June 12, 2016
Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch from Isaiah 53. He could have taken his gospel message from anywhere in the Bible, for all Scripture testifies of Christ (John 5:39). This is Christ-centered or gospel-centered preaching: Showing how the written Word points to the Living Word. When the Ethiopian heard the good news, he believed and was baptized. For this kind of preaching calls for a response. The preacher that doesn’t preach Christ, hasn’t preached. True biblical preaching always points to Christ (1 Cor. 2:2).
June 11, 2016
When the priests placed the Ark in the newly completed Temple, it was filled with a cloud so dense that they could not remain inside. King Solomon recognized the cloud as the glory of the Lord and reminded his people that God had promised to dwell with them in such a way. For the Lord had told Moses, “…I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat” (Lev.16:2). Just as the Lord’s glory inhabited the Tabernacle in the wilderness, so He showed forth His glory in Solomon’s Temple, representing His approval. It must have been quite a sight. The rejoicing crowd that joyfully watched the priests enter the Temple with the Ark, now stood dumbstruck with awe as those same priests came scurrying out with fearful faces. The previously cacophonous crowd fell silent as a dark cloud rolled out of the Temple doors behind the retreating priests. And then, in the sudden silence, Solomon’s trembling voice was heard, “The Lord said he would dwell in thick darkness.”
June 10, 2016
The newly appointed deacon, Stephen, was stoned to death for his witness, becoming the first Christian martyr. His verbal defense of the gospel before his accusers was a Spirit-inspired masterpiece, boldly proclaimed. He reminded them that it was Moses, whom they claimed to follow, that spoke of a coming prophet who would mediate God’s Word to them (Deut.18:14-19). Then, he compared them to the Israelites in the wilderness who rejected Moses, for they had rejected the Righteous One whom God had raised up “from their brothers,” Christ Jesus. Stephen was essentially preaching the words of Jesus, who said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me” (John 5:46).
June 9, 2016
We are to be thankful for our children as a “heritage,” as a gift. It is not just biology at work, for they are “from the Lord.” They are a “reward” to be desired, not a burden to be avoided. Yet, we need this reminder from God’s Word because sin would have us view God’s gifts as curses. Beloved, meditate on this verse as you consider our little ones.
June 8, 2016
A wise observation by King Solomon: Hunger motivates work. In other words, an empty stomach can actually “work for” the worker to encourage greater effort. The opposite must also be true: Free food inspires lethargy. Forgetting this wisdom is detrimental to both the individual and the community.
June 7, 2016
When the Jewish council again brought the apostles before them for preaching in Jesus’ name, ordering them to stop, Peter replied that their ultimate obedience was to God. In other words, the ruling that the council gave went contrary to the command of Christ, therefore the apostles had chosen to obey Him. In all other regards, the apostles and the early Christians were taught to be model citizens, obeying the human authorities over them. But when man’s law went against God’s, they chose to obey God.
June 6, 2016
With the filling of the Holy Spirit, the early church began to see the prophecies concerning Christ all through the Hebrew Scriptures. They were especially drawn to the Psalms of David. After Peter and John were held in custody overnight and instructed to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, they returned to their friends and joined a prayer meeting already in session. As they began to pray, they quoted Psalm 2:1-2, describing how the world’s kings and rulers would come against the Lord’s “Anointed,” in their prayers. This event never happened during David’s time. They rightly perceived that the Spirit had given David this prophecy to describe Jesus’ time. This newfound awareness of the Scriptures, perceived through the influence of the Spirit’s filling, gave the early church tremendous power in prayer and boldness in preaching. Do you ever pray the Scriptures back to the Lord as they did?
June 5, 2016
To the worshipers in the Temple courts who wondered at the healing of the lame man, Peter explained that the source of the healing power came from Jesus the Christ. He told them that this was the same Jesus they had crucified, but whom God had raised from the dead, ascended to heaven and who would soon return. Therefore, he challenged them to “repent” and “turn back” to believe in Jesus, so that their sins might be forgiven and that they would be ready for Christ’s appointed return. The Jews were looking for a Christ, a Messiah, that would set up an earthly kingdom and dwell with them as king, so it was important that Peter explained to them the prophetic reason why the Christ had ascended to heaven “until the time” of restoration. Peter was an eye witness to Christ’s ascension, and he had heard with his own ears, Christ’s promise to return. So, he preached with a sense of urgency and expectation that the Father would soon send Christ back again to restore all things.
June 4, 2016
This psalm, which is not included in the Book of Psalms, but only found in 2 Samuel, begins with the prescript, “the last words of David.” In verse two, he states his awareness that the Holy Spirit “speaks” through him. David, at the end of his life, looked back on all that God had done for him, and gave God praise that He had chosen him as a Divine mouthpiece. David praised God that his psalms were inspired by God’s Spirit. David listed many things that he was thankful for as he reflected back on his life, yet chief among them was that God had “raised him up” and “anointed” him as “the sweet psalmist of Israel.” Oh, to have a life known for speaking God’s Word and for one’s final words to be Spirit inspired.
June 3, 2016
Why did the psalmist look to the “hills” for help? No doubt he referred to the hills of Mount Zion upon which stood the Temple in Jerusalem. Psalm 121 is the second of fifteen “Psalms of Ascent” (Psalms 120-134). These psalms became known as such because of their use by Hebrew pilgrims making the three annual treks to Jerusalem for the required festivals. The pilgrims would sing these songs as they ascended to the temple mount in preparation for worship. During Jesus’ time there were fifteen steps to the Herodian Temple that approached the Double Gate. These psalms were sung on these steps before entering the gates to the temple. Today, the gates are sealed, but the steps remain. It’s good to start worshiping before one enters God’s house. And it’s good to remember, as the psalmist did, that our help doesn’t actually come from the “hills” where the church building stands. Rather, our help “comes from the Lord,” who made not only the “hills,” but also everything else in “heaven and earth.”