Through the Bible -Judges 1-5, Luke 7:36 - 8:9
Good morning,
For this weekend's verse we'll once again turn to the Psalms. Psalm 47:1 tells us "clap your hands" and "shout to God" with the voice of triumph.
It's not always easy, in fact it can be very difficult to have this attitude in the midst of trying circumstances.
The attitude of our heart in those circumstances may be more like the psalmist in Psalm 42 where we go for today's verse.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Can you think of others in the Bible who found themselves in trying circumstances yet, were still able to praise, even sing praise to the Lord?
Derek Thomas writes, "Christians are tempted, of course, to be discouraged and depressed by the force of overwhelming circumstances. But in such circumstances, we must tell ourselves that we have no right to feel the way we do! Paul, who knew what it was to be in prison, to be beaten and spat upon, to be cold shouldered and ignored, commands us to rejoice, despite what we may feel: "rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice" (Phil. 4:4)
Paul was never one to ask of others what he did not do himself. That is why, throughout the record of his life, we can detect his joy even in the most difficult and testing of situations."
Picture Paul and Silas singing songs while bound in chains. Picture Joseph in the Old Testament. Can you think of others? In a way that's a trick question. One of the reasons they could be that way because they were thinking of, and ministering to others during those times.
They were able to to so by the grace of God, which of itself is a gift of God.
The book of Philippians gives testimony to this. Written while Paul was in prison begins and ends speaking of the grace of God.
1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.[c] Amen.
As you prepare for worship this weekend, may you "hope in God" and be able to praise Him in your circumstances.
In Christ,
Mike
Psalm 42: 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things,
&nb sp;I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.[c]
6 O my God,[d] my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be wit h me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
&nb sp;And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/28
Through the Bible - Joshua 23-24, Luke 7:1-35
Good morning,
In my devotional reading this morning I was in Proverbs 31 and Luke 7 (above).
Today's verse comes from Proverbs 31 which challenges us to defend the cause of the speechless, the poor, and the needy.
Prov 31:8 Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy. NKJV
These were the words of the "wise king". MacArthur comments that "the king's duty was to righteously uphold the case of the helpless in both physical (v.6) and material (v.9) crises. The monarch thus mediates the compassion of God."
Where the king or government fail in their responsibilities to do this, God's people are to step in. Israel and Judah were often rebuked for neglecting the poor and needy as were the pharisees in Jesus' time on earth.
In Luke 7 in today's reading Jesus had this to say:
Luke 7:22 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." NKJV
Are we to depend and wait for the government to step in and solve the problems? It would be nice, but I'm afraid we'd never stop waiting.
Reading these passages I was reminded of the old hymn, "Make Me a Blessing", may it be our prayer today.
Make Me a Blessing
Out on the highways and byways of life,
Many are the weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.
Chorus
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing;
Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love,
Tell of His pow'r to forgive;
Others will trust Him if only you prove
True every moment you live.
Chorus
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing;
Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Give as 'twas given to you in your need,
Love as the Master loved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed,
Unto your mission be true.
Chorus
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing;
Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
In Christ,
Mike
Prov 31:1-10
31 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:
2 What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?
3 Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
5 Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.
8 Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
NKJV
Good morning,
In my devotional reading this morning I was in Proverbs 31 and Luke 7 (above).
Today's verse comes from Proverbs 31 which challenges us to defend the cause of the speechless, the poor, and the needy.
Prov 31:8 Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy. NKJV
These were the words of the "wise king". MacArthur comments that "the king's duty was to righteously uphold the case of the helpless in both physical (v.6) and material (v.9) crises. The monarch thus mediates the compassion of God."
Where the king or government fail in their responsibilities to do this, God's people are to step in. Israel and Judah were often rebuked for neglecting the poor and needy as were the pharisees in Jesus' time on earth.
In Luke 7 in today's reading Jesus had this to say:
Luke 7:22 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." NKJV
Are we to depend and wait for the government to step in and solve the problems? It would be nice, but I'm afraid we'd never stop waiting.
Reading these passages I was reminded of the old hymn, "Make Me a Blessing", may it be our prayer today.
Make Me a Blessing
Out on the highways and byways of life,
Many are the weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.
Chorus
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing;
Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love,
Tell of His pow'r to forgive;
Others will trust Him if only you prove
True every moment you live.
Chorus
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing;
Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Give as 'twas given to you in your need,
Love as the Master loved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed,
Unto your mission be true.
Chorus
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing;
Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
In Christ,
Mike
Prov 31:1-10
31 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:
2 What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?
3 Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
5 Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.
8 Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
NKJV
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/26
Through the Bible - Joshua 18-19, Luke 6:1-26
Good morning,
A couple of days ago I read a devotional by J. I. Packer where he wrote, " Imagine a person prostrated with pain of bereavement and along comes some pious Pete to deliver a sermon about the precious discipline that God intends through taking away the loved one. The grieving person may have neither the physical nor the verbal resources to throw such a Job's comforter out, but that is what he will want to do. At a time of intense grief, one is simply unable to handle this thought, however true it might be. What one needs at such a time is love, and anything said about God should point the bereaved to God as the supreme source of help in trouble."
I became aware recently that some of you that read these devotionals don't know about our son Jeff. He was severely injured in a car accident when he was 16 and suffered a traumatic brain injury which left him in a coma for several weeks and permanently disabled.
Packer's words brought back some of the memories of those first weeks after the accident. Many visitors came and spent time with us in the hospital, often without saying much. They were much like Job's friends in Job 2 spending quiet time with him prior to lauching into their theology in Job 3 and beyond.
We experienced some of those same things.
We also had well wishers who with the best of intentions quoted Romans 8:28, where Paul wrote, "all things work together for good to those who love God".
I know I've mentioned it before, but those are not comforting words when you are in the midst of a tragedy such as the loss or severe illness/injury to a loved one very close to you.
We are much better off being a source of strength and comfort while encouraging the grieving person to seek God at that time as the source of help in trouble.
I'll use Romans 8:28 for today's verse.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. NKJV
While the verse may not be a comfort it is a truth. I am thankful for friends that pointed me towards God during that time with recommended books from John Piper and Martyn Lloyd Jones which sent me deep into these passages.
I was challenged by Romans 8:28, and it took time, maybe a couple of years to come close to digesting and accepting the implications. (I don't know if anyone can fully comprehend the ramifications).
I would now say that Romans 8:28 is my life verse.
Take some time to read the passage beginning with verse 26. Notice the "all things" in verses 28,32, and 37.
Make this a familiar passage for yourself. It will help when you do face trials and loss.
We still face challenges with Jeff and other family members. The challenge is to look at life with these challenges with thoughts about "all things" in mind.
OK Lord, what are you telling me in all of this? What would you have me do?
Jeff was "dropped" from his physical therapy yesterday because he was not showing the progress needed to continue on. It's another one of those times where we wonder, OK, what are we to do.
Please pray for guidance for Jean and I as we look for possible alternatives for him and help with physical therapy and speach therapy. See what God will do from "unexpected" sources.
I'll keep you posted.
In Christ,
Mike
Rom 8:26-9:1
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
God's Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
"For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Good morning,
A couple of days ago I read a devotional by J. I. Packer where he wrote, " Imagine a person prostrated with pain of bereavement and along comes some pious Pete to deliver a sermon about the precious discipline that God intends through taking away the loved one. The grieving person may have neither the physical nor the verbal resources to throw such a Job's comforter out, but that is what he will want to do. At a time of intense grief, one is simply unable to handle this thought, however true it might be. What one needs at such a time is love, and anything said about God should point the bereaved to God as the supreme source of help in trouble."
I became aware recently that some of you that read these devotionals don't know about our son Jeff. He was severely injured in a car accident when he was 16 and suffered a traumatic brain injury which left him in a coma for several weeks and permanently disabled.
Packer's words brought back some of the memories of those first weeks after the accident. Many visitors came and spent time with us in the hospital, often without saying much. They were much like Job's friends in Job 2 spending quiet time with him prior to lauching into their theology in Job 3 and beyond.
We experienced some of those same things.
We also had well wishers who with the best of intentions quoted Romans 8:28, where Paul wrote, "all things work together for good to those who love God".
I know I've mentioned it before, but those are not comforting words when you are in the midst of a tragedy such as the loss or severe illness/injury to a loved one very close to you.
We are much better off being a source of strength and comfort while encouraging the grieving person to seek God at that time as the source of help in trouble.
I'll use Romans 8:28 for today's verse.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. NKJV
While the verse may not be a comfort it is a truth. I am thankful for friends that pointed me towards God during that time with recommended books from John Piper and Martyn Lloyd Jones which sent me deep into these passages.
I was challenged by Romans 8:28, and it took time, maybe a couple of years to come close to digesting and accepting the implications. (I don't know if anyone can fully comprehend the ramifications).
I would now say that Romans 8:28 is my life verse.
Take some time to read the passage beginning with verse 26. Notice the "all things" in verses 28,32, and 37.
Make this a familiar passage for yourself. It will help when you do face trials and loss.
We still face challenges with Jeff and other family members. The challenge is to look at life with these challenges with thoughts about "all things" in mind.
OK Lord, what are you telling me in all of this? What would you have me do?
Jeff was "dropped" from his physical therapy yesterday because he was not showing the progress needed to continue on. It's another one of those times where we wonder, OK, what are we to do.
Please pray for guidance for Jean and I as we look for possible alternatives for him and help with physical therapy and speach therapy. See what God will do from "unexpected" sources.
I'll keep you posted.
In Christ,
Mike
Rom 8:26-9:1
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
God's Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
"For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Verse of the Day 3/27
Through the Bible - Joshua 20-22, Luke 6:27-49
Good morning,
After using Romans 8:28 for the verse of the day yesterday, this morning I read a devotional that referenced the same verse.
J.R. Miller had this to say back in 1906:
Our days are full of disappointments, and our
night's rest is broken by anxieties. Yet it is the
Christian's privilege to commit all life's tangles
into the hands of Jesus Christ. He can take our
broken things—and build them up into beauty.
One of the finest windows in a great cathedral is
said to have been made out of the fragments of
broken glass which the workmen had thrown away
as worthless. A skillful hand gathered them up—
and wrought them into lovely form.
Just so, Jesus Christ can take . . .
our failures,
our mistakes,
our follies,
our broken fragments of life,
even our sins, and
make them into beautiful life and character!
Today's verse will come from Psalm 37 :
Psalm 37: 5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
Three times in the first 8 verses the psalmist tells us "do not fret".
Over the last couple of weeks I've heard the events of 911 mentioned twice in sermons. One was all over the news referring to it as our governments actions and the chickens "coming home to roost."
The other was from Pastor Bob who spoke of the devotion of the firemen and police, the compassion of doctors who came from across the country to help. People giving of themselves. This message lead to a call for people to commit themselves to the Lord.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote "it is easy to criticize governments and much that is happening in the world today. And while you and I are doing that, we think we are all right, we are not considering ourselves. But this Gospel (the Gospel of Christ) is primarily personal, and it comes to us individually, and it gets us to face ourselves.
If I had no other reason for believing this book called the Bible, I would believe it for this reason: it is the only book I know of that tells me the plain, unvarnished truth about myself- the only one. Nothing else does. The world around me tells me lies about myself. It always tells me that I am really a very good fellow. If only the world were a better place, if only other people were all right and behave decently, especially governments, what a perfect fellow I should be. What a lie it is!! I know that the trouble is not so much in the world as in myself."
If we are looking for change, in ourselves, in our churches, neighborhood, and country it starts with Jesus Christ. Trust and delight in the Lord in all these circumstances. This trusting and delighting will produce fruit in helping, encouraging, comforting, and spurring on others, all for the glory of God.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Are you "feeding on His faithfulness"?
I've posted the first 11 verses of Psalm 37 below. If you have the time, look it up and read the entire chapter today. Let His Word speak to you.
In Christ,
Mike
Psalm 37 (New King James Version
Psalm 37
A Psalm of David.
1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
; Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
< BR> 9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Good morning,
After using Romans 8:28 for the verse of the day yesterday, this morning I read a devotional that referenced the same verse.
J.R. Miller had this to say back in 1906:
Our days are full of disappointments, and our
night's rest is broken by anxieties. Yet it is the
Christian's privilege to commit all life's tangles
into the hands of Jesus Christ. He can take our
broken things—and build them up into beauty.
One of the finest windows in a great cathedral is
said to have been made out of the fragments of
broken glass which the workmen had thrown away
as worthless. A skillful hand gathered them up—
and wrought them into lovely form.
Just so, Jesus Christ can take . . .
our failures,
our mistakes,
our follies,
our broken fragments of life,
even our sins, and
make them into beautiful life and character!
Today's verse will come from Psalm 37 :
Psalm 37: 5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
Three times in the first 8 verses the psalmist tells us "do not fret".
Over the last couple of weeks I've heard the events of 911 mentioned twice in sermons. One was all over the news referring to it as our governments actions and the chickens "coming home to roost."
The other was from Pastor Bob who spoke of the devotion of the firemen and police, the compassion of doctors who came from across the country to help. People giving of themselves. This message lead to a call for people to commit themselves to the Lord.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote "it is easy to criticize governments and much that is happening in the world today. And while you and I are doing that, we think we are all right, we are not considering ourselves. But this Gospel (the Gospel of Christ) is primarily personal, and it comes to us individually, and it gets us to face ourselves.
If I had no other reason for believing this book called the Bible, I would believe it for this reason: it is the only book I know of that tells me the plain, unvarnished truth about myself- the only one. Nothing else does. The world around me tells me lies about myself. It always tells me that I am really a very good fellow. If only the world were a better place, if only other people were all right and behave decently, especially governments, what a perfect fellow I should be. What a lie it is!! I know that the trouble is not so much in the world as in myself."
If we are looking for change, in ourselves, in our churches, neighborhood, and country it starts with Jesus Christ. Trust and delight in the Lord in all these circumstances. This trusting and delighting will produce fruit in helping, encouraging, comforting, and spurring on others, all for the glory of God.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Are you "feeding on His faithfulness"?
I've posted the first 11 verses of Psalm 37 below. If you have the time, look it up and read the entire chapter today. Let His Word speak to you.
In Christ,
Mike
Psalm 37 (New King James Version
Psalm 37
A Psalm of David.
1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
; Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
< BR> 9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/24
Through the Bible - Joshua 13-14, Luke 4:42-5:26
Good morning,
Matthew 5:13-14 talk about us (as Christians) being as salt and light. We talked about this a few weeks ago in our High School Sunday School class, and spoke of salt being a preservative and adding flavor.
J.I. Packer expanded on this when he writes, " Salt preserves what otherwise rot and flavor to what would otherwise be flavorless; also, salt creates thirst. So Christians by the quality of their lives and by their actions should restrain evil and keep society from rotting, add savor to community life by, among other things, doing right and treating people with respect, and stir up a thirst for God."
For today's verse we'll go to another New Testament reference to salt:
Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." NKJV
This verse speaks of having salt "in yourselves" and having peace with one another.
Regarding this salt "in yourselves" John MacArthur comments that " the work of the Word (Col. 3:16) and the Spirit (Gal. 5:222-23) produce godly character, enabling a person to act as a preservative in society." God's enabling power is part of His grace that He bestows on us.
“Our power in drawing men to Christ springs chiefly from the fullness of our personal joy in Him, and the nearness of our personal communion with Him. The countenance that reflects most of Christ, and shines most with His love and grace, is most fitted to attract the gaze of a careless, giddy world, and win restless souls from fascinations of creature love and creature-beauty. A ministry of power must be the fruit of a holy, peaceful, loving intimacy with the Lord.”
- Horatius Bonar,
The" holy, peaceful, loving intimacy with the Lord" that Horatius Bonar writes of can be looked upon as salt, preserving, adding flavor, and creating a thirst in others for Christ and God's Word.
What can you do to be salt and light to those around you today.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Mark 9:49-10:1
Tasteless Salt Is Worthless
49 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."
NKJV
Good morning,
Matthew 5:13-14 talk about us (as Christians) being as salt and light. We talked about this a few weeks ago in our High School Sunday School class, and spoke of salt being a preservative and adding flavor.
J.I. Packer expanded on this when he writes, " Salt preserves what otherwise rot and flavor to what would otherwise be flavorless; also, salt creates thirst. So Christians by the quality of their lives and by their actions should restrain evil and keep society from rotting, add savor to community life by, among other things, doing right and treating people with respect, and stir up a thirst for God."
For today's verse we'll go to another New Testament reference to salt:
Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." NKJV
This verse speaks of having salt "in yourselves" and having peace with one another.
Regarding this salt "in yourselves" John MacArthur comments that " the work of the Word (Col. 3:16) and the Spirit (Gal. 5:222-23) produce godly character, enabling a person to act as a preservative in society." God's enabling power is part of His grace that He bestows on us.
“Our power in drawing men to Christ springs chiefly from the fullness of our personal joy in Him, and the nearness of our personal communion with Him. The countenance that reflects most of Christ, and shines most with His love and grace, is most fitted to attract the gaze of a careless, giddy world, and win restless souls from fascinations of creature love and creature-beauty. A ministry of power must be the fruit of a holy, peaceful, loving intimacy with the Lord.”
- Horatius Bonar,
The" holy, peaceful, loving intimacy with the Lord" that Horatius Bonar writes of can be looked upon as salt, preserving, adding flavor, and creating a thirst in others for Christ and God's Word.
What can you do to be salt and light to those around you today.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Mark 9:49-10:1
Tasteless Salt Is Worthless
49 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."
NKJV
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Verse of the Day - weekend 3/22
Through the Bible - Joshua 9-12, Luke 4:1:40
Good morning,
I've thought for a few days on what verse to use for this weekend. The following statement by Pastor and author C.J. Mahaney led me to 1 Corinthians 15.
"If there’s anything in life that we should be passionate about, it’s the gospel. And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others. I mean passionate about thinking about it, dwelling on it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world. Only one thing can be of first importance to each of us. And only the gospel ought to be."
It's a long chapter, but if you have an extra 10 minutes (or longer to dwell on it for a little while), read about the risen Christ, our hope.
1 Cor 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. NKJV
The NKJV version starts out with "but now" GREEK> nuni (noo-nee'); a prolonged form of for emphasis; just now, - emphasising that our salvation has been accomplished. He is risen, He is risen indeed. We've looked back at His birth earlier in the week, we'll be hearing and reading of His resurrection today and tomorrow, and as Christians we'll be looking for His second coming.
A tradition in our house at Easter was to listen to Glad's Accapella project. One of my favorite songs was their rendition of "In the First Light". It captures the joy of the Christian, considering the birth and resurrection of our Saviour while looking to the greatest celebration when He comes again to earth.
Jeff, Jean, and I will listen to it again this weekend.
In the First Light
In the first light of a new day no one knew he had arrived
Things continued as they had been while a newborn softly cried
But the heavens wrapped in wonder knew the meaning of his birth
In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth
As his mother held him closely it was hard to understand
That her baby, not yet speaking, was the word of God to man
He would tell them of his kingdom but their hearts would not believe
They would hate him and in anger they would nail him to a tree
But the sadness would be broken as the song of life arose
And the firstborn of creation would ascend and take his throne
He had left it to redeem us but before his life began
He knew he'd come back, not as a baby, but as the Lord of every man
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes again to earth
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes to rule the earth!
I wont copy the complete chapter below, but I felt that I must copy the last verse. In light of what He has done for us, how He loves us, may we "abound in the work of the Lord".
1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
NKJV
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
1 Cor 15:1-28
The Risen Christ, Faith's Reality
(cf. Mark 16:9-20)
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
The Risen Christ, Our Hope
(cf. 1 Thess 4:13-18)
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up — if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
The Last Enemy Destroyed
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
NKJV
Good morning,
I've thought for a few days on what verse to use for this weekend. The following statement by Pastor and author C.J. Mahaney led me to 1 Corinthians 15.
"If there’s anything in life that we should be passionate about, it’s the gospel. And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others. I mean passionate about thinking about it, dwelling on it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world. Only one thing can be of first importance to each of us. And only the gospel ought to be."
It's a long chapter, but if you have an extra 10 minutes (or longer to dwell on it for a little while), read about the risen Christ, our hope.
1 Cor 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. NKJV
The NKJV version starts out with "but now" GREEK> nuni (noo-nee'); a prolonged form of for emphasis; just now, - emphasising that our salvation has been accomplished. He is risen, He is risen indeed. We've looked back at His birth earlier in the week, we'll be hearing and reading of His resurrection today and tomorrow, and as Christians we'll be looking for His second coming.
A tradition in our house at Easter was to listen to Glad's Accapella project. One of my favorite songs was their rendition of "In the First Light". It captures the joy of the Christian, considering the birth and resurrection of our Saviour while looking to the greatest celebration when He comes again to earth.
Jeff, Jean, and I will listen to it again this weekend.
In the First Light
In the first light of a new day no one knew he had arrived
Things continued as they had been while a newborn softly cried
But the heavens wrapped in wonder knew the meaning of his birth
In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth
As his mother held him closely it was hard to understand
That her baby, not yet speaking, was the word of God to man
He would tell them of his kingdom but their hearts would not believe
They would hate him and in anger they would nail him to a tree
But the sadness would be broken as the song of life arose
And the firstborn of creation would ascend and take his throne
He had left it to redeem us but before his life began
He knew he'd come back, not as a baby, but as the Lord of every man
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes again to earth
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes to rule the earth!
I wont copy the complete chapter below, but I felt that I must copy the last verse. In light of what He has done for us, how He loves us, may we "abound in the work of the Lord".
1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
NKJV
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
1 Cor 15:1-28
The Risen Christ, Faith's Reality
(cf. Mark 16:9-20)
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
The Risen Christ, Our Hope
(cf. 1 Thess 4:13-18)
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up — if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
The Last Enemy Destroyed
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
NKJV
Friday, March 21, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/21
Through the Bible Joshua 7-8, Luke 3
Good morning,
In recent weeks we've seen in Matthew that Jesus ministry involved preaching, teaching, and healing. We've seen how He came to "fulfill" the Law. We've looked at several passages and verses from the greatest sermon ever told.
Today, we'll go to the book of John where Jesus is brought before Pilate. He is on the way to what He ultimately came to do, and here He continues teaching each step of the way, teaching that He is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” NKJV
Read that verse again. How many other passages and verses come to mind?
Pilate found no fault in Him but still delivered Him up to be crucified.
How many today here the truth spoken to them and turn away.
Pilate responded rhetorically to Jesus mention of the truth. Don't people do the same today? Haven't you heard someone say "that may be true for you" but not for me?
Do you hear the voice of truth in Jesus words as you read through the gospels? If you are "of the truth" you'll know His voice and follow Him, no matter where He leads.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
As you prepare for Easter Sunday, if you have some time read through John 18 and 19. Look at all of the people involved, from bystanders to the disciples to the Pharisees and then look " unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:2
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
In Pilate’s Court
John 18:28-38
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
Good morning,
In recent weeks we've seen in Matthew that Jesus ministry involved preaching, teaching, and healing. We've seen how He came to "fulfill" the Law. We've looked at several passages and verses from the greatest sermon ever told.
Today, we'll go to the book of John where Jesus is brought before Pilate. He is on the way to what He ultimately came to do, and here He continues teaching each step of the way, teaching that He is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” NKJV
Read that verse again. How many other passages and verses come to mind?
Pilate found no fault in Him but still delivered Him up to be crucified.
How many today here the truth spoken to them and turn away.
Pilate responded rhetorically to Jesus mention of the truth. Don't people do the same today? Haven't you heard someone say "that may be true for you" but not for me?
Do you hear the voice of truth in Jesus words as you read through the gospels? If you are "of the truth" you'll know His voice and follow Him, no matter where He leads.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
As you prepare for Easter Sunday, if you have some time read through John 18 and 19. Look at all of the people involved, from bystanders to the disciples to the Pharisees and then look " unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:2
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
In Pilate’s Court
John 18:28-38
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/20
Through the Bible - Joshua 5-6, Luke 2:22-52
Good morning,
For today's verse we'll return to the book of Matthew, to the middle section of the Sermon on the Mount.
The sermon can be broken down into 3 sections, the first is an introduction in verses 5:1-6 in which Jesus describes the basics of discipleship and being "salt and light".
We've already looked at some verses in the last section where He gives final warnings to those who will not listen to His instructions (7:13-29) by way of talking of two kingdoms, two builders, two ways of life.
The middle section begins with today's verses. This reference to the "Law and the Prophets" is repeated at the end of the section (7:12). In between Jesus gives us lessons on what is meant by fulfilling the law.
Matt 5:17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. NKJV
Take a look at or better yet read through the passage. It speaks of and Jesus expounds upon murder, adultery, divorce, taking oaths, retaliation and yes love and good deeds.
MacArthur writes, "He was neither giving a new law nor modifying the old, but rather explaining the true significance of the moral content of Moses law and the rest of the O.T.. The Law and the Prophets speak of the entirety of the Scriptures, not the rabbinical interpretations of them."
Quite a contrast to the "sermons" that we've been hearing about on the news lately. How do those messages match up against what we read here.
All preaching should be held up to see how it relates to what we see in the Bible. All congregations should be like the Berean church that "examined" the scriptures:
Acts 17:11-12 "they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." NKJV
This passage should cause us to look more at what is going on inside of us than to focus on the externals.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Matt 5:17-6:1
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart(Luke 12:57-59)
21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother,'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says,'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Adultery in the Heart
27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Marriage Is Sacred and Binding(Matt 19:9; Mark 10:11,12; Luke 16:18)
31 "Furthermore it has been said,'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Jesus Forbids Oaths
33 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old,'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Go the Second Mile(Luke 6:29-31)
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Love Your Enemies(Luke 6:27,28,32-36)
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
NKJV
Good morning,
For today's verse we'll return to the book of Matthew, to the middle section of the Sermon on the Mount.
The sermon can be broken down into 3 sections, the first is an introduction in verses 5:1-6 in which Jesus describes the basics of discipleship and being "salt and light".
We've already looked at some verses in the last section where He gives final warnings to those who will not listen to His instructions (7:13-29) by way of talking of two kingdoms, two builders, two ways of life.
The middle section begins with today's verses. This reference to the "Law and the Prophets" is repeated at the end of the section (7:12). In between Jesus gives us lessons on what is meant by fulfilling the law.
Matt 5:17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. NKJV
Take a look at or better yet read through the passage. It speaks of and Jesus expounds upon murder, adultery, divorce, taking oaths, retaliation and yes love and good deeds.
MacArthur writes, "He was neither giving a new law nor modifying the old, but rather explaining the true significance of the moral content of Moses law and the rest of the O.T.. The Law and the Prophets speak of the entirety of the Scriptures, not the rabbinical interpretations of them."
Quite a contrast to the "sermons" that we've been hearing about on the news lately. How do those messages match up against what we read here.
All preaching should be held up to see how it relates to what we see in the Bible. All congregations should be like the Berean church that "examined" the scriptures:
Acts 17:11-12 "they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." NKJV
This passage should cause us to look more at what is going on inside of us than to focus on the externals.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Matt 5:17-6:1
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart(Luke 12:57-59)
21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother,'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says,'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Adultery in the Heart
27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Marriage Is Sacred and Binding(Matt 19:9; Mark 10:11,12; Luke 16:18)
31 "Furthermore it has been said,'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Jesus Forbids Oaths
33 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old,'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Go the Second Mile(Luke 6:29-31)
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Love Your Enemies(Luke 6:27,28,32-36)
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
NKJV
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/19
Through the Bible - Joshua 3-4, Luke 2:1-21
Good morning,
This is another one of those mornings where I had a verse planned but changed coarse because of something I just read. Today's read through the Bible passage brought me to Luke chapter 2 and Lukes' account of Jesus' birth.
In the middle of "Holy Week", I think it's a good time to step back and consider what Christ has done. The praise chorus "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" sums it up pretty well.
You came from heaven to earth
To show the way
From the earth to the cross
My debt to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky
Lord, I lift Your name on high
Today's verse is the angels' response to what had taken place.
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" NKJV
Reading that verse I could hear Chris Tomlin's song echoing in my mind:
Glory in the Highest
You are the first
You go before
You are the last
Lord, You're the encore
Your name's in lights for all to see
The starry host declare Your glory
Glory in the highest
Glory in the highest
Glory in the highest
Apart from You there is no god
Light of the world
The Bright and Morning Star
Your name will shine for all to see
You are the one
You are my glory
And no one else could ever compare
To You, Lord
All the earth together declares ...
Glory in the highest ... to You, Lord
All the earth will sing Your praise
The moon and stars, the sun and rain
Every nation will proclaim
That You are God and You will reign
Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory to You, Lord
Glory, glory hallelujah
As you go about your day and through the rest of the week, take some time to think of what Christ has done from you, lift His Name on high, and sing Glory in the Highest.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Luke 2:8-21
Glory in the Highest
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them,"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
NKJV
Good morning,
This is another one of those mornings where I had a verse planned but changed coarse because of something I just read. Today's read through the Bible passage brought me to Luke chapter 2 and Lukes' account of Jesus' birth.
In the middle of "Holy Week", I think it's a good time to step back and consider what Christ has done. The praise chorus "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" sums it up pretty well.
You came from heaven to earth
To show the way
From the earth to the cross
My debt to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky
Lord, I lift Your name on high
Today's verse is the angels' response to what had taken place.
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" NKJV
Reading that verse I could hear Chris Tomlin's song echoing in my mind:
Glory in the Highest
You are the first
You go before
You are the last
Lord, You're the encore
Your name's in lights for all to see
The starry host declare Your glory
Glory in the highest
Glory in the highest
Glory in the highest
Apart from You there is no god
Light of the world
The Bright and Morning Star
Your name will shine for all to see
You are the one
You are my glory
And no one else could ever compare
To You, Lord
All the earth together declares ...
Glory in the highest ... to You, Lord
All the earth will sing Your praise
The moon and stars, the sun and rain
Every nation will proclaim
That You are God and You will reign
Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory to You, Lord
Glory, glory hallelujah
As you go about your day and through the rest of the week, take some time to think of what Christ has done from you, lift His Name on high, and sing Glory in the Highest.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Luke 2:8-21
Glory in the Highest
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them,"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
NKJV
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/18
Through the Bible - Joshua 1-2, Luke 1:57-80
Good morning,
In yesterday's passage we found Christ's first mention of the cross. In today's passage we have another reference to it which comes shortly after today's verse:
Matt 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. NKJV
When we first believe, we may not be aware of the responsibilities or the consequences of becoming a "Christ follower". There are those that preach a "prosperity gospel" that tell people that it is not God's will for them to have financial difficulties and physical illnesses. But we are told time and time again in the scriptures that we can expect trials. For example:
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. NKJV
Jesus had been teaching,preaching and healing people as he travelled. Now He is beginning a new chapter in His ministry as John MacArthur notes:
"This marks the beginning of a new emphasis in Matthew's account. He turns his attention from Jesus' public ministry, to his private instructions for the disciples, which took on a new somber tone. The disciples had confessed their faith in Him as Messiah. From then on, He began to prepare them for His death."
In some ways many if not most of us came to the Lord through public ministry and we grow in public ministry. But there must come a point if we are to truly grow, that God must teach us individually as we read,pray, study, and apply His Word to our lives. As we do, especially in reading through and studying the books of the Bible we'll get a better understanding of what it truly means to be a Christ follower in all the phases of our lives.
Today's passage followed Peter's declaration to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God". It is only after this confession that Jesus began to teach them privately.
Matt 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
14 So they said,"Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered and said,"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." NKJV
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Matt 16:21-17:1
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
(Mark 8:31-33; Luke 9:21,22)
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
(Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-26)
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Jesus Transfigured on the Mount
(Mark 9:1-13; Luke 9:27-36; 2 Peter 1:16-18)
28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
NKJV
Good morning,
In yesterday's passage we found Christ's first mention of the cross. In today's passage we have another reference to it which comes shortly after today's verse:
Matt 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. NKJV
When we first believe, we may not be aware of the responsibilities or the consequences of becoming a "Christ follower". There are those that preach a "prosperity gospel" that tell people that it is not God's will for them to have financial difficulties and physical illnesses. But we are told time and time again in the scriptures that we can expect trials. For example:
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. NKJV
Jesus had been teaching,preaching and healing people as he travelled. Now He is beginning a new chapter in His ministry as John MacArthur notes:
"This marks the beginning of a new emphasis in Matthew's account. He turns his attention from Jesus' public ministry, to his private instructions for the disciples, which took on a new somber tone. The disciples had confessed their faith in Him as Messiah. From then on, He began to prepare them for His death."
In some ways many if not most of us came to the Lord through public ministry and we grow in public ministry. But there must come a point if we are to truly grow, that God must teach us individually as we read,pray, study, and apply His Word to our lives. As we do, especially in reading through and studying the books of the Bible we'll get a better understanding of what it truly means to be a Christ follower in all the phases of our lives.
Today's passage followed Peter's declaration to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God". It is only after this confession that Jesus began to teach them privately.
Matt 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
14 So they said,"Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered and said,"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." NKJV
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Matt 16:21-17:1
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
(Mark 8:31-33; Luke 9:21,22)
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
(Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-26)
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Jesus Transfigured on the Mount
(Mark 9:1-13; Luke 9:27-36; 2 Peter 1:16-18)
28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
NKJV
Monday, March 17, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/17
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 34, Luke 1:39-56
Good morning,
For today's verse we'll return to the book of Matthew. On Friday I mentioned the term "easy believism". Easy believism is the "popular slogan for the view that one simply has to believe in order to be saved and that there is no corresponding need for a committed life of Christian discipleship.
It is closely related to what Dietrich Bonhoeffer termed "cheap grace". Bonhoeffer was executed in Nazi Germany just prior to the end of World War II for standing up for his beliefs and against what was going on in the church in Germany under Hitler.
Today's verse comes from Matthew 10 where Jesus speaks of the cost of discipleship.
Matt 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. NKJV
Bonhoeffer writes, "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves..... grace without discipleship.... Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know..... It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."
This verse was the first mention of the cross to the disciples. The thought of taking up a cross was not one of carrying ones own burdens. Someone carrying a cross, as Jesus would later, was a walking dead man. What Jesus was talking about was dying to the world. They had been called to be dead to the world in order to be alive, to find life in Christ.
As we head towards Good Friday and Easter let us remember that this grace, this salvation was anything but cheap, it was the most costly gift ever.
We sang the modernized hymn "O the Wonderful Cross" in church a few weeks ago. I thought it fitting to post the words in relation to this verse and what we've been considering this morning.
The Wonderful Cross - Chris Tomlin
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride
See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Matt 10:27-11:1
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God(Luke 12:3-7)
27 "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Confess Christ Before Men(Luke 12:8,9)
32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Christ Brings Division(Luke 12:51-53; 14:26,27)
34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; 36 and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
A Cup of Cold Water(Mark 9:41)
40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."
NKJV
Good morning,
For today's verse we'll return to the book of Matthew. On Friday I mentioned the term "easy believism". Easy believism is the "popular slogan for the view that one simply has to believe in order to be saved and that there is no corresponding need for a committed life of Christian discipleship.
It is closely related to what Dietrich Bonhoeffer termed "cheap grace". Bonhoeffer was executed in Nazi Germany just prior to the end of World War II for standing up for his beliefs and against what was going on in the church in Germany under Hitler.
Today's verse comes from Matthew 10 where Jesus speaks of the cost of discipleship.
Matt 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. NKJV
Bonhoeffer writes, "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves..... grace without discipleship.... Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know..... It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."
This verse was the first mention of the cross to the disciples. The thought of taking up a cross was not one of carrying ones own burdens. Someone carrying a cross, as Jesus would later, was a walking dead man. What Jesus was talking about was dying to the world. They had been called to be dead to the world in order to be alive, to find life in Christ.
As we head towards Good Friday and Easter let us remember that this grace, this salvation was anything but cheap, it was the most costly gift ever.
We sang the modernized hymn "O the Wonderful Cross" in church a few weeks ago. I thought it fitting to post the words in relation to this verse and what we've been considering this morning.
The Wonderful Cross - Chris Tomlin
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride
See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Matt 10:27-11:1
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God(Luke 12:3-7)
27 "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Confess Christ Before Men(Luke 12:8,9)
32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Christ Brings Division(Luke 12:51-53; 14:26,27)
34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; 36 and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
A Cup of Cold Water(Mark 9:41)
40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."
NKJV
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Verse of the Day weekend 3/16
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 28-33, Mark 16:1 - Luke 1;38
Good morning,
Have you ever been in situations where you are "up against it", you feel like your back is to the wall with knowhere to go? David felt that way several times in his life, especially when he was being pursued by King Saul.
The NKJV titles the psalm "The Lord's Goodness to the Faithful". In today's verse the psalmist speaks of being in the "midst of trouble" but still says with confidence that the Lord will "perfect that which concerns me".
Ps 138:7 When I walk into the thick of trouble,
keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
With one hand
strike my foes,
With your other hand
save me.
Finish what you started in me, God.
Your love is eternal — don't quit on me now. THE MESSAGE
The thought from Psalm 136 in The Message carries over to this psalm, "don't quit on me now".
"Finish what You started" in the NKJV is "perfect". The NKJV Commentary states, the same Hebrew verb is translated "perform" in Ps. 57:2. The point of the word is that God performs on behalf of His servants." The psalmist realizes, as we should in our lives, that even in the troubled times, the difficult situations, that God is working in all of this.
It make me think of Philipians 1:6:
Phil 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; NKJV
May you have this confidence today in your life, in your circumstance.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Ps 138
138 I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.
6 Though the Lord is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
NKJV
Good morning,
Have you ever been in situations where you are "up against it", you feel like your back is to the wall with knowhere to go? David felt that way several times in his life, especially when he was being pursued by King Saul.
The NKJV titles the psalm "The Lord's Goodness to the Faithful". In today's verse the psalmist speaks of being in the "midst of trouble" but still says with confidence that the Lord will "perfect that which concerns me".
Ps 138:7 When I walk into the thick of trouble,
keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
With one hand
strike my foes,
With your other hand
save me.
Finish what you started in me, God.
Your love is eternal — don't quit on me now. THE MESSAGE
The thought from Psalm 136 in The Message carries over to this psalm, "don't quit on me now".
"Finish what You started" in the NKJV is "perfect". The NKJV Commentary states, the same Hebrew verb is translated "perform" in Ps. 57:2. The point of the word is that God performs on behalf of His servants." The psalmist realizes, as we should in our lives, that even in the troubled times, the difficult situations, that God is working in all of this.
It make me think of Philipians 1:6:
Phil 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; NKJV
May you have this confidence today in your life, in your circumstance.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Ps 138
138 I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.
6 Though the Lord is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
NKJV
Friday, March 14, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/14
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 26-27, Mark 15:21-47
Good morning,
You may have noticed that many of the Verse for the Day verses have been coming from Matthew lately. Part of that is because the read through the Bible plan brought me through it and Pastor Bob's series "The X Factor" about going the extra mile had a lot to do with the sermon on the mount. A couple of the devotionals that I read have also been going through Matthew. Moody's "Today in the Word" is spending the month of March going through this book and Ligonier Ministries "Tabletalk Magazine" is taking the year to go through it.
Going through it in this kind of detail and repetition reveals so much about the completeness of Jesus ministry to teach to preach and to heal. It also reveals how His message is contrary to the "easy believism" that so many promote today.
Today's verse comes from Matthew 7 in a passage that closes out the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. It continues with the theme of hearing, knowing, and obeying.
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. NKJV
The passage reveals a lot about our lives and the choices that we make every day. In Matthew 6 we were shown that we can't have two masters, our lives will show who or what is our master.
This passage breaks this down in several contrasts. Here we have two gates, two ways, two destinations, two groups of people (13,14), two kinds of trees and two kinds of fruit (17-20), two groups at the judgement (21-23), and two kinds of builders as we see in today's verses and following.
MacArthur comments that "Christ is drawing the line as clearly as possible between the way that leads to destruction and the way that leads to life."
Which way or path are you on?
There is something else that comes from spending extra time in reading and studying a book while reading through the Bible. You see how the same themes are repeated from the Old and New Testaments.
Read the passage, how does it relate to "easy believism"?
If you haven't been reading through, try reading today's O.T. passage in Deuteronomy 26-27 and see how it relates to Matthew's gospel.
In Christ,
Mike
The Narrow Way
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Build on the Rock
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Good morning,
You may have noticed that many of the Verse for the Day verses have been coming from Matthew lately. Part of that is because the read through the Bible plan brought me through it and Pastor Bob's series "The X Factor" about going the extra mile had a lot to do with the sermon on the mount. A couple of the devotionals that I read have also been going through Matthew. Moody's "Today in the Word" is spending the month of March going through this book and Ligonier Ministries "Tabletalk Magazine" is taking the year to go through it.
Going through it in this kind of detail and repetition reveals so much about the completeness of Jesus ministry to teach to preach and to heal. It also reveals how His message is contrary to the "easy believism" that so many promote today.
Today's verse comes from Matthew 7 in a passage that closes out the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. It continues with the theme of hearing, knowing, and obeying.
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. NKJV
The passage reveals a lot about our lives and the choices that we make every day. In Matthew 6 we were shown that we can't have two masters, our lives will show who or what is our master.
This passage breaks this down in several contrasts. Here we have two gates, two ways, two destinations, two groups of people (13,14), two kinds of trees and two kinds of fruit (17-20), two groups at the judgement (21-23), and two kinds of builders as we see in today's verses and following.
MacArthur comments that "Christ is drawing the line as clearly as possible between the way that leads to destruction and the way that leads to life."
Which way or path are you on?
There is something else that comes from spending extra time in reading and studying a book while reading through the Bible. You see how the same themes are repeated from the Old and New Testaments.
Read the passage, how does it relate to "easy believism"?
If you haven't been reading through, try reading today's O.T. passage in Deuteronomy 26-27 and see how it relates to Matthew's gospel.
In Christ,
Mike
The Narrow Way
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Build on the Rock
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/13
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 23-25, Mark 15: 1-20
Good morning,
Yesterday's verse in Ephesians two that Jesus' message reached out to those who were "far off" and those who were near.
The reference brought Luke 15 about the "prodigal son" to mind.
Today's verse comes from Luke 15:
Luke 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. NKJV
The parable bring to mind the fact that not all of those who are far off have always been in that condition. It is possible for someone to have been associated with a church without a saving faith to wander off to his own hurt, to hit rock bottom, and then realize what he had walked away from.
The most touching part of this parable is that the father ran to meet him. He'd been waiting and looking for him and was eager to receive him when the prodigal realized what he had walked away from.
While on a plane today I listened to Todd Agnew's "Come Ye Sinners" on my MP3 player which for me brought the two things together.
Todd Agnew Come Ye Sinners lyrics
Come ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore
Jesus ready stands to save you
Full of pity, love, and power
Come ye thirsty, come and welcome
God's free bounty glorify
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings you nigh
I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms
Come ye weary, heavy-laden
Lost and ruined by the fall
If you tarry until you're better
You will never come at all
Chorus
I'm not sure what the 10,000 charms references, perhaps it's His benefits, His blessings.
Have you been "far off" in your relationship? Arise and go to Jesus, He'll embrace you in His arms.
In Christ,
Mike
Luke 15:11-16:1
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'
20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants,'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.
25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'
28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'
31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"
NKJV
Good morning,
Yesterday's verse in Ephesians two that Jesus' message reached out to those who were "far off" and those who were near.
The reference brought Luke 15 about the "prodigal son" to mind.
Today's verse comes from Luke 15:
Luke 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. NKJV
The parable bring to mind the fact that not all of those who are far off have always been in that condition. It is possible for someone to have been associated with a church without a saving faith to wander off to his own hurt, to hit rock bottom, and then realize what he had walked away from.
The most touching part of this parable is that the father ran to meet him. He'd been waiting and looking for him and was eager to receive him when the prodigal realized what he had walked away from.
While on a plane today I listened to Todd Agnew's "Come Ye Sinners" on my MP3 player which for me brought the two things together.
Todd Agnew Come Ye Sinners lyrics
Come ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore
Jesus ready stands to save you
Full of pity, love, and power
Come ye thirsty, come and welcome
God's free bounty glorify
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings you nigh
I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms
Come ye weary, heavy-laden
Lost and ruined by the fall
If you tarry until you're better
You will never come at all
Chorus
I'm not sure what the 10,000 charms references, perhaps it's His benefits, His blessings.
Have you been "far off" in your relationship? Arise and go to Jesus, He'll embrace you in His arms.
In Christ,
Mike
Luke 15:11-16:1
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'
20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants,'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.
25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'
28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'
31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"
NKJV
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/12
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 20-22, Mark 14:53-72
Good morning,
We've been looking at some verses and passages that bring attention to the importance of growing in knowledge and applying what we've learned in our everyday walk.
This evening, as I write this, I just read a newsletter from a missionary couple whose conviction had been "galvanized" as students returned to school after the holidays, that "they needed to help their students go deeper in their walk with Christ."
I've felt the same way here, working with the High School kids on Sunday morning.
Reading the letter and reading Ephesians 2:14 -21 this morning helped me to realize that is the same all over, and always has been.
Eph 2:17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. NKJV
Repeating the theme in verse 13 about those who were far off being brought near, the passage shows us that Jesus calls people from all walks of life that we should "no longer be strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." v.19.
The chapter concludes with the fact that "we are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" v22. We are to be growing, building. individually in our lives and as the church, being fitted together. Part of this "building up" has to do with "going deeper" in our walk with Christ.
One of the privileges that I've had was to have served on two church boards where our family had previously lived. One of the most, if not the most, rewarding things that came out of that was hearing the testimonies of other brothers and sisters in Christ. When new board members came on it was common practice for the board to share their testimonies. In fact, everyone who wanted to become a member of the church would share their testimonies with the board. It was amazing and uplifting to hear how God had called people from far and near, from different walks of life, different occupations, different backgrounds, through some common and some remarkable circumstances. It was also a joy to hear how they had followed God through all of those circumstances, and how He had blessed along the way.
You would often come away from such a meeting feeling more of a bond, and that you would have a different attitude and appreciation for each person than when you walked into the meeting. After hearing such testimonies you would often be challenged in your own heart and mind to "go deeper" in your own life.
When was the last time you shared your testimonies as a small group, Bible study, Sunday School class or other group?
You're missing out on a blessing. Be prepared to share yours.
One last thing, take a look again at verse 17. In it you see a clear reference to the Trinity, speaking of Jesus, the Spirit, and the Father.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Eph 2:11-3:1
Brought Near by His Blood
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh — who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands — 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Christ Our Peace
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Christ Our Cornerstone
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
NKJV
Good morning,
We've been looking at some verses and passages that bring attention to the importance of growing in knowledge and applying what we've learned in our everyday walk.
This evening, as I write this, I just read a newsletter from a missionary couple whose conviction had been "galvanized" as students returned to school after the holidays, that "they needed to help their students go deeper in their walk with Christ."
I've felt the same way here, working with the High School kids on Sunday morning.
Reading the letter and reading Ephesians 2:14 -21 this morning helped me to realize that is the same all over, and always has been.
Eph 2:17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. NKJV
Repeating the theme in verse 13 about those who were far off being brought near, the passage shows us that Jesus calls people from all walks of life that we should "no longer be strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." v.19.
The chapter concludes with the fact that "we are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" v22. We are to be growing, building. individually in our lives and as the church, being fitted together. Part of this "building up" has to do with "going deeper" in our walk with Christ.
One of the privileges that I've had was to have served on two church boards where our family had previously lived. One of the most, if not the most, rewarding things that came out of that was hearing the testimonies of other brothers and sisters in Christ. When new board members came on it was common practice for the board to share their testimonies. In fact, everyone who wanted to become a member of the church would share their testimonies with the board. It was amazing and uplifting to hear how God had called people from far and near, from different walks of life, different occupations, different backgrounds, through some common and some remarkable circumstances. It was also a joy to hear how they had followed God through all of those circumstances, and how He had blessed along the way.
You would often come away from such a meeting feeling more of a bond, and that you would have a different attitude and appreciation for each person than when you walked into the meeting. After hearing such testimonies you would often be challenged in your own heart and mind to "go deeper" in your own life.
When was the last time you shared your testimonies as a small group, Bible study, Sunday School class or other group?
You're missing out on a blessing. Be prepared to share yours.
One last thing, take a look again at verse 17. In it you see a clear reference to the Trinity, speaking of Jesus, the Spirit, and the Father.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Eph 2:11-3:1
Brought Near by His Blood
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh — who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands — 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Christ Our Peace
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Christ Our Cornerstone
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
NKJV
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/11
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 17-19, Mark 14:32-52
Good morning,
Yesterday's verse from John 13 dealt with knowing and applying what we learn from God's Word.
For today's verse we turn to the book of Romans. The first 11 chapters of this great book primarily focus on doctrine, teaching us about God's will for us. Chapters 12 to 16 deal more with application (with some more doctrine worked in).
Today's verse is from Romans 13:
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. NKJV
Verse 12 speaks of "casting off the works of darkness", throw them off, throw them behind us, or into the sea. Another picture would be to "cast off" as a ship casts of from the dock that it had been moored to.
Since Christ's return is imminent, we are being challenged to cast off the things of the world, repent, and follow Christ.
Pastor Greg Laurie writes, "There are things we must be aware of as we live in the last days. As the apostle Paul wrote, "The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light" (Romans 13:12).
Your relationship with Jesus Christ needs constant maintenance and cultivation. The day that you stop growing spiritually is the day you start to become weak and vulnerable to the devil's attacks. The best way to not go backward is to keep moving forward."
Verse 14 tells us to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" and make no provision for the flesh. Those "provisions" the sins that we'd like to hold onto are what keep us "moored" and following Christ wholeheartedly.
What needs to be done in your life so that you may have "A Closer Walk with Thee".
JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Rom 13:8-14:1
Love Your Neighbor
(cf. Mark 12:31; James 2:8)
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Put on Christ
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
NKJV
Good morning,
Yesterday's verse from John 13 dealt with knowing and applying what we learn from God's Word.
For today's verse we turn to the book of Romans. The first 11 chapters of this great book primarily focus on doctrine, teaching us about God's will for us. Chapters 12 to 16 deal more with application (with some more doctrine worked in).
Today's verse is from Romans 13:
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. NKJV
Verse 12 speaks of "casting off the works of darkness", throw them off, throw them behind us, or into the sea. Another picture would be to "cast off" as a ship casts of from the dock that it had been moored to.
Since Christ's return is imminent, we are being challenged to cast off the things of the world, repent, and follow Christ.
Pastor Greg Laurie writes, "There are things we must be aware of as we live in the last days. As the apostle Paul wrote, "The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light" (Romans 13:12).
Your relationship with Jesus Christ needs constant maintenance and cultivation. The day that you stop growing spiritually is the day you start to become weak and vulnerable to the devil's attacks. The best way to not go backward is to keep moving forward."
Verse 14 tells us to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" and make no provision for the flesh. Those "provisions" the sins that we'd like to hold onto are what keep us "moored" and following Christ wholeheartedly.
What needs to be done in your life so that you may have "A Closer Walk with Thee".
JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Rom 13:8-14:1
Love Your Neighbor
(cf. Mark 12:31; James 2:8)
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Put on Christ
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
NKJV
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/10
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 14-16, Mark 14:10-31
Good morning,
Over the weekend I read a short biography about John Owen, one of the Puritan theologians of the 1600's. It was humbling to read of their pursuit of the knowledge of the Bible but even more the application of it to their lives.
J.I. Packer writes that the Puritans differ from evangelicals today because with them "communion with God was a great thing, to evangelicals today it is a comparatively small thing. The Puritans were concerned about communion with God in a way that we are not. The measure of our concern is the little that we say about it. When Christians meet, they talk to each other about their Christian work and Christian interests, their Christian aquaintances, the state of the churches and the problems of theology - but rarely of their daily experience of God."
What has been your experience when meeting other Christians?
Today's verse comes from John 14 and speaks of the issue.
John 13:16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. NKJV
John Owen wrote, "Our happiness consisteth not in the knowing the things of the gospel, but in the doing of them." And speaking as a pastor he said, "If the word do not dwell with power in us, it will not pass with power from us."John Owen's felt that doing, and not just knowing, should be the goal of his studies. It should be for us as well.
I admit that there is a lot of room for application of this in my life from worrying to controlling the tongue.
My desire has been to get more people involved in reading their Bibles. After this weekend it will be more about reading and doing, or applying what we read.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended,[a] the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. NKJV
Good morning,
Over the weekend I read a short biography about John Owen, one of the Puritan theologians of the 1600's. It was humbling to read of their pursuit of the knowledge of the Bible but even more the application of it to their lives.
J.I. Packer writes that the Puritans differ from evangelicals today because with them "communion with God was a great thing, to evangelicals today it is a comparatively small thing. The Puritans were concerned about communion with God in a way that we are not. The measure of our concern is the little that we say about it. When Christians meet, they talk to each other about their Christian work and Christian interests, their Christian aquaintances, the state of the churches and the problems of theology - but rarely of their daily experience of God."
What has been your experience when meeting other Christians?
Today's verse comes from John 14 and speaks of the issue.
John 13:16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. NKJV
John Owen wrote, "Our happiness consisteth not in the knowing the things of the gospel, but in the doing of them." And speaking as a pastor he said, "If the word do not dwell with power in us, it will not pass with power from us."John Owen's felt that doing, and not just knowing, should be the goal of his studies. It should be for us as well.
I admit that there is a lot of room for application of this in my life from worrying to controlling the tongue.
My desire has been to get more people involved in reading their Bibles. After this weekend it will be more about reading and doing, or applying what we read.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended,[a] the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. NKJV
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Verse of the Day - weekend 3/8
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 8-13, Mark 13:-14:9
Good morning,
For this weekend's verse we'll turn to Psalm 136, one that should be familiar because it carries the refrain "for His mercy endures forever" at the end of every verse.
This year I've been reading The Message and I was surprised by how Eugene Peterson enterpreted "His mercy endures for ever" as "His love never quits". It made me look at it a little differently, with an impact I hadn't felt before.
Through thick and thin, looking back in life I realized "His love never quits". If you are able to stand through trying times it's because His love never quits. If you need to be picked up off the floor after a blow, He picks you up because "His love never quits". (Picture Mickey standing over Rocky Balboa telling him "get up you bum", sometimes that's what we need.
Today's verses close this wonderful chapter.
Ps 136:23God remembered us when we were down,
His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot,
His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need.
His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all!
His love never quits! THE MESSAGE
I had read this chapter earlier in the week. I was then brought back to it when reading the biography of Athanaius in John Piper's book "Contending for Our All" in which he tells of Athanasius' battle over the deity of Christ during the Arian controversy which lead to the famous Council of Nicea out of which came the Nicene Crede.
Over the following years Athanasius was forced into exile several times for his stand. A stand that he was able to make because "God's love never quits."
John Piper writes of Athanasius' third exile:
On Thursday night, Feb. 8 [356], Athanasius was presiding at a crowded service of preparation for a Communion on the following morning . . . in the Church of Theonas . . . the largest in the city. Suddenly the church was surrounded and the doors broken in, and just after midnight Syrianus . . . “entered with an infinite force of soldiers.” Athanasius . . . calmly took his seat upon the throne (in the recess of the apse), and ordered the deacon to begin the 136th psalm, the people responding at each verse “for His mercy endureth for ever.” Meanwhile the soldiers crowded up to the chancel, and in spite of entreaties the bishop refused to escape until the congregation were in safety. He ordered the prayers to proceed, and only at the last moment a crowd of monks and clergy seized the Archbishop and managed to convey him in the confusion out of the church in a half-fainting state . . . but thankful that he had been able to secure the escape of his people before his own (p. 264). From that moment Athanasius was lost to public view for “six years and fourteen days.”26
What does this mean for us, what impact did Athanasius have?
What was at stake was everything. Oh, how thankful we should be that Athanasius saw things so clearly. The incarnation has to do with the gospel. It has to do with salvation. It has to do with whether there is any hope or life. The creed that Athanasius helped craft, and that he embraced and spent his life defending and explaining, says this plainly:
We believe . . . in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father . . . very God of very God, . . . being of one substance with the Father . . . who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again . . .
In other words, the deity of the incarnate Son of God is essential because the gospel of our salvation is essential. There is no salvation if Jesus Christ was not God.
It was about God sending His Son, the second person of the Trinity, very God of very God, Jesus, because God never quits.
This biography is available online at http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/42_Christian_Biography/1532_Contending_for_Our_All/
Praise God this weekend that His love never quits. Perhaps you can sing the song "Crede" written by Rich Mullins and recorded by several artists including Third Day.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com/
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Ps 136
136 Thank God! He deserves your thanks.His love never quits. Thank the God of all gods,His love never quits. Thank the Lord of all lords.His love never quits.
Thank the miracle-working God,His love never quits. The God whose skill formed the cosmos,His love never quits. The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations,His love never quits. The God who filled the skies with light,His love never quits. The sun to watch over the day,His love never quits. Moon and stars as guardians of the night,His love never quits. The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn,His love never quits. And rescued Israel from Egypt's oppression,His love never quits. Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand,His love never quits. Split the Red Sea right in half,His love never quits. Led Israel right through the middle,His love never quits. Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea,His love never quits. The God who marched his people through the desert,His love never quits. Smashed huge kingdoms right and left,His love never quits. Struck down the famous kings,His love never quits. Struck Sihon the Amorite king,His love never quits. Struck Og the Bashanite king,His love never quits. Then distributed their land as booty,His love never quits. Handed the land over to Israel.His love never quits.
God remembered us when we were down,His love never quits. Rescued us from the trampling boot,His love never quits. Takes care of everyone in time of need.His love never quits. Thank God, who did it all!His love never quits!
Good morning,
For this weekend's verse we'll turn to Psalm 136, one that should be familiar because it carries the refrain "for His mercy endures forever" at the end of every verse.
This year I've been reading The Message and I was surprised by how Eugene Peterson enterpreted "His mercy endures for ever" as "His love never quits". It made me look at it a little differently, with an impact I hadn't felt before.
Through thick and thin, looking back in life I realized "His love never quits". If you are able to stand through trying times it's because His love never quits. If you need to be picked up off the floor after a blow, He picks you up because "His love never quits". (Picture Mickey standing over Rocky Balboa telling him "get up you bum", sometimes that's what we need.
Today's verses close this wonderful chapter.
Ps 136:23God remembered us when we were down,
His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot,
His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need.
His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all!
His love never quits! THE MESSAGE
I had read this chapter earlier in the week. I was then brought back to it when reading the biography of Athanaius in John Piper's book "Contending for Our All" in which he tells of Athanasius' battle over the deity of Christ during the Arian controversy which lead to the famous Council of Nicea out of which came the Nicene Crede.
Over the following years Athanasius was forced into exile several times for his stand. A stand that he was able to make because "God's love never quits."
John Piper writes of Athanasius' third exile:
On Thursday night, Feb. 8 [356], Athanasius was presiding at a crowded service of preparation for a Communion on the following morning . . . in the Church of Theonas . . . the largest in the city. Suddenly the church was surrounded and the doors broken in, and just after midnight Syrianus . . . “entered with an infinite force of soldiers.” Athanasius . . . calmly took his seat upon the throne (in the recess of the apse), and ordered the deacon to begin the 136th psalm, the people responding at each verse “for His mercy endureth for ever.” Meanwhile the soldiers crowded up to the chancel, and in spite of entreaties the bishop refused to escape until the congregation were in safety. He ordered the prayers to proceed, and only at the last moment a crowd of monks and clergy seized the Archbishop and managed to convey him in the confusion out of the church in a half-fainting state . . . but thankful that he had been able to secure the escape of his people before his own (p. 264). From that moment Athanasius was lost to public view for “six years and fourteen days.”26
What does this mean for us, what impact did Athanasius have?
What was at stake was everything. Oh, how thankful we should be that Athanasius saw things so clearly. The incarnation has to do with the gospel. It has to do with salvation. It has to do with whether there is any hope or life. The creed that Athanasius helped craft, and that he embraced and spent his life defending and explaining, says this plainly:
We believe . . . in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father . . . very God of very God, . . . being of one substance with the Father . . . who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again . . .
In other words, the deity of the incarnate Son of God is essential because the gospel of our salvation is essential. There is no salvation if Jesus Christ was not God.
It was about God sending His Son, the second person of the Trinity, very God of very God, Jesus, because God never quits.
This biography is available online at http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/42_Christian_Biography/1532_Contending_for_Our_All/
Praise God this weekend that His love never quits. Perhaps you can sing the song "Crede" written by Rich Mullins and recorded by several artists including Third Day.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com/
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Ps 136
136 Thank God! He deserves your thanks.His love never quits. Thank the God of all gods,His love never quits. Thank the Lord of all lords.His love never quits.
Thank the miracle-working God,His love never quits. The God whose skill formed the cosmos,His love never quits. The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations,His love never quits. The God who filled the skies with light,His love never quits. The sun to watch over the day,His love never quits. Moon and stars as guardians of the night,His love never quits. The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn,His love never quits. And rescued Israel from Egypt's oppression,His love never quits. Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand,His love never quits. Split the Red Sea right in half,His love never quits. Led Israel right through the middle,His love never quits. Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea,His love never quits. The God who marched his people through the desert,His love never quits. Smashed huge kingdoms right and left,His love never quits. Struck down the famous kings,His love never quits. Struck Sihon the Amorite king,His love never quits. Struck Og the Bashanite king,His love never quits. Then distributed their land as booty,His love never quits. Handed the land over to Israel.His love never quits.
God remembered us when we were down,His love never quits. Rescued us from the trampling boot,His love never quits. Takes care of everyone in time of need.His love never quits. Thank God, who did it all!His love never quits!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/7
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 5-7, Mark 13:1-14:9
Good morning,
God's will for our lives is best outlined in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.
Today's verse will come from Matthew 5. We talked about the verse in our High School Sunday School class last week.
Matt 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;
NKJV
Initially it was read in the NIV, but the NKJV adds "those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
When you consider the verse and the passage, you see that following the Lord's will in this way is no easy task and not one that can be done "halfheartedly". There is no "easy button" on this one no matter how old we are.
"John Calvin had this to say of this passage, "Christ assures us, that this will be a mark of our adoption, if we are kind to the unfaithful and evil." Just as God's love for His enemies does not mean He loves them the same way He loves us, so too will we love our enemies differently than we love our fellow Christians. Nevertheless, we are to do good to those who hate us in imitation of Jesus' love. Do a good deed for an enemy today" - Tabletalk Magazine 3/5Does this spirit, this attitude "mark our lives"? If we are to live like "sons of our Father" it will.
We encouraged the kids in the class to reach out to fellow students that may be "outcasts" or that aren't part of the "in crowd". We can all do the same no matter how old we are. It's also goes along with being an "extra mile" Christian.
Read the passage below. I've also posted Luke 6:27-36 which sums up more of the Matthew 5 message in fewer verses.
Be a blessing today.
In Christ,
Mike
Matt 5:43-6:1
Love Your Enemies
(Luke 6:27,28,32-36)
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Luke 6:27-37
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
NKJV
Good morning,
God's will for our lives is best outlined in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.
Today's verse will come from Matthew 5. We talked about the verse in our High School Sunday School class last week.
Matt 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;
NKJV
Initially it was read in the NIV, but the NKJV adds "those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
When you consider the verse and the passage, you see that following the Lord's will in this way is no easy task and not one that can be done "halfheartedly". There is no "easy button" on this one no matter how old we are.
"John Calvin had this to say of this passage, "Christ assures us, that this will be a mark of our adoption, if we are kind to the unfaithful and evil." Just as God's love for His enemies does not mean He loves them the same way He loves us, so too will we love our enemies differently than we love our fellow Christians. Nevertheless, we are to do good to those who hate us in imitation of Jesus' love. Do a good deed for an enemy today" - Tabletalk Magazine 3/5Does this spirit, this attitude "mark our lives"? If we are to live like "sons of our Father" it will.
We encouraged the kids in the class to reach out to fellow students that may be "outcasts" or that aren't part of the "in crowd". We can all do the same no matter how old we are. It's also goes along with being an "extra mile" Christian.
Read the passage below. I've also posted Luke 6:27-36 which sums up more of the Matthew 5 message in fewer verses.
Be a blessing today.
In Christ,
Mike
Matt 5:43-6:1
Love Your Enemies
(Luke 6:27,28,32-36)
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Luke 6:27-37
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
NKJV
Verse of the Day 3/6
Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 3-4
Good morning,
For the last couple of mornings we've looked at the will, ours and God's. Jesus obeyed, followed the will of the Father all the days of His life. In John 4, after His encounter with the woman at the well, Jesus spoke to His disciples:
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. NKJV
Jesus was sustained, strengthened by doing the will of the Father, having complete faith and trust in His will.
Today's verse comes from Mark chapter 7 where Jesus had been going from place to place healing people of various ailments. After seeing all of this those present were amazed.
Mark 7:37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
NKJV
The deaf person that can now hear appreciates hearing more than someone who has always been able to hear. The blind person who is given sight aprreciates it more than those who have always been able to see. The person who has been mute appreciates the ability to speak more than those who always have been able to. After Jeff's accident he did not speak a word for over two years, well beyond the time that doctors said that there could be any improvement. His (Jeff's) words, though limited are truly a blessing and I praise God for the gift.
Octavius Winslow wrote, “‘He hath done all things well.‘ Yes, from first to last, from our cradle to our grave, from the earliest pang of sin’s conviction to the latest thrill of sin’s forgiveness, from earth to heaven, this will be our testimony in all the way the Lord our God has led us in the wilderness. In providence and in grace, in every truth of His Word, in every lesson of His love, in every stroke of His rod, in every beam that has shone, and in every cloud that has shaded, in every element that has sweetened, and in every ingredient that has embittered, in all that has been mysterious, inscrutable, painful, and humiliating; in all that He gave, and in all that He took away, this testimony is His just due, and this our grateful acknowledgment through time and through eternity — ‘He hath done all things WELL.’” The Sympathy of Christ (Harrisonburg, Va.: Sprinkle Publications, 1994), 48-49.
Having seen what Jesus did and accomplished in submitting to the will of the Father, having seen what God has done up to this point in our lives, may we show more trust and more faith in submitting to His will knowing that "He has done all things well."
Adam Clarke's commentary sums it up: [He hath done all things well] This has been, and ever will be, true of every part of our Lord's conduct. In creation, providence, and redemption, he hath done all things well. The wisest philosophers are agreed that, considering creation as a whole, it would be impossible to improve it. Everything has been made in number, weight, and measure; there really is nothing deficient, nothing redundant; and the good of the creature seems evidently more consulted than the glory of the Creator. The creature's good is everywhere apparent; but to find out how the Creator is glorified by these works requires the eye of the philosopher. And as he has done all things well in creation, so has he in providence: here also everything is in number, weight, measure, and time. As creation shows his majesty, so providence shows his bounty. Its preserves everything he has made; all depend upon him; and by him are all things supported. But how glorious does he appear in the work of redemption! How magnificent, ample, and adequate the provision made for the salvation of a lost world! Here, as in providence, is enough for all, a sufficiency for each, and an abundance for eternity. Its loves every man, and hates nothing that he has made; nor can the God of all grace be less beneficent than the Creator and Preserver of the universe.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com/
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Mark 7:31-8:1
Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute
(Matt 15:29-31)
31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
NKJV
Good morning,
For the last couple of mornings we've looked at the will, ours and God's. Jesus obeyed, followed the will of the Father all the days of His life. In John 4, after His encounter with the woman at the well, Jesus spoke to His disciples:
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. NKJV
Jesus was sustained, strengthened by doing the will of the Father, having complete faith and trust in His will.
Today's verse comes from Mark chapter 7 where Jesus had been going from place to place healing people of various ailments. After seeing all of this those present were amazed.
Mark 7:37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
NKJV
The deaf person that can now hear appreciates hearing more than someone who has always been able to hear. The blind person who is given sight aprreciates it more than those who have always been able to see. The person who has been mute appreciates the ability to speak more than those who always have been able to. After Jeff's accident he did not speak a word for over two years, well beyond the time that doctors said that there could be any improvement. His (Jeff's) words, though limited are truly a blessing and I praise God for the gift.
Octavius Winslow wrote, “‘He hath done all things well.‘ Yes, from first to last, from our cradle to our grave, from the earliest pang of sin’s conviction to the latest thrill of sin’s forgiveness, from earth to heaven, this will be our testimony in all the way the Lord our God has led us in the wilderness. In providence and in grace, in every truth of His Word, in every lesson of His love, in every stroke of His rod, in every beam that has shone, and in every cloud that has shaded, in every element that has sweetened, and in every ingredient that has embittered, in all that has been mysterious, inscrutable, painful, and humiliating; in all that He gave, and in all that He took away, this testimony is His just due, and this our grateful acknowledgment through time and through eternity — ‘He hath done all things WELL.’” The Sympathy of Christ (Harrisonburg, Va.: Sprinkle Publications, 1994), 48-49.
Having seen what Jesus did and accomplished in submitting to the will of the Father, having seen what God has done up to this point in our lives, may we show more trust and more faith in submitting to His will knowing that "He has done all things well."
Adam Clarke's commentary sums it up: [He hath done all things well] This has been, and ever will be, true of every part of our Lord's conduct. In creation, providence, and redemption, he hath done all things well. The wisest philosophers are agreed that, considering creation as a whole, it would be impossible to improve it. Everything has been made in number, weight, and measure; there really is nothing deficient, nothing redundant; and the good of the creature seems evidently more consulted than the glory of the Creator. The creature's good is everywhere apparent; but to find out how the Creator is glorified by these works requires the eye of the philosopher. And as he has done all things well in creation, so has he in providence: here also everything is in number, weight, measure, and time. As creation shows his majesty, so providence shows his bounty. Its preserves everything he has made; all depend upon him; and by him are all things supported. But how glorious does he appear in the work of redemption! How magnificent, ample, and adequate the provision made for the salvation of a lost world! Here, as in providence, is enough for all, a sufficiency for each, and an abundance for eternity. Its loves every man, and hates nothing that he has made; nor can the God of all grace be less beneficent than the Creator and Preserver of the universe.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com/
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Mark 7:31-8:1
Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute
(Matt 15:29-31)
31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
NKJV
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/5
Good morning,
A popular cable news program starts off every night with the statement "you are now entering a "no spin' zone" trying to make the point that they put forth truth in journalism.
Have you ever heard someone say "be careful, we have to put the right "spin" on this"? You may hear this at work, among friends, in government, and even on a church board.
Today's verse tells us to put away lying, MacArthur writes, "More than simply telling direct falsehoods, lying also includes exaggerating and adding fabrications to something that is true. Cheating, making foolish promises, betraying a confidence, and making false excuses are all forms of lying, with which Christians should have no part."
For today's verse we'll continue on yesterday's theme of "letting" God have His way and turn to the book of Ephesians
Eph 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. NKJV
The passage starts out by speaking of telling the truth with the word "let". Read through the passage, there are 5 instances where Paul inserts this tiny little word about the will. He calls them to integrity in v. 25 "let each one speak the truth, forgiveness in verse 26 " do not let the sun go down on your anger, personal responsibility "let him labor instead of stealing" v. 28, proper conversation "let no corrupt word" v. 29, and appropriate heart attitudes "let all bitterness" v.31. (from the Daily Bread insight 4/2)
You've probably heard it said "let go and let God". I don't know about the letting go part, it takes personal effort on our part to follow, to submit to Him, but we are to "let God" lead.
It's about a battle over the will, ours vs. God's.
I'm reminded of the old hymn that I remember singing since childhood.
Have Thine Own Way
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit 'till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
Read through the passage below. It can easily be transformed into a prayer,
In Christ,
Mike
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Eph 4:25-5:3
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Walk in Love
5 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
NKJV
A popular cable news program starts off every night with the statement "you are now entering a "no spin' zone" trying to make the point that they put forth truth in journalism.
Have you ever heard someone say "be careful, we have to put the right "spin" on this"? You may hear this at work, among friends, in government, and even on a church board.
Today's verse tells us to put away lying, MacArthur writes, "More than simply telling direct falsehoods, lying also includes exaggerating and adding fabrications to something that is true. Cheating, making foolish promises, betraying a confidence, and making false excuses are all forms of lying, with which Christians should have no part."
For today's verse we'll continue on yesterday's theme of "letting" God have His way and turn to the book of Ephesians
Eph 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. NKJV
The passage starts out by speaking of telling the truth with the word "let". Read through the passage, there are 5 instances where Paul inserts this tiny little word about the will. He calls them to integrity in v. 25 "let each one speak the truth, forgiveness in verse 26 " do not let the sun go down on your anger, personal responsibility "let him labor instead of stealing" v. 28, proper conversation "let no corrupt word" v. 29, and appropriate heart attitudes "let all bitterness" v.31. (from the Daily Bread insight 4/2)
You've probably heard it said "let go and let God". I don't know about the letting go part, it takes personal effort on our part to follow, to submit to Him, but we are to "let God" lead.
It's about a battle over the will, ours vs. God's.
I'm reminded of the old hymn that I remember singing since childhood.
Have Thine Own Way
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit 'till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
Read through the passage below. It can easily be transformed into a prayer,
In Christ,
Mike
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Eph 4:25-5:3
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Walk in Love
5 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
NKJV
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/4
Good morning,
A recent "These Days" devotional spoke of a conversation within a Bible study group about prayer, and letting God to take more active control, to lead us.
A memeber of the group objected saying that that sounded dangerous, then added, "I'm used to telling God what I want, and then God either gets on board or not. Now we're talking about God calling the shots. I'm sorry but I'm not ready to give God that kind of latitude".
If we're honest, I believe that most of us would have to admit to being like this, telling God what we want and waiting to see if He will "get on board".
It's easy enough to check this out, just take a look back on your recent prayers.
Today's verse comes from Philippians 2:
Phil 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. NKJV
Our prayers, our lives should be more about "letting" God work in you "to will" and to do his good pleasure.
It's a matter of changing the will, from ours to His.
In verse 12 the Greek word for "work out" means to continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion. Our salvation has been accomplished but we are a work in process, and this ongoing battle of the wills will continue, and it is a matter that should be worked out "with fear and trembling".
MacArthur comments that this fear and trembling is "the attitude with which Christians are to pursue their sanctification. It involves a healthy fear of offending God, and a righteous awe and respect for Him."
What will your prayers be like today? Will it be telling God what you want, or asking God to show you what He wants for you? Work it out.
The heading for the passage below is simply "Light Bearers". Will you be one today?
In Christ,
Mike
Phil 2:12-19
Light Bearers
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
NKJV
A recent "These Days" devotional spoke of a conversation within a Bible study group about prayer, and letting God to take more active control, to lead us.
A memeber of the group objected saying that that sounded dangerous, then added, "I'm used to telling God what I want, and then God either gets on board or not. Now we're talking about God calling the shots. I'm sorry but I'm not ready to give God that kind of latitude".
If we're honest, I believe that most of us would have to admit to being like this, telling God what we want and waiting to see if He will "get on board".
It's easy enough to check this out, just take a look back on your recent prayers.
Today's verse comes from Philippians 2:
Phil 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. NKJV
Our prayers, our lives should be more about "letting" God work in you "to will" and to do his good pleasure.
It's a matter of changing the will, from ours to His.
In verse 12 the Greek word for "work out" means to continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion. Our salvation has been accomplished but we are a work in process, and this ongoing battle of the wills will continue, and it is a matter that should be worked out "with fear and trembling".
MacArthur comments that this fear and trembling is "the attitude with which Christians are to pursue their sanctification. It involves a healthy fear of offending God, and a righteous awe and respect for Him."
What will your prayers be like today? Will it be telling God what you want, or asking God to show you what He wants for you? Work it out.
The heading for the passage below is simply "Light Bearers". Will you be one today?
In Christ,
Mike
Phil 2:12-19
Light Bearers
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
NKJV
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Verse of the Day 3/3
Good morning,
I travel a lot and my NKJV MacArthur Study Bible, given to me by my son Jason several years ago, goes with me wherever I go.
If you are following a read through the Bible plan you're probably in to or heading into the book of Deuteronomy. The NKJV commentary notes that "the name Deuteronomy means "the second law". This name is drawn from the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, which interprets the words in 17:18 "a copy of this law" as the "second law".
The book actually does not contain a copy of the law but explains the law in how the Israelites are to live, to the next generation. It is basically the "last will and testament of Moses, as he shares his hearts desire for his people, God's people, that they remain faithful, keep the covenant, and receive God's blessings.
Deut 17:18 "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, NKJV
These verses advise the future kings, that they are to keep God's Word close to them, and they are to be close to God's Word, "and it shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life'.
As you read these verses think of the various kings of Israel and Judah. It shouldn't take long to see how important these instructions were. Many did not obey these words of wisdom and lead the nation astray. Others, like Josiah, found the "book of the Law" and sought restoration.
MacArthur comments that "the king was pictured as a scribe and scholar of Scripture, Josiah reinstituted this approach at a bleak time in Israel's history (2 Kings 22).
How important should God's Word be to the leaders of our country, to the leaders of our church, and to us individually?
If you have the time, read 2 Kings 22, it is an amazing account of what God did through a young king to restore the heart of the nation.
How will it affect your life and those around you if you read and apply God's Word every day of your life? What if you don't?
In Christ,
Mike
Deut 17:14-18:1
Principles Governing Kings
14 "When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say,'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,' 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you,'You shall not return that way again.' 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.
18 "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.
NKJV
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
I travel a lot and my NKJV MacArthur Study Bible, given to me by my son Jason several years ago, goes with me wherever I go.
If you are following a read through the Bible plan you're probably in to or heading into the book of Deuteronomy. The NKJV commentary notes that "the name Deuteronomy means "the second law". This name is drawn from the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, which interprets the words in 17:18 "a copy of this law" as the "second law".
The book actually does not contain a copy of the law but explains the law in how the Israelites are to live, to the next generation. It is basically the "last will and testament of Moses, as he shares his hearts desire for his people, God's people, that they remain faithful, keep the covenant, and receive God's blessings.
Deut 17:18 "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, NKJV
These verses advise the future kings, that they are to keep God's Word close to them, and they are to be close to God's Word, "and it shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life'.
As you read these verses think of the various kings of Israel and Judah. It shouldn't take long to see how important these instructions were. Many did not obey these words of wisdom and lead the nation astray. Others, like Josiah, found the "book of the Law" and sought restoration.
MacArthur comments that "the king was pictured as a scribe and scholar of Scripture, Josiah reinstituted this approach at a bleak time in Israel's history (2 Kings 22).
How important should God's Word be to the leaders of our country, to the leaders of our church, and to us individually?
If you have the time, read 2 Kings 22, it is an amazing account of what God did through a young king to restore the heart of the nation.
How will it affect your life and those around you if you read and apply God's Word every day of your life? What if you don't?
In Christ,
Mike
Deut 17:14-18:1
Principles Governing Kings
14 "When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say,'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,' 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you,'You shall not return that way again.' 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.
18 "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.
NKJV
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
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