Day #230: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 15th
Scripture Reading: Daniel 7 - 12 …
That this world as we know it will end is the clear teaching of the Bible, God's Word. Most people who are alive today do not believe the Bible is true, and even many of those who consider themselves to be Bible "scholars" and teachers consider the book of Daniel to have been written AFTER the events it describes had already happened. How could Daniel have written these things with such detail and accuracy? The answer, of course, lies in the FACT that Daniel was given these visions by God through the angel, Gabriel. How could Daniel know the future? ... because GOD knows the future and He chose to reveal it to Daniel AND to us, through Daniel!
Some of Daniel's visions regarded the immediate future. Even before Daniel and some of the other Jews who were in captivity in Babylon returned to Jerusalem, as God had said they would through the prophet Jeremiah, the kingdom of Babylon was overtaken by the Medes and Persians. Not long after that, the kingdom of Greece defeated them, as is described in the visions, and that was followed by the Roman Empire. All of this happened exactly as God had revealed to Daniel. But there was more ...
God also revealed things to Daniel about the DISTANT future - the time of the end, the time of wrath. We always need to remember that God exists beyond time. As He reveals the future, it is as though it is all one time to God, yet there is a gradual unfolding of His plan throughout time. To those who believe and teach that the visions of Daniel were all fulfilled prior to Jesus being born, I need only to refer to Matthew 24, where Jesus is teaching His disciples about FUTURE events and He refers to the prophet Daniel and what he had written (Matthew 24:15). If these events had all been fulfilled previously, then Jesus is wrong in teaching that some of what Daniel saw had not yet happened, but would be fulfilled in the future, just before He returned!
With that in mind, it is easy to understand that Daniel's visions include things that would be fulfilled in the years between Daniel and the birth of Christ, while other things would be fulfilled at a later time. For instance, Chapter 8 gives a description of the events leading up to the destruction of the Medes and Persians by the Greeks. All of that happened just as it was revealed to Daniel. History shows the accuracy of Daniel's vision - so much so that those who do not believe in predictive prophecy claim that Daniel was written later, after these events had already taken place. But God does this to confirm that since these things came true, the rest will also take place just as Daniel wrote ... during the time of the end.
An example is Daniel 7:20-22. Read those verses and then read Revelation 13:5-7. Both speak of the same event and the apostle John writes several hundred years after Daniel and about sixty years after Jesus was crucified, rose again and ascended into heaven ... and even after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. That proves that some of the things revealed in Daniel's visions lie in the future, when God will bring His judgment on this world and pour out His wrath on the Antichrist and those who follow him. All of that is described in more detail in Chapter 9:24-27.
These verses have been the subject of so much discussion over the past few decades and longer because they so clearly point to God's dealings with "Daniel's people," the Jews, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Gabriel says specifically, "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city ..." (9:24). Daniel's people were the Jews and their holy city was Jerusalem. Without going into all of the details, history reveals that from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the crucifixion of Jesus was 483 years ... "69 'sevens'" or "weeks of years." This portion of Daniel is not so much a vision as it is a revelation, a teaching.
During the entire "seventy 'sevens'" Daniel is told that several things would happen: "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy" (9:24). Verses 25-26 explain that some of these things will happen in the time-frame of the first "sixty-nine 'sevens,'" but then there is the last "seven," the seventieth "seven" ... Verse 26 indicates that there is an interruption ... a gap, between the first sixty-nine weeks of years (483 years) and the last seven. Verse 25 said God would deal specifically with the Jewish people for "seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens" = 69 "sevens" ... and verse 26 says,
"After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One (the Christ) will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood; war will continue until the end and desolations have been decreed." Then verse 27 speaks of a future ruler (from the people who destroyed the sanctuary - the Roman Empire), who will confirm a covenant for one "seven" ... then break the covenant in the middle of the "seven" and do what the rest of the verse says. Jesus refers to THIS time in Matthew 24:15 and following as future ...
All of this points to the coming of the Antichrist and much has been written about all of this ... enough to confuse even the most diligent Bible student!! What does it all mean? Can we know and understand these things? The answer to that question lies in Chapter 12, verses 9-10, as the angel says, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand."
If we are nearing the time of the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24) and the end of this age, then those who are given wisdom from God by His Spirit will understand these things. While many have written about this time in great detail and there seem to be many ideas and theories, God IS giving understanding of these things during this time in which we are living. How far in the future do the events of Daniel's "seventieth 'seven'" lie? We do not know for sure, but the re-establishment of "Daniel's people," the Jews, in the land God gave to Abraham and his descendants more than 4,000 years ago indicates that we are nearing the return of Christ and the unfolding of the rest of God's plan as it is revealed in Daniel, Revelation, Matthew and elsewhere in Scripture.
The time of the end WILL come ... just as God has said it will. You will do well to believe ALL that God says, to place your faith and to find your hope in Jesus Christ, the "Anointed One" and to know that what Daniel predicts about HIM (Chapter 7:9-14) WILL take place and HIS kingdom will be established and will endure FOREVER!! Believing the prophecy in Daniel's visions and placing your faith in Jesus Christ leads to a life lived with hope and with purpose, for the God who revealed these things to Daniel through the angel Gabriel now speaks by His Word and Spirit to those who believe. Read, study and learn about these things - for yourself and for others, so that when that day comes you will know what God is doing and be used of God to warn others! Jesus is LIFE, and all who come to Him will be saved!!
"Almighty God, my Creator and my Savior, I am in awe of Your power and majesty and wisdom! Your Word reveals who You are and Your plan for mankind and for all who believe in Your Son Jesus Christ. HIS kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and we who believe will exist forever in Your perfect presence. Help me to live today in such a way that my life is a testimony to others as I share Your truth with them, that some might believe and be saved. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
"The tongue has the power of life and death ..."
Day #229: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 14th
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 17 - 18 …
With 24-hour cable news networks, countless talk shows, endless means of communication and the ability to "speak your piece" about anything to anybody, people would do well to listen more and talk less. With wisdom from the Lord, Solomon writes, "The tongue has the power of life and death" (18:21). Words can build up or tear down, and words can cause the destruction even of nations. Relationships are often destroyed by careless words. It is better to choose your words wisely than have to backtrack and spend hours trying to explain or retract what you have already said. So much of what Solomon writes in his proverbs connects your words with the attitude of your heart. Words reveal what is inside.
At first glance, Proverbs may appear to be a string of disconnected "sayings" that are fun to quote but which hold little in the form of practical application. However, the overall theme is visible throughout as the wise man and the fool are contrasted in virtually every area of life. Wisdom is connected with listening, watching your tongue, a cheerful and humble spirit; while foolishness is linked with gossip and strife and lying and pride. Here is an example: "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends" (17:9). A simple truth that when applied to life results in two totally difference consequences.
The continuity of God's Word is seen repeatedly as you compare the words of Solomon in Proverbs with other portions of Scripture. Solomon writes, "Better a crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife" (17:1), and "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out" (17:14). The apostle Paul writes this in Romans: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (12:18). Getting the last word is not wisdom. "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions" (18:2). That's another way of saying that fools like to hear themselves talk! "He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame" (18:13). "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue" (17:27-28).
How you speak reveals the attitude of your heart and whether or not you have learned wisdom from the Lord. Learning to listen and to hold your tongue at the appropriate times will allow your words to be heard when you actually have something important to say! Those who know the Lord desire to speak His truth, not our own opinions. If we always speak more than we listen our audience will be small, and it should be our prayer that everyone hears God's Word and comes to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. So we need to heed the counsel of Solomon as he speaks the words the Spirit of God gave him.
Interspersed with wisdom concerning our tongues is further wisdom about our relationships with others that are so affected by our words. "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children" (17:6). Family relationships are so often torn in this world where there seems to be little respect for others and children learn early how to behave - often from the wrong sources. For this proverb to be true parents must take the initiative early in teaching their children the truths revealed in God's Word and point them to Jesus Christ to help them overcome their sinful nature (yes, children have a sinful nature, too!). Children need to be taught to choose their friends wisely: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (17:17). Many people have gone down the path of destruction because of harmful associations early in life. It DOES matter who your friends are!
Ultimately, it comes down to this: "There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (18:24). There is only ONE who qualifies as THE friend who will always be there for those who know Him: Jesus Christ. By His Word and Spirit Jesus speaks to you and me and walks with us through this life. With everything that is going on all around us every day, He is faithful and the knowledge of His love and grace and presence brings joy to the soul of those who love Him back. "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (17:22). "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe" (18:10).
Make it your desire to gain knowledge from the Lord that leads to wisdom. Then apply God's wisdom to your life each day, understanding that each day belongs to Him. Whatever you plan, be sure that God is in the middle of it - whether it is a day of work or vacation, a time with family or time spent alone or with friends ... set your heart and mind on things above and make it your goal to please the Lord today and He WILL be with you and give you a cheerful spirit to sustain you. And remember, the tongue ... YOUR tongue ... has the power of life and death today. Use your words wisely, to build up and not tear down. Speak truth in love and ask God to use you to speak a word of encouragement or correction or peace to someone else. And be ready to listen as God sends someone else to speak to you. In so doing, you will honor the Lord and grow in wisdom as you use this day to serve Him!
"O Lord, my God, as I go through each day remind me that You have called me to be an ambassador of Your kingdom ... a kingdom so many around me do not know exists. Give me wisdom to use my words wisely and to be as ready to listen as I am to speak. Help me to discern when to hold my tongue and when to speak truth, and give me an attitude of humility and compassion toward those whom I meet. You are my God and I rest in You. May my life give You joy today, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 17 - 18 …
With 24-hour cable news networks, countless talk shows, endless means of communication and the ability to "speak your piece" about anything to anybody, people would do well to listen more and talk less. With wisdom from the Lord, Solomon writes, "The tongue has the power of life and death" (18:21). Words can build up or tear down, and words can cause the destruction even of nations. Relationships are often destroyed by careless words. It is better to choose your words wisely than have to backtrack and spend hours trying to explain or retract what you have already said. So much of what Solomon writes in his proverbs connects your words with the attitude of your heart. Words reveal what is inside.
At first glance, Proverbs may appear to be a string of disconnected "sayings" that are fun to quote but which hold little in the form of practical application. However, the overall theme is visible throughout as the wise man and the fool are contrasted in virtually every area of life. Wisdom is connected with listening, watching your tongue, a cheerful and humble spirit; while foolishness is linked with gossip and strife and lying and pride. Here is an example: "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends" (17:9). A simple truth that when applied to life results in two totally difference consequences.
The continuity of God's Word is seen repeatedly as you compare the words of Solomon in Proverbs with other portions of Scripture. Solomon writes, "Better a crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife" (17:1), and "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out" (17:14). The apostle Paul writes this in Romans: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (12:18). Getting the last word is not wisdom. "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions" (18:2). That's another way of saying that fools like to hear themselves talk! "He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame" (18:13). "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue" (17:27-28).
How you speak reveals the attitude of your heart and whether or not you have learned wisdom from the Lord. Learning to listen and to hold your tongue at the appropriate times will allow your words to be heard when you actually have something important to say! Those who know the Lord desire to speak His truth, not our own opinions. If we always speak more than we listen our audience will be small, and it should be our prayer that everyone hears God's Word and comes to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. So we need to heed the counsel of Solomon as he speaks the words the Spirit of God gave him.
Interspersed with wisdom concerning our tongues is further wisdom about our relationships with others that are so affected by our words. "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children" (17:6). Family relationships are so often torn in this world where there seems to be little respect for others and children learn early how to behave - often from the wrong sources. For this proverb to be true parents must take the initiative early in teaching their children the truths revealed in God's Word and point them to Jesus Christ to help them overcome their sinful nature (yes, children have a sinful nature, too!). Children need to be taught to choose their friends wisely: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (17:17). Many people have gone down the path of destruction because of harmful associations early in life. It DOES matter who your friends are!
Ultimately, it comes down to this: "There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (18:24). There is only ONE who qualifies as THE friend who will always be there for those who know Him: Jesus Christ. By His Word and Spirit Jesus speaks to you and me and walks with us through this life. With everything that is going on all around us every day, He is faithful and the knowledge of His love and grace and presence brings joy to the soul of those who love Him back. "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (17:22). "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe" (18:10).
Make it your desire to gain knowledge from the Lord that leads to wisdom. Then apply God's wisdom to your life each day, understanding that each day belongs to Him. Whatever you plan, be sure that God is in the middle of it - whether it is a day of work or vacation, a time with family or time spent alone or with friends ... set your heart and mind on things above and make it your goal to please the Lord today and He WILL be with you and give you a cheerful spirit to sustain you. And remember, the tongue ... YOUR tongue ... has the power of life and death today. Use your words wisely, to build up and not tear down. Speak truth in love and ask God to use you to speak a word of encouragement or correction or peace to someone else. And be ready to listen as God sends someone else to speak to you. In so doing, you will honor the Lord and grow in wisdom as you use this day to serve Him!
"O Lord, my God, as I go through each day remind me that You have called me to be an ambassador of Your kingdom ... a kingdom so many around me do not know exists. Give me wisdom to use my words wisely and to be as ready to listen as I am to speak. Help me to discern when to hold my tongue and when to speak truth, and give me an attitude of humility and compassion toward those whom I meet. You are my God and I rest in You. May my life give You joy today, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
"Rejoicing in the glory of God!"
Day #228: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 13th
Scripture Reading: Psalms 96 - 98 …
If you are reading this it is because you have some knowledge of God and some interest in God's Word. Do you realize how rare that is? Do you have any idea how few people today, or even throughout history, have worshiped the true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Knowing God is the greatest gift anyone can receive, for the knowledge of God comes only through His Word and through the instruction of His Spirit within you. No one can know God apart from His Word and Spirit. But once you DO know God, the natural response is JOY!!
That joy is expressed in the Psalms in our reading today. Joy seems elusive in our world, with all the consequences of sin affecting every aspect of our lives. Yet, those who know God can sing, worship and rejoice in HIM. How few people understand this? How few people DO this?? Christianity is not a religion that calls us to follow a bunch of rules so we feel good about ourselves and pretend that we are good enough to go to heaven when we die! Being a Christian is having a relationship with the living God, our Creator, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Even before Jesus came, there were a few people who were filled with God's Spirit and who responded in true joy in the Lord. If you go back to Psalm 95 you begin to hear and feel the expressions of this inner joy from the heart of the Psalmist: "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation" (95:1). Then to Psalm 96: "Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His glory day after day!" (96:1-2). And Psalm 98: "Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things ... shout for joy before the LORD, the King!" (98:1,6).
Worship is more than an experience ... yet it IS a glorious experience! Gathering with other believers to praise the Lord, our God, and to find our joy, our hope, our peace in Him is a taste of heaven. So why doesn't everybody do it? Because they don't know God! The theme of these Psalms reveals the motive for our worship and the source of our joy: "Our God reigns!" "The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad!" (97:1). Why is that so important and how does that inspire true joy?
Have you looked around you lately? This world is falling apart and the human race is trying desperately to solve the problems of the world, be it disease, hatred, war, famine, weather or any number of other things. Evil is on the rise and terror strikes the hearts of millions every day. Those who are realistic confess that there is little to give us hope that things will get better. So where do we find joy? In the knowledge that "the LORD reigns," and that God will judge the earth fairly. That's right, our joy comes in knowing that God will judge the earth and the people in it with righteousness and justice.
God's "glory" is His absolute perfection and as such He cannot look upon sin. The Psalmist speaks about salvation and says that we who believe should "proclaim His salvation day after day" (96:2). God's salvation is not some theory or formula to be applied to life, but rather, deliverance from the oppressive weight of sin and its guilt and shame. Those who are evil are so overcome by the sin within them that they do not even feel shame. Many are telling people today that shame and guilt are the fault of people like me who tell people that they are sinners. They truly do not understand that it is only in confessing your sin that you find freedom, for God offers forgiveness through His Son, the Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Psalmist knew the salvation of God nearly a thousand years before Jesus was born because the Holy Spirit revealed to him that God was patient, kind, compassionate and merciful, and in the sacrifices and ceremonies and feasts at the tabernacle and the temple God showed those who believed a way to come to Him ... by faith in His promise of forgiveness. Without forgiveness no one will stand in the presence of God and be saved from their sin - NO ONE! It may seem odd that joy would be tied to judgment, but think about it ... it is when you know you deserve judgment and you are forgiven that you experience the deepest joy in the Lord!
God is WORTHY of praise! He is worthy of all that I can give ... but I don't give it to Him. Sin is taking the life God gave you and living it for yourself. But when you know God's salvation, when you really believe that He has provided an escape from His coming judgment on the world, when you know that you have been forgiven and that you will spend eternity with your Father in heaven in a perfect world ... guess what you do ... you REJOICE in the glory of God! You give thanks for His mercy and His grace and you live your life for HIM, by the power of His Spirit working within you, not because you HAVE to, but because you WANT to!!
"Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name" (97:10-12). This is the calling of all who know God. Some within Israel had experienced the renewing power of their God and trusted in Him. Their hope was not in their circumstances, but rather, in their God. Their joy was expressed in worship and so must ours be.
I pray today that you will consider the glory of God ... His absolute perfection, His majesty, His power and His justice. And I pray that you will be humble before Him, confessing your sin, trusting in the blood of Jesus shed once for all on the cross for forgiveness, and that you will then find joy ... true JOY, in knowing, loving and serving the God who reigns over all the earth. Jesus will come again to judge the earth in righteousness and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord! That gives me joy today and motivates me to proclaim the salvation of our God. I hope it does the same for you.
"Heavenly Father, Your glory is beyond what I can possibly understand, yet You have revealed Yourself in Your creation and in Your Son and in Your Word so that at this moment I can know You and worship You with JOY!! I praise You today for You are worthy to be praised and I thank You for Your forgiveness. Use me today in some way to glorify You, to exalt Your name, to declare that You alone are God. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Psalms 96 - 98 …
If you are reading this it is because you have some knowledge of God and some interest in God's Word. Do you realize how rare that is? Do you have any idea how few people today, or even throughout history, have worshiped the true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Knowing God is the greatest gift anyone can receive, for the knowledge of God comes only through His Word and through the instruction of His Spirit within you. No one can know God apart from His Word and Spirit. But once you DO know God, the natural response is JOY!!
That joy is expressed in the Psalms in our reading today. Joy seems elusive in our world, with all the consequences of sin affecting every aspect of our lives. Yet, those who know God can sing, worship and rejoice in HIM. How few people understand this? How few people DO this?? Christianity is not a religion that calls us to follow a bunch of rules so we feel good about ourselves and pretend that we are good enough to go to heaven when we die! Being a Christian is having a relationship with the living God, our Creator, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Even before Jesus came, there were a few people who were filled with God's Spirit and who responded in true joy in the Lord. If you go back to Psalm 95 you begin to hear and feel the expressions of this inner joy from the heart of the Psalmist: "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation" (95:1). Then to Psalm 96: "Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His glory day after day!" (96:1-2). And Psalm 98: "Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things ... shout for joy before the LORD, the King!" (98:1,6).
Worship is more than an experience ... yet it IS a glorious experience! Gathering with other believers to praise the Lord, our God, and to find our joy, our hope, our peace in Him is a taste of heaven. So why doesn't everybody do it? Because they don't know God! The theme of these Psalms reveals the motive for our worship and the source of our joy: "Our God reigns!" "The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad!" (97:1). Why is that so important and how does that inspire true joy?
Have you looked around you lately? This world is falling apart and the human race is trying desperately to solve the problems of the world, be it disease, hatred, war, famine, weather or any number of other things. Evil is on the rise and terror strikes the hearts of millions every day. Those who are realistic confess that there is little to give us hope that things will get better. So where do we find joy? In the knowledge that "the LORD reigns," and that God will judge the earth fairly. That's right, our joy comes in knowing that God will judge the earth and the people in it with righteousness and justice.
God's "glory" is His absolute perfection and as such He cannot look upon sin. The Psalmist speaks about salvation and says that we who believe should "proclaim His salvation day after day" (96:2). God's salvation is not some theory or formula to be applied to life, but rather, deliverance from the oppressive weight of sin and its guilt and shame. Those who are evil are so overcome by the sin within them that they do not even feel shame. Many are telling people today that shame and guilt are the fault of people like me who tell people that they are sinners. They truly do not understand that it is only in confessing your sin that you find freedom, for God offers forgiveness through His Son, the Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Psalmist knew the salvation of God nearly a thousand years before Jesus was born because the Holy Spirit revealed to him that God was patient, kind, compassionate and merciful, and in the sacrifices and ceremonies and feasts at the tabernacle and the temple God showed those who believed a way to come to Him ... by faith in His promise of forgiveness. Without forgiveness no one will stand in the presence of God and be saved from their sin - NO ONE! It may seem odd that joy would be tied to judgment, but think about it ... it is when you know you deserve judgment and you are forgiven that you experience the deepest joy in the Lord!
God is WORTHY of praise! He is worthy of all that I can give ... but I don't give it to Him. Sin is taking the life God gave you and living it for yourself. But when you know God's salvation, when you really believe that He has provided an escape from His coming judgment on the world, when you know that you have been forgiven and that you will spend eternity with your Father in heaven in a perfect world ... guess what you do ... you REJOICE in the glory of God! You give thanks for His mercy and His grace and you live your life for HIM, by the power of His Spirit working within you, not because you HAVE to, but because you WANT to!!
"Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name" (97:10-12). This is the calling of all who know God. Some within Israel had experienced the renewing power of their God and trusted in Him. Their hope was not in their circumstances, but rather, in their God. Their joy was expressed in worship and so must ours be.
I pray today that you will consider the glory of God ... His absolute perfection, His majesty, His power and His justice. And I pray that you will be humble before Him, confessing your sin, trusting in the blood of Jesus shed once for all on the cross for forgiveness, and that you will then find joy ... true JOY, in knowing, loving and serving the God who reigns over all the earth. Jesus will come again to judge the earth in righteousness and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord! That gives me joy today and motivates me to proclaim the salvation of our God. I hope it does the same for you.
"Heavenly Father, Your glory is beyond what I can possibly understand, yet You have revealed Yourself in Your creation and in Your Son and in Your Word so that at this moment I can know You and worship You with JOY!! I praise You today for You are worthy to be praised and I thank You for Your forgiveness. Use me today in some way to glorify You, to exalt Your name, to declare that You alone are God. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Monday, August 11, 2014
"History: the record of God's working among Israel and the nations …"
Day #227: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 12th
Scripture Reading: I Chronicles 5 - 9 …
While there are a few people who are interested in history, most find it irrelevant and uninteresting. That's because they don't realize that a right understanding of history shapes your identity, your thoughts about life, your perspective and attitudes … and more. You and I are all connected by history and to ignore that truth is to miss what GOD is doing and YOUR part in it! As someone has said, "History is HIS-story!" Nothing that has happened in the past is without meaning. Whatever you may think of history, you are making history today. Your actions today will in some way affect the history of the world until Jesus returns. That should affect how you live today … and whom you live FOR!!
As we continue in the record of the history of Israel in Chronicles, it becomes obvious that God's plans for Israel were not simply for the present. If that were the case, the failure of the Israelites to worship and serve God would have surely led to the failure of God's plan of salvation. God was working in and through these people, but His plan to send the Messiah, the Savior, and to bring salvation through Him were not dependent on what people would or wouldn't do. While God at times displayed His glory in Israel, He would also display His holiness and justice through His judgment on them as well. God's love for them led to discipline, but He would not forsake them entirely. He would keep His promise to restore them and to establish His kingdom through the future reign of the Messiah, who would come from the tribe of Judah.
Reading through the list of tribes is a reminder that God had already kept His promise to make a great nation from the descendants of Abraham … that small group of seventy people who went into Egypt during the time of Jacob. Chronicles picks up with the people in the promised land and gives just sketchy information on how they got there. A more complete history is found in Joshua, Judges and I and II Kings. Still, there are some interesting details in these chapters on the genealogies and records of the twelve tribes of Israel.
One of these is in Chapter 6, verse 31, where the temple musicians are mentioned. David put men in charge of the music in the tabernacle and they later served in the temple that Solomon built. We may forget that the tabernacle was the place of worship during the reign of King David. The people had been in the promised land for a while, but the temple had not yet been built. They brought sacrifices to the tabernacle in Hebron, and then to Jerusalem, the "City of David." Music was an important part of the worship of God then, as it is now.
Music was and is a way to praise and exalt God and at the same time for God to speak to His people. The Psalms spoke to those who sang as they offered their worship to God. Songs used in worship should do the same today. It is important that songs be "theologically correct." They must speak and teach truth according to God's Word and not express merely human emotions that may or may not be pleasing to God. The importance of music in worship should not be underestimated because it is God Himself who designed that it would be an instrument to bring Him honor.
In Chapter 9, we read more details of the service of the priests, Levites and temple servants (9:2). After the exile in Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple, the worship of God was re-instituted and the Levites were again established as servants at the temple. Verse 23 talks about worship at the tabernacle and says, "They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD - the house called the Tent." And verse 27: "They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning."
The life of Israel revolved around worship … so should ours!! Psalm 84 expresses the joy of worship and mentions those who were "gatekeepers" at the house of the Lord: "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!" (Psalm 84:1). "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor …" (Psalm 84:10-11).
Jesus says that He is the "gate" for the sheep (John 10:9). We can enter into the safe pasture of God's presence through faith in Jesus. The gatekeepers of the temple perhaps pointed to Jesus watching over the house of God and then opening the door for those who come to worship. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise!" (Psalm 100:4). What a wonderful privilege to worship and to sing the praises of our God, the God of Israel!!
Live today as though you were making history … because you are! Through Jesus Christ we who believe have access to the sanctuary of God at any time, wherever we are. Worship the Lord today in the beauty of holiness. Rejoice in His love and give thanks for His presence, for the Lord is our strength and our shield … He is our song!! To Him be the glory, forever and ever!! Amen …
"Father, the history of Israel is the history of Your faithfulness to those whom You have chosen to belong to You. Help those of us who believe in Jesus today to learn from the mistakes of those in the past and to offer our praise and thanks to You out of gratitude for all You have done for us in Christ Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit that my worship may be genuine and my life a testimony to Your grace! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: I Chronicles 5 - 9 …
While there are a few people who are interested in history, most find it irrelevant and uninteresting. That's because they don't realize that a right understanding of history shapes your identity, your thoughts about life, your perspective and attitudes … and more. You and I are all connected by history and to ignore that truth is to miss what GOD is doing and YOUR part in it! As someone has said, "History is HIS-story!" Nothing that has happened in the past is without meaning. Whatever you may think of history, you are making history today. Your actions today will in some way affect the history of the world until Jesus returns. That should affect how you live today … and whom you live FOR!!
As we continue in the record of the history of Israel in Chronicles, it becomes obvious that God's plans for Israel were not simply for the present. If that were the case, the failure of the Israelites to worship and serve God would have surely led to the failure of God's plan of salvation. God was working in and through these people, but His plan to send the Messiah, the Savior, and to bring salvation through Him were not dependent on what people would or wouldn't do. While God at times displayed His glory in Israel, He would also display His holiness and justice through His judgment on them as well. God's love for them led to discipline, but He would not forsake them entirely. He would keep His promise to restore them and to establish His kingdom through the future reign of the Messiah, who would come from the tribe of Judah.
Reading through the list of tribes is a reminder that God had already kept His promise to make a great nation from the descendants of Abraham … that small group of seventy people who went into Egypt during the time of Jacob. Chronicles picks up with the people in the promised land and gives just sketchy information on how they got there. A more complete history is found in Joshua, Judges and I and II Kings. Still, there are some interesting details in these chapters on the genealogies and records of the twelve tribes of Israel.
One of these is in Chapter 6, verse 31, where the temple musicians are mentioned. David put men in charge of the music in the tabernacle and they later served in the temple that Solomon built. We may forget that the tabernacle was the place of worship during the reign of King David. The people had been in the promised land for a while, but the temple had not yet been built. They brought sacrifices to the tabernacle in Hebron, and then to Jerusalem, the "City of David." Music was an important part of the worship of God then, as it is now.
Music was and is a way to praise and exalt God and at the same time for God to speak to His people. The Psalms spoke to those who sang as they offered their worship to God. Songs used in worship should do the same today. It is important that songs be "theologically correct." They must speak and teach truth according to God's Word and not express merely human emotions that may or may not be pleasing to God. The importance of music in worship should not be underestimated because it is God Himself who designed that it would be an instrument to bring Him honor.
In Chapter 9, we read more details of the service of the priests, Levites and temple servants (9:2). After the exile in Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple, the worship of God was re-instituted and the Levites were again established as servants at the temple. Verse 23 talks about worship at the tabernacle and says, "They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD - the house called the Tent." And verse 27: "They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning."
The life of Israel revolved around worship … so should ours!! Psalm 84 expresses the joy of worship and mentions those who were "gatekeepers" at the house of the Lord: "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!" (Psalm 84:1). "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor …" (Psalm 84:10-11).
Jesus says that He is the "gate" for the sheep (John 10:9). We can enter into the safe pasture of God's presence through faith in Jesus. The gatekeepers of the temple perhaps pointed to Jesus watching over the house of God and then opening the door for those who come to worship. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise!" (Psalm 100:4). What a wonderful privilege to worship and to sing the praises of our God, the God of Israel!!
Live today as though you were making history … because you are! Through Jesus Christ we who believe have access to the sanctuary of God at any time, wherever we are. Worship the Lord today in the beauty of holiness. Rejoice in His love and give thanks for His presence, for the Lord is our strength and our shield … He is our song!! To Him be the glory, forever and ever!! Amen …
"Father, the history of Israel is the history of Your faithfulness to those whom You have chosen to belong to You. Help those of us who believe in Jesus today to learn from the mistakes of those in the past and to offer our praise and thanks to You out of gratitude for all You have done for us in Christ Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit that my worship may be genuine and my life a testimony to Your grace! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Sunday, August 10, 2014
"The God of the details ..."
Day #226: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 11th
Scripture Reading: Numbers 1 - 4 …
Life is full of details! Those of us who live in the hectic world of technology are at times overcome by all of the things that must be attended to in our lives ... all of the details that use up our time and energy and that flood our minds throughout each day. We have lists of things we need to get done - or at least think we need to get done. Yet even those who live in the poorest areas of the world must deal with certain details, certain necessities ... perhaps even thinking about where the next meal will come from or whether they can get medical care or water or clothes - things that we take for granted. Details are part of life in this world, like it or not. Those who don't tend to details suffer the consequences and often depend on those of us who do!
But is all of the attention to detail good or bad? As you read through the first few chapters of Numbers you notice immediately that GOD is a God of details. God is not a "slave" to details, but rather, orders the details of life in order to accomplish His purposes. Many would do well to understand that being made in the image of God means that we were created to be people who tend to the details. There is a difference between focusing on the details and taking care of them in order to accomplish a greater purpose. In distributing the responsibilities for the camp of the Israelites and the care of the tabernacle God is showing the people that their purpose, indeed, their very existence, centers around the presence and worship of their God!
God was preparing His people to enter the land that He had promised to Abraham and his descendants. They would need an army, so God told them to take a census of all the men in Israel twenty years old or more (1:3). The total number came to 603,550. God had promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation ... God had certainly kept His promise!! Remember that these men had been in slavery in Egypt all their lives. They had been driven by their masters and had worked hard. Now they were to be prepared to fight for their people.
Yet, there was something even more important than having an army to defend them: the care of the tabernacle and the worship of God. This is what distinguished the people of Israel from any other people on earth, just as the worship of the one true God distinguishes those who believe in Jesus today. They were (and we are) a chosen people unto the Lord, their God. The arrangement of the camp was to be according to God's directions. Why such detailed directions? Because God is a God of order!! Paul writes to the Corinthians hundreds of years later that God is a God of order and that everything is to be done in worship in an orderly fashion (I Corinthians 14:33, 40). God is NOT a God of chaos! Some seem to think that freedom in Christ means approaching God any way we want, worshiping God any way we want, serving God any way we want ... but God's Word gives us direction and we benefit from following it!!
The tribe of Levi had been chosen to serve at the tabernacle because when the people were worshiping the golden calf as Moses was on Mt. Sinai talking with the LORD, and Moses told the people to come to him if they wanted to follow the LORD, the tribe of Levi came first (Exodus 32:6). This was not some casual service that the Levites were called to perform. God told Moses to "appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death!" (3:10). Now God said that the Levites were His. Having spared the firstborn of Israel during the last plague in Egypt, God said that He would take the Levites as "redemption" for the firstborn of Israel (3:40-51). All of this points to the redemption that Jesus would offer for each one of His chosen ones on the cross. This is a picture of the truth that God knows each one whom He has chosen and that we who believe by His grace are HIS!!
So long as you or I believe that we are free agents, that our lives belong to ourselves, that we can live however we want and do whatever we want, neglecting our service to God or ignoring God altogether, we are foolishly rejecting God's offer of life in Jesus Christ. As the camp of Israel and all they did was centered around the tabernacle and the worship of God, so the lives of His people today must be and will be the same. Even the Kohathites, who were put in charge of carrying the various parts of the tabernacle on their journey to the promised land did not dare to look at the holy things for even a moment or they would die (4:20). God is HOLY, and He has determined the one way that we can come to Him ... through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ ... and all of this pointed to Him.
As we worship the LORD our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, each day, our minds and hearts should be centered on Him and our faces should be continually seeking Him. I wonder how many people (or how few) live that way. How few people today consider each breath as a gift from God and each day an opportunity to live in His presence and to serve Him in all things? It is in doing so that we become "imitators of God," as Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1-2).
Yes, the God of details calls you and me to be people of details, too, but the priority of our lives must be God Himself. Don't let the details of life cloud your vision and make you forget who you are and whose you are! When you believe in Jesus Christ you are HIS and living for Him becomes the center of all you do in this world and all you will do in eternity. May you live daily to care for the things of God and to worship in His holy temple!!
"O LORD, my God, it is in knowing You and living to worship You daily that my life finds its meaning and purpose. Apart from You there is only self-centered chaos, but with You there is order and direction for life here that leads to eternal life in the world to come. Thank You for opening my eyes to see You for who You are and for moving my heart to love You ... because You first loved ME! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Numbers 1 - 4 …
Life is full of details! Those of us who live in the hectic world of technology are at times overcome by all of the things that must be attended to in our lives ... all of the details that use up our time and energy and that flood our minds throughout each day. We have lists of things we need to get done - or at least think we need to get done. Yet even those who live in the poorest areas of the world must deal with certain details, certain necessities ... perhaps even thinking about where the next meal will come from or whether they can get medical care or water or clothes - things that we take for granted. Details are part of life in this world, like it or not. Those who don't tend to details suffer the consequences and often depend on those of us who do!
But is all of the attention to detail good or bad? As you read through the first few chapters of Numbers you notice immediately that GOD is a God of details. God is not a "slave" to details, but rather, orders the details of life in order to accomplish His purposes. Many would do well to understand that being made in the image of God means that we were created to be people who tend to the details. There is a difference between focusing on the details and taking care of them in order to accomplish a greater purpose. In distributing the responsibilities for the camp of the Israelites and the care of the tabernacle God is showing the people that their purpose, indeed, their very existence, centers around the presence and worship of their God!
God was preparing His people to enter the land that He had promised to Abraham and his descendants. They would need an army, so God told them to take a census of all the men in Israel twenty years old or more (1:3). The total number came to 603,550. God had promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation ... God had certainly kept His promise!! Remember that these men had been in slavery in Egypt all their lives. They had been driven by their masters and had worked hard. Now they were to be prepared to fight for their people.
Yet, there was something even more important than having an army to defend them: the care of the tabernacle and the worship of God. This is what distinguished the people of Israel from any other people on earth, just as the worship of the one true God distinguishes those who believe in Jesus today. They were (and we are) a chosen people unto the Lord, their God. The arrangement of the camp was to be according to God's directions. Why such detailed directions? Because God is a God of order!! Paul writes to the Corinthians hundreds of years later that God is a God of order and that everything is to be done in worship in an orderly fashion (I Corinthians 14:33, 40). God is NOT a God of chaos! Some seem to think that freedom in Christ means approaching God any way we want, worshiping God any way we want, serving God any way we want ... but God's Word gives us direction and we benefit from following it!!
The tribe of Levi had been chosen to serve at the tabernacle because when the people were worshiping the golden calf as Moses was on Mt. Sinai talking with the LORD, and Moses told the people to come to him if they wanted to follow the LORD, the tribe of Levi came first (Exodus 32:6). This was not some casual service that the Levites were called to perform. God told Moses to "appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death!" (3:10). Now God said that the Levites were His. Having spared the firstborn of Israel during the last plague in Egypt, God said that He would take the Levites as "redemption" for the firstborn of Israel (3:40-51). All of this points to the redemption that Jesus would offer for each one of His chosen ones on the cross. This is a picture of the truth that God knows each one whom He has chosen and that we who believe by His grace are HIS!!
So long as you or I believe that we are free agents, that our lives belong to ourselves, that we can live however we want and do whatever we want, neglecting our service to God or ignoring God altogether, we are foolishly rejecting God's offer of life in Jesus Christ. As the camp of Israel and all they did was centered around the tabernacle and the worship of God, so the lives of His people today must be and will be the same. Even the Kohathites, who were put in charge of carrying the various parts of the tabernacle on their journey to the promised land did not dare to look at the holy things for even a moment or they would die (4:20). God is HOLY, and He has determined the one way that we can come to Him ... through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ ... and all of this pointed to Him.
As we worship the LORD our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, each day, our minds and hearts should be centered on Him and our faces should be continually seeking Him. I wonder how many people (or how few) live that way. How few people today consider each breath as a gift from God and each day an opportunity to live in His presence and to serve Him in all things? It is in doing so that we become "imitators of God," as Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1-2).
Yes, the God of details calls you and me to be people of details, too, but the priority of our lives must be God Himself. Don't let the details of life cloud your vision and make you forget who you are and whose you are! When you believe in Jesus Christ you are HIS and living for Him becomes the center of all you do in this world and all you will do in eternity. May you live daily to care for the things of God and to worship in His holy temple!!
"O LORD, my God, it is in knowing You and living to worship You daily that my life finds its meaning and purpose. Apart from You there is only self-centered chaos, but with You there is order and direction for life here that leads to eternal life in the world to come. Thank You for opening my eyes to see You for who You are and for moving my heart to love You ... because You first loved ME! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Saturday, August 9, 2014
"This is how you do it …"
Day #225: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 10th
Scripture Reading: I Timothy 1 - 3 …
Teaching a child how to do something that seems simple to you requires a great deal of patience … so imagine how much patience GOD has as He teaches His children how to live in this world for Him!! As Paul writes to his young friend and partner in ministry, Timothy, Paul is nearing the end of his life and desires that Timothy and others would carry on the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only about thirty years had passed since Jesus ascended into heaven and poured out His Spirit. Paul had been a Pharisee, committed to the Old Testament Law, persecuting the early believers … but the grace of God had overwhelmed him as Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Paul explains:
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life" (1:15-16).
Every true believer will echo Paul's words as we rest in God's grace and patience through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no boasting except in the Lord! "To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen!" (1:17). So now Paul instructs Timothy in his labor for the Lord and begins by telling him to remain in Ephesus in order to "command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer, nor devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies" which promote controversies (1:3-4). He grieves because the goal is love, from a "pure heard and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1:5), but some have turned to "meaningless talk" (1:6) about the law.
In other words, the teaching being done was based on the law, not on love for Christ! In the following verses Paul explains that the law is for the unrighteous, for those who don't yet know Christ. That doesn't mean that believers aren't called to obey God, but that obedience flows from faith and love. Many people fail to understand this today. Christianity is not a bunch of rules, but rather, a relationship with God through Christ in which the very Spirit of God produces in believers the desire to obey God's Word. The Psalmist could write, "his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water …" (Psalm 1:2-3). So is the one who loves God and who desires from within to serve Him.
The Law is good, convicting the heart of sinners, but without Christ the law causes even greater rebellion in the hearts of those who are spiritually dead. Paul wanted to be sure that Timothy understood GRACE, and we need to be sure today that our message is one that consistently points to God's grace in Jesus Christ. The true faith is centered not on what we have done to earn God's favor, but on what Christ has done for us. Our obedience is a response of thanksgiving. If your heart is not in tune with God and you lack the desire to please Him … if you feel you HAVE to do certain things the Bible says are good, but you don't WANT to, draw near to God today, confess your sin, ask Him to work in your heart and to transform you from the inside out. He will hear your prayer, forgive your sin through Christ, and renew you by His Spirit.
The rest of Paul's instructions to Timothy focus on the body of Christ, the Church. His emphasis is on prayer and preaching the truth of the Gospel. For all those who think there are more ways to come to God than that revealed in God's Word, Paul writes, "there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men …" (2:5-6). Paul's use of the word "all" here, and in verse 4 ("who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth") is not intended to be "all-inclusive."
Remember that prior to the day of Pentecost, when God poured out His Spirit from heaven, Israel, the Jews were the chosen people of God and very few "Gentiles" were saved in the days of the Old Testament. Beginning with the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, God's plan was to fulfill His promise to Abraham that in his "Seed" all nations on earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Therefore, the "all" here, and in verses like II Peter 3:9 ("not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance") means people from all the nations … not every single person. God's offer of forgiveness through His Word is real and genuine, yet He knows that no one will believe UNLESS His Spirit changes their hearts. God desires that ALL those whom He has chosen, who are Jesus' sheep, will come to Him, and these WILL … for God will give them His Spirit and not one will be lost. That is the assurance true believers can have.
Meanwhile, we must proclaim the Gospel to ALL, so that some will believe and be saved. As we do that, we must be sure that WE don't get in the way, so Paul gives instructions for the conduct of those within the Church, both men and women, and leaders. These instructions must be received by us in the context of Christ and His Church. As in the family, Christ has established roles in the Church. Not everyone has the same role. Men and women, leaders and followers, each has been given gifts to use for the building up of the body of Christ. Together, in submission to Christ, who is the Head of the Body, we become a picture of His grace to us and our grace to each other. The goal, as Paul said earlier, is "love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1:5).
Having given instructions for "overseers" (another word for "elder" or "presbyter") and "deacons," Paul explains his desire that Timothy would "know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth" (3:15). Of all the Church has to offer the world, TRUTH is our most precious commodity. Those who would give us truth today and replace it with "love," fail to understand that LOVE means speaking TRUTH! Paul wrote that to the Ephesians when he said, "Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:15-16).
God, grace, Jesus, the Church ... and believers ... living together for the glory of God, proclaiming a message that must be heard. God is patiently at work in His people and through His people to build His Church until Jesus returns. Read His Word and pray for His Spirit to inspire you to greater zeal for Christ and the Gospel of grace and God will tell you how to do it!
"My Father in heaven, Your love and grace have lifted me up from a life of self-centered efforts to be good and to do good, giving me the assurance that through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ I AM SAVED!! My life is Yours and my heart's desire is to please You. I need You today, and I will need You tomorrow. I rest in You, my Father and my God, my Savior and my Lord, my constant companion and Helper. To YOU I give my praise and my LIFE, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: I Timothy 1 - 3 …
Teaching a child how to do something that seems simple to you requires a great deal of patience … so imagine how much patience GOD has as He teaches His children how to live in this world for Him!! As Paul writes to his young friend and partner in ministry, Timothy, Paul is nearing the end of his life and desires that Timothy and others would carry on the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only about thirty years had passed since Jesus ascended into heaven and poured out His Spirit. Paul had been a Pharisee, committed to the Old Testament Law, persecuting the early believers … but the grace of God had overwhelmed him as Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Paul explains:
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life" (1:15-16).
Every true believer will echo Paul's words as we rest in God's grace and patience through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no boasting except in the Lord! "To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen!" (1:17). So now Paul instructs Timothy in his labor for the Lord and begins by telling him to remain in Ephesus in order to "command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer, nor devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies" which promote controversies (1:3-4). He grieves because the goal is love, from a "pure heard and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1:5), but some have turned to "meaningless talk" (1:6) about the law.
In other words, the teaching being done was based on the law, not on love for Christ! In the following verses Paul explains that the law is for the unrighteous, for those who don't yet know Christ. That doesn't mean that believers aren't called to obey God, but that obedience flows from faith and love. Many people fail to understand this today. Christianity is not a bunch of rules, but rather, a relationship with God through Christ in which the very Spirit of God produces in believers the desire to obey God's Word. The Psalmist could write, "his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water …" (Psalm 1:2-3). So is the one who loves God and who desires from within to serve Him.
The Law is good, convicting the heart of sinners, but without Christ the law causes even greater rebellion in the hearts of those who are spiritually dead. Paul wanted to be sure that Timothy understood GRACE, and we need to be sure today that our message is one that consistently points to God's grace in Jesus Christ. The true faith is centered not on what we have done to earn God's favor, but on what Christ has done for us. Our obedience is a response of thanksgiving. If your heart is not in tune with God and you lack the desire to please Him … if you feel you HAVE to do certain things the Bible says are good, but you don't WANT to, draw near to God today, confess your sin, ask Him to work in your heart and to transform you from the inside out. He will hear your prayer, forgive your sin through Christ, and renew you by His Spirit.
The rest of Paul's instructions to Timothy focus on the body of Christ, the Church. His emphasis is on prayer and preaching the truth of the Gospel. For all those who think there are more ways to come to God than that revealed in God's Word, Paul writes, "there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men …" (2:5-6). Paul's use of the word "all" here, and in verse 4 ("who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth") is not intended to be "all-inclusive."
Remember that prior to the day of Pentecost, when God poured out His Spirit from heaven, Israel, the Jews were the chosen people of God and very few "Gentiles" were saved in the days of the Old Testament. Beginning with the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, God's plan was to fulfill His promise to Abraham that in his "Seed" all nations on earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Therefore, the "all" here, and in verses like II Peter 3:9 ("not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance") means people from all the nations … not every single person. God's offer of forgiveness through His Word is real and genuine, yet He knows that no one will believe UNLESS His Spirit changes their hearts. God desires that ALL those whom He has chosen, who are Jesus' sheep, will come to Him, and these WILL … for God will give them His Spirit and not one will be lost. That is the assurance true believers can have.
Meanwhile, we must proclaim the Gospel to ALL, so that some will believe and be saved. As we do that, we must be sure that WE don't get in the way, so Paul gives instructions for the conduct of those within the Church, both men and women, and leaders. These instructions must be received by us in the context of Christ and His Church. As in the family, Christ has established roles in the Church. Not everyone has the same role. Men and women, leaders and followers, each has been given gifts to use for the building up of the body of Christ. Together, in submission to Christ, who is the Head of the Body, we become a picture of His grace to us and our grace to each other. The goal, as Paul said earlier, is "love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1:5).
Having given instructions for "overseers" (another word for "elder" or "presbyter") and "deacons," Paul explains his desire that Timothy would "know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth" (3:15). Of all the Church has to offer the world, TRUTH is our most precious commodity. Those who would give us truth today and replace it with "love," fail to understand that LOVE means speaking TRUTH! Paul wrote that to the Ephesians when he said, "Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:15-16).
God, grace, Jesus, the Church ... and believers ... living together for the glory of God, proclaiming a message that must be heard. God is patiently at work in His people and through His people to build His Church until Jesus returns. Read His Word and pray for His Spirit to inspire you to greater zeal for Christ and the Gospel of grace and God will tell you how to do it!
"My Father in heaven, Your love and grace have lifted me up from a life of self-centered efforts to be good and to do good, giving me the assurance that through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ I AM SAVED!! My life is Yours and my heart's desire is to please You. I need You today, and I will need You tomorrow. I rest in You, my Father and my God, my Savior and my Lord, my constant companion and Helper. To YOU I give my praise and my LIFE, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Friday, August 8, 2014
"Whose testimony about Jesus will YOU believe?"
Day #224: Daily Bible Reading - August 9th
Scripture Reading: John 3 - 4 …
People today will believe just about anything … except the truth! They will believe rumors or statements made by people in every walk of life about virtually any topic. They will believe things written in newspapers and magazines or reports on television without giving it a second thought. But when it comes to the eyewitness testimony concerning Jesus given in the Gospels, people choose to remain ignorant and foolishly reject the very word that could bring spiritual life!! Such is the fate of those who reject the testimony of God's Word.
As Jesus began His ministry it was not long before people began to be drawn to Him. First it was for the miracles, but where the Spirit was working it was what He said that moved them to believe He was the Messiah. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to Jesus at night, undoubtedly afraid of the rest of the Pharisees and what they would think of him talking with Jesus. He declared that Jesus was "a teacher who has come from God" (3:2), based on the miracles He had done. But Jesus quickly turned his observation into a teaching moment.
Jesus came to reveal the kingdom of God … a spiritual kingdom that could be entered only by being born again by the very Spirit of God. "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again," Jesus said (3:3). And again, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (3:5-6). Jesus is speaking of spiritual things here, quite probably pointing to God's promise in Ezekiel 36:25-27: "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean … I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you … I will put MY Spirit in you …"
Jesus was not referring to baptism but to the "living water" that would wash spiritually those who believed. Significantly, Jesus would say to the Samaritan woman in chapter 4, verse 14, "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become IN him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Only the Spirit can produce spiritual life in those who are spiritually dead … which is all of mankind!
Jesus said that He would be lifted up (on the cross) so that "everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life" (3:15). Then comes that famous verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!" (3:16). What a wonderful promise. God sent Jesus the first time to save the "world," those whom He had chosen from every people, tribe, nation and tongue. But there's more in the following verses and most people miss what Jesus says next and so misunderstand what He says in verse 16.
As John wrote in Chapter 1, Jesus came into the world to be the light of the world (John 1:5,9; 8:12). Verse 18 is crucial in understanding how God brings salvation. "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does NOT believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." We might ask, "What do people have to do to face God's judgment in hell?" The answer is, "NOTHING!" Men love the darkness because they don't want their evil deeds exposed. They will go to churches that never talk about sin or judgment or hell because they just want to feel better about themselves. They don't want their evil deeds exposed; they want to believe they deserve eternal life … but no one does!!
John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, continued to baptize with water and to call people to repentance, and now Jesus was teaching and His disciples were baptizing, so some thought John would be upset that he was "losing disciples" to Jesus, but John testified that Jesus was from heaven … "The One who comes from heaven is above all" (3:31). He declared the truth about Jesus and about His message: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (3:36). In one sense, the Bible could stop right there. That's the Gospel in a nutshell … and John, the writer of this Gospel, would repeat that very thing in his first letter to the church in I John 5:12.
The Gospel is not difficult to understand, but only to accept. You must hear the Gospel, receive new life from the Spirit and believe in Jesus for forgiveness. Those who do, HAVE eternal life … those who don't remain in spiritual death. Jesus doesn't have to condemn them because they condemn themselves. Jesus testified concerning Himself because there was no one else who knew who He was or what He came to do at this point. Simeon and Anna and the angels had testified at His birth that this child was the Son of God, but now it was time to reveal to the world that the Messiah was here!!
God chose a Samaritan … and a Samaritan woman at that, to reveal perhaps for the first time in person, who Jesus was. It was at Jacob's well that Jesus would reveal HIMSELF as the "living water" that people needed if they were to have eternal life. The woman was shocked that Jesus, a Jew and a MAN, would speak to her, a Samaritan and a WOMAN. That just didn't happen. But God's plan was to save this woman, and through her testimony, others from the Samaritans. In doing so, God's grace is on display already before Jesus even goes to the cross. Jesus Himself says, "Salvation is from the Jews" (4:22), but in Jesus God was opening the door to all, as Paul would write to the Galatians: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). No one can say, "I didn't have a chance," based on their gender, race or social status.
As He spoke to the woman, Jesus confronted her with the reality of her sin before God. She had been married five times and was living with another man. When the woman tried to change the subject (as people often do when confronted with their sin), Jesus told her that God must be worshiped "in spirit and in truth" (4:24). Only when the Spirit opens the mind and heart of one who was dead in sin can the new nature commune with God and offer Him true worship. Much of what is called "worship" today is sadly like that which God condemned in Isaiah 29:13, "These people draw near Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."
Is YOUR heart engaged in your everyday worship of God and in your corporate worship with the body of Christ? Or are you just going through the motions? Do you see how dangerous it is to pretend with God. You must come to the Light and you must be cleansed by the blood of Christ and empowered by the Spirit to confess your sin and to turn from it. Where there is no confession of sin or desire to turn from sin there is no spiritual life. Jesus said, "the water I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (4:14). It cannot and will not be otherwise. Those who receive God's testimony concerning Jesus will then bear testimony of Jesus!
That's precisely what this Samaritan woman now did. She said, "I know that Messiah is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us" (4:25). Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am HE!" (4:26). There it is: the testimony of Jesus concerning Himself … a testimony the disciples had not yet grasped themselves. But now this woman went and told everyone she knew about Jesus and what He had said. When the disciples returned and wanted Jesus to eat He told them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (4:32). They didn't understand, so Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work. … The fields … are ripe for harvest!" (4:34-35).
And the evidence was in the reaction of many other Samaritans who now believed that this Jewish man was, indeed, the long-awaited Messiah, the One who would be Savior! Jesus stayed with them for two days and many more became believers, not because they saw miracles, but "because of His words" (4:41). Every person who becomes a true believer, who is born again by the Spirit, is born again by the message Jesus came to bring. Paul writes in Romans 10:17 that "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ." Jesus continued to do miracles to confirm who He was, to reveal the clash that was occurring between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light … but it was His WORDS that had the power to transform dead spirits into those who are alive!!
So it is today. Many want to see a miracle and they will travel thousands of miles at the report of someone who is a supposed "anointed miracle-worker." God has determined that the new birth will happen only by hearing the testimony of His Word and believing in Jesus Christ. The Word of God is the "sword of the Spirit" that cuts to the very heart of our problem … OUR hearts! Unless God gives life by His Word and Spirit, no one would be saved. But we can hold in our hands today the very Word of God and read the testimonies of Jesus and those who came to believe in Him. By faith we receive what God offers and know that we will not be condemned because we have believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Have you put your faith in Him? Nicodemus did, for we read of him again in John 19:39-42, as he helped Joseph of Arimathea take the body of Jesus from the cross and to the tomb. To risk such a thing Nicodemus must have believed that Jesus was the Messiah … and when He rose from the dead, surely God moved Nicodemus to testify of Christ. This we know, the testimony GOD gives is true. There is no other book like the Bible. What we know of Jesus we know because the Spirit of God inspired the writers of the Gospels and the New Testament to write down the testimony for all generations who would come after them.
At the end of his Gospel John would write, "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name" (20:31). To that I can only say, "AMEN!"
"Heavenly Father, it is in Your Word that I find the testimony that has changed my heart and my life. I thank You for the work of Your Spirit within me, for I confess my sin and know that without Your work of grace I would remain in the condition in which I was born: spiritually dead. I pray that You would continue Your work in me, empowering me daily to testify to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, and that He is Lord … that He is MY Savior and MY Lord. May my life be a testimony of thanksgiving and praise to You for the gift of Your Son, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: John 3 - 4 …
People today will believe just about anything … except the truth! They will believe rumors or statements made by people in every walk of life about virtually any topic. They will believe things written in newspapers and magazines or reports on television without giving it a second thought. But when it comes to the eyewitness testimony concerning Jesus given in the Gospels, people choose to remain ignorant and foolishly reject the very word that could bring spiritual life!! Such is the fate of those who reject the testimony of God's Word.
As Jesus began His ministry it was not long before people began to be drawn to Him. First it was for the miracles, but where the Spirit was working it was what He said that moved them to believe He was the Messiah. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to Jesus at night, undoubtedly afraid of the rest of the Pharisees and what they would think of him talking with Jesus. He declared that Jesus was "a teacher who has come from God" (3:2), based on the miracles He had done. But Jesus quickly turned his observation into a teaching moment.
Jesus came to reveal the kingdom of God … a spiritual kingdom that could be entered only by being born again by the very Spirit of God. "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again," Jesus said (3:3). And again, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (3:5-6). Jesus is speaking of spiritual things here, quite probably pointing to God's promise in Ezekiel 36:25-27: "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean … I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you … I will put MY Spirit in you …"
Jesus was not referring to baptism but to the "living water" that would wash spiritually those who believed. Significantly, Jesus would say to the Samaritan woman in chapter 4, verse 14, "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become IN him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Only the Spirit can produce spiritual life in those who are spiritually dead … which is all of mankind!
Jesus said that He would be lifted up (on the cross) so that "everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life" (3:15). Then comes that famous verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!" (3:16). What a wonderful promise. God sent Jesus the first time to save the "world," those whom He had chosen from every people, tribe, nation and tongue. But there's more in the following verses and most people miss what Jesus says next and so misunderstand what He says in verse 16.
As John wrote in Chapter 1, Jesus came into the world to be the light of the world (John 1:5,9; 8:12). Verse 18 is crucial in understanding how God brings salvation. "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does NOT believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." We might ask, "What do people have to do to face God's judgment in hell?" The answer is, "NOTHING!" Men love the darkness because they don't want their evil deeds exposed. They will go to churches that never talk about sin or judgment or hell because they just want to feel better about themselves. They don't want their evil deeds exposed; they want to believe they deserve eternal life … but no one does!!
John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, continued to baptize with water and to call people to repentance, and now Jesus was teaching and His disciples were baptizing, so some thought John would be upset that he was "losing disciples" to Jesus, but John testified that Jesus was from heaven … "The One who comes from heaven is above all" (3:31). He declared the truth about Jesus and about His message: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (3:36). In one sense, the Bible could stop right there. That's the Gospel in a nutshell … and John, the writer of this Gospel, would repeat that very thing in his first letter to the church in I John 5:12.
The Gospel is not difficult to understand, but only to accept. You must hear the Gospel, receive new life from the Spirit and believe in Jesus for forgiveness. Those who do, HAVE eternal life … those who don't remain in spiritual death. Jesus doesn't have to condemn them because they condemn themselves. Jesus testified concerning Himself because there was no one else who knew who He was or what He came to do at this point. Simeon and Anna and the angels had testified at His birth that this child was the Son of God, but now it was time to reveal to the world that the Messiah was here!!
God chose a Samaritan … and a Samaritan woman at that, to reveal perhaps for the first time in person, who Jesus was. It was at Jacob's well that Jesus would reveal HIMSELF as the "living water" that people needed if they were to have eternal life. The woman was shocked that Jesus, a Jew and a MAN, would speak to her, a Samaritan and a WOMAN. That just didn't happen. But God's plan was to save this woman, and through her testimony, others from the Samaritans. In doing so, God's grace is on display already before Jesus even goes to the cross. Jesus Himself says, "Salvation is from the Jews" (4:22), but in Jesus God was opening the door to all, as Paul would write to the Galatians: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). No one can say, "I didn't have a chance," based on their gender, race or social status.
As He spoke to the woman, Jesus confronted her with the reality of her sin before God. She had been married five times and was living with another man. When the woman tried to change the subject (as people often do when confronted with their sin), Jesus told her that God must be worshiped "in spirit and in truth" (4:24). Only when the Spirit opens the mind and heart of one who was dead in sin can the new nature commune with God and offer Him true worship. Much of what is called "worship" today is sadly like that which God condemned in Isaiah 29:13, "These people draw near Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."
Is YOUR heart engaged in your everyday worship of God and in your corporate worship with the body of Christ? Or are you just going through the motions? Do you see how dangerous it is to pretend with God. You must come to the Light and you must be cleansed by the blood of Christ and empowered by the Spirit to confess your sin and to turn from it. Where there is no confession of sin or desire to turn from sin there is no spiritual life. Jesus said, "the water I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (4:14). It cannot and will not be otherwise. Those who receive God's testimony concerning Jesus will then bear testimony of Jesus!
That's precisely what this Samaritan woman now did. She said, "I know that Messiah is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us" (4:25). Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am HE!" (4:26). There it is: the testimony of Jesus concerning Himself … a testimony the disciples had not yet grasped themselves. But now this woman went and told everyone she knew about Jesus and what He had said. When the disciples returned and wanted Jesus to eat He told them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (4:32). They didn't understand, so Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work. … The fields … are ripe for harvest!" (4:34-35).
And the evidence was in the reaction of many other Samaritans who now believed that this Jewish man was, indeed, the long-awaited Messiah, the One who would be Savior! Jesus stayed with them for two days and many more became believers, not because they saw miracles, but "because of His words" (4:41). Every person who becomes a true believer, who is born again by the Spirit, is born again by the message Jesus came to bring. Paul writes in Romans 10:17 that "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ." Jesus continued to do miracles to confirm who He was, to reveal the clash that was occurring between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light … but it was His WORDS that had the power to transform dead spirits into those who are alive!!
So it is today. Many want to see a miracle and they will travel thousands of miles at the report of someone who is a supposed "anointed miracle-worker." God has determined that the new birth will happen only by hearing the testimony of His Word and believing in Jesus Christ. The Word of God is the "sword of the Spirit" that cuts to the very heart of our problem … OUR hearts! Unless God gives life by His Word and Spirit, no one would be saved. But we can hold in our hands today the very Word of God and read the testimonies of Jesus and those who came to believe in Him. By faith we receive what God offers and know that we will not be condemned because we have believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Have you put your faith in Him? Nicodemus did, for we read of him again in John 19:39-42, as he helped Joseph of Arimathea take the body of Jesus from the cross and to the tomb. To risk such a thing Nicodemus must have believed that Jesus was the Messiah … and when He rose from the dead, surely God moved Nicodemus to testify of Christ. This we know, the testimony GOD gives is true. There is no other book like the Bible. What we know of Jesus we know because the Spirit of God inspired the writers of the Gospels and the New Testament to write down the testimony for all generations who would come after them.
At the end of his Gospel John would write, "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name" (20:31). To that I can only say, "AMEN!"
"Heavenly Father, it is in Your Word that I find the testimony that has changed my heart and my life. I thank You for the work of Your Spirit within me, for I confess my sin and know that without Your work of grace I would remain in the condition in which I was born: spiritually dead. I pray that You would continue Your work in me, empowering me daily to testify to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, and that He is Lord … that He is MY Savior and MY Lord. May my life be a testimony of thanksgiving and praise to You for the gift of Your Son, in Jesus' name, Amen"
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