Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
1 God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways, 2 has in these last days spoken [with finality] to us in [the person of One who is by His character and nature] His Son [namely Jesus], whom He appointed heir and lawful owner of all things, through whom also He created the universe [that is, the universe as a space-time-matter continuum]. 3 The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s [a]Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority], 4 having become as much superior to angels, since He has inherited a more excellent and glorious [b]name than they [that is, Son—the name above all names].
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Hebrews begins by making some big statements in its first three verses. Each day we are reminded, that we will focus on one of those primary statements and we refresh ourselves, refresh our spirits, what “supremacy of Christ” means for us.
Christ is the “heir of all things.”
Prophets were sent to speak to God’s people.
They ancient people brought important news and teachings from God, but they were merely His messengers. Now God has come into the works of man, and has spoken, to his people, directly through his Son, who is the “heir of all things.”
This reference points back to Psalm 2:7-8, which says,
“He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.’”
In Jesus, God fulfills this amazing promise.
Jesus is the heir who receives all that the Father has.
Peter says that this inheritance “can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
So what does this mean for us in these 21st century times of disastrous, divisive, upheaval, people openly mocking God with their positions on ‘living for Jesus.’
God is a fairy tale, a fable, made up by those abusing some mind altering drugs.
The bible is a book of wild delusions, hallucinations penned by the drug addled.
There is “no such thing as God,” “no such a thing as a Resurrection, no such a thing as salvation,” “no such thing as sin.” “such a thing as salvation from sin.
As followers of Christ, we are graciously adopted into God’s family as his own children, and we are “co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
As co-heirs with Christ, we are set to inherit all that Christ inherits—namely, salvation from sin and eternal life with him.
The Writings to the Hebrews starts out by laying the unshakeable foundation to debunk those who chose to spread erroneous teachings, man’s erroneous use of words like “sovereignty, supremacy” that they held man had an ironclad grip.
The Word which now comes to us in Jesus Christ, both by what he said and what he was, is a significantly stronger, more comprehensive, far more intimate and inclusive word than God ever originally spoke through those ancient prophets .
When you are studying the Old Testament, you are studying the Word of God.
The voice of God is heard through various forms and circumstances. (Psalm 19)
All of it is of God, but all of it is incomplete.
It never brings us to ultimate’s and absolutes.
But when you open the pages of the New Testament, read and study the fourfold picture of Jesus Christ, you find all the Old Testament writings merges into one voice, life, ministry, mission, works, His Passion, by the true voice of His Son.
The words by which God spoke in the Old Testament are merged into one complete discourse in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, God’s word to man has been fully, finally, uttered in the Son.
There is nothing more to be said. Jesus Christ is God’s own final Word to man.
Therefore, the word through the Son is greater than that through the prophets because it includes and surpasses theirs.
It is also greater because the Son created, established, the boundaries of history.
The writer says Jesus has been appointed the heir of all things, and through him God made the universe.
Further, his Word has greater power than the prophets’ because he sustains the matter of the universe.
He reflects the Shekinah glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power.
In the hills behind Stanford University there is a linear accelerator, some two miles long, a gigantic instrument.
Scientists built it to be a great lever by which they can pry the lid off the secrets that lie behind matter.
They are trying to find what makes the universe tick, what holds it together.
And as man probes deeper into the secrets of the universe around him, he discovers more and more that he is confronting the mystery of an untouchable, unfathomable force; that he Himself stands face to face with His pure force.
What is that force?
Scientists never name it, in fact they cannot name it, but the Scripture does. (Psalm 29)
The Scripture says that force is Jesus Christ, that he holds everything in place, whether it be large or small.
The reason we can sit or stand, though our earth is whirling at a furious rate, and not being randomly, sporadically, hurled off into space, is simply because he sustains the universe. Jesus Himself is the ultimate, the final spoken secret behind everything that exists. (John 1:1-5, Colossians 1:15-23, 1John 1:1-9)
The book of Hebrews is a part of the New Testament and is filled with rich theological teachings and insights.
The authorship of the book is not definitively known, but it is traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul.
The specific audience and historical context of Hebrews are also somewhat uncertain, but it was likely written to a group of Jewish Christians who were facing persecution and considering reverting back to the ways of Judaism.
We live in a culture which is always force feeding, pitching us all manner of stuff which is better, greater, more superior than anything that’s come before. It turns out that “far better” is one of the Book of Hebrews’ favorite words.
Right from the start, the author is trying to convince us that Jesus is better.
Overall, this passage from Hebrews serves to exalt Jesus Christ as the supreme revelation of God to humanity.
By emphasizing His role in creation, His divine nature, and His redemptive work, the author establishes the unmatched significance and authority of Jesus.
The theological themes of Christ’s divinity, His role as Savior, and His infinite superiority over all other beings are central to the passage, and they continue to be foundational to Christian beliefs.
Ultimately, this passage serves to deepen our understanding, appreciation, of the person and work of Jesus Christ, inviting us to respond in faith and worship.
What is our response …
How can our response be more impactful, magnified, beyond God’s Kingdom?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 24
A psalm by David.
1 The earth and everything it contains are Yahweh’s. The world and all who live in it are his. 2 He laid its foundation on the seas and set it firmly on the rivers.
3 Who may go up Yahweh’s mountain? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart and does not long for what is false[a] or lie when he is under oath. 5 This person will receive a blessing from Yahweh and righteousness from Elohim, his savior. 6 This is the person who seeks him, who searches for the face of the El of Jacob.[b] Selah
7 Lift your heads, you gates. Be lifted, you ancient doors, so that the Melek of glory may come in.
8 Who is this Melek of glory? Yahweh, strong and mighty! Yahweh, heroic in battle!
9 Lift your heads, you gates. Be lifted, you ancient doors, so that the Melek of glory may come in.
10 Who, then, is this Melek of glory? Yahweh Tsebaoth is the Melek of glory! Selah
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13-16 So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”
The Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Training to become a pilot involves hours and hours of intense preparation.
Some of this training takes place in flight simulators where the intensity is high enough to induce sweating and stress. Why are pilots subjected to such rigorous training? So they can learn to make the right decisions when it really matters!
When it comes to our Christian purity, it is too often the case that people will fall into sin because they try to make vital decisions in the heat of the moment.
That, under no circumstances, just won’t cut it. If we are going to maintain purity, we need to pray for choices in advance and on the basis of God’s word.
This is why Peter tells us to prepare our “minds for action … being sober-minded.”
The King James Version translates this verse, “Gird up the loins of your mind.”
In other words, we are to prepare ourselves to keep control of our minds—to get a grip of our thought processes—figure out what Paul calls – Self Control so that we’re able to run wisely after what is good and flee, far from what is evil.
If we do not prepare our minds for action, then we will be easily seducible and prone to highly questionable impulse control, poor decision making, tragedy.
We will tend to make difficult, life-altering decisions in the heat of the moment when our emotions are engaged, our lustful worldly desires are shouting at us.
But a life of purity does not happen by accident; it is a conscious act of absolute determination prompted by God’s Spirit, guided by His word, prayed for over and over again, being patient with the Holy Spirit, then enabled by His power.
We need to make a commitment to purity, as the psalmist did when he said,
“I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules” (Psalm 119:106).
Psalm 119:105-112 The Message
105-112 By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order. Everything’s falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word. Adorn me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from your course. I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever— what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say— I always have and always will.
I sincerely pray that you will make your commitment before it’s too late.
And here’s a suggestion for the kind of commitment to make: determine to live in the center of the narrow way, not on the edge.
The young man in Proverbs 7 who fell prey to the temptation of a “forbidden woman” was living on the edge; he was “passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight” (Proverbs 7:5, 8-9).
Proverbs 7:5-12 The Message
Dressed to Seduce
7 1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. Do what I say and you’ll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it! Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion. They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress— that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.
6-12 As I stood at the window of my house looking out through the shutters, Watching the mindless crowd stroll by, I spotted a young man without any sense Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived, then turning up the path to her house. It was dusk, the evening coming on, the darkness thickening into night. Just then, a woman met him— she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him. Brazen and brash she was, restless and roaming, never at home, Walking the streets, loitering in the mall, hanging out at every corner in town.
The Bible’s lesson is clear:
yield not to the obvious temptation
don’t get yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There is nothing to be gained from living on the edge when it comes to purity.
Make your commitment before the temptation confronts you, so that when the evil day comes, you will be ready to say, “No, I already made that decision.”
Keep your life in the center of the narrow way and determine to stay there.
On the day when Christ Jesus returns and by grace His people stand around His throne, none of us will say that the pursuit of holiness was not worth the effort.
Transformation Takes Our Effort and Perseverance
Romans 5:4-5 The Message
3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
We often prize the wonders of ability.
The decathlon, marathon and triathlon athlete have amazing physical abilities.
The Ivy League scholars have phenomenal capacities, learning, mental abilities.
But if they don’t stick to it, put abilities to work, they won’t accomplish much.
If we want change, we have to be willing to work hard, harder, hardest hardcore for it. If we don’t put in enough effort, we won’t bring any truly positive change.
Authors who have written a stack of books will tell you that the very top secret ingredient was the effort it took for them to get up earlier each day to write.
Great inventors will boast of, relate to, the failed efforts it took to bring an idea to its finished product. Sports figures will tell you to practice, practice, practice.
The Christian life is 100 percent God’s work. The resurrection of Savior Christ runs through our veins. But the Christian life is also 100 percent human effort.
Peter urges us to first gird ourselves, prepare our minds for action. The Greek expression here literally means to pull up one’s robe and get ready for action.
Then Peter instructs us to persevere all the way to the end through self-control.
We have to set aside very strongest of armor that does not, and never will fit us, set our prayers upon Jesus, continue to be obedient through responsible effort.
The Christian life is absolute hard work from beginning to end.
Transformation takes our disciplined mental powers, willpower, and our steadfast and authentic and genuine commitment 100 octane to our bibles.
Galatians 5:22-24 The Message
22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
But thankfully even our best finite, temporary, human efforts, are a gift of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 1 The Message
1 How well God must like you— you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats, you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings, you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.
2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
4-5 You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust— Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people.
6 God charts the road you take. The road they take leads to nowhere.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 9 [a]for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. 10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. 11 It is a trustworthy statement:
For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we [b]deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
An Unashamed Workman
14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Way back, just before I graduated from Senior High School, I remember an old saying from my final meeting with my guidance counselor about mentoring and being mentored, then mentoring and apprenticeships goes something like this:
“first we meet, then I do, you watch; I do, you help; You do, I help; You do, I watch.”
Rabbi Jesus called, trained his disciples in much the same way as this, and they passed along to others what they learned from him. An apprentice commits to learning from a master and then becomes experienced and able to teach others.
In our Scripture reading for today, Apostle Paul urges Timothy to remember his training and to teach it, pass it along, to reliable people who can teach others.
By his grace, God wants to be in relationship with us in Christ, to fill us with his Holy Spirit, and to show us how to live fully, lie impactfully, edifyingly, so that we share all this with generations of others. God wants us to be his apprentices.
A powerful image in TheScrewtape Letters by C.S. Lewis illustrates this well.
This unusual book is written from the perspective of a demon (or devil) who is attempting to explain God’s great plan for humankind:
“One must face the fact that all the talk about [God’s] love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would just gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. [God] really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself—creatures whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own . . . because their wills freely conform to His.”
What does 2 Timothy 2:9 mean?
8 Remember Jesus Christ [the ever-living Lord who has] risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David [king of Israel], according to my gospel [the good news that I preach], 9 for that [gospel] I am suffering even to [the point of] wearing chains like a criminal; but the word of God is not chained or neither is it imprisoned![Amplified Version]
Verse 9 continues Paul’s sentence from verse 8, noting that it is the gospel “for which I am suffering.” He had done nothing illegal except to proclaim Christ. Yet he was “bound with chains as a criminal.”
Paul has already mentioned his chains (2 Timothy 1:16).
In this particular case, this likely means literal chains on his hands and/or feet, similar to Peter in Acts 12:6.
Unlike Paul’s 1st Roman imprisonment, in which he lived in his own apartment for two years under house arrest, this imprisonment was much more serious.
Paul expected he would not live much longer, that at any time Emperor Nero will summarily remove his head, but rather would suffer till the end for Christ.
In contrast to Paul’s situation, he expresses his joy in knowing that the truth of the gospel, under no circumstances could not be restrained! Even from his cell and in heavy chains, Paul communicated God’s truth that influenced Timothy, his congregation, other early churches, and became part of the New Testament.
Today, If we were the one’s bound by the heaviest chains, being imprisoned in the most inescapable of prisons, would we be able to say Paul’s message here is a continued cycle-“that Great Cloud of Witnesses leading generations forward?
Exodus 13:20-22 Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord Leads His People
20 The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham. Etham was near the desert. 21 The Lord led the way. During the day, he used a tall cloud to lead the people. And during the night, he used a tall column of fire to lead the way. This fire gave them light so that they could also travel at night. 22 The cloud was always with them during the day, and the column of fire was always with them at night.
As millions of Jews were led forward out of bondage in Egypt by a continuous line of clouds to the Mountain of God where they would receive their teachings?
“first we meet, then I do, you watch; I do, you help; You do, I help; You do, I watch.”
Still today, the Word of God given through Paul impacts lives around the world.
Hebrews 4:11-13 Amplified Bible
11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness]. 12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [b] soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.
Hebrews 4:12 clearly teaches, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Kingdom Transformation Through Excellence
We are highly motivated when reaching toward a goal. Our adrenaline flows, our creative juices churn, and our mind works overtime at solving the problems that stand higher than sky high in the way of achieving God’s vision for our life.
In our biblical text today, Paul sternly instructs his apprentice Timothy,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed.”
Paul was not content, nor satisfied, with anything but the best. He highly valued repetition, instructing Pastor Timothy to “just keep reminding” his listeners.
Repetition really works for me.
There are certain messages I must hear over and over again.
The saying “the early bird gets the worm” nudges me out of bed each morning to feast on God’s manna.
A worn out, torn card in my wallet said, “Prayer changes things,” reminds me to pray before I attempt to fix a problem in my own strength. A sign on my wall, “God is forever, Hallelujah!” calls me to put God first before projects no matter how inconvenient it may seem at times. God + Repetition produces excellence.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 18:31-32 Complete Jewish Bible
31 (30) “As for God, his way is perfect, the word of Adonai has been tested by fire; he shields all who take refuge in him.
32 (31) “For who is God but Adonai? Who is a Rock but our God?
Psalm 119:1-16 Complete Jewish Bible
א (Alef)
119 How happy are those whose way of life is blameless, who live by the Torah of Adonai! 2 How happy are those who observe his instruction, who seek him wholeheartedly! 3 They do nothing wrong but live by his ways. 4 You laid down your precepts for us to observe with care. 5 May my ways be steady in observing your laws. 6 Then I will not be put to shame, since I will have fixed my sight on all your mitzvot. 7 I thank you with a sincere heart as I learn your righteous rulings. 8 I will observe your laws; don’t completely abandon me!
ב (Bet)
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; don’t let me stray from your mitzvot. 11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, Adonai! Teach me your laws. 13 I proclaim with my mouth all the rulings you have spoken. 14 I rejoice in the way of your instruction more than in any kind of wealth. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and keep my eyes on your ways. 16 I will find my delight in your regulations. I will not forget your word.
Psalm 139:23-24 Complete Jewish Bible
23 Examine me, God, and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is in me any hurtful way, and lead me along the eternal way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
3 Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will [a]be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly]. 2 For we all stumble and sin in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to bridle his whole body and rein in his entire nature [taming his human faults and weaknesses]. 3 Now if we put bits into the horses’ mouths to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well. 4 And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines. 5 In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
See [by comparison] how great a forest is set on fire by a small spark! 6 And the tongue is [in a sense] a fire, the very world of injustice and unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which contaminates the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life [the cycle of man’s existence], and is itself set on fire by [b]hell (Gehenna).
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Doesn’t it seem at times, that modern life has become a three ring circus?
Sometimes we’re the clowns making people laugh, juggler, trying to manage all the family, career and life responsibilities, or the tightrope walker, trying to walk that line between living for Christ and the constant pull of the world.
Other times we are the strongman, muscled, wrestling with heavy burdens and temptations that are never-ending. And don’t forget the clowns that surround us everywhere with their colorful make-up, their clumsy, and too goofy antics!
Their insanity drains our time and energy, but we simply must deal with them.
Yet, against this backdrop, God is there as ring master,orchestrating the whole thing, making order out of all the chaos – to the extent we turn it over to Him.
“Ladies and Gentlemen and boys and girls, young and old Children of all ages”
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 Amplified Bible
4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one [the only God]! 5 You shall all love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being].6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be [written] on your heart and mind. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your [a]children [impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.
In the more contemporary sense we should add “drive your cars, trucks, busses, motorcycles, atv’s, recreational vehicles, 18 wheelers, fly your planes, private jets.
Let’s not forget those who make their livings and take their vacations upon the vast oceanic seas, rivers, and waterways, in their fishing boats and their yachts,the row boats and motor boats, our Navies, the Navy’s of the world, the gargantuan tankers and container ships, tug boats, cruise ships of all sizes and elegance and luxury.
The Lord God desires that all may come to know Him and share a relationship.
Psalm 46:10 Amplified Bible
10 “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 100:3 Amplified Bible
3 Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, [a]not we ourselves [and we are His]. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Psalm 139:1-6 Amplified Bible
God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up [my entire life, everything I do]; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue [still unspoken], Behold, O Lord, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And [You have] placed Your hand upon me. 6 Such [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high [above me], I cannot reach it.
And one of the best ways we can experience victory with Him is to become a big cat tamer and take control of that most vicious of beasts – the human tongue!
We know how difficult it is to tame a real lion, even one raised from a cub.
Just remember the tragic account of Siegfried and Roy, the famous Las Vegas magic act featuring white tigers.
In 2003 one such tiger, Manticore, suddenly bit Roy in the neck and dragged him offstage, ending his career and nearly his life. Which makes us ask – can a lion, or tiger or the human tongue, really be tamed even by “trained experts?”
James 3:2-6 Disciples’ Literal New Testament
2 For we all stumble many[a] ways. If one does not stumble in speech, this one is a perfect man able to bridle[b] also the whole body. 3 Now if we put bridles into the mouths of horses so-that they obey us, we also guide their whole body. 4 Behold also ships being so large and being driven by hard winds— they are guided by a very small rudder where the impulse of the one steering wants. 5 So also the tongue is a small body-part, and boastfully-declares great things. Behold how-small a fire kindles how-great a forest!
An Untamed Tongue Stains And Burns And Poisons Life
6 And the tongue is a fire! The[c] tongue is made[d] the world of [e] unrighteousness among our body-parts— the thing staining the whole body and setting-on-fire the course of our existence, and being set-on-fire by Gehenna[f].
Lions and tigers are strong, magnificent creatures, but dangerous. They can turn on you suddenly, in a split-second, cause untold damage or kill you. Yet when they are under the control of the lion tamer, they are beautiful to behold.
Just like our tongues …
Proverbs 18:17-21 Easy-to-Read Version
17 The first person to speak always seems right until someone comes and asks the right questions.
18 The best way to settle an argument between two powerful people may be to use lots.
19 An insulted brother is harder to win back than a city with strong walls. Arguments separate people like the strong bars of a palace gate.
20 Your words can be as satisfying as fruit, as pleasing as the food that fills your stomach.
21 The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings.
Matthew 12:33-37 Easy-to-Read Version
What You Do(say) Shows What You Are
33 “If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. 34 You snakes! You are so evil. How can you say anything good? What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts. 35 Those who are good have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. 36 I tell you that everyone will have to answer for all the careless things they have said. This will happen on the day of judgment. 37 Your words will be used to judge you. What you have said will show whether you are right or whether you are guilty.”
Our taming the tongue is vital so we don’t stumble, experience unnecessary relationship damage, or get pushed off the course that God set for our lives.
Indeed, what comes out of our mouths in an absent-minded moment can cause severe, irreparable damage.
Our “oops” words can have unintended consequences: weakening our marriage relationship, creating division between friends and distrust among colleagues, and alienating our children. They can cost us our jobs, our reputations, and our families and our homes, untold opportunities to keep ourselves out of prison.
What comes out of our mouth can cause us to experience a lifetime of regret, especially if they are so severe, knock us off the course God has for our lives.
In other words, our lives follow the direction of our words.
If we are always saying things like: I’ll never…I can’t…my life is over…I won’t recover…I don’t get any breaks…
Don’t be surprised if that is exactly how your life turns out!
Just as absent-minded words spoken to others can damage the course of that relationship, what we continuously, constantly say about ourselves and our lives has a profound effect on our own decision making minds. And these self-imposed limiting beliefs and crippling mindsets can completely alter the course that our lives take, far away from God’s intent. Which, by the way, is amazing.
But if the masters Siegfried and Roy ultimately failed in taming their lion, well-fed, well-treated, and raised from a cub, how can we hope to master, to take control of the wildest of all wildest of beasts we have called the human tongue?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 Easy-to-Read Version
To the director: A song of David.
19 The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies announce what his hands have made. 2 Each new day tells more of the story, and each night reveals more and more about God’s power.[a] 3 You cannot hear them say anything. They don’t make any sound we can hear. 4 But their message goes throughout the world. Their teaching reaches the ends of the earth.
The sun’s tent is set up in the heavens. 5 It comes out like a happy bridegroom from his bedroom. It begins its path across the sky like an athlete eager to run a race. 6 It starts at one end of the sky and runs all the way to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.
7 The Lord’s teachings are perfect. They give strength to his people. The Lord’s rules can be trusted. They help even the foolish become wise. 8 The Lord’s laws are right. They make people happy. The Lord’s commands are good. They show people the right way to live.
9 Learning respect for the Lord is good. It will last forever. The Lord’s judgments are right. They are completely fair. 10 His teachings are worth more than pure gold. They are sweeter than the best honey dripping from the honeycomb. 11 His teachings warn his servants, and good things come to those who obey them.
12 People cannot see their own mistakes, so don’t let me commit secret sins. 13 Don’t let me do what I know is wrong. Don’t let sin control me. If you help me, I can be pure and free from sin. 14 May my words and thoughts please you. Lord, you are my Rock—the one who rescues me.
Psalm 139:23-24 Easy-to-Read Version
23 God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my worries. 24 Make sure that I am not going the wrong way.[a] Lead me on the path that has always been right.[b]
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
6 But now that Timothy has come back to us from [his visit with] you, and has brought us good news of your [steadfast] faith and [the warmth of your] love, and [reported] that you always think kindly of us and treasure your memories of us, longing to see us just as we long to see you, 7 for this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and suffering we have been comforted and greatly encouraged about you because of your faith [your unwavering trust in God—placing yourselves completely in His loving hands]; 8 because now we really live [in spite of everything], if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 For what [adequate] thanks can we offer to God for you in return for all the joy and delight we have before our God on your account? 10 We continue to pray night and day most earnestly that we may see you face to face, and may complete whatever may be imperfect and lacking in your faith.
11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and Jesus our Lord guide our steps to you [by removing the obstacles that stand in our way]. 12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may strengthen and establish your hearts without blame in holiness in the sight of our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His [a]saints (God’s people).
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
When reading this chapter, the firmness of the joy Paul had stood out to me.
During his entire Apostleship, Paul faced challenge after challenge, obstacle after obstacle as he walked worked to spread the gospel, yet he’s still full of joy.
Paul starts the chapter by talking about how he feared that the Thessalonians would be led astray by the temptations and afflictions they would face.
He says that for this reason, he asked someone to report on their faith, hoping that all his ministry and mission work there wouldn’t have been done in vain.
But when Timothy returned with a report about the Thessalonians, it became clear they had stood firm in their faith through all the persecution they faced.
In verse 7, Paul writes that he and his companions were comforted by the news that Timothy brought.
The good news about the Thessalonians was so great that it provided comfort in the midst of their bodily and spiritual afflictions!
Paul states they now really live if the Thessalonians stand firm in their faith.
The Thessalonians provided so much magnitude of joy to the lives of Paul and his companions that it feels like they had just started to really live in Christ!
In verse 9, Paul asks what expressions of thanks they can extend to God for all the joy he has about the steadfast faith and perseverance of the Thessalonians.
There is so much joy running through his heart and through their spirits that he a man of many words, doesn’t even know how to put it to words to thank God.
This magnitude of joy is so overwhelming that he can’t even start to understand or comprehend completely just exactly how much thanks he needs to give God.
Are we filling others with as much joy as Paul is full of from the Thessalonians?
Are those who taught us the Bible filled with that self same magnitude of joy from the way it has changed their lives and id now firmly working your life?
Paul’s joy came from his spirit seeing that he was able to make this impact on the Thessalonian followers and that they were able to continue standing firm.
We each need to be firm in God’s immutable truths like the Thessalonians, providing encouraging joy to our teachers, our neighbors, others like the non believing souls as we are encouraged continue to walk in the way of the Lord.
Are you filled with joy like Paul?
God has provided each of us with much more than we ever deserved.
None of us deserve salvation, but God offered it to each one of us.
Our lives should be full of joy because of this great gift.
I can’t even begin to thank God enough for everything that He has given me!
I have to stand up and firmly echo Paul’s response to this joy shown in verse 10.
He says that he and his companions are earnestly praying that they may see the Thessalonians again and that they may yet continue to strengthen their faith.
He doesn’t claim that his job is now done, as the Thessalonians were able to stand up to opposition. Instead, he says that he wants to visit to teach them even more, to make them even firmer, stronger, lacking nothing in their faith.
Paul thanked God for his Thessalonian friends, who, despite knowing they would suffer imprisonment, persecution and even a very painful death in the arena’s for their faith in Jesus, were sure of the security they would find in him.
What a witness they were to the Savior!
The Thessalonians were persecuted, they were arrested, tortured and killed but they remained steadfast in their faith to the end—and that is not always easy.
It can be difficult to remain faithful, especially when life presents unexpected challenges. When Paul sent Timothy to check on the Thessalonians, he was encouraged and filled with joy that their faith had remained strong. He said, “For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.”
Remaining firm in Christ is not always easy when you know you will be hurt—both physically and spiritually but God tells us about the peace, comfort, and redemption he provides when we stay near to him despite our challenges.
No matter what year it is, no matter the culture or society, life can bring grief, instant worry, fear, and a host of other difficult and uncomfortable emotions.
It can be hard to accept circumstances that are unpredictable and far outside of our own control, especially when our hearts, souls, yearn to make things better.
But when we draw near to God as He draws near to us, he promises to give us his peace that surpasses all understanding.
Psalm 73:28 Amplified Bible
28 But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him, That I may tell of all Your works.
Ecclesiastes 5:1 Amplified Bible
Your Attitude Toward God
5 Guard your steps and focus on what you are doing as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the [careless or irreverent] sacrifice of fools; for they are too ignorant to know they are doing evil.
Hebrews 7:18-20 Amplified Bible
18 For, on the one hand, a former commandment is cancelled because of its weakness and uselessness [because of its inability to justify the sinner before God] 19 (for the Law never made anything perfect); while on the other hand a better hope is introduced through which we now continually draw near to God. 20 And indeed it was not without the taking of an oath [that Christ was made priest]
James 4:1-10 Amplified Bible
Things to Avoid
4 What leads to [the unending] [a]quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]? 2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and [b] your lust goes unfulfilled; so you [c]murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God]. 3 You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask [d]with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. 4 You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose [e] that the [human] spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy? 6 But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].” 7 So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. 9 Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose].
Drawing nearer, and nearer still to God’s presence strengthens our weary storm battered hearts through our firmest perseverance through hardcore challenges, persecution, and unforeseen circumstances—and for that we must praise him!
What is our response to being filled with joy, with above beyond exuberant joy?
We need to be constantly giving thanks for all that we have been given, night and day praising God.
Are you asking God that we can continue to do the hard work of ministry and the hard work of mission which He has prepared for us or are you saying that we have reached or exceeded our definition of our limits, that our job is done?
This Spirit ignited joy should cause us to want to do even more, spreading the good news to all those around you so that they too might experience this joy.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Spend an extra ten minutes in prayer today thanking God.
What is the biggest challenge you face in standing firm in the Lord?
How can you ask for help from your brothers and sisters in Christ? (If you don’t have a church family yet – make it your first priority to find one!)
Are there brothers and sisters or children in the faith that give you great joy when you see how they are standing firm in the faith even in the midst of trials?
Let them know.
Look to make friends with them as Christ made friends with you. John 15:15-16
John 14:11-14 Amplified Bible
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe [Me] because of the [very] works themselves [which you have witnessed]. 12 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name [[a]as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.
Do you wishy washy, firmly, believe in Jesus Christ as you One and Only Savior?
Do you wishy washy, firmly, believe in Jesus’ words to His disciples of their firm ability of accomplishing “greater things?” What are those “greater things?”
There is much to pray about – how firm is our foundation in Savior Jesus Christ?
In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 Amplified Bible
The Works and the Word of God.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day after day pours forth speech, And night after night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars]; Their voice is not heard. 4 Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth, Their words to the end of the world. In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul; The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed]; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins; Let them not rule and have control over me. Then I will be blameless (complete), And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
15-17 Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
What the World Says
Some people belittle the Christian faith by dumbing it down to a list of dos and don’ts. They find religion to be too rule based, restrictive and punitive. Funny how the world launches such a criticism of the faith when the world itself has a significantly longer, significantly more comprehensive list of dos and don’ts.
Do be diverse, equitable, body-positive, and sex-positive. Don’t be against abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism. Be Politically not Biblically correct. The Bible was never meant to make an impact beyond its own times.
If you aren’t steadfast, strong in your convictions, then being name-called or challenged by the world in any way will more than likely be too intimidating. You’ll be left with a fear of cancellation, being ostracized, or something worse
The truth is, much like our flesh is at war with the spirit, the Word of GOD, our faith is constantly being scorned and mocked, ridiculed, at war with the world.
That’s why in the length and breadth of Scripture, we see time and time again how there is a contrast between God’s people and the surrounding cultures.
God has called us to live in a certain way, and the world feels enmity toward that ideal. That’s always been true. And as always, the temptation we face as staunch believers is neglecting what God wants, instead opting to fit in with the world.
That’s normal.
We’re sinful by nature and likewise, we each desire to be a part of a community.
Sometimes, fellowship with the world just looks more appealing, prosperous, significantly less stressful, much simpler to manipulate and shape in our image.
However, we can’t call ourselves Christian and still live like those around us.
We can’t choose to follow God only when convenient, in those moments when the world isn’t watching because God is continually watching, investigating us.
Not if we’re a believer, because being a Christian means something specific.
But how exactly do we ensure that we ascribe to God and not unto the world?
Psalm 29 Complete Jewish Bible
29 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Give Adonai his due, you who are godly; give Adonai his due of glory and strength; 2 give Adonai the glory due his name; worship Adonai in holy splendor.
3 The voice of Adonai is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, Adonai over rushing waters, 4 the voice of Adonai in power, the voice of Adonai in splendor.
5 The voice of Adonai cracks the cedars; Adonai splinters the cedars of the L’vanon 6 and makes the L’vanon skip like a calf, Siryon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of Adonai flashes fiery flames; 8 the voice of Adonai rocks the desert, Adonai convulses the Kadesh Desert. 9 The voice of Adonai causes deer to give birth and strips the forests bare — while in his temple, all cry, “Glory!” 10 Adonai sits enthroned above the flood! Adonai sits enthroned as king forever! 11 May Adonai give strength to his people! May Adonai bless his people with shalom!
How can we be in the world, but not of the world?
To answer that, we turn to Scripture.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Within Scripture, we find a multitude of ways to separate ourselves from the surrounding culture, but here are three we can implement in our lives today.
Find the Right People
The Bible talks about being unequally yoked, a principle which we often apply to marriage, but one that relates to all of our relationships.
When we decide to follow Christ, we are explicitly agreeing to become like Him.
That applies to the way we talk, dress, act, and think. Certain people will not appreciate this growth and will want us to be more like them, less like Christ.
This isn’t the right kind of company to keep.
Ultimately, believers should not try to fit in with the culture, not if it calls for us to forfeit our values. Instead, choose to find a godly community that will not ask you to give up what’s good, but rather the things holding you back from God.
Focus on Heaven
With all the chaos, division, bills, relationships, and commitments here on Earth, we can naturally find ourselves distracted from what matters most.
When that happens, we may find ourselves preoccupied with the world and forgetful of God.
The solution is not to fill our heads with worldly things but instead, focus on the things above.
Know Your Worth
Another reason we find ourselves gravitating towards the world’s approval is that we falsely believe our worth comes from people.
We tell ourselves that if we get married, then we’re worthy; if we have a ton of friends and money, then we’re worthy, and on and on.
Biblically, None of that is true.
Our worth comes from God, and our worth has existed since He first created us.
All of the relationships we have on this Earth will one day end, whether through conflict, separation or death. The things we do for people and what they do for us will one day cease. What never ends is God’s authentic love for His children.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58 Amplified Bible
57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].
Recall that the next time you believe the world has your best interest at heart.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray.
Psalm 15 Complete Jewish Bible
15 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, who can rest in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain?
2 Those who live a blameless life, who behave uprightly, who speak truth from their hearts 3 and keep their tongues from slander; who never do harm to others or seek to discredit neighbors; 4 who look with scorn on the vile, but honor those who fear Adonai; who hold to an oath, no matter the cost; 5 who refuse usury when they lend money and refuse a bribe to damage the innocent.
Those who do these things never will be moved.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
(1) Adonai, who can rest in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain?
2 Those who live a blameless life, who behave uprightly, who speak truth from their hearts 3 and keep their tongues from slander; who never do harm to others or seek to discredit neighbors; 4 who look with scorn on the vile, but honor those who fear Adonai; who hold to an oath, no matter the cost; 5 who refuse usury when they lend money and refuse a bribe to damage the innocent.
Those who do these things never will be moved.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
“Who shall dwell on your holy hill?”
Though these questions were inspired by God, running deep through the very heart and soul of David, asked, spoken and recorded 3000 years ago, were not edited out of the canon centuries later by scholars and scribes, the questions which David poses in the first verse of this psalm are of utmost importance.
They may strike us as questions that are tied only to times of worship in ancient Israel, but as they have survived and inspired for thousands of years, in His own truth they take us to the very doorstep of heaven asking, Who will enter these gates?Who will enter the Tabernacle of the Lord, Who will rest upon His mountain?
While the answer is explained in the rest of Psalm 15, the general point is one we find throughout New Testament Scripture.
Matthew 5:1-12 Complete Jewish Bible
5 Seeing the crowds, Yeshua walked up the hill. After he sat down, his talmidim came to him, 2 and he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
3 “How blessed are the poor in spirit! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 “How blessed are those who mourn! for they will be comforted.
5 “How blessed are the meek! for they will inherit the Land![a]
6 “How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! for they will be filled. 7 “How blessed are those who show mercy! for they will be shown mercy.
8 “How blessed are the pure in heart! for they will see God.
9 “How blessed are those who make peace! for they will be called sons of God.
10 “How blessed are those who are persecuted because they pursue righteousness! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
Matthew 11:27-30 Complete Jewish Bible
27 “My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.[a]30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Mark 2:13-17 English Standard Version
Jesus Calls Levi
13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of[a] the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat[b] with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
John 17:22-26 Complete Jewish Bible
22 The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one — 23 I united with them and you with me, so that they may be completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you have loved them just as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am; so that they may see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these people have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will continue to make it known; so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I myself may be united with them.”
In addition, The anonymous writer of Hebrews advised his readers to “strive for … the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
The Lord Jesus similarly instructed that “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14).
Those who stand on the holy hill of the Lord, enjoy His presence for eternity, then, are those who arrive there by the narrow way, striving after holiness.
Philippians 3:12-21 New American Standard Bible
12 Not that I have already [a]grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that [b]for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, all who are [c]mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well; 16 however, let’s keep [d]living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17 Brothers and sisters, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their [e]appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things. 20 For our [f]citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with [g]His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
The sad truth is that too many assume they will dwell on God’s holy hill because they once said a prayer, tithed, walked down an aisle, are a member of a church.
It is a grave mistake to think that those acts on their own will merit eternal life if they are accompanied with living a way of life which gives no evidence of our knowing Christ as Lord.
Matthew 6:1-4 Amplified Bible
Giving to the Poor and Prayer
6 “Be [very] careful not to do your [a]good deeds publicly, to be seen by men; otherwise you will have no reward [prepared and awaiting you] with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So whenever you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not blow a trumpet before you [to advertise it], as the hypocrites do [like actors acting out a role] in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored and recognized and praised by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing [give in complete secrecy], 4 so that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
Reverend Charles Haddon Spurgeon once preached,
“If the man does not live differently from what he did before … his repentance needs to be repented of, and his conversion is a fiction.”[1]
1“What Is It to Win a Soul?,” The Sword and the Trowel (December 1879), p 561.
So, who will ascend the hill of the Lord?
It is the one who “walks blamelessly,” in a way which cannot be confused with that of an unbeliever, whose life manifests the reality God has saved him or her.
It is the one whose talk is not marked by slander but who “speaks truth in his heart.”
This is someone who doesn’t merely say what is correct but says what is true, with no gap between what is said and what is lived.
The combination of reading Psalm 15 and looking honestly at ourselves will very likely be discouraging.
Only the Lord Jesus embodies the psalm’s portrayal of holiness to perfection; only He deserves to dwell on His Father’s holy hill, and only because He chose to die for His people’s sins and clothe them with His perfection are we invited, here and now, in this precise moment, in these seasons to live with Him there.
But it is good and right to let the light of God’s Word shine on our hearts and expose what is there, for it’ll move us to repentance, to gratitude to our Savior.
And those who know they will stand there because of Him will seek to be like Him. Consider your walk and your words, and pray that you would be ever more conformed to the image of Christ until you dwell with Him on God’s Holy Hill.
Dwelling in God’s Sanctuary
What is God’s sanctuary?
Probably too many of us think of it only as a church building.
In its widest, richest sense, God’s sanctuary is wherever we experience God.
It is the place where our heart is.
On Sunday, on whatever day meets to read, study, pray over God’s Word, a church building becomes a sanctuary as God’s people gather and make up the building blocks of God’s spiritual temple (2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Peter 2:5).
There we are inspired, empowered, refreshed, strengthened for another week of work, another week of serving God—out in the sanctuary of God’s vast world.
Psalm 15 reminds us that what pleases God is not rituals but a life that seeks to live God’s way.
When we walk with God on a daily basis, we will do what is right, speak the truth, refuse to slander others, and not harm our neighbors in any way.
What’s more, we won’t be impressed by people who delight in doing wrong or act immorally, mocking God, and we will honor those who faithfully serve God.
We will keep our promises, even when it hurts. And we will help the poor and protect the innocent, taking no part in bribery, fraud, or other corruption.
When we live as the psalmist describes, we experience God’s presence.
This happens not only in church gatherings but also in our everyday activities.
Those who live God’s way are building a life that cannot be shaken—regardless of the way uninvited trials can try to shake up, shift the ground under our feet!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 Complete Jewish Bible
16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God, for you are my refuge. 2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good outside of you.” 3 The holy people in the land are the ones who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god multiply their sorrows; To such gods I will not offer drink offerings of blood or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup: you safeguard my share. 6 Pleasant places were measured out for me; I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor; at night my inmost being instructs me. 8 I always set Adonai before me; with him at my right hand, I can never be moved; 9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, and my body too rests in safety; 10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol, you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss. 11 You make me know the path of life; in your presence is unbounded joy, in your right hand eternal delight.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
12 Watch out, brothers, so that there will not be in any one of you an evil heart lacking trust, which could lead you to apostatize from the living God! 13 Instead, keep exhorting each other every day, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you will become hardened by the deceit of sin. 14 For we have become sharers in the Messiah, provided, however, that we hold firmly to the conviction we began with, right through until the goal is reached.
15 Now where it says,
“Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your hearts, as you did in the Bitter Quarrel,”[a]
16 who were the people who, after they heard, quarreled so bitterly? All those whom Moshe brought out of Egypt. 17 And with whom was God disgusted for forty years? Those who sinned — yes, they fell dead in the Wilderness! 18 And to whom was it that he swore that they would not enter his rest? Those who were disobedient. 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of lack of trust.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Faith and belief unlocks the storehouse of God but doubt, unbelief locks it tight.
Are we hardcore stuck in doubt and unbelief – not walking in the land of Canaan and promise, where the Spirit of God, in all His blessing, falls and ignites?
We have a great number of churches in a great many wildernesses. We have a great many wilderness Christians in our churches – walking and stumbling and arguing and bickering and back biting and back stabbing humanities pettiness.
The wilderness is a place of death; a place of unrest; a place of aimlessness; and a place of dissatisfaction. They have never entered into Gods promises because they must enter by faith not by the sights and sounds of hardcore bitter debate.
Are we aimlessly wandering unbelieving churches, pews filled with aimlessly wandering, “don’t you dare think or pray over helping my unbelief” believers?
This devotion addresses the enemy of faith – doubt and unbelief, Hard, Harder, Hardcore, Hardened, Hardest Hearts of Stone immune to the best relief efforts.
Faith and Belief Comes by Hearing God’s Voice …
Romans 10:16-21 Disciples’ Literal New Testament
16 But[a] they did not all obey the good-news, for Isaiah says [in Isa 53:1], “Lord, who put-faith-in our report?” 17 So[b] the faith[c] comes from a report-hearing[d], and the report-hearing through a word[e] about[f] Christ.
But It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Hear
18 But I say[g]— it is not that they did not hear[h], is it ? On the contrary: “Their voice went-out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” [Ps 19:4].
And It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Know
19 But I say— it is not that Israel did not know[i], is it ? First, Moses says [in Deut. 32:21] “I will provoke you to jealousy over what is not a nation. I will provoke you to anger over a nation without-understanding[j]”. 20 And Isaiah is very-bold and says [in Isa 65:1] “I was found by the ones not seeking Me. I became visible[k] to the ones not asking-for Me”. 21 But with-regard-to Israel He says [in Isa 65:2], “I held-out[l] My hands the whole day toward a disobeying[m] and contradicting[n] people”.
The Book of Hebrews was written to believers who were in a faith crisis – it was written to sternly warn them of the coming dangers of unbelief and doubt and to encourage them in their faith.
In our passage from Hebrews 3, we see God speaking – faith comes by hearing – but not just hearing – BUT 1hearing what God has to say and according to the scripture God is speaking!
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Speaks
As the Holy Spirit says –– this passage draws attention to its Author the Holy Spirit – it links up with –
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, and Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord – In the former it is God, the Father, who “spoke.”
In Hebrews 2:3, it is the Son – here in Hebrews 3:7 the Speaker is the Spirit; thus, by linking together these three passages we hear all the Persons of the Godhead.
How does God speak? – through various means – reading the word – hearing the word – the inner voice – the prophetic word – the word of circumstances and situations – but all is based on the inspired written word of God the Bible.
As the Holy Spirit says – the tense of the verb used here; it is not “the Holy Spirit said,” but “says:” it is an ever-present, continuing living message to God’s people in each succeeding generation.
“Whatever was given by inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and is recorded in the Scripture is for the use of the Church today” “he that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches” Revelation chapters 2 and 3
When does God speak?
Today – “Today” signifies the present time, and it includes a continuance of it.
It is not to be limited to twenty-four hours; instead, this term covers a present interval which consists of many days or years.
Hebrews 3:13 says exhort one another daily, while it is called Today.
In Hebrews 13:8 it says Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
What does God speak?
His voice – The “voice” of God is the declaration of His will, which demands our obedience.
His will is made known in His Word, which is a living Word, by which the voice of God is now uttered. Psalm 19 and Psalm 29and Psalm 119 and Psalm 139.
The Response to His Voice
Psalm 95:6-11 Complete Jewish Bible
6 Come, let’s bow down and worship; let’s kneel before Adonai who made us. 7 For he is our God, and we are the people in his pasture, the sheep in his care.
If only today you would listen to his voice: 8 “Don’t harden your hearts, as you did at M’rivah, as you did on that day at Massah in the desert, 9 when your fathers put me to the test; they challenged me, even though they saw my work. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation; I said, ‘This is a people whose hearts go astray, they don’t understand how I do things.’ 11 Therefore I swore in my anger that they would not enter my rest.”
If you will hear, will listen To “hear” God’s voice signifies,
to diligently ponder, to readily receive, and to heed or obey it. Hearing then implies an action that follows the hearing.
Notice where they strayed – In their minds?
No, in their hearts – God’s Word is addressed to the heart the center of our being out of which are the issues of life.
23 Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences.
There may be conviction of the conscience, the assent of the intellect, the deep admiration of understanding, the realization of wisdom greater than our own is informing us, teaching us, but unless the heart is moved there is no response.
Here hardcore hardening of the heart is attributed to the person it is due to – neglect in not taking notice of the ways and means where God calls us to faith and obedience – forgetfulness and rejection of Gods Word and God’s works – a harder hardcore holding onto worldly pleasures preferring them to obedience
An unbelieving heart is an untrusting heart –
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life –
Deuteronomy 8:1-3
8 “All the mitzvot I am giving you today you are to take care to obey, so that you will live, increase your numbers, enter and take possession of the land Adonai swore about to your ancestors. 2 You are to remember everything of the way in which Adonai led you these forty years in the desert, humbling and testing you in order to know what was in your heart — whether you would obey his mitzvot or not. 3 He humbled you, allowing you to become hungry, and then fed you with man, which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, to make you understand that a person does not live on food alone but on everything that comes from the mouth of Adonai.
Ten times Israel tested God as a result of unbelief –
When the Egyptians were marching after them – Exodus 14:11
At the bitter waters of Marah – Exodus 15:24
In wilderness of Sin when they complained about their lack of good food – Exodus 16:2
At Rephidim (Meribah, Massah) when they were thirsty- Exodus 17:2, 3
When they made a calf – Exodus 32:1
When they became like those who complain of adversity – Numbers 11:1
When they had “greedy desires” at Taberah – Numbers 11:4
When they complained about Moses after he married the Cushite woman – Numbers 12:1
After the spies brought back their report – Numbers 14:2
When they were thirsty and Moses failed to regard the Lord as holy – Numbers 20:1-13
Ten in biblical numerology refers to testing and tribulation
– notice that in these contexts it was man testing God not God testing man –
this is a sin of rebellion
“Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,” – the reference here is to what is recorded in the early verses of Exodus 17 – the congregation of Israel journeyed to Rephidim, where there was “no water for the people to drink.”
Instead of them counting on Jehovah to supply their need, as He had at Marah (Exodus 15:25) and in the wilderness of Sin – they murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”
Though Moses cried unto the Lord, and the Lord graciously responded by bringing water out of the rock for them, yet God was greatly displeased.
In verse 7 we are told, “And he called the name of the place Massah (Temptation) and Meribah (Strife), because of the children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not”.
Difficulties and trials of the way test us, this testing reveals the state of our hearts a crisis neither makes nor mars a person but it does manifest their real selves – while all is smooth sailing we appear to be getting along nicely – When the storm breaks, it is not so much that we fail under it, as that our habitual lack of leaning upon God, of daily walking in dependency upon Him, is made evident. Circumstances do not change us, but they do expose us as vulnerable.
The reason Israel murmured at Meribah was because there was no water; they were occupied with their circumstances, they were walking by sight. The crisis they then faced only served to make manifest the state of their hearts, namely, an “evil heart of unbelief.”
Had their trust been in Jehovah, they would at once have turned to Him, spread their need before Him, counted on Him to supply it. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?” (James 2:14).
“When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me and saw My works forty years”
God showed them wonder signs: did they trust and follow in faith?
And if Israel was not faithful to Moses, and their unbelief brought ruin upon them, how much more guilty shall we be, and how much greater our danger?
If we are not faithful to the Lord Jesus –
Israel’s sins in the wilderness are here pictured under two terms: they are “tempted” and “proved” God – to tempt one is to try or prove whether he be such as he is declared to be, or whether he can or will do such and such a thing.
By tempting God Israel found out by experience that He was indeed the God He had made Himself known to be.
In this passage the tempting of God is set down as a sin which provoked Him, and so is to be taken in its worst sense scenario.
Instead of believing His declaration Israel acted in unbelief.
“And saw My works forty years”
This is the inexcusableness of Israel’s sin.
It was not that God was a Stranger to them; again and again He had shown Himself strong on their behalf.
“Works” of God mentioned here are the many and great wonders which He did from the time that He first took them up in Egypt until the end of the wilderness journey.
Some of them were works of mercy – in delivering them from enemies and dangers, and in providing for them – others were works of judgment – the plagues upon the Egyptians, their destruction at the Red Sea – others were manifestations of Himself, by the Cloud which led them by day and by night, the awesome proofs of His presence on Sinai, and the Shekinah glory which filled the tabernacle.
These were not “works” done in bygone ages, or in far-distant places, of which they had only heard of; but were actually performed before them, upon them, which they “saw.”
What clearer evidence could they have of God’s providence and power?
Yet they tempted Him!
The clearest evidences God grants to us have no effect upon unbelieving and obdurate hearts.
The generation that came out of Egypt doubted God, and because of their doubt they never entered the land of Canaan – they sang the song of Moses
Exodus 15:1 “I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea!”-“God has delivered us how great He is!”
They believed Him to come out of Egypt but they didn’t believe Him enough to enter into Canaan – after Sinai, an eleven-day journey could have brought them into the Promised Land. But they had to send spies in to search out the land. God had said He would take care of them, but they didn’t believe God.
God yielded to their wishes and let them send in spies. Although the spies did see the wonderful land, they were most impressed by the giants, and they saw themselves as grasshoppers.
They didn’t see God. Except Caleb and Joshua who insisted that God could handle the giants if they trusted Him.
They spent forty years on a journey that should have taken a few days.
What was the reason?
Unbelief!
In Numbers 13 we learn lessons that are applicable to us today – representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel were selected to spy out the land of the twelve who went out…10 came back with a majority report – 2 came back with a minority report – there is a lesson here it is that the majority is not always right.
– from this incident we find out –
Doubt looks through mans eyes – Doubt always sees the obstacles – Doubt speaks a bad report – Faith sees with the eyes of God – Faith always sees the victory – Faith speaks a good report – Doubt leads to discontentment, rebellion and fear – Faith produces a positive attitude and peace – Faith glimpses the future – Why did the spies fall prey to the “grasshopper complex? – Negative thinking – exaggerating the situation – ergo, their desire to return to Egypt
Rest in Scripture “They shall not enter into my rest”
The rest of salvation – Matthew 11:28 when He said in effect, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” –
that is, I’ll lift the burden of sin from you.”
you don’t have to do anything so that God will forgive you; Christ has already done it when He died for you. All you have to do is believe and receive Christ.
The rest of redemption – no longer slaves in Egypt – they came out by blood – they came out by power God delivered them.
The rest of obedience – Matt. 11:29“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”
We are now joined to a living Christ, and that is the only way we will enjoy Canaan – Canaan is not heaven it is the rest that believers are to have as they live on earth the only way to enter is to study and believe the Word of God.
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The Result of Unbelief and Doubt
The generation of Israel who came out of Egypt were cited to the Hebrew believers as a warning not to repeat their sin.
They could not enter in because of unbelief – we do not recognize and I am sure they did not recognize that doubting God’s Word is a serious sin – because it leads to other sins.
For these Israelites in the wilderness it led to calf worship; it led to fornication, and it led to an absolute denial and rejection of God, as they turned their backs upon Him and even wanted to go back to Egypt
Matthew 13:58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
The Antidote for Unbelief and Doubt
Exhort one another daily, while it is called – Today –
Exhort means to call near, i.e. invite, invoke by imploration, beseech, call for, pray – we have a responsibility to spur one another on in the faith – just as Caleb and Joshua attempted to do with the Israelites –we must obey Today because we will find that:
Immediate obedience is easier – Another opportunity may never come –
The desire to obey may fade – Time spent in sin is a waste
– Problems may arise to make obedience difficult if not impossible.
Procrastination will settle into the tillable earth …
Enough time passes, Procrastination will become the mighty Oak Tree …
Too many great and mighty Oak Trees eventually becomes a greater forest …
Then we spend too much time admiring the Greater Procrastination Forest.
Completely losing heart sight of the original call to obedience, belief and faith.
Then God, the Father and Son and Holy Spirit become hidden beneath the great canopy of Oak from the 11th world wonder Great Procrastination National Park.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Complete Jewish Bible
3 For everything there is a season, a right time for every intention under heaven — 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to discard, 7 a time to tear and a time to sew, a time to keep silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his efforts? 10 I have seen the task God has given humanity to keep us occupied. 11 He has made everything suited to its time; also, he has given human beings an awareness of eternity; but in such a way that they can’t fully comprehend, from beginning to end, the things God does. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them to do than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. 13 Still, the fact that everyone can eat and drink and enjoy the good that results from all his work, is a gift of God. 14 I know that
whatever God does will last forever; there is nothing to add or subtract from it; and God has done it so that people will fear him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
14 But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The authority, sufficiency, infallibility, and inerrancy of Scripture are doctrines that are absolutely foundational to the ongoing work of God and His church.
We well can we authentically engage a slowly disintegrating, lost and hurting world with the gospel truth unless we are 100% convinced of its divine origin.
As Bishop J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) wrote, without the Bible as a “divine book to turn to as the basis of their doctrine and practice,” Christians “have no solid ground for present peace or hope, and has no right to claim the attention of mankind.”[1]
1Bible Inspiration: Its Reality and Nature(William Hunt, 1877), p 6.
Apostle Paul towards the end of his life, addressed this very issue when he sternly reminded Timothy that “all Scripture is breathed out by God.”
In other words, the Bible is not a human product infused with divinity; it’s a divine gift produced through human instrumentality. Its every book, chapter, sentence, word and syllable was originally given by God’s inspiration.
The doctrine of Scripture, like many other Christian doctrines, can be hugely challenging to grapple with.
But the fact that something is difficult to understand does not undermine its depths of authentic hardcore truthfulness.
Furthermore, when it comes to the doctrine of Scripture, there are matters that we can consider objectively.
For example, it’s easy to see that the Bible is a completely harmonious work.
While it was written by more than thirty authors over a period of about fifteen hundred years, all the writers tell the same story, giving the same account of this world, the character of its Creator, and the problem of the human heart, and broken spirit all pointing to the same wonderful way of salvation through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God—all the way from Genesis through Revelation!
The Bible also transcends time, culture, gender, wealth, power and intellect.
Some books may fit a certain person, a certain era, or a certain place, but there is no other book that perfectly stands up to the challenges of every day and of every age and to the myriad and myriad of questions that confronts life itself.
The brightest minds, the greatest thinkers, charismatic of speakers, cannot exhaust the riches of God’s word, and yet, at the same time, even young girls and boys can read their Bibles and discover its truth transforming their lives.
Try to plumb for yourselves the utter depths of Genesis 1:1 Amplified Bible
The Creation
1 In the beginning God ([a]Elohim) [b]created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth.
Your efforts may be so vast, so comprehensive, so mind boggling, so fully enriching, so empowering, overwhelming, you may never get to verse 2.
2 The earth was [a]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.
Once you look up at a clear star filled night sky or through a telescope, at the pictures from the Hubble and James Webb Space telescopes, try to calculate what it means to go from one end of the universe to the other or trying to find the exact center of an ever expanding universe then hearing that it would take you tens of trillions of light years (look that up) if not more to accomplish it.
Who else but God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit can ever hope to speak of it in such a way that the finite intellect and wisdom of mankind can grasp even .01% what our own finite eyes can observe and thoughts grasp?
Psalm 19 Amplified Bible
The Works and the Word of God.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day after day pours forth speech, And night after night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars]; Their voice is not heard. 4 Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth, Their words to the end of the world. In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul; The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed]; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins; Let them not rule and have control over me. Then I will be blameless (complete), And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.
The authority, sufficiency, infallibility, and inerrancy of Scripture are the grounds on which we must stand; and we have divine help in order to do so.
The same Spirit that inspired the word of God illumines the word of God and illuminates our sin darkened wisdom, convinces us that it is 100% the word of God, given to us so that we may believe in Him who is the Word made flesh.
It is as the Spirit does this work in you that your belief in the divine authorship of Scripture is undergirded and moves from only being an intellectual assent to becoming a doctrine raising to becoming an active starvation level hunger for more of the word—and more of the one who is both its author and its subject.
The Power of the Word of God, the Word of Truth
Acts 6:5-8 Amplified Bible
5 The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selected [a]Stephen, a man full of faith [in Christ Jesus], and [filled with and led by] the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a proselyte (Gentile convert) from Antioch. 6 They brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them [to dedicate and commission them for this service].
7 And the message of God kept on growing and spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith [accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation].
8 Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power, was doing great wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people.
It is tucked away almost like a fleeting footnote within the biblical story of the rapid growth of the church of Christ in the first months after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven.
And yet, recalling the rejection and betrayal Jesus experienced from his very own people, these so few words in today’s verse come as a surprise: “a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”
Perhaps for a while these priests had gone along with the efforts of their leaders, thinking that if they could force people to stop talking about Jesus, the whole matter would just go away.
Perhaps for a while they had tried to go along with covering up the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.
It was probably very difficult for some of these priests to change; after all, they had spent their whole lives serving in the temple worship, bringing sacrifices and doing many other rituals on behalf of the people. But now they were called to fulfill new previously unknown roles as believers in Jesus, whom they had opposed but who was also acknowledged the Messiah they had been waiting for.
This little footnote note reminds us how the penetrating virus of self-deception can be overwhelmed and healed by the medicine of simply admitting the truth.
As Jesus himself promised, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
Are you ready acknowledge Jesus as God’s Messiah?
Are we ready to acknowledge the Word of God as being 100% authentic?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 29
A psalm by David.
1 Give to Yahweh, you heavenly beings. Give to Yahweh glory and power. 2 Give to Yahweh the glory his name deserves. Worship Yahweh in his holy splendor.
3 The voice of Yahweh rolls over the water. The El of glory thunders. Yahweh shouts over raging water. 4 The voice of Yahweh is powerful. The voice of Yahweh is majestic. 5 The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars. Yahweh splinters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip along like a calf and Mount Sirion like a wild ox. 7 The voice of Yahweh strikes with flashes of lightning. 8 The voice of Yahweh makes the wilderness tremble. Yahweh makes the wilderness of Kadesh tremble. 9 The voice of Yahweh splits the oaks[a] and strips the trees of the forests bare. Everyone in his temple is saying, “Glory!”
10 Yahweh sat enthroned over the flood. Yahweh sits enthroned as Melek forever. 11 Yahweh will give power to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
2 My son, if you will receive my words and store my commands inside you, 2 paying attention to wisdom inclining your mind toward understanding — 3 yes, if you will call for insight and raise your voice for discernment, 4 if you seek it as you would silver and search for it as for hidden treasure — 5 then you will understand the fear of Adonai and find knowledge of God.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
There is a Whole Lot of “If’s” Going on Here …
If you will call out for insight …
If you will cry aloud for understanding …
If you will look for it as for silver …
and if you will search for it as for hidden treasure …
and if then you will understand the fear of the Lord …
and if then you authentically desire to find the knowledge of God …
“if We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word…”
if We can never discover the depths of Scripture’s insights into life without first accepting it as true and authoritative, why then did God speak it to us?
If we do not, will not, accept the Word of God as true and as authoritative …
And if several hundred years later the Lord God continues to admonish us with these words of Apostle Paul to his protégé’ Timothy …
1 Timothy 4:11-14 The Message
11-14 Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, and teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.
Ask yourself, pray to the Holy Spirit … Is my soul being strangely ignited? Can my Soul be strangely ignited? Will my soul be ever become strangely ignited?
So, Let the Truth be Told … So, Let God be Revealed
We can never discover the depths of Scripture’s insights into life without first accepting it as true and authoritative.
We must first believe Scripture before we can understand it.
As long as we keep asking, Should this passage be here? Is it genuine? Is it a legend? Is it nothing but a fairy tale? If this is our constant approach, then we can never get around to asking, What does this say to me? What does it mean to me? Where is the wisdom hidden in this that I need so desperately in my life?
Those students and pseudo-scholars who feel they are a final authority on what ought to be here and what ought not to be here, never seem to be able to get around to understanding what is written. They never seem able to say anything or teach anything about the wondrous depths of the Scriptures, for they exclude themselves from minimal understanding by their attitude of judgment over it.
You cannot understand nuclear physics unless you first believe the underlying axioms that have to do with this realm of human knowledge. You cannot hope to understand chemistry unless you are willing to accept certain of the chemical formulas that have been proposed. You cannot believe anything until you accept it as genuine and put it to the test of experience, and this is true of God’s Word.
I remember Reverend Dr. Billy Graham saying that as a young man there came into his life a time and a season of doubt as to the authority of the Scriptures.
There came questions as to whether the text as we have it could be trusted, whether this was the Word of God or merely the ideas of men about Jesus.
He was troubled by the questions that occur all too frequently in these days.
He went away by himself up into the mountains, taking his Bible with him, and there began to read it, and read it, and read it.
He eventually came at last to the place where he said to God, I have seen enough of the transforming ability of this Word to know that you alone are behind it. I know, Lord, there are too many questions, many areas that I do not understand about this book, and I will take it by faith that it is your Word and believe it and preach it as your Word and trust that you will make clear to me what it means.
It was from this time that Billy Graham’s worldwide ministry of evangelism began. You well know that his favorite expression is, The Bible says. He does not debate it with anyone; he does not question it; he simply, diligently, declares it.
Devoted Ourselves to Prayer and the Word of God
Acts 6:1-6 The Message
The Word of God Prospered
6 1-4 During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.”
5-6 The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—
Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,
Philip,
Procorus,
Nicanor,
Timon,
Parmenas,
Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.
Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.
While the Spirit-filled events of Pentecost and the resulting ministry were extraordinary, the apostles, their followers did not begin saying afterward, Well, now the Spirit of God teaches me; therefore, I don’t need to listen to anybody else.
Instead, when filled with the Holy Spirit, they were all ears for the authoritative preaching and teaching of God’s word.
This teaches us an important lesson: the Spirit of God always leads the people of God to devote themselves to the word of God.
This is why the book of Acts is full of the centrality of preaching.
The apostles ultimately recognized that God’s supreme instrument for the renewing His people in the image of His Son was and is through His word and their diligent reading and diligent study of it, as His Spirit works through it.
Here in Acts 6 we see an example of the priority and protection the apostles gave to those called and equipped to teach.
The apostles recognized the sobering importance of being entrusted as devoted servants of God as Ezra, bring before the people the very Words of God Himself.
Nehemiah 8:1-12 New King James Version
Ezra Reads and Explains the Law
8 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate [a]from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.
Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the [b]governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.
The Old Testament books refer to the “oracles” of the prophets; this word can also be translated as “burden” (see, for instance, Isaiah 13:1-3, NKJV).
13 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.
It describes a millstone weight upon the heart and mind that comes about because of the awesome responsibility of speaking God’s truth to people.
Back in the nineteenth century Reverend Charles H. Spurgeon acknowledged the magnitude of this burden by declaring his pulpit to be more influential than the very throne of the king of England, for Spurgeon brought a message from the throne of God to that pulpit and delivered the truth of Christian doctrine.
We must pray for and protect those called to teach the truths of Scripture, whether to a congregation, or to little children, or in any other context.
It is no small thing to stand up regularly between a holy God and His people, declaring His word. It is a high heavy burden as well as a wonderful privilege.
In addition to praying for our teachers and preachers, we must also be humble and eager to sit and learn under the authoritative teaching of God’s word.
Such an example of devotion was set by the early church in their dedication to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42).
Contemporary devotion ought to look the same; we must each be committed to teaching that is based on the New Testament truths revealed to the apostles and built upon the foundations of Old Testament doctrine.
We must not be spending all our time snacking on the fast food of box sets that soak up our time, TV networks that confirm what we already think, and books or video games, vastness of social media that offer escape from the real world.
John 4:31-38 Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Jesus Explains: I Came To Do God’s Will. The Harvest Is Ripe
31 In the meantime the disciples were asking Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat”. 32 But the One said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about”. 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “Someone did not bring Him something to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus says to them, “My food is that I may do the will of the One having sent Me, and accomplish His work. 35 Do you not say that ‘There are still[a] four months, and the harvest comes’? Behold, I say to you— lift-up your eyes and look-at the fields, that[b] they are white for harvest[c]. Already 36 the one reaping is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal, so that the one sowing and the one reaping may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true, that ‘One is the one sowing and another[d] is the one reaping. 38 I sent you out to be reaping what you have not[e] labored-for. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor”.
Instead, we need ask God to set our meal tables to feast on the word of God.
Like Jesus taught his disciples; Let that be your spiritual food and you will find each day that the Spirit of God leads you deeper into the truths, the joys within.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:1-16 Complete Jewish Bible
א (Alef)
119 How happy are those whose way of life is blameless, who live by the Torah of Adonai! 2 How happy are those who observe his instruction, who seek him wholeheartedly! 3 They do nothing wrong but live by his ways. 4 You laid down your precepts for us to observe with care. 5 May my ways be steady in observing your laws. 6 Then I will not be put to shame, since I will have fixed my sight on all your mitzvot. 7 I thank you with a sincere heart as I learn your righteous rulings. 8 I will observe your laws; don’t completely abandon me!
ב (Bet)
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; don’t let me stray from your mitzvot. 11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, Adonai! Teach me your laws. 13 I proclaim with my mouth all the rulings you have spoken. 14 I rejoice in the way of your instruction more than in any kind of wealth. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and keep my eyes on your ways. 16 I will find my delight in your regulations. I will not forget your word.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 