Tag: Jesus

Advent Day 3, Need Restoration? See Jesus.

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Today’s scripture is from Psalm 80:1-7 and 17-19. The Israelites are pleading with God, their great Shepherd, to come and rescue them.

Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock.
O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
    display your radiant glory
2     to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Show us your mighty power.
    Come to rescue us!

Just as the Israelites called upon God, the Shepherd of Israel, to show himself and display his radiant glory, we too can call upon our good shepherd to rescue us. John 10:10 and 14 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.’ ““I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,”

3 Turn us again to yourself, O God.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.
4 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,
    how long will you be angry with our prayers?
5 You have fed us with sorrow
    and made us drink tears by the bucketful.
6 You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations.
    Our enemies treat us as a joke. 7 Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.

The Israelites were feeling desperate and despairing. They were enduring scorn from their neighbors and enemies. They were feeling sorry for themselves and called upon the only one, Almighty God, the God of Heaven’s Armies who is greater than all, to look with favor upon them and restore them. The phrase “make your face shine upon us” is used 3 times in this short psalm. It is a plea for God’s favor and needed restoration.

Strengthen the man you love,
    the son of your choice.
18 Then we will never abandon you again.
    Revive us so we can call on your name once more. 19 Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.

The Israelites were seeking strengthening, revival, God’s favor and salvation. In return they are promising to not abandon their God again. After centuries of struggle with idolatry, upon retuning from their exile in Babylon they never again worshipped idols.

What are you seeking from God this holiday season? What type of rescue do you need? First and foremost, do you know Jesus as your savior? If you do then you are already rescued for eternity and forgiven. If not call upon Jesus and confess your sins to receive forgiveness and acceptance into His forever family. Life is complex and there are many struggles that we face that seem overwhelming. The Israelites knew this and pleaded with God to show them j His favor. Where do you need mercy and grace? Hebrews 4:16 “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” God is accessible because of our faith in Jesus and He is willing and able to help. Pray that Jesus will restore you this season and fill you with the hope of His restoration.

Linda

The Prince of Peace makes Peace Possible

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Today’s passage presents a future picture of how God’s people will worship and live. They will be taught by God to walk in His truths and wars will be no more. The people will trade their guns and spears for farming tools. All will be at peace as each man will sit under his own tree and each woman will be able to tend their garden. God himself will bring this about. Micah 4:1-5

1-4 But when all is said and done,
    God’s Temple on the mountain,
Firmly fixed, will dominate all mountains,
    towering above surrounding hills.
People will stream to it
    and many nations set out for it,
Saying, “Come, let’s climb God’s mountain.
    Let’s go to the Temple of Jacob’s God.
He will teach us how to live.
    We’ll know how to live God’s way.”
True teaching will issue from Zion,
    God’s revelation from Jerusalem.
He’ll establish justice in the rabble of nations
    and settle disputes in faraway places.
They’ll trade in their swords for shovels,
    their spears for rakes and hoes.
Nations will quit fighting each other,
    quit learning how to kill one another.
Each man will sit under his own shade tree,
    each woman in safety will tend her own garden.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so,
    and he means what he says. Message translation

The prophet Micah then reminds us that this is not the case right now. People seem to be living like they wish and worshipping their own gods. He encourages us to stay the course and live lives honoring to God.

5 Meanwhile, all the other people live however they wish,
    picking and choosing their gods.
But we live honoring God,
    and we’re loyal to our God forever and ever.

This passage is a reminder to us that God intends for us to live in peace. However, without Jesus, peace can never be achieved. Why is that? God and man are irreconcilable because of sin. When Adam and Eve first sinned in the garden, God put them out of the garden. They could not walk with God side by side and fellowship with Him andy longer because of their sin. Sin had to be dealt with so that man and God could be reconciled. God’s plan to redeem us was to send Jesus to take the penalty for our sins. With our sins covered by Jesus’ blood, God could then look upon us. Hebrews 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Through faith in Jesus, we can be redeemed by His work on the cross making us forgiven of our sins and able to spend eternity with Him. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

I am so very grateful for Jesus who brings peace into our lives through forgiveness and hope for a future with Him. He is indeed the Prince of Peace for all eternity.

Linda

Advent 2024, Jesus is our Hope

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Our first scripture comes from Isaiah 64 as the prophet reminds us of how sinful and undeserving we are of God’s mercy and goodness. Here are verses 1-7 in the Message translation.1-7 Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend,
make the mountains shudder at your presence— You are a mighty and fearsome God.
As when a forest catches fire,
    as when fire makes a pot to boil—
To shock your enemies into facing you,
    make the nations shake in their boots!
You did terrible things we never expected,
    descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence.
Since before time began
    no one has ever imagined,
No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you No God is like him!
    who works for those who wait for him. He cares for those who do what is right.
You meet those who happily do what is right,
    who keep a good memory of the way you work.
But how angry you’ve been with us! Sin causes God to be angry.
    We’ve sinned and kept at it so long!
    Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved?
We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. How can sinful man be saved???
    Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. Our best efforts are worthless.
We dry up like autumn leaves—
    sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind.
No one prays to you
    or makes the effort to reach out to you The world seems to have ignored you,God.
Because you’ve turned away from us,
    left us to stew in our sins. Have you left us in our own sins?

Isaiah 64: 8-9 bring us hope. “But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.
9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
    and remember not iniquity forever.
    Behold, please look, we are all your people.” Isaiah reminds us that God formed us and is our Father. He pleads with God to not remember our sins forever but be assured that we are His people.

God indeed did remember us and sent us Hope, into this dire situation. We were lost in sin with no way to redeem ourselves and get right with God, our Father and maker. He sent us Jesus to bring hope into our world, love into our lives and redemption from sin. Now that is something to rejoice about and focus upon in our ever changing world. 1 Peter 1:2-4 explains the hope we now have in Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” Our hope is now living in Jesus and was made possible because of the cross. He died for us so that we may be alive in hope through faith in Him. Paul confirms for us this miracle of faith in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Praise God today for the living hope of Jesus and His plan to redeem us. Jesus is our only hope.

Linda

In Anticipation…of Advent 2024

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What is it you hope for during this Advent season? It is easy to break it down into hope materially, spiritually, or in family. Sometimes we get stuck in the material and lose sight of the purpose of this season. This year as we walk the days to Christmas I am going to be using a daily Advent calendar to bring us from December 1 to 25. I pray that each of us will think seriously about each day and ponder the scriptures in a new way that will lead you to discover who Jesus is and what his arrival on earth really means. I anticipate learning as I delve into God’s Word and speak with you from my heart.

Buckle up for a ride that is sure to bring us into the realm of peace, hope, joy, love and caring for others. See you tomorrow for our first day of Advent, which also happens to be the first Sunday of Advent. Dust off your Advent calendar and get ready to begin.

Linda

P.S. After Advent i will return to my study in Acts.

Wrong Motives Revealed; Correction Required!

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Acts 8 continues with the story of what took place in Samaria with Phillip. Due to the persecution of Christians by Saul, Phillip had gone into Samaria to preach the good news. He found people receptive to the message, who welcomed his healing and many professed faith even unto baptism. One such Samarian was Simon, a local magician who had a following. When he saw and heard Phillip, he believed and was baptized. Acts 8:13 “Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.”

“Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 8:14-16 The Holy Spirit had come at Pentecost but had not been known to come upon others outside of Jerusalem. We will see the progression in Acts as witnesses venture out into the world. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Peter and John arrived in Samaria and began praying and laying hands on the new believers so that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. When Simon witnessed this, he offered Peter money for this power. Peter’s response is decisive and swift, Act 8:20-25 from the Message, “Peter said, “To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that’s unthinkable—trying to buy God’s gift! You’ll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. Change your ways—and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money. I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust.” 24 “Oh!” said Simon, “pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like that will ever happen to me!” 25 And with that, the apostles were on their way, continuing to witness and spread the Message of God’s salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on their return to Jerusalem.” Peter saw Simon’s heart motives were not for worship or desirous of being indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit but for profit. He rebuked him and called for Simon to repent. Simon seemed to get the message but no repentance was evident in this passage only fear for what might happen to him.

How does this passage speak to us today? God will not be mocked or fooled by sweet words as He sees into our hearts. How does God do this? As here in Acts, his messenger the Apostle Peter called Simon up short on his actions and exposed his heart. We can become convicted by our Pastor’s message, a sermon on Christian radio or by the words of a Christian friend. We can also be convicted by reading God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This is why it is so important to be in the Word yourself daily. God can and does speak to us, correcting our hearts and motives through the Bible.

Are you allowing yourself to be exposed regularly to God’s Truth? Are you willing and open to changing when He reveals to you wrong motives or desires? Growing and maturing in our faith is a life long process that needs attention daily. The Psalmist puts this into perspective for us: Proverbs 16:1-3 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.

Seek His guidance and perspective so that your life and deeds will be honoring to Him.

Linda

The Message is Too Important to Stop

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After Stephen was stoned for professing faith in Jesus, Saul (later Paul) increased the persecution of the Christians. Saul wanted them eliminated and out of circulation where they could not tell others about their god. Scripture tells us of his intensity in Acts 8:3 “ But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” Why would God allow this mistreatment of believers? In this case, we can see an immediate spreading of the good news of Jesus to Samaria, a place where Jews did not go because of their hatred of the Samaritans. Persecution forced them to leave Jerusalem and they went to Samaria to get away from Saul. As a result many in Samaria came to know Jesus and were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:4 describes it this way: “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” They were not stopped by the persecution but redirected by God.

As a result many came to know Jesus. Acts 8:5-8 “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.”

There are valuable lessons in these first 8 verses of Acts 8. They cause us to examine how we act in the face of opposition. Do we give up? Accept defeat? Or do we look for another way to serve? Scripture tells us they mourned deeply for Stephen and were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, vs 1,2. I am sure they were frightened and hurting but nothing is said about giving up. They pressed on- why? They knew that the message they had, the good news of Christ, was life changing and opened the door/way to forgiveness of sins. The message was too good, too important to stop.

By being open to God’s leading and moving out of Jerusalem, many came to know Jesus. It provided the apostles with a greater way to fulfill Jesus’ commission given in Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus wants us to share the joy with others. Look for His guidance and move beyond the obstacles Satan tries to throw in your pathway. The news is good and worthy of spreading! Jesus Saves.

Linda

Do You Hear Yourselves? What Are You Thinking?

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Acts Chapters 6 and 7 focuses on the story of Stephen, a prominent leader in the Jerusalem church. Scripture describes him as “full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.“ The opposition arose against Stephen from within and from foreign influences and they decided to bring him up on charges of wanting to destroy the Temple and change the customs of Moses. In Chapter 7, Stephen gives his eloquent response to their charges. Actually, it is one of my favorites as Stephen gives a short concise review of the Israelites journey with God. He goes from Abraham, to Isaac and Jacob, to the selling of Joseph into slavery, Pharoah’s treatment of Joseph and God’s favor upon the family of Joseph. Later, he includes the 400 years in captivity in Egypt, Moses’ killing of an Egyptian and fleeing to Midian, God appearing the Moses in the Burning Bush and commissioning him to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. He tells about the 40 years in the wilderness, conquest of Canaan, David as king then Solomon and his building of the temple. In Acts 7: 51-53 Stephen turns to the leaders and accuses them of persecuting the prophets and rejecting and killing the Righteous One. “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” It was a valid complaint as they were calling themselves righteous and holy because they kept the ‘law’ but were actually hypocrites. Stephen’s forthright accusations were too much for the leaders and they called for him to be stoned.

As Stephen was being stoned, scripture gives us a glimpse of this scene, 54-56 “ Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Scripture also records the presence of the Saul, later to be Paul the Apostle. Stephen’s words undoubtedly had an effect upon Saul. “7:59-8:1 “And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 8 And Saul approved of his execution.”

Why does this story of the stoning of Stephen have such an effect on me? The accusations were false and he was innocent. No one likes to see the innocent punished. Stephen was learned and delivered his impassioned plea with eloquence and logical reasoning and yet he was rejected. One must always be aware and cautious of not responding to a ‘mobs’ mentality’ or just going along with the crowd. Jesus calls us to think and be wise and discerning. We are to test false teacher against the Word of God. We can never know how much of an impact Stephen’s testimony and death had upon Saul. I’m sure he remembered Stephen’s word and the look upon his face as he look upon God in heaven.

I encourage you to read these chapters again for yourself. Stephen’s words speak to us today.

Linda

Problem Solving at its Best!

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How do you go about solving problems? Probably you look at the issues and decide what is the priority for action based on Biblical standards. The demands on the disciples to preach and teach the word increased as more and more came to follow Jesus. It did not seem from Acts 6 there were enough workers to go around to both meet the physical and spiritual needs of the people. Acts 6:1 “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.” It was the responsibility of the disciples to see to the needs of the widows. James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Caring for the widow and orphans was a major priority. They also needed to follow Jesus’ command and spread the gospel. They had a great solution that was modeled by Jesus when he sent out the 12.

Acts 6:2-4 “And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” They were not just going to choose anyone but those that would act and reflect well and on the ministry and were believers filled with the spirit. Acts 6:5-7  “And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.” Everyone was pleased with this division of authority. Verse 7 tells us the outcome, “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

What I particularly like about this is the disciples did not get entangled in quarrels but rose above and looked at the needs. We should follow this example and look to the heart of the problem setting aside egos, desires, struggles to be incharge, etc. As a result, much was accomplished for the kingdom. The disciples remembered why they were there and kept Jesus center to all their needs.

May we remember this the next time we need to problem solve!

Linda

God Protects the Gospel Message

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If you want to be encouraged in your witness, especially when times are difficult and you are facing opposition, the story in Acts 5 will uplift your spirit and re-energized you! Acts 5:12-16 tell us that the apostles were continuing to spread the good news that Jesus is the Christ! As evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit within them through faith in Jesus, they were able to heal many and drive out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. Just as in Jesus’ day, this brought people seeking healing, peace, and wonder at the works they performed. The high priest and his associates did not like this. They were jealous of the attention the apostles were receiving and worried about their power with the people. Acts 5:17-18 “ But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.” They thought that putting them in jail would be a public humiliation and would ‘get rid’ of them for awhile until the figured out what to do.

Acts 5:19-20 was God’s response to their actions. “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.” When the council met in the morning, they sent messengers to the jail to have the prisoners brought out. To their great surprise the men were no longer in prison but in the temple speaking about Jesus. They had the apostles brought to them and said, verse 28, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

Peter and the other apostles replied, verse 29, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Now the leaders were furious and wanted them put to death. However, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, reasoned with the council in private. He wisely said if these men are of man, their efforts will pass away. We have seen this happen often enough before. If these men are of God, you will not be able to stop them. The council listened to him and the apostles were flogged and released.

Why does this story encourage me so much? I see the love and devotion, the fiery spirit of witnessing for Jesus in the apostles. They believed what they were doing was commissioned by God and ordered by Jesus. They knew that God would look out for them- in life and in death. I also see the hand of God protecting the ministry of these men as they speak out in Jesus’ name. God provided Gamaliel at the right place and the right time to reason with the council and the apostles were spared. God is always working behind the scene to move His Word and ministry forward. Isaiah 55:11 promises, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;     it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,  and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” We can be assured that God protects his Word and the message of Jesus will not be thwarted. Besides all of the above, I love that the apostles were let out of prison by angels. They did not ask for rescue but God provided!

Be encouraged by this story in Acts and let it assure you that God protects His gospel and will see that the name of Jesus is proclaimed.

Linda

Praise and Credit Go to JESUS!

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Acts 3 relates the event surrounding a crippled man who would beg each day at the temple gate called the ‘Beautiful’. Peter and John were on their way to say prayers at the temple when the encountered this man. He asked them for money. Acts 3:4-8 “ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” The man did not get what he asked for but got something of far greater value- the ability to walk again. The man realized that the power for his healing came from God as he immediately praised God.

As he was interacting with people in the temple, sharing his amazing story, they turned their attentions to Peter and John. Acts 3:11-13 “While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.  Peter and John were quick to point the people to the true source of the man’s miraculous healing = Jesus. Peter then began to explain who Jesus was and what had been done to him at the hand of the Jews. Acting in ignorance of who Jesus was they had killed him. But, hope is not lost as Jesus has been raised from the dead and is alive and present among them through the Holy Spirit.

Peter and John refused to take credit for the work and power of Jesus in this man’s life. They wanted to point people to the source of true power which was the resurrected Christ. How quick are you to point others to Christ? Do you want to wait and take some of the credit for His work yourself? The people didn not know where the power came from and wanted to deified Peter and John. However, Peter and John knew all the power they had to heal was directly from Jesus. What about the man who received the healing? He also needed to know it was not Peter and John, but Jesus in who’s name he had been healed. He was quick to praise and give glory to God but the Apostles did not want him to attempt to worship them for what they had done in Jesus’ name. A good lesson for us today is to be quick to praise God when he works among us and be quick to praise His name as the source of the power and healing. God deserves all the glory. Seek to Glorify Him!

Linda