Study from God’s Word… Ezra, Chapters 9 – 10 … Passage for Reflection: Ezra 9: 13 … NIV 13 "What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this.
My Journal for Today: Wow, … when a remnant of Jews was allowed by King Artaxerxes of Persia to return to Jerusalem to join other Jews who were already there with the task of rebuilding the Temple of God and reestablishing God’s Law for the people, Ezra, the Chief Priest of the Hebrews found a sociological and spiritual mess in his hands. Many of the Jewish men, including some of the Priests, had married foreign women, which was in direct defiance of the Law of Moses, …i.e., God’s will. And finding this Ezra grieved deeply; and you can read Ezra’s lament to God in a prayer, found in our Bible in Ezra: 9: 9 – 15, from which we get one sentiment in today’s highlighted text (i.e., verse 13).
I would exhort any who’re reading along with me here to go back and read this prayer (I’ll link you to it here for your personal study/meditation); and as you take in Ezra’s sincere prayer of lamentation, see if you’re not impressed that this could be the prayer of any Christians today who’re deeply grieved over the rampant sinfulness of a nation, America, which was founded and built on Christianity and has fallen away from its Judeo-Christian roots. Like the ancient Jews of Ezra’s day, we remnant Christians in America are now living in an era of degradation which is almost unprecedented in history. And like Ezra prayed, any of us could stand in awe of the mercy and grace afforded by our God as He sees – and must grieve over – our individual sinfulness as Christians and our collective sinfulness as a Church. We could say in fasting and prayer, as did Ezra, “… You (God) have punished us less than our sins have deserved.” And that truth, the outcome of which one can read about in any daily newspaper, is ever so prevalent now; but what is to be our individual and collective response to God’s mercy?
I shudder when I read the passage, written to the Roman Christians in Romans 1: 18-32 [also linked here for your study], which chronicles almost exactly what we see going on in our world today; and in this passage we read that God’s wrath of abandonment will be visited on any nation – as it was with the ancient Hebrews who were God’s chosen ones – who turns its back on God’s truth and His Law. And that’s exactly what Ezra was faced with to bring about revival for God’s chosen people. But not having the civil authority to do what Ezra did in a culture of theocracy, we are going to find it difficult in America, without God’s intervention, to turn things in the church and in our country back to a people who pursue God deeply in His word and live by His Law.
Often when someone asks me, “How’re you doing [?];” I learned years ago from my mentor to respond to that common greeting, “Always better than I deserve?” And you’d be surprised by the people who will say back, “Oh surely not!” And this gives me the opportunity to say in response, “If I read my Bible correctly, I’m much better off than I deserve;” which, of course is exactly what Ezra was praying about in today’s text.
Try that sometime; and see what others say when you witness the truth to them. It may give you an opportunity, as it has for me on many occasions, to plant at least a seed of truth in the minds of others about the relationship between a saved Christian and those in this lost world. At any rate, we should all be praying, as exhorted by God’s word, for those in authority … that they will come to the realization of God’s mercy and for them to accept the grace offered by a God who has been exceedingly merciful to sinners, like me, … sinners who are afforded much more grace than we deserve.
My Prayer for Today: O my Lord, … my merciful God. I stand deeply convicted by my sin and in awe of Your grace, which afforded me a Savior and Redeemer, even though daily I don’t deserve Your mercy. Amen
Showing posts with label forgiven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgiven. Show all posts
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Monday, October 12, 2009
2009 – Day 284.Oct 12 – A New Beginning
Passage of the Day: Acts 9: 10 – 19 … 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” 13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
My Journal for Today: Don’t you just love the message of metamorphosis in the life of the Apostle Paul, being transformed by God’s grace from a murderous marauder to a zealot for the Gospel. Oh how I identify with this message of hope, having been a Saul of Tarsus in my life and having been raised from the ashes of sinful living to become an Ordained messenger of the Gospel in my own life time.
I hope that any who are reading this are not imprisoned by the lies of shame and blame the enemy would love to see us carrying around from anything in our past. The message of God’s saving grace is so simple and complete. It is actually found in that great victory chapter of Romans 8, where in verse 1, God had him write, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Do you believe that, my friend? Do you live with that truth in your heart? I hope so; because if you do and you’ve forgiven yourself for anything in your past, just as has God if you are saved, then you can become, as I am, a poster child for another of God’s great truths from the Apostle Paul, … that one from 2nd Cor. 5: 17.
My friend, take in one of the greatest truths in all of the Bible, "… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” … Now, dear one, meditate on that one for a moment. Think on the reality and hope embedded in that message.
You know, it is said that Ted Bundy, the infamous serial killer, came to Christ a short time before he was executed for his murderous life. Remember that Jesus told the one thief on the cross that his repentance and acknowledgement of Christ as the Son of God would mean that this thief is now with Christ in heaven. So, if God can save a Saul of Tarsus, or the thief on the cross, or even a Ten Bundy, our God can save and forgive ANYONE; and that includes Bill Berry … or you. My dear friend, if God can forgive and save a Bill Berry, His grace and mercy can – and has – saved you from any sin in your past.
We simply have to allow Him to forgive us; and then we have forgive ourselves; and, in the hope of Christ, we are and remain saved from any sin … sins past, sins present, and yes, even sins in the future.
What a glorious hope we have in our Savior, Jesus.
Let it go, my friend. If you have anything in your past which has you shackled by your own shame, let it go! If you are in Christ, dear one, and you have confessed this past to your Lord and Savior, in the words of Christ Himself from the cross, “It is finished!” You are now cleansed FOREVER; and you can walk from this day forth as the new creation in Christ you are.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that all who are in You accept the truth and reality of Your saving grace and live as You have cleansed us … forevermore. Amen
A Pastor’s PS: If you’d like to meditate on the truths in this journal entry for today, click on this link and you can see a music video of the wonderful song sung by Casting Crowns, … East to West. I hope you’ll take this in. It’s well worth the few minutes you’ll take to do it. … <’BB><
My Journal for Today: Don’t you just love the message of metamorphosis in the life of the Apostle Paul, being transformed by God’s grace from a murderous marauder to a zealot for the Gospel. Oh how I identify with this message of hope, having been a Saul of Tarsus in my life and having been raised from the ashes of sinful living to become an Ordained messenger of the Gospel in my own life time.
I hope that any who are reading this are not imprisoned by the lies of shame and blame the enemy would love to see us carrying around from anything in our past. The message of God’s saving grace is so simple and complete. It is actually found in that great victory chapter of Romans 8, where in verse 1, God had him write, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Do you believe that, my friend? Do you live with that truth in your heart? I hope so; because if you do and you’ve forgiven yourself for anything in your past, just as has God if you are saved, then you can become, as I am, a poster child for another of God’s great truths from the Apostle Paul, … that one from 2nd Cor. 5: 17.
My friend, take in one of the greatest truths in all of the Bible, "… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” … Now, dear one, meditate on that one for a moment. Think on the reality and hope embedded in that message.
You know, it is said that Ted Bundy, the infamous serial killer, came to Christ a short time before he was executed for his murderous life. Remember that Jesus told the one thief on the cross that his repentance and acknowledgement of Christ as the Son of God would mean that this thief is now with Christ in heaven. So, if God can save a Saul of Tarsus, or the thief on the cross, or even a Ten Bundy, our God can save and forgive ANYONE; and that includes Bill Berry … or you. My dear friend, if God can forgive and save a Bill Berry, His grace and mercy can – and has – saved you from any sin in your past.
We simply have to allow Him to forgive us; and then we have forgive ourselves; and, in the hope of Christ, we are and remain saved from any sin … sins past, sins present, and yes, even sins in the future.
What a glorious hope we have in our Savior, Jesus.
Let it go, my friend. If you have anything in your past which has you shackled by your own shame, let it go! If you are in Christ, dear one, and you have confessed this past to your Lord and Savior, in the words of Christ Himself from the cross, “It is finished!” You are now cleansed FOREVER; and you can walk from this day forth as the new creation in Christ you are.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that all who are in You accept the truth and reality of Your saving grace and live as You have cleansed us … forevermore. Amen
A Pastor’s PS: If you’d like to meditate on the truths in this journal entry for today, click on this link and you can see a music video of the wonderful song sung by Casting Crowns, … East to West. I hope you’ll take this in. It’s well worth the few minutes you’ll take to do it. … <’BB><
Saturday, January 17, 2009
2009 - Day 17 - Forgive And Forget
January 17, 2009 … Swindoll’s Topic for Today: Forgive and Forgen
Passage of the Day: Genesis 41: 46 - 52 ... 46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. 48 So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. 49 Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. 50 And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” 52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
My Journal for Today: As Swindoll in his devotional book points out for today, this is an interesting passage written by the author of Genesis under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In it we read several very mundane and personal details about Joseph’s post-prison life, after he had been blessed by God and Pharaoh to become Prime Minister of Egypt as that country approached and prepared for a famine in the land.
As Swindoll helps me see, the first thing we see is that Joseph honored God by being monogamous, as was the Hebrew teaching – certainly not the Egyptian tradition for kings … nor even the Middle Eastern tradition of those days. Joseph, in his position as Prime Minister, could have taken as many wives or concubines as he desired, especially in his position of privilege and power. However, he resisted those temptations and remained monogamous, having two sons by one wife. This small detail reveals how Joseph ignored the world and concentrated on his faith in the One, True God.
Next there is the matter of why God, through the Author of Genesis, relates the details of the naming of the two sons. Actually Swindoll’s devotional doesn’t discuss one feature about the naming that God allowed me to see this morning. It is the fact that both of the names were Hebrew names and not Egyptian. I think that this is significant, showing us that Joseph desired to openly declare his Jewish heritage even with his position of influence in the Egyptian government. And names in the Middle Eastern culture were a big deal. By using Hebrew names, Joseph, openly declares that he and his sons were from the Family of God.
And then, as the text explains it; expositors, like Swindoll, help me to see that the two names for his sons were also declarations of meaning about Joseph’s character; and the first of these, Manasseh, which in Hebrew means “to be made forgetful,” speaks of how Joseph was blessed to be able to forget all the past ills which had befallen this man of God. Joseph didn’t choose to relent to the temptation to visit revenge upon all those in his past, like Potiphar’s wife, who had wronged him. No, he humbly chose to set those memories aside and concentrate on the future, looking to God’s providence as he had done in those years of testing in prison.
And finally, there was the name, Ephraim, which in Hebrew means “to be doubly fruitful;” and this speaks forcefully, I believe, of how Joseph viewed his life … that as being incredibly blessed. And yes, this even means that he saw all that had happened to him as being a blessing. Think about it. When a man can see all those years of servitude, slavery, and imprisonment as blessing, we see that Joseph was prepared by God for blessing and to be a blessing to those whom God would bring into his life. And this we will see unfold in even more of Joseph’s life in the upcoming days of devotionals.
I’m taken by this passage to remember that I must forget the ills in my life, trusting, as it says in Rom. 8: 28, that all of life’s circumstances work together for my good since I, like Joseph, believe in and follow the One, True God. And secondly, I see, from the naming of the boys, that I must, as it says in 1st Thes. 5: 18, always give thanks for all the blessings that God brings into my life … yes, even the challenges and tribulations of life; … because God is in control; and He will always be working for my good and to complete me, as it says in Phil. 1: 6, into the image of my Savior.
My Prayer Today: Lord, help me to become Manasseh and Ephraim in my life as expressions of Your character in me. Amen
Passage of the Day: Genesis 41: 46 - 52 ... 46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. 48 So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. 49 Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. 50 And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” 52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
My Journal for Today: As Swindoll in his devotional book points out for today, this is an interesting passage written by the author of Genesis under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In it we read several very mundane and personal details about Joseph’s post-prison life, after he had been blessed by God and Pharaoh to become Prime Minister of Egypt as that country approached and prepared for a famine in the land.
As Swindoll helps me see, the first thing we see is that Joseph honored God by being monogamous, as was the Hebrew teaching – certainly not the Egyptian tradition for kings … nor even the Middle Eastern tradition of those days. Joseph, in his position as Prime Minister, could have taken as many wives or concubines as he desired, especially in his position of privilege and power. However, he resisted those temptations and remained monogamous, having two sons by one wife. This small detail reveals how Joseph ignored the world and concentrated on his faith in the One, True God.
Next there is the matter of why God, through the Author of Genesis, relates the details of the naming of the two sons. Actually Swindoll’s devotional doesn’t discuss one feature about the naming that God allowed me to see this morning. It is the fact that both of the names were Hebrew names and not Egyptian. I think that this is significant, showing us that Joseph desired to openly declare his Jewish heritage even with his position of influence in the Egyptian government. And names in the Middle Eastern culture were a big deal. By using Hebrew names, Joseph, openly declares that he and his sons were from the Family of God.
And then, as the text explains it; expositors, like Swindoll, help me to see that the two names for his sons were also declarations of meaning about Joseph’s character; and the first of these, Manasseh, which in Hebrew means “to be made forgetful,” speaks of how Joseph was blessed to be able to forget all the past ills which had befallen this man of God. Joseph didn’t choose to relent to the temptation to visit revenge upon all those in his past, like Potiphar’s wife, who had wronged him. No, he humbly chose to set those memories aside and concentrate on the future, looking to God’s providence as he had done in those years of testing in prison.
And finally, there was the name, Ephraim, which in Hebrew means “to be doubly fruitful;” and this speaks forcefully, I believe, of how Joseph viewed his life … that as being incredibly blessed. And yes, this even means that he saw all that had happened to him as being a blessing. Think about it. When a man can see all those years of servitude, slavery, and imprisonment as blessing, we see that Joseph was prepared by God for blessing and to be a blessing to those whom God would bring into his life. And this we will see unfold in even more of Joseph’s life in the upcoming days of devotionals.
I’m taken by this passage to remember that I must forget the ills in my life, trusting, as it says in Rom. 8: 28, that all of life’s circumstances work together for my good since I, like Joseph, believe in and follow the One, True God. And secondly, I see, from the naming of the boys, that I must, as it says in 1st Thes. 5: 18, always give thanks for all the blessings that God brings into my life … yes, even the challenges and tribulations of life; … because God is in control; and He will always be working for my good and to complete me, as it says in Phil. 1: 6, into the image of my Savior.
My Prayer Today: Lord, help me to become Manasseh and Ephraim in my life as expressions of Your character in me. Amen
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