He Cares

"So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord.  And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel....He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the river on foot.  There we will rejoice in Him," or, (NASB) "There let us rejoice in Him!" (Judges 10:16; Psalm 66:6)

I know this is Saturday, and I usually don't send a devotional, but as I read these texts earlier, I thought of those whom I know who are going through great trial.  To all who trust Jesus, there is an end to, "the misery."  Likewise, notice the Psalm text.  When God's people, "went through the river," it was, "There we will rejoice."  Or, as the NKJV says, "There let us rejoice in Him," not on the banks or when we reach the other side.  It is, "There," right in the middle of, "misery," in the middle of everything and anything, "we will rejoice." 

Job said, "If a man dies, will he live again?  All the days of my struggle I will wait until my change comes."  Job looked to Jesus as did Abraham (John 8).  Jesus is not indifferent to you and me.  You and I are a part of the Covenant People, as Romans teaches us, "of Israel."  Your time is coming, friend.  Though it may seem He cares little or not at all, Jesus cares.  The song writer said long ago,
    "His Heart is touched with my grief,"
    When the days are weary, the long night dreary
    I know my Savior cares."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for all who are in, "misery," today.  Give them strength to wait for their, "change" and, "could no longer endure the misery."  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

A Correlation of The Bible and the News

"How long will you attack a man?...They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly."  (Ps. 62:3, 4-- from today's reading)

The CEV has an interesting interpretation of our text.  "I feel like a shaky fence or a sagging wall.  How long will all of you attack and assault me?  You want to bring me down from my place of honor."  This is the Enemy's and his servants' purpose for you and me, "....to cast him down...." 

Someone recently asked me why the world "has to be this way?"  I responded, "It goes back to the Garden.  It is as though God said to man, 'Okay, you want to run this, then go ahead, do it your way.'"  Read the rest of the Bible, and I give you the rest of history.  Yet this condition of humanity is the reason Jesus appeared the first time.  He came to redeem, to save, to deliver in His Precious Blood humanity from the curse of its own choice/choices.  Now all who receive Jesus, surrender their lives to Jesus can walk in a different "path."  The world around us is the same as it has been since the Fall.  Those who, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes," however, will walk in the peace of the Lamb.  While war rages around us, while today's text is still being played out, while we, "walk through the valley of the shadow of death, [we] fear no evil, for You, Jesus, art with [us]."

Below is an article about the young girl who was killed by ISIS, Kayla Mueller, an article which confirms what I suspected of her.  She is a classic example of those who prefer to right the wrongs of humanity in the spirit of Babel rather than as a servant of Jesus Christ.  Her death, while tragic and sad, is the result of humanist thinking, a misguided perception of what it takes to change humanity and "defend the poor and disenfranchised."  It is the classic John Lennon, "Imagine," scenario, "They bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly."  In other words, they look innocent, they look and act as though they are "doing good," but inwardly, "they curse," the purposes of Jesus Christ and His Covenant People.  Now no one who has a spark of humanity delights in another's death.  As a Follower of Jesus, I am saddened at the loss of this young woman and the grief of her family and friends.  But I am also saddened that she thought an anti-Israel, pro Hamas, Chez Rivera stance in life was the way to help suffering humanity.  George Rishmawi, leader of the International Solidarity Movement said, "When Palestinians get shot by Israeli soldiers, no one is interested anymore.  But if some of these foreign volunteers get shot or even killed, then the international media will sit up and take notice."  This is classic, "many deceivers have gone out into the world." (2 John)  They are as Paul told the Philippians, "the enemies of the cross of Christ."

" You want to bring me down from my place of honor (my position in Jesus Christ)....When your words are kind, hatred hides in your heart."  Some of you may not like what I have written today.  But I can tell you that the plots of the Enemy will just keep getting more and more deceptive, taking on more and more the face of "innocence."  A few days ago I read again the "Olivet Discourse."  Mark's version ends with a most sobering injunction, "....lest, coming suddenly, He find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"-- literally, "Stay awake," be "on the alert!" or, "Be vigilant!"  Stay in Jesus and His Words, then and only then may you and I say, "I will fear no evil."

Father, in Jesus' Name, in You, Holy Spirit, enable me to, "Be vigilant!"  Amen.
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Read about the real Kayla Mueller :   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

Jesus Has "Set Up A Banner For" Us

"[But now] You have set up a banner for those who fear and worshipfully revere You [to which they may flee from the bow], a standard displayed because of the truth." (Ps. 60:4, Amplified Bible)

Well, here I am in Psalms 56-60.  Note the contexts in which David expressed them:
56:    "....when the Philistines captured him in Gath"
57:    "....when he fled from Saul into the cave"
58:    "Set to 'Do Not Destroy'"
59:    "when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him"
60:    "....when he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah...."
Our text is fundamental to David's survival in his Psalms 56-60 experience.

Sunday School picked out all the "happy times," took us to the "happy place" of Biblical characters.  Their plans were not diabolical, just, well, can we say, protective.  Likewise, there are many today who attempt the same "protection."  I'm not always sure as to why. 

Charles Spurgeon's devotional for today speaks to this.  He uses as his text 2 Cor. 1:5, "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ."  He says, "There is a blessed proportion.  The Ruler of Providence bears a pair of scales-- in this side He puts His people's trials, and in that he puts their consolation in nearly the same condition; and when the scale of trials is full, you will find the scale of consolation just as heavy.  When the black clouds gather most, the light is the more brightly revealed to us."  I am a testimony to this truth.

There is  much suffering in the world, much of it in the Church Community.  I don't have an answer for much of this.  Many look at the Biblical "promises" and then look at their own lives, and/or the lives of others whom they love, and wonder, "Why is this not working?"  Of course, it is not an "it" which is "working;" it is a He, Jesus the Christ.  In the Gospels, we never read that Jesus said the same thing to two different people.  No one then or now can "pin Him down" to some sort of "consistent" answer, mode of response to the suffering of individuals, or the world.  The only common denominator in the Bible and human history is Jesus Himself.  The key to Jesus' teaching and the key to your life and mine is, "Come to Me...and I will give you rest," and, "Abide in Me, and I in you."  Central to Jesus' teaching, the Gospel, and Biblical Theology is the great, "I Am," claims of Jesus.  Biblical Theology is not primarily, "I will do for you, and show you."  Rather, it is, "I am the bread of life....I am the light of the world....I am the resurrection and the life."  When Moses asked God what he should tell the Hebrews when they asked who sent him, the response is beyond Hellenistic philosophy, "I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you."

And, "I AM," sends you and me into the world.  Allow our, "I Am," to be, "You are," today.  Jesus, Who Is, "the Light of the world," told us, "You are the light of the world."   Jesus' "last words" to us is in effect, "Now go and do something about it."  Awesome privilege; awesome responsibility. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, by your mercy and grace, help me to reveal only 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

"He Will NEVER Allow The Righteous To...Slip, Fall, or Fail"

"Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?  The goodness of God endures continually." (Psalm 52:1)

Here we have the contrast of the universe, ".... boast in evil, O mighty man," and, "The goodness of God...."  One is fleeting and passing, though manifests powerfully throughout the millennia, and the other, "endures continually."  You and I in Jesus Christ are under the power of, "God endures continually."

My five Psalms for today reflect a greatly disturbed, weak and fallen giant slayer, yet a man who, "Had God's heart."  Too many just attempt to "Sunday School" this all away, shout, dance, smile in denial.  Sorry; doesn't work.  David confesses in Psalm 51, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned."  There is a very real sense in which we can say that David "owned up" to his sin.  In Psalms 52-55, we see that David in his life had periods of deep, deep sorrows, life threatened, hounded by enemies, betrayals, rejection.  Most people focus on the triumphs of David simply because they want a life and religion of what Bob Mumford used to say that most also want from "prophetic words"-- "'everything's okay,' saith the Lord."  

Yet the reality of, "the faith of Jesus," is that you and I can live, overcome, even triumph and navigate in a world just as David knew, and most Covenant People throughout history have known.  This planet has been  dominated and ruled in so many places by the spirit of Nimrod, viz., murderous, tower raising, city building, rejectors of the reign of King Jesus.  Yet through and in Jesus' Death, Resurrection, Ascension and, "seated on the Throne," Jesus reigns, and those who are in Jesus and Jesus in them there is the continual, day by day, moment by moment reality of David's "conclusion" in Psalm 55:22, "Cast your burden on the Lord  [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip. fall, or fail)." (Amplified Bible) 

While Paul was in a dark, damp prison, he wrote to Timothy and told him, "....Demas has deserted me for love of this present world...."  What sadness filled Paul.  We read in another letter how Paul called Demas a, "fellow worker[]."  But now, near the end of, "Paul, the aged['s], life, he lost his friend.  Yet none of this defeated Paul.  His conclusion to Timothy?  "At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me....But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me...."  This Jesus has been doing since Abel.  This Jesus does for you and me.  This is Jesus.

Father, in Jesus' Name, again, I can say nothing but, Thank You.  Amen.
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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

Here Is How You and I Are "Commended/Approved"

"By faith Enoch was taken from this life....Before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." (Hebrews 11:5b, NIV)

I want nothing else in life than, "Before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God."

It's that time of the quarter that I read Hebrews 11, Biblical Theology 101.  You will find no greater Gospel message, no greater exhortation, no greater encouragement to press on than in the, "God-Breathed," Words of Hebrews 11, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for."  The Greek states that, "they bore witness to this, and thereby, "gained approval," the approval of King Jesus Himself.  You and I cannot expect "approval" if we do not heed the "theology" of Hebrews 11.  One might gain some religious experience, but not, "were commended for."

Hebrews 12: 2 is the summation of Hebrews 11; it is key to understanding what the Holy Spirit is declaring in the chapter 11.  We are simply told that the person of faith in Jesus is one who looks to, "things not yet seen," who, "obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going," who is, "looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God," to the personages who admit, "they were foreigners and strangers on earth," to the person who, "regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward."  And note, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised," because if they did, you and I would have been left out.

There is still a very real sense in which you and I have not, " received what had been promised."  You and I too are of the Church who is awaiting those yet to come to Jesus, for which Jesus is preparing, "a place for you,..since God ha[s] planned something better for [them] so that only together with us would they be made perfect/complete."  Hold on, dear Follower of Jesus.  These are evil days, days in which the enemies of the Cross of Jesus are increasing in number, nations and individuals, "denying the Lord Who bought them."  But as Paul told Timothy, "....they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all...."

Here is my encouragement to you: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Father, in Jesus' Name, that I may be one who pleases 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

The Song Says, "Whose Report Do You Believe?" The Question Is Still Applicable

"Awake!  Why are you sleeping, O Lord?  Rouse Yourself!  Do not reject us forever!  Why do You hide Your face?  Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?... Rise up; come to our help!  Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!" (Psalm 44, ESV)

I know many people right now who are right in our text.  Maybe you are or have been "there."

The psalmist is a person or persons who lived life.  They were not bound by a religious spirit, a spirit which enslaves so many today.  Some people think if you "talk the talk," if you sing, dance, lift your hands, pass out tracts, go on mission trips, give tithes and to the poor, and perhaps worst of all, repeat empty cliches which have been popularized in puddle "christianity," i.e., no depth, and all the other stuff which attempt to assure themselves and others that they are "Christian," well, everything will be alright.  It will not.  There is nothing like total honesty with our Lord Jesus.

Our text is a prayer of desperation, perhaps the only kind of prayer which is heard.  Such prayers are of a child who is pressingly seeking his father, knowing that, "Our Father Who is in Heaven," is also, "Our Father Who is in," you and me.  I love my children and grandchildren.  There is nothing they could ever do which would cause me to cast them away;  they are mine.  Nothing in the universe can "un-son a son."  You must believe this about Your Heavenly Father.  Jesus said, "I and the Father are One," and so it is true of you and me.  Jesus and...Father are One, and you and I are one with/in Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit. 

In such intimacy, we are secure.  "I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."  Such self sacrificial love, unconditional love in the Blood of Jesus, and by Jesus' Blood in Which and in Whom you and I now may, "enter the Most Holy Place," you and I need never, ever doubt His, "Very Present Help in trouble."  O, my dear friend, my weary sojourner in life's battle, what the Bible describes as, "warfare," never, ever allow yourself to forget, "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast inside the Veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us...."

Jesus is, "awake," today.  Jesus is not, "sleeping."  Jesus is "rous[ing Him]self."  Jesus does not, "hide [His] face."  Jesus does not, "forget our affliction and oppression".  Jesus is saying to you right now, "See!  I, 'Rise up.'  I, 'come to [y]our help!"

Father, in Jesus' Name, Glory!  I believe/accept/receive Your Words.  Amen.
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My DC Mission expenses are totally covered.  Thanks to all who participated.  We have not yet, however, met the Berlin/Prague Mission need.

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