Tag: Tom Siderius

Where Are We Looking?

Isaiah 60-61

Psalm 121

Luke 3

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Psalms 121:1-4(NLT) I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

This Psalm has some of the greatest lines of poetry in it.  “Shall I lift my eyes up to the hills?” the psalmist asks.  The song was sung as the pilgrims ascended from Jericho uphill to Jerusalem for the feast days there at the temple.  The pagan worship places were often on the top of hills where the Astaroth and Baal idols were worshipped. The decision that we make is whether we will look to the hilltops of this earth or look to our God who made the heavens and the earth.  It seems an easy choice but we must consciously and willfully decide that this is where we are going to look and where to follow.  The world gives us religious thoughts and activities which are not truly Christian but close.  We need to raise our sights above the hills and purposes of this world to God above.

Where is our sight aimed?  What are the things that are close to our heart?

What a rich set of readings from the Word today.  After the uplifting of the Psalm 121 to build up our renewed minds to look to our God, we now read about John the Baptist and the ministry that he fulfills.  We don’t have to wonder who he is and what God has planned for him to do as Isaiah gives us the picture.

Luke 3:3-6(NLT)  Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!
Clear the road for him!
5 The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.
6 And then all people will see
the salvation sent from God.’”

(From Is 40:3-5 if you are interested in looking it up.)

What is John’s true ministry?

Much of the teaching about John focuses on his coming before Jesus to prepare his way.  This teaching is not completely true.  John’s ministry is to come before Yahweh and prepare the way for repentance and change to bring the people back to God.  This ministry will also get people to look for the coming Messiah who is very close to them physically and will become revealed very shortly.  John is only months older than Jesus, and it would appear that both start their ministries when they are the age of 30 years, which in Jewish culture would be the minimum when you could start a ministry or teach. 

The preparation that John preaches is the coming of the LORD who is God Almighty. God is going to reveal His Son the Messiah to the world, and then obviously this will reveal Him in the ministries that both men have.  John is the servant of the most high God, and then Jesus as we will come to see is the ultimate faithful servant for God. 

Luke 3:15-16(NLT) Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John tells them that Messiah is coming soon and will be the promised one of God bringing salvation and judgment to Israel and the whole world. John tells them that he can only baptize them with the water of repentance, but Messiah will baptize them with holy spirit and power.  His message is of repentance for the people and that they will look to God to be obedient to God’s Law and promises.  Then to look for the coming Messiah.

Where does John aim our vision?

What is the baptism of water and holy spirit mean today?

Now read from Isaiah 60 where the prophesy of Jesus coming and his ministry are foretold to Israel.  Raise our sights again!

Isaiah 60:1-3(NLT) Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you.
2 Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you.
3 All nations will come to your light;
mighty kings will come to see your radiance.

And then even more specifically in Isaiah 61 where we see God telling His people about Messiah to come.

Isaiah 61:1-3(NLT) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me,
for the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the LORD’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the LORD has planted for his own glory.

What is it like to say that God will plant people like mighty oaks of righteousness?

What would be another way to say this?

By extension as spiritual children of Abraham we are the nations and Gentiles that are also blessed by the coming of Messiah. God desires for all men to be saved and to come to an accurate knowledge of the truth. He sends his servants and prophets all through history to tell His story.  The New Testament gives us the revealed picture and understanding of what Jesus has accomplished for all the people of the world.  Repentance today is for people to make him Lord over their life and then believe that God has raised him from the dead. 

What is the true confession of repentance that God requires of us?

Isaiah 61:10-11(NLT)  I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God!
For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
and draped me in a robe of righteousness.
I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding
or a bride with her jewels.
11 The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world.
Everyone will praise him!
His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring,
with plants springing up everywhere.

Reflection Questions above in bold

Prayer

Father God, we thank you that we are planted as Your lush garden of spring.  We thank you for planting us firmly as mighty oaks of righteousness showing Your power in our lives and establishing us as strong people of God.  Father please give us understanding of the spirit and power You have given us, and help us to grow into the people of God You have called us to be.  We praise Your Mighty Name and pray today in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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The Millennial Kingdom and It’s Purpose

Isaiah 40-41

Psalm 117

Revelation 20

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

The Millennial Kingdom is a controversial topic today and we need to see the importance of this period of time to our understanding of God’s purposes and to show us the way to the new heavens and earth where righteousness will be the only standard. Today we also read from Isaiah who is the most quoted prophet in the New Testament. Hear Isaiah’s words today :

Isaiah 40:12-14(NLT) Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right
or show him the path of justice?

The purpose of the Millennial is shown where the promises made to the nation of Israel about this earth will be fulfilled. It also is a time when the sinfulness of man’s heart will ultimately be revealed and destroyed. The first lie told by Satan is that if Adam and Eve disobey God and eat of the fruit they will become like god, knowing good and evil, and that they will not surely die. All lies proceed from this one as they are based on disobedience to God’s commands, and the desire in mankind’s heart to be their own god.

The lie that is the last to be destroyed is the lie of perfect justice: “Have a man with great power put over the earth and have perfect justice and righteousness on a restored earth then we will hear and obey God.”

The next coming events on this earth will be the great tribulation and all that happens surrounding these coming events. The Anti-Christ as well as the false prophet will be revealed to the world first as a great savior, and then as the leader of the powers of darkness and this world.  Sin will be openly revealed and then judged by Jesus Christ who is worthy to open the scroll in Revelation 5.  He is the one chosen by God to bring judgement and justice to this present world.  This includes judgement and disposal of the Antichrist and the false prophet who are annihilated and removed from the earth at the end of this time.

The resurrection of those that believe and are judged righteous starts the beginning of the reign of Christ on this present earth. We see this rulership truth from prophecies from the Old Testament prophets and then reflected specifically in this prophecy we are given in the book of Revelation. The dispersion and regathering of the nation of Israel is covered in numerous prophecies of the Old Testament prophets and records. The promises of the future kingdom including Israel is a centering truth of our conference today.

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Ephesians 1:9-11 (NLT) God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Israel is God’s own chosen people and much of the Old Testament prophecy is about what He will do for them in this future kingdom ruled by His Son.  There are sections of scripture that give us specific information about what God will do for Israel, and then also how He chooses those that are true believers from among them.    

Isaiah 59:20(NLT) The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins,”says the LORD.

The resurrection of the just is found in Revelation 20 where God decides based on His standards of faith those who will become part of the new kingdom of His Son in the time following.  Many of the promises of the OT prophets give us a preview of how God will deal with the people and the land.

Ezekiel 36:24 (NLT) For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

Those that are judged just and resurrected are those that God finds the Word in their mouths and hearts like Jesus Christ to come. Descendants of Israel in the world today must turn to Jesus and make him their Messiah for them to receive forgiveness of sin, and life to come. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile at this time.  Being Jewish and going to temple will not give them eternal life in the kingdom to come. There is no righteousness today from the law of Moses for Jew or Gentile.

Revelation 20:4-6(NLT) Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.

The resurrection of the just is at the beginning of the Millennial reign of Christ on this present earth. Also, the Devil and all his minions are chained and locked up away from the earth. Satan is removed from having any influence on earthly events and on people’s actions for this thousand-year period. The devil’s influence over events is locked from the earth by his imprisonment and then from the coming mortal human events on this present earth. The excuse that the “devil made me do it” cannot be made by anyone during this time frame. 

Revelation 20:1-3(NLT) Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.

We need to think about how many mortal people might still be on the earth after the tribulation and the battle of Christ against the Adversary that ends this period. There are currently 8+ billion people on the present earth today. If a remnant is saved through the tribulation this still might be as many as 1 billion or more people left to live, procreate, and die on this present earth. They are given God’s promises that the justice and administration of the earth will be done with God’s perfect judgment of good and evil. The earth will be watered literally and figuratively to give everyone all that is needed. The needs for food, shelter, fellowship, and  every other need will be met. 

Ezekiel 34:29-31(NLT) And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations. 30 In this way, they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign LORD. 31 You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”

The prophecies of the book of Revelation show us what will happen then in this new kingdom of Christ on this present earth. We see a picture of perfect judgement and administration of justice to all.  Many of those people alive at that time will see, hear, and believe and receive the grace that comes from Christ. The blessings and abundance of that time to come is amazing in the foretelling that we read. We know that mortals continue to populate this earth and procreate, work and live their lives during this time of blessing and abundance.  But the same result comes following the same pattern as through all of time. Some believe, and some reject Jesus as the righteous ruler of the earth and the kingdom of God. It is hard to even understand how people would reject Christ during the proof of God’s grace and love for people.  

Remember that there is also no influence of the Adversary and his minions in the affairs of mankind on the earth in this time. This is an especially important part of the purpose of the millennial reign. To have a new heaven and new earth where all is righteous, all disobedience must be demonstrated, judged, and destroyed. Heaven needs to have all disobedience removed  in order to make all ready for the coming new heaven.   

1 Corinthians 4:5(NKJV) Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

The disobedience that is prophesied in Revelation shows us that the human heart has not changed, and the desire to do evil is still evident even during the Millennial reign. For a new heaven and earth to appear, all evil and rebellion in both heaven and earth needs to be dealt with.  Christ is God’s agent of justice and salvation coming to all the earth. Those that believe and follow Christ are saved to a beautiful future with the rule of God and Christ. Those that desire to do evil and rebel will be annihilated and destroyed forever. This is the second death for all that are judged unrighteous.

The lie of perfect government and rulership is destroyed, and the forces of evil are all annihilated. The Millennial ends with the beginning of the new heavens and earth we will next read about.

Reflection Questions

  1. What are your thoughts and feelings as you read Revelation 20? What verse brings you the most hope and excitement?
  2. What are you looking forward to Jesus bringing to light?
  3. How often do you think of these things: Jesus’ second coming, resurrection, the Millennial reign, the new heavens and earth? How might it change the way you live your life today if you thought of these things more?

PRAYER

Father God, we are so humbled by the wisdom that You demonstrate in the earth, heavens, and peoples that You have created.  We are so thankful that You have invited us to join Your family and to have Your love and protection.  We pray that you will continue to sustain and keep us this day and forever in Your kingdom to come.  Come Lord Jesus come.  Praying to You in the name of Christ this day.

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Hezekiah Sees the First Daylight Savings Time

Isaiah 38-39

Psalm 117

Revelation 19

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

In Isaiah chapter 38 we read a remarkable story about Hezekiah the king and the events that happen to him.

Isaiah 38:1-8(NKJV) In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’ ” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, 3 and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

How would you feel about it if a known and respected prophet of God came to you and told you to get your affairs and will in order, because you will die soon?

This message would certainly get my undivided attention and reaction.  I can see myself in Hezekiah’s shoes lamenting to God about why this would happen to me!!  I have (in my mind anyway) listened to all Your precepts, followed all Your instructions, and held to Your worship. Why am I sick and what do you mean I’m going to die soon from this disease? This is just not fair to me!

Does it do us good to try to recite to God our goodness and obedience? 

What should we do instead?

Hezekiah cries out to God in his misery and grief asking God to have mercy on him and save him from untimely death. He implores God to hear him and is bitter in his heart about the situation he finds himself in. 2 Kings chapter 20 gives us another version of the events and helps us out with more detail.

2 Kings 20:4-6 (NKJV) “And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” ’ “

We see in this section that God heard Hezekiah’s prayers and God decided to intervene in the course of his disease and deliver him from death for another 15 years.  God says that He will “surely” heal him. Then Isaiah goes to Hezekiah and delivers the message from God.  Hezekiah, like all of us, wants an assurance that what the prophet says will actually happen. What a human reaction to a Godly message (also, what – only 15 years!). God then gives this message to Isaiah about His Word.

Isaiah 38:7-8(NKJV) And this is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing which He has spoken: 8 Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.

Think of the miracle that God must do to accomplish this event.  All the universe must have the clock of God turned back approximately 40 minutes for this to happen.  How does this happen?  How can God do this? We read further in 2 Kings to get more details of the miracle.

2 Kings 20:8-11(NKJV) And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?”9 Then Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees.” 11 So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

Is it harder for God to turn time forward 40 minutes or backwards 40 minutes?  Clearly both take the same miraculous movement of planets, suns, stars, and earth.  But Hezekiah picks the answer that will silence all the critics of miracles.  He may even be trying to convince himself of the truth, and the going back certainly can’t be faked or explained by any earthly means.

How are we like Hezekiah in our shaky belief in miraculous works of God?

What is our assurance today that God’s hand is in our lives?

1 John 5:13-15(NLT) I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

When we pray and ask God for help when we are doing the will of God He promises that He hears us.  When God promises that He hears us then we should be good to go with whatever the answer to our prayer will be.  We cannot obligate God to do our will by our good works or supposed obedience.  God so loved that He gave, and God will so love again because it is His will to do what He has decided to do.  We should live our lives in humble obedience to the God that loves us and have the confidence that He will do all that will bless us and sustain us.  Cast all our cares upon our God for He cares for us.

Reflection Questions above in Bold Text

Prayer:

Father God be with us this day, and deliver us from the evil one.  Give us the bread of our need this day to sustain and keep us.  Please hear our petitions and prayers for Your help and healing as needed for our lives.  Show us the way to walk like Your Son the Lord Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life for us.  We praise Your Holy Name and lift You up with our prayers and hearts.  Our Lord hear our prayer.  In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.

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Faith in God

Isaiah 36-37

Psalm 116

Revelation 18

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Isaiah 37:1-7(NLT)When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the LORD. 2 And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 3 They told him, “This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby. 4 But perhaps the LORD your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!”
5 After King Hezekiah’s officials delivered the king’s message to Isaiah, 6 the prophet replied, “Say to your master, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. 7 Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.’”

Psalms 116:6-8(NLT) The LORD protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
7 Let my soul be at rest again,
for the LORD has been good to me.
8 He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.

Our subject today is that of our faith.  We use the word “faith” very freely here in the United States, in the churches here, but I do not know that we always realize the full measure of what the word means. We tell each other to have faith or greet each other with the word faithful but often it is very shallow in its meaning.  We need to examine what Hezekiah does in the face of an overwhelming army and disaster from Sennacherib the king of Assyria.

Where does Hezekiah turn?  And what does he petition God for in his message to Isaiah?

The word “faith” in Hebrew in the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew word “emunah” which gives us two other words of “faithfulness” and the word “Amen” which means “full agreement”.  The word faith in the Hebrew gives a meaning of action and movement in our lives.  We do not only have faith in God, but we should live out our faith in God.

Habakkuk 2:4(NKJV) Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

We cannot separate our intellectual understanding of the Words of God from action about them in our lives.  We may agree with what the Word says in our minds, but this is just a mental assent intellectually that the Word is true.  When we truly believe the Words of God then we will live out our lives in accordance with what they say, we will live by our faith.

 You do not merely think that you have faith,  you should walk it, breathe it, make it your own. This is our relational trust in the truth of what God says to us in all of life.  We show what we believe by what we do in our lives.  Do you put your full trust in our God?  Or do we secretly in our hearts not fully believe His Words?

Look at our father Abraham in Genesis where God tells him to go to a new land where God will bless him and give him land and descendants.  Did he live out his life with full agreement of what God told him to do?  The central theme of Abraham is that we are saved by our faith, and not our meager works of righteousness.

Galatians 3:6-7(NLT)  In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

Our salvation in Christ comes from putting our full trust of our lives in the truth that God saves us because He wanted to do it.  God is our Savior in the sense that He is the author of salvation for us.  Jesus Christ is the agent of salvation for us because he is how God did the saving of us.

Our faith must stand in this truth, that God so loved us that He sent Jesus to be the payment for you and for me. We have no works of righteousness that we can do to save us.  We should be morally good, and strive for virtue in our lives, but this is a response to the saving grace we have received, not a means of gaining eternal life. What a wonderful truth for us to see. 

Do we rejoice in our hearts over the love and grace that God has given each of us?  Where are our joy and rejoicing? 

We should get so excited by God’s love and relationship with us that we will live out the grace that he has called us to. We also are proud to call Jesus Christ our brother and Savior, ready to tell any man or woman about what God has done for all of us.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

The evil kingdom of this world lies to us and tells us that we are helpless, hopeless, broken, and worthless.  The kingdom of God within us tells us that we are loved, cared for, restored to life, and valuable children of the God who created the heavens and the earth. All that happens to us in life must be seen through the reality of this conflict between the two kingdoms. Do not be deceived by the Adversary and his lies.

2 Peter 1:2-4(NKJV) Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We have exceedingly great and precious promises through Christ who brings us to God.  We need to give our hearts fully to God who called us and saved us for His own purposes. 

What has God called you to do?  What are the works of righteousness that God has prepared for you to do?

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The good works of our lives that we do for God are the ones that He has prepared for us to do.  This is acting out our lives with the full agreement that Jesus is our guide, showing us the way to go and lighting the path for our lives.  We need to trust that God has us by the hand guiding our thoughts and our lives towards Him because He loves us. 

This trust does not easily grow because we want to be the ones in charge of our own lives and hearts.  We want to be the god of our lives and have control of everything.  But we need to ask how well does that work out? 

Are you a success by your own efforts, or do you need the Father to show the way to walk?

John 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

We have confidence in our God because we have the history of His faithfulness to His own promises to read about and understand.  When we see God being faithful, it gives us the confidence to let Him guide our thoughts and lives, and not to take back our hearts from Him.

Romans 15:4-6(NKJV) For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we see that God is able and willing to do all that He has promised in the past, then we will have confidence, meaning, hope and salvation in this world and the promise of life in His kingdom to come.

Reflection Questions above in bold TExt

Prayer:

Father God, we love You and praise You from our hearts.  We are so thankful for all You have done to save us and bring us to You, Father. We thank you for the bread of our need this day, and the promise of our future life in Your kingdom.  Help us to change our hearts and give us the steadfastness of Your love to keep us firm in our lives.  We pray this in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.  

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Looking Unto Jesus the Captain of Our Salvation

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith
Job 14-15
Psalm 96
Hebrews 12

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

We just returned from General Conference in Atlanta and wonderful fellowship with all the people that were there.  The theme of the conference is “Pillars and Pathways”.  As we read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews yesterday, we were shown what the pillars of faith from the Old Testament had stood for and with.  The pillars of our faith run back to Abraham who believed God and it was counted for righteousness because of his faith.  As we begin chapter twelve the focus turns to the central theme of the whole Old Testament.  All this faithfulness from the believer in the OT brought us to Christ who is the perfect representative of the Father who formed him and filled him with the holy spirit giving him power to do God’s will.

Look together at the first verses of chapter 12:

Hebrews 12:1-3(NLT) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

The direction of our walk following Christ is a straight path of endurance that we follow as our champion and captain of salvation goes before us showing us the way to walk.  The path he has given us is straight and direct, going to the Father God that has called us to a life of faith and service.

Matthew 6:22(NKJV) The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

What we focus our eyes and our mind on will be the things that come into our thoughts and hearts.  The word “good” in verse Matt 6:22 can also be translated as “simple” or “straight”.  When our eye is looking “straight” at our champion, and we follow him in this race of life our path will be straight and our way direct.  Following Jesus is a simple path, he has shown us the way.  For our lives, families, fellowships and churches the path has been given to us by the pillars of our faith, and Jesus Christ has shown us the path to follow. 

When our eye is simple, following Jesus, our whole life will be filled with the light of God’s presence and fellowship with us.

Psalms 96:1-4(NLT) Sing a new song to the LORD!
Let the whole earth sing to the LORD!
2 Sing to the LORD; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
4 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!

Psalms 96:11-13(NLT) Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
Let the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD, for he is coming!
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with his truth.

All the peoples of the earth will be judged by the Word of God spoken to us by the pillars of our faith, and by our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Reflection Questions

  1. What Old Testament pillars of faith do you love to look to for example, encouragement and instruction? Who in your life has been a pillar of faith for you, teaching you the wonderful words of God and what to do with them?
  2. What do you love about Jesus? What have you learned from him? How would you describe the path he is setting before you?
  3. Would you describe your eyesight as good, simple and straight, following Jesus to the Father? Is anything clouding your vision or is anything in your peripheral vision distracting you from good, simple and straight vision following Jesus? How can you improve your eyesight?

Prayer

Father God, we reach out to follow your champion of faith that is before us.  Make our eyes and hearts straight to follow him.  Give us this day the bread of our need and keep us from turning to the right or left away from You.  We sing Your praises from our hearts of joy that You have given us.  In the name of the champion of our faith, Jesus Christ we pray.

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Title Deed to Our Hope

Job 12-13

Psalm 96

Hebrews 11

-Devotion by Tom Siderius(MI)

Hebrews 11:1-3(NLT) Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

Hebrews 11:1(AMP) Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

Faith is our complete believing trust in the Word of God and it’s truth. It  comes from mixing the personal believing of our hearts with the trustworthy and perfect words which God has given for us to know and understand.  When we completely trust the Word in our hearts then we will act in accordance with that trust.  This is why the Amplified Bible shows the phrase “title deed” to things prayed for and hoped for.

If I have the title deed for my farm in my hands do I have the farm in my hands?  No it is impossible to have the farm that way.  But the reality is that when we have the deed with Tom and Sandy written on it, with no lien or obligations connected with it, we have the farm.

This is the way that we trust God in our hearts and then receive the promise for the things that God has made.  Ephesians 1 gives us another assurance of God’s plan.

Ephesians 1:4-5(NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

God chose you before the foundation of the earth!  Wow!! And it says that it gave Him great pleasure to save you in Christ. Double Wow!!  Then we get a guarantee even better.

Ephesians 1:13-14(NLT) And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Have you believed God in your heart about what God has testified about Christ?

Did you receive the gift of holy spirit when you believed and became God’s child?

What does that mean for your life?

We have received the title deed and seal of promise to the future hope of Christ’s rulership and kingdom to come.  You have the proof in your hands that what God has said will come to pass in the future.  The faithful of the past all believed this and received the same sure promises. Please read Hebrews 11 for the rest of the story.

Hebrews 11:13-16(NLT) All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

The title deed we have received is the deed to a future with God and a place to live in righteousness and peace with our Savior Jesus Christ and his and our Father God.  As you go from here be the child of God that you are with all the rights and privileges that come from the trust that God is faithful to that which He has promised and performed.

Reflection Questions

See Questions above – and also – Where do you keep your title deed of faith?

Are you excited by the future hope you have received?

Prayer

Father please be with us this day, and we thank you for the bread of our need as we walk with You.  Thank you for the kingdom to come, that what You have promised will come to pass.  Please give us living hearts of faith and trust in You in all we do.  God bless the prayer and works of our lives to honor You.  Love in Christ, your children

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God is Worthy of Our Praise and There Is No Other

Job 10-11

Psalm 95

Hebrews 10

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

What a great day to be in Christ and have the praise of our Father on our lips and in our hearts.  Is there truly anything else we can do for God?  Our gifts to Him can only be from our hearts and lips.   Psalm 95 gives us the beautiful music of this praise of our hearts.

Psalms 95:1-7(NLT) Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
3 For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
4 He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
5 The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
7 for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care.

We are the flock cared for by the God who is our Shepherd and help in time of need.  Jesus is now given the power to gather the church of God today with the same care as the Father who has loved us.  He is the shepherd of our hearts and lives today.

Hebrews 2:11-15(NLT) So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.” 13 He also said, “I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.” 14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

How does it feel to know that you are the child of God Almighty and the brother of the Christ who died for you.  Raised with him from the grave and set free from the chains of sin and death.  Only God and His Son are worthy of our praise.

Ephesians 1:5-11(NLT) God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Reflection Questions

Why did God choose YOU?

What is the response of your heart to Him and our Lord Jesus Christ?

What do we need to do today?

Prayer

Father, Father, we love You so much and look in awe on all You have done for us.  We praise You with our hearts and mouths.  Be with us this day as You have promised and give us the bread and help we need to do Your will.  We love You because You first loved us. In our precious Savior’s name Jesus Christ

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Generosity of Heart

  

2 Kings 13-14 

Psalm 67            

2 Corinthians 8

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

The Corinthian church was composed of a majority of Gentiles.  Corinth had been a Greek city and now was a Roman city. All the administration and customs there were Roman, and the culture was Greek and Roman combined.  The city was a very rich place by all accounts of that time because of the trade and transportation that went through it from both sides of the peninsula that it was located on.  The culture of that time was very religious, and it was not a question of believing in god, but what gods and when were the questions.  Also the city was full of the Greek philosophers such as the Stoics, Epicurians, Cynics, and others.  Giving and sacrifice was part of all these systems of pagan worship and thought.

Paul had advised the Corinthians about giving and its importance and position in the worship of daily life towards God.  We see evidence of what he taught them in Romans 16:1-4.  The flow of money and help was from the Gentile churches who had received the Word of Truth from the apostles and prophets of the early church, to the work that was centered in Jerusalem.  The church leaders there were James the brother of Jesus, as well as Peter and John.  Paul and Barnabas meeting with them is recorded in the book of Acts chapter 15 where the questions of the law and circumcision for the Gentiles were discussed and then settled with the apostles there.

Giving is a simple and at the same time complex question that we need to understand and teach.  The tithes of the law do not apply to us now in the same way as in the Old Testament so there is no direct formula to follow.  We need to see that true Christian generosity comes from the heart of the believer.  First we are fully committed to Christ, and then our heart needs to change to be fully committed to the care of others both inside the church and outside of it.  Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 16 the “how” of our giving, and in 2 Corinthians 8-9 the “why” of our giving.

1 Corinthians 16:1-4(NLT) Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me.

Great advice about the “how” to do it part of the commitment to give.  We say “give to God” but there really isn’t any way that we can do that.  We can give out of our finances, resources and time to people and organizations but not directly to God.  God has no need of anything that we could possibly have or give to Him.  Everything that we have or possess is because of His grace and love.  Our finances, talents and abilities are all tools that can be utilized in our walk.  What he does ask us to do is to be conscious and generous about how we treat others in Christ, and those in need.  

What is your first reaction when you see a need in the church?

What is your first reaction when you see a need in another believer’s life?  

How about the unbeliever?

This gets difficult to figure out at times.  Giving to my direct church body in Blanchard is easy to figure out.  Giving to the General Conference is another easy choice.  Then there are direct gifts of money or time for those in need that we are directly related or connected with.  Then there are organizations outside the COGGC that may merit our help or financial support.  Paul once again gives us great advice on “why” of our giving in 2 Corinthians 8:8-15.  

2 Corinthians 8:8-12(NLT) I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. 9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. 10 Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. 11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. 12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.

Paul once again puts financial giving into perspective for us.  We should be eager and willing to walk in truth, knowledge, faith and love.  And to this also Paul shows that our Christian giving is important.  It is not an obligation but rather a choice that we should make about our priorities and directions.  

2 Corinthians 8:13-15(NLT) Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. 14 Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. 15 As the Scriptures say,

“Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over,

and those who gathered only a little had enough.”

See also the record from Romans where Paul talks about the gifts and the direction of the flow of support to Jerusalem that is recorded in Acts 15. 

Romans 15:25-27(NLT) But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially

We don’t have a law of giving to follow, but the promise from God that those who sow generously will reap generously.  Recognition of the riches of our life that God has given us will change our perspective on our life, family, job, and church body.  This new godly perspective of our position and responsibilities will change us to be able to give with a generous heart and mind.  We will be able to do the good works that God has prepared for us to do in this life.

Reflection Questions

Can we truly do any good work that does not involve God?

If God calls us to do something won’t He give us the resources to do it?

Prayer

Father God, we put our hearts and hands into Yours.  Thank you for your great love to give us the bread of our need this day, and the resources to help others.  Bless the work of our hands, and the responses of our heart.  Be with us this day and help us to do the works You have called us to do.  In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ.

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Godly Sorrow Works Repentance

2 Kings 11-12  
Psalm 66            
2 Corinthians 7

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Join us together today reading tough history lessons from 2 Kings and the letter to the 2 Corinthians that is a corrective epistle.  The book of Romans is mostly doctrinal and is telling us how to believe correctly in Christ.  The epistle of 1 Corinthians is correction and in it Paul does many corrections of the wrong believing that the church there had, which caused the wrong actions that they had done.  The second epistle of Corinthians is a follow up to the first one, and Paul gives them additional correction that they are ready to hear now.  He continues to give them guidance on how to apply what they have learned from him and other teachers that have instructed their church.  

2 Corinthians 7:8-13(NLT) I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.

This section from 2 Corinthians 7 is very instructional for all of us.  Paul shows us how to relate to each other when sin is involved.  Then he gives us insight into how to change to become more like Christ.  I know for sure that I have had several instances in my walk with God where this section of scripture has applied (like 5000, maybe more).  When we are corrected by the Word of God and the ministers of it, it at first will not be comfortable or palatable.  Our first human reaction is to reject the correction because I am sure that it is wrong and certainly does not apply to me.  

Then as we contemplate and meditate on what is written our minds will become convicted by the truth.  Repentance is the motivation to change our ways and comes from learning what is correct believing and correct behavior.  It will lead us away from our wrong thoughts and behavior giving us a new perspective and new thinking.  Maybe a renewing of our minds (any idea where that came from?) to the truth.  

We need to learn how to believe in Christ correctly, but life is filled with opportunities to do it God’s way or our own way.  Making Christ lord in our lives must include the humility to let the truth change our thinking into the thoughts of God.

Get rid of stinking thinking!!  Crude but effective comment.  

If there is no brother or sister in Christ willing and able to show us the wrong direction of our ways, then we will continue to be living without fellowship with God and His Son.  We all have strengths in different areas of our lives, and together we replace the absent Christ as the church of his body.  You may be able to help me to see the correct path in a given situation for what I need to do.  But if you are not willing to correct me, I am the loser.  In the same way I need to see the actions and behavior of others through the lens of scripture.  If correction is needed, then we should do it with gentleness and care for others.  It is not a hammer to be wielded on others but a pointing to the truth with firmness and strength of truth.   

2 Timothy 2:25-26(NLT) Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

Reflection Questions

Does this section of 2 Corinthians help you to see the path of righteous living?

Are you willing to be the leader in Christ that this is calling us to be?

How should we handle these situations with others in the church?

Prayer

Father God, we have failed you so many times. Thank you for bringing us back to You through godly teaching and leadership. Help us to be the child You desire us to be and to repent of our shortcomings and failure. Thank you Father for the forgiveness of our sin in every part of our lives. All praise to You on high, You are our Father and we love You so much. In the name of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

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Refined Like Silver

2 Kings 9-10    

Psalm 66           

2 Corinthians 6

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Psalms 66:8-10(NKJV)

Oh, bless our God, you peoples!

And make the voice of His praise to be heard,

9 Who keeps our soul among the living,

And does not allow our feet to be moved.

10 For You, O God, have tested us;

You have refined us as silver is refined.

There is a theme going through all the sections  we are reading  today.  We are slaves to sin before we receive Christ, but then after, we can walk with righteous new life before our Father.  Our hearts need to become like the heart of Christ and not the heart of disobedience which is what we had before we became children of God.  Silver is refined by heat, a process carried out multiple times.  Our heart needs continual refining towards the goal of becoming like Christ.  We don’t start out that way and the lifetime fight with the deceitful heart is something all of us will have with our walk with God.

Genesis 8:21(NLT) And the LORD was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.

The nation of Israel had as king Ahab and the queen his wife Jezebel who led their nation into a continual and total worship of Baal.  This was the time of Elijah and then Elisha.  Remember the contest on the mountain between the prophets of Baal and the prophet of God Elijah?  This became a time of such idolatry in the 10 tribes’ nation of Israel that God calls out and then sends Jehu, one of the commanders in Ahab’s army, to settle the situation.  God has the prophet tell Jehu that he will be king, but he must kill Ahab and all his family.  He also was directed to destroy all the temples and prophets of Baal.

2 Kings 10:25-31(NLT) Then Jehu’s men went into the innermost fortress of the temple of Baal. 26 They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and burned it. 27 They smashed the sacred pillar and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet, as it remains to this day.

28 In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel. 29 He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, with which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin.

30 Nonetheless the LORD said to Jehu, “You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation.” 31 But Jehu did not obey the Law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.

Many questions come to mind as I read the passage.  Why does God choose Jehu to become king when God knows that Jehu will not settle the issue of the golden calf worship that was started by Jeroboam.  This was after Solomon died and the nation split.  The refining mission of Jehu on the nation of Israel is partial but not complete.  The true worship of Yahweh would include going to the temple at Jerusalem three times per year and apparently Jehu did not want to let the people go there.  Instead, he kept the worship of the calves which the people were told that they should do instead of going to the feasts at the temple.  His desire to control the people outweighed a decision to follow God’s law.  Further refinement will be on the way for the nation of Israel.

Also, why does the whole family, children and servants of Ahab and Jezebel have to die in the process?  Worship of Baal and the Astaroth was a fertility worship that included a great deal of activities that would be shocking to us even to today.  (Or maybe not.)  When the king of Israel led the people to do evil continually the smell of their sacrifices and altars was so putrefying to God that He sent the ultimate judgement against their whole family. By eliminating the many sons of Ahab there would be no palace intrigue against Jehu and his sons as kings in Israel.  The deaths of so many that did evil is truly a refining process. 

It was a bloody, violent and gruesome ending for them and especially Jezebel who ends up crushed and eaten by dogs to leave only a few of her bones.  The pit they dug for others is where they died.

Psalms 9:15-16(NLT) The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.

Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.

16 The LORD is known for his justice.

The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.

Why does God execute such judgement against people in the Old Testament time?

Should we look for this judgement today against those that do evil?  

The New Testament brings us the teaching of Jesus and the apostles and prophets of the early church.  Now we are admonished to love our enemies, to turn our cheek, and to give grace to all we meet.  Sometimes this is used by Christians to justify a completely pacifist view.  Certainly, Jesus does not call or lead us to dominate our world by military power or war.  But the viewpoint we should have should be to see that sometimes evil is so great that God will lift his hand of protection against those people and the destruction of war and violence will come from this time of unbelief.  They will be refined by falling into their own pit that they have dug, and captured by the net they have set.  Unbelief and greed coming from evil leaders is certainly the source of most conflicts in history and in the world today.  Evil and deceit come from the heart of man to do evil continuously and leaders who lead from this deceit are responsible for most misery and war. 

We have no promise of peace in this administration of grace but are admonished by God not to be the cause of the disharmony or conflict.  We are to be light in the world showing others the way to Christ and God.  If our country and leaders lead us into wars which are based on greed and deceit there may be Christians caught up in these conflicts.  The records of the Word show many times the strength of warriors who do righteous battle for nations and we are certainly not immune from war today.  

In Hebrews 11 we find a list of men who battled for their nation from the weakness of being the hand of the army of God.  They include David, Gideon, Barak, and others.  These are armies which depend on the living God to help them to victory and show us a pattern of righteous action. Not armies dependent on their own strength.

What is it to fight from weakness and how does that work?

Our 2 Corinthian reading also shows us further refining the silver of our lives.  Yokes of livestock need to be closely matched in order to get the best effort for their work.  You can pair a small horse with a large ox, but the results will be a very crooked plowing path.  In the same way God tells us to look to our family in the church for those to be paired up in our work.  We will be both pulling in the same way in the same direction.  Our efforts will work together for righteousness,

2 Corinthians 6:11-16(NKJV) O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13 Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

Leviticus 26:12-13(NLT) I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.

Do you see yourself and the church today as the chosen people of God?

Our warfare as the church today, we pray, will not be with the weapons of this world, but our national identity is the true people of God and our weapons are spiritual.  Our authority is established with God as our Father and leader and any state mandated statues must be subservient to this authority.  God calls for us to not be unequally yoked with the unbeliever.  We should not be yoked to the sin and passion of this world.  We need to support and strengthen each other in our spiritual family and relationships. God has not delivered us from the slavery to sin of this world for us to willingly go back to its authority. We cannot change the world’s violence in every situation but rather we teach and preach Christ the prince of peace to all we meet.  God continues to refine us as silver in our thoughts and actions when we trust Him.

Reflection Questions – see above and …

Has this discussion changed your view of the conflicts of this world?

Prayer

Father God, we lift all our people that may be involved in the conflicts of this world.  We ask Your protection for all of us from the evil that is so pervasive.  Continue to refine our lives to become like Christ and help us to act from our new hearts.  Give us today the bread of our need and deliver us from the pit others have dug for us.  Thank you Father for all that Your do to protect and keep us in every way.  In the precious name of Jesus Christ, we pray this day.

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