I Chronicles 29:23
Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.
When God made David to be the king of Israel, He put him on the Lord's throne to rule under Him. And his son Solomon also sat on the Lord's throne, to rule as God's representative. And because he recognized his position, as governing for God over God's people, he prospered; and the people submitted themselves to his authority, and all Israel prospered during Solomon's reign.
So David's throne that all the prophesies talk about, the throne David sat on, is not really David's, but the Lord's throne. When our Lord Jesus Christ returns, He will sit on His throne that He had sat David on, and Solomon; they ruled in His stead; then, at His return, He will rule on His own throne Himself. It always was His throne.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Friday, September 9, 2016
Knowing The Right Way
Nehemiah 8:8-12
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. --
They were weeping because they finally understood the things they were supposed to be doing, but hadn't been all the time they had been in exile, and even before.
Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve." --
God was pleased that the people now knew what to do, how to live. So He would want His people to rejoice with Him. Later there would be a time to grieve and repent.
Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. --
This sounds to me like a great Christmas feast and celebration, with gift giving and eating sweets.
It's a wonderfully good thing to be able to understand how it all fits together into a grand, glorious scheme. That God would reveal Himself to us, and teach us how to cooperate with how He made this world, is a wondrous thing to me. God is so good, like a loving parent who only wants good for the children, but is brokenhearted to see how they are messing it all up, and suffering the consequences. Now that the children are finally learning how to do it right, He only hopes that they will remember and follow these rules when they're under pressure to "go easy."
It always seems easier to decide for ourselves what we want to do, even when we know the consequences. But to still follow the right way to live, even when it's hard, we know will result in more prosperity, better relationships, and more good in every way. And God will strengthen us to choose that good way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. --
They were weeping because they finally understood the things they were supposed to be doing, but hadn't been all the time they had been in exile, and even before.
Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve." --
God was pleased that the people now knew what to do, how to live. So He would want His people to rejoice with Him. Later there would be a time to grieve and repent.
Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. --
This sounds to me like a great Christmas feast and celebration, with gift giving and eating sweets.
It's a wonderfully good thing to be able to understand how it all fits together into a grand, glorious scheme. That God would reveal Himself to us, and teach us how to cooperate with how He made this world, is a wondrous thing to me. God is so good, like a loving parent who only wants good for the children, but is brokenhearted to see how they are messing it all up, and suffering the consequences. Now that the children are finally learning how to do it right, He only hopes that they will remember and follow these rules when they're under pressure to "go easy."
It always seems easier to decide for ourselves what we want to do, even when we know the consequences. But to still follow the right way to live, even when it's hard, we know will result in more prosperity, better relationships, and more good in every way. And God will strengthen us to choose that good way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Suffering
II Corinthians 4:8-18
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; --
God enables us to "bounce back" from whatever works against us, whether it be sickness, doubt, attack, or any other kind of overpowering; we need never give up or give in.
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body, for we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. --
Paul was constantly being persecuted and slandered and attacked, so was near death much of the time. He was willing to risk death and opposition in order to teach God's Truth to the Corinthians. Paul knew Jesus had taken his (Paul's) place in death, so he, in effect, died with Him, so now he knows that he will also be Resurrected with Him. So he says that Jesus' death is working in himself so that the Corinthians can have life.
But having the same spirit of faith according to what is written, "I believed, therefore I spoke" (Psalm 116:10), we also believe, therefore also we speak. --
Paul is saying that the same spirit that allowed the Psalmist to have the confidence in God to speak out is also in him (and in us) to say out loud what God has done for us and that He also wants to do for others.
Knowing that He Who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. --
All of Christ's church will be raised in Resurrection together.
For all things are for your sakes, that the grace that is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. --
Everything Paul has gone through so far in his missionary travels is for the good of the church in bringing the benefit to them by bringing more and more people into the knowledge of God, increasing the multitudes who will magnify and glorify God.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. --
Even though our physical bodies get sick and wounded and grow old and wear out, we can rejoice that our inner man, our spiritual parts, are growing stronger every day through the troubles we experience in this world.
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, --
No matter how serious and painful our problems are now, they are only temporary in this world; but are gaining for us so much more life and wealth and joy, more than we can even imagine, forever.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. --
Our focus needs to be on what will last, not on what is only temporary. Anything we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and feel in our bodies, is only, in reality, for a very short time, and is not even worthy of our notice. When we focus on God and what He's preparing for us to enjoy for ever and ever, then whatever we are suffering through now looses its hold on us.
While we are here in this schoolhouse of an existence, we are to learn the lessons our Heavenly Father wants to teach us. I don't want to have to "repeat a grade" because I didn't pay attention the first time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; --
God enables us to "bounce back" from whatever works against us, whether it be sickness, doubt, attack, or any other kind of overpowering; we need never give up or give in.
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body, for we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. --
Paul was constantly being persecuted and slandered and attacked, so was near death much of the time. He was willing to risk death and opposition in order to teach God's Truth to the Corinthians. Paul knew Jesus had taken his (Paul's) place in death, so he, in effect, died with Him, so now he knows that he will also be Resurrected with Him. So he says that Jesus' death is working in himself so that the Corinthians can have life.
But having the same spirit of faith according to what is written, "I believed, therefore I spoke" (Psalm 116:10), we also believe, therefore also we speak. --
Paul is saying that the same spirit that allowed the Psalmist to have the confidence in God to speak out is also in him (and in us) to say out loud what God has done for us and that He also wants to do for others.
Knowing that He Who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. --
All of Christ's church will be raised in Resurrection together.
For all things are for your sakes, that the grace that is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. --
Everything Paul has gone through so far in his missionary travels is for the good of the church in bringing the benefit to them by bringing more and more people into the knowledge of God, increasing the multitudes who will magnify and glorify God.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. --
Even though our physical bodies get sick and wounded and grow old and wear out, we can rejoice that our inner man, our spiritual parts, are growing stronger every day through the troubles we experience in this world.
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, --
No matter how serious and painful our problems are now, they are only temporary in this world; but are gaining for us so much more life and wealth and joy, more than we can even imagine, forever.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. --
Our focus needs to be on what will last, not on what is only temporary. Anything we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and feel in our bodies, is only, in reality, for a very short time, and is not even worthy of our notice. When we focus on God and what He's preparing for us to enjoy for ever and ever, then whatever we are suffering through now looses its hold on us.
While we are here in this schoolhouse of an existence, we are to learn the lessons our Heavenly Father wants to teach us. I don't want to have to "repeat a grade" because I didn't pay attention the first time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Historic Rights
Nehemiah 2:20
I answered them (Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab) by saying, "The God of Heaven will give us success. We His servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."
In today's news are reports that the Arabs and the Palestinians are claiming rights in the same city of Jerusalem that Nehemiah was talking about so long ago in this passage. The Horonites, the Ammonites and the Arabs were three of the peoples that the kings of Babylon had conquered and carried out of their native lands to other conquered lands, to disperse all the national and political groups to divest them of any power against the conquering king. So these people had all been taken from their territories and settled in the land of Israel, as the Israelites were also scattered among the other nations.
So they had no historical claim to this piece of real estate, as they had been uprooted and carried there.
And they still have no historical rights to the land or in Jerusalem today. They are still just doing Satan's bidding against God's chosen people, and trying to keep God from fulfilling all His promises to them.
But no one can thwart God's purposes or derail His plans. God is the Almighty, and we all are His creation. Even Satan is His creation, and cannot go beyond what God allows (see Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6).
So as God's people today, Christians and Jews walk hand-in-hand, so to speak, in recognizing Israel's rights to the Land God gave to them so long ago. Because of their unfaithfulness to Him, He removed them from their Land, but now He has returned many of them, and Israel is again a Nation among the nations; and God is continuing to bring His people back out of all the Nations, and He is orchestrating the world powers to accomplish everything He has planned out before anything came to be.
Great is our God, and Great is His Majesty and Glory; Every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess His Reality.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I answered them (Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab) by saying, "The God of Heaven will give us success. We His servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."
In today's news are reports that the Arabs and the Palestinians are claiming rights in the same city of Jerusalem that Nehemiah was talking about so long ago in this passage. The Horonites, the Ammonites and the Arabs were three of the peoples that the kings of Babylon had conquered and carried out of their native lands to other conquered lands, to disperse all the national and political groups to divest them of any power against the conquering king. So these people had all been taken from their territories and settled in the land of Israel, as the Israelites were also scattered among the other nations.
So they had no historical claim to this piece of real estate, as they had been uprooted and carried there.
And they still have no historical rights to the land or in Jerusalem today. They are still just doing Satan's bidding against God's chosen people, and trying to keep God from fulfilling all His promises to them.
But no one can thwart God's purposes or derail His plans. God is the Almighty, and we all are His creation. Even Satan is His creation, and cannot go beyond what God allows (see Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6).
So as God's people today, Christians and Jews walk hand-in-hand, so to speak, in recognizing Israel's rights to the Land God gave to them so long ago. Because of their unfaithfulness to Him, He removed them from their Land, but now He has returned many of them, and Israel is again a Nation among the nations; and God is continuing to bring His people back out of all the Nations, and He is orchestrating the world powers to accomplish everything He has planned out before anything came to be.
Great is our God, and Great is His Majesty and Glory; Every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess His Reality.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Just Spoken Or Heartfelt?
Deuteronomy 5:28-29
And the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me (Moses), and the Lord said to me, "I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.
"O that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!"
God appreciated that the people had said that they wanted Moses to tell them all the Law--all the commandments and precepts that God told Moses--that they would "hear and do it." They had good intentions. But God wants more than lip service and good intentions, and He wistfully lamented that He wanted them to "have such a heart in them" to realize God's power and authority over them and over the whole world, to actually do the things the Law proscribed. And He told them why: in order that, "it may be well with them and with their sons forever!"
God wants us to act and live our daily lives in a way that is in cooperation with the way He made things to run. So He gave us His rules for operating this Earth and our World in it. And when we recognize Who God is, and actually live our lives according to His ways and His desires for us, then things will "go well" with us, we will experience all the bounty of the Earth, and our families and relationships will go well, too.
The better we get to know God and His Word, then the better we will understand how everything He made works together, and how we can use all the bounty of this Earth for our benefit, we will love our families and friends and employers and employees and our neighbors as we love ourselves, and things will go well for us and for our children and their children, the way God planned it all out. And He will receive all the glory, all the credit.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me (Moses), and the Lord said to me, "I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.
"O that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!"
God appreciated that the people had said that they wanted Moses to tell them all the Law--all the commandments and precepts that God told Moses--that they would "hear and do it." They had good intentions. But God wants more than lip service and good intentions, and He wistfully lamented that He wanted them to "have such a heart in them" to realize God's power and authority over them and over the whole world, to actually do the things the Law proscribed. And He told them why: in order that, "it may be well with them and with their sons forever!"
God wants us to act and live our daily lives in a way that is in cooperation with the way He made things to run. So He gave us His rules for operating this Earth and our World in it. And when we recognize Who God is, and actually live our lives according to His ways and His desires for us, then things will "go well" with us, we will experience all the bounty of the Earth, and our families and relationships will go well, too.
The better we get to know God and His Word, then the better we will understand how everything He made works together, and how we can use all the bounty of this Earth for our benefit, we will love our families and friends and employers and employees and our neighbors as we love ourselves, and things will go well for us and for our children and their children, the way God planned it all out. And He will receive all the glory, all the credit.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, September 5, 2016
Imitators
I Thessalonians 1:6-8
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord ... so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth so that we have no need to say anything.
The Christians in Thessalonica had patterned their lives and thinking processes after Paul and his companions, as they in turn had imitated Christ, and that caused them to go forth with their love for God into other regions around them talking about the Word of the Lord. Their example of missionary fervor went before them even beyond where they actually went, prompting others to go from there to every other place also, so that Paul said that he and his companions didn't even need to say anything.
Is my faith toward God producing in me an imitation of Jesus, or am I still imitating the world around me, or other people who don't even know the Lord? And is my love for God prompting me to sound forth the Word of the Lord to all those whose life path crosses mine? How willing am I to go to where people have never yet heard of our God, to share His love with them?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord ... so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth so that we have no need to say anything.
The Christians in Thessalonica had patterned their lives and thinking processes after Paul and his companions, as they in turn had imitated Christ, and that caused them to go forth with their love for God into other regions around them talking about the Word of the Lord. Their example of missionary fervor went before them even beyond where they actually went, prompting others to go from there to every other place also, so that Paul said that he and his companions didn't even need to say anything.
Is my faith toward God producing in me an imitation of Jesus, or am I still imitating the world around me, or other people who don't even know the Lord? And is my love for God prompting me to sound forth the Word of the Lord to all those whose life path crosses mine? How willing am I to go to where people have never yet heard of our God, to share His love with them?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, September 4, 2016
From A Curse To A Blessing
Zechariah 8
(Vs. 16-17) "These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the Lord.
All God wants us to do is to be honest, to see that our government is honest and judges render verdicts that are according to the just laws; and our personal attitudes toward one another are to want to encourage each other, not to play "tricks" on one another or to enjoy "getting the best of" someone else, for humor or for profit.
The Jews have been exiled to Babylon for 70 years, and King Cyrus has allowed them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Zechariah is in Babylon with the Jews, and He wants them to know how to conduct their lives as they return home, to the land God gave them.
(v. 13) "Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."
God is encouraging them as they return to Jerusalem. Just as the name of the Jews has been used as a curse, or they have been considered cursed by God; so they will be cleansed and saved, and their reputation will be turned around, and they will be considered blessed by God, and their name used in blessings.
(vs. 4-6) "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to Me?"
It may seem to be a wondrous thing for people to live to a "ripe old age" instead of dying in their prime of life, and for children to be safe enough to be allowed to play in the city streets without fear of any harm. But God just considers it to be the norm, when people are following His ways in their thinking processes and in their actions.
People today sometimes do attain to an advanced old age, but our city streets are not safe for children to be able to openly, freely play outdoors, or even to walk alone to the neighborhood park, like I remember from my own childhood. The moral climate of our modern society has degraded significantly over the last generation or two, which has infected every layer and sector of our civilization.
As God's church, we need to wake up to how evil and wicked people have stolen our children's and grandchildren's carefree freedoms of childhood, and do what each of us can do to restore honor and honesty and kindness in our own families and in our society in which we live. To do what each of us can do to affect our political and governmental leaders to govern righteously with true justice and appropriate mercy; to encourage the populace to be responsible to take care of our own selves and families without depending on others for sustenance, and to do our businesses with integrity and equity. As well as urging our pastors and other church leaders to seriously consider our God of Truth, and study His Word humbly and honestly, to teach their congregations how to love God, and how to consider others' needs to help, not considering the cost (love one another).
Jesus is coming soon. Pray that God would return our Nations to His righteousness before the end comes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(Vs. 16-17) "These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the Lord.
All God wants us to do is to be honest, to see that our government is honest and judges render verdicts that are according to the just laws; and our personal attitudes toward one another are to want to encourage each other, not to play "tricks" on one another or to enjoy "getting the best of" someone else, for humor or for profit.
The Jews have been exiled to Babylon for 70 years, and King Cyrus has allowed them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Zechariah is in Babylon with the Jews, and He wants them to know how to conduct their lives as they return home, to the land God gave them.
(v. 13) "Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."
God is encouraging them as they return to Jerusalem. Just as the name of the Jews has been used as a curse, or they have been considered cursed by God; so they will be cleansed and saved, and their reputation will be turned around, and they will be considered blessed by God, and their name used in blessings.
(vs. 4-6) "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to Me?"
It may seem to be a wondrous thing for people to live to a "ripe old age" instead of dying in their prime of life, and for children to be safe enough to be allowed to play in the city streets without fear of any harm. But God just considers it to be the norm, when people are following His ways in their thinking processes and in their actions.
People today sometimes do attain to an advanced old age, but our city streets are not safe for children to be able to openly, freely play outdoors, or even to walk alone to the neighborhood park, like I remember from my own childhood. The moral climate of our modern society has degraded significantly over the last generation or two, which has infected every layer and sector of our civilization.
As God's church, we need to wake up to how evil and wicked people have stolen our children's and grandchildren's carefree freedoms of childhood, and do what each of us can do to restore honor and honesty and kindness in our own families and in our society in which we live. To do what each of us can do to affect our political and governmental leaders to govern righteously with true justice and appropriate mercy; to encourage the populace to be responsible to take care of our own selves and families without depending on others for sustenance, and to do our businesses with integrity and equity. As well as urging our pastors and other church leaders to seriously consider our God of Truth, and study His Word humbly and honestly, to teach their congregations how to love God, and how to consider others' needs to help, not considering the cost (love one another).
Jesus is coming soon. Pray that God would return our Nations to His righteousness before the end comes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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