Resource Manager Posted July 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2016 26 July 2016 2 Samuel 12Jeremiah 16Matthew 27 "FOR MY EYES ARE ON ALL THEIR WAYS" We found today’s readings rather overwhelming in the variety of thoughts they provoked! In Jeremiah 16, two contrasting parts. The first part was God’s denunciation of his people; he said, “I have taken away my peace from this people, my steadfast love and mercy” [Jeremiah 16:5]. And God did so – in greater and greater degrees because they failed to maintain their belief in God, no one was godly any more. We are in awe that a parallel to this is happening in our world. Godless behaviour is more openly permitted; homosexuality for example is becoming accepted as “normal” with legislation to recognise this! Jeremiah tells his generation on God’s behalf, “you have done worse than your father’s … every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.” [Jeremiah 16:12] Could not the same be said of the ‘christian’ world today! Then the scene changes to the distant future of Israel, a scene which we have witnessed in our lifetime. “Behold the days are coming declares the LORD when … I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers,” adding, “I am sending for many fishers … afterward I will send for many hunters … for my eyes are on all their ways.” [Jeremiah 16:14-17] Israel are God’s people, their re-establishment as a nation after 1900 years is a miracle God caused. Just as God’s eyes have been “on all their ways” because they are his people so it is true, that the Gentiles who accepted Christ also became his people (see Romans 9:24-26) and God’s eyes are therefore “on all their ways.” How sad he must be as he sees what has become of the world today where the Bible is so readily available in every tongue, but so little heeded. Will he not end up dealing with them as he did the Jews in the days of Jeremiah – and again in the days of the apostles, because they killed His Son? Of course he will – and, we are in awe - because this seems to be about to happen. Glancing forward to tomorrow’s chapter in Jeremiah we note God’s words recorded there. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick: who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give to every man (and woman) according to his (or her) ways, according to the fruit of their deeds” [Jeremiah 17:9-10] What “fruit” is your life producing? Let us each do some careful self-examination.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2016 27 July 2016 2 Samuel 13Jeremiah 17Matthew 28 "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO ..." It is our chapter in Jeremiah that particularly jumps out for our mediation today, but first we read the sad story of the trouble that developed in the family of David following his sin with Bathsheba and her husband, adultery and murder! God “put away” [2 Samuel 12:13] David’s sin, in the sense he did not suffer the penalty decreed under the law; but he suffered the consequences, his authority with his family had been undermined. However, the words of Paul come to mind, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” [Romans 8:28] This applies to even bad things and in this case they caused David to pen some meaningful Psalms, prayers (e.g. Psalm 40) that have been a solace and inspiration to sinners down through the centuries. How parallel to these lessons are the words the LORD inspired Jeremiah to write we read today ... "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD." [Jeremiah 17:5] The next verse is a mini-parable, "He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places ... salt land." Our world is becoming such a land, so little spiritual food is growing. Israel had become like this and how agonising life had become for Jeremiah! And is becoming for us! Jeremiah's next verse provides the inspiration we need - if we are to survive in the "parched places" that surround us. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD." There are two statements there - notice the difference!? Those whose trust is "in the LORD" are invited to develop a relationship so that their "trust is the LORD" Our thoughts go to David's Psalm 40, "Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust ..." [Psalm 40:4] And how many, who reach our stage in life, can make Psalm 71:5-9 their prayer? We live in a world, where, more than ever, Jeremiah 17:9 is so woefully true! "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick ..." Let us remain healthy in mind being fully conscious that "the LORD search(es) the heart and test(s) the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." [Jeremiah 17:10] Oh the wonder to come for those who are among the "blessed ... who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD." -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2016 28 July 2016 2 Samuel 14Jeremiah 18Romans 1; 2 “THE GOSPEL … 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. God gave Isaiah a vision of this time, as we read last month in Isaiah 29 about events around Jerusalem (code named ‘Ariel’) “the city where David encamped” [isaiah 29:1] and how God will deal 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. Now today, in Romans 1, we saw how Paul wrote 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 in India, years ago) asked me to tell him about the Christian God as he could no longer believe the nonsense about an Elephant headed God! But what do we tell people about the true God? How do we describe “the power of God” – in a genuine scriptural sense? 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 the theory 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! As it is a falsehood, it 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 fact, 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. Have we let this gospel become a power in our lives – influencing every aspect of our thinking and doing? Only then will we really live a life worth living – and – in the future - experience the wonder of the far greater life God is about to reveal for those who genuinely love him. Let us embrace “the power of God” through ‘the original gospel’ – showing this in every aspect of the way we live our lives.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2016 29 July 2016 2 Samuel 15Jeremiah 19Romans 3; 4 "HE GREW STRONG IN FAITH" Paul’s message in Romans 3; 4 which we read today, contain the ‘heart’ of the divine message of salvation, yet how few perceive this. The foundation springboard truth is the point Paul made to the Galatians "that God ... preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." [Galatians 3:8] Here in Romans, this is enlarged to give us a fuller picture , that all should "also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had ..." [Romans 4:12] In this way they demonstrate that they truly believe. Paul then makes the point that "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] and he adds, most significantly; "it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace … to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all," [Romans 4:15-16] We meditate on this - the wonder of "grace" - instead of trying to observe the detail of the Mosaic law and the many failures to do so we read in the Old Testament - climaxing in the motivations of those who called for the crucifixion of Christ. Let us follow in the footsteps of the followers of Jesus, who, like Paul, " walk in the footsteps of the faith that ... Abraham had." Abraham, as "he grew strong in his faith … gave glory to God” and in “hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations that God was able to do what he had promised." [Romans 4:20-22] And what had God promised? That he would have a son and heir was only the start! Abraham "in hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations" [Romans 4:18] May we, with him, be "fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised" and grow "strong" in our "faith" - following “in faith”, as Paul was obviously doing. Let us, with Paul, be " fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." [Romans 4:21] and grow really “strong in faith” – amid the faithlessness – and increasing spirit of hopelessness – all around us in the world. As a ‘footnote’ – let us note how Abraham is mentioned in the very first verse of the New Testament – isn’t that significant!-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2016 30 July 2016 2 Samuel 16Jeremiah 20Romans 5; 6 “THAT GRACE MAY ABOUND” What is grace? Simple question, but the answer is not exactly simple, especially when we try to be sure we understand the means by which ‘grace’ works. The word ‘grace’ was a special word for Paul! He had been persecuting believers, he had put them in prison, had been complicit in the death of the first martyr, Stephen. But the Lord Jesus had picked him out as a ‘chosen instrument’ [Acts 9:15] as he told Ananias in a vision. It is evident from the words Paul heard him speak on the Damascus Road, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” [Acts 26:14], that Paul had been having a battle with his conscience. Now the 4 words in our heading, “that grace may abound” taken from today’s reading in Romans 6:1; they have to be put in their context. Sadly, in many cases, such as popular Christian songs, they are not. Twice in Romans 5, which is also our reading today, Paul makes the point that those who sin, who follow the example of Adam (and this is everybody) can experience the “free gift” [Romans 5:15,16,17] of grace, which means unmerited forgiveness; their sins are blotted out of God’s sight. Wonderful! What then? Paul writes, “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” [Romans 5:20]. Some read this and think it is saying that it does not matter how much you sin, grace always abounds more and more! If they, or you, think that, they (and you) are completely missing Paul’s point. Yet, tragically, some do think that. There is a misleading slogan, ‘Once saved, always saved’ used in some circles, but it is a distortion of the words of Scripture. Paul asks, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue to sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” [Romans 6:1-2] The statement immediately causes us to ask, how can we ‘die to sin’ when we are surrounded by it; the world has become so godless, it constantly bombards us with temptations in many different ways!? Consider what Paul goes on to write, he says the result of having “died to sin” was “in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” [Romans 6:6] Paul had previously known of Christ, but what he knew he completely misunderstood. But all that changed with his conversion, outwardly demonstrated by baptism [Acts 9:18]. He now belonged to Christ. As Paul moves toward the climax of his most challenging epistle, he writes, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” [Romans 13:14] There are more texts that will challenge our thinking on this as we come to Romans 7; 8 tomorrow.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted July 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2016 31 July 2016 2 Samuel 17Jeremiah 21Romans 7; 8 "TO SET THE MIND ON THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE" Today we follow on from our thoughts yesterday on Romans 5; 6 and read slowly and meditatively to savour the unfolding reasoning of Paul. He laments, “I do not understand my own actions … I do the very thing I hate” [Romans 7:15] and then adds, “I have the desire to do what is right but not the ability to carry it out” [Romans 7:18]. This was his experience in trying to keep the law from Moses. He continues, “I delight in the Law of God in my inner being, but I see another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members (i.e. within me). Wretched man that I am!” [Romans 7:22-24]. He then asks the question, “who will deliver me from this …” and he answers himself, in his meditations, “thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ …” [Romans 7:25] We are now back to the subject of GRACE! The questions recurs, does it matter how much I sin seeing that the “law of sin … dwells” in me? The answer at first seems to be ‘No’ when the first verse of Romans 8 tells us, “There is therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” But the answer starts to unfold as we read on in this chapter. Jesus also experienced “sinful flesh” [Romans 8:3] and he achieved what we cannot, he remained sinless. Through him “God has done what the law (of Moses), weakened by the flesh could not do … that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.” [Romans 8:3-4] What kind of walk is that? Then we specially noted the next 2 verses, “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” There is no “life and peace” until we develop a spiritual relationship with our Lord. Those who do this are no longer “in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” [Romans 8:9]. This is not the power to do miracles, rather it is the strength that comes from a heartfelt relationship with our Saviour. In his final letter Paul tells Timothy, “God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” [2 Timothy 1:7] This is a spirit of mind that the old law could not do. Those who “set their minds” on this new relationship are “set free” and experience the reality of the Proverb, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” [Proverbs 4:18]-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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