Luke 24: 27, 32, 45
On the Road to Emmaus, Cleopas and his companion [Mary, his wife, who was with His mother at the foot of the Cross? (John 19:25)] don't recognize Jesus as, And beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them all the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
And they said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the Road while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?"
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
God has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us and give us understanding of what He is saying to us in the Scriptures. It's His Spirit in us showing us a right understanding of this cryptic Book.
To the World it seems to be written in code, that is hard to understand. But to us who have His Spirit, it all makes perfect sense. The whole Old Testament is about Jesus, the Lord God of the Patriarchs. The whole New Testament is also about Jesus, fulfilling everything that was written about Him in the Old Testament.
All the dots do connect, and the more dots we can connect, the broader and clearer the picture is of God's Great Plan of the Ages.
O my Father, I pray that You would continue to open my mind to an ever greater understanding how all Your Word fits together, to connect all the dots, to see and comprehend that Big Picture of all You are doing!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, April 3, 2017
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Blameless
I Thessalonians 5: 23-24
God, Who calls me, is faithful, His peace will make me holy in every way, and keep my whole spirit and soul and body blameless until that Day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
Jesus took the death I earned on the Cross as my personal Sacrifice (see Leviticus, chapter 1), His blood, splashed on the sides of His altar, the Cross, not only covered but washed away all my sins and the sinfulness of my human nature before I was even born, but was applied to my account on that day that God showed me Jesus on His Cross, and I knew He took my place there.
That is how He made peace between me and God, and that is when I heard His call. The Blood of Jesus is God's own Blood, and it has endless value to pay the debts of all sin and sins, and He purchased the whole Universe. That gives Him the authority to be our Savior; but also our Judge, if we don't accept His payment on our behalf. His gift of Salvation and Redemption is offered freely to every person, but only those who want to come to Him will be saved; all the rest will face their own righteous judgment at His court.
O my Father, I praise You and thank You for Your goodness and Your gentleness and Your care for me. I thank You for Your good plans for my life, and Your wisdom and care in having it play out in my life. I thank You that Your plans are so much better than mine.
Help me, Father, strengthen me in Your righteousness and holiness to accept Your way of interrupting my plans, and help me to not hold it against those You use for this furtherance of Your care for me. Erase my irritation with the realization that these interruptions are from You, not them, to accomplish Your will for me. And may You receive all the credit, all the glory for what You are doing each day in my life.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
God, Who calls me, is faithful, His peace will make me holy in every way, and keep my whole spirit and soul and body blameless until that Day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
Jesus took the death I earned on the Cross as my personal Sacrifice (see Leviticus, chapter 1), His blood, splashed on the sides of His altar, the Cross, not only covered but washed away all my sins and the sinfulness of my human nature before I was even born, but was applied to my account on that day that God showed me Jesus on His Cross, and I knew He took my place there.
That is how He made peace between me and God, and that is when I heard His call. The Blood of Jesus is God's own Blood, and it has endless value to pay the debts of all sin and sins, and He purchased the whole Universe. That gives Him the authority to be our Savior; but also our Judge, if we don't accept His payment on our behalf. His gift of Salvation and Redemption is offered freely to every person, but only those who want to come to Him will be saved; all the rest will face their own righteous judgment at His court.
O my Father, I praise You and thank You for Your goodness and Your gentleness and Your care for me. I thank You for Your good plans for my life, and Your wisdom and care in having it play out in my life. I thank You that Your plans are so much better than mine.
Help me, Father, strengthen me in Your righteousness and holiness to accept Your way of interrupting my plans, and help me to not hold it against those You use for this furtherance of Your care for me. Erase my irritation with the realization that these interruptions are from You, not them, to accomplish Your will for me. And may You receive all the credit, all the glory for what You are doing each day in my life.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, April 1, 2017
God's Strength In Our Weakness
II Corinthians 12: 9-10
"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." ... For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul had asked God three times to take away the "messenger of Satan" that caused some kind of physical infirmity, and God's answer told him that he needed this reminder to keep pride at bay for the magnitude of the revelations God had given him.
So his response was that he would rather boast of his weaknesses rather than his strengths, so that God's strength would empower him.
O my Father, thank you for showing me how weak I am. Whenever I think that I have a little strength in myself, Father, show me then that I am weak. Only then will I reach out to You for Your strength. Only when I can be strong in Your strength will I be able to succeed in that that You have placed before me to do. Even in the little day-to-day things, especially in the daily things, I need Your strength and faithfulness, for I have none in myself.
Thank you, Father, for giving me enough time to do everything You want me to do. Help me to not be anxious thinking I haven't enough time, or to be lazy thinking I have plenty of time. I have enough time; help me not to waste even a moment, and give my mind clarity and my hands diligence to accomplish this day my part in Your great Plan of the Ages.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." ... For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul had asked God three times to take away the "messenger of Satan" that caused some kind of physical infirmity, and God's answer told him that he needed this reminder to keep pride at bay for the magnitude of the revelations God had given him.
So his response was that he would rather boast of his weaknesses rather than his strengths, so that God's strength would empower him.
O my Father, thank you for showing me how weak I am. Whenever I think that I have a little strength in myself, Father, show me then that I am weak. Only then will I reach out to You for Your strength. Only when I can be strong in Your strength will I be able to succeed in that that You have placed before me to do. Even in the little day-to-day things, especially in the daily things, I need Your strength and faithfulness, for I have none in myself.
Thank you, Father, for giving me enough time to do everything You want me to do. Help me to not be anxious thinking I haven't enough time, or to be lazy thinking I have plenty of time. I have enough time; help me not to waste even a moment, and give my mind clarity and my hands diligence to accomplish this day my part in Your great Plan of the Ages.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, March 31, 2017
The Lord On A Lofty Throne
Isaiah 6: 1-8
In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty Seraphim. ... They were calling out to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heavens Armies! The whole Earth is filled with His glory!" ... Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?" I said, "Here I am. Send me."
Holy, holy, holy; You, Lord God, are beyond all human understanding in Your glory, Your majesty, Your beauty, Your wisdom, Your justice, Your grace, Your righteousness, Your mercy, Your patience, Your vengeance. All credit for everything that is accomplished is Yours; for You are carrying out all Your plans and Your intentions will be satisfied.
O my Lord God, my Father, my Redeemer, I surrender to You all that I am. I surrender to You my tears; I seem to have far more tears than one person's allotment--let them be for those who have no tears, those whose bottles are empty; fill them with my tears!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty Seraphim. ... They were calling out to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heavens Armies! The whole Earth is filled with His glory!" ... Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?" I said, "Here I am. Send me."
Holy, holy, holy; You, Lord God, are beyond all human understanding in Your glory, Your majesty, Your beauty, Your wisdom, Your justice, Your grace, Your righteousness, Your mercy, Your patience, Your vengeance. All credit for everything that is accomplished is Yours; for You are carrying out all Your plans and Your intentions will be satisfied.
O my Lord God, my Father, my Redeemer, I surrender to You all that I am. I surrender to You my tears; I seem to have far more tears than one person's allotment--let them be for those who have no tears, those whose bottles are empty; fill them with my tears!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, March 30, 2017
What Sorrow for those
Isaiah 5: 20 (read the whole chapter)
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is darkness, that bitter (poison) is sweet and sweet is bitter.
Let us come before God confessing the sins of our Nation: We are known in the World as God's people, a Christian nation; and we are despised for all our lewdness and shamefulness.
We have called evil good in promoting perverted acts, and called good evil in calling God's Word, the Bible, a book containing hate-speech.
We have called dark light in "keeping an open mind," and called light darkness in viewing God's glorious Gospel, which is free to all, as exclusive and discriminatory.
We have called bitter sweet in promoting chemicals as "sweeteners" even though they are artificial and are not recognized by our bodies as food; and we have called sweet "bitter" in condemning God's natural sweeteners, like honey, to be "high glycemic."
We have had children ruling over us, with women ruling over them.
O our Father, forgive us! Cleanse us! Heal us! Grant us leaders who will throw down all the altars and shrines and idols of all the demons we have been worshiping instead of You, our Maker and Redeemer. Continue to wake up Your church in our Nation, to follow Your ways, to open the door to receiving Your blessings again, as we did in the past. Let us remember the heights from which we have fallen and do again those good things according to Your good ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is darkness, that bitter (poison) is sweet and sweet is bitter.
Let us come before God confessing the sins of our Nation: We are known in the World as God's people, a Christian nation; and we are despised for all our lewdness and shamefulness.
We have called evil good in promoting perverted acts, and called good evil in calling God's Word, the Bible, a book containing hate-speech.
We have called dark light in "keeping an open mind," and called light darkness in viewing God's glorious Gospel, which is free to all, as exclusive and discriminatory.
We have called bitter sweet in promoting chemicals as "sweeteners" even though they are artificial and are not recognized by our bodies as food; and we have called sweet "bitter" in condemning God's natural sweeteners, like honey, to be "high glycemic."
We have had children ruling over us, with women ruling over them.
O our Father, forgive us! Cleanse us! Heal us! Grant us leaders who will throw down all the altars and shrines and idols of all the demons we have been worshiping instead of You, our Maker and Redeemer. Continue to wake up Your church in our Nation, to follow Your ways, to open the door to receiving Your blessings again, as we did in the past. Let us remember the heights from which we have fallen and do again those good things according to Your good ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Don't Jump To Conclusions
I Corinthians 4: 5
So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, He will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give everyone whatever praise is due.
This is why we are told not to judge one another. We may get a wrong, negative impression, but that does not give us the authority to pronounce them unfaithful. We do not see the whole picture, as God does.
God's servant stands or falls to God, not to another servant. We each will stand before that judgment seat, and we're told that no negative repercussions will result at that time and place, but only "whatever praise is due."
Help me, Father, to put a guard on my tongue, to think and consider before I open my mouth to speak; that I will say only what is encouraging, and uplifting, and beneficial to the hearers.
Help me to "be patient with those who abuse" (4:12) and not react negatively, but respond thoughtfully, following through with gentleness and consideration, and compassion.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, He will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give everyone whatever praise is due.
This is why we are told not to judge one another. We may get a wrong, negative impression, but that does not give us the authority to pronounce them unfaithful. We do not see the whole picture, as God does.
God's servant stands or falls to God, not to another servant. We each will stand before that judgment seat, and we're told that no negative repercussions will result at that time and place, but only "whatever praise is due."
Help me, Father, to put a guard on my tongue, to think and consider before I open my mouth to speak; that I will say only what is encouraging, and uplifting, and beneficial to the hearers.
Help me to "be patient with those who abuse" (4:12) and not react negatively, but respond thoughtfully, following through with gentleness and consideration, and compassion.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Beware In Your Plenty
Deuteronomy 8: 1-18
Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. ... When you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. But this is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations and laws. ... Always remember that it is the Lord your God Who gives you power to become rich, and He does it to fulfill the covenant He made with your ancestors.
God knows our hearts, how weak and broken we are. He knows that when we have succeeded and become rich, then our own pride arises in our imaginations and we think that we have gotten all this wealth ourselves; when it is God Who has been faithful to His own Word, the covenant He made with His holy ones of old.
God provides His blessings of abundance in response to our obedience to His commands, regulations and laws; not because of our own efforts.
We are rich when we have enough food to eat, warm clothes to cover our bodies, and a roof over our heads to protect from the elements. Many in the world today do not have even these. When we have more than this, we get spoiled, we allow our hearts to deceive ourselves into thinking that we "deserve" all these extra pamperings, and throw tantrums when we think we're being deprived of some trinket.
Please, Father, open our eyes to see the Truth of what is happening in our land. Set us on fire for You, Lord, to cast down all the altars and idols and shrines to all the demons, and let us return to You, our true Shepherd of our souls.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. ... When you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. But this is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations and laws. ... Always remember that it is the Lord your God Who gives you power to become rich, and He does it to fulfill the covenant He made with your ancestors.
God knows our hearts, how weak and broken we are. He knows that when we have succeeded and become rich, then our own pride arises in our imaginations and we think that we have gotten all this wealth ourselves; when it is God Who has been faithful to His own Word, the covenant He made with His holy ones of old.
God provides His blessings of abundance in response to our obedience to His commands, regulations and laws; not because of our own efforts.
We are rich when we have enough food to eat, warm clothes to cover our bodies, and a roof over our heads to protect from the elements. Many in the world today do not have even these. When we have more than this, we get spoiled, we allow our hearts to deceive ourselves into thinking that we "deserve" all these extra pamperings, and throw tantrums when we think we're being deprived of some trinket.
Please, Father, open our eyes to see the Truth of what is happening in our land. Set us on fire for You, Lord, to cast down all the altars and idols and shrines to all the demons, and let us return to You, our true Shepherd of our souls.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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