The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out.
Ezekiel 46:10 NIV
This verse points to togetherness. The prince is to go in and go out with the people. We have read of how God tasked the Israelites to be together with and in His word. God commanded the Israelites to have his word with them as they; came and went, when they went to bed, spoke with their children, ate their meals, and at other times too.
We, by the work of the Lord, are sealed with the Holy Spirit. As a result, we can be encouraged that the Lord is with us as we go in and go out.
The strength and fruit of the Spirit should not be overlooked, for the Spirit can be a mighty source of daily bread, the 'stuff' that allows us to make, persevere, and grow when our days are challenging.
How do you give thanks for what the Lord has done for you?
Pray to see the work of the Spirit in your daily life.
In Christ,
David P
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Awesome Repeat! (Aug 30)
The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east.
Ezekiel 43:4 NIV
In the time of Ezekiel, when God's glory entered the temple, we read that the glory of the Lord came through the gate facing east.
There was another time when the glory of the Lord entered Jerusalem, and the temple, through the gate facing east. That time was when Jesus was riding on a donkey on Palm Sunday. Jesus rode down the Mount of Olives, a fairly impressive hill that is located east of Old Jerusalem.
One can reflect on how unchanging and consistent God is, for his path of entry into the temple area did not change between the entrance at the time of Ezekiel and the time of Jesus.
How are you encouraged by God's unchanging nature?
Are you committed to telling the story?
Ezekiel 43:4 NIV
In the time of Ezekiel, when God's glory entered the temple, we read that the glory of the Lord came through the gate facing east.
There was another time when the glory of the Lord entered Jerusalem, and the temple, through the gate facing east. That time was when Jesus was riding on a donkey on Palm Sunday. Jesus rode down the Mount of Olives, a fairly impressive hill that is located east of Old Jerusalem.
One can reflect on how unchanging and consistent God is, for his path of entry into the temple area did not change between the entrance at the time of Ezekiel and the time of Jesus.
How are you encouraged by God's unchanging nature?
Are you committed to telling the story?
Monday, August 29, 2011
Salvation and Righteousness
I apologize for not writing much in the past week--in between moving Alison back to school and being in the Valley of Dry Reading Bones, I haven't had the time or inclination to write. Before I get to today's topic, I wanted to share an article published in Saturday's Wall Street Journal on the circumstances leading up to the publishing of the King James Bible in 1611. You can find it at this link, and I think you'll enjoy it.
Ezekiel 33:12 states:
The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.
This is a common discussion point amongst Christians--when exactly does a person "lose" his/her righteousness? If we were Christian at one point, will that protect us? If we were baptized, are we "inoculated" against hell? This verse seems answers those questions clearly. What's the point of being prepared for Christ's return if we can just knock it out some time in our lives and then just say to Christ "Hey, I took care of that years ago."
The most common refrain in the business world is "What have you done for me lately," and to repurpose it for Christianity works well. Just as our boss isn't impressed with the outstanding job we did five years ago, God won't accept "Well, I was a Christian once, but..." as an excuse. Ezekiel 33:12-20 makes it clear that we need to continue on the proper path for our entire lives. It also makes it abundantly clear that for those of us who have stumbled along the way, if we come to our senses and repent, we can be saved. This ties in nicely with one of my least favorite parables, the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16, p1395). I say I don't like it because it offends my business sensibilities, and the socialists of the world seem to point to this in some perverted way to imply that workers are being oppressed. Of course, all this ignores the purpose of the parable--all the workers were paid the same wage, which is salvation. Salvation is salvation--it matters not when we were saved, only THAT we were.
Again, recall the timing of Ezekiel's writing--600 years before the birth of Christ. The people of Judah DID think they obtained their righteousness from many sources--heritage, law and ritual observance, divine right. We've had other occasions before, but this is another instance where God is preparing the people for a time when the rules are going to change. For us today, it needs to give us a sense of urgency, particularly with those people who have fallen away. If you were unsure as to their eternal fate before, these words of Ezekiel should tell you all you need to know and give you all the reasons to have conversations with these people SOONER rather than later.
Scott
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Watchman (August 29)
and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself.
Ezekiel 33:3-5 NIV
The heading for Ezekiel 33 is, " God Reminds Ezekiel That He Is a Watchman." My dictionary defines watchman as "a guard who keeps watch," or more generally a "guard." We have seen in our daily lives watchmen. These on duty guards may be in crowded happy places like a fair or in more solitary locations like businesses after hours, perhaps walking a timed patrol route, or sitting at a station near an entrance. A watchman is hired to attempt to prevent or at least detect and sound an alarm or warn about actions that would harm people, property, trade secrets, or other items of value.
Today's section of Ezekiel does continue and place accountability for the shed blood on the head of the watchman for failing to sound the trumpet when the sword comes.
Looking ahead to Jesus, one can consider Him to have the role of a watchman, for he has in his teaching, provided many warnings. Some that come to mind include the following messages: No one comes to the Father, but through me; Be prepared, for no one knows the hour; No one sees the kingdom of God unless he is born again; To pick up our mat and stop sinning; Not to throw stones unless we are without sin; and To enter by the gate, or be a thief.
In considering Jesus' many examples of being a watchman, how have you followed His examples in your daily life?
How are you being a watchman? Are you committed to telling the story?
Pray for the Spirit to guide you to lovingly show and to tell the story.
In Christ,
David P
Ezekiel 33:3-5 NIV
The heading for Ezekiel 33 is, " God Reminds Ezekiel That He Is a Watchman." My dictionary defines watchman as "a guard who keeps watch," or more generally a "guard." We have seen in our daily lives watchmen. These on duty guards may be in crowded happy places like a fair or in more solitary locations like businesses after hours, perhaps walking a timed patrol route, or sitting at a station near an entrance. A watchman is hired to attempt to prevent or at least detect and sound an alarm or warn about actions that would harm people, property, trade secrets, or other items of value.
Today's section of Ezekiel does continue and place accountability for the shed blood on the head of the watchman for failing to sound the trumpet when the sword comes.
Looking ahead to Jesus, one can consider Him to have the role of a watchman, for he has in his teaching, provided many warnings. Some that come to mind include the following messages: No one comes to the Father, but through me; Be prepared, for no one knows the hour; No one sees the kingdom of God unless he is born again; To pick up our mat and stop sinning; Not to throw stones unless we are without sin; and To enter by the gate, or be a thief.
In considering Jesus' many examples of being a watchman, how have you followed His examples in your daily life?
How are you being a watchman? Are you committed to telling the story?
Pray for the Spirit to guide you to lovingly show and to tell the story.
In Christ,
David P
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Dry Bones (August 28)
Then he said to me, "Prophecy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you , and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'"
Ezekiel 37:4-6 NIV
The Word of God, as spoken by Ezekiel, tells of the transition from death to life. Think of how inanimate, lifeless, stone like and more or less useless dry bones are. Perhaps there are uses for dry bones, however the only use that comes to mind is to grind up dry bones and use for fertilizer.
We read how our almighty, powerful, awesome God through His word takes dry bones and gives them life. We, with human understanding at first, may take issue with dry bones being brought to life. Upon second thought and considering that God with His words created darkness and light; water and soil; plants and animals; mankind and relationships. As a result, do we in anyway have doubts about the possibility of dry bones being given life?
Have you experienced any 'dry bones' time in your life? Some of those 'dry bones' times may be times of trial or loss: legal challenges; health issues; death; divorce; unemployment and others as they may come to mind may serve as some examples. How did you survive, persevere, cope, grow or make it through those times?
Are you in the midst of a 'dry bones' time in your life right now? Are you, on a moment by moment basis, letting the Lord know about your challenges, feelings, thoughts and needs?
As you reflect on 'dry bones' times, consider that it is God's time, not our time. Remember that God's plan for all of us is abundant life, eternal life, and joyful life. He wants us to have life, so that we will know He is Lord.
What helped you get though 'dry bones' times in your life?
How did the Spirit guide you though those 'dry bones' times?
How do you help and encourage others during 'dry bones' times?
How are you showing your thanfulness for Christ's work to bring you from death to new life?
Pray for the ability for fruits of the Spirit to be present in abundance during 'dry bones' times.
In Christ,
David P
Ezekiel 37:4-6 NIV
The Word of God, as spoken by Ezekiel, tells of the transition from death to life. Think of how inanimate, lifeless, stone like and more or less useless dry bones are. Perhaps there are uses for dry bones, however the only use that comes to mind is to grind up dry bones and use for fertilizer.
We read how our almighty, powerful, awesome God through His word takes dry bones and gives them life. We, with human understanding at first, may take issue with dry bones being brought to life. Upon second thought and considering that God with His words created darkness and light; water and soil; plants and animals; mankind and relationships. As a result, do we in anyway have doubts about the possibility of dry bones being given life?
Have you experienced any 'dry bones' time in your life? Some of those 'dry bones' times may be times of trial or loss: legal challenges; health issues; death; divorce; unemployment and others as they may come to mind may serve as some examples. How did you survive, persevere, cope, grow or make it through those times?
Are you in the midst of a 'dry bones' time in your life right now? Are you, on a moment by moment basis, letting the Lord know about your challenges, feelings, thoughts and needs?
As you reflect on 'dry bones' times, consider that it is God's time, not our time. Remember that God's plan for all of us is abundant life, eternal life, and joyful life. He wants us to have life, so that we will know He is Lord.
What helped you get though 'dry bones' times in your life?
How did the Spirit guide you though those 'dry bones' times?
How do you help and encourage others during 'dry bones' times?
How are you showing your thanfulness for Christ's work to bring you from death to new life?
Pray for the ability for fruits of the Spirit to be present in abundance during 'dry bones' times.
In Christ,
David P
Friday, August 26, 2011
Seek the Kingdom (Aug 27)
"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; Prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not the shepherds take care of the flock?"...
...I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Ezekiel 34:2 &15 NIV
Today's verses, like many verses of the Bible lead us to consider, reflect, and learn nuances, skills of and qualities of leadership.
As parents, fathers are advised by Ephesians to not exasperate children, but rather bring them up in training and instruction of the Lord. We have read of Moses' leadership skills being developed, sharpened, and refined by experiences of his youth, young adulthood, exile to Midian, dealings with Pharaoh, and of his actual leadership during the years in the wilderness. We saw Moses mature to the point of, when a problem developed, he immediately, without any hesitation "fell face down," to pray and seek the Lord's guidance.
Consequences of leaders good and bad choices have been shown to us in Scripture; remember David and Bathsheeba and the effects on the house of David that resulted from David's string of poor choices.
If individuals, leaders, and nations do not seek first to be in God's perfect will, plan, and follow the Spirit; then God will turn individuals, leaders and nations over to a "depraved mind, to do what ought not be done."
Today's verses allow us to consider enduring, unchanging attributes of God like; caregiver, source of rest, provider, comforter, and powerful. These attributes have been, are and will be attributes of God; when leaders may turn from the path of God's plan.
Individuals, leaders and nations should seek first the Kingdom of God; for much will be added when the kingdom is first sought. Is it not comforting to know that in the event that when a leader or a nation is not seeking the kingdom first that God with his unchanging attributes is ready to provide rest, to give us a place to lie down?
What are you doing to seek first God's kingdom?
How are you guiding your leaders? Are you praying for your leaders? Are you, with the Spirit's guidance, showing a good, loving example for your leaders and nation?
Pray that individuals, leaders, and nations will seek first God's perfect plan, and that God's perfect plan of salvation by grace through faith in His Son's work can be proclaimed.
In Christ,
David P
...I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Ezekiel 34:2 &15 NIV
Today's verses, like many verses of the Bible lead us to consider, reflect, and learn nuances, skills of and qualities of leadership.
As parents, fathers are advised by Ephesians to not exasperate children, but rather bring them up in training and instruction of the Lord. We have read of Moses' leadership skills being developed, sharpened, and refined by experiences of his youth, young adulthood, exile to Midian, dealings with Pharaoh, and of his actual leadership during the years in the wilderness. We saw Moses mature to the point of, when a problem developed, he immediately, without any hesitation "fell face down," to pray and seek the Lord's guidance.
Consequences of leaders good and bad choices have been shown to us in Scripture; remember David and Bathsheeba and the effects on the house of David that resulted from David's string of poor choices.
If individuals, leaders, and nations do not seek first to be in God's perfect will, plan, and follow the Spirit; then God will turn individuals, leaders and nations over to a "depraved mind, to do what ought not be done."
Today's verses allow us to consider enduring, unchanging attributes of God like; caregiver, source of rest, provider, comforter, and powerful. These attributes have been, are and will be attributes of God; when leaders may turn from the path of God's plan.
Individuals, leaders and nations should seek first the Kingdom of God; for much will be added when the kingdom is first sought. Is it not comforting to know that in the event that when a leader or a nation is not seeking the kingdom first that God with his unchanging attributes is ready to provide rest, to give us a place to lie down?
What are you doing to seek first God's kingdom?
How are you guiding your leaders? Are you praying for your leaders? Are you, with the Spirit's guidance, showing a good, loving example for your leaders and nation?
Pray that individuals, leaders, and nations will seek first God's perfect plan, and that God's perfect plan of salvation by grace through faith in His Son's work can be proclaimed.
In Christ,
David P
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Covenants (Aug 25)
"The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 31:31-32 NIV
In our reading today, we read of a new covenant. Here again we see that the Old Testament is pointing us ahead to Jesus. Recall that Jesus, during the last supper also spoke of a new covenant, a covenant in His body and blood.
The old covenant, the Mosiac Law, was a covenant that depended on our action. God instructed Israel that if the law were followed completely, then the follower of the law would be righteous before God. The righteousness was in great part a result of the follower's actions. In other words, the old covenant was a bilateral covenant, for it depended on the follower of the law and on God.
We have read of how that plan really did not work. We will soon read of Jesus pointing out how the old covenant really did not work. Man could not perfectly follow the law. In addition, man added much to the law by interpretation and definition thus restricting the follower's ability to act, to help and to show love to others. Furthermore, the law could not forgive sin. The law could only be a mirror to look at to illuminate or point out sin.
We now live with or under the new covenant. This new covenant, written with Christ's body and blood, is not a bilateral covenant, but rather a unilateral covenant; for God has provided His son as a gift and by grace through faith those who believe; have sins forgiven, are made righteous and can approach God in prayer and show love to others at any time in any place.
Have you ever thought how life would be different living under the old covenant?
Have you ever expressed thanks for the new covenant?
Pray for others to be able to see the effect of the gift of the new covenant in your daily walk.
In Christ,
David P
Jeremiah 31:31-32 NIV
In our reading today, we read of a new covenant. Here again we see that the Old Testament is pointing us ahead to Jesus. Recall that Jesus, during the last supper also spoke of a new covenant, a covenant in His body and blood.
The old covenant, the Mosiac Law, was a covenant that depended on our action. God instructed Israel that if the law were followed completely, then the follower of the law would be righteous before God. The righteousness was in great part a result of the follower's actions. In other words, the old covenant was a bilateral covenant, for it depended on the follower of the law and on God.
We have read of how that plan really did not work. We will soon read of Jesus pointing out how the old covenant really did not work. Man could not perfectly follow the law. In addition, man added much to the law by interpretation and definition thus restricting the follower's ability to act, to help and to show love to others. Furthermore, the law could not forgive sin. The law could only be a mirror to look at to illuminate or point out sin.
We now live with or under the new covenant. This new covenant, written with Christ's body and blood, is not a bilateral covenant, but rather a unilateral covenant; for God has provided His son as a gift and by grace through faith those who believe; have sins forgiven, are made righteous and can approach God in prayer and show love to others at any time in any place.
Have you ever thought how life would be different living under the old covenant?
Have you ever expressed thanks for the new covenant?
Pray for others to be able to see the effect of the gift of the new covenant in your daily walk.
In Christ,
David P
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Do This, Not That! (Aug 24)
Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, 'Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!'
Jeremiah 44:4 NIV
Why do we do what we do?
Who do you listen to?
The Old Testament people had prophets and the law to guide, direct and correct their behavior. Yet, more often than not, they did not respond with a change to correct behavior or repent in their heart. The citizens of Judah held idols in their hands, hearts and on high places in the countryside.
The point of today's verse, doing detestable things, is echoed in Paul's letter to the Romans in chapter 7.
In that chapter, Paul comments and asks about his being a slave to sin; not understanding what he does; not doing what he wants to do; and doing what he does not want to do. He gives credit, appropriately to Jesus Christ for rescuing him from his body of death.
Paul touches on contrasts in himself; his mind being a slave to God's law and the sinful nature, a slave to the law of sin.
As we live, we must ask the Spirit to keep our eyes and hearts and ears open to the still small voice that will illuminate our path and direct our steps. For if we do not ask for the Spirit to keep our eyes, hearts, mind and ears open to the Lord's guidance, we could loose the knowledge of God and be given over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not be done (Romans 1:28).
Again consider the citizens of ancient Judah; how they as a result of not keeping the knowledge of God, were given over to a depraved mind and did what ought not be done.
What do you do to prepare yourself for difficult decision moments?
During difficult decision moments, where do you look for guidance when you have incomplete, imperfect and perhaps contrasting information?
Pray that the Lord will equip you through the Spirit to make the correct decision, and give you the courage and strength, to do what ought to be done, during difficult decision moments.
In Christ,
David P
Jeremiah 44:4 NIV
Why do we do what we do?
Who do you listen to?
The Old Testament people had prophets and the law to guide, direct and correct their behavior. Yet, more often than not, they did not respond with a change to correct behavior or repent in their heart. The citizens of Judah held idols in their hands, hearts and on high places in the countryside.
The point of today's verse, doing detestable things, is echoed in Paul's letter to the Romans in chapter 7.
In that chapter, Paul comments and asks about his being a slave to sin; not understanding what he does; not doing what he wants to do; and doing what he does not want to do. He gives credit, appropriately to Jesus Christ for rescuing him from his body of death.
Paul touches on contrasts in himself; his mind being a slave to God's law and the sinful nature, a slave to the law of sin.
As we live, we must ask the Spirit to keep our eyes and hearts and ears open to the still small voice that will illuminate our path and direct our steps. For if we do not ask for the Spirit to keep our eyes, hearts, mind and ears open to the Lord's guidance, we could loose the knowledge of God and be given over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not be done (Romans 1:28).
Again consider the citizens of ancient Judah; how they as a result of not keeping the knowledge of God, were given over to a depraved mind and did what ought not be done.
What do you do to prepare yourself for difficult decision moments?
During difficult decision moments, where do you look for guidance when you have incomplete, imperfect and perhaps contrasting information?
Pray that the Lord will equip you through the Spirit to make the correct decision, and give you the courage and strength, to do what ought to be done, during difficult decision moments.
In Christ,
David P
Seriously?
I'm going to cheat a bit and leak two verses into tomorrow's reading because it fits my theme. We read of the assassination of Gedaliah, the man appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to be over the people left behind in Judah. As is not unusual, when civil unrest occurs, people think of heading to greener pastures, and they asked Jeremiah to pray to God to see what his will was. They went as far as to state in Jeremiah 42:6:
Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.
We've heard similar words so many times prior that I've lost count. In short, the people promised to obey the Lord's word, which is subsequently given to Jeremiah, at which point the people state in Jeremiah 43:2:
Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’
So much for being willing to listen and obey God's word. Lucky for us, we listen AND obey everything the Lord tells us, without question and with no hesitation or trepidation on our parts. By this point, most of you should be able to recognize my sarcasm when I write it.
All this is a prelude to my primary point, a verse I was concerned that I was giving far too much weight. As a brief aside, this is a danger we can do with every part of the Bible--we can magnify certain verses, under-emphasize others and create our own little cafeteria of Biblical teaching, selecting what looks good and conveniently ignoring the rest. As easy as this is to do, we must always be on our guard and do the best we can to NOT take this approach to the Bible. Having said that, Lamentations 5:20 states:
Why do you always forget us?
Why do you forsake us so long?
Why do you forsake us so long?
Are you freakin' kidding me? Jeremiah is commonly credited as the author of this book, but is there any doubt in your mind why the Lord forgot the people of Israel (if indeed we accept that he did, which is debatable)? This is a people that had spent the prior 1,000 years doing almost the exact OPPOSITE of what the Lord had required of them--they worshiped idols, didn't do the proper sacrifices, intermarried with foreigners, had wicked leadership and looked everywhere EXCEPT to God for salvation. Those would be some pretty good reasons for why God "forgot" them. Jeremiah himself wrote in 4:22 (p968):
My people are fools;
they do not know me.
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil;
they know not how to do good.
they do not know me.
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil;
they know not how to do good.
I've always taken a perverse pleasure in this verse, simply because we're not discussing people who don't know what to do or just haven't been instructed, but people that are intentionally evil--they know what they're doing is wrong, AND THEY DO IT ANYWAY! And yet they wonder why they've been forgotten.
We will be tempted to think the same way from time to time in our lives. We will feel forsaken for any numbers of reasons, but we can take solace in the knowledge that God is never far from us. More often than not, that distance is a self-imposed one--God didn't exile the people out of spite, but out of love and in the hope they would wake up and return to the Lord. We have the same promise today, and when we have those moments when we feel alone or abandoned in the world, we would do well to remember this.
Scott
Monday, August 22, 2011
Restoration (Aug 23)
Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old.
Lamentations 5:21 NIV
Lamentations 5:21 points out the fact that our salvation rests in and upon what the Lord has done and is apart and separate from and not dependent upon our work or efforts.
Our restoration to righteousness is not based upon our works, our possessions, our being a "good person," or anything else that we have, hold, or see. On the other hand, our righteousness is based upon our faith and belief in what the Lord has done for us through the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross on Good Friday and his defeat of death on Easter Sunday.
The faith in Jesus' work is not a faith that we, as individuals without the work of the Holy Spirit, would have any hope or chance of grasping. That simple, pure, complete concept is so far above human understanding that it is again only by the Spirit's work that we grasp God's plan.
How do you think most people view their works?
What do you do in joyful response to what God has done for you?
Pray for the day to day operation and maintenance of church grounds and facilities.
In Christ,
David P
Lamentations 5:21 NIV
Lamentations 5:21 points out the fact that our salvation rests in and upon what the Lord has done and is apart and separate from and not dependent upon our work or efforts.
Our restoration to righteousness is not based upon our works, our possessions, our being a "good person," or anything else that we have, hold, or see. On the other hand, our righteousness is based upon our faith and belief in what the Lord has done for us through the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross on Good Friday and his defeat of death on Easter Sunday.
The faith in Jesus' work is not a faith that we, as individuals without the work of the Holy Spirit, would have any hope or chance of grasping. That simple, pure, complete concept is so far above human understanding that it is again only by the Spirit's work that we grasp God's plan.
How do you think most people view their works?
What do you do in joyful response to what God has done for you?
Pray for the day to day operation and maintenance of church grounds and facilities.
In Christ,
David P
The Source (Aug 22)
Yet I call this to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:21-26 NIV
Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations to express his thoughts at the desolation of Jerusalem. In Lamentations, in with the expressed feeling of desolation is an expression of hope in Jerusalem's restoration as is written in the book of Revelation.
In Lamentations 3, Jeremiah clearly expresses the source of his hope and his portion. We can read and realize that Jeremiah did not have hope in idols or other objects that are man made. No, we read and we realize that Jeremiah's hope was placed on the Lord.
Jeremiah attributed his not being consumed to the Lord's great love and compassion. He realized that the Lord's compassion is new every morning and that it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
We can consider where we look for our strength, hope, portion and salvation as we live our lives that on occasion can seem very desolate, like a desolate Jerusalem. It is by God's grace, compassion, and love that we too are not consumed by the challenges, struggles and difficulties of life.
How do others know where your portion is?
Where do you look for strength as you wait quietly?
Pray for your eyes to be open to The Spirit's revelation of the Lord's love, compassion and faithfulness as you are guided through life's challenges.
In Christ,
David P
Lamentations 3:21-26 NIV
Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations to express his thoughts at the desolation of Jerusalem. In Lamentations, in with the expressed feeling of desolation is an expression of hope in Jerusalem's restoration as is written in the book of Revelation.
In Lamentations 3, Jeremiah clearly expresses the source of his hope and his portion. We can read and realize that Jeremiah did not have hope in idols or other objects that are man made. No, we read and we realize that Jeremiah's hope was placed on the Lord.
Jeremiah attributed his not being consumed to the Lord's great love and compassion. He realized that the Lord's compassion is new every morning and that it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
We can consider where we look for our strength, hope, portion and salvation as we live our lives that on occasion can seem very desolate, like a desolate Jerusalem. It is by God's grace, compassion, and love that we too are not consumed by the challenges, struggles and difficulties of life.
How do others know where your portion is?
Where do you look for strength as you wait quietly?
Pray for your eyes to be open to The Spirit's revelation of the Lord's love, compassion and faithfulness as you are guided through life's challenges.
In Christ,
David P
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Lamentations
Lamentations 1:1 states:
How deserted lies the city,
once so full of people!
How like a widow is she,
who once was great among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
has now become a slave.
once so full of people!
How like a widow is she,
who once was great among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
has now become a slave.
I've always had an odd fascination with this verse because of the vivid imagery it presents. To illustrate, I'll use three examples.
The first is a National Historic Landmark located just outside of St. Louis, the Cahokia Mounds (for more, check the Wikipedia article). At its peak, it had a population of around 15,000 people and was the cultural center for the area. It was the largest earthen construction north of Mexico, and around 1400, the population disappeared. Numerous theories have been put forth (deforestation, over-hunting, war) but nothing definitive has been determined. Below is a picture of the main mound. How deserted lies the city, once so full of people...
My next example is the Mayans, the predominant civilization in what is now Central American prior to the arrival of Spanish colonizers, but even by the time the Spanish arrived, the Mayans had been in decline for hundreds of years. At their peak, they inhabited what is now Honduras, Guatemala, parts of El Salvador and as far north as central Mexico, but again, for inexplicable reasons, they declined (but never fully disappeared) as a civilization. You can read more about them in this Wikipedia article. How deserted lies the city, once so full of people...
My last example I just ran across today as I was doing some research for a potential future Bible class. It regards Ephesus, a major city in the time of Paul. It was such an important city that it was a recipient of one of John's seven letters in Revelation (take the hint), indeed, the first one. At that time, it was a city of over 250,000 people full of temples to various gods and a theater that could seat 25,000 people. It was widely considered the largest and most influential church in Paul's time, which is why he sent Timothy to be its pastor. However, even then, it was beginning to decline--it had a harbor that was filling in with silt, and by 500 AD, it was deserted, since the former harbor city was by then miles inland. How deserted lies the city, once so full of people...
Nothing lasts forever, nothing is guaranteed. Six of the seven ancient wonders of the world are long gone, any review of population trends in the United States shows a steady move from the northeast to the southwest, and even in Davenport, we can see population steadily moving to the north and east. Nothing stays the same, but this simple verse in Lamentations is still poignant and touching. God had predicted this day as far back as the time of Moses, and had sent no fewer than eight prophets (and possibly more--by my count, this would be Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) to warn them, but it's still sad to consider that these people, these stubborn, stiff-necked people, had to watch the utter destruction of their city and enter a 70-year exile in order to return to God.
Someday our city will be deserted, either by choice or design. For those that were there and recall, last Labor Day Sunday, Pastor Warnsholz did a sermon titled (something like) "Reflections of an Old Church Pew." It was a reminder to us that nothing stays the same in this life and we should always be prepared to meet new challenges and obstacles as they arise, because they will. The people of Israel were warned over and over again what they were doing was wrong AND what would happen as a result, but they ignored the message. We've been blessed with the opportunity to see past their mistakes and not make the same ones. In fact, that's the primary job of Christians--finding those people who don't have Christ in their lives and warning them that some day, their "city" too will be deserted--but it doesn't have to be.
Scott
Together (August 21)
Love and faithfulness meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Psalm 85:10 NIV
This verse of a Psalm, for the director of music, tucked away in prophecy of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, just before beginning Lamentations, is a verse that could easily be lightly read. Give it a moment of consideration and realize that this Psalm does point to Jesus and many of His attributes.
Jesus, as Son of God, set the bar high in his display of perfect love and faithfulness to his Father's plan, and in service to us. Certainly love and faithfulness, together, met in the body of Jesus Christ.
That love and faithfulness still meet us today, for Jesus left his Holy Spirit to seal us and to meet us where we are to direct our steps and to show us light in this dark world.
By the action of Jesus, we are made righteous and can meet united by the Spirit together before God and as a result have peace; the peace that is above all human understanding.
Today, one verse in our reading, Psalm 85:10, is a short 11 word verse, that carries a deep message that does point to Jesus and does list attributes of God.
Pray before you read your bible that the Spirit will shed light on the words. Reading the Bible is definitely a Spirit led activity.
What kinds of things do you pray about?
How do you pray before you open the bible to read?
Pray that the Spirit gives you the time to read your bible.
In Christ,
David P
Psalm 85:10 NIV
This verse of a Psalm, for the director of music, tucked away in prophecy of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, just before beginning Lamentations, is a verse that could easily be lightly read. Give it a moment of consideration and realize that this Psalm does point to Jesus and many of His attributes.
Jesus, as Son of God, set the bar high in his display of perfect love and faithfulness to his Father's plan, and in service to us. Certainly love and faithfulness, together, met in the body of Jesus Christ.
That love and faithfulness still meet us today, for Jesus left his Holy Spirit to seal us and to meet us where we are to direct our steps and to show us light in this dark world.
By the action of Jesus, we are made righteous and can meet united by the Spirit together before God and as a result have peace; the peace that is above all human understanding.
Today, one verse in our reading, Psalm 85:10, is a short 11 word verse, that carries a deep message that does point to Jesus and does list attributes of God.
Pray before you read your bible that the Spirit will shed light on the words. Reading the Bible is definitely a Spirit led activity.
What kinds of things do you pray about?
How do you pray before you open the bible to read?
Pray that the Spirit gives you the time to read your bible.
In Christ,
David P
Friday, August 19, 2011
Rest for the Land
Tucked away near the end of today's reading is 2 Chronicles 36:21, which states:
The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.
I'm pretty sure I both commented and spoke on this at the time, but I refer you back to Leviticus 26 (p216), which my NIV Study Bible divides into two sections--personally, I'll break it into three:
1. 26:1-13--Reward for Obedience
2. 26:14-39--Punishment for Disobedience
3. 26:40-45--Restoration
I strongly encourage you to reread Leviticus 26, because it's plainly obvious that this was prophetic in the manner in which the people of Israel would (and did) treat the land. Leviticus 25 described the Sabbath Year, in which fields were to lay fallow and be allowed to regenerate. As I pointed out at the time, this introduced the concept of land fatigue thousands of years prior to it being a recognized fact. Leviticus 26:34-35 explicitly states that these Sabbath Years wouldn't be recognized upon entry into the Promised Land, and lo and behold, almost 1,000 years later, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy.
There was a pretty interesting commentary in today's Wall Street Journal titled No One Reads the Bible Literally, which you can read if you wish by clicking on the link. I'll have no opinion on the piece, but in this particular instance, the Bible is pretty darn literal--God told the people how to live, knew full well that they wouldn't keep their promises, and eventually fulfilled his promise of exile and destruction. Absolutely nothing has changed for us today, and this merely reinforces the notion that the Bible isn't a story or a prolonged metaphor--it's the Word of God, logically consistent in all its parts and just as true in its day as it is in ours.
Scott
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Old and New (August 19)
The men who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.
Jeremiah 34:18 NIV
I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 39:18 NIV
Today, we read from Jeremiah contrasting realities of the old covenant, Mosaic law, and of the new covenant, Christ's shed blood for forgiveness of sin and resurrection to overcome death.
We have earlier this year read the rules of Mosaic Law. We learned how leadership developed interpretations of that law given by God; and, as a result, following the law became very complex. In Old Testament times, there was departure from God's plan and God allowed laws to be written that were complex and the people could not live with them.
Jesus pointed this out during his ministry by healing on the Sabbath. On the Sabbath, Jesus told the lame man to walk and pick up his mat. The pharisees became angrier with Jesus in view of this Sabbath day healing.
God's law, just like the Sabbath, was given for mankind's benefit. Jesus pointed this out in Mark 2:27 NIV when He said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
Looking at the contrast between the old covenant, where the law ruled and the new covenant; where grace abounds, one can be thankful; for law does not forgive sin, it merely is a mirror that illuminates and points out sin. Under the light of grace, through Jesus' work and with the Holy Spirit, we can see sin and we can, through faith in Christ's work find true forgiveness of sin. Our salvation does not hinge on our works, but rather on what was done for us.
For what reasons are you motivated to take actions?
How do you realize that you are saved by grace through faith apart from works?
How do works matter?
Pray that you are motivated by the Spirit to take action in response to what has been done by Jesus for you.
In Christ,
David P
Jeremiah 34:18 NIV
I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 39:18 NIV
Today, we read from Jeremiah contrasting realities of the old covenant, Mosaic law, and of the new covenant, Christ's shed blood for forgiveness of sin and resurrection to overcome death.
We have earlier this year read the rules of Mosaic Law. We learned how leadership developed interpretations of that law given by God; and, as a result, following the law became very complex. In Old Testament times, there was departure from God's plan and God allowed laws to be written that were complex and the people could not live with them.
Jesus pointed this out during his ministry by healing on the Sabbath. On the Sabbath, Jesus told the lame man to walk and pick up his mat. The pharisees became angrier with Jesus in view of this Sabbath day healing.
God's law, just like the Sabbath, was given for mankind's benefit. Jesus pointed this out in Mark 2:27 NIV when He said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
Looking at the contrast between the old covenant, where the law ruled and the new covenant; where grace abounds, one can be thankful; for law does not forgive sin, it merely is a mirror that illuminates and points out sin. Under the light of grace, through Jesus' work and with the Holy Spirit, we can see sin and we can, through faith in Christ's work find true forgiveness of sin. Our salvation does not hinge on our works, but rather on what was done for us.
For what reasons are you motivated to take actions?
How do you realize that you are saved by grace through faith apart from works?
How do works matter?
Pray that you are motivated by the Spirit to take action in response to what has been done by Jesus for you.
In Christ,
David P
Restoration
Jeremiah 33:7-8 states:
7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.
We've been reading for quite some time about the impending doom of the people of Judah. We've already read about it with the Northern Kingdom, and we're about two days away from reading about Jerusalem's fall to Babylon. We've also read about how God will restore Israel, but we haven't spent as much time on that.
When a punishment is imposed, there are two possible motives:
1. Punitive--whatever was done is so wrong that a penalty needs to be inflicted
2. Rehabilitive--whatever was done is still wrong, but the belief exists that with the proper motivation and behavior modification, that negative behavior can be changed for the better.
Earlier in today's reading, we read about a punitive punishment in the way in which God dealt with Egypt. Their pride was so great that God had no intention of allowing them to repent or atone for their ways--they're were punished, and that's that. Judah, on the other hand, was clearly told that their punishment was neither more than they could bear or the final word on the matter. God would restore the nation of Israel and used the Babylonian captivity to help them understand and reflect on their atrocious behavior and their utter and complete ignoring of his word. Granted, 70 years is a long time, but it's not forever--there was light at the end of the tunnel.
We have the same promise today. We're no less stubborn, arrogant or prideful than the people of Judah were, we simply have the benefit of the message of Christ and the full gifts of the Holy Spirit to assist us and build us up when we stray. We're sinners just the same as the people of Judah were, and we justly deserve the temporal and eternal punishment that our behavior merits. But, just as the people of Judah, we're forgiven through no efforts of our own. As we hit the home stretch of our time in the Old Testament, we're about to three stages of preparation:
1. Preparation for the restoration of Israel
2. Preparation for Christ's coming
3. Preparation for US for Christ to come again
EVERYTHING that is being prophesied from here on out is just as applicable for us today. The circumstances haven't changed, and we need to be prepared at all times for Christ's return. I won't presume to speak for anyone else, but for me, Christ can come back any day he wants, and I'll go with sooner over later.
Scott
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Call to... (August 18)
'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you the great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
Jeremiah 33:3 NIV
Jeremiah spoke the above words of God to the people of Judah in about 586 BC. At that time, the people of Judah had wandered away from the law and direction given by God through Moses to them. The nation lost its focus on the Redeeming, Creator God and instead was focusing on items of wood and stone, on idols. The nation did not look like the nation God intended it to be, but rather looked more like the surrounding nations of Moab, Edom and others.
Today, we read God's Word as spoken by the prophet Jeremiah and without too much effort, we can consider how Jeremiah's prophecy could apply to our own lives. Where do you call when you are challenged, troubled, rejected, scorned, praised, victorious, or considering various aspects of daily life?
We can at any time, through the Spirit, call to the Lord. The Lord does promise to answer our call with great and unsearchable things we do not know. We can, through prayer in everything, with praise and thanksgiving, present our requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV.
Where, today, do people call for answers?
Where do you call for answers to the unsearchable questions of life?
Pray for the faith to take all things, at all times, to Christ in Prayer.
In Christ,
David P
Jeremiah 33:3 NIV
Jeremiah spoke the above words of God to the people of Judah in about 586 BC. At that time, the people of Judah had wandered away from the law and direction given by God through Moses to them. The nation lost its focus on the Redeeming, Creator God and instead was focusing on items of wood and stone, on idols. The nation did not look like the nation God intended it to be, but rather looked more like the surrounding nations of Moab, Edom and others.
Today, we read God's Word as spoken by the prophet Jeremiah and without too much effort, we can consider how Jeremiah's prophecy could apply to our own lives. Where do you call when you are challenged, troubled, rejected, scorned, praised, victorious, or considering various aspects of daily life?
We can at any time, through the Spirit, call to the Lord. The Lord does promise to answer our call with great and unsearchable things we do not know. We can, through prayer in everything, with praise and thanksgiving, present our requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV.
Where, today, do people call for answers?
Where do you call for answers to the unsearchable questions of life?
Pray for the faith to take all things, at all times, to Christ in Prayer.
In Christ,
David P
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Surrender (August 17)
"They will not hand you over," Jeremiah replied. "Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me:"
Jeremiah 38:20-21NIV
Visualize weak King Zedekiah; a man of little faith, seeking out Jeremiah for advice; as the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem unfolds. Consider the emotions; perhaps fear, dismay, anguish, and uncertainty that Zedekiah experienced upon hearing God's word, spoken by the prophet Jeremiah...to leave Jerusalem, surrender to Babylon and go into Babylonian exile!
Zedekiah voices concerns about being mistreated by the Jews of Babylon, and not concerns of being mistreated by the native Babylonian people.
God spoke to the leadership and people of Jerusalem through the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The leadership and people did not listen to the prophecy. In fact, they ignored the word of God as spoken by the prophets.
We, today, have been given the Word of God, the Bible, to
guide us on our path of life. How do we respond to God's Word as spoken to us today? Do we spend time in the Word? Do we generally embrace and act on God's guiding Word, or do we hesitate, like Zedekiah, thinking about the potential mistreatment that we might receive?
Somehow it is difficult to envision Zedekiah putting on the full armor of God as mentioned in Ephesians 6: The belt of truth, feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and prayer in the Spirit.
How would you respond if God told you to go to Babylonian exile?
In what ways have you surrendered, so that your life is spared?
Are there any ways you have not surrendered?
How do you put on the full armor of God?
Pray for an ever increasing and strengthening faith in the Lord.
In Christ,
David P
Jeremiah 38:20-21NIV
Visualize weak King Zedekiah; a man of little faith, seeking out Jeremiah for advice; as the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem unfolds. Consider the emotions; perhaps fear, dismay, anguish, and uncertainty that Zedekiah experienced upon hearing God's word, spoken by the prophet Jeremiah...to leave Jerusalem, surrender to Babylon and go into Babylonian exile!
Zedekiah voices concerns about being mistreated by the Jews of Babylon, and not concerns of being mistreated by the native Babylonian people.
God spoke to the leadership and people of Jerusalem through the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The leadership and people did not listen to the prophecy. In fact, they ignored the word of God as spoken by the prophets.
We, today, have been given the Word of God, the Bible, to
guide us on our path of life. How do we respond to God's Word as spoken to us today? Do we spend time in the Word? Do we generally embrace and act on God's guiding Word, or do we hesitate, like Zedekiah, thinking about the potential mistreatment that we might receive?
Somehow it is difficult to envision Zedekiah putting on the full armor of God as mentioned in Ephesians 6: The belt of truth, feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and prayer in the Spirit.
How would you respond if God told you to go to Babylonian exile?
In what ways have you surrendered, so that your life is spared?
Are there any ways you have not surrendered?
How do you put on the full armor of God?
Pray for an ever increasing and strengthening faith in the Lord.
In Christ,
David P
Exactitude
I was going to write about the two adulterous sisters described in Ezekiel 23, but I figured you all remember that story well enough from Sunday School that there's no need for me to cover it again here...
Ezekiel 24 begins with this statement:
In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the LORD came to me
My NIV Study Bible states definitively that this was January 15th, 588 BC, which is pretty darn specific for a date over 2,500 years ago. This is also extremely specific when we don't know the exact dates for events such as:
1. Christ's birth--widely speculated to have occurred sometime in the spring
2. Christ's death
3. Paul's conversion
We really don't have an anchor date to which we can tie New Testament events. Luke, being a physician, attempted to correlate the births of John the Baptist and Jesus to events of the day ("In the time of Herod king of Judea...," Luke 1:5 as a descriptor for John the Baptist, "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree...," Luke 2:1 for Jesus), but even these aren't as specific as Ezekiel is in this verse. This isn't even the first time Ezekiel has been this specific:
Ezekiel 1:2--July 31st, 593 BC
Ezekiel 8:1--September 17th, 592 BC
Ezekiel 20:1-2--August 14th, 591 BC
And Ezekiel has nine more instances of precise dating.
I alluded to this somewhat at the table I sat at on Sunday, and I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but my point is a simple one--there are times when God considers it significant enough to give us a precise date for an event, and times when God doesn't believe it matters. I have no idea when God created the earth--many people have strong opinions on this matter, and if anywhere in the Bible God tells me this is vitally important to my faith and salvation, I would also. He doesn't, which I take to mean that we have no need to know. Quite simply, if God wanted us to know, he'd tell us. He clearly did here with Ezekiel, and will do the same with the return of the people from exile as described in Ezra and Nehemiah.
Likewise, no one knows when Christ will return, and as we all know, Christ makes it explicitly clear in Matthew 24:36:
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
No one means NO ONE, including Christ himself, and yet we continue to speculate. Granted, we are told to look for those signs and to always be prepared, but again, it doesn't matter when it will happen, only THAT it will. We need to be prepared, but we gain nothing by being obsessed with determining the time or date--it's the ultimate in chasing after the wind.
There's a wide gulf between two competing schools of thought:
1. The Bible contains all I need to know regarding my salvation (true)
2. The Bible is not the sum total of all knowledge and wisdom in the world (also true)
Everything we need for our salvation is in our Bibles, and part of that is NOT a detailed knowledge of when specific events occurred in history. As long as we acknowledge that we are sinners, that Christ died and rose again as the ultimate sacrifice and atonement for our sins and that we have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to deserve this absolution, we'll know everything we'll need to know to receive eternal life. Every now and then, God throws us a morsel to help us date events, and that's great, but we don't need to know everything.
Scott
Monday, August 15, 2011
Too Little, Too Late (August 16)
"Inquire now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us"
Jeremiah 21:2 NIV
Here we read of King Zedekiah sending a request to Jeremiah for the Lord's action in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar's attack, hopeful that the Lord will perform wonders that would result in Nebuchadnezzar's withdrawal.
King Zedekiah was a relatively weak king, who was somewhat friendly to the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. King Zedekiah dealt with some challenges, for he had wicked advisers in leadership. As a result of weak leadership, King Zedekiah did not have the ability to begin a revival toward repentance.
Without Judah's return to the Lord, there was little faith in the nation. By faith, the Spirit can be active (refer to Hebrews 11 for examples of actions by faith). With little faith, Zedekiah's request of the Lord was, in a sense, too little, too late. Judah had tried to form an alliance with Egypt to protect itself from Babylon.
God does not perform "tricks" at the request of the unfaithful. Consider Jesus when he met Herod. Jesus did not perform miracles for Herod to display His authority. Jesus performed many miracles for those of faith.
With the Spirit's help, stay focused on the Lord. Trust in the Lord and He will make your path straight, lean not on your own understanding.
Where do you look for strength when "Babylon" attacks?
Are you prepared to tell others about your source of strength?
Pray for the Spirit to strengthen your relationship with Christ.
In Christ,
David P
Jeremiah 21:2 NIV
Here we read of King Zedekiah sending a request to Jeremiah for the Lord's action in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar's attack, hopeful that the Lord will perform wonders that would result in Nebuchadnezzar's withdrawal.
King Zedekiah was a relatively weak king, who was somewhat friendly to the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. King Zedekiah dealt with some challenges, for he had wicked advisers in leadership. As a result of weak leadership, King Zedekiah did not have the ability to begin a revival toward repentance.
Without Judah's return to the Lord, there was little faith in the nation. By faith, the Spirit can be active (refer to Hebrews 11 for examples of actions by faith). With little faith, Zedekiah's request of the Lord was, in a sense, too little, too late. Judah had tried to form an alliance with Egypt to protect itself from Babylon.
God does not perform "tricks" at the request of the unfaithful. Consider Jesus when he met Herod. Jesus did not perform miracles for Herod to display His authority. Jesus performed many miracles for those of faith.
With the Spirit's help, stay focused on the Lord. Trust in the Lord and He will make your path straight, lean not on your own understanding.
Where do you look for strength when "Babylon" attacks?
Are you prepared to tell others about your source of strength?
Pray for the Spirit to strengthen your relationship with Christ.
In Christ,
David P
Sunday, August 14, 2011
I Want to be Like...(August 15)
You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen.
Ezekiel 20:32 NIV
We have a higher calling than the world, we are His and as a result, He will not depart from us. Through Christ, we have been sealed with the indwelling Holy Spirit to encourage, direct, lead, and strengthen us. The Holy Spirit guides us with that still small voice.
Why is it, that much of the world craves its idols of wood and stone? (or insert whatever earthly material or form we desire) By inserting that material, we have inserted an idol into our mind and heart and that idol can and will distract us from Christ and service to Him. Why do we continue to look for golden calves?
Many of life's challenges stem from a lack of acceptance of who we are with all of our individual challenges and gifts. Remember, God made us each as a unique individual with differing gifts, as a result, we are tasked not to compare ourselves with others, but rather focus on the relationship with God and to show God's effect on our life to others.
We need to be prepared in so many ways and at so many times. It is only by the Spirit's equipping us for the work we are predestined or called to do that we are able to run the race, to stay focused on Christ.
If we start looking at wood and stone, we will be taking our eyes off of Jesus, we will lose our focus on Christ. Think of what happened to Peter when he, as a result of a focus on Jesus, got out of the boat. Also, think how when Peter focused on the waves (in a sense wood and stones) he began to sink.
Consider, "I want to be like Mike"...It will never happen.
Are you listening for that still, small voice?
Are you staying focused on Christ?
Are you becoming equipped, prepared when asked to explain the source of your faith, joy, hope, and peace?
Pray that the Spirit equips you to clearly explain the source of your hope, peace, joy and faith when asked.
In Christ,
David P
Ezekiel 20:32 NIV
We have a higher calling than the world, we are His and as a result, He will not depart from us. Through Christ, we have been sealed with the indwelling Holy Spirit to encourage, direct, lead, and strengthen us. The Holy Spirit guides us with that still small voice.
Why is it, that much of the world craves its idols of wood and stone? (or insert whatever earthly material or form we desire) By inserting that material, we have inserted an idol into our mind and heart and that idol can and will distract us from Christ and service to Him. Why do we continue to look for golden calves?
Many of life's challenges stem from a lack of acceptance of who we are with all of our individual challenges and gifts. Remember, God made us each as a unique individual with differing gifts, as a result, we are tasked not to compare ourselves with others, but rather focus on the relationship with God and to show God's effect on our life to others.
We need to be prepared in so many ways and at so many times. It is only by the Spirit's equipping us for the work we are predestined or called to do that we are able to run the race, to stay focused on Christ.
If we start looking at wood and stone, we will be taking our eyes off of Jesus, we will lose our focus on Christ. Think of what happened to Peter when he, as a result of a focus on Jesus, got out of the boat. Also, think how when Peter focused on the waves (in a sense wood and stones) he began to sink.
Consider, "I want to be like Mike"...It will never happen.
Are you listening for that still, small voice?
Are you staying focused on Christ?
Are you becoming equipped, prepared when asked to explain the source of your faith, joy, hope, and peace?
Pray that the Spirit equips you to clearly explain the source of your hope, peace, joy and faith when asked.
In Christ,
David P
Friday, August 12, 2011
Corners (August 13)
Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
Ezekiel 16:8 NIV
Our God is a God of order, care, concern and love. Here God shows patience, attentiveness, and care. He is the one who has entered into a covenant; a unilateral covenant, where we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from our works.
God covered us with the corner of His garment. A garment corner was also used by Boaz, as a kinsman redeemer, to cover Ruth. In addition, tassels were hung from garment corners of the priestly garments.
The word corner is used much in the Bible. We are to carry God's Word to the corners of the world. The stone the builders rejected became the corner stone.
Webster has many, 27, definitions of corner some follow: the place where two converging lines or surfaces meet; a projecting angle; any narrow, secluded, or secret place; an awkward or embarrassing position, esp. one from which escape is impossible; region, part, quarter; a piece to protect the the corner of anything; to force into a difficult or awkward position; are definitions of interest.
God has removed us from our awkward, embarrassing, inescapable position of original sin through what Christ has done. God sees our narrow, secret, and secluded spaces better than we do. God meets us everywhere. Aren't you thankful God has a corner we can meet on/at/through Jesus?
What do you think about the corners in your life?
Are there any corners you are trying to hide from God? (He already knows about them!)
Pray for the Spirit to give you the strength, wisdom and courage to be effective and Christ like in all the corners of your life.
In Christ,
David P
Ezekiel 16:8 NIV
Our God is a God of order, care, concern and love. Here God shows patience, attentiveness, and care. He is the one who has entered into a covenant; a unilateral covenant, where we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from our works.
God covered us with the corner of His garment. A garment corner was also used by Boaz, as a kinsman redeemer, to cover Ruth. In addition, tassels were hung from garment corners of the priestly garments.
The word corner is used much in the Bible. We are to carry God's Word to the corners of the world. The stone the builders rejected became the corner stone.
Webster has many, 27, definitions of corner some follow: the place where two converging lines or surfaces meet; a projecting angle; any narrow, secluded, or secret place; an awkward or embarrassing position, esp. one from which escape is impossible; region, part, quarter; a piece to protect the the corner of anything; to force into a difficult or awkward position; are definitions of interest.
God has removed us from our awkward, embarrassing, inescapable position of original sin through what Christ has done. God sees our narrow, secret, and secluded spaces better than we do. God meets us everywhere. Aren't you thankful God has a corner we can meet on/at/through Jesus?
What do you think about the corners in your life?
Are there any corners you are trying to hide from God? (He already knows about them!)
Pray for the Spirit to give you the strength, wisdom and courage to be effective and Christ like in all the corners of your life.
In Christ,
David P
Departure (August 12)
Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.
Ezekiel 10:18 NIV
Uff da! The glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple! In other words, the Lord left his house.
Consider how bad it was in Judah, we read yesterday that because of detestable idols, the Lord allowed fathers to eat children and children to eat fathers. (Ezekiel 5:9-10). How terrible!
God departed the sinful people. Let us be thankful that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and that we will never have God depart from us. Let us not grieve the Spirit. Let us, with love and the Spirit's guidance, guide those who are not yet sealed with the Holy Spirit to a saving faith in our Lord and Savior while there is still time.
How have you invited people to attend church with you?
What have you done to introduce others to your saving faith in Christ?
Pray for the Spirit's guidance to tell the story.
In Christ,
David P
Ezekiel 10:18 NIV
Uff da! The glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple! In other words, the Lord left his house.
Consider how bad it was in Judah, we read yesterday that because of detestable idols, the Lord allowed fathers to eat children and children to eat fathers. (Ezekiel 5:9-10). How terrible!
God departed the sinful people. Let us be thankful that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and that we will never have God depart from us. Let us not grieve the Spirit. Let us, with love and the Spirit's guidance, guide those who are not yet sealed with the Holy Spirit to a saving faith in our Lord and Savior while there is still time.
How have you invited people to attend church with you?
What have you done to introduce others to your saving faith in Christ?
Pray for the Spirit's guidance to tell the story.
In Christ,
David P
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Ezekiel
You probably won't remember, but about two months ago I mentioned that I would skip Ezekiel because I wouldn't have anything to say about it. As I read Ezekiel, however, at least in this beginning part, is shockingly easy to understand and fairly depressing, and I have little to add to it.
I will discuss Ezekiel a bit on Sunday, but his job is different from any of the previous prophets. Every other one practically shouted at the top of their lungs "REPENT" and described what would happen to Israel if they didn't. With Ezekiel, that time is past--Babylon was poised to take over Judah, and utter and complete destruction was at hand. The temple would be defiled and destroyed, and Ezekiel's message was simple. He was the equivalent of a tornado warning horn, essentially telling the people to run for their lives.
As we move through Ezekiel, he will introduce an element of redemption and restoration, but we're not at that point yet. This is the culmination of every prophecy up to Ezekiel's time. The time for repentance had passed, and the time for punishment was upon them.
Able to Save (August 11)
They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold will not be able to save them in the day of the Lord's wrath. They will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it, for it has made them stumble into sin.
Ezekiel 7:19 NIV
What do you hang on to that will save you on the day of the Lord's wrath? Here we read in Ezekiel that silver and gold are useless for salvation on the day of the Lord's wrath. If hope for your salvation on the day of the Lord's wrath is pegged to your social status, bank account, job, career, profession, hobbies, being a "good person," self esteem, or other such "feel good" items; then you will be "toast" on the day of the Lord's wrath.
The only hope that we have for salvation on the day of the Lord's wrath is the hope that we have in God's perfect plan, the gift of His Son, who died on the cross for our sin and who overcame death to make us acceptable to God. Jesus removed us from eternal punishment for our sin as far as the east is from the west.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans provides a comment about Israel's unbelief in Chapter 9:30-33 NIV:
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith: but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trust in him will never be put to shame."
If we place our faith in Jesus and the work that Jesus did, then on that terrible day of the Lord's wrath, we will not be put to shame, but rather gathered up and saved by His grace.
What do you hang on to to save you on the day of the Lord's wrath?
Are you putting any stumbling stones in the path of another to that salvation?
Pray that the Spirit opens your eyes and illuminates your heart to any stumbling stones that you may be carrying.
In Christ,
David P
Ezekiel 7:19 NIV
What do you hang on to that will save you on the day of the Lord's wrath? Here we read in Ezekiel that silver and gold are useless for salvation on the day of the Lord's wrath. If hope for your salvation on the day of the Lord's wrath is pegged to your social status, bank account, job, career, profession, hobbies, being a "good person," self esteem, or other such "feel good" items; then you will be "toast" on the day of the Lord's wrath.
The only hope that we have for salvation on the day of the Lord's wrath is the hope that we have in God's perfect plan, the gift of His Son, who died on the cross for our sin and who overcame death to make us acceptable to God. Jesus removed us from eternal punishment for our sin as far as the east is from the west.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans provides a comment about Israel's unbelief in Chapter 9:30-33 NIV:
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith: but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trust in him will never be put to shame."
If we place our faith in Jesus and the work that Jesus did, then on that terrible day of the Lord's wrath, we will not be put to shame, but rather gathered up and saved by His grace.
What do you hang on to to save you on the day of the Lord's wrath?
Are you putting any stumbling stones in the path of another to that salvation?
Pray that the Spirit opens your eyes and illuminates your heart to any stumbling stones that you may be carrying.
In Christ,
David P
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Eat This (August 10)
Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. He then said to me, "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them."
Ezekiel 3:3-4 NIV
Ezekiel received his call to be a prophet in 593 BC. He was carried captive with Jehoiachin to Chaldea, located north of Babylon. Much of his message is to comfort his brothers in captivity. He warns of Judah's demise and the tragedies that will fall upon the false prophets in Judah and upon Judah's neighboring nations.
Ezekiel also speaks a message of comfort, of future restoration, and future joy under the Messiah. Ezekiel points ahead to Christ, especially near the completion of his book.
Today's verse gives a task to Ezekiel and also to us. God does encourage us to digest His Word. A word that, in a sense, initially may provide indigestion; for there are many contrasts like: God's abundant, constant and active love of Israel and Israel's grumbling waywardness and disobedience of God. However, as one reads the Bible, if one considers the unchanging attributes of God and mankind's generally unappreciative, stiff necked, and rebellious nature to God; the words do become very sweet as God's true loving nature toward Israel is displayed.
We readers of the Bible, after tasting the sweetness of His Word, are tasked to lovingly tell the story to others in our midst and elsewhere. Our task of telling the story is carried out not with mere words alone, but in joyful response to the Word and Spirit's work on and in us, with loving actions. Remember, love is a verb, an action word. We do serve an awesome God.
How has spending daily time in God's Word changed your outlook, attitude, and perceptions?
How have you and/or where have you; shown this change, this love to others?
Pray for the Word and Spirit to show you how to apply God's Word, His Truth, to your daily life.
In Christ,
David P
Ezekiel 3:3-4 NIV
Ezekiel received his call to be a prophet in 593 BC. He was carried captive with Jehoiachin to Chaldea, located north of Babylon. Much of his message is to comfort his brothers in captivity. He warns of Judah's demise and the tragedies that will fall upon the false prophets in Judah and upon Judah's neighboring nations.
Ezekiel also speaks a message of comfort, of future restoration, and future joy under the Messiah. Ezekiel points ahead to Christ, especially near the completion of his book.
Today's verse gives a task to Ezekiel and also to us. God does encourage us to digest His Word. A word that, in a sense, initially may provide indigestion; for there are many contrasts like: God's abundant, constant and active love of Israel and Israel's grumbling waywardness and disobedience of God. However, as one reads the Bible, if one considers the unchanging attributes of God and mankind's generally unappreciative, stiff necked, and rebellious nature to God; the words do become very sweet as God's true loving nature toward Israel is displayed.
We readers of the Bible, after tasting the sweetness of His Word, are tasked to lovingly tell the story to others in our midst and elsewhere. Our task of telling the story is carried out not with mere words alone, but in joyful response to the Word and Spirit's work on and in us, with loving actions. Remember, love is a verb, an action word. We do serve an awesome God.
How has spending daily time in God's Word changed your outlook, attitude, and perceptions?
How have you and/or where have you; shown this change, this love to others?
Pray for the Word and Spirit to show you how to apply God's Word, His Truth, to your daily life.
In Christ,
David P
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Oracle
Repeatedly through Jeremiah 23, we see the word "oracle" used, and in this case, usually in terms of a false oracle, as Jeremiah continued his warnings against false prophecy. For those of you with a taste for Greek mythology, when you hear the word oracle, it's hard not to think of the Oracle at Delphi.
Quick Wikipedia research suggests that the Oracle at Delphi was limited in its scope, giving prophecies only on the seventh day of the nine warmer months. We've seen oracle used in the Bible before--Balaam's prophecies in Numbers 23-24 were titled oracles, but the vast majority of uses are as titles to a prophecy. Isaiah did this eleven times, and this chapter of Jeremiah is the only one where he used this word. As such, oracle isn't necessarily a negative term in the Bible.
But as Jeremiah used it, it IS a bad term, since he was discussing the false prophets of his time. By this time, we're pretty clear of what Jeremiah's message was--the time for repentance had passed, and it was time for the people of Judah to prepare for Babylonian captivity. Apparently there were others saying completely different things, suggesting better times were just around the corner. We still see the same thing today. The message of Jeremiah is just as apt for us, and there are no shortage of false prophets around us, telling us things that are total contradictions to Scripture.
And in this day and age, that's how we determine false prophecy. Determining the truth or falseness of prophecy isn't some clever test that God gives to see if we pass, because God is never about tricking us. Determining the truth of a prophecy is fairly straightforward--does it square with Scripture? In fact, this even begs a question--IS there any new prophecy for us today, or were we given all the prophecy we need in the Bible? I'm not going to answer that, I'll add that as a discussion question for Sunday and put the onus on you. No need to thank me.
Scott
Monday, August 8, 2011
Questions (August 9)
"Am I only a God nearby,"
declares the Lord,
"and not a God far away?
Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?"
declares the Lord.
"do I not fill heaven and earth?"
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 NIV
Today the Lord asks of Jeremiah some probing questions that lead Jeremiah and us to consider His attributes. What kind of God do we serve? How often do you consider God's attributes, His abundant nature?
Do we serve a small god that we have made in our own image? Do we serve an awesome, perfect, loving, eternal, steadfast, incomparable, wise God who, by His word created all we observe, hold, and are?
Two verses that shed light on God's attributes:
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Matthew 28:18 NIV
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, niether the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Today, ponder God's amazing attributes.
Do you hide things in your heart that you hope God does not see?
Pray for the Spirit to show you God's amazing attributes.
In Christ,
David P
declares the Lord,
"and not a God far away?
Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?"
declares the Lord.
"do I not fill heaven and earth?"
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 NIV
Today the Lord asks of Jeremiah some probing questions that lead Jeremiah and us to consider His attributes. What kind of God do we serve? How often do you consider God's attributes, His abundant nature?
Do we serve a small god that we have made in our own image? Do we serve an awesome, perfect, loving, eternal, steadfast, incomparable, wise God who, by His word created all we observe, hold, and are?
Two verses that shed light on God's attributes:
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Matthew 28:18 NIV
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, niether the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Today, ponder God's amazing attributes.
Do you hide things in your heart that you hope God does not see?
Pray for the Spirit to show you God's amazing attributes.
In Christ,
David P
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