Getting it straight in our heads

Thursday’s Reading: Isaiah 51 & Revelation 21

First, let me apologize for being absent this week; we’ve been going full speed with VBS.  When I heard one of our kids explain the gospel to another kid I realized again the value of teaching and investing in children.

• Isaiah 51:6, Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
• Revelation 21:3-7, And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

I must constantly remind myself of the power and blessing of the Gospel. I begin to fear man. I begin to wallow in my self-pity. I start to feel bound to the power of temptation and sin.  Then the Gospel breaks in.  God shows me His power and that I have every reason to fear Him.  The Gospel shows up and I have nothing to pity myself for.  Jesus rides the conqueror’s white horse and the power of sin and temptation are broken and destroyed. My dwelling is with God. All this stuff and all the “power” of the world are temporary and small. Because I am united to Christ by faith and sealed with the Holy Spirit I have been given what is eternal and I have been equiped with true power.  In Christ I have been given all that I need.  Stop fearing man.

Father, Your words are powerful and true.  Thank You that I have ears to hear and eyes to see. That is a gift of Your sovereign will.  There is nothing good in me except for Christ. Since I have Christ everything is good. What a wonderous gift You have given when You called me to be Your son.  Set my eyes on You and Your will.  Forgive me for fearing what will be eaten by worms. May I fear what is truly powerful and in control of all things. Give me a healthy fear of You.

I pray for our children at Vacation Bible School today. I pray we would see a multitude of them striken with godly grief that leads to repentance. I pray You would work powerfully to remove the blindness of sin and pride from even the youngest. I pray, Father, that You would give the gift of faith.  Raise up the repentant. Open hearts.  May today be the day of salvation for our children at Vacation Bible School.

For Jesus

Amen

He is God

Wednesday’s Reading: Isaiah 43 & Revelation 13

I started to post some of verses from Isaiah 43 but as I began I realized I wanted to post the entire chapter.  There is so much there that is rich and encouraging for the soul.  Read the chapter again and let God’s power, love, and glorious will wash over your soul.  You will not get far before you encounter Jesus. Slow down, sit down, take out your bible and commune with God.

Father, there is so much to thank You and praise You for this morning. Above all I thank You for the total redemption that is mine in Christ Jesus. I worship You Almighty God truly there is none like You. There is nothing for me to fear. You have redeeemed me through Christ and you have called me by name. I belong to You. I am Your’s. No greater thing could I say than “I belong to God.” You have ransomed me. I am precious, honored, and loved by You. I was created to glorify You. You formed me and made me so that I would declare your praise. Father, what a wondrous gift You have given me by giving me Christ.  Because of Him I know and believe You. I understand You are the Lord and there is no other savior. You declare, you save, and you proclaim. There is no other god than my Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Praise You my God. Praise You.

In Jesus

Amen

How to Conquer

Tuesday’s Reading: Isaiah 42 & Revelation 12

• Isaiah 42:15&16, I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. 16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.
• Revelation 12:10&11, And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

We Christians are conquerors over sin, death, and temptation because of the awesome power of God.  Because God is Conqueror and we are in Christ that means we also are conquerors. But that does not mean we are passive. We have the word of our testimony that must go forth. We must give testimony to our faith in Christ. How do we give that testimony? We love Jesus more than our lives to the point of death.

• Read 1st Timothy 6:6-10 to help put this in perspective

The Kingdom

Monday’s Reading: Isaiah 41 & Revelation 11

Father, through life and death I will trust You.  Though Your warriors be slain and lay in the streets I will trust You. Your kingdom is forever and it will not be stopped.  The kingdom of Your Son will be on the earth and though many fight against it He will win.  God, I know this things. I read them in Your Word. Turn my heart and desires from the kingdom of this world.  This world will not last. This world will disappoint. God, I know these things. Change my life to reflect what I know is true.  Guide me as a I plan for the future. May my goals for my self, my family, my finances, and the church reflect Your glory. May I trust You through the greatest difficulties. You are trustworthy. You are God.

In Jesus’ Name

Amen 

The Gospel According to Hezekiah

Friday’s Reading: Isaiah 38 & Revelation 8

• Isaiah 38:17, Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

God brought physical pain came into Hezekiah’s life so that he could learn about spiritual deliverance. Hezekiah’s problems brought him great bitterness but they also brought him to God.  He tasted the love of God according to which Hezekiah’s life was delivered. What is amazing is the statement concerning how this deliverance happened.  Hezekiah’s life was delivered from death because God cast all his sins behind His back.  Life is a product of the forgiveness of sins.  Death is a product of the presence of sins.

• Romans 3:21-26, But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God passed over the sins of Hezekiah because God knew about the sacrifice and atoning righteous of Jesus for all who believe.  Jesus would take Hezekiah’s place and Hezekiah would receive Jesus’ rightousness. As I type I am aware of the glorious fact that Jesus took my place and I have received Jesus’ righteousness. Jesus took all of God’s wrath that I deserved; he is my propitiation.  Jesus gives me his perfect obedience; he gives me the righteousness of God. I am justified by His grace as a gift.  What a marvelous gift it is!

Father, I thank You for the free grace that is given me in Jesus Christ. That a sinner condemned unclean could be made into the righteousness of God is an unfathomable thought.  I am justified. I am right with You. And all of this because of Jesus Christ.  My Savior is perfect and amazing. My Savior is strong and faithful.  No man or group of men could have thought up a Savior half as glorious and faithful as Jesus Christ. God, Your holiness and love are so great.  Thank You for saving me through Jesus Christ. Thank You for casting all my sins behind Your back.  Thank You for the life changing completely atoning work of Jesus Christ.

Thank You for Jesus

Amen

The God Who Determines & Knows

Thursday’s Reading: Isaiah 37 & Revelation 7

• Isaiah 37:26, Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should make fortified cities crash into heaps of ruins.

Scripture is quite clear concerning the work of God in the past which determines what happens in the present.  But Scripture is also quite clear concerning the responbility of man for his choices and rebellion.

• Isaiah 37:28&29, I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me. 29 Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.

God promises His judgment here not because it was determined but because of their choice to fight against God. Is God sovereign? Yes. Is man responsible? Yes. 

• 1 Corinthians 15:10, But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

I long for the day when the chuch is theologically deep and passionate. Today it appears that the church has said it must be one way or the other. You can be passionate but not theological or you can be theological but not passionate.  I long to taste the grace of God and work hard. My desire is for God to raise up a church full of men and women who taste the grace of God and work hard.

Lord, I trust Your sovereign will, perfect wisdom, and infinite strength.  Your grace is sufficient for me.  Forgive me for discouragement and frustration. Give me faith so that my discouragement and frustration are replaced with hard work.  Like Hezekiah I seek your help. Like the worshippers in heaven I know salvation belongs to You and to the Lamb.  Shelter me with your presence. Feed me. Quench my thirst. Protect me from the beating sun.  I want to follow the Shepherd. I want Him to lead me to streams of living water. I want You to wipe away every tear from my eye.  Make me Christ-centered. Make me a hard worker. I trust You Lord, you are the God who determines and the God who knows.  You are trustworthy.

In Jesus’ name

Amen

 

Do you love the Gospel?

Wednesday’s Reading: Isaiah 36 & Revelation 6

• Revelation 6:9, When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.

It is hard to know in the middle of comfort and ease if we would die for our faith.  When my turn comes will I love Christ more than I love my life?  I hope I do. I pray that I do. But how do I prepare for it? The question to ask right now is, Do I love Christ more than my comfort and ease?  If I don’t love him more than I love being comfortable there is no reason to assume I love him more than life itself. 

Let me encourage you to join me in prayerful silence. In your devotion time ask yourself simple questions and search for answers.  Here are a few suggestions: Do I possess any attitude or action that does not honor God?  Have I said anything that would cause God’s name or the gospel to be reviled? Is there anything in my life that I love more than Jesus and His gospel? 

This is just a start. There are many other questions you could ask but start here.  Read your bible, memorize Scripture, and ask yourself hard questions. Do you love the Gospel?

Father, search me and point out any sin or weakness that would cause Your name to be despised by those around me.  I want to give a bold and true witness to the forgiveness and hope that are mine in Christ. I want to be a persistent man. Show me how. Mold me now so I will stand in the day of difficulty and be filled with joy in the day of trial.  Make the gospel the center of all that I am.

In Jesus,

Amen

Everlasting Joy and a Lamb that was Slain

Tuesday’s Reading: Isaiah 35 & Revelation 5

What is it that brings the amazing change promised in Isaiah 35? Did you notice the swing from one extreme to the other throughout the chapter? The desert blooms, the weak are strong, the blind see, the lame leap, burning sand becomes a refreshing pool, and the exiles will be ransomed and filled with everlasting joy.

The change will come when they see the glory of the LORD and the majesty of God. The difference is when God come shows up and saves you. Eternal redemption and everlasting joy have everything to do with the Lamb that was slain. The unfolding and realization of God’s redemptive plan (opening the scroll) is possible only because of Jesus Christ who is worthy to bring it all about.

• Revelation 5:9, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

The road to hell is paved with good intentions but the road to heaven is paved with the righteous blood of Christ. He is the only Redeemer. He is the only worthy Ruler. Fall down and worship Him. Say with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

Trustworthy and Praiseworthy

Monday’s Reading: Isaiah 34 & Revelation 4

As I read again yesterday’s reading and added today’s reading I was impressed with the trustworthy character of God. Coupled with His character is the fact that God is worthy of praise.  We should praise God for what He has done by redeeming us but if He had never done the work of redemption He would still be worthy of praise based solely on who He is.

Worship in heaven looks like this:

• Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (Rev 4.8 )
• Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created (Rev 4.11).

How true is that I we all need to slow down and be reminded that God is bigger than everything? So much this morning has already called for my time, enery, and emotions. We must commit ourselves to worship. We must dedicate ourselves to meeting with God through bible study and prayer.  We must know this:

• For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us (Isaiah 33.22).

Father, I can trust you and I will praise you.  You are what I need.  Living for Christ is what I need to do.  Forgive me for letting my emotions be ruled by your creation.  Set my mind and will to be ruled by You and Your greatness. There is so much that needs to be done today; I cannot do it all.  Show me Your will. Transform my mind. Break the mold of this world and the counsel of the wicked. I long to stand with you and for you. May I never stand in the way of sinners. I long to sit with you. May I never sit in the seat of scoffers. I can trust you in difficulty and death. I will praise you in difficulty and death. You are my God. Christ is my brother. The Spirit is my strength. You are worthy of all praise.

In Jesus Christ

Amen