"Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?...(Rather) Rejoice with trembling, kiss the Son...." (From Psalm 2)
The raging and plotting of the nations today is not against each other, debt ceilings, political ideologies. The rage in man is, "against the LORD and against His Anointed," Jesus. This is at the heart of all wars and hatred. It would be good this day to realize this in interpersonal relationships. The raging of people around the Believer is not against the one who follows Jesus Christ, but against Jesus Christ Himself, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." This is what rules the world in its hatred of you and me. They may give other reasons, but when a man or woman is totally surrendered to Jesus Christ, the God-haters are your haters.
This may help a little today to know that, as the mobsters were want to say, "This isn't personal; it's business." The business of, "the people [who] plot a vain thing," is to, "Let us break Their (The Godhead) bonds in pieces and cast away their cords (bondage) from us." To the unsaved, the reign of Jesus is the reign of bondage. To you and me, His reign is Life It/Himself.
Today, we have another opportunity to fulfill the command of our text, "Kiss the Son." Modern translations are reluctant to write this. Yet what a gracious invitation!
Father, in Jesus' Name, no greater invitation than to, "kiss," You. Amen.
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The raging and plotting of the nations today is not against each other, debt ceilings, political ideologies. The rage in man is, "against the LORD and against His Anointed," Jesus. This is at the heart of all wars and hatred. It would be good this day to realize this in interpersonal relationships. The raging of people around the Believer is not against the one who follows Jesus Christ, but against Jesus Christ Himself, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." This is what rules the world in its hatred of you and me. They may give other reasons, but when a man or woman is totally surrendered to Jesus Christ, the God-haters are your haters.
This may help a little today to know that, as the mobsters were want to say, "This isn't personal; it's business." The business of, "the people [who] plot a vain thing," is to, "Let us break Their (The Godhead) bonds in pieces and cast away their cords (bondage) from us." To the unsaved, the reign of Jesus is the reign of bondage. To you and me, His reign is Life It/Himself.
Today, we have another opportunity to fulfill the command of our text, "Kiss the Son." Modern translations are reluctant to write this. Yet what a gracious invitation!
Father, in Jesus' Name, no greater invitation than to, "kiss," You. Amen.
**************
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
