In the book of Jonah, we have the story of Jonah...fancy that!
In this book, we read that Jonah was told by God to go to Nineveh and tell the people about God, His love, His anger over their sins, and His mercy if they repented. Jonah decided the people were too sinful and didn't want to go.
So, he jumps on a ship going the opposite direction (interesting) and causes everyone on the ship to be in danger of drowning at sea in a huge storm.
Oddly enough, the people on the boat ,who probably didn't believe in God, believe God is unhappy with someone on board. Jonah finally admits that it is he who God is after (another interesting idea) and they throw him overboard. The storm stops and everyone else is safe (interesting correlation to Christ dying for us).
Now Jonah is swallowed by a big fish...So he is essentially "saved" from drowning. As he can't run anywhere else, he finally stops defying God and decides to go do what God asked him to do in the first place (reminds me of my children...and me).
So, the fish deposits Jonah on shore and he goes where he should have been all a along...probably smelling like vomit for awhile! I assume Jonah washed up, and then headed to Nineveh as promised. He gets there, and guess what! These horrible, wretched, sinful people...repent! God is happy. This was what He wanted all along.
Guess what happens after God is merciful to the people of Nineveh? Jonah is not happy; in fact he is really mad. He looks at these people and wonders why God should save such wretched, sinful people.
Let's review about Nineveh for a moment to get the full impact. So, the people of Nineveh turned away from God completely. They were the worst of sinners (this is man's perspective as all sin is bad to God). They were known for being really bad people. Nobody wanted to go to Nineveh. God wanted them to change, so He sent a messenger, Jonah, who tells them about God and how their sins separate them from God. They repent. Jonah is mad about it and has a little tantrum.
Now, let's review Jonah. Jonah was chosen by God! He was told by God to go to Nineveh. He refused! He ran away. He tried to hide. He disobeyed over and over again. He put other people's lives in danger so he could do what He wanted instead if what God wanted. He didn't like the people of Nineveh before they repented. He didn't like them after they repented. He seems like a really bad, sinful, selfish guy, doesn't he?
So, who was really forgiven and set free by God's mercy? Did God tell Jonah to go to Nineveh for Nineveh's sake or for Jonah's or so the people on the boat could see Jonah's God? Seems to me Jonah was just as disobedient and disrespectful and untrusting of God as the people of Nineveh. Jonah needed to repent and turn to God, also.
God is a big God. He took care of three different situations at the same time...and maybe more as we only know what is written! He loved all these people, Jonah, the people on the ship, the people of Nineveh. He didn't want to see anyone lost. He saved them all! God always has a plan!
God loves all of us, too. He doesn't want to see any of us lost either. He has a plan for you, too! Will you go? Will you believe? Will you turn to God?
Father, we are all sinners. Sin is sin no matter how big or small. Please help us see what we need to ask you forgiveness for. Please help us turn to you. Please help us go and show the love and mercy you have shown us to others. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Should we pray for little things like "help me find my keys?"
Someone asked if they should pray to God for God to solve a computer problem at work. Do we bother God with stuff like that? Shouldn't we figure the small stuff out ourselves? Can't we look for our car keys and not bother Him with helping us do that?
Philippians 4
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Never feel you shouldn't talk to God about anything. He will listen. He wants us to talk to Him every minute of every day. Here is a little story that may help.
I have a friend who was hosting a party. I was helping her at the last minute as it seemed things were getting overwhelming for her. As I hustled around the kitchen doing whatever needed to be done, I looked up and noticed she was looking for something and seemed anxious about it. I went over to help, and overheard her praying to God to help her find the knive she needed.
I am going to be very honest. I laughed to myself. I thought, "who asks God for a knife?" God had bigger things to take care of than that knife! I never forgot that moment. I now know God didn't want me to. As I said God always has a plan. Just because I don't understand it, didn't mean there is no plan!
So, I have watched this woman closely and talked to her about lots of things. Always remembering that moment. Then I started to study and learn about praying. Guess what! My friend had done just what I should have done. She relied on God instead of herself for the answers she needed. When things were overwhelming, she stopped and gave it to God by asking Him for help...even the little things that we think we shouldn't bother Him with!
Ask God. Talk to God. Tell Him what you have done so far to try to solve the problem and then just ask Him for help. You might not get the answer you thought you would or get an answer when you thought you should, but you will be amazed! Nothing is ever unimportant to God! Nothing!
God made the universe. Finding knives or keys or answering small requests for help will not be too hard for Him! He wants us to talk, pray, with Him all the time. Pray in "every situation." By the way, that woman found the knife almost immediately.
Father thank you for always shedding light on situations, problems, issues...everything. Thank you for having a plan, yet taking the time to answer our seemingly small prayers.
Philippians 4
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Never feel you shouldn't talk to God about anything. He will listen. He wants us to talk to Him every minute of every day. Here is a little story that may help.
I have a friend who was hosting a party. I was helping her at the last minute as it seemed things were getting overwhelming for her. As I hustled around the kitchen doing whatever needed to be done, I looked up and noticed she was looking for something and seemed anxious about it. I went over to help, and overheard her praying to God to help her find the knive she needed.
I am going to be very honest. I laughed to myself. I thought, "who asks God for a knife?" God had bigger things to take care of than that knife! I never forgot that moment. I now know God didn't want me to. As I said God always has a plan. Just because I don't understand it, didn't mean there is no plan!
So, I have watched this woman closely and talked to her about lots of things. Always remembering that moment. Then I started to study and learn about praying. Guess what! My friend had done just what I should have done. She relied on God instead of herself for the answers she needed. When things were overwhelming, she stopped and gave it to God by asking Him for help...even the little things that we think we shouldn't bother Him with!
Ask God. Talk to God. Tell Him what you have done so far to try to solve the problem and then just ask Him for help. You might not get the answer you thought you would or get an answer when you thought you should, but you will be amazed! Nothing is ever unimportant to God! Nothing!
God made the universe. Finding knives or keys or answering small requests for help will not be too hard for Him! He wants us to talk, pray, with Him all the time. Pray in "every situation." By the way, that woman found the knife almost immediately.
Father thank you for always shedding light on situations, problems, issues...everything. Thank you for having a plan, yet taking the time to answer our seemingly small prayers.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Fasting?
Matthew 6
16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
“For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” -Hosea 6:6
Fasting. This had always been perplexing to me, until I realized that fasting was meant to be used to focus on God. It isn't for losing weight or so we can say we did it or to show others how religious we are. It is supposed to be focused on God...for His glory...not ours.
I have tried fasting with the intention of focusing on God, and every time it has turned out to be about me. Fasting up to this point, even though I figured out it is supposed to be about God, is still about me. I can't seem to break that cycle.
Today, though, my devotion was about fasting and yes, its purpose...to glorify God. One particular phrase in the shereadstruth.com devotional (by Raechel Myers) for Lent today really hammered the message home. Here it is:
"He who knit us together, sees and searches and knows every beat of our hearts (Psalm 139:1-2, 23; 1 Samuel 16:7). Imagine Him, our Creator and Father, being presented with gifts from our heart to His, knowing full well they were never really intended for Him. Our sacrifices are empty apart from our God. They are utterly meaningless outside of communing with Him."
Hmmmm...I intended the sacrifice of fasting to be for God at first, but God knows I did not intend the sacrifice of fasting to be for Him in the end. It was focused on not eating instead. That hurts just to think about. The God who made me, who knew me in my mother's womb, who wants only the best for me, who sent His son to die on a cross for all my mistakes/sins, He knows my so called sacrifice of fasting was, in the end, not intended for Him but for me. To please some desire I had. To show that I,
not God, could control my eating for a day.
Father, forgive me! I have been selfish and focused on myself rather than you. I love you and want to please you. Please help me to please you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
-------------------
Fasting is also intercession for others.
Acts 13
Now there were in the church at Antiochnprophets and nteachers, oBarnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,1 Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of pHerod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, qthe Holy Spirit said, r“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul sfor the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and tpraying they laid their hands on them and usent them off.
Then I discovered that we can fast for more than just our focus on God. We can fast for the benefit of others. Of course, now that I know that, it makes sense. God is always thinking of everything, us and others!
I am contemplating who to fast for. I can't wait you see what happens. I must admit, however, that I don't know how long to fast or if we can eat or drink anything. I will have to find this information out. I am praying now.
Fasting is not about us.
Isaiah 58
5Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Fasting is not about us. After reading the scripture above, it is about others. Just like keeping my focus on God should be my goal every minute if I want to know His will for my life, then focusing on others is also His will. That is the doing part of His will. The hands and feet. Amazing how everything comes full circle. I start reading about fasting to see what it is all about, and I end up realizing it is all about the two greatest commandments! Cool! It is just like God to do something like that. Wrap everything up in a neat, tidy bow.
The first commandment, the greatest, is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength (Matthew 22:37-38). So, fasting is about God not me.
The second greatest commandment, according to Jesus Christ, is to love they neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:39). That would be fasting for others! So even in fasting, God's plan is spelled out in the commandments Jesus gave us. God is always consistent, isn't he. He always has a plan to bring everything back to what it should be. Everything from beginning to end us under His control.
Father, I thank you that you are in control and that we are part of your plan. Please help us to understand what fasting for your glory and others should look like. In Christ's name I pray. Amen.
16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
“For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” -Hosea 6:6
Fasting. This had always been perplexing to me, until I realized that fasting was meant to be used to focus on God. It isn't for losing weight or so we can say we did it or to show others how religious we are. It is supposed to be focused on God...for His glory...not ours.
I have tried fasting with the intention of focusing on God, and every time it has turned out to be about me. Fasting up to this point, even though I figured out it is supposed to be about God, is still about me. I can't seem to break that cycle.
Today, though, my devotion was about fasting and yes, its purpose...to glorify God. One particular phrase in the shereadstruth.com devotional (by Raechel Myers) for Lent today really hammered the message home. Here it is:
"He who knit us together, sees and searches and knows every beat of our hearts (Psalm 139:1-2, 23; 1 Samuel 16:7). Imagine Him, our Creator and Father, being presented with gifts from our heart to His, knowing full well they were never really intended for Him. Our sacrifices are empty apart from our God. They are utterly meaningless outside of communing with Him."
Hmmmm...I intended the sacrifice of fasting to be for God at first, but God knows I did not intend the sacrifice of fasting to be for Him in the end. It was focused on not eating instead. That hurts just to think about. The God who made me, who knew me in my mother's womb, who wants only the best for me, who sent His son to die on a cross for all my mistakes/sins, He knows my so called sacrifice of fasting was, in the end, not intended for Him but for me. To please some desire I had. To show that I,
not God, could control my eating for a day.
Father, forgive me! I have been selfish and focused on myself rather than you. I love you and want to please you. Please help me to please you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
-------------------
Fasting is also intercession for others.
Acts 13
Now there were in the church at Antiochnprophets and nteachers, oBarnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,1 Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of pHerod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, qthe Holy Spirit said, r“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul sfor the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and tpraying they laid their hands on them and usent them off.
Then I discovered that we can fast for more than just our focus on God. We can fast for the benefit of others. Of course, now that I know that, it makes sense. God is always thinking of everything, us and others!
I am contemplating who to fast for. I can't wait you see what happens. I must admit, however, that I don't know how long to fast or if we can eat or drink anything. I will have to find this information out. I am praying now.
Fasting is not about us.
Isaiah 58
5Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Fasting is not about us. After reading the scripture above, it is about others. Just like keeping my focus on God should be my goal every minute if I want to know His will for my life, then focusing on others is also His will. That is the doing part of His will. The hands and feet. Amazing how everything comes full circle. I start reading about fasting to see what it is all about, and I end up realizing it is all about the two greatest commandments! Cool! It is just like God to do something like that. Wrap everything up in a neat, tidy bow.
The first commandment, the greatest, is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength (Matthew 22:37-38). So, fasting is about God not me.
The second greatest commandment, according to Jesus Christ, is to love they neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:39). That would be fasting for others! So even in fasting, God's plan is spelled out in the commandments Jesus gave us. God is always consistent, isn't he. He always has a plan to bring everything back to what it should be. Everything from beginning to end us under His control.
Father, I thank you that you are in control and that we are part of your plan. Please help us to understand what fasting for your glory and others should look like. In Christ's name I pray. Amen.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Why do I not realize my sin?
Why do I not realize my sin? Because, I am too busy living in this fallen world. I am so busy getting things done, that is a Martha, that I completely forget about God. Once I do that, I don't even notice my sin! Here is what I am praying today and for every day hereafter. I need to be aware that I am sinning (every tiny sin counts) and then turn to God for forgiveness and strength to not sin anymore.
From the Puritan Prayers
I thank Thee that many of my prayers have been refused. I have asked amiss and do not have, I have prayed from lusts and been rejected, I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness. Go on with Thy patient work, answering 'no' to my wrongful prayers, and fitting me to accept it. Purge me from every false desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to Thy rule. I thank Thee for Thy wisdom and Thy love, for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject, for sometimes putting me into the furnace to refine my gold and remove my dross.
No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin. If Thou shouldst give me choice to live in pleasure and keep my sins, or to have them burnt away with trial, give me sanctified affliction. Deliver me from every evil habit, every accretion of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of Thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in Thee. Then I shall bless Thee, God of jeshurun, for helping me to be upright.
From the Puritan Prayers
Confession and Petition
Holy Lord, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, of failure to find Thy mind in Thy Word, of neglect to seek Thee in my daily life. My transgressions and short-comings present me with a list of accusations, but I bless Thee that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ. Go on to subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my spirit into subjection, but do Thou rule over me in liberty and power.I thank Thee that many of my prayers have been refused. I have asked amiss and do not have, I have prayed from lusts and been rejected, I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness. Go on with Thy patient work, answering 'no' to my wrongful prayers, and fitting me to accept it. Purge me from every false desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to Thy rule. I thank Thee for Thy wisdom and Thy love, for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject, for sometimes putting me into the furnace to refine my gold and remove my dross.
No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin. If Thou shouldst give me choice to live in pleasure and keep my sins, or to have them burnt away with trial, give me sanctified affliction. Deliver me from every evil habit, every accretion of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of Thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in Thee. Then I shall bless Thee, God of jeshurun, for helping me to be upright.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
The Seven Jewish Festivals and what they mean...They are a summation of all of history!
Lent has begun. I am not Catholic, and we aren't commanded Biblically to follow this tradition because Jesus has set us free from these kinds of things. However, I do like to focus on Lent so that I am spiritually prepared for Easter.
So, I noticed today in my devotion about Lent, that it mentions the feasts of the Jews. I have heard about them before, frequently. Today, I wanted to find out more. I went to gotquestions.org, and below is what I found. This is the first, and as of now, the only place I have looked, so there may be differing information out there, but I thought this summary was very informative and interesting. It certainly does help me understand the feasts and their meaning for Christians. It also shows God's redemptive plan from beginning to end! God always has a plan!
There are seven Jewish festivals or feasts outlined in the Bible. While they are mentioned throughout Scripture, we find instructions for all seven laid out in Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23:2refers to the seven Jewish festivals, literally “appointed times,” also called “holy convocations.” These were days appointed and ordained by God to be kept to the honor of His name. These times of celebration are important not only to Israel, but also to the overall message of the Bible, because each one foreshadows or symbolizes an aspect of the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The book of Leviticus contains God’s instructions to His chosen nation, Israel, on how they were to worship Him. It contains detailed instructions about the duties of the priests as well as instructions on observing and obeying God’s Law and the sacrificial system. God designated seven specific feasts that Israel was to celebrate each year. Each one of these Jewish festivals is significant both in regards to the Lord’s provision for His people and in regards to the foreshadowing of the coming Messiah and His work in redeeming people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. While Christians are no longer under any obligation to observe any of the Old Testament feasts (Colossians 2:16), we should understand their significance and importance, nonetheless.
The feasts often began and ended with a “Sabbath rest,” and the Jews were commanded to not do any customary work on those days. Both the normal weekly Sabbath and the special Sabbaths that were to be observed as part of the Jewish feasts point us to the ultimate Sabbath rest, which is found only in Jesus Christ. It is a rest that Christians experience through faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross.
Beginning in the spring, the seven Jewish feasts are Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Jewish feasts are closely related to Israel’s spring and fall harvests and agricultural seasons. They were to remind the Israelites each year of God’s ongoing protection and provision. But, even more importantly, they foreshadowed the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Not only did they play significant roles in Christ’s earthly ministry but they also symbolize the complete redemptive story of Christ, beginning with His death on the cross as the Passover Lamb and ending with His second coming after which He will “tabernacle” or dwell with His people forever.
Here is a brief summary of the spiritual significance of each of the seven Jewish festivals or feasts. It is interesting to note that the first three occur back to back, almost simultaneously. The Feast of Unleavened Bread starts the very day after Passover is celebrated. Then, on the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits begins.
Passover reminds us of redemption from sin. It was the time when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was offered as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. It is on that basis alone that God can justify the ungodly sinner. Just as the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the doorpost of Jewish homes caused the Spirit of the Lord to pass over those homes during the last plague on Egypt (Exodus 12), so those covered by the blood of the Lamb will escape the spiritual death and judgment God will visit upon all who reject Him. Of all the Jewish festivals, Passover is of the greatest importance because the Lord’s Supper was a Passover meal (Matthew 26:17–27). In passing the elements and telling the disciples to eat of His body, Jesus was presenting Himself as the ultimate Passover Lamb.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread followed immediately after Passover and lasted one week, during which time the Israelites ate no bread with yeast in remembrance of their haste in preparing for their exodus from Egypt. In the New Testament, yeast is often associated with evil (1 Corinthians 5:6–8; Galatians 5:9), and, just as Israel was to remove yeast from their bread, so are Christians to purge evil from their lives and live a new life in godliness and righteousness. Christ as our Passover Lamb cleanses us from sin and evil, and by His power and that of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are freed from sin to leave our old lives behind, just as the Israelites did.
The Feast of Firstfruits took place at the beginning of the harvest and signified Israel’s gratitude to and dependence upon God. According to Leviticus 23:9–14, an Israelite would bring a sheaf of the first grain of the harvest to the priest, who would wave it before the Lord as an offering. Deuteronomy 26:1–11states that, when the Israelites brought the firstfuits of their harvest before the priest, they were to acknowledge that God had delivered them from Egypt and had given them the Promised Land. This reminds us of Christ’s resurrection as He was the “firstfuits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Just as Christ was the first to rise from the dead and receive a glorified body, so shall all those who are born again follow Him, being resurrected to inherit an “incorruptible body” (1 Corinthians 15:35–49).
The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) occurred 50 days after the Firstfruits festival and celebrated the end of the grain harvest (the Greek wordPentecost means “fiftieth”). The primary focus of the festival was gratitude to God for the harvest. This feast reminds us of the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send “another helper” (John 14:16) who would indwell believers and empower them for ministry. The coming of the Holy Spirit 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection was the guarantee (Ephesians 1:13–14) that the promise of salvation and future resurrection will come to pass. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in every born-again believer is what seals us in Christ and bears witness with our spirit that we are indeed “joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16–17).
After the spring feasts conclude with the Feast of Weeks, there is a period of time before the fall feasts begin. This time is spiritually symbolic of the church age in which we live today. Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection are past, we have received the promised Holy Spirit, and now we await His second coming. Just as the spring feasts pointed toward the Messiah’s ministry at His first coming, the fall feasts point toward what will happen at His second coming.
The Feast of Trumpets was commanded to be held on the first day of the seventh month and was to be a “day of trumpet blast” (Numbers 29:1) to commemorate the end of the agricultural and festival year. The trumpet blasts were meant to signal to Israel that they were entering a sacred season. The agricultural year was coming to a close; there was to be a reckoning with the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement. The Feast of Trumpets signifies Christ’s second coming. We see trumpets associated with the second coming in verses like1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” Of course, the sounding of the trumpet also indicates the pouring out of God’s wrath on the earth in the book of Revelation. Certainly, this feast points toward the coming Day of the Lord.
The Day of Atonement occurs just ten days after the Feast of Trumpets. The Day of Atonement was the day the high priest went into the Holy of Holies each year to make an offering for the sins of Israel. This feast is symbolic of the time when God will again turn His attention back to the nation of Israel after “the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and . . . all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25–26). The Jewish remnant who survive the Great Tribulation will recognize Jesus as their Messiah as God releases them from their spiritual blindness and they come to faith in Christ.
The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) is the seventh and final feast of the Lord and took place five days after the Day of Atonement. For seven days, the Israelites presented offerings to the Lord, during which time they lived in huts made from palm branches. Living in the booths recalled the sojourn of the Israelites prior to their taking the land of Canaan (Leviticus 23:43). This feast signifies the future time when Christ rules and reigns on earth. For the rest of eternity, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will “tabernacle” or dwell with Christ in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9–27).
While the four spring feasts look back at what Christ accomplished at His first coming, the three fall feasts point us toward the glory of His second coming. The first is the source of our hope in Christ—His finished work of atonement for sins—and the second is the promise of what is to come—eternity with Christ. Understanding the significance of these God-appointed Jewish festivals helps us to better see and understand the complete picture and plan of redemption found in Scripture.
Thank you, Father, for always having a wonderful plan to bring us all to you! Thank you for handling all the details. For ensuring we remember what has been done for us. Please help me to share this with others today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
So, I noticed today in my devotion about Lent, that it mentions the feasts of the Jews. I have heard about them before, frequently. Today, I wanted to find out more. I went to gotquestions.org, and below is what I found. This is the first, and as of now, the only place I have looked, so there may be differing information out there, but I thought this summary was very informative and interesting. It certainly does help me understand the feasts and their meaning for Christians. It also shows God's redemptive plan from beginning to end! God always has a plan!
There are seven Jewish festivals or feasts outlined in the Bible. While they are mentioned throughout Scripture, we find instructions for all seven laid out in Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23:2refers to the seven Jewish festivals, literally “appointed times,” also called “holy convocations.” These were days appointed and ordained by God to be kept to the honor of His name. These times of celebration are important not only to Israel, but also to the overall message of the Bible, because each one foreshadows or symbolizes an aspect of the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The book of Leviticus contains God’s instructions to His chosen nation, Israel, on how they were to worship Him. It contains detailed instructions about the duties of the priests as well as instructions on observing and obeying God’s Law and the sacrificial system. God designated seven specific feasts that Israel was to celebrate each year. Each one of these Jewish festivals is significant both in regards to the Lord’s provision for His people and in regards to the foreshadowing of the coming Messiah and His work in redeeming people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. While Christians are no longer under any obligation to observe any of the Old Testament feasts (Colossians 2:16), we should understand their significance and importance, nonetheless.
The feasts often began and ended with a “Sabbath rest,” and the Jews were commanded to not do any customary work on those days. Both the normal weekly Sabbath and the special Sabbaths that were to be observed as part of the Jewish feasts point us to the ultimate Sabbath rest, which is found only in Jesus Christ. It is a rest that Christians experience through faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross.
Beginning in the spring, the seven Jewish feasts are Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Jewish feasts are closely related to Israel’s spring and fall harvests and agricultural seasons. They were to remind the Israelites each year of God’s ongoing protection and provision. But, even more importantly, they foreshadowed the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Not only did they play significant roles in Christ’s earthly ministry but they also symbolize the complete redemptive story of Christ, beginning with His death on the cross as the Passover Lamb and ending with His second coming after which He will “tabernacle” or dwell with His people forever.
Here is a brief summary of the spiritual significance of each of the seven Jewish festivals or feasts. It is interesting to note that the first three occur back to back, almost simultaneously. The Feast of Unleavened Bread starts the very day after Passover is celebrated. Then, on the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits begins.
Passover reminds us of redemption from sin. It was the time when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was offered as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. It is on that basis alone that God can justify the ungodly sinner. Just as the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the doorpost of Jewish homes caused the Spirit of the Lord to pass over those homes during the last plague on Egypt (Exodus 12), so those covered by the blood of the Lamb will escape the spiritual death and judgment God will visit upon all who reject Him. Of all the Jewish festivals, Passover is of the greatest importance because the Lord’s Supper was a Passover meal (Matthew 26:17–27). In passing the elements and telling the disciples to eat of His body, Jesus was presenting Himself as the ultimate Passover Lamb.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread followed immediately after Passover and lasted one week, during which time the Israelites ate no bread with yeast in remembrance of their haste in preparing for their exodus from Egypt. In the New Testament, yeast is often associated with evil (1 Corinthians 5:6–8; Galatians 5:9), and, just as Israel was to remove yeast from their bread, so are Christians to purge evil from their lives and live a new life in godliness and righteousness. Christ as our Passover Lamb cleanses us from sin and evil, and by His power and that of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are freed from sin to leave our old lives behind, just as the Israelites did.
The Feast of Firstfruits took place at the beginning of the harvest and signified Israel’s gratitude to and dependence upon God. According to Leviticus 23:9–14, an Israelite would bring a sheaf of the first grain of the harvest to the priest, who would wave it before the Lord as an offering. Deuteronomy 26:1–11states that, when the Israelites brought the firstfuits of their harvest before the priest, they were to acknowledge that God had delivered them from Egypt and had given them the Promised Land. This reminds us of Christ’s resurrection as He was the “firstfuits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Just as Christ was the first to rise from the dead and receive a glorified body, so shall all those who are born again follow Him, being resurrected to inherit an “incorruptible body” (1 Corinthians 15:35–49).
The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) occurred 50 days after the Firstfruits festival and celebrated the end of the grain harvest (the Greek wordPentecost means “fiftieth”). The primary focus of the festival was gratitude to God for the harvest. This feast reminds us of the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send “another helper” (John 14:16) who would indwell believers and empower them for ministry. The coming of the Holy Spirit 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection was the guarantee (Ephesians 1:13–14) that the promise of salvation and future resurrection will come to pass. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in every born-again believer is what seals us in Christ and bears witness with our spirit that we are indeed “joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16–17).
After the spring feasts conclude with the Feast of Weeks, there is a period of time before the fall feasts begin. This time is spiritually symbolic of the church age in which we live today. Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection are past, we have received the promised Holy Spirit, and now we await His second coming. Just as the spring feasts pointed toward the Messiah’s ministry at His first coming, the fall feasts point toward what will happen at His second coming.
The Feast of Trumpets was commanded to be held on the first day of the seventh month and was to be a “day of trumpet blast” (Numbers 29:1) to commemorate the end of the agricultural and festival year. The trumpet blasts were meant to signal to Israel that they were entering a sacred season. The agricultural year was coming to a close; there was to be a reckoning with the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement. The Feast of Trumpets signifies Christ’s second coming. We see trumpets associated with the second coming in verses like1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” Of course, the sounding of the trumpet also indicates the pouring out of God’s wrath on the earth in the book of Revelation. Certainly, this feast points toward the coming Day of the Lord.
The Day of Atonement occurs just ten days after the Feast of Trumpets. The Day of Atonement was the day the high priest went into the Holy of Holies each year to make an offering for the sins of Israel. This feast is symbolic of the time when God will again turn His attention back to the nation of Israel after “the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and . . . all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25–26). The Jewish remnant who survive the Great Tribulation will recognize Jesus as their Messiah as God releases them from their spiritual blindness and they come to faith in Christ.
The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) is the seventh and final feast of the Lord and took place five days after the Day of Atonement. For seven days, the Israelites presented offerings to the Lord, during which time they lived in huts made from palm branches. Living in the booths recalled the sojourn of the Israelites prior to their taking the land of Canaan (Leviticus 23:43). This feast signifies the future time when Christ rules and reigns on earth. For the rest of eternity, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will “tabernacle” or dwell with Christ in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9–27).
While the four spring feasts look back at what Christ accomplished at His first coming, the three fall feasts point us toward the glory of His second coming. The first is the source of our hope in Christ—His finished work of atonement for sins—and the second is the promise of what is to come—eternity with Christ. Understanding the significance of these God-appointed Jewish festivals helps us to better see and understand the complete picture and plan of redemption found in Scripture.
Thank you, Father, for always having a wonderful plan to bring us all to you! Thank you for handling all the details. For ensuring we remember what has been done for us. Please help me to share this with others today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
The promise if heaven
I Thessalonians
16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
This is so comforting to me. God has a plan and He has had it from the start. He created man. Man sinned. God washes away every aspect of sin by sending His son. We are now free to celebrate because we are going to heaven.
So, what happens in heaven? I have been reading about heaven much lately, and there is a lot more information out there about it than I realized! The Bible speaks about heaven more than I realized also. Why wouldn't it? That's where all Christians hope lies isn't it? Some current authors write of three heavens. Some write of two, one spiritual and one the final heaven when Jesus returns.
Jesus' return is what the scripture above refers to no matter what current authors write about. Jesus will return to the earth and when He does, no matter how many heavens we think we see in the Bible, everything will change. Christians who are dead will be rejoined with their new bodies. Christians who are alive will have their new heavenly bodies immediately. Either way, we are all made new and in a glorious place with a Father that loves us and has prepared a place for us for all of eternity!
That is so wonderful and amazing and so much like God.
Father, thank you for always thinking about us and planning for our good and never giving up on us! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
This is so comforting to me. God has a plan and He has had it from the start. He created man. Man sinned. God washes away every aspect of sin by sending His son. We are now free to celebrate because we are going to heaven.
So, what happens in heaven? I have been reading about heaven much lately, and there is a lot more information out there about it than I realized! The Bible speaks about heaven more than I realized also. Why wouldn't it? That's where all Christians hope lies isn't it? Some current authors write of three heavens. Some write of two, one spiritual and one the final heaven when Jesus returns.
Jesus' return is what the scripture above refers to no matter what current authors write about. Jesus will return to the earth and when He does, no matter how many heavens we think we see in the Bible, everything will change. Christians who are dead will be rejoined with their new bodies. Christians who are alive will have their new heavenly bodies immediately. Either way, we are all made new and in a glorious place with a Father that loves us and has prepared a place for us for all of eternity!
That is so wonderful and amazing and so much like God.
Father, thank you for always thinking about us and planning for our good and never giving up on us! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Monday, February 8, 2016
What do people mean when they say "works"won't get you to heaven?
Philippians 2
5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Excerpt form a devotion:
AND CAN IT BE? by Kevin Twit
In 1738, Charles Wesley was struggling to find peace with God. He had served as a missionary to Georgia, but that had turned out disastrously bad. Peter Bohler, the leader of the London Moravians, asked Charles if he hoped to be saved. Charles replied that he did. Bohler pressed, “Upon what basis do you hope to be saved?” Wesley said, “Because I have used my best endeavors to serve God.” Bohler shook his head sadly and walked away.
Wesley recorded his reaction in his journal: “What, are not my endeavors a sufficient ground of hope? Would he rob me of my endeavors? I have nothing else to trust to.”
God requires that we love Him perfectly from the moment we are born until the moment we die, with no lapses. Faced with this impossible requirement, many religious people attempt to take solace in such empty hopes as our best, though imperfect, endeavors. But this hymn points us to a higher ground of hope—the power of the gospel.
Later in 1738, Wesley’s friend, John Bray, discovered Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians and brought it to Wesley, who was sick in bed. Luther had famously once said that the whole of the gospel was found in the personal pronouns, and Wesley found peace as the Lord gave him faith to believe that Jesus had died for him. Wesley wrote in his journal, “I spent some hours this evening in private with Martin Luther, who was greatly blessed to me, especially his conclusion of the second chapter. I labored, waited, and prayed to feel ‘Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.’”
It is sometimes said that “And Can It Be” was Wesley’s first hymn, written soon after his conversion. Hymn scholars are now convinced that “Where Shall My Wondering Soul Begin?” was actually his first hymn. But “And Can It Be” was written soon after and expresses beautifully and powerfully the converting power of the gospel that he had experienced. Wesley is one of our most skilled hymn writers. He begins with a piercing question to which no real answer can be given: “How can it be, that thou my God, shoulds’t die for me?” If we ever get to the point where God’s grace seems deserved or expected, we are in deep trouble.
We see Wesley’s grasp of Luther’s point in his use of personal pronouns: “my God,” “for me.” But it is in the last verse where Wesley reveals the heart of his new-found hope. “Alive in Him, my living head, and clothed in righteousness divine.”
Wesley had come to understand that the gospel Christ gives us is what God requires—His perfect righteousness through our union with Him. What Christ does, we get credit for; what He deserves, we get! Rather than trusting in our best endeavors, Wesley gives us words to praise God for our only true hope, the righteousness of Christ imputed to His people through faith. This brings us not only hope, but boldness to claim the crown—not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done in our place.
And Can It Be That I Should Gain? Charles Wesley, 1738
And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain— For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
...No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine; Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine, Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own. Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own
So, now you know thatworks do not get us to heaven. Only faith in Jesus Christ gets us to heaven. That is it, nothing more and nothing less!
I praise you Father, that you made it simple for us to be with you for eternity. Please keep us focused on this and not what we do that is good. Amen.
5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Excerpt form a devotion:
AND CAN IT BE? by Kevin Twit
In 1738, Charles Wesley was struggling to find peace with God. He had served as a missionary to Georgia, but that had turned out disastrously bad. Peter Bohler, the leader of the London Moravians, asked Charles if he hoped to be saved. Charles replied that he did. Bohler pressed, “Upon what basis do you hope to be saved?” Wesley said, “Because I have used my best endeavors to serve God.” Bohler shook his head sadly and walked away.
Wesley recorded his reaction in his journal: “What, are not my endeavors a sufficient ground of hope? Would he rob me of my endeavors? I have nothing else to trust to.”
God requires that we love Him perfectly from the moment we are born until the moment we die, with no lapses. Faced with this impossible requirement, many religious people attempt to take solace in such empty hopes as our best, though imperfect, endeavors. But this hymn points us to a higher ground of hope—the power of the gospel.
Later in 1738, Wesley’s friend, John Bray, discovered Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians and brought it to Wesley, who was sick in bed. Luther had famously once said that the whole of the gospel was found in the personal pronouns, and Wesley found peace as the Lord gave him faith to believe that Jesus had died for him. Wesley wrote in his journal, “I spent some hours this evening in private with Martin Luther, who was greatly blessed to me, especially his conclusion of the second chapter. I labored, waited, and prayed to feel ‘Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.’”
It is sometimes said that “And Can It Be” was Wesley’s first hymn, written soon after his conversion. Hymn scholars are now convinced that “Where Shall My Wondering Soul Begin?” was actually his first hymn. But “And Can It Be” was written soon after and expresses beautifully and powerfully the converting power of the gospel that he had experienced. Wesley is one of our most skilled hymn writers. He begins with a piercing question to which no real answer can be given: “How can it be, that thou my God, shoulds’t die for me?” If we ever get to the point where God’s grace seems deserved or expected, we are in deep trouble.
We see Wesley’s grasp of Luther’s point in his use of personal pronouns: “my God,” “for me.” But it is in the last verse where Wesley reveals the heart of his new-found hope. “Alive in Him, my living head, and clothed in righteousness divine.”
Wesley had come to understand that the gospel Christ gives us is what God requires—His perfect righteousness through our union with Him. What Christ does, we get credit for; what He deserves, we get! Rather than trusting in our best endeavors, Wesley gives us words to praise God for our only true hope, the righteousness of Christ imputed to His people through faith. This brings us not only hope, but boldness to claim the crown—not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done in our place.
And Can It Be That I Should Gain? Charles Wesley, 1738
And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain— For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
...No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine; Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine, Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own. Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own
So, now you know thatworks do not get us to heaven. Only faith in Jesus Christ gets us to heaven. That is it, nothing more and nothing less!
I praise you Father, that you made it simple for us to be with you for eternity. Please keep us focused on this and not what we do that is good. Amen.
No one has ever seen God
I John 4
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
No one has ever seen God? Hmmmm. Didn't God appear to Moses, Job, Abraham? Didn't He? So, why now, in the New Testament, does it say no one has ever seen God?
This is a situation when everything comes to a screeching halt for me. I have to understand what these scriptures are saying. I can't move past it until I do. How can people have seen God in the Old Testament and now the New Testament says no one has seen Him? That doesn't make sense. I know the scriptures are Good inspired, therefore, they have to make sense. So, I looked it up.
Here is what the NIV Study Bible said:
First it said to go back to I John 1:12
God the One and Only. An explicit declaration of Christ's deity (see vv. 1, 14 and notes;3:16 ; see also note on Ro 9:5). has made him known.Sometimes in the OT people are said to have seen God (see, e.g., Ex 24:10 andnote). But we are also told that no one can see God and live (Ex 33:20 ). Therefore, since no human being can see God as he really is, those who saw God saw him in a form he took on himself temporarily for the occasion. Now, however, Christ “has made him known” (see 2Co 4:4 ; Col 1:15,19 ; 2:9 and notes).
Then it explained further:
No one has ever seen God. See note on Jn 1:18. Since our love has its source in God's love, his love reaches full expression (is made complete) when we love fellow Christians. Thus the God whom “no one has ever seen” is seen in those who love, because God lives in them.
So, basically, those who have seen God, have seen a form of Him that He allowed them to see, because if they saw God in His fullness, they would die. Others see God through Christians as God lives in us!
What an honor...God lives in us! Not an honor we deserve, but an honor we are given because we believe in the Son!
Father, thank you for loving us enough to send your Son to make us good enough. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
No one has ever seen God? Hmmmm. Didn't God appear to Moses, Job, Abraham? Didn't He? So, why now, in the New Testament, does it say no one has ever seen God?
This is a situation when everything comes to a screeching halt for me. I have to understand what these scriptures are saying. I can't move past it until I do. How can people have seen God in the Old Testament and now the New Testament says no one has seen Him? That doesn't make sense. I know the scriptures are Good inspired, therefore, they have to make sense. So, I looked it up.
Here is what the NIV Study Bible said:
First it said to go back to I John 1:12
God the One and Only. An explicit declaration of Christ's deity (see vv. 1, 14 and notes;
Then it explained further:
No one has ever seen God. See note on Jn 1:18. Since our love has its source in God's love, his love reaches full expression (is made complete) when we love fellow Christians. Thus the God whom “no one has ever seen” is seen in those who love, because God lives in them.
So, basically, those who have seen God, have seen a form of Him that He allowed them to see, because if they saw God in His fullness, they would die. Others see God through Christians as God lives in us!
What an honor...God lives in us! Not an honor we deserve, but an honor we are given because we believe in the Son!
Father, thank you for loving us enough to send your Son to make us good enough. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
Saturday, January 30, 2016
God's Timing
In Genesis 40 & 41, we find Joseph. Joseph has been imprisoned after his brothers sold him into slavery. Even though imprisoned, He is faithful to God.
He behaves differently than the other prisoners because He is relying on God for his wisdom even in a tough and unfair situation. He rises to the top among the prisoners and is even put in charge of the other prisoners.
Eventually, because of God's grace, Joseph is given the opportunity to get out of prison. He goes before pharoah and interprets a dream for him that no one else could. Before interpreting, however, he acknowledged that only God can interpret dreams, and thus his words are from God.
God had been waiting for this moment to use Joseph. Joseph was faithful to God through the entire imprisonment. If he had not been, no one would have respected his word enough to hear what he had to say. When it came time to get a chance to get out of prison, he could have bragged about his wisdom instead of God's, but he didn't. He humbly and bravely gave credit where credit was due...God.
I wonder as I go through my busy day, do I give God credit for my wisdom and accomplishments, even the tiny ones? Or do I take the credit proudly and move on to the next event? If things worked out for me, I should thank God for that. If things didn't work out for me, I should thank God for that also. God has a plan and when it is time for things to work out, or not, according to His plan, they will.
Father, I pray that you will always make me humble enough to acknowledge You in everything rather than take the credit myself or blame others or be jealous of others. Please help me to do this. In Christ's name I pray. Amen.
He behaves differently than the other prisoners because He is relying on God for his wisdom even in a tough and unfair situation. He rises to the top among the prisoners and is even put in charge of the other prisoners.
Eventually, because of God's grace, Joseph is given the opportunity to get out of prison. He goes before pharoah and interprets a dream for him that no one else could. Before interpreting, however, he acknowledged that only God can interpret dreams, and thus his words are from God.
God had been waiting for this moment to use Joseph. Joseph was faithful to God through the entire imprisonment. If he had not been, no one would have respected his word enough to hear what he had to say. When it came time to get a chance to get out of prison, he could have bragged about his wisdom instead of God's, but he didn't. He humbly and bravely gave credit where credit was due...God.
I wonder as I go through my busy day, do I give God credit for my wisdom and accomplishments, even the tiny ones? Or do I take the credit proudly and move on to the next event? If things worked out for me, I should thank God for that. If things didn't work out for me, I should thank God for that also. God has a plan and when it is time for things to work out, or not, according to His plan, they will.
Father, I pray that you will always make me humble enough to acknowledge You in everything rather than take the credit myself or blame others or be jealous of others. Please help me to do this. In Christ's name I pray. Amen.
Immeasurably more
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.- Ephesians 3:20-2 NIV
I read Genesis 42 & 43 today. It was about Joseph and how his brothers came to Egypt to ask for grain from the Egyptians. Joseph just happened to be the governor whom they had to ask. They didn't know he was their brother because thirteen years before that, they were very jealous off him and had sold him into slavery. They assumed he was dead. What a tangled web they weaved.
Then I looked at my life. I try to do things right. I try to follow God's will. I try. Somehow, things still end up a mess more often than I care to admit. So, what is the problem?
The problem is that it I am focused on my short-sighted plans. I am worried about what I think needs too be done or said. Instead, I should be focused on God's will and His plan. Then everything will work itself out. It will be for my, and everyone else's, best interests!
It really is that simple...and yet hard to do in this fallen world we live in.
Father, help me to remember..."now to you who are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to your power that is at work within us, to you be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-2 NIV
I read Genesis 42 & 43 today. It was about Joseph and how his brothers came to Egypt to ask for grain from the Egyptians. Joseph just happened to be the governor whom they had to ask. They didn't know he was their brother because thirteen years before that, they were very jealous off him and had sold him into slavery. They assumed he was dead. What a tangled web they weaved.
Then I looked at my life. I try to do things right. I try to follow God's will. I try. Somehow, things still end up a mess more often than I care to admit. So, what is the problem?
The problem is that it I am focused on my short-sighted plans. I am worried about what I think needs too be done or said. Instead, I should be focused on God's will and His plan. Then everything will work itself out. It will be for my, and everyone else's, best interests!
It really is that simple...and yet hard to do in this fallen world we live in.
Father, help me to remember..."now to you who are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to your power that is at work within us, to you be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-2 NIV
"God is my home"
Genesis 46
1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." 3 Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes."
As I was reading my devotions today from Genesis 46, I went to the comments section. There someone had summarized Israel's leaving his homeland to go to a foreign country and live, Egypt, with the words "God is my home." How perfect!
Joseph was sold into slavery and eventually rose to be governor of the nation he was sold to. Israel thought he had lost his son, only to find out he had been thriving and worshipping his God in Egypt. Then Joseph saves them from the famine by moving them to Egypt which had abundant grain because of Pharoah's dreams which Joseph interpreted by God's wisdom and will. All this happened, a family is truly and horribly fractured, and yet, this same family is put back together. The memories of these tragic things must have been painful at times afterwards, but everyone was reunited and allowed to work things out.
There is only one problem with that paragraph above. I didn't give much credit to God. However, if you look carefully, you can see God's hand woven through it all. He protected Joseph in Egypt. He sent Joseph to Egypt preparation of the famine. He helped Joseph keep the correct perspective that he was being used by God for God's will. He helped Israel at the end of his not so stellar life (cheating people, manipulating, etc.) to have his family back together. God reminded Israel in the verses above that He had a plan and He would carry it out...in His time.
He also gave us a clear picture that whatever we are doing, God has a plan for us. Wherever we are, God is taking care of us. Wherever we are, God is our home.
1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." 3 Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes."
As I was reading my devotions today from Genesis 46, I went to the comments section. There someone had summarized Israel's leaving his homeland to go to a foreign country and live, Egypt, with the words "God is my home." How perfect!
Joseph was sold into slavery and eventually rose to be governor of the nation he was sold to. Israel thought he had lost his son, only to find out he had been thriving and worshipping his God in Egypt. Then Joseph saves them from the famine by moving them to Egypt which had abundant grain because of Pharoah's dreams which Joseph interpreted by God's wisdom and will. All this happened, a family is truly and horribly fractured, and yet, this same family is put back together. The memories of these tragic things must have been painful at times afterwards, but everyone was reunited and allowed to work things out.
There is only one problem with that paragraph above. I didn't give much credit to God. However, if you look carefully, you can see God's hand woven through it all. He protected Joseph in Egypt. He sent Joseph to Egypt preparation of the famine. He helped Joseph keep the correct perspective that he was being used by God for God's will. He helped Israel at the end of his not so stellar life (cheating people, manipulating, etc.) to have his family back together. God reminded Israel in the verses above that He had a plan and He would carry it out...in His time.
He also gave us a clear picture that whatever we are doing, God has a plan for us. Wherever we are, God is taking care of us. Wherever we are, God is our home.
Rewards and crowns in heaven
I find this very confusing. Do we actually receive rewards and then walk around with them? Do we receive a crown? Do some of us have more jewels on our crowns than others? Does this mean some people's are better than others in heaven? In heaven? The perfect place?
Here is what I found today:
The Christian need never fear punishment, but can look forward to crowns of reward that he can cast at the feet of the Savior. In conclusion, there are not different levels of heaven, but there are different levels of reward in heaven.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Now that makes sense! We receive rewards so that we can put them at Jesus's feet for everything He has done for us! That makes perfect sense. Now wouldn't I want to throw a heavily jeweled crown at Jesus's feet rather than some wood and stubble? I would! So, I need to get out there and do His will constantly!
Before is a link to the whole discussion that I quoted above.
Question: Are there different levels of Heaven? Are there three heavens?
http://www.gotquestions.org/levels-heaven.html
Here is the text:
The closest thing Scripture says to there being different levels of heaven is found in 2 Corinthians 12:2, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.” Some interpret this as indicating that there are three different levels of heaven, a level for “super-committed Christians” or Christians who have obtained a high level of spirituality, a level for “ordinary” Christians, and a level for Christians who did not serve God faithfully. This view has no basis in Scripture.
Paul is not saying that there are three heavens or even three levels of heaven. In many ancient cultures, people used the term heaven to describe three different “realms”—the sky, outer space, and then a spiritual heaven. Paul was saying that God took him to the “spiritual” heaven—the realm beyond the physical universe where God dwells. The concept of different levels of heaven may have come in part from Dante’s The Divine Comedy in which the poet describes both heaven and hell as having nine different levels. The Divine Comedy, however, is a fictional work. The idea of different levels of heaven is foreign to Scripture.
Scripture does speak of different rewards in heaven. Jesus said regarding rewards, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12). Since Jesus will be distributing rewards on the basis of what we have done, we can safely say that there will be a time of reward for believers and that the rewards will differ somewhat from person to person.
Only those works that survive God’s refining fire have eternal value and will be worthy of reward. Those valuable works are referred to as “gold, silver, and costly stones” (1 Corinthians 3:12) and are those things that are built upon the foundation of faith in Christ. Those works that will not be rewarded are called “wood, hay, and stubble”; these are not evil deeds but shallow activities with no eternal value. Rewards will be distributed at the “judgment seat of Christ,” a place where believers’ lives will be evaluated for the purpose of rewards. “Judgment” of believers never refers to punishment for sin. Jesus Christ was punished for our sin when He died on the cross, and God said about us: “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). What a glorious thought! The Christian need never fear punishment, but can look forward to crowns of reward that he can cast at the feet of the Savior. In conclusion, there are not different levels of heaven, but there are different levels of reward in heaven.
Here is what I found today:
The Christian need never fear punishment, but can look forward to crowns of reward that he can cast at the feet of the Savior. In conclusion, there are not different levels of heaven, but there are different levels of reward in heaven.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Now that makes sense! We receive rewards so that we can put them at Jesus's feet for everything He has done for us! That makes perfect sense. Now wouldn't I want to throw a heavily jeweled crown at Jesus's feet rather than some wood and stubble? I would! So, I need to get out there and do His will constantly!
Before is a link to the whole discussion that I quoted above.
Question: Are there different levels of Heaven? Are there three heavens?
http://www.gotquestions.org/levels-heaven.html
Here is the text:
The closest thing Scripture says to there being different levels of heaven is found in 2 Corinthians 12:2, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.” Some interpret this as indicating that there are three different levels of heaven, a level for “super-committed Christians” or Christians who have obtained a high level of spirituality, a level for “ordinary” Christians, and a level for Christians who did not serve God faithfully. This view has no basis in Scripture.
Paul is not saying that there are three heavens or even three levels of heaven. In many ancient cultures, people used the term heaven to describe three different “realms”—the sky, outer space, and then a spiritual heaven. Paul was saying that God took him to the “spiritual” heaven—the realm beyond the physical universe where God dwells. The concept of different levels of heaven may have come in part from Dante’s The Divine Comedy in which the poet describes both heaven and hell as having nine different levels. The Divine Comedy, however, is a fictional work. The idea of different levels of heaven is foreign to Scripture.
Scripture does speak of different rewards in heaven. Jesus said regarding rewards, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12). Since Jesus will be distributing rewards on the basis of what we have done, we can safely say that there will be a time of reward for believers and that the rewards will differ somewhat from person to person.
Only those works that survive God’s refining fire have eternal value and will be worthy of reward. Those valuable works are referred to as “gold, silver, and costly stones” (1 Corinthians 3:12) and are those things that are built upon the foundation of faith in Christ. Those works that will not be rewarded are called “wood, hay, and stubble”; these are not evil deeds but shallow activities with no eternal value. Rewards will be distributed at the “judgment seat of Christ,” a place where believers’ lives will be evaluated for the purpose of rewards. “Judgment” of believers never refers to punishment for sin. Jesus Christ was punished for our sin when He died on the cross, and God said about us: “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). What a glorious thought! The Christian need never fear punishment, but can look forward to crowns of reward that he can cast at the feet of the Savior. In conclusion, there are not different levels of heaven, but there are different levels of reward in heaven.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
God is with us all the time
Genesis 35
2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
I am always amazed and my faith is strengthened as I read the Bible. This passage demonstrates yet again how God is always with us...every town around them as they travelled feared them and because of that they did not harm these people going through their territory!
I realized yesterday, when I came home from work, that I hadn't sent up a prayer, not even a quick one, since I had arrived at work that morning. I was so immersed in my day, that I failed to acknowledge God throughout the day. That realization upset me. We are supposed to talk to God all day, and I forgot about Him the minute my morning devotions were over!
Then I realized something significant. Even though I had forgotten about God, pushed Him to the back of my mind as I went through my day, He did not forget about me. There were many moments that could have gone wrong, but the Holy Spirit told me I needed to do something another way, or not do it, or be careful what I say our how I say it, or don't let something upset me. I felt those nudges all day long.
Finally, at the end of the day, when I realized that'd I hadn't kept God at the forefront of my thoughts, I realized that He had still not left me, He was working all day to help my Christian witness.
God will always protect us, guide us, always be with us, even when we, in our human fragility, don't or can't.
Father. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit. Thank you for always looking over us and helping in situations we don't even know we need help in. Thank you for not pushing us to the back of your mind and reminding us to not do that to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
I am always amazed and my faith is strengthened as I read the Bible. This passage demonstrates yet again how God is always with us...every town around them as they travelled feared them and because of that they did not harm these people going through their territory!
I realized yesterday, when I came home from work, that I hadn't sent up a prayer, not even a quick one, since I had arrived at work that morning. I was so immersed in my day, that I failed to acknowledge God throughout the day. That realization upset me. We are supposed to talk to God all day, and I forgot about Him the minute my morning devotions were over!
Then I realized something significant. Even though I had forgotten about God, pushed Him to the back of my mind as I went through my day, He did not forget about me. There were many moments that could have gone wrong, but the Holy Spirit told me I needed to do something another way, or not do it, or be careful what I say our how I say it, or don't let something upset me. I felt those nudges all day long.
Finally, at the end of the day, when I realized that'd I hadn't kept God at the forefront of my thoughts, I realized that He had still not left me, He was working all day to help my Christian witness.
God will always protect us, guide us, always be with us, even when we, in our human fragility, don't or can't.
Father. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit. Thank you for always looking over us and helping in situations we don't even know we need help in. Thank you for not pushing us to the back of your mind and reminding us to not do that to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
Melchizedek was the greater priest...foretelling of Jesus
Genesis 14
8Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. 13A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. 17After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Melchizedek is a reference to Jesus Christ who gave us bad and wine (like Melchizedek) to remember His sacrifice for our sins. Jesus Christ is our mediator as Melchizedek was Abrams.
I can't summarize Jesus Christ's role as our mediator any better than with this Puritan Prayer.
8Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. 13A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. 17After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Melchizedek is a reference to Jesus Christ who gave us bad and wine (like Melchizedek) to remember His sacrifice for our sins. Jesus Christ is our mediator as Melchizedek was Abrams.
I can't summarize Jesus Christ's role as our mediator any better than with this Puritan Prayer.
Glorious Jehovah, My Covenant God,
All Thy promises in Christ Jesus are yea and amen, and all shall be fulfilled. Thou hast spoken them, and they shall be done, commanded, and they shall come to pass. Yet I have often doubted Thee, have lived at times as if there were no God. Lord, forgive me that death in life, when I have found something apart from Thee, when I have been content with ephemeral things.
But through Thy grace I have repented; Thou hast given me to read my pardon in the wounds of Jesus, and my soul doth trust in Him, my God incarnate, the ground of my life, the spring of my hope. Teach me to be resigned to Thy will, to delight in Thy law, to have no will but Thine, to believe everything Thou doest is for my good.
Help me to leave my concerns in Thy hands, for Thou hast power over evil, and bringest from it an infinite progression of good, until Thy purposes are fulfilled.
Bless me with Abraham’s faith that staggers not at promises through unbelief. May I not instruct Thee in my troubles, but glorify Thee in my trials;
Grant me a distinct advance in the divine life; may I reach a higher platform, leave the mists of doubt and fear in the valley, and climb to hill-tops of eternal security in Christ by simply believing He cannot lie, or turn from His purpose.
Give me the confidence I ought to have in Him who is worthy to be praised, and who is blessed for evermore.
Taken from ‘Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers’, edited by Arthur Bennett
Noah
In Genesis, we have the miraculous account of Noah and the ark. God has to destroy everyone else on earth but Noah's family because the other people were so sinful and ignored God.
That is kind of scary, because we are all still so sinful. Still bent on having our own way, doing things they way we want them, when we want them. What made us believe that everything is about us? Sin. That's what.
God tried to rid the world of sin in Genesis. Actually, He tried to keep it out first, as He told Adam and Eve to not eat of the tree of good and evil, but they did. Then things kept getting worse as we humans kept sinking more and more into selfishness and self importance. Then came the flood which annihilated all the human race except Noah's family as he was found to be righteous by God.
I have no idea how Noah could have been so righteous that God would pick him over everyone else. I know He wouldn't have picked me. Just yesterday, I was consumed with what ifs and whys and poor me's instead of focusing on God. Today, I am not much better.
Thankfully, even I have a Savior in Jesus Christ! God knew humans would mess up again and again, so He sent His Son to cover and get rid of our sins much like the rain covered all the sins in Noah's time and rid the earth of sinful people that had turned their backs on God. However, with Christ's forgiveness, we still get to live...to try again and again to glorify God another day.
Thank you,, Father, for loving us enough to keep giving us another chance!
That is kind of scary, because we are all still so sinful. Still bent on having our own way, doing things they way we want them, when we want them. What made us believe that everything is about us? Sin. That's what.
God tried to rid the world of sin in Genesis. Actually, He tried to keep it out first, as He told Adam and Eve to not eat of the tree of good and evil, but they did. Then things kept getting worse as we humans kept sinking more and more into selfishness and self importance. Then came the flood which annihilated all the human race except Noah's family as he was found to be righteous by God.
I have no idea how Noah could have been so righteous that God would pick him over everyone else. I know He wouldn't have picked me. Just yesterday, I was consumed with what ifs and whys and poor me's instead of focusing on God. Today, I am not much better.
Thankfully, even I have a Savior in Jesus Christ! God knew humans would mess up again and again, so He sent His Son to cover and get rid of our sins much like the rain covered all the sins in Noah's time and rid the earth of sinful people that had turned their backs on God. However, with Christ's forgiveness, we still get to live...to try again and again to glorify God another day.
Thank you,, Father, for loving us enough to keep giving us another chance!
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