"Kept"

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Peter 1-2; Psalm 33

TO CHEW ON: "… who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5

It's easy to trust in God's keeping power when times are good. But when we get sick, or suffer setbacks in business, or go through heart-breaking times with our kids, or have all we own ripped away from us by fire, tornado or mudslide, or any number of other trials, can we trust that God is still there? Is He still keeping us?

Peter here reminds the "pilgrims of the Dispersion"—mostly Gentile Christians living in various parts of Asia Minor who are experiencing persecution because of their obedience to Christ—that even through their trials they are being "kept."

["Kept—phroureo is "a military term picturing a sentry standing guard as protection against the enemy. We are in spiritual combat but God's power and peace (Philippians 4:7) are our sentinels and protectors" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1763.]

But we have our part to play in this keeping. For it is "through faith." And this keeping will not necessarily mean a return to how things were before the trial, but in ultimate salvation, completely accomplished and understood "in the last time."

If your faith is old, seasoned and experienced, a wealth of memories reminding you of how God has kept you in the past will buttress your faith now. If you're new to faith, you may want to spend time reading stories of Bible characters and biographies of modern Christ followers. The way God kept them through trials will build faith in God's creativity and faithfulness for your life. 

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for keeping me in the past and continuing to do so. Please help me to grow in faith as I experience your keeping power. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 33

The Bible Project VIDEO:  1 Peter (Read Scripture Series)



MORE: Reading list

Some Bible characters to read about:

• Joseph - Genesis 37, 39-47.

• Hannah - 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11.

• Ruth - Bible book of Ruth.

• Esther - Bible book of Esther.

• Daniel - Daniel 1-3, 6.

• Nehemiah - Bible book of Nehemiah.

Some faith-building biographies (links are to my reviews of these books):

• Appointment in Jerusalem - Lydia & Derek Prince

• Journey on the Hard Side of Miracles - Dr. Steven Stiles.

• Gray Matter - Joel Kilpatrick & David Levy.

• Kabul 24 - Henry O. Arnold & Ben Pearson
  

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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.

Not ashamed of the WORD

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Romans 1-2; Psalm 133

TO CHEW ON: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." Romans 1:16

You have probably memorized this flag-plant statement of Paul's—a manifesto well worth committing to memory because of its many goodies. Today let's delve into a couple.

Far from being intimidated, Paul states he is unashamed of the GOSPEL.

[Gospel - euangelion  in Ancient Greek was the reward for bringing good news. It later came to mean the good news itself. The New Testament meaning encompasses the promise of salvation and its fulfillment by the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus - Dick Mills (Word Wealth) - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1349]

Why is Paul not ashamed? Because the gospel is the POWER of God to salvation for everyone

[Power - dunamis  means energy, power, might, great force, great ability, strength. It is sometimes used to describe the powers of the world to come at work upon the Earth and divine power overcoming all resistance … The dunamis in Jesus resulted in dramatic transformations. This is the norm for the Spirit-led church - Dick Mills (Word Wealth) - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1498.]

Bible writers describe this power of the Word (Gospel) in vivid ways:

• God promised to make His word fire in Jeremiah's mouth to devour the wood of the people that heard it - Jeremiah 5:14.

• In another place Jeremiah compares God's word to a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces - Jeremiah 23:29.

• In Ezekiel the prophesied word is a uniting force bringing bones together in preparation for the life-giving breath of the Spirit - Ezekiel 37:7,14.

• Luke describes the increase / growth of God's word: "So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed" - Acts 19:20.

• Paul, the author of Hebrews, and John describe the word as a sword - Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:15.

A modern testimony of the power of God's word is Rosaria Butterfield's ("My Train Wreck Conversion" in Christianity Today). This former lesbian university professor came to faith in Christ primarily through reading the Bible (as she stayed in touch with a pastor who answered her questions and a Presbyterian congregation who loved her without conditions).

Let's engrave Romans 1:16 into our memories and hearts afresh. God's word is powerful. We have every reason to be bold, courageous, and unashamed to anchor our lives on it and claim and proclaim it for and over the circumstances of life and the people we love.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the power of the gospel. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 133

The Bible Project VIDEO: Romans  - Part 1 of 2 (Read Scripture Series)



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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 word that cuts

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts1-2; Psalm 119:153-176

TO CHEW ON: "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'" Acts 2:37

 Lydia Christensen was a 36-year-old Danish teacher who had it all—a great career, loving family, and a good man who wanted to marry her. But the Christmas of 1926 found her dissatisfied and searching for more.

Back in her apartment after celebrating with her family, she felt like reading and went to her bookshelf:

"I read off the names of the authors: Kierkegaard, Oenslaeger, Ibsen, Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy, Plato. I had read them, quoted them, lectured about them—but they offered me no answer now. At the extreme right of the top row, my eye rested on a plain volume bound in black. … For a moment I hesitated, then I reached up and pulled it down" - Appointment in Jerusalem, Derek & Lydia Prince, Kindle Location 409.

The book Lydia pulled down was a Bible. She had been required to read it for one of her college courses. Soon she was immersed in the story of Jesus from Matthew and then the Sermon on the Mount.

"At the fourth beatitude I suddenly caught my breath: 'Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Hunger and thirst … Could this be the very longing that I felt for something I could not express in words? Did I dare to apply these words to myself?" Ibid, KL 419.

Lydia did apply those words to herself and her life was changed that day. Her experience is just another example of the power of God's word which cut to the heart of the listeners in Acts (notice how much of Peter's sermon is Scripture quotes), and continues to impact people around the world.

I ask, am I opening myself to this enlightening (Psalm 119:105), burning, pulverizing (Jeremiah 23:29), growing (Acts 19:20), cutting (Hebrews 4:12) word? Are you?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the power of Your word. Help me to be guided, broken, cut,  molded, formed, disciplined, fertilized, encouraged, and challenged by it today. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 119:153-176

The Bible Project VIDEO: Acts - Part 1 (Read Scripture Series)





Quotes taken from Appointment in Jerusalem by Derek & Lydia Prince, Kindle Edition. Read my review of it HERE.




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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.

"Let us build"

TODAY'S SPECIAL:  Genesis 8-11

TO CHEW ON: "And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens, let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'" Genesis 11:4

On April 15, 2010  the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland began spewing its magma and ash clouds in earnest.  It took only a day until thousands of flights in Europe and America were grounded.

The ability of such a relatively small and commonplace natural event to impact the lives of millions of people on earth illustrates how fragile our life on planet Earth is and how out of human control. The systems which are the very foundations of our civilization are vulnerable. We've seen this before. Events like 9-11, computer viruses, physical plagues and pandemics, natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes bring proud human societies to their knees.

Humanism, a thought system that looks to and depends on  human wisdom for the answer to all of life's questions, is attractive to our proud, independent, ambitious human spirits. The seeds of this worldview were planted by Satan in Eden (Genesis 3:5). It was flowering nicely at the time of Babel (our reading today)and continues to proliferate till our time.  Dreams of reaching heaven by a building then have morphed into continuing attempts to defeat gravity, illness, even death. And human discoveries have led to innovations which benefit us all, impacting how we travel, communicate, and the length and comfort of our lives.  But despite all that, we humans are still not in control. God is.

He works in the lives of individuals  (Proverbs 16:9) and rulers (Proverbs 21:1). He can frustrate the plans of the wisest  (Isaiah 44:25) and control the destiny of nations (Jeremiah 18:7) He can punish oppressors and mete out justice (Isaiah 49:26). Nature is in His power (Job 26:5-14).

In view  of this, we may be tempted to take the opposite approach from the humanist and become passive, saying, What does it matter what I do? It's all controlled by God anyway.

Two scriptures come to mind. (Clicking on the linked words, below, takes you to the verse in four different translations.)

• Jesus told a story (Luke 19:12-26) of a man who lived passively . His master scolded and punished him when he found the man had done nothing with the money he had been given. It shows us that we will be held responsible for how we steward our talents and opportunities.

• James speaks about making plans (James 4:13-17). The upshot of his advice is - make plans but view them with realism and humility.    

PRAYER: Dear God, You have all power and might over nature and people. Help me to live realistically before You today, stewarding everything You have given me and acknowledging You as the source of it all. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY - Psalm 3

The Bible Project  VIDEO: Genesis 1-11 (Torah Series)



 
MORE: What do humanists believe?
The Humanist Manifestos are documents which outline the basic tenets of humanism.

Here is the original "Humanist Manifesto i," dated 1933. Its handling of religion and what religion means to the humanist is particularly interesting.

The most recent version, Humanist Manifesto iii, was revised in  2003.

What strikes me about the ideas in them is how familiar they are! Isn't this the worldview of science, education, and the media?

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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.

God will take it from here

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 40:18-31

 TO CHEW ON: "He gives power to the weak
And to those who have no might He increases strength." Isaiah 40:29

This chapter, that highlights in picturesque language God's cans, humankind's can'ts, His power, man's fragility, ends with a reminder of something we've all experienced—our exhaustion. It happens even to youths (Isaiah 40:30). God is the answer to this too.

Isaiah tells us the person who waits on God will be re-energized. That's how the NKJV renders it: "But those who wait on the Lord / Shall renew their strength..." - Isaiah 40:31. We get a picture of God, present and the supplicant waiting for His command or action. The NASB uses "for": "Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength..." We see someone waiting for God to arrive on the scene. Which is it?

The Amplified mixes the two together in its typically wordy and helpful way: "But those who wait for the Lord—who expect, look for and hope in Him—shall change and renew their strength and power…" - Isaiah 40:31 AMP.

So we hope and wait for Him to arrive and expect and look for His action (though He is present everywhere, so I suppose it's more a waiting to feel or sense His presence).

I believe one has to experience this to understand it. One way this has proved true in my life is when I take my hand off an exhausting situation, as in stop trying to control it so that it turns out the way I want it to.  It takes a lot of energy and worry and thought and focus to stay in control. As soon as I relinquish it to Him, I feel myself relax. With relaxation comes a sense of well-being and new energy. 

Another way this waiting on/for God works is to be tuned in to Him continually—not only in a crisis. My Thompson Chain Bible refers, beside verse 31, to a list of verses titled "Seven Attitudes for the Spiritual Life"—a great template for balance.

• Lying down for spiritual rest - Psalm 23:2.

• Sitting for instruction - Luke 10:39.

• Standing for warfare - Ephesians 6:14.

• Walking for fellowship - 1 John 1:7.

• Running for progress - Hebrews 12:1.

• Leaping for ecstasy - Acts 3:8.

• Mounting up for exaltation - Isaiah 40:31.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to give You all the things in my day, especially those that exhaust me when I try to handle them on my own. Amen.

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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 NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®,Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Exploring Jesus' authority

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 7:15-29

TO CHEW ON: “And so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”  Matthew 7:29

Oh, I wish I could have sat in on one of Jesus’ hillside lectures! Mathew puts his finger on at least one aspect of Jesus' appeal—the authority with which He taught. Our passage contrasts it to the scribes.

What was the scribe’s teaching like. The IVP New Testament Commentary says:

“Other Jewish teachers regularly cited earlier sages' opinions, and though later teachers sometimes came to regard their tradition as tantamount to God's Word, Jesus' contemporaries never would have claimed, like Jesus, that people would be judged according to how they treated their words.

With greater authority than the scribes who expound the law, greater authority than Moses who gave it (5:1), the authority indeed of the One who will judge humanity on the final day (7:21-23), Jesus declares God's word, and the people recognize that he speaks with authority unlike their other teachers” - IVP New Testament Commentary accessed through Biblegateway.com.

The word authority here is exousia. It means:
1. The power of choice - liberty of doing as one pleases.
2. Physical and mental power - the ability or strength with which one is endued.
3. The power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege).
4. The power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed.

The lexicon I used to look up exousia lists other places in the Bible this word is used. I checked out the ones from the gospels and have tried to pair the times Jesus claimed or showed this authority with the various definitions:

1. Power of choice:

“'Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.'" John 10:17,18

2. Physical or mental power, ability or strength:

"Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, 'What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out'" - Luke 4:36

3. Power of authority (influence) and right (privilege): 

"But 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 

"'For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man'" John 5:26,27.

4. Power of rule or government:

"Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
Jesus answered, 'You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin'” John 19:10,11

 Furthermore, Jesus gave His followers His authority:
- Over demons, disease and Satan’s power: 

"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases" Luke 9:1.

"'Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you'" Luke 10:19.

- At Jesus' ascension, on the strength of His authority He commissioned His followers—us—to use that authority:

 "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen"  - Matthew 28:18-20.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to experience Your authority coursing through me by the presence of the Holy Spirit to fulfill Your great commission. Amen.

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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.

When things seem too hard for God

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 18:1-15

TO CHEW ON: “‘Is anything too hard for the LORD?’” Genesis 18:4

I am right now aware of several circumstances that are difficult, even seem impossible. In the light of our focus verse “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”—a rhetorical question where the implied answer is ‘No, nothing is too hard for God’—I pray that God would intervene in these circumstances. I want Him to heal, restore function, reverse the effects of sickness and things gone wrong.

So far, though, He hasn’t. Does that mean these things are too hard for God, that there actually is something too hard for Him?

My go-to source for theological definitions defines God’s all-powerfulness (omnipotence):

“God’s omnipotence means God is able to all His holy will.” There are some things He will not do, however: lie - Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18; deny Himself - 2 Timothy 2:13; be tempted with evil - James 1:3. - from Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 216.

• Job confessed God’s omnipotence - Job 42:2.

• So did the psalmist - Psalm 115:3; 136:6.

• And Isaiah - Isaiah 43:13.

• Jesus Himself uttered the words “‘… with men this (a rich man entering the Kingdom of Heaven) is impossible but with God all things are possible’” - Matthew 19:26.

• However, there was one time when even Jesus’ request was denied. In Gethsemane before His crucifixion, He prayed, “‘Abba Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not what I will, but what You will’” - Mark 14:36.

God the Father didn’t remove “the cup”—suffering, crucifixion, bearing the sins of the world, separation from Himself, death—that Jesus requested. If God’s omnipotence means that He is able to accomplish all His holy will, then this “no” to Jesus was part of His holy will… and His “no” to us when we pray but don’t get the results we want, is also part of His holy will.

With our incomplete sight we keep praying, perhaps even as long as there is life and breath. Jesus did praise the persistent friend and told us to keep asking, seeking, knocking - Luke 11:5-13.

However, whatever the ultimate answer—no, wait, yes—we can have the confidence that all will work out, in time or eternity, for good because of God’s heart of love for us - 1 John 4:16-18, Romans 8:28-30.

PRAYER: Dear Father, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around You allowing people to go through things that appear to be nothing but evil. This is when I must truly walk by faith, not by sight. Amen.

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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.

Power for ALL

Stained glass window from 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church,
Moorhead MN.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 2:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:4


When someone gives you a job, in order for you to be successful it is important that you have the capability to carry it out. Thus Jesus gave the large assignment -- to spread around the world the good news of what He had done -- with a proviso. The disciples were to refrain from doing anything about it until God gave them the enabling. His instructions: "And you are witnesses of these things….but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Luke 24:49.

And so the disciples gathered in Jerusalem to wait -- for what? I'm sure they didn't know exactly. But when it came, they did know this was it. An interesting fact to note is that the Holy Spirit came, He came on all.

Holy Spirit was no stranger to the Jews. He had come upon and indwelt numerous people in the Old Testament.

The Holy Spirit came upon or lived in:

• Bezalel to give him wisdom and skill to design and create the Tabernacle and its furnishings - Exodus 31:1-5.

• Balaam, Ezekiel, and other Old Testament prophets to enable them to prophecy -- bless, curse, give the people messages from God, and predict future events - Numbers 24:2; Ezekiel 11:24,25; 2 Peter 1:21.

• Gideon, giving him courage and a plan by which to lead the people into battle - Judges 6:33-35.

• Samson  for exploits of physical strength needed to challenge and defeat the Philistines - Judges 14:6.

• King Saul giving him a new heart and a prophetic gift to prove it - 1 Samuel 10:6

• Simeon to enable him to wait with hope, and then recognize, announce and prophecy over Jesus - Luke 2:25-32.

Each of these indwellings was  given to accomplish a specific task. The people in general were not so empowered. But here, on the Day of Pentecost, all were filled. And the Holy Spirit's filling is still available to all.

That filling is not to give us spiritual thrills or make us feel good. It is empowerment for service just as it was in the Old Testament. And I would suggest that such infilling can enable in the same ways it did then, depending on the need of the task and of the moment. We can claim the Holy Spirit's infilling to give us a new heart. We can claim it for wisdom and skill in the arts. We can claim it for help in leading and governing, for words to say, for courage, even for exploits of physical strength. Let's claim the Holy Spirit's presence and empowering afresh for our life, work, and ministry today!


PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for Your availability to all. Help me to allow You to work in and through me today. Amen.

MORE: Pentecost Sunday - and  "Holy Spirit Rain Down" sung by Hillsong

Today is Pentecost Sunday. The liturgy for today begins with this collect:

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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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.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

A Holy Spirit drenching

Image: pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 1:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “‘For John truly baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” Acts 1:5

My pastor spoke on this passage two days ago (from when I’m writing this). What a happy ‘coincidence’!

One of the parts from his talk that sticks in my mind is the part about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

On Easter Sunday in our church, 50 people were water baptized in front of the congregation in two services (eight planned, 42 decided that day in church, when pastor gave the invitation and made available T-shirts, towels, dryers, etc.). So the image of people getting baptized is fresh in my mind. They start out dry, they end up drenched and dripping.

The baptism of the Spirit is like that. I love how pastor expressed it:

 “Being baptized is being soaked, saturated, drenched. Jesus told the disciples to wait to be soaked, saturated, drenched in the Holy Spirit. He wants you to get caught in the rain of the Spirit” - Rev. Derrick Hamre, in “Making Room for the Spirit.”

Where I live, we get lots of rain and I know what it’s like to get caught in it. It soaks your hair and trickles down your neck. It spots your glasses and makes your jeans clammy and cold. It even squishes into your socks and shoes. I ask myself, have I ever been so Spirit drenched?

An aspect of this baptism Pastor brought out is that it’s not salvation. We do receive the Holy Spirit when we ask Jesus into our lives and make Him Lord (Ephesians 5:1-21, specifically verse 18). But this Holy Spirit baptism experience is often (but not always) subsequent to salvation. It was for the disciples. Jesus had already breathed the Spirit on them (John 20:22) but here they were baptized. It was also a second experience for the new believers in Samaria (Acts 8:13-17). For Cornelius and his family, though, it occurred at the time they first believed (Acts 10:44-48).

Finally, we need to keep in mind the reason for this baptism. It’s not for spiritual thrills and chills but for power to carry out Jesus’ final assignment to us:

“‘But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’” Acts 1:8.

Let’s not get drawn into theological arguments over this Holy Spirit baptism (and I know there are many). Rather, let’s just read what Jesus says and be open to the Holy Spirit’s baptism of empowering as He came on the Christians in Acts—however and whenever He chooses.

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, I open my life to You today. Drench me, fill me, use me in any way You choose. Amen.

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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 changed man

Apostles Baptized with the Holy Spirit (From Treasures of the Bible).

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 2:22-39

TO CHEW ON: “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” Acts 2:37

Yesterday we read the end of Mark, where Jesus commissions His disciples to  spread the good news of all that has happened (Mark 16:15-18). Bible scholars believe that the book of Mark is Peter’s account of events surrounding the life and death of Jesus as told to his close companion John Mark (calls him “my son” in 1 Peter 5:13).

It’s interesting to contrast the fearful and foundation-rocked Peter of just before the crucifixion (Luke 22:31-34; 54-62) to the Peter we see here. In just over 50 days, in the interim never attending an hour of Bible school or Theology college, he is a changed man. Now he is confident, bold, articulate, insightful, absolutely clear about what all the events and happenings regarding Jesus mean, and how they fit into God’s plan revealed in the Old Testament. How does that difference come about?

I’m sure this new Peter is the result of what has just happened—the giving of the Holy Spirit baptism - Acts 2:1-14. Jesus had told the disciples to wait with carrying out their assignment of telling the gospel until after they had received the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:48,49). They had done so and it wouldn’t surprise me if the outcome shocked even them.

So much was available to the disciples and is available to us through the Holy Spirit:

• Given by Christ - Matthew 3:11.

• We can ask for Him - Luke 11:13.

• He is called Helper - John 14:16; 16:7.

• He gives power for witness and ministry - Acts 1:8.

• He gives unique abilities to prophesy and speak in other tongues - Acts 19:6.

• His anointing comes with downloads of knowledge (1 John 2:20,27) including what to say in dangerous situations (Luke 12:12; Mark 13:11) and an ability to remember Christ’s relevant words and teachings (John 14:26).

• He reassures us we are God’s children - Romans 8:16.

• He teaches and enlightens us in spiritual truth - 1 Corinthians 2:13.

This is only a partial list but we get the idea. It is through the Holy Spirit that Peter becomes an eloquent and bold speaker in a day and it is that same Spirit that accompanies, changes, and empowers us!

PRAYER: Dear Father, I ask for courage and faith to make more of myself available to Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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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 supernatural good-news life

Paul and the Viper*

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Mark 16:9-20

TO CHEW ON: " ' And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents, and if they will drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.' " Mark 16:17-18

What an incredible list of predictions Jesus makes here, of signs that will follow those who spread the gospel:

1. They will have power over the demonic realm (Mark 16:17).
Luke recounts an almost humorous incident showing the unique power that Jesus' followers have in this area. When some Jewish exorcists use the name of Jesus without the power of true faith in Him, the demon responds: "Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are you?" Then the possessed man beats up the exorcists - Acts 19:13-16.


2, They will have new powers of communication: " ' … speak with new tongues' " (Mark 16:17).
I understand this promise to involve more than only the glossolalia of the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). It is that for sure, i.e. the power to communicate in languages not learned. But I believe it is also the tongue used in private prayer and self-edification (1 Corinthians 14:2,4, 14-16). And, I would submit, we could also make a case for the new tongue including the tongue of boldness, so evident in the early Christians (Acts 4:31).

3. They will have remarkable protection (Mark 16:18).
The experience of Paul in the Island of Malta brings Jesus' words to life about protection from snakes (Acts 28:3-6). And to the protection stories from Acts we could add the testimony of Christians experiencing unusual protection through the centuries. In this department, I love the saying attributed to Henry Martyn: "I am immortal until God's work for me to do is done. The Lord reigns" (from Inspirational Quotes).

4. They will have unusual power to heal (Mark 16:18).
This comes true for the Apostles in Acts as we see them perform numerous healings, sometimes even raising people from the dead (Acts 3:7-11; 5:12-16; 9:3-9, 32-35, 39-42; Acts 14:8-18; 16:18; 20:8-12; 28:8-9).

The question I ask myself is, do these signs still follow the spread of the gospel today? Are these things our experience? Some have developed a hermeneutic which says the signs and wonders seen in Acts were only for that time. However the words we read today are attributed to Jesus. The evangelical church doesn't take His command to " ' preach the gospel to every creature' " as only for the apostolic time. So why do we often wave off the signs that confirm the gospel as meant exclusively for an earlier age?


PRAYER: Dear Lord, please confirm Your reality, power and word with signs and wonders again. Amen.

MORE: Modern prayer for spiritual awakening

Bible teacher Beth Moore has written an impassioned "Intercessory Prayer for Awakening." Read it HERE.

The Feast of St. Mark Evangelist.

Today the church celebrates the Feast of Mark the Evangelist, the author of the Gospel of Mark and today's Bible reading.

This Collect begins the day's liturgy:

 Almighty God, by the hand of Mark the evangelist you have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

* Illustration of "Paul and the Viper"
Illustration from Volume 10 of The Bible and its Story Taught by One Thousand Picture Lessons, edited by Charles F. Horne and Julius A. Bewer, published by Francis R. Niglutsch, New York, in 1910. Many of the original paintings were in color, but were published in this book in black and white.

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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.

You are kept

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 121:1-8

TO CHEW ON: “The LORD is your keeper…” Psalm 121:5

The action of God toward us in Psalm 121 is “keep.” This psalm is full of the reminder that God keeps His people.

[Keeps—shamar—means to keep, guard, observe, have charge of, protect, guard, watch.]


It occurs six times in Psalm 121, translated (in the NKJV) as keeps, keeper, and preserve - Psalm 121:3-5; 7-8.


[The word keep in English is a verb and a noun with a multitude of meaning shades. Some that are particularly appropriate for its use here are: "to hold or retain in one’s protection, hold as one’s own, to maintain, to make good on a promise, to keep watch, to have care, charge, or custody of, to guard and protect, to take care of."]

All that is what God promises to do for us and to be to us: our Keeper.

We are in the company: 

Of Jacob, to whom God said: “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go…” Genesis 28:15.

Of the disciples hearing the prayer of Jesus: “‘Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me …’” John 17:11.

Of the early church reading Paul’s encouraging letters and in them reminded:

* We are guarded by the peace that comes after we have offloaded our concerns on God in prayer - Philippians 4:6,7.

* We are kept from the evil one - 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

* Our lives, committed to Jesus, are kept by the One whose keeping power reaches into eternity - 2 Timothy 1:12; Jude 1:24.

* We are kept by the power of God - 1 Peter 1:5

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your promise to keep me. Help me to go through this day remembering that I am in Your custody. You hold, guard, protect, and care for me. Amen.

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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.

Fasting

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 17:14-27

TO CHEW ON: " ' However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.' " Matthew 17:21

How grieved the disciples must have been when Jesus called them a " 'faithless and perverse generation,' " though He did soften His scold a bit when He gave them an excuse for not being successful with the exorcism: "' However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.' "

This passage gives us some hints about what it takes to have real spiritual power:
Belief, which can be mustard-seed-small, but even in its smallness is genuine and persistent.

Prayer.

Fasting.

Of these three, fasting is the most mysterious to us. It is a spiritual practice we see a lot of in the Bible though.

• Moses fasted for the 40 days he was with God on Mt. Sinai. It's as if that was a given—such concentrated time in the presence of the LORD Himself was all the food and drink he needed - Exodus 34:28.

• Fasting was how people showed their respect for and grief over the death of Saul and Jonathan. Similarly David fasted over the death of General Abner - 2 Samuel 1:12; 3:35; 1 Chronicles 10:12.

• King David fasted when his and Bathsheba's first baby was deathly ill (though his fast didn't save the baby's life) - 2 Samuel 12:16.

• The Israelites fasted in repentance as they returned to God after a season of idolatry - 1 Samuel 7:6. They did this again in Nehemiah's time - Nehemiah 9:1.

• Ahab put on sackcloth and fasted after hearing Elijah's prophecy of calamity about to come on him and his descendants. As a result of him humbling himself like this, God sent Elijah back to tell him these curses would not come on him during his (Ahab's) lifetime - 1 Kings 21:27-29.

• Ezra fasted for the guilty people - Ezra 10:6.

• Esther, her personal servants, and all the Jews in Sushan fasted and prayed for favour before she went in to request an audience with the king - Esther 4:15,16.

• Saul fasted after he encountered Jesus on the Damascus Road - Acts 9:9.

• Cornelius, a Gentile, was in a time of fasting and prayer when an angel appeared to him with instructions to fetch Peter. As a result, Cornelius and his household were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit - Acts 10:30.

• The early church leaders fasted and prayed when seeking direction for their leaders - Acts 13:2,3; 14:23.

• We read of Jesus fasting only once for the forty days of his temptation in the wilderness - Luke 4:1,2.  But it seems He assumed fasting would be part of a person's spiritual practice, for He said to His disciples: " 'But you when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face…' " - Matthew 6:17 (emphasis added). And here He explained His power over the tormenting spirit by implying that He had prepared for this encounter beforehand by fasting.

The experience of Bible characters paints a compelling case for the practice of fasting, not to get our way but to demonstrate our sincerity before God and to position ourselves intentionally in the powerful realm of His will and purposes.

PRAYER: Dear God, You know how hard I find fasting. Help me to grow in this spiritual discipline. Amen.

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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 argument of power

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

TO CHEW ON: “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20

Does it seem to you that some folks are impervious to the gospel? No argument, no matter how logical or compelling, convinces them of the existence of God and His evaluation of and remedy for mankind.

If I’m understanding Paul correctly here, he is saying there is a way to conquer even such refusal to believe. It’s not with words, though, but with the power of God.

The Bible speaks often about the power of God. The references below are a few places. They give us an idea of the areas and ways God’s power has shown up in the past and may again.

1. Israel’s Chronicles historian told how historical figures, here David and a “man of God,” understood the rise and fall of nations to be due to God’s help or withdrawal of help - 1 Chronicles 29:12; 2 Chronicles 25:8.

2. The Spirit of the Lord gave the prophets the courage and power to rebuke sin - Micah 3:8.

3. Jesus’ life was characterized by the power of the Spirit - Luke 3:22; 4:14,15. The gospels are full of accounts of His teachings and miracles that repeatedly overcame unbelief.

4. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit descended on the disciples with physical sounds, sights, and manifestations - Acts 2:2-4.

5. That spiritual power was on display in the lives of the disciples, in their witnessing power, favour, miracles, and eventually, opposition - Acts 4:33; 6:7-15.

6. Paul prayed in his letter to the Ephesians that the power of God’s Spirit would strengthen his readers in the inner person - Ephesians 3:16.

7. Paul encouraged Timothy to use his spiritual gift to conquer fear and live in power, love, and a sound mind - 2 Timothy 1:17.

Does God still show up today in supernatural power, miracles, signs, and wonders? I believe He does. One example is in the dreams and visions of Jesus that many Muslims who come to faith tell about.

I am praying for the kingdom to come in supernatural power to some folks I know, who remain unmoved by words.  

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, may Your power flow in and through us as a means to convince a skeptical world of the kingdom of God and win them into it. Amen.

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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.

Word's power

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 1:1-20

TO CHEW ON: “He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” Revelation 1:16

This first chapter of Revelation has so many imagination-stirring images, it’s hard to pick just one. I’m going with what immediately jumped off the page at me on first reading this morning—John’s image of “One like the Son of Man,” focusing on what comes from His mouth.

It’s a two-edged sword - Revelation 1:16.

Where have we seen that before?

“For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” - Hebrews 4:12.

In this verse I’m snagged by another word: “word,” which brings to mind:

“In he beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth” - John 1:14.

So we’ve come full-circle back to Jesus, the word and glory of God (John 1:14 compared with Revelation 1:16).

Other Bible verses that elaborate on the God's word show us that it is:
- Like fire - Jeremiah 5:14; 23:29.
- Life-bringing - Ezekiel 37:7.
- Prevailing and victorious - Acts 19:20.
- Salvation bringing - Romans 1:16.
- Our spiritual weapon - Ephesians 6:17.
- The implement God will use to enforce His rule on the nations - Revelation 19:15.

How exciting to have access to something so powerful! But also, what a privilege and responsibility to accept and respond to that word sword’s piercing, dividing, thought-and-intention-discerning work on us now, in this age of grace.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please make me sensitive to Your piercing, probing, and discerning word on my thoughts, motivations, and actions. Amen.

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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.

Kingdom of Heaven primer

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 10:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "'And heal the sick there and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God has come near to you.'" Luke 10:9

If there is one subject of Jesus' teaching that is mysterious, fascinating and exciting all at once it is His teaching about the Kingdom of God. "The Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus' preaching," says a New Bible Dictionary article on the subject. It goes on to give an overview of the Kingdom of God (Heaven) as it spans history.

Though there are intimations of this kingdom in the Old Testament (borne out by their teaching of a deliverer, Messiah), it really comes into focus in the New. John the Baptist proclaims that the Kingdom is at hand - thus his emphasis on repentance, because God is coming as King to purify, sift, and judge (Matthew 3:1-12).

Jesus takes up the message from John adding to the repentance theme the aspect of salvation. He declares that the kingdom is already among them (Matthew 12:28). "His whole preaching and ministry are marked by this dominant reality. In Him the great future has already become 'present time.'" The Kingdom in his ministry is characterized by His casting out of demons (Luke 11:20), healing of sickness (our focus verse today) and actually breaks Satan's grip of control on this world (Luke 10:17,18).

But in Jesus' teaching, the Kingdom of God also has a future, mysterious, hidden aspect. In His parables (the whole purpose of which, He explains, is to teach about this Kingdom - Mark 4:10-12) the Kingdom is seed growing secretly, leaven, a tiny mustard seed, a hidden treasure, a pricey pearl (Mark 4:26-29; Luke 13:20,21; Mark 4:30-32; Matthew 13:44, 45, 46).

"Indeed the hiddeness of the kingdom is deeper still," says the Bible Dictionary entry. "The King Himself comes in the form of a slave….The Kingdom has come; the Kingdom will come. But it comes by the way of the cross before the Son of man exercises His authority over all the kingdoms of the earth (Matthew 4:8; 28:18) He must tread the path of obedience to His Father in order thus to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15)."

 And so the Kingdom has an ongoing history. The whole world is vulnerable to it (Matthew 13:38). It spreads to all nations (Matthew 28:19).

We in the church age are a part of it:

"The Church is the assembly of those who have accepted the gospel of the kingdom in faith, who participate in the salvation of the kingdom…. They are also those in whose life the kingdom takes visible form, the light of the world, the salt of the earth; those who have taken on themselves the yoke of the kingdom, who live by their king's commandments and learn from Him (bold mine).

The Church as the organ of the kingdom is called to confess Jesus as the Christ, to the missionary task of preaching the gospel in the world; she is also the community of those who wait for the coming of the kingdom in glory, the servants who have received their Lord's talents in prospect of His return. The Church receives her whole constitution from the kingdom..." New Bible Dictionary, Op. Cit.

Do you begin to see the bigness of this thing of which you and I are a part, yet still anticipating? It loads the phrases which we repeat so glibly from the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1-4): "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" with a weight of added meaning. It makes me want to give myself to kingdom pursuits with renewed passion, so that it could be said to those in my sphere of influence: "Know this, that the Kingdom of God has come near you."

PRAYER: Dear God, help my inadequate mind and spirit grasp the truth of Your kingdom. Help it to be evident in my life in wisdom, power, humility, love and all its manifestations. Amen.

All quotes taken from The New Bible Dictionary (Eerdmans, © 1962, reprinted 1979) pp. 693-695.

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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.

Ultimate authority

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 7:1-10

TO CHEW ON: " '…But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, "Go," and he goes; and to another "Come," and he comes; and to my servant "Do this," and he does it.'" Luke 7:7-8

We know intuitively that in order to get action on an issue—from better service in a store to a change n the laws of the land—we need to appeal to the people who have the authority to make those changes [authority - the right to command and to enforce obedience; the delegated right or power, authorization; the official or group having administrative control in a specific area].

In our story today, the servant of a Roman centurion begged Jesus, through Jewish friends of that centurion, to come to the home of his boss and heal his sick son. While Jesus was on the way, the centurion's friends came with a strange request. They asked Jesus, on behalf of their Roman friend, not to come, but instead to simply give the command to heal. The centurion's rationale: Just like he (a Roman solder with rank) had the power and authorization to get things done by simply commanding the soldiers under him, so he recognized that Jesus had authority over sickness: "Just say the word and my servant will be healed" he said. 

Jesus was impressed. This Gentile Roman soldier recognized something that evaded the Jews and especially their leaders. The Gospel writers got it though. Their writings are full of the many aspects of Jesus' authority:

• They reported that Jesus taught with authority (Mark 1:22).

• He took authority over crowds  and activities in the temple (Matthew 14:19; Matthew 21:12).

• He commanded evil spirits with authority (Luke 4:36).

• He demonstrated His authority over nature by stilling storms, multiplying food, healing people from sickness, and even raising them from the dead (Mark 4:37-39; Matthew 14:19-21; Mark 2:8-12; Luke 7:11-15).

• He had authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6).

• Jesus was aware of and declared His authority, as did God the Father (Matthew 28:18; Mark 9:7).

• The exciting part of all this is that we are implicated in Jesus' authority. On the basis of His authority, He sends us out to fulfill His great and final assignment (Matthew 28:18-20).

In the light of all this, two questions come to mind:

1. Do you and I recognize His authority over all the areas in which He demonstrated and declared that He had/has it? Do we really believe He has authority over nature, sickness, death? Do we claim His authority over sin and dark spiritual forces?

2. Do we let His authority operate in and through us? Do we speak, pray, and minister with authority?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, You have all authority in heaven and earth. Help me to live every day under Your authority and as an agent of Your authority. Amen.

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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.

Jesus exalted--what that means to us

Exalted Jesus - church in Montaicino, Italy (Image: pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ephesians 1:15-23

TO CHEW ON: "He [God] raised Him [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." Ephesians 1:20,21

In describing how highly Jesus was exalted, Paul didn't leave any area uncovered.

Jesus' exaltation:

• Seated Him at God's right hand in heaven.

• Placed Him not just above but "far above all principality and power and might and dominion."

My Bible's notes explain that the above four (principality, power, might, and dominion) "…are consistently used for ruling authorities in both the visible and invisible realms. See Ephesians 3:10. The NT reveals an invisible hierarchy of evil powers who deceive and manipulate human behavior thereby advancing satanic strategies" - Jack W. Hayford, study notes on Ephesians, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1646.

• Exalted Him far above every name that is named.

Name (onoma) means name or term by which a person is called and all that the name implies of rank, authority, reputation, and representative.

• His exalted state applies in every generation, and beyond this life i.e. it never changes ("… not only in this age but also in that which is to come" - Ephesians 1:21).

• He is the head of the church, currently His body on earth - Ephesians 1:22,23.

In context, this grand statement of Jesus' position is part of Paul's prayer for his readers. He prays that they will understand these truths and the power available to them as a result (Ephesians 1:18,19).

This is a prayer that needs to be answered in each new generation. We in the 21st century need to grasp and claim the extent and benefits of Christ's work and current exalted state for our generation as much as Paul's readers did for theirs.

Do we understand that there are no new governments or military powers, including the demonic entities behind them, that supersede Jesus' power? His power is far above that of ISIS, or any repressive regimes, or our own more benign democracies that have taken a satanically inspired direction in legalizing death (abortion and euthanasia), celebrating sexual deviance, encouraging drug use, etc.

What do we do in the meantime, while it looks like those principalities, powers, and dominions are winning? At least two things:

1. Put on God's armor so we can stand against the spiritual forces behind these developments - Ephesians 6:10-13.

2. By faith encourage ourselves and each other with the facts - Ephesians 1:21,22.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, though Paul's statement of Your exaltation may sometimes seem like wishful thinking, please answer the earlier part of Paul's prayer in me by giving the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and opening the eyes of my understanding about You. Amen.
 
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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.

Dominion

"He shall have dominion also from sea to sea" - 

words from Zechariah 9:10 are carved 

into Canada's Peace Tower, in Ottawa, Ontario

Image: werner22brigitte / pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zechariah 9:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "... He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth." Zechariah 9:10

Who is the "He"  and "His" Zechariah talks about here? The answer is just above today's verse in Zechariah 9:9:

"Behold your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey."

Immediately we see the scene of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. And we realize it's Jesus, Messiah, who Zechariah is talking about. He is the One with the dominion.

[Dominion - moshal means sovereignty, jurisdiction, rulership. Moshel (noun) comes from mashal (verb) that means to rule, govern, reign, have dominion, exercise authority. "This verb conveys the thought of a strong and sovereign ruling over one's subjects" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1258.]

The extent of Christ's past, present, and future dominion are spoken of in other places in the Old and New Testaments.

• The prediction of Messiah's dominion is not original with Zechariah. The exact same words are found in Solomon's prayer of Psalm 72:8.

• His rule comes from Zion and the psalmist invokes victory over enemies through it - Psalm 110:2.

• Isaiah's prophecy again corroborates that this ruler is Jesus:

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given. And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6 (see also John 3:35).

• Isaiah also speaks of this governance going on forever - Isaiah 9:7 (see also Daniel 4:3).

• This Messiah rule is powerful, done with a "strong hand" - Isaiah 40:10.

• His dominion is international, everlasting, and indestructible - Daniel 7:14.

• It is a rule that brings and enforces peace (our focus verse - Zechariah 9:10).

• While He was on earth, Christ showed that He had power over nature - Matthew 8:27.

• He had power over sickness and disease (and commissioned His disciples with power to heal) - Matthew 10:1.

• He also had power over unclean spirits - Mark 1:27.

• He has dominion over the church - Ephesians 1:22.

• He is now seated at the right hand of God where heaven's citizens, its authorities and powers, are subject to Him - 1 Peter 3:22.

Let's keep this picture of Christ's ultimate dominion in mind as we hear and watch our seemingly out-of-control world on the daily news, and experience firsthand the devastation of the fall (Genesis 3:14-19).


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, these predictions of Your ultimate dominion over everything give me hope and security in a world that sometimes feels doomed and dangerous. Help me to live with an alive expectation of Your dominion. Amen.

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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.

We don't know, but God does

Happy New Year! 

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 40:20-31

TO CHEW ON: "Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable." Isaiah 40:28

As we enter the new year, there is so much we don't know. We don't know what the economy will do or whether interest rates and the prices of oil, gold, and commodities will rise or fall. We don't know what weddings, births, and funerals will take place in our families. We don't even know if we ourselves will last the year or, indeed, this day!

When we focus on life's uncertainties it's easy to tie ourselves into knots of anxiety. That's a good time to look to the One who does know all of the above and more. The Bible tells us God knows:

• Our pre-born state - Psalm 139:15-16.
• Our ways—all of our physical movements - Psalm 139:3; Jeremiah 23:24.
• What we need and how to supply it - Matthew 6:8, 32-33.
• Our thoughts - Jeremiah 17:10.
• Our motives - Proverbs 16:2; 1 John 3:20.
• Our secrets - Psalm 44:21; Daniel 2:22.
• Our anxieties - Psalm 139:23
• Our words - Psalm 139:4.
• The mind and intentions He Himself (via the Holy Spirit) has toward us - Romans 8:27.
• How to "hedge" us in (I take that as protect us—from others, from ourselves, from life's circumstances) - Psalm 139:5-6.
• Our sins - Psalm 69:5.
• Our lifespan - Psalm 139:16.

Our focus verse describes God's knowledge as "unsearchable"!

Of this all-knowing God, Isaiah says:

"He gives power to the weak
And to those who have no might He increases strength…
Those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint" - Isaiah 40:31.

In the face of the uncertainties of 2016, let's choose to trust in Him as our ever-watchful guide and source of power in the days ahead.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the dawn of another year. Help me to face its uncertainties with my hand in Yours. Amen.

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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.