Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. . . . (He then told them about the Persistent Widow.) And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the Earth?
We are to continue to pray and ask God for what it is that we need. If the unjust judge would help the widow because of her persistence, how much more does God care for His children and want to give us every good thing we need? And if He has not answered yet, we can know that the answer is on its way and is already ours.
O my Father, Help us to continue to ask You for what You want to give us. Keep us persistent, strengthen our faith to make us unwavering, and preserve our lives to the end, the Parousia.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Going Home
Leviticus 25:23
The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you reside in My land as foreigners and strangers.
God is giving His people the rules for living, and has told them that whenever they sell or buy land from one another, it's actually the number of crops they are selling until the next Year of Jubilee (v. 16), every fifty years. The concept is that we don't own our property, God owns it, and He allows us to live here under His terms as our landlord. And He shows us that He is just and compassionate to have the land revert back to the original clan and family, so the people can always go home.
Every fifty years the economy would re-set; debts would be forgiven, slaves set free, and everyone would be able to go home with a fresh start.
And Jesus is preparing a place for me! (John 14:2-3).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you reside in My land as foreigners and strangers.
God is giving His people the rules for living, and has told them that whenever they sell or buy land from one another, it's actually the number of crops they are selling until the next Year of Jubilee (v. 16), every fifty years. The concept is that we don't own our property, God owns it, and He allows us to live here under His terms as our landlord. And He shows us that He is just and compassionate to have the land revert back to the original clan and family, so the people can always go home.
Every fifty years the economy would re-set; debts would be forgiven, slaves set free, and everyone would be able to go home with a fresh start.
And Jesus is preparing a place for me! (John 14:2-3).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
He Has Overcome The World
John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
O my Father, I thank you for the peace of mind and heart You have given me through Your Son Jesus, my Lord. Thank you for Your great power and goodness, for Your love and compassion for me and mine, and all You have made. Thank you that Jesus has overcome the world, this world system, that is fighting so vigorously against Your ways. Thank you that you will continue to be with us, and will never leave us, nor forsake us to our poor, foolish choices. Teach us Your ways, Father; bring Your righteousness back into American national life, that we can again be that city on the hill, shining Your light unto the nations.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
O my Father, I thank you for the peace of mind and heart You have given me through Your Son Jesus, my Lord. Thank you for Your great power and goodness, for Your love and compassion for me and mine, and all You have made. Thank you that Jesus has overcome the world, this world system, that is fighting so vigorously against Your ways. Thank you that you will continue to be with us, and will never leave us, nor forsake us to our poor, foolish choices. Teach us Your ways, Father; bring Your righteousness back into American national life, that we can again be that city on the hill, shining Your light unto the nations.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, March 21, 2016
Answered Prayer
I Kings 3:5,12-14
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." --
Ask for whatever you want! We must know what we want to ask for, and be specific.
"I will do what you have asked: I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be."
And expect the answer. Expect to receive it, look for it, act as though you already have it.
"Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for--both riches and honor--so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings."
Also expect and look for what would come as a result of the answer to what you have asked for; in Solomon's case, he asked for wisdom to govern, and it resulted in also bringing him riches and honor.
"And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
Then there is a condition: to live our own life according to the "Manufacturer's Operating Manual" will result in a long life to enjoy the benefits of answered prayer for a long time.
Obeying God's rules and ways always results in God giving us all the benefits and He receives all the glory, the credit, because that's how He planned it all out from the beginning.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." --
Ask for whatever you want! We must know what we want to ask for, and be specific.
"I will do what you have asked: I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be."
And expect the answer. Expect to receive it, look for it, act as though you already have it.
"Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for--both riches and honor--so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings."
Also expect and look for what would come as a result of the answer to what you have asked for; in Solomon's case, he asked for wisdom to govern, and it resulted in also bringing him riches and honor.
"And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
Then there is a condition: to live our own life according to the "Manufacturer's Operating Manual" will result in a long life to enjoy the benefits of answered prayer for a long time.
Obeying God's rules and ways always results in God giving us all the benefits and He receives all the glory, the credit, because that's how He planned it all out from the beginning.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Does God Delight In You?
Psalm 18:19b
He rescued me because He delighted in me.
David had been pursued by King Saul, who was envious of of his popularity and favor with God. There were several times David had the opportunity to kill Saul and take his kingdom, as God had had Samuel anoint David to be the next king after Saul. But David loved God, and when you love someone with genuine love, you want to do what pleases them, and David refused to take advantage of Saul, who had also been anointed as king. David trusted in God, and expected Him to fight on his behalf. So He delivered him out of all his troubles with Saul. And David did become king, a great king, respected and admired by the people, and also by the other nations of his day, who heard of him and sent tribute to him (vs. 44-45).
David was called a man after God's own heart, for many reasons, one of which is because he trusted Him to do what He said He would do, and showed it by his actions. I don't know if there are many people in all history who really trusted God like David did.
God always honors those who choose to trust Him, and find the faith to actually act on it. When we say we believe, then live our lives as though He doesn't even exist, making all our own decisions according to our own logic and intelligence, we prove that our trust is not in God at all, but ourselves; we are worshiping ourselves, we are our own #1.
But when we read and know His Word, will we determine that we will live our daily lives according to God's principles according to the Bible, even when it goes against "common sense"? That's what David did.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
He rescued me because He delighted in me.
David had been pursued by King Saul, who was envious of of his popularity and favor with God. There were several times David had the opportunity to kill Saul and take his kingdom, as God had had Samuel anoint David to be the next king after Saul. But David loved God, and when you love someone with genuine love, you want to do what pleases them, and David refused to take advantage of Saul, who had also been anointed as king. David trusted in God, and expected Him to fight on his behalf. So He delivered him out of all his troubles with Saul. And David did become king, a great king, respected and admired by the people, and also by the other nations of his day, who heard of him and sent tribute to him (vs. 44-45).
David was called a man after God's own heart, for many reasons, one of which is because he trusted Him to do what He said He would do, and showed it by his actions. I don't know if there are many people in all history who really trusted God like David did.
God always honors those who choose to trust Him, and find the faith to actually act on it. When we say we believe, then live our lives as though He doesn't even exist, making all our own decisions according to our own logic and intelligence, we prove that our trust is not in God at all, but ourselves; we are worshiping ourselves, we are our own #1.
But when we read and know His Word, will we determine that we will live our daily lives according to God's principles according to the Bible, even when it goes against "common sense"? That's what David did.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Manna
Exodus 16:11-36
The manna God gave the Israelites in the desert was not like anything else found on Earth. It was found on the ground when the dew was gone. It looked like thin flakes of frost (v. 14), it was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey (v. 31). The people were to gather about two quarts per person per day (v. 16), and they were not to keep any aside or it would become garbage (vs. 19-20). The exception was that, since they were to rest on the Sabbath, they could gather twice as much the sixth day and it would still be fresh to eat on the seventh day (vs. 23-26). Some people always have to see for themselves, though, instead of trusting what God said, and they found that there wasn't any to gather on the Sabbath (v. 27).
So it would spoil if kept overnight, except each sixth day it would keep and be fresh each seventh day. This is amazing, the food of the Angels (Psalm 78:25).
God is so good to all of us. He knew that there was no food for all these people in the desert, so He provided, miraculously, enough food for them all, along with instructions. Since this was not Earthly fare, He told them how to find it, gather it, and deal with it. God always provides the information we need to deal with whatever situation we face in life, not just the special times, but all the times.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The manna God gave the Israelites in the desert was not like anything else found on Earth. It was found on the ground when the dew was gone. It looked like thin flakes of frost (v. 14), it was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey (v. 31). The people were to gather about two quarts per person per day (v. 16), and they were not to keep any aside or it would become garbage (vs. 19-20). The exception was that, since they were to rest on the Sabbath, they could gather twice as much the sixth day and it would still be fresh to eat on the seventh day (vs. 23-26). Some people always have to see for themselves, though, instead of trusting what God said, and they found that there wasn't any to gather on the Sabbath (v. 27).
So it would spoil if kept overnight, except each sixth day it would keep and be fresh each seventh day. This is amazing, the food of the Angels (Psalm 78:25).
God is so good to all of us. He knew that there was no food for all these people in the desert, so He provided, miraculously, enough food for them all, along with instructions. Since this was not Earthly fare, He told them how to find it, gather it, and deal with it. God always provides the information we need to deal with whatever situation we face in life, not just the special times, but all the times.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, March 18, 2016
Have You Chosen Him?
Job 23:13
But He stands alone, and who can oppose Him? He does whatever He pleases.
God stands alone, the only God, none equals Him. There is no other anywhere in all Creation that can stand beside Him; He has no rival.
He has the power and authority to do whatever He pleases, and He only pleases to do what is good--for our benefit and for His glory. Even when He punishes the wicked, it displays His power, authority and goodness to those who love Him.
His favor extends to every man (mankind), but not every man chooses Him. He has given us the authority to choose, and, even though He wants us all to choose him, He still allows those who reject His goodness to have what they have chosen--an eternity without Him.
Since God is light, they will have no light; He is love, they will experience no love; He is good, they will know no goodness; He is hope, they will have no hope.
Have you chosen Him?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But He stands alone, and who can oppose Him? He does whatever He pleases.
God stands alone, the only God, none equals Him. There is no other anywhere in all Creation that can stand beside Him; He has no rival.
He has the power and authority to do whatever He pleases, and He only pleases to do what is good--for our benefit and for His glory. Even when He punishes the wicked, it displays His power, authority and goodness to those who love Him.
His favor extends to every man (mankind), but not every man chooses Him. He has given us the authority to choose, and, even though He wants us all to choose him, He still allows those who reject His goodness to have what they have chosen--an eternity without Him.
Since God is light, they will have no light; He is love, they will experience no love; He is good, they will know no goodness; He is hope, they will have no hope.
Have you chosen Him?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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