Day #203: Daily Bible Reading Plan - July 19th
Scripture Reading: Luke 21 - 22 …
As Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples shortly before His crucifixion, He continued to teach them about the coming of His kingdom. He said, "What is written about me is reaching its fulfillment" (22:37). The disciples lived in a time of fulfillment in God's plan to establish His kingdom and to bring salvation through the promised Messiah, the Savior … so do we!! We need to read God's Word and pray that God will give us understanding through the work of His Spirit within us so that we do not take our eyes off of Jesus and become distracted by the things of this world. There is so much more going on than meets the eye.
As the days led up to Jesus' crucifixion, most people went on about their everyday lives. Even after His death and resurrection most people (almost ALL!) missed the significance of what had just happened. Little could they know that the world would never be the same as Jesus ascended into heaven and then poured out His Spirit to begin the Church age, the preaching of the Gospel to all nations. They simply went on about their lives … and Jesus says people will do the same right up to His return.
Chapter 21 begins with a simple observation: A poor widow putting all she had into the temple treasury. Why would she do such a thing? We know nothing more about her other than this, but Jesus commends her for giving out of her poverty, while others gave out of their wealth. Jesus warned often about the lure of money and material things, and by her giving this widow displayed her dependence on God and perhaps her anticipation of soon entering God's kingdom in heaven. It was not her gift that would get her to heaven, but the surrendering of all she had to offer, trusting God to provide … her faith in the coming Savior. She could not know that He was watching her as she gave her offering. We should consider that as we give ours!
The rest of Chapter 21 parallels part of Matthew 24, as Jesus tells the disciples that the temple will be destroyed and they ask Him when all these things will happen. As in the Matthew's Gospel, Jesus warns them not to be deceived. Some will come and claim to be the Christ and set dates, but there would be many things that had to happen BEFORE He came. If they were listening to Jesus, they could not have imagined that it would happen soon.
Unlike Matthew, however, Luke records Jesus explaining what WOULD come next. In verses 12-24 Jesus talks about a time of intense persecution, but this is not the time of great distress that Jesus mentions in Matthew 24:21-22, which will come immediately before His return, but rather, the persecution preceding the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. Jesus says, "All men will hate you because of me … but not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life" (21:17-19). Even though the apostles and other believers died for their faith, Jesus' promise was fulfilled … they entered into eternal life and did not perish!
Jesus then continues in verses 25-36 to explain what will happen immediately prior to His return (Matthew 24:29-35). As He does in Matthew 24, Jesus describes the signs in the sky as happening before the end, as John speaks of the same thing in Revelation 6:12-14. But before God pours out His wrath upon the world, believers will be delivered in the rapture. The generation that sees ALL of these things happening will know that the kingdom of God is near (24:31). While we see some of the signs pointing to Jesus' return today, there are still some things that must happen before the time of distress (the Great Tribulation) and the rapture.
Moving to Chapter 22, the time had come for Jesus to be betrayed and crucified. There is no way for us to comprehend what Jesus was thinking and feeling as this time drew near. He knew what was going to happen. He had told the disciples that the Son of Man would suffer, be put to death … AND on the third day rise again! What must happen between this time and His resurrection, however, was anguish so horrible that we cannot begin to imagine it.
The chief priest and teachers of the law were looking for a way to "get rid of" Jesus (22:2). Satan had left Jesus in the wilderness after he had tried to tempt Him, with no success, and he had tried to use his demons to fight against Jesus as He healed and ministered to people. Now Satan entered Judas Iscariot and incited him to betray Jesus. He apparently believed that he could help the chief priests and the teachers of the law "get rid of him."
Jesus "eagerly desired to eat this Passover" with the disciples before His crucifixion (22:15). Why? To teach them … first about the meaning of the Passover and then about serving one another. When Jesus said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood," He was pointing to a new stage in God's plan to gather a people for Himself. The "old covenant" was the Mosaic covenant, the Law. The Law taught: "Do this and live!" But no one could do it. As Paul explains later to the Galatians, "The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (3:24). To the Romans, Paul would write, "Through the law we become conscious of sin" (3:20). The old covenant pointed to the reality of our sin, but the blood of the sacrifices could not pay for it!!
THIS blood … CHRIST's blood, was different. HIS blood was the perfect sacrifice for sin and through faith in Him the door to heaven and access to the Father would be given to all who believed. This was the most important transition in the history of mankind!! Throughout the entire Church age those who believe are called to "do this in remembrance of" Jesus, the Christ, our Savior.
Jesus also taught them the importance and necessity of serving one another, as He served them. This was a familiar topic as Jesus had spoken of it often. "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). As He served, so should they. They had nothing to lose because He was GIVING them the kingdom … an eternal kingdom … How important is that for us to know, to believe and to confess! We have an enemy and Jesus warns Peter that Satan wanted to get rid of HIM, too. Peter would deny Jesus, but Jesus would have the last word (John 21) and Peter would be "reinstated."
This was the time for Satan and the Pharisees and others to do their worst … but Jesus would win … There will be another time when the forces of evil attempt to exterminate the followers of Christ and the descendants of Abraham, but they will fail again. All that Jesus said would happen did, just as He said it would. Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him and the soldiers mocked Him. Soon the people would reject Him. But in spite of all that, "the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God" (22:69). Nothing can or will stop God's plan from being fulfilled … no thing and no one!
As you and I live in this time of fulfillment, pray earnestly that you will not fall into temptation. Read and study God's Word, watch so that you will not be deceived. God warns that the coming of the Antichrist, the "lawless one," will come "with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness" (II Thessalonians 2:9-12).
Do not be deceived! "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!" (Matthew 4:17). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31). "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Love the truth, believe the truth and you will be saved!!
"Father in heaven, as we live in the midst of the fulfillment of the ages, open my eyes to see clearly the truth You have revealed in Your Word. I confess my sin before You and claim the blood of Jesus as my only hope. I believe He bore my sin and that my sins are forgiven solely and completely by Your grace, and that Your Spirit now lives within me, conforming me to the image of Jesus as I seek You through Your Word. Thank You, Father, for loving me and saving me, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Friday, July 18, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
"The future of Israel and the Middle East …"
Day #202: Daily Bible Reading Plan - July 18th
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 31 - 36 …
The prophets of the Old Testament were sent to the people of God … Israel and Judah. They spoke of events that were going on at that time and their implications for the future. Israel had been defeated by the Assyrians, their land destroyed and conquered and the people spread throughout the nations. Judah was now in captivity and the temple and city were now being destroyed by the Babylonians. All of this was judgment upon Israel and Judah for their idolatry. As Ezekiel and the other prophets speak to God's people in captivity in Babylon, God promises to bring back a remnant to the land and to Jerusalem, for the promised Messiah must come from the line of Judah. And so it happened. But there is more to Ezekiel's prophecy.
As God pronounces judgment upon the Pharaoh and Egypt in Chapters 31-32, He speaks through Ezekiel not only about the near future, but about what lies in the distant future … in OUR time. For instance, in Chapter 32, verses 7-8, God says to Egypt, "When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land." So when has that happened? It hasn't … but it will. God is speaking of the coming judgment during the time of His wrath, during the "day of the Lord." (Read Isaiah 13:9-10; Matthew 24:29-30 and Revelation 6:12-14 …) God will deal not only with Egypt, but with all the nations that come against Israel.
And speaking of Israel and Judah, what is their future? In Chapter 33, God speaks of the "watchman," whose responsibility it is to warn people of coming judgment. God says, "Hear the word I speak and give them warning from me" (33:7). Ezekiel was a watchman for Judah. He was to warn the people that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the temple burned. If he failed to do so, their blood would be on his head. Even as Ezekiel remained in captivity with many others from Judah, word came that Jerusalem had fallen (33:21). God said that He would "make the land a desolate waste" (33:28), and that is what He did.
God has appointed watchmen today … people who read His Word and who claim to know Him and to speak for Him to His people. But today most of these - pastors, theologians, leaders in the church and others, are failing to warn of God's coming judgment and to call people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Their blood will be mixed with the blood of those who face God's coming judgment because they have failed to speak truth and to sound the warning. What God says against the "shepherds of Israel" (34:1) applies at least indirectly to those who are called to be "shepherds of the flock" today.
The Apostle Paul spoke to the elders from the church in Ephesus in Acts 20:28: "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood." And then he warns of savage wolves who will come into the fold to devour the sheep. What a vivid description of what is happening throughout the church today. God says to them, as He did to the shepherds of Israel, "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?" (34:2). "I am against the shepherds and I will hold them accountable for my flock" (34:10).
But what is going to happen to Israel and Judah in the future? God says, "I myself will search for my sheep and look after them" (34:11). God knows those who are His. While it is true that not all who are descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are part of the remnant, God's chosen ones, God says, "I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land" (34:13) … DONE! But there's more: "I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one Shepherd, my servant David (Jesus), and HE will tend them; He will tend them and be their Shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken" (34:22-24). "Then they will know that I, the LORD, their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people" (34:30).
Remember that at this time Israel was no more and Judah was in captivity in Babylon. But this is the sovereign LORD that is speaking. He rules over the nations and no one can stand against Him. As for the nations that today boast against Israel (Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Russia …) … "You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it" (35:13). The Sovereign God who reveals Himself in the Bible is the God of Israel. The nations of the world and the supposed shepherds of the flock in the church today declare their condemnation of Israel and ignore God's Word … I would not want to be in their shoes! Listen to what God says:
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations.' Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'I swear with uplifted hand (a hand ready to execute judgment) that the nations around you will also suffer scorn'" (36:6-7). God says to the nations around Israel in OUR day: "I AM Israel's God … deal with it!" And so many in the church say, "We have taken Israel's place. God is OUR God, now!" STOP!! READ YOUR BIBLE!!! Read Romans 11:11-32 and then 11:33-36. God has NOT rejected Israel as His people. This is not about Israel deserving to be God's people … they don't deserve to be God's people … but neither do you or I!
God says, "I WILL take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your land. I WILL sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I WILL cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I WILL give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I WILL remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I WILL put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (36:24-27). All this God promises to do for Israel in the future and all this He is doing by His grace in those whom He has chosen from the Jews AND the Gentiles today in the true Church, the remnant. Why? "I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD" … "but for the sake of my holy name …" (36:32, 22).
There will come a time in future days when God will do something amazing in Israel: "I will cleanse you from all your sins … " Hard times lie ahead. There WILL be a peace treaty between Israel and the surrounding nations … perhaps soon … made by none other than the Antichrist and those who long for peace in the Middle East. But the Antichrist will break the peace after 3 1/2 years and profane the rebuilt temple, claiming to BE God (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; II Thessalonians 2:3-4). There will be a time of great distress (Matthew 24:21-22) and many will fall away (Matthew 24:10; II Thessalonians 2:3) … then, and only then, will those who believe in Jesus Christ be raptured as God pours out His wrath upon those who remain, and a remnant from Israel will be supernaturally protected by God during the "day of the Lord." Finally, Jesus will return in glory and Zechariah 12:10-13, 13:1 will take place: "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child … On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity."
"Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it" (36:36). This is the future of Israel and the Middle East. Jesus Christ Himself will reign in Jerusalem over the nations of the world (Zechariah 14:9-21) and all the world will know that the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel, is God, and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. You can do that today! As world events lead us inevitably closer to all that God has promised will happen, where is your hope? If it is in anyone or anything other than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you are in danger of facing His judgment, sooner or later (or both!). TURN … believe … and LIVE!!
"Our Father in heaven, to You I come in the name of Jesus Christ, praising You for Your grace and mercy in gathering a remnant to belong to You. Give us strength and wisdom in these days to proclaim Your name, to declare Your praise, to preach the good news of the Gospel and to persevere amidst the growing turmoil in our world. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, knowing what You have said lies ahead … May Your true Church stand firmly on Your Word in these days. Raise up watchmen to warn Your people of the coming judgment and send forth Your Spirit to save those whom You have chosen for Yourself. For the sake of Your great Name I ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 31 - 36 …
The prophets of the Old Testament were sent to the people of God … Israel and Judah. They spoke of events that were going on at that time and their implications for the future. Israel had been defeated by the Assyrians, their land destroyed and conquered and the people spread throughout the nations. Judah was now in captivity and the temple and city were now being destroyed by the Babylonians. All of this was judgment upon Israel and Judah for their idolatry. As Ezekiel and the other prophets speak to God's people in captivity in Babylon, God promises to bring back a remnant to the land and to Jerusalem, for the promised Messiah must come from the line of Judah. And so it happened. But there is more to Ezekiel's prophecy.
As God pronounces judgment upon the Pharaoh and Egypt in Chapters 31-32, He speaks through Ezekiel not only about the near future, but about what lies in the distant future … in OUR time. For instance, in Chapter 32, verses 7-8, God says to Egypt, "When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land." So when has that happened? It hasn't … but it will. God is speaking of the coming judgment during the time of His wrath, during the "day of the Lord." (Read Isaiah 13:9-10; Matthew 24:29-30 and Revelation 6:12-14 …) God will deal not only with Egypt, but with all the nations that come against Israel.
And speaking of Israel and Judah, what is their future? In Chapter 33, God speaks of the "watchman," whose responsibility it is to warn people of coming judgment. God says, "Hear the word I speak and give them warning from me" (33:7). Ezekiel was a watchman for Judah. He was to warn the people that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the temple burned. If he failed to do so, their blood would be on his head. Even as Ezekiel remained in captivity with many others from Judah, word came that Jerusalem had fallen (33:21). God said that He would "make the land a desolate waste" (33:28), and that is what He did.
God has appointed watchmen today … people who read His Word and who claim to know Him and to speak for Him to His people. But today most of these - pastors, theologians, leaders in the church and others, are failing to warn of God's coming judgment and to call people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Their blood will be mixed with the blood of those who face God's coming judgment because they have failed to speak truth and to sound the warning. What God says against the "shepherds of Israel" (34:1) applies at least indirectly to those who are called to be "shepherds of the flock" today.
The Apostle Paul spoke to the elders from the church in Ephesus in Acts 20:28: "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood." And then he warns of savage wolves who will come into the fold to devour the sheep. What a vivid description of what is happening throughout the church today. God says to them, as He did to the shepherds of Israel, "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?" (34:2). "I am against the shepherds and I will hold them accountable for my flock" (34:10).
But what is going to happen to Israel and Judah in the future? God says, "I myself will search for my sheep and look after them" (34:11). God knows those who are His. While it is true that not all who are descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are part of the remnant, God's chosen ones, God says, "I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land" (34:13) … DONE! But there's more: "I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one Shepherd, my servant David (Jesus), and HE will tend them; He will tend them and be their Shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken" (34:22-24). "Then they will know that I, the LORD, their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people" (34:30).
Remember that at this time Israel was no more and Judah was in captivity in Babylon. But this is the sovereign LORD that is speaking. He rules over the nations and no one can stand against Him. As for the nations that today boast against Israel (Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Russia …) … "You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it" (35:13). The Sovereign God who reveals Himself in the Bible is the God of Israel. The nations of the world and the supposed shepherds of the flock in the church today declare their condemnation of Israel and ignore God's Word … I would not want to be in their shoes! Listen to what God says:
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations.' Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'I swear with uplifted hand (a hand ready to execute judgment) that the nations around you will also suffer scorn'" (36:6-7). God says to the nations around Israel in OUR day: "I AM Israel's God … deal with it!" And so many in the church say, "We have taken Israel's place. God is OUR God, now!" STOP!! READ YOUR BIBLE!!! Read Romans 11:11-32 and then 11:33-36. God has NOT rejected Israel as His people. This is not about Israel deserving to be God's people … they don't deserve to be God's people … but neither do you or I!
God says, "I WILL take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your land. I WILL sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I WILL cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I WILL give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I WILL remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I WILL put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (36:24-27). All this God promises to do for Israel in the future and all this He is doing by His grace in those whom He has chosen from the Jews AND the Gentiles today in the true Church, the remnant. Why? "I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD" … "but for the sake of my holy name …" (36:32, 22).
There will come a time in future days when God will do something amazing in Israel: "I will cleanse you from all your sins … " Hard times lie ahead. There WILL be a peace treaty between Israel and the surrounding nations … perhaps soon … made by none other than the Antichrist and those who long for peace in the Middle East. But the Antichrist will break the peace after 3 1/2 years and profane the rebuilt temple, claiming to BE God (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; II Thessalonians 2:3-4). There will be a time of great distress (Matthew 24:21-22) and many will fall away (Matthew 24:10; II Thessalonians 2:3) … then, and only then, will those who believe in Jesus Christ be raptured as God pours out His wrath upon those who remain, and a remnant from Israel will be supernaturally protected by God during the "day of the Lord." Finally, Jesus will return in glory and Zechariah 12:10-13, 13:1 will take place: "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child … On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity."
"Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it" (36:36). This is the future of Israel and the Middle East. Jesus Christ Himself will reign in Jerusalem over the nations of the world (Zechariah 14:9-21) and all the world will know that the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel, is God, and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. You can do that today! As world events lead us inevitably closer to all that God has promised will happen, where is your hope? If it is in anyone or anything other than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you are in danger of facing His judgment, sooner or later (or both!). TURN … believe … and LIVE!!
"Our Father in heaven, to You I come in the name of Jesus Christ, praising You for Your grace and mercy in gathering a remnant to belong to You. Give us strength and wisdom in these days to proclaim Your name, to declare Your praise, to preach the good news of the Gospel and to persevere amidst the growing turmoil in our world. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, knowing what You have said lies ahead … May Your true Church stand firmly on Your Word in these days. Raise up watchmen to warn Your people of the coming judgment and send forth Your Spirit to save those whom You have chosen for Yourself. For the sake of Your great Name I ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen"
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
"God is watching … and that's a good thing!"
Day #201: Daily Bible Reading - July 17th
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 11 - 12 …
God sees everything you do, He hears everything you say and knows everything you think. David writes in Psalm 139: "O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD" (139:1-4). That causes fear to rise in the hearts of those who don't know God's grace and mercy in Jesus, but for those who know Him, it is comforting to know that God is watching. Only the fool ignores the fact that we all live every moment of every day in view of God's gaze.
David goes on to say, "If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You" (Psalm 139:11-12). For David, and for all who know God as their Savior, their Rock, their Refuge, this is a wonderful thought, but for others the idea of a God who watches and who knows all that they say and do is something they would rather not think about. It's easier to doubt the existence of God or to make up a different "god" who does not interfere in our lives, but leaves us alone to do our own thing and go our own way … a god we can call on if we need him, perhaps, but who otherwise just leaves us alone.
Accountability is not something most people want, but Solomon understood that all men are accountable to God. In his writings in Proverbs and in Ecclesiastes, Solomon clearly declares that God sees, God knows and that words and actions carry with them consequences. That's why he concludes his Ecclesiastes with these words: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Too many people today forget that we will ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (II Corinthians 5:10).
Thank God that through faith in Jesus Christ those of us who have been saved by grace know that Jesus paid our debt and God no more remembers our sins. God will not bring up our sins on that day when we stand before Him, for they are covered by the blood of Jesus. Yet, those things done in the name of the Lord and for the glory of God will receive a reward … amazing as that is, for we will have earned nothing in God's sight. Our salvation is utterly and totally by grace alone, yet God's grace extends to rewarding those deeds done out of love for Him.
Our reading today, then, and over the coming weeks as we go through Proverbs, points out that there is a difference between the "righteous" and the "wicked." Those who desire to live a righteous life because the Spirit of God is at work within them will live in one way, for their hope is in the Lord … while those who do not have the Spirit of God within them will live to glorify themselves, or in wickedness, to please themselves and others, with no thought of giving glory to God. Even those who do good things to be noticed by others, without any regard for God, do so with wrong motives and will ultimately face His judgment.
Solomon writes in Proverbs 11 of those who pursue unjust gain and who desire worldly wealth. With dishonesty and greed and pride they believe they are the masters of their own fate and do whatever is necessary to gain what they desire. But Solomon says, "Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death" (11:4). And in verse 19: "The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death." "The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath" (11:23). Jesus told us to "lay up treasures in heaven" and those who know God and love Him will not pursue the things of the world. They will have contentment and peace of mind, as Paul says in Philippians 4, whether have little or plenty ... because they have CHRIST!
I love Solomon's imagery when he says things like, "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf" (11:28). It is similar to what we read in Psalm 1 as God describes the righteous as being "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. ... Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. ... For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish" (1:3-6). Those who know that God watches over them rejoice in HIM and in His providence. So Solomon begins Chapter 12: "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid" (12:1).
Yes, that's in the Bible! Knowing God and knowing He is watching over you means knowing how much you NEED His wisdom, His guidance AND His discipline and correction. We know that through faith in Jesus God sees us as righteous in Christ, but we also know that we are not yet perfect and we need God to continue His work in us in order to conform us to the image of Christ. God does that through His Word and through His discipline in our lives. The writer of Hebrews says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11). God desires to produce righteousness in His people and Proverbs describes what that righteousness looks like.
Proverbs 12 talks about the importance of words and work! "The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them" (12:6). "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment" (12:11). How you speak reveals what is in your mind and heart, and what is in your mind and heart leads to fruitful labor, not selfish laziness. All of life goes together for the righteous. One part affects every other part. In verse 14, Solomon puts words and work together: "An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble. From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him."
Solomon ends Proverbs 12 by declaring, "In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality" (12:28). As you read through all of the truth found in Solomon's proverbs, don't miss the "big picture." Proverbs is part of what we call "wisdom literature" ... but it's so much more than that. God's wisdom is revealed to those who seek Him, who know that He is watching ... and that's a good thing. Seek Him, ask Him to teach you as His Spirit works in you, "seek first His kingdom AND His righteousness" and He will give you all you need today ... and when this life is over, eternal life in His presence!
"O Lord, my God, in Your Word is wisdom, for in Your Word You reveal the path of righteousness. Apart from You there is no life, for only in knowing You can I discern the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, wickedness and righteousness, life and death! I thank You for watching over me, for revealing Your truth to me, for teaching me that words and actions have consequences ... and I praise You for saving me from the just rewards of my sin through the perfect righteousness of Jesus, my Savior ... and, my Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 11 - 12 …
God sees everything you do, He hears everything you say and knows everything you think. David writes in Psalm 139: "O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD" (139:1-4). That causes fear to rise in the hearts of those who don't know God's grace and mercy in Jesus, but for those who know Him, it is comforting to know that God is watching. Only the fool ignores the fact that we all live every moment of every day in view of God's gaze.
David goes on to say, "If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You" (Psalm 139:11-12). For David, and for all who know God as their Savior, their Rock, their Refuge, this is a wonderful thought, but for others the idea of a God who watches and who knows all that they say and do is something they would rather not think about. It's easier to doubt the existence of God or to make up a different "god" who does not interfere in our lives, but leaves us alone to do our own thing and go our own way … a god we can call on if we need him, perhaps, but who otherwise just leaves us alone.
Accountability is not something most people want, but Solomon understood that all men are accountable to God. In his writings in Proverbs and in Ecclesiastes, Solomon clearly declares that God sees, God knows and that words and actions carry with them consequences. That's why he concludes his Ecclesiastes with these words: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Too many people today forget that we will ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (II Corinthians 5:10).
Thank God that through faith in Jesus Christ those of us who have been saved by grace know that Jesus paid our debt and God no more remembers our sins. God will not bring up our sins on that day when we stand before Him, for they are covered by the blood of Jesus. Yet, those things done in the name of the Lord and for the glory of God will receive a reward … amazing as that is, for we will have earned nothing in God's sight. Our salvation is utterly and totally by grace alone, yet God's grace extends to rewarding those deeds done out of love for Him.
Our reading today, then, and over the coming weeks as we go through Proverbs, points out that there is a difference between the "righteous" and the "wicked." Those who desire to live a righteous life because the Spirit of God is at work within them will live in one way, for their hope is in the Lord … while those who do not have the Spirit of God within them will live to glorify themselves, or in wickedness, to please themselves and others, with no thought of giving glory to God. Even those who do good things to be noticed by others, without any regard for God, do so with wrong motives and will ultimately face His judgment.
Solomon writes in Proverbs 11 of those who pursue unjust gain and who desire worldly wealth. With dishonesty and greed and pride they believe they are the masters of their own fate and do whatever is necessary to gain what they desire. But Solomon says, "Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death" (11:4). And in verse 19: "The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death." "The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath" (11:23). Jesus told us to "lay up treasures in heaven" and those who know God and love Him will not pursue the things of the world. They will have contentment and peace of mind, as Paul says in Philippians 4, whether have little or plenty ... because they have CHRIST!
I love Solomon's imagery when he says things like, "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf" (11:28). It is similar to what we read in Psalm 1 as God describes the righteous as being "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. ... Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. ... For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish" (1:3-6). Those who know that God watches over them rejoice in HIM and in His providence. So Solomon begins Chapter 12: "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid" (12:1).
Yes, that's in the Bible! Knowing God and knowing He is watching over you means knowing how much you NEED His wisdom, His guidance AND His discipline and correction. We know that through faith in Jesus God sees us as righteous in Christ, but we also know that we are not yet perfect and we need God to continue His work in us in order to conform us to the image of Christ. God does that through His Word and through His discipline in our lives. The writer of Hebrews says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11). God desires to produce righteousness in His people and Proverbs describes what that righteousness looks like.
Proverbs 12 talks about the importance of words and work! "The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them" (12:6). "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment" (12:11). How you speak reveals what is in your mind and heart, and what is in your mind and heart leads to fruitful labor, not selfish laziness. All of life goes together for the righteous. One part affects every other part. In verse 14, Solomon puts words and work together: "An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble. From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him."
Solomon ends Proverbs 12 by declaring, "In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality" (12:28). As you read through all of the truth found in Solomon's proverbs, don't miss the "big picture." Proverbs is part of what we call "wisdom literature" ... but it's so much more than that. God's wisdom is revealed to those who seek Him, who know that He is watching ... and that's a good thing. Seek Him, ask Him to teach you as His Spirit works in you, "seek first His kingdom AND His righteousness" and He will give you all you need today ... and when this life is over, eternal life in His presence!
"O Lord, my God, in Your Word is wisdom, for in Your Word You reveal the path of righteousness. Apart from You there is no life, for only in knowing You can I discern the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, wickedness and righteousness, life and death! I thank You for watching over me, for revealing Your truth to me, for teaching me that words and actions have consequences ... and I praise You for saving me from the just rewards of my sin through the perfect righteousness of Jesus, my Savior ... and, my Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
"What do you want from God? … "
Day #200: Daily Bible Reading - July 16th
Scripture Reading: Psalms 84 - 86 …
Some people can't imagine asking God for anything, while others will ask God for everything … except what they SHOULD. Maybe you have asked God for something and you didn't receive what you asked for, so you don't ask any more. Those who don't know God will often avoid prayer, while those who claim to know Him may abuse the privilege, asking selfishly with only themselves in mind. As you read through the Psalms, you quickly discover that to the writers of the Psalms prayer is almost like breathing! It's such a normal, natural, everyday part of life that you can't imagine not doing it. So it's important to hear what the writers of the Psalms often pray for and to know what God wants you and me to pray for today.
Most people go to John's Gospel and hear Jesus telling His disciples, "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:13-14). Jesus also told them that there would be a time, after their time of grief (when He was crucified and buried), when "the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete" (John 16:23-24). So did Jesus give His disciples a "blank check?" Could they really ask for ANYTHING and He would give it to them or do it for them? And what about us? Do WE get the same promise?
Obviously, this can't be what Jesus meant … then or now. Surely the disciples asked for things in Jesus' name that they did not receive. Most of them were martyred for their faith in Christ. Surely they prayed that God would deliver them and other believers. The Apostle Paul and the disciples of Jesus and the early believers faced the same trials and the same temptations you and I do today. They were not perfect people, any more than we are, and they must have prayed for health and peace in the world and other things that they didn't get! So what did Jesus mean? Let's look at two more verses and then come back to our Psalms for today …
I John 5:14-15: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him."
Jesus wanted His disciples to ask for "anything" … "in His name." That meant that their minds were on HIM when they were praying and they were asking for what He had promised to give them. Sometimes your children ask you for something, knowing that your answer will probably be, "No." But the older they become the more aware they are of what you have taught them is good for them and what you are willing to give and do for them. You still want them to ask, but they ask with much more assurance, knowing that you are willing to give them what they NEED. In a similar way, God desires to give His children all they need, and since unlike us, He knows exactly what we need, He always answers in the very best way possible. So John writes, "if we ask anything according to His will." With that in mind, let's look at Psalms 84-86 and see what the Psalmist asked for.
Psalm 84 is such a beautiful expression of the believer's relationship with God. "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (84:1-2). Can you say that? Do you believe that those who live in God's presence, who praise Him, who understand that we are His … do you believe these are people who are blessed, no matter what may be happening in our lives? Are you always asking God TO bless you, or are you thanking Him that you ARE blessed? The writer of this Psalm loved worship, loved drawing near to God. He believed that the Almighty, the God of Jacob, looked with favor on him and he rejoiced that God was his protector. "No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless" (84:11).
Who of us can say we are "blameless?" All who trust in the forgiveness of God in Jesus Christ!! That's why he ends the Psalm by saying, "O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in YOU!" (84:12). We are not blameless, but God's promise of forgiveness through the blood of the Savior makes us blameless in His sight. Apparently the Psalmist, hundreds of years before the Gospel was ever preached, understood God's grace, mercy and forgiveness as the Spirit moved him to pen these words. When you know you are forgiven, you know that "the LORD bestows favor and honor" (84:11) and you rejoice in Him.
THEN you are ready to pray for that which God has promised, knowing that He hears your prayers and answers in the best way possible, in His time and in His way. Psalm 85 begins by stating truth: "You showed favor to Your land … You restored the fortunes of Jacob … You forgave the iniquity of Your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all Your wrath and turned from Your fierce anger" (85:1-3). Prayer that God hears and answers flows from a knowledge of the truth. So what do you pray for?
"Restore us again, O God our Savior! … Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation" (85:4,6-7). This was foremost on the Psalmist's mind and should be foremost in OUR minds! We need to recognize that we are here for God, that our very existence is for His purposes. Then we will ask for those things that will glorify Him, advance His kingdom and draw people to put their faith in the God of Jacob, the only true God, our Savior and Lord. "He promises peace to His people, His saints" (85:8). So we pray for those things that lead to peace with God … for wisdom, for holiness, for strength, for guidance …
Psalm 86 is another prayer of David … one that you and I could pray every day of our lives. "Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy" (86:1). Who of us cannot confess that?! So he asks God to "guard my life" … Why should God do that? " … for I am devoted to You" (86:2). In fact, David prays in verse 11 for "an undivided heart." Living in this world we face the constant temptation of losing our first love and taking our eyes off of Jesus. We forget about being part of God's plan and instead want Him to bless OUR plan. So David prays for mercy and for joy (86:3-4).
Note the confidence in David's prayer: "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You. Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of trouble I will call to You, for You will answer me" (86:5-7). Do you have that confidence? We should understand God's grace and mercy even more than David, for we know that the Savior has come and His name is Jesus! "All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your name. For … You alone are God!" (86:10).
With all the gods of the nations in David's day, he knew and testified that there was only ONE true God, the God of Jacob. When You know God, your heart's desire will be that others know Him, too. Those today who would mix the worship of other "gods," who are not gods at all, with the worship of the one true God, do not know the God who has revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ and by His Spirit through the written Word. David, like true believers today, trusted in the mercy and grace of God to save him from the grave (86:13). He rested in God's faithfulness and so do we.
The world around us will crumble and people will scorn our "narrow-minded" faith in God, but because we know Him we will ask for that which we need, trusting Him to provide, according to His will, for our good and for His glory. What do you want from God? If you ask for anything according to His will you can know that He hears you and that you have what you have asked for. As a loving Father He will give you all you need to love Him, to serve Him, to fulfill His calling on your life as a disciple of Christ, as you come to Him in the name of Jesus.
"Father, I come, confessing my need and rejoicing that You have met my greatest need in the cross of Christ, when Jesus suffered and died to pay the penalty for my sins. In His name, I come to You, trusting in Your mercy and testifying that Your love and faithfulness are truly all I need. With the Psalmist, I can say, 'Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere!' Give me an undivided heart, that I may praise You with all my heart and serve You with joy all my days. Give me strength to endure, to persevere and to overcome, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Psalms 84 - 86 …
Some people can't imagine asking God for anything, while others will ask God for everything … except what they SHOULD. Maybe you have asked God for something and you didn't receive what you asked for, so you don't ask any more. Those who don't know God will often avoid prayer, while those who claim to know Him may abuse the privilege, asking selfishly with only themselves in mind. As you read through the Psalms, you quickly discover that to the writers of the Psalms prayer is almost like breathing! It's such a normal, natural, everyday part of life that you can't imagine not doing it. So it's important to hear what the writers of the Psalms often pray for and to know what God wants you and me to pray for today.
Most people go to John's Gospel and hear Jesus telling His disciples, "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:13-14). Jesus also told them that there would be a time, after their time of grief (when He was crucified and buried), when "the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete" (John 16:23-24). So did Jesus give His disciples a "blank check?" Could they really ask for ANYTHING and He would give it to them or do it for them? And what about us? Do WE get the same promise?
Obviously, this can't be what Jesus meant … then or now. Surely the disciples asked for things in Jesus' name that they did not receive. Most of them were martyred for their faith in Christ. Surely they prayed that God would deliver them and other believers. The Apostle Paul and the disciples of Jesus and the early believers faced the same trials and the same temptations you and I do today. They were not perfect people, any more than we are, and they must have prayed for health and peace in the world and other things that they didn't get! So what did Jesus mean? Let's look at two more verses and then come back to our Psalms for today …
I John 5:14-15: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him."
Jesus wanted His disciples to ask for "anything" … "in His name." That meant that their minds were on HIM when they were praying and they were asking for what He had promised to give them. Sometimes your children ask you for something, knowing that your answer will probably be, "No." But the older they become the more aware they are of what you have taught them is good for them and what you are willing to give and do for them. You still want them to ask, but they ask with much more assurance, knowing that you are willing to give them what they NEED. In a similar way, God desires to give His children all they need, and since unlike us, He knows exactly what we need, He always answers in the very best way possible. So John writes, "if we ask anything according to His will." With that in mind, let's look at Psalms 84-86 and see what the Psalmist asked for.
Psalm 84 is such a beautiful expression of the believer's relationship with God. "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (84:1-2). Can you say that? Do you believe that those who live in God's presence, who praise Him, who understand that we are His … do you believe these are people who are blessed, no matter what may be happening in our lives? Are you always asking God TO bless you, or are you thanking Him that you ARE blessed? The writer of this Psalm loved worship, loved drawing near to God. He believed that the Almighty, the God of Jacob, looked with favor on him and he rejoiced that God was his protector. "No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless" (84:11).
Who of us can say we are "blameless?" All who trust in the forgiveness of God in Jesus Christ!! That's why he ends the Psalm by saying, "O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in YOU!" (84:12). We are not blameless, but God's promise of forgiveness through the blood of the Savior makes us blameless in His sight. Apparently the Psalmist, hundreds of years before the Gospel was ever preached, understood God's grace, mercy and forgiveness as the Spirit moved him to pen these words. When you know you are forgiven, you know that "the LORD bestows favor and honor" (84:11) and you rejoice in Him.
THEN you are ready to pray for that which God has promised, knowing that He hears your prayers and answers in the best way possible, in His time and in His way. Psalm 85 begins by stating truth: "You showed favor to Your land … You restored the fortunes of Jacob … You forgave the iniquity of Your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all Your wrath and turned from Your fierce anger" (85:1-3). Prayer that God hears and answers flows from a knowledge of the truth. So what do you pray for?
"Restore us again, O God our Savior! … Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation" (85:4,6-7). This was foremost on the Psalmist's mind and should be foremost in OUR minds! We need to recognize that we are here for God, that our very existence is for His purposes. Then we will ask for those things that will glorify Him, advance His kingdom and draw people to put their faith in the God of Jacob, the only true God, our Savior and Lord. "He promises peace to His people, His saints" (85:8). So we pray for those things that lead to peace with God … for wisdom, for holiness, for strength, for guidance …
Psalm 86 is another prayer of David … one that you and I could pray every day of our lives. "Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy" (86:1). Who of us cannot confess that?! So he asks God to "guard my life" … Why should God do that? " … for I am devoted to You" (86:2). In fact, David prays in verse 11 for "an undivided heart." Living in this world we face the constant temptation of losing our first love and taking our eyes off of Jesus. We forget about being part of God's plan and instead want Him to bless OUR plan. So David prays for mercy and for joy (86:3-4).
Note the confidence in David's prayer: "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You. Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of trouble I will call to You, for You will answer me" (86:5-7). Do you have that confidence? We should understand God's grace and mercy even more than David, for we know that the Savior has come and His name is Jesus! "All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your name. For … You alone are God!" (86:10).
With all the gods of the nations in David's day, he knew and testified that there was only ONE true God, the God of Jacob. When You know God, your heart's desire will be that others know Him, too. Those today who would mix the worship of other "gods," who are not gods at all, with the worship of the one true God, do not know the God who has revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ and by His Spirit through the written Word. David, like true believers today, trusted in the mercy and grace of God to save him from the grave (86:13). He rested in God's faithfulness and so do we.
The world around us will crumble and people will scorn our "narrow-minded" faith in God, but because we know Him we will ask for that which we need, trusting Him to provide, according to His will, for our good and for His glory. What do you want from God? If you ask for anything according to His will you can know that He hears you and that you have what you have asked for. As a loving Father He will give you all you need to love Him, to serve Him, to fulfill His calling on your life as a disciple of Christ, as you come to Him in the name of Jesus.
"Father, I come, confessing my need and rejoicing that You have met my greatest need in the cross of Christ, when Jesus suffered and died to pay the penalty for my sins. In His name, I come to You, trusting in Your mercy and testifying that Your love and faithfulness are truly all I need. With the Psalmist, I can say, 'Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere!' Give me an undivided heart, that I may praise You with all my heart and serve You with joy all my days. Give me strength to endure, to persevere and to overcome, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Monday, July 14, 2014
"The scepter will not depart from Judah ... until HE comes ..."
Day #199: Daily Bible Reading - July 15th
Scripture Reading: II Kings 11 - 15 ...
Why the Jews? Why Israel? Why do we hear about these people every day in the news? Because God's purpose for mankind, for the entire human race, centers around promises that He made some 4,000 years ago to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ... and to Jacob's son, Judah ... But why THESE people? Because God chose them. There was nothing special about them except for God's sovereign choice (Deuteronomy 7:7-9). People today don't want to believe that, including many in the church, but in so doing they give up the only hope they have for themselves, because apart from God's sovereign choice NO ONE will be saved. Like Israel and the descendants of Judah, we are sinners, "dead in our transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) ... and apart from the sovereign choice of God, we will remain that way unless or until HE makes us alive: "For He chose us in Him (Christ) before the creation of the world" ... "because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 1:4, 2:4-5).
I know ... I know, you have heard that WE must choose and God does tell us to choose Christ. But unless we are born again by the Spirit of God we will never make that choice. Left to our own free will, we will choose death. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ it is solely because God chose you to be His, sent His Son to pay your debt on the cross, then used His Word and Spirit to give you new birth and THEN, and only then, did you choose to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. So whom do you thank for your salvation? Who receives the glory? As it should be, it is all God ... the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - and Judah!
It was, then, to Judah that Jacob declared, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until HE comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is HIS!" (Genesis 49:10). Reading through the books of the Kings is painful and at times frustrating. Imagine what it was for God! But all of this had a purpose. Through the period of the kings and the prophets God was giving us pictures of the horrible consequences of sin and at the same time of His remarkable patience, mercy and grace. And throughout the period of the kings and prophets God was preparing the world for the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, God's chosen King, who would be the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
The kings of Israel continued to follow in the ways of Jeroboam, the first king of the divided kingdom in the northern tribes of Israel. He had established altars in the high places and introduced idolatry to the people. God had said that they must worship Him at the temple in Jerusalem, but Jeroboam rejected God's Word, went his own way and brought judgment on a nation as king after king followed his example. In Judah, however, the line of David, a descendant of Judah, continued throughout this period of history. As you begin reading Chapter 11 you discover another of Satan's plots to interrupt the line of Judah by destroying the whole royal family. He used Athaliah, the wife of King Jehoram and the mother of King Ahaziah to attempt to stop God's plan to bring the Messiah from the line of Judah. Remember, the war between God and Satan is always going on behind the scenes ... and it sometimes boils to the surface to be seen by those who are aware of God's promises and of Satan's evil plans to stand against God and His chosen people.
Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings of Israel, yet Jehoram, king of Judah, had taken her as his wife. When her son, Ahaziah, was killed by Jehu, king of Israel, Athaliah was determined to kill the rest of the royal family (including her own children), so that SHE could reign. Most certainly, Satan was behind her evil plot. But God used one of her own daughters to hide one of her brothers ... Joash. She took him to his nurse (he was just a small baby) and he was hidden with his nurse in the temple for six years! When Joash was seven years old, Jehoida the priest brought the commanders of the army to the temple and revealed Joash, the son of the last king, from the line of Judah, and declared him King of Judah. Athaliah was put to death and Joash began his forty-year reign.
It was evident from the beginning of his reign that this young man had been chosen by God to restore, at least in part, the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Yet he, too, failed to remove the altars in the high places and Judah, like Israel, continued in their half-hearted devotion to the God of their fathers. It is important to understand that the entire Old Testament period is a prelude to the coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Church. And it is also important to remember that God never forgets a promise. Even though these people rejected His Word as He sent the prophets, God always had a remnant, a small body of those who truly believed in Him and worshiped Him. Not all who claimed to know God truly did, even as it is today. God knows those who are His because He Himself is working in their hearts by His Spirit.
Speaking of Israel, the Apostle Paul, himself a Jew, writes to the Romans, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part UNTIL the full number of the Gentiles has come in ... " (11:25). God still has a remnant, saved by grace (11:5-6) ... and He always will, until the very time that Jesus returns ... and then, when all who have believed in Jesus Christ are taken to be with Him, when the Church is raptured and taken to celebrate with the Lord in heaven, God Himself will protect a remnant of those who remain from Israel and pour out His Spirit on them, opening their eyes to see Jesus when He comes in power as the Messiah, the King, the "Lion of Judah!" Every promise will be fulfilled, just as God has said in His Word.
So what does this mean for you and me today? It means that every promise God makes to us and to all who believe in Jesus Christ will also be fulfilled. "No matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come!" (II Corinthians 1:20-22).
Read God's Word with anticipation, looking forward to the return of the King and know that through faith in Jesus Christ you are one of His chosen people, saved by grace and called to serve the King, forever! Praise be to God for His power, wisdom and mercy. Truly, He has done great things!! And the best is yet to come, for His kingdom will come in all its glory and Jesus will reign as King!
"Heavenly Father, as I read Your Word I give You thanks for Your divine wisdom and providence over all the events of human history - past, present and future. Apart from this truth, we who believe would not have the assurance that Your plan will be fulfilled as You have revealed it in Your Word. Through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ, I trust in Your power and rest in Your grace, knowing that I am safe from Your wrath and judgment and that one day I will be a part of Your eternal kingdom, where I will forever serve You, my God, and give You praise! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: II Kings 11 - 15 ...
Why the Jews? Why Israel? Why do we hear about these people every day in the news? Because God's purpose for mankind, for the entire human race, centers around promises that He made some 4,000 years ago to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ... and to Jacob's son, Judah ... But why THESE people? Because God chose them. There was nothing special about them except for God's sovereign choice (Deuteronomy 7:7-9). People today don't want to believe that, including many in the church, but in so doing they give up the only hope they have for themselves, because apart from God's sovereign choice NO ONE will be saved. Like Israel and the descendants of Judah, we are sinners, "dead in our transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) ... and apart from the sovereign choice of God, we will remain that way unless or until HE makes us alive: "For He chose us in Him (Christ) before the creation of the world" ... "because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 1:4, 2:4-5).
I know ... I know, you have heard that WE must choose and God does tell us to choose Christ. But unless we are born again by the Spirit of God we will never make that choice. Left to our own free will, we will choose death. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ it is solely because God chose you to be His, sent His Son to pay your debt on the cross, then used His Word and Spirit to give you new birth and THEN, and only then, did you choose to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. So whom do you thank for your salvation? Who receives the glory? As it should be, it is all God ... the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - and Judah!
It was, then, to Judah that Jacob declared, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until HE comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is HIS!" (Genesis 49:10). Reading through the books of the Kings is painful and at times frustrating. Imagine what it was for God! But all of this had a purpose. Through the period of the kings and the prophets God was giving us pictures of the horrible consequences of sin and at the same time of His remarkable patience, mercy and grace. And throughout the period of the kings and prophets God was preparing the world for the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, God's chosen King, who would be the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
The kings of Israel continued to follow in the ways of Jeroboam, the first king of the divided kingdom in the northern tribes of Israel. He had established altars in the high places and introduced idolatry to the people. God had said that they must worship Him at the temple in Jerusalem, but Jeroboam rejected God's Word, went his own way and brought judgment on a nation as king after king followed his example. In Judah, however, the line of David, a descendant of Judah, continued throughout this period of history. As you begin reading Chapter 11 you discover another of Satan's plots to interrupt the line of Judah by destroying the whole royal family. He used Athaliah, the wife of King Jehoram and the mother of King Ahaziah to attempt to stop God's plan to bring the Messiah from the line of Judah. Remember, the war between God and Satan is always going on behind the scenes ... and it sometimes boils to the surface to be seen by those who are aware of God's promises and of Satan's evil plans to stand against God and His chosen people.
Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings of Israel, yet Jehoram, king of Judah, had taken her as his wife. When her son, Ahaziah, was killed by Jehu, king of Israel, Athaliah was determined to kill the rest of the royal family (including her own children), so that SHE could reign. Most certainly, Satan was behind her evil plot. But God used one of her own daughters to hide one of her brothers ... Joash. She took him to his nurse (he was just a small baby) and he was hidden with his nurse in the temple for six years! When Joash was seven years old, Jehoida the priest brought the commanders of the army to the temple and revealed Joash, the son of the last king, from the line of Judah, and declared him King of Judah. Athaliah was put to death and Joash began his forty-year reign.
It was evident from the beginning of his reign that this young man had been chosen by God to restore, at least in part, the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Yet he, too, failed to remove the altars in the high places and Judah, like Israel, continued in their half-hearted devotion to the God of their fathers. It is important to understand that the entire Old Testament period is a prelude to the coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Church. And it is also important to remember that God never forgets a promise. Even though these people rejected His Word as He sent the prophets, God always had a remnant, a small body of those who truly believed in Him and worshiped Him. Not all who claimed to know God truly did, even as it is today. God knows those who are His because He Himself is working in their hearts by His Spirit.
Speaking of Israel, the Apostle Paul, himself a Jew, writes to the Romans, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part UNTIL the full number of the Gentiles has come in ... " (11:25). God still has a remnant, saved by grace (11:5-6) ... and He always will, until the very time that Jesus returns ... and then, when all who have believed in Jesus Christ are taken to be with Him, when the Church is raptured and taken to celebrate with the Lord in heaven, God Himself will protect a remnant of those who remain from Israel and pour out His Spirit on them, opening their eyes to see Jesus when He comes in power as the Messiah, the King, the "Lion of Judah!" Every promise will be fulfilled, just as God has said in His Word.
So what does this mean for you and me today? It means that every promise God makes to us and to all who believe in Jesus Christ will also be fulfilled. "No matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come!" (II Corinthians 1:20-22).
Read God's Word with anticipation, looking forward to the return of the King and know that through faith in Jesus Christ you are one of His chosen people, saved by grace and called to serve the King, forever! Praise be to God for His power, wisdom and mercy. Truly, He has done great things!! And the best is yet to come, for His kingdom will come in all its glory and Jesus will reign as King!
"Heavenly Father, as I read Your Word I give You thanks for Your divine wisdom and providence over all the events of human history - past, present and future. Apart from this truth, we who believe would not have the assurance that Your plan will be fulfilled as You have revealed it in Your Word. Through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ, I trust in Your power and rest in Your grace, knowing that I am safe from Your wrath and judgment and that one day I will be a part of Your eternal kingdom, where I will forever serve You, my God, and give You praise! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Sunday, July 13, 2014
"You are saved by the blood of Jesus ... or you are not saved at all ..."
Day #198: Daily Bible Reading - July 14th
Scripture Reading: Leviticus 16 - 18 ...
You can either try to "work your way" to heaven, or you can believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, satisfied God's justice and made "atonement," payment for your sins. The choice should be an easy one, for the standard by which God will judge every person who has ever lived is perfection. "Be perfect, for I am perfect" (Matthew 5:48). "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" (James 2:10). Since no one can meet God's requirement for entering into His presence, all of mankind should be looking for a better way ... but they're not. Having been deceived by Satan and the old nature of sin, most people in the world insist on making their own way, bringing their own offerings before the Lord, believing that He will accept them and excuse their sin. But there is only one thing that will cover your sin in God's sight: BLOOD!! ... and not just any blood.
Having given the people of Israel His law at Mt. Sinai, God instituted what has been called "the sacrificial system." He instructed Moses and Aaron to teach the people of Israel that they could approach God only through this system of sacrifices in order to point them to the coming Messiah, who Himself would make atonement for their sins. They could not possibly imagine how that would happen, but they were called to have "faith," to believe God's promise to forgive their sins through the blood. In order to help them understand His holiness and their sin, and the need for atonement, payment, God commanded them to bring offerings to the priests at the tabernacle, and later to the temple. Only the priests could offer sacrifices, and they must follow strict rules or they themselves would die.
Among the many offerings the people were to bring and the priests were to offer, there was one that rose above the rest in importance: the Day of Atonement. On this day, once a year, the High Priest (Aaron was the first), could actually enter into the Most Holy Place (the "Holy of Holies") ... but only with the blood of a special offering. The Most Holy Place was separated from the Holy Place, where the regular offerings were brought, by a thick veil. If anyone entered there in a different way or at a different time or with a different offering, they would die. This is a picture of those who attempt to enter God's presence in any way except through faith in Jesus. They will endure spiritual death ... spiritual separation from God - forever!
But God made a way to approach Him. The High Priest first had to offer a sacrifice for himself, for he, too, was a sinner. Then he had to offer a sacrifice and take the blood into the Most Holy Place and sprinkle it on the Ark of the Covenant in the way God had commanded . The top of the Ark was called the "Mercy Seat," and it was there that God offered His mercy ... withholding His judgment, not giving people what they deserved, but instead showing His grace - undeserved favor. The High Priest killed the goat for the sin offering for the people and took its blood behind the curtain, the veil, and sprinkled it on the atonement cover and in front of it. God said, "In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites" (16:16).
When Aaron finished making atonement (a payment covering sin in God's sight) for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) and the altar, he brought another goat and laid both hands on the head of the goat and confessed over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins - and put them on the goat's head. Then he sent the goat away into the wilderness as a sign of Israel's sin being taken away. This goat was called the "scapegoat," a word we still use today to describe someone who is blamed for or who carries the burden of someone else's sin or wrongdoing. God then pronounced that "on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins" (16:30).
All of that sounds very strange to our ears and minds today. In fact, most believe it sounds foolish and utterly ridiculous. But there was a point to it all. These things happened for us, for those who would live after the death and resurrection of Jesus, to give us a picture of what Jesus accomplished for all who believe in Him, who put their trust in HIS blood. In Chapter 17, God forbids the people to eat blood, saying, "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life" (17:11).
The beauty of God's Word is that it all goes together like pieces of a puzzle designed by God ... In the book of Hebrews the writer explains in Chapter 9 how the earthly tabernacle and the people were cleansed by the blood of the offerings brought by the High Priest into the Most Holy Place. Then he says, "The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing" (9:8). Through a detailed explanation he reveals that the Old Testament sacrifices, and especially the Day of Atonement, pointed ahead to Jesus! "How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God" (9:14).
Then he says, "For Christ did not enter a manmade sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence" (9:24). The Old Testament sacrifices could not take away sin, but only point to the sacrifice the Messiah would make ... that we now know was the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Listen to how the writer of Hebrews explains it, inspired by the same Spirit of God who inspired Moses to write Leviticus: "When this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (10:12-14).
This IS the Gospel! This is the good news only those who trust in the blood of Jesus know, and it is the only message that reveals the way into the Most Holy Place. No one, not one, will enter His presence without their sins being covered by the blood of Jesus. In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes, "God presented Him (Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood" (Romans 3:25). There simply is no other way to enter the Most Holy Place. But listen to the conclusion of the writer of Hebrews: "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus ..." (10:19) ... confidence, faith, trust ... in Jesus ... HIS blood paid the price for YOUR sins ... IF you place your hope in Him alone for forgiveness.
Do not be confused or misled by the ideas and religions of man that there are other ways to enter God's presence or to be saved from His judgment. You are saved by the blood of Jesus ... or you are not saved at all. On the cross Jesus offered the only sacrifice for sin that removes the guilt that we all bear. Thank God for the gift of His Son, who purchased our salvation by offering His blood in our place. Love so amazing, grace so astounding, demands a response of praise!!
"O Lord, my God, I praise You for Your mercy and Your grace. Give me wisdom to hear, to understand and to believe all that You have revealed in Your Word. I trust in the blood of Jesus alone and claim no other way to be saved. He is my life and my salvation, for my life is found in HIS blood. To You, Father, I give my thanks and praise, now and forever! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Leviticus 16 - 18 ...
You can either try to "work your way" to heaven, or you can believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, satisfied God's justice and made "atonement," payment for your sins. The choice should be an easy one, for the standard by which God will judge every person who has ever lived is perfection. "Be perfect, for I am perfect" (Matthew 5:48). "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" (James 2:10). Since no one can meet God's requirement for entering into His presence, all of mankind should be looking for a better way ... but they're not. Having been deceived by Satan and the old nature of sin, most people in the world insist on making their own way, bringing their own offerings before the Lord, believing that He will accept them and excuse their sin. But there is only one thing that will cover your sin in God's sight: BLOOD!! ... and not just any blood.
Having given the people of Israel His law at Mt. Sinai, God instituted what has been called "the sacrificial system." He instructed Moses and Aaron to teach the people of Israel that they could approach God only through this system of sacrifices in order to point them to the coming Messiah, who Himself would make atonement for their sins. They could not possibly imagine how that would happen, but they were called to have "faith," to believe God's promise to forgive their sins through the blood. In order to help them understand His holiness and their sin, and the need for atonement, payment, God commanded them to bring offerings to the priests at the tabernacle, and later to the temple. Only the priests could offer sacrifices, and they must follow strict rules or they themselves would die.
Among the many offerings the people were to bring and the priests were to offer, there was one that rose above the rest in importance: the Day of Atonement. On this day, once a year, the High Priest (Aaron was the first), could actually enter into the Most Holy Place (the "Holy of Holies") ... but only with the blood of a special offering. The Most Holy Place was separated from the Holy Place, where the regular offerings were brought, by a thick veil. If anyone entered there in a different way or at a different time or with a different offering, they would die. This is a picture of those who attempt to enter God's presence in any way except through faith in Jesus. They will endure spiritual death ... spiritual separation from God - forever!
But God made a way to approach Him. The High Priest first had to offer a sacrifice for himself, for he, too, was a sinner. Then he had to offer a sacrifice and take the blood into the Most Holy Place and sprinkle it on the Ark of the Covenant in the way God had commanded . The top of the Ark was called the "Mercy Seat," and it was there that God offered His mercy ... withholding His judgment, not giving people what they deserved, but instead showing His grace - undeserved favor. The High Priest killed the goat for the sin offering for the people and took its blood behind the curtain, the veil, and sprinkled it on the atonement cover and in front of it. God said, "In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites" (16:16).
When Aaron finished making atonement (a payment covering sin in God's sight) for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) and the altar, he brought another goat and laid both hands on the head of the goat and confessed over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins - and put them on the goat's head. Then he sent the goat away into the wilderness as a sign of Israel's sin being taken away. This goat was called the "scapegoat," a word we still use today to describe someone who is blamed for or who carries the burden of someone else's sin or wrongdoing. God then pronounced that "on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins" (16:30).
All of that sounds very strange to our ears and minds today. In fact, most believe it sounds foolish and utterly ridiculous. But there was a point to it all. These things happened for us, for those who would live after the death and resurrection of Jesus, to give us a picture of what Jesus accomplished for all who believe in Him, who put their trust in HIS blood. In Chapter 17, God forbids the people to eat blood, saying, "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life" (17:11).
The beauty of God's Word is that it all goes together like pieces of a puzzle designed by God ... In the book of Hebrews the writer explains in Chapter 9 how the earthly tabernacle and the people were cleansed by the blood of the offerings brought by the High Priest into the Most Holy Place. Then he says, "The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing" (9:8). Through a detailed explanation he reveals that the Old Testament sacrifices, and especially the Day of Atonement, pointed ahead to Jesus! "How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God" (9:14).
Then he says, "For Christ did not enter a manmade sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence" (9:24). The Old Testament sacrifices could not take away sin, but only point to the sacrifice the Messiah would make ... that we now know was the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Listen to how the writer of Hebrews explains it, inspired by the same Spirit of God who inspired Moses to write Leviticus: "When this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (10:12-14).
This IS the Gospel! This is the good news only those who trust in the blood of Jesus know, and it is the only message that reveals the way into the Most Holy Place. No one, not one, will enter His presence without their sins being covered by the blood of Jesus. In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes, "God presented Him (Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood" (Romans 3:25). There simply is no other way to enter the Most Holy Place. But listen to the conclusion of the writer of Hebrews: "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus ..." (10:19) ... confidence, faith, trust ... in Jesus ... HIS blood paid the price for YOUR sins ... IF you place your hope in Him alone for forgiveness.
Do not be confused or misled by the ideas and religions of man that there are other ways to enter God's presence or to be saved from His judgment. You are saved by the blood of Jesus ... or you are not saved at all. On the cross Jesus offered the only sacrifice for sin that removes the guilt that we all bear. Thank God for the gift of His Son, who purchased our salvation by offering His blood in our place. Love so amazing, grace so astounding, demands a response of praise!!
"O Lord, my God, I praise You for Your mercy and Your grace. Give me wisdom to hear, to understand and to believe all that You have revealed in Your Word. I trust in the blood of Jesus alone and claim no other way to be saved. He is my life and my salvation, for my life is found in HIS blood. To You, Father, I give my thanks and praise, now and forever! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Saturday, July 12, 2014
"When your heart and mind are on Christ, it shows!"
Day #197: Daily Bible Reading Plan - July 13th
Scripture Reading: Colossians 3 - 4 ...
In reading Colossians and some of Paul's other letters, it is remarkable that as Paul was under house arrest in Rome, he was still concerned about the believers in the churches where he had preached the Gospel and shared his life. He cared not only about what they believed, but how they were living. It was Paul's earnest desire that their lives would display the power of God at work within them, for the glory of God and the spread of the Gospel. And for that to happen, they needed to know their identity in Christ and the power of the Spirit within them. The same is true today.
Having written about their freedom in Christ in Chapter 2, Paul begins Chapter 3 by urging them to focus their thinking and their affection on Christ: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (3:1-3). These are amazing, incredible, awesome truths!! We who believe HAVE new life in Christ. By the power of His Spirit our minds and hearts have died to sin and now we can serve God freely because we WANT to! Those without the Spirit may try to serve God out of a sense of obligation or to earn His favor, but believers know that we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus and we now HAVE eternal life. "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory!" (3:4). That's our new starting point.
And that makes a difference in how we live. That which was attached to the old nature of sin is no longer our "default setting." "You used to walk in these ways ..." (3:7) ... but no longer. God is now at work conforming us to His image. So he writes, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved ..." This IS our identity in Christ. Only those who are born again by the Spirit of God and who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord have this new identity. We know we are chosen in Christ, holy in God's sight through His blood, and are dearly loved. Those who know this to be true cannot and will not live to satisfy the old nature any longer. Our heart's desire is to be what God wants us to be and to do what God wants us to do.
When we think of "grace," we usually think of "undeserved favor," and that is true. But grace also has another meaning: Grace is God's empowering presence, enabling us to be what He wants us to be and to do what He wants us to do. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote that "God is at work in you, both to will and to act according to His good pleasure" (2:13). All that God calls us to be and do in His Word, He enables us to do by His Spirit and Word. Paul shows the contrast between how the Colossians used to live and how they are now living and called to live, summarizing his instructions with the words, "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (3:17).
What a joy for us as believers to see God working in us, making us more like Him, transforming us, molding us into the image of Christ. In his instructions to wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves and masters, it is all about serving Christ. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (3:23-24). While that is said specifically to slaves (those serving others), that applies to all of us in all our relationships.
Which requires us to be in constant contact with our Father in heaven, seeking His wisdom and strength to fulfill our calling as we live in this world for Him. "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" (4:2). Those who know Jesus Christ, and who are God's children, have the greatest life possible in this world. We know God is with us now, that He is working in us AND that we have an inheritance that is "out-of-this-world" when we leave this world or when Jesus returns. That's why Paul's focus, as always, was on proclaiming the Gospel, so that others would know the truth that sets people free! He asks them to pray for him, that even though he is in chains, he will be able to continue to preach the Gospel, and he encourages them to do the same.
What would you be thinking about if you were in prison? What DO you think about every day? As Paul closes his letter with greetings, he commends others who are laboring hard for the Gospel and encourages others to "complete the work you have received in the Lord" (4:17). What a goal for your life and mine ... to complete the work God has given to each of us, using our gifts for the glory of our God! Does this describe your life? There are so many distractions that take our minds off of who we are and that sometimes make us forget that we have been raised with Christ. So right now, take a moment, remember that Jesus is on His throne at the right hand of the Father, and set your heart and mind on HIM, not on earthly things. Practice doing that when you get up in the morning and throughout the day and see what a difference it will make in your life.
When your heart and mind are on Christ, it shows!
"Heavenly Father, even as I pray at this moment, I think of Jesus, who walked this earth, who died and rose again and ascended into heaven, seated at Your right hand, ruling over all things. I thank You, Father, for Your wonderful grace and for the power of Your Spirit, Who works within me. As I desire to serve You with all my heart, help me, Father, to put off the old self and to put on the new as You continue Your work in me. May my life display the truth that I am chosen in Christ, holy in Your sight and dearly loved! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Colossians 3 - 4 ...
In reading Colossians and some of Paul's other letters, it is remarkable that as Paul was under house arrest in Rome, he was still concerned about the believers in the churches where he had preached the Gospel and shared his life. He cared not only about what they believed, but how they were living. It was Paul's earnest desire that their lives would display the power of God at work within them, for the glory of God and the spread of the Gospel. And for that to happen, they needed to know their identity in Christ and the power of the Spirit within them. The same is true today.
Having written about their freedom in Christ in Chapter 2, Paul begins Chapter 3 by urging them to focus their thinking and their affection on Christ: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (3:1-3). These are amazing, incredible, awesome truths!! We who believe HAVE new life in Christ. By the power of His Spirit our minds and hearts have died to sin and now we can serve God freely because we WANT to! Those without the Spirit may try to serve God out of a sense of obligation or to earn His favor, but believers know that we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus and we now HAVE eternal life. "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory!" (3:4). That's our new starting point.
And that makes a difference in how we live. That which was attached to the old nature of sin is no longer our "default setting." "You used to walk in these ways ..." (3:7) ... but no longer. God is now at work conforming us to His image. So he writes, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved ..." This IS our identity in Christ. Only those who are born again by the Spirit of God and who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord have this new identity. We know we are chosen in Christ, holy in God's sight through His blood, and are dearly loved. Those who know this to be true cannot and will not live to satisfy the old nature any longer. Our heart's desire is to be what God wants us to be and to do what God wants us to do.
When we think of "grace," we usually think of "undeserved favor," and that is true. But grace also has another meaning: Grace is God's empowering presence, enabling us to be what He wants us to be and to do what He wants us to do. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote that "God is at work in you, both to will and to act according to His good pleasure" (2:13). All that God calls us to be and do in His Word, He enables us to do by His Spirit and Word. Paul shows the contrast between how the Colossians used to live and how they are now living and called to live, summarizing his instructions with the words, "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (3:17).
What a joy for us as believers to see God working in us, making us more like Him, transforming us, molding us into the image of Christ. In his instructions to wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves and masters, it is all about serving Christ. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (3:23-24). While that is said specifically to slaves (those serving others), that applies to all of us in all our relationships.
Which requires us to be in constant contact with our Father in heaven, seeking His wisdom and strength to fulfill our calling as we live in this world for Him. "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" (4:2). Those who know Jesus Christ, and who are God's children, have the greatest life possible in this world. We know God is with us now, that He is working in us AND that we have an inheritance that is "out-of-this-world" when we leave this world or when Jesus returns. That's why Paul's focus, as always, was on proclaiming the Gospel, so that others would know the truth that sets people free! He asks them to pray for him, that even though he is in chains, he will be able to continue to preach the Gospel, and he encourages them to do the same.
What would you be thinking about if you were in prison? What DO you think about every day? As Paul closes his letter with greetings, he commends others who are laboring hard for the Gospel and encourages others to "complete the work you have received in the Lord" (4:17). What a goal for your life and mine ... to complete the work God has given to each of us, using our gifts for the glory of our God! Does this describe your life? There are so many distractions that take our minds off of who we are and that sometimes make us forget that we have been raised with Christ. So right now, take a moment, remember that Jesus is on His throne at the right hand of the Father, and set your heart and mind on HIM, not on earthly things. Practice doing that when you get up in the morning and throughout the day and see what a difference it will make in your life.
When your heart and mind are on Christ, it shows!
"Heavenly Father, even as I pray at this moment, I think of Jesus, who walked this earth, who died and rose again and ascended into heaven, seated at Your right hand, ruling over all things. I thank You, Father, for Your wonderful grace and for the power of Your Spirit, Who works within me. As I desire to serve You with all my heart, help me, Father, to put off the old self and to put on the new as You continue Your work in me. May my life display the truth that I am chosen in Christ, holy in Your sight and dearly loved! In Jesus' name, Amen"
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