"He Uttered His Voice----- The Earth Dissolved

"The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted." (Psalm 46:6)

 
Or, "The people groups were boisterous; the earth dissolved."  King Jesus is King of the Kingdom and King of the Universe, King of every People Group, all nations.  People whose loyalty is to a gender, ethnicity, political philosophy, to anyone or anything other than the Lord God will be, "dissolved."  That is a very strong word.  Yet men and nations, and too many in Christendom, continue to conduct themselves as though our text is just some Sunday School memory verse, something for preachers.

You and I, as Followers of King Jesus, believe/accept/walk in our text.  China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, American Democrats and Republicans are all in the "raging" business.  Many think that their "rage" is against each other, but the reality is, "The nations rage[]," is directed, as Psalm 2 tells us, "....against the Lord and against His Anointed (Messiah, Christ')...."  America and the world is accelerating towards the resulting abyss at an ever-increasing pace.  And time is "running out."

The verse following our text declares, "The Lord is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."  This is Jesus' promise, covenant, declaration to you and me today.  When Jesus cried, "It is finished," from His Cross, He was declaring an Eternal Truth.  In His Blood, Death,  Resurrection, Ascension and Soon-Second-Appearing, Jesus reveals the "power" of His Forgiveness and Reign.  You remember what the Bible tells us, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days....Evil men will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." 

Yet in the midst of this, "bad to worse," scenario, you and I, are, "under the Shadow of the Almighty."  This dose not mean that we just stand or rest there.  Rather, we continue in the battle for the hearts and minds of men, while taking comfort and assurance that in Jesus Christ we have an impregnable, "God is our Refuge....Very Present."

Father, in Jesus' Name, help my friend and me to be living testimonies to Your Word.  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

"My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready (literally, 'quick, prompt, skilled') writer." (Psalm 45:1)

More literally, "My heart is gushing of loves; I address my work to the King; ...."  Jesus is the, "good theme."  Jesus is the, "composition."  At this moment, and I pray all my life, "I address my work to the King, Jesus."  

There is no other, "theme," for a Follower of Jesus.  Indeed, the Bible tells us that there is no other, "theme," for Father and Holy Spirit.  Jesus told the Samaritan woman that Father, "God is Spirit."  The Holy Spirit, "is Spirit."  Only Jesus, the Word, "became flesh...."  Man does not, cannot understand the Living Triune God without, "The Word became flesh and dwelled among us"; therefore, back to, "a good theme" ---- Jesus. 

"Let your light (the, "I am the Light of the world..., Christ in you, the hope of glory) so shine before men, that they may see your good works ('theme') and glorify your Father in heaven."

Father, in Jesus' Name, You are my, "Good Theme."  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

"We Found This Fellow Perverting The Nation"

"And they began to accuse Him, saying, 'We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.'"  (Luke 23:2)

"....perverting the nation."  This is the conclusion to which The United States of America came in 1962 and 1963 when it decided to eliminate the Prayer and Words of Jesus from it's school system.  And it has just gotten worse.  I give you the 2016 election season.

"....perverting the nation," was code for, "He doesn't allow us to be in charge."  As for the, "taxes," he did not oppose this.  But the real opposition came with, "....saying that He Himself is Christ, a King," viz., Lord/King of The Kingdom of God/Heaven.

For those who believe that religion and politics should be separate, I say, Read your Bible.  Jesus is Savior and Lord.  The title, "Lord," means ruler, or as the Interlinear says, "a person exercising absolute ownership."  There is no aspect of a culture nor a person's life over which Jesus does not have absolute Lordship.  The close of the Age will bring the full manifestation of this.  You cannot separate, "Lord and Savior," though modern Christendom has for the most part tried to.  They have "chopped up" the John 3 passage to acceptance of, "born again," but the rejection of, "see the Kingdom of God."  The majority of those involved in the Charismatic Renewal were a prime example of this.  It was and is an attempt to popularize the Scriptures. 

What dominated the trials of Jesus before the Jewish leadership and the Roman Government was, "He said He is the King of the Jews."  There is never a reference to, "Savior," in any of the four Gospel accounts of the trials of Jesus.  To the Romans, "savior" was just a religious matter.  "The King of the Jews," however, was quite another matter.  The main threat to Judaism and the Roman Empire was the issue of who was in control.  Of course, "For this reason the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."  Now the foundation of  Satan's destruction is the Blood of Jesus, His Death and Resurrection.  And, yes, while this does include the forgiveness of sins, it also equally includes, "that He might destroy the," reign of Satan.  "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them...and teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you...."  This is, "The King...," speaking.

Father, in Jesus Name, may I never separate, "Lord and Savior."  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

It Broke My Heart

"This You have seen, O Lord; do not keep silence.  O Lord, do not be far from me." (Psalm 35:22)

Today's text was not just a prayer of the psalmist for himself.  It is a prayer similar to, "Have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Since I'm "on the road," I'm here at a McDonald's today doing the devotional.  I had just sat down in time to here a young teenage girl, with a very up-to-date Iphone, say to her friend, "My dad's girl friend...."  I really didn't need to hear any more to realize just how things have changed since I was a teenager.  I really wanted to ask the girl what she thought about her dad having a "girl friend."  I realized again, however, just how "normal" such scenarios have become. 

But no matter how people try to convince me that kids are "fine with that," I cannot agree.  I tried to image what it would have been like for me to say to one of my friends, "My Dad's girl friend."  Of course, knowing Ken Barnette, that would never have been.  But in the forties and fifties it was not just "the righteous" who stayed married; it was the majority of American society.  I would have been a basket case if my Dad and Mom would have gotten a divorce.  I am so thankful that I never had to say to a friend, nor had a friend say to me, "my dad's girl friend."

I remember the first time one of our children came home from their Christian School with a permission form for some sporting event.  One line said, "Name of Father, Name of Mother (if different from Father)."  It had taken over in Christendom.  They never sent forms home like that in all my 12 years of state school education.  It has been said to me, and implied many times, "Get over it.  This is the way things are."  So that means I should accept it?!?

Our text is a prayer which I find myself praying more and more.  Nothing will change the hearts of men and women apart from Jesus hearing and answering the prayer of our text, nor apart from the conviction of the Holy Spirit------------ not the conviction of me.  Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit, "will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment...."  Honestly, there have been times in my life when I thought I would do the "convicting."  Never worked. 

I longed today for that little girl's broken heart to be healed in Jesus' Name.  I'm sorry for the "get-over-it" people.  I cannot.  

Father, in Jesus' Name, have mercy on that young girl.  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

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Posted By Antipas Prayer Force: to Antipas Prayer Force Devotionals at 6/07/2016 11:55:00 AM

"The Glory of the Lord Went Up From...The City"

"The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it."  (Ezekiel 11:23, NIV)

"The city," is Jerusalem.  No one ever thought it would happen, though warned for generations.  The time had come, a horrible time of judgment.  For a brief moment, "The glory of the Lord...stopped above the mountain east of it," but it was almost a "parting sigh," a longing, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,...how often I have longed to gather your children..,and you were not willing."

You are aware, I am sure, of the colloquialism, "half-empty" and "half-full-people."  Both see the same thing, but tend to interpret it differently.  The problem with the "half full" people is that they tend to look at "how things used to be" and attempt to convince themselves that things are not so bad now, and will improve in the future.  The "half empty" people tend to see where things are headed, that is, if something is not done.  "Half full" people must remember that if the glass is continually drained and not refilled, then you have nothing.  "Half empty" people know that you just cannot take and take without refilling.  I can tell you that if you take the Bible seriously, you will discover that the "world's cup" is not only "half empty," but is headed toward "empty." 

Today's text is the result of Israel's disobedience.  Warned by God, time and again through the centuries, that disobedience has severe consequences, what Ezekiel saw in chapters 8-11 was the "gradual" departing of, "The glory of the Lord...."  The vision reveals that this does not occur at one moment, but rather over time; hence, while, "The glory of the Lord," is departing "slowly," people are lulled to sleep, "O, well, the glass is at least 'half full.'  This will get better.  I believe we are on the verge of............"

This quarter as I have been going through Ezekiel, I have seen, "The glory of the Lord Jesus Christ," in a way I have not before.  For example, I highly recommend reading the first chapter in the NIV; meditate on it; try to "envision" what Ezekiel must have seen.  It is a marvelous "scene," a glorious description of the Godhead and His "Realm."  "The glory of the Lord Jesus Christ," of which we can say with the ancients, "is now and ever shall be; world without end.  Amen."  The variable is whether people and the nations embrace, obey, and follow Jesus.  I believe that Ezekiel is the "end time" prophecy of the Major Prophets.  I have rededicated myself to something which Jesus spoke to my heart almost 44 years ago, that I should "get into Ezekiel."  I had/have no doubt that this was a "prophetic word" to me.  Maybe you should also "take another look" at Ezekiel, and share with me what Jesus is showing you.

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to see and hear 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.'"

Hebrews 12:2