Jesus reigns

"The Two Witnesses"
Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, 
Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, 
Emory University

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 10-11; Psalm 43

TO CHEW ON: "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'" Revelation 11:15
 
In the midst of all the surrealistic happenings of today's reading—John told by an angel to measure the temple (Revelation 11:1,2); two men, witnesses, wearing strange clothing wreaking havoc with fire-breathing mouths and plague-producing powers that remind us of Elijah and Moses (Revelation 11:3-6); the witnesses killed and the whole world seeing and rejoicing (Revelation 11:7-10 —trending on Twitter for sure); a great earthquake destroying a tenth of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:13-14)—we hear an angel shouting a familiar message: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15).

We've heard this or similar before:

• "He shall have dominion from sea to sea" - Psalm 72:8 and Zechariah 9:10.

• "For unto us a child is born …. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…" - Isaiah 9:6-7.

• "His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And His dominion from generation to generation" - Daniel 4:3.

• The devil's offer to Jesus: "…all the kingdoms of the world and their glory ….' will I give you if You fall down and worship me'" spurned - Matthew 4:8-10.

Because Jesus had the authority that came from His Father:

• " Even the winds and sea obey Him" - Matthew 8:27.

• "'… with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him'" Mark 1:27.

• "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand" - John 3:35.

• "Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him" - 1 Peter 3:22.

There may be much about coming events as predicted in Revelation that we don't understand. But one thing is clear, not only from Revelation but all of the Bible: Jesus wins and will be the ultimate ruler of the kingdoms of earth and heaven! Let's take heart as we live with that fact in mind today.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the theme of Your victorious kingdom that threads through the Bible. Help me to live by faith in the fact of Your ultimate victory. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 43

MORE: Hallelujah - Handel's Messiah

Words from today's reading are part of Handel's magnificent Hallelujah Chorus:

Revelation 11:15 15. . . the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever.

Here is a flashmob rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus, performed in 2011 by the Cowtown Opera Company, Calgary, Alberta Canada

***********

The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Lift up your eyes

"Adoration of the Magi" after Workshop of Raphael

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 7:1-17


TO CHEW ON: "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:16

What does a passage in 2 Samuel have to do with Christmas, you may be asking. As we read it we see, sure enough. Here in Nathan's prophecy to David is a very clear reference to Messiah. Of 2 Samuel 7:12-16 a footnote in my Bible says:

"The son of David (Solomon) and the son of David (the Messiah) merge here. It is the Messiah's throne that will be established forever" - Jerry Cook, New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 411.

Then the footnote suggests more Bible bits to read in the same vein. Let's read and ponder them, letting the prophetic words of hope and longing crane the necks of our spirits and lift our eyes as we anticipate the celebration of His birth and the revelation of His Kingdom established still to come.

Psalm 45. Note especially verse Psalm 45:6:

"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
   a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom." - NIV © 2010 

Psalm 2: 6-9:

^6"Yet have I anointed (installed and placed) My King [firmly] on My holy hill of Zion.
    ⁷I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten You.
    ⁸Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession.
    ⁹You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like potters' ware." -  Amplified

Psalm 89:3-4

 ³ "The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.
      I have sworn this oath to him:
 ⁴ ‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;
      they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’”
                         Interlude" - NLT

Hebrews 1:8

⁸ "But to the Son He says:

      'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
      A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.'"- NKJV

Revelation 11:15

¹⁵ "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
   'The kingdom of the world has become
   the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
   and he will reign for ever and ever.'" - NIV © 2010

Revelation 19:6

^"6After that I heard what sounded like the shout of a vast throng, like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of terrific and mighty peals of thunder, exclaiming, 'Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! For now the Lord our God the Omnipotent (the All-Ruler) reigns!'" - Amplified

PRAYER: Dear God thank You for Your kingdom, predicted by the prophets, fulfilled in the coming of Christ and still in the process of being revealed. I look forward to the day when Your complete victory over Satan, sin and death is visible. Amen.

MORE: "Of the Father's Love Begotten"

"All dominions bow before Him

And extol our God and King"

********************
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

We can sift our words and actions through this

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Colossians 3-4; Psalm 14

TO CHEW ON: "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:17

In Colossians 3:1-16 Paul gives his readers back in Colosse and us now, a list of specifics—ways to act Christianly:
- control your thoughts (Colossians 3:1-4).
- stop responding to sinful urges (Colossians 3:5-6).
- clean up your speech (Colossians 3:8,9).
- become blind to race, adherence to religious practices like circumcision, and social status among Christian brothers and sisters (Colossians 3:10,11).
- adopt the right attitude toward fellow believers being quick to forgive, and governed by love (Colossians 3:12-14).
- cultivate peace and gratitude in your own heart (Colossians 3:14,15).
- spend so much time in the word that it flows from your lives (Colossians 3:16).

In verse 17, it's as if Paul is saying, 'If I've forgotten anything'—"And whatever you do in word or deed"—it's included in this command:  "... do all in the name of the Lord Jesus..."

• Doing something in someone's name is to act as their representative or stand-in. In a way, this verse is another way of phrasing the popular saying, What Would Jesus Do?

• Acting in someone's name has overtones of authority. A policeman who levies fines and makes arrests doesn't do this in his own name but in the name of the government that employs him. In Acts we see an interesting example of two parties using the authority of Jesus name to exorcise evil spirits (Acts 19:11-17).

• There is also an ambassador-type relationship implied. As people who call ourselves Christians (Christ-ones) and in this way identify with Jesus, we are ambassadors of the kingdom He represents and is establishing—the kingdom of heaven.

What an awesome privilege—to live ("whatever you do in word or deed") in the name of the Lord Jesus. At the same time it's sobering. This verse becomes a kind of screen through which we can sift all our words and actions, asking: Is this thing I am planning to say, write or act on, something I can do in the name of Jesus?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please remind me of these words and how I am to live in Your name as I go through the activities of this day. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 14

*********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The upside-down grace of giving

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 7-8; Psalm 2

TO CHEW ON: "...they gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God." 2 Corinthians 8:5

Giving could be considered one of those upside-down realities of the Kingdom of Heaven. Though it seems contradictory to think our enjoyment of life will increase when we give away the things that we own (supposedly meant to enhance our enjoyment in life), that's what Paul seems to be implying here.

I see six aspects of giving in our reading today:

1. Giving can be a powerful movement. The Macedonian Christians, though persecuted and poor, gave willingly and beyond their means to be a part of the churches' generosity to the Jerusalem churches (2 Corinthians 8:1-4).

2. Carefree giving is rooted in belonging to God (2 Corinthians 8:5).

3. Giving is a "grace" that proves mere words of loyalty and love (2 Corinthians 8:6,7).

4. Jesus was our shining example of giving when He left behind the riches of heaven to give up the most valuable thing He had—His life—so we could be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

5. Good intentions and yesterday's promises are not enough. We need to finish the giving we've begun (2 Corinthians 8:10-11).

6. Giving should be realistic (2 Corinthians 8:12-14).

I can relate to several of these.

• I know how good it feels to be part of a 'giving' event. There is something uplifting, energizing and unifying in participating with others to support a noble cause.

• It's no surprise that giving is called a grace. Don't we call generous people 'gracious'?

• I easily fall into the category of giver with mere good intentions, or the one who doesn't give because my small gift doesn't seem important.

• But Paul's point about the Macedonians being able to give so generously because they gave themselves to God first resonates with me the most. The thought of me being God's dependent takes away the anxiety of fending for myself. It changes my outlook so that I can go from being a collector of things to a distributor of them—from a dam to a channel if you will. I need more of this attitude in my life. What about you?  

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to see that as Your dependent, you will take care of my needs. Help me to be open-handed with not only my money and possessions, but also with my time, energy and love. Amen.  

PSALM TO READ: Psalm 2

MORE: Hoarders

The opposite of givers are hoarders. If you've ever watched the depressing reality show called Hoarders: Buried Alive, you will have seen the pathological end of someone who can't bear to get rid of stuff or give anything away. It proves the deceitfulness of the lie we so often live by—that life consists in the abundance of things we have.

*****************
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Heaven's surprising kingdom

Crown of thorns - Image from RGBStock.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 21-22; Psalm 119:97-128

 TO CHEW ON: " 'And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.' " Luke 22:29,30


Jesus talks a lot about His kingdom (also referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God). In His teaching and parables about it, we discover some interesting things.

• Here we see that it doesn't operate by society's usual rules of prominence. Its prominent ones are those who distinguish themselves, not by their sophistication and worldly wisdom but by their "youngest" qualities. I take that to mean their complete, innocent, and unquestioning faith.

• They are also willing to serve (Luke 22:26).

• The kingdom is not fair but unfair in the wonderful way of elevating those who, by the class and status into which they're born, aren't candidates for elevation. Jesus confers entry into and prominence in the kingdom. It's a gift (Luke 22:29).

In other places Jesus gives more clues about His kingdom:

• Luke 14:15 describes more unlikely kingdom recruits. It's not who we would expect but the poor, crippled, blind, and lame; all those who respond to the Master's invitation.

• In Matthew 25:34+, Jesus describes the unusual way its makeup will be determined. He talks of a day "When the Son of Man comes in his glory"  (Matthew 25:31) as a day of sorting when He'll admit those who, unbeknownst to them, passed the kingdom's entry test by their compassion on earth (Matthew 25:35,36).

• In 2 Timothy 2:12 the kingdom is given to those who "endure."

Though we are probably well familiar with these descriptions of the Kingdom, we do well to ask ourselves, have we internalized them? Does knowing them change our behavior?

Or, despite what we read in the Bible and hear expounded from the pulpit and elsewhere, will we still be surprised when, someday, we see the answer to what we've prayed thousands of times: "Your kingdom come..."?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, You've left us with plenty of information about your kingdom—which is already and which we hope to see in its fullness someday. Help me to order my life here on earth by its principles. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 119:97-128


********
Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures quoted in this meditation are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Words that need to sink into our ears

Image: Openicons / Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 8-9; Psalm 116

TO CHEW ON: " ' Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.'
But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying." Luke 9:44,45


Three times in Luke 9 we see Jesus speaking of His death. In Luke 9:22, after Peter called Him the Christ (Messiah), Jesus told them, in confidence: "'The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected and be killed and be raised the third day.'"

Then on the mountain, groggy as they were, they overheard Jesus, Elijah and Moses speaking of Jesus' "decease" - Luke 9:31.

And again in our reading today, after healing the demon-possessed boy (to the amazement and marveling of the crowds) Jesus' words to His disciples were urgent and insistent: "'Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men'" Luke 9:44.

They didn't get it (Luke 9:45)!

Some questions that come to me about this story:
- Why was it so important to Jesus that they understand?
- How could they not understand such plain language?
- Are there spiritual things to which I'm similarly deaf?

One reason I can think of for the importance of their understanding was that it would prepare them for what was ahead.

As to why they didn't  understand, I believe their expectation of Messiah and his role played a big part in their inability to hear and absorb what Jesus was saying. They saw the adulation of the crowd and that part of Jesus' ministry fit in with Him being an earthly savior, so that was the belief they clung to. In fact, in the verses after Jesus pleaded with them to hear Him, they were arguing about who was the greatest, no doubt  thinking of position in His "cabinet."

Finally, I ask myself, are there things to which I am (perhaps all of us are) similarly dull? As I examine my beliefs and compare them to what the Bible says, I do see some things that make me squirm. One is Jesus' teaching that He is the only way to God (John 10:9; Acts 4:1,2 etc.). I believe it in my head, but do my actions support what I say I believe?

Then there's the whole teaching about those rejecting Him ending up in the other place—"hell"—a concept that doesn't sit at all well in modern ears. Yet Jesus Himself speaks of it at the end of the chapter in Mark that tells the very incidents we've read about in Luke. He describes a place of utter torment and separation from God: "'Where "Their worm does not die / And the fire is not quenched"'" - Mark 9:42-47.

Like the disciples, it's important that I (we) hear what the Bible is actually saying and not be swayed by human interpretations and the ideas of a culture that seek to explain away what is hard for us to accept and understand. Like the disciples, there is no excuse for us to enter the future (now and eternity) unprepared.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please open my eyes, mind, and heart to Bible truths that clash with the values of humanism or any other belief systems. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 116

The Bible Project VIDEO: Luke ch. 9-19 (Luke mini-series)



********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Spirit-born

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 3-4; Psalm 104


TO CHEW ON: "Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" John 3:5

Talk of being born again hardly moves the needle on the Richter scale of our minds. But when Jesus first introduced this idea to Nicodemus, it was earth-shaking. It really should remain that to us too. For it is the way we "enter" and "see" the Kingdom of God.

How? In Jesus' words by being "born of water" (repentance) "and the Spirit."

J. I. Packer says of the interchange between Jesus and Nicodemus:

"Speaking corporately for Himself and His disciples to Nicodemus and to the whole class of unregenerate religious people to which Nicodemus belonged, Christ went on to explain that the inevitable consequence of unregeneracy is unbelief — 'Ye receive not our witness' (verse 11). The gospel produces no conviction in them; unbelief holds them fast.


What follows, then? Should we conclude that preaching the gospel is a waste of time, and write off evangelism as a hopeless enterprise, foredoomed to fail? No; because the Spirit abides with the Church to testify of Christ" -  Knowing God, p. 74 (emphasis added).

The Spirit's working is, by Jesus' description here, a mysterious, unaccountable thing:"'The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit'" (verse 8).

Packer again:

"It is not for us to imagine that we can prove the truth of Christianity by our own arguments; nobody can prove the truth of Christianity save the Holy Spirit, by His own almighty work of renewing the blinded heart. It is the sovereign prerogative of Christ's Spirit to convince men's consciences of the truth of Christ's gospel; and Christ's human witnesses must learn to ground their hopes of success, not on clever presentation of the truth by man, but on powerful demonstration of the truth by the Spirit" - p. 74 (emphasis added).

Which is why we must not give up on anyone, no matter how resistant to the gospel they appear. For we have no idea how the Spirit is working in their lives, what is growing in the field of their hearts (Matthew 13:24), how Kingdom leaven is spreading  in the  secrecy of their inner lives (Matthew 13:33), or how they might even now be finding themselves mysteriously drawn to God's wedding banquet invitation (Matthew 22:2,9-10).


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to birth me into Your kingdom. God, the Spirit,  please use my life to accomplish Your mysterious, wind-like workings. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 104 

************
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Prepare to be surprised

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 19-20; Psalm 90

TO CHEW ON: " ' But many who are first will be last, and the last first.' " Matthew 19:30


Again and again Jesus reminds His disciples that the kingdom of heaven is characterized by reversal. That's the word the Thompson Chain Bible uses to head a section that traces the kinds of reversals taught and illustrated in the Bible.

[Reverse: Adjective: having a contrary or opposite direction or character, order etc., turned backward. Noun: that which is directly opposite or contrary; a change to an opposite position, direction, state. Verb: to turn upside down, inside out, to turn in an opposite direction - Funk & Wagnall's Dictionary.]

- God reverses fortunes - Psalm 75:7; 107:41; "…Nothing shall remain the same…" Ezekiel 21:26.

- God hates pride. The proud person is a target for reversal - Psalm 147:6.

- God can remove the life props we make for ourselves - Isaiah 22:25. He can destroy the things we have accomplished and in which we trust: "The lofty city; He lays it low…" - Isaiah 26:5.

- God can bring down rulers - Isaiah 40:23; Luke 1:52. Nebuchadnezzar is an example of this, when he goes from being a proud king to a mentally deranged "beast" - Daniel 4:28-33.

- God sees the poor, neglected by the rich and reverses their state - Luke 6:25; 16:25.

- On the other hand, He also rewards good stewardship with more, that is, gives more to the person who already has while taking away from the one who has little - Matthew 25:29.

- Our expectations will be challenged. Over and over we hear Jesus say: " 'The last shall be first, the first last' " - Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30.


Some thoughts we can take from this into our day:

1. God hates pride. When we give ourselves credit for what we have and get puffed over what we've done, we set ourselves up for reversal.

2. The material things in which we put our confidence aren't as trustworthy as we think.

3. The world's rulers, those we love or hate, follow or resist, admire or fear, are targets for God's reversal. Let's remember that as we pray for our nation and the world.
 
4. We are responsible to be good stewards of what we have, whether it's much or little.

5. Knowing all the above, we'll probably still be surprised when, someday, we stand before God and see things as they really are.



PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to live in the upside down, back-to-front paradigm of the kingdom of heaven while I'm here on earth. Amen.


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 90

*********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Children in the spotlight

"Jesus called a child to Him..." - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 17-18; Psalm 89

TO CHEW ON: "Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said…" - Matthew 18:2

In this teaching, where Jesus uses a live illustration—a child—He says some important things about children and the adults who guard them, care for them, and train them.

Children have qualities we adults should desire.
Jesus talks about entering the kingdom of heaven by becoming " ' ...as little children...' " (Matthew 18:3). Of course He doesn't mean we physically shrink down in size. The change is one of spirit. To even enter the kingdom of God, we need the childlike spirit of trust, dependence on God, and willingness to do what He says, like a child trusts and listens to a loving parent.

We become great in the kingdom when we have the humility of children (Matthew 18:4). With no pretense or attempt to impress, unspoiled children don't edit their behavior to win over the wealthy or be seen with the influential. They don't snub the person with ragged clothes or avoid the mentally challenged (though they may embarrass us with their frank comments about bad smells).

Children need the protection and care of adults.
Jesus curses the one who causes a child to sin (Matthew 18:6). He suggests that losing a limb to stop such offense is preferable to being whole and stumbling someone.

We shouldn't ignore or despise children. They have angelic advocates with God (Matthew 18:10). Their salvation is as important to Him as the one missing sheep is important to the shepherd of 100 (Matthew 18:14).

Our own children and grandchildren aside, we do well to ask ourselves: How do we feel about children? How do we treat them? Do we have patience with them? Are we kind to them? Or when they, say, interrupt the church service with their fussing do we send them or their parents dirty looks? When they get carried away on our street shooting their balls into our flowers or our yards, are we angry and abrupt?

In our interactions with children, let's remember how much God loves and values them. Let's be careful not to be those He condemns for giving offense.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your attention to children. Help me to be childlike in trust and humility, and always kind to the children in my life. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 89

*********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The counterintuitive Be-Attitudes

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 5-6; Psalm 83

TO CHEW ON: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

The seven verses at the beginning of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-10) are called the "Beatitudes." The word comes the Latin word beatitudo. So much for my fancy that beatitudes was a modern word grafted together from be and attitudes, i.e. attitudes worth assimilating into one's state of being. [Beatitudo means blessedness from beatus - happy.]

On looking over the beatitudes, it strikes me that at least four are states which we would not readily seek out.

• It's not trendy to be "'poor in spirit'" (Matthew 5:3)— "… those who recognize their spiritual poverty and, casting aside all self-sufficiency, seek God's grace" - Lyle Story, commentary on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1296.

• Who wants to "'mourn'" (Matthew 5:4)?  Though our commenter assures us this doesn't refer to being bereaved but to  "… those who experience the sorrow of repentance" - Ibid.

• We readily equate "meek" with "weak (Matthew 5:5) though again our commenter disabuses us of that notion, defining "'meek'" as "…controlled strength. The word carries the idea of humility and self-discipline" - Ibid.

• Finally, do any of us relish the thought of persecution (Matthew 5:10)?

Our reading today reminds me again of how humanly unintuitive the Kingdom of Heaven is. Accustomed to operating in the natural we would hardly equate blessedness or a state of happiness with a majority of the beatitude qualities.

Two things come to mind:

1. We can't trust our instincts to pilot us to a place of God's blessing. Jesus said, "'My kingdom is not of this world.'" He said this as He stood meek before a puzzled Pilate. He went on to elaborate on his counterintuitive behaviour: "'If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here'" - John 18:36.  

2. It's only as we familiarize ourselves with the Bible that we will know what Kingdom of Heaven principles are, and as we submit to them will experience the happy blessedness and that the beatitudes promise.

PRAYER: Dear God please help me to accept my own poverty of spirit. Please infuse me with a hunger and thirst for righteousness as I seek, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to incorporate these be-attitudes into my life. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY Psalm 83

***********

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Right priorities

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Haggai 1-2; Psalm 59

TO CHEW ON:  "You looked for much, but indeed, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. 'Why/' says the Lord of Hosts. 'Because of My house that is in ruins, while everyone of you runs to his own house.'"  Haggai 1:9


Haggai had returned home to Jerusalem with the other exiles from Babylon in 536 B.C. Now, sixteen years later, the temple still lay in ruins. And the people weren't doing so well either. They were working hard but in spite of that, their crops were failing, they were often hungry, and it was if they had put their wages in holey bags.

It was in this situation that God spoke to Haggai, and Haggai gave God's message to Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua.

God explained why this was happening: "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house." In other words, the exiles had given their own interests top priority while neglecting God's interests. The dismal situation in the country was not just bad luck, but had come on them as a result of their violating a fundamental Kingdom of God principle.

A footnote in my Bible explains:

"The people were apparently using their poverty, food shortages and inflation as excuses not to finish the temple. In actuality, they are judgments for failing to build (vs. 9-11). Somewhat similarly, when God's people fail to tithe and honour the Sabbath in an effort to have enough money and enough time for themselves, their efforts are in vain because they deny themselves God's blessing on their efforts. God was not denying houses for the people; He was asking that they prioritize the building of His house and thereby trust Him for the building of theirs." - New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 1243.

We find this principle—of attending to God's interests first before our own, with the promise that in the meantime our needs will be met—woven throughout the Bible. Jesus articulates it clearly in Matthew 6:25-33. It is part of the mysterious economy of the Kingdom of Heaven that when we try to satisfy our own needs and desires first, we'll be in want. But when we give God our first and best, we'll have abundance.

How can we respond?

- Understand God's principle of giving.
- Make God's priorities our priorities.
- Give Him the first of our time, talent and treasure.
- Do not live by the world system, which tells us to look out for ourselves first.
- Honor God and He will honor us.

— "Truth in Action through Haggai," New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 1246.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this reminder of how Your kingdom works. Help me to work it by putting You and Your interests first in my life today. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 59

The Bible Project VIDEO: Haggai (Read Scripture Series)



***************
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 

Daniel's vision of King Jesus

"The Glory of the Lamb" by David van der Plaats (Revelation 5:13)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 7-9;  Psalm  57

"TO CHEW ON: … behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom one
Which shall not be destroyed." Daniel 7:13,14

Who of us, familiar with the Bible, can read Daniel's description of the king in his vision and not get it? This is Jesus Daniel is seeing—Jesus whose kingdom he is describing.

He is "One like the Son of man" i.e. recognizable as a person. And how many times haven't we seen His coming described a "coming with the clouds of heaven"? Listen to Matthew's recall of Jesus' words:

"'Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven … and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory'" - Matthew 24:30 (see also Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 24:27; Revelation 1:7; 14:14).

Daniel goes on to describe how the Son of Man's dominion, glory, and kingdom encompass all the kingdoms of earth. All peoples, nations, and languages will serve Him. And His kingdom will be indestructible and last forever.

Though Jesus rebuffed any attempts to install Him as an earthly king,  He talked often about His kingdom (e.g. John 3:35-36).

Paul understood His ruler role as well as anyone and explained it to the early church and to us in passages like 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22 and how about this from Philippians:

"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father "- Philippians 2:9-11

I love how the Bible's message reverberates from the Old Testament to the New in such a consistent way. As we see Daniel's picture of Jesus the king, let's allow our hearts to soar in admiration, awe and worship.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I so readily picture You as a wise but meek teacher, striding around Judea and Galilee telling stories and doing miracles. May the image of You as King be planted as firmly in my imagination. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 57

***********

The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Potter picture

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 18-22; Psalm 18

TO CHEW ON: "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make." Jeremiah 18:4


The Bible writers often use everyday objects and activities to teach lessons of the Spirit. Here Jeremiah bases his prophecy and plea to Israel on a visit God instructs him to make to a pottery shop. As he watches the craftsman shape the glistening clay spinning under his hands, then change the pot's form when the clay refuses to cooperate, God gives him a message for Israel. He draws their attention to similarities between the potter working with the clay, and God working with people.

- Just as the potter is sovereign over the clay, doing with it as he pleases, so God is sovereign over the "house of Israel."

- What the potter makes depends on the clay. When the vessel he is making doesn't stand up to the process but becomes marred, he shapes it into a different one. Similarly, what God can do with Israel depends on her response to Him.

My Bible study notes sum up these lessons well: "As the quality of the clay limits what the potter can do with it, so the quality of a people limits what God can do with them." Spirit Filled Life Bible p. 985.

We can apply this potter picture to our own lives as we ask questions like:

• Am I resistant or malleable clay in God's hands? 

• Do I insist on fulfilling my own plans and ambitions, or do I submit those to Him. When circumstances in my life don't turn out as I plan, do I get all frustrated? 

• Do I realize that God may be shaping me for some task of which I'm not aware? 

• Am I letting the Master Potter shape my life into whatever jar, cup, plate or pitcher most useful for the purposes of His kingdom?

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me where the clay of my life is stubborn or marred with impurities. I want my life to be good clay, that You can shape for Your kingdom purposes. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 18

*******
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Singing in a pagan land

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Job 8-11; Psalm 137

TO CHEW ON: “But how can we sing the songs of the LORD
While in a pagan land?” Psalm 137:4 NLT

This psalm is heavy with homesickness. What a poignant picture it paints of captives, urged by their captors to provide entertainment with their joyous songs of religious celebration, refusing to sing. Instead they hung their harps on the trees that lined the rivers and irrigation canals of Babylon.

The songs the Babylonians asked them to sing were for religious purposes, not entertainment. These reminders of Yahweh’s greatness and goodness were meant to be the the accompaniment on their happy journeys to the Jerusalem and part of the feasts. 

There might also have been undertones of of mockery and gloating in the Babylonian requests. Many of these songs praised Zion (Jerusalem) as an exalted, beautiful, glorious place. Jerusalem had, at this point, been conquered and no longer existed in its former beauty and glory.

And so this psalm asks the rhetorical question:

“How can we sing the songs of the LORD
While in a pagan land?”

The implied answer: we can’t!

This psalm resonates with me not only because I can relate to its feelings of homesickness, but also its spiritual alienation.

We modern disciples of Jesus also live in a pagan land where the dominant culture is against much of what we stand for (and drifting farther from its Judeo-Christian roots all the time). We too might ask: “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?”

I would submit, though, that that doesn’t need to silence us. For we can also live in the reality of who we are in Christ and embrace right now, the life of the Kingdom of Heaven (where pagan values are turned on their heads: the first are last, the last first, the poor are rich, we give to get, forgive seventy times seven, and deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus, but know that this is not the end - John 14:1-3).

 And so we take down those harps, dust off those keyboards and guitars, and tune our voices because by faith we are exiles no more but pilgrims, passing through this life to our real home (1 Peter 2:11-12).

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God while I also live in my life as a pilgrim and stranger here on earth. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 137

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Recognizing Jesus

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 25:31-46

TO CHEW ON: " ' And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." ' " Matthew 25:40


One of the popular motifs of the Christmas dramas we used to put on in Sunday School was the poor, beggarly misfit becoming a type of the Christ child. It turned out that the person who noticed and served this unfortunate one amid the hustle and decorations, the shopping and food preparations, was the one who had the true Christmas spirit.

Recognizing Christ in unusual places and people is the theme of our reading today. Seeing and caring for His needs in those around us—the hungry and thirsty, the lonely stranger, the forsaken prisoner, the person who needs warm clothes ("naked") and sick—brings not only the King's commendation but the label of "righteous" and escape from eternal punishment (Matthew 25:34, 45-46).

Jesus talks in other places of coming in disguise:

• In Mark 9:41 the person who serves Christ's disciples with as little as a cup of cold water gets a reward.

• " 'Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives not Me but Him who sent Me' " says Jesus in Mark 9:37.

• At another time, Jesus answered a question about how to inherit eternal life with the parable we call the Good Samaritan. In it, the person (Samaritan) who helps his needy neighbour (a beat-up Jew) is the one who loves his neighbour as himself, fulfilling one of the conditions for inheriting eternal life (Luke 10:28-37).

I look at these examples and ask myself—do I recognize Jesus when He comes to me disguised as a child, or a needy stranger, or a sister in trouble? Or am I more like those "goats" in our reading, who will someday appear before the King with 'Duh… Lord, when did I see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison?'

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please take the scales off my eyes. Help me to recognize You however  and wherever You appear. Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A promise we can count on

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 4:23-44

TO CHEW ON: “‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.’” Matthew 4:35.

In our reading today, Jesus’ message seems mixed. On one hand, He says watch for these things (in Matthew 24:14-16, 29-30) for they are signs that the Son of Man is coming soon. On the other, don’t try to figure out the timing.

I like His example of the fig tree as a way to tell his coming is near:

“'Now learn this parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already b'ecome tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near'” - Matthew 24:32.

My Bible’s study notes take the mystique out of the comparison:

“As the budding tree signifies the coming of summer, the signs described by Jesus will give warning of His coming” - J. Lyle Story, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1335. 

So we look at Jesus’ list of specifics and watch for them as we watch for signs of seasonal change in the trees. When we see them playing out, we know His coming is getting nearer, just like we know summer’s around the corner when trees bud in spring and the world turns green.

Over and over, though Jesus reminds His listeners (and us readers) that we won’t be able to tell the exact time, and not to be caught by surprise.  

His coming:

• Will be as sudden as zigzags of lightning - Matthew 24:27.

• As to its timing, will be a surprise to even the angels - Matthew 24:36.

• Will come in the middle of life as usual - Matthew 24:38.

• Will separate the prepared and unprepared in the middle of what they’re doing - Matthew 24:40,41.

• Is to be on our list of things to watch for and expect - Matthew 24:42.

• Will be as unwelcome a surprise to some as a thief breaking into their house - Matthew 24:44.

What if it were today? Am I ready and expectant? Are you?



PRAYER: Dear Jesus, this reading reminds me that I need to take the promise that You would return, seriously. Help me to live daily in this hope with this expectation. Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Peace—future and now

Mural - Vernon, BC

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 4:1-5:1

TO CHEW ON: "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days....

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore." Micah 4:1, 4

Peace. It's another prophecy for end times.

It's not clear—and Bible scholars don't agree on—whether Micah's prophecy signifies the peace after a war where the combatants have gone back to fighting with literal swords and shields or whether the meaning of "...beat their swords into plowshares / And their spear into pruning hooks" is symbolic. The scene of weapons, whatever they are, turned into farming tools and people peaceful and secure on their own property is wonderful in any case.

However, this is a prophecy that will be fulfilled not only someday on earth as nations live side by side in peace. For peace is a key ingredient in the Kingdom of God. It can rule us right now as we cultivate:

Peaceful reaction:
Jesus' instructions to people when they were mistreated was to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39-42), and to love one's enemies (Matthew 5:44-48).

Peaceful interaction:
Luke's description of the early church shows us a wonderful ideal of harmony between Christians: "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul..." Acts 4:32.

Inner peace:

• We have peace with God (Romans 5:1) because we were made right (reconciled) with Him through Jesus' death (Colossians 1:20).
• This peace is available for everyone and anyone, whatever their race or nationality (Acts 10:35-36).
• When we receive Jesus, His Spirit comes to live in us and teach us in all His ways, including the ways of peace (John 14:26-27).
• One fruit of the Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:220.

Have we taken advantage of that peace? We can live at peace with God, our fellow Christians, even our enemies!

PRAYER: Dear God, I love the picture of weapons being turned into tools of nurture and fruitfulness. Please help me to be an eager pupil in the ways of peace. Amen.

MORE: Remembrance Day

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day in Canada.  We remember in ceremonies at cenotaphs (or watching on TV) with prayers, readings, laying wreaths, and observing a minute of silence.  In this way we honor the people, dead and alive, who fought against tyranny and oppression in World Wars I, II, the Korean War, and those who are currently active in the Middle East and international peace-keeping missions.

The Remembrance Day mural is a photograph of one of Vernon B.C.'s historical street murals painted by Michelle Loughery & team.




*******
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Wedding clothes

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 22:1-14

TO CHEW ON: " 'But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man who there who did not have on a wedding garment.' "  Matthew 22:11.

Like so many of Jesus' parables, this one is full of eternal truth goodies. In a way it's like the gospel in 12 verses. Here's how I understand it:

The King's son's arranged marriage is God's relationship with His chosen people Israel.

The king's servants are the prophets who invited Israel's citizens over and over to join the wedding celebration, i.e. live in obedience to God's laws and with a right heart attitude.

The people who were invited in the story treated the king's invitation as casually as Israel did the prophets' repeated calls to repentance and revival. Just as the people in the story ended up killing the king's messengers, so too Israel mocked, tortured, and even murdered some of its prophets.

The people of the highways and " all who they found both bad and good" are the individuals from all over the earth who are not Jews—us Gentiles from "all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues" (Revelation 7:9)—who now have an invitation to God's party.

It was a free invitation for the people in the parable, but apparently a special wedding garment was given to each guest before entry into the banquet hall. What is  the meaning of that garment?

• Paul talks about our earthly bodies clothed in life—the clothes of immortality—life forever (2 Corinthians 5:3).

• He also talks about putting on the new man—clothes of "true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).

• The clothes of the "new man" are not only for after this life but for now. They come in styles of "…tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…" (Colossians 3:10,12).

• In Revelation John sees these clothes as white and with this outfit comes a new name (Revelation 3:4).

• This garment needs to be worn at all times so the guests are prepared when the master drops in (Revelation 16:15).

• God's subjects will wear this outfit in heaven, the "fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." And guess what the heavenly occasion is? The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, coming full-circle, right back to our parable (Revelation 19:8,9)!

The sobering ending to Jesus' story—the guest with no wedding garment being "cast into outdoor darkness" —tells us that God's invitation has one simple condition: the need to exchange our rags (Isaiah 64:6) for the garment of salvation that God gives: "For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness" - Isaiah 61:10. It too is free to us. But we must put it on.

PRAYER: Dear God, I thank you for an invitation to Your party, and the clothes of salvation that You provide. Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A kingdom where nationality means nothing

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 21:33-46

TO CHEW ON: " 'Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.' " Matthew 21:43

In this parable, Jesus hearkens back to the Vineyard Song of Isaiah (Isaiah 5:1-7). I can just see the chief priests and elders—Jesus' audience—hanging on every word, growing more outraged with every unfairness of those wicked vinedressers. They are so into it, when Jesus asks," '…when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these vinedressers?' " they jump right in with " 'He will destroy those wicked men miserably and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.' " Matthew 21:40,41.

Snap! Caught in the trap of Jesus' illustration, they utter their own fate. For now Jesus makes it clear: " ' The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.' "

He is saying their birth advantage as Jews has been squandered by rejecting Him as the cornerstone of God's plan to save all people. Now that privilege will be given to another "nation"

"…a term signifying a new people (Jew and Gentile) who will render to God the appropriate fruit" - J. Lyle Story, commentary on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1330.

Paul reiterates this when he confronts the envious Jews in Antioch: " ' It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, beheld, we turn to the Gentiles' " Acts 13:46.

There is a warning for us in this. We may be a part of a believing family as far back as we can see on the family tree. But that legacy doesn't guarantee us citizenship in the "nation" of believers any more than being Jewish guaranteed it for the people of Jesus' day. Only one thing does: a personal decision to put our faith in Jesus for salvation.

"For as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." - John 1:12

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for including all nations in the Kingdom of God. Help me to do my part to spread the word that all are welcome in it. Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Labor negotiations

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 20:1-16

TO CHEW ON: " ' Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' " Matthew 20:15

Jesus, master storyteller that He was, created the problem in His parable by structuring it the way He did. The all-day workers would probably not have argued about their pay if they'd been paid first. But, alas, they were paid last after they saw the latecomers get the same amount they had agreed to work for. And so they expected more.

The takeaway from this story comes in the last two verses, where the landowner addresses his discontented servants. He makes several points.

- His money is his to do with as he likes. If we take the landowner to be God, we can see this is an affirmation of His sovereignty. He is sovereign over Earth and what happens on it.

- His generosity (goodness) with his late-coming workers brings out the envy/outrage (evil) in his all-day servants: " ' Is your eye evil because I am good?' "

- The "laws" of the kingdom of heaven (those principles by which it operates) are different than the kingdom of this world: " ' So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.' "

Several points rise out of this for our own self-examination:

• God's sovereignty is great when we understand it. But like these discontented servants, it's easy to question what He's doing when we don't. We grapple with things as small as perceived unfairnesses to the old question: "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This brings us to our own interchanges with God like Job's:

GOD: " 'Would you indeed annul My judgment? 
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?' " - Job 40:8.
JOB: “ 'I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know' " - Job 42:2-3 (emphasis added).

• God's goodness underlies everything He does. When we get that stained deep into the grain of our belief, we'll find fewer occasions to gripe. The fact that we can even expect a reward at all is grace. "The parable affirms that God is absolutely sovereign and gracious in granting rewards. Those who serve Him can trust His grace" - J. Lyle Story, commentary on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1327.

• The kingdom of heaven never ceases to surprise. Let's continue to explore its "laws of gravity" and live according to them, even as we continue to walk this earth.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your sovereignty and goodness.  Help me to learn and apply these principles of Your kingdom as I continue to live and work on Earth.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.