Resource Manager Posted January 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 26 January 2017 Genesis 42; 43Psalms 46; 47; 48Matthew 28 "GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH" Just as parts of the Psalms, such as Psalm 22:1,6,10,11 foreshadowed events and sayings in the mortal life of our Lord, so Psalms 46; 47 we read today can be seen as portraying the awesome events at and after the time of his second coming. The overview of those events which these Psalms provide, show how vital it will be for us to possess and “to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end … imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” [Hebrews 6:11-12] The opening of Psalm 46 should be memorized and become part of our daily thoughts; “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way … though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble …” [Psalm 46:1-3] “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter …” [Psalm 46:6] But in the midst of this awesome upheaval , “… the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High (is seen) … God will help her when morning dawns.” [Psalm 46:4-5] Until that dawning, the darkness of human depravity and folly will dominate life on earth. But with the dawning to a new day which the return of Christ will bring will come a sober reflection on God’s judgments: “Come behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth, He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth …” [Psalm 46:8-9] How wonderful! How awesome! But as it becomes more and more evident that God’s judgments are starting today how vital it will be that “God is our refuge and strength” and for us to “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations …” [Psalm 46:10] At that time, may we, by God’s grace, be part of the action described in Psalm 47 “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the LORD, the Most High is to be feared, a great king over the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations …” [Psalm 47:1-3] If God is truly our refuge now – then, by his grace, that will be our experience.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted January 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 27 January 2017 Genesis 44; 45Psalms 49Romans 1; 2 “WHY SHOULD I FEAR IN TIME OF TROUBLE” How challenging for us is the ungodliness that surrounds us. It has some degree of attraction for us in our fleshly weaknesses. Our Psalm 49 today begins, “Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together!” How few can “hear” God’s message to them today! Psalm 49:5 jumps out at us and challenges us to remember and keep repeating what we read here! “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when … iniquity … surrounds me ...” We are surrounded by iniquity more than ever. Such are the ways of life that almost no one has any thought of their being an all-seeing God who has his eyes of the earth and the people he created. The next verse asks about “those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?” What is described as their future? The Psalmist is inspired to write “no man can … give to God the price of his life … that he should live on forever …” [Psalm 49:7-8] In Psalm 49:12 we pick up a heart-challenging declaration, “Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.” But this is a description of a certain path – called elsewhere as the wide way! Earlier this month we read the words of Jesus that “the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” [Matthew 7:13] However – back in Psalm 49 the Psalmist declares (and invites his readers to sing) “God will ransom my soul from the power of the grave for he will receive me.” [Psalm 49:15] All who have this hope in their hearts, those who are true committed believers in God and his word should ask themselves, as we read (and quoted) in Psalm 49:5, “Why should I fear in times of trouble?” We should recall what we read yesterday at the start of Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way …”-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted January 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 28 January 2017 Genesis 46; 47Psalms 50Romans 3; 4 “CLAIMING TO BE WISE, THEY BECAME …" Yesterday we started reading Paul’s letter to the Romans. It contains so much that is relevant to life today. Paul writes of how humans, “claiming to be wise, they became fools” [Romans 1:22] He says, “what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them” [Romans 1:19] He says, “his invisible attributes …. have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” [Romans 1:20] In other words, although God himself cannot be seen by human eyes, the evidence of his existence should be plain to humans because of all the remarkable things which he has created. Paul continues, “they became futile in their thinking and their foolish heart was darkened.” [Romans 1:21] The foolishness of those days, which still continues among some nations, is to believe God is represented in animals, such as Elephants, and to worship them. But today, throughout what we call the Western world, so many who are “claiming to be wise” - believe there is no God of any kind, that everything that exists in some unknowable way - created itself! This was possible, they strangely reason, if we allow enough millions and billions of years, through an endless series of “accidents.” Yet the more humans discover the wonders of the world in which they live, the more incredible they finds it to be, all the wonders of DNA being one of the recent examples. As a result, the more foolish their words in “claiming to be wise” appear to be! Marvellous designs – but no designer! The tragedy is that, having convinced themselves there is no God, the words of Paul which follow are even more true today than ever before. He wrote “and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice … haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless …” [Romans 1:28-31] There is much more in this chapter including a condemnation of indecent acts; as things that humans do when they have no knowledge or belief in the one and only God. It is becoming clearer that there is no middle road, we either believe or we do not – and if we believe, we must not be half hearted about it. When the Kingdom is established, may our king say to us as Pharaoh said to Joseph, “there is none so discerning and wise as you are.” [Genesis 41:39] But for the present we must heed Paul’s warning in Romans, “Never be wise in your own sight.” [Romans 12:16]-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted January 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 29 January 2017 Genesis 48; 49; 50Psalms 51; 52Romans 5; 6 IN WHICH GOD DELIGHTS IN The readings today all challenge us to think and meditate on their application to ourselves. Much personal meditation is called for. Genesis 48 contains Jacob’s reflections at the end of his life, his relationship with “the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” [Genesis 48:15]. Psalm 51 contains David’s outpourings of remorse over his failures, pleading, “according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions” [Psalm 51:1] saying to God, “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” [Psalm 51:6] The secret heart is the hidden heart David had not been conscious of, which was in desperate need of repair. The Hebrew implies this. Today we would probably talk about inner integrity. The central point is that we fail to truly sense how God sees how we think, as well as hearing what we say. This is the point Paul has been making in writing to the Romans “if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness … you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? [Romans 2:19,21] The Jews lacked wisdom in their inward being; their knowledge of God was in the head, but not in the heart. “The Jews”, writes Paul, “were entrusted with the oracles of God” [Romans 3:2]. Many, especially their leaders, were proud of this. But Paul asks, “Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all”, he answers, “all … are under sin, as it is written, ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God … there is no fear (awe) of God before their eyes” [Romans 3:9,10,18] Paul is quoting this from David’s Psalms 14; 36, how appropriate! It is essential that we train our hearts into ways of thinking in which God delights in – and we can only do that if we are totally conscious of his all seeing eye. This is the pivot on which living by faith revolves. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted January 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 30 January 2017 Exodus 1; 2Psalms 53; 54; 55Romans 7; 8 “WE WAIT EAGERLY FOR” Paul’s letter to the Romans contains some of the most meaningful and thought provoking words in Scripture. It is extremely challenging to read it and embrace all its’ points in our minds. Maybe, more than any other book in the Bible, this book calls for our diligent and meditative study. But this is the challenge of the whole Bible, it is not at all like a school text book that you go through in a year’s study and then leave on the shelf for occasional reference. God’s word is designed by him for our lifelong reading and reflection. Paul had been brought up under the Law of Moses with all its rules and regulations. He had been zealous for the Law, but, as a result of his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, he had, with God’s help through the Spirit, applied his mind to the new reality of eternal things – especially - to a personal relationship to his Saviour. The Law of Moses was a Law for Israel as a nation. This Law had been superseded by a situation in which each individual needed to develop a personal relationship with their Saviour the Lord Jesus and with his Father – and through him – is now ‘Our Father.’ Paul writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing …” [Romans 8:18-19] This sense of eagerness is felt by all those who see the emptiness in so much of what people enjoy today: But it is all “creation” that waits for the removal of the curse imposed in Eden. We learn in Genesis how God said to Adam “cursed is the ground because of you” [Genesis 3:17] Paul goes on to say we “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons (& daughters), the redemption of our bodies” [Romans 8:23] How true is the word eagerly – especially as we grow older and our minds and bodies feel the effects. Those who find this life satisfying and enjoyable will not genuinely “wait eagerly” for that which is going to replace it. But for many in the world this life offers little that is enjoyable – so they are often in a far more spiritually acceptable frame of mind before God. Finally, let us all read carefully and prayerfully the last 8 verses of Romans 8 [Romans 8:31-39]. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 31 January 2017 Exodus 3; 4Psalms 56; 57Romans 9 “THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED” Our readings today - in Exodus and Romans tie in together in their reference to the exaltation of Moses, now ready, in God’s sight, to serve him after 40 years of preparation “in the land of Midian.” Moses is now a meek and humble man [Numbers 12:3] – God can now use him. Paul’s points in Romans 9 are illuminating: first, he states how God says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy… So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.” [Romans 9:15-16] In our Exodus reading yesterday we saw how God could not use Moses’ own “will and exertion” [Exodus 2:11-15]. Paul then drives home the lesson that we cannot deserve, i.e. “earn” God’s blessing by our own efforts. All God’s blessings are an expression of God’s mercy. This is parallel to talking about God’s grace; therefore it is really saddening today when so many talk and write glibly about “grace” as though it is an ever-flowing factor that they can be certain about – regardless of how they behave. Paul next makes the point that Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth”. [Romans 9:17] This is not the proclamation of God’s actual name as an intellectual understanding, but of God’s reputation - that was about to be established by what he did. We will read of this in the next few days; the dramatic deliverance from Egypt of the descendants of Jacob. In relation to this, look carefully at our reading in Exodus 3 where God’s name is given as, “I will be what I will be” [Exodus 3:14 – as shown in the ESV footnote] Primarily, this means God will “make” his name, that is, his reputation, by what is about to happen – “This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” [Exodus 3:15]. Their deliverance from Egypt became a “memorial” which all generations would look back to as a foundation for their confidence in God. Thus, when we come to read Psalm 135 and its praises to the LORD we will see the full significance in Psalm 135:8-13 of the LORD’s name and “renown.” It is fully expressed in Isaiah 63:11-14 how you God “led your people to make for yourself a glorious name.” Daniel makes the same point in his impassioned prayer [Daniel 9:15] In the same way we look back to the sacrifice and resurrection of our Savior – and how God made for himself the name of “Father.” This was not so in the Old Testament. We are privileged to call God “Father” – but how many “hallow” that name when they say the Lord’s Prayer? Do we? It is just as vital to ask; how many are striving to make a “name” for themselves which Christ will “remember” when the time comes for him to “confess” what those in his service have achieved according to the “talents” given to them? Think about what Jesus says in Revelation 3:5, “The one who conquers (him/herself!) … I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” Our “name” i.e., reputation, Christ will “confess” - will be achieved by you and I in various ways; for example, to quote James 1:27, “to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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