Matthew 2:16-18
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah (31:15) was fulfilled:
"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
Sometimes when we do what is right, other people suffer for it. These Benjamite children were innocent, but were murdered by a wicked king.
We are to mourn with those who have sustained a loss, but we are never to not do what is right in order to spare some one else the negative consequences. God is still in control, and when other people experience sorrow or loss or other trouble because of our doing right, then God's plan for those other people is to carry them through whatever they're facing. We each have our own road to travel with our Lord, and they have theirs.
We only need to make sure that the trouble others face is not the result of our own selfishness or neglect. I know that my own careless words have resulted in broken hearts, when I could have kept that muzzle on my mouth.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Be Prepared
Matthew 25:1-13
The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Five foolish and Five wise, ends with this conclusion:
(v. 13) Be on the alert then [therefore keep watch], for you do not know the day nor the hour.
This is a warning to be constantly on the alert, and to prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom.
These are the virgins, the friends of the Bride (we, the church, are the Bride), but their example to us is to be prepared ahead of time, before we see Him or hear Him call us from within the clouds. As His Bride, we will be called up to be with Him without warning, except to see all the "end times" happenings taking place all at the same time. We should recognize when it is near, maybe even the season, but we won't know the exact day or hour.
So we need to be preparing for Him every day, because He can be coming now any day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Five foolish and Five wise, ends with this conclusion:
(v. 13) Be on the alert then [therefore keep watch], for you do not know the day nor the hour.
This is a warning to be constantly on the alert, and to prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom.
These are the virgins, the friends of the Bride (we, the church, are the Bride), but their example to us is to be prepared ahead of time, before we see Him or hear Him call us from within the clouds. As His Bride, we will be called up to be with Him without warning, except to see all the "end times" happenings taking place all at the same time. We should recognize when it is near, maybe even the season, but we won't know the exact day or hour.
So we need to be preparing for Him every day, because He can be coming now any day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Jesus Took YOUR Place On The Cross
Acts 4:12
For there is no other name by which we must be saved. -- Jesus, God's Christ.
I Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man, Christ Jesus. --
There is no mediatrix, or any priest or minister that can negotiate between God and mankind, other than Jesus, Himself.
Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. --
When Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit, she thought she was doing a good thing. She had sinned a personal sin. But when Adam ate it, he knew he was disobeying God.
I Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die; --
We know enough today about DNA and genes and how traits are "inherited" from our parents, and how the mother and the father each contribute different traits.
Adam would pass along his "original sin" to every other person born into the human race, so each of us is born with that "sin-nature," that bent that draws every one of us into thinking that we know better, we're smart enough to make our own decisions; we are our own god. That's what leads us into making the poor decisions that cause our problems, missing the bull's eye.
We are each born into this life already under condemnation.
II Corinthians 5:21
God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin ... --
Jesus didn't die for certain sins, He took the whole basket, our sin-nature, which is the root and fountainhead of every sin, from the smallest to the most horrendous.
... for us, --
In our place, just as a lawyer will represent us and speak for us before the judge.
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. --
This is a possibility for us now, that we might become, not just have, God's own righteousness. But only when we face our own frailty and culpability, and recognize God for Who He is and what He's done for us, and let Jesus take our place in the death each one of us deserves on the Cross.
Isaiah 53:12
... And he (1) bare the sin of many, and (2) made intercession for the transgressors. --
This is the chapter that describes Jesus so accurately that Jewish people today who study it recognize Him as their Messiah. Jesus' Divine blood had endless value, to cover all sins everywhere. Often in doctrinal passages, "many" actually refers to "all;" and "sin" is the sin-nature, "sins" are individual acts.
The end of this verse, essentially, is saying, "Jesus' blood ransomed all those who have been born with a sin-nature, and paid in full the whole debt of those who have disobeyed a law."
So babies, even though born with a sin-nature, are covered; and those who have reached the "age of accountability" and deliberately disobeyed a rule, can be redeemed by admitting their guilt, and letting Jesus pay their debt for them.
God does not leave out anyone, no matter who they are, when or where they live, or what kind of life they've lived. All we need to do is just turn around, He's there with arms stretched out to receive every one of us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For there is no other name by which we must be saved. -- Jesus, God's Christ.
I Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man, Christ Jesus. --
There is no mediatrix, or any priest or minister that can negotiate between God and mankind, other than Jesus, Himself.
Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. --
When Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit, she thought she was doing a good thing. She had sinned a personal sin. But when Adam ate it, he knew he was disobeying God.
I Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die; --
We know enough today about DNA and genes and how traits are "inherited" from our parents, and how the mother and the father each contribute different traits.
Adam would pass along his "original sin" to every other person born into the human race, so each of us is born with that "sin-nature," that bent that draws every one of us into thinking that we know better, we're smart enough to make our own decisions; we are our own god. That's what leads us into making the poor decisions that cause our problems, missing the bull's eye.
We are each born into this life already under condemnation.
II Corinthians 5:21
God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin ... --
Jesus didn't die for certain sins, He took the whole basket, our sin-nature, which is the root and fountainhead of every sin, from the smallest to the most horrendous.
... for us, --
In our place, just as a lawyer will represent us and speak for us before the judge.
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. --
This is a possibility for us now, that we might become, not just have, God's own righteousness. But only when we face our own frailty and culpability, and recognize God for Who He is and what He's done for us, and let Jesus take our place in the death each one of us deserves on the Cross.
Isaiah 53:12
... And he (1) bare the sin of many, and (2) made intercession for the transgressors. --
This is the chapter that describes Jesus so accurately that Jewish people today who study it recognize Him as their Messiah. Jesus' Divine blood had endless value, to cover all sins everywhere. Often in doctrinal passages, "many" actually refers to "all;" and "sin" is the sin-nature, "sins" are individual acts.
The end of this verse, essentially, is saying, "Jesus' blood ransomed all those who have been born with a sin-nature, and paid in full the whole debt of those who have disobeyed a law."
So babies, even though born with a sin-nature, are covered; and those who have reached the "age of accountability" and deliberately disobeyed a rule, can be redeemed by admitting their guilt, and letting Jesus pay their debt for them.
God does not leave out anyone, no matter who they are, when or where they live, or what kind of life they've lived. All we need to do is just turn around, He's there with arms stretched out to receive every one of us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, September 12, 2016
Candy For Your Soul
Psalm 97
The Lord reigns; let the Earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Fire goes before Him, and burns up His adversaries round about.
His lightnings light up the world; the Earth saw and trembled.
The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth.
The Heavens declare His righteousness.
And all the peoples have seen His glory.
Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images,
Who boast themselves of idols;
Worship Him, all you gods.
Zion heard this and was glad,
And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced
Because of Thy judgments, O Lord,
For Thou art the Lord Most High over all the Earth;
Thou art exalted far above all gods.
Hate evil, you who love the Lord,
Who preserves the souls of His godly ones;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown like seed for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones;
And give thanks to His holy Name.
Wow, this is like candy to the soul!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord reigns; let the Earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Fire goes before Him, and burns up His adversaries round about.
His lightnings light up the world; the Earth saw and trembled.
The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth.
The Heavens declare His righteousness.
And all the peoples have seen His glory.
Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images,
Who boast themselves of idols;
Worship Him, all you gods.
Zion heard this and was glad,
And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced
Because of Thy judgments, O Lord,
For Thou art the Lord Most High over all the Earth;
Thou art exalted far above all gods.
Hate evil, you who love the Lord,
Who preserves the souls of His godly ones;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown like seed for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones;
And give thanks to His holy Name.
Wow, this is like candy to the soul!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, September 11, 2016
The Prophesy Of Joel
Joel is all about the Day of the Lord.
Chapter 1 is twenty verses of devastation in the land of Israel. He starts off saying,
(v. 2) Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors?
The implied answer is, "No!"
It will be a story worth telling to their children, their grandchildren, and even their great grandchildren.
(1:15 and 2:11) Alas for that Day! For the Day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. ... The Day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
Who can endure it? In Matthew 4:21-22 and Mark 13:19-20 Jesus tells us that if God had not shortened the days (to only 7 years?) then "no flesh" would survive. Because this Day will be ultimately destructive to our Earth (see Revelation).
(v. 10) Before them the Earth shakes, the Heavens tremble, the Sun and Moon are darkened, and the Stars no longer shine.
(v. 31) The Sun will be turned to darkness and the Moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord.
(3:15) The Sun and Moon will be darkened, and the Stars no longer shine.
Revelation 6:12-13, 8:12, Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:24-25 and Luke 21:25 all talk about these same astronautical phenomenons of observable changes in the Sun, Moon and Stars, immediately preceding the Glorious Appearing.
Chapter 2 talks about God's mighty locust army that,
(v. 4) have the appearance of horses.
So they're locusts that look like horses; Revelation talks about this same thing, with much more description of them in chapter 9, verses 7 to 10.
Then right in the middle of all this gloom-and-doom, Joel says that there's still an opportunity to not be among those who are judged. He says,
(2:12-14) "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing--grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
Even though Joel is pronouncing God's judgments on Judah and Israel, there is still room for them to change their minds and decide to do things God's way. And He just might turn the planned judgment into a blessing!
Then the following passage (vs. 15-27) describes all the blessings God will shower upon His people when they do turn around their attitudes and actions, and God even says that,
(v. 25) "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten."
This is a promise for all of God's people, not just for the Hebrews. As Christians today, we can claim this promise, and expect our Heavenly Father to restore what our own foolish choices have lost us, when we also turn our own attitudes and thinking processes around from the World's ways to align with God's ways for us.
Now in chapter 3 Joel talks quite a bit on what we refer to as the "Battle of Armageddon" (from Revelation 16:16), calling the place the Valley of Jehoshaphat (vs. 2, 12) and the Valley of Decision (twice in v. 14), as a judgment of the Nations for their treatment of Israel and the Jews, to
(3:2) put them on trial for what they did to My inheritance, My people Israel, and
(3:19) because of violence done to the people of Judah.
In Matthew 25:31-40 Jesus says that when the Son of Man comes in His glory with His holy ones, He will sit on His throne of glory and judge the Nations, according to how they treated, "the least of these, My brethren" (v. 40).
We are those Nations, the individuals who choose our leaders with our votes, or allow them to rule us through not bothering to vote or voice our views. We are responsible to be on the side of God's people Israel, as they are again a Nation among the Nations of the World, and to help those who are still dispersed to meet their material and spiritual needs, or to even do what we can to help them make aliyah back home to their ancient land of Israel.
This little 3-chapter book is so densely filled with meaning, I don't think I've even scratched the surface of it's depth.
If you have further thoughts on any of this, I welcome your comments, and will consider your views.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Chapter 1 is twenty verses of devastation in the land of Israel. He starts off saying,
(v. 2) Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors?
The implied answer is, "No!"
It will be a story worth telling to their children, their grandchildren, and even their great grandchildren.
(1:15 and 2:11) Alas for that Day! For the Day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. ... The Day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
Who can endure it? In Matthew 4:21-22 and Mark 13:19-20 Jesus tells us that if God had not shortened the days (to only 7 years?) then "no flesh" would survive. Because this Day will be ultimately destructive to our Earth (see Revelation).
(v. 10) Before them the Earth shakes, the Heavens tremble, the Sun and Moon are darkened, and the Stars no longer shine.
(v. 31) The Sun will be turned to darkness and the Moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord.
(3:15) The Sun and Moon will be darkened, and the Stars no longer shine.
Revelation 6:12-13, 8:12, Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:24-25 and Luke 21:25 all talk about these same astronautical phenomenons of observable changes in the Sun, Moon and Stars, immediately preceding the Glorious Appearing.
Chapter 2 talks about God's mighty locust army that,
(v. 4) have the appearance of horses.
So they're locusts that look like horses; Revelation talks about this same thing, with much more description of them in chapter 9, verses 7 to 10.
Then right in the middle of all this gloom-and-doom, Joel says that there's still an opportunity to not be among those who are judged. He says,
(2:12-14) "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing--grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
Even though Joel is pronouncing God's judgments on Judah and Israel, there is still room for them to change their minds and decide to do things God's way. And He just might turn the planned judgment into a blessing!
Then the following passage (vs. 15-27) describes all the blessings God will shower upon His people when they do turn around their attitudes and actions, and God even says that,
(v. 25) "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten."
This is a promise for all of God's people, not just for the Hebrews. As Christians today, we can claim this promise, and expect our Heavenly Father to restore what our own foolish choices have lost us, when we also turn our own attitudes and thinking processes around from the World's ways to align with God's ways for us.
Now in chapter 3 Joel talks quite a bit on what we refer to as the "Battle of Armageddon" (from Revelation 16:16), calling the place the Valley of Jehoshaphat (vs. 2, 12) and the Valley of Decision (twice in v. 14), as a judgment of the Nations for their treatment of Israel and the Jews, to
(3:2) put them on trial for what they did to My inheritance, My people Israel, and
(3:19) because of violence done to the people of Judah.
In Matthew 25:31-40 Jesus says that when the Son of Man comes in His glory with His holy ones, He will sit on His throne of glory and judge the Nations, according to how they treated, "the least of these, My brethren" (v. 40).
We are those Nations, the individuals who choose our leaders with our votes, or allow them to rule us through not bothering to vote or voice our views. We are responsible to be on the side of God's people Israel, as they are again a Nation among the Nations of the World, and to help those who are still dispersed to meet their material and spiritual needs, or to even do what we can to help them make aliyah back home to their ancient land of Israel.
This little 3-chapter book is so densely filled with meaning, I don't think I've even scratched the surface of it's depth.
If you have further thoughts on any of this, I welcome your comments, and will consider your views.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 10, 2016
The Throne Of The Lord
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!
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!
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!
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