Day #233: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 18th
Scripture Reading: Numbers 5 - 8 …
What does it mean to be "blessed"? To most it probably means that good things are happening ... and at least in theory, those things are blessings from God. Some today use the word "lucky" in place of blessed, and some undoubtedly use the word "blessed" in the place of what they really mean, "lucky." The truth is, only those who know the one true God who sovereignly rules over the affairs of men can be "blessed." To be "blessed" is to know who you are, why you're here and where you're going. All other "blessings" are the fruit of a relationship with the living God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Apart from Him, everything else is just "stuff."
The people of Israel in the days of Moses were blessed! They had been chosen by God to display His glory and to proclaim His Name to the world. God had given them His law and when they were obedient to Him they received blessing after blessing. God gave them victory over their enemies and gave them instructions for living and for worship. He told Aaron and his sons, who were ordained to be priests, to bless the people of Israel with these words, "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace" (6:24-26). God put His Name on Israel and promised to bless them with His presence.
In Chapter 5, God speaks of the "purity" of the camp of Israel. Some of these requirements sound strange to us (indeed, ARE strange to us!), yet they give a picture of God's call to Israel to be faithful to HIM! The requirement to put those with infectious diseases (diseases that would spread) outside the camp points to the infecting power of sin. Those who remain in their sin will finally be found outside the holy city of God in eternity! The law of "jealousy" points to God's own jealousy over Israel, as she pursued false gods and alliances with the kings of other nations. In the commandments God says that He is a "jealous God." The judgment for the unfaithful wife was severe because it was a picture of God's judgment on His unfaithful people.
The Nazarite vow required an act of consecration, for the Savior would be a Nazarene, not only in practice, but from the very town of Nazareth, which comes from the root word for "branch." The word plays throughout the Bible inevitably point to God's relationship with His people and to Jesus, the coming Messiah, the Savior. Everything reminded the people of God's reign over them and of His call to obedience - an obedience that they could never give perfectly, and which drove them to long for the Savior, the Messiah, to come.
As the representatives of the twelve tribes brought offerings for the dedication of the temple, one-by-one they approached the place where God promised to dwell with His people and gave their offerings to the priests. And then the Levites were brought before the people to be consecrated, set apart, for their ministry before God on behalf of the people. The people laid hands on them and God said, "In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites and they will be MINE!" (8:14) This pointed to two very significant things that would take place in the future:
First, Jesus would become our Great High Priest. The writer of Hebrews says that "we have a great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God" (Hebrews 2:14). He goes on in verses 15-16: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Believers need no one else to go before us into the presence of God, for Jesus has made the perfect sacrifice and continually intercedes for us before the Father's throne in heaven. Consider that when you are overwhelmed by your own sin or the evil in the world around you. Our God reigns and Jesus is on the throne!
Secondly, the setting apart of the Levites as priests to serve before God at the tabernacle points ahead to us as believers in the world today. John writes in Revelation 1:5-6: "To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father - to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen." WE are priests before God, offering our praise and thanksgiving ... bringing our lives before Him and laying them down at His feet. WE have been blessed "in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:4). Out of all the people on earth we have been chosen, loved, adopted, redeemed, forgiven and marked with the Holy Spirit!
Reading about God's dealings with Israel and His blessings should continually remind us of OUR position before God through faith in Jesus, and having received such blessings we should remember that "to whom much is given, much is required" (Luke 12:48). The blessings of God in Christ cannot be bought, they must be received, and when you know you ARE blessed, your life will reveal your thankfulness and God will be praised, for He IS worthy!
"Almighty, everlasting God, my Savior and my Lord, it is in knowing You through Your Word that I discover my own identity as one of Your people. Oh, how I thank You for blessing me with Your Spirit and opening my heart to believe, my mind to understand, my ears to hear and my eyes to see the truth revealed through Jesus. I trust in Him and know that I am blessed beyond anything I could ever earn or deserve. My life is in Your hands, O Lord, so let me be a faithful priest in Your household, to serve Your people and to give to You all You deserve. To You be glory, honor and praise, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
"Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness ..."
Day #232: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 17th
Scripture Reading: I Timothy 4 - 6 …
Timothy was a young preacher who had been with Paul, who had heard him preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and who was as dear to Paul as a son. In the midst of the spreading of the Gospel and the persecution that accompanied it this was, perhaps, the closest relationship that Paul had with any other person. The reason was obvious: Paul wanted to be sure that the Gospel would be proclaimed after his life and ministry were over. Paul's life was centered on proclaiming the message of the Gospel and while many others followed him, it was to Timothy that he wrote these words of encouragement and instruction to all who would be called of God to serve in this capacity. And in his words to Timothy are important truths for all believers.
Paul warns Timothy that "some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons" (4:1). That should SCARE people ... or at least wake them up! I am truly amazed at how so many people who claim to believe in Jesus will listen to someone who preaches or teaches things that are contrary to God's Word. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that "if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached ... you put up with it easily enough" (II Corinthians 11:4), and then said, "such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness" (II Corinthians 11:13-15).
The way to counteract what Satan is trying to do is to continue to preach and teach the true Gospel. Paul wants Timothy to focus on spiritual things, saying that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (4:8). That doesn't mean exercising and being in shape physically has no value, but spiritual growth and training is more valuable. These bodies will not last forever, but our souls will!! Timothy is encouraged to "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (4:12), as he continues to preach and teach God's Word.
In words that apply to everyone who proclaims God's truth, Paul writes, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (4:16). "Doctrine" equals "teaching." Like many words today, the meaning of "doctrine" has been changed by some to refer to traditions and interpretations that are not in accord with the Word of God. But the Bible uses the word "doctrine" to refer to truth that God has revealed by His Spirit in His Word. "Sound doctrine" is therefore "God-given truth," and as such it is true for everyone. Different preachers or denominations have different "doctrine" only when they stray from God's Word. There is one Gospel, one message that has the power to save sinners from the judgment of God!
Since being a disciple of Jesus means living life in community with other believers, in the rest of Paul's letter to Timothy, God instructs him concerning the relationships of those within the body. First, he addresses the care of widows, an important matter to God. James even wrote, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27). Widows were to be taken care of first by their family and only secondarily by the church. Family caring for family is so important to God that the Spirit moved Paul to write, "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (5:8). God never contradicts the order He Himself has established. God must come first in our devotion and commitment, family second, the church third, and everything else after that. Keeping those priorities in order brings God's blessing.
After speaking about the role of elders "who direct the affairs of the church" (5:17 ... a role that should be recognized by all congregations - the rule by elders) ... God has a word for slaves. While understanding that the Bible was used for years to justify slavery, in the culture of that day God instructed those who were legally enslaved (according to the laws of the cultures into which the Gospel was coming) to obey their masters as though they were serving the Lord. Many today feel at times as if they are slaves to their employers, but again, God says, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men ... It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:22-24).
Our goal as believers must be to honor the Lord in every relationship we have. Doing so gives us an opportunity to witness to others of the God who is sovereign over all things and all people and who offers forgiveness and life through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. If in our lives we disobey God's will, how can we then seek to use God's Word to lead others to Jesus and to lay down their lives for Him. We who believe, like Timothy, must model what we believe and what we proclaim to be true.
Finally, Paul speaks about money and contentment. He again warns Timothy that some are teaching false doctrines and are leading people away from the truth. When it comes to money, that is certainly true today. God says that these have been "robbed of the truth and ... think that godliness is a means to financial gain" (6:5). This is the "prosperity gospel" of our day. People are being told that God wants you to be wealthy and if you believe and make the right decisions you WILL be!! My question is always, "What about people in the third world?" If it isn't true for everybody, it isn't true for anybody. God does not have one set of principles for rich people and another set of principles for poor people.
Rather, God says, "godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that" (6:6-8). Then that verse that is misquoted by so many, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (6:10). Money itself is not evil, but the LOVE of money IS! Living in this nation where gambling and lotteries have become just another way to tax people who cannot resist the temptation to want to get rich without working, these words should convict all those who want to follow Jesus Christ. God calls His people to live with a desire to be productive, to provide for their family, to support the work of the kingdom, to help others and to be content. When asked, "How much is enough?" ... one multi-millionaire responded, "A little more!"
How much better to serve the Lord with contentment, to give to those in need, to pursue righteousness and to walk with God, being led by His Spirit, obeying His Word, loving those around you?! "But you, man (and woman) of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession" (6:11-12). Jesus is coming back, and your life and mine should be lived constantly with the awareness that all of this is temporary and living with and for the Lord is the ONLY thing that truly matters. The rest is just "stuff!" Whether rich or poor, our hope is not to be found in earthly things. Jesus will return (6:14), this age will end (6:19), and life in God's perfect new world will begin.
Are you living as though that were true? Can other people see YOUR life, as Paul wanted them to be able to see Timothy's life, and see that you are "different" than those who do not know God and serve Jesus Christ? The pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness will make YOU happy, joyful and at peace, with God and with others. God will use you to bring honor and glory to Himself and your light will shine in the midst of the darkness of this world. "Take hold of the life that is truly life" and "lay up treasure for yourself as a firm foundation for the coming age" (6:19). You will be glad you did!
"Heavenly Father, in the midst of this world where so much false teaching is being offered under the cover of 'truth,' help those who truly know You to discern YOUR truth and to live to display the wisdom found only in Your Word. Move me to pursue those things which YOU have said are precious and valuable in Your sight, and give me strength to resist the temptation to pursue worldly wealth and pleasure that leads to disappointment and despair. Help me to be content with what You provide and to use what You have given to me to care for those around me, for Your glory and honor. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: I Timothy 4 - 6 …
Timothy was a young preacher who had been with Paul, who had heard him preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and who was as dear to Paul as a son. In the midst of the spreading of the Gospel and the persecution that accompanied it this was, perhaps, the closest relationship that Paul had with any other person. The reason was obvious: Paul wanted to be sure that the Gospel would be proclaimed after his life and ministry were over. Paul's life was centered on proclaiming the message of the Gospel and while many others followed him, it was to Timothy that he wrote these words of encouragement and instruction to all who would be called of God to serve in this capacity. And in his words to Timothy are important truths for all believers.
Paul warns Timothy that "some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons" (4:1). That should SCARE people ... or at least wake them up! I am truly amazed at how so many people who claim to believe in Jesus will listen to someone who preaches or teaches things that are contrary to God's Word. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that "if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached ... you put up with it easily enough" (II Corinthians 11:4), and then said, "such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness" (II Corinthians 11:13-15).
The way to counteract what Satan is trying to do is to continue to preach and teach the true Gospel. Paul wants Timothy to focus on spiritual things, saying that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (4:8). That doesn't mean exercising and being in shape physically has no value, but spiritual growth and training is more valuable. These bodies will not last forever, but our souls will!! Timothy is encouraged to "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (4:12), as he continues to preach and teach God's Word.
In words that apply to everyone who proclaims God's truth, Paul writes, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (4:16). "Doctrine" equals "teaching." Like many words today, the meaning of "doctrine" has been changed by some to refer to traditions and interpretations that are not in accord with the Word of God. But the Bible uses the word "doctrine" to refer to truth that God has revealed by His Spirit in His Word. "Sound doctrine" is therefore "God-given truth," and as such it is true for everyone. Different preachers or denominations have different "doctrine" only when they stray from God's Word. There is one Gospel, one message that has the power to save sinners from the judgment of God!
Since being a disciple of Jesus means living life in community with other believers, in the rest of Paul's letter to Timothy, God instructs him concerning the relationships of those within the body. First, he addresses the care of widows, an important matter to God. James even wrote, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27). Widows were to be taken care of first by their family and only secondarily by the church. Family caring for family is so important to God that the Spirit moved Paul to write, "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (5:8). God never contradicts the order He Himself has established. God must come first in our devotion and commitment, family second, the church third, and everything else after that. Keeping those priorities in order brings God's blessing.
After speaking about the role of elders "who direct the affairs of the church" (5:17 ... a role that should be recognized by all congregations - the rule by elders) ... God has a word for slaves. While understanding that the Bible was used for years to justify slavery, in the culture of that day God instructed those who were legally enslaved (according to the laws of the cultures into which the Gospel was coming) to obey their masters as though they were serving the Lord. Many today feel at times as if they are slaves to their employers, but again, God says, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men ... It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:22-24).
Our goal as believers must be to honor the Lord in every relationship we have. Doing so gives us an opportunity to witness to others of the God who is sovereign over all things and all people and who offers forgiveness and life through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. If in our lives we disobey God's will, how can we then seek to use God's Word to lead others to Jesus and to lay down their lives for Him. We who believe, like Timothy, must model what we believe and what we proclaim to be true.
Finally, Paul speaks about money and contentment. He again warns Timothy that some are teaching false doctrines and are leading people away from the truth. When it comes to money, that is certainly true today. God says that these have been "robbed of the truth and ... think that godliness is a means to financial gain" (6:5). This is the "prosperity gospel" of our day. People are being told that God wants you to be wealthy and if you believe and make the right decisions you WILL be!! My question is always, "What about people in the third world?" If it isn't true for everybody, it isn't true for anybody. God does not have one set of principles for rich people and another set of principles for poor people.
Rather, God says, "godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that" (6:6-8). Then that verse that is misquoted by so many, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (6:10). Money itself is not evil, but the LOVE of money IS! Living in this nation where gambling and lotteries have become just another way to tax people who cannot resist the temptation to want to get rich without working, these words should convict all those who want to follow Jesus Christ. God calls His people to live with a desire to be productive, to provide for their family, to support the work of the kingdom, to help others and to be content. When asked, "How much is enough?" ... one multi-millionaire responded, "A little more!"
How much better to serve the Lord with contentment, to give to those in need, to pursue righteousness and to walk with God, being led by His Spirit, obeying His Word, loving those around you?! "But you, man (and woman) of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession" (6:11-12). Jesus is coming back, and your life and mine should be lived constantly with the awareness that all of this is temporary and living with and for the Lord is the ONLY thing that truly matters. The rest is just "stuff!" Whether rich or poor, our hope is not to be found in earthly things. Jesus will return (6:14), this age will end (6:19), and life in God's perfect new world will begin.
Are you living as though that were true? Can other people see YOUR life, as Paul wanted them to be able to see Timothy's life, and see that you are "different" than those who do not know God and serve Jesus Christ? The pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness will make YOU happy, joyful and at peace, with God and with others. God will use you to bring honor and glory to Himself and your light will shine in the midst of the darkness of this world. "Take hold of the life that is truly life" and "lay up treasure for yourself as a firm foundation for the coming age" (6:19). You will be glad you did!
"Heavenly Father, in the midst of this world where so much false teaching is being offered under the cover of 'truth,' help those who truly know You to discern YOUR truth and to live to display the wisdom found only in Your Word. Move me to pursue those things which YOU have said are precious and valuable in Your sight, and give me strength to resist the temptation to pursue worldly wealth and pleasure that leads to disappointment and despair. Help me to be content with what You provide and to use what You have given to me to care for those around me, for Your glory and honor. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Friday, August 15, 2014
"The bread from heaven ..."
Day #231: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 16th
Scripture Reading: John 5 - 6 …
The hunger of the human soul for meaning and purpose cannot be satisfied in any other way than by Jesus Christ. As Jesus performed miracles, it was His teaching that the miracles pointed to. Jesus said, "Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me HAS eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" (5:24). Have you heard His voice? Have you come to the Father through faith in Him? What does it mean to "eat His flesh and drink His blood?" This is SO much more than mere religion!
Jesus continued to perform miracles and to astound those who looked on, but as John records these things Jesus is already entering into a new phase of His ministry. Opposition from the Pharisees and others in the Jewish community was increasing. They saw His miracles, yet criticized Him for healing on the Sabbath. Theirs was an outward devotion to the Law that came from a desire to condemn "sinners," while Jesus came to transform sinners so that the Law would be written on their hearts and obedience would come from inside. That contrast is evident yet today where some seek God and worship and offer an outward obedience to try to earn God's favor, while those who know God, who have been born again by His Spirit, love God, worship Him with joy and pursue righteousness not in order to be saved, but with thanksgiving because we have been saved by the blood of Christ!
Because their eyes were blind and their hearts were spiritually dead, the Pharisees could not understand what Jesus was saying and they refused to believe that He was who He said He was. As Jesus spoke about His relationship with the Father, the Pharisees must have cringed. "Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it" (5:21). And then, "He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him" (5:23). Jesus claimed to be sent from the Father and to have come down from heaven. You can understand why the Pharisees would have trouble accepting this!
How could they miss the truth that Jesus was the fulfillment of all that the prophets had written? Spiritual blindness is real and it afflicts all of mankind. When Jesus healed physically, it always pointed to the deeper need of spiritual healing. It was not as though Jesus didn't tell the Pharisees the truth, even as He did the crowds that followed Him wherever He went. Jewish law did not receive the testimony of a person concerning themselves, so Jesus points to other testimony about Him, beginning with John the Baptist. John had testified that Jesus was "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). But Jesus said He had even greater testimony than John.
All that Jesus was doing testified that He WAS the Messiah, that He was sent from God, that the very power and authority of God was His. "The very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. AND the Father who sent me has HIMSELF testified concerning me" (5:36-37). At His baptism the Father had declared, "This is my Son, whom I love. With Him I am well-pleased" (Matthew 3:17). The Pharisees and others had sufficient testimony to know who Jesus was and to believe in Him, but their hearts were hard and their eyes were blind. So it is with countless millions today. Jesus said, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about ME, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (5:39-40).
How many people today consider the Bible to be just another religious book, good perhaps for some moral teaching, but nothing more? Millions of people, maybe more, in churches all over the world go through their religious rituals, believing that by doing so they are pleasing God. But how many works do you need to do? I ask that question often to remind people that God requires perfection and none of us can give it. If you or I or any other person relies in religion to save us, we will be condemned. Jesus says it plainly enough: "The work of God is to believe in the One He has sent!" (6:29). Only faith in Jesus Christ leads to eternal life. If you rest in anything else ... anything, you will never possess the life of Christ within you. The testimony of those who are in Christ is that HE is life and that He has accomplished all that I could not. As the words of the old hymn ask and answer: "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!!"
So we come to John 6, the turning point in Jesus' ministry. It had to happen ... sooner or later. None of this was a surprise to Jesus, or to His Father who watched His plan unfold from heaven. Jesus fed the 5,000 and then walked on the water to the disciples as they crossed the lake. Simple things for the Son of God to do. Yet as the crowds asked for more miracles and more food for their bodies, Jesus confronted them with their true need: bread from heaven. The Jews were proud of their heritage and pointed to God's provision of manna during the wandering of their ancestors in the wilderness after God had delivered them from their slavery in Egypt (apparently they had forgotten WHY they were wandering in the wilderness and why they had to eat manna for forty years!!). Jesus wanted them to understand that all of that pointed to this moment, to this time in history ...
How much people in the church today who claim to be Christians are like the Jews in Jesus' day. They rest in their heritage from the past and go through the motions of religious exercise. I grow weary of saying it, but it is increasingly true. People say they are Catholic or Lutheran or Reformed or Baptist or some other "brand" of Christian, thus displaying that they still don't get it ... you are either in Christ or you aren't. Sadly, we have not yet come to agreement on certain things that the Bible teaches (due to our ignorance and at times, stubbornness), but there is only ONE church and you are either a true believer or you aren't. Jesus says, "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose NONE of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in HIM shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day" (6:39-40).
This continues to be the dividing line that separates all of humanity between the "haves" and the "have nots" ... between those who have life in Jesus and those who do not. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day" (6:44). "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him" (6:65). Many declare that those who are spiritually dead can, of their own free will, decide to believe in Jesus, to confess Him as Savior and acknowledge Him as Lord. But Jesus says that is impossible. He told the crowd that they must "eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood ... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (6:53-54).
What?! Yes! "This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on THIS bread will live forever!" (6:58). They actually thought Jesus was talking about His physical body and blood, but Jesus explained to the disciples: "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life!" (6:63). We need to think about more than this physical world! We were created in the image of God, as spiritual beings IN physical bodies. We live in this physical world, but though our bodies die because of the consequences of sin, our spirits will live forever - either in the presence of God or in the fires of hell. ONLY through faith in Jesus Christ, "eating His body and blood," finding satisfaction for our spiritual hunger and thirst in Him, will we enter eternal life. There is no other way!
John records that "from this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him" (6:66 ... an interesting number ...). Jesus asked the disciples if they wanted to leave Him, too, but Peter answered as you and I must: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you ARE the Holy One of God" (6:69). Jesus IS the bread that came down from heaven. He, and He alone, gives life to those who believe in Him. Have you received that life? Are you trusting in Jesus today? Eat well today of His Word, and as you hear His voice your soul will be satisfied!
"My Father in heaven, in Your Son I have found life! I thank You for the testimony You have given and I rest in Jesus' blood as my righteousness in Your sight. Forgive me for my sin and continue Your work in me, that I may follow Jesus all my days and live to praise and honor You, my God, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: John 5 - 6 …
The hunger of the human soul for meaning and purpose cannot be satisfied in any other way than by Jesus Christ. As Jesus performed miracles, it was His teaching that the miracles pointed to. Jesus said, "Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me HAS eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" (5:24). Have you heard His voice? Have you come to the Father through faith in Him? What does it mean to "eat His flesh and drink His blood?" This is SO much more than mere religion!
Jesus continued to perform miracles and to astound those who looked on, but as John records these things Jesus is already entering into a new phase of His ministry. Opposition from the Pharisees and others in the Jewish community was increasing. They saw His miracles, yet criticized Him for healing on the Sabbath. Theirs was an outward devotion to the Law that came from a desire to condemn "sinners," while Jesus came to transform sinners so that the Law would be written on their hearts and obedience would come from inside. That contrast is evident yet today where some seek God and worship and offer an outward obedience to try to earn God's favor, while those who know God, who have been born again by His Spirit, love God, worship Him with joy and pursue righteousness not in order to be saved, but with thanksgiving because we have been saved by the blood of Christ!
Because their eyes were blind and their hearts were spiritually dead, the Pharisees could not understand what Jesus was saying and they refused to believe that He was who He said He was. As Jesus spoke about His relationship with the Father, the Pharisees must have cringed. "Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it" (5:21). And then, "He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him" (5:23). Jesus claimed to be sent from the Father and to have come down from heaven. You can understand why the Pharisees would have trouble accepting this!
How could they miss the truth that Jesus was the fulfillment of all that the prophets had written? Spiritual blindness is real and it afflicts all of mankind. When Jesus healed physically, it always pointed to the deeper need of spiritual healing. It was not as though Jesus didn't tell the Pharisees the truth, even as He did the crowds that followed Him wherever He went. Jewish law did not receive the testimony of a person concerning themselves, so Jesus points to other testimony about Him, beginning with John the Baptist. John had testified that Jesus was "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). But Jesus said He had even greater testimony than John.
All that Jesus was doing testified that He WAS the Messiah, that He was sent from God, that the very power and authority of God was His. "The very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. AND the Father who sent me has HIMSELF testified concerning me" (5:36-37). At His baptism the Father had declared, "This is my Son, whom I love. With Him I am well-pleased" (Matthew 3:17). The Pharisees and others had sufficient testimony to know who Jesus was and to believe in Him, but their hearts were hard and their eyes were blind. So it is with countless millions today. Jesus said, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about ME, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (5:39-40).
How many people today consider the Bible to be just another religious book, good perhaps for some moral teaching, but nothing more? Millions of people, maybe more, in churches all over the world go through their religious rituals, believing that by doing so they are pleasing God. But how many works do you need to do? I ask that question often to remind people that God requires perfection and none of us can give it. If you or I or any other person relies in religion to save us, we will be condemned. Jesus says it plainly enough: "The work of God is to believe in the One He has sent!" (6:29). Only faith in Jesus Christ leads to eternal life. If you rest in anything else ... anything, you will never possess the life of Christ within you. The testimony of those who are in Christ is that HE is life and that He has accomplished all that I could not. As the words of the old hymn ask and answer: "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!!"
So we come to John 6, the turning point in Jesus' ministry. It had to happen ... sooner or later. None of this was a surprise to Jesus, or to His Father who watched His plan unfold from heaven. Jesus fed the 5,000 and then walked on the water to the disciples as they crossed the lake. Simple things for the Son of God to do. Yet as the crowds asked for more miracles and more food for their bodies, Jesus confronted them with their true need: bread from heaven. The Jews were proud of their heritage and pointed to God's provision of manna during the wandering of their ancestors in the wilderness after God had delivered them from their slavery in Egypt (apparently they had forgotten WHY they were wandering in the wilderness and why they had to eat manna for forty years!!). Jesus wanted them to understand that all of that pointed to this moment, to this time in history ...
How much people in the church today who claim to be Christians are like the Jews in Jesus' day. They rest in their heritage from the past and go through the motions of religious exercise. I grow weary of saying it, but it is increasingly true. People say they are Catholic or Lutheran or Reformed or Baptist or some other "brand" of Christian, thus displaying that they still don't get it ... you are either in Christ or you aren't. Sadly, we have not yet come to agreement on certain things that the Bible teaches (due to our ignorance and at times, stubbornness), but there is only ONE church and you are either a true believer or you aren't. Jesus says, "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose NONE of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in HIM shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day" (6:39-40).
This continues to be the dividing line that separates all of humanity between the "haves" and the "have nots" ... between those who have life in Jesus and those who do not. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day" (6:44). "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him" (6:65). Many declare that those who are spiritually dead can, of their own free will, decide to believe in Jesus, to confess Him as Savior and acknowledge Him as Lord. But Jesus says that is impossible. He told the crowd that they must "eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood ... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (6:53-54).
What?! Yes! "This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on THIS bread will live forever!" (6:58). They actually thought Jesus was talking about His physical body and blood, but Jesus explained to the disciples: "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life!" (6:63). We need to think about more than this physical world! We were created in the image of God, as spiritual beings IN physical bodies. We live in this physical world, but though our bodies die because of the consequences of sin, our spirits will live forever - either in the presence of God or in the fires of hell. ONLY through faith in Jesus Christ, "eating His body and blood," finding satisfaction for our spiritual hunger and thirst in Him, will we enter eternal life. There is no other way!
John records that "from this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him" (6:66 ... an interesting number ...). Jesus asked the disciples if they wanted to leave Him, too, but Peter answered as you and I must: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you ARE the Holy One of God" (6:69). Jesus IS the bread that came down from heaven. He, and He alone, gives life to those who believe in Him. Have you received that life? Are you trusting in Jesus today? Eat well today of His Word, and as you hear His voice your soul will be satisfied!
"My Father in heaven, in Your Son I have found life! I thank You for the testimony You have given and I rest in Jesus' blood as my righteousness in Your sight. Forgive me for my sin and continue Your work in me, that I may follow Jesus all my days and live to praise and honor You, my God, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Thursday, August 14, 2014
"A glimpse into the future ... the time of the end ..."
Day #230: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 15th
Scripture Reading: Daniel 7 - 12 …
That this world as we know it will end is the clear teaching of the Bible, God's Word. Most people who are alive today do not believe the Bible is true, and even many of those who consider themselves to be Bible "scholars" and teachers consider the book of Daniel to have been written AFTER the events it describes had already happened. How could Daniel have written these things with such detail and accuracy? The answer, of course, lies in the FACT that Daniel was given these visions by God through the angel, Gabriel. How could Daniel know the future? ... because GOD knows the future and He chose to reveal it to Daniel AND to us, through Daniel!
Some of Daniel's visions regarded the immediate future. Even before Daniel and some of the other Jews who were in captivity in Babylon returned to Jerusalem, as God had said they would through the prophet Jeremiah, the kingdom of Babylon was overtaken by the Medes and Persians. Not long after that, the kingdom of Greece defeated them, as is described in the visions, and that was followed by the Roman Empire. All of this happened exactly as God had revealed to Daniel. But there was more ...
God also revealed things to Daniel about the DISTANT future - the time of the end, the time of wrath. We always need to remember that God exists beyond time. As He reveals the future, it is as though it is all one time to God, yet there is a gradual unfolding of His plan throughout time. To those who believe and teach that the visions of Daniel were all fulfilled prior to Jesus being born, I need only to refer to Matthew 24, where Jesus is teaching His disciples about FUTURE events and He refers to the prophet Daniel and what he had written (Matthew 24:15). If these events had all been fulfilled previously, then Jesus is wrong in teaching that some of what Daniel saw had not yet happened, but would be fulfilled in the future, just before He returned!
With that in mind, it is easy to understand that Daniel's visions include things that would be fulfilled in the years between Daniel and the birth of Christ, while other things would be fulfilled at a later time. For instance, Chapter 8 gives a description of the events leading up to the destruction of the Medes and Persians by the Greeks. All of that happened just as it was revealed to Daniel. History shows the accuracy of Daniel's vision - so much so that those who do not believe in predictive prophecy claim that Daniel was written later, after these events had already taken place. But God does this to confirm that since these things came true, the rest will also take place just as Daniel wrote ... during the time of the end.
An example is Daniel 7:20-22. Read those verses and then read Revelation 13:5-7. Both speak of the same event and the apostle John writes several hundred years after Daniel and about sixty years after Jesus was crucified, rose again and ascended into heaven ... and even after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. That proves that some of the things revealed in Daniel's visions lie in the future, when God will bring His judgment on this world and pour out His wrath on the Antichrist and those who follow him. All of that is described in more detail in Chapter 9:24-27.
These verses have been the subject of so much discussion over the past few decades and longer because they so clearly point to God's dealings with "Daniel's people," the Jews, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Gabriel says specifically, "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city ..." (9:24). Daniel's people were the Jews and their holy city was Jerusalem. Without going into all of the details, history reveals that from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the crucifixion of Jesus was 483 years ... "69 'sevens'" or "weeks of years." This portion of Daniel is not so much a vision as it is a revelation, a teaching.
During the entire "seventy 'sevens'" Daniel is told that several things would happen: "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy" (9:24). Verses 25-26 explain that some of these things will happen in the time-frame of the first "sixty-nine 'sevens,'" but then there is the last "seven," the seventieth "seven" ... Verse 26 indicates that there is an interruption ... a gap, between the first sixty-nine weeks of years (483 years) and the last seven. Verse 25 said God would deal specifically with the Jewish people for "seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens" = 69 "sevens" ... and verse 26 says,
"After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One (the Christ) will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood; war will continue until the end and desolations have been decreed." Then verse 27 speaks of a future ruler (from the people who destroyed the sanctuary - the Roman Empire), who will confirm a covenant for one "seven" ... then break the covenant in the middle of the "seven" and do what the rest of the verse says. Jesus refers to THIS time in Matthew 24:15 and following as future ...
All of this points to the coming of the Antichrist and much has been written about all of this ... enough to confuse even the most diligent Bible student!! What does it all mean? Can we know and understand these things? The answer to that question lies in Chapter 12, verses 9-10, as the angel says, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand."
If we are nearing the time of the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24) and the end of this age, then those who are given wisdom from God by His Spirit will understand these things. While many have written about this time in great detail and there seem to be many ideas and theories, God IS giving understanding of these things during this time in which we are living. How far in the future do the events of Daniel's "seventieth 'seven'" lie? We do not know for sure, but the re-establishment of "Daniel's people," the Jews, in the land God gave to Abraham and his descendants more than 4,000 years ago indicates that we are nearing the return of Christ and the unfolding of the rest of God's plan as it is revealed in Daniel, Revelation, Matthew and elsewhere in Scripture.
The time of the end WILL come ... just as God has said it will. You will do well to believe ALL that God says, to place your faith and to find your hope in Jesus Christ, the "Anointed One" and to know that what Daniel predicts about HIM (Chapter 7:9-14) WILL take place and HIS kingdom will be established and will endure FOREVER!! Believing the prophecy in Daniel's visions and placing your faith in Jesus Christ leads to a life lived with hope and with purpose, for the God who revealed these things to Daniel through the angel Gabriel now speaks by His Word and Spirit to those who believe. Read, study and learn about these things - for yourself and for others, so that when that day comes you will know what God is doing and be used of God to warn others! Jesus is LIFE, and all who come to Him will be saved!!
"Almighty God, my Creator and my Savior, I am in awe of Your power and majesty and wisdom! Your Word reveals who You are and Your plan for mankind and for all who believe in Your Son Jesus Christ. HIS kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and we who believe will exist forever in Your perfect presence. Help me to live today in such a way that my life is a testimony to others as I share Your truth with them, that some might believe and be saved. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Daniel 7 - 12 …
That this world as we know it will end is the clear teaching of the Bible, God's Word. Most people who are alive today do not believe the Bible is true, and even many of those who consider themselves to be Bible "scholars" and teachers consider the book of Daniel to have been written AFTER the events it describes had already happened. How could Daniel have written these things with such detail and accuracy? The answer, of course, lies in the FACT that Daniel was given these visions by God through the angel, Gabriel. How could Daniel know the future? ... because GOD knows the future and He chose to reveal it to Daniel AND to us, through Daniel!
Some of Daniel's visions regarded the immediate future. Even before Daniel and some of the other Jews who were in captivity in Babylon returned to Jerusalem, as God had said they would through the prophet Jeremiah, the kingdom of Babylon was overtaken by the Medes and Persians. Not long after that, the kingdom of Greece defeated them, as is described in the visions, and that was followed by the Roman Empire. All of this happened exactly as God had revealed to Daniel. But there was more ...
God also revealed things to Daniel about the DISTANT future - the time of the end, the time of wrath. We always need to remember that God exists beyond time. As He reveals the future, it is as though it is all one time to God, yet there is a gradual unfolding of His plan throughout time. To those who believe and teach that the visions of Daniel were all fulfilled prior to Jesus being born, I need only to refer to Matthew 24, where Jesus is teaching His disciples about FUTURE events and He refers to the prophet Daniel and what he had written (Matthew 24:15). If these events had all been fulfilled previously, then Jesus is wrong in teaching that some of what Daniel saw had not yet happened, but would be fulfilled in the future, just before He returned!
With that in mind, it is easy to understand that Daniel's visions include things that would be fulfilled in the years between Daniel and the birth of Christ, while other things would be fulfilled at a later time. For instance, Chapter 8 gives a description of the events leading up to the destruction of the Medes and Persians by the Greeks. All of that happened just as it was revealed to Daniel. History shows the accuracy of Daniel's vision - so much so that those who do not believe in predictive prophecy claim that Daniel was written later, after these events had already taken place. But God does this to confirm that since these things came true, the rest will also take place just as Daniel wrote ... during the time of the end.
An example is Daniel 7:20-22. Read those verses and then read Revelation 13:5-7. Both speak of the same event and the apostle John writes several hundred years after Daniel and about sixty years after Jesus was crucified, rose again and ascended into heaven ... and even after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. That proves that some of the things revealed in Daniel's visions lie in the future, when God will bring His judgment on this world and pour out His wrath on the Antichrist and those who follow him. All of that is described in more detail in Chapter 9:24-27.
These verses have been the subject of so much discussion over the past few decades and longer because they so clearly point to God's dealings with "Daniel's people," the Jews, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Gabriel says specifically, "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city ..." (9:24). Daniel's people were the Jews and their holy city was Jerusalem. Without going into all of the details, history reveals that from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the crucifixion of Jesus was 483 years ... "69 'sevens'" or "weeks of years." This portion of Daniel is not so much a vision as it is a revelation, a teaching.
During the entire "seventy 'sevens'" Daniel is told that several things would happen: "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy" (9:24). Verses 25-26 explain that some of these things will happen in the time-frame of the first "sixty-nine 'sevens,'" but then there is the last "seven," the seventieth "seven" ... Verse 26 indicates that there is an interruption ... a gap, between the first sixty-nine weeks of years (483 years) and the last seven. Verse 25 said God would deal specifically with the Jewish people for "seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens" = 69 "sevens" ... and verse 26 says,
"After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One (the Christ) will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood; war will continue until the end and desolations have been decreed." Then verse 27 speaks of a future ruler (from the people who destroyed the sanctuary - the Roman Empire), who will confirm a covenant for one "seven" ... then break the covenant in the middle of the "seven" and do what the rest of the verse says. Jesus refers to THIS time in Matthew 24:15 and following as future ...
All of this points to the coming of the Antichrist and much has been written about all of this ... enough to confuse even the most diligent Bible student!! What does it all mean? Can we know and understand these things? The answer to that question lies in Chapter 12, verses 9-10, as the angel says, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand."
If we are nearing the time of the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24) and the end of this age, then those who are given wisdom from God by His Spirit will understand these things. While many have written about this time in great detail and there seem to be many ideas and theories, God IS giving understanding of these things during this time in which we are living. How far in the future do the events of Daniel's "seventieth 'seven'" lie? We do not know for sure, but the re-establishment of "Daniel's people," the Jews, in the land God gave to Abraham and his descendants more than 4,000 years ago indicates that we are nearing the return of Christ and the unfolding of the rest of God's plan as it is revealed in Daniel, Revelation, Matthew and elsewhere in Scripture.
The time of the end WILL come ... just as God has said it will. You will do well to believe ALL that God says, to place your faith and to find your hope in Jesus Christ, the "Anointed One" and to know that what Daniel predicts about HIM (Chapter 7:9-14) WILL take place and HIS kingdom will be established and will endure FOREVER!! Believing the prophecy in Daniel's visions and placing your faith in Jesus Christ leads to a life lived with hope and with purpose, for the God who revealed these things to Daniel through the angel Gabriel now speaks by His Word and Spirit to those who believe. Read, study and learn about these things - for yourself and for others, so that when that day comes you will know what God is doing and be used of God to warn others! Jesus is LIFE, and all who come to Him will be saved!!
"Almighty God, my Creator and my Savior, I am in awe of Your power and majesty and wisdom! Your Word reveals who You are and Your plan for mankind and for all who believe in Your Son Jesus Christ. HIS kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and we who believe will exist forever in Your perfect presence. Help me to live today in such a way that my life is a testimony to others as I share Your truth with them, that some might believe and be saved. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
"The tongue has the power of life and death ..."
Day #229: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 14th
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 17 - 18 …
With 24-hour cable news networks, countless talk shows, endless means of communication and the ability to "speak your piece" about anything to anybody, people would do well to listen more and talk less. With wisdom from the Lord, Solomon writes, "The tongue has the power of life and death" (18:21). Words can build up or tear down, and words can cause the destruction even of nations. Relationships are often destroyed by careless words. It is better to choose your words wisely than have to backtrack and spend hours trying to explain or retract what you have already said. So much of what Solomon writes in his proverbs connects your words with the attitude of your heart. Words reveal what is inside.
At first glance, Proverbs may appear to be a string of disconnected "sayings" that are fun to quote but which hold little in the form of practical application. However, the overall theme is visible throughout as the wise man and the fool are contrasted in virtually every area of life. Wisdom is connected with listening, watching your tongue, a cheerful and humble spirit; while foolishness is linked with gossip and strife and lying and pride. Here is an example: "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends" (17:9). A simple truth that when applied to life results in two totally difference consequences.
The continuity of God's Word is seen repeatedly as you compare the words of Solomon in Proverbs with other portions of Scripture. Solomon writes, "Better a crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife" (17:1), and "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out" (17:14). The apostle Paul writes this in Romans: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (12:18). Getting the last word is not wisdom. "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions" (18:2). That's another way of saying that fools like to hear themselves talk! "He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame" (18:13). "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue" (17:27-28).
How you speak reveals the attitude of your heart and whether or not you have learned wisdom from the Lord. Learning to listen and to hold your tongue at the appropriate times will allow your words to be heard when you actually have something important to say! Those who know the Lord desire to speak His truth, not our own opinions. If we always speak more than we listen our audience will be small, and it should be our prayer that everyone hears God's Word and comes to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. So we need to heed the counsel of Solomon as he speaks the words the Spirit of God gave him.
Interspersed with wisdom concerning our tongues is further wisdom about our relationships with others that are so affected by our words. "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children" (17:6). Family relationships are so often torn in this world where there seems to be little respect for others and children learn early how to behave - often from the wrong sources. For this proverb to be true parents must take the initiative early in teaching their children the truths revealed in God's Word and point them to Jesus Christ to help them overcome their sinful nature (yes, children have a sinful nature, too!). Children need to be taught to choose their friends wisely: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (17:17). Many people have gone down the path of destruction because of harmful associations early in life. It DOES matter who your friends are!
Ultimately, it comes down to this: "There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (18:24). There is only ONE who qualifies as THE friend who will always be there for those who know Him: Jesus Christ. By His Word and Spirit Jesus speaks to you and me and walks with us through this life. With everything that is going on all around us every day, He is faithful and the knowledge of His love and grace and presence brings joy to the soul of those who love Him back. "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (17:22). "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe" (18:10).
Make it your desire to gain knowledge from the Lord that leads to wisdom. Then apply God's wisdom to your life each day, understanding that each day belongs to Him. Whatever you plan, be sure that God is in the middle of it - whether it is a day of work or vacation, a time with family or time spent alone or with friends ... set your heart and mind on things above and make it your goal to please the Lord today and He WILL be with you and give you a cheerful spirit to sustain you. And remember, the tongue ... YOUR tongue ... has the power of life and death today. Use your words wisely, to build up and not tear down. Speak truth in love and ask God to use you to speak a word of encouragement or correction or peace to someone else. And be ready to listen as God sends someone else to speak to you. In so doing, you will honor the Lord and grow in wisdom as you use this day to serve Him!
"O Lord, my God, as I go through each day remind me that You have called me to be an ambassador of Your kingdom ... a kingdom so many around me do not know exists. Give me wisdom to use my words wisely and to be as ready to listen as I am to speak. Help me to discern when to hold my tongue and when to speak truth, and give me an attitude of humility and compassion toward those whom I meet. You are my God and I rest in You. May my life give You joy today, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 17 - 18 …
With 24-hour cable news networks, countless talk shows, endless means of communication and the ability to "speak your piece" about anything to anybody, people would do well to listen more and talk less. With wisdom from the Lord, Solomon writes, "The tongue has the power of life and death" (18:21). Words can build up or tear down, and words can cause the destruction even of nations. Relationships are often destroyed by careless words. It is better to choose your words wisely than have to backtrack and spend hours trying to explain or retract what you have already said. So much of what Solomon writes in his proverbs connects your words with the attitude of your heart. Words reveal what is inside.
At first glance, Proverbs may appear to be a string of disconnected "sayings" that are fun to quote but which hold little in the form of practical application. However, the overall theme is visible throughout as the wise man and the fool are contrasted in virtually every area of life. Wisdom is connected with listening, watching your tongue, a cheerful and humble spirit; while foolishness is linked with gossip and strife and lying and pride. Here is an example: "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends" (17:9). A simple truth that when applied to life results in two totally difference consequences.
The continuity of God's Word is seen repeatedly as you compare the words of Solomon in Proverbs with other portions of Scripture. Solomon writes, "Better a crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife" (17:1), and "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out" (17:14). The apostle Paul writes this in Romans: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (12:18). Getting the last word is not wisdom. "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions" (18:2). That's another way of saying that fools like to hear themselves talk! "He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame" (18:13). "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue" (17:27-28).
How you speak reveals the attitude of your heart and whether or not you have learned wisdom from the Lord. Learning to listen and to hold your tongue at the appropriate times will allow your words to be heard when you actually have something important to say! Those who know the Lord desire to speak His truth, not our own opinions. If we always speak more than we listen our audience will be small, and it should be our prayer that everyone hears God's Word and comes to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. So we need to heed the counsel of Solomon as he speaks the words the Spirit of God gave him.
Interspersed with wisdom concerning our tongues is further wisdom about our relationships with others that are so affected by our words. "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children" (17:6). Family relationships are so often torn in this world where there seems to be little respect for others and children learn early how to behave - often from the wrong sources. For this proverb to be true parents must take the initiative early in teaching their children the truths revealed in God's Word and point them to Jesus Christ to help them overcome their sinful nature (yes, children have a sinful nature, too!). Children need to be taught to choose their friends wisely: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (17:17). Many people have gone down the path of destruction because of harmful associations early in life. It DOES matter who your friends are!
Ultimately, it comes down to this: "There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (18:24). There is only ONE who qualifies as THE friend who will always be there for those who know Him: Jesus Christ. By His Word and Spirit Jesus speaks to you and me and walks with us through this life. With everything that is going on all around us every day, He is faithful and the knowledge of His love and grace and presence brings joy to the soul of those who love Him back. "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (17:22). "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe" (18:10).
Make it your desire to gain knowledge from the Lord that leads to wisdom. Then apply God's wisdom to your life each day, understanding that each day belongs to Him. Whatever you plan, be sure that God is in the middle of it - whether it is a day of work or vacation, a time with family or time spent alone or with friends ... set your heart and mind on things above and make it your goal to please the Lord today and He WILL be with you and give you a cheerful spirit to sustain you. And remember, the tongue ... YOUR tongue ... has the power of life and death today. Use your words wisely, to build up and not tear down. Speak truth in love and ask God to use you to speak a word of encouragement or correction or peace to someone else. And be ready to listen as God sends someone else to speak to you. In so doing, you will honor the Lord and grow in wisdom as you use this day to serve Him!
"O Lord, my God, as I go through each day remind me that You have called me to be an ambassador of Your kingdom ... a kingdom so many around me do not know exists. Give me wisdom to use my words wisely and to be as ready to listen as I am to speak. Help me to discern when to hold my tongue and when to speak truth, and give me an attitude of humility and compassion toward those whom I meet. You are my God and I rest in You. May my life give You joy today, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
"Rejoicing in the glory of God!"
Day #228: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 13th
Scripture Reading: Psalms 96 - 98 …
If you are reading this it is because you have some knowledge of God and some interest in God's Word. Do you realize how rare that is? Do you have any idea how few people today, or even throughout history, have worshiped the true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Knowing God is the greatest gift anyone can receive, for the knowledge of God comes only through His Word and through the instruction of His Spirit within you. No one can know God apart from His Word and Spirit. But once you DO know God, the natural response is JOY!!
That joy is expressed in the Psalms in our reading today. Joy seems elusive in our world, with all the consequences of sin affecting every aspect of our lives. Yet, those who know God can sing, worship and rejoice in HIM. How few people understand this? How few people DO this?? Christianity is not a religion that calls us to follow a bunch of rules so we feel good about ourselves and pretend that we are good enough to go to heaven when we die! Being a Christian is having a relationship with the living God, our Creator, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Even before Jesus came, there were a few people who were filled with God's Spirit and who responded in true joy in the Lord. If you go back to Psalm 95 you begin to hear and feel the expressions of this inner joy from the heart of the Psalmist: "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation" (95:1). Then to Psalm 96: "Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His glory day after day!" (96:1-2). And Psalm 98: "Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things ... shout for joy before the LORD, the King!" (98:1,6).
Worship is more than an experience ... yet it IS a glorious experience! Gathering with other believers to praise the Lord, our God, and to find our joy, our hope, our peace in Him is a taste of heaven. So why doesn't everybody do it? Because they don't know God! The theme of these Psalms reveals the motive for our worship and the source of our joy: "Our God reigns!" "The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad!" (97:1). Why is that so important and how does that inspire true joy?
Have you looked around you lately? This world is falling apart and the human race is trying desperately to solve the problems of the world, be it disease, hatred, war, famine, weather or any number of other things. Evil is on the rise and terror strikes the hearts of millions every day. Those who are realistic confess that there is little to give us hope that things will get better. So where do we find joy? In the knowledge that "the LORD reigns," and that God will judge the earth fairly. That's right, our joy comes in knowing that God will judge the earth and the people in it with righteousness and justice.
God's "glory" is His absolute perfection and as such He cannot look upon sin. The Psalmist speaks about salvation and says that we who believe should "proclaim His salvation day after day" (96:2). God's salvation is not some theory or formula to be applied to life, but rather, deliverance from the oppressive weight of sin and its guilt and shame. Those who are evil are so overcome by the sin within them that they do not even feel shame. Many are telling people today that shame and guilt are the fault of people like me who tell people that they are sinners. They truly do not understand that it is only in confessing your sin that you find freedom, for God offers forgiveness through His Son, the Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Psalmist knew the salvation of God nearly a thousand years before Jesus was born because the Holy Spirit revealed to him that God was patient, kind, compassionate and merciful, and in the sacrifices and ceremonies and feasts at the tabernacle and the temple God showed those who believed a way to come to Him ... by faith in His promise of forgiveness. Without forgiveness no one will stand in the presence of God and be saved from their sin - NO ONE! It may seem odd that joy would be tied to judgment, but think about it ... it is when you know you deserve judgment and you are forgiven that you experience the deepest joy in the Lord!
God is WORTHY of praise! He is worthy of all that I can give ... but I don't give it to Him. Sin is taking the life God gave you and living it for yourself. But when you know God's salvation, when you really believe that He has provided an escape from His coming judgment on the world, when you know that you have been forgiven and that you will spend eternity with your Father in heaven in a perfect world ... guess what you do ... you REJOICE in the glory of God! You give thanks for His mercy and His grace and you live your life for HIM, by the power of His Spirit working within you, not because you HAVE to, but because you WANT to!!
"Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name" (97:10-12). This is the calling of all who know God. Some within Israel had experienced the renewing power of their God and trusted in Him. Their hope was not in their circumstances, but rather, in their God. Their joy was expressed in worship and so must ours be.
I pray today that you will consider the glory of God ... His absolute perfection, His majesty, His power and His justice. And I pray that you will be humble before Him, confessing your sin, trusting in the blood of Jesus shed once for all on the cross for forgiveness, and that you will then find joy ... true JOY, in knowing, loving and serving the God who reigns over all the earth. Jesus will come again to judge the earth in righteousness and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord! That gives me joy today and motivates me to proclaim the salvation of our God. I hope it does the same for you.
"Heavenly Father, Your glory is beyond what I can possibly understand, yet You have revealed Yourself in Your creation and in Your Son and in Your Word so that at this moment I can know You and worship You with JOY!! I praise You today for You are worthy to be praised and I thank You for Your forgiveness. Use me today in some way to glorify You, to exalt Your name, to declare that You alone are God. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Psalms 96 - 98 …
If you are reading this it is because you have some knowledge of God and some interest in God's Word. Do you realize how rare that is? Do you have any idea how few people today, or even throughout history, have worshiped the true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Knowing God is the greatest gift anyone can receive, for the knowledge of God comes only through His Word and through the instruction of His Spirit within you. No one can know God apart from His Word and Spirit. But once you DO know God, the natural response is JOY!!
That joy is expressed in the Psalms in our reading today. Joy seems elusive in our world, with all the consequences of sin affecting every aspect of our lives. Yet, those who know God can sing, worship and rejoice in HIM. How few people understand this? How few people DO this?? Christianity is not a religion that calls us to follow a bunch of rules so we feel good about ourselves and pretend that we are good enough to go to heaven when we die! Being a Christian is having a relationship with the living God, our Creator, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Even before Jesus came, there were a few people who were filled with God's Spirit and who responded in true joy in the Lord. If you go back to Psalm 95 you begin to hear and feel the expressions of this inner joy from the heart of the Psalmist: "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation" (95:1). Then to Psalm 96: "Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His glory day after day!" (96:1-2). And Psalm 98: "Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things ... shout for joy before the LORD, the King!" (98:1,6).
Worship is more than an experience ... yet it IS a glorious experience! Gathering with other believers to praise the Lord, our God, and to find our joy, our hope, our peace in Him is a taste of heaven. So why doesn't everybody do it? Because they don't know God! The theme of these Psalms reveals the motive for our worship and the source of our joy: "Our God reigns!" "The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad!" (97:1). Why is that so important and how does that inspire true joy?
Have you looked around you lately? This world is falling apart and the human race is trying desperately to solve the problems of the world, be it disease, hatred, war, famine, weather or any number of other things. Evil is on the rise and terror strikes the hearts of millions every day. Those who are realistic confess that there is little to give us hope that things will get better. So where do we find joy? In the knowledge that "the LORD reigns," and that God will judge the earth fairly. That's right, our joy comes in knowing that God will judge the earth and the people in it with righteousness and justice.
God's "glory" is His absolute perfection and as such He cannot look upon sin. The Psalmist speaks about salvation and says that we who believe should "proclaim His salvation day after day" (96:2). God's salvation is not some theory or formula to be applied to life, but rather, deliverance from the oppressive weight of sin and its guilt and shame. Those who are evil are so overcome by the sin within them that they do not even feel shame. Many are telling people today that shame and guilt are the fault of people like me who tell people that they are sinners. They truly do not understand that it is only in confessing your sin that you find freedom, for God offers forgiveness through His Son, the Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Psalmist knew the salvation of God nearly a thousand years before Jesus was born because the Holy Spirit revealed to him that God was patient, kind, compassionate and merciful, and in the sacrifices and ceremonies and feasts at the tabernacle and the temple God showed those who believed a way to come to Him ... by faith in His promise of forgiveness. Without forgiveness no one will stand in the presence of God and be saved from their sin - NO ONE! It may seem odd that joy would be tied to judgment, but think about it ... it is when you know you deserve judgment and you are forgiven that you experience the deepest joy in the Lord!
God is WORTHY of praise! He is worthy of all that I can give ... but I don't give it to Him. Sin is taking the life God gave you and living it for yourself. But when you know God's salvation, when you really believe that He has provided an escape from His coming judgment on the world, when you know that you have been forgiven and that you will spend eternity with your Father in heaven in a perfect world ... guess what you do ... you REJOICE in the glory of God! You give thanks for His mercy and His grace and you live your life for HIM, by the power of His Spirit working within you, not because you HAVE to, but because you WANT to!!
"Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name" (97:10-12). This is the calling of all who know God. Some within Israel had experienced the renewing power of their God and trusted in Him. Their hope was not in their circumstances, but rather, in their God. Their joy was expressed in worship and so must ours be.
I pray today that you will consider the glory of God ... His absolute perfection, His majesty, His power and His justice. And I pray that you will be humble before Him, confessing your sin, trusting in the blood of Jesus shed once for all on the cross for forgiveness, and that you will then find joy ... true JOY, in knowing, loving and serving the God who reigns over all the earth. Jesus will come again to judge the earth in righteousness and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord! That gives me joy today and motivates me to proclaim the salvation of our God. I hope it does the same for you.
"Heavenly Father, Your glory is beyond what I can possibly understand, yet You have revealed Yourself in Your creation and in Your Son and in Your Word so that at this moment I can know You and worship You with JOY!! I praise You today for You are worthy to be praised and I thank You for Your forgiveness. Use me today in some way to glorify You, to exalt Your name, to declare that You alone are God. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Monday, August 11, 2014
"History: the record of God's working among Israel and the nations …"
Day #227: Daily Bible Reading Plan - August 12th
Scripture Reading: I Chronicles 5 - 9 …
While there are a few people who are interested in history, most find it irrelevant and uninteresting. That's because they don't realize that a right understanding of history shapes your identity, your thoughts about life, your perspective and attitudes … and more. You and I are all connected by history and to ignore that truth is to miss what GOD is doing and YOUR part in it! As someone has said, "History is HIS-story!" Nothing that has happened in the past is without meaning. Whatever you may think of history, you are making history today. Your actions today will in some way affect the history of the world until Jesus returns. That should affect how you live today … and whom you live FOR!!
As we continue in the record of the history of Israel in Chronicles, it becomes obvious that God's plans for Israel were not simply for the present. If that were the case, the failure of the Israelites to worship and serve God would have surely led to the failure of God's plan of salvation. God was working in and through these people, but His plan to send the Messiah, the Savior, and to bring salvation through Him were not dependent on what people would or wouldn't do. While God at times displayed His glory in Israel, He would also display His holiness and justice through His judgment on them as well. God's love for them led to discipline, but He would not forsake them entirely. He would keep His promise to restore them and to establish His kingdom through the future reign of the Messiah, who would come from the tribe of Judah.
Reading through the list of tribes is a reminder that God had already kept His promise to make a great nation from the descendants of Abraham … that small group of seventy people who went into Egypt during the time of Jacob. Chronicles picks up with the people in the promised land and gives just sketchy information on how they got there. A more complete history is found in Joshua, Judges and I and II Kings. Still, there are some interesting details in these chapters on the genealogies and records of the twelve tribes of Israel.
One of these is in Chapter 6, verse 31, where the temple musicians are mentioned. David put men in charge of the music in the tabernacle and they later served in the temple that Solomon built. We may forget that the tabernacle was the place of worship during the reign of King David. The people had been in the promised land for a while, but the temple had not yet been built. They brought sacrifices to the tabernacle in Hebron, and then to Jerusalem, the "City of David." Music was an important part of the worship of God then, as it is now.
Music was and is a way to praise and exalt God and at the same time for God to speak to His people. The Psalms spoke to those who sang as they offered their worship to God. Songs used in worship should do the same today. It is important that songs be "theologically correct." They must speak and teach truth according to God's Word and not express merely human emotions that may or may not be pleasing to God. The importance of music in worship should not be underestimated because it is God Himself who designed that it would be an instrument to bring Him honor.
In Chapter 9, we read more details of the service of the priests, Levites and temple servants (9:2). After the exile in Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple, the worship of God was re-instituted and the Levites were again established as servants at the temple. Verse 23 talks about worship at the tabernacle and says, "They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD - the house called the Tent." And verse 27: "They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning."
The life of Israel revolved around worship … so should ours!! Psalm 84 expresses the joy of worship and mentions those who were "gatekeepers" at the house of the Lord: "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!" (Psalm 84:1). "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor …" (Psalm 84:10-11).
Jesus says that He is the "gate" for the sheep (John 10:9). We can enter into the safe pasture of God's presence through faith in Jesus. The gatekeepers of the temple perhaps pointed to Jesus watching over the house of God and then opening the door for those who come to worship. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise!" (Psalm 100:4). What a wonderful privilege to worship and to sing the praises of our God, the God of Israel!!
Live today as though you were making history … because you are! Through Jesus Christ we who believe have access to the sanctuary of God at any time, wherever we are. Worship the Lord today in the beauty of holiness. Rejoice in His love and give thanks for His presence, for the Lord is our strength and our shield … He is our song!! To Him be the glory, forever and ever!! Amen …
"Father, the history of Israel is the history of Your faithfulness to those whom You have chosen to belong to You. Help those of us who believe in Jesus today to learn from the mistakes of those in the past and to offer our praise and thanks to You out of gratitude for all You have done for us in Christ Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit that my worship may be genuine and my life a testimony to Your grace! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: I Chronicles 5 - 9 …
While there are a few people who are interested in history, most find it irrelevant and uninteresting. That's because they don't realize that a right understanding of history shapes your identity, your thoughts about life, your perspective and attitudes … and more. You and I are all connected by history and to ignore that truth is to miss what GOD is doing and YOUR part in it! As someone has said, "History is HIS-story!" Nothing that has happened in the past is without meaning. Whatever you may think of history, you are making history today. Your actions today will in some way affect the history of the world until Jesus returns. That should affect how you live today … and whom you live FOR!!
As we continue in the record of the history of Israel in Chronicles, it becomes obvious that God's plans for Israel were not simply for the present. If that were the case, the failure of the Israelites to worship and serve God would have surely led to the failure of God's plan of salvation. God was working in and through these people, but His plan to send the Messiah, the Savior, and to bring salvation through Him were not dependent on what people would or wouldn't do. While God at times displayed His glory in Israel, He would also display His holiness and justice through His judgment on them as well. God's love for them led to discipline, but He would not forsake them entirely. He would keep His promise to restore them and to establish His kingdom through the future reign of the Messiah, who would come from the tribe of Judah.
Reading through the list of tribes is a reminder that God had already kept His promise to make a great nation from the descendants of Abraham … that small group of seventy people who went into Egypt during the time of Jacob. Chronicles picks up with the people in the promised land and gives just sketchy information on how they got there. A more complete history is found in Joshua, Judges and I and II Kings. Still, there are some interesting details in these chapters on the genealogies and records of the twelve tribes of Israel.
One of these is in Chapter 6, verse 31, where the temple musicians are mentioned. David put men in charge of the music in the tabernacle and they later served in the temple that Solomon built. We may forget that the tabernacle was the place of worship during the reign of King David. The people had been in the promised land for a while, but the temple had not yet been built. They brought sacrifices to the tabernacle in Hebron, and then to Jerusalem, the "City of David." Music was an important part of the worship of God then, as it is now.
Music was and is a way to praise and exalt God and at the same time for God to speak to His people. The Psalms spoke to those who sang as they offered their worship to God. Songs used in worship should do the same today. It is important that songs be "theologically correct." They must speak and teach truth according to God's Word and not express merely human emotions that may or may not be pleasing to God. The importance of music in worship should not be underestimated because it is God Himself who designed that it would be an instrument to bring Him honor.
In Chapter 9, we read more details of the service of the priests, Levites and temple servants (9:2). After the exile in Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple, the worship of God was re-instituted and the Levites were again established as servants at the temple. Verse 23 talks about worship at the tabernacle and says, "They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD - the house called the Tent." And verse 27: "They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning."
The life of Israel revolved around worship … so should ours!! Psalm 84 expresses the joy of worship and mentions those who were "gatekeepers" at the house of the Lord: "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!" (Psalm 84:1). "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor …" (Psalm 84:10-11).
Jesus says that He is the "gate" for the sheep (John 10:9). We can enter into the safe pasture of God's presence through faith in Jesus. The gatekeepers of the temple perhaps pointed to Jesus watching over the house of God and then opening the door for those who come to worship. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise!" (Psalm 100:4). What a wonderful privilege to worship and to sing the praises of our God, the God of Israel!!
Live today as though you were making history … because you are! Through Jesus Christ we who believe have access to the sanctuary of God at any time, wherever we are. Worship the Lord today in the beauty of holiness. Rejoice in His love and give thanks for His presence, for the Lord is our strength and our shield … He is our song!! To Him be the glory, forever and ever!! Amen …
"Father, the history of Israel is the history of Your faithfulness to those whom You have chosen to belong to You. Help those of us who believe in Jesus today to learn from the mistakes of those in the past and to offer our praise and thanks to You out of gratitude for all You have done for us in Christ Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit that my worship may be genuine and my life a testimony to Your grace! In Jesus' name, Amen"
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