I Know This Is Saturday

"On the second day Nethanel...made an offering.  He offered...one male goat for a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old...."  (From Numbers 7, ESV)

The text is from today's Pentateuch/History section of the Old Testament.  Jesus appeared to fulfill all of this; no longer must we bring such sacrifices.  

Stop "bringing" stuff for your acceptance, forgiveness, favor, approval.  We can earn nothing with The Living Triune God.  From the lowest, most remote person to the most applauded and popular, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe."  Not my good days nor bad days, great mission trips, $1000.00 seed offering, prayers, fasting, worship, nor a thousand rams could save me.  "Tis, done, the great transaction's done.  I am my Lord's and He is mine"---- only because of and in the Blood of Jesus. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, Thank 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

Thoughts From Selected Psalm 119 Verses in the ESV

"I am a companion of all who fear You, of those who keep Your precepts."  (v. 63)

The word for, "companion," can be translated, "united, knit together."  This is true companionship.  Regardless of other "companions," friends, we can never have the, "united, knit together," relationship with them as with, "those who keep Your precepts."

"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction." (v. 92)

Every month I read this passage, I am reminded of the truth of this over the last 44+ years of my life.  I can guarantee to all humanity that the, "Word of God," is the only remedy for, "my (your) affliction."

"You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word."  (v. 114)

If Jesus Christ is not, "my hiding place," there is no other place to "hide."  If Jesus Christ is not my shield, I am fair game to this present world system and, "the god of this age."  There is a definite correlation here between, "I hope in Your word," and, "You are my hiding place."  Just singing about it, declaring it will not suffice, if I do not hide myself in Jesus' Words.  It is only the person who when he, "....comes to Me (Jesus) and hears My words and does them... is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundations on the rock.  And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built.., founded on a rock."

"Your promise is well tried ('tested, pure') and your servant loves it." (v.140)

The older I get, the more this is written down deep in my heart.  To any younger person who reads this I say, "Hang in there; Jesus' Words have been, "well tried/tested," over 71+ years, and more importantly, from, "the beginning."  Who cannot love Them/Him Who, "Is Well Tried"? 

"Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble." (v.165)

This is That, "peace of God which surpasses all understanding," and because you and I, "love [His] law[,] "NOTHING CAN MAKE THEM STUMBLE."

Father, in Jesus' Name, You and Your Words just keep confirming over and over and over. Amen.

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Will appreciate any prayers for us all as we head to Grand Rapids this coming Tuesday.  Our new gift can arrive any day.

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

To Whom Have You Given Your Heart

"My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe (delight in) my ways."  (Proverbs 23:26)

This is Solomon talking to his son, but it is also our/his Father speaking to all of us.

I cannot think of a "greater" more wonderful command, invitation.  "Wait," you may say, "I thought to love the Lord God and your neighbor is the greatest command."  I say, If Jesus does not have our hearts, there is no way we can love--------- anyone.  In fact, if Jesus does not have my heart, I cannot, well, anything.  A wicked heart has only one remedy, surrender.

This is what he is saying to you and me today.  You and I are called to surrender, submit, give our hearts to the Living Triune God.  Our lives will be miserable failures if we do not.  Some may look at people who seem to "have it all," but, my friend, it is only a seem-to life.  Never be deceived by what we see.  Anyone, I repeat, anyone on the planet who has ever lived, who now lives, or ever will live is nothing if they keep their hearts as their own possession.  The Bible says, "The heart is desperately wicked...."  That is my heart; that is your heart.  When we gave Jesus our hearts, He took, "desperately wicked," hearts and made them righteous in Jesus' Righteousness.  Jesus cleansed our hearts in His Precious Blood from all sin.  He took stoney, self-serving and self-preserving hearts and made them His Heart (remember the verse which says that David, "had God's Heart"), hence, hearts for others, serving hearts, giving hearts.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God," is what David prayed after he had committed adultery and murder.  Only God can, "Create in me a clean heart"; therefore, the wise will respond to His call to, "Give Me your heart," with a, "My heart, Lord, do I give."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You so much for taking a wicked heart and cleaning it for Your purposes.  Amen.

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If you want to know what "drives" the US State Dept, go to:   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

Know Your Sphere/Element

"So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you.  Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth that you may correctly answer him who sent you?"  (Proverbs 22:19-21, NASB)

The margin in my NASB translates, "I have made you know....Have I not written to you previous things of counsels and knowledge, to make you know truth, that you may return to words of truth?"  Notice that the writer is speaking of, "previous things."  They are, "things," written and spoken before, "to make you return to words of truth...."

Beware of attempting to answer the world with something new; it never works.  If my answer, response to this present world system and those who are enslaved to it is not, "return to words of truth," words which are, "God-Breathed--previous things of counsels and knowledge," I am out of my regenerated sphere.  A Follower of Jesus does not reason as the world reasons.  He does not "answer" as the world answers.  His, "counsels and knowledge," does not make sense to the unregenerate; never will.  I am not just writing of quoting the Bible.  That can be in way too many cases just Phariseeism   I am writing of the, "Words of God," continually shaping my world view and life style, "that you can correctly answer him who sent you."

The only way to reach a world steeped in humanism and me-ism is to offer them Jesus Christ, Who Himself is, "previous things of counsels and knowledge, to make [them, him, her] know truth, that [they] may return to words of truth".  When I was in the university and graduate school this aggravated, frustrated, indeed, angered my contemporaries.  It also followed me at times in pastoral ministry.  It reminded me of the old series back in the 1950s, "Sea Hunt."  The star, who was an expert swimmer, expert in working in water would get into a fight on board a boat.  He would usually be in danger of getting beat.  Then he would force the battle overboard into the water, his element, and there win the day.  Take heed. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to always recognize my sphere/element.  Amen.

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Israeli Prime Minister dealing with Jerusalem attacks:    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

"As In A Foreign Country"

"He remembers His covenant forever,..The covenant which He made with Abraham,..saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance'...."  (Psalm 105:11)

I read our text this morning and was reminded of the message I preached this past Sunday.  I preached from Hebrews 10:35-12:3.  But as I was studying for the message last week, I noticed something which I had never "seen" before.  Abraham and the "faithful" of Hebrews 11 were not looking for Canaan or what we call The Land of Israel.  Now that is the "popular" version.  It is the driving force of Zionism, and by far too much of the emphasis of modern Evangelical Christianity, perhaps of which I was one.  Of course, I still love Jerusalem, love The Land and know it has always had a "place" in history and in the days ahead.  But this is not what Abraham was "looking" for, and neither should you nor I.

Hebrews 11 tells us, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  By faith he dwelt in the land of promise AS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; FOR HE WAITED FOR THE CITY WHICH HAS FOUNDATIONS, whose builder and maker (architect) is God."  Abraham received The Land; Abraham was thankful for The Land.  But Abraham was as the others mentioned in Hebrews 11.   They, "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.... But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country."

The people of Hebrews 11 and all the people of God from Abel to you and me are a people "just passing through."  Most, of course, do not live in such an attitude.  Everything is here and now, and most religionists speak and teach such.  The Follower of Jesus is as Moses, however, "....for he looked to the reward," and the context reveals The Reward, "Therefore...let us run...the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus."  Abraham did this (John 8:56); Moses and Elijah did this, "who appeared in glory (with Jesus on the Mount) and spoke of His decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem."  They had known about Jesus, His appearing, His "work" from their historic days.  It was, "looking unto Jesus," which was the power, the goal, the reward of their faith.  Can I say, "Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit is the, 'Better...Country'"?

May you and I look beyond what so many concentrate on in life.  Look to the, "heavenly country," to, "the reward"------------------"unto Jesus," that is, if we want the empowerment to continue on in the battle.  The best is "there" not "here."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that too many times my focus is blurred.  Thank You that Your Words clear blurred focus.  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

"I Wish To Give To This Last...As To You"

"Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you."  (Matthew 20:14)

This is not a passage to promote socialism.  

The lesson here is very much to the point of our relationship with and in the Blessed Trinity.  The parable is about, "laborers for His vineyard."  Jesus tells us of people who came to work in the beginning of the day and those who came just before "quitting time."  They all receive the same "wage." 

It does not matter when you and I came to Jesus.  It does not matter whether we preached to thousands or live in some very remote, sparsely populated location in the earth and encounter few.  Rich who gave much, poor who could give but little, great "talent," or little, none of this matters.  Why?  Our basic, fundamental "wage"/reward is the same, Our Lord Jesus Himself.  Yes, there is the teaching of, "You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things...."  And many theologians believe there will be degrees of rewards for the Followers of Jesus.  This does seem to be the case from what I read in the, "Words of God."

Who can argue, however, with the fact that the Great Reward of the Believer is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself?  Ruling over many nations, a better "seat" in Heaven, are secondary to Him Who is The Reward, the great "payment" for our sojourn through this present age, Jesus.  No, I do not want to live my life with a just-get-by mentality.  In the words of the hymn, I want to "work for the night is coming," I want to do as Paul said to one of the members in the Colossian Church, "take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it."  But all of this is leading you and me to, "Face to face with Christ, My Savior, face to face, what will it be?"!  I shall be glad if all humanity receives such a "wage."

Father, in Jesus' Name, to be with and in You for eternity---- no greater reward.  And, I do not resent those who come at five o'clock either.  Amen.

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Shelly had her last doctor's visit this morning.  She and baby are doing great.  Our new gift should arrive sometime next week.  We thank all who have been praying for her and the baby (and us).  Please continue.  We will let you know when the new life appears.

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