Psalm 8:4-6
What are people that You should think about them, mere mortals that You should care for them? Yet You made them only a little lower than God (Elohim) and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything You made, putting all things under their authority.
Compared to the Moon and Stars, we are as nothing, clods of dust, blown away by the breeze. Yet You have made us just a little lower than Elohim, and in such a high position, You have crowned us with honor and glory befitting this exalted rank.
You are refining us here on this Earth, teaching us to care for and use everything else You have put here in this World; and, like little schoolchildren, we stumble and scrape our knees and elbows, we fall and break bones. But You heal us, You lift us up so we won't utterly fall, and strengthen us to continue on, to learn all that You have to teach us, little by little, line upon line, day by day; until that glorious Day when Christ will return and we will have matured enough to wear well the honor and glory You crown us with, to return to Your own head, for You alone deserve all the credit, all the honor and glory for what You have done.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Friday, January 20, 2017
Safety In Peril
Psalm 3:3-5
But You, O Lord, are a shield around me, You are my glory, the One Who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.
O my Father, You power and Your care for us allow us to experience Your peace to such a degree that David could lie down and sleep in the midst of danger, and sleep peacefully, waking up in safety. Only You, O Lord, could give such peace, for only You have the strength and care for us to give us safety in the midst of peril. Since David could trust You so completely that he could sleep peacefully, even though surrounded by enemies (led by his own son); so I can also trust You for safety no matter what troubles or perils surround me. Thank You, Father, for Your goodness and mercy to me, to mend, heal and cleanse me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But You, O Lord, are a shield around me, You are my glory, the One Who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.
O my Father, You power and Your care for us allow us to experience Your peace to such a degree that David could lie down and sleep in the midst of danger, and sleep peacefully, waking up in safety. Only You, O Lord, could give such peace, for only You have the strength and care for us to give us safety in the midst of peril. Since David could trust You so completely that he could sleep peacefully, even though surrounded by enemies (led by his own son); so I can also trust You for safety no matter what troubles or perils surround me. Thank You, Father, for Your goodness and mercy to me, to mend, heal and cleanse me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, January 19, 2017
The Atoning Sacrifice
Leviticus 1:1-5
The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When any of you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it (he) will be acceptable to the Lord. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
God has had Moses supervise in building all the parts of the Tabernacle and its furnishings; now He is directing how the different parts of it are to be used.
He starts with the most basic and important of the offerings--the individual sacrifice for a person's sins. Mankind has known that sin requires a death, with blood shed, since the Lord God made garments for Adam and Eve from animal skins. Now God is institutionalizing this idea with specific rituals, so that His chosen people will understand and be constantly reminded of the fact that God requires purity to come into His Presence.
The Bronze Altar stood just inside the doorway in the outside curtain surrounding the courtyard to the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting (God meeting with man). The only way an Israelite could approach God is in providing this sacrifice. The penitent would "lay his hand on the head of the" animal that would be the "burnt sacrifice," to lay his personal sins on the beast, which would be "accepted on his behalf" to die in his place, to atone for his sins, its blood covering over his sins by being sprinkled against all the sides of the altar.
Jesus said that He had not come to do away with The Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He fulfilled this part by coming in our human flesh to die our human death for us, in our place, individually; as this individual brought the lamb or bull, Jesus is God's Lamb, specifically (in the Greek), the Lamb set aside for sacrifice.
The blood of the animal could never take away sins, only cover them; Jesus' Blood was God's Blood, with infinite value, to actually take away our sins. Just as the penitent would put his hand on the head of the animal, we need to each figuratively "put our hand" on the Head of our Lamb, admitting that we deserve the death that we have earned (the "wages of sin"), and let Jesus take our place in being Crucified. This picture, Jesus' Crucifixion, is a demonstration of how God is offended and repulsed, and disgusted by our very sin nature, which Jesus carried on the Cross, the root and fountainhead of all our sins: "He Who had no sin, became sin, for us" (II Corinthians 5:21).
So if you have never realized that Jesus took your place on His Cross, then pray for God to grant you the gift of Saving Faith, for "it is by Grace you have been saved, through Faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the Gift of God--not by works," not by anything we can do (Ephesians 2:8-9). Anything we do of ourselves cannot be accepted by God because it comes through our nature, and Ephesians 2:3 tells us that "we are by nature objects of wrath." That is how Jesus fulfilled this detail of The Law.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When any of you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it (he) will be acceptable to the Lord. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
God has had Moses supervise in building all the parts of the Tabernacle and its furnishings; now He is directing how the different parts of it are to be used.
He starts with the most basic and important of the offerings--the individual sacrifice for a person's sins. Mankind has known that sin requires a death, with blood shed, since the Lord God made garments for Adam and Eve from animal skins. Now God is institutionalizing this idea with specific rituals, so that His chosen people will understand and be constantly reminded of the fact that God requires purity to come into His Presence.
The Bronze Altar stood just inside the doorway in the outside curtain surrounding the courtyard to the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting (God meeting with man). The only way an Israelite could approach God is in providing this sacrifice. The penitent would "lay his hand on the head of the" animal that would be the "burnt sacrifice," to lay his personal sins on the beast, which would be "accepted on his behalf" to die in his place, to atone for his sins, its blood covering over his sins by being sprinkled against all the sides of the altar.
Jesus said that He had not come to do away with The Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He fulfilled this part by coming in our human flesh to die our human death for us, in our place, individually; as this individual brought the lamb or bull, Jesus is God's Lamb, specifically (in the Greek), the Lamb set aside for sacrifice.
The blood of the animal could never take away sins, only cover them; Jesus' Blood was God's Blood, with infinite value, to actually take away our sins. Just as the penitent would put his hand on the head of the animal, we need to each figuratively "put our hand" on the Head of our Lamb, admitting that we deserve the death that we have earned (the "wages of sin"), and let Jesus take our place in being Crucified. This picture, Jesus' Crucifixion, is a demonstration of how God is offended and repulsed, and disgusted by our very sin nature, which Jesus carried on the Cross, the root and fountainhead of all our sins: "He Who had no sin, became sin, for us" (II Corinthians 5:21).
So if you have never realized that Jesus took your place on His Cross, then pray for God to grant you the gift of Saving Faith, for "it is by Grace you have been saved, through Faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the Gift of God--not by works," not by anything we can do (Ephesians 2:8-9). Anything we do of ourselves cannot be accepted by God because it comes through our nature, and Ephesians 2:3 tells us that "we are by nature objects of wrath." That is how Jesus fulfilled this detail of The Law.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Nothing Can Separate Us
Romans 8: 35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, (Psalm 44:22) "Yet for your sake we face death all day long; We are considered sheep to be slaughtered." Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
"Tribulation" -- trouble, problems, bad news.
"Anguish" -- sorrow, mourning, loss.
"Persecution" -- slander, attacks, imprisonment.
"Famine" -- not getting enough to eat.
"Nakedness" -- not having adequate clothing.
"Peril" -- danger.
"Sword" -- war.
"Death" -- dying.
"Life" -- living it.
"Angels" -- spirit beings, demons.
"Principalities" -- spiritual authorities.
"Things present" -- what is now.
"Things to come" -- anything in the future.
"Powers" -- strength or ability.
"Height" -- even on Mars, should we go there.
"Depth" -- nothing in the deeps of the oceans, or in hell.
"Any other creature" -- anything else that was created, anything that exists.
Nothing we could ever do, nothing that anyone or anything could ever do to us, nothing that could ever happen to us, nothing that exists now or ever will exist, could ever cause God's love for us to ever be less than His "agape" love He showers on us abundantly every moment of every day, that Jesus, God's Christ and our Lord, has demonstrated by His birth, death, and resurrection for us. We are secure!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, (Psalm 44:22) "Yet for your sake we face death all day long; We are considered sheep to be slaughtered." Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
"Tribulation" -- trouble, problems, bad news.
"Anguish" -- sorrow, mourning, loss.
"Persecution" -- slander, attacks, imprisonment.
"Famine" -- not getting enough to eat.
"Nakedness" -- not having adequate clothing.
"Peril" -- danger.
"Sword" -- war.
"Death" -- dying.
"Life" -- living it.
"Angels" -- spirit beings, demons.
"Principalities" -- spiritual authorities.
"Things present" -- what is now.
"Things to come" -- anything in the future.
"Powers" -- strength or ability.
"Height" -- even on Mars, should we go there.
"Depth" -- nothing in the deeps of the oceans, or in hell.
"Any other creature" -- anything else that was created, anything that exists.
Nothing we could ever do, nothing that anyone or anything could ever do to us, nothing that could ever happen to us, nothing that exists now or ever will exist, could ever cause God's love for us to ever be less than His "agape" love He showers on us abundantly every moment of every day, that Jesus, God's Christ and our Lord, has demonstrated by His birth, death, and resurrection for us. We are secure!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Preparation For What He Has Planned
Exodus 2:9
Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me and I shall give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
Wow, Moses' own mother could have him back as a child, and was even paid, to care for and teach him about his own heritage as a Hebrew of the Tribe of Levi, and their God Who chose his ancestor Abraham. That's why, when he became an adult, Moses knew who he was: That he was adopted out of the Hebrew Nation into Pharaoh's family to be educated in all the learning of the Egyptians to be the next Pharaoh.
God took care of Moses, and prepared him with education, pomp and circumstance, and also with quiet pastoral training on the "far side of the desert." God knew the plans He had for Moses, and took His time in preparing him very meticulously for the role He had for him.
I don't ever want to complain about God's taking His time with me, either. I know He is preparing me for the eventual role He has planned for me. Just as Moses didn't know how his role would pan out until He actually led Israel from their slavery in Egypt; so I don't know how my life will flow when God deems me ready to live out and accomplish the plans He has for me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me and I shall give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
Wow, Moses' own mother could have him back as a child, and was even paid, to care for and teach him about his own heritage as a Hebrew of the Tribe of Levi, and their God Who chose his ancestor Abraham. That's why, when he became an adult, Moses knew who he was: That he was adopted out of the Hebrew Nation into Pharaoh's family to be educated in all the learning of the Egyptians to be the next Pharaoh.
God took care of Moses, and prepared him with education, pomp and circumstance, and also with quiet pastoral training on the "far side of the desert." God knew the plans He had for Moses, and took His time in preparing him very meticulously for the role He had for him.
I don't ever want to complain about God's taking His time with me, either. I know He is preparing me for the eventual role He has planned for me. Just as Moses didn't know how his role would pan out until He actually led Israel from their slavery in Egypt; so I don't know how my life will flow when God deems me ready to live out and accomplish the plans He has for me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, January 16, 2017
His Government
Isaiah 9: 7
There will be no end to the increase of His government . . .
God's Kingdom, His government, is where He rules. Today He rules in our hearts, His Kingdom is within us.
When Jesus returns, He will set up His rule over the whole world, He will exercise His authority as King of the World.
When this Earth is no more, He will make a New Heaven and a New Earth, and we will reign with Him as His kings and queens. And His Kingdom will include the whole Universe.
That is as far as we are told. But even that is not the end--the increase of His Government will never end! What wonders await us then, and forever more?
I want to spend my life in this age preparing for this glorious future God has planned for me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
There will be no end to the increase of His government . . .
God's Kingdom, His government, is where He rules. Today He rules in our hearts, His Kingdom is within us.
When Jesus returns, He will set up His rule over the whole world, He will exercise His authority as King of the World.
When this Earth is no more, He will make a New Heaven and a New Earth, and we will reign with Him as His kings and queens. And His Kingdom will include the whole Universe.
That is as far as we are told. But even that is not the end--the increase of His Government will never end! What wonders await us then, and forever more?
I want to spend my life in this age preparing for this glorious future God has planned for me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Life-Style And Godliness
II Timothy 2: 4-7
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday (civilian) life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.
The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.
Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Paul gives Timothy three very different and varied examples of life-styles: The Soldier, The Athlete, and The Farmer; demonstrating that the attitudes of graciousness, sound doctrine, obedience to the rules and patience, as well as discipline, self-control and perseverance under hardship, are all applicable to every life-style and mode of living.
The Fruit of the Spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23 do not discriminate as to path of life. No matter if we live an active or sedentary life, whether our talents bring us into the arena or the library, the halls of government or the halls of academia, we are all to pursue sound Doctrine, obedience to that Doctrine, and always put God first.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday (civilian) life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.
The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.
Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Paul gives Timothy three very different and varied examples of life-styles: The Soldier, The Athlete, and The Farmer; demonstrating that the attitudes of graciousness, sound doctrine, obedience to the rules and patience, as well as discipline, self-control and perseverance under hardship, are all applicable to every life-style and mode of living.
The Fruit of the Spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23 do not discriminate as to path of life. No matter if we live an active or sedentary life, whether our talents bring us into the arena or the library, the halls of government or the halls of academia, we are all to pursue sound Doctrine, obedience to that Doctrine, and always put God first.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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