Deuteronomy 6:10-12, 18
Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied, then watch yourself, lest you forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
It is always the human tendency when life is going well and we have everything we could ever want in this life, to think that we deserve all this goodness, and that we have somehow earned it; and forget that God is the One Who provides our needs and wants and has brought us through everything in our past in order to make us who we are today. It's easy to forget the past as we enjoy the present.
That's why we're admonished to watch yourself to keep in mind Who God is, and all the rules, regulations, and instructions He has given us so that we can live pleasant lives.
(v. 18) And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the Lord swore to give your fathers.
God always fulfills His promises to us. We need to "pay attention" and "be careful" and "watch ourselves" constantly and continually, every day, so as not to slip into the worldly perspectives that surround us all the time, that lie to us and try to deceive us into attitudes and actions that will destroy us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Friday, July 8, 2016
Wisdom And Understanding
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; --
Having a healthy respect for God's power and justice is the beginning of being able to connect the dots to see the "big picture."
All who follow His precepts have good understanding. --
People who live their lives in cooperation with the way God designed things to work in the world will be able to understand the connections between thoughts and ideas, actions, and the consequences of the actions.
To Him belongs eternal praise. --
God will forever receive all the credit for designing and making everything that exists in all the Universe, and how everything works together and everything that is done affects everything else that is done. He is the One Who thought it all up and planned it all out, then had the power to execute all His plans through our choices here. Absolutely amazing!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; --
Having a healthy respect for God's power and justice is the beginning of being able to connect the dots to see the "big picture."
All who follow His precepts have good understanding. --
People who live their lives in cooperation with the way God designed things to work in the world will be able to understand the connections between thoughts and ideas, actions, and the consequences of the actions.
To Him belongs eternal praise. --
God will forever receive all the credit for designing and making everything that exists in all the Universe, and how everything works together and everything that is done affects everything else that is done. He is the One Who thought it all up and planned it all out, then had the power to execute all His plans through our choices here. Absolutely amazing!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Help From Friends
Exodus 17:8-13
(11-13) So it came about when Moses held his hand up (with the Rod of God), that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Moses was advanced in years when he led Israel out of Egypt, and when Amalek attacked, he couldn't hold his hands up hour after hour. So his friends helped. His brother Aaron and (traditionally) his brother-in-law Hur each took an arm and helped Moses hold up the rod of God to give Israel the victory.
God did not leave Moses alone in this drama, He gave him the help he needed to succeed, and he accepted that help.
God will also give us the help we need to succeed in what He has planned for us to accomplish. We need to humble ourselves to accept the help and share the credit and the benefits of our successes. And God will get the glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(11-13) So it came about when Moses held his hand up (with the Rod of God), that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Moses was advanced in years when he led Israel out of Egypt, and when Amalek attacked, he couldn't hold his hands up hour after hour. So his friends helped. His brother Aaron and (traditionally) his brother-in-law Hur each took an arm and helped Moses hold up the rod of God to give Israel the victory.
God did not leave Moses alone in this drama, He gave him the help he needed to succeed, and he accepted that help.
God will also give us the help we need to succeed in what He has planned for us to accomplish. We need to humble ourselves to accept the help and share the credit and the benefits of our successes. And God will get the glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Pray For Peace
Psalm 122:1-9
(6-9) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you." For the sake of the House of the Lord our God I will seek your good. --
David prayed for his capital city, that God's peace would be upon it, which would bring prosperity to its palaces, which in turn would bring goodness to all the people.
We also need to pray for our capital cities, our governments, so that our "palaces," our State houses and businesses, would prosper and bring our population the good of cooperating with the way things were designed to work.
When our Federal government and our State and County and City government officials understand and rule according to true justice and righteousness, then the evil will be restrained and the good will flourish, giving peace and prosperity to the whole Nation.
We pray, Father, for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the governments of the Nations of the World, especially our own; that Your peace would flourish and all will know Your good upon them.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(6-9) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you." For the sake of the House of the Lord our God I will seek your good. --
David prayed for his capital city, that God's peace would be upon it, which would bring prosperity to its palaces, which in turn would bring goodness to all the people.
We also need to pray for our capital cities, our governments, so that our "palaces," our State houses and businesses, would prosper and bring our population the good of cooperating with the way things were designed to work.
When our Federal government and our State and County and City government officials understand and rule according to true justice and righteousness, then the evil will be restrained and the good will flourish, giving peace and prosperity to the whole Nation.
We pray, Father, for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the governments of the Nations of the World, especially our own; that Your peace would flourish and all will know Your good upon them.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Parables Of Minas And Talents
Luke 19:11-27 -- Tells us of the Parable of the Minas.
Matthew 25:14-30 -- Tells us the Parable of the Talents.
In Luke, the householder gave ten minas to his ten servants, one mina to each. This would represent the equal opportunities life itself presents to each one of us equally.
In Matthew, the householder gives different amounts of Talents to his different servants according to their abilities. This shows that God sees each of us individually and gives His gifts to each of us according to our different abilities and capacities.
What we learn from both of these parables us that we are responsible for both our common resources of time and life, as well as our individual, personalized gifts, talents and abilities, to use whatever we have received, as tools to serve God by loving one another and the World. We are to use our time and the other resources of this World to help one another in our needs and to promote God's Kingdom by sharing our stories of what God has done for us, the Good News, so all those in the World will hear the Truth of the Gospel.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Matthew 25:14-30 -- Tells us the Parable of the Talents.
In Luke, the householder gave ten minas to his ten servants, one mina to each. This would represent the equal opportunities life itself presents to each one of us equally.
In Matthew, the householder gives different amounts of Talents to his different servants according to their abilities. This shows that God sees each of us individually and gives His gifts to each of us according to our different abilities and capacities.
What we learn from both of these parables us that we are responsible for both our common resources of time and life, as well as our individual, personalized gifts, talents and abilities, to use whatever we have received, as tools to serve God by loving one another and the World. We are to use our time and the other resources of this World to help one another in our needs and to promote God's Kingdom by sharing our stories of what God has done for us, the Good News, so all those in the World will hear the Truth of the Gospel.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, July 4, 2016
Hastening The Coming Of The Day Of God
II Peter 3:10-13
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the Heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the Earth and its works will be burned up.
Since all things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the Day of God,
On account of which the Heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
But according to His promise we are looking for new Heavens and a new Earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Peter is telling us here about the end of this order of creation (see Revelation 20:11) and the beginning of a new order of creation (see Revelation 21:1) that is not under any curse, but where the right always happens and nothing wears out or winds down, but will last forever.
And we believers can hasten the coming of this Day of God.
So how do we hasten the coming of the End of the World, and why would we want to?
Matthew 24:14 Jesus tells us that, This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole World for a witness to all Nations, and then the end shall come.
So we hasten the conclusion to God's Plan of the Ages by preaching the Gospel to every creature, in every Nation. And when everyone has clearly heard the message of what Jesus has accomplished on their behalf, and made their decision to accept or reject this generous Gift, then the End will come.
We will only be able to do this as we live our own personal lives in holy conduct and godliness while looking for the coming of the Lord.
And we want to do this, because this World we live in now is filled with injustice, suffering, grief and evil, which is getting worse and worse. And the New Heaven and Earth will be created as a perfect environment that will last forever, where no curse will cause things to wear out or wind down, there will be nothing that will hurt or harm or hamper any more, because all these negative and fatal things have passed away.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the Heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the Earth and its works will be burned up.
Since all things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the Day of God,
On account of which the Heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
But according to His promise we are looking for new Heavens and a new Earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Peter is telling us here about the end of this order of creation (see Revelation 20:11) and the beginning of a new order of creation (see Revelation 21:1) that is not under any curse, but where the right always happens and nothing wears out or winds down, but will last forever.
And we believers can hasten the coming of this Day of God.
So how do we hasten the coming of the End of the World, and why would we want to?
Matthew 24:14 Jesus tells us that, This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole World for a witness to all Nations, and then the end shall come.
So we hasten the conclusion to God's Plan of the Ages by preaching the Gospel to every creature, in every Nation. And when everyone has clearly heard the message of what Jesus has accomplished on their behalf, and made their decision to accept or reject this generous Gift, then the End will come.
We will only be able to do this as we live our own personal lives in holy conduct and godliness while looking for the coming of the Lord.
And we want to do this, because this World we live in now is filled with injustice, suffering, grief and evil, which is getting worse and worse. And the New Heaven and Earth will be created as a perfect environment that will last forever, where no curse will cause things to wear out or wind down, there will be nothing that will hurt or harm or hamper any more, because all these negative and fatal things have passed away.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Authority Over Death And Life
John 10:17-18
For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father. --
This is amazing! God the Father gave to Christ Jesus the authority to lay down His life as the Sacrifice. We do not have this authority, we don't have the right to take our own or others' lives, as we are created and made by Him and we belong to Him as His property. But Jesus is the Creator; and the Father and the Son and the Spirit decided in their Heavenly Council their whole Plan of the Ages, before anything was created. And part of this plan, the hinge, the lynch pin upon which all history hangs, is that the Son came to live among us, to be one of us, and to lay down His life as the Atoning Sacrifice, that not only covered over our sins temporarily, but paid in full the whole principle of our debt. And He also exercised His right to take up His life again after death; this no one has ever done before, because all who came before were creatures--He is the Creator.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father. --
This is amazing! God the Father gave to Christ Jesus the authority to lay down His life as the Sacrifice. We do not have this authority, we don't have the right to take our own or others' lives, as we are created and made by Him and we belong to Him as His property. But Jesus is the Creator; and the Father and the Son and the Spirit decided in their Heavenly Council their whole Plan of the Ages, before anything was created. And part of this plan, the hinge, the lynch pin upon which all history hangs, is that the Son came to live among us, to be one of us, and to lay down His life as the Atoning Sacrifice, that not only covered over our sins temporarily, but paid in full the whole principle of our debt. And He also exercised His right to take up His life again after death; this no one has ever done before, because all who came before were creatures--He is the Creator.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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