"....The Set Time Had Fully Come...."

"But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman...."  (Gal. 4:4)

Interestingly, one of my daily readings has a very "seasonal" application.

Most translations say, "fullness of time."  But the word can also mean, "fulfillment, completion."  Maybe we can say, "When the fulfillment time," or, When the completion time had fully come, God," well, just kept doing what He does.  He kept "completing" His Ancient Promises.  The Holy Spirit is telling us that the First Appearing of Jesus was a, "completion," of Biblical Prophesy.  It was the, "fulfillment, completion," of centuries of utterances and writings which culminated in the announcement to the Shepherds "on a cold winter's night that was so deep."

The Blessed Trinity is the, "God of all comfort."  And His, "comfort," to and for you and me, for one thing, is based upon His unalterable, unfailing, utterly reliable, "God-Breathed," Words.  One powerful example is, "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.  His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity (or, 'His appearances are from long ago, from days of old')."

I repeat, history is like a mighty river, flowing through time, surely on its journey, on/in the purposes of the Living Triune God, with accompanying eddies, backwashes, currents.  The latter are full of human "interference," attempts to "do our thing," selfish endeavors, wars, etc.  For some "reason," God has allowed all of this.  But I repeat again:  Let it be known before the world that Jesus Christ, "King of kings, Lord of lords," King of the Universe, is the Great Determiner of history.  Jesus' Words have "completeness."  Jesus', "appearances are from long ago, from days of eternity," not only in that manger in Bethlehem.  We pray what He just continues to do, "Thy Kingdom come.  They will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven."

Nothing any government, any prime minister, president, king, rebellious movements can do will change the course of THE MIGHTY RIVER OF FATHER, SON JESUS, AND HOLY SPIRIT.  This, my friend, is what makes any Christmas Merry.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that in You I am in eternity------- in You.  Amen.

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Very insightful article on the manipulating media at:   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

"I Will Always Have Hope"

"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." (Ps. 71:14)

A little taste of "live" is always better than a whole lot of fake.

Schultz once said that there was some of Charlie Brown in him.  Perhaps there is a little of Charlie is all of us; some just deal and/or cover it better than others.  In "A Charlie Brown Christmas," we see a mournful Charlie Brown lamenting, when his contemporaries make fun of his scrawny Christmas tree, and want to modernize Christmas, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"  Linus then comes forward with Luke 2.  By the way, The Washington Post has an article today about a school district in Texas which is taking a nurse's aide to court over posting Linus' reading of the Christmas Story. 

Our text sounds like a determination rather than a succumbing to what seems to be the case around the psalmist.  Life will attempt to take hope from us.  Day to day events will sometimes crash upon us, seemingly affirming the pessimist's view of life, e.g., "All is lost.  Mankind just keeps descending ever more rapidly into, "the Abyss."  But then, my friend, I commend our text to us anew today, "As for me," when all others may be giving up, surrendering to hopelessness, "I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."  Job asked, "Where then is my hope?"  This is key to understanding today's text.  The hope of which the psalmist speaks is not some illusive, ethereal "hope."  It is a well-placed, "hope," a "hope...built on nothing less than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness." 

Depressed, discouraged, wanting to just give up, yield to the hopelessness of Job's wife, "curse God and die"?  Repeat after me, "AS FOR ME, I WILL ALWAYS HAVE HOPE; I WILL PRAISE YOU MORE AND MORE."

Father, in Jesus' Name, "I will praise you more and more."  You have enabled me to, "always have hope."  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

I Could Have Chosen Other Texts Today, But.....

"Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." (John 7:17, NIV)

So there you have it.  "....find out whether," comes from, "choos[ing] to do the will of God...", not from all the religious activities which we have invented to, "....find out...."

In a world of "How do I know?" comes the answer.  Humanity has attempted through the centuries to, "find out," by discussion, writing and reading books, conferences, seminars.  Our Lord Jesus tells us here that, "....to do the will of God...", is the answer to our questions. 

I can read book after book on the "how to" of life.  But it is, "Anyone who chooses to do the will of God...", who, "will find out...."  There just may be an "answer" to your question today which is awaiting, "choos[ing] to do the will of God...." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray my "choosing" will always be Your will.  Amen.
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New article at:        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

I Could Have Chosen Other Texts Today, But.....

"Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." (John 7:17, NIV)

So there you have it.  "....find out whether," comes from, "choos[ing] to do the will of God...", not from all the religious activities which we have invented to, "....find out...."

In a world of "How do I know?" comes the answer.  Humanity has attempted through the centuries to, "find out," by discussion, writing and reading books, conferences, seminars.  Our Lord Jesus tells us here that, "....to do the will of God...", is the answer to our questions. 

I can read book after book on the "how to" of life.  But it is, "Anyone who chooses to do the will of God...", who, "will find out...."  There just may be an "answer" to your question today which is awaiting, "choos[ing] to do the will of God...." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray my "choosing" will always be Your will.  Amen.
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New article at:        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

"....The Shaft Of The Bottomless Pit"

"And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit ('pit of the abyss').  He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft."  (Revelation 9:1, 2-ESV)

Now even though the context here is the release of the locust plague, we know that it is, "the lake of fire," Hell itself which is, "the pit of the abyss."

One of the "hazards" of reading through the whole Bible regularly is the encountering of passages such as today's text.  "Hardly a passage for a devotional," one might say.  But for me, reading just selected, favorite portions of the Bible over and over is like eating pizza for every meal; just not a well-rounded diet.  A spiritual iron deficiency anemia will result.

Few texts in reason memory have put the, "fear of the Lord," in me and affected me as this one has/is today.  My first thought as I read this was of those who are without Jesus.  I really think there are two reasons modern Christendom no longer deals with the reality of such passages.  First, modern humanity will just not put up with the idea that its life style has consequences, now and at, "the Judgment."  Second, even those of us who say we believe the Bible "from cover to cover" are perhaps so horrified with, "He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace," that we prefer to do a Scarlet O'Hara, "Well, I won't think about this now.  I'll think about it tomorrow."  But we don't.

Christmas is a reminder that Jesus, the Christ, came to deliver you and me from, "....the shaft of the bottomless pit."  This is, "good tidings of great joy," of which we say to ourselves and to humanity, "God rest, ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.  Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray."  But what about now?  What can we do about this fearful reality which is to come upon those who reject the Christ?  One thing I do is pray Bible declarations.  Father, in Jesus' Name, I ask that You put the fear of You in their hearts; give them a heart to know You (both from Jeremiah), and open their hearts to you (from Acts), that they may, "be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth", (Colossians), receiving You, Jesus, as their Lord and Savior.  We cannot ignore our text or any one like it.  We cannot pick and choose a "gospel message" which appeals, sells, delights and thrills people.  That is "Madison Avenue" christianity.  I prefer Jesus', "the power of God to save....from...the shaft of the bottomless pit."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I am fearful, dismayed.  I want to pray "largely" today, to pray that no one on Planet Earth experience, "....the shaft of the bottomless pit."  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

"Do Not Marvel At This" Yet We Do

"Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (John 5:28, 29)

Every quarter when I read our text I am increasingly aware of the "dangers" of pop "born again" evangelicalism.  Try as we may over the years, there has been a "nothing-you-do-can-earn-salvation dominance in evangelicalism, a wrong interpretation of, "not of works lest anyone should boast."  It is akin to, "Well, God has everything under control," which for too  many is code for, "I don't have to really worry about, or do anything."  The result is usually a convenient dismissal of our text, "those who have done good, to the resurrection of life."

I had coffee in my mother-in-law's living room this morning.  She has dementia and patience can be sorely tried at times.  It would be easier to just keep her comfortable and warm on these cold December mornings.  But even though communication is difficult, she enjoys someone just sitting in the same room with her.  In Jesus' Words, this morning I, "....done good...."  I made a 95 year old a little more reassured, brought a little comfort to must be at times a very confusing world.  The super spiritual theologians among us would say, "O, that's nice.  But don't think for a moment that has anything to do with your salvation."  Really?  I say to them, Read the Gospels, indeed, the Bible.  "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, ('done good') and that your fruit should remain...."

If you have checked the, "fruit of the Spirit," lately, you will discover that all of them are definitely "verb" oriented.  They have to do with who we are in Jesus, what we do, how we live, how we are with humanity.  Maybe too many times being "right" is more important than being patient, staying in that comfort zone more important than, "....done good...."  Now you know very well the Ephesian passage, "....created in Christ Jesus for good works."  I can tell how, "created in Christ Jesus," I am by my, "....done good...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I do want to be what You want in me.  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