Psalms 144:12-15
May our sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
may our granaries be full,
providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Subject: God's Blessings
The above prayer is a prayer for blessing in one's life. The key to the prayer is to realize that it is God, alone, who provides such things. In our world today men and women think they can obtain this by themselves. We have believers who think we can secure this through an election. They think political office and political power is the way these things come to us. They think more about being a Constitutionalist than a Biblicist. In this passage King David gives us the formula for blessing in our lives and our lands: Ask God and submit to Him in obedience, fear and reverence. There is no other way.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Subject: Worship and Praise - Nehemiah 10-13
Nehemiah 12:43
And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.
Subject: Worship and Praise
Nehemiah was the project manager for the rebuilding of the City of Jerusalem. He took years to inspire, instruct and correct those who not only built the city, but also rebuilt the culture and the system of worship. Part of that rebuilding was to rebuild the system of worship and praise. This was both a natural outcome of the success of their work rebuilding the city, but also Nehemiah's diligence in organizing the worship team(s). Nehemiah took nothing for granted. He assigned the specific singers and worshippers that needed to be assigned. So, by the time we come to the above passage we see that all the pieces were in place for God to use them in a way to bring praise to Himself. It says in the above verse, "... for God had made them rejoice with great joy ...". The key is that God used Nehemiah's organizational skills to set the musicians in order to be able to lead the people in true praise and worship. God enables us to do both the structure and the service of praise and worship. It is all by God's hand, through our gifted skill-sets and for the purpose of bring praise to Him!!!
And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.
Subject: Worship and Praise
Nehemiah was the project manager for the rebuilding of the City of Jerusalem. He took years to inspire, instruct and correct those who not only built the city, but also rebuilt the culture and the system of worship. Part of that rebuilding was to rebuild the system of worship and praise. This was both a natural outcome of the success of their work rebuilding the city, but also Nehemiah's diligence in organizing the worship team(s). Nehemiah took nothing for granted. He assigned the specific singers and worshippers that needed to be assigned. So, by the time we come to the above passage we see that all the pieces were in place for God to use them in a way to bring praise to Himself. It says in the above verse, "... for God had made them rejoice with great joy ...". The key is that God used Nehemiah's organizational skills to set the musicians in order to be able to lead the people in true praise and worship. God enables us to do both the structure and the service of praise and worship. It is all by God's hand, through our gifted skill-sets and for the purpose of bring praise to Him!!!
Monday, December 5, 2016
Subject: Thankfulness - Deuteronomy 26-28
Deuteronomy 28:45-47
“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,
Subject: Thankfulness
The nation of Israel was given blessing after blessing. In chapter 26 of this book God reminds them seven times that He was "giving" them blessings. They were to be thankful for what God had done for them and, therefore, obey His commands out of gratitude. If they did so, just be thankful and obedient, they would have even more blessings. Blessing upon blessing. But, as stated in the above, they did not practice an attitude of thankfulness. Thankfulness is practice via acts of obedience. Yes, being thankful is also an attitude, but it is ultimately expressed by being obedient to God's commands out of a heart of gratitude. Israel would fail at this and suffer all the curses God described to them. Thanksgiving is about grateful living through a life of obedience.
“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,
Subject: Thankfulness
The nation of Israel was given blessing after blessing. In chapter 26 of this book God reminds them seven times that He was "giving" them blessings. They were to be thankful for what God had done for them and, therefore, obey His commands out of gratitude. If they did so, just be thankful and obedient, they would have even more blessings. Blessing upon blessing. But, as stated in the above, they did not practice an attitude of thankfulness. Thankfulness is practice via acts of obedience. Yes, being thankful is also an attitude, but it is ultimately expressed by being obedient to God's commands out of a heart of gratitude. Israel would fail at this and suffer all the curses God described to them. Thanksgiving is about grateful living through a life of obedience.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Subject: Prayer - 1 John 4-5
1 John 5:13-15
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Subject: Prayer
One of the benefits and blessings of knowing Christ is confidence in our eternal security. John writes this little epistle to assure us that those who have faith in Christ and confess that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the World can be assured of eternal life with Him. But, they can also be assured that while waiting for the consummation of that eternal life in glory to be fulfilled, they can have fellowship with Christ in prayer. That prayer is communion with the the King of Kings. That prayer is a direct line to the Power of God. John tells us an added blessing is the power of prayer, not based upon our own merit, but on the gift of Christ and the work of Christ. He tells us that we can ask anything in Christ will and we can be assured that Christ will hear us and answer us. This is not a freedom to ask for things, but to ask for God's will to be done, in heaven and on earth. We are to ask for Christ to conform us to His image. We are to ask for Christ to save lost souls, using our meager gifts and talents. We are to ask for Christ to give us the strength He promises. We are to ask for Christ to give us wisdom. We are to ask for Christ to save the world. This is praying in Christ will.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Subject: Prayer
One of the benefits and blessings of knowing Christ is confidence in our eternal security. John writes this little epistle to assure us that those who have faith in Christ and confess that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the World can be assured of eternal life with Him. But, they can also be assured that while waiting for the consummation of that eternal life in glory to be fulfilled, they can have fellowship with Christ in prayer. That prayer is communion with the the King of Kings. That prayer is a direct line to the Power of God. John tells us an added blessing is the power of prayer, not based upon our own merit, but on the gift of Christ and the work of Christ. He tells us that we can ask anything in Christ will and we can be assured that Christ will hear us and answer us. This is not a freedom to ask for things, but to ask for God's will to be done, in heaven and on earth. We are to ask for Christ to conform us to His image. We are to ask for Christ to save lost souls, using our meager gifts and talents. We are to ask for Christ to give us the strength He promises. We are to ask for Christ to give us wisdom. We are to ask for Christ to save the world. This is praying in Christ will.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Subject: Group Think - Acts 21-22
Acts 21:11-14
And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
Subject: Group Think - Shared Leadership
The above passage is a perfect example of what happens when groups want to make the decisions about your life. Paul, in the previous chapter had told everyone that the Holy Spirit was sending Him to Jerusalem, although he had no idea what would befall him there. Although he knew that wherever he went in Christ's name bad things would happen to him:
Acts 20:22-23
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
Subject: Group Think - Shared Leadership
The above passage is a perfect example of what happens when groups want to make the decisions about your life. Paul, in the previous chapter had told everyone that the Holy Spirit was sending Him to Jerusalem, although he had no idea what would befall him there. Although he knew that wherever he went in Christ's name bad things would happen to him:
Acts 20:22-23
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
Now the prophet Agabus grabs hold of Paul's belt and tells everyone that whoever is the owner of the belt will suffer at the hands of the Jews. The "group" thinks it is not wise therefore for Paul to go to Jerusalem. Yet, the Holy Spirit, through Agabus, was not telling them Paul shouldn't go but only that he should expect the very thing Paul said in the previous chapter. The "group think" was to keep himself safe. The Spirit said "go" and be prepared for what awaits you. We often want to bend to "group think" because it is so logical. But it is not always spiritual. When God gives us His will it is not always comfortable and we are not avoid the parts of it He has also ordained, albeit not as comfortable. Group think causes us to miss God's will if it is not according to God's Word.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Subject: Worship - Revelation 1-5
Revelation 5:9-10
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Subject: Worship
The above couple of verses are the summary of the Gospel and the plan of God. From the beginning of creation this was the plan. Jesus was to come and ransom the people of God and, with Christ, they will reign on the earth. The passage starts with this phrase, "And they sang a new song, saying ...". It is new in regard to not been sung. But it is not new in regard to message. Genesis 3:15 starts the plan of God and it flows through ever book of the Bible. The Bible is "Jesus Centric." It is a bout the Worthiness of Jesus to fulfill and satiric the judgement of God on all sin and for us to receive that payment and to worship Him and reign with Him. This song is the song we will sing for eternity. It should be song now.
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Subject: Worship
The above couple of verses are the summary of the Gospel and the plan of God. From the beginning of creation this was the plan. Jesus was to come and ransom the people of God and, with Christ, they will reign on the earth. The passage starts with this phrase, "And they sang a new song, saying ...". It is new in regard to not been sung. But it is not new in regard to message. Genesis 3:15 starts the plan of God and it flows through ever book of the Bible. The Bible is "Jesus Centric." It is a bout the Worthiness of Jesus to fulfill and satiric the judgement of God on all sin and for us to receive that payment and to worship Him and reign with Him. This song is the song we will sing for eternity. It should be song now.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Subject: Committment in Marriage - Song of Solomon 1-2
Song of Songs 2:16
My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes among the lilies.
Subject: Commitment in Marriage
The above line, appears three times in Song of Solomon (6:30; 7:10). It is the essence of the entire book and story. It is a statement of commitment and fidelity to each other. In Genesis 2:24 we are told that a man is to leave his father and mother and to cleave onto his wife. This is a statement of commitment. In 1 Corinthians 7:4 we are told that a husband and a wife had "authority" over each other's bodies. That thought would not fit our modern day world. However, God knows what He wanted when He created marriage and our relationships in marriage. When we commit to each other we get the benefits of love. The second line in the above verse is very provocative. She is saying that as a result of this commitment he will "graze among the lilies." This is a pleasent euphemism to refer to sexual pleasures. This commitment to one other is the root and the sexual pleasure she imagines is the fruit. When we attempt to have the fruit without the root we lose out on the real meaning of love making and the real purpose. It is an expression of our commitment.
My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes among the lilies.
Subject: Commitment in Marriage
The above line, appears three times in Song of Solomon (6:30; 7:10). It is the essence of the entire book and story. It is a statement of commitment and fidelity to each other. In Genesis 2:24 we are told that a man is to leave his father and mother and to cleave onto his wife. This is a statement of commitment. In 1 Corinthians 7:4 we are told that a husband and a wife had "authority" over each other's bodies. That thought would not fit our modern day world. However, God knows what He wanted when He created marriage and our relationships in marriage. When we commit to each other we get the benefits of love. The second line in the above verse is very provocative. She is saying that as a result of this commitment he will "graze among the lilies." This is a pleasent euphemism to refer to sexual pleasures. This commitment to one other is the root and the sexual pleasure she imagines is the fruit. When we attempt to have the fruit without the root we lose out on the real meaning of love making and the real purpose. It is an expression of our commitment.
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