234 Psalms 007 – 011; Colossians 001
God! God! I am running to you for dear life; the chase is wild! A few lines later, Stand up, God; pit your holy fury against my furious enemies. I would say David was not bashful, nor was he vacillating in his prayer. On page 1150 at the top David writes, “God, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?” This is a direct sincere question of God, His Savior. When have you been this real with the Lord? In the last Psalm David writes, I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of God. So why would I run away now when you say, Run to the mountains; the evil bows are bent, the wicked arrows aimed to shoot under cover of darkness at every heart open to God. Trust! David had come to terms with God and he was not moving. A lot of emotion and dialog from David with his Lord and Savior. One undertaking that might be worthwhile is for you to try to write a song to the Lord. In the next week just try it; if not a song write a prayer out to the Lord.
Just in case you are confused as to who Jesus really is then you will enjoy the book of Colossians. If you believe deeply that He is God and that through Him everything was created--- If you also believe that He is preeminent in all things then you will be affirmed in your belief. This book is about Jesus and Him having first place in all things. Have a good read.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
233 Friday, August 21, 2009
233 Psalms 001 – 006; Philippians 004
Prayer, worship, intimacy, feelings, soul searching, and plain out right getting real is all found in the Psalms. The people of God need to know how to sing to their Maker and the Psalms(songs) tells us how to do just that. The mind boggling discovery that you will make is how real the songs are that they sang to God. We should sing the same songs. In the Psalms, in the O.T. Psalms we find these believers bringing their trust, their doubt, and their real selves to this Holy God. We live in the N.T. and God tells us to come boldly before the throne of grace--do you?--do we? There is a lot of boldness before the throne of God in these Psalms. May we learn how to be bold and respectful from these Psalms. Psalm one sets the record straight that God loves a righteous path and His followers should stay on that path. The reward for staying on that path is we will bear fresh fruit--we will be alive! The real alive not the fake alive.
Euodia and Syntyche are in a fight and of course the church is being dragged in to it. Paul in a letters calls them out and tells them to fix it. Paul wants peace in the church and he wants peace in the hearts of Christ's followers. Don't fret or worry, but pray and let the peace of God (His wholeness) fill you up. How do we do this Christian life? Paul says, "Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized." Put into practice means obedience. We must learn to obey at every stage of our lives. So today--practice!
Prayer, worship, intimacy, feelings, soul searching, and plain out right getting real is all found in the Psalms. The people of God need to know how to sing to their Maker and the Psalms(songs) tells us how to do just that. The mind boggling discovery that you will make is how real the songs are that they sang to God. We should sing the same songs. In the Psalms, in the O.T. Psalms we find these believers bringing their trust, their doubt, and their real selves to this Holy God. We live in the N.T. and God tells us to come boldly before the throne of grace--do you?--do we? There is a lot of boldness before the throne of God in these Psalms. May we learn how to be bold and respectful from these Psalms. Psalm one sets the record straight that God loves a righteous path and His followers should stay on that path. The reward for staying on that path is we will bear fresh fruit--we will be alive! The real alive not the fake alive.
Euodia and Syntyche are in a fight and of course the church is being dragged in to it. Paul in a letters calls them out and tells them to fix it. Paul wants peace in the church and he wants peace in the hearts of Christ's followers. Don't fret or worry, but pray and let the peace of God (His wholeness) fill you up. How do we do this Christian life? Paul says, "Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized." Put into practice means obedience. We must learn to obey at every stage of our lives. So today--practice!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
232 Thursday, August 20, 2009
232 Malachi 001 – 004; Philippians 003
The Temple is rebuilt and the people have returned from their exile--all should be good-right? Wrong! The prophet who gets to have the last word is Malachi. Haggai and Zechariah were about rebuilding the Temple and Malachi is about rebuilding the heart. The matters of the heart have always been more interesting and more demanding. How does one change a heart and keep it transformed? One would safely assume that the people who have come back from exile and now have their Temple rebuilt would really be on board with this change of heart issue. But, not so fast there partner! When it comes to the matters of the heart it is never safe to assume anything. In the opening lines, Malachi quotes truth and then he quotes what the people are really saying about that truth. "God says, I love you." You replied, Really? How have you loved us? Throughout the book you get this picture of the heart from the words that are being spoken by the followers. Malachi in each instance points out the consequences for that kind of heart in order to change their heart. Listen to your words today and see if you can pick up some disease that may be creeping into your heart.
Paul lays out his heart here in this passage. If anyone had the religious credentials it was Paul. Paul had it all and then when he met Christ he saw his stuff as waste and inferior stuff. He walked away from that stuff so he could know Christ personally. Paul then reveals he doesn't have it all together but he is striving to know Christ in all His fullness. What should be your number one goal at all times? It is to know Christ in all His fullness. “The know” here is not just the know like I have filed in my memory banks--it is the know of experience.
The Temple is rebuilt and the people have returned from their exile--all should be good-right? Wrong! The prophet who gets to have the last word is Malachi. Haggai and Zechariah were about rebuilding the Temple and Malachi is about rebuilding the heart. The matters of the heart have always been more interesting and more demanding. How does one change a heart and keep it transformed? One would safely assume that the people who have come back from exile and now have their Temple rebuilt would really be on board with this change of heart issue. But, not so fast there partner! When it comes to the matters of the heart it is never safe to assume anything. In the opening lines, Malachi quotes truth and then he quotes what the people are really saying about that truth. "God says, I love you." You replied, Really? How have you loved us? Throughout the book you get this picture of the heart from the words that are being spoken by the followers. Malachi in each instance points out the consequences for that kind of heart in order to change their heart. Listen to your words today and see if you can pick up some disease that may be creeping into your heart.
Paul lays out his heart here in this passage. If anyone had the religious credentials it was Paul. Paul had it all and then when he met Christ he saw his stuff as waste and inferior stuff. He walked away from that stuff so he could know Christ personally. Paul then reveals he doesn't have it all together but he is striving to know Christ in all His fullness. What should be your number one goal at all times? It is to know Christ in all His fullness. “The know” here is not just the know like I have filed in my memory banks--it is the know of experience.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
230 Tuesday, August 18, 2009
230 Zechariah 010 – 014; Philippians 002
A day is coming when God's plan will all come together. Tucked away in the book of Zechariah are words concerning the Messiah and His second advent. You will find these words on page1131, second column last paragraph, "I'll pour a spirit of grace and prayer over them. They'll then be able to recognize me as the One they so grievously wounded---that piercing spear-thrust! And they'll weep---oh, how they they'll weep!" This verse is a powerful Messianic prophecy of Christ's second return. Notice that Israel will recognize Him as the one they had crucified in the day. Then they will weep which I believe is a reference to their repenting. The detail of the spear that was thrust in Christ's side is unmistakable in the words, "...that piercing spear-thrust!" This Bible is the real deal. The Words in the Bible are the very Words of God. They are true and are not here for entertainment, but for our transformation. Keep on believing and trusting and looking forward to Christ's return.
Christ set aside His privileges and became our servant. Christ died for us and then rose from the grave and was taken to an exalted state. In this chapter are the words, " Do everything readily and cheerfully--no bickering, no second--guessing allowed." In the NIV or NRSV the words are do everything without complaining. Living this Christian life is not easy, but neither is taking the sin of the world on your back. Stay in the game and let Christ's life be your life.
A day is coming when God's plan will all come together. Tucked away in the book of Zechariah are words concerning the Messiah and His second advent. You will find these words on page1131, second column last paragraph, "I'll pour a spirit of grace and prayer over them. They'll then be able to recognize me as the One they so grievously wounded---that piercing spear-thrust! And they'll weep---oh, how they they'll weep!" This verse is a powerful Messianic prophecy of Christ's second return. Notice that Israel will recognize Him as the one they had crucified in the day. Then they will weep which I believe is a reference to their repenting. The detail of the spear that was thrust in Christ's side is unmistakable in the words, "...that piercing spear-thrust!" This Bible is the real deal. The Words in the Bible are the very Words of God. They are true and are not here for entertainment, but for our transformation. Keep on believing and trusting and looking forward to Christ's return.
Christ set aside His privileges and became our servant. Christ died for us and then rose from the grave and was taken to an exalted state. In this chapter are the words, " Do everything readily and cheerfully--no bickering, no second--guessing allowed." In the NIV or NRSV the words are do everything without complaining. Living this Christian life is not easy, but neither is taking the sin of the world on your back. Stay in the game and let Christ's life be your life.
Monday, August 17, 2009
229 Monday, August 17, 2009
229 Zechariah 005 – 009; Philippians 001
God through these visions is sending a message and that is Yahweh is in control. The flying book, a woman in a basket, and the four chariots is about God patrolling this earth. The ones returning from exile must not forget who is in control and who sees to the four corners of the earth. Bethel sends a delegation to pray and to inquire about the fasts they had been holding every fifth and seventh month. The answer was to the point of being blunt. These fasts were never held for Me--Yahweh. You held these for yourselves. God makes the point by letting them know that if they had been for God then their lives would have changed. Here is what Yahweh desires from you, "Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don't plot and scheme against one another--that's evil." When you read the Sermon on the Mount you will find the same theme. The theme of 1 John is if you want to know if your name is written in the Lambs book of life then look and see how you treat others. This theme of our horizontal being evidence of our vertical with God is powerful and sobering.
They have locked Paul up, but the Gospel is never under lock and key. Those that preach with the wrong motives so be it, but the Gospel is being preached. But for you, "Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ." How are living today? Are you living to lift up the message and ministry of Jesus Christ? Is your life a reflection of the life of Christ? Ask Christ for His help to be light and salt in this day.
God through these visions is sending a message and that is Yahweh is in control. The flying book, a woman in a basket, and the four chariots is about God patrolling this earth. The ones returning from exile must not forget who is in control and who sees to the four corners of the earth. Bethel sends a delegation to pray and to inquire about the fasts they had been holding every fifth and seventh month. The answer was to the point of being blunt. These fasts were never held for Me--Yahweh. You held these for yourselves. God makes the point by letting them know that if they had been for God then their lives would have changed. Here is what Yahweh desires from you, "Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don't plot and scheme against one another--that's evil." When you read the Sermon on the Mount you will find the same theme. The theme of 1 John is if you want to know if your name is written in the Lambs book of life then look and see how you treat others. This theme of our horizontal being evidence of our vertical with God is powerful and sobering.
They have locked Paul up, but the Gospel is never under lock and key. Those that preach with the wrong motives so be it, but the Gospel is being preached. But for you, "Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ." How are living today? Are you living to lift up the message and ministry of Jesus Christ? Is your life a reflection of the life of Christ? Ask Christ for His help to be light and salt in this day.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
228 Sunday, August 16, 2009
228 Zechariah 001 – 004; Ephesians 006
And in this corner we have the champions of God, Haggai and Zechariah. These are the two prophets who teamed up in order to rebuild the Temple. Trust would be an issue for these exiles. Their parents had sinned and would not listen to the prophets that the Lord had sent in their midst. That is the truth, but did they understand that their parents had really sinned and that is why the Lord sent them into exile. Here is one example of Zechariah tackling this issue, "I've come back to Jerusalem, but with compassion this time." This is God speaking."
There is comfort, hope, and protection in the voice God through the prophet. A message to Zerubbabel is, "You can't force these things. They only come about through my Spirit." The God given mission is to rebuild the Temple, but you cannot force these things.
In the reading of Ephesians today Paul is letting us know everyday is a battle and therefore dress accordingly. We cannot handle life, especially the Christian life, on our own--get all the help you can. Take the whole armor of God and put it on! Today pray each piece onto your soul.
And in this corner we have the champions of God, Haggai and Zechariah. These are the two prophets who teamed up in order to rebuild the Temple. Trust would be an issue for these exiles. Their parents had sinned and would not listen to the prophets that the Lord had sent in their midst. That is the truth, but did they understand that their parents had really sinned and that is why the Lord sent them into exile. Here is one example of Zechariah tackling this issue, "I've come back to Jerusalem, but with compassion this time." This is God speaking."
There is comfort, hope, and protection in the voice God through the prophet. A message to Zerubbabel is, "You can't force these things. They only come about through my Spirit." The God given mission is to rebuild the Temple, but you cannot force these things.
In the reading of Ephesians today Paul is letting us know everyday is a battle and therefore dress accordingly. We cannot handle life, especially the Christian life, on our own--get all the help you can. Take the whole armor of God and put it on! Today pray each piece onto your soul.
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