Romans 8 ( continued)
The war between our minds and flesh is finished, not by our own efforts, but by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set us free! He has given us His Spirit, to indwell us, to intercede for us, and to bring us to conformity with the image of Christ.
God foreknew us. He who knit us together in our mother's wombs, who knows the number of our days before they even began, has known us since before the foundation of the earth. There is nothing that He does not know about us.
He predestined us. Our gracious God determined to bring us into the likeness of Jesus Christ, His own Son. He has declared it and ordained it. He can and will do it!
He called us. Our merciful God has called our name... invited us personally into His family.
He justified us. Our wonderful Lord has rendered us innocent and declared us just.
He glorified us. Our Mighty God and Heavenly Father has rendered us full of glory, honor, and dignity.
God is for us! "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
" For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ( v38-39)
Just think, the God who created the universe, Who knows the beginning and the end, Who made you and knows you, - is FOR you! He did not spare His own Son, " but delivered Him up for us all"!
Christ Jesus died and rose again.. and " is at the right hand of God" interceding for us!
He says that we cannot be separated from His love.
He declares us conquerors!
In Him we do not need to fear or worry or be filled with anxiety.
We simply need to keep believing and clinging to this truth!
Father, we praise and worship You! You are so gracious and merciful, so kind in all Your ways, and so righteous in all Your deeds. You are worthy of all praise. Father, may Your Name be honored and Your will done on earth, even as it is in heaven. Bring the kingdom here Lord. We eagerly wait for the coming of our King! Help us to remember that nothing can separate us from Your Love. Help us to not lose hope in the light of this world's distresses, but to be convinced of Your abiding Love and Grace and Power and Glory! Fill our hearts and minds with Hope and Joy and Peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Romans 8 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." We have been set free from sin and from death. We now have the "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus... "
The Law could not free us.
But, God did! In sending His Son, Jesus as an "offering for sin", God:
"condemned sin in the flesh" ( v3)
fulfilled the "requirement of the Law" in us (v4)
and, "gave life to (our) mortal bodies" (v11)
We are now " in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells" in us. (v9)
We walk " according to the Spirit" ( v4)
We "set our minds" on the "things of the Spirit" ( v5)
We find " life and peace" through setting our minds on the Spirit ( v6)
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you." (v11)
By living according to the Spirit, we are " putting to death the deeds of the body" so we can live. (v13)
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (v14)
We have received " a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out 'Abba! Father!'" ( v15)
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." (v16)
Oh what marvelous grace that God has shown us! Not only does He send Jesus Christ to be the payment for our sin, not only does He do this while we were still sinners, but He gives to us His Spirit, to live in us - to walk and think and live as the children of God. Our thoughts are no longer focused on the things of the flesh but on Him. Our heritage becomes that of Christ - we will suffer with Him and be glorified with Him. We will count any suffering as nothing compared with what lies ahead for us with Him. We are eagerly waiting for that day. All creation is eagerly awaiting that day!
Thank You Father for the hope that You have set before us. The hope that You have saved us for.
Set our minds on these things Holy Spirit. That we might walk according to Your Word. Through Jesus our Lord we pray, amen.
The Law could not free us.
But, God did! In sending His Son, Jesus as an "offering for sin", God:
"condemned sin in the flesh" ( v3)
fulfilled the "requirement of the Law" in us (v4)
and, "gave life to (our) mortal bodies" (v11)
We are now " in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells" in us. (v9)
We walk " according to the Spirit" ( v4)
We "set our minds" on the "things of the Spirit" ( v5)
We find " life and peace" through setting our minds on the Spirit ( v6)
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you." (v11)
By living according to the Spirit, we are " putting to death the deeds of the body" so we can live. (v13)
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (v14)
We have received " a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out 'Abba! Father!'" ( v15)
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." (v16)
Oh what marvelous grace that God has shown us! Not only does He send Jesus Christ to be the payment for our sin, not only does He do this while we were still sinners, but He gives to us His Spirit, to live in us - to walk and think and live as the children of God. Our thoughts are no longer focused on the things of the flesh but on Him. Our heritage becomes that of Christ - we will suffer with Him and be glorified with Him. We will count any suffering as nothing compared with what lies ahead for us with Him. We are eagerly waiting for that day. All creation is eagerly awaiting that day!
Thank You Father for the hope that You have set before us. The hope that You have saved us for.
Set our minds on these things Holy Spirit. That we might walk according to Your Word. Through Jesus our Lord we pray, amen.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Romans 7 Paul uses the illustration of marriage to show the complete change that we experience when we come to Christ.
A woman who is married is bound by law to her husband.
The woman is released from the marriage when her husband dies. She is then free to remarry.
We were "married" to the Law.
The Law, even though it was in itself good; had jurisdiction over us (v1) and "aroused sinful passions" in us (v6). It could not produce life nor bear fruit, but instead brought death.
But then Jesus Christ died for us and we die in Him.
We are "made to die to the Law through the body of Christ that (we) might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God." (v4) We are released from the Law, "having died to that which we were bound so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." (v6).
The problem was not the law, the problem is the sin that controls the flesh. There is a war, Paul says, between our minds which know what is right and wrong and wish to do good; and the flesh which is in bondage to sin and practices evil. The only hope we have is in Jesus Christ!
And in Him.. " there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." (Romans 8:1-2)
Father in Heaven, Thank You for freeing us from the law of sin and death through Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You for bringing us into new Life in Jesus that we might bear fruit for You. Teach us the fulness of these truths. Spirit of God, illumine our minds and keep us walking in You. We pray and live in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
A woman who is married is bound by law to her husband.
The woman is released from the marriage when her husband dies. She is then free to remarry.
We were "married" to the Law.
The Law, even though it was in itself good; had jurisdiction over us (v1) and "aroused sinful passions" in us (v6). It could not produce life nor bear fruit, but instead brought death.
But then Jesus Christ died for us and we die in Him.
We are "made to die to the Law through the body of Christ that (we) might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God." (v4) We are released from the Law, "having died to that which we were bound so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." (v6).
The problem was not the law, the problem is the sin that controls the flesh. There is a war, Paul says, between our minds which know what is right and wrong and wish to do good; and the flesh which is in bondage to sin and practices evil. The only hope we have is in Jesus Christ!
And in Him.. " there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." (Romans 8:1-2)
Father in Heaven, Thank You for freeing us from the law of sin and death through Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You for bringing us into new Life in Jesus that we might bear fruit for You. Teach us the fulness of these truths. Spirit of God, illumine our minds and keep us walking in You. We pray and live in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Romans 6 Life in Christ begins after we die to sin.
We were slaves to sin, Paul says, we presented the "members of our body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness"; ourselves to "impurity and to lawlessness". We were obedient to sin and the result was death. Every possible outcome for a slave of sin is death.
But then grace came! The free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ came when He entered the world. And with Him we have hope! By faith we are justified and our faith is reckoned as righteousness.
Our baptism into Christ Jesus is a baptism into His death.
Our baptism is a burial with Him.
With Him we are raised up and we have new life.
United with Him in death and in life.
Our old self is crucified with Him. Our slavery to sin is done away with and we are free.
We are to consider this true - we are dead to sin; it is not to reign over us or be our master again;
In Christ we are alive to God. Just as Jesus lives to God, so should we.
We are to present ourselves and the members of our bodies as alive from the dead; as instruments of righteousness.
We present ourselves as slaves, obedient to God.
We became slaves of righteousness; the members of our bodies as slaves of righteousness.
This results in sanctification and the outcome is eternal life.
Father in heaven, how we thank You! We were hopeless and helpless, held captive by sin and slaves of unrighteousness, but You came and set us free. It is in Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, Who has taken us from the domain of darkness and set us free through His death on the cross. It is in Him that we have died to sin and are no longer slaves to its reign. It is in Christ that we are raised up from the dead to a whole new life! It is in Christ that we come to You and present our bodies, souls, minds, and strength as bond servants to righteousness. We are Your slaves, Lord God! We present ourselves to You willingly for obedience from our hearts. Thank You for saving us and for sanctifying us and for giving us eternal life. May Your Name be honored. May Your will be done. May Your Kingdom come! All glory and praise and blessing to You we pray. Amen.
We were slaves to sin, Paul says, we presented the "members of our body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness"; ourselves to "impurity and to lawlessness". We were obedient to sin and the result was death. Every possible outcome for a slave of sin is death.
But then grace came! The free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ came when He entered the world. And with Him we have hope! By faith we are justified and our faith is reckoned as righteousness.
Our baptism into Christ Jesus is a baptism into His death.
Our baptism is a burial with Him.
With Him we are raised up and we have new life.
United with Him in death and in life.
Our old self is crucified with Him. Our slavery to sin is done away with and we are free.
We are to consider this true - we are dead to sin; it is not to reign over us or be our master again;
In Christ we are alive to God. Just as Jesus lives to God, so should we.
We are to present ourselves and the members of our bodies as alive from the dead; as instruments of righteousness.
We present ourselves as slaves, obedient to God.
We became slaves of righteousness; the members of our bodies as slaves of righteousness.
This results in sanctification and the outcome is eternal life.
Father in heaven, how we thank You! We were hopeless and helpless, held captive by sin and slaves of unrighteousness, but You came and set us free. It is in Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, Who has taken us from the domain of darkness and set us free through His death on the cross. It is in Him that we have died to sin and are no longer slaves to its reign. It is in Christ that we are raised up from the dead to a whole new life! It is in Christ that we come to You and present our bodies, souls, minds, and strength as bond servants to righteousness. We are Your slaves, Lord God! We present ourselves to You willingly for obedience from our hearts. Thank You for saving us and for sanctifying us and for giving us eternal life. May Your Name be honored. May Your will be done. May Your Kingdom come! All glory and praise and blessing to You we pray. Amen.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Romans 5 :1-11 Paul gives us 3 reasons to exult:
V2 We exult in hope of the glory of God
V3 We exult in our tribulations, because they will produce perseverance, proven character, and hope;
V11 We exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
The word exult means to rejoice, to glory in, to have joy - We rejoice because we now have hope!
Paul says that we have been justified by faith - which has been reckoned - computed and declared as righteousness; gaining us admission ( an introduction) into this " grace in which we stand". We stand "at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ". So yes, we can rejoice!
We can rejoice in our tribulations because we know that God will use them to build our character and that gives us more hope. " .. and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." ( v5)
We were helpless, ungodly sinners. We had no hope. But God, " at the right time" sent Christ to die for us. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." And even more than that; " having now been justified by His blood we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." ( v9). Once enemies, we are now reconciled. Once condemned, we are now saved. We rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Verses 12-21 Paul compares the first man - Adam to the New Man - Jesus Christ.
In Adam - sin entered the world; death came because of sin; sin and death spread to all men;(v12)
- judgement "arose from the one transgression resulting in condemnation"; ( v16)
- by this one transgression " death reigned" ( v17)
- " through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men" ( v18)
- Adam's one act of disobedience caused the many( all) to be made sinners ( v19)
The Law came and pointed out sin. Sin increased. Sin reigned in death. ( v20-21)
In Jesus - the gift of grace, the Grace of God; " abounded to the many" (v15)
- " the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification" ( v16)
- " much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." ( v17)
- " so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." ( v18)
- Jesus' obedience brings " the many to be made righteous" ( v19)
Grace came to "reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ( v21)
Father in heaven, we exult in You. We leap for joy because of Your great Grace towards us while we were still sinners, helpless and condemned. We rejoice in the hope You have given us through Jesus Christ our Lord! Thank You for saving us. Thank You for justifying us, for declaring us righteous, reckoning our faith in Jesus Christ as righteousness. Thank You Jesus for abounding in grace towards us, freeing us from sin and death, and giving us eternal life in You. Amen and amen!
V2 We exult in hope of the glory of God
V3 We exult in our tribulations, because they will produce perseverance, proven character, and hope;
V11 We exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
The word exult means to rejoice, to glory in, to have joy - We rejoice because we now have hope!
Paul says that we have been justified by faith - which has been reckoned - computed and declared as righteousness; gaining us admission ( an introduction) into this " grace in which we stand". We stand "at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ". So yes, we can rejoice!
We can rejoice in our tribulations because we know that God will use them to build our character and that gives us more hope. " .. and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." ( v5)
We were helpless, ungodly sinners. We had no hope. But God, " at the right time" sent Christ to die for us. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." And even more than that; " having now been justified by His blood we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." ( v9). Once enemies, we are now reconciled. Once condemned, we are now saved. We rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Verses 12-21 Paul compares the first man - Adam to the New Man - Jesus Christ.
In Adam - sin entered the world; death came because of sin; sin and death spread to all men;(v12)
- judgement "arose from the one transgression resulting in condemnation"; ( v16)
- by this one transgression " death reigned" ( v17)
- " through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men" ( v18)
- Adam's one act of disobedience caused the many( all) to be made sinners ( v19)
The Law came and pointed out sin. Sin increased. Sin reigned in death. ( v20-21)
In Jesus - the gift of grace, the Grace of God; " abounded to the many" (v15)
- " the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification" ( v16)
- " much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." ( v17)
- " so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." ( v18)
- Jesus' obedience brings " the many to be made righteous" ( v19)
Grace came to "reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ( v21)
Father in heaven, we exult in You. We leap for joy because of Your great Grace towards us while we were still sinners, helpless and condemned. We rejoice in the hope You have given us through Jesus Christ our Lord! Thank You for saving us. Thank You for justifying us, for declaring us righteous, reckoning our faith in Jesus Christ as righteousness. Thank You Jesus for abounding in grace towards us, freeing us from sin and death, and giving us eternal life in You. Amen and amen!
Friday, May 22, 2015
Romans 4 "Reckon" - the Greek word is logizomai - to take inventory, estimate, count, impute, number, reason, suppose, think on... from the root word logos - something said, spoken, reasoning, account, cause, communication, utterance, word. " And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." A wage is earned, not reckoned, Paul explains. "But to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness." ( v5)
We cannot earn righteousness. We can not be made innocent or just by working for it. Abraham did not "earn" righteousness by his obedience or by his circumcision. He was declared righteous because he believed God. So, Paul argues, circumcision or uncircumcision, does not determine righteousness. The only thing that God reckons as righteousness is faith.
Abraham is the model of faith that is reckoned as righteousness. He believed God's promise that he would become of father of nations. Even when years passed and he was 100 years old and Sarah was well past child-bearing years - Abraham believed. Even though hope was fading - he believed. In fact, Paul writes, " he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able to perform." This was what God counted and declared to be righteous.
This is the truth for us: " those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification."
(v24-25)
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (5:1)
God declares us righteous- innocent, just. He does not count our sins, but He counts our faith. When we believe His promises, not wavering, being fully assured that " what He promised He was able to perform", we are from God's grace, declared righteous. Our faith is what is reckoned as righteousness.
Father in Heaven, Your Word, Your declaration to us that we who believe in You, who raised Jesus our Lord from the grave, that You will reckon as righteousness that faith... Oh what marvelous Grace!
Not that we have performed perfectly, not that we do all the works of the Law, not that we are strong or wise or successful or anything... but that we believe that You are able to do what You have promised... this is what counts to You! Glorious Lord, Mighty God. You are worthy of all our worship and praise and thanksgiving. Thank You. And Jesus, we thank You that we have this great salvation through You, who died for us. It is in Your Name that we pray. Amen
We cannot earn righteousness. We can not be made innocent or just by working for it. Abraham did not "earn" righteousness by his obedience or by his circumcision. He was declared righteous because he believed God. So, Paul argues, circumcision or uncircumcision, does not determine righteousness. The only thing that God reckons as righteousness is faith.
Abraham is the model of faith that is reckoned as righteousness. He believed God's promise that he would become of father of nations. Even when years passed and he was 100 years old and Sarah was well past child-bearing years - Abraham believed. Even though hope was fading - he believed. In fact, Paul writes, " he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able to perform." This was what God counted and declared to be righteous.
This is the truth for us: " those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification."
(v24-25)
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (5:1)
God declares us righteous- innocent, just. He does not count our sins, but He counts our faith. When we believe His promises, not wavering, being fully assured that " what He promised He was able to perform", we are from God's grace, declared righteous. Our faith is what is reckoned as righteousness.
Father in Heaven, Your Word, Your declaration to us that we who believe in You, who raised Jesus our Lord from the grave, that You will reckon as righteousness that faith... Oh what marvelous Grace!
Not that we have performed perfectly, not that we do all the works of the Law, not that we are strong or wise or successful or anything... but that we believe that You are able to do what You have promised... this is what counts to You! Glorious Lord, Mighty God. You are worthy of all our worship and praise and thanksgiving. Thank You. And Jesus, we thank You that we have this great salvation through You, who died for us. It is in Your Name that we pray. Amen
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Romans 3
All the world, Paul writes, is made "accountable to God". Whether they have the Law, as the Jews did, or whether they did not have the Law - " all are under sin". The Law gives us " the knowledge of sin", but it does not justify anyone. There are no works that one can do on their own that can make them justified. But , " now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested."
The " righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe;" has been manifested - declared, made evident, appeared.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." No one can deny that statement and no one can justify himself.
"..being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; who God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Paul's point here is that the only way that anyone can be justified is through faith in Jesus - whether Jew or Gentile. Whether under the Law or not. Whether you have done every jot and tittle of the Law or not, you can never be justified by what you have done. You can only be justified by what Jesus Christ has done. This, Paul declares, is the manifest righteousness of God.
The sacrifices of lambs and goats could only lay aside sin. It was temporary and could not change the heart of a man. But the redemption - the ransom paid, the deliverance guaranteed, the salvation provided - by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross - is the propitiation in His blood - the penalty is totally satisfied, paid in full, God's wrath appeased, atonement made. Faith in Jesus then, can change our hearts and characters, make us holy and righteous, completely removes the sin, the guilt, and the power of sin over us. We are transformed - and the image of God, like that of Adam before the fall - is regained.
Hallelujah! What a Saviour...
Father in Heaven, we praise You and Worship You, the Righteous One Who has revealed Your grace and mercy to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
All the world, Paul writes, is made "accountable to God". Whether they have the Law, as the Jews did, or whether they did not have the Law - " all are under sin". The Law gives us " the knowledge of sin", but it does not justify anyone. There are no works that one can do on their own that can make them justified. But , " now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested."
The " righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe;" has been manifested - declared, made evident, appeared.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." No one can deny that statement and no one can justify himself.
"..being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; who God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Paul's point here is that the only way that anyone can be justified is through faith in Jesus - whether Jew or Gentile. Whether under the Law or not. Whether you have done every jot and tittle of the Law or not, you can never be justified by what you have done. You can only be justified by what Jesus Christ has done. This, Paul declares, is the manifest righteousness of God.
The sacrifices of lambs and goats could only lay aside sin. It was temporary and could not change the heart of a man. But the redemption - the ransom paid, the deliverance guaranteed, the salvation provided - by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross - is the propitiation in His blood - the penalty is totally satisfied, paid in full, God's wrath appeased, atonement made. Faith in Jesus then, can change our hearts and characters, make us holy and righteous, completely removes the sin, the guilt, and the power of sin over us. We are transformed - and the image of God, like that of Adam before the fall - is regained.
Hallelujah! What a Saviour...
Father in Heaven, we praise You and Worship You, the Righteous One Who has revealed Your grace and mercy to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Romans 2
"Therefore"chapter 2 begins :
Because "the righteousness of God is revealed by faith" - the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the "power of God for salvation to everyone who believes"; we are saved by faith and walk by faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And because "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.."
" Therefore you are without excuse..." God has clearly revealed His righteousness by giving His Son, the Lamb of God, the Redeemer. God has clearly revealed His wrath, punishing those who refuse to believe and repent - giving them over to impurity, degrading passions, and depraved minds.
Paul writes that those who judge others yet practice the same things are storing up wrath for themselves! It is not what you teach or preach that God considers... it is what you do! God will "render to every man according to his deeds." ( v6) Paul contrasts the 2 types of responses to God's revelation of Himself:
Those who persevere in doing good:
Seeking glory, honor, immortality, eternal life, they do good, they are doers of the Law .
Those who are Gentiles, not under the law, have the law written on their hearts and conscience.
They may not be physically circumcised, but their hearts are - as they practice the law, being led by the Spirit
They will be praised by God!
Those who are selfishly ambitious: Do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation.They do evil. They boast in God, they know the Law, but they do not practice what they teach. Their outward circumcision means nothing.
Father in heaven, Thank You for clearly revealing Your will and Yourself. Your desire for us is to believe in Christ and to walk by faith in the Holy Spirit's leading. You have given us the choice of obedience or disobedience; To choose this day, whom we will serve. Once again, we choose to serve You, the only true God. You alone are worthy. You are the giver of Life. You are the Holy and Righteous Lord, God of all creation. We will not bow to any other. We know that it is "the kindness of God" that leads us to repentance. We praise the riches of Your kindness and forbearance and patience. ( v4). Thank You. Blessing and honor and power to the Lord and to the Lamb. Amen
"Therefore"chapter 2 begins :
Because "the righteousness of God is revealed by faith" - the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the "power of God for salvation to everyone who believes"; we are saved by faith and walk by faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And because "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.."
" Therefore you are without excuse..." God has clearly revealed His righteousness by giving His Son, the Lamb of God, the Redeemer. God has clearly revealed His wrath, punishing those who refuse to believe and repent - giving them over to impurity, degrading passions, and depraved minds.
Paul writes that those who judge others yet practice the same things are storing up wrath for themselves! It is not what you teach or preach that God considers... it is what you do! God will "render to every man according to his deeds." ( v6) Paul contrasts the 2 types of responses to God's revelation of Himself:
Those who persevere in doing good:
Seeking glory, honor, immortality, eternal life, they do good, they are doers of the Law .
Those who are Gentiles, not under the law, have the law written on their hearts and conscience.
They may not be physically circumcised, but their hearts are - as they practice the law, being led by the Spirit
They will be praised by God!
Those who are selfishly ambitious: Do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation.They do evil. They boast in God, they know the Law, but they do not practice what they teach. Their outward circumcision means nothing.
Father in heaven, Thank You for clearly revealing Your will and Yourself. Your desire for us is to believe in Christ and to walk by faith in the Holy Spirit's leading. You have given us the choice of obedience or disobedience; To choose this day, whom we will serve. Once again, we choose to serve You, the only true God. You alone are worthy. You are the giver of Life. You are the Holy and Righteous Lord, God of all creation. We will not bow to any other. We know that it is "the kindness of God" that leads us to repentance. We praise the riches of Your kindness and forbearance and patience. ( v4). Thank You. Blessing and honor and power to the Lord and to the Lamb. Amen
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Romans 1 Paul calls himself a "called apostle" - invited/ appointed - to apostleship, a commissioned messenger of the gospel of God. The Gospel - the declaration of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; promised beforehand by the prophets in the Scriptures; descendent of David; resurrected by power; the " power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.."
Paul writes to those who are also " the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God.. called as saints;" He writes to those in Rome specifically, and to us also, for we who believe in Jesus are invited and included among those whom God calls His "beloved".
The gospel is powerful, Paul says, because "in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.." . Paul says he is eager to preach this good news in Rome. He is eager to encourage the believers and to see others come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul knows all too well the great need of the gospel in Rome, as we know the great need of the gospel in our current culture; " For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." ( v18)
Paul spells it out for us, so we have no doubt what he is calling "ungodliness and unrighteousness". Although God has revealed Himself since creation - in His power and divine nature and put within man the knowledge of Himself; man has:
Refused to honor God as God ( v21)
Refused to give thanks to God
Become " futile in their speculations" ( empty thinking)
Become "darkened" in their hearts
Professed to be wise, but are in actuality foolish( v22)
Exchanged "the glory of the incorruptible God" for worthless idols (v23)
Exchanged the "truth of God" for lies ( v25)
Served the creature instead of the Creator.
Stopped acknowledging God altogether. ( v28)
Practiced things "worthy of death" (v32)
The wrath of God - the passionate indignation and anger of God reaches forth to bring punishment upon those who choose this ungodliness and unrighteousness - doing those things and encouraging others to do the same. Paul explains the consequences of such choices:
God gives them over "in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them". ( v24)
God gives the over to " degrading passions" ( v26) - women are degraded, becoming sex objects, mistreated and dishonored. Men " abandoned the natural function of the woman" - becoming indecent ( v27).
God "gives them over" to depraved minds - worthless, reprobate, - to do "those things which are not proper" ( v28)
"... being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;" ( v29-31)
Unconstrained lust, passion, and wickedness - sound familiar? Turn on the tv. Pick up a book or magazine. Read the newspaper. Is there anyone left in our society ( besides Christians) that think our hearts can be pure and our bodies honorable?
Father in heaven, have mercy on us! Our nation is guilty! We are deserving of Your wrath. Turn our hearts back to Truth, O Lord! May we acknowledge You and honor You, giving thanks to You and serving You with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. Cleanse our thinking and establish us in Your Truth once again. Forgive us Lord and deliver us from the evil one and from the evil in our own hearts. Thank You for the Good News of Jesus Christ Who died and rose again that we might have salvation. Let the Gospel be proclaimed once again. In the Mighty Name of our Savior we pray. Amen.
Paul writes to those who are also " the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God.. called as saints;" He writes to those in Rome specifically, and to us also, for we who believe in Jesus are invited and included among those whom God calls His "beloved".
The gospel is powerful, Paul says, because "in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.." . Paul says he is eager to preach this good news in Rome. He is eager to encourage the believers and to see others come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul knows all too well the great need of the gospel in Rome, as we know the great need of the gospel in our current culture; " For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." ( v18)
Paul spells it out for us, so we have no doubt what he is calling "ungodliness and unrighteousness". Although God has revealed Himself since creation - in His power and divine nature and put within man the knowledge of Himself; man has:
Refused to honor God as God ( v21)
Refused to give thanks to God
Become " futile in their speculations" ( empty thinking)
Become "darkened" in their hearts
Professed to be wise, but are in actuality foolish( v22)
Exchanged "the glory of the incorruptible God" for worthless idols (v23)
Exchanged the "truth of God" for lies ( v25)
Served the creature instead of the Creator.
Stopped acknowledging God altogether. ( v28)
Practiced things "worthy of death" (v32)
The wrath of God - the passionate indignation and anger of God reaches forth to bring punishment upon those who choose this ungodliness and unrighteousness - doing those things and encouraging others to do the same. Paul explains the consequences of such choices:
God gives them over "in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them". ( v24)
God gives the over to " degrading passions" ( v26) - women are degraded, becoming sex objects, mistreated and dishonored. Men " abandoned the natural function of the woman" - becoming indecent ( v27).
God "gives them over" to depraved minds - worthless, reprobate, - to do "those things which are not proper" ( v28)
"... being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;" ( v29-31)
Unconstrained lust, passion, and wickedness - sound familiar? Turn on the tv. Pick up a book or magazine. Read the newspaper. Is there anyone left in our society ( besides Christians) that think our hearts can be pure and our bodies honorable?
Father in heaven, have mercy on us! Our nation is guilty! We are deserving of Your wrath. Turn our hearts back to Truth, O Lord! May we acknowledge You and honor You, giving thanks to You and serving You with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. Cleanse our thinking and establish us in Your Truth once again. Forgive us Lord and deliver us from the evil one and from the evil in our own hearts. Thank You for the Good News of Jesus Christ Who died and rose again that we might have salvation. Let the Gospel be proclaimed once again. In the Mighty Name of our Savior we pray. Amen.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Joshua 23-24 Joshua is 110 years old. He calls together the elders of Israel, the judges, and the officials. He reminds them of all that God had done and how He had fought for them and fulfilled His promises. Now, Joshua exhorts them to remain faithful and committed to serving the Lord their God. Listen to some of the words he uses:
" Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of law..." ( 23:6)
" But you are to cling to the Lord your God,..." ( v8)
" So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God." ( v11)
" Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; ... serve the Lord" ( 24:14)
"... choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.." ( v14-15)
Joshua, like Moses before him, saw the people's weaknesses.. the idols that were still hidden among them, the temptations that were all around them. He warned them of the snares and traps all around them, the false gods of the nations that God had removed from the land. Joshua reminded them that the Lord " is a Holy God; He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you." ( v19-20)
The people affirm that the will " serve the Lord". They take an oath and become witnesses to their pledge to serve the Lord and obey His voice. Joshua considered this a "covenant". He instructs Israel to " incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." ( v23)
Joshua dies and is buried. Eleazar the son of Aaron also dies. A new generation is now inhabiting the promised land of their fathers. But, no successor is named, no leader appointed.
It is wise to stop often and take an inventory of ourselves. To examine our own hearts and lives and see how we are doing in our journey with our Lord. This passage leads us to that kind of spiritual inventory - how are you doing?
Are you firmly keeping the Words of the Lord Jesus?
Are you clinging to Him every day and every hour?
Are you diligently taking heed of yourself to love the Lord your God?
Do you fear Him and serve Him with sincerity and truth?
Choose again, confirm your commitment to serve the Lord and Him only!
Incline your heart to the Lord our God and Maker and to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Father in heaven, Holy and Blessed are You. You alone are worthy of our praise and worship, of our devotion and commitment. We need You and desire to serve You alone. You are the Lord our God and we will serve You. We commit ourselves to keep Your Word, to cling to You each day, to love You with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and to fear and serve You with sincerity and truth. With Joshua, we say, " .. but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." We choose You! Today and every day.. O Lord lead us and help us to make that confession with sincere and true hearts. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
" Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of law..." ( 23:6)
" But you are to cling to the Lord your God,..." ( v8)
" So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God." ( v11)
" Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; ... serve the Lord" ( 24:14)
"... choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.." ( v14-15)
Joshua, like Moses before him, saw the people's weaknesses.. the idols that were still hidden among them, the temptations that were all around them. He warned them of the snares and traps all around them, the false gods of the nations that God had removed from the land. Joshua reminded them that the Lord " is a Holy God; He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you." ( v19-20)
The people affirm that the will " serve the Lord". They take an oath and become witnesses to their pledge to serve the Lord and obey His voice. Joshua considered this a "covenant". He instructs Israel to " incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." ( v23)
Joshua dies and is buried. Eleazar the son of Aaron also dies. A new generation is now inhabiting the promised land of their fathers. But, no successor is named, no leader appointed.
It is wise to stop often and take an inventory of ourselves. To examine our own hearts and lives and see how we are doing in our journey with our Lord. This passage leads us to that kind of spiritual inventory - how are you doing?
Are you firmly keeping the Words of the Lord Jesus?
Are you clinging to Him every day and every hour?
Are you diligently taking heed of yourself to love the Lord your God?
Do you fear Him and serve Him with sincerity and truth?
Choose again, confirm your commitment to serve the Lord and Him only!
Incline your heart to the Lord our God and Maker and to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Father in heaven, Holy and Blessed are You. You alone are worthy of our praise and worship, of our devotion and commitment. We need You and desire to serve You alone. You are the Lord our God and we will serve You. We commit ourselves to keep Your Word, to cling to You each day, to love You with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and to fear and serve You with sincerity and truth. With Joshua, we say, " .. but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." We choose You! Today and every day.. O Lord lead us and help us to make that confession with sincere and true hearts. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Joshua 16-22 The promised land was divided and settled by the 12 tribes of Israel. Cities were set aside for the Levites in each of the other tribe's portions. Cities of refuge were established. The 3 tribes that had received land on the other side of the Jordan were released to return to their new homes. And God gave them rest.
There were still problems to come, but for the moment.. all was well. Joshua settles down into his own land. He has completed the task set before him. It must have been a relief! His retirement years have finally arrived. He will soon give his farewell address, but for the moment he can focus on his own family and home.
Father in heaven, thank You for caring for each of us so specifically. You know our needs and our hearts. You have created each of us just as we are, according to Your grace and love and wisdom. You are personally present in the lives of all who call upon You. You are amazing and mysterious. We cannot fathom the greatness of who You are. Help us to grow in the knowledge of who You are.
Lord, God of Israel, remind Your people of Who You are. Open the eyes of those who have never believed, that they may come to know Jesus the Messiah. Bless Israel. And, Father will You also bless America. May we once again call upon You, the only God who is worthy of all worship.
Amen.
There were still problems to come, but for the moment.. all was well. Joshua settles down into his own land. He has completed the task set before him. It must have been a relief! His retirement years have finally arrived. He will soon give his farewell address, but for the moment he can focus on his own family and home.
Father in heaven, thank You for caring for each of us so specifically. You know our needs and our hearts. You have created each of us just as we are, according to Your grace and love and wisdom. You are personally present in the lives of all who call upon You. You are amazing and mysterious. We cannot fathom the greatness of who You are. Help us to grow in the knowledge of who You are.
Lord, God of Israel, remind Your people of Who You are. Open the eyes of those who have never believed, that they may come to know Jesus the Messiah. Bless Israel. And, Father will You also bless America. May we once again call upon You, the only God who is worthy of all worship.
Amen.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Joshua 14-15 The Lord tells Joshua to begin to divide the land among the tribes and he begins with Judah. Caleb is now 85 years old and reminds Joshua that the Lord had promised to give him the land that he had walked on 40 years before, so Joshua gives his blessing. Caleb and his family take the land. The tribe of Judah is given a large portion of land with many cities, hills, and plains. Jerusalem is part of this inheritance.
With great detail the borders of each tribal inheritance is described. Israel moved into cities and towns which were already built. They took over fields and vineyards that were already planted. They probably walked down streets and chose which house to move into... This would be a really interesting experience. Will we do that one day? Will we walk into Heaven, trod down the streets of gold, and find the place prepared just for us? Our inheritance, so to speak?
Jesus said that he was going to prepare a place for us. We long to know what that will be like. Our imaginations are useless in describing Heaven. But, we know that it will be so much more than the best house that exists on the planet earth! The land will be better than the richest plains, the beauty will overshadow anything we have ever experienced, and the company will be absolutely glorious!
The older I get, the more my heart seeks to see Jesus face to face, to behold His glory, to finally know Him as He knows me. The Lord draws us to Himself, not just for salvation, but for intimate relationship. He has made us His children and He wants His children close... just as we long to have our children close to us. He wants us to know Him, to love Him, and to walk in oneness with Him. He works in us to make us whole and complete - integrity of mind, heart, spirit, and body. He gives us the purpose of making an impact on those we come into contact with - for He has chosen to make us salt and light in a world that needs Jesus.
Father, we eagerly await the coming of the Lord Jesus! We long to be in Your Presence. Will You have Your perfect will and way in our lives today? Will You build Your Kingdom through us today?
Will You bring glory to Your Name in all we do and say today? For we are Yours and You are our God. We thank You for Your daily provision and ask that You would meet each need today. We thank You for forgiveness of sins and ask that You would bring us to our needs in confession and repentance every time we fail. Lead us in Your paths and deliver us from the evil one. In Jesus Name we ask these things. Amen
With great detail the borders of each tribal inheritance is described. Israel moved into cities and towns which were already built. They took over fields and vineyards that were already planted. They probably walked down streets and chose which house to move into... This would be a really interesting experience. Will we do that one day? Will we walk into Heaven, trod down the streets of gold, and find the place prepared just for us? Our inheritance, so to speak?
Jesus said that he was going to prepare a place for us. We long to know what that will be like. Our imaginations are useless in describing Heaven. But, we know that it will be so much more than the best house that exists on the planet earth! The land will be better than the richest plains, the beauty will overshadow anything we have ever experienced, and the company will be absolutely glorious!
The older I get, the more my heart seeks to see Jesus face to face, to behold His glory, to finally know Him as He knows me. The Lord draws us to Himself, not just for salvation, but for intimate relationship. He has made us His children and He wants His children close... just as we long to have our children close to us. He wants us to know Him, to love Him, and to walk in oneness with Him. He works in us to make us whole and complete - integrity of mind, heart, spirit, and body. He gives us the purpose of making an impact on those we come into contact with - for He has chosen to make us salt and light in a world that needs Jesus.
Father, we eagerly await the coming of the Lord Jesus! We long to be in Your Presence. Will You have Your perfect will and way in our lives today? Will You build Your Kingdom through us today?
Will You bring glory to Your Name in all we do and say today? For we are Yours and You are our God. We thank You for Your daily provision and ask that You would meet each need today. We thank You for forgiveness of sins and ask that You would bring us to our needs in confession and repentance every time we fail. Lead us in Your paths and deliver us from the evil one. In Jesus Name we ask these things. Amen
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Joshua 11-13 The kings of Palestine came together to fight agains Joshua and the people of Israel. Joshua 11:4 tells us that " as many people as the sand that is on the seashore,with very many horses and chariots." came together to fight Israel. But the Lord told Joshua to not be afraid for He was giving them into his hand. And He did! The Lord delivered king after king, army after army, over to Joshua and Israel. 31 kings were destroyed, along with every man, woman, and child. Judgement had come.
I can not imagine the amount of destruction and devastation. But, this was God's plan and He carried out the judgement by the hands of His servants. Evil and sin and all wickedness was judged and the wrath of God was released upon those who refused to bow before Him. We know that God does not change. He still hates sin and wickedness. He still judges and He will still punish those who rebel against Him. This is why we are told to fear God, to obey Him, and to worship Him alone. No mercy will be shown to those whose hearts remain hardened. ( 11:20) The Lord Himself will "utterly destroy" those who will not come in repentance and humility.
Father in Heaven, You are Righteous and Holy. You are perfect and great in all wisdom and grace. You have proclaimed forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ alone. We are all like the kings of Canaan and deserve Your wrath, yet You have made a way for us to come before You, through the blood of Jesus Christ. We thank You that there is no condemnation through Jesus Christ! Thank You for forgiving us and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. Thank You for giving us soft hearts that we might receive mercy. May we never be afraid to stand against the enemy, for the battle is in Your Hands. Help us to obey Your will and never stop until You call us home. In Jesus' Name, amen.
I can not imagine the amount of destruction and devastation. But, this was God's plan and He carried out the judgement by the hands of His servants. Evil and sin and all wickedness was judged and the wrath of God was released upon those who refused to bow before Him. We know that God does not change. He still hates sin and wickedness. He still judges and He will still punish those who rebel against Him. This is why we are told to fear God, to obey Him, and to worship Him alone. No mercy will be shown to those whose hearts remain hardened. ( 11:20) The Lord Himself will "utterly destroy" those who will not come in repentance and humility.
Father in Heaven, You are Righteous and Holy. You are perfect and great in all wisdom and grace. You have proclaimed forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ alone. We are all like the kings of Canaan and deserve Your wrath, yet You have made a way for us to come before You, through the blood of Jesus Christ. We thank You that there is no condemnation through Jesus Christ! Thank You for forgiving us and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. Thank You for giving us soft hearts that we might receive mercy. May we never be afraid to stand against the enemy, for the battle is in Your Hands. Help us to obey Your will and never stop until You call us home. In Jesus' Name, amen.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Joshua 9-10
The battle for the promised land begins in earnest now. Kings and armies have heard how the Lord had given Jericho and Ai over to Israel and they gathered together to fight. One city, Gibeon, however decided on a different course. They sent and envoy, dressed as if they were from a far away land, and tricked Israel into making a covenant with them. Joshua and the leaders failed to "ask for counsel of the Lord" ( v14). When Joshua finds out he was tricked, he went to Gibeon and confronted them. But, the covenant was made and Joshua honored the agreement. The Gibeonites became servants of Israel, but they were allowed to live.
After this, Joshua and the army of Israel go after 5 kings that have joined together. It is during the first of these battles that Joshua asks the Lord to stop the sun, and He does. Victory and victory is given as the Lord fights for Israel and destroys the cities of Makkedah, Libnah, Latish, Eglon, Hebron and Debir. " And Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the Lord, the God of Israel fought for Israel." ( v42) The southern lowlands of Palestine are now Israel's land.
Joshua is not perfect. He made mistakes, but he learned from his mistakes and went on, trying to do all that the Lord told him to do. We are the same, aren't we? We forget sometimes to "ask for counsel of the Lord" and move ahead with our own plans. We make mistakes. We make covenants with those whom we should not have. But, like Joshua, we need to still honor our oaths and vows. And like Joshua, we need to learn from our mistakes and move forward, learning to lean on and trust in the Lord more and more.
Father in Heaven, You are our strong shelter, our Deliverer, our Shield, and our Champion. Every battle we face gives us another opportunity to turn to You and put our trust in You. May we seek Your counsel and trust Your heart. You love us and desire us! You provide for us and You have good and wonderful plans for us. You are gracious and kind. Your mercies are over all Your works... that includes us. You fulfill the desires of those who fear You. You hear our cries and save us. You are the Lord who keeps us and You are the Lord who destroys the wicked. We open our mouths to speak Your praise and bless Your Name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and highly to be praised.
Amen
The battle for the promised land begins in earnest now. Kings and armies have heard how the Lord had given Jericho and Ai over to Israel and they gathered together to fight. One city, Gibeon, however decided on a different course. They sent and envoy, dressed as if they were from a far away land, and tricked Israel into making a covenant with them. Joshua and the leaders failed to "ask for counsel of the Lord" ( v14). When Joshua finds out he was tricked, he went to Gibeon and confronted them. But, the covenant was made and Joshua honored the agreement. The Gibeonites became servants of Israel, but they were allowed to live.
After this, Joshua and the army of Israel go after 5 kings that have joined together. It is during the first of these battles that Joshua asks the Lord to stop the sun, and He does. Victory and victory is given as the Lord fights for Israel and destroys the cities of Makkedah, Libnah, Latish, Eglon, Hebron and Debir. " And Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the Lord, the God of Israel fought for Israel." ( v42) The southern lowlands of Palestine are now Israel's land.
Joshua is not perfect. He made mistakes, but he learned from his mistakes and went on, trying to do all that the Lord told him to do. We are the same, aren't we? We forget sometimes to "ask for counsel of the Lord" and move ahead with our own plans. We make mistakes. We make covenants with those whom we should not have. But, like Joshua, we need to still honor our oaths and vows. And like Joshua, we need to learn from our mistakes and move forward, learning to lean on and trust in the Lord more and more.
Father in Heaven, You are our strong shelter, our Deliverer, our Shield, and our Champion. Every battle we face gives us another opportunity to turn to You and put our trust in You. May we seek Your counsel and trust Your heart. You love us and desire us! You provide for us and You have good and wonderful plans for us. You are gracious and kind. Your mercies are over all Your works... that includes us. You fulfill the desires of those who fear You. You hear our cries and save us. You are the Lord who keeps us and You are the Lord who destroys the wicked. We open our mouths to speak Your praise and bless Your Name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and highly to be praised.
Amen
Friday, May 8, 2015
Joshua 8 After the sin of Achan is dealt with, the Lord sends Joshua and his people back to Ai. This time they obey the Lord's commands and conquer Ai completely. The Lord tells Joshua not to be afraid or dismayed. The battle will still take place, but this time the Lord is with them and victory will be given.
After the conquest of Ai, Joshua sets up an altar in Mount Ebal. There they offer sacrifices - burnt offerings and peace offerings. Joshua writes a copy of the law on the stones and he reads the entire book of the law before the people.
It is the Word of God that guides us to the will of God. The people needed to remember that the Lord, the God of Israel, was in control. It is in obedience to His commands that they will find not only victory, but life. We need that same constant reminder. We need to be in the Word constantly, being " transformed by the renewing of" of our minds. Only the Living and active Word of God is capable of such a work as this... restoring, refashioning, and redeeming us through and through. God's Word is the Sword of the Spirit, the instrument He uses - "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." ( Hebrews 4:12)
Father, open our ears to hear Your Word today, to remember all You have done and to worship You. To come into right attitudes of obedient surrender to our Sovereign God who rules over all the earth and all the heavens.
Speak to our hearts and give us ears to listen. Thank You for Your faithfulness and lovingkindness. We will exalt You and bless Your Name forever and ever. Amen.
After the conquest of Ai, Joshua sets up an altar in Mount Ebal. There they offer sacrifices - burnt offerings and peace offerings. Joshua writes a copy of the law on the stones and he reads the entire book of the law before the people.
It is the Word of God that guides us to the will of God. The people needed to remember that the Lord, the God of Israel, was in control. It is in obedience to His commands that they will find not only victory, but life. We need that same constant reminder. We need to be in the Word constantly, being " transformed by the renewing of" of our minds. Only the Living and active Word of God is capable of such a work as this... restoring, refashioning, and redeeming us through and through. God's Word is the Sword of the Spirit, the instrument He uses - "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." ( Hebrews 4:12)
Father, open our ears to hear Your Word today, to remember all You have done and to worship You. To come into right attitudes of obedient surrender to our Sovereign God who rules over all the earth and all the heavens.
Speak to our hearts and give us ears to listen. Thank You for Your faithfulness and lovingkindness. We will exalt You and bless Your Name forever and ever. Amen.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Joshua 7 The next city that Israel targets is Ai. But this time, the Lord is not consulted and He does not go with them. Even though this is a smaller town and the spies thought that only a partial army would do, disaster strikes. Not only is the army made to flee, but 36 men are killed in battle. When Joshua and the elders come before the Lord in sorrow and defeat, they find out that this has happened because of one man in Israel who took what was banned by God from Jericho.
This act of sinful disobedience by one man threatened the successful entry into the promised land for all of Israel. Achen is confronted and confesses. He and all of his family are stoned to death and then burned by fire. God's wrath is turned away from Israel because they obeyed His command to deal with the transgressor.
Joshua was concerned that the defeat at Ai would cause all the Canaanites to turn and attack Israel. He asks the Lord, " And what wilt Thou do for Thy great name?" (v9) The Lord is more concerned about the holiness of His people than about the threat of the armies of Canaan. " You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst." ( v13b)
The trouble at Ai was not because of the outward threat of an enemy, but by the inward sin of a man.
We can learn something important here that applies to our nation and the church here in America. We must seek repentance and revival as the church, the Body of Christ. It is not Islam or atheists or immoral people who are the greatest threat to God's people... it is sin in the hearts of those who call themselves believers. Unconfessed and blatant sinfulness. We need to return to God's Word and hunger and thirst for His Righteousness. We cannot call what is evil- good or what is good-evil. We must know what God has spoken and obey.
Lord God, Maker of heaven and earth, Supreme Ruler of all Creation, our Father, we need You. Revive us again, dear Lord. Turn our hearts back to You and heal our land. Your will be done and Your Kingdom come! Deliver us from the evil one and those who would tempt us to sin against You.
Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake, Jesus. Amen.
This act of sinful disobedience by one man threatened the successful entry into the promised land for all of Israel. Achen is confronted and confesses. He and all of his family are stoned to death and then burned by fire. God's wrath is turned away from Israel because they obeyed His command to deal with the transgressor.
Joshua was concerned that the defeat at Ai would cause all the Canaanites to turn and attack Israel. He asks the Lord, " And what wilt Thou do for Thy great name?" (v9) The Lord is more concerned about the holiness of His people than about the threat of the armies of Canaan. " You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst." ( v13b)
The trouble at Ai was not because of the outward threat of an enemy, but by the inward sin of a man.
We can learn something important here that applies to our nation and the church here in America. We must seek repentance and revival as the church, the Body of Christ. It is not Islam or atheists or immoral people who are the greatest threat to God's people... it is sin in the hearts of those who call themselves believers. Unconfessed and blatant sinfulness. We need to return to God's Word and hunger and thirst for His Righteousness. We cannot call what is evil- good or what is good-evil. We must know what God has spoken and obey.
Lord God, Maker of heaven and earth, Supreme Ruler of all Creation, our Father, we need You. Revive us again, dear Lord. Turn our hearts back to You and heal our land. Your will be done and Your Kingdom come! Deliver us from the evil one and those who would tempt us to sin against You.
Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake, Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Joshua 5 The Lord prepares Israel for the next part of their journey - conquering the land. He has shown His greatness by bringing Israel through the Jordan river, so that the kings' "hearts melted and there was no spirit in them." Now He commands Joshua to circumcise all the men who were not circumcised during the 40 years in the wilderness. Then they celebrate Passover and begin to eat food grown in Canaan. The manna that they had lived on for those 40 years - stopped that day.
Finally, the Lord meets with Joshua. He introduces Himself as the " captain of the host of the Lord."
This is not an angel, for no angel would have allowed Joshua to bow down and worship him. This man tells Joshua, " Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy."
Joshua is one of the few Old Testament people who get to meet the pre-incarnate Jesus. We are not told what else happened during this intimate meeting, but we know that Joshua is given an unusual battle plan for the conquest of Jericho.
Our God never changes. He is the God of heaven and earth and He still conquers the enemy and leads His people to victory - for His purposes. We can trust in our God Who is ever faithful. He has made us His own and given us each the opportunity to come into His Presence and bow before Him. There, at His feet, is where we can be equipped for the battles that we face. Like Joshua and the people of Israel we must be ready for our marching orders. And like Joshua's orders, our directions may be unusual.
Father, may our hearts be circumcised, in obedient surrender to You, our Lord and King. May we follow our Captain into whatever lies before us this very day. May we know who You have made us to be - Your children, Your people. May we draw close to You, Jesus, individually, as we come to You in prayer every day. May we hear Your voice and follow You into the battle. The battle belongs to You, O Lord! May we be like the Israelites in this... walking when and where we need to walk, shouting when we need to shout. May Your Name be revered and honored and praised. Melt the hearts of the enemy of the Lord, O God. Bring us into Your Kingdom, for Yours is the power and glory. Amen.
Finally, the Lord meets with Joshua. He introduces Himself as the " captain of the host of the Lord."
This is not an angel, for no angel would have allowed Joshua to bow down and worship him. This man tells Joshua, " Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy."
Joshua is one of the few Old Testament people who get to meet the pre-incarnate Jesus. We are not told what else happened during this intimate meeting, but we know that Joshua is given an unusual battle plan for the conquest of Jericho.
Our God never changes. He is the God of heaven and earth and He still conquers the enemy and leads His people to victory - for His purposes. We can trust in our God Who is ever faithful. He has made us His own and given us each the opportunity to come into His Presence and bow before Him. There, at His feet, is where we can be equipped for the battles that we face. Like Joshua and the people of Israel we must be ready for our marching orders. And like Joshua's orders, our directions may be unusual.
Father, may our hearts be circumcised, in obedient surrender to You, our Lord and King. May we follow our Captain into whatever lies before us this very day. May we know who You have made us to be - Your children, Your people. May we draw close to You, Jesus, individually, as we come to You in prayer every day. May we hear Your voice and follow You into the battle. The battle belongs to You, O Lord! May we be like the Israelites in this... walking when and where we need to walk, shouting when we need to shout. May Your Name be revered and honored and praised. Melt the hearts of the enemy of the Lord, O God. Bring us into Your Kingdom, for Yours is the power and glory. Amen.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Joshua 3-4 The Israelites came to the Jordan river, overflowing its banks, uncrossable by most, and another test of their faith in the Lord their God. God uses this experience to exalt Joshua as the new leader of Israel and to show Israel once again that He would give them the promised Land by His own Hand.
The priests were commanded to step into the waters of the Jordan, while carrying the precious ark of the covenant, and "stand still". " And it shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above shall stand in one heap." ( v13) And this is exactly what happened!
After all of Israel crossed over the Jordan, the Lord told Joshua to send back 12 men. Each man was to pick up a large stone from the center of the river bed and carry it over. These stones were set up at Gilgal as a reminder to the people of this miraculous act of God. ".. when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' then you shall inform your children, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, when He dried up before us until we crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." ( v21-24)
Father in heaven, You are mighty and wonderful and You are to be feared, in holy reverence and awe, forever. We need to see Your greatness and power with our dim eyes! We need to see the stones - the markers of Your great work and Your mighty acts- and be humbled before You and worship You with fear and trembling. Open our eyes Lord! We need to know You more. Come Holy Spirit and show us the glory of God, revealed in the cross of Jesus and the empty tomb! Salvation has been proclaimed to all who call upon the Name of the Lord! We praise and worship You alone. For their is no other name on earth by which we may be saved... to cross the heavenly Jordan and enter into Heaven forever! Jesus, we come to You and praise Your holy Name.
Jesus, we ask that You will help Your people, those who are being persecuted for believing in You. Stop the hands of those who are murdering believers and harming your children. Stop the hands of those who in this country are promoting wickedness and rebellion against You, pretending it is about freedom. Revive us again, Lord Jesus! May the fear of God fall on our nation and upon all nations once again. Amen.
The priests were commanded to step into the waters of the Jordan, while carrying the precious ark of the covenant, and "stand still". " And it shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above shall stand in one heap." ( v13) And this is exactly what happened!
After all of Israel crossed over the Jordan, the Lord told Joshua to send back 12 men. Each man was to pick up a large stone from the center of the river bed and carry it over. These stones were set up at Gilgal as a reminder to the people of this miraculous act of God. ".. when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' then you shall inform your children, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, when He dried up before us until we crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." ( v21-24)
Father in heaven, You are mighty and wonderful and You are to be feared, in holy reverence and awe, forever. We need to see Your greatness and power with our dim eyes! We need to see the stones - the markers of Your great work and Your mighty acts- and be humbled before You and worship You with fear and trembling. Open our eyes Lord! We need to know You more. Come Holy Spirit and show us the glory of God, revealed in the cross of Jesus and the empty tomb! Salvation has been proclaimed to all who call upon the Name of the Lord! We praise and worship You alone. For their is no other name on earth by which we may be saved... to cross the heavenly Jordan and enter into Heaven forever! Jesus, we come to You and praise Your holy Name.
Jesus, we ask that You will help Your people, those who are being persecuted for believing in You. Stop the hands of those who are murdering believers and harming your children. Stop the hands of those who in this country are promoting wickedness and rebellion against You, pretending it is about freedom. Revive us again, Lord Jesus! May the fear of God fall on our nation and upon all nations once again. Amen.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Joshua 2 - Rahab, the harlot, seems an unlikely ally for the nation of Israel, but God uses her in a mighty way. The 2 spies who are sent into Jericho remain unnamed, but Rahab's name is known. And what is even more amazing is that we find her name again in the book of Matthew, in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus. Rehab marries Salmon, of the tribe of Judah, and is the mother of Boaz, the great-grandfather of David.
Rahab hides the 2 men from the king's men and sends them off safely. The whole country has heard of the God of Israel. Rahab has come to know and fear Him. She proclaims, " .... for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." This simple statement from the lips of a prostitute who lived in Jericho is a great testament to the grace of God! Our God loves and saves the most unlikely people! We must never doubt His ability to transform any heart!
Rahab makes a deal with the 2 spies. Since she has helped them, she asks for their kindness in return. "Now therefore, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth, and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death."
The men make the pledge but tell her that she must tie a scarlet thread in her window, have all the family together in her house, and not tell anyone about their business.
In Joshua 6:22-23 the record shows that when the walls came tumbling down that Joshua sent the 2 men to go and bring out Rahab and all who were with her. When they went to her house they found Rahab, her father, mother, brothers and "all she had". They were all brought out safe. Everything in Jericho was destroyed except for Rahab and what she and her family brought out with them. ".. and she lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho."
Rahab is mentioned again in the New Testament , in Hebrews 11:31 " By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient after she welcomed the spies in peace." And again in James 2:25 " And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?" James' point here is that not only did Rahab have faith, but her faith was actively at work in what she did.
Father in heaven, You alone are God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. We bless Your Name and proclaim that You are our God and King. We glorify the Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who has saved us through the sacrifice of His body and blood on a cruel cross, forever conquering sin and death. Thank You for saving us. Father, like Rahab, I ask for Your kindness to my father's household.. for my brothers and sisters and all who belong to them. Will You deliver them from death, from the judgement to come? Father, You alone can draw them to Jesus and bring them to repentance and salvation. I ask for Your lovingkindness and mercy in their lives. I also pray for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, asking that each one would know You fully and follow Jesus all the days of their lives. I ask this in the Name of Jesus, amen.
Rahab hides the 2 men from the king's men and sends them off safely. The whole country has heard of the God of Israel. Rahab has come to know and fear Him. She proclaims, " .... for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." This simple statement from the lips of a prostitute who lived in Jericho is a great testament to the grace of God! Our God loves and saves the most unlikely people! We must never doubt His ability to transform any heart!
Rahab makes a deal with the 2 spies. Since she has helped them, she asks for their kindness in return. "Now therefore, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth, and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death."
The men make the pledge but tell her that she must tie a scarlet thread in her window, have all the family together in her house, and not tell anyone about their business.
In Joshua 6:22-23 the record shows that when the walls came tumbling down that Joshua sent the 2 men to go and bring out Rahab and all who were with her. When they went to her house they found Rahab, her father, mother, brothers and "all she had". They were all brought out safe. Everything in Jericho was destroyed except for Rahab and what she and her family brought out with them. ".. and she lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho."
Rahab is mentioned again in the New Testament , in Hebrews 11:31 " By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient after she welcomed the spies in peace." And again in James 2:25 " And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?" James' point here is that not only did Rahab have faith, but her faith was actively at work in what she did.
Father in heaven, You alone are God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. We bless Your Name and proclaim that You are our God and King. We glorify the Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who has saved us through the sacrifice of His body and blood on a cruel cross, forever conquering sin and death. Thank You for saving us. Father, like Rahab, I ask for Your kindness to my father's household.. for my brothers and sisters and all who belong to them. Will You deliver them from death, from the judgement to come? Father, You alone can draw them to Jesus and bring them to repentance and salvation. I ask for Your lovingkindness and mercy in their lives. I also pray for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, asking that each one would know You fully and follow Jesus all the days of their lives. I ask this in the Name of Jesus, amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)