A wedding made in heaven

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 21:1-21

TO CHEW ON: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God.” Revelation 21:9,10

Imagery of God taking a bride is present already in the Old Testament. The book Song of Solomon—a celebration of married love all the way through—is interpreted on one level as “… the covenant love relationship enjoyed by God’s church” Donald Pickerill, “Introduction to the Song of Solomon,” New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 860.

Isaiah prophesied a time when the relationship of God and His people would resemble a marriage. About Zion (Jerusalem) he said:

“For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you” - Isaiah 62:5.

Bride imagery comes to us again through Jesus. When John the Baptist’s disciples came to Him and asked Him why His disciples didn’t fast while they and the Pharisees did, Jesus’ answer (“‘Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and they they will fast’” - Matthew 9:15) implied that He was the Bridegroom and was not going to be around forever.

John the Baptist also recognized Jesus as the bridegroom. When people came to him (John) wanting a reaction to Jesus’ success at attracting crowds, John said, “‘He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled’” - John 3:29,30.

Paul picked up this imagery in his letters. In writing to the church in Rome, he spoke of their life of faith in Christ:

“Therefore my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead…’” - Romans 7:4.

And to the Corinthian church he wrote:

“For I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” - 2 Corinthians 11:2.

Finally, in Revelation, John had several visions that included brides, weddings and wedding feasts. Among them is the vision of Revelation 19:7,8  when he heard the multitudes of heaven proclaim:

“‘Let us be glad and rejoice to give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

And then we have the beautiful image in our passage of Jerusalem, descending from heaven like a bride - Revelation 21:2,9,10.

Several thoughts come to mind in response to this:

1. The Christian community’s outrage at changes in society’s definition of marriage is easily understood in the light of the sacred covenant and union marriage symbolizes in the Bible. It’s one of the reasons some of us will never give in to demands that we change our stand on this.

2. The beauty and purity of the Bride, as pictured here, is a challenge to each one of us to keep ourselves ready, dressed in that “fine linen clean and bright,” our wedding garment, gifted and made possible through the shed and cleansing blood of our Bridegroom.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to live in a spirit of repentance and purity, always aware of whose I am. 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.

Crossroad event

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 4:12-26

TO CHEW ON: “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.” Matthew 4:12

The news of John’s death seems to have been a turning point, a watershed, a crossroad moment for Jesus. Look at how many changes He made following that incident:

1. He moved residences, left Nazareth to live in Capernaum - Matthew 4:13.

2. He focused His message to “'Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'” - Matthew 4:17.

3. He began choosing disciples - Matthew 4:18-22.

4. His presence, with its powerful message accompanied by healing virtue, attracted crowds and He began regularly to minister to the multitudes - Matthew 4:23-25.

It’s almost as if the death of John woke Him up to the life-and-death nature of His own mission. That incident seemed have been a catalyst, launching Him into living out His own destiny.

I ask myself, have I been similarly awakened—have you:
- to the fragility, unpredictability, and brevity of life?
- to the seriousness of living as a child and heir of the kingdom Jesus preached?
- to the possibility that such an awakening might mean changes in day-to-day living, in how we spend our time, where, and with whom?

What might it take to wake us up to these things? A serious illness? A brush with death? The death of friends and family members? Or…?

If and when that moment comes, am I, are we prepared to make the changes God might show us need to be made?


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to face the realities of life, death, and what really matters, as it seems You did when You were on earth. May I be courageous to make any changes You reveal to 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.

The kingdom we long for

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 8:21-9:7

TO CHEW ON: “Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom
To order and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:7

Yesterday was the inauguration of the new president of the United States, Donald Trump. I don’t have to tell anyone how controversial he and the process of choosing him has been. I’ve heard America described, since this election, as two nations. In other words, it’s seriously divided. Many view this new presidency with hope; many others with despair.

As someone who lives in another democracy (Canada) I know how we as citizens take seriously our responsibility to cast our votes and do what we have the privilege of doing to the best of our ability. I too have experienced the frustration of my chosen candidate losing and the joy of of him or her winning.

But even the best of leaders by our judgement will fall short of the ideal. They’ll fudge on their pre-election promises. They’ll be thwarted by those who oppose them. Sometimes they’ll be caught in scandal. At other times, circumstances and world events will impact what they plan to do.

What a contrast to the leader described in our passage—the Child and Son whose government will embody wonder, wise counsel, God’s endorsement, peace. A government enforced by the very zeal of God.

Is this picture in Isaiah just a romantic ideal, as some would say—a fanciful paradise, imaged metaphoric perfection? Or is it a real future event we can look forward to? I believe the latter.

PRAYER: Dear King Jesus, I anticipate a time the government will be on Your shoulders, when You, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace will rule with perfect judgment and justice. 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 church's personality

Detail from a church in Elora ON (V.Nesdoly)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation :1-17

TO CHEW ON: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Revelation 2:7, 11, 17


Those of us who have attended a variety of churches know that they have personalities as defined as any person’s. These church personalities come about because of various forces. The three letters to the churches in Revelation 2:1-17 and beyond illustrate what some of these forces are:

Location: The church at Pergamos was known to dwell “… where Satan’s throne is.” - Revelation 2:13.

Leadership: John scolded the weak leadership of Thyatira for allowing an evil Jezebel prophetess to teach and influence the congregation - Revelation 2:20.

History: The church at Smyrna had a history of tribulation, poverty, and persecution - Revelation 2:9.

Culture: The church at Ephesus had a culture of untiring work, patience, and holiness - Revelation 2:2,3.

Doctrine: The church of Pergamos tolerated bad doctrine - Revelation 2:14,15.

Let’s look at these aspects of our own churches as we seek to understand them, join ourselves to them, and represent them to the world.

• Where a church is located physically—town, city, country, near a university, in the middle of a factory town etc.—and the spiritual climate of that place will have a huge effect on what kind of a church it is. (Imagine belonging to a church like Pergamos, known to be situated in a hotbed of satanic activity!)

• A church with strong leaders that guard the congregation against false teachers will differ from one where leadership is easily persuaded and permissive. For Thyatira John prophesied sickness and death as God’s discipline for tolerating this false teacher - John 2:22,23

• A church’s history—the stories of its founding, growth, even its building, do much to determine its outlook. It sounds like the persecution Smyrna had gone through in the past had left a residue of fear in the congregation - Revelation 2:10.

• The culture of a church is often more caught than taught. It can easily become automatic and emotionless, as we follow along to fit in. It seems that may have been the case in Ephesus where the church had a reputation for good but the love had been squeezed out of its good actions - Revelation 2:4.

• The doctrine of a church—what it teaches as truth about God, the Bible etc.— may well be what draws us to a particular denomination and its neighborhood representative. I believe that must remain a foundation for us. We must not let a church’s other good qualities—its closeness to our home, its friendliness, its history, its beautiful building, overshadow our desire to be part of a congregation where truth is taught.

Let’s evaluate our churches objectively and compassionately with a view to understanding them, and helping to make them bodies that a modern John would praise and encourage.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for my church. Help me to understand it, pray for it, and take my place in 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.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus asking Peter who He is - Matt. 16

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 16:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' " Matthew 16:16


Peter's confession of who Jesus was is classic in its simplicity, directness, and boldness. Author Matthew relates it in the chapter that follows Jesus'  feeding of four thousand (Matthew 15:32-39) and another sparring match between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:1-4). When Jesus and His disciples were alone again, Jesus warned them, " 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees' …" (Matthew 16:6).

The disciples puzzled over what He meant. Was He referring to the fact that on this particular day they'd forgotten to pack bread for lunch?

I can just see Jesus giving a bit of an eye roll and saying (in my words), "You've just seen me feed crowds of people. I can take care of you in the physical bread department. It's the leaven of bad doctrine I'm talking about" (Matthew 16:8-11).

What was the bad doctrine? Legalism and strict adherence to tradition by the Pharisees, and materialism and refusal to acknowledge the supernatural by the Sadducees (J. Lyle Story, Study notes on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1320).

Peter's answer to Jesus' question: "'Who do men say that I am?'" would have scandalized both parties.  When he said, "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" he acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah (Christ) that every Israelite was longing for, and as supernatural i.e. God (Son of the Living God).

I can just imagine Jesus' smile of congratulations. Yes, Peter, you got it!

Jesus then said two more important things to Peter:
1. God showed you this (Matthew 16:17).
2. Your realization comes with a responsibility and mission (Matthew 16:18,19).

Our relationship with Jesus starts in the same way as Peter's, by acknowledging Jesus for who He is—the fulfillment of the world's need of a Messiah and Savior from our sin. After we've found Him, there's no more need to go seeking after someone else to follow, to pattern our lives on, to do life with.

Like Peter, for us this "aha" moment is also engineered by God and communicated in ways as various as we are individuals.

After we've recognized Jesus and crowned Him king of our hearts and lives, we too have a responsibility. We're partners with Peter and every other believer across the ages in building Jesus' church and doing the "binding and loosing" work of His Kingdom.

What a heritage! What a responsibility!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to recognize and acknowledge Your presence in my everyday life. Help me to give my life to Kingdom work. Amen.

MORE: Confession of St. Peter

Today the church celebrates Peter's confession in the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter. The day's liturgy begins with this Collect:

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for 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.

What is our "one thing"?

Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 27:1-14

TO CHEW ON: “One thing have I desired of the LORD,
That I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD
And to inquire of His temple.” Psalm 27:4

In this month of examining our lives, taking stock of where we are and where we want to go (spiritually, physically, socially, and in our work) the “One thing” declaration of David's has a familiar ring. Without the prompting of a life coach, he has formulated his priorities, summed up in the flag-plant: “One thing have I desired of the LORD … / That I may dwell in the house of the LORD / All the days of my life.”

I’m going to assume that in his statement, the “house of the LORD” wasn’t literal—that he didn’t want to move into the temple physically and live there for the rest of his life. So if not that, what?

Some things David may have had in mind when he made this one thing wish:

• That he would continually sense and be aware of God’s presence.

• That he would be surrounded, wherever he was, with a sense of God’s beauty. The word “holy” comes to mind here—that word that means “set apart, separate.” In the atmosphere of God’s beauty, perhaps he felt separated from from the ugliness, damage, pain, and hurt of sin.

• That he would live with a sense of being in God’s family with its legacy and inheritance.

When we’re in someone’s house we catch glimpses of their experiences, history and what they value. Recently, for example, we visited friends who have worked for Wycliffe. On their walls were craft pieces depicting life in Asia. Also there, we saw photos of their daughter who recently died of cancer, and a quilt hanging made of her T-shirt fronts with their diverse sayings.

Similarly when we live intimately with God we remind ourselves of His story, of the way He has designed life to work best, and we choose to fill the atmosphere with good things--the fragrance of kind encouraging words, the music of praise, worship, and devotion, declarations that are positive and faith-filled.

• That he would always have a sense of God’s availability to advise him and direct his way, so he could “...inquire in His temple.”

This psalm prompts me to ask, what “One thing” would I desire of the Lord this year? What about you? Would it in any way resemble to “dwell in the house of the Lord?”

PRAYER: Dear Father, it is good for me to pare my wishes down to “one thing.” Please give me more days of living in Your house. 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.

Pursue unity

Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Corinthians 1:1-17

TO CHEW ON: “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

I was recently followed on Twitter by a religious entity which, when I checked into it, appeared to be a cult. On their website was a video where people—all the same race and dressed alike except for the color of their clothes—were seated at desks placed in perfectly straight and parallel rows, smiling robotically as they read their Bibles.

I don’t think this is the kind of unity Paul is talking about here. In fact, in another place in this very letter he acknowledges differences among Christians:

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are differences of ministries but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.” - 1 Corinthians 12:4,5,6 (emphasis added). 

Later in 1 Corinthians 12 he uses an easy-to-understand metaphor for the church, comparing it to the human body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We know how that only works well when all its diverse members work together.

So what kind of unity is Paul taking about here when he says they should be: “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment”?

I appreciate the application Leslyn Musch suggests for this verse:

“Intentionally pursue unity within the body of Christ. Do not give place to divisions or competition. Honor others, seek to be like-minded and recognize Jesus as the common ground for unity” - Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action-Through 1 Corinthians," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, 1607 (emphasis in the original).

Notice the verbs Musch uses, reminding us that this unity doesn’t just happen but is intentional and takes effort. We need to to “pursue” unity. We refuse to (“do not”) entertain thoughts of division and competition. We “honor” others, try (“seek”) to understand them, and in it all “recognize” Jesus as the basis for our unity. Of course if His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, lives in each one of us, we have a synchronized inner guide that should cause us to be consistently united. Why it doesn’t always work out that way is a topic for another time.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to put this pursuit of unity into practice in my life—at home, at church, and as a member and representative of the church to the secular world around 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.

Israel—a land in waiting

Jerusalem (Image: Pixabay)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 49:14-26

TO CHEW ON: “… your walls are continually before Me … For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me” - Isaiah 49:16b, 23b

On December 27th the United Nations Security Council passed its latest resolution against Israel—passed because the U.S., which has in the past supported Israel by vetoing such resolutions, chose to abstain from voting.

The result has been a war of words between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Israelite President Benjamin Netanyahu, and others.

The resolution is one of twenty the U.N. has adopted against Israel this year while passing just four for the rest of the world (one each for North Korea, Syria, Iran, and Russia). It seems obvious that anti-Semitic sentiments are again surfacing, indeed flourishing internationally.

In the context of the above, I find the prophecies in today’s passage reassuring. The first part of Isaiah 49 promises salvation for the Gentiles through God’s Servant (yesterday’s reading). Continuing on, God assures “Zion” (Jerusalem) who laments, “‘The LORD has forsaken me, / And my Lord has forgotten me”— that NO. God remembers like a mother remembers her child and "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands" - Isaiah 49:15,16.

God’s promises to Israel in Isaiah 49 include:

• “Your walls are continually before Me” - Isaiah 49:16. This promise brings to mind a particularly onerous part of the recent U.N. resolution that labels Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem including the Western Wall as illegal. This assures us that God is up-to-the-minute aware.

• Victory over their enemies - Isaiah 49:17,18.

• Adequate space to live - Isaiah 49:19.

• Population growth - Isaiah 49:20.

• International respect and obeisance - Isaiah 49:22,23.

• God Himself as their defender - Isaiah 49:25.

What specific events loom in the immediate future for Israel are impossible to predict, though I don’t have a good feeling in light of prophecies such as all nations against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2) and other predictions of terrible trouble ahead for her (Zechariah 13:8,9; Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21,22). But I know in the end, victory for Israel is sure because God keeps His promises!

PRAYER: Dear Father of Gentiles and Jews, I pray for the land of Israel (in waiting to realize her ultimate destiny), her people, her leaders and for the peace of Jerusalem. 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 Gentile's light

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 49:1-13

TO CHEW ON: “Indeed, He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,

That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6

Here, way back in Isaiah, God states His intention to make a way for all people on earth to be saved from the death penalty of their sin. It will be through His Servant—who we believe is Jesus.

The old saint Simeon recited some of Isaiah 49:6 when he took baby Jesus in His arms and blessed Him on the day of His presentation:

“‘For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.’” - Luke 2:30-32.

Still, the realization that Gentiles were included in God’s plan made a lot of waves in the early church. When the Holy Spirit fell on those assembled at the house of Gentile Cornelius,

“… those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also” - Acts 10:45.

Paul and Barnabas also recited this Isaiah prophecy as proof of God’s plan when the Jews in Antioch became envious over the multitudes of Gentiles who heard the Gospel:

 “ ‘For so the Lord has commanded us:”I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.”’” -  Acts 13:47.

And Paul continued to boldly explain God’s plan to include all people till the end of the account of his ministry:

“Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!”  - Acts 28:28.

As a Gentile, I am eternally grateful that God’s plan includes me—that verses like John 3:16 truly apply to “the world” and mean “whoever.”

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only-begotten [unique] Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish—come to destruction, be lost—but have eternal (everlasting) life” - John 3:16 AMP (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus to die for all mankind, that salvation is available for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. 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)

Trial template

"David Lifting Up His Soul to God"
by Franco dei Russi - The Getty Trust

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 40:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God." - Psalm 40:17


The editors of my Bible have helpfully summed up this psalm with the title "Faith Persevering In Trial." So we know that trial will be one of its subjects. In it the writer (David) talks about two aspects of trial:

I - He shows us what a trial looks and feels like. According to David a trial feels:

• Like it's going on too long. "I waited patiently … make haste to help me … Do not delay" He says (Psalm 40:1, 13, 17).

• Disorienting, dangerous, life-threatening. David calls it a "horrible pit" and "miry clay" (Psalm 40:2). He's in the dark. I imagine him feeling helpless and terrified as quicksand sucks him downward. He fears for his life (Psalm 40:14).

• Evil. He senses evil all around him and searches his own heart; maybe the evil within him is to blame for this trouble (Psalm 40:12).

II - He shows us how to bring God into our trial.

• He cries out to God until he gets a sense that God is with him. He uses the image of God setting his feet on a rock (out of that miry clay - Psalm 40:2).

• He praises and sings (Psalm 40:3-4).

• He focuses on God's creativity and "wonderful works" (Psalm 40:5).

• He re-commits himself to God (Psalm 40:6-8).

• He testifies in church (the "great assembly" - Psalm 40:9-10).

• After again giving in to feelings of despair, desperation, and panic (Psalm 40:11-15) he refocuses on God. He makes God big: "The Lord be magnified," even though in the last verse plummets us down to earth and trouble's reality again: "But I am poor and needy … Do not delay, O my God" (Psalm 40:16-17).

Though some of what David says in this psalm makes it seem like his trial has already passed, sprinkled throughout are reminders that he's still in the middle of it (Psalm 40:1, 13, 17). I would suggest that the things David does to bring God into the middle of his trial are things we can do too. We don't have to wait for trials to pass to sense God's presence, to praise Him, to testify to others and, if we find our thoughts again slipping into fear, to pull our focus back to God, who will also be our "help" and "deliverer."

May this psalm be our template as we go through trials of our own.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for David's honesty as he describes what he's going through. What a wonderful example hs is of someone changing his focus from trouble to God. Help me to do that with big and little things that come against me. Amen. 

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

The Lord of storms

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 29:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “The LORD sits enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever.
The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:10,11

In Psalm 29 God is pictured as a storm-bringer. There is noise: “thunder” and a powerful “voice.” There is destruction: the storm “breaks the cedars” and makes them “skip.” It “shakes the wilderness” and even causes the deer to give birth prematurely.

The writer of my Bible’s notes says about this passage:

“Poetically the psalmist refers to an earthquake or thunderous quake in the Lebanon mountain range and at Sirion (Mt. Herman) which splinters the biggest trees, the mighty cedars, as if they were matchsticks” - K.R. Iverson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 707.

What interests me about this storm, though, is the way the psalmist (David) sees God through it. He sees God not as pagan peoples did—a deity who needed to be placated to stop the storm (Jonah 1:4,5,6)—but as lord over it, commanding it.

We can conclude David trusted God, even His stormy side, because of the way he ended this psalm:

“The LORD will give strength to His people.
The LORD will bless His people with peace” - Psalm 29:11.

I ask myself can I, can we learn to trust God in storms—the physical and the circumstantial—like that? Do we still believe in Him, in His love, righteousness, and justice toward us when the house is torn apart in a hurricane or when our lives are torn apart by cancer, a stroke, or heart attack? It’s easy to proclaim to someone else: “The Lord will give you strength and peace.”  But how does one actually experience it?

Perhaps one way is to prepare to trust Him in big storms by building our trust muscles now, as we exercise them in the little storms we face each day.

PRAYER: Dear Father, these sentiments—God will give you strength and peace—are easy to speak when I’m in the calm. Help me to grow in trust as I lean on You daily in the small storms that come my way. 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.

Getting God's direction

"Flight Into Egypt" by Gustave Doré

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 2:13-23

TO CHEW ON: “But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.” Matthew 2:22

On Christmas Eve we watched a movie called “The Nativity.” Watching it I was impressed with how earth-shattering the events of the incarnation must have been to Mary, Joseph, and their families.

After an angel convinced Joseph of Mary’s purity and he took Mary as his wife, Jesus as his son, much rested on his shoulders. At least three times he had to break with routine so that Jesus would be safe—rush off in the middle of the night, move to a foreign country, move back home, but to which home (Matthew 2:13-14, 19-20, 22)?

We who know the whole story probably don’t appreciate the weight on his shoulders. Was that dream I just had a word from God or the result of my over-active imagination? Is my uneasiness at returning to Judea justified or am I being paranoid?

God directed Joseph, yes sometimes through voice and dream communication but also through his human emotions and intuition. It’s the same way I believe He directs us.

Even when we’re not sure which path to take, He is there, as He has promised (“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; / I will guide you with My eye” - Psalm 32:8).

He leads, sometimes in ways as obvious as an angel visit or a voice (”Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,/ “This is the way, walk in it,”/ Whenever you turn to the right hand/ Or whenever you turn to the left” - Isaiah 30:21).

At other times His leading is as subtle as that almost imperceptible check inside us we call “fear,” or “this is right,” or “just take the next step”  (“I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; / I will lead them in paths they have not known. / I will make darkness light before them, / And crooked places straight. / These things I will do for them, / And not forsake them.” Isaiah 48:17).

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for my mind, emotions and experience that work together with Your word and presence to give me guidance. 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.

No barriers

Cornelius - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 10:30-48

TO CHEW ON: "And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on Gentiles also." Acts 10:45.


Here Peter is at the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Under ordinary circumstances that's the last place you'd expect to find him. But on this day, after seeing a vision and being summoned by Cornelius's servants because of his vision (Acts 10:9-16 & 3-7), he is convinced that this is a divine mission.

He has just finished explaining about Jesus and how "'… whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins'" when it happens: "… the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word" - Acts 10:44.

How do they know? They hear them speak with tongues and magnify God, just as it had happened on the day of Pentecost for Peter and the believers in that upper room (Acts 10:46).

The incredible thing to these onlookers (the Jewish "brethren from Joppa" who went with him - Acts 10:23) is that God has bestowed Himself on Gentiles in this way. It blows their idea of God's plan all to pieces.

Even Peter who earlier linked Joel's prophecy ("I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh - Joel 2:28) with the initial out-pouring of the Spirit  (Acts 2:16-21) seems taken aback. But he is open to affirming this paradigm shift. For he suggests that there's no reason why these new believers can't be baptized (Acts 10:47).

In our day after a couple thousand years of living with the idea of the Gentiles included in God's plan, the incredulity of these early Jewish believers seems almost humorous. But I would submit we still have, in our minds, some Jew-Gentile-type barriers.  These aren't based on race but other things like intelligence, education, the lifestyle a person has lived or the sins he or she has committed.

Does God really call, forgive, save everyone? Can the Holy Spirit indwell and empower someone who is mentally challenged? Someone with minimal education (who, say, can't even read)? What about the person who comes to Jesus after having a sex change, or is a repentant thief, pornographer, or child serial killer?

Whatever barriers we have erected towards some of these groups, the Bible doesn't support them. It tells us over and over, God's grace is for everyone.

• "Look to Me and be saved, All you ends of the earth…" Isaiah 45:22.

•  "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters …" Isaiah 55:1.

• "… as many as you find, invite to the wedding" - Matthew 22:9.

• "'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink'" - Jesus in John 7:37.

• "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him" - Romans 10:12.

• "… who desires all men to be saved" - 1 Timothy 2:4.

• "Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely" - Revelation 22:17.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your invitation to ALL. Help me to demolish any barriers I might have toward people of any kind. May I see them all as candidates to receive Your saving grace and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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 Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture 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.

Could goals be an idol?

Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 42:14-25

 TO CHEW ON: “They shall be turned back,
They shall be greatly ashamed,
Who trust in carved images,
Who say to the molded images
‘You are our gods.’” Isaiah 42:17.

This section of Isaiah 42, says my Bible’s study notes, is a “… lament looking back on the disobedience that led to God’s judging anger. The fundamental problem leading to the judgments was trust in carved images (Isaiah 42:17)” - Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible notes on Isaiah, p. 992.

Here at the beginning of a new year, the internet is full of hints on how to make resolutions that we’ll keep and goals that we’ll accomplish. The pristine calendars of 2017 ooze with optimism. So much could fill their pages!

For me there is in this a temptation to a 21st century brand of idolatry—not of the worship of molded images but of the worship of oneself—one’s own abilities, determination, agenda, 5-year-plan, productivity.

Now I’m not against writing down resolutions and goals for the new year. But I must always guard against making them and the accomplishing of them the main thing. I realize that what must trump them for me is the willingness to change all, or maybe not to make them in the first place, when the shepherd says something different.

My “one little word” for 2017 is LISTEN. My verses for 2017 are the words of Jesus in John 10:3,4,11: “‘To him (the shepherd of the sheep - John 10:2) the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. … I am the good shepherd.’”  

May all my / our idolatrous supports and confidences for 2017 lose their siren appeal as we listen for and obey the Shepherd’s voice.

“Get into the habit of saying, ‘Speak Lord’ and life will become a romance” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest - January 30 reading.

“Obey Him with glad reckless joy … ‘Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it’” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, March 28 reading.


PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to recognize the idols in my life and turn from them for good. 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.

Is this Servant your Master?

Jesus and the Children - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 42:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "'Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom my soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.'" Isaiah 42:1

Usually when the prophets referred to "servant" they meant Israel. However, "The Servant here appears to be someone different," writes Nathaniel M. Van Cleave in my Bible's commentary on Isaiah (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 922.

When we read the New Testament with the words of Isaiah 42 in our ears, it doesn't take long for us to discover who this Servant is.

In Matthew 3:17 and 17:5 a voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism and when He is on the mountain calls out: "'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," reminding us of "My Elect One in whom My Soul delights" - Isaiah 42:1.

Then the gospel writer Matthew clearly links Isaiah's Servant here with Jesus: "Yet He (Jesus) warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying, 'Behold My Servant whom I have chosen…'" and goes on to quote at length from Isaiah 42.

What will this Servant be like? According to Isaiah, He:

• Is God's delight (Isaiah 42:1).

• Is full of the Holy Spirit - Isaiah 42:1.

• Is for the Gentiles - Isaiah 42:1,6.

• Is soft-spoken, not loud and bombastic - Isaiah 42:2.

• Is gentle and understanding of the hurt and broken - Isaiah 42:3.

• Stands for justice and truth - Isaiah 42:3,4.

• Works in the light as a bringer of sight and insight - Isaiah 42:6,7.

• Stands for freedom - Isaiah 42:7.

• Deserves the glory and all our worship - Isaiah 42:8, 10-13.

• Is able to do away with the old and bring about this new state of affairs - Isaiah 42:9.

How thrilling to see these things predicted hundreds of years (about 700) before Jesus came to earth as a flesh-and-blood baby that matured to become this God-man. And the beautiful thing is that each one of us can have a personal relationship with this Servant. For Jesus says:

"Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me" - Revelation 3:20.

and

"Jesus answered, If a person really loves Me, he will keep My word—obey my teaching: and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him" - John 14:23 AMP.

Have you made the acquaintance of this Servant? Has he become the One whose word you "keep," in other words, your Master?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus thank You for the clear testimony of the prophets concerning Your identity, character and destiny. I have chosen, and continue to choose You as my Lord. Amen.

***********

 Unless otherwise indicated, 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 labelled AMP are taken from the Amplified^® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Baptism

"The Baptism of Christ"
By Carl Heinrich Bloch

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 3:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Matthew 3:11


Have you been baptized? If you have, you no doubt remember the day and its significance to you.

I was baptized in the South Saskatchewan River when I was 14. We got instruction on the meaning of baptism before the event, so that I understood how being thrust under the water was a symbol of death to sin, how coming up out of the water a symbol of resurrection or new life, how the white dress we girls customarily wore was a picture of my purity in Jesus, and how my baptism was a sign to anyone watching that I was a Jesus-follower.

Here John was baptizing people who were repentant. We don't know how John accomplished this physically. Perhaps he scooped water in his hands and poured it over the head of the person being baptized. Or maybe he tilted the person backward (or forward) immersing their entire body in water for a second or two (the way I was baptized). Whatever method he used, the water running over the person in the baptismal act no doubt signified cleansing then, as it still does now, and the publicity of the act was a sign then, as now, of spiritual allegiance and intention to everyone watching.

In the midst of his baptizing, John explained something to the crowd: that he was just a forerunner of the real Baptizer. He was referring, of course, to Jesus, of whom he said: "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

A footnote in my Bible gives this explanation of verse 11:

"John's baptism is a type of the salvation experience of being baptized in the Spirit. As John's baptism placed the individual in the medium of water, so the baptism of Jesus places the Christian in the Spirit, identifying him as bound over totally to the Lord (Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:18)" New Spirit Filled Life Bible p. 1294.

Examining the three references above shows us:

- Just as water covers us in the act of baptism, the Spirit fills us when we are Spirit-baptized.

• Acts 2:4: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit  or as the Amplified translates it: "And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit."
• Ephesians 5:18: "...ever be filled and stimulated with the Holy Spirit" - Amplified.

The Spirit's presence within us cements us together with other Christians in "one body" — the church. Our belonging is no longer dependent on or defined by race or culture but by the Spirit's presence in us.

• 1 Corinthians 12:13: "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body..."

When John hesitated to baptize Jesus, insisting that it would be more fitting for Christ to baptize him, Jesus replied "'Permit it to be so now for thus it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness.'" In other words, Do this; it's the right and God-way of doing things.

If you are a follower of Jesus and have not been water baptized, perhaps you should consider it. Though it is a simple even foolish-looking act, your following of Christ's example in this will bind you in loyalty to Jesus and fellow Christians, and flesh out what happened when the Spirit came to fill the inside of you.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus thank You for the symbolic act of baptism that illustrates what happens when You saved me and filled me with Yourself. Help me to open myself fully to the life of the Holy Spirit in me. Amen.


MORE: Jesus' baptism from God's perspective (as per my 'sanctified' imagination):


Baptism


When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened. Luke 3:21

For thirty years and nine months
heaven’s Son-silent corridors,
its echoing rooms with their litter
of creation and Word-clutter
have been my constant reminder
of His absence.

Though always vigilant
I have restrained myself
from reaching down
to steady His first tottering steps,
held back from lavishing gifts
against hunger, sadness, cold
from interfering with Nazareth bullies
and the enticing eyes of Galilean girls
limited myself to an awakening touch
in the still-dark morning,
inaudible whisper in a garden.

Today – this coming-of-age
beginning, graduation, birthday
all rolled into one –
He has come to this river
with questioning prayers.
Does He really not know?
Today even the decorous angels
will not hold me back.

I release Spirit
not as wind, or flame or flattening bolt
but as Dove – He will understand
this message of foreshadowing –
then proclaim
in a deluge
that immerses time,
“You are my Son whom I love.
With you I am well pleased.”

Copyright © 2004 by Violet Nesdoly
First published at Utmost Christian Writers

*****************
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)

Pilgrim attitudes

Detail of "Visit of the Wise Men" from 
The Bible in Pictures © 1922

 TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 2:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy." Matthew 2:10

Four attitudes jump out at me from this amazing story of these eastern pilgrims on their quest to find the King of the Jews.

Perseverance
I've always wondered, where exactly is the East? Did these men travel far?  Over difficult terrain? When they got to Jerusalem and found no knowledge whatever of this king, did they wonder if they'd got it wrong? Feel like turning back? Through all this, they persevered to their satisfying destination.

Joy
I love the description of them rejoicing with "exceedingly great joy." I imagine  the reappearance of the star as they were leaving Jerusalem felt like a divine seal of approval on this quest they had undertaken with a sense of 'this is what we were destined to do.' Now they knew—No, we didn't get it wrong! We're in the right place at the right time.

Worship
Jealous Herod introduced the idea when he sneakily asked them to report back to him so he could worship too. Worship is what the wise men did when they found Jesus, and fell down before the young Child. "Fell down" (used in the NKJV, Amplified, and ESV versions) is interesting. We would expect a more controlled action, like "bowed down" perhaps (which is how it's translated in the NIV and NLT).  I like "fell down." I wonder if here, in the presence of Jesus, they were overcome by the power and glory of deity so that their limbs gave out and they literally fell down?

Generosity
What gifts—gold, frankincense and myrrh—signifying the best of earth's treasures, entirely suitable for a King! These wise men gave them with abandon, not flinching for a moment at the humble surroundings or the ordinary-looking mom.

I want these attitudes of perseverance, joy, worship and generosity to characterize my relationship with Jesus. What about you?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to seek You with perseverance, find You with joy, worship You with all of me, and give You my best. Amen.

MORE: Epiphany

Today is the day the church celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany. The liturgy for the day begins with this Collect:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Human nature on display

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL:  Genesis 3:1-15

TO CHEW ON: “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8

As I read the account of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, I see things that are surprisingly (or, maybe not surprisingly) familiar. Even before Eve yielded to the temptation to eat that fruit, some of these things were present:

• A tendency to exaggerate or embellish

Eve’s report to the serpent of what God had said about the tree: “‘You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” wasn’t exactly what God had said. He really said, simply, “‘You shall not eat…’” Genesis 3:3, cf. Genesis 2:17 (emphasis added).

• Intellectually gullible

Eve never even questioned the serpent’s claims but took them at face value - Genesis 3:4-6.

• Easily swayed to disbelieve what God had said.

For Eve this included considering and believing the serpent’s suggestion that God didn’t have their best interests at heart but was really keeping the best back from them - Genesis 3:4-6.

• Undue trust in appearance.

Eve was easily taken in by the fruit’s appearance when she looked at it closely and saw that it looked delicious, was beautiful and, according to the serpent, had great benefits - Genesis 3:6.

• Secrecy

After they sinned, both Adam and Eve gave in the overwhelming compulsion to hide from God - Genesis 3:8.

• Blame-shifting

Both refused to take responsibility for their action. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent - Genesis 3:12,13.

Seeing the first four qualities in Eve even before the fall and the latter two in both Adam and Eve immediately after, leads me to believe these tendencies are part of our human nature. We all have them. They strut their stuff especially when we’re under the pressure of temptation. So let’s be on guard against ourselves and not taken in by the serpent's empty accusations against God, false claims, and half-truth promises.


PRAYER: Dear Father God, help me to know myself—to recognize my human tendencies and weaknesses that would draw me away from 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.

Create!

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 2:4b-25

TO CHEW ON: “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.” Genesis 2:8

Have you ever watched a child create their own world with sand, blocks, or Lego? “This is going to be a castle with a big moat. And there will be a shell fence so no one can get close, and towers for lookouts, and a flag, with kelp decorations all around. It will be awesome!”

That’s what this chapter reminds me of, only with God as creator on a global scale: “I’ll make a garden and water it with mist. I’ll put creatures in it and a creature somewhat like me to take charge. And there will be life, and resources, and riches, and beauty, with only one rule. It will be awesome!”

(If only it had all ended there!)

I take from this description the permission—no, the appropriateness, even necessity for us humans (made in God’s image - Genesis 1:26,27) to create too. We have within us the urge to imagine and form in a multitude of ways. It is part of who we are, of what makes us tick, function, and flourish.

This year let’s embrace our creative projects with the excitement of God creating Earth: “I’ll do the reno, knock out this wall, put in a window here, a door there; get that motor running; paint that scene; write that book… and it will be awesome!”

PRAYER: Dear Father God, thank You for the urge to create that’s within me. Help me to affirm it with my effort, energy, and faith. 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.

Humanity's place in creation

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 1:20-2:4a

TO CHEW ON: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'" Genesis 1:26

Man as created thing is different from the other parts of God's creation. Our reading today points out some ways. Several sidebar articles in my Bible delve into these differences:

1. God determined to create man in His likeness and image. Both male and female are reflections of that image (Genesis 1:26,27).

Man is a spiritual being who is not only body, but also soul and spirit," writes Charles Blake in the article "Man's Intrinsic Value."  "He is a moral being whose intelligence, perception and self-determination far exceed that of any other earthly being" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 5 (emphasis added).

2. God gave humanity dominion over all other creatures (Genesis 1:28). Jack Hayford elaborates in the article "Man's Delegated Dominion":

"In creating man, the Sovereign of the universe makes a choice to delegate to man 'dominion … on the earth.' (vs. 28). Man's power and authority for exercising this rule originate in God's intent to make man in His own image and likeness." Hayford goes on to suggest that man's ability to play this role is eroded when he is disobedient to God's law - NSFLB p. 6 (emphasis added).

3. God gave man a quality of life He didn't give to other creatures—He "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being" Genesis 2:7. The creatures were living too, so the words "breath of life" and  "living being" here seem to imply life of a different quality.

Writers Charles Blake and Jesse Miranda write: "The likeness of man to the creator is in the favor and function of personal unity. God designed the human personality to consist of self-consciousness and self-determination with both the freedom and the awareness to respond to God, to other human beings, and to the environment" (emphasis added). The authors also point out the destiny of those who choose to trust Christ—already in God's mind at this point: "… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him"  - Ephesians 1:4 (read all of Ephesians 1:3-6) NSFLB p. 7.

How might we respond to these creation principles?

- We need to realize the preciousness of each human being.

- We need to be aware that human philosophies that exalt animals to practically human status aren't supported by the Bible. Though we need to care for animals, humanity's position is not as equals but as dominant over them.  In practical living, our society has drifted from these foundations, killing its own with abandon (in abortion for example) while insisting on ever more rights for animals. I believe we need to be aware of the spiritual underpinnings of initiatives like the animal rights movement.

- We need to live with our final destiny in mind. If He "chose us in Hm before the foundation of the world" our lives are not accidental. Each of us has a unique role to fulfill. May we find it and fill it!


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for creation which includes plants, animals and human beings. Please give us wisdom in our assignment to have dominion over other parts of creation. Help me to fulfill the destiny for which You chose me "before the foundation of the world." 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 are not alone

The Holy Spirit 

descends on Christ 

at His baptism. 

(Photo © 2016 by V. Nesdoly)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Galatians 3:26-4:7

TO CHEW ON: “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out Abba Father!’” Galatians 4:6

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

On this day, when we cross the threshold of the new year, we may come with a variety of emotions. There may be anticipation over all those crisp new calendars and empty date blocks yet to fill. There may be a feeling of “here we are again” jadedness. Or there may be outright dread of the unknown that we will face in the next 365 days.

Our reading today reassures us, however we’re feeling, we are not alone on this journey. If we have believed in Christ’s atonement for us (…were baptized into Christ have put on Christ - Galatians 3:27), have accepted His buying us back (are “redeemed” - Galatians 4:5), then we are His responsibility. He has adopted us as His sons and daughters. Our hearts witness to this and now recognize Father God as “Daddy” (“Abba Father”).

It’s not on our own that we come to this place of belonging, dependence and security, though, but through the Holy Spirit: “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts…” Galatians 4:6.

We have a companion for the days ahead, a multi-faceted helper, as witnessed to by His many names:

Eternal Spirit - Hebrews 9:14
Holy Spirit - Psalm 51:11; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30
Power of the Most High - Luke 1:35
Spirit of Adoption - Romans 8:15
Spirit of Christ - 1 Peter 1:11
Spirit of Counsel - Isaiah 11:2
Spirit of Glory - 1 Peter 4:14
Spirit of God - Genesis 1:2
Spirit of grace - Zechariah 12:10
Spirit of Holiness - Romans 1:4
Spirit of Judgment - Isaiah 4:4
Spirit of Knowledge - Isaiah 11:2
Spirit of Life - Romans 8:2
Spirit of Lord God - Isaiah 61:1
Spirit of Strength - Isaiah 11:2
Spirit of Prophecy - Revelation 19:10
Spirit of the Father - Matthew 10:20
Spirit of the Lord - Isaiah 11:2
Spirit of the Son - Galatians 4:6
Spirit of Understanding - Isaiah 11:2
Spirit of Wisdom - Isaiah 11:2

(The above list from the NKJV Thompson Chain Bible - “Titles and Names of the Holy Spirit” #3634.)

With such a companion we can go into the year with the confidence of well-taken-care-of children!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that I don’t enter 2017 alone, but have the Holy Spirit as my companion and helper. Amen.

MORE: Holy Name Day

Today the church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Name. The day’s liturgy begins with this collect:

"Eternal Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. 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.