"A Throne Will Be Established...."

"A throne will be established in lovingkindness, and One will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent (dynasty, family) of David; judging and seeking justice and being prompt to do righteousness." (Isaiah 16:5, Amplified Bible)

This is, "The Word of God."  This is coming.  Nothing in the heavenlies, nor Hell can stop this, though throughout history many have made the attempt to do so.  With each passing generation of human beings, the attempts get more bizarre, more subtle, and more deceptive.

The America we are witnessing is the America which is reaping what it has sown.  The Second War Generation, touted as "The Greatest Generation," which I personally think is an affront to my Grandparents Generation, came back from war and were probably so worn out that they produced the generation which manifested in the 1960s.  The year the oldest "baby boomers" graduated from high school there was no Bible reading nor Prayer of Jesus in their classrooms.  "God is not mocked." 

I read an article recently which says that after the June, 1963 Supreme Court ruling, making both prayer and Bible reading in the state school system illegal, the Wall Street Journal wrote, "that atheism is now 'the one belief to which the state's power will extend its protection.'"  Justice Potter Stewart, the lone dissenting vote, later said of the decision, "It led not to true neutrality with respect to religion, but to the establishment of a religion of secularism."  When the militant atheist, Madalyn Murray, took her case against school prayer all the way to the Supreme Court, "not a single Christian organization filed a brief in support of school prayer."  There is a lot of talk on "Christian Television" of "sowing and reaping," but not in regard to America's national sins.

I feel so small in comparison to the world system, but our Lord Jesus Christ is not "small."  Today's text reveals just another example of the declarations of the Living Triune God that no matter what a nation does, no matter the prejudice of ethnic groups, the lies, the deceptions, the childish behavior to which the most intelligent and "discerning" among us can fall prey, I repeat the ancient decree, "Christus Victor."  The Shed Blood, the Death, the Resurrection, the Ascension, "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ," is, "that Blessed Hope," Who keeps me going from day to day, "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation."  Make no mistake: "A Throne will be established in lovingkindness.  And One will sit on it...," Jesus, the Christ.  

Father, in Jesus'  Name, I say again with the song writer of old, "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does it's successive journey run.  His Kingdom stretch from shore to shore til moons shall wax ans wane no more."  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

A New Take On An Oft Quote

"Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye." (Proverbs 7:2)

Over my life time, I have heard many people quote many times the verse in Zechariah 2:8, "....He who touches you touches the apple of His eye."  Great.  I too love this passage.  What great comfort to know that you and I are the, "apple of [Jesus'] eye."  Everywhere the Living Triune God "looks," His People are the center of His "vision."  What I have never heard from anyone, however, including me, is What/Whom should be the, "apple of []our eye."  We are a self-centered people, are we not?

"Keep my...law as the apple ('pupil') of your eye," viz., as the center of my eye, as the focus, as the most important pursuit of life.  "The apple of your eye," means something which is a "treasured possession."  Proverbs 4:4 says, "Let your heart hold fast my words"; the KJV says, "Let your heart retain My Words."  The "result" is the same in our text as in the 4:4 passage, "....and live."  When will we all learn that there is just no life apart from Jesus, Who is, "the Life," and His Words, Which are, "and live"?

So, humanity, you want to, "live," do you, I mean, more than just breathe and exist as the animals?  Well, here's the key, "Keep My commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye."

Father, in Jesus' Name, Thank You for this revelation.  Amen.
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Berlin Mission: October, 2016

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"....The Lord Jesus...SHALL Strengthen Your Heart"

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." (Psalm 27:14)

Okay, maybe I'm not reading this correctly.  All the other translations which I checked give the idea that the call is to you and me to basically, "strengthen," ourselves, e.g., "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (NIV).  Yet when I checked the Interlinear, it does not necessarily back this, nor does it negate our "default" translation, the NKJV.  Maybe if we consider the early part of Psalm 27 we have our answer, "The Lord is the strength of my life."  For me, that settles it.  Anyway, I have not strength apart from Jesus.

Consider the great encouragement here from our Holy Spirit.  It does not say that our Lord Jesus necessarily strengthens our, "body," nor even, "mind," though this is also a "part" of our Salvation in Christ.  One thing is for sure; we cannot deny the reality, that no matter what we go through, no matter what befalls us, "Wait on the Lord Jesus...and He shall strengthen your heart," viz., the depths of you and me, the "real" us, the part of us no devil or any other enemy can ever touch, "Wait, I say, on the Lord [Jesus Christ]."  The body and mind may fail us, but not the heart, even though people speak of "heart failure."  The "physical" heart will eventually grow weak, even stop.  But there is a meaning in the word, "heart," in the Bible which few of us fully understand.  It is the "place" of Jesus' dealings with and in us.  The "New Birth" takes place here.  It is the "fountain" of the righteousness of Jesus in us, and it is, "Out of his belly (innermost being, heart) shall flow rivers of living water."  It is these, "rivers of living water," my friend, which is the Eternal River.

What, according to our text, is our "part?"  Well, "Wait...."  It seems as though one translation of this word could be, "remain."  In other words, Don't give up, no matter what.  Another possible translation is, "to bind together (perhaps by twisting).  I can get that.  "To bind together...by twisting" could mean such an intertwining, such intimacy in our Lord Jesus Christ that you cannot separate the "two."  This has sound Biblical Theology in it.  Stay in Jesus with such surrender, such love, such obedience, such dependency that the very, "power of God," Who the Bible tells us is Jesus, will strengthen and keep us.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I have no strength apart from You.  You Alone Are the, "strength of my life."  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Here Is A Prayer For You

"For this reason we also...do not cease to pray...that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father Who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."  (Colossians 1:9-14)

Notice that the prayer for you is then followed by the great declaration of our Salvation in Jesus Christ, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son...through His Blood."  The word, "conveyed," means to, "transfer, cause to change its place, move out of its place, remove."  Yes, when we surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ, our Lord Jesus, "cause[d us] to change [our] place," from the domain and rule of Satan to the domain and rule of Jesus.

When we began to follow Jesus Christ, you and I changed masters and kingdoms, were brought from death to life.  And the prayer above is a prayer which you and I can pray in confidence, first, because this prayer "made the Book;" second, it is exactly the "result" of our new life in Jesus.  It is a great "declaration prayer."  We don't have to wonder if this is a prayer for us, or, if The Blessed Trinity will answer it, because this prayer, as all Bible prayers, is His Prayer.  This prayer is His will for you and me.  I'm sure you know that praying Bible prayers is the most fun of the day.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I add an, "Amen," to Your Prayer.  Amen.
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Please pray this prayer for us also, as we prepare for the October Mission in Berlin, and for my missions in DC.  Thanks.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Wisdom Is The Principal Thing" (A Kingdom "White Paper"?)

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.  And in all your getting, get understanding.....But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, Who became to us wisdom from God...." (Proverbs 4:7 & 1 Corinthians 1:30)

In the Book of Psalms we are taught that the first "step" to wisdom is, "the fear of the Lord."  In 1 Corinthians we are taught that, "Wisdom from God," is, "in Christ Jesus."  I really do not care how smart, perceptive, able to "read people" someone may be.  If they do not fear our Lord Jesus Christ, quite frankly, I am very, very cautious as to what may seem to be any "wisdom" coming from them.  The Word of God tells us that, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.  And...get understanding."  Be careful where you look for, "wisdom...and...understanding."

One dictionary defines wisdom as "having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.  One of Webster's definition is, "the natural ability to understand things that most other people cannot understand."  Notice that it is not that "most other people" do not understand, but "cannot understand."  This could be key to understanding Biblical wisdom.  To give a variant of a cliche bumper sticker, "Know Jesus-Know Wisdom.  No Jesus-No Wisdom."  We could also put it this way, "Know the Word of God-Know Wisdom.  No Word of God-No Wisdom.  Wisdom, which alone is in Christ Jesus, is not as Webster's says, "natural ability," some innate quality.  It is obtained in the Word of God and His "God-Breathed" Words alone.  When someone looks at you with those I-know-what's-really-going-on-here eyes, don't be fooled; they don't.  As we stay surrendered to Jesus and His Words, we have those "eyes."

Let me apply our texts to a very volatile situation here in the USA.  Many who read my devotionals live in nations where they have the privilege to help determine the kind of people who govern those nations.  It is just as much a sin to ignore this privilege/obligation as is, "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life."  James 4:17 says, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."  We are talking of Kingdom life style, living as a Citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.  "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, Who became to us wisdom from God," and it is this, "Wisdom from God," which gives us the "edge" over those who are not surrendered to Jesus, who do not live under Jesus' Authority as King of the Kingdom of God/Heaven.  When you choose someone to vote for, depend solely on the, "Wisdom from God," which/Who is, "Christ Jesus."  One sad fact of reality in the United States of America is that the Church could determine who is the President, who is in Congress, and who sit on the Supreme Court.  

This could very well be the number one "sin" of those who live in democracies.  Over 50% of self proclaimed "evangelicals," "born againers," do not vote.  They can determine whether righteousness rules their nations or evil rules their nations; instead, they keep up religious activity in their religious conclaves, while all the time ignoring something which they can control.  And if anyone thinks that we are not called to "control," just consider again "The Great Commission."  The command of our text is just that, a command.  "....Get wisdom....Get understanding"----- and do something with it.

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth...."  Amen.

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* Berlin Mission: October, 2016

* More on growing crisis in Europe:  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2