Exodus 34: 23-24
Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God.
These three times are for the three feasts that were to be celebrated in Jerusalem for a week each. So God invited them to His party three times a year.
Our God is a party God. He gave us a seven-day week so that we would take a day off each week and not wear ourselves out. And He had His people observe six specific "feasts" to lay out His program for us all, and half of these had all the people come to God's house for His week-long party.
When Jesus walked this Earth, He showed us what God is like; and He liked to go to parties. And some of His parables used parties as an example of God's ways.
We take vacations, which are like a week-long party to get away from the daily grind. God had His people take three vacations a year, coming to Jerusalem to celebrate with food and joyfulness.
God loves us so much, He doesn't want us to wear ourselves out with the hard labor of providing sustenance for our families. Even during planting and during harvest, the busiest times of the agrarian year, they were to take that day off each week to honor God and get the rest they needed to tackle their work again the next week. And they were also to let the land rest every seven years, so it would continue to produce the abundance of crops and not be depleted.
If only we would listen to God and take Him seriously and practically in our daily lives, things would go so much better for us in this World; we would have everything we need, and we would get along with one another so much better; because that's how He designed it all to work.
But we listen instead to our enemy who wants to destroy us, who tells us we're smart, we know better and can make our own decisions, we don't want anyone to tell us what to do. And our pride swells up in our hearts, and we make our own decisions, not considering the long-range consequences. Then we wonder why we just can't seem to get a break.
So turn around, humble yourself before your Creator, listen to what He says to you, even if it doesn't seem to make "sense." Do what He has told you to do, His way, in His time, and you will see the goodness of the Lord for you. His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are so far above our thoughts! He wants only the best for us, and even sacrificed His most Precious for us.
Life is not a party. So let's find reasons to celebrate. Let's discover joy in the every day. Let's make time to get together and enjoy one another. It won't plan itself, we must intentionally look for ways to get together for at least a meal from time to time. Pay attention to what's going on, and focus on what's good and positive instead of criticizing what's not. Let's find time to have a party, and invite God into our celebrations, to rejoice in Him together.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Friday, September 8, 2017
Our Words
Psalm 39: 1
I said, I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle.
Proverbs 13: 3
The one who guards his mouth preserves his life.
I have been learning how to put that muzzle on my mouth as a guard, to keep me from speaking before I have considered what my words will do--to harm or build up.
God's Word made the world; and He has given us words that have great power, also. We can, by our words, tear down much good and destroy others; and our words can build up and encourage others, and accomplish God's purposes.
O my Father, continue to teach me to think before I open my mouth to speak; that I may use the power You place in my words only to encourage, to teach Your Truth, and to build up others, drawing them to You.
Give me opportunities to share Your joy with others, the wonderful salvation You offer to all. Find Your lost sheep and bring them in that there will be one fold and one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I said, I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle.
Proverbs 13: 3
The one who guards his mouth preserves his life.
I have been learning how to put that muzzle on my mouth as a guard, to keep me from speaking before I have considered what my words will do--to harm or build up.
God's Word made the world; and He has given us words that have great power, also. We can, by our words, tear down much good and destroy others; and our words can build up and encourage others, and accomplish God's purposes.
O my Father, continue to teach me to think before I open my mouth to speak; that I may use the power You place in my words only to encourage, to teach Your Truth, and to build up others, drawing them to You.
Give me opportunities to share Your joy with others, the wonderful salvation You offer to all. Find Your lost sheep and bring them in that there will be one fold and one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 7, 2017
God Will Dwell Among Us
Exodus 29: 45-46
And I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God Who brought them out from the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.
God's Plan was always to dwell among His people, and be the Lord their God to them. He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve until they sinned. He traveled with Israel through the Desert for the 40 years they wandered, then brought them into their Land. He had Solomon build Him a magnificent Temple, acknowledging that no Earthly structure would be able to contain Him.
Now God dwells in us, His church, by His Holy Spirit, in each of our spirits one-by-one, hidden away from the World. And He will eventually live forever among His people in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth in the New Heaven (Universe).
O my Father, all the years of past history are but a blink of an eye compared to the forever You have planned and are preparing us for.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God Who brought them out from the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.
God's Plan was always to dwell among His people, and be the Lord their God to them. He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve until they sinned. He traveled with Israel through the Desert for the 40 years they wandered, then brought them into their Land. He had Solomon build Him a magnificent Temple, acknowledging that no Earthly structure would be able to contain Him.
Now God dwells in us, His church, by His Holy Spirit, in each of our spirits one-by-one, hidden away from the World. And He will eventually live forever among His people in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth in the New Heaven (Universe).
O my Father, all the years of past history are but a blink of an eye compared to the forever You have planned and are preparing us for.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Thanksgiving And Praise
Psalm 100: 4-5
Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His Name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
The Book of Psalms is God's song-book, and it shows us His heart. These verses remind us to always have an attitude of thankfulness.
Whatever we focus on is what grows large in our vision, and the rest fades into the background. When we focus on all the good God does in our lives every day, instead of looking at the flaws and criticisms, then His blessings loom large and all the negative stuff just fades away. Then we gain a positive attitude that brightens up our days and encourages others in our world.
When we cultivate and deliberately practice looking at all the good we can find every day, and every time something negative crosses our mind we can purposefully replace that thought with something that is lovely or gracious or praiseworthy. We need to practice diligently to form a new good habit. And it takes longer than to pick up a bad habit. Sometimes a long time. But if we're faithful to continue to be aware of what we're doing in our thought life, we will reap wonderful and tremendous results. It's always worth it.
Our thoughts inform our choices, our choices determine our decisions, which become our actions, that fill our days, and become our life. So pay attention to how you think and what you think about.
Always remember how good our God is every day, and that His very Nature is Love.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His Name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
The Book of Psalms is God's song-book, and it shows us His heart. These verses remind us to always have an attitude of thankfulness.
Whatever we focus on is what grows large in our vision, and the rest fades into the background. When we focus on all the good God does in our lives every day, instead of looking at the flaws and criticisms, then His blessings loom large and all the negative stuff just fades away. Then we gain a positive attitude that brightens up our days and encourages others in our world.
When we cultivate and deliberately practice looking at all the good we can find every day, and every time something negative crosses our mind we can purposefully replace that thought with something that is lovely or gracious or praiseworthy. We need to practice diligently to form a new good habit. And it takes longer than to pick up a bad habit. Sometimes a long time. But if we're faithful to continue to be aware of what we're doing in our thought life, we will reap wonderful and tremendous results. It's always worth it.
Our thoughts inform our choices, our choices determine our decisions, which become our actions, that fill our days, and become our life. So pay attention to how you think and what you think about.
Always remember how good our God is every day, and that His very Nature is Love.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
When God Relents
Isaiah 26
V. 1. Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord:
V. 2. This is what the Lord says: "Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's House and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the House of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.
V. 3. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done."
The picture here is that Jeremiah will stand in the courtyard of the Temple where all the people gather, and tell them, not necessarily the Priests and Levites, the leaders of the people. The common people were the ones God wanted to talk to, to get them to individually decide to turn back to the Lord, away from the false idols that have ensnared them.
God saves us one by one. When people each decide to do right instead of the selfish or greedy stuff they've been doing, then God will make Himself known to them, one by one.
Verses 4-6 record the message, that they have not followed the Law or listened to the Prophets that have repeatedly tried to teach them what is right. If they still refuse to listen, then God will destroy His Temple and make the City of Jerusalem an object of cursing.
Well, the religious leaders heard him, too, and got angry. Verses 10 and 11 say that the Priests and Levites wanted to kill Jeremiah, for speaking against the Temple and City.
Verses 12-15 say that Jeremiah then defended his words as God's message to them, and if they would reform [their] ways and [their] actions and obey the Lord [their] God, then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster He has pronounced against [them]. But if they kill him, they'll be bringing on themselves and the city and all who live there the guilt of innocent blood, so do what they think is good and right, he's in their hands.
V. 16 says that the officials from the royal palace, along with the common people, all said to the religious leaders, This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the Name of the Lord our God!
Vs. 17-18. Then some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah," the same things Jeremiah was saying, against the Land and the Temple and the City of Jerusalem.
V. 19. "Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the Lord and seek His favor? And did not the Lord relent, so that He did not bring the disaster He pronounced against them? We are about to bring a great disaster on ourselves!"
V. 24. Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people who wanted to put him to death.
This is a very dramatic and hair-raising story! This Prophet goes right into the congregation of the common people, ignoring the religious leaders, telling them to repent, so God won't bring on the disasters He says He will if they don't.
Then the Religious Establishment try to condemn him to death for speaking against the Temple of the very God they were ignoring. And they could have, too.
Good thing the Royal Officials from the king's palace came over, so the people would have their permission to contradict the Priests and Levites.
And some of the old guys who remembered their history brought up Micah, whose book we have in our Scriptures, who said the same things to his contemporary king, Hezekiah, who promptly turned around and followed the Lord again, and he's recorded as a "good" king. And God relented for his sake.
Also another guy who apparently had clout supported Jeremiah, so he wasn't sentenced to die after all. Hurrah! The good guys won.
This is a principle we need to apply in our own lives.
Even when we've made poor decisions, and harbored dark and evil thoughts, and done things we're now ashamed of; all we need to do is turn around, admit to ourselves and to God that we deserve the punishment we've earned, and change our minds about how we've been living, choosing instead to follow God's ways.
Realize that Jesus satisfied all of God's wrath you deserve, and accept His gracious substitution in your place to atone in full for everything you've done.
Then He will relent and not subject you to the condemnation we all deserve.
Instead God will cause you to be born into His own Family, with all the privileges and responsibilities of His own child, the child of the King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
V. 1. Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord:
V. 2. This is what the Lord says: "Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's House and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the House of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.
V. 3. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done."
The picture here is that Jeremiah will stand in the courtyard of the Temple where all the people gather, and tell them, not necessarily the Priests and Levites, the leaders of the people. The common people were the ones God wanted to talk to, to get them to individually decide to turn back to the Lord, away from the false idols that have ensnared them.
God saves us one by one. When people each decide to do right instead of the selfish or greedy stuff they've been doing, then God will make Himself known to them, one by one.
Verses 4-6 record the message, that they have not followed the Law or listened to the Prophets that have repeatedly tried to teach them what is right. If they still refuse to listen, then God will destroy His Temple and make the City of Jerusalem an object of cursing.
Well, the religious leaders heard him, too, and got angry. Verses 10 and 11 say that the Priests and Levites wanted to kill Jeremiah, for speaking against the Temple and City.
Verses 12-15 say that Jeremiah then defended his words as God's message to them, and if they would reform [their] ways and [their] actions and obey the Lord [their] God, then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster He has pronounced against [them]. But if they kill him, they'll be bringing on themselves and the city and all who live there the guilt of innocent blood, so do what they think is good and right, he's in their hands.
V. 16 says that the officials from the royal palace, along with the common people, all said to the religious leaders, This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the Name of the Lord our God!
Vs. 17-18. Then some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah," the same things Jeremiah was saying, against the Land and the Temple and the City of Jerusalem.
V. 19. "Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the Lord and seek His favor? And did not the Lord relent, so that He did not bring the disaster He pronounced against them? We are about to bring a great disaster on ourselves!"
V. 24. Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people who wanted to put him to death.
This is a very dramatic and hair-raising story! This Prophet goes right into the congregation of the common people, ignoring the religious leaders, telling them to repent, so God won't bring on the disasters He says He will if they don't.
Then the Religious Establishment try to condemn him to death for speaking against the Temple of the very God they were ignoring. And they could have, too.
Good thing the Royal Officials from the king's palace came over, so the people would have their permission to contradict the Priests and Levites.
And some of the old guys who remembered their history brought up Micah, whose book we have in our Scriptures, who said the same things to his contemporary king, Hezekiah, who promptly turned around and followed the Lord again, and he's recorded as a "good" king. And God relented for his sake.
Also another guy who apparently had clout supported Jeremiah, so he wasn't sentenced to die after all. Hurrah! The good guys won.
This is a principle we need to apply in our own lives.
Even when we've made poor decisions, and harbored dark and evil thoughts, and done things we're now ashamed of; all we need to do is turn around, admit to ourselves and to God that we deserve the punishment we've earned, and change our minds about how we've been living, choosing instead to follow God's ways.
Realize that Jesus satisfied all of God's wrath you deserve, and accept His gracious substitution in your place to atone in full for everything you've done.
Then He will relent and not subject you to the condemnation we all deserve.
Instead God will cause you to be born into His own Family, with all the privileges and responsibilities of His own child, the child of the King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, September 4, 2017
Savior Or Judge?
Isaiah 53: 5-6
But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all.
God laid on Jesus all His wrath that we deserve for our sins. Now that His justice is satisfied and our debt is paid, God can now forgive us, letting Jesus' Blood wash away all our sins, and accept us into His own family.
Jesus died for each of us, individually, to save us. He also died the corporate sacrifice, for all of us; purchasing us all which makes Him our rightful Judge.
This was His plan from the beginning. God was able to tell His prophets what He was going to do, and give Moses the Law laying out the sacrifices, because He knew that He would send His own Son to be that Lamb of God, fulfilling those sacrifices.
That's how much He loves us, each one of us. He is not willing that any should perish in condemnation, but He wants every one of us to turn around from our own ways, toward Him. He's right here.
So is Jesus your Savior, having taken your place in death? Or will He be your Judge?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all.
God laid on Jesus all His wrath that we deserve for our sins. Now that His justice is satisfied and our debt is paid, God can now forgive us, letting Jesus' Blood wash away all our sins, and accept us into His own family.
Jesus died for each of us, individually, to save us. He also died the corporate sacrifice, for all of us; purchasing us all which makes Him our rightful Judge.
This was His plan from the beginning. God was able to tell His prophets what He was going to do, and give Moses the Law laying out the sacrifices, because He knew that He would send His own Son to be that Lamb of God, fulfilling those sacrifices.
That's how much He loves us, each one of us. He is not willing that any should perish in condemnation, but He wants every one of us to turn around from our own ways, toward Him. He's right here.
So is Jesus your Savior, having taken your place in death? Or will He be your Judge?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Our Individual Stories
Acts 16: 31
Paul told the jailer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."
In Acts 26: 9-18 Paul recounts to King Agrippa how Jesus saved him on the Road to Damascus.
We all need to be able to recount to others how God found us, how Jesus changed us, and how they also can be found by God and saved by Jesus. Every Christian needs to know how to do the work of an Evangelist, even if we don't feel gifted in that area.
We all need to be prepared to give our answer to anyone who asks us (I Peter 3:15).
I can tell you about when God found me and showed me Jesus hanging on His Cross. Tell me your story, I'd love to hear it, and I'll tell you mine.
All our stories are different, but they all have the same outcome: Jesus saved us! Practice telling your story; write it out, then condense it.
I started out droning on and on with my story. Then I wrote it out, and was able to cut it down to the essential truths, without leaving out any of the drama. And I've told it repeatedly to different people, and now I'm able to talk to just about anyone, using my story to present the Good News of how Jesus came to save each one of us and give us a new life.
It was really scary at first, but I did it anyway, and it got easier. Like anything else, practice always improves performance.
Let me know how you are doing in being able to share your story with others.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Paul told the jailer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."
In Acts 26: 9-18 Paul recounts to King Agrippa how Jesus saved him on the Road to Damascus.
We all need to be able to recount to others how God found us, how Jesus changed us, and how they also can be found by God and saved by Jesus. Every Christian needs to know how to do the work of an Evangelist, even if we don't feel gifted in that area.
We all need to be prepared to give our answer to anyone who asks us (I Peter 3:15).
I can tell you about when God found me and showed me Jesus hanging on His Cross. Tell me your story, I'd love to hear it, and I'll tell you mine.
All our stories are different, but they all have the same outcome: Jesus saved us! Practice telling your story; write it out, then condense it.
I started out droning on and on with my story. Then I wrote it out, and was able to cut it down to the essential truths, without leaving out any of the drama. And I've told it repeatedly to different people, and now I'm able to talk to just about anyone, using my story to present the Good News of how Jesus came to save each one of us and give us a new life.
It was really scary at first, but I did it anyway, and it got easier. Like anything else, practice always improves performance.
Let me know how you are doing in being able to share your story with others.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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