Tag: hope

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Watching And Waiting

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Based on the study, Come Lord Jesus, Come – by Love God Greatly / w1d2 / Image by LGG

Scripture: Luke 17:26-37 (SOAP: 26-27)

26 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27 In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— 29 until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 32 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 34 That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.”

37 “Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked.

Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”

Friends, the truth is clearly stated… Destruction is coming! For far too many people this is a warning of doom and gloom; but to those who are in Christ Jesus,1 it is a message of promise and eternal hope! Blessed be the name and salvation of our God and Savor Jesus Christ, who was and is and is to come!

PRAYER

Father, help us be found faithfully watching and waiting, looking above – filled with Your mercy and lost in Your love. Open our eyes and ears with an awareness of those who need You. Move our hearts with compassion for the lost, and let us speak with conviction and pray diligently with passion. Let this be the story that is on our lips – that Jesus is coming again and those who are His will be saved from the destruction that is promised to come to those who have not called upon the name of the Lord.2 And, to borrow from the prayer of the Love God Greatly writer, I pray Your Spirit will help us to “pause and take time to pray for our loved ones who do not know You. Please, Lord, open their hearts to You. I pray for salvation for all those in our lives who have not accepted Your free gift of salvation. Please, Lord, use us in their lives to help them see You better. Our lives are Yours, dear Jesus. Use us powerfully to help more people accept You as their Lord and Savior as we daily pray, come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.

The More We Know

What do we need to know about the vulture and the corpse? Watching for the signs

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Way Of Hope

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Based on the study, Come Lord Jesus, Come – by Love God Greatly / w1d1 / Image by LGG

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3

But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 5 They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these. 6 For some of these insinuate themselves into households and captivate weak women who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions. 7 Such women are always seeking instruction, yet never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people—who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith—also oppose the truth. 9 But they will not go much further, for their foolishness will be obvious to everyone, just like it was with Jannes and Jambres.

Continue in What You Have Learned

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings that happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. I endured these persecutions and the Lord delivered me from them all. 12 Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves. 14 You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3 (NET)

The world we live in today sounds vaguely familiar to the description we find in verses 1-5 of our passage today. Let’s read them again:

,,, They will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 5 They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power.

2 Timothy 3. NET

While Paul wrote the letter to Timothy, the truthful reality of it today, can be quite an overwhelming source of hopelessness; but keep reading and notice how Paul points Timothy and all disciples of Jesus to the way of hope.

Paul uses godly instruction, wisdom, encouragement, and wonderful examples that encourage us to live it all out in the very world of hopelessness he described earlier. How do we do that? We aren’t to shrink back simply because of the difficult challenges and ungodly, situations we face in the world around us. Instead, we are to seek God and press into His Word. We are to follow the teachings of Paul, who followed the teachings of Jesus – which points us to God’s Word that fills us with a hope that can only be found through a living faith in Christ Jesus. However, make no mistake – Paul warns, those who choose to follow the teachings of Jesus will surely face persecution — yet even in this, we have the hope that God will deliver us – just as He did Paul and those who have gone before us.

Despite the promise of persecution, there is “exciting news” as the devotion in the Love God Greatly journal for this study points out: “We can take comfort in the truth “that each day we live is one day closer to Christ’s return, and knowing this should motivate us to make every day count for eternity. When you look around and see people in your world becoming more and more like the people described in today’s verses, don’t allow discouragement to seize your mind. Instead, take heart. On those days when everyone in your world seems to want you to live as they do, cry out to Jesus, and ask Him to give you the courage to live in a manner that gives Him glory.”

The writer of the devotion goes on to say,

“Don’t get discouraged as the days get darker before Christ’s return. Instead, live with anticipation as you see the time getting closer and closer. Never forget that Jesus promised right before He returned to heaven that He would never leave us. He is with you. You are not alone, and God is watching over your life right now. Make the most of the opportunities He has given you, and do not get discouraged. This world may seem out of control, but remember, God is more powerful than anything in this world, and this world still submits to His ultimate control.:1

PRAYER

Father despite the reminder that our world must get like Paul described before You return, I take comfort in knowing that You are in complete and perfect control of this world and our lives. Please help us to be brave in these last days. Help us live each day with a greater purpose and urgency, to make You known, until Your return. Until that day, we will continue to pray – come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.

The More We Know

Don’t miss today’s Love God Greatly’s Monday blog post

  1. Today’s quotes are from pg 34 of Come Lord Jesus, Come, a love God Greatly Study ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Off The Beaten Path –

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Day 5 – Celebration of Life Prayer 2.0

I posted this little blog on my 57th birthday five years ago. It was actually a prayer and one of the first prayer posts I shared under the category of “God is Good.” I have updated it to reflect my most recent birthday and share it here with you as a segue to the guest post by Ann Voskamp.

Celebration of Life / an edited post of July 20, 2019

God, you are good! You have blessed me with 62 years of life🎉 This number represents more than years of life. For it is also a reminder that …

  • through FAITH in Jesus Christ, I have known you as my God for 56 years – and
  • 35 years ago, You brought me to a fuller understanding of Your marvelous grace, which profoundly and forever changed my life1 – and
  • Since then,  I have been GROWING in the knowledge of Your grace and of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ ❤️ in the nurture and admonition of Your amazing, never-failing LOVE!

So, while I celebrate my birthday and am deeply grateful for another year of life – my greater celebration is in You!

  • I bow in worship and celebrate who You are and that You made Yourself known to me!
  • I bless and celebrate Your Name – Name above all Names –
  • I celebrate being adopted into Your family and known as a child of God!
  • I praise and celebrate You for all that You have done for me throughout these 62 years – You’ve protected, provided, and shown me Your kindness, love, and compassion. You’ve rescued me from pits of destruction and walked with me through countless valleys, and not once have You left me on my own —so I celebrate You and the day of my salvation 56 years ago!
  • again and again I praise and celebrate You for Your mercy and pursuit of this wayward lamb
  • and I celebrate the fuller understanding You have given me of Your life-changing grace and Your faithfulness to grow me up in the nurture and admonition of Your Love over the past 35 years!

When I was writing this post five years ago – a song from decades ago started playing in my mind – And will be my song of celebration every year of my life – not just for my celebration of years but even more for my celebration of life in Christ! 🎶

Listen to my birthday song. Then, I invite (and encourage)you to visit the link to Ann Voskamp’s blog. It is a wonderful musing of ideas and encouragement about God’s grace and the change that comes from knowing and embracing Him, the God who doesn’t change and can do the impossible.

Change is possible, when you embrace the God who doesn’t change and can do the impossible.

Ann VosKamp

The post is long but well worth the read – even if you read some today and some tomorrow …. How to Have a Better Second Half of Your Life

photo credits/Ann Voskamp

Clock - it's never too late
Posted in Bible study

GOD’S WORD, OUR COMFORT…

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by Jen Thorn | LGG Post of Jun 28, 2015 |

Welcome to week 3 of our Psalm 119 study!

What do you run to for comfort?

For me it is people.  If I am sad or scared or worried or discouraged I go to my husband or friends.

But people are not the only source of comfort, right? Some seek comfort in their money, retail therapy, food, work, or sleep. Others try to escape through fiction books or movies. And sadly, some pick really dangerous ways of coping by using  drugs and alcohol.

There is nothing wrong with seeking comfort from others. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us that we are to encourage each other. It is also fine to watch a funny movie to make us laugh when we are feeling a bit down. But we can’t rely on earthly things to bring real lasting comfort.

Once the friends leave or the movie is over we are right back in the midst of our suffering. Earthly things can only comfort us in part, but the Psalmist tells us that there is a place we can go to find real lasting comfort.

Each eight verse section in Psalm 119 has a theme, and today Psalm 119:49-56 deals with God’s word as our comforter. Verse 50, in particular, is a key verse for us:

This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your word has revived me.

If we accept them by faith then these words become personal. These words are not from some God, but from our God. They are words to us from our Father and from our Redeemer. We belong to him, and he cares for us.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction ~ 2 Cor. 1:3-4

God’s word can give us peace while we are in the midst of a wild storm. It can bring comfort while we are afraid, tired, and worn out. We can have hope that he will see us through to the other side.

Romans 15 tells us that “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

The best comfort we find in Scripture is that Christ died for us.  It puts everything else into perspective. We have something far better waiting for us. These hard times – while they are difficult – will only last for awhile.

God’s word has the ability to give us life in the midst of any circumstance… life that is made up of hope, joy, praise and strength.

Looking To Jesus,

jen-sig
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Triumphs over Trials

God Provided for our Triumph

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Triumph over Trials / w1d5

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: 1 Peter1:22-25 / SOAP: 1 Peter 1:24-25

22 You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart. 23 You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.  24 For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass; the grass withers and the flower falls off, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

1 Peter 1:22-25

Before making observations on verses 24 and 25, it is interesting and helpful to examine verses 22 and 23. Bibleref.com

Peter says, we should go for it with everything we’ve got. We should abandon our own “evil desires” and work hard at loving each other, instead. The word translated as “earnestly” or “deeply” in this verse—ektenōs in Greek—means “at full stretch” or “in an all-out manner, with an intense strain.” Just as an athletics coach might tell a player to “leave it all on the field,” Peter tells us to completely exhaust all of our resources in a single-hearted effort to give love to each other.

Bibleref.com / 1 Peter 1:22

I particularly love v23, which talks of our new birth. Peter emphasizes an important truth that when we place our faith in Jesus we are born again – born to a new life in Christ – but not by a seed that eventually dies but rather by an “undying seed, through God’s undying word,” as Bibleref.com explains. The undying word is also known as the Gospel, which is the truth and message of Jesus Christ. “It is the message from God that He will forgive our sins and make us spiritually alive forever in Christ.” (all quotes from bibleref.com/1 Peter 1:23)

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the flesh, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NET

Verse twenty-four and twenty-five are first found in Isaiah 40:6-8 and quoted here by Peter.

As I read these verses, two things stood out to me. The first was that the mortal, perishable body decays through the years and eventually succumbs to physical death. This is a harsh reality for sure, but the second thing that grabbed my attention trumped the harsh reality with the glorious hope and joy in knowing that, as believers, we will live forever through the precious blood of Jesus – by which, as Peter said, we are made new. Paul explained it like this in 1 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ the new has come, the old has gone, the new is here.”

Humans are like grass that withers and flowers that fade. Whatever glory we possess is soon gone, but if our foundation is based on the solid rock of God’s unfailing Word, our future is eternally secure .

Gotquestions.org /(Matthew 7:24–27)
LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)
  • believe the Gospel message, which is the Word of God
  • obey God’s Word – obedience is a key factor in the life of a believer
  • stand firm on the Word of God – of course, this means you need to know it and remember it
  • love others as Christ loves us is one of the most important commands we have been given
PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

Father, thank You for redeeming us through the blood of Jesus! Through Him, the living Word, You have ensured our triumph—over trials and sins and all of life! Through His death, burial, and resurrection, we have hope; through His Spirit, we have power; and through Your Word, which has been proclaimed, we have the promise of eternal life! We are not invincible in and of ourselves, but through FAITH in Jesus—His Spirit in us—and God’s Word before us, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. We are new creations in Christ Jesus and the lives we now live in the flesh, we live by faith in Your Son who loved us and gave Himself for us – so that we might have eternal life! For this, we give You, the God of mercy and grace, the praise and glory due to Your name – Amen!

THE MORE WE KNOW

What does 1 Peter 1:22 mean?

In his letter, Peter has described what our lives were like before we trusted in Christ for our salvation by God’s grace. We lived in ignorance, driven along our empty, futile way by our selfish passions or evil desires. We served ourselves, to our own destruction, and could do nothing else. All of that changed when God saved us. He declared our lives worthy of the blood of His Son. He rescued us from emptiness and set us apart for one thing: His purposes. Then, Peter wrote, God commanded us to “be holy,” to stop living for self and to be fully available to Him.

Now Peter writes that our obedience to the truth has a purifying effect on our souls. It’s not that we make ourselves clean from sin by our obedience. God has declared us clean from sin through the blood of Jesus, His death in our place. Rather, it’s that when we obey, we are not sinning! We are living the pure, holy lives God intends for His people. When we obey Him, we stop being double-minded, torn between our selfishness and fulfilling His will for us. Setting our desires aside allows us to give ourselves over fully to loving each other—without being half-hearted or false.

So, Peter says, we should go for it with everything we’ve got. We should abandon our own “evil desires” and work hard at loving each other, instead. The word translated as “earnestly” or “deeply” in this verse—ektenōs in Greek—means “at full stretch” or “in an all-out manner, with an intense strain.” Just as an athletics coach might tell a player to “leave it all on the field,” Peter tells us to completely exhaust all of our resources in a single-hearted effort to give love to each other.

Bibleref.com/1 Peter 1:22

Don’t forget to check out lovegodgreatly.com for more insight

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Lent, LGG Study, Quiet Time

That Will Be A Time to Fast

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based on the LGG Study, Lent – A Time of Drawing Close to God / w1d5

Scripture: Luke 5:33-35 / SOAP: verse 35

A Discussion about Fasting

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” 34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” This isn’t another trick question from the Pharisees but rather a legit question of wonder from unidentified people. Why do the disciples of John and those of the Pharisees fast while the disciples of Jesus do not? Jesus’ answer is, and I paraphrase, ‘Because I am still with you. When they come and take Me away from you that will be a time to fast.’ Luke 5:33-35

From the Journal / LGG Lent Journal, pg 58

“When Jesus was with His disciples, there was no need for them to fast. But now, since Jesus is not physically with us, since He has completed the work of His first coming and is preparing fo rHis second, we fast.

Fasting reminds us that, without God, we are nothing. It heightens our longing for eternity and reminds us to recognize how empty we are without Him. We fast and pray, earnestly longing for Him to come and restore and redeem all things.

Now is the time to fast. Now is the time to turn our hearts toward our Risen Savior. Now is the time to remember His love, mercy, compassion, and grace. Now is the time to remember that without Him, we are nothing. And now is the time to remember and remind one another of God’s incredible grace and the victory we have in Him!”

While these are all incredible reasons to fast, it hit me as I was reading/studying and highlighting the passage in my journal – that while Jesus may not be physically with us now He rose again and walked among the disciples again and He ascended into Heaven with the promise that He will come again. We cling to that promise, not in mourning, but with HOPE and we look forward to that day with JOY – we no longer mourn as the disciples did in the three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection after He had been led away or “taken from them” – but we rejoice in the grace of God poured upon our lives and we remember that the grave could not hold what “man took away!”

I”m not saying we shouldn’t fast – but for me the fasting isn’t in mourning His absence, for Joy and Hope follow the resurrection and ascension – because He is alive and will come again – just as He promised! – Me, from the Insideout 🦋

I wait, perhaps fasting and praying, as Anna did – for His coming – keeping my mind set on Him – watching and listening and hoping always … but I do not mourn at His absence for He is with me! Scripture says, I abide in Him and He abides in me. In an effort to comfort their sorrows, Jesus actually told the disciples in John 16:7 that it was to their advantage for Him to go away. The commentary from Bibleref.com on John chapter 16 is quite enlightening concerning the way the disciples would have felt following the resurrection –

Modern believers have the benefit of hindsight. We read the description of Jesus’ arrest (John 18:1–3) and crucifixion (John 19:18) knowing He will be resurrected (John 20:19). The disciples originally listening to Jesus didn’t have that perspective. That three-day period (John 2:19) will fill them with unimaginable sorrow, fear, and doubt. Jesus compares this to the experience of a woman in childbirth. During labor, pain is almost the only thing a woman can process. However, once the baby is born, agony is no longer the center of her attention. She doesn’t literally lose all memory of the pain, but the joy of a newborn vastly outweighs memories of labor. The same will be true for Jesus’ followers: they will quickly move through extreme pain and into tremendous joy (John 16:16–24).

bibleref.com

Sadness Will Be Turned to Joy

16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.”

17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? 18 And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”

19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. – John 16:16-24 NLT

Posted in Advent, Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Promised Messiah

The Promised Messiah

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Today’s Scripture is Luke chapter 2. (SOAP verses 10-12)

but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12

Oh, how I love this chapter of the Bible, the cast and characters of Christmas on grand but humble display. Shepherds and angels, Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus, Simeon and Anna the prophetess who had both faithfully waited for the promised Messiah … Each of them a beautiful part of the Christmas story – the Advent of our Christ.

I know it’s easy to zero in on the soap passage, but I invite and encourage you to read each verse with fresh eyes and an undistracted mind that takes it all in as though it were unfolding before you on a stage with all the pageantry of Christmas. Walk with Mary and Joseph on the streets of Bethlehem, see the baby lying in the manger, Mary and Joseph in awe and wonder of it all. Listen with the shepherds to the angelic announcement and to the army of angels proclaiming – “glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and good will to men!” Hear the words of Simeon and Anna the hope fulfilled and the worship that poured forth. I pray that it will lead you, on this last day of our journey, to stop and worship Christ, the new born King – saying with the angels – “Glory to God in the Highest!”

“Rejoice rejoice of Christian, lift up your voice and sing – Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King – The hope of all who find Him …” the long awaited and promised Messiah! May we, like Simeon, find ourselves saying, “-my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all people: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And, and like Anna – may we give thanks to God and speak about the Messiah to all who need the salvation He came to bring.

Going Further

Be sure and visit LoveGodGreatly.com for today’s blog post

Posted in Advent, Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Promised Messiah

Salt and Light

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based on the Love God Greatly Advent study, The Promised Messiah / w4d4

Scripture: Luke 1:57-80 / SOAP verses 68-71

This is like a segment from the memorable Paul Harvey and his segments known as “The Rest of the Story.” Previously in Luke’s story we learned of an angel named Gabriel who appeared to a priest who was serving in the Temple, with an announcement that the priest and his wife, both very old, would have a son, whom they were to name John; and John would be the messenger for the coming Messiah. Which of course, is exactly where the story picks up today. Elizabeth gives birth to a son and she named him John. Their neighbors and relatives rejoiced with the miraculous birth but questioned the name she gave since it was not a family name. Zechariah, though still mute because of his disbelief in the angelic proclamation, confirms by writing on a tablet – “His name is John.” Scripture says that Zechariah immediately regained his speech and blessed God and then, filled with Holy Spirit, he prophesied, saying:

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,
70 just as he promised
    through his holy prophets long ago.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.

Luke 1:68-71

I love this response and am quite convicted by them. Zechariah’s words, his first words spoken in months, weren’t a story about what had happened to him but they were about God. They were words of praise that would have brought to the people’s minds God’s long awaited promises to His people – promises of a messenger (Malachi 3:1), a savior (Isa 7:14 and 9:6; Micah 5:2), and of salvation from sin (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

“But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. . . . Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Gotquestions.org

I see several applications as I read through and study this passage. Certainly we learn the importance of believing and obeying God’s word. I also noticed and was reminded of the importance of keeping our minds on God, whether we are in the midst of hard times or celebratory ones. The ultimate example being how in all of the excitement of the birth of a son to a couple well beyond the years of having a child – the fulfillment of the angel’s message – and the return of his speech – Zechariah’s focus remained on God. Undoubtedly, this was a result of the the filling of the Holy Spirit – but let us remember, this is the same Spirit that fills us who have believed, the Spirit of whom Paul said bears within us the fruit of self-control. Both of these examples lead me to the third, you see – because Zechariah believed and obeyed God, evidenced in his naming the child John, Zechariah was given back the ability to speak and maintaining his focus on God, even in all of the excitement, his words poured forth a beautiful prophesy that pointed the people to God and what He had done and was yet to do. The combination of these examples led me to this ultimate application – when we obey God and keep our minds on Him – what pours forth from our lips will be about what He does or has done in the past – it stirs up thought and attention to who He is and what else He can and will do. Thus, we become the salt and light God has called us to be.

Reflection For the Journey

God undoubtedly saw Zechariah and Elizabeth in their years of pain and longing. He was merciful despite their mistakes and used both to encourage their community and make His name great. He is the same God today. What might He be working to restore in your life, even to your longing or momentary unbelief?

From the LGG devotion journal, p 134 / The Promised Messiah
Posted in Advent, Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Promised Messiah

Sustaining HOPE

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Scripture: Hebrews 9:27-28; Matthew 24:30-31 / SOAP: John 14:1-3

“Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. 3 And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.

John 14:1-3

Oh, how I love the promises of God. The best part of His promises is that they are all, yes and amen in JESUS! Which, I’m sure, is why this old hymn kept playing through my mind as I was reading today’s Scripture.

Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing On the Promises / Author: Russell Kelso Carter (1886)

Promise after promise is fulfilled throughout Scripture but perhaps none sweeter and certainly none more endearing to our hearts than the one we celebrate during this Advent season. The birth of the baby in Bethlehem, the city of David, to a virgin – brought great hope to the watching world as it does to us today. Some thirty-three years later another great, albeit tragic, promise was fulfilled in the death, burial, and resurrection of that same child. Those who know Him cannot help but weep at His death and yet rejoice at the freedom we know because of it – and the hope we know in the empty tomb and His ascension into Heaven.

The fulfillment of these promises and all those that came before them or those we have seen evidence of in our own lives, even to this day, are what give us the beautiful hope in the promise of Jesus in John 14:1-3. You see, Jesus had made known His upcoming departure and here, in the fourteenth chapter of John, He gives His disciples and, by extension, all – who by faith have chosen to follow Him, the ultimate promise of hope. It is a promise meant to sustain us as believers . For to press on in His work during His absence it is vital that we keep believing in Him – in who He is, in what He is doing, and in the promise that He will return for us and take us with Him – so that where He is we may be also.

Jesus is making a place for us
Jesus will come again
Jesus will take us to be with Him

The HOPE of John 14:3

There is one catch about His promise to return and take us with Him – it is only for those who have placed their faith in Him. So, as we wait on His promised return may we be faithfully active in making Him known. May we live out His love, share His message of peace and hope, and continually pray for the salvation of the lost.

Marvelous message we bring, Glorious carol we sing, Wonderful word of the King, Jesus is coming again! -Chorus: Coming again, Coming again, May be morning, may be noon, May be evening and may be soon! Coming again, Coming again; O what a wonderful day it will be -Jesus is coming again!

Coming Again, by John W Peterson https://lyricstranslate.com

Reflection for the Journey

How does this promise impact your life?

Posted in Advent, Advent, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, The Promised Messiah

Son of David or of God?

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 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “He is the son of David.”

Matthew 22:42

We know and celebrate Jesus as the Son of God, but in today’s reference, and many other places in the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the “son of David.” Jesus even says of Himself, “I am the root and the descendant of David …” in Revelation 22:16, identifying Himself as both the creator (root) of David and David’s descendant. Only Jesus can claim both titles because He alone is the true and living Son of God come down to earth in the flesh – just as God promised David through the prophet Samuel.

The title “Son of David” is more than a statement of physical genealogy. It is a Messianic title. When people referred to Jesus as the Son of David, they meant that He was the long-awaited Deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

gotquestions.org

Our traditional Christmas celebrations are centered around the nativity. We talk of Mary and Joseph and others like Elizabeth and Zechariah or Anna and Simeon who are all part of the narrative. We sing of the baby in a manger, of shepherds and the angels on the night of His birth, and of the wise men who visited him from the East, and these are all good and true parts of the story worthy of rejoicing in. However, in recent years, I have grown to love this season of Advent – the time leading up to the celebration, a time when we look forward to the nativity by remembering God’s promise of a Messiah to His people and, ultimately, the world. It is a time of hope, peace, joy, and love coming down to earth in the flesh, Jesus – the Light and Savior of the world. Advent is a time of remembering that while Jesus is fully God, He is also the promised Messiah, the “son of David.” Combining the history of this long-awaited Messiah with the sweet baby boy in the manger has helped me more fully appreciate and celebrate Christmas for who and what it’s really about. The twinkling lights, the music, the presents, and childlike wonder are always going to tug at my heart of nostalgia and childlike delight – but the Advent will forever move me in awe and wonder of God’s love and fulfilled promise the Messiah – Immanuel – God with us!

May we press on faithfully in the observance of Advent and draw near with hearts of worship and wonder worthy of our God and Savior.

Going further

Be sure and check out today’s blog post by the LGG Team

Reflections on the journey

Who do you say Jesus is?