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TFTBR - October 2015


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26 October 2015

 

2 Chronicles 23

Daniel 4

Acts 2  

 

"SO THOSE WHO RECEIVED HIS WORD WERE BAPTISED"                                                                 

            

What is it to receive God’s word?   Countless millions have read God’s word.  Go back into ancient history; the world before Noah, his wife and family, that world turned right away from God.  Soon the descendants of Noah were turning away again, resulting in God confounding human languages at Babel, a word which is significantly translates into Greek as Babylon. 

            

Then God saw in the man Abraham, a man of true faith.  God had many dealings with him and we read 2 days ago in 2 Chronicles 20 the prayer of King Jehoshaphat as he stood before the assembly and made an impassioned prayer to the LORD saying they were “the descendants of Abraham your friend.” [2 Chronicles 20:7]  But the quite common Hebrew word here is almost always translated elsewhere as love and lover!  In God’s message through Isaiah he addresses the people as “the offspring of Abraham, my friend” [isaiah 41:8], it is the same Hebrew word. 

            

In a few days we will read Daniel’s desperate “prayer and pleas for mercy … O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him …” [Daniel 9:3-4]  “Love” is the same Hebrew word!   Let us meditate on the quality of our love for him – and his Son!

            

As we read John’s Gospel earlier this month we saw Jesus’ response to those who proudly said, “Abraham is our father” – meriting the retort, “If you were Abraham’s children you would be doing what Abraham did” [John 8:39]   It maybe that some of these were hearing Peter’s speech which we read today in Acts 2.  The effect of the Spirit-inspired preaching of Peter caused many to be “cut to the heart” [Acts 2:37] and – after that – “with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation’ so those who received his word were baptised” [Acts 2:40-41]  What an even more crooked generation surrounds us today!

             

Back to our opening question; “What is it to RECEIVE God’s word?”  It is one thing to hear (or to read) it, it is something else to “receive” it!   ‘Receiving’ means that God’s word becomes part of (y)our thinking – and, as a result, of your doing.  

            

And so “those who received his word and were baptised …devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” [Acts 2:42]. Before Christ returns may this be our devotion more than ever – and may more receive God’s word and also do this. May we do our part in bringing this about.

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- DC

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27 October 2015 

 

2 Chronicles 24

Daniel 5

Acts 3; 4 

 

"AND WE CANNOT DENY IT"

            

We continue reading the dramatic and exciting account (written by Luke) of the events after Jesus ascended to heaven and the disciples received the gifts of the spirit Jesus had promised to them. [Acts 2:7-14] Their inspired preaching was supported by the miracles they were able to do. [Acts 3] What an audience they now had. 

            

When Peter and John were arrested and they "put them in custody" [Acts 4:3], the "high priest" [Acts 4:6] and other officials were perplexed as to how they could stop them: Peter declared, " let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead­by him this man is standing before you well." [Acts 4:10]

            

The disciples were no longer frightened – or timid – the wonder of the resurrection had transformed them and the gifts of the spirit authenticated their message. Peter declared, "Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:11-12] And that has been the essential truth of the message ever since! 

            

The members of the council are perplexed, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” [Acts 4:16] 

 

Sadly today men do "deny it" – seeing it largely as fiction – if they 'see' it at all – they don't want to begin to consider it – most even deny there is a Creator and foolishly say that all the incredible wonders that exist – sort of 'created' themselves!

            

Peter and John, after their release "went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them." [Acts 4:23]  this caused them all to lift "voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them ..." [Acts 4:24] 

            

Some of the words they then quote from Psalm 2 will soon be so appropriate for today – "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed''".  

            

When Jesus returns – their "rage" will turn into wonderment - they will be forced to say  "we cannot deny it."  But all who do not "deny it" now – indeed, rejoice in their convictions about it – will one day – and how soon(!) take part in the fulfilment of the words the Creator prophesied through Isaiah. "be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness." [isaiah 65:18]    

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- DC

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28 October 2015

 

2 Chronicles 25

Daniel 6

Acts 5; 6  

 

"... ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LIFE”

            

Our world is full of “words” – they are now able to be transmitted in a multitude of ways! Most of them are trivialities, others are news about atrocities and anxieties about the future.  When we were young, the thinkers, the educated leaders of thought and planning looked to a better time coming: there was optimism for the future when bad men – such as Stalin died! But all this optimism has now faded away!

            

The philosophy of evolution now fully pervades human minds, this life is all there is – human ‘visions’ of the future are increasingly clouded – the clouds thicken, storm clouds are brewing!  

            

The human solution!?  Ignore them – and enjoy the ‘present’  as much as you can – the future is ‘now’!   There is no God to fear!  Live life as fully as you can, the only ‘rule’ is to avoid harming anyone. This attitude should take Bible readers to Solomon’s perception – in Proverbs,  “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart” [Proverbs 21:2]  Sadly, even Solomon in his old age did not follow his advice – let us do better. 

            

Our thoughts were diverted along these lines today as we read 2 more chapters in the Acts of the Apostles. We read of the efforts of the authorities, the high priest and his supporters, to stop the apostles preaching.  “The high priest rose up, and all who were with him … filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison." [Acts 5:17-18] 

            

A remarkable thing happened! "During the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,  "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." [Acts 5:19-20]  

            

Only God's word provides "words" of this nature.  And how wonderful and meaningful are "the words of this life" he has provided. Under his guiding hand they have been written down and preserved and translated to provide those who genuinely seek "the words of this life" with a lifetime of study, meditation and guidance.  These “words” illuminate the sterility of the mental darkness  that increasingly floods our world!

            

It cannot be long now before those who have a genuine conviction, having their minds full of "the words of this life" and who have followed the advice they see in Hebrews 10:22, to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with (their) hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience" – that they have their faith turned to sight – and hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." [Matthew 25:21]  

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- DC

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29 October 2015

 

2 Chronicles 26; 27

Daniel 7

Acts 7  

 

"WHEN HE WAS STRONG HE GREW PROUD"

            

We have a particularly thought provoking set of readings today.  In Acts we have Stephens’ most challenging speech – it is a history lesson of the failures of the Jewish nation in the past – failures to be faithful to their God – failures which climaxed in their rejection of Jesus.  The religious leaders were “proud” of their positions of authority, because of this nearly all had failed to recognise the authority, and therefore, the identity of Jesus.

            

Daniel 7 contains ‘parables’ of human kingdoms and the misuse of power because of human pride: but the climax, surely in our days, is when the Almighty creates a “kingdom and dominion” which “shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him (and 'them').'" [Daniel 7:27]  

            

How wonderful beyond our comprehension!  This is the time when the 'immortal saints' will have literally become part of the family of the Creator and will never suffer from growing "proud."

            

There is a very good lesson for us in our reading in 2 Chronicles 26.  A new king came to the throne and at first he was a wise God-fearing king, "He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper." [2 Chronicles 26:5]  We have the Bible to instruct us – and as long as we seek to absorb its message into our minds – we will spiritually “prosper.”. 

            

However, the new king,  "… when he was strong, he grew proud" [2 Chronicles 26:16] and "was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple ... to burn incense on the altar of incense." [2 Chronicles 26:16] 

            

The priests tell Uzziah "you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honour from the LORD God. ... Then Uzziah was angry ... and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead" [2 Chronicles 26:18-19]  

            

The lesson for us is plain.  It is a tragedy if our knowledge of God's word leads, over time, to us becoming spiritually proud.  The prophecy given through Isaiah is particularly relevant in these last days, "...the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and it shall be brought low" [isaiah 2:12]  Surely that day is almost upon us – may the visions we are reading in Daniel inspire (and humble) us.  

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- DC

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30 October 2015

 

2 Chronicles 28

Daniel 8

Acts 8

 

“… HAD RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD”                                                                                             

 

We recall how Jesus often went through Samaria in travelling from Jerusalem to Galilee and back. On several occasions he spent time with the people there.  Remember how some said, “we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.” [John 4:42]  So we can see that the Samarians were ready for the Gospel harvest. Jesus commissioned his disciples as he was about to ascend to heaven that they were to “be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [Acts 1:8] Only today is the message really reaching “the end of the earth.” 

            

The disciples were slow at first to carry out his commission. Preaching was concentrated on Jerusalem until Stephen was killed, but, after Stephen’s death the believers “were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” [Acts 8:1]  We read today how Philip made a particular effort to preach in Samaria [Acts 8:5] “and the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said … and saw the signs that he did … so there was much joy …” [Acts 8:6,8] 

           

“When they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God, they were baptised … now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent to them Peter and John” [Acts 8:12,14].  

            

This is a key word – receive, received, that we will encounter in the book of Acts and apostolic writings. As an example,the first verse of Acts 11 tells us, “Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.” [Acts 11:1].  The point we must recognise is that it is one thing to read and to hear about the message of the Kingdom and of Christ’s return to establish it – but it is another to receive it into our heart and mind.  

              

When we come to Acts 17 we will see a special example of this in Acts 17:11. The Jews “in Thessalonica   “received the word with all eagerness, to see if these things were so.”   A message that becomes part of your thinking - motivates you into action to examine the Scriptures daily. 

            

Have you “received” the word of God – or only just know about it? To find it interesting is only a stepping stone – the journey to conviction has to be completed and it is a fascinating, exciting and totally rewarding, it is the only journey worth taking in this ungodly world.   

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- DC 

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31 October 2015

 

2 Chronicles 29

Daniel 9

Acts 9  

 

"A CHOSEN INSTRUMENT ... TO CARRY MY NAME”

            

We have a mentally absorbing set of readings today. They are most spiritually stimulating – and challenging! In 2 Chronicles 29 we read of the ascension to the throne of Hezekiah – and in the “first month” he opened up the Temple and ordered the Levites to begin a process of thoroughly cleansing it ready for use. We think of the return of our Lord to reign. We cannot begin to imagine how his reign will start – but it is certain it will be utterly awesome!  Surely he will waste no time in setting in train events to cleanse the world of all its’ present filth!

            

In Acts 9 we read of the dramatic conversion of Saul, soon to be called Paul. As he nears Damascus he hears the voice of Jesus!  Will we hear his voice – at his return?  How?  The gospels tell us, "... the powers in the heavens will be shaken ... then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory ... then he will send out the angels and gather his elect ..." [Mark 13:25-27]

            

When Paul hears his voice he is taken into Damascus – blind!  Ananias, "a disciple at Damascus" [Acts 9:10] is told to find Saul!  He objects, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints ..." [Acts 9:13], but he is told, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel." [Acts 9:15]

            

'Food' for our serious meditation here! What is it to "carry" Christ's "name"? Do we do that? Is this not to represent Christ in some way? Did not Jesus set an example! "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" [John 14:9] So whoever sees us, sees ....? Food for our deepest meditation!

            

This takes us to our final thought today in Daniel 9 and this prophet's remarkable prayer.  It is one of the most detailed in Scripture. A particular highlight for us is Daniel 9:15. "O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day ..."  

            

That word “name” – has the sense of making a reputation.  The aim of many people today, especially politicians, is to make a 'name' for themselves!  Most 'names' are increasingly ungodly!  In utter contrast – our aim must be to make sure we "carry" Christ's "name" – following, to at least  some degree, in the footsteps of Paul as he fulfilled the role the Master destined for him -  "to carry my name before the Gentiles ..."

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- DC

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