Day #266: Daily Bible Reading Plan - September 20th
Scripture Reading: John 19 - 21 …
Everybody "believes" something. Belief is based on knowledge and leads to an action or a response. You live your life in a certain way based on what you believe. The majority of people live their lives believing that the God who reveals Himself in the Bible doesn't exist, and so they make up their own gods and worship them in one way or another, unwilling or unable (or both) to imagine the horrible consequences of their MISTAKEN belief. What you don't know CAN hurt you!
From the beginning God has revealed Himself in His creation and through various means. God chose one man and made of his descendants a great nation, as He promised He would, and spoke through Moses and the prophets to these people … thus, the Old Testament Scriptures (writings). The writer of Hebrews explains the revelation that came through Jesus Christ and the Apostles: "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe" (Hebrews 1:1-2).
As you read through the Gospel record of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ you are reading God's special revelation. John explains the purpose of his writing in Chapter 20, verses 30-31: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name." There can be no message that is more important for mankind - for you and me and all people - than this message … the good news that Jesus died on the cross to bear God's wrath against OUR sins and that by believing in Him, trusting in His sacrifice, we HAVE eternal life.
This is what Jesus Himself said back in chapter 3, verse 16: "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." As Jesus hung on the cross the foolish soldiers who mocked Him and cried out, "Hail, king of the Jews!" could not have known the truth of their words. Neither could Pilate, the Roman governor who had placed above His head for all to see, "King of the Jews!" The religious leaders of the Jews insisted that the Romans crucify Jesus because "we have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God" (19:7). They used the very law that THEY had broken over and over again to condemn the One who was perfect, and in so doing they heaped even greater condemnation on themselves.
Pilate begged Jesus to defend Himself, saying, "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" (19:10). But Jesus knew better! "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (19:11). Jesus did not go to the cross as a helpless victim, but by the will of His Father in heaven and in obedience to the Father's plan. Isaiah wrote the amazing words, "It was the LORD's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the LORD makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in His hand" (Isaiah 53:10).
Even in the tearing of His clothing, God's Word was fulfilled, according to Psalm 22:18: "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." How could the Psalmist have written such a thing if it had not been revealed by the Spirit of God? In His last words Jesus spoke of forgiveness, of compassion for His mother and of His coming kingdom … and as He hung on the cross in those hours of darkness, our debt was paid, the veil in the temple was torn, symbolizing the access that believers now have into the presence of the Father, and Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" The Greek word is "tetelestai," and it means "the debt is paid," or "Paid in full!" Oh, amazing grace, how sweet the sound!!
Though His body was beaten and weak, Jesus did not die in weakness. It was time … His work was done, so He committed His Spirit to the Father and entered heaven until the third day … His body was placed in a tomb, again in fulfillment of the words of Isaiah, and the disciples mourned. Jesus had told them He would rise again on the third day, but their hearts were too heavy to imagine the truth of His words and their minds were weighed down with guilt and fear. … Then it happened, as He said it would … the tomb was empty!! We who believe do not picture Jesus on a cross or show a body covered in a tomb because the cross and the tomb are empty. Jesus rose victorious over death!!
Few seem to understand today that the Gospels record for us the eyewitness testimony of those who saw Jesus after His resurrection. He appeared not once, not twice, but numerous times over a period of forty days. Some believed immediately, others wanted "proof" that they weren't seeing a ghost, but John explains that all these things, from His birth and the beginning of His ministry, to His death and resurrection … all these things were written so that YOU and I may believe, and by believing have life in His Name … in the name of Jesus. It cannot be argued that the disciples believed as you turn to the book of Acts, which we will look at in coming weeks. Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, but whom Jesus lovingly and powerfully reinstated in chapter 21, would testify to the rulers and elders of the Jews, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
No other religion offers such a promise … no other religion leads to eternal life. All of them teach their rules and laws and call people to work to please their god, hoping they have done enough to earn a life beyond the grave, but in Jesus Christ GOD provided the only sacrifice that satisfies His justice and delivers those who believe from the guilt and power of sin. In Jesus God sets the captives free!! In the details of chapter 21 John reveals that we will have "spiritual bodies" in the world to come, for we shall be like Him (I John 3:1-2). Paul writes the same thing in I Corinthians 15:42-49: "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised a spiritual body. … Just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven."
The sure and certain hope that we have in Jesus Christ is that we who believe will be raised from the dead and made like Jesus Christ and will live in a new heaven and a new earth, a perfect world in perfect bodies, praising and worshiping and serving God forever!! As we are loved by God, so we will love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength! Oh, glorious day … for those who believe. If you have believed these things and know the truth, rejoice that God has revealed these things to you and given you His Spirit to work faith in your new heart and mind. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17). And if you have not yet believed these things, may God even now open your eyes to see the truth, to believe in Jesus and to be saved!!
"My Father in heaven, it is You who have given me life in Jesus Christ and it is now for You that I live. With Paul I confess that 'I have been crucified with Christ and now I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me' (Galatians 2:20). Words cannot possibly express my thankfulness. Let my life, O LORD, my God, display my love for You as I live even now in the light of Your presence. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Friday, September 19, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
"Seek the LORD and live …"
Day #265: Daily Bible Reading Plan - September 19th
Scripture Reading: Amos 5 - 9 …
As the prophet, Amos, was sent to Israel to proclaim God's coming judgment, he offered a small ray of hope to those who were about to lose their property, their homes and in many cases, their lives: "Seek me and live … Seek the LORD and live … " (5:4,6). As the Word of God warns of His coming judgment upon the earth in our day, those same words come to us as we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ: "Seek me and live … Seek the LORD and live!"
Many within Israel thought it would be different. They thought God did not notice their sins, but God says, "I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins" (5:12). Though they tried, they could not hide from the LORD, the only true God, the great "I AM." Still God called out to them, "Seek ME and live!" The prophet Isaiah spoke to these same people, "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7). Only because of the stubborn foolishness of those without the Spirit of God will they persist in their sin and unbelief without confession, repentance and seeking God.
Amos, along with the other prophets, predicts the coming judgment of God as he describes the "day of the LORD" (5:18ff.). It is sometimes amazing how much like the days of the prophets our day is. People want God to send His judgment on others, failing to realize that they, too, lie in the path of His coming wrath. Amos declares, "Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! … That day will be darkness, not light!" (5:18). The "day of the LORD" points to the coming judgment of God upon Israel, in the present and in the future, as well as His judgment upon all those who do not know Him and who do not come to Him in the only way He has prescribed: through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Repeatedly, Amos states, "the LORD is His Name," or "whose name is God Almighty!" Only the God who reveals Himself in the Scriptures contained in the Bible as the "LORD," the Great "I AM," "Jehovah" or "Yahweh," is to be worshiped, for He alone is God Almighty. All the supposed gods of the nations are poor impostors who cannot save from God's coming judgment. "Woe to you who are complacent in Zion," Amos declares (6:1). The same is true of those who are "lukewarm" in the church today … who do not take seriously the warnings found throughout the Bible. They go on about their lives and their supposed worship as though God does not see - but He DOES!!
Paul wrote to those who presumed on the grace and mercy of God in Romans 2:1-5, when he says that those who judge others and do the same things condemn themselves. "Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed" (2:4-5). That will be the "day of the LORD," described by Amos.
God says that He hates the pride of Jacob, and so He sets a "plumb line" (7:8) by which He measures the obedience (or lack thereof) of those who claim to be His people. King Amaziah of Israel told Hosea to go back to Judah and to be quiet! But who can stop the word of the Lord from being fulfilled? Who today can say that God will not fulfill every word that He has spoken through the prophets and apostles, and through Jesus, the Christ, the eternal Son of God. Those who want to believe in a Jesus that would not judge anyone have never read the Bible, even the red letters!! Jesus told His disciples shortly before His crucifixion that when the Holy Spirit came He would "convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment" (16:8). Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerualem and called His sheep to hear His voice, to believe in Him and be saved … from what? God's coming wrath and judgment.
Before the judgment came, God said that He would send a "famine of hearing the words of the LORD" (8:11). For almost 400 years prior to the birth of Christ there were no prophets in Israel. Then came John the Baptist, the forerunner, pointing to the coming of the Savior, calling people to repentance. In our own nation and in many places around the world today it seems as though there is a famine of God's Word. People have gathered for themselves teachers who will tell them what they want to hear, as Paul predicted in his letters to Timothy. Many find it difficult to find a place where they can hear the Word of God preached and where there are those who are seeking the LORD and placing their faith in Jesus Christ alone to be saved. Can the judgment of Almighty God be far behind? Is it even now beginning to fall upon us?
Where is there any hope in this message? What are we to hold on to as we live among a people so depraved, so determined to scorn the God who made them, and as we see our own sin and how far we fall short of God's glory? Where is there HOPE?? Only in the promises of God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ, our Savior and our Lord!! God offered hope even at the end of Amos' declaration of judgment: "Surely the eyes of the Sovereign LORD are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth - YET I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob" (9:8).
"In that day," says the LORD, "I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be" (9:11) … "I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them" (9:15). Not all who have returned to the land of Israel in our day will escape the judgment of God. The nations will be gathered against Israel and difficult times lie ahead … yet God will save a remnant from Israel and from the nations for Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. His call still goes out today, "Seek the LORD and live …"
What have YOU done with Jesus? Have you acknowledged the LORD, the great "I AM," as God? Do you believe in Him, and have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ? As this world races towards the "day of the LORD" one will appear who will appear to offer peace, who will unite all nations and all religions together in an effort to establish himself as the one to be worshiped … millions will be deceived, desiring peace and security for themselves rather than worship and praise of the LORD, the one and only true God. Then the end will come suddenly upon those who do not know Him and who have not sought Him …
Where will you be on that day? Where are you today? I warn you and urge you to "seek the LORD and live!" Through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross we who have been given the Holy Spirit confess our sin, turn from it and trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and life eternal. We have no other hope, for "we have THIS hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). May this hope be yours today as you repent of your sins and place your trust in Jesus Christ. "Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near" and find that His promises are all 'Yes! and Amen" in Christ Jesus!!
"O LORD my God, to You be endless praise for Your holiness, righteousness and majesty! You alone are God and I worship You with all my heart. I thank You for giving me ears to hear the warnings of judgment in Your Word and for moving my heart to respond in repentance and faith in Your Son Jesus Christ. Give me wisdom and strength to live in this world as an ambassador of Your truth and of Your kingdom, of the reign of Your Son Jesus Christ. Open the ears of those whom You have chosen through the words You have placed in my mouth, that they may seek You and live! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Amos 5 - 9 …
As the prophet, Amos, was sent to Israel to proclaim God's coming judgment, he offered a small ray of hope to those who were about to lose their property, their homes and in many cases, their lives: "Seek me and live … Seek the LORD and live … " (5:4,6). As the Word of God warns of His coming judgment upon the earth in our day, those same words come to us as we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ: "Seek me and live … Seek the LORD and live!"
Many within Israel thought it would be different. They thought God did not notice their sins, but God says, "I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins" (5:12). Though they tried, they could not hide from the LORD, the only true God, the great "I AM." Still God called out to them, "Seek ME and live!" The prophet Isaiah spoke to these same people, "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7). Only because of the stubborn foolishness of those without the Spirit of God will they persist in their sin and unbelief without confession, repentance and seeking God.
Amos, along with the other prophets, predicts the coming judgment of God as he describes the "day of the LORD" (5:18ff.). It is sometimes amazing how much like the days of the prophets our day is. People want God to send His judgment on others, failing to realize that they, too, lie in the path of His coming wrath. Amos declares, "Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! … That day will be darkness, not light!" (5:18). The "day of the LORD" points to the coming judgment of God upon Israel, in the present and in the future, as well as His judgment upon all those who do not know Him and who do not come to Him in the only way He has prescribed: through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Repeatedly, Amos states, "the LORD is His Name," or "whose name is God Almighty!" Only the God who reveals Himself in the Scriptures contained in the Bible as the "LORD," the Great "I AM," "Jehovah" or "Yahweh," is to be worshiped, for He alone is God Almighty. All the supposed gods of the nations are poor impostors who cannot save from God's coming judgment. "Woe to you who are complacent in Zion," Amos declares (6:1). The same is true of those who are "lukewarm" in the church today … who do not take seriously the warnings found throughout the Bible. They go on about their lives and their supposed worship as though God does not see - but He DOES!!
Paul wrote to those who presumed on the grace and mercy of God in Romans 2:1-5, when he says that those who judge others and do the same things condemn themselves. "Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed" (2:4-5). That will be the "day of the LORD," described by Amos.
God says that He hates the pride of Jacob, and so He sets a "plumb line" (7:8) by which He measures the obedience (or lack thereof) of those who claim to be His people. King Amaziah of Israel told Hosea to go back to Judah and to be quiet! But who can stop the word of the Lord from being fulfilled? Who today can say that God will not fulfill every word that He has spoken through the prophets and apostles, and through Jesus, the Christ, the eternal Son of God. Those who want to believe in a Jesus that would not judge anyone have never read the Bible, even the red letters!! Jesus told His disciples shortly before His crucifixion that when the Holy Spirit came He would "convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment" (16:8). Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerualem and called His sheep to hear His voice, to believe in Him and be saved … from what? God's coming wrath and judgment.
Before the judgment came, God said that He would send a "famine of hearing the words of the LORD" (8:11). For almost 400 years prior to the birth of Christ there were no prophets in Israel. Then came John the Baptist, the forerunner, pointing to the coming of the Savior, calling people to repentance. In our own nation and in many places around the world today it seems as though there is a famine of God's Word. People have gathered for themselves teachers who will tell them what they want to hear, as Paul predicted in his letters to Timothy. Many find it difficult to find a place where they can hear the Word of God preached and where there are those who are seeking the LORD and placing their faith in Jesus Christ alone to be saved. Can the judgment of Almighty God be far behind? Is it even now beginning to fall upon us?
Where is there any hope in this message? What are we to hold on to as we live among a people so depraved, so determined to scorn the God who made them, and as we see our own sin and how far we fall short of God's glory? Where is there HOPE?? Only in the promises of God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ, our Savior and our Lord!! God offered hope even at the end of Amos' declaration of judgment: "Surely the eyes of the Sovereign LORD are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth - YET I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob" (9:8).
"In that day," says the LORD, "I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be" (9:11) … "I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them" (9:15). Not all who have returned to the land of Israel in our day will escape the judgment of God. The nations will be gathered against Israel and difficult times lie ahead … yet God will save a remnant from Israel and from the nations for Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. His call still goes out today, "Seek the LORD and live …"
What have YOU done with Jesus? Have you acknowledged the LORD, the great "I AM," as God? Do you believe in Him, and have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ? As this world races towards the "day of the LORD" one will appear who will appear to offer peace, who will unite all nations and all religions together in an effort to establish himself as the one to be worshiped … millions will be deceived, desiring peace and security for themselves rather than worship and praise of the LORD, the one and only true God. Then the end will come suddenly upon those who do not know Him and who have not sought Him …
Where will you be on that day? Where are you today? I warn you and urge you to "seek the LORD and live!" Through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross we who have been given the Holy Spirit confess our sin, turn from it and trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and life eternal. We have no other hope, for "we have THIS hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). May this hope be yours today as you repent of your sins and place your trust in Jesus Christ. "Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near" and find that His promises are all 'Yes! and Amen" in Christ Jesus!!
"O LORD my God, to You be endless praise for Your holiness, righteousness and majesty! You alone are God and I worship You with all my heart. I thank You for giving me ears to hear the warnings of judgment in Your Word and for moving my heart to respond in repentance and faith in Your Son Jesus Christ. Give me wisdom and strength to live in this world as an ambassador of Your truth and of Your kingdom, of the reign of Your Son Jesus Christ. Open the ears of those whom You have chosen through the words You have placed in my mouth, that they may seek You and live! In Jesus' name, Amen"
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
"Life is too simple to be so complicated …"
Day #264: Daily Bible Reading Plan - September 18th
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 25 …
Reading through Solomon's proverbs is like finding small tidbits of wisdom that all have a common source … in this case, God. When God created the world everything was perfect; then came sin. People today spend countless hours and thousands of dollars trying to understand how life "works" and how to fix broken relationships, only to find out that the cause of all the brokenness in our world goes back to the problem inside all of us: the rejection of God's truth and a refusal to do things HIS way! As you read through the proverbs you need to keep this in mind.
God's Word is truth that speaks honestly about life, with nothing held back. The proverbs in Chapter 25 and the next few chapters were "copied" during the time of King Hezekiah, one of the godly kings of Judah. When Solomon says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings," (25:2), he may be explaining that because of God's glory, His perfection, we can never fully understand Him. But that which has been revealed to us, that which kings may "search out," brings wisdom and is the glory of kings. Kings have no glory of their own except that which they find in God as they rule for Him. King Hezekiah did that for most of his life.
Verses 3-5 speak of earthly kings and earthly kingdoms. Who can figure out the hearts of men? But God has His unchanging principles. "Remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness" (25:5). Righteousness is a key word throughout the Bible. God's righteousness is the standard by which all other righteousness is measured. As God warns in verses 6-7, no one should approach the king without being invited to do so, for no one is worthy. Yet GOD is King over all and through Jesus God calls US to approach Him and makes us righteous by faith in Christ. All this again points to how we live in this world as citizens of God's kingdom, even though we live under the rule of earthly kings. Jesus Christ is Lord!!
The rest of the proverbs speak to simple things that help us to live in a world that gets complicated by the deceitfulness and foolishness of people who are not living according to God's Word. Solomon speaks about relationships with "neighbors" in several of these proverbs and points out some thought-provoking truths … we'll look at a few of them:
Verses 8-10: "What you have seen with your eyes do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?" In other words, your perspective on what you see may not be accurate if you don't "know the whole story," so be careful what you repeat. "If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's confidence, or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation." How often people hear what someone has said, jump to conclusions and act before considering the best course of action based on God's truth. The result is that our desire to "help" comes back to ruin OUR reputation. Always be sure that you have all the information you need to make wise decisions and to speak wisdom before confronting people. Then do it as graciously as possible, with the love and grace of God as your motives. Don't fail to act when called to do so, but don't be hasty in acting … you can do more harm than good.
In situations like that, "a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear" (25:11-12). Isn't that a beautiful picture?! Our words are so important and how we use them even more so. Solomon speaks of a "trustworthy messenger," (25:13) and a "gentle tongue" (25:15) as powerful instruments, and often points out in his proverbs how words can either build up or tear down. He even talks about things like not making a nuisance of yourself (25:17) or bearing false witness (25:18). Being a good neighbor is part of life in this world. Remember, Jesus summarized all of God's commands in loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself!
All that you and I do affects those around us - either for the good or for the bad. Something as simple as how to comfort those with a heavy heart is important to God ... don't sing to someone with a heavy heart!! (25:20). Listen and console and show compassion. In words quoted by Paul in Romans 12:20, Solomon writes, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head ... and the LORD will reward you" (25:21-22). And in summary the Apostle Paul adds, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
In each proverb there is either a good outcome or a not so good outcome. In rapid succession, Solomon writes of life with PEOPLE, and compares actions to things ... things like a north wind and cold water and muddled springs. Pictures are used to explain that our words and our actions have consequences. Today we know wisdom comes from the Spirit of God who speaks to us through the written word. The words of Solomon's proverbs, like the rest of the Bible, help us understand that life is really NOT that complicated. As Solomon wrote at the end of his "Ecclesiastes," "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Those of us who have been filled with the Spirit place our trust in Jesus Christ, knowing that we are righteous in Christ before God and heirs of eternal life, therefore we are aliens and strangers here and we serve God in this life by keeping His commands (not to BE saved, but because we HAVE BEEN saved in Christ). Life doesn't have to be complicated, but people make it that way by failing to listen to God's Word and put it into practice. "Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and do it!" (Luke 11:28).
"Father, in Your Word You have revealed a 'simple' life, a life lived for Your glory in obedience to Your commands. Give me wisdom to apply Your truth to my daily living, loving my neighbor, choosing my words wisely and setting my heart on seeking Your glory, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 25 …
Reading through Solomon's proverbs is like finding small tidbits of wisdom that all have a common source … in this case, God. When God created the world everything was perfect; then came sin. People today spend countless hours and thousands of dollars trying to understand how life "works" and how to fix broken relationships, only to find out that the cause of all the brokenness in our world goes back to the problem inside all of us: the rejection of God's truth and a refusal to do things HIS way! As you read through the proverbs you need to keep this in mind.
God's Word is truth that speaks honestly about life, with nothing held back. The proverbs in Chapter 25 and the next few chapters were "copied" during the time of King Hezekiah, one of the godly kings of Judah. When Solomon says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings," (25:2), he may be explaining that because of God's glory, His perfection, we can never fully understand Him. But that which has been revealed to us, that which kings may "search out," brings wisdom and is the glory of kings. Kings have no glory of their own except that which they find in God as they rule for Him. King Hezekiah did that for most of his life.
Verses 3-5 speak of earthly kings and earthly kingdoms. Who can figure out the hearts of men? But God has His unchanging principles. "Remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness" (25:5). Righteousness is a key word throughout the Bible. God's righteousness is the standard by which all other righteousness is measured. As God warns in verses 6-7, no one should approach the king without being invited to do so, for no one is worthy. Yet GOD is King over all and through Jesus God calls US to approach Him and makes us righteous by faith in Christ. All this again points to how we live in this world as citizens of God's kingdom, even though we live under the rule of earthly kings. Jesus Christ is Lord!!
The rest of the proverbs speak to simple things that help us to live in a world that gets complicated by the deceitfulness and foolishness of people who are not living according to God's Word. Solomon speaks about relationships with "neighbors" in several of these proverbs and points out some thought-provoking truths … we'll look at a few of them:
Verses 8-10: "What you have seen with your eyes do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?" In other words, your perspective on what you see may not be accurate if you don't "know the whole story," so be careful what you repeat. "If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's confidence, or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation." How often people hear what someone has said, jump to conclusions and act before considering the best course of action based on God's truth. The result is that our desire to "help" comes back to ruin OUR reputation. Always be sure that you have all the information you need to make wise decisions and to speak wisdom before confronting people. Then do it as graciously as possible, with the love and grace of God as your motives. Don't fail to act when called to do so, but don't be hasty in acting … you can do more harm than good.
In situations like that, "a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear" (25:11-12). Isn't that a beautiful picture?! Our words are so important and how we use them even more so. Solomon speaks of a "trustworthy messenger," (25:13) and a "gentle tongue" (25:15) as powerful instruments, and often points out in his proverbs how words can either build up or tear down. He even talks about things like not making a nuisance of yourself (25:17) or bearing false witness (25:18). Being a good neighbor is part of life in this world. Remember, Jesus summarized all of God's commands in loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself!
All that you and I do affects those around us - either for the good or for the bad. Something as simple as how to comfort those with a heavy heart is important to God ... don't sing to someone with a heavy heart!! (25:20). Listen and console and show compassion. In words quoted by Paul in Romans 12:20, Solomon writes, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head ... and the LORD will reward you" (25:21-22). And in summary the Apostle Paul adds, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
In each proverb there is either a good outcome or a not so good outcome. In rapid succession, Solomon writes of life with PEOPLE, and compares actions to things ... things like a north wind and cold water and muddled springs. Pictures are used to explain that our words and our actions have consequences. Today we know wisdom comes from the Spirit of God who speaks to us through the written word. The words of Solomon's proverbs, like the rest of the Bible, help us understand that life is really NOT that complicated. As Solomon wrote at the end of his "Ecclesiastes," "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Those of us who have been filled with the Spirit place our trust in Jesus Christ, knowing that we are righteous in Christ before God and heirs of eternal life, therefore we are aliens and strangers here and we serve God in this life by keeping His commands (not to BE saved, but because we HAVE BEEN saved in Christ). Life doesn't have to be complicated, but people make it that way by failing to listen to God's Word and put it into practice. "Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and do it!" (Luke 11:28).
"Father, in Your Word You have revealed a 'simple' life, a life lived for Your glory in obedience to Your commands. Give me wisdom to apply Your truth to my daily living, loving my neighbor, choosing my words wisely and setting my heart on seeking Your glory, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
"Let the Name of the LORD our God be praised!!"
Day #263: Daily Bible Reading Plan - September 17th
Scripture Reading: Psalms 111 - 113 …
God's Word tells me that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). In the end, everything will work out for my good, so if it looks right now as if something is NOT working out for my good, it must not be the end!! God is still working in the midst of my circumstances and yours and He has promised to be with those who trust in Him and who acknowledge Him as Lord. The writers of the Psalms continually point us to this truth because as we live in this world it can SEEM like evil wins, like those who do not know God prosper, and like those who seek the Lord face more trials and struggles than those who don't … so it seems.
The writers of the Psalms felt the same things we feel as we live in the world today. Yet in their words we find strength to do what they did: turn to the Lord for strength, wisdom and courage to persevere, to endure, to press on. "I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly" (111:1). How important it is to gather often with God's people, knowing that His Spirit unites our hearts and that we are stronger together than we are apart. "Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them" (111:2). Setting our minds on God AND on His deeds brings a peace of mind that cannot be found anywhere else. Then we can say, no matter what men may do, HE is good … ALL the time!!
Part of the reason God is good all the time is His unchangeable character and that character is revealed in His covenant. The Psalmist writes, "He remembers His covenant forever!" (111:5). It is a blessing to live in this age when the chosen people of God, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, live in the land God promised to their fathers. "He has shown his people the power of His works, giving them the lands of other nations" (111:6). Not only that, God sent His own Son to be born of a woman, of the seed of Abraham, a descendant of King David, from the tribe of Judah, to fulfill His promise to send a Savior. "He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever - holy and awesome is His Name!" (111:9).
Thus, "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; … to HIM belongs eternal praise" (111:10). Perhaps it would be good for us to write down our statements of faith in words as the Psalmist did. Surely, we have the same testimony, and MORE! We can testify about Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, and about the fulfillment of God's covenant in even clearer terms than the Psalmist. I wonder sometimes, what is holding our tongues?! If we know these things … if we really KNOW these things in the depths of our hearts, and if we cherish God's works and "ponder" them - think about them … then won't we be constantly praising our God, the LORD, the Creator of the heavens and the earth??
God never promised us that life would be easy, even when we're serving Him. We tend to think that if we're serving God, He should make things easier; yet, it often seems to work out the other way around. How can that be? Because He wants to display HIS power IN us and through us. "Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in His commands" (112:1). He goes on to declare, "Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes" (112:6-8).
What a promise that is! How assuring to know that God is at work in our lives in ways we will never know and can never imagine. He holds believers in His hands and His love endures forever! Meanwhile, "the longings of the wicked will come to nothing" (112:10). Notice that God is always calling us to live today by faith, pointing to a future where the present struggles are no more. More and more often I think of the words of the Apostle John in Revelation 21:3-5: "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. … He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Where else do you find such assurance?!
Evil will not win. The wicked will be overcome and God's kingdom will be established in a new heaven and a new earth. God is with us now and He will be with us then. We already HAVE eternal life and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord … NOTHING!! That's why the words of Psalm 113 are the words of every true believer, every child of God: "Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised!" (113:1-3).
That is our "occupation," our job, our purpose in this life and in the life to come. OUR God reigns over all the earth and it is in His Name that we serve and in His Name that we preach and in His Name that we hope! Putting your faith in Jesus Christ, join with those described in Revelation 12:11: "They overcame … by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." So with the Psalmist "I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly" (111:1).
"Heavenly Father, it is when I set my mind on YOU and Your works that praising You becomes the very breath that I breathe. Not only are You the only true God, the Creator of all things, but You have called me to Yourself in Jesus and given me Your Spirit so I can come to You, 'Abba, Father.' How precious are my thoughts of You, O LORD, my God! I praise You because You are worthy of my praise, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Psalms 111 - 113 …
God's Word tells me that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). In the end, everything will work out for my good, so if it looks right now as if something is NOT working out for my good, it must not be the end!! God is still working in the midst of my circumstances and yours and He has promised to be with those who trust in Him and who acknowledge Him as Lord. The writers of the Psalms continually point us to this truth because as we live in this world it can SEEM like evil wins, like those who do not know God prosper, and like those who seek the Lord face more trials and struggles than those who don't … so it seems.
The writers of the Psalms felt the same things we feel as we live in the world today. Yet in their words we find strength to do what they did: turn to the Lord for strength, wisdom and courage to persevere, to endure, to press on. "I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly" (111:1). How important it is to gather often with God's people, knowing that His Spirit unites our hearts and that we are stronger together than we are apart. "Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them" (111:2). Setting our minds on God AND on His deeds brings a peace of mind that cannot be found anywhere else. Then we can say, no matter what men may do, HE is good … ALL the time!!
Part of the reason God is good all the time is His unchangeable character and that character is revealed in His covenant. The Psalmist writes, "He remembers His covenant forever!" (111:5). It is a blessing to live in this age when the chosen people of God, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, live in the land God promised to their fathers. "He has shown his people the power of His works, giving them the lands of other nations" (111:6). Not only that, God sent His own Son to be born of a woman, of the seed of Abraham, a descendant of King David, from the tribe of Judah, to fulfill His promise to send a Savior. "He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever - holy and awesome is His Name!" (111:9).
Thus, "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; … to HIM belongs eternal praise" (111:10). Perhaps it would be good for us to write down our statements of faith in words as the Psalmist did. Surely, we have the same testimony, and MORE! We can testify about Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, and about the fulfillment of God's covenant in even clearer terms than the Psalmist. I wonder sometimes, what is holding our tongues?! If we know these things … if we really KNOW these things in the depths of our hearts, and if we cherish God's works and "ponder" them - think about them … then won't we be constantly praising our God, the LORD, the Creator of the heavens and the earth??
God never promised us that life would be easy, even when we're serving Him. We tend to think that if we're serving God, He should make things easier; yet, it often seems to work out the other way around. How can that be? Because He wants to display HIS power IN us and through us. "Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in His commands" (112:1). He goes on to declare, "Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes" (112:6-8).
What a promise that is! How assuring to know that God is at work in our lives in ways we will never know and can never imagine. He holds believers in His hands and His love endures forever! Meanwhile, "the longings of the wicked will come to nothing" (112:10). Notice that God is always calling us to live today by faith, pointing to a future where the present struggles are no more. More and more often I think of the words of the Apostle John in Revelation 21:3-5: "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. … He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Where else do you find such assurance?!
Evil will not win. The wicked will be overcome and God's kingdom will be established in a new heaven and a new earth. God is with us now and He will be with us then. We already HAVE eternal life and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord … NOTHING!! That's why the words of Psalm 113 are the words of every true believer, every child of God: "Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised!" (113:1-3).
That is our "occupation," our job, our purpose in this life and in the life to come. OUR God reigns over all the earth and it is in His Name that we serve and in His Name that we preach and in His Name that we hope! Putting your faith in Jesus Christ, join with those described in Revelation 12:11: "They overcame … by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." So with the Psalmist "I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly" (111:1).
"Heavenly Father, it is when I set my mind on YOU and Your works that praising You becomes the very breath that I breathe. Not only are You the only true God, the Creator of all things, but You have called me to Yourself in Jesus and given me Your Spirit so I can come to You, 'Abba, Father.' How precious are my thoughts of You, O LORD, my God! I praise You because You are worthy of my praise, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Monday, September 15, 2014
"Our God is greater than all other gods ... His love endures forever!"
Day #262: Daily Bible Reading plan - September 16th
Scripture Reading: II Chronicles 1 - 5 ...
I love God! I do!! Without God I would be helplessly enslaved to the desires of the flesh and hopelessly misled by the temptations of the world around me and of Satan himself, that fallen angel who exists in rebellion against God and who deceives millions into joining him. Apart from God's love and grace and power at work in me, my life would be one desperate attempt after another to find meaning and purpose. But I know that God loved me and saved me through Jesus Christ to live in this world to glorify and enjoy Him, and finally to enter His perfect presence after this life, to praise Him with the angels and the saints forever, time without end. That pretty well sums up why I love God!
"Love" is used so often in this world to describe a mere emotional feeling or attachment to someone or something, but the love of God for us who believe and our love for Him goes much deeper. II Chronicles begins with a description of the relationship Solomon had with God ... or perhaps we should say, that God had with Solomon: "Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great" (1:1). Solomon had a relationship with God, and you and I can have one, too.
Solomon's father, David, had been told by God that Solomon would build a temple for His Name and David and the people had gathered all the materials except for some of the wood that was to come from the cedars of Lebanon. After Solomon had met with the leaders to discuss his plans, God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give to you" (1:7). What would YOU ask for? God speaks through James to the early church and says, "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:2-3).
That was not Solomon. This was his request, "LORD God, let Your promise to my father David be confirmed, for You have made me King over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (1:9-10). Not only did Solomon make an awesome request, but he made it with such humility that God not only gave him wisdom, but wealth, riches and honor, too! How important to realize that we do not deserve anything from God, but because of His love for His people, He WANTS to give us what we need to serve Him and to make His name great.
In writing to the King of Tyre (Lebanon), David explained, "The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods" (2:5). How true that was, and how true that IS. Even the King of Tyre declared, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth!" (2:13). This is where wisdom begins ... in acknowledging God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The Apostle Paul proclaimed the same thing to the men of Athens in Acts 17, as he told them about the One who was the "unknown god" to them: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else" (Acts 17:24).
This is OUR God! And He didn't NEED the temple then ... and He doesn't need a temple now. So why did Solomon build it and why did God give him directions for its construction? Because God wanted His people to know who He was and to worship Him. The temple was for His glory, but was for their instruction. All of the furnishings revealed, so much as human minds can comprehend it, the glory of the one true God. As the Creator of the universe, God dwells in all of His glory in heaven, a place inaccessible to mortal sinful mankind. Yet to reveal Himself in part to us, God told Solomon to build the temple and through the Ark of the Covenant and the Most Holy Place God taught the people how to come near to Him.
Chapter 5 describes the people bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the temple. This time they did it right: the Levites carried the Ark with the poles through the rings, as God had instructed Moses, so that no one would touch it. There was nothing magical about the Ark itself, but it represented the very presence of God and touching it brought death. That had been proven in previous times. Sinful people cannot approach a holy God without their sin being "atoned for," without the debt being paid. The "wings of the cherubim" on the cover of the Ark pointed to the reality of the angels guarding the entrance to the presence of God. The two tablets of the law lay inside the Ark, symbols of God's requirement of perfection ... a requirement no one could or can meet.
With joyous celebration the people worshiped the LORD, their God. The musicians wore fine linen and played "cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: 'He is good; His love endures forever'" (5:12-13). After all the preparation and the return of the Ark of the Covenant, the theme of the song they sang with such powerful accompaniment was God's love.
I love God! But that's not what is so amazing, considering all that I know about God and what He has done for me. What is more amazing is that God loves ME; that HIS love endures forever!! Perhaps it was Solomon who wrote Psalm 106:1: "Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever!" Every true believer must know that our love for God is but a response to God's love for us. Only by His mercy and grace to us can we know that the Creator of the universe is OUR God, and that He is greater than all other gods because in Jesus Christ, our Savior, HIS love endures forever. "God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Give thanks to the LORD our God today and rejoice in His love for you. All who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can KNOW that our God reigns, that there are no other gods, and that His love for His children will never, ever change or fail. With the Apostle John we can say, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (I John 3:1). Ask the LORD, your God for wisdom to reign wisely over sin and the temptations you face in this world. Pray that He will strengthen you daily to stand firm in your faith, no matter what the circumstances you face. Live to join with God's people in building that spiritual "temple," the Church, which will greet Jesus when He comes to gather His own. Then your life, like Solomon's will serve to bring praise to our God!!
"O LORD, my God, You are great above all the gods that people worship in the world today, for You alone ARE God!! I confess my love for You because I know that You first loved me. I give You thanks for choosing me to be Your child, for redeeming me and forgiving me through the blood of Your Son, Jesus, and for adopting me into Your family. Such love demands my all and I pray that You will continue the work You have begun in me so that one day soon, when I see You face-to-face, my love for You will be as perfect as Your love for me. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: II Chronicles 1 - 5 ...
I love God! I do!! Without God I would be helplessly enslaved to the desires of the flesh and hopelessly misled by the temptations of the world around me and of Satan himself, that fallen angel who exists in rebellion against God and who deceives millions into joining him. Apart from God's love and grace and power at work in me, my life would be one desperate attempt after another to find meaning and purpose. But I know that God loved me and saved me through Jesus Christ to live in this world to glorify and enjoy Him, and finally to enter His perfect presence after this life, to praise Him with the angels and the saints forever, time without end. That pretty well sums up why I love God!
"Love" is used so often in this world to describe a mere emotional feeling or attachment to someone or something, but the love of God for us who believe and our love for Him goes much deeper. II Chronicles begins with a description of the relationship Solomon had with God ... or perhaps we should say, that God had with Solomon: "Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great" (1:1). Solomon had a relationship with God, and you and I can have one, too.
Solomon's father, David, had been told by God that Solomon would build a temple for His Name and David and the people had gathered all the materials except for some of the wood that was to come from the cedars of Lebanon. After Solomon had met with the leaders to discuss his plans, God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give to you" (1:7). What would YOU ask for? God speaks through James to the early church and says, "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:2-3).
That was not Solomon. This was his request, "LORD God, let Your promise to my father David be confirmed, for You have made me King over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (1:9-10). Not only did Solomon make an awesome request, but he made it with such humility that God not only gave him wisdom, but wealth, riches and honor, too! How important to realize that we do not deserve anything from God, but because of His love for His people, He WANTS to give us what we need to serve Him and to make His name great.
In writing to the King of Tyre (Lebanon), David explained, "The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods" (2:5). How true that was, and how true that IS. Even the King of Tyre declared, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth!" (2:13). This is where wisdom begins ... in acknowledging God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The Apostle Paul proclaimed the same thing to the men of Athens in Acts 17, as he told them about the One who was the "unknown god" to them: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else" (Acts 17:24).
This is OUR God! And He didn't NEED the temple then ... and He doesn't need a temple now. So why did Solomon build it and why did God give him directions for its construction? Because God wanted His people to know who He was and to worship Him. The temple was for His glory, but was for their instruction. All of the furnishings revealed, so much as human minds can comprehend it, the glory of the one true God. As the Creator of the universe, God dwells in all of His glory in heaven, a place inaccessible to mortal sinful mankind. Yet to reveal Himself in part to us, God told Solomon to build the temple and through the Ark of the Covenant and the Most Holy Place God taught the people how to come near to Him.
Chapter 5 describes the people bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the temple. This time they did it right: the Levites carried the Ark with the poles through the rings, as God had instructed Moses, so that no one would touch it. There was nothing magical about the Ark itself, but it represented the very presence of God and touching it brought death. That had been proven in previous times. Sinful people cannot approach a holy God without their sin being "atoned for," without the debt being paid. The "wings of the cherubim" on the cover of the Ark pointed to the reality of the angels guarding the entrance to the presence of God. The two tablets of the law lay inside the Ark, symbols of God's requirement of perfection ... a requirement no one could or can meet.
With joyous celebration the people worshiped the LORD, their God. The musicians wore fine linen and played "cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: 'He is good; His love endures forever'" (5:12-13). After all the preparation and the return of the Ark of the Covenant, the theme of the song they sang with such powerful accompaniment was God's love.
I love God! But that's not what is so amazing, considering all that I know about God and what He has done for me. What is more amazing is that God loves ME; that HIS love endures forever!! Perhaps it was Solomon who wrote Psalm 106:1: "Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever!" Every true believer must know that our love for God is but a response to God's love for us. Only by His mercy and grace to us can we know that the Creator of the universe is OUR God, and that He is greater than all other gods because in Jesus Christ, our Savior, HIS love endures forever. "God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Give thanks to the LORD our God today and rejoice in His love for you. All who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can KNOW that our God reigns, that there are no other gods, and that His love for His children will never, ever change or fail. With the Apostle John we can say, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (I John 3:1). Ask the LORD, your God for wisdom to reign wisely over sin and the temptations you face in this world. Pray that He will strengthen you daily to stand firm in your faith, no matter what the circumstances you face. Live to join with God's people in building that spiritual "temple," the Church, which will greet Jesus when He comes to gather His own. Then your life, like Solomon's will serve to bring praise to our God!!
"O LORD, my God, You are great above all the gods that people worship in the world today, for You alone ARE God!! I confess my love for You because I know that You first loved me. I give You thanks for choosing me to be Your child, for redeeming me and forgiving me through the blood of Your Son, Jesus, and for adopting me into Your family. Such love demands my all and I pray that You will continue the work You have begun in me so that one day soon, when I see You face-to-face, my love for You will be as perfect as Your love for me. In Jesus' name, Amen"
Sunday, September 14, 2014
"You can't curse what God has blessed ..."
Day #261 - Daily Bible Reading Plan - September 15th
Scripture Reading: Numbers 21 - 24 ...
God's principles are unchanging. If you learn how God has worked in the past you will understand how God is working in the present and how He will work in the future. God doesn't change His principles from one age to the next. When God chose Abraham and promised to make of him and his descendants a great nation, He said, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3). God's purposes for mankind were and are tied to the descendants of Abraham. And the promised "Seed" of Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed, is Jesus.
Because God's principles are unchanging, His blessing comes through His promises to Abraham and so through the Savior who physically descended through the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah. And the principle of God's blessing continues through Jesus Christ to all who believe in Him. That's why there are several things in our reading today that point to Jesus. Throughout the Old Testament you find pictures of events that are like arrows pointing to the One through whom all who believe are blessed by God. One such event is recorded in Numbers 21.
As the people of Israel traveled through the wilderness they once again grew impatient and complained and grumbled against Moses and against God (21:4-5). They were tired of the desert and they were tired of the manna that God gave them to eat every morning. Because of their complaining, God sent poisonous snakes among them and many of them were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and confessed their sin and asked Moses to pray for them. Moses did so and God told him to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. As the bronze snake was lifted up, "anyone who is bitten can look at it and live" (21:8). Moses did what God had said and it worked!
This seems like an isolated incident in the life of a people who lived more than 3,000 years ago, but it is referred to some 1400 years later by none other than Jesus as He speaks with the Pharisee, Nicodemus. Jesus was explaining the need to be spiritually reborn, a concept Nicodemus did not yet understand. Jesus wanted him to see the connections between what had happened in the past and what was happening in the life of Jesus and how it all pointed to Him. He explains: "I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven - the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in HIM may have eternal life" (John 3:12-15).
Even a bunch of snakes, sent by God to discipline His people for their complaining, pointed ahead to Jesus' crucifixion and the salvation God offers to all who believe in Him. The bronze snake, of course, had no power to save, but it was a symbol pointing to the God who alone can save from certain death - eternal death ... Because Jesus was lifted up on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, the plague of death is stopped for those who look to Him. It is here that Jesus reveals to Nicodemus that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Whoever looks to the Son and believes in Him has life!!!
As the people of Israel moved on, God gave their enemies into their hands. It was not because Israel had the most powerful army that they defeated those who stood against them, but because God was with them. That is true of us as believers, today, too. God's wisdom and strength are our weapons against the enemies that come against us, especially our spiritual enemies, including Satan himself. As Paul says it in Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who can be against us??" Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus ... NOTHING!! So often those who claim to believe today cry out for God's blessing, asking God to give them more things, to make their lives easier, to give them everything they want. And when God doesn't give them everything they've asked for, what do they do? They do the same thing Israel did, they complain!!
We who believe today need to remember that our Father in heaven "HAS BLESSED us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). We already have everything we truly need through faith in Jesus. Eternal life is God's gift through the blood of Jesus, and it is His Spirit who has moved us to believe in Him in the first place. If you have trusted in Jesus for forgiveness you ARE saved from God's wrath and you know that God is with you NOW and that He will never leave you or forsake you. Even in those times when things are hard, difficult and humanly unbearable, He will provide all that you need as you look to Him. Even when you pass through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4) you do not have to be afraid. He WILL bring you home!!
As one who has been reconciled to God through Jesus, you ARE blessed, and no one can change that! Which brings us to Balak and Balaam. Balak was the king of Moab and he had seen how Israel had defeated the nations around them, so he sent messengers to a man known to speak for God. His name was Balaam. Balak told the messengers to ask Balaam to put a curse on Israel (22:6). They were willing to pay him, to reward him well for doing so. Balaam told them he would inquire of the Lord and God said to Balaam, "You must not put a curse on those people, because they ARE blessed" (22:12). Balaam delivered God's message, but Balak would not take "No" for an answer.
Balak sent more messengers, and Balaam explained that he could not go beyond what God commanded. However, he said he would ask God again. Did he really think God was going to change his mind?? God was angry. He told Balaam to go with them, but sent an angel to stand in his way. While a humorous story in some ways, the principle revealed is anything but humorous: Don't question what God says!! God opened the eyes of Balaam's donkey to see the angel and when Balaam continued to beat the donkey for stopping and trying to avoid the angel, God enabled the donkey to speak to him!!! Finally, God opened Balaam's eyes to see the angel and God gave him a message for Balak ... and for US!!
As Balak, this foolish king, tried to coerce Balaam to curse Israel, God gave Balaam these words to say, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it. No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them ... There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what God has done!'" (23:18-23). Don't you want to say, "AMEN!"? Look at what God has done!!!
Balaam then goes on to proclaim God's blessing: "How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! ... Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. ... May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed" (24:5, 7, 9). In his fourth oracle he even declares that "a star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel ... A ruler will come out of Jacob ..." (24:17, 19). Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!! One reference after another that points to the One who would be the "SEED" of Abraham, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, from the line of Judah. "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is HIS!" (Genesis 49:10).
The principle revealed in these chapters is vital to our understanding of what Jesus has done for us. Paul writes to the Galatians, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit'" (Galatians 3:13-14). The assurance we have as believers is that the curse of sin and death has been removed from us through the death of Christ in our place. And you can't curse what God has blessed!! As a contemporary song declares, "No power of hell, nor human plan can ever pluck me from His hand; for I am His and He is mine!" Praise God! I AM BLESSED!!!
"My Father in heaven, it is YOU who have blessed me through Your Son Jesus Christ. I now rest in Him and exist in a state of eternal blessedness. Not even death can separate me from You. The curse has been removed, my sins have been forgiven and I rejoice in Your salvation. Give me strength daily to proclaim Your salvation and to give thanks for Your blessing, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Numbers 21 - 24 ...
God's principles are unchanging. If you learn how God has worked in the past you will understand how God is working in the present and how He will work in the future. God doesn't change His principles from one age to the next. When God chose Abraham and promised to make of him and his descendants a great nation, He said, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3). God's purposes for mankind were and are tied to the descendants of Abraham. And the promised "Seed" of Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed, is Jesus.
Because God's principles are unchanging, His blessing comes through His promises to Abraham and so through the Savior who physically descended through the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah. And the principle of God's blessing continues through Jesus Christ to all who believe in Him. That's why there are several things in our reading today that point to Jesus. Throughout the Old Testament you find pictures of events that are like arrows pointing to the One through whom all who believe are blessed by God. One such event is recorded in Numbers 21.
As the people of Israel traveled through the wilderness they once again grew impatient and complained and grumbled against Moses and against God (21:4-5). They were tired of the desert and they were tired of the manna that God gave them to eat every morning. Because of their complaining, God sent poisonous snakes among them and many of them were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and confessed their sin and asked Moses to pray for them. Moses did so and God told him to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. As the bronze snake was lifted up, "anyone who is bitten can look at it and live" (21:8). Moses did what God had said and it worked!
This seems like an isolated incident in the life of a people who lived more than 3,000 years ago, but it is referred to some 1400 years later by none other than Jesus as He speaks with the Pharisee, Nicodemus. Jesus was explaining the need to be spiritually reborn, a concept Nicodemus did not yet understand. Jesus wanted him to see the connections between what had happened in the past and what was happening in the life of Jesus and how it all pointed to Him. He explains: "I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven - the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in HIM may have eternal life" (John 3:12-15).
Even a bunch of snakes, sent by God to discipline His people for their complaining, pointed ahead to Jesus' crucifixion and the salvation God offers to all who believe in Him. The bronze snake, of course, had no power to save, but it was a symbol pointing to the God who alone can save from certain death - eternal death ... Because Jesus was lifted up on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, the plague of death is stopped for those who look to Him. It is here that Jesus reveals to Nicodemus that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Whoever looks to the Son and believes in Him has life!!!
As the people of Israel moved on, God gave their enemies into their hands. It was not because Israel had the most powerful army that they defeated those who stood against them, but because God was with them. That is true of us as believers, today, too. God's wisdom and strength are our weapons against the enemies that come against us, especially our spiritual enemies, including Satan himself. As Paul says it in Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who can be against us??" Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus ... NOTHING!! So often those who claim to believe today cry out for God's blessing, asking God to give them more things, to make their lives easier, to give them everything they want. And when God doesn't give them everything they've asked for, what do they do? They do the same thing Israel did, they complain!!
We who believe today need to remember that our Father in heaven "HAS BLESSED us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). We already have everything we truly need through faith in Jesus. Eternal life is God's gift through the blood of Jesus, and it is His Spirit who has moved us to believe in Him in the first place. If you have trusted in Jesus for forgiveness you ARE saved from God's wrath and you know that God is with you NOW and that He will never leave you or forsake you. Even in those times when things are hard, difficult and humanly unbearable, He will provide all that you need as you look to Him. Even when you pass through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4) you do not have to be afraid. He WILL bring you home!!
As one who has been reconciled to God through Jesus, you ARE blessed, and no one can change that! Which brings us to Balak and Balaam. Balak was the king of Moab and he had seen how Israel had defeated the nations around them, so he sent messengers to a man known to speak for God. His name was Balaam. Balak told the messengers to ask Balaam to put a curse on Israel (22:6). They were willing to pay him, to reward him well for doing so. Balaam told them he would inquire of the Lord and God said to Balaam, "You must not put a curse on those people, because they ARE blessed" (22:12). Balaam delivered God's message, but Balak would not take "No" for an answer.
Balak sent more messengers, and Balaam explained that he could not go beyond what God commanded. However, he said he would ask God again. Did he really think God was going to change his mind?? God was angry. He told Balaam to go with them, but sent an angel to stand in his way. While a humorous story in some ways, the principle revealed is anything but humorous: Don't question what God says!! God opened the eyes of Balaam's donkey to see the angel and when Balaam continued to beat the donkey for stopping and trying to avoid the angel, God enabled the donkey to speak to him!!! Finally, God opened Balaam's eyes to see the angel and God gave him a message for Balak ... and for US!!
As Balak, this foolish king, tried to coerce Balaam to curse Israel, God gave Balaam these words to say, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it. No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them ... There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what God has done!'" (23:18-23). Don't you want to say, "AMEN!"? Look at what God has done!!!
Balaam then goes on to proclaim God's blessing: "How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! ... Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. ... May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed" (24:5, 7, 9). In his fourth oracle he even declares that "a star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel ... A ruler will come out of Jacob ..." (24:17, 19). Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!! One reference after another that points to the One who would be the "SEED" of Abraham, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, from the line of Judah. "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is HIS!" (Genesis 49:10).
The principle revealed in these chapters is vital to our understanding of what Jesus has done for us. Paul writes to the Galatians, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit'" (Galatians 3:13-14). The assurance we have as believers is that the curse of sin and death has been removed from us through the death of Christ in our place. And you can't curse what God has blessed!! As a contemporary song declares, "No power of hell, nor human plan can ever pluck me from His hand; for I am His and He is mine!" Praise God! I AM BLESSED!!!
"My Father in heaven, it is YOU who have blessed me through Your Son Jesus Christ. I now rest in Him and exist in a state of eternal blessedness. Not even death can separate me from You. The curse has been removed, my sins have been forgiven and I rejoice in Your salvation. Give me strength daily to proclaim Your salvation and to give thanks for Your blessing, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Saturday, September 13, 2014
"I thank God for you in my prayers …"
Day #260: Daily Bible Reading Plan - September 14th
Scripture Reading: Philemon …
Do you thank God for anybody in your prayers? Is there anyone God has brought into your life who has made such a deep spiritual impact in your life that you regularly thank God for them? For many of us the list would begin with our spouse, and perhaps parents, children, other family members. But who else? Do you have people in your life with whom you are connected spiritually to the point that you thank God for them in your prayers? Some might say that it was because the Apostle Paul was not married that he so appreciated his fellow-believers, but we who know Christ and who are united by His Spirit with others in His body ought to have many such people who come to mind as we pray and as we give thanks.
At this time in his ministry, Paul was in prison, under house arrest. It is clear that he was able to receive visitors and to carry on his work of spreading the Gospel by teaching those who came and then sending them out with the Gospel. One such visitor was Onesimus, apparently a slave of a man named, Philemon. Philemon had sent him to Paul to perhaps bring Paul some needed items and Paul had spent some time with him. Paul calls him, "my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains" (verse 10). The purpose of Paul's letter to Philemon was to encourage Philemon to consider Onesimus no longer as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. Onesimus had apparently placed his faith in Jesus Christ through Paul's teaching and it was Paul's desire to see him not only set free spiritually, but also physically.
Paul's approach to this request was masterful, not because he was not willing to confront Philemon with the wrongs of slavery, but because he wanted to allow the Spirit to convict Philemon so that what he did would be done voluntarily, from the heart. Paul makes this request in a letter written not only to Philemon, but to others in the church that was meeting in Philemon's home (verses 1-2). This was part of the body of Christ, the fellowship of the saints, and Paul wanted to teach all of them the importance of the community God was building through the Gospel by the work of His Spirit. As part of the body of Christ what you and I do affects all the other parts of the body. We come to Christ as individuals, but we don't remain that way. We who believe are family!!
To those who confessed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, Paul wrote, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ" (verse 6). We are told today that "faith" is a personal thing, and it is; however, it is in speaking of our faith, of our knowledge of Christ through His Word, that we ourselves grow and that others in the body are built up in the faith. To the believers in Ephesus Paul wrote, "Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:15-16). We need each other!
After his initial greeting and encouragement to the church, Paul speaks directly to Philemon. He says immediately, "… in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do …" (verse 8). Paul had the authority in Christ to order Philemon to release Onesimus from being his slave, for certainly that would have been what God desired, but he says, "… yet I appeal to you on the basis of love" (verse 9). Paul actually wanted Onesimus to stay with HIM, but he says to Philemon, "I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced" (verse 14). In other words, "You need to do what you know in your heart is right, not because you have to, but because the love you know in Christ compels you to do so."
It appears that Paul was confident that Philemon WOULD do the right thing, but was perhaps using this opportunity to speak to the whole church about what it meant to love one another in Christ and to consider one another, even in the society of that time, as equal in Christ. That is an important lesson for the church today as well. There are no class distinctions, no favoritism, no divisions in the body of Christ. As someone has said, "The ground is level at the foot of the cross!" The confidence Paul had was not in Philemon, but in the Spirit of God who lived within him. It is important to call brothers and sisters in Christ to a higher standard than that of the world around us. Because God has first loved us in Christ, we are compelled by the Spirit to love one another in a way that the world will never understand. We need more of that in the body of Christ!!
Throughout the letter you can sense Paul's love for the Church, for the body, for those who were his brothers and sisters in Christ, and he encourages Philemon to receive Onesimus back "no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother" (verse 16). And he goes on to say, "He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord" (verse 16). What a beautiful thing Jesus does by bringing together slave and free. Perhaps this is who Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Galatians, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).
Finally, Paul reminds Philemon of the relationship HE has with Paul: "If you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me" (verse 17), and "I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ …" (verse 20). Such boldness in sharing our needs with the expectation that our brothers and sisters will respond in love is a beautiful gift from God among those who are part of God's family by faith. It is a love produced by the Holy Spirit and enjoyed by all within the body. We need to do our best to stir one another up to fulfill our calling to love one another in this way.
As he begins his letters, so Paul ends by pointing those who read it to the grace of God in Jesus Christ. It is God's grace that calls us to put our hope in Him and to rejoice in His love together. Sharing that joy and love is the beauty of the Church. May God help you to be part of such a body and to rejoice in one another, giving thanks for your brothers and sisters in Christ in your prayers, and so glorifying your Father in heaven!
"Father, I thank You for so many people in my life! You have brought each one to encourage me, to comfort me, to teach me, to hold me accountable, to walk this road of life with me, and I thank You by name for those in the past and for those who are around me at this time. They are truly gifts from You and partners in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Give me grace to love them as You have loved me and to share life and ministry together, as we give thanks to You, in Jesus' name, Amen"
Scripture Reading: Philemon …
Do you thank God for anybody in your prayers? Is there anyone God has brought into your life who has made such a deep spiritual impact in your life that you regularly thank God for them? For many of us the list would begin with our spouse, and perhaps parents, children, other family members. But who else? Do you have people in your life with whom you are connected spiritually to the point that you thank God for them in your prayers? Some might say that it was because the Apostle Paul was not married that he so appreciated his fellow-believers, but we who know Christ and who are united by His Spirit with others in His body ought to have many such people who come to mind as we pray and as we give thanks.
At this time in his ministry, Paul was in prison, under house arrest. It is clear that he was able to receive visitors and to carry on his work of spreading the Gospel by teaching those who came and then sending them out with the Gospel. One such visitor was Onesimus, apparently a slave of a man named, Philemon. Philemon had sent him to Paul to perhaps bring Paul some needed items and Paul had spent some time with him. Paul calls him, "my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains" (verse 10). The purpose of Paul's letter to Philemon was to encourage Philemon to consider Onesimus no longer as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. Onesimus had apparently placed his faith in Jesus Christ through Paul's teaching and it was Paul's desire to see him not only set free spiritually, but also physically.
Paul's approach to this request was masterful, not because he was not willing to confront Philemon with the wrongs of slavery, but because he wanted to allow the Spirit to convict Philemon so that what he did would be done voluntarily, from the heart. Paul makes this request in a letter written not only to Philemon, but to others in the church that was meeting in Philemon's home (verses 1-2). This was part of the body of Christ, the fellowship of the saints, and Paul wanted to teach all of them the importance of the community God was building through the Gospel by the work of His Spirit. As part of the body of Christ what you and I do affects all the other parts of the body. We come to Christ as individuals, but we don't remain that way. We who believe are family!!
To those who confessed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, Paul wrote, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ" (verse 6). We are told today that "faith" is a personal thing, and it is; however, it is in speaking of our faith, of our knowledge of Christ through His Word, that we ourselves grow and that others in the body are built up in the faith. To the believers in Ephesus Paul wrote, "Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:15-16). We need each other!
After his initial greeting and encouragement to the church, Paul speaks directly to Philemon. He says immediately, "… in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do …" (verse 8). Paul had the authority in Christ to order Philemon to release Onesimus from being his slave, for certainly that would have been what God desired, but he says, "… yet I appeal to you on the basis of love" (verse 9). Paul actually wanted Onesimus to stay with HIM, but he says to Philemon, "I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced" (verse 14). In other words, "You need to do what you know in your heart is right, not because you have to, but because the love you know in Christ compels you to do so."
It appears that Paul was confident that Philemon WOULD do the right thing, but was perhaps using this opportunity to speak to the whole church about what it meant to love one another in Christ and to consider one another, even in the society of that time, as equal in Christ. That is an important lesson for the church today as well. There are no class distinctions, no favoritism, no divisions in the body of Christ. As someone has said, "The ground is level at the foot of the cross!" The confidence Paul had was not in Philemon, but in the Spirit of God who lived within him. It is important to call brothers and sisters in Christ to a higher standard than that of the world around us. Because God has first loved us in Christ, we are compelled by the Spirit to love one another in a way that the world will never understand. We need more of that in the body of Christ!!
Throughout the letter you can sense Paul's love for the Church, for the body, for those who were his brothers and sisters in Christ, and he encourages Philemon to receive Onesimus back "no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother" (verse 16). And he goes on to say, "He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord" (verse 16). What a beautiful thing Jesus does by bringing together slave and free. Perhaps this is who Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Galatians, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).
Finally, Paul reminds Philemon of the relationship HE has with Paul: "If you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me" (verse 17), and "I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ …" (verse 20). Such boldness in sharing our needs with the expectation that our brothers and sisters will respond in love is a beautiful gift from God among those who are part of God's family by faith. It is a love produced by the Holy Spirit and enjoyed by all within the body. We need to do our best to stir one another up to fulfill our calling to love one another in this way.
As he begins his letters, so Paul ends by pointing those who read it to the grace of God in Jesus Christ. It is God's grace that calls us to put our hope in Him and to rejoice in His love together. Sharing that joy and love is the beauty of the Church. May God help you to be part of such a body and to rejoice in one another, giving thanks for your brothers and sisters in Christ in your prayers, and so glorifying your Father in heaven!
"Father, I thank You for so many people in my life! You have brought each one to encourage me, to comfort me, to teach me, to hold me accountable, to walk this road of life with me, and I thank You by name for those in the past and for those who are around me at this time. They are truly gifts from You and partners in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Give me grace to love them as You have loved me and to share life and ministry together, as we give thanks to You, in Jesus' name, Amen"
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