Bethel Lutheran Church
Daily Devotions
Friday, May 16
Thy Kingdom Come
Every time you pray this petition, you recognize that there are two kingdoms. There is the kingdom of God and the kingdom not of God. Thee is a realm where God is the Ruler and one where Satan rules with the powers of sin and death. These two kingdoms are opposites at every point; therefore, conflict and warfare are inevitable when they meet.
Every time you pray this petition you are asking God to invade and conquer the kingdom of Satan. God's great invasion and conquest came in the person and in the work of His Son. Christ's first coming - His incarnation, His life, His death, His resurrection - all tell the story of that great invasion and conquest. But Christ has not yet eternally chained Satan. Satan, though conquered by Christ, is still permitted to prowl about as a roaring lion. Constantly there is conflict. Jesus speaks of love - Satan of hate. Satan says, "Hit back;" Jeus says, "Turn the other cheek." Jesus says "Bless," where Satan cries "Curse." Jesus is Truth and Life; Satan is the Lie and Death.
God's invasion and conquest climaxed on a battleground called Calvary. The strange thing about this battle was that both used the same weapon - a cross. Satan led sinful men to nail Christ to the cross, but in the process of being nailed to this cross, Christ took all of man's sin upon Himself. Christ did this to that He might draw all men back to God again and to salvation.
You cannot pray the words "Thy kingdom come" unless you are identified with God's kingdom. You cannot say that you want God's rule to come into this world unless His rule is first set up in your heart. This means that you have no other master but God and His Son Jesus Christ. You desire to serve no one in your life but Him. Many want to call Jesus "Savior," because they want to be saved from hell. But few want to call Jesus "Lord," because they want to have life their own way.
Jesus wants and needs yound men and women to pray this petition. In a world where so many are in Satan's power, Jesus wants people like you who are sold on His kingdom. This petition separates the true Christian from the untrue, for you are inviting conflict and a hard struggle. So look all about you at the evil foe, and strap on the Gospel armor and ready yourself for the real battle. Then say, "Lord, now let Thy kingdom come!"
Reflections
Read Luke 11:14-23. Compare this narrative with Romans 5:17-21.
Luke 11:14-23
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Romans 5:17-21
7 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus clearly sets up Satan's kingdom in contrast with that of God. His power over Satan's rule (Luke 11:20) demonstrates the invasion of the kingdom of God. No man has been able to overcome Satan and overthrow his rule, for no man have overcome death, sin, and hell. But Jesus Christ is the stronger. One (Luke 11:22), for He has overcome sin, death, and hell. That is what Paul is thinking of in his Letter to the Romans, in chaper 5:17-21. Each verse tells of the conflict between the two realms. But what is more important, Paul shows how in the Lord Jesus Christ we now have the rule of God's grace for a life of righteousness. In this truth lies the heart of our Christian faith and the purpose of the Christian Church.
Read the thirteenth chapter of Matthew. The entire chapter deals with parables concerning the kingdom of heaven. Each parable of Jesus can give you rich insight into the meaning of the kingdom of heaven. As you read, reflect on the following
The Parable What is shows about the kingdom
The Sower As God's Word is received, so is its victory
The Weeds The inevitability of conflict
The Mustard Seed The promised growth
The Yeast Its universal influence
The Hidden Treasure The joy in finding it
The Pearl Its immeasurable worth
The Net It demands a final judgment
Saturday, May 18
Psalm 23
The Lord Is My Shepherd
The 23rd psalm is a psalm of thanks in which a Christian heart praises and thanks God for teaching him and keeping him on the right way, comforting and protecting him in every danger through His Holy Word. The psalmist compares himself to a sheep that a faithful shepherd leads into fresh grass and cool water. In addition, he shows the table, the cup, and oil also as images from the Old Testament worship and calls it all God's Word, as it is also called rod and staff, grass, water, and the way of righteousness. This psalm belongs in the Third Commandment and in the Second Petition.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Prayer
Lord, Jesus, who alone is the one Good Shepherd, thanks be unto You for all Your spiritual and bodily benefits. Let the Word of Your salvation dwell among us richly, and suffer not that trusty staff, the word of Your promise, to be taken from us. And when the shadow of death spreads over us, conduct us safely to the fold of the perfected saints, the tabernacle not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Amen.
Sunday, May 18
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" - Story Behind the Hymn
All hail the power of Jesus' Name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem And crown Him Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem And crown Him Lord of all.
Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God, Who from His alter call; Extol the stem of Jesse's rod And crown Him Lord of all. Extol the stem of Jesse's rod And crown Him Lord of all.
Ye seed of Israel's chosen race, Ye ransomed from the fall, Hail Him who saves you by His grace And crown Him Lord of all. Hail Him who saves you be His grace And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line, Whom David Lord did call, The God incarnate, man divine, And crown Him Lord of all. The God incarnate, man divine, And crown Him Lord of all.
Sinner, whose love can never forget The wormwood and the gall, Go, spread your trophies at His feet And crown Him Lord of all. Go, spread your trophies at His feet And crown Him Lord of all.
Let every kindred, every tribe, On this terrestrial ball To Him all majesty ascribe And crown Him Lord of all. To Him all majesty ascribe And crown Him Lord of all.
Oh, that with yonder sacred throng We at His feet may fall! We'll join the everlasting song And crown Him Lord of all. We'll join the everlasting song And crown Him Lord of all.
All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name
By the end of the nineteenth century, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" was one of the top ten hymns, based on the number of hymnals that included it. Its author is Edward Perronet, an itinerant Methodist preacher and an associate of John and Charles Wesley. Because the Wesley's wanted to keep their movement within the Anglican Church, they forbade Methodist preachers from holding their own Communion service. Perronet defied that order, not only offering the Sacrament without authorization from the bishops but also publishing harsh attacks against the established church.
The hymn exists in a number of different forms, with various revisions, alternative versions, and additional stanzas. Some of these changes and additions may be from other hands.
Perronet was a talented by uneven poet. Consider, for example, his original second stanza:
Let highborn seraphs true the lyre, And, as they tune it, fall Before His face who tunes their choir And crown Him Lord of all.
The imagery is unintentionally humorous: highborn seraphs falling down as they try to tune their instruments, with the Lord of all described as a choirmaster trying to get them to play in tune. Later versions of the hymn wisely leave out this stanza.
Another early stanza says to crown Him "who fixed this floating ball." Describing the earth as a ball floating in space is an interesting image, though that the ball is "fixed," meaning not moving, does not go well with the more fluid "floating." Most people would agree that the later variation "terrestrial ball" is better.
Over time, hymnal editors selected the best stanzas and the best lines from the various versions. The hymn became part of the living tradition of the Church, which turned it into a truly great song of praise.
Monday, May 19
"Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven"
Prayer is a spiritual process of getting in gear with the mind of God. It is a spiritual exercise to align the believer's will with the will of God. It is a means of getting in sync with the thinking of God.
A well-known Bible commentator gave this illustration on prayer. Once there was a man who purchased a very expensive violin and the sheet music of many famous symphonies. The man had one of the most expensive plasma televisions with the best surround sound capabilities. He always wanted to play with big orchestras, but never could. His idea was to play his violin at home by following this music of the symphony and playing with the orchestra as it was played on public television. He would check the program listing to find out which songs would be played. Then he turned on the TV program with his music in front of him and play. At first he missed beats and lost his place and made his violin sound like fingernails on the chalkboard. But in time, he mastered the art of it and managed to play along rather easily with the great orchestra. Now if this man would refuse to tune his violin, or if he decided to play Brahms's First while the television station has scheduled Haydn's Surprise Symphony, there would be no harmonious music. There would be jagged, annoying discords. Or if this man shut off his television because he didn't like the selection, this would in no way stop the station's music from flying over the airwaves.
The comparison is clear. You pray, "They will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In fact, you can be assured that God's will is being carried out on earth according to His eternal purpose. But you are praying that you can become part of His will, or that His will can become your will. Thus you seek the harmony of your will to the Father's and the alignment of your life with His Son's. Prayer is definitely a spiritual art that few know, thus few have mastered. Your natural will does not want to play the same piece that God is playing in His heavenly orchestra. But in prayer, seeking prayer, listening prayer, earnest prayer, your ear will become attuned to heaven's pitch, and your life will become more in harmony with your heavenly Father's will.
Never will you want to turn God off, as though going your own way could ever stop the great design of God. But you pray that you can become a real part of His holy will, that though you a part of God's grand purpose might find fulfillment.
Reflections
Read Mark 9:14-29.
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
The emphasis that Jesus wants to make is in verse 29. What does Jesus mean, "This kind can come out only by prayer"? The disciples were unable to cast out the demon in this boy (verse 18), even though they had this power and used it (see 6:74-13, especially verse 13). They had the power, but they lost it! Jesus' words in 9:29 give us the answer to why the disciples were unable to cast out the demons (verse 27-28). Jesus says that only by prayer can a Christian keep the good gifts God has given him. The disciples' failure lay in the failure to give time and perseverance to prayer. They got out of gear with the power and the will of God. Many young people are confirmed in the church each year. Yet as they grow up in their teens, they no longer come to worship. They lose all interest in the Word of God, and become lost to the church. Why? Because that which was given to them at their confirmation was lost. It was lost because they failed to spend time in prayer, the study of God's Word, and participating in Holy Communion.
Read the fourth chapter of Jonah. Here Jonah confesses that he was not in gear with the will of God. He was not sympathetic to the grace of God. In chapters one and two Jonah tells how he tried to run away, but how God appointed a great fish to swallow him up, and how God finally saved him from inevitable death. In chapters three and four, Jonah tells how he responds to God's command (3:1-3) by going to Nineveh and preaching God's message. In chapter four Jonah confesses how disappointed and bitter he was that Nineveh repented that they did no receive there deserved judgment from God (verses 1-3). Jonah has experienced God's grace, being saved from the belly of the fish. Jonah was willing to preach God's grace to a million people who had many grievous sins upon their heads. But Jonah was unwilling to love those people with the same love that God did. Jonah was unwilling to become involved in God's grace toward others. Jonah has written this confession for you. You desire God's grace for yourself. You don't care if God wants to love all people (For God is Love), but you don't like to always become involved in this grace of God. You don't want to get into gear with the will of your heavenly Father. You say, "If God wants to love that person I don't like, that is His business. But why involve me with His kind of love?" Don't you see? You commit Jonah's sin over and over again in your reaction to diversity problems, to the mission call of the church, to your youth group. Here is reason for real prayer, much prayer, Get in gear with the holy will of God; become sympathetic to the saving grace of your Lord Jesus; learn the full impact of what you pray: "Heavenly Father, Thy will be done on earth (by me) as it is in heaven."
Tuesday, May 20
The How and When of Christian Forgiveness
Psalm 130:3-4 - "If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared."
While visiting the United states in 1959. the Russian Communist leader Nikita Khrushchev said in a speech in San Francisco, "Christian teaching tells us to be forgiving to others if they understand that they have trespassed." For a professed atheist, this was a remarkable statement. He maid a point many of us overlook: only those who recognize their wrongdoing are to be forgiven.
The word "repentance" covers this point. To repent means to be contrite and sorrowful for sins committed, and then to trust God's forgiveness for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died for sin. God does not throw His love and forgiveness at people. It goes only to those who own up to their sinfulness and look to God for help.
As God forgives, so we are to forgive those who trespass against us. None of us wants to hold a grudge; it hurts us more than the person against whom it is directed. Also, a grudge makes it all but impossible to obtain God's forgiveness. That's why Jesus taught us to pray: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
When it comes to forgiving the neighbor - the brother or sister - a mutual basis ought to exist. Erring brothers or sisters are not apt to change their ways unless they recognize their errors. To gloss over their sins by offering them unasked - for forgiveness does not lead to repentance. Instead, Jesus said, "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you" (Matthew 18:15). It is not showing love to smother others with forgiveness when they don't want it. Khrushchev as right: Forgive others "if they understand that they have trespassed." Then, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Eph. 4:32).
How wonderful is forgiveness when there is a mutual basis for it!
Prayer Suggestion: Pray for courage and strength to forgive those who repent of their wrongdoing.
Wednesday, May 21
"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"
Many times we are not happy with the clothes we have. We want new and better clothes. Perhaps we have been irritated that mom drives such an out-of-date car or that the house is to small. Like so many young people, we often become to concerned about our dress, the kind of car we drive, the security promised by a specific vocation, the money we can earn, that we have not learned the joy of true living.
Jesus is very concerned that we learn the joy of true living. Happy living begins in enjoying what God has already given to us. You probably can think of someone you know who is happy though he or she has little material wealth and very limited social security. Such a person has caught the secret of Jesus' words, "Give us this day our daily bread."
In the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer you learn to pray for the essentials in life. Jesus speaks of bread. Bread represents the common essentials of life. We do not need cake for daily nutrition, but we do need bread. we do not need the latest styles in dress, but we do need clothes. We do not need a five-bedroom, five-bath mansion, but we do need a home. In this petition we must forget what we would like or what is not essential for true living, and think solely upon the essentials.
Jesus teaches us to say "daily bread" too. This is difficult to say. We are taught today by the world not to think of just today but of our future security. We are in a nation that is asking for a security system from the cradle to the grave. We are conditioned to select our career on the amount of security a job or profession can offer. In this atmosphere Jesus says we must learn to live day by day with God. We must learn to trust His unconditional guarantee that He will provide for those who do His will as their needs require each day.
The story goes that the blue jay was so concerned about his dress at creation that he nver learned how to sing. When you can rejoice each day over the essential things for true living, then will you learn that secret for confident living. This is what you must feel when you pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." Do not ask for more, and do not expect less. Let Jesus teach you true happiness through this petition. Learn from Him that you must go through each day looking up, not just looking down.
Reflections
Read the sixteenth chapter of Exodus.
Exodus 16
Bread from Heaven
1 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”
27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. 35 The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)
This familiar Old Testament story gives us great insight into God's provisions for us, His children. Bread and meat are essentials to a daily diet. God provided for the Israelites, but only with the food necessary for daily sustenance. No more, but no less. Because God provided only enough for their daily need, the Israelites were not to store food away for the next day (verses 19-20). Such an idea was an insult to God, saying that He was not to be trusted for daily bread (verse 21). God fulfilled His promise to take care of the Israelites with manna and quail. In verses 32-34, the manna becomes one of the articles of the Ark of the Covenant to be a witness to God's daily provision for His own. Since they ate manna for forty years, God's promise proved true. We ask for daily bread because we know that God each day will give us what we need for this body and life.
Think about the following three passages in the light of the fourth Petition: Hebrews 11:13-16 - "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." Hebrews 13:14 - "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." and 1 Peter 2:11 - "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." Every one speaks of the Christian as a stranger and pilgrim on earth. Our hope is not in the earth or in the things of the earth. It is in the new heaven and the new earth where Jesus Christ is All in all. Therefore Jesus teaches us to say "daily bread," lest we get lost in matters of this life and forget that we belong to the world yet to come.
Thursday, May 22
Sin, the Intruder
Proverbs 8:30 - "I was the craftsman at his side."
With the Fall, all became abnormal. - Francis Schaeffer
IN WORD: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," begins the Bible. We can scarcely imagine a creation ex nihilo - something our of nothing. From the fingertips of God came things that did not previously exist. Emptiness was filled with substance. Life was spoken into a lifeless, formless cosmos.
That thought is staggering to our finite minds, but we must also remember that this was not only a material creation. The character of God lay under it all. The things that the voice of the Almighty spoke into being were placed on a preexistent foundation - wisdom. She was "the craftsman at his side," as this verse tells us. There is order and purpose there. All that we see that doesn't make sense to us - the violence of a self-obsessed world, the mayhem and madness, the death and disease- came into this creation as a virulent intruder through sin. It was not invited by wisdom's voice. It has no legitimate foundation, no legal right to be here except through the human rebellion that introduced it. God's creation was founded on inviolable principles; our sin is a vicious criminal trespassing on the Creator's property.
We have grown comfortable with this alien element, this sin pathology, but it has no place in a world built on wisdom. The very wisdom that underlaid the creation of the world now calls to us. We can build our lives on the same principle that formed the foundation when God spoke in the beginning. But we have to forsake the intrusion of sin.
IN DEED: Do you understand how violent sin is? Do you see it as an invasive cancer, the antithesis of life and a violation of the created order? Or do you see it sympathetically, as a series of understadable human flaws? Those who come to understand sin as the ulimate contradiction of the Creator's voice suffer genuine pain, but they become wise - and cleansed - in the process. They align themselves with the first foundation. they finally fit in a world based on wisdom.
Friday, May 23
God's Manner of Forgiveness
2 Samuel 12:10 - "Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife."
What is required for God to forgive sin? Repentance. But even repentance does not ensure the removal of the consequences of sin. The consequences often remain as a reminder of the terrible, destructive nature of sin.
David was forgiven for his grievous sins of lust, adultery, robbery, and murder. God forgave him absolutely and removed his sin from him completely (Ps 103:12). God did not, however, remove the pain that David would endure as a result of his transgressions. The child born of David's adultery dies. David's son Amnon raped David's daughter Tamar. David's son Absalom murdered Amnon. Absalom brought the kingdom into rebellion. For the rest of David's reign, violence filled his home and his kingdom. Although David knew he was forgiven, he bore the painful consequences of his sin for the rest of his life.
It is presumptuous to assume that God removes every consequence the moment you repent of your sin. Do not think that the instant you show remorse God will restore everything as it was. He may not. Some sins, sucha s adultery, come from a flawed character. God forgives sin immediately upon repentance, but it takes longer to build character. It is character, no forgiveness, that determines what God brings next to your life.
Because we know that devastating consequences of our disobedience, let us diligently avoid every sin and "run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1b).
Saturday, May 24
"And Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us"
If any man truly grasps the full meaning of the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, he understands the entire Scripture. The forgiveness of sins is the common denominator for every theological equation. Yet nothing is harder to do than of forgive someone's sin against you. The forgiveness of sins is the most difficult activity of anybody to perform. Was it hard for God, too?
Look again at the cross of your Lord, nailed to the accursed tree by the sins of men, and you will begin to understand how hard it was for God to forgive humans their iniquity. Forgiveness comes had because it hurts, true, but this is not all. Forgiveness comes hard because it demands that you sacrificially give yourself in part or in whole to the one who sinned against you. This takes trust as you not only forgive the sinner, but forget the sin done against you. It is this way because God gives us His "All" in order truly to forgive us our sins. Forgive, they are "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12) from God's mind.
The cross is a wonderful symbol of forgiveness. When you forgive somebody who has hurt you with a slandering tongue, you crucify any bitterness that you have toward that person. When you crucify that bitterness, it will become dead to you. You will be cleansed in the very process of your forgiving. To forgive another from the heart often hurts, because it is in opposition to our sinful nature. Forgiveness is difficult.
The power of the fifth petition lies in the forgiveness that you have experienced through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Through this forgiving act God brought you into His family. By this same activity in His Son, God will give you the strength to forgive other, especially those who you find in very hard to forgive and those loveless acts that you find harder to forget.
Forgiving others is one of the more difficult things God asks you to do. But He says that you must do this because you are part of His family. You are part of His family because He has forgiven you. Your forgiveness depends entirely on Christ's atonement. You cannot earn forgiveness by forgiving others, but you forfeit and lose your forgiveness by refusing to forgive other.
Reflections
Read Isaiah 1:1-18
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The Wickedness of Judah
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the Lord has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master's crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.
5 Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.
7 Your country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
foreigners devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we should have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
There is probably no place in Scripture where the iniquity of mankind is so clearly analyzed and so difinitely shown to be inexcusable. At the same time no section of Scripture gives a better picture of God's forgiveness. Isaiah begins by calling on the heavens and the earth, for they have been witnesses over the centuries to God's unfailing grace and goodness. With these witnesses listening and watching, Isaiah gives more credit to the ox and the donkey, which know whose they are are and who takes care of them, than he can be compared to Paul's in Romans 3:10-20. In verse 18, Isaiah speaks for the Lord, saying, "Come now, and let us reason together." In the argininal Hebrew, he is saying that all the condemned people should come before the Lord and see how their sins balance out in the scales of God's justice. Naturally you expect convinced damnation will follow. But into this scene of justice comes God's forgiving grace. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow . . ." No clearer picture can show how God forgives the sinner. There is nothing in the sinner that makes God want to forgive him. Yet God's forgiveness is radical and complete. It places the condemned sinner in a new and exciting relationship with the sinner.
Read Matthew 18:1-35
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.[ 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant[c] fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,[d] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,[e] until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
To forgive means to love. If you say, "I'll forgive you, but I won't forget what you said," your forgiveness is not real because you still are failing to love. The parable needs little explanation. The point is clearly summarized by our Lord in verse 35. The next time you find it hard to forgive somebody who has done something against you, put yourself in the place of the offender and put God in our place. See how it feels not to be forgiven fully, completely, and lovingly. The look again at your offender, and realize how much he or she needs your forgiveness and how much you need to forgive.
Sunday, May 25
Great And Small, Take Them All To The Lord
Genesis 18:22, 27 - "Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham spoke up . . . 'I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes.'"
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven . . . a time to be silent and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7). There are times when we stand silent before the Lord. We want him to speak to us. It may be at church or at home. When God speaks to us in his Word it is time to listen. What God has to tell us is important.
There are other times when we have the need to speak to our Father in heaven. It makes sense to go to him in prayer. His power has no limits. His love knows no bounds. Whatever our burden, we can turn it over to the One who is willing to carry it for us. We can place on his shoulders those concerns which are so small we hesitate to bring them up.
And what about big problems? God will solve them too - not only our worries about physical health or earthly losses, but also our concerns about sin, the weakness of our faith, our hot-and-cold attitude toward his Word and sacraments.
Our problems great and small we take to the Lord in prayer. Abraham here serves as a fine example for us. Abraham's words above, "I am nothing but dust and ashes," are well spoken. The words express humility. The remind us that we who are sinners, blind, dead and enemies of God by nature need to approach him on our knees. we are never disappointed when we plead for mercy. It is through our Savior that we have access to God. Jesus Christ has redeemed us from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil. Therefore we can come boldly to the Lord and make our requests known to him.
Yes, we approach God humbly, boldly and fully persuaded that he will hear and answer us. The Apostle Paul says reassuringly, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
"There is . . . a time to be silent and a time to speak." Now that God has spoken to us in his Word, let us bow our heads and speak to him in prayer.
Heavenly Father, we treasure our conversations with you. Continue to
speak to us in your Word. Hear and answer our prayers for
Jesus' sake. Amen.
Monday, May 26
God's No
Acts 16:6-7 - "Having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to."
Mark Twain once said, "Most people are bothered by those passages in Scripture which they cannot understand; but I always noticed that the passages which troubled me most are those which I do understand." We all get his point, but the fact remains that the ways of God can be a little hard to understand sometimes. Our text for today gives us a good example of that.
Paul had been called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. But when he wanted to minister to the people in Asia, God said, "No." When he wanted to enter Bithynia, God said, "No." It just didn't make any sense to Paul. It must have been a very frustrating experience.
But life is often like that. God warned us about this too when he said through the prophet Isaiah, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."
There is only One who is omniscient, and that is God. He operates with wisdom that is far greater than ours. He never makes mistakes in the ways that he deals with his children. Our test again serves as a good example of that.
God had a good reason for saying No to Paul and not allowing him to enter Asia or Bithynia at this time. There was a more urgent need in Macedonia. There was a field white for the harvest that required him immediate attention. Once Paul started working thee, he understood full well why God had said No to him earlier.
Unfortunately it doesn't always work out that way. There are times we cannot understand why God says No to us. Our loved on is stricken with an incurable disease. We pray with all the confidence we can muster that God will perform a miracle and heal that person. But the answer that comes back to us is No, and we end up shedding our tears at the funeral.
That could be a very bitter pill to swallow. It could fill our hearts with all sorts of doubts about the love of God for us. But when we think of Jesus Christ nailed to the cross and dying for our sins, how can we possible doubt his love for us? Blessed with wisdom from above, we will continue to put our trust in God even when we can't understand when he says, "No."
O Lord, we believe; help to overcome our unbelief. Amen.
Tuesday, May 27
"And Lead Us Not Into Temptation"
Humans like the idea of being led into temptation. People like to be led into sin, especially if no one will catch them. Temptation looks very thrilling, and we wish that God would turn His back for a moment. we think that if we can't experience this or that thrill, God will cheat us of really living. This is one of Satan's most cleverly invented lies.
Satan whispers the same line to you as he did to Adam and Eve. He says, God hasn't told you the whole truth. God is holding out on you. God can't help that He is so holy. besides, He will forgive you this once. so you let yourself be led into temptation. You hand out with the wrong crowd. You get ready for a passionate night of making-out with your date. You try to hit of a drug. After all, how do you know when sin is like unless you try it? Let's face it - you like to be let into temptation.
But in the sixth petition you pray, "Lord, lead me not into temptation." Never think for one moment that God would ever lead you into temptation. The Lord doesn't lead you there. Satan does. What you are praying it this: "Lord, I like to be led into temptation, and Satan enjoy leading me there. But I want You to be my Leader. I want You to lead me away from temptation. I want You to lead me on Your path of goodness. Lord, if I pray about it and seem repentant, then it will be okay to do it. Right?"
Why do you like to be seduced by Satan? Why do you like to be led into sin? This very question proves Scripture's truth when it says you were born a sinner. You were born with the will to like what God doesn't like. You were born fighting against God's goodness, truth, and love. But God has redeemed you in His Son Jesus Christ to lead you away from all iniquity and sin and temptation to the new life of His kingdom. God knows that if He doesn't you will let Satan dominate you, enslave you, and take you to hell.
Because of this, you will want to pray from the heart, "Lord, don't let Satan lead me into temptation. Lead me, O Lord, in Your ways. For Your ways are life - real life!" Satan will never let you pray this petition easily. He will try to make you pray it with doubts. All he wants or needs is a foothold in the door of your heart. But this is why our Lord Jesus has taught us to pray this petition in the model prayer. He, too, was tempted. He knows what it is all about. He also overcame Satan and all temptation. In Jesus you can too.
Reflections
Study the following passages:
1 Corinthians 6:18 - "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body."
1 Corinthians 10:14 - "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry."
1 Timothy 6:11 - "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness."
2 Timothy 2:22 - So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
The one word that Paul uses in each one of these exhortations is "flee." The one way not to be led into temptation is to flee from it. In fact, if you deliberately stand in the path of temptation, you are sinning, even though the temptation itself fails. This advice of Paul is directed especially to young people. See 2 Timothy 2:22, where Paul specifically says "youthful lusts." The devil is tricky, telling us that wse can handle ourselves in this or that situation. Just because you know someone who has had sex and hasn't gotten pregnant or tried drugs and isn't an addict, doesn't mean you should try it. Satan deceives us by telling us false messages. Oftentimes we wake up to the truth only to recognize Satan's control over our lives. You can't lean against a freshly painted wall and not walk away unmarked. You can't play with sex without misusing your body, without hurting yourself and the other emotionally. You can't hang around the wrong crowd and not come out bad. You can't cheat "this once" and not have it affect your ethical outlook later in life. So St. Paul says in all these passages, "Flee!" Why flee? Why not fight? Because you can't fight some of these. Take sex, for example. It is a natural drive. But to push the line is asking for temptation and lust to take control. St. Paul understood your people. He says, "Flee." Get out of there. Better yet, don't get yourself into a situation that is ready for sin.
Think about Paul's words in Philippians 4:4-8. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Verse 8 discusses how to control our thoughts. If you honestly do not wish to be led into temptation, then you have to see that you are led into the right paths. How? Paul's few words tell you. Select those things that are true and pure and lovely. This warning applies to friend, television, movies, magazines, and so on. If you read or watch trash you are setting yourself to be tempted in trashy things. What you read and see controls what you think. Take Paul's advice seriously. You can't "rejoice in the Lord" and rejoice in a movie that the Lord would despise. Guard the control of your thoughts. It is the best way not to be led into temptation.
Wednesday, May 28
Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
Matthew 5:1-3 0 "Now then he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'"
When you think of God, do you think of him first as a God who wants to take something from you? Do you think of him first as a God who makes demands? Jesus teaches us to think of God first as a God who gives, a God who is eager to give us his richest blessings. Jesus came to the people of Galilee, and he comes to us with promises of wonderful blessings. May we gladly receive the blessings our Savior brings!
In his first "beatitude," or word of blessing, Jesus promises God's blessing for all who are poor in spirit. We can understand what it means to be poor in spirit by thinking about what it means to be poor in body, poor physically poor. Many poor people do not have enough food. Many do not have sufficient clothing. Many don't even have a house to live in. They are in need, and they depend on others to give them food, clothing and shelter.
Likewise, people who are poor in spirit are people who are in need. Our souls need to be fed by the Word of God, because man "does no live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." We are sinners who need to be clothed by God, because "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." And God in love does clothe us, in the gleaming garments of Christ's righteousness. We need to be sheltered by God because on this earth we have no permanent home. But Jesus gives us a heavenly and eternal home.
Let us be people who are poor in spirit and admit our spiritual needs. Let us turn to Jesus our Savior, who promises to bless us in every spiritual need. He promises to feed us with his Word! He will forgive our sins day by day! He will shelter us in his everlasting arms! Let us aslo be poor in spirit, because then we will be eternally rich. "Blessed are the poor in spirit," says our Lord, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!"
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to us with promises of wonderful
blessings. Help us to know that we are poor and needy in spirit, and
help us to turn to you as the only One who can meet our needs. Give
us joy in the certainty that ours in the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
Thursday, May 29
"But Deliver Us From Evil"
There is a somber tone to this last petition. In a sense it is a summary of the Lord's Prayer. It recognized the two great truths of God's Word: first, that deliverance belongs to the Lord and second, that the world in which we live is very evil. It makes us look about us and inside of us, but it also makes us look up. It is prayed with confidence, yet with sober reflection.
Deliverance belong to the Lord, writes the psalmist. Jonah cried this our from the fish's belly. In the final analysis, it is God who delivers. It is God who saves. Evil is not a power that we can overcome by ourselves. Evil is a power from which we must be delivered. Jesus Christ has delivered us from the power of sin and death. As a result of Christ's action, we can be delivered from all evil.
Evil is all about us. Nations are at war and terrorism kills the innocent. Business is a game of moral decay as individuals and corporations race to have the most money. Society weaves a web of lies that sex is a casual even between any two people who want it.
The daily news program tells of a family of six who were killed in a head-on collision; sixty who died in a plane crash; a wife murdered by her husband; millions starving to death; injustice; teenage delinquency; lying and stealing. You can't turn on television without saying to yourself, "Lord, deliver us from all this evil."
Then you begin to think about your future. What kind of future is there in a world like this? What is all this talk about security when evil drowns our every kind of social protection? This is why Jesus taught you to pray, "Deliver us from evil." In this petition you have the confidence, strength, and courage to face both the present and the future.
God will deliver you from all evil. Nothing can ever separate His deliverance from your hour of need. Jesus said, "I have overcome the world!" His cross and the open tomb prove this. Yes, there is evil; much evil. But the Lord Jesus will deliver you from all evil; that is why to Him and the Father and Spirit is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Reflections
Read Ephesians 6:10-20. 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter. What do you think gave him the idea for his description of the Christian's armor? Carefully not each piece of fighting equipment Paul mentions that you will need to fight the evil one. Write it down on the first list. Place its purpose in the second, and what would happen if you leave it off on the third. Remember Paul's words in verse 12. Your battle is not only with your own sinful flesh, but also with the evil all around you. God can, and does, equip you!
Piece of Armor Purpose
Belt Truth
Breastplate Righteousness
Shoes Gospel of Peace
Shield Faith
Helmet Salvation
Sword Spirit - Word of God
Read Revelation 19:1-16.
Rejoicing in Heaven
19 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3 Once more they cried out,
“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
small and great.”
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The Rider on a White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
This chapter of St. John has the theme of victory. It says we are more than conquerors in Jesus Christ. Verses 1-8 are a song of praise to God, who has delivered His own from all evil. Evil may have looked as if it won the day, but in the end all will see that evil and Satan will be overthrown. God promises inevitable victory. People, led by the Rider on the white horse (verse 11), are still an army conquering and to conquer. Here is the march of progress of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God's work. God will deliver. Therefore to Him belongs the kingdom, the power, and the glory (verse 1).
Friday, May 30
The Lord Is My Song - Singing His Song
Ephesians 5:19 - "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart"
What kind of song do you sing with your life - dull, flat, off-key, halfhearted or enthusiastic, vibrant, melodious? Isaiah in chapter 12 gives us a glimpse of the songs we sing.
We often sing a song of the world. In Isaiah's day the world sang a very discordant song. Greed, vanity, immorality and drunkenness, and exploitation of others blared loud and strident notes in the song of life. Our society, too, produces music which often jars the senses, splits the eardrums, and describes the very worst of life. We worship television, strive to keep up the the Joneses, drink excessively, take drugs, exploit others, and wallow in immorality.
We also sing a song of self. I want. I need. I think. I feel. Going far beyond a healthy self-image, we insist on our rights, satisfy our desires, and live for the moment. We work hard for the "good life" and ignore God, country, and others. How enthusiastically we sing the song of the world and the song of self!
We need to sing a song of confession. Israel ultimately repented. In the Babylonian exile God's people sang a song of confession and looked to God for help with a humbled desire to return home. We admit that worldly, selfish songs lead only to fear, defeat, guilt, and unhappiness. We sing a song of confession to God, admitting our sin and our need for Him.
Isaiah tells us that the Lord is our Song. God's people in their repentance looked to Him and His promised Messiah. He became their Strength and their Song. He gave them hope and filled them with joy, so they could sing a different kind of song - a song of praise! Jesus, the crucified and risen Savior, is our Song!
Musical reference fill the Bible. They speak of praise to God. We look at Christian life in terms of musical imagery. We often sing a song of the world and a song of ourselves. Confessing our sin, we learn that the Lord is our Song.
God's song began with creation. He sand it from the mountains and valleys. Despite the discord and disharmony of sin God kept singing His song with His merciful promises. He chose a people, preserved a remanent, and sent His Son to sing a song of love, peace, and victory on the cross. Risen and ascended, Jesus sings on in our world and into our hearts.
Because the Lord is our Song, He fills our life with singing. We respond joyfully to the words of Paul in our text. We join with God's people in regular worship and sing from our hearts as we sit at the family dining table, drive in hectic rush hour traffic, and walk into our sometimes stressful place of employment. We join the psalmist, "Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock our our salvation" (Psalm 95:1) - singing His Song!
Alleluia! Let praises ring! Unto our triune God we sing;
Blest be his name forever! With angel hosts let us adore
Sing his praises more and more For all his grace and favor!
Singing, Ringing: Holy holy, God is holy; Spread the story
Of our God, the Lord of glory!
Saturday, May 31
Jesus Listens
Philippians 4:4-9 - "4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."
Genesis 3:6 - "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."
Psalm 73:23 - "Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand."
Splendid Savior,
Your Word tells me: If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. This sounds easy, but putting it into practice is really hard for me.
I've seen how countercultural it is to focus on admirable things. People who work in the media almost always shine their spotlights on negative news. They rarely bother to report good things that are happening - especially the many good things Your people are doing.
I admit that having a positive focus in not only countercultural but counter to my fallen nature. When Adam and Eve rebelled against You, everything was damaged by the Fall - including my mind. As a result, focusing on excellent, admirable things is not at all natural to me. It requires persistent effort, trying to make the right choice over and over again. Lord, please help me choose to look for what is good - daily, moment by moment.
In spite of the massive problems in this world, there is much that is worthy of praise. I rejoice that You, the One who is the most praiseworthy, are continually with me - closer than my thoughts!
In Your excellent, admirable Name, Jesus, Amen.
Sunday, June 1
What Is Wealth?
Ecclesiastes 5:19 - "As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him . . . to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor."
How well do you understand God's attitude about wealth? There is so much religious folklore in the financial realm that few Christians understand what is from God's Word and what is not. There are approximately 700 direct references to money in the Bible and hundreds more indirect references. Nearly two-thirds of all parables Christ left us deal with the use of money. After studying these verses we have to conclude that God equates our use of wealth with our commitment to Him.
God gives us financial principles in His Word, and that's exactly what they are: principles, not laws. He will not punish anyone for violations. Those who fail simply will not receive His blessings in the area of finances and will suffer along with the unbeliever.
Historically, wealth has been related to ownership, but wealth is also related to our creative ability and our credit or borrowing ability: the trust others have in us. Thus wealth becomes an extension of our personalities. It can be used creatively - to spread the Gospel and build hospitals and churches - or it can be wasted on frivolous activities. It can even be corruptive - to purchase influence - or destructive - to buy guns and bombs.
Wealth is neither moral or immoral. There is no inherent virute in poverty or in wealth. Rather, God condemns our preoccupation with wealth. We must learn to trust God in every circumstance, believing that He loves us and gives us only what we can handle without being tempted beyond what we can withstand.
Monday, June 2
Money
Great Riches
Proverbs 13:7 - "One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
Lord, money is pretty tight around here. We have enough to get by, but nothing extra - no savings for emergencies or retirement. Still, we have managed to educate our children, and they are living good, useful lives. It involved a lot of sacrifice to get them to this point, but it was worth it all. I know others whose children went to the best schools without financial aid or loans and are no living at home and going nowhere in the expensive cars they received for graduation. I see the disappointment in their parents' eyes and thank You for helping us raise children who appreciate what they have and work hard to build their own lives, with or without financial riches.
Riches Have Wings
Proverbs 23:4-5 - "Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven."
Over the years I have learned much about riches - in principle. I have learned that every time I save up a little, the roof will begin to leark or the driveway will need repaving. As soon as I make vacation plans and pay the nonrefundable deposit, one of us will not be able to get that week off. I've gotten used to this, Lord; I know how to roll with the punches. There will be time to save more money, and we'll take other vacations. I am not seeking riches, anyway. Thank You for what I do have, which is happiness. Help me to be wise with what money I have and use it in a way that pleases You.
Quietness Of Spirit
Ecclesiastes 4:6 - "Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind."
I confess that I am easily vexed, Lord, but it is just the grouchiness of old age, not true vexation of my spirit. I have been blessed with a good life. I learned to live the simple life as a child, when we didn't have much money but always had fun. I learned to be thankful when my children were born. I learned to give when others gave to me. I have also discovered that the world is full of very nice people doing their very best under the circumstances. Oh, there are a few stinkers in the crowd, but overall I like people. Thank You for all You have given me, Lord, for all You have taught me, and for all the good times still to come.
Meeting Together
Proverbs 22:2 - "The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all."
I refuse to let envy cloud my life, Lord, but sometimes it's hard to feel that I have anything in common with the rich. After all, I could redo my kitchen on what they earn in less than a month. If I were to suddenly become rich, I wouldn't even know what to do with the money left over after my needs were filled. There's really a lot that the rich and poor could learn from each other if they took the time, and maybe they should, because we are all Your children. We have You as our common ancestor, the Creator who loves us all. When envy creeps into my heart, let me be happy for those You have blessed - in anyway. There is more than enough of Your love to share.
Tuesday, June 3
In Jesus' Name
Acts 4:12 - "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven give to men by which we must be saved."
Peter and John met a lame man at the temple gate. The beggar stretched out his hand and asked for money. Money seemed to him, as it does to us, the answer to so many needs.
Is it possible the beggar did not really understand what it was he needed most? And did many people wo gave coins to him not think deeply enough to know he needed money all right, but he needed something else even more? But Peter and John did not respond as other people. They neither gave him money or did they pass by unconcerned. They gave instead, in the name of Jesus, the power for the beggar to stand on this own two feet.
There is salvation in on one else, for here is the whole gospel given to the whole person. Two needs were met, one physical and one more primary. And the man walked out of the old, miserable existence into a new life of self-respect and dignity. So can we. And so can our world, in his name.
Help us to see what we need, Give of Life, and let
us receive salvation in Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, November 30
The Unchanging Christ: The Same Yesterday
The Unchanging Christ: The Same Yesterday
All of my life I have heard the plea for a relevant “new Christ for a new age.”
The truth is Jesus Christ is God’s final word to men in all ages. He is relevant for every age. He is “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
The same Jesus sits today “on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3). He is the same person as He was when here on the earth.
When we read the words, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday” we are carried back to the long ages before He became flesh. I can point to a date, time, and place when I was born. However, Jesus did not begin to live when He was born in the flesh of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem. He simply changed His robes.
The apostle Paul tells us Jesus was in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, divested Himself of His garments of glory that had been His from all eternity and clothed Himself in the garments of a common household slave in the flesh and was obedient unto death. He was God-man. He was fully God and fully human (Phil. 2:5-8).
The absolutely essential fact is He was the same in past eternity; He changes not.
I search for an absolute in an age of change; He changes not, and I therefore have security.
He came from the Father and He returned to the Father. He dwelt in the ageless past in the bosom of His eternal Father. The apostle John tells us, “in the beginning was the Word.” When everything else had a beginning He already existed and He had no beginning. His beginning had no beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:1-4).
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday . . .” His eternal existence is declared in these words, “in the beginning was the Word.” He is no vacillating whim of the age. “The Word was with God,” a distinct personality of the true and perfect deity because “the Word was God.” His personal relationship with the Father is unchangeable. He “was in the beginning with God,” and because of His resurrection and ascension, He still is in the presence of the Father in a perfect relationship.
Moreover, His understanding of man never needs to change. No one knows me like the one who made me. “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” “In Him is life.”
Where would you turn for a relevant Christ that is not found in the historic Christ? Would you, like the modern self-made cults, turn to your own making, or to some new age “enlightenment”?
God in Christ has already become one of us in order to demonstrate His love for us, and to show us what God is really like. God came and revealed Himself to sinful and disobedient rebellious men.
I don’t need a greater “light.” I only need to respond to the One true and all supreme Lord of all creation. Why should I turn to some lesser “light”? All other spiritual lights are only creepy shadows of the one who masquerades as “the angel of light,” Satan himself.
We don’t have to look afar to discover what evil lurks within the heart of man. God has fully revealed Himself (Heb. 1:1-3), and man in his stubborn rebellion cries for something greater and better like selfish, pampered, narcissistic children whining for something new.
God has spoken. He has not changed and He will not. He is the same as He was yesterday, and I find stability for my soul and eternal peace with God. Because He is the same I have eternal security of a right relationship with Him, not of my self-making, or choosing, but in His all-sufficient wisdom and grace.
Because He is the same yesterday, I know that what He has said will still remain true for you and me today. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
That great truth will not change, because our Savior changes not. His word and eternal promises remain the same throughout all eternity. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Thank God.