Tag: Risk Taking

Advent Week Two: For unto Us a Son is Given. The Hope of Our Salvation!

One day, God came into this world to become our Savior. So that He could be the blameless lamb who was slain for our sins. He who knew no sin, became sin, so we should be saved. One day God came into this world with the fullness of love.

Isaiah 9:6-7 AKJV

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice
from henceforth even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

At Our Children’s Center at the church where I was a Lay Pastor, we were supervising the construction of a manger scene in a corner of the classroom. These 4- and 5-year-old students were excited as they set up the little stable and covered the floor with real hay, and then arranged all the figures of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the Wise Men, and all the animals. And in the middle was a tiny little crib, in which the tiny figure of the infant Jesus rested.

But one little boy walked up beside me and said he just couldn’t understand something. I asked him what that was as he was absolutely confused. He kept returning to the manger and stood there with his small, puzzled face. The teacher noticed him and asked, “Is anything wrong? Do you have a question?”

The boy replied, “What I’d like to know is: why is everything so small? What do you mean the teacher asked him? he said, “How will God fit in a small manger?” A very large and insightful question from such a small and very inquisitive boy!

How would we respond to such a question ourselves?

One day, all of God entered our teeny tiny world as a newborn baby in a manger.

But why did the God of heaven come down as a human infant? Could He have not come down from heaven with all His glory? The Book of Hebrews 5:8 says, “that though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Jesus was made perfect and learned obedience through suffering.

This does not mean Jesus did not know obedience before His incarnation, or that his human flesh was not perfect. He is eternally perfect and always united, in will, with the Father. Rather, when Jesus left the throne of heaven and put on humanity, He experienced the frail and sinful nature of man.

He would have experienced all of the hunger, exhaustion, pain, sweat, and temptation any man did. He was tempted, but did not sin, for He was pure and filled with holiness. It was through this method, that Jesus became the lamb who was slain for our sins. A pure and sinless lamb who was slain for our sins.

Today, let us meditate on the day salvation was born on this earth. Jesus is the reason for the season. Let us meditate on 3 points: God came to the world as a tiny baby, God came to be our Savior, and God came with fullness of love.

God Came to be our Savior

Jesus came to the world as an infant, but He grew in wisdom and stature. He didn’t stay as a baby. He became a man; dedicated to sharing the good news of the Father for others. Just ask the angels what they think of Jesus, they will tell you: “A Savior has been born unto you, He is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

• Ask John the Baptist and he will tell you, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29

Ask the apostle Paul, what do you think about Jesus? He will tell you, “That nothing compares to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:8

• Ask the Roman Centurion what he thinks of Jesus, he will tell you. “Surely this is the Son of God.” Matthew 27:57

• Ask Peter, what do you think about Jesus, and he will tell you. “God has made this same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:39

We celebrate the fact that God came to us as a tiny baby, but we also celebrate that this tiny baby became our Savior, who saved us from the chains of sins and death. The night Jesus was born, angels came to shepherds near Bethlehem, and one said, “I bring you good news of great joy.” That was a very happy greeting.

Since Thanksgiving, our shopping malls have been telling us that “It is the most wonderful time of the year.” And it surely is – for at least some of them. For many others, however, it can have many mixed emotions. Christmas is not the same as it was when we were those children in Sunday School. As an adult, we see it is different, sometimes it can be economically difficult, buying so many gifts. This year especially, because many people have lost their jobs due to the virus and the Pandemic. This year a lot of families have lost their loved ones.

Perhaps, this year, we have not been able to go on the plans we had for Christmas, due to Covid-19 safety. There are many family members working in the healthcare force. There are many people this year who have been affected, directly and indirectly, by Covid-19 and cannot see their family during Christmas. And sadly, there are many who have lost their loved ones this year. But even through all the struggles, God finds a way to put joy and peace in our hearts.

In this Christmas season, hopefully we should remember the good gifts that the Creator has given us: the sun, the moon, and this good earth. All the blessings of the earth: the sky, the waters, plants and animals. And shall we all glorify Him for this incredible gift of life: of flesh and blood and of breath and memory. Every moment we have lived in our lives, through both joy and sorrow, God yet gives us meaning to our lives and proves that we are fully human and fully alive. And, above all, we must remember the gift of when the Word became flesh and was sent to save us, to heal us, to bring us joy, and to bring us back unto God.

God’s prophet Isaiah, speaking on behalf of God, had prophesied hundreds of years before, in Isaiah 9:7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

And guess what? One day, an infant named Jesus came, just as God promised.

Those are magnificent descriptions of the long-awaited Messiah. “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

He is first called “Wonderful Counselor.” James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

He is called “Mighty God.” Colossians 1:15-16, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

He is called “Everlasting Father.” Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

And He is called “Prince of Peace.” Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Our Savior, our Messiah, and our redeemer was born to us. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. (Isaiah 9:6)” Can there be a more perfect place to be on Christmas, than God’s house? Can there be a more perfect story than the story of the first Christmas?

God Came to the World as a Tiny Baby

The Creator of the universe loved us enough to come into our world. And He did it not in power, but in the most helpless disguise possible: that of an infant. The Bible says, in Acts 3:26 “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son (child) Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” KJV.

Now the way that God came into the flesh is a great marvel and mystery. The Apostle Paul himself called it that. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh.” (I Tim. 3:16a) It is a marvelous event, a magnificent event, a majestic event.

John Phillips, the great English Bible scholar and Teacher, 1906-1982, (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5604570.J_B_Phillips) once said, “The great mystery of the manger is that God should be able to translate deity into humanity without discarding the deity or distorting humanity.”

One day, God came into this world to become our Savior. So that He could be the blameless lamb who was slain for our sins. He who knew no sin, became sin, so that we ought to be saved. God came into this world with the fullness of love.

However, there were a lot of trials and tribulations that laid between that the birth of Christ and the joy and salvation it promised. For the new-born child, trials and sufferings began almost immediately.

When He was just a baby, a jealous king tried to kill him.

When He grew up, the people of Nazareth threw Him out of their city.

He became a wandering teacher – homeless, often hungry, and weary, tempted and tried. He was hated, accused, denied, and betrayed.

At last, there came one Friday when a wreath of thorns was pressed down hard on his head, and He was spat upon, scourged with whips, nailed to a cross, and by mid-afternoon He was dead. Before sundown, His body was placed in a tomb.

However, through all the sufferings, the story does not end there. On the first Sunday following his burial, very early in the morning, Jesus met His friends outside the tomb, and His first word was this: the Greek word “Chairete.” Which means “All Hail” “Joy be to you!” “Be of good cheer!” Matthew 28:9

https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/mat/28/9/t_conc_957009 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5463/kjv/tr/0-1/

This greeting was a happy one. Jesus fulfilled the message of joy which angels had declared more than thirty years before. And now, here today, nearly 2,000 years later, we still echo that theme again: “Be of good cheer: we bring you good news of great joy!” God came to be our Savior.

We spend so much time on things from popular culture and old folk stories, that we may accidentally overshadow the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is a time for celebrating the day when heaven came down for us. The day God sent His only son as a lamb for our sins, so that we may also be called His children.

One moment He lived in glory, then in another moment, but gave it all up to become a tiny baby, who then became a grown man who suffered and died for the sins of the world. That humble baby in that tiny manger became our Savior.

He Came with the Fullness of Love

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder (Isaiah 9:6).” As a child of man, Jesus was born; but as the Son of God, Jesus was given. Notice the Son was not born, the Son was given.

Let us read the greatest verse in the Bible, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John. 3:16) God’s very first Christmas gift to the world was a newborn baby boy of deity wrapped snuggly in a frail package of humanity.

This tiny baby gave Himself for us. He stepped down from the throne of glory to carry our burdens. And for only one reason: God loves us, ALL of us. So, today, continue to contemplate the Prophecy, and give God the glory due to His name.

Many of us may have experienced troubles and struggles this year. This year has been a hurdle for many of us. However, the seasons of Advent and Christmas are a faithful, faith-filled, a hopeful, hope-filled reminder of God’s love for you.

No matter what struggles you and I may face during these Pandemic times, God is there working in your midst. He came into this world, so that you may have salvation, that you may have eternal life, be a part of His family and kingdom.

Welcome the depths of this Prophecy of God. So that He, the baby can live within you. So that no matter what difficulties we face, we know we are not alone, and we are loved. We are loved by the creator of the heavens and earth.

One day, God came into this world to become our Savior. So that He could be the blameless lamb who was slain for our sins. He who knew no sin, became sin, so that we ought to be saved. God came into this world with the fullness of love.

God came into this world as a humble and helpless infant. He did not come into this world with all His glory but came through the humble form of humanity.

For the sake of an indescribable, immeasurable love, He took on the fragile and sinful nature of human flesh. God came into this world to become our Savior. So that He could be the blameless lamb who was slain for our sins. He who knew no sin, became sin, so that we may be saved. God came into this world with the fullness of love. For we did not deserve His mercy, but still, He gave it to us through His grace. And by His grace, our sins and darkness are washed away.

In the name of Yahweh, the Father, Yahweh the Son, Yahweh the Holy Spirit,

Let us enter His presence with this prayer, with fervent hope for our Salvation.

Psalm 24 The Message

24 1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it,
    God claims World and all who live on it.
He built it on Ocean foundations,
    laid it out on River girders.

3-4 Who can climb Mount God?
    Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed,
    only the pure-hearted;
Men who won’t cheat,
    women who won’t seduce.

5-6 God is at their side;
    with God’s help they make it.
This, Jacob, is what happens
    to God-seekers, God-questers.

7 Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

8 Who is this King-Glory?
    God, armed
    and battle-ready.

9 Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

10 Who is this King-Glory?
    God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
    he is King-Glory.

https://translate.google.com/

Advent Week Two: For a Child will be Born to us, a Son will be Given to us; the Prince of Peace. The Government Will Rest Squarely on His Shoulders.

Politics and government. We seem to see them as necessary evils, bringing ceaseless frustration in the present but still giving us hope for the future. Our contradictory attitudes about politics and government are most revealing. We recognize the failure of human solutions, but at the same time we surely know something must be done to fix what’s broken in our nations and the world. What man cannot do; what man could not do; God has done; He’s given the Messiah.

Isaiah 9:6-7 NASB

6 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will [a]rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace
On the throne of David and over [b]his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Isaiah 9:6 may be the most familiar Old Testament prophecy about the birth of Christ. Handel included those words in one of the great choruses of his Messiah oratorio. Chances are excellent that sometime during this season of Advent you will either sing it or hear it several times on your radio this Christmas season.

Unfortunately, we only seem to pull this passage out of the box only during the Advent and Christmas season. It’s like one of the ornaments we use to decorate our houses. But have we ever truly thought about the rich truth this single verse teaches concerning the King of kings? Though we still await the full realization of His kingdom, the promised Messiah is the single greatest political ruler ever.

Do we remember that Isaiah wrote this prophecy at least a hundred years before Israel was taken into Babylonian captivity—nearly 600 years before the birth of Immanuel, God with Us, God within us, our Savior! Looking back at a litany of failed monarchs, and sitting in the rubble of Israel’s monarchy, Isaiah looked across the centuries to a time when God would rule on earth through His Son.

“A child will be born to us” underscores the Messiah’s humanity. He had to come to earth as a human being, from the depths of eternity, in the form of a child, so He could endure the temptations men face, yet be without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

“A son will be given to us” implies the Savior’s deity. He existed before His birth as the second Person of the Trinity: “Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, of literally everything; taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). He came unto us as the Son of God—God in human flesh—to conquer sin and death forever (John 3:16-17), to live again!

“The government will rest on His shoulders” affirms His absolute lordship. This verse looks to a time still (God knows) somewhere in the future when Christ will reign over a literal, earthly, geopolitical kingdom that encompasses all of the kingdoms and governments of the world (Daniel 2:44; Zechariah 14:9).

In that day, the government of the entire world will rest on His shoulders. But until that time, His kingdom is unseen, an invisible form (Luke 17:20-21). The Messiah’s rule is over those who trust Him and obey Him as Lord. It’s currently an invisible kingdom but will one day become visible and universal as His rule extends even over those who do not acknowledge His lordship in their hearts.

What kind of kingdom is it? What distinguishes the Messiah’s kingdom from the other kingdoms of this world? The names Israel used for Christ each hint at four very distinct characteristics which make the Messiah’s kingdom—in all its manifestations—so welcomingly different from any other earthly government.

Pray and consider this, at this time when the world is weary and despairing of political solutions, when the political future looks bleak, this is welcome news.

No Confusion—He Is a Wonderful Counselor

First, this kingdom is free from confusion, because Christ is characterized as a “Wonderful Counselor.” The King James Version separates “Wonderful” and “Counselor” with a comma, but the words seem to go better together and appear that way in most modern versions and other translations of the Bible.

Every now and then, a politician, political affiliation notwithstanding, comes on the scene who “possesses”, according to some, messiah-like qualities. Whether it’s a reference to speaking their ability, charisma, or wisdom, it is certainly an ego massaging compliment. However, when you compare the greatest social or political leader with Jesus Christ, you will discover there is no comparison at all.

During His incarnation, Christ demonstrated His wisdom as a counselor. While I was writing The Gospel According to Jesus, I studied every major encounter Jesus had with individuals who came to Him for counsel. He always knew what to say, when to reach out to a seeking heart, and when to rebuke an impetuous soul.

Even his enemies testified, “Never did a man speak the way this man speaks” (John 7:45-46 NASB).

45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” 46 The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken in this way!”

As God incarnate, Christ is the source of all truth. Jesus said, “I am 1000% the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:1-6). No politician can match that! It is He to whom we must ultimately turn and trust His loving rule of our lives.

Many of our politicians turn everywhere else but God for counsel. They go to one another; they listen to special interests; they have their own psychologists, psychiatrists, analysts, philosophers, spiritual advisors, gurus, astrologers, and other allegedly “highly educated subject matter expert” human counselors. But the King of kings keeps His own counsel. After all, “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed Him?” (Isaiah 40:12-15 NASB).

12 Who has measured the [a]waters in the hollow of His hand,
And measured the heavens with a [b]span,
And [c]calculated the dust of the earth with a measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?
13 Who has [d]directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His counselor has informed Him?
14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge,
And informed Him of the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the [e]islands like fine dust.

The Messiah is the Wonderful Counselor because He is God, the source of truth. When He rules the earth, there will be no uncertainty in his administration. He is the ultimate and only true answer to all manifestations of political confusion.

No Chaos—He Is the Mighty God

Second, the Messiah’s kingdom is singularly free from chaos because He is the Mighty God. He is the One who in creation brought perfect order out of chaos.

Scripture says, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Chaos is antithetical to who He is. He is a God of order. Christ the King is orderly, and He brings order to the troubled lives of all who surrender to Him. In other words, He not only tells His subjects what to do as a Wonderful Counselor, but since He is the Mighty God, He can also energize them to do it.

Legislation can go only so far; it stops short of providing the power and the will to obey. Because of the sinful nature, people will always strain against law and order (Romans 7:7-13).

Add human fallibility to the inability to make people obey from the heart, and you can see the severe limitations of political and legislative solutions.

But when Jesus Christ comes to rule this earth, He’ll display His divine power by bringing order to the chaos. Those who do not submit to His leadership from the heart, He will subjugate with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 2:27; 12:5 and 19:15). Those who humble themselves from the heart, bowing to Him as Lord and Savior, will find the power of the Mighty God unleashed in their lives to help them humble themselves in His presence and obey His commandments.

Because Christ is God, He can forgive sin, defeat Satan, liberate people from the power of evil, redeem them, answer their prayers, restore their broken souls, and reign as Lord— “Mighty God”—over their newly ordered lives.

That’s a politician this world has never seen and will never hope to witness to.

No Complexity—He Is the Father of Eternity

In comparison and contrast to human governments, the Messiah’s kingdom is uncomplicated because He is the “Eternal Father.” The phrase literally means, “Father of Eternity.”

That is a clear reference to the biblical truth that Christ is Creator of heaven and earth. In Hebrews 1:10-12 God the Father says to Christ the Son, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; they will perish, but You remain; and they all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.”

Nothing is too complex for the Creator and Sustainer of everything.

Infinity and all its intricacies and nuances are nothing to Him who is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Human life is getting more and more complex. Technology has so improved communication and transportation that commerce, culture, and religion have become global in nature. And rather than organizing and making sense of it all, governments of the world seem to exist primarily to make things more virtual, more complicated than it needs to be. We build bureaucracies to deal with the complexities of life—and consequently life only just grows more perplexing.

Messiah’s government, however, is simple and uncomplicated. He is the sole ruler—no bloated bureaucracy—and He knows the end from the beginning because He is the Father of Eternity.

Isaiah, prophesying about the kingdom, wrote of the highway of holiness: “The unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (Isaiah 35:8 KJV). His way is so free from the complexities of life that even the greatest of all fools cannot lose their way.

That kind of simplicity characterizes Messiah’s entire government. As the Father of Eternity, He alone comprehends the complexities of time and eternity. He requires no bureaucracy; He shoulders His government by Himself.

No Conflicts—He Is the Prince of Peace

Finally, in the Messiah’s kingdom there are no conflicts because He is the Prince of Peace.

He offers peace from God (Romans 1:7) to all who are the recipients of His grace. He brings peace with God (Romans 5:1) to those who surrender to Him in faith. He brings the peace of God (Philippians 4:7) to all of those who walk with Him.

There never really has been peace on earth in the sense we think of it. Wars and rumors of wars have always characterized these entire two millennia since the announcement at His birth of peace on earth (Luke 2:14).

Did you ever take the time realize that angelic announcement of peace on earth was a two-pronged proclamation? First, it proclaimed that God’s perfect peace is available to men and women and children right now. Read the words of Luke 2:14 much more carefully, diligently, and prudently: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (my emphasis added.)

Who are those with whom He is pleased? They are those who have yielded their lives to the authority of His government: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy” (Psalm 147:7-11 AKJV).

7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving;
sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 who covereth the heaven with clouds,
who prepareth rain for the earth,
who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9 He giveth to the beast his food,
and to the young ravens which cry.
10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse:
he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him,
in those that hope in his mercy.

Why should we hope in His mercy? Because we are sinners who need His forgiveness (Romans 3:23). We must recognize that fact first of all if we are to place our lives under His government.

We must understand that He gave His own sinless, guiltless life on our behalf. He died for our sins to save us from God’s righteous wrath (Romans 5:6-9). And we must be willing to turn from our sins and embrace Him by faith, realizing that we can never earn His favor (Ephesians 2:8-10).

But secondly, the angel’s announcement of “peace on earth” declared the arrival of the only One who ultimately can bring everlasting peace on earth.

Jesus Christ will bring lasting peace in the final establishment of His earthly kingdom. As we already mentioned, He will ensure “peace on earth” over the rebellious at heart by wielding a “rod of iron.”

There will be no coup d’état, no insurrection, not even the slightest threat to disturb the peace He brings to the world.

Isaiah 9:7 continues, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace.”

In other words, His government and peace will keep expanding and improving.

The hymn “Like a River Glorious” accurately speaks of peace that is “perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day, perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.”

How can anything perfect improve?

That’s one of the mysteries of Messiah’s government. It gets better and better, and the perfect peace flows deeper and deeper.

I absolutely look forward to the day when He returns to execute the final political solution which will truly bring world peace.

His is the greatest government because it’s ruled by the greatest ruler—the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

He is the only absolute and everlasting hope of mankind.

I also hope the government of your life rests securely and squarely upon His shoulders, that He rules and reigns even now in your heart. Only then will you experience the ever-growing peace that comes only from the Prince of Peace.

In the name of Yahweh, the Father, Yahweh, the Son, Yahweh, the Holy Spirit, let us now come together in an attitude of humility, reverence and prayer.

Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus as the Light of the world to enlighten everyone coming into the world. Thank You in Him is the light of the glorious gospel of grace that can never be quenched by the darkness of this world.

I praise and thank You His Light has come into my life and enlivened my spirit and enlightened my soul. Open my eyes more and more to see Jesus and to grow more like Him. Give me greater understanding of all You have achieved in my life, for without You I would remain in darkness and dead in my sin. Thank You for Your great salvation, to You be glory forever. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Advent: It is Another Season of More Waiting. It is Another Season of More Preparation. It is Another Season out of our Lives. A Season of Nonsense?

The need to conduct a spiritual inventory of this place we are living in our lives.

The need to conduct an inventory of our immeasurable connection to the world.

The need to conduct an inventory of our immeasurable connection and our relationship with God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Wherever we are in this exact moment, Has it reached the Time and Season to conduct our own inventory of An Age of Nonsense: “The Seasons of Our Life”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 Names of God Bible

Everything in God’s Own Time

3 Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and
    a time to die,
    a time to plant and
    a time to pull out what was planted,
3 a time to kill and
    a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and
    a time to build up,
4 a time to cry and
    a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and
    a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and
    a time to gather them,[a]
    a time to hug and
    a time to stop hugging,
6 a time to start looking and
    a time to stop looking,
    a time to keep and
    a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear apart and
    a time to sew together,
    a time to keep quiet and
    a time to speak out,
8 a time to love and
    a time to hate,
    a time for war and
    a time for peace.

God Gives Mortals a Sense of Eternity

9 What do working people gain from their hard labor? 10 I have seen mortals weighed down with a burden that Elohim has placed on them. 11 It is beautiful how Elohim has done everything at the right time. He has put a sense of eternity in people’s minds. Yet, mortals still can’t grasp what Elohim is doing from the beginning to the end of time.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

We have explored the futility of wisdom, of wealth, of laboring “under the sun” and now, as we steadily approach the appointed end of life’s journey, what can be said on our behalf? Have we made a difference in someone else’s life? Will we be able to say that over the short or long course of our we left this world better than we first found it? Or, are we being arrogant in assuming we can make one difference? Are we not just another jagged pebble in the shifting sands of time?

I pray! Allow me to share with you some of my own insights from the reading of Ecclesiastes. First of all, I believe that we have a magnanimous God. What do I mean by this? I believe our God, the exact same God who influenced Solomon’s thinking, is charitable. He is generous, He is patient; most of all, He is forgiving. On the other hand, this exact same God is not a doting grandfather-like figure who anxiously awaits our beckon call doling out everything we ask for. He is not the big “sugar-daddy” in the sky that ceaselessly begs for one ounce of praise.

Furthermore, I believe God is sovereign. Qoheleth “the Preacher” makes this point abundantly clear. The Name of God appears forty-one times in this book. Terms such as “the Creator” and “the Shepherd” as well as pronouns referring to God appear an additional five times. Phrases like “God made,” God judges,” “God does,” or God has done,” or God will do,” just jumps out of these pages.

In fact, it’s because God IS sovereign that Solomon come to grips with one of the most perplexing dilemmas about life. God alone holds the answers while feeble man has only questions and nagging doubts. Over the course of his life, Solomon succumbs to the understanding that man is virtually powerless and impotent before a sovereign God who creates, who orders, who directs, who orchestrates, who frustrates man’s vain efforts to be master of his own destiny.

Thank God we are made in HIS image! Thank God we are not robots who have no choice, no option, but to be obedient and compliant! Thank God we can make our own choices and but are not void of will. Thank God we are who we are! We are a creation of God, by God, and for God. We are uniquely and wonderfully made the Psalmist writes. We are not here by accident. We did not evolve from some organic plant life, fish or animal. These are feeble theories without fact or truth conjured up by cowards who are too afraid to recognize their own Creator.

From Ecclesiastes, I gain a sense of hope not hopelessness. I derive a sense of purpose not purposelessness. I don’t view the world as being in a free-falling, state of chaos. Instead, I see a world with profound meaning, profound purpose, direction, timing and orderliness in which I played so insignificant a part in.

What is the overriding theme of this book? It is this. We are here on earth for a reason and for a season. There is depth and significance to our existence. We are not a one-dimensional entity or a mere shallow remnant cruelly formed by a one-time creator who walked away after a failed experiment. Instead, we are each multi-dimensional; multifaceted. We possess a body, mind and spirit.

Solomon explains all this to us so that we will not repeat his own mistakes. He wants us to know that we worship a God whose ultimate desire is for us to be healthy in ALL the dimensions of our life … physically, mentally and spiritually.

It’s regrettable that most of the book of Ecclesiastes remains obscure. But there is this one portion from chapter three that is often quoted at funerals and weddings alike. It was even put to music in the 1960’s by Simon and Garfunkel although most people at the time did not even realize that they were actually hearing scripture. Sadly, these words “fall into deep silence,” are rarely preached from, and taught about and, tragically, few people live in accordance with them.

Success is not centered on looks. Success is not how much you or I have in our bank accounts. All this is sheer madness. This “chasing after the wind” is as old as the ages themselves. We keep searching for that “fountain of youth” a magic potion that will make us happy, successful, content and fulfilled. This quest could have, indeed should have ended three thousand years ago had man only read this book first before venturing out blindly, vainly. I believe Ecclesiastes is the finest work about any person’s insatiable search for their meaning to life. Solomon’s conclusions are some of the most critically profound ever written.

Yes, there are seasons of our lives and there are reasons for these seasons. First, THERE IS A SEASON FOR OUR PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. Secondly, THERE IS A SEASON FOR OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING and finally THERE IS A SEASON FOR OUR SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING.

If you look carefully, you will detect that the first eight verses of chapter three address these three vital aspects of our humanity: body, soul and spirit. Let’s try to inventory, to examine each of these human dimensions in closer detail.

First of all, THERE IS A SEASON FOR OUR PHYSICAL WELL-BEING.

Read the first three verses and then notice how applicable these words are in conjunction with our physical lives. None of us ever asked to be born. It was something done to us and yet apart from us. Likewise, none of us ask to die; it is an inevitable event that God has ordained. So, this is the way we should view this list of opposites, as a list of what God thinks we ought to have. It begins by pairing birth and death as being the boundaries of life “under the sun.”

The next verse deals with the supply of food for sustenance. “There is a time to plant and a time to harvest.” Everything must come at its own appointed time. If we get things out of sync, we’re in trouble; we cause disruption. For instance, try planting a crop in the middle of winter when the ground is hard and covered in snow. Many of the problems in our own life stem from our constantly trying to schedule and reschedule the timing of those things, which God has put in its own appointed place. Please know, there is an appropriate time for everything.

There is “a time to kill, and a time to heal.” Now, this may sound strange to us, but the process of dying goes right along with the process of living. Doctors tell us that every seven years and incidentally, the number seven is the Hebrew number for completion, all the cells in our bodies die. But our bodies do not die.

What you are now is not what you were seven years ago and yet you remain the same. That’s why I believe in “micro-evolution.” Evolution means “change” and change truly occurs. It is change that alters conditions. It is not the kind of Darwinian theory that we refer to as “macro-evolution.” Pray over, about the enormous complexity of our humanity. The fact that each human cell seems to pass on to the next cell that replaces it, the memory of the past so that, even though our brain cells have changed, the memory goes back beyond the life of the cell itself. Yes, there is a time to kill, a time to heal and God brings it to pass.

There is “a time to break down and a time to build up.” Youth is the time of building up. Muscles grow, abilities increase, coordination improves and senses are heightened. But then, as you begin to live long enough, things start falling apart … it’s “a time to break down.” And this, too, God ordained. Seasons come and seasons go. Growing older, getting older and old is not wrong nor is it evil. It is a natural course of events. As they say, “go with the flow,” because there’s no use fighting these currents. Things aren’t going to change “under the sun.”

The Teacher then delves into the realm of the soul. He determines that THERE IS A SEASON FOR OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING.

This aspect of our being has to do with thinking, feeling, choosing. It is the social concerns. It has to do with our interpersonal relationships. Verse 4 tells us that there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” There is no escaping the hurts and sorrows of this life. God determined that these, too, will serve to benefit us. And the proof of that is when God’s own Son came to us. He was not granted any royalty and honor.

He was not afforded a comfortable lifestyle. Instead, Jesus the Christ was scorned and ridiculed; He was reviled and hated. He was persecuted and tortured; He suffered excruciating pain for hours only to be led away to succumb to a most heinous death. He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, by whose stripes we are now all healed” [Isaiah 53:3-6]. Yes, in a fallen world, it is apportioned for us, and even God’s Son, to weep and lament.

But, there are also times when it is healthy to laugh, to be happy and carefree. Grief and loss will surely have its day, but dancing and festive occasions are also appropriate in its time. Psalm 30 says our Lord “has been gracious unto me, for He has turned my mourning into dancing” [verse 11]. In this same Psalm we too learn that “His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” [verse 5].

We would lose an invaluable connection to a wonderful aspect of our Lord’s humanity if we ourselves failed to see the merriment and the laughter that He provided for His disciples like the time at the wedding at Cana in Galilee where He performed His first recorded miracle by turning gallons of water into wine.

Then there is “a time to cast away stones and a time to gather them” [verse 5]. There is “a time to break things down and a time to build them up again.”

The Teacher here addresses our social customs, our deeply held traditions and our relationships with one another. There is a time to embrace others, to show support for them. But there comes a time when we ought to restrain ourselves. For example, if a friend commits an offense and refuses to acknowledge it, then we are correct in withholding an embrace for to do so would be tantamount to complicity with that which doesn’t edify, that is, build up, the faith community.

Verses 6, 7 and 8 address the last six opposites, which relate to our spiritual concerns: THERE IS A SEASON FOR OUR SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING.

These encompass our innermost thoughts. Our spirit being holds our core beliefs, our values and principles. There is “a time to seek [work, marriage, new friends, etc.], and a time to lose.” There comes a time in life when we should curtail certain friendships, seek new work, a new vocation or to move away. Circumstances in life change. Priorities in life sometimes warrant our having to give up which is familiar. It is both proper, appropriate for such times in our lives.

There is “a time to keep and a time to cast away” [verse 6]. There are values and standards, which must never be surrendered or compromised. There are other times when we need to “clean house.” There comes a time for us to remove the clutter; to sweep away the things of the past. This extends beyond discarding old clothes. This is also true of unhealthy habits and attitudes. Resentment and bitterness must forthwith be laid aside in order to allow forgiveness to enter.

There is “a time to tear apart and a time to sew together” [verse 7a]. Personal Relationships can become destructive and harmful. We must sometimes tear ourselves away from the past and move forward. Our Lord Himself said that new wine must be placed in new wineskins. At times, the past will not abide by what God has in store for you in the future. At other times, our Lord will want us to mend fences; to restore broken relationships for this, too, can be beneficial.

There is also “a time to keep silent, and a time to speak” [verse 7b]. There are times when we know something, perhaps a bit of gossip, and we should truly withhold comment. But, there are times when we must speak up, especially when we see wrongs committed. We must never hide the truth though the truth may prove painful. (The Teacher: Proverbs 3:3, 12:17-19, 20:28, 22:21, 23:23)

There is “a time to love, and a time to hate” [verse 8a]. When is it appropriate to hate? When we see abhorrent violence, the purging of whole peoples that we call “ethnic cleansing.” It is the destruction of the innocent, the killing of the unborn. Scripture tells us we are to hate the things that God hates. There are things in this world that are an abomination to our God (Proverbs 6:16-19) and they should cause us to shutter and recoil. They should lead to our inventories.

16 There are six things that Yahweh hates,
    even seven that are disgusting to him:
17 arrogant eyes,
    a lying tongue,
        hands that kill innocent people,
18 a mind devising wicked plans,
    feet that are quick to do wrong,
19 a dishonest witness spitting out lies,
    and a person who spreads conflict among relatives.

But, there is also a time to love. We should extend sacrificial love through auspicious actions of kindness, charity and goodwill towards our fellow man.

There is also “a time for war, and a time for peace” [verse 8b]. When tyranny strips away the dignity of man, evil is unleashed upon the world, when man’s inhumanity to man reaches a threshold, then war becomes necessary and this, too, God has ordained. Sometimes, the only way to prevent further bloodshed is to spill one’s own blood. There are times when war has been misappropriated. There are times when only peace should abide in the hearts and souls of men.

I point out that all of these seeming paradoxes are a part of God’s plan. The problem, of course, is that man inherently wants to take the course of least pain and resistance. If we truly had control of our destiny, we would avoid all kinds of unpleasantness. But, to live soft, comfortable lives would virtually ruin us spiritually in the end. God knows that those people who are shielded from the world invariably end up being miserable and utterly worthless. They become selfish, cruel, vicious, callous and unprincipled. Yes, there is a time for every season and there is a reason for every season “under the sun.”

So what gain is there to the worker from that which he toils? This probing question is asked three times in this book and finally, the Teacher discovers God’s purpose in all of this. God has made everything beautiful in its time. Everything is beautiful in accordance with God’s timing and not by man’s manipulation. For us: Genesis 1:1 through the Book of Revelation 22:21)

The circumstances in our life are ordered and directed by God. The difficult times are not to be viewed as curses, but rather as blessings in disguise for they strengthen us and they make us rely upon God for His provisions.

The Searcher also discovered that God has placed eternity in the hearts of man.

What does he mean by this? Mankind is the only animal that worships God. We are continually searching for the truth concerning the meaning of life here on earth and the life that is to come. We know instinctively that life does not end with our passing. There is something much more to life than our physical death.

C. S. Lewis once said, “Our heavenly Father has provided many delightful inns for us along life’s journey, but He takes great care to see that we do not mistake any of them for home.”

There is a longing for a secure place we can call home, a place like no other; a place that we know intuitively. We are not unlike the salmon that swims the world’s oceans only to return to struggle upstream in the same river and to the precise location where life began. They struggle against all barriers, they court, then they mate and then they lay their eggs and then become food for animals. The eggs then eventually hatch. The hatchlings swim out to the oceans. They learn how to survive and thrive until they too feel the irresistible urge to return. The cycle of all life continues in this way – precisely as God hath ordained it all.

The crux of the matter is that our God lives. He is active, He is vibrant, and so are the works of His creation. We are uniquely and wonderfully made. And God has a “no-nonsense” plan for your life, which includes the ebbs and flows that this world has to offer. Accept it, embrace it, rejoice in it and know that there is surely a God ordained “no-nonsense” reason for every season under heaven.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us now pray,

Father God,

I thank you for your limitless wisdom. I thank you for writing my story. Although I may not always understand why things are happening, you do. You go before me and keep me even my darkest hours. I thank you for using my moments of sadness as a starting point for a miracle to take place. Help me to embrace your process for me. Thank you, Lord, that you make all broken things new and beautiful. In Jesus Name. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia Amen.

Advent: Our Season of Anticipation, Season of Waiting, Timely Patience! Redeem our Meaningless Life Time!

“Vanity, Vanity, It is all Vanity!” Life is far from meaningless when one serves in accordance with the will God. All times both good and bad can be redeemed!

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 Names of God Bible

God Gives Mortals a Sense of Eternity

9 What do working people gain from their hard labor? 10 I have seen mortals weighed down with a burden that Elohim has placed on them. 11 It is beautiful how Elohim has done everything at the right time. He has put a sense of eternity in people’s minds. Yet, mortals still can’t grasp what Elohim is doing from the beginning to the end of time.

12 I realize that there’s nothing better for them to do than to be cheerful and enjoy what is good in their lives. 13 It is a gift from Elohim to be able to eat and drink and experience the good that comes from every kind of hard work.

14 I realize that whatever Elohim does will last forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken away from it. Elohim does this so that people will fear him.

15 Whatever has happened in the past is present now. Whatever is going to happen in the future has already happened in the past. Elohim will call the past to account.[a]

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

“Life is just nothing but just one long agonizing expression of my Vanity!”

When we consider where we are and have been, and where we are likely going, being but one mere speck of dust in this vast universe one cannot help but ask ourselves the one unspoken question: how I live my life, does it actually matter?

After reading Scriptures that say that God “made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor” (Hebrews 2:7) and “gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16-17) to “die to sin once and for all” (Romans 6:10); one cannot help but prayerfully conclude that we are valuable in God’s sight!

But what does one do with Solomon’s statement that everything in life is meaningless (1:1)? Are not our life and our host of both good and bad and horrific accomplishments only temporary, here today and gone tomorrow?

After all, who amongst us can add anything to or take away anything from the will of God our Father (Isaiah 14:27) who controls this universe (Colossians 1:17)? Does this mean that trying to determine the best way to live our lives is nothing more than a vain attempt to become significant?

Should we just eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we are all going to die? In this short devotional we are going to find out that what we do on this earth truly matters. After considering the long length of his life, Solomon concluded that his life had not been meaningless for those who serve God according to His will!

The Toils of Work

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.

Life can seem like one endless day of work after another! We get up early in the morning, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, prepare our lunch, drive though rush hour traffic, work, drive home, feed ourselves and children, clean the house, wash the clothes, go to bed. That pretty much sums up our typical day.

It is no wonder that Solomon calls work a burden laid upon humanity. God has certainly come good on His promise in Genesis 3:19 that we would work by the sweat of our brow until we return to the dust in which we came from!

O to live in the garden of Eden! Work has not always been a burden. Adam was told to take care of a garden that had no sickness, pain, sorrow, death (Genesis 2:17) or violence (Genesis 1:29-30). Adam’s labour seems extremely easy in comparison to our – seemingly impossible fast paced day in and day out grind!

To have no need for shelter and to have all of the food one could eat at one’s fingertips, would that not be paradise for us in these our contemporary days? Because humanity did not want to submit to God’s authority but instead wanted control over their own destiny, the curse of hard work is come rightly upon us!

Beauty in Time

11a He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Even with the sweat of their brow rolling down their faces, Solomon steadily encouraged his readers to perceive everything as having beauty in its own time.

The events that occur during the span of one’s life are not “random happenings determined by the roll of the celestial dice” but happen in accordance with the will of our Creator (Romans 8:28). For example, in verses 1-8 of this third chapter Solomon outlined fourteen opposite activities to demonstrate that there is an ordered season, a proper time for all human activity on earth and under heaven.

Verse Couplet One Couplet Two

2 To be born – To die To Plant – To Uproot

3 To kill – To heal To Tear Down – To build up

4 To weep – To Laugh To Mourn – To Dance

5 To scatter stones – To gather To embrace – To refrain

6 To search – To give up To keep – To throw away

7 To tear – To mend To be silent – to speak

8 To love – To hate To war – To have peace

Human beings will spend their days living between the “poles of activity represented by these opposites.” Since humanity has no control over time, what makes these opposite activities beautiful is being able to discern the good works that God wants us to do during both the good and difficult times. While this might seem like an overwhelming task, do not forget that God created us in Christ Jesus for the express purpose of doing good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Weeping, scattering, searching, being torn down, uprooted, mourning and yes even death can be beautiful! While trials and tribulations are a heavy yoke for any human to bear, they are a source of great joy for it is through the testing of one’s faith and perseverance that one attains spiritual maturity (James 1:2-4).

It is one thing to go through difficult times and feel joy but in the face of death where does one find beauty? Birth and death are two ends of the spectrum of life of which we have little control over either. While we participate in the process of conception and birth, it is ultimately God that knits us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-18; Jeremiah 1:5).

While our choices can shorten our lifespan, who can add a single hour to one’s life beyond what God has ordained (Matthew 6:27)? Not being able to control death however, does not mean that it can not be beautiful. When God chooses to take someone home to be with Him is that not beautiful, especially when that person has been suffering a long time?

And is it not beautiful to see someone come to know Christ because they have seen a Christian take refuge in God (Psalm 46) in He who is the rock of their salvation (Psalm 18:1-2)? Yes, even in our death there can come great beauty!

Our Limited Knowledge of Time

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

While doing the right thing at the right time yields great beauty that does not mean that we as the creation are able to determine why both good and bad things happen in our lives. As His image-bearers (Genesis 1:27; James 3:9), God has placed an insatiable desire in our hearts to understand how events in our lives work together for the eternal good of both ourselves and that of others.

Even with a sense of time past, time present and time future we are still unable to answer the toughest questions relating to why certain events enter into our lives, those “Why Me, Lord?” inquiries. For example, answering questions such as why did a loved one die at an early age in life or why did I get this debilitating disease; are usually far beyond our ability to make any sense of His handiwork.

Like Job, God’s divine providence is often beyond the grasp of our limited minds. While we want to understand the significance of all events from the beginning to the end in our lives our awareness of things eternal will always be limited to what God decides to reveal to us. For an explanation as to why events have happened in our lives we will simply have to wait until we meet God face to face to have any of our most pressing questions answered (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Redeeming the Time

12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

Even though we often do not know the reasons as to why events happen in our lives, by being happy and doing good in God’s sight we can find beauty in any circumstance. One does not need to know the “why” of God’s will to obey His will. Since “without God everything suffers in the futility of temporality,” there is no better way to live one’s life than doing the good works of God’s will that we have been prepared in advance to do (Ephesians 2:1-10).

One should take great joy in knowing that God-given, good works will survive the test of time (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) and will result in treasures being stored up in heaven (Matthew 6:20). Even when thoughts of mortality and difficult times occur we are to eat and drink and find satisfaction in our work for blessed is the name of the Lord who gives and takes away (Job 1:20-22)!

By counting our blessings, one can learn to be content and happy in all of life’s circumstances (Philippians 4:12-13). Redeeming time requires an act of faith in which one humbly walk the path set before oneself knowing that ultimately God does good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Reverence of God

14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. 15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.

The response God wants us to have to His immutable, inscrutable plan is one of fear, reverence and humble submission. Whatever the times come to pass, either good or bad, “inviolable steadiness” and security can be found knowing the Creator has grace and sovereignty overall things which are seen and unseen (Colossians 1:15-23).

To sum it up: The eternal perfection of God’s work overwhelms all human endeavors and mocks human aspirations to become eternally significant.

Knowing that all times are held in the hands of He who will call the past into account, should provoke fear of God in the human heart. This is not the kind of fear that comes from facing the monstrous or the unknown, but one in which we anticipate, we expect, we revere, respect, stand in awe of God’s awesome power and authority. When we fear God by seeking His will and following His commandments, our fast spinning treadmill of life and death is no longer any reference to vanity, instead an invitation to experience the hand of God at work.

In conclusion, what can we say? What ought we to say about this vanity of ours?

Our sovereign God, not mortal beings, controls the “times” that are ever before us! While many might claim to control the destiny of their respective lives, God alone is absolute sovereign and 100% in control of all things seen and unseen.

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 Names of God Bible

Lifelong Duty—Fear God and Keep His Commands

9 Besides being wise, the spokesman also taught the people what he knew. He very carefully thought about it, studied it, and arranged it in many proverbs. 10 The spokesman tried to find just the right words. He wrote the words of truth very carefully.

11 Words from wise people are like spurs. Their collected sayings are like nails that have been driven in firmly. They come from one shepherd. 12 Be warned, my children, against anything more than these. People never stop writing books. Too much studying will wear out your body. 13 After having heard it all, this is the conclusion: Fear Elohim, and keep his commands, because this applies to everyone. 14 Elohim will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every secret thing, whether it is good or bad.

Even the tiniest expenditure of our energies made toward trying to change one’s circumstances or “times” from bad to good is an exercise in futility, for nothing whatsoever can be added to or taken away from God’s sovereign plan.

The key to being “happy” or “significant” can only be found in praising God’s name and doing good in accordance with His will. Since one does not need to know the “why” of God’s will to obey, in reverence and awe we as Christians are to submit to the authority, and sovereignty of God by seeking His will and by obeying His commands. (Psalm 84, Psalm 103, Psalm 107, Psalm 118, Psalm 139)

When one comes to the acceptance of Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, one gets to experience the hand of God at work. Over time, through the ministry and works of the Holy Spirit, one knows the sweat of one’s brow is not vanity but the fulfillment of doing the good works God has prepared us in advance to do!

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us take time to Pray,

Heavenly Father, you are the holder of the future. I worry about the future, and I want to know what you have in store for me. I am scared that I’m unprepared, but I trust in you. Please equip me so that your will is done when the future comes. In Jesus’ name, In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

The Spirit Knows! Our True Happiness Is in Understanding and Obedience!

I have heard the words over and over again, Happiness comes from Obedience! Yet, I also think and pray to myself Lord, so much of the Bible seems hard and way too confusing, and that has made me put it down and become discouraged.

My mind has a tendency to follow one too many rabbit trails and things that are moving me further and further away from the perfect heart of God.  My fervent desire is to submit my whole mind to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit and then I can hopefully stay closer to the practical application of God’s truth.

Now through my further efforts to stay true to God, I ask God to forgive me for that horribly bad decision. Holy Spirit, Come! Create in me a fresh desire for remaining true to Your Word, and grace for an understanding far beyond what I knew before. Jesus, teach me and guide me as I read and study. I know now that our true happiness is found in Your instructions, and I simply want to dive into a significantly deeper relationship with God from now on. For Jesus’ sake alone!

Psalm 119:33-40 Names of God Bible

33 Teach me, O Yahweh, how to live by your laws,
    and I will obey them to the end.
34 Help me understand so that I can follow your teachings.
    I will guard them with all my heart.
35 Lead me on the path of your commandments,
    because I am happy with them.
36 Direct my heart toward your written instructions
    rather than getting rich in underhanded ways.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things.
    Give me a new life in your ways.
38 Keep your promise to me
    so that I can fear you.
39 Take away insults, which I dread,
    because your regulations are good.
40 I long for your guiding principles.
    Give me a new life in your righteousness.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

John Wesley traveled 250,000 miles on horseback, averaging twenty miles a day for forty years; preached 4,000 sermons; produced 400 books; he knew well ten languages.  At the age of eighty-three he was annoyed that he could not write more than fifteen hours a day without hurting his eyes, and at eighty-six he was ashamed he could not preach more than twice a day.  He complained in his diary that there was an increasing desire to lie in bed until 5:30 in the morning. (Source unknown).

What drives us to such a length of devotion? Such a deep desire to be obedient?

Answer? Understanding born of the Holy Spirit! Knowledge born of the Holy Spirit! God’s leadership through His Word is the pathway to personal revival. God’s Word is not a document to be learned but a path to be followed. He does not promise His route to be the smoothest but the direct route to His blessings, to our true place of indescribable Shalom, our genuinely abundant happiness.

Reading and re-reading, study and more study, praying and fervent praying without ceasing, our thoughts ever more focused on God in Christ Jesus above, making sense of the ever our changing morality and politically defined ethics, to seek more and more of the desires of Lord alone in the way we should go. I have this constant battle within myself to try and comprehend “God’s desires.”

God’s desire is to capturing our minds (vv. 33-34).

God’s teaching ministry is essential for obedience. “Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end” (v. 33)

God’s enlightening ministry is essential for our desiring greater obedience. “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law…” (v. 34).

God’s desire is, through our obedience, to be channeling our hearts (vv. 35-37).

God directs our will. “Make me go in the path of thy commandments…” (v. 35a).

God, through our obedience, directs our emotions. “…for therein do I delight.” (v. 35b).

God, through our obedience, directs our heart. “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies.” (v. 36)

God, through our obedience, directs our eyes. “Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. (v. 37).

God’s desire is, through our obedience, to be directing our focus (v. 38-40).

God, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, through our obedience, focuses us to understand His Word. “Stablish thy word unto thy servant…” (v. 38a).

God, through our obedience to His Statutes, outlined through His Word, focuses us to not be fearful of men …“who is devoted to thy fear.” (v. 38b).

God, through our raised spiritual awareness, discernment and understanding, focuses us to turn from our sinful ways; “Turn away my reproach.” (v. 39).

God, through our raised spiritual awareness, discernment, and understanding, directs us, focuses and refocuses us to be obedient to His Word. “…I have longed after thy precepts.” (v. 40).

The ability to understand and minister from the Bible is something which God, through the Holy Spirit, gives to us. Awareness, Discernment, Understanding are spiritual gifts from God, not something we conjure from within ourselves.

As Christians we have the ultimate opportunity in life to have God, by the Holy Spirit to give us perfect counsel and direction. He has a perfect knowledge and an understanding of what is best. He has perfect knowledge of what works and what will have poor results. He is so far superior to everyone else combined that no one has anything, even some small discovery, for which they can teach God.

To receive these gifts of awareness, discernment and understanding we need to read, pray, recognize our position as Christ’s servant who needs understanding. In order to properly understand and draw insights from stories in the Bible, we need the ministry of the Holy Spirit working within us for God’s understanding.

We cannot arrive at the same understanding that God has through intellectual reasoning. God gives us understanding when we ask Him for it, but we can not get it on our own or buy it through a college education. Spiritual understanding requires the Holy Spirit not the intellect, in order to have it and to understand it. However, we have to first PRAY, to ask God to give us understanding and then study the Bible diligently to find the understanding that God has for us to know.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now engage the living, ever transformational word of God in a time of prayer, meditation;

God, teach me lessons for living
    so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—
    my whole life one long, obedient response.
Guide me down the road of your commandments;
    I love traveling this freeway!
Give me an appetite for your words of wisdom,
    and not for piling up loot.
Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets,
    invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
Affirm your promises to me—
    promises made to all who fear you.
Deflect the harsh words of my critics—
    but what you say is always so good.
See how hungry I am for your counsel;
    preserve my life through your righteous ways!

In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

For The Spirit Searches All Things, The Spirit Understands All Things! Much More Like Jesus, Less Like Me.

Accepting the Risk! Taking the Risk! Knowing God’s will and having fellowship with God require spiritual understanding. Oh Jehovah, give me understanding according to Your word, and I shall live. Your understanding is unsearchable!

Psalm 119:33-40 Names of God Bible

33 Teach me, O Yahweh, how to live by your laws,
    and I will obey them to the end.
34 Help me understand so that I can follow your teachings.
    I will guard them with all my heart.
35 Lead me on the path of your commandments,
    because I am happy with them.
36 Direct my heart toward your written instructions
    rather than getting rich in underhanded ways.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things.
    Give me a new life in your ways.
38 Keep your promise to me
    so that I can fear you.
39 Take away insults, which I dread,
    because your regulations are good.
40 I long for your guiding principles.
    Give me a new life in your righteousness.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

THE SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING

The feelings of an understanding heart give us the sweet spirit of assurance of not only knowing but doing what is right, no matter what the circumstances. As we read God’s Word, it’s the Spirit of Understanding that will reveal and expose these things so that we can “deal” with them.

When we do not diligently read, study and pray over the Word, the Spirit of Understanding is not allowed to operate, then we will not be able to see or find our way. Hosea 4:14 says “…people that do not understand shall fall.”

How many times have you and I sat down for devotions and read God’s Word, gotten up and have found ourselves unable to remember a thing we had read?

Well, I believe it can be said, God’s Spirit of Understanding was not operating.

The Spirit of Understanding is God’s supernatural revelation – His secret insights to His Word. The Spirit of God illuminates our hearts and gives us understanding of His Wisdom. In other words, He “turns on the lights for us.” (Nancy Missler – https://www.khouse.org/articles/1996/138/)

It gives us discernment. When you have understanding, you’ll see the following things in your life:

— You’ll understand what’s going on behind the scenes. You’ll be able to piece together what’s really happening.

— You’ll perceive why people act the way they do.

— You’ll find it easier to see people and situations with God’s eyes and maintain His perspective.

— You’ll be able to discern the cause of things that you deal with from day to day and God’s timing more easily.

No matter how good a man or woman believes their understanding is, it is not enough for any of us to know the true and genuine will of God for any of them.

Knowing and living in God’s will for us and having fellowship with God requires spiritual understanding. Only spiritual understanding leads one to the realm of the Spirit and enables one to know and live in God’s will. Fleshly understanding enables one to know some superficial truths, but these surface truths will only briefly remain in one’s mind. Spiritual understanding can transform what it has superficially understood into abundant life because it comes from the Spirit.

God’s Holy Spirit, A spirit of revelation and spiritual understanding go side by side with each other. God has given each and everyone of us a spirit of wisdom and revelation; by His grace, He has also given us spiritual understanding. The wisdom and revelation from Him we receive in our spirit must be realized by the “ah ha” understanding before we can know the real meaning of the revelation.

Revelation is what we receive from God; understanding is comprehending the revelation we have received from God. Spiritual understanding expresses to us the meaning of all the movement within our spirit; it enables us to know some measurable degree and measure God’s will. It gives us permission to: “Risk It!”

Our connection, our fellowship with God relies on our spirit receiving God’s revelation, on the intuition of our spirit sensing this revelation, and on the gift of spiritual understanding to interpret the meaning of this revelation. Our own surface understanding can never resolve anything. When our spirit enlightens our surface understanding, the latter knows the purpose of God’s movement.

Spiritual enlightenment comes through the diligent exercise of daily prayer.

The 5th stanza of Psalm 119 continues a prayer which the psalmist began in stanza 4 and continues uninterrupted into the 6th stanza through verse 49.

As you read and re-read and pray over this 5th stanza of the psalm, notice just what the psalmist prays for. He longs to be taught how to have a heart for God.

33. Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;
and I shall keep it to the end.
34. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law;
I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35. Make me to go in the path of your commandments;
for I delight in it.
36. Incline my heart unto your testimonies,
and not to covetousness.
37. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life according to your way.
38. Establish your word to your servant,
as it produces reverence for Thee.
39. Turn away my reproach which I fear:
for your judgments are good.
40. Behold, I have longed after your precepts:
Revive me through your righteousness.

The psalmist knew that a humble heart before God requires prayer.

To keep his heart right before God, he had to be teachable (119:33), humble (119:34), go forward in God’s power (119:35), incline his heart to the word (119:36), focus his eyes in God’s direction (119:37), be grounded in his faith (119:38-39), and rely on God’s grace.

These are the things he prayed for, and this gives us an example of how to pray for ourselves, those we love as we live our day to day lives. This is also a guide in how to pray for the leaders of our country at this crucial time in our history.

Let’s take a look at these prayer concerns one at a time:

First, to be teachable means not only to be open to learn from God’s Word, but to actively apply what we’ve been taught. It means to be practical and not just ideological. God does not teach us so we can proudly share our learning with others and espouse grand ideas. God teaches us for the purpose of reaching out to others in practical ways to help make life better, not just for ourselves, but for others whom God calls our neighbors, and especially for those in need.

Secondly, the psalmist observed the need for humility. It should humble us that the Creator of the universe reaches down from eternity, not only to teach us through His Word, but to give us a measure of understanding through the power of His Holy Spirit. Does that inspire you to humble yourself and obey?

Thirdly, as we open our hearts and minds to learn, we need to pray for the will and the power to risk doing His work in the sphere where He has placed us. It is God who gives us to power to “go“ to “risk”– to act in His will and in His Name.

Fourthly, as we go forward, we need to go with hearts yielded to God. And we need to go with “all our heart”. Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:28-34

It is God who keeps our hearts from straying into the world and the worlds’ ways. He is the one who protects our hearts from being carried away by worldly philosophies and lusts. It is God who draws our hearts to Himself and reveals the “excellence of obedience” (Charles Spurgeon). Is your heart safe, is my heart safe in the loving hands of God or any safer straying into the clutches of the world?

The mention of covetousness in verse 36 leads the psalmist to pray next (fifth request) for his eyes, asking God to keep them focused in the right direction — upon Him and His ways, turned away from worldly, fleshy, lusty temptation.

Remember that sin entered the world through the “lust of the eye”. That is a warning that we need to be aware of the dangers of the world as they press in upon us. Our eyes need to be open and not shut, but our focus is important. Our focus is to be upon God, His Word, and His ways.

It is clear the psalmist realizes his total dependence upon God, as his sixth request is for his faith to be established. Faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), and it is established as we become firmly grounded in God’s truth and live lives that honor Him. In this way we remain steadfast and persevere in the face of temptation. As God’s children, we have no need to fear the judgments of men, but we must have deep reverence for God’s judgments which are good.

Finally, the prayer closes with a desire for God’s grace to go forward with hope and resolve to live a life of righteousness. And should not we all have that one longing as we read and study, and pray and meditate daily upon God’s Word?

This fifth stanza of Psalm 119 is the Psalmists sure prayer of hope — hope in God and in the power of His life changing Word. Do you and I cling to the effort of trying to place ourselves deep inside the Psalmist’s hope? Is his hope ours?

Beloved Scottish pastor George MacDonald, wrote: “Hope in the God who first breathed into your nostrils the breath of life; that He would at length so fill you with His breath, His mind, His Spirit, that you should think only His thoughts, and live His life, finding therein your own life, only glorified infinitely.”

For The Spirit Searches All Things, The Spirit Understands All Things! My only prayer now is that I become Much More Like Jesus, a Whole Lot Less Like Me.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now Pray;

God, teach me lessons for living
    so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—
    my whole life one long, obedient response.
Guide me down the road of your commandments;
    I love traveling this freeway!
Give me an appetite for your words of wisdom,
    and not for piling up loot.
Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets,
    invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
Affirm your promises to me—
    promises made to all who fear you.
Deflect the harsh words of my critics—
    but what you say is always so good.
See how hungry I am for your counsel;
    preserve my life through your righteous ways!

In Excelsis Deo!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

All That Matters is What God Already Knows of Us! A Living Faith, A Dying Fear. I accept that I’m Risking Failure

How willing are you and I to take a step of faith into the unknown? How willing are we to risk failure? Are we people who like to play it safe, get all our ducks lined up in a row, do our “pro vs con” sheet and then timidly step forward, or are we someone who enjoys the thrill of jumping out into uncharted territory?

Theologian and Protestant Reformer Martin Luther wrote: “God, our Father, has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.”

If you and I see ourselves as someone who likes to play it safe, let me say this: God is not looking for extraordinary daredevils who foolishly take risks for the thrill of it. He is looking for ordinary people who risk praying, prepare, count the cost, and then willingly venture out into the unknown because they have heard the clarion call of God and have confidence that God will hold them up.

It only takes a mustard seed faith, a little faith in a Great God to please God. 

Any man or woman who has stood at an altar before God and their friends to take a vow of marriage knows what it means to risk everything, take a leap of faith into the unknown world of matrimony. There was no guarantee of success, and no previous experience to calm the fear, but couples take this leap because they are willing to risk it all, they are in love and they want to be married and raise a family. We will step out in faith when we really risk wanting something.

Anyone who has ever gone out on a job interview, or taken a new position has demonstrated faith despite their fear and uncertainty. You needed and wanted work and so you went through the very scary interview process. That took faith.

I could give many more examples, the point I am trying to make is this: Only those who are willing to take a risk, and take that risk, a step of faith, and move out into uncharted territory enjoy the blessings that this life have to offer. God knows the fullest measure of our heart, how much we’re willing to risk for Him.

However, we also have to be extraordinarily aware of exactly how far we have stretched the bounds of our very fragile hearts and even more fragile souls. It is a very real possibility we take ourselves beyond reasonable limits absent God. It is here where we hear the Psalmists words, become hyper aware of a great need.

Psalm 119:25-32 AKJV

ד  Daleth

25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust:
quicken thou me according to thy word.
26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me:
teach me thy statutes.
27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts:
so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
28 My soul melteth for heaviness:
strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
29 Remove from me the way of lying:
and grant me thy law graciously.
30 I have chosen the way of truth:
thy judgments have I laid before me.
31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies:
O Lord, put me not to shame.
32 I will run the way of thy commandments,
when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

From this deeply heartfelt passage, it appears the Psalmist is experiencing too many difficult trials and troubles in his life but as a believer he is willing to risk it all for a deeper understanding and a greater insight into God’s Word. Even though his difficulties are a result of his own weaknesses he is not driven away from God but risks being drawn closer ever to Him. It seems that this passage is divided into two parts: My ways and God’s ways. It is for certain that we cannot live a committed Christian life and be satisfied living according to our own ways.

This section is structured by the powerful effects of God’s Word. It revives the soul (v. 25); it imparts inner strength (v. 28); it guides into truth (v. 30); and it enlarges the heart (v; 32). When we are down, afflicted, grieving or suffering, we need risk acknowledging, engaging the Word of God. So our psalmist reveals his condition, then risks everything, confessing that God’s Word is the answer 

  1. My ways (vv. 25-29).
    1. The confession of my ways (v. 25). “My soul cleaveth unto the dust..”
    2. The conviction of my ways (vv. 26-27).
      1. “Now teach me your principles” (v. 26). Reading the Bible for information and not for instruction.
      2. “Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,..” (v. 27) A desire to do God’s Word, not just wanting to understand it.      
    3. The contradiction of my ways (vv. 28-29). “Remove from me the way of lying:..” (v. 29).
      1. Singing and praising the Lord on Sunday and living for the devil the rest of the week.
      2. Claiming we belong to Christ and not demonstrating it the way we live.
  2. Thy ways (vv. 30-32).
    1. The choice of God’s ways (v. 30). “I have chosen the way of truth:..”
    2. The commitment to God’s ways (v. 31). “I have stuck (cleave) unto thy testimonies:..”
    3. The clarity (quickness) of God’s ways (v. 32). “I will run the way of thy commandments.” The psalmist is saying that I have made a choice to run God’s ways; I am committed and now I must respond with swiftness, without delay.

Restoration, Refreshment and Revival comes only when we reach the end of our own resources, repent, and call upon God to intervene. The psalmist is clearly in this condition. He is greatly humbled and broken. His soul is cast into the dust.

What then can he do? The answer is, “Nothing.” Thus, he prays, “Revive me according to Your Word.” This prayer for revival is based upon God’s Word, for God’s promises to give life to those who seek Him. The arousing inspiring Word of the Lord is the surest source of help in all tribulation of body, mind, or soul.

These verses from Psalm 119 testify to the undeniable ministry of God’s divine Word upon a heart filled with sorrow and mourning because of the deadening effects of the world around and the fallenness within. The psalmist prayed for reviving because he was laid low (v. 25). He then asked God for understanding, strengthening, and provision (vv. 26-29). When God gave him understanding, he would surely risk it all to comply because he treasured the Law (v. 30-32).

There are times in my life when I feel that I ought to be more in control of my Christian walk. However as my heart is enlarged with the Word of God (v. 32) my desire as the psalmist is, risk it all, run the way of God’s commandments.

It is my guess that I am not the only one with such a sentiment in my heart. It is my guess that whoever it is who comes across this short devotional is in a place very similar, if not exactly like the Psalmist, is struggling mightily for answers. Such is the nature of those struggles that they are willing to risk everything. I fervently pray that they will literally risk everything, engage the Word of God! Because I know someone quite literally risked everything to tell them of God!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now Pray,

In times and measures of weakness and hour of need,
yours, Father God is the strength by which we carry on,
Your Son Jesus, the shoulder we look to rest our head upon.
When our load, as the Psalmists is heavy and too much to bear,
yours and yours alone are the arms stretched out to help us
the grace, the only mercy, the great Shalom that we depend on.
In times and degrees of greatest weakness and hours of need,
from among the heavens and the stars above your voice is heard,
‘Come unto Me… Risk Unburdening Yourself…Risk finding rest.’
This is the indescribable, immeasurable undeniable grace divine,
the narrow path, through the eye of the needle, we tread to wholeness
of body and mind, soul and spirit, literally everything we are
the sure and certain path we risk treading which leads solely to you,
and for which we now offer our offering of thanksgiving and praise.

In Excelsis Deo!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

What Really Matters in Life is NOT What We NOW Think of Ourselves but What God Already Knows About Us!

Romans 12:1-2 AKJV

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

When we get to the reality of the matter, What really matters to us in life?

What we think of ourselves? What others and everybody else think of us?

Life. It’s a funny thing. Each of us, if we’re reading this little devotional, has been given a life, made up of the breath we breathe, the intellect we use, and the relationships we share. With every spoken word and every decision made, we each play a central role in the purpose our lives hold and legacy our lives leave.

Yet, time moves by so quickly and the resource of life can be used up before we realize. It takes hindsight observation to help us see clearly once again. Perhaps it’s a yearly celebration, a family reunion, or the turn of a new year. But, it’s only when we take that moment to reflect, respond, and re-new our decisions that we can change the course of the life we’ve been given.

Intentionality and pre-determined priorities help ensure we’re sacrificing the resource of our life to the things we value. So, before more life is sacrificed to the wrong things of this world, we must take time to determine what we value in Savior Jesus. Before you read, then reread today’s text, let’s stop to reflect.

What mercies has God offered to you in 2021?

What mercies from God definitely still await you in the days, weeks and months, years ahead of you?

List several ways you’ve seen God show up in obvious or subtle ways this year. Then, read Romans 12:1-2 in its various biblical versions and translations.

Romans 12:1-2 J.B. Phillips New Testament

We have seen God’s mercy and wisdom: how shall we respond?

12 1-2 With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

Romans 12:1-2 The Message

Place Your Life Before God

12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1-2 Amplified Bible

Dedicated Service

12 [a]Therefore I urge you, [b]brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be [c]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

Chapter 12 is the central shift in the book of Romans and today marks a shift in our lives. It’s a fresh start. We look back at what God’s done for us, so we can turn our eyes then toward a renewed way of living with the new year ahead. In view of what God’s done for you, both in the last year and in generations past, what one area in your personal and spiritual life do you want to respond to with priority in the remaining days of Real Thanksgiving ahead in 2021 into 2022?

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us Pray;

God of Grace, you call us to be different from the world, but the world is seductive, and so we come here to be strengthened. God of Vision, you hold before us an alternate way of life, different priorities, different loyalties, different values. But we know that the world is not only seductive but powerful, and so we are drawn in to following its priorities, accepting its values, showing loyalty to its gods. God who blesses the meek, the peacemakers, the merciful, forgive us when we lose sight of these qualities, when we misunderstand their role in the world. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Exalt the Truth of the Lord our God! How Much Are We Appreciating the Reality of Truth and the Word of God?

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
― Lao Tzu

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”
― Soren Kierkegaard

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”
― John Lennon

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” ― Albert Einstein

Now a different question and thought about reality comes to the forefront.

Are we appreciating the reality of reality?

That there is a genuine reality to experience versus our fictionalized worldview brought to us, living color, graphically vibrant, over dramatized by our media? Hyped up by one social media outlet after another? Lied about through politics?

Is there a genuine reality, greater than all other accounts, by which and through which we can communicate, connect and relate with each other in 100% truth? I am not talking about a “politically correct, politically safe” version of reality, of truth. But the genuinely real place where ALL people can go to find real life and truth? Is there one single common ground upon which we can all walk and live?

Yes! The Word of God for the Children of God and the truth contained therein. It is an ageless collection of words and wisdom thousands of years in the writing. For thousands of years, countless people have lived by its truths, its principles, its host of promises offered for our personal meditation, study and application.

Even if we never believed in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, non believers can pick up the Book, read it, ponder it, study it and decide to still not believe it. We can read it as uneducated, can examine it as educated, decide: “Real or No?” However we approach the contents of the Bible, would we appreciate its truth? Would we appreciate the reality that there is Genuine Truth present inside of it?

Psalm 119:17-24 NRSV

17 Deal bountifully with your servant,
    so that I may live and observe your word.
18 Open my eyes, so that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
19 I live as an alien in the land;
    do not hide your commandments from me.
20 My soul is consumed with longing
    for your ordinances at all times.
21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
    who wander from your commandments;
22 take away from me their scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your decrees.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will meditate on your statutes.
24 Your decrees are my delight,
    they are my counselors.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

One of the biggest problems with many today is that they have a hard time dealing with reality. We have a hard time defining reality. The truth is that as Christians we can not live a life without the truth of God’s Word implanted and demonstrated in our lives. The fact is as a Christian this passage of Scripture makes three very practical suggestions that can assist us in facing reality.

One of the biggest problems with many today is that they have a hard time dealing with reality. The truth is that as Christians we can not live a life without the truth of God’s Word implanted and demonstrated in our lives. The fact is that as a Christian this passage of Scripture makes three very practical suggestions that can assist us in facing reality.

  1. Examine our dependence (vv. 17-19. We desperately need God in our lives.
    1. Dependent for life itself (v. 17). Every breath we take we depend on God.
    2. Dependent for insight into His Word (v. 18). Illumination, not new revelation. Nehemiah 8:1-12
    3. Dependent for guidance through life (v. 19). Not our home, we are just passing through. Psalm 1, Psalm 8, Psalms 22, 23, 24, Psalm 107
  2. Express our desire (vv. 20-21) To know the Word of God and be obedient to it.
    1. Motivated by recognition of the humble (v. 20). With a desire to know the mind of God. Philippians 2:5-11
    2. Motivated by rebuke of the proud (v. 21). Understanding the God rebukes the proud. Isaiah 1:16-20, Isaiah 2:1-4, Mark 1:1-14
  3. Establish our decision (vv. 22-24). To stop playing Church.
    1. In spite of scorn we will remain faithful (v. 22). Even when treated as contemptible. Job 1:20-21, Job 19:23-27, Lamentations 3:16-26
    2. In spite of slander we will be strengthened (v. 23), Even when we are lied about. Daniel 6:10-25
    3. In spite of sadness we will be joyful (v. 24). Even when we have no one else to delight in. Psalm 32, Psalm 34, Psalm 51, Psalm 84, Psalm 100, Psalm 118

PERSONAL APPLICATION OF APPRECIATING THE WORD AND TRUTH OF GOD

Having my soul and my spirit illuminated, I can testify God never short changes me. He gives me His very best of everything He IS. I must always understand that Christ in my life is enough. The reality is that He is what I need every day. The reality is that I need to be infinitely more appreciative of Him everyday! The reality is that I need to be infinitely more appreciative of His Truth everyday!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now Pray;

O’ my God, give me a greater desire to read and study your word and more joy in doing it each, every day. Give me patience to learn what it says and the wisdom to understand how to use it in my life. Help me know you and Jesus better so I will want be like you in every way possible. Increase my faith so I will trust you in all things and thus willingly follow your will for me. Thank you for those who have helped me in my understanding. In Excelsis Deo! I pray in the name of Jesus. Alleluia! Amen.

Exalt the Name of the Lord our God! Exalt the Truth of the Lord our God! The Blessing of Knowing Scripture!

I have God’s permission to have Hope! I am blessed if my walk is blameless, and that can only be achieved by walking according to God’s laws. This walk cannot be now and then, but must be with my whole heart, with no unrighteousness mixed in. Such a lifestyle will help me not to be ashamed when I see myself in the mirror of His Word. The more I learn of His righteousness, the more I give thanks to Him for it. Our God is 100% faithful to care for His obedient children.

Psalm 119:1-8 Names of God Bible

Psalm 119[a]

1 Blessed are those whose lives have integrity,
    those who follow the teachings of Yahweh.
2 Blessed are those who obey his written instructions.
    They wholeheartedly search for him.
3 They do nothing wrong.
    They follow his directions.
4 You have commanded
    that your guiding principles be carefully followed.
5 I pray that my ways may become firmly established
    so that I can obey your laws.
6         Then I will never feel ashamed
            when I study all your commandments.
7 I will give thanks to you
    as I learn your regulations, which are based on your righteousness.
8 I will obey your laws.
    Never abandon me.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen!

Have we ever thought of how easy it is for us to take the Scriptures for granted?

Here we are in possession of the very words of God Almighty! Out of His goodness, He has preserved His word for us. Not only are we blessed to be in possession of Scripture, we are blessed through knowing Scripture.

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the Bible and at its heart, is a love for God’s Word. As the Psalmist wrote these words, he (possibly King David) had an indescribable desire to know the Word far beyond just an introductory level.

He was not content with just knowing the basics of Scripture, He wanted to know the God who inspired Scripture. He knew that he was not only blessed with having the Word of God, he was blessed by knowing the Word of God.

If we follow what the Psalmist says in these first 3 verses, we see that those who practice and know the Scriptures are blessed. In order for us to be blameless, we need to walk in the law of the Lord. If we seek Him with our whole heart and keep His testimonies, we will be blessed. Who are the ones that do no wrong?

The ones that walk in His ways. There is a double blessedness that we see in these opening verses. To meditate upon, to know , to study and to practice what God reveals to us in Scripture blesses our lives echelons beyond understanding. It is one thing to just hear and read the Scriptures, it is another thing entirely to risk taking the next step, going beyond knowing them and so to practice them.

In verse 2, we are told that we are blessed if we seek him with our whole heart.

This means that if we truly want to feel the blessings of knowing God’s Word, our devotion to studying His Word needs to extend far beyond just skin level.

It is all too easy to read the Bible like a Pharisee. To read the word, to know the word but fail to prudently apply it to our heart, and to our lives, is a soul killer.

In this smart phone, technology driven age we live in, When you and I read the Bible and have our time alone with God, do you and I read it to know it? Or do you and I read it to live it out and to also better love the One who inspired it?

So, with your smart phone in hand, looking down, at it, what is your quiet time like? If we had to teach what it meant to 100% truly love the Word of God, what would we teach? Would we be able to say like the Psalmist that you seek Him with our whole heart? Do we walk in His ways and not just talk in His ways? How can we make sure that we are walking and seeking with our whole hearts?

I’ll give you 3 ways, although, there are many more that could be listed. 

1. Read the Bible supernaturally. In your hands are a book that is unlike anything ever written. There is no other book in all of history that is like the Word of God. You are holding perfection in your hands, the very words of God. I believe it has been repeatedly said, “if you want to hear the audible voice of God, read your Bible out loud.” Have you and I ever thought about it that way?

The Sovereign King over ALL is speaking to you and me through this book! Go to the Bible expecting to hear God speak and you will never be disappointed. Reverend Dr. John Piper has written an excellent book called Reading the Bible Supernaturally that does a much better job detailing this if you were interested in meditating, learning more about what it means to read the Bible differently.  https://www.christianbook.com/reading-supernaturally-seeing-savoring-glory-scripture/john-piper/9781433553493/pd/553494?event=ESRCQ

2. As much as possible in these contemporary days, make a plan to actually put into action what you read. Prepare to engage the works and machinations of mankind through the greater works and machinations of God in His Kingdom.

All too often we can pick up a book, read it, learn from it, and then carry on with our lives as if we never picked it up to begin with. This cannot be the case with the Bible. Notice that the Psalmist uses the verbs walk and seek when it comes to those that are blessed. If we want to experience the full blessings of knowing God through His word, we need to risk putting some action behind that desire.

John Wesley once wrote, “it cannot be that people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading. A reading people will always be a knowing people.” The more you and I read and act on the Word, the more we will know the One who inspired it all. As you and I read our Bible, write down some things that stick out to us and risk trying to implement those things into our daily life.

Maybe it is something as simple as our finding a quiet place to pray alone or memorizing Scripture. Maybe it’s something more like explaining the Gospel to a friend or a coworker. We can never grow spiritually if we aren’t acting towards growth. It might look and feel like we are taking baby steps, but we serve a God that is faithful and will help us to grow. The only thing we can’t do is nothing. 

3. Pray the Word! When we read the Bible, pray that God would reveal Himself to you. Do not go to the Bible and expect to understand it on your own power.

Pray! some of the promises of Scripture such as Jeremiah 29:13, where the Lord says that those who seek Him will find Him or pray James 4:8 which says that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Be Silent! (Romans 8:26)

Pray for grace, for wisdom and understanding before, during, and after reading Scripture. Meditate on those Words as you go throughout your day. If you are struggling with a passage, do not be afraid to ask God to reveal information to you. Finally, remember to thank the Lord that He has revealed Himself to you through His Word, through His divine nature, and through the world around us.

PRAY! Dare to Risk a direct and decisive engagement with God!

PRAY! Dare to Risk a direct and decisive engagement with His Son, Jesus Christ!

PRAY! Dare to Risk a direct and decisive engagement with the Holy Spirit!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us please PRAY,

Come Holy Spirit and Fill the Hearts of the Faithful

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your
love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and you shall renew the face
of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of
the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever
enjoy your consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.