Moses Pointing to the Lord for Battle
Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies; do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. (Deuteronomy 20:3-4)
Moses is another example of those who lived by grace in the Old Testament. He knew the necessity of relying upon the sufficiency of God, instead of upon the inadequate resources of man. One illustration of this is seen when he pointed Israel to the Lord for battle.
When the children of Israel would enter into the Promised Land, innumerable battles would lie before them. These battles were inevitable, since godless nations had entrenched themselves in the land: "because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you" (Deuteronomy 9:5). Thus, the history of Israel documents one battle after another.
Moses announced the truth that the people of the Lord need to hear as the battle draws near. "Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies; do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them." So often, when the warfare appears, the foe seems invincible: "When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you" (Deuteronomy 20:1). The natural temptation is to "faint …be afraid…tremble or be terrified.." Another temptation is to try to match the enemy horse for horse and chariot for chariot. The Scriptures warn of the futility of turning to worldly resources. "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 31:1).
Moses knew that God's people need a reminder that the Lord wants to be our hope. When we must go into the battles of life, the Lord accompanies us. "For the LORD your God is He who goes with you." He is with us not only to comfort us, but also to battle on our behalf: "to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." The Lord can fight for His people in an unlimited variety of ways. He can change the hearts of those who oppose us. He can bring their plans to naught. He can trap them in their own evil plans. He can cause our enemies to turn and devour one another. He can effectively save us in any manner that He chooses.
O Lord, my Defender, I face many battles that leave me intimidated and fearful. My hope is often placed in my own worldly strategies or the help that man can offer. Lord, I look to You afresh to fight for me and to rescue me any way You choose, for Your glory and honor, Amen.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Joshua and Caleb Entering the Promised Land
Joshua and Caleb Entering the Promised Land
Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb…and Joshua…for they have wholly followed the LORD. (Numbers 32:11-12)
Those who live by humble faith enter into the fullness of God's provisions of grace. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble…we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand" (James 4:6 and Romans 5:2). Joshua and Caleb illustrated this truth by entering the Promised Land.
As we have seen, God's great salvation is both "from" and "unto." "We have passed from death to life" (1 John 3:14). Also, this life we have been given is to be experienced in abundance. "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Israel's calling by the Lord from bondage in Egypt to fullness in the land pictures this truth. "So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8).
Joshua and Caleb were the only adult Israelites in that first generation who went "into the fullness" of God's calling. They alone went into the land. "Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land… because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb…and Joshua." Joshua would not only enter the land, he would lead Israel into God's victory. "Then Moses called Joshua and said to him…you must go with this people to the land…and you shall cause them to inherit it" (Deuteronomy 31:7). Caleb would not only enter the land, he would still be strengthened by faith in God even in his old age. "Here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war" (Joshua 14:11).
Unlike Joshua and Caleb, the other Israelites followed the Lord's calling out from Egypt, but they did not follow Him into the land. Many Christians repeat this same error today. They have followed the Lord as He led them out of the spiritual death of sin and guilt. They are "out of Egypt." They are forgiven of their sins. They have new life in Christ. However, they do not follow the Lord on "into the land." They do not follow by faith into abundance of life. They do not follow the Lord in humble dependence for transformation, for fruitfulness, for a life of spiritual victory.
Dear God of Israel, thank You for bringing me out of the Egypt of my own spiritual bondage. Now, as Joshua and Caleb did, I long to follow You wholly into the fullness that you desire me to walk in, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb…and Joshua…for they have wholly followed the LORD. (Numbers 32:11-12)
Those who live by humble faith enter into the fullness of God's provisions of grace. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble…we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand" (James 4:6 and Romans 5:2). Joshua and Caleb illustrated this truth by entering the Promised Land.
As we have seen, God's great salvation is both "from" and "unto." "We have passed from death to life" (1 John 3:14). Also, this life we have been given is to be experienced in abundance. "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Israel's calling by the Lord from bondage in Egypt to fullness in the land pictures this truth. "So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8).
Joshua and Caleb were the only adult Israelites in that first generation who went "into the fullness" of God's calling. They alone went into the land. "Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land… because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb…and Joshua." Joshua would not only enter the land, he would lead Israel into God's victory. "Then Moses called Joshua and said to him…you must go with this people to the land…and you shall cause them to inherit it" (Deuteronomy 31:7). Caleb would not only enter the land, he would still be strengthened by faith in God even in his old age. "Here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war" (Joshua 14:11).
Unlike Joshua and Caleb, the other Israelites followed the Lord's calling out from Egypt, but they did not follow Him into the land. Many Christians repeat this same error today. They have followed the Lord as He led them out of the spiritual death of sin and guilt. They are "out of Egypt." They are forgiven of their sins. They have new life in Christ. However, they do not follow the Lord on "into the land." They do not follow by faith into abundance of life. They do not follow the Lord in humble dependence for transformation, for fruitfulness, for a life of spiritual victory.
Dear God of Israel, thank You for bringing me out of the Egypt of my own spiritual bondage. Now, as Joshua and Caleb did, I long to follow You wholly into the fullness that you desire me to walk in, in Jesus' name, Amen.
The Books of the Law
The Books of the Law
Numbers 21-24 Tuesday: II Chronicles 1-5
Wednesday: Psalms 111-113
Thursday: Proverbs 25
Numbers 21
1
And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.
2
And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
3
And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
4
And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5
And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
10
And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.
11
And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.
12
From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.
13
From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14
Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
15
And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.
16
And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
17
Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
18
The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:
19
And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:
20
And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
21
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22
Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.
23
And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
24
And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25
And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
26
For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
27
Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
28
For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.
29
Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
30
We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
31
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32
And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33
And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and og the king of bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at edrei.
34
And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
35
So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
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Numbers 22
1
And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3
And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5
He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
6
Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8
And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9
And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
10
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11
Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
14
And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
15
And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16
And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
17
For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18
And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
19
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
20
And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
21
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22
And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
24
But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
26
And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
28
And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
29
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30
And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.
31
Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
32
And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
33
And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
34
And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
35
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36
And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
37
And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
38
And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39
And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth.
40
And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
41
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.
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Numbers 23
1
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
2
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3
And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
4
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5
And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6
And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
9
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10
Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11
And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
13
And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
14
And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15
And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
16
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17
And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?
18
And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20
Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23
Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
24
Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
25
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
26
But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
27
And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
28
And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward jeshimon.
29
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30
And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
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Numbers 24
1
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4
He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6
As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7
He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9
He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10
And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11
Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.
12
And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13
If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
14
And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16
He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18
And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19
Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21
And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22
Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24
And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25
And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
Numbers 21-24 Tuesday: II Chronicles 1-5
Wednesday: Psalms 111-113
Thursday: Proverbs 25
Numbers 21
1
And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.
2
And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
3
And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
4
And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5
And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
10
And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.
11
And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.
12
From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.
13
From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14
Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
15
And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.
16
And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
17
Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
18
The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:
19
And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:
20
And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
21
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22
Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.
23
And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
24
And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25
And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
26
For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
27
Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
28
For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.
29
Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
30
We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
31
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32
And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33
And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and og the king of bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at edrei.
34
And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
35
So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Numbers 22
1
And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3
And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5
He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
6
Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8
And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9
And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
10
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11
Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
14
And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
15
And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16
And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
17
For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18
And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
19
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
20
And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
21
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22
And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
24
But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
26
And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
28
And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
29
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30
And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.
31
Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
32
And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
33
And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
34
And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
35
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36
And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
37
And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
38
And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39
And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth.
40
And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
41
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Numbers 23
1
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
2
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3
And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
4
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5
And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6
And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
9
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10
Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11
And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
13
And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
14
And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15
And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
16
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17
And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?
18
And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20
Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23
Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
24
Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
25
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
26
But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
27
And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
28
And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward jeshimon.
29
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30
And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Numbers 24
1
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4
He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6
As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7
He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9
He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10
And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11
Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.
12
And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13
If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
14
And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16
He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18
And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19
Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21
And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22
Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24
And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25
And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
EQUIPPED FOR GOOD WORK
EQUIPPED FOR GOOD WORK
2 Timothy 3:10-17
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Timothy+3:10-17
Dear Father,
Help me adhere to right teaching, proper conduct, the right aim in
life and faith. Help me hold on patience, love, and steadfastness,
even when I am opposed and persecuted for doing so. When evil
people and impostors go from bad to worse, keep me from giving up
in the face of their persecution and opposition.
May I continue in what I have learned and firmly believe, knowing
that your Word is able to instruct me for salvation through faith
in Christ Jesus. Thank you for these writings - breathed by your
holy breath - which are good for teaching, reproof, correction, and
training in righteousness, that I may be complete and equipped for
every good work.
Father, complete your work in me, may I be ready to do your work
in the world!
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
2 Timothy 3:10-17
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Timothy+3:10-17
Dear Father,
Help me adhere to right teaching, proper conduct, the right aim in
life and faith. Help me hold on patience, love, and steadfastness,
even when I am opposed and persecuted for doing so. When evil
people and impostors go from bad to worse, keep me from giving up
in the face of their persecution and opposition.
May I continue in what I have learned and firmly believe, knowing
that your Word is able to instruct me for salvation through faith
in Christ Jesus. Thank you for these writings - breathed by your
holy breath - which are good for teaching, reproof, correction, and
training in righteousness, that I may be complete and equipped for
every good work.
Father, complete your work in me, may I be ready to do your work
in the world!
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
God [is] not a man,
God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)
God is ever worthy of our trust. He is unchanging and uncompromising. His promises will always be kept and He shall always stand true to His word. Every promise shall find fulfilment in you who are Christ's workmanship. Rejoice therefore in Him and be filled!
God is ever worthy of our trust. He is unchanging and uncompromising. His promises will always be kept and He shall always stand true to His word. Every promise shall find fulfilment in you who are Christ's workmanship. Rejoice therefore in Him and be filled!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Certainty of All the Promises of God
The Certainty of All the Promises of God
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us…was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:19-20)
As we have seen, some of the promises of God are "exceedingly great and precious." Others are very "unpopular." The former category of promises brings encouragement, strength, hope, comfort. For example,"The LORD will perfect that which concerns me" (Psalm 138:8). The latter category warns, awakens, humbles, prepares. For example, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). Yet, whether we gladly embrace a "precious" promise or struggle with an "unpopular" promise, there is the absolute certainty of all the promises of God being fulfilled. Our present verses explain the basis of this certainty. The assurance is related to the very nature of Jesus Christ.
When Paul and his missionary team preached about the Lord Jesus, it was not a "yes-and-no" message. "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us…was not Yes and No." The attributes and the message of Jesus are not characterized by uncertainty. He is faithful and sure. The message concerning Him, as well as the messages He proclaimed, are "Yes." They are all guaranteed realities. It is not that Jesus could be the Son of God. He is certainly such. It is not that Jesus might save all who call upon Him. Such is totally assured. It is not that some of His promises could possibly be fulfilled. Rather, all of them will absolutely be fulfilled. Ezekiel declared this truth concerning all of the Godhead. "For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass…the word which I speak will be done" (Ezekiel 12:25, 28). Later, John added a particular word concerning our reliable Savior: "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness" (Revelation 1:5). No wonder then that "all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." Our God is going to faithfully do everything that He has ever stated in every one of His promises. The result will be great glory to Him, as He fulfills His promises in and through our lives.
Day by day throughout the family of God, some Christians live in the blessed certainty of God's promises, while others do not. The determining difference is faith versus unbelief. Joshua and Caleb of old entered into the promised land.. The rest of that generation "could not enter in because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19).
Dear Lord, I long to be a promise believer, living by faith in Your promises to me. Thank You for making it so simple and so available. You want to make promises to me, and You want me to count on You to fulfill them. I rejoice that all Your promises are Yes and Amen in Jesus Christ, my Lord!
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us…was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:19-20)
As we have seen, some of the promises of God are "exceedingly great and precious." Others are very "unpopular." The former category of promises brings encouragement, strength, hope, comfort. For example,"The LORD will perfect that which concerns me" (Psalm 138:8). The latter category warns, awakens, humbles, prepares. For example, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). Yet, whether we gladly embrace a "precious" promise or struggle with an "unpopular" promise, there is the absolute certainty of all the promises of God being fulfilled. Our present verses explain the basis of this certainty. The assurance is related to the very nature of Jesus Christ.
When Paul and his missionary team preached about the Lord Jesus, it was not a "yes-and-no" message. "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us…was not Yes and No." The attributes and the message of Jesus are not characterized by uncertainty. He is faithful and sure. The message concerning Him, as well as the messages He proclaimed, are "Yes." They are all guaranteed realities. It is not that Jesus could be the Son of God. He is certainly such. It is not that Jesus might save all who call upon Him. Such is totally assured. It is not that some of His promises could possibly be fulfilled. Rather, all of them will absolutely be fulfilled. Ezekiel declared this truth concerning all of the Godhead. "For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass…the word which I speak will be done" (Ezekiel 12:25, 28). Later, John added a particular word concerning our reliable Savior: "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness" (Revelation 1:5). No wonder then that "all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." Our God is going to faithfully do everything that He has ever stated in every one of His promises. The result will be great glory to Him, as He fulfills His promises in and through our lives.
Day by day throughout the family of God, some Christians live in the blessed certainty of God's promises, while others do not. The determining difference is faith versus unbelief. Joshua and Caleb of old entered into the promised land.. The rest of that generation "could not enter in because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19).
Dear Lord, I long to be a promise believer, living by faith in Your promises to me. Thank You for making it so simple and so available. You want to make promises to me, and You want me to count on You to fulfill them. I rejoice that all Your promises are Yes and Amen in Jesus Christ, my Lord!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
More on the Most Precious Promise of Shared Life
More on the Most Precious Promise of Shared Life
By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (2 Peter 1:4 and John 15:4-5)
This promise of shared life is so "exceedingly great and precious" that we would do well to consider it further. Being "partakers of the divine nature" (without becoming divine ourselves) is a difficult concept to grasp. The Scriptures clearly invite us to live day by day through Christ sharing His life in us. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). Yet, how to walk in this truth can seem quite elusive. In His teaching on the vine and the branches, Jesus provided a wonderful physical illustration of this tremendous spiritual reality.
Jesus' visible example involves actual grapevines, grape branches, and the grapes that can potentially result. For grapes to grow, the appropriate life source must be accessed by the branches. The grape branches do not have this life in themselves. "The branch cannot bear fruit of itself." In order to bear grapes, the grape branch must share in the life of the vine. "The branch cannot bear fruit… unless it abides in the vine." This can be irrefutably demonstrated by separating a grape branch from its vine. No grapes can ever be produced on the branches, if the life of the vine is not flowing through the branches. The life of the vine is essential.
The spiritual application specifies Jesus as the vine and us as the branches. "I am the vine, you are the branches." For Christlike fruit to develop in us, the appropriate life source must be accessed by us. We branches do not have this life in us: "neither can you [bear fruit], unless you abide in Me." This truth is lamentably demonstrated daily by Christians who live self-sufficiently, not depending upon the life that is in Jesus, the vine. "Without Me you can do nothing." Day by day Christian living is only possible by the shared life of Jesus at work through us.
Once again, we are reminded that humility and faith are the practical application for living as God intends. We must humbly depend upon Jesus for true fruitful living, just as grape branches must depend upon their vine for grapes.
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You that I do not have to produce true life in and of myself. Teach me to live by Your shared life. I want to humbly and dependently abide in You, that You might live in and through me, for Your glory, Amen.
By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (2 Peter 1:4 and John 15:4-5)
This promise of shared life is so "exceedingly great and precious" that we would do well to consider it further. Being "partakers of the divine nature" (without becoming divine ourselves) is a difficult concept to grasp. The Scriptures clearly invite us to live day by day through Christ sharing His life in us. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). Yet, how to walk in this truth can seem quite elusive. In His teaching on the vine and the branches, Jesus provided a wonderful physical illustration of this tremendous spiritual reality.
Jesus' visible example involves actual grapevines, grape branches, and the grapes that can potentially result. For grapes to grow, the appropriate life source must be accessed by the branches. The grape branches do not have this life in themselves. "The branch cannot bear fruit of itself." In order to bear grapes, the grape branch must share in the life of the vine. "The branch cannot bear fruit… unless it abides in the vine." This can be irrefutably demonstrated by separating a grape branch from its vine. No grapes can ever be produced on the branches, if the life of the vine is not flowing through the branches. The life of the vine is essential.
The spiritual application specifies Jesus as the vine and us as the branches. "I am the vine, you are the branches." For Christlike fruit to develop in us, the appropriate life source must be accessed by us. We branches do not have this life in us: "neither can you [bear fruit], unless you abide in Me." This truth is lamentably demonstrated daily by Christians who live self-sufficiently, not depending upon the life that is in Jesus, the vine. "Without Me you can do nothing." Day by day Christian living is only possible by the shared life of Jesus at work through us.
Once again, we are reminded that humility and faith are the practical application for living as God intends. We must humbly depend upon Jesus for true fruitful living, just as grape branches must depend upon their vine for grapes.
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You that I do not have to produce true life in and of myself. Teach me to live by Your shared life. I want to humbly and dependently abide in You, that You might live in and through me, for Your glory, Amen.
The Books of Poetry
The Books of Poetry
Proverbs 23-24 Friday: Amos 1-4
Saturday: John 16-18
Sunday: Titus
Proverbs 23
1
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11
For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12
Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
15
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
18
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20
Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
26
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28
She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35
They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Proverbs 24
1
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
2
For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
4
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5
A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
7
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
8
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
9
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
11
If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;
12
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
13
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:
14
So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15
Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
16
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
18
Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19
Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked:
20
For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
21
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
22
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
25
But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
26
Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.
27
Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
28
Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
29
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
30
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32
Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
33
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
34
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
Proverbs 23-24 Friday: Amos 1-4
Saturday: John 16-18
Sunday: Titus
Proverbs 23
1
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11
For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12
Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
15
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
18
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20
Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
26
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28
She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35
They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Proverbs 24
1
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
2
For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
4
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5
A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
7
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
8
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
9
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
11
If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;
12
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
13
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:
14
So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15
Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
16
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
18
Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19
Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked:
20
For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
21
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
22
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
25
But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
26
Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.
27
Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
28
Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
29
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
30
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32
Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
33
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
34
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
A WORKMAN UNASHAMED
A WORKMAN UNASHAMED
2 Timothy 2:14-21
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Timothy+2:14-21
Dear Father, firm foundation,
Help me to avoid disputes about words, which does no good, but
merely ruins the hearers.
Help me do my best to present myself to you for your approval, a
workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling your word
of truth.
Your firm foundation stands sure, bearing a seal which says two
things: "The Lord knows those who are his." "Let everyone who names
the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."
You in your sovereign power and omniscience know my acceptability.
For my part let me find assurance in my deep desire to do your
will. Purify me that I may be a vessel for noble use in your house,
consecrated and useful to Christ, the master of the house, ready
for any good work.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:14-21
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Timothy+2:14-21
Dear Father, firm foundation,
Help me to avoid disputes about words, which does no good, but
merely ruins the hearers.
Help me do my best to present myself to you for your approval, a
workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling your word
of truth.
Your firm foundation stands sure, bearing a seal which says two
things: "The Lord knows those who are his." "Let everyone who names
the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."
You in your sovereign power and omniscience know my acceptability.
For my part let me find assurance in my deep desire to do your
will. Purify me that I may be a vessel for noble use in your house,
consecrated and useful to Christ, the master of the house, ready
for any good work.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
INSTILLED WITH TRUTH
INSTILLED WITH TRUTH
2 Timothy 2:8-13
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Timothy+2:8-13
Dear Father,
Let my remembrance and my devotions be set upon Jesus Christ, a
descendant of David according to the flesh but an heir of your
riches according to his resurrection from the dead.
Let me obtain the salvation which in Jesus Christ goes with
eternal glory.
Instill within me the meaning of your true saying: If we have died
with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also
reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are
faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny himself!
In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:8-13
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Timothy+2:8-13
Dear Father,
Let my remembrance and my devotions be set upon Jesus Christ, a
descendant of David according to the flesh but an heir of your
riches according to his resurrection from the dead.
Let me obtain the salvation which in Jesus Christ goes with
eternal glory.
Instill within me the meaning of your true saying: If we have died
with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also
reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are
faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny himself!
In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Books of the Law
The Books of the Law
Numbers 17-20 Tuesday: I Chronicles 25-29
Wednesday: Psalms 108-110
Thursday: Proverbs 23-24
Numbers 17
1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.
3
And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
4
And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
5
And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
6
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
7
And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
9
And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
10
And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
11
And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
12
And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
13
Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
Numbers 18
1
And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
2
And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
3
And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
4
And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
5
And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.
6
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7
Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
8
And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.
9
This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of their's, every meat offering of their's, and every sin offering of their's, and every trespass offering of their's which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
10
In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
11
And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.
12
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
13
And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.
14
Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
15
Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
16
And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
17
But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
18
And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.
19
All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
20
And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
21
And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
22
Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.
23
But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.
24
But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
26
Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.
27
And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
28
Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.
29
Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
30
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.
31
And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
32
And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.
Numbers 19
1
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2
This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
3
And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:
4
And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:
5
And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
6
And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
7
Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
8
And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
9
And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
10
And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.
11
He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
12
He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
13
Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
14
This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
15
And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.
16
And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17
And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:
18
And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
19
And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
20
But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
21
And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
22
And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.
Numbers 20
1
Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3
And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
4
And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
5
And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.
6
And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.
7
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
8
Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9
And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10
And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
13
This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
14
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
15
How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:
16
And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:
17
Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
18
And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.
19
And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.
20
And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
21
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
22
And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
23
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
24
Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
25
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:
26
And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.
27
And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28
And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
29
And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
Numbers 17-20 Tuesday: I Chronicles 25-29
Wednesday: Psalms 108-110
Thursday: Proverbs 23-24
Numbers 17
1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.
3
And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
4
And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
5
And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
6
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
7
And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
9
And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
10
And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
11
And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
12
And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
13
Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
Numbers 18
1
And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
2
And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
3
And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
4
And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
5
And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.
6
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7
Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
8
And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.
9
This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of their's, every meat offering of their's, and every sin offering of their's, and every trespass offering of their's which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
10
In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
11
And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.
12
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
13
And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.
14
Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
15
Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
16
And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
17
But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
18
And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.
19
All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
20
And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
21
And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
22
Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.
23
But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.
24
But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
26
Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.
27
And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
28
Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.
29
Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
30
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.
31
And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
32
And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.
Numbers 19
1
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2
This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
3
And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:
4
And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:
5
And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
6
And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
7
Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
8
And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
9
And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
10
And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.
11
He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
12
He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
13
Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
14
This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
15
And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.
16
And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17
And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:
18
And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
19
And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
20
But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
21
And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
22
And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.
Numbers 20
1
Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2
And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3
And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
4
And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
5
And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.
6
And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.
7
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
8
Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9
And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10
And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
13
This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
14
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
15
How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:
16
And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:
17
Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
18
And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.
19
And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.
20
And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
21
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
22
And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
23
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
24
Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
25
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:
26
And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.
27
And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28
And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
29
And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
DISCIPLINED FOR SERVICE
DISCIPLINED FOR SERVICE
2 Timothy 2:1-7
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Timothy+2:1-7
Dear Father,
Make me strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Help me pass
your word on to others who also will share it.
Help me take my share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ.
Help me avoid "civilian" entanglements that would dilute my loyal
obedience to Christ, my commander.
Help me be a disciplined athlete for you. Help me to be a
hard-working farmer who tills in your vineyard, patiently waiting
for the harvest that comes from you.
In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:1-7
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Timothy+2:1-7
Dear Father,
Make me strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Help me pass
your word on to others who also will share it.
Help me take my share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ.
Help me avoid "civilian" entanglements that would dilute my loyal
obedience to Christ, my commander.
Help me be a disciplined athlete for you. Help me to be a
hard-working farmer who tills in your vineyard, patiently waiting
for the harvest that comes from you.
In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
Monday, August 16, 2010
More on the Promise of Freedom in Christ
More on the Promise of Freedom in Christ
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed…How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. (John 8:36 and Hebrews 2:3)
By the promise of God, true spiritual liberation is available in Jesus Christ. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." If this saving work of the Lord is neglected there is no rescue from the devastating consequences of sin and self. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation." As we previously noted, this delivering grace of God is so great that it not only provides a rescue "from," but it also supplies a rescue "unto."
This great salvation, which is experienced by coming to Jesus in humble faith, includes a setting free from innate sin unto imputed righteousness. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). This great salvation in Christ includes deliverance from the kingdom of darkness unto the kingdom of light. "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Colossians 1:12-13). This great salvation also includes liberation from enmity toward God unto friendship with God: "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God [turned from enemies into friends] through the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10). This great salvation also includes deliverance from alienation regarding God unto union with Him.. "And you, who once were alienated…have been united together in the likeness of His death…. [and] in the likeness of His resurrection" (Colossians 1:21 and Romans 6:5). This great salvation also includes liberation from our own weakness unto God's mighty power. "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Lastly, this great salvation includes a rescuing from a self-produced life unto Christ living in us. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
Lord God, I thank You for providing a rescue from sin, darkness, enmity, alienation, earthly weakness, and self. I praise You for providing a rescue unto righteousness, light, friendship, union, heavenly strength, and Christ! What a great salvation is found in Christ Jesus! I do not want to neglect it through doubt, distraction, disobedience—or anything else. Help me, Lord, to walk by faith, day by day, Amen.
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed…How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. (John 8:36 and Hebrews 2:3)
By the promise of God, true spiritual liberation is available in Jesus Christ. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." If this saving work of the Lord is neglected there is no rescue from the devastating consequences of sin and self. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation." As we previously noted, this delivering grace of God is so great that it not only provides a rescue "from," but it also supplies a rescue "unto."
This great salvation, which is experienced by coming to Jesus in humble faith, includes a setting free from innate sin unto imputed righteousness. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). This great salvation in Christ includes deliverance from the kingdom of darkness unto the kingdom of light. "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Colossians 1:12-13). This great salvation also includes liberation from enmity toward God unto friendship with God: "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God [turned from enemies into friends] through the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10). This great salvation also includes deliverance from alienation regarding God unto union with Him.. "And you, who once were alienated…have been united together in the likeness of His death…. [and] in the likeness of His resurrection" (Colossians 1:21 and Romans 6:5). This great salvation also includes liberation from our own weakness unto God's mighty power. "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Lastly, this great salvation includes a rescuing from a self-produced life unto Christ living in us. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
Lord God, I thank You for providing a rescue from sin, darkness, enmity, alienation, earthly weakness, and self. I praise You for providing a rescue unto righteousness, light, friendship, union, heavenly strength, and Christ! What a great salvation is found in Christ Jesus! I do not want to neglect it through doubt, distraction, disobedience—or anything else. Help me, Lord, to walk by faith, day by day, Amen.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
Gifted with the very Spirit of God are we who have repented our sins and believed upon the risen Lord of the universe. Promised by Christ before He ascended to the heavenlies, the Holy Spirit will lead us in the paths of righteousness. Heed the Word of the Lord and proceed in every good work until the Son of heaven returns for His holy bride!
Gifted with the very Spirit of God are we who have repented our sins and believed upon the risen Lord of the universe. Promised by Christ before He ascended to the heavenlies, the Holy Spirit will lead us in the paths of righteousness. Heed the Word of the Lord and proceed in every good work until the Son of heaven returns for His holy bride!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
FAITH AND FREEDOM
FAITH AND FREEDOM
1 Timothy 4:1-4; 5:24
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+4:1-4;+5:24
Dear Father,
Keep us from paying attention to seducing spirits or doctrines of
demons. Don't let the pretensions of those whose consciences are
seared invade our lives.
Let us hold that marriage is honorable and not to be forbidden.
Let us be free to eat all the foods which you have created as good.
Give us thankful hearts for what you have provided, and may we
consecrate what we eat by giving thanks.
Keep from joining into the sins of others, whether those that are
present and conspicuous or those that are hidden and will appear
later.
In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
1 Timothy 4:1-4; 5:24
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+4:1-4;+5:24
Dear Father,
Keep us from paying attention to seducing spirits or doctrines of
demons. Don't let the pretensions of those whose consciences are
seared invade our lives.
Let us hold that marriage is honorable and not to be forbidden.
Let us be free to eat all the foods which you have created as good.
Give us thankful hearts for what you have provided, and may we
consecrate what we eat by giving thanks.
Keep from joining into the sins of others, whether those that are
present and conspicuous or those that are hidden and will appear
later.
In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
Jesus Promising Spiritual Rest
Jesus Promising Spiritual Rest
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Two of the Lord's "exceedingly great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4) are found in our present verses: "I will give you rest" and "you will find rest for your souls." These promises supplement well our earlier studies on God's promises and God's rest. The first promise pertains to justification and spiritual birth. The second pertains to sanctification and spiritual growth.
The first promise is addressed to those who are struggling under the burden of guilt and condemnation related to sin: "all you who labor and are heavy laden." This is where everyone begins their earthly trek. David testified of this common starting point for humanity. "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5).
In order to enjoy the benefits of this initial promise of rest, a person must bring their sin and guilt to Jesus. "Come to Me." The Lord Jesus can remove this load of guilt, because He carried that burden of sin for us on the cross. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). For all who come to Jesus in humble repentance, forgiveness is granted. The promise is fulfilled. "I will give you rest."
The second promise is addressed to those who have found the initial rest of forgiveness, but their soul is restless. They are struggling under the burden of trying to produce a godly life by their own fleshly resources. "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3). They yearn for rescue from the crushing load of walking according to the flesh. "Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24).
In order to enjoy the benefits of this additional promise of rest, a person must yoke up with Jesus (walk with Him in daily intimacy). "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me." This yoke is not for the purpose of pulling half of the load (like the yoke placed upon two oxen). "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." This is a yoke of relationship and communion. "Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart." Those who walk this path of growing communion with the Lord have this second promise fulfilled. "You will find rest for your souls."
Lord Jesus, I give You praise for granting me rest from the burden of sin's guilt and condemnation. Now, I seek You for that daily rest from a self-striving soul. I want to walk with You intimately, day by day, that I might learn of Your humble ways. I long to walk in humility and faith toward You, my Lord, Amen.
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Two of the Lord's "exceedingly great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4) are found in our present verses: "I will give you rest" and "you will find rest for your souls." These promises supplement well our earlier studies on God's promises and God's rest. The first promise pertains to justification and spiritual birth. The second pertains to sanctification and spiritual growth.
The first promise is addressed to those who are struggling under the burden of guilt and condemnation related to sin: "all you who labor and are heavy laden." This is where everyone begins their earthly trek. David testified of this common starting point for humanity. "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5).
In order to enjoy the benefits of this initial promise of rest, a person must bring their sin and guilt to Jesus. "Come to Me." The Lord Jesus can remove this load of guilt, because He carried that burden of sin for us on the cross. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). For all who come to Jesus in humble repentance, forgiveness is granted. The promise is fulfilled. "I will give you rest."
The second promise is addressed to those who have found the initial rest of forgiveness, but their soul is restless. They are struggling under the burden of trying to produce a godly life by their own fleshly resources. "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3). They yearn for rescue from the crushing load of walking according to the flesh. "Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24).
In order to enjoy the benefits of this additional promise of rest, a person must yoke up with Jesus (walk with Him in daily intimacy). "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me." This yoke is not for the purpose of pulling half of the load (like the yoke placed upon two oxen). "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." This is a yoke of relationship and communion. "Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart." Those who walk this path of growing communion with the Lord have this second promise fulfilled. "You will find rest for your souls."
Lord Jesus, I give You praise for granting me rest from the burden of sin's guilt and condemnation. Now, I seek You for that daily rest from a self-striving soul. I want to walk with You intimately, day by day, that I might learn of Your humble ways. I long to walk in humility and faith toward You, my Lord, Amen.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
1 Timothy 3:1-13
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+3:1-13
Dear Father,
Give in whatever measure you please the qualities of elders and
deacons to all your people, even to me. Help me desire tasks that
are a noble work to you. Help me to live above reproach, to be
proper in my family relations, to be temperate, sensible,
dignified, hospitable, sober, and gentle.
Help me manage my affairs properly and command the respect of my
family and outsiders. Help me serve you well in whatever capacity
you allot, that I may gain a good standing and great confidence in
my faith in Christ.
Keep me from becoming puffed up or conceited. Don't let me fall
into the condemnation of the devil.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
1 Timothy 3:1-13
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+3:1-13
Dear Father,
Give in whatever measure you please the qualities of elders and
deacons to all your people, even to me. Help me desire tasks that
are a noble work to you. Help me to live above reproach, to be
proper in my family relations, to be temperate, sensible,
dignified, hospitable, sober, and gentle.
Help me manage my affairs properly and command the respect of my
family and outsiders. Help me serve you well in whatever capacity
you allot, that I may gain a good standing and great confidence in
my faith in Christ.
Keep me from becoming puffed up or conceited. Don't let me fall
into the condemnation of the devil.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Monday, August 9, 2010
PRAYER AND GOOD DEEDS
PRAYER AND GOOD DEEDS
1 Timothy 2:8-14
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+2:8-14
Dear Father,
Let the men of your church pray constantly to you, lifting holy
hands without quarreling. May your women adorn themselves modestly
and sensibly and clothe themselves in good deeds, as befits women
who profess religion.
Actually Lord, may both sexes do both of these. Let prayer and
good deeds adorn us and fill our lives.
May men and women who are called to follow you relate to each
other in perfect submission both to you and to each other.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the one Mediator between God and man,
who gave his life for us, I pray. Amen.
1 Timothy 2:8-14
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+2:8-14
Dear Father,
Let the men of your church pray constantly to you, lifting holy
hands without quarreling. May your women adorn themselves modestly
and sensibly and clothe themselves in good deeds, as befits women
who profess religion.
Actually Lord, may both sexes do both of these. Let prayer and
good deeds adorn us and fill our lives.
May men and women who are called to follow you relate to each
other in perfect submission both to you and to each other.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the one Mediator between God and man,
who gave his life for us, I pray. Amen.
Another Proper Response to God's Promises
Another Proper Response to God's Promises
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
As demonstrated in our previous meditation, Sarah eventually responded properly to God's promise of a son (to be given in her old age). "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised" (Hebrews 11:11). In our present verses, Abraham represents another proper response to God's promises.
The setting was, undoubtedly, the greatest testing of Abraham's spiritual pilgrimage. God had made great promises to Abraham.. They included a land, a great nation, a great King (the Messiah), and blessings available to all nations (salvation through the Messiah). In order to have these promises fulfilled, Abraham would have to receive the promised son. Like Sarah, Abraham stumbled somewhat along the way. He cooperated with Sarah in fleshly scheming to bring the promised son through their servant maid. "Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram …So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived" (Genesis 16:3-4). Also, like Sarah, he later laughed in unbelief. "Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child'?" (Genesis 17:17). Nevertheless, God proved faithful and gave them Isaac. "And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age…And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him…Isaac" (Genesis 21:1-3).
Finally, after many years of waiting, the promised, necessary son had arrived. Yet, the Lord required that Isaac be placed upon the altar of God. He was the only son who could fulfill the promises: "his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called'." Isaac must now be given back to God. By faith, Abraham did the impossible, placing his son on the altar. The ability of God was the truth upon which this act of faith depended: "accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense."
Lord God of resurrection, concerning the "Isaacs" in my life that You want upon the altar of Your will and Your timing, please help me to focus on Your ability to resurrect that which seems to be dead or dying, in Jesus' name, Amen.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
As demonstrated in our previous meditation, Sarah eventually responded properly to God's promise of a son (to be given in her old age). "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised" (Hebrews 11:11). In our present verses, Abraham represents another proper response to God's promises.
The setting was, undoubtedly, the greatest testing of Abraham's spiritual pilgrimage. God had made great promises to Abraham.. They included a land, a great nation, a great King (the Messiah), and blessings available to all nations (salvation through the Messiah). In order to have these promises fulfilled, Abraham would have to receive the promised son. Like Sarah, Abraham stumbled somewhat along the way. He cooperated with Sarah in fleshly scheming to bring the promised son through their servant maid. "Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram …So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived" (Genesis 16:3-4). Also, like Sarah, he later laughed in unbelief. "Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child'?" (Genesis 17:17). Nevertheless, God proved faithful and gave them Isaac. "And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age…And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him…Isaac" (Genesis 21:1-3).
Finally, after many years of waiting, the promised, necessary son had arrived. Yet, the Lord required that Isaac be placed upon the altar of God. He was the only son who could fulfill the promises: "his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called'." Isaac must now be given back to God. By faith, Abraham did the impossible, placing his son on the altar. The ability of God was the truth upon which this act of faith depended: "accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense."
Lord God of resurrection, concerning the "Isaacs" in my life that You want upon the altar of Your will and Your timing, please help me to focus on Your ability to resurrect that which seems to be dead or dying, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Once More on God's Promises and God's Rest
Once More on God's Promises and God's Rest
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience…And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises…And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (Hebrews 4:11; 6:11-12, 15)
Once again, God's promises and God's rest are in view. In these intriguing verses, two insightful terms are linked with the promises and the rest of God: diligence and patience. Although they sound contradictory, they are actually complementary.
For those who believe in the Lord Jesus, He promises spiritual rest. This rest begins with a divine rescue from the crushing burden of sin and guilt. Then, it is to develop into heavenly relief from the unbearable load of self-generated Christian living. Entering into this daily spiritual rest is neither an optional nor a casual matter. "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest." The Lord wants to stir and maintain in us an eagerness for this daily rest in Him. He wants us to earnestly and attentively seek Him for the rest that He alone can give. Our God wants to bring us along in a maturing assurance (a growing confidence in His promises). "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end." If we are unwilling to cry out to the Lord for such diligence in seeking His rest daily, we will eventually become spiritually lethargic: "that you do not become sluggish." God's rest is designed to produce spiritual fervency, not laziness: "not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11).
Along with diligence in seeking God for the rest He promises, the Lord also wants to develop in us a patience regarding His promises. "Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises…And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." God does not want our spiritual diligence to deteriorate into anxiety and impatience. Yet, how can we grow in diligence and patience at the same time? How is it that the two are not mutually exclusive? Well, diligence concerns what God promises to do. We are to earnestly seek such. Patience concerns when God may desire to fulfill His promises. We are to patiently trust Him for His prefect timing.
Lord, I praise You for the wonderful realities that You have made available through Your promises. I want to seek You diligently for their fulfillment in my life. Yet, dear Lord, if I must wait an extended time on various issues, as Abraham did for his promised son, help me to be patient, trusting in Your wise timing, Amen.
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience…And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises…And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (Hebrews 4:11; 6:11-12, 15)
Once again, God's promises and God's rest are in view. In these intriguing verses, two insightful terms are linked with the promises and the rest of God: diligence and patience. Although they sound contradictory, they are actually complementary.
For those who believe in the Lord Jesus, He promises spiritual rest. This rest begins with a divine rescue from the crushing burden of sin and guilt. Then, it is to develop into heavenly relief from the unbearable load of self-generated Christian living. Entering into this daily spiritual rest is neither an optional nor a casual matter. "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest." The Lord wants to stir and maintain in us an eagerness for this daily rest in Him. He wants us to earnestly and attentively seek Him for the rest that He alone can give. Our God wants to bring us along in a maturing assurance (a growing confidence in His promises). "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end." If we are unwilling to cry out to the Lord for such diligence in seeking His rest daily, we will eventually become spiritually lethargic: "that you do not become sluggish." God's rest is designed to produce spiritual fervency, not laziness: "not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11).
Along with diligence in seeking God for the rest He promises, the Lord also wants to develop in us a patience regarding His promises. "Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises…And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." God does not want our spiritual diligence to deteriorate into anxiety and impatience. Yet, how can we grow in diligence and patience at the same time? How is it that the two are not mutually exclusive? Well, diligence concerns what God promises to do. We are to earnestly seek such. Patience concerns when God may desire to fulfill His promises. We are to patiently trust Him for His prefect timing.
Lord, I praise You for the wonderful realities that You have made available through Your promises. I want to seek You diligently for their fulfillment in my life. Yet, dear Lord, if I must wait an extended time on various issues, as Abraham did for his promised son, help me to be patient, trusting in Your wise timing, Amen.
ENEMIES INTO FRIENDS
ENEMIES INTO FRIENDS
1 Timothy 1:16-17
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+1:16-17
Dear Father, king of the ages,
Thank you for the cleansing of our sins through Christ. Thank you
that you take people who are in outright opposition to your will,
as was Saul of Tarsus, and hundreds since him, and bring them up
short, rebuke their disobedience, and then enlist them in your own
army.
Praise you, God, for making friends of your former enemies. All
glory to you for the demonstration of patience made perfect.
Now to you, King of the Ages, immortal, invisible, the only God,
be glory and honor for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:16-17
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+1:16-17
Dear Father, king of the ages,
Thank you for the cleansing of our sins through Christ. Thank you
that you take people who are in outright opposition to your will,
as was Saul of Tarsus, and hundreds since him, and bring them up
short, rebuke their disobedience, and then enlist them in your own
army.
Praise you, God, for making friends of your former enemies. All
glory to you for the demonstration of patience made perfect.
Now to you, King of the Ages, immortal, invisible, the only God,
be glory and honor for ever and ever. Amen.
Friday, August 6, 2010
More on God's Promises and God's Rest
More on God's Promises and God's Rest
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. (Hebrews 4:9-10)
Included in God's promises is rest for His people. This rest not only begins with rest from the guilt and condemnation of sin, but it also can grow into rest from carnal striving and vain self-sufficiency. Our verses speak of this latter rest. "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God." When we became the people of God, we entered into God's rest from sin and guilt. Yet, having tasted of this rest, there still "remains…a rest for the people of God."
Entrance into this additional spiritual rest requires a ceasing from one's own works. "For he who has entered His [God's] rest has himself also ceased from his works." Renouncing one's self as the source or cause of spiritual growth, we can then rest in the Lord for a growing life of godly service and fruitfulness. Previously, we saw that the Apostle Paul walked with and lived unto God in this manner. "I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). Paul worked harder than any other leader in the early church. Yet, he acknowledged that the enabling reality was the grace of God, not himself. This fits perfectly with another confession of Paul's that we considered in previous devotions. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5). Ultimately, such a life is explained as Christ Himself expressing His life in and through our lives. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
This cessation from our works is to be as complete as God's ceasing from His work at creation. "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works…For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His" (Hebrews 4:4, 10). God rested on the seventh day, because His "creation-work" was finished. We are to rest from our works, because we cannot add to the finished work of Christ for us. He completed our redemption upon the cross. "He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit" (John 19:30). He has also fully prepared the works that He wants us to now enter into by faith. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).
Lord, I see that I must rest in You for daily growth and service as fully as I rested in You for initial salvation. Help me to cease from my own vain striving, that I might trust in You to work in and through me, Amen.
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. (Hebrews 4:9-10)
Included in God's promises is rest for His people. This rest not only begins with rest from the guilt and condemnation of sin, but it also can grow into rest from carnal striving and vain self-sufficiency. Our verses speak of this latter rest. "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God." When we became the people of God, we entered into God's rest from sin and guilt. Yet, having tasted of this rest, there still "remains…a rest for the people of God."
Entrance into this additional spiritual rest requires a ceasing from one's own works. "For he who has entered His [God's] rest has himself also ceased from his works." Renouncing one's self as the source or cause of spiritual growth, we can then rest in the Lord for a growing life of godly service and fruitfulness. Previously, we saw that the Apostle Paul walked with and lived unto God in this manner. "I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). Paul worked harder than any other leader in the early church. Yet, he acknowledged that the enabling reality was the grace of God, not himself. This fits perfectly with another confession of Paul's that we considered in previous devotions. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5). Ultimately, such a life is explained as Christ Himself expressing His life in and through our lives. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
This cessation from our works is to be as complete as God's ceasing from His work at creation. "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works…For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His" (Hebrews 4:4, 10). God rested on the seventh day, because His "creation-work" was finished. We are to rest from our works, because we cannot add to the finished work of Christ for us. He completed our redemption upon the cross. "He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit" (John 19:30). He has also fully prepared the works that He wants us to now enter into by faith. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).
Lord, I see that I must rest in You for daily growth and service as fully as I rested in You for initial salvation. Help me to cease from my own vain striving, that I might trust in You to work in and through me, Amen.
And ye shall be hated of all
And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Mark 13:13)
Even as we take on the identity of the One Whom we love, so will the world come to despise us even as it despised Him. He entered the world to save it, but was mocked, scorned, and afflicted. We ought to expect no less vile action from the world and its wicked corruption. Yet for Him Who overcomes and perseveres in the strength of His God-granted faith: life, eternal and abundant. Rejoice therefore in your suffering as it works for you a far more exceeding weight of glory!
Even as we take on the identity of the One Whom we love, so will the world come to despise us even as it despised Him. He entered the world to save it, but was mocked, scorned, and afflicted. We ought to expect no less vile action from the world and its wicked corruption. Yet for Him Who overcomes and perseveres in the strength of His God-granted faith: life, eternal and abundant. Rejoice therefore in your suffering as it works for you a far more exceeding weight of glory!
FIT FOR SERVICE
FIT FOR SERVICE
1 Timothy 1:12-15
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+1:12-15
Dear Father,
Thank you for the strength that you give us to minister to others.
We bless you for judging us faithful and for committing talents to
us by which we may help others.
In spite of our offenses against you, you show great mercy in
overlooking our ignorance and unbelief and by now giving us
opportunities and encouragement to serve you.
You have made the graciousness of our Lord Jesus Christ overflow
to us in the faith and the love that are available in him.
How sure and worthy of full acceptance is the truth that our Lord
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We were sinners!
Thank you for the salvation that you wrought for us through him,
in whose name I now pray. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:12-15
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Timothy+1:12-15
Dear Father,
Thank you for the strength that you give us to minister to others.
We bless you for judging us faithful and for committing talents to
us by which we may help others.
In spite of our offenses against you, you show great mercy in
overlooking our ignorance and unbelief and by now giving us
opportunities and encouragement to serve you.
You have made the graciousness of our Lord Jesus Christ overflow
to us in the faith and the love that are available in him.
How sure and worthy of full acceptance is the truth that our Lord
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We were sinners!
Thank you for the salvation that you wrought for us through him,
in whose name I now pray. Amen.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness
How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. (Psalms 36:7)
In the midst of the most desolate wilderness or most perilous storm, every child of Abraham may rejoice that the Lord offers Himself as the surest of shelters. Circumstance, no matter how treacherous, is of no great concern for the believer for he has an eternal and unshakable refuge, lacking of no good thing. By the blood of Christ, all the believer's sins are washed away and he need tremble no more at the wrath of the Almighty due him for the fall.
In the midst of the most desolate wilderness or most perilous storm, every child of Abraham may rejoice that the Lord offers Himself as the surest of shelters. Circumstance, no matter how treacherous, is of no great concern for the believer for he has an eternal and unshakable refuge, lacking of no good thing. By the blood of Christ, all the believer's sins are washed away and he need tremble no more at the wrath of the Almighty due him for the fall.
WORK AND DISCIPLINE
WORK AND DISCIPLINE
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Thessalonians+3:6-15
Dear Father, God who worked to create all things,
Guide us and empower us to do our work in quietness, to avoid
idleness, and to earn our own living. Help us not to grow weary in
well-doing.
Help us to follow the example of your emissaries, of Paul and the
others, who did not seize some economic advantage from their
positions, but worked to provide for their own needs. Help us to
encourage and enforce a good work ethic among Christians so that we
may be highly regarded among all people.
Help us to be disciplined among ourselves, to exhort and warn each
other, but also to be kind and loving and to treat each other as
beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2+Thessalonians+3:6-15
Dear Father, God who worked to create all things,
Guide us and empower us to do our work in quietness, to avoid
idleness, and to earn our own living. Help us not to grow weary in
well-doing.
Help us to follow the example of your emissaries, of Paul and the
others, who did not seize some economic advantage from their
positions, but worked to provide for their own needs. Help us to
encourage and enforce a good work ethic among Christians so that we
may be highly regarded among all people.
Help us to be disciplined among ourselves, to exhort and warn each
other, but also to be kind and loving and to treat each other as
beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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