Author: Greg Harrell

Felicitations to you, my brother, on this glorious Wednesday morning that the LORD has made!  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Read Isaiah 10:33 – 11:9.

Isn’t this an amazing prophetic picture of Our Lord and Savior Jesus?

As you focus on these words recorded by Isaiah more than 700 years before the birth of the Messiah, note that this passage can easily be divided into 3 components:

The heritage of Jesus.

The Spirit of Jesus.

The Kingdom restoration of Jesus.

Heritage – In the last 2 verses of chapter 10, the LORD is pictured as lopping down a forest consisting of those who are of high stature and haughty.  And then Jesus is introduced as “a Rod from the stem of Jesse” (referring to Jesse, the father of David) and “a Branch” growing out of the roots.  What an extraordinary illustration of the humility of Our Lord!

Spirit – Isaiah lists 7 Holy Spiritual attributes given to The Messiah:

The Spirit of the LORD.
The Spirit of wisdom.
The Spirit of understanding.
The Spirit of counsel.
The Spirit of might.
The Spirit of knowledge.
The Spirit of the fear of the LORD.

And yes, seven is important here – as the number of completion; in displaying the fullness and perfection of the Holy Spirit; and also as a direct reference to the seven Spirits of God as cited in Revelation 1, 3, 4, and 5.

Restoration – Because He possesses the seven Spirits of God, Jesus is able to bring restoration and His perfect rule to the fallen world. In the closing portion of this passage, Isaiah paints a beautiful portrait of the magnificence of the restoration Jesus is coming (again) to bring. Things like:

“But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;”

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,”

“And a little child shall lead them.”
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“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”

“For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your obedience, even to the point of dying on a cross for me. I thank You, Jesus, that You are returning to this world again to bring restoration – we need You, Jesus!  Help me to stay vigilant and faithful and steadfast until Your glorious return, my Lord!  Amen!

A wonderful Tuesday morning to you, my friend!  May our Good God bless you and your loved ones today!

Read 1 Peter 3:8 – 12 (again).

Yesterday, we considered the richness of verse 8 of this portion of Peter’s first letter to the young churches in Asia Minor.

As you read these few verses again, take note of the following:

Peter tells these early believers to respond to being cursed and reviled not in like manner, but by blessing those that are doing the cursing and reviling!  Our brothers and sisters that comprised these early churches lived in areas and regularly faced circumstances that resulted in their persecution; Peter’s exhortation for them to respond by blessing their abusers differentiated these “Christians” from all other religions and brought glory to the Name of Jesus.  During these times in which it appears open persecution of Christ-followers is on the rise, we would do well to consider how we will respond when we are cursed and reviled!

And along those lines, Peter adds important insight on a Kingdom principle – when we bless others (even those who curse us), we inherit a blessing!  So, bless others and see how much our Good God will pour His blessing out upon you!

Finally, Peter ends this passage by quoting from Psalm 34:

“For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.””
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“the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,”

And what does it truly mean to be righteous?  Righteous here is translated from the Hebrew word “tsadiyq”, a word that is somewhat difficult to directly convey in English. However, the concept of being righteous means to pursue the path of the LORD in every aspect:  His commandments, His holiness, His ways, His justice, His will.  To be righteous is to pursue God’s will and God’s path for our lives in a manner that will bring Him glory. It is to walk uprightly before the LORD, laying aside our own desires, and taking up His calling for our lives in every area, little and big.

Being righteous is a high standard. Jesus modeled it for us while He was on the earth. God has sent His Spirit to help us be righteous.

LORD, Your word says that Your eyes are on the righteous. I desire to walk in a righteous manner before You today. Help me, LORD, always to do Your will; to pursue Your desires; and to walk the path You have ordained for me; in the Precious and Powerful Name of Jesus!  Amen!

A great and glorious Monday morning to you, brother!  Let us thank God for His grace as we begin another week!

 

Read 1 Peter 3:8 – 12. 

 

In today’s rich reading, the apostle Peter provides each of us with a tremendous amount of Spirit-breathed wisdom and exhortation in just a few verses. 

 

He begins by telling us to “be of one mind”. So, how is that even possible? We are all so different!  We have widely varied backgrounds; upbringings; life experiences; capabilities; and even physical appearances.  My brothers, we can only be of one mind if we embrace the words given by the Holy Spirit to Paul in 1 Cor 2:16 “For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”.  It is Christ who brings us together – it is the mind of Christ that brings unity from diversity!  

 

And then Peter provides us all with a list of practical actions that will help us walk together and “be of one mind”. We are to:

 

-have compassion for one another. That is, be empathetic towards each other; becoming aware of and respecting each other’s feelings and struggles and circumstances. 

 

-love as brothers. Most obviously, the standard here being Jesus’ commandment for us to ‘love our neighbors as ourselves’. 

 

-be tenderhearted. My friends, so many times, we have allowed unforgiveness and bitterness and worry to harden our hearts. We cannot allow our hearts to remain hard – a hard heart negatively impacts our relationship with the LORD and also everyone around us. Today, let us embrace our Good God’s promise from Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

 

-be courteous. In a world that seems to become more coarse each day, we all, as followers of Christ Jesus, can readily differentiate ourselves through simple acts of courtesy.  Being kind, being thoughtful, being polite, esteeming others first – even these small acts render glory to Jesus and produce unity in His body!

 

Whew!  And that is just verse 8 of today’s reading.  We will continue considering the remainder of Peter’s exhortations tomorrow. 

 

Father, I thank You for Your word.  I ask that You help me to walk in unity with my brothers and sisters, so that Christ is glorified. I ask You, LORD, to pour Your Spirit into me; and give me a heart of flesh, a heart that is soft, a heart that can be used by You today, and forever. Amen!

A wonderful Friday morning to you, my friend!  Praise God as He has helped us through another week!

Read 2 Tim 3.

In this portion of his second letter to his protege Timothy, Paul opens by detailing the characteristics of men who will live in the last days. He clearly states that because of their evil characteristics, the last days will be “perilous times”.  As you consider that, note that ages or days or times are not inherently evil of their own accord, but they become “perilous” due to the people who are living during that particular time.

And the list of the evils of men living during the last days is lengthy!

It takes Paul 8 full verses of scripture to detail all of the ways that these “last days men” are able to express their wickedness.  Since none of these verses of 2 Timothy 3 are generally considered “memory verses”, pay careful attention as you read this portion of this morning’s passage to all of the various  evils men are able to embrace – and think about what we hear or read in the news each day.

In the second portion of this short chapter, Paul shifts gears and holds himself out to Timothy as an example of a man of God who has been able to persevere through trials and troubles. Since we find ourselves walking through some turbulent times, we would do well to walk in Paul’s example. And one of the keys that Paul gives Timothy (and all of us, as men of God) to surviving and overcoming tribulation in our lives is to embrace the Holy Scriptures.  As a matter of fact, he tells us that the Scriptures are (vv 15) “able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”  The Scriptures themselves bring wisdom, even wisdom leading to salvation!

And then he closes this passage by stating that the Scriptures will help each of us, as Believers, be made complete and not just equipped, but THOROUGHLY equipped for the work to which our Good God has called each of us during these perilous times (vv 17): “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

LORD, I thank You that through Your Word, You have equipped me to help build Your Kingdom. Father, renew my love and desire for the Holy Scriptures, and through them, give me the perseverance and endurance I need to walk with You during these perilous times. Amen!

At the beginning of this Thursday that the LORD has given us, blessings to you, my brother!

Read Psalm 27. Selah.

As you read this powerful psalm of David, it is helpful to consider the following:

In the first 3 verses, David opens the psalm with a powerful declaration of confidence in the LORD, a confidence based on his (David’s) experiences, or testimonies. When this psalm was written, it is obvious that David had lived his life to this point facing all kinds of challenges, but David knows that the LORD always delivered him through each battle. Because we all face trials in our own lives, we would do well to follow David’s example by remembering the victories that the LORD has won for us; and declaring the LORD’s greatness and His ability to deliver us through every struggle.

In the next portion of the psalm, David turns to seeking the LORD. And he records a series of powerful statements that establish that his seeking is not just passive and part-time, it is intense and passionate and an integral part of David’s life:

(vv 4) “One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I 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 in His temple.”

(vv 8) “When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

These statements and others in the Psalm illustrate that David’s lifestyle, his “24/7 way of living”, consists of pursuing God and looking for God’s will for his life.  Each of us would do well to emulate the example of David as recorded in this psalm, and ask our Good God to renew our hearts and strengthen our desire for Him – if we ask, He will do it!

Finally, my brother, because we are living in tough times and facing challenges in many areas,I encourage you as you start this day to make this declaration over yourself and receive this promise from our Good God (vv 1):

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”

Greetings to you on this Wednesday morning, brother!  Bless you and yours in the precious name of Jesus!

Read John 15:26 – 16:15

As we continue to read and examine these final words of Our Savior, remember that He has just conveyed that we can expect the world’s hatred and persecution.  But in this passage, Jesus proclaims one of the glorious promises of God; that is, He will send the Helper, His Spirit, to be with us.

In today’s scripture, the Helper is detailed for us. As you read, take note of the following:

Jesus sends The Spirit from The Father.

The Spirit of Truth testifies of Jesus.

The Spirit is with us, even when we are persecuted and killed for our love of Jesus. The Spirit will keep us from stumbling during these trials.

The Helper convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement.

The Spirit guides us in truth. And not just truth, but ALL truth.

Like Jesus, The Spirit speaks what He hears from The Father.

The Spirit provides revelation of things to come.

The Spirit glorifies Jesus.

Now, more than ever, all of us need The Helper. In this world, we need the relationship, the connection, the security, the confidence, the peace, and all of the other advantages that come with knowing and receiving The Spirit into our lives.

Lord Jesus, You made a promise that You would send The Helper from The Father to be with me.  Holy Spirit, I receive You – fill me with Your power, with Your truth, and with Your revelation of all that our Good God has for me today, and forever!  Amen!

Good morning!  A great and blessed Tuesday morning to you, my friend!

Read Isaiah 1:11-20.

In these opening verses of the Book of Isaiah, the LORD cuts right to the heart of the matter as He is speaking to His people.  Note as you read that He acknowledges the children of Israel are offering up sacrifices as prescribed by the Torah, that is the burnt offerings of rams; the fat of cattle; and the blood of bulls, lambs and goats.

But because His people are bringing these offerings while still engaging in activities that the LORD considers an abomination and iniquity (in other words, worship of idols), the LORD tells His people that He will hide His eyes from them, and will not hear their prayers.

Think about that for a moment – the LORD’s people are doing their “religion”, but their heart is not in it – their hearts have turned elsewhere.

The LORD’s response is amazing; it is simple and direct; and it is instructional for each of us today – He tells them to:

Make yourselves clean.

Cease doing evil.

LEARN to do good.

Seek justice.

Rebuke the oppressor.

Defend the fatherless.

Plead for the widow.

And if these few foundational commandments are followed, the LORD promises (vv 18-19): “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;”.

LORD, help me today to turn away from everything that You consider evil.  Father, I don’t want to be religious, but I desire to do those simple things that are pleasing in Your sight.  Teach me, O God, to do good. Make me clean before You, LORD. Amen!

Felicitations to you on this Monday morning, brother!  I pray that you had a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.

Read John 15:18 – 25.

Continuing on in our readings from His farewell discourse, we come to these difficult statements in which Jesus tells us that we, as believers, will actually be hated by the world.  Certainly, these statements from Jesus are not any of those that that you or I will find included in our Christian “promise books” or “encouragement calendars”!

But here it is – Jesus, telling His followers (that is, you and me) to expect the world’s hatred and persecution.  So what are we to do with these promises?

Sometimes, it is helpful to look at difficult passages on more of a macro level, in a broader context. Therefore, let us consider what Jesus has already told us in this same discourse:

John 14:1 “”Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
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14:16 – 17 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
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14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

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.”

15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
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15:17 “These things I command you, that you love one another.”
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So, Jesus prepares us all to receive this tough word of being hated by the world because of His name by first reminding us that His Spirit dwells within us; and assuring us that we are vessels of His everlasting peace, joy, and love.

Finally, consider today’s reading in the context of these verses from Peter’s first epistle (1 Pet 4:12 – 16);

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”
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Amazing!

Therefore, because these things have already been revealed to us by Our Lord Jesus and by His very word, we are always encouraged.

My brother, always remember that when you are hated by the world because of the name of Jesus, and when you partake of Christ’s sufferings, you are blessed and He is glorified.  And let us never be ashamed, but let us praise and raise the name of Jesus in every circumstance. Amen!

A wonderful Thursday morning to you, my friend!  I pray our Good God’s blessings over you this morning!

Read Malachi 3:13 – 4:3.

In this often-overlooked portion of the scriptures, we are given insight and details directly from the LORD on His plan to restore His creation.  As you read this morning, consider the following:

The LORD is intimately aware of what people say about Him and how people react to Him and His ordinances. Notice how the words recorded here in Malachi directly parallel the response to God and His laws that we regularly encounter in these days in which we live.  Things like, “it is useless to serve God” and “we call the proud blessed” and “those who do wickedness are raised up”.  When you receive news about the wickedness that is taking place in today’s world, my brother, you can be assured that our Good God is well familiar with all of it!

The LORD will remember and preserve those who fear Him. There is a book of remembrance before Him, and in that book is recorded the names of those who meditate on His name and serve Him. In fact, this passage tells us that we, as believers, will not only be spared, but that the mighty LORD, Creator of heavens and earth, refers to us as “My jewels”.  Brother, consider this morning how precious you are in the sight of our Good God!

Finally, this passage closes with a detailing of that day of judgement that must take place as part of the LORD’s restoration (vv 4:1):  ““For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.”.

Yes, the LORD will deal with wickedness.

And as for those who fear Him, for those who obey Him, that great day of judgement will be completely different (vv 4:2):  “But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.”.

LORD, thank You for giving me the faith and strength and endurance and perseverance to wait on You, O God!  Increase my love for You and Your word and Your ways as I walk through this life You have given me. Help me to be the man You have called me to be. Amen!

Good morning, friends, and greetings and felicitations to you and n this from be Wednesday morning!

Read John 15:9 – 17.

This morning, we return to read more of Jesus’ words from His farewell discourse. It is in this passage that Our Lord gives us, as believers, many of our final “running orders”; therefore, it is important that we make His words a priority, especially in these days.

As you receive Our Savior’s charges as contained in our reading today, pay particular attention to the following:

Jesus has modeled The Father’s love for us, and we are instructed to abide in the love of Jesus.  Once again, the word “abide”means to earnestly desire, to covet, to embrace, and to dwell in His love.

Jesus has modeled keeping The Father’s commandments for each of us; and He instructs us to keep His (Jesus’) commandments in like manner.  And if we will keep those commandments, we will abide in His love as a direct result.

Jesus has shared His words with us so that every one of us, as His followers, could have His joy, in all of its fullness!  Think about this, a joy that both remains and is complete, regardless of circumstances – thank You, Lord!

We know that Jesus has loved us, even unto suffering an undeserved death on a cross – we are to love others in like manner, laying down our own lives if necessary.

Jesus calls us friends.

And because He calls us friends, He has made known to us all that The Father revealed to Him – we, as His friends, have understanding and insight and knowledge that others do not have.  Let us receive that charge we have been given and use it responsibly and wisely.

Related to point above, He chose us and appointed us so that we could go and bear fruit.

Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your words today. Help me to walk in Your commandments and in Your love. Thank You, Jesus, for the joy You have given me – I receive it in all of its fullness this morning!  Finally, Lord, help me to love others in the way that You have shown me love, and give me an opportunity to build Your Kingdom today. Amen!