February 8, 2015
A psalm of David, asking God for salvation based on God’s character of mercy rather than any sense of his own deserving it. It is a bold request, asking for God’s face to “shine upon” him, knowing that the Lord could rightfully look at his sinful life with a face darkened by wrath and displeasure. Yet, like a son seeking his father’s attention, David cried out, “Lord, look at me and let your face show your divine mercy and radiant joy towards me!” God answered David’s prayer, but at great cost. For in turning His face towards David in mercy, He later turned His face away from the Christ, the Son of David, while He died upon the cross for our sins.
February 7, 2015
First, learn to do the little things. Then, perhaps God will promote you to greater responsibility. If you’re unfaithful with a little, you’d be unfaithful with a lot. The Lord is not looking for successful stewards, He is looking for faithful ones. Stop saying, “If only I had more, then I would serve Him with it.” Be faithful with whatever you have. The Lord will soon return, asking for an account.
February 6, 2015
How the Bible came to be: God spoke and men wrote. Paradoxically both fully human and fully divine. Sixty-six books written by over 40 God-inspired human authors of various cultures and backgrounds, over a period of 1600 years in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek to form one book, the Bible, God’s Word. There’s no other book like it. Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God never will!
February 5, 2015
This was a part of Jesus’ answer to the disciples questions concerning end times. The Greek word translated “nations” is ethnos (ἔθνος). It might also be translated every race/culture/tongue. According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, there are still 350 million people in the world who do not have a Scripture translation in their heart language. And according to the www.joshuaproject.net 43% of the world’s people groups are still unreached. Most of these are in the 10/40 window. There are still “ethnos” who have not heard the gospel. God is still asking, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” (Isa.6:8).
February 4, 2015
Before God wrote the ten commandments down onto two stone tablets, He actually spoke them aloud from Mount Sinai before all the Israelites. The Scripture actually refers to them as “words” (Hebrew: הַדְּבָרִ֥ים ha-Dabarim “the words”). The Jews therefore refer to them as the Ten Words or Ten Sayings (Hebrew: עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים Aseret ha-Dabarim). These ten words are beautifully organized into two tablets, the first tablet of words being about how we should love and relate to the Lord God and the second tablet of words are about how we should love and treat our fellow man. This is why Jesus could summarize all the commands with “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” There are around 613 commandments given to the Israelites by God. Yet, all of them are found within the “ten words,” that appear like chapter headings in a table of contents in the beginning of a book. For instance, all the commandments concerning feasts and holidays, might be considered under the “Keep the Sabbath” heading. And all the laws concerning human sexuality might be implied under the “You shall not commit adultery” word. The wisdom and righteousness of God is revealed in these ten words. But the only way to satisfy them is to have them written on our hearts by believing in the Christ and receiving His righteousness in exchange for our sin.
February 3, 2015
Jesus not only taught, but modeled the art of servant leadership. He showed that true greatness was not about exalting oneself, but being humble enough to wash another’s feet. This is the Kingdom leadership model that turns the world upside down. The servant leader descends to greatness. By choosing to serve, the Lord lifts him up.
February 2, 2015
Those who would learn to pray will find help in the psalms. In this Davidic psalm we learn to focus our prayers on knowing God and enjoying His presence, rather than just bringing Him our laundry list of wants. Those who learn to pray, seeking God’s face, will find that their requests are already satisfied in Him. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
February 1, 2015
Using the “rejected stone” imagery from Psalm 118, Jesus applied it to the Jewish religious leaders and their rejection of Him. Since they had rejected John the Baptist as the forerunner and had also rejected Jesus as the Messiah, they would be rejected by God and His kingdom would be “taken” from them. The chief priests and Pharisees did not bear the “fruits” of the kingdom. They had not repented of sin and accepted the Christ as their Lord and Savior, therefore their rejection of the Son would result in them being rejected by the Father. Even when they heard these words of warning from Jesus, they did not repent, but only became more determined to kill Him. And to what “nation” was the kingdom of God to be given? It was given to a holy nation, a nation without borders or end, to a house made up of those who accepted Christ as the Chief Cornerstone, and became themselves “living stones” in His temple (Read 1 Peter 2:4-10). Those who accept the Son, have life in the kingdom. Those who reject Him, do not (1 John 5:12).
January 31, 2015
Among the many instructions God gave Moses concerning the Passover Lamb was that it must be a male without blemish and that they were not to “break one of its bones” in sacrificing it. God was preparing the Israelites not only for their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, but ultimately for redemption from their slavery to sin. For by establishing the Passover as an annual memorial, He was preparing them to recognize the true Lamb of God when He came. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb. He was the male without blemish, the sinless Son of God. And although it was Roman practice to break the legs of those they crucified, which they did to the two criminals on either side of Jesus, not one of His bones was broken. As John reflected in his gospel, “For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken’” (John 19:36).
January 30, 2015
The Lord instructed Moses to have the people kill a male lamb without blemish and spread its blood on their doorposts, so that the angel of death would pass-over them. The Passover was to be an on-going remembrance of how God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. The Passover clearly prepared them for its fulfillment in Christ, who is the Lamb of God without blemish and whose blood was shed, so that we might be delivered from sin’s slavery and from death unto eternal life. The Passover meal pointed forward to Christ, as the Lord’s Supper now points back to Him. Jesus is our Passover Lamb.