Resource Manager Posted July 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 26 July 2015 2 Samuel 12Jeremiah 16Matthew 27 IS THIS NOT BATHSHEBA? Yesterday’s readings bring us to that very sad and disturbing account of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and then organising the death of her husband Uriah. He asked who she was and was plainly told “Is this not Bathsheba … the wife of Uriah” [2 Samuel 11:3]. How could David have been so blind to commit such a dreadful sin – two sins really – murder to try to cover up the first. Let’s think about the situation. When someone has total power and is answerable to no other human, then there is always the potential to misuse that power – especially given our nature as human beings, to blindly do things which are morally wrong. David had by this stage achieved in his life everything that was humanly possible, except that he was not permitted to fulfil his dream of building a magnificent temple to his God. It is clear he had a very energetic mind; he set to assembling much of the material that would be needed in building the temple. But there was a strange lull in his activity at this particular time. Yesterday's chapter indicates that when winter is over it was customary for “kings to go out to battle” [2 Samuel 11:1], the purpose would be to reassert their control over their dominions; yet this time, for some reason, David decided not to go but “remained in Jerusalem” and “sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel” [2 Samuel 11:1]. This has a lesson for us, it is never time for us to take life easy when there is work in the service of our Lord to be done. The Lord has given us, if we are truly his servants, different talents, abilities and opportunities and when we shirk using these, could we in a sense start thinking, “my Lord delays his coming”. This line of thought would give opportunity for distractions and attractions to lodge in our minds and we stumble from “the straight and narrow way.” We have just read in Matthew about the servant who said, “My Master is delayed … and eats and drinks with the drunkards” [Matthew 24:48-49] and ended up “in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [Matthew 24:51] But the Lord “put away” David’s sin because he had already proved himself an exceptional servant, he nevertheless suffered the consequences for the rest of his life. It is also remarkable how, “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (see Romans 8:28) This is for the “good” of God’s purpose! And what was the outcome “for good” in David’s case? It caused David to write some of his most passionate Psalms about sin – ponder Psalms 6; 38; 90:7-8 &c. But the lesson for us is plain, there is never time to ‘take time off’ when there is work for the Lord to be done. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 27 July 2015 2 Samuel 13Jeremiah 17Matthew 28 "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO ..." Jeremiah is told [Jeremiah 17], "Thus says the LORD" and what the LORD, the eternal God, the Creator of all that exists then tells him - is two things - that are a total contrast to each other! First, in Jeremiah 17:5, that "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength Then in Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD." A genuine relationship is indicated here - the foundation of which for those "whose trust is the LORD" - is something more than saying, his trust is "in the LORD." Such a person, obviously both male and female, "is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream ..." [Jeremiah 17:8] And what is the stream? We compare this with the LORD's words through the prophet Amos, "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." [Amos 5:24] The meaning of this poetical language is clear: it is to be fulfilled soon! Back in Jeremiah we are told that all who do this kind of planting become healthy trees and will "not fear when heat comes” at that time “its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought..." [Jeremiah 17:8] We are today living through a severe spiritual drought. The truth of the next verse [Jeremiah 17:9] is in evidence all around us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick ..." Let us memorise Jeremiah 17:10 - and may it inspire each one of us to live Christ-like lives. We read, "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." We ponder the significant word “fruit.” Soon, the reality of the words, " Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD" will be evident as their Lord - our Lord (Jesus) returns to take control of the earth. And what blessings then follow - beyond present imagining for those who have lived as ”a tree planted by water”! They will fully experience that the LORD is " the fountain of living water." Jesus significantly proclaimed on the "last" and "great day" of the feast, " Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" [John 7:38] To which we can add his words in Revelation! " the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water..., and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Yes, "Blessed is the man who..." Let us make sure that includes you and I. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 28 July 2015 2 Samuel 14Jeremiah 18Romans 1; 2 “THE POWER OF GOD” Paul in writing to the Romans speaks about “the power of God” - but he is not referring to physical power such as will be shown at the time Jesus returns when the greatest earthquake ever [Revelation 16:18] and other terrible events occur, this could be very soon! . God gave Isaiah a vision of this time, about events around Jerusalem (code named ‘Ariel’) “the city where David encamped” Isaiah 29:1] and how God deals with “the multitude of all the nations … that fight against Mount Zion” [isaiah 29:8]. Note especially Isaiah 29:5-7. We can reason that some of these events have a spiritual interpretation as the hearts of people tremble in fear, but there is no doubt that there is to be a remarkable and totally awesome physical manifestation of God’s power. But in today’s 1st chapter of Romans Paul writes of the gospel saying, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” [Romans 1:16]. What is the point of Paul writing that his is not ashamed of the Gospel? Well, I recall when a Hindu (the manager of the Hotel at which I was staying) asked me to tell him about the Christian God as he could no longer believe the nonsense about an Elephant headed God! Paul’s point is that the Gospel makes sense, compared to the nonsense surrounding the many gods (of human imagination) the Romans believed in. Today, we can say it makes sense - compared to the nonsense of evolution that everything that exists, sort of invented itself, and there is no need for a creator God. But we need to take this one step further and realise that to believe a gospel about believer’s having a future life in heaven is also nonsense and, as a falsehood, has no power at all. It is only the gospel God revealed to men through his son that has “power” - because it is truth, because it is based on historical facts, because the events of the First Century and what followed, only make sense when we accept them as truth: the evidence for them is so strong it had the power to turn the beliefs of the pagan Roman world upside down. We must let this gospel become a power in our lives if we are to really live a life worth living now and experience the wonder of the far greater life God will provide in the future. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 29 July 2015 2 Samuel 15Jeremiah 19Romans 3; 4 "THAT IS WHY IT DEPENDS ON FAITH" How important it is to get into our minds a balanced picture of the reasoning Paul develops in his letter to the Romans. With his background training and practice from when he was a Pharisee he was more conscious than anyone else – that – having a real relationship – from our hearts – with God – through his Son Jesus Christ – was vital. May we all realize the wonder of this relationship – and make sure ours is real. Paul appeals to the Romans (and all other readers) to have a correct understanding of the foundation promises made to Abraham; these were given by God long before the law was given through Moses. He writes, "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith." [Romans 4:13] Is that an understandable phrase, " through the righteousness of faith"? For 'faith' to be genuine – it has to be fully focused on the object of that faith – what we have faith in! Some Jews had been 'converted' to belief in Christ – yet still felt they had to keep all the precepts of the law - made even worse by the way the Pharisees had embellished them. Therefore Paul is building up this 'powerful' reasoning – to set their thinking on the right path: no one had kept the Law perfectly, so in the end "the law brings wrath" [Romans 4:15] We are seeing this graphically illustrated in our readings in Jeremiah. The climax to Paul's reasoning is from Romans 4:16, "That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspringnot only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, 'I have made you the father of many nations'." Yes! “also to” us! Paul is quoting God's words to Abraham in Genesis 17:5. Let us make sure we are part of the "many nations." Our chapter ends with Paul's reasoning about belief in Jesus "who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." Think of 'justification' as meaning 'righteous-ification'! Can you get your mind around that? Finally look at the first verse of the next chapter, for the chapter break is in a poor place. "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in ..." How real is your faith? Real faith leads to us being sure Jesus "was raised for our justification" and we truly "rejoice in hope of the glory of God." -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 30 July 2015 2 Samuel 16Jeremiah 20Romans 5; 6 "SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" How challenging are Pauls' words to the Romans - and to us! There is no middle way (which is what Jesus taught!), we are either "slaves of sin" or we "have become slaves of righteousness." [Romans 6:17-18] Paul admits he is making the point bluntly, "speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations." [Romans 6:19]. He then challenges the believers at Rome - and this is just as much a challenge to those seeking a relationship with God today, that "just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification." Difficult word? Sanctification? Think of it as 'holy-fication! Becoming more and more like Christ in all our thinking. And, as a result of doing this, our words and actions increasingly show the reality of the Christ-mindedness we are developing - so that we truly become more and more "slaves of righteousness" - and, as Paul makes the point in the last 2 verses of this chapter: "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Romans 6:22-23] Are we enjoying "the fruit" we are developing? Spiritual enjoyment! Can we sense it leading "to sanctification"? How marvellous are the words of encouragement Paul penned to the Colossians, saying "we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." [Colossians 1:9-10] Oh the wonder of being, "slaves of righteousness." -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 31 July 2015 2 Samuel 17Jeremiah 21Romans 7; 8 "THOSE WHO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT” Our 2 chapters [Romans 7; 8] in Paul's letter to the Romans can be said to be the most challenging in the whole of the Bible - for believers to get fully into their minds. How vital it is for us to read them in humility of mind - and spend real time to get a balanced and true picture of their meaning. Those who follow Christ in this way develop the opposite spirit to that of the Pharisees who lived according to their interpretations (and embellishments) of the 'letter' of the Law - and they were proud of this. How true of them are the words of Paul in Romans 8:5, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh..." In contrast, " those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit" – adding – "to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." [Romans 8:6] May you and I be in the process of achieving that – to an ever greater degree. Back in Romans 8:3 we read "God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do..." [Romans 8:3] How has he done this? Surely the life of our Master demonstrated how to live "according to the spirit." [Romans 8:4] Paul learnt how to follow his example! And us? Paul next challenges the Romans (and us) "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you." [Romans 8:9] Note that little word "if." He next makes another vital point, "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." We simply must live day after day so that we develop minds that think and as a result our minds provoke actions so we think more and more like our Lord. All who do this will one day, (how soon?) do miracles like he did! Really!? Paul, in writing to the Hebrews, warned those "who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit ... the powers of the age to come" [Hebrews 6:4-6] that they must not fall away. That "age to come" is almost upon us when those powers will be wonderfully in evidence – and will cause ‘Satan’ to be ‘bound.’ (see Revelation 20:2). Paul stated that "God subjected the world to come" [Hebrews 2:5] to believers. Peter declared, in his final letter, "according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." [2 Peter 3:13] The "new heavens" we understand as ‘new rulers’, the role of "those who live according to the spirit" in their present lives, and, according to their talents they will occupy various roles, as Jesus said and we read last Friday, “to each according to his ability.” [Matthew 25:15]-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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