Month: August 2020

Monday morning greetings to you, my friend!  Our Good God has blessed each of us with another week to walk with Him!

Today, a little bit of a departure from our usual study.  First, consider the what God proclaims and promises about His word, by reading the following selections from God’s word:

Job 22:22 “Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart.”
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Psalm 130:5 “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.”
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John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

Job 2:11 “For strong is the One who executes His word.”

Psalm 119:89 “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.”

Ezekiel 12:25 “For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed;”

Jeremiah 1:12 “Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

Psalm 119:116 “Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.”

Psalm 119:160 “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”

Micah 2:7 “Do not My words do good To him who walks uprightly?”
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Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
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Jeremiah 1:12 “Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.””
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John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

Psalm 138:2 “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”

Hebrew 4:12 “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 joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
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Our Good God values His word. He is faithful to perform His word. His word is truth.  His word is living and powerful.  His word is eternal.  And, praise Him, His word is available to us and it is applicable to each Believer, even today!

Now, read Philippians 1:2 – 11.

As you read this powerful prayer penned by Paul, make it personal!  That is, appropriate the declarations of blessings and power and love contained in this prayer for yourself!  Receive everything that our Good God has promised for you in this passage, and as you begin your week, be (vv 11) “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”.  Amen!

Once again, thank You, LORD, for Your faithfulness in walking with us through another week!  And blessings to you on this Friday morning, my friend!

Read Matthew 11:20 – 30.

The section header in my Bible for the first half of today’s reading says “Woe to the Impentitent Cities”; and my thesaurus tells me that synonyms for “impentitent” include “remorseless”, “shameless”, and “callous”.  In these verses, Jesus Himself rebukes a number of cities that failed to repent – although they directly received the ministry of both John the Baptist and Our Lord Jesus.  Indeed, the listing of places being chastened by Jesus through these verses are familiar to us, because it is in these very same sites Jesus performed many of His greatest miracles (vv 20, 21, 23; John 21:25).

As I consider this passage, I question what Our Lord would say today to our cities?

And then in vv 25, the Lord abruptly shifts from rebuke to a joyful thanks to the Father for those who have received Him and the salvation He purchased for each of us.  As you examine vvs 25 – 27, notice the intimate and comfortable nature of the dialogue between Father and Son (we know there is a dialogue taking place, because vv 25 opens with “At that time Jesus answered” – Jesus answered the Father!).  Also of note in these few verses – Jesus thanks the Father because it is the innocent – the childlike – “the babes” that respond to His message. It is “the babes” that repent and accept Him as Savior.

Lord, restore our childlike wonder of You!  Amen!

Finally, Our Lord Jesus ends the passage with an astonishing invitation to each of us (vv 28) – “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”.  My brother, think about it – your Creator and your Savior is offering Himself to you as a place of refuge and rest!  Since these are the days when every piece of bad news occurring across the face of the entire planet is delivered to us instantly – since these are the days when it seems that we have every reason to feel guilty, be accused, or take (misplaced) responsibility simply because we have been assigned to that group or associated with those people or placed in that “bucket”.  Since these are THOSE days, Jesus’ invitation to  each of us is both timely and essential!

Here is how Charles Spurgeon addresses this issue: “Many servants of God are made to feel their weakness in another way, by an oppressive sense of responsibility…. Do not take an exaggerated view of what the Lord expects of you. He will not blame you for not doing that which is beyond your mental power or physical strength…. We are not the Father, nor the Saviour, nor the Comforter of the Church. We cannot take the responsibility of the universe upon our shoulders.”

Brother, as we head into the weekend, mark the remainder of Our Lord’s invitation (vvs 29-30): “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”.

Friend, if you are trying to fix something you cannot fix; if you have taken on a problem that is too big for you; if you are frustrated or burdened or overwhelmed – you can give it all to Jesus. He will take it from you, and He will give you His rest – today, and forever!  Amen!

Our Good God’s blessings to you and all of your loved ones on this Thursday morning, brother!

Read Psalm 5. Selah.

As you read through this beautiful Psalm of David, focus on the overall structure of the psalm – it flows and ebbs, like a majestic movement of classical music.

The psalm opens with several verses that contain important instruction for every Believer – about prayer.  Notice that the psalmist is very direct and deliberate as he approaches the LORD. He appeals to God to hear his words; and consider his meditations.  He acknowledges the LORD as MY King and MY God, very effectively but simply stepping into a personal dialogue with the Almighty One.  In verse 3, David commits to a regular meeting with God, every morning, and says he “will look up” – that is, look to the Only Good God for encouragement and guidance and grace and strength for the day ahead. What a wonderful pattern is described here for each of us – to start our day with deliberate, personal, and expectant prayer to Our King and Our God!

In a dramatic shift, the next 3 verses of the psalm serve to acknowledge that wickedness does exist; and that the LORD Himself will deal with the wicked (vv 6) “You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”.

Next, the psalmist tells us that he will pursue the LORD’s presence and His righteousness and His leading even (vv 8) “because of my enemies”!  What a compelling lesson for each of us – when we encounter wickedness, when we face the enemy, our response should be to run to God and to draw even closer to Him!  Wow!

In the next few verses, David petitions the LORD for judgement for those that rebel against Him (vv 10):  “Pronounce them guilty, O God!”.

And in a beautiful conclusion to the passage, David reminds all of us of the goodness and the benefits of loving the Name of the LORD (vv 11-12) “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.”.

My brother, be encouraged today – rejoice and shout for joy; because the LORD Himself defends you and blesses you and favors you and surrounds you with His shield!  Amen!

Midweek felicitations to you, my friend!  May our Good God bless you and watch over you today!

Read Ephesians 6:10 – 18.

In this famous passage, the apostle Paul teaches each of us some of the fundamentals of standing in the face of spiritual opposition, specifically against “the wiles of the devil”.  And while literally volumes have been written about the whole armor of God that is detailed in our reading today, we need to carefully consider the exhortations that bracket and compliment God’s armor.  So, as you read this morning,  reflect on this:

Paul opens the passage by instructing each of us to (vv 10) “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”.   Literally, Paul wrote “strengthen yourselves in the Lord”. Notice that he made this statement BEFORE we “armor up”.  Why?  Because Paul viewed this instruction as part of a Believer’s “basic training”.  Our preparation for battle begins by (among other things) learning everything we can about Our Lord Jesus; establishing an intimate relationship with Him; regularly exercising our faith; recognizing the works of Jesus in our own lives and the lives of others around us; and walking in complete assurance of His might and His victory.

Next, the Spirit (through Paul), clearly defines the enemy, beginning by telling us who the enemy IS NOT (vv 12) : “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” – always remember, my fellow soldier, that the enemy is not the person!  Indeed, our Good God’s desire is that every person – all flesh – be reconciled to Him!  And He has already paid an immeasurable price for every person!  But there is opposition, there is an enemy – we war “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”.

And just before equipping us with the whole armor of God, Paul gives us our orders when we engage the enemy on that evil day (vv 13):  “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
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My brother, here is a quote from Pastor Shane Idleman that I hope will encourage you to stand in this evil day:

“Wear criticism as a badge of honor instead of fearing it. Calling Christians hypocrites, racists, and haters is really just a defense mechanism for those who don’t want to see the truth. It’s often Christians who serve as our moral compass to get us back on track. For example, when I talk about ungodly entertainment, I’m labeled a fundamentalist. When I talk about purity and abstinence, I’m labeled legalistic. When I talk about defending babies, I’m labeled as being against women. When I talk about marriage being between a man and a woman, I’m labeled a homophobe. When I support the current president, I’m labeled a hypocrite. And on and on it goes. Anytime you stand for truth, you will be labeled. Granted, the truth must come from a loving, gentle heart. The truth will offend, but our attitude should not.”

Finally, Paul wraps up our spiritual “basic training” with this very important instruction (vv 18): “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”.

Let us never grow weary in praying for each other and all the saints!

Finally, today and always, my brother, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”!  Amen!

Tuesday morning greetings to you, brother!  May our Good God pour His abundant blessings out on you and all that you undertake as you go out today!

Read II Thessalonians 2.

Here’s a quote directly applicable to today’s reading: “If you squeeze a lemon, you should get lemon juice. If you squeeze an orange, you should get orange juice. If you squeeze a Christian, you should get Christ.” – Anon.

Yesterday, we looked at Revelation 19’s wonderful depiction of triumphant and victorious Jesus as He returns to earth.  Today’s passage provides more detail about that great and glorious Day when He returns.  And what marvelous harmony is provided by the Holy Spirit – through John’s writings in Revelation; and Paul’s second letter to the church at Thessolonica.

As you consider this morning’s scripture, take note of the following:

Paul commends (as a matter of fact, he says he “boasts” about) the Thessalonians for their patience and faith while experiencing persecutions and tribulations.  And he marvels at their response – that their faith grows exceedingly and their love for one another abounds.

Paul goes on to say that the Believers response to their suffering (vv 5) “is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;”.

Brothers, let us respond to the trials we face today in a like manner, so we also may be counted worthy of God’s Kingdom!  May our faith grow and our love for each other abound, even as we face increasing hardships in and from this world.  And know that the confidence to endure persecution while displaying God’s grace and His peace is made easier when we embrace the promises contained in vvs 5 and 6: “it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,”.

My friend, Jesus is indeed returning, and His judgement is indeed righteous!  And while we wait for His glorious return as promised in this passage, be encouraged and let each of us walk so (vv 12) “that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”.  Amen!

Blessings to you on this glorious Monday morning, my brother!  I pray that you have a miraculous week!

Read Revelation 19:11 – 16.

In these few verses of today’s reading, we have the summary of what the Book of Revelation is really all about – that is, the unveiling of Jesus in all of His power and glory, as He makes His triumphant return to the world He created.  Jesus’ return in this manner is prophesied in Isaiah 64 (vv 1-2): “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence— As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!”
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Note these key points as you read this morning:

Jesus returns on a white horse, symbolic of both honor and victory.  Historically (and scripturally), the people of God were prohibited from riding horses into battle so that they would give Him credit for their victories. But this is the Lord Himself – and on this day of days, He will have both His honor and His victory!

His title is “Faithful and True” – Jesus alone is charged with fulfilling the Father’s plan of restoration – He is Faithful in completing the work; He is True in executing righteous judgement.

vv 11 – 12: “in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were like a flame of fire”.  According to Charles Spurgeon, “His eyes are like a flame of fire to read us through and through, and know us to our inmost soul.”  When Jesus returns, He returns to execute judgement.  And Jesus will have the vision, the ability to see into the heart of every man.

vv 13:  “His name is called The Word of God.”  A few weeks ago, we studied Psalm 138, and we looked at this remarkable declaration (vv 2): “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”.  That God places His word above His name, and then bestows the title “Word of God” upon a triumphant, returning Jesus gives us insight into what an almighty and divine Savior we have!

And as if to underscore the point above, today’s passage ends with this stunning picture (vv 15 – 16): “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”.

Have no doubt, my friend – when Jesus returns, He returns in power!  He returns victoriously!  And He will displace every existing worldly authority; every governmental body;  and every individual  king or lord with His righteous and perfect rule.  Rev 22:20 is the perfect closing for today’s scripture:

“He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
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And Amen!

Thank You, LORD, for Your faithfulness in helping us through another week!  And a wonderful Friday morning to you, my friend!

Read Philippians 3:1 – 14.

As we continue to press further on in Philippians 3, we encounter several amazing Spirit-breathed declarations that every Believer needs to appreciate.

In vv 9, Paul reinforces the point made in yesterday’s study – that is, our own righteous acts cannot save us.  It is only through our faith in Christ Jesus that we are made righteous before God.

In a remarkable vv 10, the Spirit reveals to us several keys to a more intimate relationship with Our Lord Jesus:
– knowing the power of His resurrection
– knowing the fellowship of His sufferings
– being conformed to His death
There are not many best-selling books written about how to be more closely conformed to Our Savior in these ways. The book “Walking With Jesus Through His Sufferings” probably wouldn’t fly off the shelves; but, as Followers of Christ, we are instructed to know Him in every context, and to (vv 12) “press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”.  Here is Scriptural truth: when we are persecuted, when we face difficulties, when we are rebuffed, when we are shunned, when we are hated because of His Name – we are joining Him in the fellowship of His sufferings and therefore becoming more like Him.
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Finally, let us consider the important guidance given to each of us in vv 13-14 “but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”.  I have a close friend, who, in his younger days to earn extra money, climbed radio towers. His task was to replace the warning lights placed on the towers to keep aircraft away from these tall structures. These were not the little towers – no, these were the really tall towers, several hundred feet high.  My friend told me that the focused climb up the tower was never scary; the fear and the distraction came when he actually reached the pinnacle and could look beyond the height of the tower and see both out and down.  So it is with our walk with the Lord.  If we press forward, stay focused upward, keep our eyes fixed on Him, we will never fear, and never fail.

My brother, in these days where distractions abound, where bad news surrounds us and is delivered around the clock, let us always “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”.  Amen!

My brother, blessings and greetings to you in the precious Name of Our Lord Jesus on this Thursday morning!

Read Philippians 3:1 – 8.

Paul wrote his letter to the church at Philippi during his imprisonment in Rome. It was likely the last of the so-called prison epistles he would write.  Unlike many of his other letters, what we call the Book of Philippians was not penned to address any specific doctrinal error or crisis within this young church; instead, Paul wrote to encourage, and to express his love and appreciation for the Believers at Philippi.

In today’s passage, Paul opens with what could be considered the essence of his entire letter – “rejoice in the Lord.”.  As Believers, we have every reason to rejoice – because we have the eternal security that God has given us through Christ Jesus, we can rejoice through every situation, every trial, every challenge, every persecution, every heartbreak, every setback, every loss, every disease, and even every pandemic.  Through our rejoicing in the face of adversity we testify to those around us about the goodness and power of our Savior.  Paul’s exhortation to us to rejoice is repeated in Chapter 4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” – always, and again!

Paul continues on in this passage by detailing both his birthright and his qualifications as a “Hebrew of the Hebrews”; and even his righteousness before the law.   But though he possessed all of these religious credentials, Paul says he counts them all as “loss” and “rubbish” in relation to (vv 8) “the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord”.  Paul’s accomplishments; all of his great works; his lineage; his obedience to the law; all were worthless in helping him to (vv 8) “gain Christ”.

This Spirit-breathed truth communicated to us by Paul in vv 8 is paralleled in Isaiah 64  “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” and Ephesians 2 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”.

Brother, we will receive more timely truths for us as Believers as we continue in Philippians 3 tomorrow – but for today, go forth and remember to rejoice – always, and again!

Psalm 68 – “But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.”
Amen!

Good Wednesday morning to you!  May the LORD’s peace reign over you and your loved ones today!

Read Psalm 130. Selah.

Psalm 130 is one of the 15 psalms that are titled “A Song of Ascents”.  These songs were lifted up by God’s people as they made their way up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD.  But even the structure of this particular psalm is noteworthy – it begins, quite literally, with the psalmist’s cry from the depths and ends with the abundant redemption that only our LORD can give us.  So, even spiritually, Psalm 130 is truly “a song of ascents”!

As you read this little psalm, be attentive to the following:

The psalm opens with a lament – a cry to the LORD.   But this plea is not because the writer is being pursued or persecuted or harmed.  No, this appeal to God is made because the psalmist acknowledges his own iniquity (Hebrew ‘avon, meaning perversity, moral evil, fault, iniquity, mischeif, sin).  Truly, this is a man that recognizes the DEPTH of his sin; and his need for the LORD’s forgiveness.

Next, the psalmist recognizes that no man could stand before the LORD if the LORD were to choose to keep account of that man’s sins.  Acknowledging that the LORD is the source of forgiveness, the writer then purposefully shifts to waiting on the LORD; and hoping in His word.

Finally, the psalm closes with a marvelous affirmation (vv 7): “For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption.”  Not just redemption, but abundant redemption!

My friend, each of us can learn from the pattern contained in this passage. And if you are despairing today – feeling guilt or condemnation or failure or simply like you have fallen short – repent and return to Him.  Raise your cry to our Good God! Know that He will hear, He will forgive, and He will restore and ABUNDANTLY redeem you!

This promise is echoed in Isaiah 55, which says “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
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LORD, I thank You that You do not mark my iniquity, and I confess that I need Your forgiveness. Thank You, LORD, for the abundant redemption You have already purchased for me through Your Precious Son, Jesus!  Help me to walk always in the goodness and certainty of Your forgiveness!  Amen!

A glorious Tuesday awaits you, my friend – because our Good God loves you!  Rejoice and be glad!

Read Isaiah 55.

Invitation – if we had to use one word to describe this marvelous portion of scripture, it would be “invitation”.  Through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD Himself issues a series of invitations to each of us.  As you read through our passage today, pay close attention to each of these beautiful invitations from God:

The opening invitation, and indeed the entire passage, begins with the declaration Ho!  That is, pay attention!  Everything that follows is worthy of your hearing and your consideration!  Then the LORD offers water to the thirsty; and food that is good and satisfying and abundant; all of this free, yet priceless.  This first invitation is reminiscent of Psalm 34: “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”.   Thank You, LORD, for inviting me to partake at Your table.

In the next invitation, the LORD asks us to hear Him and to come to Him; if we do, our soul will live and He will establish with us an everlasting covenant.  Effectively, He is inviting us to live a life that is guided by our Good God.  Thank You, LORD, for inviting me to come to You.

The next invitation famously states (vv 6) “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.”.   Think about how amazing and unique this is – the Creator of the universe is inviting His people into a truly intimate relationship with Him.  Thank You, LORD, for inviting me into relationship.

Continuing on, the LORD says (vv 7) “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”  Clearly, an invitation to forgiveness – we receive Your forgiveness with thanks, Merciful God!

Next, the LORD invites each of us into a place of complete trust in Him.  He does this through His clear declaration that He is different from man and holy in every way (vv 8-9) – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”  Thank You, LORD, for inviting me to see Your holiness.
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And the final, wonderful invitation contained in this passage – an invitation to each of us to be a part of His restoration, which will surely be established through His word!

And as you go out into your mission field today, be encouraged by this declaration from vv 12; “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
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My brother, go out today in His joy and be led out by His peace!  And be thankful as You walk in all of the benefits of the wonderful invitations He has extended to you!  Amen!