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TFTBR - December 2015


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26 December 2015

 

Job 35; 36

Zechariah 11

Revelation 12; 13 

 

“THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES”

 

Do not most human beings love their lives?  The question occurred in our minds as we read Revelation 12:11 today. It follows on from Revelation 12:9 and its reference to "the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world."  We recall how a particular disciple of Jesus was called a "devil" - in John 6:70 Jesus said, ""Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil."    The world is increasingly full of people with a godless mindset: indeed, today, this is just about "the whole world." How few "know" God. How much does this influence us? Let us be honest in our self-examination!

            

In John 12:25 there is one of the most challenging things Jesus said, "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."   We may say that these are 2 opposites - but in the way our Saviour sees human lives - these are the two choices - there is nothing in between!  A picture that is plainly portrayed in several sayings of Jesus. Those who seek to serve him and his Father must "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." [Matthew 7:13]

            

There are areas (and countries) in life where the 2 'gates' are, or have been, far more in evidence than at other times and places. Back in Revelation, we see that "the devil and Satan" is in charge of the broad way - and is very welcoming to human nature - unless that nature is "inspired" by the words and ways of God. 

 

Our reading in Revelation shows that those who "conquered" did so "by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death." [Revelation 12:11] We have “the word of their testimony” – we must, in a sense, love it more than our lives.

            

What is it to love ones' life?  It means to love the here and the now, possessions and experiences – letting them fully occupy our thoughts - setting out to love and enjoy this life. Most see this as being what their 'evolved' lives are all about – of what their Creator must be.

            

But those not blinded - develop an increasingly wondrous vision of the Creator - and His Son - embracing the Son with all their hearts and minds - for their Saviour has given them eternal meaning to their lives. Is that true of you and I?   Let us relate our thoughts on this back to what we read last week in 1 John 2 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world­the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life­is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." [1 John 2:15-17] 

 

May "the love of the Father" be in us - for then, if the situation of evil so develops around us  we will be among those who have "loved not their lives even unto death" but we will “abide forever.”  

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- DC

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27 December 2015

 

Job 37

Zechariah 12

Revelation 14 

 

"ENDURANCE OF THE SAINTS ..."

 

We read yesterday in Revelation 13 [Revelation 13:10] and again today in Revelation 14 “here is a call for the endurance of the saints” [Revelation 14:12] describing the saints as “those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” Older versions use the word “patience” instead of “endurance” – it means that their faith creates in them an enduring attitude of mind.

 

As the climax of human rule on earth is reached so the testing of faith will grow greater. This is the last of 7 significant references in Revelation to refer to the need for an enduring patience. In contrast to this today’s chapter contains the first of 7 references to “the wrath of God.” It is also the first time the word “Babylon” is used. This word in Hebrew is “Babel” – the tower that men built after the flood saying “let us make a name for ourselves” [Genesis 11:4], turning their backs on the name of God. “So the LORD dispersed them from there” by confusing their language, otherwise “nothing that they propose to do will be impossible for them.” [Genesis 11:8,6]

 

In our 21st Century the language barrier has been greatly overcome with automatic translation methods via Computers so it appears to be now true - from God’s perspective - that “nothing … will be impossible” for humans to achieve! We therefore expect God to show his power to humble humans, at the same time testing the “endurance” of those who put their faith in Jesus.

 

In the next verse [Revelation 14:13] John is told, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on, Blessed indeed … that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them.” These are spared from what is described in the following verses when the angel is told “Put in your sickle and reap for the hour has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” [Revelation 14:15] “So the angel swung his sickle … and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God” [Revelation 14:19]

 

Revelation 15:1 tells us that “the wrath of God is finished” by 7 last plagues and “those who had conquered … sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds … O king of the nations … Who will not fear O Lord … For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” [Revelation 15:3,4] Let strive, through the strength of our endurance and with our Lord’s help, to be among those who conquer - and sing that song.

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- DC 

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28 December 2015

 

Job 38

Zechariah 13; 14

Revelation 15; 16  

 

"GREAT AND AMAZING"

            

We have a particularly mind challenging set of chapters to read today!  One could write a book of comments about them - but we would need special spiritual insight into the correct meaning of some of the verses - but this is the wonder of God's word - which presents us with a lifelong challenge of how to fit most, if not all, of its'  'jigsaw pieces' correctly into place. 

            

First, are the words of the LORD when he finally "answered Job out of the whirlwind and asked him:  'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?'" [Job 38:1-2]  The LORD is not saying that Job has spoken that which is wrong. (only the 3 friends are guilty of that, see Job 42:7) 

 

Job confesses, "I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me ..." And how great are the wonders of nature and space which humans have discovered in recent years - and have blindly tried to fit them into the human theory of evolution!  Job was not guilty of that – and we must not be either.

            

Zechariah has  an awe-inspiring chapter for us - its' climax describes how one day (and how soon now?) "the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one." [Zechariah 14:9] This leads us to the wonderful but challenging words and visions in Revelation 15 - and makes us ask - what is to happen before the LORD is king over all the earth? 

            

John says at the start of the chapter,  "Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing ... seven plagues ... with them the wrath of God is finished."  And then "they sing the song of Moses ... and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!  Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you ..." [Revelation 15:3-4] 

            

How long now!?  How "great and amazing" will be our experience if we are blessed, through his mercy and his grace, to witness these wonders.  We surely long to witness the time when the Creator’s "righteous acts have been revealed." [Revelation 15:4] This will be because we have, here and now, embraced "the law of the Spirit of life (that) has set (us) free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." [Romans 8:2]   

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- DC

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29 December 2015

 

Job 39

Malachi 1

Revelation 17; 18  

 

MALACHI - ISRAEL'S LAST PROPHET   

                                                                                                                        

Malachi is the last prophet God sent to his people Israel before John the Baptist and Christ came on the scene. After Malachi there is silence in Israel, no inspired man from God appears.  Of course the records of the messages of the prophets are available; indeed they are carefully preserved as we have seen with the discovery of so many scrolls in the caves by the Dead Sea in 1947-50.

 

So was there anything significant in the message God sent through the last prophet?  The first half of his short book is a lament by God that the people only give in sacrifice to him what we might call the ‘leftovers.’    The prophet’s message is, “You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD.  Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.” [Malachi 1:13-14] 

 

Have these words any application today for those who say they believe and serve God?  They certainly have! While there is no temple for us to bring our offerings, there is a spiritual temple.  Paul wrote, “we are the temple of the living God; as God said, I will make my dwelling among them …” [2 Corinthians 6:16].  Paul made the same point to the believers at Ephesus saying that, “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” [Ephesians 2:22]

 

Gatherings of believers must sense the wonder of this happening, the wonder of God’s involvement in their lives.  But how many only give to God the leftovers of their time in these days?  Do some feel, as we read in Malachi, “What a weariness this is” [Malachi 1:13] when they feel obliged to find some time to use in a spiritual way.  God even felt it would be better if someone “would shut the doors” to the temple so they “might not kindle fire on my altar in vain.” [Malachi 1:10]. 

            

So if we only give to God our ‘left over’ time will not God also say of us, “I have no pleasure in you … I will not accept an offering”.  If we struggle to fit in time, and often do not succeed, in joining with fellow believers in acts of worship and in the reading and study of God’s word, will God not have the same attitude toward us as he did in the days of Malachi?  

 

If we make a New Year’s resolution on this – how quickly will it be broken?  

 

It depends on how well we sense the presence of God – and the climax of the book of Job gives us a lesson on this – as we will read in the next 2 days.  But also in Malachi - especially the last 3 verses of the 3rd chapter – they are a VITAL read!  

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- DC

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30 December 2015

 

Job 40

Malachi 2

Revelation 19; 20 

 

"FINE LINEN, BRIGHT AND PURE"

            

We continue our reading - and meditation - on the visions John received and recorded in the book of Revelation.  The scenes, largely in symbol, picture God's judgements on a godless world - but, at the same time - his blessings on those who truly follow "the Lamb" - as our Lord Jesus is described.

            

A voice comes "from the throne ...  saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great." [Revelation 19:5]  Is there significance in the "small" being mentioned first?  John then hears "what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude" [Revelation 19:6] And what a multitude there will surely be of resurrected ones who have committed their lives to Christ over the last 1,985 years (or thereabouts) since he made his sacrifice for them.

            

These are described as "his bride."  The words of Revelation 19:8 invite - nay, demand - that we give them our deepest meditation; " 'it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure' ­ for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints." 

            

The next verse tells us, these are "Blessed" and "are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." The angels then adds, "these are the true words of God."

            

We reflect to on what we have been reading in Job, the resurrection will embrace more than those who are lived since the teaching of Christ. Job declared, " For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." [Job 19:25]  We also remember the teaching of Jesus, " I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom ..." [Matthew 8:11]

            

In whatever time remains until it is clearly evident God is judging our godless world (and how awesome that judgement will be!) let us, who believe we are, by his grace, members of "the Bride" redouble our efforts to make ourselves "ready" and so, by his grace, be spiritually clothed with "fine linen, bright and pure". 

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- DC

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31 December 2015

 

Job 41; 42

Malachi 3; 4

Revelation 21; 22  

 

"BUT FOR YOU WHO FEAR MY NAME ..."                                                                                             

        

If you believe in God, are you in awe of him?  This is the underlying sense of the word ‘fear.’  God does not want us to be scared of him as we might be scared of a bully or an evil person.  The closing words of the Old Testament we read today show how God will deal with evil, “Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evil doers will be stubble.”  [Malachi 4:1]  These are words which compare with the awesome parts of the Revelation chapters we read yesterday. 

        

Then God reveals to Malachi an opposite vision.  “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.  And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet … says the LORD of hosts.” [Malachi 4:2-4]  Again, Revelation helps us to ‘see’ the meaning of the imagery of this wording.

        

There are comparisons here with the words of the LORD to Job in his final chapter which we also read today.   We noted what Job acknowledged concerning God; “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” [Job 42:2].   This is Job’s response to God’s question, “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” 

        

Job says “I have uttered what I did not understand … I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself and repent …” [Job 42:3,5,6]  It was Job’s lack of “knowledge” in the sense of knowing, of having a relationship.    And for us, a ‘real’ prayer life is an essential step toward achieving this ourselves. Do we talk or write about things we do “not understand” at times? Hasn’t this proved to be the case with some of our attempts to interpret and ‘understand’ prophecy over the years?

        

Job had known God in theory and, in that sense, had spoken “what is right” about him [Job 42:7], not like the “friends” with whom God is angry. Job now ‘sees’ the awesome reality of what he had been talking to the ‘friends’ about.  Job is surely one of those God was referring to in his words through Malachi, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise.”  

         

May we develop a frame of mind, a spirit of meditation  so that this is also true of us – and our “fear” – that is awe of the “name” (our sense of the awesome character and power)) of the Creator is ready for when the “day” that “is coming” actually comes!  How awesome!  What ‘real’ faith we will surely need – and the time to make sure we have it is now!  2016 has all the indications of being a faith testing year.     

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- DC

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