December 28: Of Sushi and Scripture

Zechariah 12:1-13:9

Revelation 19:1-21

Psalm 147:1-20

Proverbs 31:1-7

As we come to the end of the year, I want to echo Pastor Scott Taylor invitation to read the Bible.  As trite as the comparison seems, the one that comes to mind is sushi.  As a child, I absolutely refused to eat that "vile, raw fish" my parents insisted I try.  I was so certain I knew how it would taste, just by looking at it.  Why waste the calories on something so simple it was raw?  They finally got me to stop being so stubborn, to take a bite, to "taste and see".  That began a decades-long journey of discovery that has taken me to eleven countries and over a hundred restaurants.  And every time I think I know all there is to know about the basic maguro (or blue-fin tuna) sushi, I am surprised to either find something new, or revisit something wonderful.

Upon reflection, my resistance to reading the Bible was very similar to my resistance to sushi.  I had heard the story of Christmas and the Crucifixion, of Adam and Abraham, Noah, David and Solomon.  What more was there to know?  Why waste the time on something so old, surely it had been discredited by something new?  As with the sushi, I am grateful to my parents that they insisted I read.  Because even more than sushi, God's Word has to be experienced.  To get the full benefit, it cannot just be seen from a second-hand distance, it has to be pondered, sought, lived, realized.  Its experience is the revelatory moment, the "aha!" that comes only with immersion, a seminal moment that repeats and refreshes and deepens itself as one delves more deeply into God's revelation.  And I am grateful that they got me to "taste and see".

Unlike sushi, though, the stakes involved in Scripture are infinitely, eternally higher.  Scripture is a love letter from God to us, telling us who we are to Him and what is to come.  It is an invitation to relationship with "The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person", who "determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name", whose victory against the very forces that delude us into refusing to experience Him we read about in today's NT reading.  

So as I finish my last blog of the year, whether this is the first one you read or the last, thank you for joining us.  And we hope you were so blessed by Him from whom all blessings come that you will join us in 2020, and invite friends to taste and see.  

Reading the Bible

December 27, 2019

I want to congratulate you on making it to the end of a year of Bible reading. I also want to challenge you to sign up again to take this journey with us in 2020. There is nothing as important as Bible reading. Yet, not everyone holds this view. Last year GQ magazine published a list of "21 Books You Don't Have to Read."  Condemned were such classics as "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," and "The Lord of the Rings." The magazine's editors described these classics as racist, sexist and boring. But the one book that was attacked most vehemently was the Bible, of course. It was described as repetitive, self-contradictory and foolish. What I consider the most important book in Western history is, according to this periodical, filled with men's grooming tips and just not worth the effort to read. This should not take us by surprise because the idea of us being accountable to an Almighty God unhinges so many moderns.

But why make Bible reading a priority in the new year?  Because without a knowledge of the Bible you will miss so much of western history. Without reading the Bible, we can never comprehend works of art like the Sistine Chapel, the Pieta, or the Last Supper and we would never fully grasp Dante, Milton or Bach. How about Handel's Messiah that is sung every Christmas?  If you don't have a working knowledge of the Bible, most of Shakespeare's allusions will be missed. You'll never understand why the Pilgrims came to New England, you'll miss what motivated the abolition of slavery, and you'll find Martin Luther King, Jr's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" unintelligible. That is a drop in the bucket of the Bible's influence.

Most importantly, without the Bible you will walk in ignorance. Without the Bible you won't understand how to find meaning and purpose in life, how to overcome sin and guilt, and how to make sense of many social issues today.

I know I am just one voice in a vast wilderness of voices but there is nothing more important than allowing God to speak to you each day through the Bible.

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, December 26

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

 

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

    righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

    and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

    and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,

    and from the River[c] to the ends of the earth.

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” (Zechariah 9:9-11)

 

“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)

 

“The Lord is righteous in all his ways

    and kind in all his works.

The Lord is near to all who call on him,

    to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;

    he also hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord preserves all who love him,

    but all the wicked he will destroy.” (Psalm 145:17-20)

 

 

In these three passages, we find multiple portraits of God’s sovereign rule.  Each of the three establish our God as King of kings and Lord of lords.  They also highlight that His Kingdom business doesn’t stop with knowledge; rather, it extends to questions of power and authority.  In Acts and Paul’s letters, we often find references to the Holy Spirit’s coming on new believers in “power.”

 

What may we take away from these pictures of our God?  Throughout Scripture, we discern more and more of God’s purpose and intention, directed towards His glory and the good of His people.  In some cases, we discover the humble Jesus, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt.  Other times, we read about Jesus as conqueror, as in Revelation, where all other authorities will cede their power.  Psalm 145 points to our God’s deft ability to relate to us in a position of authority, but with an attitude of tenderness.  Given His greatness, these varied pictures are not surprising.

 

How may we respond to these representations of our sovereign God?  For me, these readings encouraged me to surrender more fully to God’s purpose and to trust Him for the road ahead in 2020.  My prayer today:  “Do what You will, O God, and give me wisdom to understand and follow Your leading.”

 

I rejoice in being able to share this 2019 Bible Reading Group journey with you!  I am even more excited about starting again in 2020.  Maybe you’d like to invite a friend or loved one to join with us?

 

Please also find a link to an article for personal reflection, called “10 Questions for a New Year”:  https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/ten-questions-for-a-new-year.

 

 

Lord God, thank You for showing us pictures of Your sovereignty in Scripture.  Give us wisdom and understanding of Your greatness and awesome power.  Help us to become more trusting of Your plans and purposes.  Use us for Your honor and glory in the coming year.  In Jesus’s mighty Name, amen.

 

 

 

________________________________________________________________________

596 Glenbrook Road, Unit 13 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection

Stamford, CT  06906-1423    |  and the life.  He who believes in me will

(C) 203.820.1741            |     live, even though he dies; and whoever

(H) 203.355.9374            |   lives and believes in me will never die.

(E) swe@edwa.info           | Do you believe this?'"    -- John 11:25,26

 

December 25

In one of his Christmas devotions, Charles Spurgeon wrote: "Let us today go down to Bethlehem, and in company with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see him who was born King of the Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in him, and can sing, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Jesus is Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and friend; let us adore and admire. Let us notice at the very first glance his miraculous conception."

Yet, within this miraculous birth, there lies yet another facet to the miracle. There is one last prophesy to be fulfilled. Jesus will return. We read in our reading today, it will not be pretty, but Jesus said to be ready. Jesus will part the heavens and come down, touch the mountains so that they smoke, send forth lightning and scatter the enemies. But when He does, he will also deliver and rescue us and we will sing a new song. What is man that God is mindful of us? Our Father loves  us more than our minds can understand, so much that today He sent His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. There's one more gift for us to unwrap today. The gift of life that came to us as a baby named Jesus. I pray God fills your homes and your hearts with His love, His hope and His peace.  

Merry Christmas,

Randi

Bible blog post Monday December 23rd

Go tell it on the...wherever you are!!! (Rev. 14:6)

Proclaim!!!  The definition of the word proclaim is: to announce officially or publicly, declare something one considers important with due emphasis.  This is a verb that we see acted out throughout the Christmas story.

An angel came and proclaimed to Mary that she would become pregnant and give birth to a son whom she is to name Jesus. Another angel came in a dream to proclaim to Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife and he is to name the baby she will have Jesus.  Elizabeth proclaims that the baby in her womb leapt upon the arrival of pregnant Mary when she visited. Caesar Augustus made a proclamation when he issued the census that would caused Joseph to take Mary to Bethlehem.  After Mary gives birth to Jesus an Angel proclaims his birth to lowly shepherds who go and worship him.  Upon their return from seeking Jesus the Shepherds proclaimed, through their praise, all that they had experienced with this new born baby King.  Magi from the east entered Judea seeking the baby born and proceed to proclaim his identity by asking "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."  Simeon and Anna, in the temple after Jesus birth, both proclaimed the identity as well as the future ministry of this new born baby Jesus.

There are just a couple of days left to our Christmas Advent season this year.  Part of the celebration is to follow the example set for us and to continue to proclaim the good news of Jesus birth, identity, ministry, death and resurrection.  We need to proclaim the gospel message to those who live around us, who enter our lives.  It is our advent action as we look forward to his coming.

Revelation 14:6 says "Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people."  This proclamation is set at the end of the second season of Advent, upon Jesus return.  The angels have been setting an example and proclaiming the gospels arrival and fulfillment.  Let us no delay but join in with the proclamation now.  Let us share the good news of Christ coming both of past and future and the hope and joy of the promises it brings.  Let us not just proclaim Merry Christmas to those around us but proclaim the gospel behind what Christmas truly means.  That is sharing the true hope of Advent.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas by living in expectation of the joy and hope and peace that comes from us seeking and finding the one with whom Christmas is all about, Jesus.

December 21: On Preparing for War

Zecharaiah 1:1-21

Revelation 12:1-17

Psalm 140:1-13

Proverbs 30:17

I love that today's NT reading is so anticipatory of Christmas.  The first 5 verses are the story of Jesus's birth, and the back story of the battle that is to come.  Because make no mistake, Satan is waging war, and he is desperate, because he knows he must lose but does not want to.  This is why when he could not overcome God in heaven, when Michael and his angels fought back, he sought a different way to get to God - through those He loves.  First, he went after Jesus's mother, but God took her away and even the earth protected her.  

So Satan couldn't touch the Father, the mother or the Son . Who is left?  "Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring - those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus."

If you are reading this, I am pretty sure that includes you.  Yes, you - you, and me, and everyone trying to abide by the word of God - we are all in a war.  We are what Satan has decided will be easy pickings, the soft targets.  How do we gird ourselves for that war, a war where the enemy is so much more powerful than we are?

Thankfully we have an instruction manual and a model: our Lord Himself.  To prepare Himself for the battle to come, He did three things.  In the Gospels, we read about how He prayed, and He fasted.  What we also know is that, as He prepared to be a Teacher, He armed Himself with Scripture.  

Armies train together so they can fight together.  While our Lord has already won the war, if we train with Him - with scripture, prayer and fasting - we can fight with Him, and we can avoid being Satan's easy pickings.  

Father open our eyes to the battle You've won, yet is still being fought each day, in our world and in our hearts.  Give us the desire to train ourselves so that we might fight with You and for You.  *

Dec 20

December 20, 2019

Psalm 139

 

On Monday of this week our grandson Chad went to see a specialist because of a month-long limp. He had seen a doctor before Thanksgiving, but that doctor said it was just a minor injury. This new doctor said the hip was dangerously dislocated and required immediate surgery. He made one phone call, and in a few minutes, arranged for New England's foremost expert on hip surgery to schedule an operation the following day at Yale. It just happened they had the exact size screw required and the operating room was available. 

   

The surgery occurred on Tuesday and the doctor was pleased with the outcome. Now we are trusting God for complete healing over the next two months.

 

Where was God in all of this mess?  He was right there with us.

 

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 139:

You discern my going out and my lying down;

    you are familiar with all my ways.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from your presence?

 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

 

These truths gave us great comfort knowing that God knows everything going on in our lives and he is there. He is intimately acquainted with every detail of this injury and surgery. His protective care was evident every day of the past month. It is absolutely breathtaking to consider God's constant watch and care over us. This means that whatever mess you are in today, God is there in the mess with you.

 

I encourage you to believe that God is involved in the smallest details of your life. To God be the glory!!

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, December 19

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2019

 

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

 

“Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly,

    [but the haughty he knows from afar].” (Psalm 138:6; NIV and ESV)

 

 

In today’s prophecy from Zephaniah and the teaching of Psalm 138:6, we find stark contrasts between God’s initimate knowledge and rejoicing over the humble, but his rejection and distance from the prideful.  While the prophecy may speak in national terms about the Jews, the relevance of this teaching extends to us individually and corporately as Christ-followers today.

 

Pride creates major complications in our walk with Christ.  It obscures the truth and revelation from God because we believe that we know better.  It restricts us from experiencing intimacy in our relationships because we imagine ourselves as being better than others.  It keeps us from considering new ideas because we think better than others.

 

Pride puffs us up momentarily, only to betray us in the long run.  Like many negative emotions -- much like drugs or alcohol -- the initial “high” quickly dissipates into a deeper hole.

 

In his classic, “The Great Divorce,” C. S. Lewis pictured man’s pride as leading to a desire to distance ourselves farther and farther away from others.  That isolation becomes what the prideful deserve:  they wanted it all along.

 

I encourage you to take account of your relational pride.  Whom have you avoided due to your elevated self-opinion?  Have you become less sensitive to God’s voice recently?

 

Encouragingly, we find our Father as eager and completely able to restore us.  With His children, He will “rejoice over you with singing.”  What a beautiful picture of our loving, encouraging Father!

 

 

Lord God, thank You for this wisdom about pride.  Give us strength to face our weaknesses and to approach You and others with true love and humility.  Restore us to wholeness in our relationships, and give us complete joy in experiencing Your presence and loving others.  In Jesus’s mighty Name, amen.

 

________________________________________________________________________

596 Glenbrook Road, Unit 13 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection

Stamford, CT  06906-1423    |  and the life.  He who believes in me will

(C) 203.820.1741            |     live, even though he dies; “ whoever

(H) 203.355.9374            |   lives and believes in me will never die.

(E) swe@edwa.info           | Do you believe this?'"    -- John 11:25,26

 

December 18

Habakkuk

I enjoyed reading Habakkuk because of the dialogue he had going on with God. Habakkuk's prophecy was directed to a world that, through the eyes of God's people, must have seemed on the edge of disaster. The prophet initiated this conversation based on his distress about God's "inaction" in the world. He wanted to see God do something more, particularly in the area of justice for evildoers. Habakkuk seemed to be asking God some pretty reasonable questions, like "don't you see what's going on and what do you plan on doing about it"?. As I was reading it, I couldn't help but think about the world today.  I thought of friends who are facing tough times, or my own confusion when I see evil around me and my life is affected by decisions, some not of my own making. I'm not alone in this as we have all seen the evidence of evil in our lives. We've all been touched by it and we all bear scars even in the midst of various stages of healing.  However, the book of Habakkuk reminds us that no place is too dark and no wall too thick for God's grace to penetrate in a powerful way. As we continue to go through and reflect in this Advent season, I think it's important to remember that the central miracle of this season rests in the Incarnation. Every other work of God we see in our life prepares us for this or is a result of it. (C.S. Lewis) I pray the peace of Emmanuel rest in our homes, in our hearts and in our lives. Despite the confusion and the darkness around us, Jesus knows exactly what's going on and He is still on His throne. 

Randi

Monday bible blog post December 16th

"O Come Let Us Adore Him!"  (Micah 5:1-7:20, Revelation 7:1-17, Psalm 135: 1-21, Proverbs 30:5-6 - with a focus on Ps. 135:1)

It is day 16 of Advent.  We have had 15 days this month of looking forward to the coming, to the arrival of Christ.  But what have you been doing during this period of Advent?  How have you been actively looking forward to the coming of the King? 

I know that at Christmas time many children will make a Christmas list for their parents to have, a list of things they would like in the hope and anticipation of receiving them on Christmas day.  During our season of Advent we too can make a list in anticipation as well.  We can make a list of who God is, who our Savior and King is and share it with Him.  This list takes the form of praise.  Psalm 135:1 tells us, "Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD."  Why is it important to do this during our season of Advent (which is throughout the year not just the month of December)?  Because it reminds us of who is coming, who it is we are looking forward to with anticipation and hope.

This world has many dark days, much sadness and grief, it has loss and suffering, uncertainty, anxiety, hostility and so on.  John 8:12 tells us that Christ is the light of the world.  The nature of our God and our King is light.  His character, his being, his promises shine and when we lift up our praise to him it shines upon us.  It is like flipping on the light switch of hope and joy in our lives.

Our OT reading in Micah, NT reading in Revelation as well as our Psalm and Proverb all reveal attributes of our God and King that we can lift up to Him this Advent day.  Let us not just sit and wait but to look forward with lifted voices of Praise in anticipation and hope for the day we will get to meet and experience our God and our King face to face.

Possible praises we can lift up in anticipation and hope that came from our readings today:

"You are the Shepherd who leads." (Mic 5:4 & Rev 7:17)

"Lord you are strength and majestic is your name." (Mic 5:4)

"You are a God who loves mercy and humility and gave us mercy by humbly coming to us." (Mic 6:8)

"Lord I watch in hope for you, I wait for you my God and my savior, you hear me when I call out to you, you do not turn a deaf ear." (Mic 7:7)

"Lord you are my light in the darkness." (Mic 7:8)

"You pardon and forgive and delight in showing mercy and compassion." (Mic 7:18)

"Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (Rev 7:12)

"Lord you are good and I praise your name." (Ps. 135:3)

"We have a God who is in control, who makes the clouds rise and sends the rain and gives us what we need." (Ps. 135: 7)

"We praise you for your name endures forever, your renown, O Lord, remains through all generations." (Ps. 135:13)

"Lord each of your words is flawless; you are a shield for us to take refuge in." (Pr. 30:5)

These are just a few from today's reading but the bible is full of verses that give our voice Praise to Him.  Spend time during your season of Advent actively looking forward in anticipation by lifting up your voice in Praise to the King.

December 14: Of Jonah's Disobedience and God's Mercy

Jonah 1:1-4:11

Revelation 5:1-14

Psalm 133:1-3

Provers 29:26-27

I love the Jonah story.  God finds a man worthy for His purposes, to preach His Word to a sinful people.  In clear light of day, centuries hence, it is so easy to think "what a privilege!  What idiot would refuse such a clear and direct call?"  Jonah did.  He ran from God, so God permitted circumstances that would direct Jonah back to Him.  A bit extreme, I admit - first the storm, then he's thrown overboard, then he's swallowed by a fish, living in its belly for three days - but it appears Jonah had a stubborn heart, so it took all of that to turn him back to God.  

Yet even after all that, his heart wasn't quite turned completely, was it?  When he preached God's word, and the Ninevites repented, rather than rejoice, Jonah got angry.  He dared say to God "I told you so!"  But even then, after all his disobedience, God sought to change Jonah's heart.  Rather than punish him for his obstinacy, rather than leave him alone, God remonstrates with Jonah - He bothers to explain why He chose to spare Nineveh.  

This is our God: One who is merciful to the sinful, Who calls those who have strayed, and Who is patient with those Whom He sends, even when we struggle with our own sin and unbelief.  This is our God Who is able to keep us safe in the storm and alive in the belly of a fish, the God for Whom nothing is beyond His willingness to do in order that we return to Him.  Nothing - not even the sacrifice of His only Son.  

I wish I could say I heard God often the way Jonah did.  I wish I could say that when I did, I was quick to obey.  And I wish that when He taught me a difficult lesson, I was humble enough to receive it.  Sadly, I am too much like Jonah in my disobedience.  Father, be gentle with me when I sin, but as You did with Jonah, please spare no effort to bring my heart back to You.

Dec 13

Revelation 4

The Survelum Public Data Bank conducted a survey on how many people know their purpose in life.

25% Certainly I know

20% I suppose I know

24%  I am not sure

23%  I don't know, but I would like to

8%  I don't know and don't want to know

 Revelation 4 is for the 75% of people who do not know their purpose for living.  The idea that there are angels circling the throne of God for millenniums saying "Holy, holy, holy" is amazing. That means every time they complete their praise, they see another aspect of God's majestic nature that compels them to again cry out, "Holy, holy, holy."  This glimpse into the complete transcendence of God leads me back to the reason God has given us life today. We live to worship God. This is our highest and most important priority on this Friday.

 Our commitment to worship God will transform our lives.  When Handel was asked how he had come to write the "Messiah" his answer was, "I saw the heavens opened and God upon his Great White Throne"

 A.W. Tozar, the preacher and theologian said, "The concept of the majesty of God has all but disappeared from the human race. I believe we ought to have again the old Biblical concept of God which makes God awful and makes men lie face down and cry, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.' That would do more for the church than everything or anything else."

Join me today in worshiping God. Take time now and sing a song of praise and worship to our awesome God. End your time of worship by joining with the angels and shouting out, "Holy, holy, holy."

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, December 12

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2019

"'The days are coming,' declares the Sovereign LORD,

   'when I will send a famine through the land—

not a famine for food or a thirst for water,

   but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

Men will stagger from sea to sea

   and wander from north to East,

searching for the word of the LORD,

   but they will not find it." (Amos 8:11,12)

Despite living in Judah, Amos's prophecy focuses on the northern kingdom of Israel. While his book primarily references a given time and place, the situation described therein could happen anywhere.

In short, we may find ourselves hungry and thirsty for God's presence after rejecting Him out of our shared life as a community. Amos makes clear that Israel's leaders has prioritized their own comfort over justice. God grieved over their corruption and negligence, and He expresses a desire for justice for all people. May we honor His desire in our day.

More broadly, by rejecting justice and seeking their own good vs. that of the people, Israel's leaders had rejected God. In so doing, the "land" and its people became destitute, particularly for the Word of God. That poverty would well up into a separation from Him and despair.

We do know from many Biblical promises that God responds to those who earnestly seek Him. When His Word becomes less well-known in the land, however, seeking Him becomes more challenging. The land and its people lose hope, and love and joy suffer. Corruption and negligence of the truth become more prevalent.

While we might look to others as the antidote to this famine today, the search for hope begins with us. We can embrace God's Word and encourage others to do the same. We may pray for our governmental, corporate, and church leaders to seek God and His wisdom for their spheres of influence. And we can declare for our families, echoing Joshua 24:15: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." We may invite friends and family to participate in next year's Bible reading challenge, too!

Lord God, thank You for giving us the treasure of Your Word. Help us to wisely store it in our hearts and minds, and give us opportunity to encourage others to seek You in this day. Help us to set aside our families and homes to You. Guide our leaders in wisdom and humility, bringing them into alignment with Your will. Strengthen us with hope, love, and joy for this day. In Jesus's Name, amen.

December 11

Amos, Psalm 130, Revelation 3

Much like the other prophets, Amos was telling the people of Israel that God is going to judge them for their sins. So, what was their sin?  Being raised Jewish and coming to receive Jesus as Messiah later in life, I realize that the "chosen people" of Israel sinned not only against God's laws but against His love. What I've learned in my journey which connects by Jewish roots to my Lord Jesus is that God chose the nation of Israel to reveal Himself to, and gave them the responsibility to recognize the Messiah through the Scriptures and proclaim Him throughout the world. That's a pretty big responsibility, and as with all things in life, with this responsibility came accountability. The nation of Israel turned their back on God throughout their history, and as Amos warns the nation of the consequences of ignoring their responsibilities in their time, I believe we can draw a parallel throughout our reading and see how Jesus reminds us of our responsibility to carry the message of the gospel into the world because we know how The Story ends. "Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you". (Rev. 3:3)  As Christ followers we have been given a responsibility through word and deed and we will be held accountable. As we pray through this advent season, take yourself back 2000 years and let your heart rejoice and be in awe with the angels in knowing that a wonderful event is about to happen. The One who was prophesied about in the Scriptures will be born. Let's be grateful because  from that birth we received a kingdom that cannot be shaken and the Lord our God is always with us now and not yet. It is in His return we have our hope. "Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." With the power of the Spirit which lives in us, filled with His love, rests our responsibility. Let's go share the Good News. 

Randi

bible blog post Monday December 9th

The Hope In Advent   (Revelation 1:4-8)

This day of Advent brings us that much closer to the much awaited and anticipated celebration of Jesus Birth.  Advent means "coming" or "arrival".  We spend this month looking forward to the celebration of Christ's birth and what it meant, what it brought, and what it promises for the future.  How fitting that our New Testament reading today starts in the book of Revelation and speaks of Christ's first arrival and the freedom it brought and then sets our eyes to looks forward to his second arrival, a new season of Advent for us. (Rev 1:4-7)

As we enter in to day 9 of Advent let us be encouraged to look forward to the arrival, to the day when we will meet "the Alpha and Omega....who is, and who was, and who IS TO COME, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8).  His coming again will bring the fulfillment of the freedom his first arrival brought us.  It offers hope for today where no other hope can be found.  Many are going through difficult and uncertain times.  Many are facing grief and loss.  Many are facing challenges and fears.  Don't loose hope!!!  Look forward!  Be reminded and encourage to live in a constant season of Advent where we seek the one who is and we look forward to the one who is coming to be our help, our hope, and our strength for the right now. 

Spend some time this Advent day in the hope of Christ, who he was and what he did, who he is for us today, and the promise of his return in the future to bring us back to where we belong.  Let the season of advent (both of Christmas and Christ's return) bring a joy and a song to your heart that can only come from him.

Verses that can be used to reflect on and to encourage you this Advent day:

Ephesians 3:12   "In him (Jesus Christ) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence."

Isaiah 40:31 "those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Philipians 1:6 "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

December 7: Pearl Harbor, Bataan, and Hope

Hosea 6:1-9:17

3 John 1:1-14

Psalm 126:1-6

Proverbs 29:12-14

Seventy-eight years ago, a period of fear, despair and helplessness dawned with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  On the west coast, people lived in fear the Japanese were next going to attack California.  The hopelessness was perhaps most evident in the Bataan Death March, where anywhere from 60 to 80 thousand Filipino and American soldiers were forced to march 65 miles to Manila, defeated.  A tenth of them didn't make it.  And it wasn't until almost 40 months later, after terrible battles in horrific conditions, was Manila liberated.  

Some victories take much longer.  Years later the Philippines was taken over by a dictator in 1965, one who declared martial law in 1972, and ruled till 1986. Twenty one years' waiting and praying, till a peaceful revolution ousted Marcos.  Even longer - the ordeal of East Germany, from 1945 to 1989.  Forty-four years' suffering, many in despair under the communists, till the Berlin Wall finally fell. 

The hardest battles, the ones that never seem to end and most often lead to despair and hopelessness, are the ones we fight to live our lives as best we can.   However we try to do the right thing, so many things trip us up.  Those who eat right get heart disease.  Those who don't smoke get lung cancer.  Those who save lose their savings.  Perhaps most frustratingly, those who try to live good lives continue to struggle with habitual sin.  

When mired in the helplessness of that never ending battle, where to find hope?  The psalm is clear: we cry out to God.  "Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev.  Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.  Those who go out weeping carrying seeds to sow will return with songs of joy carrying sheaves with them."

Father, the battle is never ending, and we face certain defeat fighting it on our own.  Be our strength in battle, our hope amidst despair, our victory.

December 6

Hosea 4

 

 "Life is hard, but it's really hard when you are stupid."   John Wayne 

 

The very foundations of our society are being shaken and as a result we are making stupid decisions. At the same time, even the mention of common sense or guidance from the Bible is scoffed at and ridiculed.

  Kids are told they are freaks of nature or star dust, and we wonder why they have no purpose or meaning in life. 

  You can wake up today and choose what sex you are. There are now 63 genders.  

  Last week a British birth coach was forced to resign because she suggested that people who have wombs are… women. Can you imagine that!!!

  Joey Morris plans on marrying the love of his life - a robot troll doll that he has been dating for the last two years.

  Nazism is on the rise globally.

  Some of the staunchest abortion supporters admit a fetus is a baby, a human being. But to them it doesn't matter, because a woman has a right to do what she wants "with her own body."

 All of this causes me to question, doesn't anyone see the level of stupidity we have risen to?

 

Hosea saw the rise of stupidity in his day and he called it out. 

 

"There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land.  There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; They break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. " 4:1

 

     WOW, if that doesn't sound just like our society today!  So what is the only hope for this darkness?  It is found in verse 6, "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." It is the knowledge of God that is the only hope for our future. 

 

When this country was founded, the first goal was to establish schools. Early Christians realized we were called to love God with our heart, soul, and MIND. Schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Brown were all founded with the purpose of bringing the knowledge of Jesus to the students. In fact, 92% of the first 138 colleges and universities in America had that same goal. Our forefathers realized that if young people did not have knowledge of God, they would be destroyed.

 

In the end the hope of America is found in reading, studying and obeying the Bible. To that end, would you consider asking someone to read through the Bible with you in 2020?  This simple invitation could bring light to the darkness. Who could you ask? 

 

 

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, December 5

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 John 5:11-15)

We often hear the refrain:  in life, there are no guarantees.  The financial services industry often makes the disclaimer:  "Past performance is no guarantee of future results."  We often understand that the only constant in life is change.  Naturally, we have reasons to expect uncertainty in worldly affairs.

Yet, in Kingdom terms, those who have a relationship with God may trust in God's many promises.  These promises are secure because of the trustworthiness and all-powerful nature of our sovereign God.

Here, we read about the certainty of salvation for those who have received the Son into their lives and the promise of God's responsiveness to our prayer according to His will.  These promises sustain us and become even richer when considering the brevity and fragility of life.  Rooting our confidence in God, we may carry through even in times of struggle and loss.  We will not be alone, for He promises never to leave or forsake us.

Which promises do you need to remember today? How could you be reminded?  What about writing one down in a journal or notepad?

Lord God, thank You for your very great and precious promises, which you have given us to strengthen and sustain us.  Bring to mind which promises we need to remember today and help us to cling to you in times of struggle and loss.  We love You and honor You today.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

Blog post December 4th

Blog post December 4th

 

Daniel 11:36-12:13

1 John 4:1-21

Psalm 123:1-4

Proverbs 29:2-4

 

"God is love", not "Love is God".

 

From today's reading we see how the antichrist will start to become the center of people's attention and there will be great suffering for Gods people ahead. Yet the great suffering is tempered by a great promise of hope for true believers.  Many people try to be "stars" in the world of entertainment, only to find their stardom is temporary. God tells us how we can be eternal "stars" by being wise and leading many to Gods righteousness. The trials we face make little sense to us when we go through them, but they can purify us if we are willing to learn from them. God does not reveal everything to us in life. He will tell us all we need to know.

  "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits" in 1 John 4:1,2 means that we shouldn't believe in every message or anything that someone says that was inspired by God. We need to make sure that their words line up with the word of God. We can also test this by seeing how that person's lifestyle and the fruit of their ministries but most importantly, is what they believe about Christ.  Do they teach Jesus is fully God and fully man? Our world is filled with voices claiming to speak the word of God. Give those voices the tests to see if they are speaking Gods truth as there are false prophets.

 

The antichrist will be a person who embodies all that is evil. It is easy to be frightened by the wickedness we see all around us and overwhelmed by the problems we face. Evil is stronger than we are, however God is even stronger. He will conquer all evil and his spirit and his word lives in our hearts. God is the source of our love, he loved us enough to sacrifice his Son for us. Jesus is our example of what it means to love, everything he did in life and death was loving. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to love, He lives in our hearts and makes us more and more like Christ. God's love always involves a choice and an action, and our love should be like this. How well do we display our love for God in the actions and choices we make?

It is easy to say we love God when that love doesn't cost us anything more than weekly attendance at religious services. But the real test of our love for God is how we treat people right in front of our family members and fellow believers. We cannot truly love God while neglecting to love those who are created in his image. 

 

 Many people in today's world do not acknowledge that Jesus is from God, they believe in things of the world and not of God. They place their trust and life in the world and not Jesus. In a season where we rejoice in Jesus, let us extend Love to one another and be an example of the love that Jesus is in us.

 

Bible blog post Monday December 2nd

Yesterday was the first day of Advent.  The Latin meaning for the word Advent is "coming" or "arrival".   Over the next 4 Monday's I would like to look at the daily reading for the day with Advent in mind.  To look at it in ways that reveal aspects of Christ's arrival that we will (or should) celebrate on Christmas Day.  My hope is for it to help keep our focus on the true celebration that is Christmas.

"What Child Is This?  What Gift Does He Bring?"   (1 John 3:1 & 5)

"But you know that he (Christ) appeared so that he might take away our sins.  And in him is no sin."  1 John 3:5

December is a busy time of year.   The weeks leading up to Christmas are full of preparations such as gift buying, cooking making, tree decorating, parties, Christmas cards and more.  1 John 3:5 is a great reminder for us to not loose sight, to not loose anticipation of what Christmas is truly about, what Christmas offers. 

Christ's anticipated arrival was meant to usher in a promise made by God from the beginning; from that first sin committed by Adam and Eve.  He would come, take the penalty of our sin on our behalf, and free us from it all; sin and spiritual death.  It was a gift of love given to us which was long prepared and awaited.  It was the ultimate gift given, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger.  It was a gift that would grow without sin with one purpose which was to die in our place.  There is no gift that will be found under the tree this year that will be greater than that first gift of love given to us at Christ's birth and that was completed upon his death.  John 15:13 tell us this, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  Christ was born to lay down his life for us, there is nothing greater. 

We are far more than just friends of God.  In today's reading in John 3:1 it tells us that we are his children.  So let us enter into this Advent season with childlike excitement for Christmas knowing that what comes is the celebration of the best gift ever given to us. 

November 30: Of First Instincts

Daniel 7:1-28

1 John 1:1-10

Psalm 119:153-176

Proverbs 28:23-24

In today's New Testament reading, John might as well have been speaking to Adam and Eve.  If you recall, after they sinned, their first instinct was to hide.  They were ashamed, they knew they had made themselves unworthy to be in the presence of God.  

For all the time that has passed since Adam and Eve first sinned, we aren't all that different from them, are we?  How often is it our first instinct when we sin to hide the hide the wrongdoing, to hope no one notices…yet how often are we ashamed we cannot face ourselves, much less others?  

The crazy thing is this: when we hide, when we pretend we haven't done anything wrong, we are doing EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what God wants us to do.  John is pretty clear: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  Think about that: He doesn't expect perfection - He expects us to fail, to sin!  Yet all He asks is our honesty, which He rewards with forgiveness and purification. 

Father, when inevitably, persistently, we sin, help us to resist the temptation to hide.  Rather, help us to boldly come before You and confess our sins, that we might receive the goodness, the mercy, the forgiveness, the purification You have promised.