164 Isaiah 055 – 057; Luke 19.1 – 19.27
For years the missionaries gave away free Bibles, books, and other Christian material only to find the people in these under developed countries were not reading the material because it was free. The reasoning goes if it's free it must not be worth anything. The missionaries switched to charging a nominal fee for the material in order to covey the message that this is worth something. Yet in the opening chapter of Isaiah 55 God is calling people to gather what is free for it is not junk. Isaiah asks them, "Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy." Israel had a problem of not seeing the proper value in the things that God offered to them. Go to page 801 under the title "Never Tired of Trying New Religions" and read the rebuke to some of the Israelites. Here is a sampling, "…But you, children of a witch, come here! Sons of a slut, daughters of a whore..." This is some of the strongest language in the Bible and it is concerning the Jewish nation not discerning the difference between good and evil. They, in many cases, had made evil the good thing and even in the name of Yahweh. Pray for real and lasting discernment in a day where religions try to make evil good and good evil.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
163 Friday, June 12, 2009
163 Isaiah 052 – 054; Luke 018
Some of the most important chapters written in the Bible are Isaiah 52-53. It is in Isaiah 52 we read "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger bringing good news..."Then we read the whole chapter of Isaiah 53. It is prophetic of Jesus Christ. To some it might be one of the most important chapters in the Bible. No one could paint a more detailed portrait of Jesus, and yet Isaiah lived hundred of years before Christ was even born. Read it slowly and let God speak to you about His Son.
In Luke we read about the persistent widow. This widow would not give up in letting the judge know of the injustice done to her. Finally the judge gave in and listened to her. The lesson of the story--we should keep on praying to God--never give up. Keep on praying. God is better than that judge. How is your prayer life? Please keep praying.
Some of the most important chapters written in the Bible are Isaiah 52-53. It is in Isaiah 52 we read "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger bringing good news..."Then we read the whole chapter of Isaiah 53. It is prophetic of Jesus Christ. To some it might be one of the most important chapters in the Bible. No one could paint a more detailed portrait of Jesus, and yet Isaiah lived hundred of years before Christ was even born. Read it slowly and let God speak to you about His Son.
In Luke we read about the persistent widow. This widow would not give up in letting the judge know of the injustice done to her. Finally the judge gave in and listened to her. The lesson of the story--we should keep on praying to God--never give up. Keep on praying. God is better than that judge. How is your prayer life? Please keep praying.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
162 Thursday, June 11, 2009
162 Isaiah 049 – 051; Luke 017
Remember your roots or as Isaiah asserts remember the rock you were cut out from. It is hard to remember our roots for many different reasons. On June 10th Frances Ethel Gumm was born in 1922 and went on to become a superstar, her real name Judy Garland. People change their names, move across the country or better yet, out of the country. On pg. 790 Isaiah addresses the people who are serious about living for God. God wants His people to pay attention, to keep doing right and remember His promises. Don't pay attention to insults because there is a day coming when my people will be on top of the world. Who are you? Are you a person who remembers your roots and knows your salvation--and that God's way of setting the world right never goes out of style? Today don't forget who you are and stay close to your God.
Remember your roots or as Isaiah asserts remember the rock you were cut out from. It is hard to remember our roots for many different reasons. On June 10th Frances Ethel Gumm was born in 1922 and went on to become a superstar, her real name Judy Garland. People change their names, move across the country or better yet, out of the country. On pg. 790 Isaiah addresses the people who are serious about living for God. God wants His people to pay attention, to keep doing right and remember His promises. Don't pay attention to insults because there is a day coming when my people will be on top of the world. Who are you? Are you a person who remembers your roots and knows your salvation--and that God's way of setting the world right never goes out of style? Today don't forget who you are and stay close to your God.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
160 Tuesday June 9, 2009
160 Isaiah 046 – 048; Luke 016
How do you measure success? Would the word ‘faithfulness’ be one of the markers for you to determine if you or someone else is successful? How do you measure whether or not God has been holding up His end of the bargain regarding you? God says to Israel, "Assuring you, I'm in this for the long haul, I'll do exactly what I set out to do." When researching the word faithfulness I discovered that 90% of the articles had to do with our faithfulness toward God. I believe we should be faithful toward God and His work however, we will not hang in there near as long without the right perspective on God's faithfulness to us and this world. Perhaps all those articles I looked up have more to say with how we view ourselves in God's plan. It could be that maybe, just maybe, we think that it is our faithfulness that will win the day and move God's plans toward success. Not true, it is God's faithfulness--it is God in it for the long haul--that will win the day.
So did God stay in it for the long haul? Yes!!!! Jesus is God's premium statement on His faithfulness. Christ came to save the whole world. God did exactly as He said He would. Today, take a little time or a lot of time and celebrate God's faithfulness!
How do you measure success? Would the word ‘faithfulness’ be one of the markers for you to determine if you or someone else is successful? How do you measure whether or not God has been holding up His end of the bargain regarding you? God says to Israel, "Assuring you, I'm in this for the long haul, I'll do exactly what I set out to do." When researching the word faithfulness I discovered that 90% of the articles had to do with our faithfulness toward God. I believe we should be faithful toward God and His work however, we will not hang in there near as long without the right perspective on God's faithfulness to us and this world. Perhaps all those articles I looked up have more to say with how we view ourselves in God's plan. It could be that maybe, just maybe, we think that it is our faithfulness that will win the day and move God's plans toward success. Not true, it is God's faithfulness--it is God in it for the long haul--that will win the day.
So did God stay in it for the long haul? Yes!!!! Jesus is God's premium statement on His faithfulness. Christ came to save the whole world. God did exactly as He said He would. Today, take a little time or a lot of time and celebrate God's faithfulness!
Monday, June 8, 2009
159 Monday June 8, 2009
159 Isaiah 044 – 045; Luke 015
I know we can't have a great architecture while it is only for the landlord, was Frank Lloyd Wright's assessment of the day in which he lived. Most landlords want money as their primary goal and Wright wanted great architecture. I think Isaiah would say you can't have great theology while it is only for the religious. On pg 777 Isaiah addresses the idol worship of that day. Israel had been given the very precepts of God and yet they still wanted their puppet gods. Idol worship puts the people in control; idol worship is for you, not God or a god. Unless the “god” happens to be you.
Isaiah continues with these sobering words, "Take it seriously, Israel, that you're my servant. I made you, shaped you: You're my servant." Sobering words? Yes, but so encouraging for those who know the Lord. Yahweh has designed you and me for a purpose. God has shaped us for a purpose, mainly to serve Him…so? Serve Him!
The one sheep was a lost sheep, not a sheep who had been saved, then came back. Jesus says "...there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue." That is the point for the lost coin and the lost son. These stories are about those who do not know the Lord. Read them again in the light of lostness and not the backslider. I say all of this to let you know that I was taught that these stories were about the believer who had strayed and not the lost. These pastors who taught this way saw most of everything in scripture as relating to the church and not those outside the promises of God. God's intention is to bring the good news to those who do not know! We must not corrupt His mission in any way.
I know we can't have a great architecture while it is only for the landlord, was Frank Lloyd Wright's assessment of the day in which he lived. Most landlords want money as their primary goal and Wright wanted great architecture. I think Isaiah would say you can't have great theology while it is only for the religious. On pg 777 Isaiah addresses the idol worship of that day. Israel had been given the very precepts of God and yet they still wanted their puppet gods. Idol worship puts the people in control; idol worship is for you, not God or a god. Unless the “god” happens to be you.
Isaiah continues with these sobering words, "Take it seriously, Israel, that you're my servant. I made you, shaped you: You're my servant." Sobering words? Yes, but so encouraging for those who know the Lord. Yahweh has designed you and me for a purpose. God has shaped us for a purpose, mainly to serve Him…so? Serve Him!
The one sheep was a lost sheep, not a sheep who had been saved, then came back. Jesus says "...there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue." That is the point for the lost coin and the lost son. These stories are about those who do not know the Lord. Read them again in the light of lostness and not the backslider. I say all of this to let you know that I was taught that these stories were about the believer who had strayed and not the lost. These pastors who taught this way saw most of everything in scripture as relating to the church and not those outside the promises of God. God's intention is to bring the good news to those who do not know! We must not corrupt His mission in any way.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
158 Sunday June 7, 2009
158 Isaiah 042 – 043; Luke 014
Throughout the book of Isaiah two servants are on display. The one servant is the servant who will suffer for our sins. The other servant is this servant in Isaiah 42, the ruling servant. Both advents are revealed in Isaiah. Many scholars believe the reason many of the Pharisees missed who Jesus was because of their misunderstanding of the book of Isaiah. They were looking for the ruling Jesus, but first the suffering Christ had to come in order to take care of our sin. Many people want the crown without the cross. People want to rule without paying the price.
I love the phrase, "You've seen a lot, but looked at nothing. You've heard everything, but listened to nothing." I think if that was true for the Israelites of that day, then how true could it be for us? We, who live in the information and cable or satellite age. We can see and hear almost anything. But, have we really seen or heard anything at all?
Jesus heals on the Sabbath again, not to be contrary, but to be right with His Father. If no one will come when you invite them, then invite the misfits. The party God throws is for the misfits. Christ follows up His story with another dinner party. The people originally invited begged off so the hosts says go to the country side and "drag them in" he then sets the bar "I want my house full!" The Israelites were the original invited guest and now they were declining. It is God saying, "Go make disciples of all the nations." The gentiles are included, the misfits. God is a great host. "I want my house full" is a phrase we must grapple with because some believe Christianity should be like a secret society. Plus there should be a limit on membership. Don't tell anyone that Jesus saves, that could upset the balance and create a difficult situation so say the "holy huddle crowd."
Throughout the book of Isaiah two servants are on display. The one servant is the servant who will suffer for our sins. The other servant is this servant in Isaiah 42, the ruling servant. Both advents are revealed in Isaiah. Many scholars believe the reason many of the Pharisees missed who Jesus was because of their misunderstanding of the book of Isaiah. They were looking for the ruling Jesus, but first the suffering Christ had to come in order to take care of our sin. Many people want the crown without the cross. People want to rule without paying the price.
I love the phrase, "You've seen a lot, but looked at nothing. You've heard everything, but listened to nothing." I think if that was true for the Israelites of that day, then how true could it be for us? We, who live in the information and cable or satellite age. We can see and hear almost anything. But, have we really seen or heard anything at all?
Jesus heals on the Sabbath again, not to be contrary, but to be right with His Father. If no one will come when you invite them, then invite the misfits. The party God throws is for the misfits. Christ follows up His story with another dinner party. The people originally invited begged off so the hosts says go to the country side and "drag them in" he then sets the bar "I want my house full!" The Israelites were the original invited guest and now they were declining. It is God saying, "Go make disciples of all the nations." The gentiles are included, the misfits. God is a great host. "I want my house full" is a phrase we must grapple with because some believe Christianity should be like a secret society. Plus there should be a limit on membership. Don't tell anyone that Jesus saves, that could upset the balance and create a difficult situation so say the "holy huddle crowd."
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