Matthew 22:15-22 - Look out for Traps!

 At that time, the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what do you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render, therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. " When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.

Don't Fall into Traps!
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Christ Jesus, You read the hearts of all! You could see that the Pharisees, seeking to trick You by Your own words, used flattery as a weapon to catch You off guard. But, You, O Lord, do not succumb to flattery and did not fall into their trap.  For You always do those things that please the Father. These hypocrites were sent to test You, but You turned the tables on them and after they asked You a question, You asked them.  The wisdom of Your response quiets the mouths of all detractors.  

O Lord, grant me a humble heart today. Let me never use flattery in my dealings with others.  May I be honest with all whom I come in contact today. And like Christ offered a wise answer to a tricky question, may I always answer with the Words of Christ, when put to the test! May I always render unto God the things that are rightfully His. And what is rightfully His? Only all of my life! Amen.

Matthew 21:18-43 - Do the Right thing' not just say it!

18

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.

19

And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

20

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

22

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

23

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24

But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

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The baptism of John – where was it from? From heaven or from men? And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

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But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.

27

So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

28

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’

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He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.

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Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.

31

Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

32

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

33

Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

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Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

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And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

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Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

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Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

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But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

39

So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40

Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?

41

They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

42

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Good advice!
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O Lord, help me to be like the son in the parable who said "No" to following Your commands but later repented and did indeed obey his father.  For it is not the one who says yes and yet does nothing but the one who actually acts upon the commandments of the Lord- he it is who will receive notice from God.  Help me to live this day and everyday in repentance, knowing if I obey God, then I will follow Him.  Help me to see Christ in my neighbor, looking for ways to serve Him. Amen.

Philippians 4:4-9 - Rejoice!

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say it, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.
The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

We have many reasons to rejoice!
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 There is much to be happy about! There are plenty of reasons to rejoice! The Lord is at hand. Not only meaning that He will be returning soon but also, He is close to those who trust in Him.  Therefore, we have noting to worry about but, instead offer to God our prayers and our requests. This we do with thanksgiving, ever grateful for His many benefits. Peace follows all of this, peace from Christ who guards our hearts and minds.

As someone who follows Christ, I must meditate on things that are pure, true, noble and just.  Only positive things should fill my mind. As I think this way, I should follow the example of those who have shown me how to live in Christ.  Doing this will fill me with peace, a peace that leads to joy!

O Lord, how I want to rejoice in You always. When bad news tries to capture my soul or when evil reports would disturb my peace, let me remember that Christ is near and will never forsake me. Then, shall my soul always rejoice!

Hebrews 12:28-13:8 - Our God is a Consuming Fire!

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue.Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them – those who are mistreated – since you yourselves are in the body also.Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

Fire Consumes!
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We are to serve God with reverence and godly fear.  For the writer of Hebrews tells us that "Our God is a consuming fire." That phrase doesn't seem to be the best evangelism tool yet the statement is true for both believers and unbelievers.  For the unbeliever,  the presence of God is an unbearable and burning fire, which sears the being and scalds the soul.  His holiness in the presence of our sinfulness, burns.  

For the believer, he who it is who is daily conforming to the Image and likeness of Christ, this fire is a welcome radiance, purging out the debris of our souls, a purification  we readily accept. We all stand in the presence of God, who is everywhere  present and filling all things. Either we feel His presence as scourging or we feel His presence as Light.

This day, I pray, O Lord, may I embrace the Your fire. May it burn out the dross of my soul and radiate my life with Your Holy Spirit. I am sinful and full of imperfection yet I rely upon Your Mercy. For the Mercy of God, in the person of Christ, shall be my refuge always. And I am bold to say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. Amen. 

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Isaiah 66:10-24 - Comfort for the servants....and Judgement for the enemies...and a witness to all!

"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory." For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies. "For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many. "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, says the LORD. "For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says the LORD; so shall your descendants and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the LORD. "And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men that have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

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The Lord promises comfort to Israel. Like a babe at his mother's breast or a young child upon the hip of his mother, so the Lord promises peace and comfort to His people. The Lord promises all of this to His people and, yet, those who reject the Lord, who willfully follow after other gods, who are no gods at all, shall meet with the Lord's indignation. Judgement is for those who reject their own good and exchange the glory of God for filthiness. And why is this? Because we are created for greater things than these.

The Lord will have His witness among the nations.  His people will be scattered throughout the world But they will be gathered again back to the holy city.  In their captivity though, they shall bear witness to the Lord's Goodness.  Men shall see and have no excuse.

O Lord, I seek Your comfort but more than that, I seek to be Your witness. Grant me, this day, Your Holy Spirit, alive in me to declare Your goodness. Amen. 

1 Peter 5:6-14 - Look out for the Lions!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Satan, the master predator is like a lion
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 The Devil, he who tempts all of mankind to follow their own passions and to ignore Go- he, is like a roaring lion, on the hunt for those he may consume.  He throws temptation after temptation hoping that the person falls and stays fallen.  But God wants us to resist him and we should do this because we are not the only ones being tempted but our brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo temptation. Together, in prayer, we can resist and the Grace of God can abound in us.

God has called us to His eternal glory through Christ Jesus. He too has suffered under temptation yet He did not fall.  To Him belongs glory and honor for He it is that delivers us from the roaring lion, Satan. He will establish us, strengthen us and settle us! 

O Lord, let me live moment by moment, resisting each temptation that comes along and when in my weakness I fall, help me to cry out for Your mercy. May I ever be cognizant of the evil one but, more still, may I remember Your Presence and rely upon it to help me conquer my passions.
In Christ's Name, Amen.

Isaiah 58:1-11 - Why bother Fasting, if you still hate your brother?

 Thus says the LORD: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. 'Why have we fasted, and thou seest it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and thou takest no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, "Here I am."

"If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

What? You're gonna fast and still not love your brother? Why bother?
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O Lord, Help me not be like the people of Israel who fasted and yet lived in strife with their brothers.They engaged in religious activities and yet let the homeless remain without a bed and sent away the hungry with no bread.  They continued their duties, thinking they were pleasing You. How foolish to think God would be pleased by anything we do with a hypocritical heart. This day I pray, may my fasting not be in vain or my prayers not be with no effect. For if I would truly follow You then, when I fast and pray, I will also love my brother. Soften my heart, I pray. Amen.

Isaiah 49:6-10 - Shine the Light!

Thus says the LORD: "I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you, in a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; saying to the prisoners, 'Come forth,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways, on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall smite them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

Shine through me, I pray!
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O Lord, You say You have given us as a light to the nations  Help me, this day, to show forth You light. May those who don't serve You, prostrate themselves before You as they see the Light that comes from Christ in me.  My soul is darkened at times, Lord, so that Your Light is not radiant in my life. How I long for the Light of Christ to shine brilliantly. How I wish my life to be ablaze with the Holy Spirit's fire.

Grant this to me this day, O Savior, for you have promised to answer us in a "day of salvation" Lead me out of darkness into Christ's light and may others see Christ's Light in me. amen.

Isaiah 48:17-49:4 - Peace like a river and righteousness like a wave!

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.”Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, Declare, proclaim this, Utter it to the end of the earth; Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob!”And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”“Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.”“And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’”

God's Righteousness is a Mighty Wave

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The Lord longs for us to follow Him. He longs for us to listen to and obey His commandments  And why shouldn't we? Does He not provide for us as He did for Israel in the desert? He made waters proceed from a rock and when His people were dying of thirst, He provided refreshing water.  Yet, it is more important to have the peace and righteousness of the Lord for He promises that peace would flow like a river and righteousness like the waves of the sea.  All this would happen if we would just heed the commandments of the Lord. 

In my life, is peace and righteousness abundant? Is it obvious to all? No one can mistake a river nor can they ignore the presence of a mighty wave. The Lord promises  this to His servants and surely it will be seen by all.  He has redeemed us and has said, in us, He would be glorified.

May, this day, I be ever aware of the Lord's righteousness and may His peace reign in my life so that those around would see the refreshment of my soul, as a river refreshes our thirst. May all around see His righteousness in me which comes in power like the might of a strong ocean wave.  Help me to follow Your commandments so this will be accomplished in me, Your servant. Amen.

Mark 10:32-45 - Don't look for the Seats of Honor.

At that time, Jesus taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant of James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Not the Seat to Seek
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After Jesus predicts His own death and resurrection, the two disciples, James and John, ask for places on honor in the Kingdom of God. Jesus asks them, "Can you go through what I am about to go through?" They say, "yes" and Jesus tells them that, indeed, they would suffer as He suffers but, as far as places of honor, that is something which is reserved for those whom it is reserved for already.  Jesus than says that followers of Him should not seek to be served but rather offer to be the servant since He, Himself, is the model of true service, giving His life for us.

In my life, I must avoid trying to get a place of honor or work for recognition for any good deeds I have done. Instead, I should seek to serve as Christ served. Is there a job no one else wants to do? I should volunteer. By doing lowly tasks and scoffing at recognition for doing those tasks, I do indeed avoid seeking the seats of honor and recognition among men.  Let others more worthy than me take those seats. I will content myself in a low place in the Kingdom.  

O Lord, I seek no seats of honor. I seek to serve as You have served.  The seats of honor are for those for whom You have prepared.  Allow me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom and help me to understand that occupying a low space there is greater than any high honor here. Help me to be a servant this day. For Your glory, Amen.

Isaiah 45:11-17 - Remove All Idols!

Thus says the Lord, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me. I have made the earth, And created man on it. I – My hands – stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded. I have raised him up in righteousness, And I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city And let My exiles go free, Not for price nor reward,” Says the Lord of hosts. Thus says the Lord: “The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Cush And of the Sabeans, men of stature, Shall come over to you, and they shall be yours; They shall walk behind you, They shall come over in chains; And they shall bow down to you. They will make supplication to you, saying, ‘God is with you only, and there is no other; no god besides him.’ Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!They shall be ashamed And also disgraced, all of them; They shall go in confusion together, Who are makers of idols.But Israel shall be saved by the Lord With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever.

Toss away your idols like this guy throws out garbage!
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O Lord, raise me up in righteousness and direct all my ways.  Then shall those who worship the idols of this age see Your power and Your workings in my life.  Surely, if I allow myself to be filled by the Lord than those around me will say, "God is with you and our gods are false." But what if I live like the rest of the world? What if my life is no different than those who worship idols? Then, the Lord will not be glorified in my life nor shall the see the futility of theirs. 

I must remove the idols in my life and devote myself totally to the Lord and His Gospel Teachings. I must take the actions necessary to  sequester those things which draw me away from the Lord.  Even good things can become idols if they replace the Lord.  And what is an idol in my life? It is those things that occupy my time and attention.  That is what must displaced.  

O God, be my Savior in this age and in the age to come. Be my everlasting salvation. Then in You, I shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever. Amen.  

Isaiah 42:5-16 - Sing to the Lord!

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."

Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth! Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands. The LORD goes forth like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his fury; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.

For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in travail, I will gasp and pant. I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbage; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. And I will lead the blind in a way that they know not, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them.

Praising the Lord!
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The Lord, who has made all of the universe and maintains His creation, breathing life into all creatures, include me, has declared that He has called me in righteousness be a light to others and by revealing Christ, to open the eyes of those who are blind.  It is a high calling and can only come about if I remain in Christ.

I am called to sing a new song to the Lord, to let His praise be in my mouth so that all can hear! Do I sing to the Lord all day long? Are the words of the Psalms on my lips or the Hymns of the Church in my heart? May I always looks for opportunities to sing to the Lord! May I always sing to the Lord and commune with Him daily.Amen.

Isaiah 41:4-14 - The Strong Hand of the Lord!

Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He. The coastlands have seen and are afraid, the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come. Every one helps his neighbor, and says to his brother, "Take courage!" The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smoothes with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good"; and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off"; fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I will help you." Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of   Israel.

The Lord's Hands are Strong
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The Prophet draws a contrast between Israel and their idol worshiping neighbors. Those who do not worship the Lord and, instead, cling to worthless idols must speak words of encouragement to each other as they progress in their wrong-doing. For they will get no words of encouragement  from the Lord. For the Lord will not bless them in their error. Rather, He would have them repent and turn to Him.  Israel, the servant of the Lord, who was chosen by Him is told not to fear! For the Lord has not cast them off but promises His Presence to strengthen and help.  

O Lord, uphold me with your Victorious Right Hand! Help me, this day, not to be dismayed by my sins for surely, I am like Isreal of old who forsoke you all the time. Yet, You remain faithful and become my redeemer.  How happy I am to be strenghtened by your Hand of Victory! Amen.   

Isaiah 40:18-31 - The Lord Lends His Strength to those that Ask!

To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.  Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter.
 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Keep Running; the Lord will give you strength!
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The Prophet begins be pointing out the folly of those would make idols and worship them.  A man will go through so much trouble and spend what he can in order to have an image shaped that he might call him 'god.' Yet, the Lord looks around- He who created all and deposes princes at will- and asks, "Who is like Me?" and the answer, of course, is no one. The Lord who created and maintains His creation marvels that people would think that their way is hidden from the everlasting God for the Lord does not weary so you can not do an act while He is sleeping in hopes of Him not noticing it. The Lord is mighty and He gives that power to those who wait upon Him. Yes, even the young and the strong must at one point falter yet the one who waits upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed.

How wise it would be for me to remember that the Lord of creation sees all. How wise it would be to remember that He does not grow tired as I grow tired but, instead, gives strength to those who wait for Him.  In my journey on this earth, may I ask the Lord to renew my strength for I am bound to grow more weary than the next.  I want to hold on till the end. I want the Lord to help me to run and not be weary.

O Lord, who never tires and lends His strengths to those who ask, I pray Thee, grant me to run the course till the end.  May I know your strength as it  enlivens me to run with great enthusiasm for surely I run with the Lord of all creation. Grant me, who is weak, Your strenght. Amen.

Mark 9:17-31- Don't Believe? Believe anyway!

At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."

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 The man was in a terrible state. His son had been possessed by a demon since childhood and this demon has tried to destroy the child ever since by throwing him into the fire or the water.  The man asked Jesus' disciples to cast out the demon. They tried and failed so the man brought him to Jesus who, frankly, seemed to be a bit tired of dealing with the faithlessness of people He encountered. The man, upon hearing Jesus say, "All things are possible to those that believe," wisely replied, "I believe; help my unbelief." Jesus commanded the demon to leave and never return and that is exactly what happened.  The disciples asked Jesus later, 'How come we couldn't do that?" The answer:  prayer and fasting are needed.

I marvel at the wisdom of the desperate man.  When Jesus said, "all things are possible to those who believe," the man acknowledged that he did believe but also struggled with doubt and asked the Lord to help him in his doubt.  Jesus truly was tired of the "faithless generation" He had to put up with but no doubt He was pleased with the answer of this man.

What about me? Do I struggle with faith and doubt? When I do I would be wise to tell the Lord about it! Ever since I have been following Christ, I have seen His Hand in my life and have always been happy to see Him provide for us when we called out in our desperation.  May I always be a man who trusts in Christ and when that faith falters, may I ask for His help to believe. Jesus delivered the man's son; He will deliver me as well. Amen.

Hebrews 6:9-12 - Keep doing good works till the end!

But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Don't be weary in helping others!photo by  Amanda Westmount, used under the creative commons license.
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 The writer of Hebrews had great confidence in his hearers. He believed that things that accompany salvation would be there lot.  In doing good works, God would not forget them because the works they do are in love and in the Name of Jesus.  He only hopes that they continue in in diligence to the very end and not become sluggish but keep the faith. The result? They will inherit the promises of God!

The Lord want me to be diligent in following Him and in showing love for my fellow Image bearers.  I must not get weary in good works and must constantly continue in my labor of love.  And, if discouraged, I must imitate those who do good works and model my behavior after them.

O Lord, keep me working on my salvation with fear and trembling as I serve those whom You put in my life and let me not grow weary in these good works. Amen.

Isaiah 29:13-23 - Don't talk about God?

Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest?In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel.For the terrible one is brought to nothing, The scornful one is consumed, And all who watch for iniquity are cut off –Who make a man an offender by a word, And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, And turn aside the just by empty words.Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel.

I should shut my mouth, if my heart doesn't Love God

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  The people of Israel talked the talk, as the saying goes. They spoke of the Lord and their words made it seem that they were true followers of the God of Israel.  Yet, God knew their hearts. He knew that, in reality, they were far from Him. He knew that His people, instead, liked to listen to the commandments of men.  But God promises a new thing! The teaching of men that led astray shall be taken away.  For these men think that God cannot see them and that their deeds are in secret yet God promises that the deaf will hear and the blind see - which is to say, He will bring understanding to His people and to those who are humble of heart.

I must examine my heart and make sure that I do not honor the Lord with my lips only. Indeed, it may be better to say nothing at all and, simply follow Him.  My heart must be affixed on the Lord and then my actions will show this affinity

May my actions this day reveal my love for the Lord and may I always hallow His Name for it is holy. Amen.

Isaiah 28:14-22 - The Lord is a Rock!

Thus says the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter"; therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'He who believes will not be in haste.' And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter." Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through you will be beaten down by it. As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message. For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in it. For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; to do his deed - strange is his deed! and to work his work - alien is his work! Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts upon the whole land.

THE LORD IS MY ROCK

rock stock by ~dark-dragon-stock on deviantART

People will lie to themselves and think that they can live in disobedience to the ways of the Lord and still not have to deal with the consequences of their bad decisions. They think death can be cheated and believe the lies of Satan, the lies of this present age.  Yet, The Lord has laid a cornerstone as a strong foundation. It is a sure foundation, when that can be trusted. It is He Himself!

Do I trust in this Rock or do I fall to the deceits of the world? If I follow the lies, I will inherit death; If I follow and cling to the Rock, I will be upheld in all trials. Surely, the man who trusts in the Rock will not be overwhelmed by the storms and will escape the false hope of the refuge of lies.

Trust in the Lord, O my soul and ignore the world. The world tells me to deny the ways of the Lord and to treat His precepts as old fashioned and not worth following. Yet, I cling to this Rock, who is my salvation. Amen.

Isaiah 26:21-27:9 - The Lord protects and waters His Garden

For behold, the LORD is coming forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed upon her, and will no more cover her slain. In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.
In that day: "A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest any one harm it, I guard it night and day; I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would set out against them, I would burn them up together. Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me."
In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots, and fill the whole world with fruit.
Has he smitten them as he smote those who smote them? Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain? Measure by measure, by exile thou didst contend with them; he removed them with his fierce blast in the day of the east wind. Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be expiated, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.

A Garden, watered and protected!
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The Lord will come to judge. But He also comes to protect His garden.  He shall guard it day and night. That garden will prosper and produce fruit that can be seen by the whole world. All the world will see God's protection of His people.  He punished His people by exile yet their guilt will be removed and their sins shall be far away from them. No longer will they worship foreign gods, but only the Lord of Hosts shall they worship.

God protects His own. Those who call upon Him and turn away from their sins will find that He is mighty to save.  He sets a wall around His garden. Actually, He Himself is that wall. He keeps the garden well watered and provides for its growth.  Does not the Lord protect me and satisfy my soul's thirst with His water? Let me always seek His protection. Let me always be immersed in His Energies, knowing that my soul can only be satisfied by Him.

O Lord, my God, this day I turn to You who is my protection and the One who drenches my soul with Your Spirit. Amen.

Isaiah 25:1-9 - The Veil of Death is Removed!

O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the terrible nations will fear You.For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.You will reduce the noise of aliens, As heat in a dry place; As heat in the shadow of a cloud, The song of the terrible ones will be diminished.And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees.And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations.He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”For You have made a city a ruin, A fortified city a ruin, A palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt.

Death is Conquered!
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The Lord is worth of Praise! The poor man finds strength in Him, the needy man can forsake his distress for the Lord is a refuge in the storm and a shade from the oppressive heat. The Lord provides a feast of the choices foods and best wines. All this is done because the Lord has destroyed the veil of death that destroys all peoples. Christ has conquered death by His death and as a result the Lord wipes away tears from all the faces. No longer will His people suffer.

How gracious is the Lord. How worthy of Praise. In the midst of the troubles that the people have inflicted upon themselves, He promises deliverance. In Christ, He has destroyed Death. For truly over ever action in a man's life their is a veil that threatens him. Even if a person lives over a hundred years and accomplishes great things and lives a full life, still death comes as a robber, taking that which we know we should have: Life! All men most die but, once that divide is crossed, thanks to Christ, we embrace Life.

O Lord, Fifty years I have lived on this earth which means more than half of my time is gone. I do not fear that great veil that Satan has convinced mankind to embrace in their disobedience to God. Rather, I trust in the Lord for He is my God, I wait for Him and He will save me and I will rejoice in His Salvation! Amen.

Isaiah 14:24-32 - Enemies may rejoice...but not for long!

The LORD of hosts has sworn: "As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand, that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains trample him under foot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder." This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: "Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod which smote you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying serpent. And the first-born of the poor will feed, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant I will slay. Wail, O gate; cry, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks." What will one answer the messengers of the nation? "The LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.

You won't hear the evil laughing forever...
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The Lord may punish His people and the enemies of His people may rejoice at their misfortune but The Lord sees His people and remembers them, even in their misery  Yes,  Israel was carried away captive and, yes, her temple was destroyed and, yes, the people thinking that they were safe, only because of the Temple and, thus, didn't have to forsake their sin-all of this is true. It is true, too, that her enemies rejoiced in Israel's suffering.  But the Lord remembers His people.

"The Lord has founded Zion and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge." O, what a great promise to His people. For surely the discipline of the Lord has made His people very afflicted in soul. Yes, their whole life seems to have crumbled. Yet, it is the discipline of the Lord that brings His people back to Himself.  The Lord knows that a merry soul may sometimes forget Him but an afflicted soul turns to God for solace.
Happy is the man whom the Lord inflicts!

O Lord, this day, if I experience your chastening and I feel that my world is out from under my control and if it seems those who oppose me rejoice, then, O Lord, help me to find refuge in You! Amen.

I didn't make the time....

...to look at the Scriptures today. I know it's Sunday and I did get to church but still....

Mark 2:14-17 - The Doctor is here! Throw a Party!

As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

Ready for A Party!
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Levi was just doing his job, collecting taxes on behalf of the Roman Government (and hated for it by his fellow countrymen) when Jesus said, "Follow Me." He got up and followed Him. Suddenly,  Levi had a new job. He was so happy to now be following Jesus that he threw a party in Christ's honor. All of Levi's tax collector friends were there and Jesus was not scandalized by associating with "these sinners. But the Pharisees despised Jesus for eating with such low society.  Jesus remarked that doctors are for sick people, not well people.  It is for the sinner that Jesus came, not those who don't realize their need of God.

I am among those whose soul needs a doctor.  I know that I am not righteous like the Pharisees are righteous  I will not spend my time worry about the hypocritical hearts of the Pharisees (for truly they are in need of a doctor just as much as the tax collector) but I have enough on my plate with my own sinfulness and it is enough for me to rejoice that Christ would call me to follow Him, sinful though I am.

O Lord, I rejoice in Your Grace and thank You for calling me. Help me to celebrate like Levi did and may all my friends see the celebration I feel in my soul for having You as my Physician. Heal me this day, I pray, Amen.