Re: Verse reading–Ephesians 1 (day one)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”–v 1. It is our greatest duty. It is our highest privilege. We are to bless God! The absence of it is sin. “Even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks”—Romans 1:21. It is the path of faith. Even in tragedy, Job said, “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord”—Job 1:21. On the night of His betrayal, the Lord gave thanks! No wonder Ephesians begins with a call to worship, a call for Christians to praise God for the gifts He has given us in Christ–no matter the present circumstances. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Do you do so, my brother? Will you?
Tag: Lord
The example of angels
Re: Verse reading–Isaiah 6:1-8; Revelation 4:1-11 (day seven)
“Above Him were the seraphs. . . With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.” When Isaiah saw they Lord, he also saw seraphs. They are only mentioned once in Scripture. How they are different than cherubs and other angels is not indicated. The Hebrew word (seraphim) means “burning ones” indicating passion. They are “on fire” as they shout, “Holy, Holy, Holy”. Their presence convicts Isaiah. They shout, he has not. He also notices their humility. With two wings they cover their faces so as to not see God–humility of privilege. With two wings they cover their feet so as not to be seen–humility of ego. With two wings they flew to do the immediate bidding of the King–humility of will. Who among us would not have felt the contrast of our shallow, careless worship to that of these glorious and humble creatures?
Actuality
Re: Verse reading–Isaiah 6:1-8; Revelation 4:1-11 (Day Three)
“The whole earth is full of his glory.” In one sense, the worship of God means seeing things as they actually are. The vision that the prophets in the Old Testament had in common reflected this understanding: “The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Elisha prayed for his servant: “‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” If we would worship God, we must be convinced of the reality of his reign. Perhaps a prelude to worship is this prayer: Open my eyes, Lord.
A Life-Changing Vision
Re: Verse reading–Isaiah 6:1-8; Revelation 4:1-11 (day one)
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on the throne, high and exalted.” (Isaiah 6:1) There was clear time line. Years later, Isaiah would recall the vision that changed his life. Happened the year that King Uzziah died. Great king, symbol and sponsor of 52 years of stability and growth for Judah. No one could imagine what would happen without his leadership. In this condition of great anxiety, the young prophet was given a vision. “I saw the Lord.” (v 1) High. Holy. Huge. “THEN I said, ‘woe is me.’ “ (v 5) “THEN the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal.” (v 6) “THEN I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ “ (v 8) One step following the other, the prophet moved forward from despair, to revelation, to conviction for sin, to cleansing, to volunteered service. His life was never the same. Yours?
If you confess with your mouth
Re: Verse reading–Romans 10:8-15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (day six)
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ as Lord. . . you shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Confess is an interesting word. In English it sounds guilty, “he confessed to a crime”. In Greek it simply means “to speak the same word”, “to stand in unity on a matter of truth”. With whom do we stand when we confess that Jesus is Lord? We stand with God and watching universe! ” He (God) has made Him (Jesus) both LORD and Christ.”–Acts 2:36. “All authority (Lordship) has been give to me” said Jesus in Matthew 28. Being original is not the point! Solidarity is! When we confess that Jesus is LORD (of the universe and of our lives) we are joining a mighty army of truth-telling people (saints and angels together). All history moves toward this great climax. “And every knee shall bow and will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.”—Philippians 2:11. Better for us to join this wave now!
Fear of Man
Re: Verse reading – Romans 10:8-15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (day four)
It is a simple message…1 Corinthians 15:3-4. We call it the Easter verse…”that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” It is not hard to learn, so why do so many fail to communicate this message of redemption? Could it be the fear of man? Peter faced the same fear…he was more concerned with what a young slave girl thought about him than what his Lord thought. Fear of man…does it keep you from sharing the Gospel message? It does not have to be complicated…Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day…according to the Scriptures! Are we afraid of what our family will think? …our co-workers? …our neighbors? …our friends? …a perfect stranger? Fear of man vs. fear of the God of the Universe…go share, according to the Scriptures!
Invitation
Re: Verse reading – Romans 10:8-15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (day three)
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” It’s not uncommon for some to claim that Christianity is exclusivist, whereas other religions or systems of thought possess much more generosity of spirit and remain open to anyone. The hallmark of God’s revelation in Christ, though, is not exclusivity, but radical inclusivity: “Come, all that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” While the world measures every man by this or that standard to determine his worth, Jesus Christ says that whosoever will may come. Invitations don’t get more inclusive than that.
Beautiful feet
Re: Verse reading – Romans 10:8-15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (day one)
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15, also Isaiah 52:7) Beautiful feet–isn’t that an oxymoron? Maybe so in an appearance-focused world. Not so if feet symbolize efforts made (walking, riding a plane, planning a broadcast, starting a Sunday School class etc.) to bring the Word of God to people who need it. None of us intuitively knows how to be saved. We are in darkness until the Lord reveals His character and makes our required response clear. God’s chosen method for revealing Himself is to send a witness. “You will be my witnesses when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” says the Lord. (Acts 1:8) “From faith to faith” (Romans 1:17) describes the gradual growth of God’s truth–one person who believes tells another who does not yet believe. When we do it faithfully, those who hear are likely to say, “Man, I never saw anything more beautiful than your feet!”
Do you believe…
Re: Verse reading–Psalm 103, Luke 17:11-19 (day five)
Do you believe that Jesus was the most “joy-filled” person who ever walked this planet? Do we want to have that kind of “joy-filled” life? If the answers are yes, then we must look at how He lived and what He taught. It’s really what we’ve been doing all summer- studying the hows and whats. Jesus certainly taught about thanksgiving and gratitude (Luke 17). And He faithfully practiced it (Last supper, feeding of 5,000, raising of Lazarus, and many more times) There is a connection to a thankful heart and joy-filled life. We need look no further than our Lord for proof and practice. I read this week that Thanksgiving is a “confession of blessings”. This practice causes us to remember (past), rejoice (present), and regain an eternal perspective (look to the future).
Praise, Praise, Praise!
Re: Verse reading–Psalm 103, Luke 17:11-19 (day two)
Isn’t it a privilege to read the Word? The text from Psalm 103 washes over you like a comforting blanket. These words not only give reassurance, but also reminds us of the Lord’s provision and strength. Look at the many promises and words of action listed in this song: benefits, forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, love, compassion, satisfies, renews, justice, compassionate, gracious, removes transgressions, and righteousness. This is the kind of God we serve. This kind of comfort is available to those who seek after his heart. Re-read this text, gain strength from these promises, and then return all the praise that is due a God that is so good.