Resource Manager Posted November 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2015 26 November 2015 Esther 1Amos 62 Timothy 3; 4 "IN THE LAST DAYS ... TIMES OF DIFFICULTY” We completed reading Paul’s letters to Timothy today; it seems evident they are his final letters as he nears the end of his life. He is in prison and reflects on his journey in life; "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." [2 Timothy 4:7] He can then say - with a wondrous sense of spiritual satisfaction - "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." [2 Timothy 4:8] Have we "loved his appearing"? But we have never met our Saviour - but there is no evidence that Paul did either - except in hearing his challenging voice on the road to Damascus! But should not our minds, 'hear his voice' as our minds absorb God's word, especially as the gospels unfold the challenging teachings of our Saviour! How that word was absorbed into human minds in the first century or two until it became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Sadly, however, in the process it became extremely corrupted, its' meaning twisted and added to by men who wanted to "marry" it to the old pagan ways of thinking and believing. Paul, in his final letter warns in 2 Timothy 3 that "in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant ... ungrateful, unholy ... without self-control, brutal, not loving good ... swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." [2 Timothy 3:1-4] Those words have come more true than ever in the 21st century. How well are you and I coping with this situation? How valuable are these inspired writings for us, they alone, Paul told Timothy (and all readers of his letter) "are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." [2 Timothy 3:15]. Paul makes the vital point that "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness ..." to enable believers to become "complete, equipped for every good work." [2 Timothy 3:16-17] How close are you and I to becoming “complete”? How great the challenge in these "last days" and increasing "times of difficulty" to remain faithful so that we can, with Paul, receive, " the crown of righteousness" because we "have loved his appearing" [2 Timothy 4:8] by reading his word and filling our hearts and minds with an awareness of God and the wondrous Saviour he has provided for us. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2015 27 November 2015 Esther 2Amos 7Titus 1; 2; 3 “MUST HOLD FIRM TO …” What things are taught these days to which we must hold firm?” Few behavioural things – if we follow the world! Political parties are forever at odds with each other – wanting to change things! Our N.T. reading today comprises all 3 chapters of the letter Paul wrote to Titus. Paul had left him in Crete “so that you might put what remained into order ..." [Titus 1:5] so that believers might become more strongly devoted to believing and living the gospel - for it is a way of life, not just a way of belief. One of his tasks is to "appoint elders in every town" and they must be "above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers" [Titus 1:5-6]. He must be "a lover of good,” being “self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined." [Titus 1:8] Our minds stray to the present problems of the R.C. church with their priests - which they do not allow to marry - this unnatural rule is their own invention - no wonder they have problems. What folly to claim the Bible is God's word and then distort its message - indeed, largely ignore it! But let us not spend too much time criticising - or we fail to effectively take into our own minds how it instructs us to live - and what to believe. Paul tells Titus he must find and appoint suitable overseers (the early English versions say 'Bishops') who "must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." [Titus 1:9] Sadly, in the generations that followed this happened less and less, there came to be more and more who would "profess to know God, but … deny him by their works." [Titus 1:16] History has abundant lessons for us in this, but we must "teach what accords with sound doctrine." [Titus 2:1] as Paul tells Titus. In doing this we must use "sound speech that cannot be condemned ..." [Titus 2:8] for we "must hold firm to" the original gospel and faith, for God is increasing showing his anger with the godlessness around us. It was like that in the days of Amos - and tomorrow we will read in his 8th chapter that "In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst." [Amos 8:13] It is even worse, much worse (from an eternal perspective), to “faint for thirst” of God’s word. So let us recognise ever more clearly - and surely - that we "must hold firm to ... sound doctrine." -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 28 November 2015 Esther 3; 4Amos 8Philemon 1 "A FAMINE ... OF HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD" "Behold, the days are coming," the Lord GOD told the prophet, as we read today in Amos 8:11, "when I will send a famine on the land – not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.' And what God 'sent' happened! Amos 8:7 is significant, "The LORD has sworn ... 'Surely I will never forget any of their deeds." And what godless deeds! And so it happened in those distant days. And it happened again in the days of Christ – when the nation came under the control of the Romans - and was later destroyed because they did not recognise their Messiah. These lessons in history are a warning for our world today – but nobody is listening – there is "a famine ... of hearing (and reading) the words of the LORD" In Amos' day there were copies of God's word available, we read in Nehemiah earlier this month of the neglected book being found and the reformation that followed. And there had been prophet's like Amos, but no one took any notice of them, and so, today's chapter ends, "they shall fall, and never rise again." And so it happened - especially to Samaria – the ‘deaf’ tribes we noted – are called here – "the guilt of Samaria" [Amos 8:14] What of "the guilt" of this world? It's godlessness grows ever greater! But, may we 'hear' it said of each other, as Paul says in his letter to Philemon, which we also read today, "I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective ..." [Philemon 5-6]. When it is effective it prevents any "famine... of hearing the words of the LORD" amongst us - and we will surely have " an inheritance that is imperishable ... who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed ..." [1 Peter 1:4-5] We realize more and more, because we read and absorb God’s word every day, the need to “approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” [Philippians 1:10-11] Let us make sure you and I are feeling “filled” a little more – each and every day – and there is no “famine” amongst us.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 29 November 2015 Esther 5; 6Amos 9Hebrews 1; 2 "A GREAT SALVATION" Today we began reading the letter the Hebrews. Many of its verses are full of meaning! It is important to grasp the flow of reasoning – and not to take one phrase or sentence out of its context. The writer was most probably Paul; but since it is written primarily for the Jews – and he had fallen out of favour with many of them because he worked among the Gentiles and was converting so many, but had not (as they thought he should) taught them to keep the Jewish laws and practices, Paul was unpopular. This may explain why this epistle (more suitable to call it a book) was circulated without the author being named. He starts by telling them “God spoke to the fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things” [Hebrews 1:2] and “after making purification for sins (i.e. dying for our sins) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs” [Hebrews 1:3-4] It was Centuries later that theologians in the by then ‘Roman’ church came up with the concept referred to as ‘the mystery of the Trinity’ – and the man-made creeds which then resulted confuse human understanding. The creeds seem to have influenced translators a little in their rendering of Greek prepositions, en, dia, etc, But read the total context and we will grasp the obvious flow of Paul’s reasoning. Hebrews 1:8 is interesting, it is the only verse in the Bible in which Jesus is called ‘God.’ (apart from when the astonished and doubting Thomas said, “My Lord and My God”) Hebrews 1:8-9 quote Psalm 45:6-7 which prophesy about Jesus that “Your throne O God is forever and ever … you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God. has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” Jesus represented God, he said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” [John 14:9], but he wasn’t the Father. In the same way in Old Testament times angels represented God on special occasions. Do true believers represent Christ? Well Jesus told Paul on the road to Damascus, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” [Acts 9:4]. Jesus has “ransomed people for God … and you have made them a kingdom … and they shall reign on earth.” [Revelation 5:9-10] and will surely represent Christ in a special way at that time. Hebrews 2 presents us with a heart-searching challenge and question, “… we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it … how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” [Hebrews 2:1,3]-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 30 November 2015 Esther 7; 8Obadiah 1Hebrews 3; 4; 5 "THE DAYS ARE COMING ... WHEN" What a range of thoughts today’s readings provoke. We began with the drama recorded in Esther - of Haman’s plot against the Jews being overturned, the whole account seems so parallel to events in these latter days. It is also parallel with the final verses in today’s last chapter in Amos. "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when ... I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel ... I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them" We have seen this happen - and await its' completion: it is a prophecy that further strengthens our convictions in the wondrous truth of what God has caused to be written and preserved. Finally we have Hebrews 3; 4; 5. Notice how in Hebrews 3 the Psalm 95:7-8 is quoted - that believers are told "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as ... on the day of testing in the wilderness ..." [Psalm 95:7-8] But hearts are hardened today, few take any notice of God's word - is it starting to affect us? Let us take Hebrews 3:12-14 into our minds as a message for us - personally - for today. "Take care … lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day ... that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." The word "exhort" primarily means 'encourage'. No longer can we say "the days are coming" - they have come - so let us make every endeavour, through daily 'feeding' our minds on God's word to make sure we maintain our convictions of faith and resultant "confidence firm to the end."-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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