"For His Great Love Is Without End"

"....His love endures forever."  (All through Psalm 136)

Another translation says, "for His great love is without end."  The psalmist is reminding the People of God that from the "beginning," or as Micah described it, "from days of eternity," the Lord God, Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit is, "love endures forever," or, "love...without end."  When He created the Universe, "His great love is without end."  Through the centuries of persecution, attempted genocide of His People, the hostile empires, Egypt, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, Ottoman, the Third Reich, "for His great love is without end."  This is the One Who lives and dwells in you and me today.  This is God, "Immanuel, God with us," Jesus, "The Word of God," Who, "became flesh and dwelled among us."

Through the loss of our Stephen, the loss of parents and grandparents, the difficult times, the good times, the ups and the downs, "for His great love is without end."  His love endures and outlasts all the Enemy can through at us.  His love breaks the power of depression, sickness, disappointment, stupid decisions which cost so much.  Yes, "....His love great love is without end," in the loneliness, even "when doubts and fears assail.  This is the Love manifested in Jesus Christ on that Roman Cross, "Love (Who) endures forever, the, "great love (Who) is without end."

I pray you take great comfort in the reality of our text.  The love of God "spans" history and eternity.  His love was in your mother's womb while you were being formed.  From "day one" to this very moment, right there wherever you are reading this, as the song writer described it, "His great eternal love," has been following you, protecting you, keeping you, saving you.  You and I have no reason for despair today.  We do have, however, every cause to say with the psalmist of so long ago, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I don't know my beginning or my end; but I do know You.  It is enough.  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

"Her Poor I Will Satisfy"

"....Her poor I will satisfy with food." (Psalm 132:115, NIV)

The Bible is full of passages which reveal Father's Heart for the poor, the suffering, the forsaken of the earth.  And if I have His Heart, I will do all I can to manifest Father's Heart for the poor, the suffering, the forsaken of the earth.  Now of course we cannot help everyone on Planet Earth.  But if we all do our part, so many more will be served.

I am reading a diary of a young Jewish boy who lived in Lodz, Poland, when the German Army came in September, 1939.  He was 15 when they came; he died of tuberculosis in 1943 at the age of 19, the direct result of the German inhumanity.  It is one thing to read history; it is quite another thing to live it with someone, day by day, hour by hour, someone who is writing about what is happening, yet not knowing what is going to happen, at times fearful, at times, hopeful, terrifying news followed by a ray of encouraging news, then darkness, then blackness.  Here is a vibrant young man who actually loved school, learning, wanting to know more of life, only to have a murderous culture snuff it out.  This has been Judaism's history from the call of Abraham to this time.  Millions in the world are still hoping to complete what the German attempted, total annihilation of the Jews. 

In another vein, today I posted to my Facebook page a photo of a young girl who looks to have been around 9 or 10.  She is standing on a street corner in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the war of 1992-1995, and attempting to sell some of her dolls to get food; it is absolutely heartbreaking.  The world is full of such suffering and tragedy.  Now while some may think of me as morbid in such reading and photo-posting, it is not.  The condition of such fellow humans is our condition.  May our Lord Jesus help us to do as Paul wrote to the Galatians, "They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do." 

One time a group of pastors told Mother Teresa there were no poor in their city.  She said something to the effect, "Give me a day and I'll find them."  Are you trying to "find them"?  Those who, "remember the poor," discover what Jesus said, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that the need of the world is overwhelming.  Grant me continual grace to do my part.  Thank You.  Amen.
************************
* New Posts at:    jhs58.blogspot.com
* Help us, "remember the poor," in our Spring Mission to Berlin/Bosnia, May 1-20

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

Every Decision Has A Consequence

"In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army....But David remained in Jerusalem." 
(2 Samuel 11:1, NIV)

David chose idleness over serving.  He paid dearly.  Read on and you discover just how dearly.  This text is from one of yesterday's readings.  Perhaps the Church should read this every day. 

There is a principle in the Bible which pop christianity refuses to accept--- we do pay for our sins.  The religionists among us tell us that our sins are forgiven, "under the Blood," cast into the sea, "as far as the east is from the west," etc.  While this is thankfully true, it is what they do not tell you that leaves so many disillusioned church-goers in its wake.  There will be consequences.  When a person makes a life decision, the consequence is sometimes good, sometimes bad.  Some are short-lived, some are with us for the rest of our lives.  Forgiveness of sin-decisions is not the issue; living with them is.  This is true of individuals; this is true of nations.  One could write a book.

Nathan reminded David that he had "everything."  Why would he throw it all overboard for a few moments of pleasure?  But he did, and something was released in David's family, then in the nation.  Sin has a way of spreading like a deadly disease.  Once the process is set in motion, no amount of "deliverance," no prayer, no worship, nothing can stop it.  There are, my friend, laws in life which are like scientific laws; they just cannot be changed.  Just a caution here for those who are quick to place every suffering of life as a punishment for sin.  Remember Job.

We rejoice that ours sins are totally washed away, done away with, taken away in the Blood, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I need never walk under any condemnation of sin because of Jesus.  But one thing will never change in 0ur lives.  There are decisions we made/make which are out there, decisions which no one, not even our Lord will bring back and "redo."  Remember Bill Cosby's take on the God-Noah dialogue when Noah wanted God to change something?  "Come on now; you know I don't work like that."  It was grand, though frustrating, theology.  May our Lord Jesus help us today to be very, very careful in every decision, every act, every word.  Such carefulness will keep us from future guilt, sorrow and regret.

Father, in Jesus' Name, never let me believe or live anything or anyone but You and Your Words.  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

You Cannot "See" The One You Love

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy."
(1 Peter 1:8, NIV)

We don't "see" Jesus, but we love Jesus.  We don't "see" Jesus, but we believe Jesus.  This is craziness to those who are, "of this world."  Most people believe in and "love" what they see.  Have you ever noticed how much of an economy is based on what people see, e.g., cars, clothes, houses?  I don't go to antique vehicle shows to listen or touch; I go to see.  And so much "attraction" between people is based on the outward, i.e., what they see.  I wonder how popular Elvis, the Beatles, Stones, etc., would have been if people could not see them, only hear them?  Sight rules.

You and I love Jesus.  We love Him because, as the Scripture says, "He first loved us."  This is key.  We can read about Jesus; we have responded to the Gospel Message of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and the promised result of surrendering our lives to Jesus and receiving Jesus.  But upon what is our love based other than, "He first loved us"?  Hence, "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him...and believe in Him," still stands as an amazing "act" of faith.  There is little room for a "reasoning" maneuver here, a Spockian "provable, the graphable."  The "scientific method" just does not work when it comes to a relationship with the Living Triune God.  One either believes The Word of God or one does not.  We don't "see" Jesus; we don't "hear" Jesus; we cannot "touch" Jesus.  Even so, "Though you have not," any of these experiences, "you love Him...and believe in Him."

I recently read in Jeremiah what happens to a people who only live by what they see.  "We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.  At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm.  But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine."  These people were in the same vein as Satan said to God about Job.  In essence, "Touch his body, and he'll sing like a bird."

You and I are not of such a people.  We have chosen to side with Peter, "Though you have not seen.., you love...."  Keep walking in this reality, and we will continually say as did Peter, "[we] are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, though I do not see You, I love you and believe You.  Amen.
*********************
* We never see nor hear from most on our devotional mailing list, but we love you
* Berlin/Bosnia Mission: May 1-20, 2014
* News, Commentary:    jhs58.blogspot.com

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

Where, What, Whom Is Your Treasure

"Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee....Thy testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors....I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Thine ordinances before me....Establish Thy word to Thy servant, as that which produces reverence for Thee....And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Thy precepts....I have remembered Thine ordinances from of old, O Lord, and comfort myself....Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Thy commandments. " (Psalm 119:11, 24, 30, 38, 45, 52, 66 NASB)

If you started today without the Bible, you have started wrongly.  If you started today without hearing God, not just as in some "soaking" silence, but in, "I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Thine ordinances before me," you were saying to life, "I can handle you today."  I have lived that way in the past, and I can tell you that, my friend, is a most dangerous way to live.

Just consider some of the very practical direction in some of today's most pressing issues we receive from today's text, e.g., sin, counsel (direction, decisions), keeping me in the faith, worship-reverence for our God, liberty (freedom), comfort, "I have remembered Thine ordinances from of old, O Lord, and (notice this) comfort myself."  Every time of the month I come to Psalm 119, I am reinforced in the belief that there is no safe place, no safe person, no safe life-philosophy in which to place my absolute faith, trust, and confidence apart from Jesus Christ and the Words of God which reveal Him.

One has to admit that there are so many "objects" vying for our affection, our loyalty, our trust, and our "answers" for life's sojourn.  Kingdom Alert:  Everyone who ignores the Words of God will ultimately be deceived.  Jesus told us that in the close of the age deception will be so subtle, so appealing, make so much "sense" that, "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."  Please never consider yourself so spiritual that you can walk in that false sense of security in your own great "spirituality," worshiping, witnessing, and doing Church and Kingdom "work," yet go for long periods of time without, "I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Thine Ordinances before me."  I confess that there was a time in my life when I would not have admitted that I was so living, but my life revealed otherwise.

I pray that we never ever, "lean...to your own understanding," which is and "understanding" worship, prayer, and all activity which is apart from the Word of God.  That, "own understanding," has been and will be the downfall of many a professing believer.  Life's sustaining power, joy and peace, however, is theirs who live, "Thy Word have I treasured," not just, "hid," but, "treasured in my heart...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, You are my Treasure.  I pray my life so testifies.  Am en.
********************
* Berlin/Bosnia Mission:  May 1-20
* News, Commentary:    jhs58.blogspot.com

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