to it that we remove from our thinking and our lives everything that is evil or filthy or vile. These negative things are the dis-eases that hinder the life we have.
And we have this shining life shielded by our physical bodies, made of dust. This reminds us that the glory is not from us, but from God; and we are to give Him the credit, the glory, for whatever He is doing in and through us.
So my "clay pot" is being transformed into a "crystal vase" molecule by molecule, and when someone may "see" Christ in me is when His glory is shining through a minuscule "crack" of my clay that has been changed to crystal (or diamond).
That may be why, in our glorified bodies, we will shine like the Sun, the clay all gone, transformed into crystal diamond.
O my Father, Your plan is so ingenious! To know us even in our depravity, to send Your Son to cleanse us of all that is unclean and fill us with Your own Life, Your Holy Spirit. Then to work on us, molding us into the very image of Your Son; and work through us to others, showing them Your goodness, kindness and greatness.
Father, You have loved us, loved me, more than I can imagine. Your great Plan of the Ages incorporates each of our lives--our decisions and choices we "freely" make all further Your Plan. You have determined it so, and it is.
What You do, Father, stands. No one can add to it or annihilate it (the First Law of Thermodynamics, Conservation of Matter). Mankind can take what You have made and re-form it into many new things, but it's all what You made. You alone are Creator.
Father, I look forward to the Second Coming of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will not come in humility, as He did before, but will come in His Glory, with all His Holy Ones, both angelic and sainted.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
4: 7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.
As we "behold" Him by seeking Him in His Word, we are drinking in the "milk of the Word" and chewing on the "meat of the Word," nourishing our spiritual life. This is how we grow up in the Lord, by getting to know Him better every day and learning to live by His ways, loving Him and loving one another more each day.
This glory is growing in our spirit through the ministry of the Holy Spirit Who lives in our spirit. This "treasure" is God's life in us, and we are to let it grow. All living things grow if they're not hindered. That's why we are to see to it that we remove from our thinking and our lives everything that is evil or filthy or vile. These negative things are the dis-eases that hinder the life we have.
And we have this shining life shielded by our physical bodies, made of dust. This reminds us that the glory is not from us, but from God; and we are to give Him the credit, the glory, for whatever He is doing in and through us.
So my "clay pot" is being transformed into a "crystal vase" molecule by molecule, and when someone may "see" Christ in me is when His glory is shining through a minuscule "crack" of my clay that has been changed to crystal (or diamond).
That may be why, in our glorified bodies, we will shine like the Sun, the clay all gone, transformed into crystal diamond.
O my Father, Your plan is so ingenious! To know us even in our depravity, to send Your Son to cleanse us of all that is unclean and fill us with Your own Life, Your Holy Spirit. Then to work on us, molding us into the very image of Your Son; and work through us to others, showing them Your goodness, kindness and greatness.
Father, You have loved us, loved me, more than I can imagine. Your great Plan of the Ages incorporates each of our lives--our decisions and choices we "freely" make all further Your Plan. You have determined it so, and it is.
What You do, Father, stands. No one can add to it or annihilate it (the First Law of Thermodynamics, Conservation of Matter). Mankind can take what You have made and re-form it into many new things, but it's all what You made. You alone are Creator.
Father, I look forward to the Second Coming of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will not come in humility, as He did before, but will come in His Glory, with all His Holy Ones, both angelic and sainted.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, June 7, 2018
70 Years
Jeremiah 29: 1, 5, 6, 7, 10-14
The Prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the rest of the leaders among the captives. He also sent it to the priests, the prophets, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar took away as captives from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.
Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters get married so they can have sons and daughters. Grow in number there, don't decrease.
Work for the good of the city where I have taken you as captives, and pray to the Lord for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper.
This is what the Lord says: When Babylon's 70 years are over, I will come to you. I will keep my promise to you and bring you back to this place.
I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.
Then you will call to Me. You will come and pray to Me, and I will hear you.
When you look for Me, you will find Me; when you wholeheartedly seek Me, I will let you find Me, declares the Lord.
I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the Nations and places where I've scattered you, declares the Lord. I will bring you back from the place where you are being held captive.
There are several things here.
Jeremiah was still in Jerusalem, after most of the people had been carried away and deported to this far-away foreign place.
God told Jeremiah to tell the people to settle down there, in that different culture that would surround them. They were to marry, have children and grandchildren, and grow their numbers. They were to plant and plan to eat what grew. They will be there a long time.
They were even to pray for the prosperity of this pagan city. Here's a principle that is repeated in the New Testament: to pray for the political officials who govern the city where you live. And the reason why is right here: When it prospers, you will also prosper.
Even today we are to seek the welfare and well-being of the secular society we live in, because when they prosper, we will also prosper. And we are also to pray for the officials by name, that they would come to know the Lord. If they do know the Lord, then to grow in their faith, and implement their godly world view into their governing.
In our American society, we have a particular responsibility--to cast our vote for the best candidate who will govern according to God's ways. That means we need to get to know the people who are running, what their beliefs are about governing, and their character.
God had Jeremiah tell them that they would be in Babylon for 70 years. This is very specific. Several generations later, Daniel would read this letter Jeremiah had written, and realize that the 70 years were almost over, and he sought the Lord, which prompted him to write his scroll (see Daniel 9:2-3).
God always says what He means, and He means what He says, just as He says it. He said, "70 years" and it was a literal 70 years, just as God said. And he did bring a remnant of Israel back to the Land of Israel then.
I think the most important thing we need to implement here is to seek the Lord with all our heart. This is a promise. He always keeps His promises, we can bank on it. And when we really, sincerely, honestly want to know our God, He wants us to know Him, so He will reveal Himself to us as much as we can stand.
And He will still bring all Israel back to that same Land He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. From all over the World. That's a promise He will keep, too.
So we would do well to be pro-Israel in our political climate today, even when the World will turn against them--God is still for them. And we want to be on God's side. With Him, we win in the end! I know, I've read the last chapter!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the rest of the leaders among the captives. He also sent it to the priests, the prophets, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar took away as captives from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.
Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters get married so they can have sons and daughters. Grow in number there, don't decrease.
Work for the good of the city where I have taken you as captives, and pray to the Lord for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper.
This is what the Lord says: When Babylon's 70 years are over, I will come to you. I will keep my promise to you and bring you back to this place.
I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.
Then you will call to Me. You will come and pray to Me, and I will hear you.
When you look for Me, you will find Me; when you wholeheartedly seek Me, I will let you find Me, declares the Lord.
I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the Nations and places where I've scattered you, declares the Lord. I will bring you back from the place where you are being held captive.
There are several things here.
Jeremiah was still in Jerusalem, after most of the people had been carried away and deported to this far-away foreign place.
God told Jeremiah to tell the people to settle down there, in that different culture that would surround them. They were to marry, have children and grandchildren, and grow their numbers. They were to plant and plan to eat what grew. They will be there a long time.
They were even to pray for the prosperity of this pagan city. Here's a principle that is repeated in the New Testament: to pray for the political officials who govern the city where you live. And the reason why is right here: When it prospers, you will also prosper.
Even today we are to seek the welfare and well-being of the secular society we live in, because when they prosper, we will also prosper. And we are also to pray for the officials by name, that they would come to know the Lord. If they do know the Lord, then to grow in their faith, and implement their godly world view into their governing.
In our American society, we have a particular responsibility--to cast our vote for the best candidate who will govern according to God's ways. That means we need to get to know the people who are running, what their beliefs are about governing, and their character.
God had Jeremiah tell them that they would be in Babylon for 70 years. This is very specific. Several generations later, Daniel would read this letter Jeremiah had written, and realize that the 70 years were almost over, and he sought the Lord, which prompted him to write his scroll (see Daniel 9:2-3).
God always says what He means, and He means what He says, just as He says it. He said, "70 years" and it was a literal 70 years, just as God said. And he did bring a remnant of Israel back to the Land of Israel then.
I think the most important thing we need to implement here is to seek the Lord with all our heart. This is a promise. He always keeps His promises, we can bank on it. And when we really, sincerely, honestly want to know our God, He wants us to know Him, so He will reveal Himself to us as much as we can stand.
And He will still bring all Israel back to that same Land He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. From all over the World. That's a promise He will keep, too.
So we would do well to be pro-Israel in our political climate today, even when the World will turn against them--God is still for them. And we want to be on God's side. With Him, we win in the end! I know, I've read the last chapter!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Search Me
Proverbs 20: 27
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.
So the Lord uses a man's spirit in him to shine into all his innermost parts, revealing what is hidden there.
So David could say,
Psalm 139: 1
You have searched me and known me.
And he could also ask,
Psalm 139: 23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
David knew that God knew him intimately, so he asked Him to reveal whatever was in David's being that was hidden away from himself (in denial) so he could deal with it and do right (the "everlasting way").
O my Father, I also pray with David; please search me, too, and show me whatever is in my being that is not in accordance with Your thinking processes and attitudes and character. Help me to face these things and deal with them by replacing them with Your ways, Father, Your everlasting way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.
So the Lord uses a man's spirit in him to shine into all his innermost parts, revealing what is hidden there.
So David could say,
Psalm 139: 1
You have searched me and known me.
And he could also ask,
Psalm 139: 23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
David knew that God knew him intimately, so he asked Him to reveal whatever was in David's being that was hidden away from himself (in denial) so he could deal with it and do right (the "everlasting way").
O my Father, I also pray with David; please search me, too, and show me whatever is in my being that is not in accordance with Your thinking processes and attitudes and character. Help me to face these things and deal with them by replacing them with Your ways, Father, Your everlasting way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
The Mind Of Christ
Luke 5: 16
But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
Luke tells us at least ten times when Jesus went off by Himself to pray (2:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 10:21; 11:1; 22:39-46; 23:24, 46; 28:29).
So if Jesus needed to commune privately with His Father so often, that shows me how much more I need to pray continually!
I know that my thoughts don't always agree with His thoughts for me, so I need to be in His Word and talking with Him every day, even all day.
I want the Mind of Christ.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
Luke tells us at least ten times when Jesus went off by Himself to pray (2:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 10:21; 11:1; 22:39-46; 23:24, 46; 28:29).
So if Jesus needed to commune privately with His Father so often, that shows me how much more I need to pray continually!
I know that my thoughts don't always agree with His thoughts for me, so I need to be in His Word and talking with Him every day, even all day.
I want the Mind of Christ.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Monday, June 4, 2018
Unintentional
Leviticus 5
This chapter deals with unintentional sins.
V. 2: If a person touches anything ceremonially unclean ... even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty.
V. 3: ...touches human uncleanness, even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty.
V. 5: ...in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned.
V. 7: If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible.
God holds us responsible for anything we do or say that is not according to His ways for us, even if we're not even aware of it!
Why is this? Is God unfair for punishing us when we don't even know we've done something wrong? Never! God has told us what we need to know about what is right and wrong, and when we do wrong it not only is against Him, it is also damaging to ourselves and one another.
God wants us to know to do right, because He loves us and wants us to enjoy the bounty He has placed in this Earth for us. But even when we inadvertently do something awry, we will suffer the consequences. This is not God punishing us, because He put all our punishment on Jesus on the Cross. This is merely our reaping what we sow, to put it in an agrarian form.
Even when we have confessed the sinfulness of our sin, and He has forgiven us, we may still face the consequences in this World.
Even when we have offended another person, even without realizing it, we still need to apologize and ask their forgiveness.
How much more do we need to confess to God and seek His forgiveness.
When Jesus died on the Cross, His precious Blood had power enough to pay for all the sins of everyone who has ever or will ever live. So He's already forgiven all of our sins today, even before we were born.
So why do we need to confess? For our own good. For our own frame of mind, to think the way He thinks and follow His ways.
That is the only way to align our lives to the way He designed this World to operate. We need to love God with all our heart, mind, will, and strength, and we need to love one another in the same intimate way we care for ourselves. This is how God loves us. He knows us intimately, and wants the very best for each of us. And we need to know one another well enough to realize what they need that we can help them with.
God put us in societies, because we need one another. He has gifted us all differently, so that everything will get done, as we help and serve one another.
So let us all get to know God better, love Him more, and serve one another effectively today and every day. To show His character to the World so they will be able to get to know Him also.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This chapter deals with unintentional sins.
V. 2: If a person touches anything ceremonially unclean ... even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty.
V. 3: ...touches human uncleanness, even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty.
V. 5: ...in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned.
V. 7: If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible.
God holds us responsible for anything we do or say that is not according to His ways for us, even if we're not even aware of it!
Why is this? Is God unfair for punishing us when we don't even know we've done something wrong? Never! God has told us what we need to know about what is right and wrong, and when we do wrong it not only is against Him, it is also damaging to ourselves and one another.
God wants us to know to do right, because He loves us and wants us to enjoy the bounty He has placed in this Earth for us. But even when we inadvertently do something awry, we will suffer the consequences. This is not God punishing us, because He put all our punishment on Jesus on the Cross. This is merely our reaping what we sow, to put it in an agrarian form.
Even when we have confessed the sinfulness of our sin, and He has forgiven us, we may still face the consequences in this World.
Even when we have offended another person, even without realizing it, we still need to apologize and ask their forgiveness.
How much more do we need to confess to God and seek His forgiveness.
When Jesus died on the Cross, His precious Blood had power enough to pay for all the sins of everyone who has ever or will ever live. So He's already forgiven all of our sins today, even before we were born.
So why do we need to confess? For our own good. For our own frame of mind, to think the way He thinks and follow His ways.
That is the only way to align our lives to the way He designed this World to operate. We need to love God with all our heart, mind, will, and strength, and we need to love one another in the same intimate way we care for ourselves. This is how God loves us. He knows us intimately, and wants the very best for each of us. And we need to know one another well enough to realize what they need that we can help them with.
God put us in societies, because we need one another. He has gifted us all differently, so that everything will get done, as we help and serve one another.
So let us all get to know God better, love Him more, and serve one another effectively today and every day. To show His character to the World so they will be able to get to know Him also.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, June 3, 2018
The Father Of Light
James 1: 17
...The Father of Light, with Whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
God is Light, all light comes from Him, there is no other light to shine on Him. Our eyes see shadows. It is the shadows, the shading, that allows us to see the contours, the shape of everything. A drawing with no shading looks flat, and even the pencil or ink casts a shadow our eyes can see.
So we cannot "see" God with these eyes, there are no shadows to define His shape; and the Light that is Him is so purely bright that its power would destroy our human eyes, it would blind us.
He made the Sun a light-holder to hold a portion of His Light to give life to this Earth, and we cannot even look at it without going blind.
So He will give us new eyes in our resurrected bodies, and we will also be "beings of light," shining like the Sun.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
...The Father of Light, with Whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
God is Light, all light comes from Him, there is no other light to shine on Him. Our eyes see shadows. It is the shadows, the shading, that allows us to see the contours, the shape of everything. A drawing with no shading looks flat, and even the pencil or ink casts a shadow our eyes can see.
So we cannot "see" God with these eyes, there are no shadows to define His shape; and the Light that is Him is so purely bright that its power would destroy our human eyes, it would blind us.
He made the Sun a light-holder to hold a portion of His Light to give life to this Earth, and we cannot even look at it without going blind.
So He will give us new eyes in our resurrected bodies, and we will also be "beings of light," shining like the Sun.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, June 2, 2018
The End Of This Earth
Revelation 20: 9, 11
Fire came down from Heaven and devoured them.
Then I saw a Great White Throne and Him Who was seated on it. The Earth and the Heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them.
II Peter 3: 10-11
The Heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the Earth and everything done in it will be burned up. Everything will be destroyed in this way.
After Jesus' thousand-year reign on this Earth, when Satan is released from the bottomless pit and deceives the Nations to attack the Holy City (Jerusalem); that's when the whole Earth will explode, the whole Universe will implode, and Jesus will "make all things new."
This "old order of things will pass away." (Revelation 21:4.)
This whole order of existence will be done away with permanently, and all the knowledge we have of how this order runs and works--science--will be obsolete (I Corinthians 13:8, Knowledge will pass away.)
Then Jesus will build a whole new Earth-like planet, suitable for us to live there in our new Resurrection bodies, all based on a new order of existence.
While all this is being done, He will sit on the Great White Throne judging everyone who ever lived.
Then we will live with Him and reign with Him forever and ever!
Knowing that this is the future of the whole Universe, how are we to live our lives today? According to His rules for our World, of course. When the nobleman went on a journey, he left his servants to "occupy" until his return (Luke 19:12-13). That means that they were to be busy living their lives, conducting business, and loving one another--not just sit around and wait for his return.
So we must do what we can each day to love God, love one another, and follow His example. When we're walking in His footsteps, we will do what He has planned for each of us, as part of His great Plan of the Ages, to further His Kingdom; and as we "obey His commandments" we will experience the result, and be successful in our endeavors.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Fire came down from Heaven and devoured them.
Then I saw a Great White Throne and Him Who was seated on it. The Earth and the Heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them.
II Peter 3: 10-11
The Heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the Earth and everything done in it will be burned up. Everything will be destroyed in this way.
After Jesus' thousand-year reign on this Earth, when Satan is released from the bottomless pit and deceives the Nations to attack the Holy City (Jerusalem); that's when the whole Earth will explode, the whole Universe will implode, and Jesus will "make all things new."
This "old order of things will pass away." (Revelation 21:4.)
This whole order of existence will be done away with permanently, and all the knowledge we have of how this order runs and works--science--will be obsolete (I Corinthians 13:8, Knowledge will pass away.)
Then Jesus will build a whole new Earth-like planet, suitable for us to live there in our new Resurrection bodies, all based on a new order of existence.
While all this is being done, He will sit on the Great White Throne judging everyone who ever lived.
Then we will live with Him and reign with Him forever and ever!
Knowing that this is the future of the whole Universe, how are we to live our lives today? According to His rules for our World, of course. When the nobleman went on a journey, he left his servants to "occupy" until his return (Luke 19:12-13). That means that they were to be busy living their lives, conducting business, and loving one another--not just sit around and wait for his return.
So we must do what we can each day to love God, love one another, and follow His example. When we're walking in His footsteps, we will do what He has planned for each of us, as part of His great Plan of the Ages, to further His Kingdom; and as we "obey His commandments" we will experience the result, and be successful in our endeavors.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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