Comings - Revelation 22:17

"The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' Let anyone who hears this say, 'Come.' Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life." There are two comings requested in this verse and they seem to be inclusive of one another. The first request is for Christ, the bridegroom, to come and is made by the bride, the Church, who is inhabited or indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But the invitation to come is also to those who have not yet come to faith in Christ and His salvation. And we can assume that the Spirit and the bride make this second request as well. Throughout the centuries, God’s people have waited for, prayed for, hoped for, and watched for Christ’s return. This intercession for Christ's soon return is clearly demonstrated in the closing words of John's revelation: "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!" (vs. 20). But this blessed hope is an entirely evangelistic proposition because it's a shared hope! You can't want the Lord to come without wanting people to come to the Lord. Thus, the coming of the Lord is inclusive of the coming to the Lord. And when others come to believe in Christ, then they join in the matrimonial chorus of intercession for His soon return. With the coming of the new year let our prayer be "Come quickly, Lord Jesus" and let us put our prayers into action by inviting others to come to the Lord Jesus.

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know - Malachi 1:2

"I have always loved you,” says the Lord." Malachi wrote to the Jewish exiles that had resettled in Judah probably sometime during the reign of King Darius of Persia (521-486 BC). Malachi begins his oracle by conveying the simple truth that God has always loved Israel. Malachi's portrayal of the love relationship between God and Israel has covenant implications. God's love may be identified with God’s choice of Israel as His people. God chose Israel to be His people; consequently, God loved them. So God loves His chosen people and wants to enter into a love relationship (covenant) with them. As I put my little girl to bed one night, we sang (as we always do) the familiar children's song--"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so"--and I personalized it with her name. This particular night as we sang the song, it seemed that the Holy Spirit impressed upon me the reality of the words of this simple children's song--that God's love for me and my little children is the basis for our present and eternal existence--an everlasting covenant of love. It's what gives everything meaning. I had never realized the song made such a profound theological statement! In fact, in less than ten words both Malachi and the chorus of this song say everything I try to say in a year of Bible meditations: "Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so." That's the message I try to relate through two hundred and fifty or so blog posts as I work my way through a version of the Bible each year. Yet, no post I write can express the simple truth of the reality of God's love with such clarity (and so succinctly) as do the words to this song or Malachi's opening declaration. But I take consolation in the fact that though the message is simple and true because the Bible declares it, it's the "this I know" part that seems to take a lifetime to learn and develop. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, the Bible tells me so. Yet, do I believe this? And how does this belief impact my life? Thus, I must repeatedly reinforce this message of God's supreme and absolute love for me, my children, and all His people through daily Bible study and prayer (and blog posts) to fully know and experience its reality. "And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God" (Ephesians 3:18-19).

Holy Cooking Pots - Zechariah 14:20-21

"On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: Holy to the Lord. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices." The last chapter of the book of Zechariah closes with visions of both the salvation and judgment that occurs at the coming of God's universal Kingdom--"the day of the Lord." These last verses of the chapter and the book describe the pervasiveness of God's holiness in His Kingdom. So much so that even the inscription on the harness bells of horses and the cooking pots in the Temple will be holy. On the day of the Lord, the words inscribed on the plate on the turban worn by the high priest will be inscribed on horse bells. On that day, the pots and pans used to boil the meat or collect the ashes of animals sacrificed at the altar will become as holy as the bowls used to catch the blood of the slaughtered animal. But for common cooking pots to become holy and for horse bells to announce God's holiness, they must come into contact with something holy. Because God will dwell on the earth with His people on the day of the Lord, His holiness will transform even ordinary utensils into sacred vessels. God's presence makes the profane sacred, the ordinary extraordinary! God's presence sanctifies what is common and makes it special! Please Lord, make me a holy cooking pot! "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves" (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Small Beginnings, Enormous Endings - Zechariah 4:10

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand." When the first wave of Jewish exiles returned to Judea, they were enthusiastic about rebuilding the Temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians nearly fifty years earlier. But when their efforts to start rebuilding the Temple were opposed and resisted by neighboring nations and internally by the current inhabitants of the land, the repatriated Jews became discouraged and the Temple continued to lie in ruins for almost twenty more years. Zechariah encouraged the Jews with a vision of the future. Within Zechariah’s sermons and visions were messages specifically addressed to the governor, Zerubbabel, the high priest, Jeshua, and the other priests. In this particular message God declared to Zerubbabel that He wanted to empower the Jews to rebuild the Temple and He would bless even the smallest effort to start--in this case, seeing Zerubbabel taking measurements for the blueprints of the Temple. God will bless small beginnings and turn them into enormous endings because even the littlest effort is an act of faith that God can bless. After all, it is not the power of your own will or strength that accomplishes great things--these enormous endings--for God, but it is the power of His Spirit working through you: "It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit" (vs. 6). During the Christmas season we are reminded that God works precisely in this way--turning small beginnings into enormous endings. When God came to earth to save humanity, the Savior was born in a barn and his parents used a feed trough for livestock as His cradle. Then they had to flee the country to prevent the child from being killed by a jealous and despotic king. And yet from these humble beginnings, the Kingdom of God was inaugurated and the redemption of humanity was accomplished! "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12).

Why Does God Allow Evil? - Revelation 12:7-11

"Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, 'It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.'" This passage from John's revelation of the future indicates there is a rebellion against God that is of epochal or universal proportions. And this world and humanity are the battleground for this war. This passage explains that the dragon to which it refers is Satan and that he deceives the world and has a following of other angelic beings. Some interpret this time of the dragon's defeat and ejection from heaven as referring to the incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Nevertheless, three principles arise from this passage that help explain the presence of evil in the created order:

1. The events of this world are decreed and managed in heaven. God actively presides and rules over His created order. Thus, ultimate control and supreme authority over the universe emanate from God.
2. The evil that exists in this world is of cosmic proportions. The evil of this world transcends earthly events and its fundamental nature is ultimate insubordination to God's authority.
3. Evil is fundamentally a spiritual issue and, therefore, must be addressed in the spiritual realm.

Our ancestors effectively joined Satan's rebellion and so by being born human we are co-conspirators in this rebellion. God's justice system requires supreme restitution for the crime of rebellion, but Christ received the punishment for this high crime on behalf of all human beings. In other words, Christ has come to defeat the rebellion of Satan and those of humanity who join Satan in this rebellion against God's Kingdom: "But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil." (I John 3:8). While the mastermind of this rebellion, Satan, has enjoined humanity in his sedition, is it the result of a cosmic error in planning by God? An unintended consequence of free will? Collateral damage to the created order? Absolutely not! The redemption of human beings has always been God's plan since the creation of the world: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). The redemption of humanity is not to fix any galactic mistake or oversight God made in creation. We know from the biblical record and from our own human experience that we often learn best by learning from our mistakes. The biblical narrative is replete with well-intentioned and some not-so-well-intentioned people not obeying God. Regrettably, people often better understand God’s will by not doing it! Mercy is better received by those in need of it! John's revelation clearly discloses that God wins! God ultimately defeats the evil that has infiltrated this world though He may allow it to reside for a time to advance His redemptive plan. God is almighty and His plan is supreme, even to the extent that He can use the evil acts committed by persons and even the devil himself to work His good purposes. It seems that God is best able to redeem people in a world that is occupied by evil.

Staying Focused - Nehemiah 6:15-16

"So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Nehemiah Chapter 6 recounts the extraordinary political intrigue taking place behind the scenes attempting to prevent Nehemiah and the Jews from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was intimidated and threatened by former political officials and even some of the Jewish leaders conspired with these former officials to have Nehemiah killed. Yet, despite all this opposition, Nehemiah was able to organize and spearhead an initiative to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem and complete the project in just fifty-two days! The speed and success of the reconstruction project testifies to the fact that with God's help His people can accomplish quite amazing things. Furthermore, Nehemiah remained remarkably focused on the task God had called him to do in spite of all the distraction. In fact, the more pressure that was applied to Nehemiah, the more determined and steadfast he became: "They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination" (vs. 9). The focus on accomplishing God's plans and purposes demonstrated by Nehemiah requires that we are sure of our calling and certain that God is at work in us and through us. We must know and understand what God wants to do with our lives--His will--and He will give us the enabling power and staying power needed to accomplish our respective assignments. "I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (Philippians 3:13-14).

Solving Society's Problems - Nehemiah 5:15

"But because I feared God, I did not act that way." Nehemiah was the cup-bearer to the Persian king, Artaxerxes (465-424 BC). The cup-bearer was a trusted confidant of the king. When Nehemiah heard about setbacks in the reconstruction of Jerusalem, he requested the king's permission to return to Judea. Artaxerxes made Nehemiah governor of the province of Judea for twelve years. Nehemiah organized an effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Although he encountered both external and internal opposition, this major construction project was promptly completed. Severe financial distress for some people threatened progress on the wall's completion. Some farmers were diverting their efforts from growing crops to building the wall and required assistance in feeding their families. Some small landowners had mortgaged everything to survive and a famine in the land added to their hardship. And they were burdened by the tribute (taxes) they had to pay to the Persians. But to make matters worse, wealthy Jews were charging interest when they made loans to fellow Jews. Nehemiah was angry that the wealthy would charge their countrymen interest despite provisions in the Mosaic law that discouraged oppressing the poor and encouraged helping the less fortunate. Nehemiah himself was making loans of money and food to people without burdening them with interest and so he considered the actions of these wealthy Jews as counterproductive to their identity as God's chosen people. Nehemiah demanded these wealthy oppressors restore the property that had been mortgaged to them and repay the interest they had charged. This verse is the conclusion to Nehemiah's declaration that during his tenure as governor of Judea, he and the officials of his administration never exercised their authority to draw a food allowance from the local population because he feared God. In other words, Nehemiah respected people and helped the poor and oppressed because he feared God. Respect for God and His truth and reality builds and develops your conscience; it gives you compassion for people; it promotes peace among human beings. The fear of God places certain demands on our behavior and restrains us from acting out our worst human tendencies. A little more of the "fear of God" among people, especially people in power, would go a long way toward solving many of our society's problems! "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10).

The Way to Revival - Haggai 1:14-15

"So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign." Many of the Jewish exiles returned to Judea in 538 BC after Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, issued a decreed permitting people who had been conquered and deported by the Babylonians to return to their homelands. Upon returning they immediately began work to rebuild the Temple. When they encountered resistance from the local inhabitants, they lost their enthusiasm for the project and the construction was neglected for almost twenty years. So God sent the prophet Haggai to motivate the repatriated Jews to complete the construction of the Temple. Haggai pointed out to them that their priorities had gotten messed up (vs. 9) and so there was no compelling concern for spiritual matters. But God stirred the hearts of the leaders and the people to revival and they responded by reviving the effort to restore the Temple. When Haggai called the people to spiritual renewal they obeyed his message: "Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord" (vs. 12). Once they began to put spiritual matters first and decided to obey God's will, then God was with them (vs. 13) and He evoked their enthusiasm for accomplishing His will to reconstruct the Temple. For spiritual revival to occur among us collectively, first we must individually make God's plans and purposes our main priority and actively respond to His calling. Then He will give us the zeal to accomplish His will! "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you" (Acts 1:8).

Why God Listens To You - Daniel 9:22-23

"Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision." In 539 BC Daniel was studying the book of Jeremiah and read where Jeremiah prophesied the desolation of Jerusalem would be for seventy years. Daniel may have calculated from the time of his own deportation in 605 BC that it was near the end of the seventy years. (The first wave of returning exiles actually began in 538 BC and the rebuilding of the Temple began almost immediately upon their arrival in Jerusalem. The returning Jews encountered resistance from the local inhabitants of Jerusalem and so the Temple wasn't completed until 515 BC, about seventy years after it was destroyed!) Then Daniel prays for the Jewish people in exile, confessing their disobedience and rebellion and pleading for their repatriation of Jerusalem and Judea. While Daniel was praying, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and made the declaration in these verses. The command given to which Gabriel refers was either God's decree to end the Exile and return His people to Jerusalem and Judea or the command for Gabriel to go and explain the future to Daniel. Whatever the case, Gabriel affirms that he was sent there in response to Daniel's impassioned prayer. Gabriel explains that Daniel's prayer mattered to God because Daniel was precious to Him. An angelic appearance as a result of Daniel's prayers was repeated in Chapter 10 and in 10:11 and 10:19 an angel again tells Daniel that he was precious to God. Therefore, we know that God pays attention to the sincere prayers of His people. You are precious to God and this is why He listens to what you have to say to Him. "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results" (James 5:16).

The Discipleship Determination Factor - Ezra 7:8-10

"Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in August of that year. He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived at Jerusalem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel." King Cyrus of Persia had allowed the Jews to return to their homeland in 538 BC. The returning Jews rebuilt the Temple and completed it in 515 BC, approximately 70 years after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar (This Second Temple stood for approximately 585 years until the Roman army of Titus destroyed it in 70 AD.) In rebuilding the Temple, the Jews had encountered opposition from the local inhabitants of Jerusalem (other conquered people groups that had been resettled there by the Assyrians and Babylonians after the Jews were exiled). Ezra was a Jewish priest and scribe and an important Persian government official. Ezra traveled to Jerusalem in about 458 BC to bring articles for the Temple and to establish God's law and the laws of Persia. Ezra was accompanied by an entourage of over fifteen hundred men and their families, who traveled with Ezra to join the Jewish community in Jerusalem. Ezra was also accompanied by God's grace and blessing because he determined to study and obey God and to teach His law to God's chosen people. Isn't that pretty much the same thing as what we are supposed to do as disciples of Jesus? The variable in this equation of study, obey, teach equals blessing is the "determination" factor. Ezra determined to study and obey the law of God. He made a purposeful effort to seek and follow God! So God's blessing didn't happen to Ezra because he was a priest or scribe or by accident. Ezra made an intentional, deliberate decision to study and obey God's law and as a result God's gracious hand was on him. In other words, Ezra was somebody God could use because Ezra made himself available to accomplish God's will. "Go and make disciples of all the nations...Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Ruling the World - Daniel 7:27

"Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him." In the book of Daniel the focus shifts from from a historical narrative to a prophetic narrative in Chapter 7, which records the first vision of Daniel. The vision used animal symbolism to tell the same story that was told in Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Chapter 2 about the future rise and fall of nations. Daniel makes it clear that world history culminates in the establishment of God's Kingdom: "As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed" (vs. 13-14). Not only does Daniel describe the establishment of God's Kingdom at the end of the world, but he reinforces the fact that God's people are co-rulers along with Jesus over God's new world--and he states it multiple times in this chapter (vs. 18, 22, and 27). To prepare you for eternity, God wants to hone your leadership skills in this life so you can help Him rule the world of the future!

Heavenly Graduation - Revelation 2:17

"Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it." The book of Revelation opens with a series of personal messages to the seven churches of Asia. Asia was a Roman province in the geographical area that is now western Turkey. The cities where the seven churches were located were joined by a road system that formed a geographical triangle. In Revelation the cities are listed and addressed in order along this geographical triangle from west to east. The message to the church at Pergamum, the third city in the series of messages, offers a warning to Christians not to be tempted to compromise their morality and faith in God. This verse is the conclusion to the message and is similar to the conclusion of each of the messages to the seven churches. However, the conclusion to the church at Pergamum includes the promise of a special gift from Jesus for those who are faithful until death. In fact, death is depicted as a sort of heavenly graduation and so those who are faithful until death are "victorious." In this message to the church at Pergamum, the graduates, the victorious ones, receive two graduation presents from Jesus: manna that has been stored away in heaven and a white stone with a new name given by Jesus engraved on it. The second gift is a very personal gift because the new name engraved on the white stone is only understood by the person receiving it. Thus, it can only be given by One who knows you personally and understands you completely. Think about it. You are an individual who is known personally by the King of the universe! Talk about having friends in high places! And he knows you so well and so intimately that He has given you a nickname based on His personal knowledge of you! I imagine that at some point in your life you completed certain educational requirements that entitled you to a diploma or degree and you probably looked forward  to the day when you would walk across the stage and receive your diploma with great anticipation. One day you will walk across the stage of eternity and enter into eternal life. And receiving a personal gift from Jesus makes that heavenly graduation ceremony a day to look forward to with great anticipation--a day to die for, but more importantly, a day to live faithfully and uncompromisingly for!

Eternal Beginnings - Daniel 2:35, 44

"The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth. That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means...the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever." When King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream, God gave Daniel the ability to reveal the dream and its meaning to the king. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a statue cast from different kinds of metal. The statue represented four world empires that in the future would each conquer one another and then be displaced by a Kingdom whose power and authority are derived from God. The Kingdom of God was inaugurated on earth by Jesus. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God has come; it has entered into this present age and is at work in this world to bring about its future consummation. Although this world of human beings has not completely submitted to the rule and reign of God, one day in the future God’s Kingdom will reign supreme on this earth. While the rule and reign of God has entered into the present age largely unseen, it is nevertheless actively at work occupying the human race. The Kingdom of God is engendered by the Holy Spirit working individually and collectively within the citizens of God's Kingdom to transform their present life into eternal life. As a citizen of God's Kingdom, what you do with each day in this present life contributes to the plans and purposes of God's Kingdom now and forever. So eternal life begins today. Your life in this present age is the beginning of your eternal life! So live it well and for the glory of God, our King!

It's Hard To Be Humble - 2 Chronicles 31:21-22

"In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful." The reign of King Hezekiah of Judah as described in 2 Chronicles 31 and 32 was distinguished by his zeal to resume Temple worship and adherence to God's law. As a result of Hezekiah's devotion and obedience to God's will, he was successful in everything he did (vs. 32:30). Hezekiah was respected by the leaders of the surrounding nations and he engendered respect for God from these leaders, so much so that that they sent many gifts for the Temple and for King Hezekiah personally. When Hezekiah fell deathly ill, he prayed and God healed him and gave a miraculous sign (2 Kings 20:10-11 says God caused the sundial to go backwards ten steps!) Then Hezekiah became proud and God became angry with Hezekiah until he humbled himself and repented of his pride and God's anger did not befall him again during his lifetime (vs. 26). I can't help but believe the pride that Hezekiah exhibited in vs. 25 was the result of the acclaim he received from the leaders of the surrounding nations in vs. 23. It's hard to be humble when important and powerful people recognize your success! For Hezekiah, however, the consequences of success were duplicitous. On the one hand, he was doing something right--being obedient to God--to achieve success, but on the other hand he must have started thinking he was something he really was not because God was the real Force behind his success. Fortunately, Hezekiah's pride was mitigated by his repentance and humility, and God blessed him as a result. So, if the story of Hezekiah's reign is such a great success story, why am I belaboring his one little indiscretion? Why is it so important to avoid pride and to have humility, especially if God is making you successful? There are probably many reasons, not the least of which is that pride deceives you into thinking you're something that you're not. But the main reason I want to focus on humility is because humility is in God's character, and besides, it's the Christmas season! I know this sounds strange and, moreover, what does humility have to do with Christmas? Christmas reminds us and we even celebrate the fact that God humiliated Himself to redeem the humanity He so greatly loves. Yes, the Son of God, Prince of Peace, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, was born as a human being in a barn and His bassinet was a feed trough for livestock! It must be supremely hard for God to be humble, yet He is--for our sake! "So the Word became human and made his home among us" (John 1:14). (I realize it's a big theological leap from Hezekiah's pride to the baby Jesus in a manger, but during this season of the year it's hard to read my Bible and not find a Christmas story!)

Learning to Be the Light - 1 John 1:7

"But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin." The Apostle John declares that God is light (vs. 5). So, if you are in fellowship (in a relationship) with God, then His light shines on you so that you are living in the light. A Canadian band, Newworldson, recorded a song that expresses the heartfelt desire of all who are living in the light of God to learn to be His light to others. The lyrics of the chorus of the song say:

It's so much brighter living in your world 
Savior what you did for me 

You gave me something I want everyone to see 

When we stumble and it all goes wrong 

Only you can make it right 

So I say I'm learning to be the light 

God doesn't want you just to bask in the warmth and illumination of His light. He wants you to reflect His light to others. When you live in the light of God's reality, then sooner or later you must start reflecting the light of God's reality--you must learn to be the light. God wants you to be the light so that the light of His reality can be seen in this world in you! "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house" (Matthew 5:14-15).

Gone Fishin' - John 21:3

"Simon Peter said, 'I'm going fishing.' 'We'll come, too,' they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night." After Jesus's death and resurrection, He appeared to the disciples and other people several times before He ascended to heaven. On the occasion described in the last chapter of the Gospel of John, Peter and several of the disciples had returned to Galilee and were taking up their old occupation of fishing, and apparently, not being very successful at it. Early in the morning Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, but they didn't recognize Him at first. He shouted to them to throw their net in on the other side of the boat. When they dutifully but doubtfully complied, they caught a net full of large fish. When they finally recognized Jesus, Peter jumped out of the boat and hurried to the beach to greet Him. Jesus had prepared a breakfast of fish and bread for the disciples. After breakfast, Jesus took Peter aside and a well-known conversation took place between them. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him and told Peter three times to nurture and take care of the community of Jesus's followers: "A third time he asked him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, 'Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Then feed my sheep'" (vs. 17). The three questions and three imperatives were reminiscent of Peter's three denials prior to Jesus's crucifixion. It seemed that Peter was feeling sorry for himself because he had failed Jesus and Jesus was urging him to get over it. So Jesus was trying to demonstrate to Peter that he needed to move forward and accomplish God's plans and purposes for his life. Peter's personal feelings of guilt seemed to be holding him back from doing what Jesus wanted and needed (and spent three years preparing) him to do. Although we may make mistakes and experience failure, nothing changes God's love and calling on our lives. The love and commitment we have to Him because of what He has done for us should surpass any feelings of guilt that we inflict upon ourselves. When you are Jesus's follower and belong to Him, you don't get to stop doing what He has called you to do simply because you're not feeling it. If you love Him, keep on serving Him. Yes, if you love Him, don't stop serving Him. If you really love Him, then keep serving Him!

Assured Success - 2 Chronicles 26:5

"Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success." Uzziah became king of Judah at sixteen years of age. Though a young king, Uzziah was faithful to God: "He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done" (vs. 4). The same thing was said about Uzziah's son, Jotham, when he became king over Judah: "King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God" (vs. 27:6). When you are obedient to God and do His will, then you are assured of success in whatever you are doing. Really, how can you go wrong if do God's will? Of course, the hitch is that you have to seek God's guidance in whatever you do--in other words, everything you do--so that you know God's will! And therein lies our difficulty. We move forward with our lives without consulting God on everything we intend to do and then tragedy strikes or problems arise. Only then do we diligently seek God to find explanations and guidance. What if walking in God's will became our daily routine? Don't you think that if God is telling you to do something that He is surely going to give you success in doing it? Thus, we are assured that if we stay in God's will, we will be successful when we seek God's guidance in everything we do. Yes, we will still have problems. You always experience resistance from the evil one when you are doing God's will. But you are assured that God gives you success in spite of problems when you are doing His will and you can be assured you are doing God's will when you seek guidance from God in everything you do!

God's Battlefield - 2 Chronicles 20:15

"For the battle is not yours, but God’s." When a vast army from Edom marched against Judah, King Jehoshaphat was frantic and pleaded with God for guidance. Jehoshaphat ordered the people of Judah to fast and pray. People from all the towns of Judah gathered at the Temple in Jerusalem and Jehoshaphat led them in public prayer. The Spirit of God came upon one of the Levites in the gathering and these are the words he proclaimed to King Jehoshaphat and all the people of Judah. God told them not to be afraid of the mighty army that was assembling against them because it was God's battle to fight, not theirs: "But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!" (vs. 17). When the army of Judah marched out to battle, King Jehoshaphat  did something bizarre. He ordered singers to walk ahead of the army of Judah and sing praises about the greatness of God! As they began singing praises to God, the armies of Edom attacked each other and completely destroyed themselves. So, when the army of Judah arrived at the battlefield, there were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see and so much plunder that it took them three days to gather it all up! The Jews named the battlefield the Valley of Blessing! The fundamental proposition of faith in God is that the battle belongs to God. Your life is God's battlefield.  If you're going to trust God, then you have to trust Him to fight life's battles for you. In fact, you don't even need to fight! Your role is to stand still and see what God is doing and then march out into life praising Him for His greatness. But standing still and waiting for God is often the hardest thing to do because we want to take matters into our own hands. We want to DO SOMETHING!. But it's not faith when you take matters into your own hands. It's faith when you stand still and see what God is doing and then follow His lead! And then you will be in a position to be abundantly blessed by God! "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power" (Ephesians 6:10).

The Gift That Keeps on Giving - John 15:26

"But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me." At the Last Supper Jesus explained to His disciples that He was going away--He was going to be arrested and executed--and so He would send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, to be with His disciples. The Greek for Advocate is Paracletos or Paraclete, meaning "called alongside," and generally refers to a legal advocate, somewhat along the lines of an attorney providing legal advice to clients. In this verse Jesus says that the job or work of the Holy Spirit is to testify about Himself. In other words, the Holy Spirit, will bear witness to the reality of Jesus and His incarnation, sacrificial death, and resurrection to followers of Jesus as well as other people. In this farewell address to His disciples, Jesus actually promises the gift of the Holy Spirit five times in Chapters 14-16, each time identifying a different duty or assignment of the Spirit:

1. "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth" (vs. 14:16-17). Just as Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (vs, 14:6), the Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus to lead His followers to the truth of the reality of Jesus, the Son of God, and a way of life devoted to that reality/truth.
2. "But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you" (vs. 14:26). The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus in teaching His followers about God's redemption. Jesus's followers experience this work of the Holy Spirit when they read and study God's Word, the Bible.
3. "But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me" (vs. 15:26). The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus to bear witness about the reality of God the Father and Jesus, the Son of God.
4. "But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment" (vs. 16:7-8). As a human being, Jesus was subject to the limitations of a physical body. The Holy Spirit is not subject to human limitations and can be in all places at once. Therefore, He can show any person or all people any place or any time how sinful they are by revealing God's righteousness.
5. "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me" (vs. 16:13-14). The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus to reveal to His followers the plans and purposes of God.

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God that keeps on giving! The Holy Spirit dwells in us and His presence is just like having Jesus with us all the time--teaching us, leading us, advising us, and revealing Himself through us.

What Am I Supposed To Do? - John 14:10

"My Father who lives in me does his work through me." All right, you're a Christian. Maybe you have been a Christian for all or most of your life or only for a short time. But the nagging question that always lingers in the background (or forefront) of your life is: Lord, what am I supposed to do with this great salvation you have given me? Jesus seemed to be clear about what He was supposed to do during His earthly life. He told His disciples that God the Father lives in Him and does His work through Him. Well, that's fine for Jesus but, after all, He was the Son of God. So how does that help me know what I am supposed to do? Just a couple of verses later Jesus applies it to you and me: "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father" (vs 12). So we are supposed to do the same thing Jesus did! And Jesus did God the Father's work. Whatever God needs to do through you, that's what you're supposed to do. I know that's not very specific and you would like to have a little more definitive response. So let me suggest three propositions that might provide more explicit guidance. First, Jesus said that He is the way through life: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!" (vs. 6-7). I don't know my way through life but I do know and trust the One who is the Way to Life! And when I know God in a personal way, then I am enabled to see God's reality at work. Second, Jesus only did what He saw God the Father doing: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing" (vs. 5:19-20). If Jesus is our example and He applies to us what applies to Him, then God will show you what you are supposed to be doing when you are looking to see what He is doing. Third, God gives you His Spirit to enable you to have the spiritual perception to see what God is doing and to empower you to do His work: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth" (vs. 16-17). You have a destiny with God. God is working out His redemptive plan for His creation and He wants you to help. Therefore, He has empowered you by His Spirit to do His work. So look around and see how or where God is at work and then join Him so He can do His work through you. That's what you're supposed to do!

Say...What? - John 13:3-4

"Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist,and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him." John says that Jesus came from God and had all authority over everything and so then He washed His disciples' feet! Say, what? The God of the universe became a human being and then washed the feet of the human beings He created? Undoubtedly, John's juxtapositioning of a declaration of Jesus's divine nature and glory with a declaration of His humility is both intentional and inspired. But wouldn't it seem more probable that Jesus came from God and had authority over everything and then commanded His disciples to fall down at His feet and worship Him? Instead, the Creator of the universe not only humbled Himself to become a human being, but then He humbled Himself even more to wash the feet of human beings, and then He died for them! Really, how much can God possibly love people? And if that's not enough, then Jesus explained that He was doing this to set an example for us to follow: "And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you" (vs. 14-15). Jesus didn't command us to fall down at His feet and worship Him, which would certainly be easier than what He actually commanded us to do. He commanded us to show the humility and regard we should have for Him to one another! Really, how much can we possibly love people?

Pain Relief - John 11:4

"But when Jesus heard about it he said, 'Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.'" Jesus received a message from Lazarus's sisters, Mary and Martha, that their brother and Jesus's dear friend was on his deathbed. They wanted Jesus to come and heal Lazarus so he wouldn't die. These words are Jesus's response to that message. After giving this response to the messenger, He stayed where He was for a couple more days instead of going to Lazarus. His response that the Son of God will receive glory from this event is similar to His response when questioned by His disciples about the man born blind in 9:1-5 before He healed him. Besides, Jesus had recently left Judea because they tried to arrest Him there, and now His friends were asking Him to risk coming back into Judea. But Jesus waited not because He feared arrest but because He wanted to demonstrate the Son of God's power over death! Jesus plainly states in this verse that the restoration of life to Lazarus would be for God's glory. In other words, what's significant about the whole story of Lazarus is not that he was raised from the dead, but that Jesus's ministry actually implemented God's redemptive plan and purpose for all humanity. Jesus came to planet Earth to conquer death, but He had to provide some pain relief until He put into effect a permanent solution for the problem of death. The resurrection of Lazarus was a foreshadowing of Jesus's own death and resurrection. His disciples had to understand and believe He was the resurrection and the life (vs. 25) before He actually became the resurrection and life. He needed them (and us) to "really believe" so they would be empowered to build His Church: "So he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe" (vs. 14). The same is true for us today. Our belief in the reality of resurrection and eternal life through Jesus Christ enables us to persevere in this present life and do His work until the day we actually receive the reality of resurrection and eternal life: "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God" (1:12).

Significance - 1 Chronicles 29:13-15

"O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace." King David summoned all the officials of Israel to Jerusalem including the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the army, and the overseers of royal property. He told them that he wanted to build a temple in Jerusalem to worship God, but God planned for his son, Solomon, to succeed him to the throne and build the temple. Therefore, David had made many preparations for the building of the temple including drafting architectural plans and gathering most of the materials needed to build it. After David had charged Solomon to build the temple and handed him the plans in front of the whole assembly of Israel's leaders, he praised God in a public prayer. This passage is taken from that prayer and contains a particularly moving and notable enjoinder for us as human beings. Since everything we have and are comes from God, then anything we give Him is only what He has given us in the first place. And that includes both material possessions and our physical life. So much so, that our life on this earth is like a short visit to a strange land. Thus, we don't want to live lives that focus completely on the things of the present world because we are creatures of eternity. This passage seems to be David's way of saying not to store up treasures on earth, but store up treasures in heaven. The point is, that from the perspective of eternal life, the span of our our lives in this world is almost insignificant. Yet, significance is supremely important to us--we want our lives to matter. But, if you live your present life as a preparation for eternity, then everything you are, say, and do matters for eternity. When you begin to live for the future in the present, then God endows your short life in this world with lasting and eternal significance. "Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be" (Matthew 6:19-21).

Amateur Theologians - John 9:25,30-33

"But I know this; I was blind, and now I can see!...He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it." As Jesus and His disciples are walking along they came across a man who was blind from birth and was also a beggar. The disciples asked Jesus to provide a theological explanation for the man's unfortunate condition and circumstances: "Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?" (vs 2). Jesus clearly answered the second question but gave an open-ended response to the first question that permitted some individual perspective and interpretation: "It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins, Jesus answered. This happened so the power of God could be seen in him" (vs. 3). After the man was healed, the Pharisees questioned him at length because they were perturbed that Jesus had performed this healing on the Sabbath. The formerly blind beggar grew weary of their questions and exclaimed that he didn't know all the answers to their "why" questions. He just knew that once he was blind and then he had an encounter with Jesus that removed both his physical and spiritual blindness and so now he sees. Then the formerly blind man offered his own theological explanation for the healing, which the Pharisees vehemently rejected: God hears and helps those who worship Him and do His will. He gave essentially the same theological explanation to the Pharisees as to why he was born blind and healed that Jesus gave to the disciples--"so the power of God could be seen in him"--except it was from the vantage of his own personal experience with Jesus. So his encounter with Jesus turned him into an amateur theologian! And the only response the Pharisees, the theological scholars, could give was an ad hominem argument--a personal attack: "'You were born a total sinner!' they answered. 'Are you trying to teach us?' And they threw him out of the synagogue" (vs. 34). That we would all encounter Jesus and God's Word, the Bible, in such a way that qualifies us to be amateur theologians! "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saves a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found; was blind, but now I see."

God's Outbursts - I Chronicles 15:13

"Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly."

An interesting evolution in King David's faith in God takes place in in Chapters 13-15 of 1 Chronicles. At each stage in the development of David's faith over the course of these three chapters the same Hebrew word is used to show the mighty or forceful activity of God--God's outburst--in shaping David's faith.

As the new king over Israel, David consulted with all his advisers and they decided to move the Ark of God to Jerusalem, the new capital city. With the Ark being more accessible, King David could regularly inquire of God, which had not been the case during the reign of Saul. "The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do" (vs. 13:4).

However, God burst out against Uzzah on the Ark's journey to Jerusalem because he reached to stabilize the Ark when it started to topple: "Then the Lord's anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark...David was angry because the Lord's anger had burst out against Uzzah" (vs. 13:10-11).

In Chapter 14 the Philistines mobilized against David and so he inquired of God (rather than his advisers) if he should fight. God said to fight and David and his troops defeated the Philistines. David said that God used him to burst out against the Philistines and defeat them in battle: "He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood. So they named that place Baal-perazim which means 'the Lord who bursts through'" (vs 14:11).

By Chapter 15 David seems to have learned a hard lesson in obedience to God's will.and again attempts to move the Ark to Jerusalem. This time he is successful and God doesn't burst out against him because he followed God's plans: "Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses." (vs. 15:15).

Notice the development of David's faith from trying "to do the right thing" on his own in Chapter 13 to doing God's will in Chapter 15. David's faith developed from presuming his good intentions are God's will to consulting with God and then acting obediently in accordance with God's will.  

Good intentions are not the same as God's will.

We should all learn to obey God  by acting according to His will (through prayer and learning what  His Word, the Bible) and not acting on our own supposed good intentions. .

Soul Food - John 4:34

“My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work." Jesus makes these remarks near the well in the Samaritan village of Sychar. Jesus had just told a Samaritan woman who was drawing water from the well that she should drink from the living water that He gives. She went and told the people of the village that Jesus was the Messiah and many came to see him and believed in Him. While all this was occurring, some of Jesus's disciples urged Him to eat. Just as Jesus told the woman at the well He was the source of life-giving water, He told His disciples He was the source of life-giving food: "I have a kind of food you know nothing about" (vs. 32). So Jesus can supply spiritual nourishment for the hungry souls of people. Furthermore,  Jesus is our model for obtaining spiritual sustenance. He, Himself, was spiritually sustained by doing the will of God and finishing God's work in His life. In the same way, our spiritual nourishment should be doing the will of God in our own lives to the extent that we complete the work that God intends each of us to do. When Jesus fed the five thousand men (plus women and children) with five loaves of bread and two fish, He commanded His disciples "You feed them" (Matthew 14:16). The disciples responded that they had only a small supply of of bread and fish. "Bring them here" (Matthew 14:18) Jesus told the disciples. Jesus was prepared to miraculously provide nourishment for the large crowd of people by blessing the obedient action of His disciples. When you continuously offer the little that you have to Jesus, then you are enabled and empowered to do God's will and complete the work He plans to do through your life.

Total Transformation - John 3:30

"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." These words are the response given by John the Baptist when questioned by his disciples why everybody was following Jesus instead of him. John had a clear understanding of his mission: "I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him...Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success" (vs. 29-30). John the Baptist also provided an explanation of the primary difference between himself and his ministry and Jesus and His ministry--John was merely human, Jesus was divine: "He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else" (vs. 31). The life of a Christian should be exemplified in these words of John the Baptist. The Christian life is a process of denying oneself so that the life of God can take over--liquidating one's life of self so God fills it with Himself. Now denying oneself is not the same as self-denial. Although acts of self-denial may have positive or useful purposes, God's plan is for total transformation! Denying oneself means you cease to make your own will the object of life and make God's will the focus of your life. Oswald Chambers describes it as giving up your right to yourself to Jesus. The moral ground on which we form a relationship with God is through Jesus, His Son, and not our own will. So choose Jesus or choose self. When we choose Jesus, then we relinquish our right to ourselves to Him. God invests His life in people who abdicate the kingdom of their own self-will and self-interests and set their priorities on building God's Kingdom and doing His will. In God's Kingdom, giving up is getting, whether it be wealth and material possessions, your own will, or even your own life. You see, your emptiness provides capacity for God's abundance. God's intent is not just to rid your life of sin and self-will. He has much more in store for you. God wants to transform you into a new person in whom He can impute His eternal life and all its abundance. He won't hold back anything and gives you everything. So following Jesus costs you all of the only thing you really have—your right to your own self. But when you allow Him to become greater than your own self, He replaces your natural life with His supernatural life. Then your destiny is fulfilled and your life is given immeasurable value and eternal significance. "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10).

The "Real" Jesus - John 3:1-4

"There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. 'Rabbi,' he said, 'we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.' Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.' 'What do you mean?' exclaimed Nicodemus. 'How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?'" It has been said that perception is reality. In fact, this view could be the mantra of the post-modern era. The well-known account of the encounter of Nicodemus and Jesus is a story of how people often accept their own flawed perceptions and misconceptions as reality. In this account from John's gospel, Jesus gives us a specific description of how God inaugurates His Kingdom in the private lives of its subjects--in other words, how people get saved. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. So Jesus spoke to Nicodemus as one who had an understanding of spiritual matters and poses a divine proposition about entrance into God’s Kingdom: "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." (vs 3). When Jesus told Nicodemus about the reality of the new birth that is required to encounter God’s Kingdom, He used an adverb with two possible nuances—born “again” or born “from above.” The first meaning seems to be what was understood by Nicodemus while Jesus meant the second. Nicodemus was seemingly puzzled by the reference to a second birth and makes what he probably knew was a ridiculous interpretation of Jesus's proposition. While sin and death begin their work in the mortal bodies of all human beings probably from the day we are born, Jesus says that the people of God are constituted by supernatural birth. When we experience birth from above--new birth--the Spirit of God imputes immortal life to our mortal bodies. And when the Spirit of God dwells in us, then God promises to resurrect our physical bodies to eternal life in the same way that Jesus was raised from the dead. Thus, the work of the Holy Spirit is to appropriate spiritual life to God's people—to birth human beings into spiritual beings, thereby admitting them into God's Kingdom: "The Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life" (vs. 6). While the work of Jesus, God’s Son, is to save people from sin and death, the work of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Jesus as the way into God's Kingdom and then initiate concurring people into it. The Holy Spirit makes Jesus real to us! Let the Holy Spirit continue to reveal Jesus and to actualize His death and resurrection in your life each day.

Stairway to Heaven - John 1:47-51

"As they approached, Jesus said, 'Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.' 'How do you know about me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, 'I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.' Then Nathanael exclaimed, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!' Jesus asked him, 'Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.' Then he said, 'I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.' " Almost everything said by Jesus and recorded in the Gospels seems to  quote directly from the Old Testament or make an allusion to an Old Testament story or event. That is the case here with the calling of Nathanael as one of Jesus' disciples. Jesus referred to Nathanael as a man of complete integrity--that is, an Israelite in whom there is no deception or deceit. By describing him in such a way, Jesus contrasted him with Jacob, the scheming, deceitful patriarch whom God renamed Israel. When Jesus said He saw Nathanael under the fig tree, maybe praying or studying the Scriptures, Jesus revealed an intimate and supernatural knowledge of Nathanael.  Then Jesus made the comparison with Jacob unequivocal. Like Jacob, Nathanael would see God at work. In Genesis 28:10-22 Jacob had a dream in which God revealed His angelic host going up and down a stairway or ladder from the earth up to heaven. God stood at the top of the stairway and proclaimed to Jacob that His presence would be with Jacob and protect and provide for him and his descendants. So Jacob named the place Bethel, meaning house of God, the place where God lives. Jesus proclaimed to Nathanael that He Himself is the ultimate fulfillment of this promise to Jacob. Jesus is the true ladder or stairway to heaven and, therefore, the new Bethel. God opened a door for Jacob that brought him and his people into a new relationship with God and Jesus was doing the same for Nathanael. Nathanael recognized the divine in Jesus and took a remarkable step of faith and believed in Jesus as God's Son and Lord and King over Israel and consequently over His life. Jesus knows you intimately and He is still the stairway to God. God can do His work through you if you will climb up the Stairs to Him!

God's Measure for Success - Ezekiel 3:17-21

"Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately. If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me. If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too." God commissioned Ezekiel to conduct a twofold prophetic ministry--warn the wicked to repent and warn the righteous not to sin. Ezekiel was called to be both an evangelist and a pastor. God told Ezekiel that he was appointed to be a "watchman for Israel." The watchman was a lookout for the community and was responsible for providing advance warning of approaching enemies so that the people could take refuge in time. God assigned Ezekiel a difficult task to perform with an awesome responsibility--the blood of those he failed to warn (to repent or not to sin) would be on his head if he remained silent. While God issued a stern warning to Ezekiel about the consequences he could suffer if he failed to speak His message, what God wanted from Ezekiel was his obedience to His calling. So what's actually important to God is not how many people you win to the Lord but how obedient your are to His calling. The measure of your success in God's Kingdom is not necessarily how well you perform in life but how obedient you are to God. And then God can especially use obedient people to accomplish His plans and purposes! "I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).

Embracing God's Word - Ezekiel 3:10-11

"Then Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not." In this commissioning of Ezekiel by God, there are two points that are especially relevant for disciples of Jesus. God told Ezekiel that he first had to internalize God’s messages himself before delivering them to the exiles among whom he lived. The point is that your own life should be transformed by God's Word before you proclaim words that God can use to transform other people's lives. The Holy Spirit needs to reveal the truth of God's Word to you so you can be faithful to God when opposition or other difficulties arise in your life as a result of living and proclaiming the message of Jesus. When you are proclaiming the message of Jesus, then your life is subject to the scrutiny of others--both believers and unbelievers--and so the faithfulness that comes through being established in God's Word is a necessary prerequisite to its proclamation. The second point is that God's Word is not subject to debate, negotiation, or rejection. Although people doubt it, argue about it, or refuse to believe it does not lessen or diminish the truth and authority of God's Word. Things will happen just as God has said! So the second point amplifies the first. Because God's Word is sovereign truth, our first action in proclaiming it must be to embrace it for ourselves.

Answering the Call - Ezekiel 1:3

"The Lord gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and he felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him." The word of the Lord first came to Ezekiel while he was living with the Judean exiles in Babylon. Ezekiel was a priest by descent and, as such, his primary ministry was offering sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem. As one of the exiled Jews, Ezekiel was unable to serve as a priest in the usual ways. Now God had a new role for Ezekiel, a prophetic ministry, and his identity as a priest was critical to the message that he would deliver. For the Jews, God's presence with them was closely tied to their land. The exiles certainly felt cut off from God and from the conventional ways of appealing to him through Temple worship and sacrifice. Because they were far removed from the Promised Land it was easy for them to assume that God was no longer interested in them. The fact that God’s word had come to a prophet among the exiles in Babylon showed that God had not forgotten them and still had a future for them. No matter where you go or whatever else you do, if God is calling you then you can't avoid it. When God has a particular assignment for you, He will find you because His calling is irrevocable: "For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn" (Romans 11:29).  There's nowhere you can go and nothing you can do to escape God's calling except obey Him. It's never too late! If you haven't yet responded to God's commission for your life, then isn't it about time you took His call?

Your Salvation Was Always The Plan - 2 Timothy 1:9

"For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus." When God saved you, He didn't do it because you deserved it but because your salvation was always His plan. God’s purpose for His creation has always been determined and redemption is the way He mediates His plan. We have always heard that God created a perfect world—a beautiful, wonderful place where communion with God was as easy as an afternoon walk through a garden. Then Adam and Eve, who were God’s own created beings, disobeyed Him resulting in a catastrophic rift between God and His own creation. God’s perfect world was tainted and, seemingly, He has been trying to fix it ever since. At least that’s the way folks often explain the Gospel (including myself). But humanity’s redemption has always been God’s plan and so God didn't need to fix any unanticipated circumstances. In this verse the Apostle Paul explains that God planned redemption even before (or at) the creation of the world. In fact, Paul makes the same point to the Ephesians as he did to Timothy: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” (Ephesians 1:4). God wondrously and purposefully created a world that He Himself would redeem through His own Son, Jesus Christ, who would be its Savior: "And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior" (vs. 10). No mistakes were made; no fixes were necessary; everything was created and redeemed according to God's Supreme Plan. And, by the way, since God is separate from His created order, when He saves you, He also wants you to live in a manner that is set apart (holy) from this world.

How To Handle Your Problems - Lamentations 3:37-42

"Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us." The book of Lamentations is attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. The context for the book is the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Each of the first four chapters of Lamentations is an acrostic, laid out in the order of the Hebrew alphabet. The first word of each verse begins with a successive Hebrew letter. Chapters 1, 2, and 4 have one verse for each of the twenty-two Hebrew letters. Chapter 3 contains twenty-two stanzas of three verses each. In this chapter the author laments what has happened, remembers the faithful love of God, and then describes how God’s people should react when they are confronted with problems and suffering. We know that some calamities have natural causes and we know that bad things happen to the righteous as well as to the wicked. The author of Lamentations sees all calamity as coming from the Lord (or at least permitted by the Lord). That is a theologically sound position because God can use people's suffering to build their faithfulness and trust in Him. Our dilemma, however, is not necessarily to explain the cause of a calamity so much as to have an appropriate response to our troubles. So it's not why we have problems but rather how we handle them. The writer says that through calamity God provides us an opportunity to examine our lives and repent and draw closer to Him. Calamity gives God the chance to redirect us into doing His will. Thus, complaining is an inappropriate response to calamity because it is a form of rebellion against God. Contrition compounded with thanksgiving is the appropriate response because it acknowledges God's sovereignty and in so doing we yield or submit our own will to His Sovereign Will.

What Happens When You Don't Read the Instructions - 2 Kings 22:11

"When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair." Have you ever tried to assemble something without reading the instructions? Maybe you started putting it together without reading the instructions and one part was backwards or upside down and it prevented you from assembling the rest of the parts. Or maybe you assembled it all without reading the instructions and had parts left over and it didn't work right. Well that's what happened with the Jewish people in ancient Judah. A religious system for worshiping God had been assembled over hundreds of years, but it was flawed because it didn't follow the instructions God gave. During the reign of King Josiah over Judah (640-619 BC), the high priest found a scroll in the Temple that contained the book of the Law--either all or part of Deuteronomy or else the entire Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament). Over time it had apparently become lost because when it was found the discovery was significant enough to report it immediately to the king. When the book of the Law was read to King Josiah, he tore his clothes in anguish because "we have not been doing everything it says we must do" (vs. 13). So Josiah ordered the high priest to go to the Temple and express remorse to the Lord on behalf of himself and the people of Judah. Josiah summoned all the Jewish people to Jerusalem and read the entire book of the Law to them. And he eradicated from Judah and even parts of Israel anything associated with pagan worship. He also commanded all the Jewish people to celebrate the Passover in accordance with the strict standards of the book of the Law. This form of Passover observance had not taken place since the time when the judges ruled in Israel (vs. 23). In other words, the Passover had not been celebrated or celebrated properly during the hundreds of years kings ruled over Israel and Judah. God recognized Josiah's sorrow and humility for not following His Word and withheld His judgment against Judah until after the end of Josiah's reign as king. To know God and understand how to please Him, we have an instruction manual, the Holy Bible. Although it doesn't provide its instructions in a step-by-step format, nevertheless, it reveals God's plan of salvation for people and His redemptive activity in human history. Knowing what it says is essential to having an effective, productive, and loving relationship with God. When you know what God's Word says, then His indwelling Spirit will actualize the power of His Word to transform your life. So if it's that important, then we must read and study God's Word regularly, even daily, because it's hard to assemble your walk with God correctly when you don't read the instructions!