1-8-14 Distinction in Belief

1The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2“I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.^a

3I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3) 

Thoughts: Part of having belief is leaving.  It means leaving non-belief.  If means leaving a different kind of belief that is apathetic unimportant.  Abram not only left physically, he left spiritually in answering God's call to believe and go.  The land- the physical spot is a symbol of a spiritual distinction.  Just as going into a church building means making a choice to not stay home or go to a different building on Sundays.  god promises however, to show him.  Abraham knew if God led him, he would be okay.  We should know that too. 

Prayer: Lord, let me not be embarrassed to identify and affiliate with you.  

1/7/15- Benefits of Belief

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)

Thoughts: The daily devotionals will be based most of this year on the Book, "Christian Believer" by Cokesbury.  Belief is an essential part of life.  To live life with meaning and hope, belief is important.  But to believe in God gives ultimate meaning and ties us to ultimate hope.
     In Matthew 9:24 the father who was requesting healing for his son said, "I believe, help my unbelief."   Belief always involves a measure of doubt- just as good people in this life are not perfect.  God can help our unbelief to believe.
     Our passage reminds us the scriptures were meant not just to record knowledge  but to help us to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.  They were also meant to give us the effects of giving us eternal life.   Life is really lived when we believe it is worth something and we believe how we live is important.  The abundant life is found when we can find a reason to exist.  That is found in belief in God. 

Prayer: Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.  

1/6/15- Epiphany and Coming

"Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen. (Rev. 1:7)7“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” (22:7)12“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Rev. 22:12,13)17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Rev. 22:17)

20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev. 22:20)

Thoughts: Today is Epiphany- which celebrates the Manifestation of Jesus Christ.  Traditionally Epiphany celebrates that Christ showed himself- to Simeon and Anna in the Temple, to the magi, and to celebrate the first miracle of Jesus (turning water into wine).  But Epiphany is not just about the past.  There is a sense in which we recognize Christ comes or manifests himself to us all now, and one day He will come at the end of history and everyone will see Him at once.  Just as we celebrate advent by his first coming- looking forward to his second; we also celebrate that Christ manifest himself when he walked on this earth- but the ultimate epiphany is when He comes back.
      "I am coming soon" is a verse found in chapter 1 of Revelation and three times in chapter 22.  Soon is a relative term.  A day is as a thousand years in the face of a creation 13 billion years ago.  The lesson is that the church should always have an eye out for her Lord.  We should always live with an expectation that God is near and that He will come at the perfect time.  He does not give a date but gives hope.  God is more patient that we are but He will come at the proper time when all who will repent will, and all who come to God will come.
      Epiphany is about coming.  God comes to us so that we may know Him.  But He also invites us- to respond to the call of the Spirit and the church (the bride), to come.  He also encourages us who hear and have the opportunity to respond to do so.  He then encourages those who thirst for hope, faith, and love- who see the need to come.  God came to us first- but calls us to come to Him.  At the end we will all see Him and stand before Him.  He will manifest Himself to us all.  

Prayer: Come Lord Jesus.  

1/5/15- God Limits Persecution

13And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.  (Rev. 12:13-14)

Thoughts: The bride of Christ (singular-- yet many gunaki) is often spoken of in commentaries as the woman here.  Satan persecuted the bride (the woman).  The church is always opposed by evil.  Here the opposition is a time and times and half a times- or 42 months or 1260 days (same as Rev. 11:5 and 12:6).  God sent a way to rescue her until the persecution is over.  Moses went to the wilderness to escape punishment.  David went to the wilderness to escape Saul.  Elijah fled to the wilderness to escape persecution from Jezebel and Ahab. There have been times when the church has shrunk to a remnant and has been in hiding.  It was this way in 70 AD at the Roman wars or under the Roman Emperors- Domitian, Hadrian, Marcus Aurellius of Diocletian.  The Covenanters and Pilgrims are examples of whole peoples in the Reformation era who were in the wilderness.  In our day the Christians of Syria and Iraq fleeing their homes for a literal desert or mountain without water.  Perhaps one day there will be a persecution on a larger scale a the end of history for 1,260 literal days.  Overall, God limits human persecution out of love for his bride.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you care for your church- especially in hard times.  

1-4-15 The Church Survives

 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”^a And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. (Rev. 12:5,6)

Thoughts: Some interpret the women who gives birth to Christ as Mary.  Others interpret these verses as referring to the church (cf. Barnes' notes).  There is a sense in which the church gives birth to Christ.  He came from the Old Testament church- Israel- a kingdom of priests.  Certainly the woman, Mary, fled from Herod for a period.  This is the more literal interpretation  But a figurative/apocalyptic interpretation would  be that the church went through a wilderness/hibernation period of 1,260 days (or 42 months- cf. Rev. 11:2).  The practical lesson of all this is that Jesus will be opposed in any age, but the church will come back.  This is true of our own age when there are many naysayers who, in an effort to justify their own wrong-doing or pride, seek to eliminate the church.    People have said since the crucifixion that the church would die out- but it has not and will not.  Dionysius, Justinian, Voltaire, Mao, Stalin, and some in the West today say the church is dead, but she comes back.  Humans always will thirst for the living water that the church offers.  The thirst may dissipate for awhile- but it comes back.  

Prayer:  Lord, give me hope for you- despite when you are opposed.  Give me hope for the good news and the church.   

1/3/14- Christmas According to Revelation

1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter...(Revelation 12:1-4) 

Thoughts: Most think this Johanine passage is a poetic/theologic picture of the first Christmas.  It pictures the importance of Mary- the spiritual opposition to Christ's birth by "the dragon" (Satan), and the prophetic fulfillment of Jesus birth.  Some say this is a picture of the church giving birth to Christ- the bride of Christ, but the being carried into the wilderness (12;5) speaks of a single woman who did this to escape Herod- the Roman puppet-ruler  Keep in mind that John was writing against his Roman oppressors in apocalyptic language.  All the lights of heaven shown on Mary to make her beautiful (cf. SOS 6:10).  God protected the woman and Jesus until he could go to the cross.  The Psalmist predicted Jesus would rule the nations (Psalm 2:9).  When Jesus was born and even when John wrote these words, most could not have predicted the tremendous influence of Christ on the world.  But today, Christ does influence the world more than any pope, more than any president, or king.  He rules not only providentially through events, but also through His great example and the following of His teaching.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for coming to earth.  Help me to see the beauty and humility of your coming.  

1/2/14- For the Sake of the Name

It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. (3 John 7)

Thoughts: Jesus came for the glory of God.  We are called to also leave our comfort zones for the glory of God-- His name.  Some think that the emphasis of faith is that it gives us significance and meaning.  But really it is much more than that.  We are called to give God significance and glory.  It is for the sake of the name that we give ourselves.  It is not for our name that we go out- and are missionaries in our society.  Wherever we are- we are called to be salt and light for the name.  We want to point to His name, speak of His name, honor and live for His name.  

Prayer: In this new year, O Lord, help me to honor your name.