The Water Of Life

Revelation 22:12, 17---And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.

You have come to end of Through the Bible Daily Devotional. Be sure to read the whole story, the Bible. It is a story upon which all other stories are based. Jesus is the superhero of all superheroes. He is King that was separated from His kingdom but returned to set things right. He is the one who conquers the dark power of evil. He is the handsome Prince that has come to rescue His damsel in distress, but He is greater than every story that imitates this true story. We could not imagine a more wonderful King, Groom, and Friend. It is such a wonderful story that at times we wonder if it is really all true. Will it really turn out this way? Is He really coming soon with our reward? Then the assurance of the Spirit that He has deposited within us says, "Yes! I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Not one small mark will fail until ALL is fulfilled. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Listen! The Spirit within you says, "Come!" When you think of the end of the curse, the reward that awaits you, and of being forever in His presence, you say "Come!" Everyone that reads the Book or hears the story says, "Come!" Every thirsty soul that wishes may come and drink freely of this gift, the water of life.

Our God Can Deliver Us

Daniel 3:17-18, 25---If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the highest God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth of the midst of the fire.

Nebuchadnezzar's dream went to his head. That was a pun. The head of gold was symbolic of him, so he made a 90-foot high gold statue. When his instrumentalists played, everyone had to bow and worship the image. Some think this is a foreshadowing of the image of the beast that the Antichrist will one day set up. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down because they worshipped Jehovah alone. The king gave them a second chance. No doubt, he had heard of their faithful service and promotions Daniel had given them and knew the other officials were envious. They told the king plainly, "Our God can save us, but if He does not, we still won't worship the image." Consider those words. God can work a miracle if He chooses. If He does not choose to, it shouldn't change our minds. What is right is right, regardless if God intervenes or if we suffer. Sometimes we insist that God work on our behalf. Do we have the conviction that if He chooses not to, that He knows what is best, even if we lose our business, loved one, or even our life? He is able! But we don't always know beforehand what He will do. Will we do what is right regardless of what God determines is best? The furnace was heated 7 times hotter than normal. The guards that threw them in were killed from the heat. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were walking in the fire unharmed. The king saw the fourth man in the fire that appeared to be like a son of the gods. They came out without even the smell of smoke.

The Eternal Kingdom of Christ is Coming

Daniel 2:44-45---And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon when Daniel went into captivity. Daniel had been through their re-education program to serve the king as a man of wisdom and counsel. This group of people also practiced magical arts, but Daniel and his friends continued to seek the one true God alone. When Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him, he called for this group of counselors to interpret the dream. Apparently, he was wise to their trickery and really wanted to know the truth about this dream. He asked them to first tell him what he had dreamed. Then he would know that they had special wisdom from the gods. When they could not help him, he commanded them all to be executed. Daniel asked his friends to pray for a revelation from God. Daniel was given the interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar dreamt of a great statue. Its head was of gold, arms, and chest of silver, belly, and thighs of brass, and the legs, feet, and toes were part iron and part clay. A rock was cut out of a mountain and flew into the image, breaking it in pieces. These metals and parts of the image were symbolic of coming kingdoms. The metals were the main metals the coming kingdoms used. The rock is the Kingdom of God. When the world of man's governments comes down to the final ten nations, the toes, Christ will return and set up the Kingdom of God. Man's governments will end.

Who Are You In Christ?

Daniel 1:7-8---Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel was one of the young men from the court of the king of Judah who was taken to be re-educated to serve as a eunuch for the king of Babylon. Daniel served the kings of Babylon and Medo-Persia as a government official until the return of the Jews, seventy years later. One of the first things Babylon did was to try to change the identity of these men. Daniel means 'God is the judge', but his new name means 'Bel will protect'. Hananiah means 'the LORD is gracious', but his new name is 'inspired by Aku'. Azariah means 'the LORD is my help', but his new name is 'servant of Nego'. Mishael means 'who is like God?', but his new name is 'belonging to Aku'. These incredible Hebrew names were changed to the names of idols! That is exactly what the world wants to do to you. A name meant the identity of the person, their destiny and heritage. It was a part of the program of Babylon to cause the youth to forsake their culture and beliefs and adopt those of Babylon. Who are you in Christ? What is the name He has given you? Converts of the first century changed their names upon conversion to match with their new identity. In heaven, the overcomers will receive a white stone upon which is written their new name, an identity in God. Babylon was doing just the opposite. Can you see how the world would like to change your identity to one who belongs among them?

What Is Your Fruit?

Ezekiel 47:1, 9, 12---Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. And it shall come to pass, that everything that lives, which moves, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine.

There are two popular interpretations for this passage. In the coming Kingdom of God upon the earth, there will literally be a river that springs up from under the threshold of the temple. We could say that the course of this river, defined so clearly in this passage, is an indication of its literal fulfillment. What a change that would make to Israel! The Jordan today is a muddy little creek. The Dead Sea level drops every year. The people were always dependent upon God bringing the rains early and late in the year. It was a part of their struggle between Jehovah and Baal. Baal was said to be the god of rain. Their survival depended on rain. In this coming day, there will be an abundance of provision. This is extraordinary water! It brings life wherever it goes. Trees on those shores bear fruit every month. Fisherman cast nets in it and harvest an abundance of fish. The Dead Sea will no longer be salt water. In that day, there will no longer be a struggle for provision for the people of God. There will be abundance. We could also look at this passage in a figurative sense. Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the temple of living stones. Out from Him flows the Living Water. He told the woman at the well that she should ask Him for this amazing water. Wherever the water goes it does bring life! It brought life to her. It brought life to her village. Jesus probably took this route from Jerusalem to Jericho, after leaving one of the feasts in Jerusalem. Remember the man that was healed with the mud made from spit? He first said that he saw men walking as trees. Those who drink of the River of Life do bear fruit on a regular basis because the water of the sanctuary flows to them. Their leaves are for the healing of the nations. What a description of lifestyle evangelism!

Put His Word Into Practice

Ezekiel 33:31-32---And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

They were going through the motions of worship without letting it transform their hearts. It wasn't that they didn't attend. It wasn't that they deleted the Word from their worship. It was a matter of the heart's desire. They had ears, but they did not hear with their hearts. There is even more condemnation toward those who sit and hear the Word read, yet go out without letting the Word change their hearts. They know they are acting in opposition to the Word. They know what God expects and yet are refusing to have anything to do with His right to Lordship over their lives. They are likened to those watching a performance. God has a lovely voice. He plays His love song so beautifully. "What a great performance! Now let's go home and go on about our lives." We choose to forget how intensely personal His song of love is. We refuse to allow it to penetrate our hearts, for there it would create a love that demands a response. We would lose some of the control of our life. We would surrender some of our decisions to the One we love. What an honor to be loved by Him, yet how lightly we take it. The next time you enter into a place of worship, whether it is a Bible study or a church service, consider this passage. Take a moment to bookmark it right now to remind you. Corporate worship is not a performance. It is about your Creator's intensely passionate love for you.

What Is Your Portion?

Lamentations 3:22-24---It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

The book of Lamentations is Jeremiah's woeful song about the destruction of Jerusalem. What once was the joy of the whole earth became a smoldering pile of ruin. The roads would no longer be full of joyful pilgrims heading to the appointed feasts of the LORD. The priests would no longer offer the daily sacrifices. Their world had come to an end because of their insistence on idolatry. Even the remnant that remained rejected the warning of Jeremiah and went to Egypt where they offered incense and baked cakes to the Queen of Heaven. They insisted the problem was that they had forsaken her, not Jehovah. Most scholars believe the remnant finally killed Jeremiah in Egypt for constantly warning them about impending judgment. In the midst of Jeremiah's song of woe, he reminds us that even though all seems lost, it is only because of the LORD's great love that we are not consumed. The creatures are rebelling and insulting the One who made them and who carefully laid out guidelines for their good. It is amazing that He doesn't instantly vaporize them, but His compassions never fail. Every morning His compassion is renewed, hoping that we will turn back and restore our relationship with Him. Could there be a more faithful God? Why would we turn to any other? Jeremiah declared that His portion, his inheritance, his appointed part in life, was the LORD. He wasn't looking for wealth or power or fame. He just wanted the LORD. Therefore, he determined to wait in expectation (hope) on Him. He wasn't looking for anything in this life as a goal. The LORD was his goal.

Calling Out To God

Jeremiah 33:2-3---Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Are you in turmoil about a situation in your life? Is it hard to understand the reasons and purposes God has for you at present? Does it seem that God has removed His hand from your circumstances? Ask the Creator who formed you. Go to the One who knows all things and has all things in His hands. Listen to His word as He speaks to you. It declares that He works all things together for good to those who love Him, who are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28) Call out to Him and He will answer. He doesn't say He might. He doesn't say when, but He will answer. Our problem is that we cannot see all the factors and events of the future. They are all present before God. They are unsearchable to us, but they are the work of His hand. Your loving Father invites you to ask Him. He will not reveal them to us unless we ask. He will reveal parts of His great plan, and we will see parts of the great puzzle of life fall into place. His revelation will not always give us complete understanding, but it will give us peace knowing He is on the throne of heaven, ordering all things, and working out all things for our good. He is always at work. Watch for His hand. When things don't make sense, call out to Him.

Devoting Ourselves To Be Closer To God

Jeremiah 30:21-22---And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD. And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." (John 1:10)  In the promises of restoration, there are a number of prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. In this one, the Messiah is prophesied to rise from among them. He would not land in a spaceship or come from another land, neither would He be another type of creation. He would be an Israelite human. But what is it that makes Him different? God says that the He will draw the Messiah near; He will come close. God draws us all near. The great difference is the Messiah never resisted the closeness of God. He yielded every time and came near. He devoted Himself to be close to His Father. Because of that, the church was born. That is how we became His people. Jesus' obedience, even unto death, made a way for us to be the people of God. He made it possible for God to be our God. "But as many, as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God." (John 1:12) He also made it possible for the promise of the Father to be poured out, the Holy Spirit. Now we, too, can draw near to God. But it is our choice! Will we draw close? Will we devote ourselves to be close to Him? How much time will we spend in communion with Him in prayer and the Word? You can see those that do. They are easily distinguishable by their passion and love for God. In a life-changing way, God has become their God.

Purify Yourself In Christ Love

1 John 3:1-3---Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

You can't see the greatness of this love unless you see how depraved man is in contrast to how holy and good God is. It is only in the contrast that the enormity of love is realized. Have you seen parents that patiently endure the destructive time of experimentation that their teenager goes through? They take care of the child's every need, love and nurture them through the years and are paid back by rebellion. Now multiply that love to an infinite degree, and multiply the rebellion to the end of your imagination, and you might come somewhere close to understanding how great is the love the Father has lavished on us. He loves us so much that He will see us through until we are transformed into His likeness. The work is in process today, but it will culminate when your eyes behold Him. You won't have to use your imagination any longer. You will see Him as He is. The very sight of Him will transform you. The caterpillar will emerge from his cocoon and spread his wings and fly. What do we do with this amazing hope? We purify ourselves even as He is pure. We set aside the desires for worldly things, and focus on this transformation. Though we know we will not break free from the cocoon until our eyes behold Him, we allow His transforming work to continue in us daily.

What Do You Crave?

1 John 2:15-17---Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

John breaks down for us three categories that describe everything in the fallen world: cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes, and boasting of what he has and does. When the Bible speaks of the world, there are several meanings. One is mankind itself. The other is this definition that God has given. If we love the world that John has described or anything in it, the love of God is not in us. The love that comes from God will be in direct contrast to worldliness. The world is focused on selfishness and pride, but God's love is giving and humble. We must keep ourselves in check, watching to see if love for the world is slipping into our lives. This is a command to refuse to allow that to happen because it is part of what is passing away. Not only is worldliness destructive, but it is shortsightedly temporal. It is an investment in a doomed venture. By contrast, investing your life in the will of God, allowing the love of the Father to flow through your life, is an eternal investment. It is a manifestation of eternal life within you. It will reap dividends forever and ever.

The Lord Is With You

Jeremiah 20:8-9,11---For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

Jeremiah complained that God didn't tell him all that he was getting into when he was called to be a prophet. God never tells us everything upfront. God will tell us what we are able to hear when we are able to hear it. Jeremiah was proclaiming a message among people who hated what he had to say. This made him the object of mockery and scorn. There were even plots to assassinate him. Jeremiah would have liked to just quit speaking God's words. There was one problem. The word was in his heart like a fire. If he tried to hold it in, it would weary him with the effort. He just couldn't keep quiet. Jeremiah was proclaiming destruction and misery, but we have the words of life. How blessed we are that our message is one of hope and salvation. Yet, it is also a message of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In that sense, it is like Jeremiah's message. We are preaching the need to surrender. People will mock and scorn us as they did Jeremiah because they do not want to change their ways. We may want to quit speaking the truth, just as Jeremiah did, but His word is in us like a pent-up fire.

Walking In Christ Light

1 John 1:6-7,9---If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God is light. There is no darkness in Him at all. If we claim to be in vital communication with God, and yet reserve an area of darkness for ourselves, we lie. We are not living in truth. God will not tolerate that darkness. It will have to go, or it will keep you from God. When we give up those areas of darkness, we find we are free to share our lives with one another. We no longer have anything to hide. Jesus in our brothers and sisters challenged us to forsake the darkness. That is why we avoid being with them when we have those reservations. We make all kinds of excuses about their problems, but the real problem is that Jesus in them challenges us to give it all up. In fellowship with the body of Christ, our lives are continually cleansed and transformed in an ever-increasing way. When we see that darkness has invaded our thoughts or desires, we should confess and forsake it. Then we experience forgiveness and increasing purification. You can know that God will always be faithful and just to honor what Jesus did for you on the cross. Don't fall for the condemnation of the enemy. Stay in fellowship with God and your spiritual family.

Purge All Darkness

1 John 1:1-2, 5---That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

John was writing decades after he saw Jesus ascend into heaven. During that time, strange beliefs and theories about Jesus had sprung up. One of them was the thought that Jesus was not a physical being, but an apparition. John knew it was important for Christians to understand that Jesus became a man. They heard Him with their ears, saw Him with their eyes, and touched Him with their hands. He was the Word of life made flesh. He was forever with God. He is Eternal Life. He was manifested so that we could know the love of God. It is important to understand that as a man, He took back what Adam gave up in the Garden. By living a perfect life, He became the perfect sacrifice who could take our sins because He had none of His own to die for. The Seed of the woman crushed the authority of Satan and took back dominion over the earth. God is light! He does not have some hidden darkness within His character. There are no secret attributes that would make us shudder. There is absolutely nothing of darkness in Him. He is utterly holy. He is love. He has nothing to hide. What a God! It is not possible to imagine a more perfect God.

Finding True Peace With The Lord

2 Peter 3:14-16---Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Peter had just warned his readers that the world would be destroyed by fire. Since everything here will go up in smoke, we should be looking forward to the new heaven and earth, a home of righteousness. How should that affect our daily lives? We should be endeavoring to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with our Lord. This does not mean that we are earning our salvation, but that when our time comes, we have nothing left of the world that will be destroyed. Christians whose hearts are still set on things of the passing world will not find the transition as wonderful as those who are at peace with the Lord. Peace with the Lord means our affections are toward Him and not the things of the world. Peter adds that Paul has written the same thing. He makes an interesting comment in regards to Paul's letters. He compares them to sacred writings. Peter writes that the unlearned distort the meaning of both. We will always have people who use the sacred writings for their own personal desire and advantage. Actually, it is to their disadvantage, though they do not realize it. They twist the Scriptures to justify an attachment to worldliness, to pleasures and wealth. What they set their heart upon will perish.

God Cannot Ignore Evil That Goes Unrepented

Jeremiah 6:13-15---For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

God's cry against the people was that there could not be found one righteous in Judah. He declared that Israel was not as bad as Judah had become. The passage today lists some of the specific sins they were guilty of. It is hard for us to relate to the idolatry, worshipping carved images, but we can readily relate to the greed for gain. The greed for gain had permeated the entire nation from the beggar to the king. When our eyes turn from God to the things that He has made, we seek security in possessions. We should be looking to God who is the giver of all good things. Instead, we trust in His gifts and focus on how to attain them. The prophets and priests were all practicing deceit. The very ones people looked to for truth were deceiving the people in the name of God. In this generation, we have seen a number of big-name religious personalities who were caught in their deceit. How many more go uncaught? Only God knows. Consider their way of life and the fruits of the Spirit in their lives, not just their ability to impress you. The religious leaders preached peace when destruction was coming upon them. When they should have been preaching conviction of sin, they taught that everything was fine. The heartbreaking thing is that it did not even bother their conscience. They had done it for so long that their hearts were hardened against God. A comfortable today was their only goal. They were about to face judgment.

God Has A Plan For Your Life

2 Peter 1:20-21---Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The Scriptures are not just the ideas of man. They did not originate in the will of man. There was a much greater power guiding and carrying their speech and writings. The world would call them inspired. That literally means breathed into. In this passage, we have more of a sense of being picked up by a hurricane and carried. Certainly, there was the personality of the prophet involved, but the hand of the omnipotent God was moving his thought and speech. It was not that they were robots without a will, but neither did the ideas and words originate in them. God works in the same way with us today. He uses the personality that He designed to fit into the purpose for which He created us. We think we came up with a wonderful idea, but all along it was planned before we were created. The Spirit of God carries us into places of ministry and divine encounters that we might think had their origin in our will but were always a part of His marvelous plan. Keep your eyes open to the wonderful workings of God in your life. Realize that He is intricately involved in the details of your life. When something amazing happens, know that He planned it before He created you. Rejoice in the wonderful plans He prepared in advance for you.

Praying For Your Shepherd

1 Peter 5:2-4---Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Peter is addressing the elders that read the letter to the local church. You will find that the New Testament always addresses elders in a city in the plural. The elders were the overseers of each church. They are to serve willingly, not out of obligation. Shepherding a congregation has many difficulties. It isn't a job that was readily desired, for it means going above and beyond in service. It means a life that exemplifies the life of Christ. The elders are not chosen for their status in life. Some might come from a low-income level and find the financial support of the believers to be more than they made in their former employment. Usually they end up living on substantially less income. Finances should never be a factor in whether they accept a call or not. From rich or poor backgrounds, elders should serve because God wants them to. An elder's chief desire should be to please the Lord. The elders are not to throw their weight around in an authoritarian way. In everything, they should be an example to the flock. Even when discipline is necessary, they should do it with love and gentleness. For this life of service and sacrifice, there is a promise to look forward to.

The Chief Shepherd will give the faithful ones a crown of glory that will never fade.

Let His Good News Transform You

Isaiah 61:1-3---The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Jesus began reading this passage in the synagogue of His hometown. He said it was being fulfilled as He read it. The passage was about Him. At first, they marveled. It wasn't that they were upset at His claim of being anointed, for they had watched Him grow up and knew He was different and wanted the Messiah to be from their town. They became angry when He said they would not receive Him but that the Gentiles would. Why was the Spirit of the Sovereign LORD on Him? He was anointed to preach the good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, and to proclaim freedom to captives and prisoners. His message of God's love for the humble was a joy to the poor who thought God had rejected them. The priests of that day gave the impression that those who were blessed materially and physically were blessed because they kept all the rules. That implied that the handicapped and poor and sick were unacceptable to God. Jesus' teaching was just the opposite. He declared that they were the ones that God was near. Do we have Jesus' perspective? God loves and cares for the hurting. He wants to give a garment of praise in place of a spirit of despair. Hear the good news. Jesus was anointed so that His healing, liberating touch can be upon your life.

God's Amazing Love For You

Isaiah 52:13-15---Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.  As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isaiah gave a number of prophecies about the suffering servant. They so beautifully describe the life of Jesus that it is a wonder some cannot see it and that the Jews of that day did not recognize Him. The wisest thing Jesus could have done for those He loved was to lay down His life. In the passage today, we see the cross raised, lifted into place, and the Son of God highly exalted. Though His body was beaten and torn beyond human recognition, He became the sacrifice whose blood would be our atonement. Kings bow before the wonder of His sacrificial death. They cannot speak in the presence of One whose love is so great that He would die to give them life. Pilate did not know the prophecies were being fulfilled before his eyes. Kings have not heard the Gospel and yet somehow will know that God has made a Way. God has revealed His Arm, Christ Jesus, and ever since the world has looked in awe at the wonder of His life and death in our place. Who would ever have guessed that God loved us to that extent? We sit in silence pondering the amazing love of God and our lack of gratitude for it. How could He love us so? The suffering Servant bore our sins that we might forever be right with God. Let the wonder of it grow within your heart.

Are You Backsliding With A Bible Under Your Arm?

By Dr. Adrain Rogers
“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
Philippians 3:10-11
Did you know that you can backslide with a Bible under your arm? I had more difficulty maintaining my spiritual life when I was in seminary than any other time in my life.  I’m not putting down seminary. It wasn’t their fault. It was my fault. I started reading the Bible like a math book instead of a love story. You can know the letter, but the letter kills if you are not clean. The test of your Bible Study is not how many facts you know or how fast you can take apart a Greek verb and put it back together. The test is: Are you becoming like Jesus because you spent time in His Word? May God help us as teachers, soul winners, disciples, and deacons to be using the Word of God to clean us, convict us, and challenge us to be more like Christ.