12.28.21
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:30 pm by Administrator
How Jesus fulfilled the Passover ceremony is so special! He and his
disciples ate it together one day early (Mark and John record) so
that his death would be the same day that the lambs were slain. In
Luke he said, “I will not any more eat thereof, until it be
fulfilled in the kingdom of God.??? The Israelite homes were passed
over when death visited the homes of the Egyptians. The Lord said,
“when I see the blood, I will pass over you…??? He didn’t say,
“When I see your righteous lives…??? How many understood that the
keeping of that feast not only looked back, but looked ahead to
Jesus’ redeeming death! This is the true Passover, when we leave
the land of slavery and sin, marching out in victory!
Through the years
they also had other commandments about cleansing and redemption.
These involved blood, water, cedar wood, scarlet cloth, and hyssop.
The Passover night hyssop was used to apply the blood to the door
frames. Later they must have wondered, “What about the wood and
scarlet? What does that mean???? What is so special about these items
together?
The day of Jesus’
crucifixion we see his lamb-like submission to the injustice. We see
the wooden cross; we see him clothed with a scarlet robe, we see his
blood shed, hyssop used to lift the sponge to give him drink, and
water and blood came from his side when he was pierced. The Jews
demanded a sign and demanded that Jesus descend from the cross. The
Lord gave them a mighty sign with these items all fulfilled regarding
cleansing. Those that knew the scriptures and had kept the traditions
would have seen this!
My grandmother
taught me how to wrap a present. She carefully did it with pretty
wrapping paper, tape, ribbons and a bow. All this effort isn’t
actually required to give a gift, but it shows the love and attention
of the giver and makes the gift special. We see the love and
attention of God toward us as he gave this great gift of forgiveness
in Christ. He wanted us reassured that it His doing; He had been
planning it since the beginning.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 8:27 pm by Administrator
Our studies have been in 2 Samuel. One reason David was hurt so
deeply by Absalom’s death was that he felt responsible, knowing it
was tied to his sin with Bathsheba. He had sown wild oats and the
harvest came! He lost 10 wives, had to flee the capitol, 20,000
Israelites were slain, and Absalom lost his life. “Be not deceived,
God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap.??? It’s good to know that the abundant harvest is also
promised for those that sow to the Spirit!
Absalom’s head
caught him in the oak and began his hanging. When we get puffed up in
our thinking it will bring our downfall. “Pride goeth before
destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.??? It says that the
wood killed many of Israel that day. These hot-headed followers of
Absalom set themselves against the slow-growing, firm planting of
God’s will and way, and they couldn’t overpower it!
Joab was right to
deal with Absalom firmly. Treason is serious and requires action.
Wendy put it nicely, “There are times when one must be firm but
hardness is never good.??? David said, “Ye sons of Zeruiah are too
hard for me.??? David’s soft and faithful heart is a beautiful
aspect of his service. Joab twice lacked faith that God would take
care of things better than he could himself.
Ahithophel went from
the heights to the depths quickly. His end reminds me of Judas. And
also Haman, who was hung on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai. One
is wise to let God do the promoting and to keep our place in
humility. Whether he promotes us now or later, that decision is his.
Permalink
02.23.21
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:18 am by Administrator
The Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan teaches us some
lessons. Human beings resist regulation. We don’t like being told what we can
do and what we can’t do. We want to do what we want to do! Sounds like a little
boy, no? Yes, the attitude is juvenile. Adults generally learn that they can’t
always do just what they want to do! There are many other people living near us
or with us and we must all get along and we want to leave a better world to our
children.
The nuclear power industry in Japan had too much integration
and coordination between regulators and business operators. It was a “revolving
door??? between the two agencies. The regulators had some good rules in their
books but didn’t enforce them with strength because “next year I’ll retire from
the government and I may go to work for the power company, so I’ll need friends
there.???
The sea level rose 46 feet after the earthquake on 11 March
2011. What an incredible rise! This had happened to Japan before, of course;
their history has many stories of such emergencies. But all should admit, such dramatic
changes are hard to plan for or prepare for! Or one can say, it is costly to
properly prepare for such eventualities. There are definite things that can be
done, however. The Fukushima power plants stored their used (still heat
radiating) fuel rods next to the reactor core in a pool of cooling water. The
water was constantly circulated by electric pumps. They did have backup
emergency diesel generators in the basement. What a poor place for an emergency
diesel generator in a place known for dramatic sea level changes! The
regulators looked the other way. We know the sad story of destruction that occurred
there; 154,000 people were evacuated and cleanup will take 30 to 40 years.
Texas is known for mild winter weather. Of course, they sometimes
suffer hurricanes with wind and rain and occasionally have very cold weather. Electrical
generating stations are built in the northern USA with more cold protection and
insulation. It is understood that they must keep operating through a very cold
winter. Even a place with such a heat generating core has much external piping
and many systems that must be protected from freezing.
It was the same year, 2011, in February that Texas had a
very cold stretch. ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) released a
report later that year with recommendations for winterizing generating stations
in Texas and avoiding extended shutdowns like had just happened. The El Paso (Texas)
electric generating plant followed the guidelines and spent millions upgrading
their facility. They also have several interconnections with other plants in
other states. Their customers hardly noticed a disruption of electricity this
month.
90% of the Texas electric generation is under ERCOT and they
chose to disregard the recommendations. They felt the cost was too great to
outfit their stations this way. And they have few connections with other electric
grids in other states, preferring to be independent and not under federal
control. This month, of course, severe cold again hit Texas and knocked much of
ERCOT’s generation off line. Millions of people were without power for three
days! Their homes got very cold, pipes froze, stores ran out of food, people
suffered and some even died.
Jesus warned us about spiritual tests and preparation.
Matthew 7:24-29 shares his parable of the floods and winds. “He that hears
these sayings of mine and does them is like a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock. He that hears these sayings of mine and does them not, is like a
foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and
it was completely destroyed.???
Spiritual tests come upon us in life; they surprise us and
can be severe. Sometimes we may think the Lord hates us and wants to destroy
us! But God is teaching us to look to him and to heed his word and take warning
and prepare. Obeying Jesus’ word is how we “build upon the rock??? for our
spiritual lives. This prepares us for the final heavenly test, the judgement
day! Don’t rely on what men tell you that “they think??? will be sufficient to
please God, get the authoritative word. It’s costly, sure, to obey the Lord,
and it means denying ourselves, not always doing just what we want. But it is
so worthwhile to do this! Then we may live in peace now in communion with God and
look forward to great reward in eternity. May we be wise!
Permalink
12.25.20
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:58 am by Administrator
Can we see into the future? God would like to teach us about
that, and spare us trouble, and instead impart to us a long blessing.
King David wasn’t with his troops in the field but stayed
back at his castle. One evening he saw a beautiful woman bathing in her back
yard. He should have looked away, that was the polite thing to do, but he gazed
and marveled at her beauty and grace. He thought about her and wanted her. Then
he asked about her and sent for her and even slept with her!
Most people didn’t know about this but the Lord saw it and was very displeased. He sent a prophet to the king to tell him that great trouble was coming upon his family and the nation because of what David had done. David admitted his mistake and repented but he couldn’t stop the trouble from coming. It all happened just as the Lord said it would and was very, very distressing to the king and the people. Had he known, that first evening, even a tenth of the trouble that would come because of his disobedience, he would have behaved and denied himself the indulgence.
His Son, Solomon, had a privileged upbringing. He had
everything he wanted and comforts and stature. He was made king and his father
David died. Who would King Solomon have as his wife, as the queen? He had his
pick of the best and most beautiful of Israel, of course. Eligible young women
would have wondered and hoped that they could be the one! His first wife was
the daughter of Pharaoh, King of Egypt! Of all things! No doubt there were wise
men that counseled the King not to marry this princess. It was even illegal,
against the Word of God. But younger men would have encouraged the king and
pointed out the girl’s beauty and access to the throne of Egypt. What he did
was unwise and a step in disobedience to God’s Word. He wouldn’t be satisfied
with this one wife but would come to take many, many wives from various nations
and he even made temples for their Gods in Jerusalem! He multiplied horses and
chariots in Israel and greatly increased in wealth. This was also against Moses’
Law.
Much later, when his son was enthroned in Israel, the people demanded a decrease in taxes. They were greatly burdened by supporting this expensive government! King Rehoboam was proud, though, and wouldn’t agree to their demands, and the country was divided. The king at Jerusalem lost most of the nation and the people set up another king and capital elsewhere! Ten tribes revolted and he was left with only Judah, Benjamin, and many Levites and priests. The ten tribes set up false worship at two places and generally turned from serving the Lord. They did this for years and even fought at times against Judah. Finally the Lord tired of them and had the king of Assyria take them into bondage into his land. Talk about a sad story! Had King Solomon known what his disobedience would do, had he known even a tenth of the trouble that would come to the nation because of that, he would have behaved and denied himself the indulgence.
The Lord wants to show us the future. He wants to save us
from trouble and wants to impart to us lasting blessing. May we listen and
learn and deny ourselves and be wise!
Permalink
11.04.20
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:37 am by Administrator
1 Kings 19:11-13 “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon
the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and
strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD;
but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the
LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD
was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so,
when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and
stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him,
and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?”
This is where my household is reading in our personal
studies today. These are special verses and I have pondered over their meaning
more than once.
We have a hymn that says, “Above earth’s noise and tumult,
that still, small voice I hear; to it I’ll be responsive, even though it leads
through tears.???
We ponder over some things in the world, such as greed. How
awesome man’s greed can be! How much a man may have, and still be greedy for
more! The rich man was talking to another about his huge new yacht, and the
other man asked if his had a helipad. “It doesn’t? Well, mine has a helipad and
a helicopter to go with it!??? So the first man became unsatisfied and coveted a larger
yacht with a helipad! We may marvel at this but it doesn’t mean the Lord is in
such greed.
An athlete was such a fast runner! He could run like the
wind and easily won his races. People marveled at him and wondered at the power
of God to make a man that could run so fast, so much faster than others. But
this admiration isn’t something that feeds the soul.
The president was so powerful and corrupt! He was so selfish
and coveted authority with no end. He bent many men’s wills after his own and
changed his political party to “get in line??? with his corruption and
dishonesty. It was marvelous and amazing! But the Lord wasn’t in the platform,
he wasn’t speaking to people through this president.
God speaks yet with His Still, Small Voice. We must quiet
ourselves to listen and hear the message. He speaks as he always has, through
his Word, and with a message always “in line??? with his Word. The Word is
quickened by the Spirit. It speaks of Jesus. It’s not a different message
nowadays. It’s the same and it’s still current! It’s unchanging; “Jesus Christ,
the same yesterday, today, and forever.??? Let us hear, consider, and obey his
guidance from this Voice! Then we won’t be disappointed.
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09.01.20
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:36 am by Administrator
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.??? Jesus often spoke of the
difference between the flesh and spirit. It’s important that we understand the
difference.
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.???
He said that to them after explaining what his miracle meant, and many people
struggled with his explanation. It wasn’t a message for the flesh, it was a
lesson for the spirit! In my early days a minister spoke to me about my long
hair and I didn’t understand how that scripture in 1 Cor. 11 applied. Then the
Spirit spoke to me and said, “Even if you don’t understand now, obey and you’ll
understand later.??? So that is what I did, and it turned out to be perfectly
true.
When Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth the
difference between the two is plain. He read them a scripture and said, “This is
fulfilled in your ears!??? He was, at that moment, fulfilling that scripture; how
exciting! But the flesh spoke to them, too, and said, “This is Joseph’s son; we
know him and his family, he is nothing special!??? In that way they rejected the
message of the Spirit in unbelief; so sad! They rejected him so thoroughly that
they tried to kill him the same day! What a response! His brethren, believing in
later times, would have been sorry for the chance of edification they missed for
years with Jesus in the same house. Mary didn’t miss that edification, she
retained those things in her heart.
The flesh likes to draw lines in the sand. Jesus healed a
man on the Sabbath day. Some saw the miracle and the power of God and believed
in Jesus! Others said, “He is healing on the Sabbath; that is illegal! He can’t
be of God!??? And so the people were divided. The gospel isn’t about lines and
laws, it is about love and Spirit and eternal life! It was sad that the Jews
tradition with Moses’ law was to make more and more laws. They thought they
were doing God’s will. But they missed the big picture of Jesus coming and
fulfilling all the law and taking it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
Some priests and Jews that believed thought they would keep
the law and also believe in Jesus. They tried to do this for a time. But why
honor the shadow when the reality is before you? The book of Hebrews makes
clear this line of thought. The types of Christ are fulfilled in Him!
Circumcision was also like this. The Gentiles didn’t need to
be circumcised. Their hearts were circumcised in faith when they believed in
Jesus! The law for the flesh wasn’t in force now, it ended. The New Testament
is spiritual, to guide and bless the lives of a spiritual people.
Permalink
07.29.20
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:21 am by Administrator
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from
heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no
life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life;
and I will raise him up at the last day.???
Mark 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned
among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew
it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye
not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened?
Cows chew the cud. They don’t seem to be very smart; they
are slow moving, make simple sounds and have a simple life. But they know to
chew the cud! And they do it every day. They get more good out of their feed
than a horse because they chew it so thoroughly. Who taught them to do this? Do
you suppose the Lord was trying to teach man something by this habit of the
cow? (And many other creatures that chew the cud.)
I love John 6. Jesus explained so well what we should learn
by his miraculous feeding of the multitude. It wasn’t so that we’d make him our
king and eat free meals each day! No, it was because his life and example and
love and death feed our soul. We meditate on him and what he did and how he
loved us, and our soul is nourished and we learn of God! It’s very like chewing
the cud.
In verse 59 we read that he said these things as he taught
in the Synagogue at Capernaum. It was a few days after the miracle happened.
Did the people reflect on the miracle and continue to think about it? Jesus
did! He spoke at length and had some important lessons for us to learn from it.
He wanted us to know that his life is food for our spiritual hunger; his blood
is drink for our spiritual thirst. If a man eats of this bread he will live
forever! And unless we do eat and drink his life, we have no spiritual life
within us.
Many people were offended by this teaching and scoffed,
saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat???? Let’s not be offended but
continue to try to understand and think about it! The disciples eventually did
that and they came to understand and appreciate the lesson. John never forgot
it; he wrote it here many years after the fact.
In Mark, in the scripture quoted above, Jesus continues to
teach about bread and leaven. The disciples weren’t on his spiritual level and
were thinking only of natural bread. Jesus warned them about having hard
hearts. Retaining the memory of his miracle and meditating on it can soften our
hearts. We learn from God what the spiritual lesson is and it humbles us and
inspires love in us. That’s what it means to “feed on Jesus??? and have his life
become part of us. We think of him being willing to pour out his blood for us, giving
all he had, though he was innocent, he was willing to die, in order that we may
live. We understand he took our guilt away, and forgiveness is available because
of that sacrifice, and we love him. That’s drinking his blood.
Because we forget so much we need to meditate on Jesus’ life
every day. The best time to do it is at the beginning of the day. Then our
hearts are softened and we are refreshed and we go forth into the day wanting
to spread a bit of the love of God wherever we go. This is not only the best
life, this is eternal life! This life never ends!
Permalink
07.17.20
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:08 am by Administrator
John 3.13 Jesus said, “And no man hath ascended up to
heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in
heaven.??? John said, “He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the
earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is
above all.???
Man is often concerned about what goes from earth to heaven,
but we should be more concerned about what came down from heaven to earth! Only
what came first from heaven to earth may help someone go from earth to heaven.
Jacob’s ladder was a vision the Lord gave him one night. He
was starting this long, perilous journey alone to another land, and was surely
feeling a bit afraid. The Lord showed him that he could ascend upward on this
ladder that came from above and reached the earth. Jacob agreed! Not only would
he walk to his mother’s native land but he would be ascending on the ladder
with God’s help, too. Jacob understood this wasn’t a ladder or stairway or path
that he made, but one from God.
They questioned Jesus’ authority after he cleansed the
temple at Jerusalem. Notice that they didn’t ask him, “Do you have authority????
They asked, “Where did you get this authority???? It was clear that he had
authority. They admitted that he had authority! That was good, and like a first
step for them.
Think of the answer they were expecting; did he study with
this group or that, was he trained in this doctrine or that, this seminary or
that one. Jesus answered with a
question, “The baptism of John, was it of heaven, or of men???? That shocked
them, he seemed to be changing the subject, and now he was asking them a
question!
They couldn’t answer his question without condemning
themselves; they couldn’t truthfully answer his question. They admitted they
couldn’t (or wouldn’t.) So Jesus said neither would he answer their question.
You see, what Jesus asked is the real question! Is it of
men? Then it can’t possibly produce salvation. Is it from God? If it is, then
we must obey, whatever it costs us. If it’s of men, it’s trying to go from earth
to heaven, and that won’t work. But if it’s of God, then it’s from heaven to
earth, and we need to listen and obey and follow. Really it’s quite simple, isn’t
it? When we get self out of the picture and answer honestly, what we must do is
quite simple.
The Tower of Babylon is spoken of in this way, “whose top
may reach unto heaven.??? That was their hope and they worked together on this
great project. The Lord was interested in what they were doing, and visited,
and frustrated their language! He scattered them far and wide from there! When
men get together and make plans and efforts to build what “may reach to heaven,???
the Lord is interested in that and frustrates the efforts and scatters from
that unity. Look at the record of false religion and you will see that this is
always the case.
The Fire on the altar first fell from heaven! It wasn’t
normal fire. The Lord commanded, “Keep this burning.??? That is the love of God
in our hearts. It’s divine, it comes from God, and he wants us to keep it alive
and burning. It came from heaven to earth, it wasn’t kindled here to take us
there. We love Him because he first loved us. Something new and precious was
kindled in our hearts in response to understanding what Jesus did for us.
Let’s stop asking, “Who is going to heaven.??? Let us ask, “What
came from heaven to earth???? That only will help us and guide us and empower us
and show us the way and lead us to heaven!
Permalink
04.14.20
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:08 am by Administrator
Highway 50 goes across western Nevada and crosses valley after valley. The many small mountain ridges are beautiful that one drives over, then down through a wide valley, then more mountains. As you come down from the hills, the road snakes before you, and crosses the valley like an arrow, visible for many miles.
The view from the hills may be like the vision we get at
convention, after listening to inspiring messages from the scriptures. We can
see our lives before us and the way the Lord wants us to live in his Will with
a good testimony of Christ. We know to patiently continue forward and be gentle
with others and their struggles. Sometimes, though, we aren’t able to attend
convention.
The eagle has an amazing vision of the way before him, too.
He gets it by spreading his wings, rising up high, riding the warm air
currents, and using his keen eyesight that is like a seven-power pair of
binoculars. The Lord wants to give this vision to his people, also, by His
Spirit. “But they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles…???
Abraham had this vision from the Lord as he started out with
Him. We read of those amazing promises that the Lord gave Abraham. Abe didn’t
forget, either; he often thought about what God had said and lived in obedience
to that guidance. And the Lord spoke to him again many times, renewing his
covenant with him and showing new details of the vision. It didn’t change but
Abraham did see more as time went on.
A wide and inclusive vision it was, too! Like Paul said,
Abraham is the father of all the faithful. Of the Christians because we believe
in Jesus, in that blessing to all the world that came of Abe’s promise. And he
is father of the Jews, too, since they are his seed, multiplied through the
promise of fruitfulness, following Moses law and also learning of the Messiah.
Jacob had a vision too, that came to him through dreams, a
vision of his father, mother and brethren bowing to him in obeisance. He was
often inspired by this memory as he lived through suffering, imprisonment, and great
promotion. The vision sustained him for he knew that God is faithful and able.
Ezekiel had a vision of the temple, temple grounds and altar
at Jerusalem. He saw how it all was built perfectly according to the Angel’s
measure, all symmetrical and straight. Then he saw healing waters flow from
under the temple toward the east, and everywhere the water went there was prosperity
and fruitfulness. What a vision of God’s desire for blessing and hope for
Israel!
Isaiah also had a great vision, of Jesus’ coming, suffering and redemption, and of his glory and reign! He saw how Jesus is the Messiah and would live always according to God’s direction and blessing, and conquer every foe. Why was Isaiah’s vision different from Ezekiel’s? He was seeing farther ahead! Both were true but one was further down the road of history.
Jesus learned what his Father expected from him as he grew
up. He didn’t come from heaven with this knowledge build-in, he had to
discover, learn, and embrace it all for himself, just as we do. He had to
struggle with doubt and human nature, wrestling to give God control of his
life. He lived with the vision fresh in his mind because he often thought of
it, of what the Lord planned for him and how he would prevail because of God’s
grace. He saw that he would be our example of pure living and also the
sacrifice for sin, performing redemption for the human race. And he saw that
this would culminate with victory at God’s right hand, sitting on the throne,
forever with God!
May we also ask God for vision! We need the view of the road
ahead (our lives) according to God’s will. He wants to give this vision to us
to encourage and direct us. May we let Him lift us up and show us through his
Word and Spirit what he wants for our lives and our children!
Permalink
01.11.20
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:10 am by Administrator
Psalm 19 is very special. “The heavens declare the glory of
God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto
night sheweth knowledge. There is no
speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for
the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming
out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the
heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the
heat thereof.???
This is a psalm of David. One can picture him as a shepherd boy,
out with the sheep at night with these thoughts coming to him! He had good
meditations. Every day this happens: the magical, starlight night, sometimes
with the moon, gives way to the dawn of a new day and the glorious sun rising,
and later heating up the earth with strong light and energy. David says this is
a message of God that speaks in all languages. He goes right on speaking of the
Word of God, and the Law of God. We also can think of it as Jesus, the Word
made flesh. He is like the Sun! Jesus is more of the perfect creation of God, a
message to all men, teaching us of God and giving us light to live by.
The stars twinkle and give a little light. To differentiate the
one from the other we give them names. But when the sun comes up, the stars
disappear. The sun needs no name, he is The Sun! And so all the thoughts of
men, all the imaginations and philosophy of men fade to nothing in comparison
to the Gospel of Christ. The wisdom of God seen in Christ and his power and
righteousness makes the other all fade to nothing. Men’s ways and ideas are not
worth mention in the presence of Christ!
Proverbs 4:18 “The path of the just is as the shining light,
that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.??? I love how this speaks of the
light increasing! More and more, as we walk with Christ, we see his light
increasing. It began when we first heard the gospel and continues through life,
affecting us more and more, and even after death it will continue to increase!
There is no end to God’s glory and might and majesty!
John 3.16 is well known. But take a look at it, and you’ll
see it is the beginning of several verses that Jesus said at that time. Read
until verse 22. He speaks of the light and darkness; how some love the light
and come to the light and want to live in the light but others choose darkness and want to live in
that, because their deeds are evil.
These are people that don’t want to follow Jesus or have anything to do with
him. They’d rather live in darkness!
We just had the Christmas season. I marvel at how so many
people love the baby Jesus! Truly, his birth was a miracle and a gift of hope to
the world from God. His birth is like the day beginning to dawn. It is the
beginning of light for us. Let’s not stop just at the beginning! Let the sun
shine, let the day be bright and the heat and energy come to give life to the
earth! Jesus’ later life teaches us of the way we should live and love one
another and his standard condemns us when we sin and disobey. Let’s come to the
light even if it means He may rebuke us. We need correction and guidance. We
need to turn from our own thoughts and accept his thoughts and walk in His
Ways! It takes a lifetime to learn what he has to teach us. Each day we can
learn something more and prove his wisdom and care.
1 Thessalonians 5: 4 “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness,
that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are
not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and
they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of
faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.???
These verses say the same thing so well! There is work to be
done, there are places to go, there are people to visit! This is the day! Wake
up and get busy!
Then some days end with a beautiful sunset. Not all days do,
but some do. That is like the end of a
saint’s life, the death of a soul that trusted in the Lord and loved him. It’s
beautiful. It’s fitting and it’s not sad. Their trust is complete in Him. It
speaks of what is to follow. And what is that?
Revelation 21.22 “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.??? This is the Heavenly Jerusalem, the place of the saved with God forevermore. The light is brighter than before and will not end! God is there and Jesus is there! He saves the best for last! The light and life never end!
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