Set Free!

Acts 16:16-34

Today’s Scripture from the Book of Acts, is a very exciting passage.  It tells of a troubling encounter with the occult, deliverance from the powers of darkness, unjust brutality from civil authorities, and the transformation of a lost soul through salvation.  Through all of this, God’s love, mercy, and grace shine forth, along with showing His sovereignty, and the power of prayer and praise.  Let’s jump right into our Scripture for today.

As our verses begin, Paul and his missionary companion Silas were in the Greek city of Philippi, which is in northeastern Greece.  As it happened, for several days, whenever the pair went out through the city, they were followed by a slave girl who was under the control of a demon spirit (vs. 16-18).  She continually cried out that Paul and Silas were “servants of the Most High God”, and that they “proclaim the way of salvation”.  This continued for several days.  After a bit, Paul had enough.  He did not want advertising from satanic powers, so he turned around and cast the demon out of her.

This passage shows that demonic possession is not just something out of horror novels and movies, but is very real.  This girl was possessed by one or more demons, and they used her to tell fortunes, which is something that Christians should never get involved with.  Fortune tellers are either fake, or if their predictions come true, are under the power of demons.  The power and authority of the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ set her free!  This girl’s masters had used her demonic powers to make a lot of money, and when they saw that her powers were now gone, as the demon had left, they were quite angry (vs. 19-21).  They did not care that she was set free from demonic powers that controlled her.  They only cared about their bank accounts, so they went to the authorities to report the two as troublemakers.

The city authorities immediately acted upon the complaints of the owners of the slave girl, and took Paul and Silas into custody.  They were unjustly beaten and flogged, which was against the law to do to Roman citizens without a proper trial.  This was nothing new for Paul.  Both then and now there will be persecution for preaching the truth, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

How did Paul and Silas react as they lay chained to the wall of their prison cell, bloodied and in pain from the unjust flogging they received?  Did they shout out curses and threaten to sue the magistrates?  Did they complain to God and say that they were quitting the ministry?  Many of us might respond that way, but not those two.  They spent the night in jail praying and singing hymns to God! (vs. 25).  Even in suffering, Paul and Silas worshiped God, which shows that faith is not dependent on circumstances.

God honored their faithfulness, and brought an earthquake which flung the doors open and loosened their shackles (vs. 26).  God is sovereign over nature as its Creator, and will use natural events to bring about His purposes.  The jailer saw what had happened, and believed that the prisoners escaped.  That would mean his execution by the Romans if that were the case, and so he pulled his sword and was going to kill himself.  Many prisoners would have just let him do that, as there is usually no good feelings between prisoners and jailers, but Paul didn’t.  Instead, what did he do?  He told him about Jesus!

The jailer probably heard throughout the night the prayers and hymns of Paul and Silas, and knew that there was something different about them.  So when Paul stopped him from killing himself, he came and asked what he could do to be saved, to have their faith.  As we learn in verses 30 and 31, we don’t do anything except believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  We don’t have to give money, do various good deeds, or follow certain rituals.  We just have to believe.  Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through works.  That night the jailer and his family were saved and became believers.

Paul and Silas knew the power of praising God, even in dark times.  They may have been in prison, but they weren’t imprisoned in their hearts.  They chose to praise God for who He is, in spite of the circumstances, and then God moved in power.  The act of thanksgiving and praise opens impossible doors, and shakes loose all chains.

Paul and Silas did not ever give up hope, and did not ever fail to give thanks.  That is the power of gratitude and thanksgiving.  When we find ourselves faced with difficulties, consider the response of these two, and ask ourselves whether our prayers and songs reflect the awesome grace of God?  Will people be moved to ask, “What must I do to be saved?”  Keep giving thanks in all circumstances.  God is big enough to deliver you!

Love, Obedience, And Peace

John 14:23-29

When we genuinely love someone, we want to do things that would please them and make them happy.  Sometimes that might take a little bit of effort, but it is worth it, as we love the person.  We don’t want to do anything that would upset them or disappoint them, and certainly not on purpose.  That only makes sense.  We love that person.  How about with God?  In our Scripture passage from the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus speaks about this.  Let’s see what He has to say.

Chapter 14 from the Apostle John’s Gospel continues the series of private talks that the Lord Jesus had with the disciples the night before His crucifixion.  Earlier in the chapter, He had a sort of short question and answer session with His disciples.  Now He repeated a statement that He had made only moments before, and that is that if we love Jesus, we will keep His word (vs. 23).  Born-again believers have a personal relationship with God.  That relationship is rooted in obedience to His Word.  Jesus taught that to love God means to obey Him.  He wove those two words, love and obedience, together.  Words or feelings are meaningless without actions to back them up.

As Jesus continued, He spoke of the contrast between those who truly love Him, and those who don’t (vs. 24).  We see this in the world today, including in the Church.  People will say that they love Jesus, but then they turn around and completely disregard what is plainly said in the Bible.  They might say that this or that doesn’t apply today, or that society has changed from the days of the Bible, and we are a “more advanced” society today.  Yet that is disobedience, and Jesus says then that those people do not love Him.  He continued by saying that if they reject His Words they are rejecting the Father.  True believers are set apart from the world, and must stand firm in Biblical truth, even when society opposes it.

As our Scripture proceeds, Jesus goes on to promise His disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit to them (vs. 26).  One of the blessings that the Holy Spirit brings to believers, is that He will continue to enlighten us in the things of God, and that He will bring to our remembrance what we have read in His Word, the Bible.  God’s Word is without error, and the Holy Spirit will illuminate its truth to us.  There is no new revelation, but He helps us to understand and apply the already revealed Word of God, and He will bring to our mind specific Biblical Scripture passages just when we need them.

Jesus then speaks of another promise, and that is His promise of peace (vs. 27).  We hear a lot about peace today, and most sensible people desire peace in the world, with an end to the fighting in various locations around the world.  That is one type of peace, an end to conflict, whether between countries or individual people.  There is another type of peace, and that is an inner tranquility, a calmness in our spirit.  That is more what Jesus is talking about here, and we can have that regardless of what is going on in the world around us.

Jesus’ peace is not a product of our surrounding circumstances.  No matter how chaotic our lives may be externally, we can have an internal sense of serenity through the Holy Spirit, who lives within each believer.  The peace of God is an inner calmness that we can experience only when we put everything in His hands, our lives, our worries, our future, and fully trust Him for the results.  When we face trials, we can be assured that Jesus is in control.

The Lord Jesus doesn’t always make every situation a happy or pleasant one.  However, His truth always gives us peace, and will set us free.  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit His peace creates a sense of well-being and wholeness in spite of what is going on around us.  So many things are troubling in this world, but we can relax and rest in the Holy Spirit.

As these verses close, Jesus spoke of His departure, but reassured His disciples that He would return (vs. 28-29).  Jesus is a Savior we can love, who will actually return our love.  He will come to us with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and will stay with us forever.  Jesus will never leave us, will never throw us out of the house, and will never turn on us, hate us, or give us the silent treatment.  Instead, Jesus promises to make us a part of God’s family.

A Miracle In Lystra

Acts 14:8-18

How do we react when we receive praise after having success in some project we have accomplished?  Some might act a little shy and even embarrassed, as praise makes them uncomfortable, while others just swell up with pride.  They might puff out their chest, and even have a little swagger in their step.  A little praise or some compliments are okay, but for some, the more success and then praise they get, the more they let it get to their heads, and rather soon they start to think that they are really someone special.  We see this in sports, in business, and unfortunately, even among religious leaders.  In our Scripture today from the Book of Acts, the Apostles Paul and Barnabas had the opportunity for that to happen in their ministry.  Let’s take a look at this occasion.

As our Scripture opens, Paul and Barnabas were continuing on with their missionary journeys, and they had arrived in the village of Lystra, which was in south-central present-day Turkey.  There they proceeded to give a sermon, bringing the Gospel message of Jesus to these folks.  As we read, as Paul continued in his sermon, he noticed one man in the congregation.  He stuck out for some reason.  Paul noticed that he was intently paying attention to the message, and from the look on his face, he was believing the message.  Faith was growing and was becoming evident to the Apostle (vs. 8-9).

This man was crippled, and had been since birth.  Paul saw that he was crippled, and perhaps had even been told that earlier.  The Bible does not tell us what Paul’s message was, but whatever he said produced faith in this man.  He heard the preaching of the Word of God, and that gave birth to faith.  That faith began to grow in the man the more he heard Paul speak.  (Romans 10:17).  The seed of the Word of God was planted in this man’s spirit.  As Paul continued to preach, that seed of faith blossomed in his heart.

The Holy Spirit brought this to Paul’s attention, and the Apostle interrupted his message, and spoke out to this man.  He told him to get up and start walking. Most people might have responded that they couldn’t, and would have remained seated.  However, this man had allowed the Word of God to work in his heart, and he had faith, faith enough to act on Paul’s word.  He stood up for the first time in his life, and started walking and leaping around! (vs. 10).

This miraculous healing was not done through any power of Paul’s, but was instead done through the power and authority of God.  Paul and Barnabas were just the human vessels for God’s work.  It is faith in the Lord Jesus that truly heals.  However, the people of Lystra had different ideas.  They looked at this miracle, and instead of having listened and believed the words of Paul, they attributed this miracle to their pagan gods.  They even claimed that Paul and Barnabas were the gods Zeus and Hermes in human form.  The local pagan priests even brought sacrifices and flowers for the two (vs. 11-13).

How would many people respond in such a situation?  Unfortunately many people would jump at the chance to be considered a god!  They would take advantage of the power that would come with this.  Many religious leaders, after having success in their ministry, large crowds at their services, and successful book sales, allow this to swell their pride.  They begin to think and act like they are someone special.

This was not how Paul or Barnabas responded to the pagan priests.  They vehemently rejected the sacrifices or claims of deity.  They knew and stated that worship belongs only to Yahweh (Exodus 20:3-5).  Paul used this moment to proclaim the Gospel, stating that Yahweh is the only true God, that He is the Creator of all things, not the false, pagan gods they have been worshiping (vs. 14-18).

As we look back over this Scripture passage, we see that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can bring transformation in a life.  This man had been crippled since birth, and yet his newborn faith in Jesus brought a great healing.  What can we see our faith do today?  We also need to be vigilant against idolatry in all forms, and reject worldly worship.  Though no one will be calling us some Greek god, we must never let any success in ministry or anything else make us proud, allow us to think too highly of ourselves, or to become arrogant.  All praise and devotion belongs to Jesus!

Spreading The News

Psalm 67

As believers, there are several things that the Lord wants us to be occupied with while we wait for His return.  The most important thing we are to be doing, though, is telling others about Jesus, and bringing Him praise.  One of Jesus’ last words that He spoke to His disciples before He returned to heaven was that He wanted us to go to all nations and tell them about Him.  Our short psalm for today speaks of this, as well.  Let’s take a quick look at this portion of Scripture from the Book of Psalms.

As our psalm opens, the writer desires God’s blessings and mercy upon his life.  He speaks in a poetic manner about wishing God’s face to shine upon himself and the people (vs. 1).  We can tell when we are in good favor with someone by the look on their face.  As children we knew whether or not it was wise to ask a favor of our father when he got home from work by the look on his face.  Later, as adults, we knew to tread softly at work if the boss’ face was in a scowl.  A beaming smile indicates good favor, whereas a frown, scowl, or worse is not good.

To have God’s face to shine upon us means that He is looking towards us and on us with favor.  Those who don’t enjoy His shining face endure His wrath.  When God’s shining face is turned towards us, we should reflect His blessing in acts of love and service to a world lost in darkness.  When we are filled with love and joy, it is often evident on our face.  God’s shining face is part of the blessing He had the priests use for the people (Numbers 6:24-27).

The psalmist continues by declaring that God’s ways should be made known to all nations, all around the world (vs. 2).  Unfortunately, during the time of the Old Testament, very few of God’s people told the people of other nations, the Gentiles, about the Lord.  Though they believed that Yahweh was the one, true God, they felt that He was their God, and that He didn’t care about other nations.  However, throughout the Old Testament, particularly in Psalms and many of the prophets, God says that He wants His message given to the world so that the Gentiles can come to Him.

This desire of God has not changed throughout the centuries.  Jesus wanted His disciples, us, to spread the Gospel message of salvation throughout the world (Matthew 28:18-20).  The psalmist declared that God’s ways and salvation should be made known all throughout the earth.  When other peoples and other nations turn to the Lord, then His blessings can extend to them.  After people have come to faith in the Lord Jesus, the natural response is to bring Him praise.  They can be glad and sing for joy (vs. 3-4).

As we continue, the psalmist proclaims that God’s judgments are righteous (vs. 4).  When He judges, it is not a mistaken judgment, and neither too harsh or too lenient.  He does not desire that anyone should be lost or perish, but that they come to repentance and salvation, that they turn from their sins and be reconciled (II Peter 3:9).  The only way that the lost are going to hear about Jesus is by us telling them, so again, the psalmist is urging us to bring God’s message to others.

The psalmist desires and prays for God’s blessings upon himself and the people around him.  This isn’t for selfish reasons, or that his bank account will increase.  He seeks God’s blessings so that His Name will be glorified throughout his neighborhood, his nation, and around the world (vs. 5-7).  When others see how we follow the Lord, and that He hears and answers our prayers, when they see that we pray for a sick loved one, and they recover, or that we pray for a job and He hears and blesses us with one, etc. then they will seek to know Him, too.  We will glorify God for answered prayer, and they can glorify Him, as well, for the salvation they found.

When we share the message of Jesus with others, they can come to enjoy God’s blessings upon their lives.  Then they, too, will enjoy having God’s face to shine upon them, rather than face His wrath.

A Plague Of Locusts

Joel 2:21-27

A plague of locusts!  The thought of that is enough to cause some people to get all shivery with fear!  I am someone who does not like most insects.  I do like butterflies, dragonflies, and ladybugs, but that is about it.  I certainly would not like a swarm of any type of insect around me!  There aren’t as many locust plagues as there used to be, though they do occasionally happen in East Africa and some spots in Asia.  However, not quite in the Biblical proportions. A large swarm of locusts can devastate the agricultural economy of any area, and when they swarm to plague status, their numbers can easily top 100 billion of them, enough to cause famine to whole countries, with multiplied deaths following.  Our Scripture today is in reference to a plague of locusts, and the promise of God which followed.

To better understand our Scripture, we should give a brief background.  The prophet Joel primarily ministered to the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the 9th century BC.  (If you have a chance, read Chapter 1 and the first half of Chapter 2 of the Book of Joel.)  Joel brings a message from God that He is sending a plague of locusts upon the people as punishment for their disobedience of His Word.   Such a message would strike fear into the people.  It would be just as bad as if saying an enemy army was descending upon them.  As a matter of fact, that is how a plague of locusts is described, just as an army coming down upon the people.  They devour the crops, leaving nothing behind, a never-ending horde, sometimes even darkening the sunlight for hours at time.  Within a matter of just a few minutes, fields of crops and woodlands are devoured by the multiple millions of locusts, with all leaves, grain, and grass gone for hundreds of miles.

Naturally the people were horrified at the thought of this happening.  This was the judgment of God, called in the early chapters The Day of the Lord.  Because the people of Judah were not walking faithfully with God, He sent this plague of judgment.  The Lord promised repayment and restoration if they would only repent, ask Him for mercy, and follow Him.  There is still hope for their future if only they would return to the Lord.

After reading the description of the horrible destruction caused by these locusts, we come to our Scripture passage.  The prophet Joel gives a description of what they could expect if they return to Yahweh in repentance, and decide to follow His Word.  Our passage opens with the prophet telling the people and the land that they do not need to fear any longer (vs. 21), but instead they can be glad and rejoice.  Joel tells the cattle and other wild animals that their feeding grounds will return (vs. 22).  The result of the sins of the people had fallen upon them, as well, affecting these innocent animals, but now their grazing land would return.

The Lord continues by promising the people that He will send rain to replenish the fields and crops.  Thus the people’s crops and harvests will return (vs. 23-24).  That is a reason that they can be glad and rejoice in the Lord.  He promises the people that when they return to Him in obedience and fellowship, He will restore all that the locusts have eaten, that great army of insects that have destroyed the land (vs. 25).

When locust plagues occur, almost inevitably a famine will soon follow, as every plant for hundreds of miles is destroyed.  Both man and animal die of hunger.  God promises that He will restore what the locust has eaten, and the people will have plenty to eat.  They will know that this is from Him, as only God is able to do such a thing (vs. 26-27).

Though there are very few locust plagues any more, we can still have major devastation in our lives, often caused by our own sinful behavior.  Such events can wreck such havoc in our lives that it could feel almost like a plague of locusts have gone through, leaving us in a crumpled heap afterwards.  We can feel so hopeless afterwards, especially if this was caused by our own sin.  We wonder if we will ever survive afterwards, and if the Lord will ever forgive and accept us again.  During this deadly plague, the people of Judah wondered the same.  The prophet Joel reminded the people that yes, the Lord would.  If they repented and followed His Word again, He would restore them and the land.

The Lord is not absent during dark seasons, even when they are brought about through sin.  When we seek God with humble hearts, He will pour His mercy and blessings upon us.  He will restore to us all of the years that the locusts have eaten!

A New Commandment

John 13:31-35

Sometimes it is quite evident to tell who is a part of a certain family, as the physical similarities are quite noticeable.  In one family, having red hair and freckles may be the family trait.  In another family they may all be tall and big-boned.  In other families, the characteristics may be some talent or skill that they all have, such as being good swimmers, or the whole family are bookworms.  There is one characteristic that those who are in the family of Christ all should have.  Our Scripture today from the Gospel of John tells us what that one characteristic is.  Let’s look, and see what characteristics we should be having.

Chapter 13 of the Gospel of John takes place in the upper room where Jesus and His disciples spent the evening before His crucifixion, and where they celebrated the Passover, and established Holy Communion.  Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had washed the disciples feet, including His betrayer, Judas Iscariot.  Now He begins a series of private talks with the disciples which continues on through the end of chapter 17.

Jesus started out by saying that very shortly, actually in just a few short hours, He will be glorified, and that God will be glorified through Him (vs. 31-32).  We know that in less than twenty-four hours Jesus was going to be arrested, brutally treated by His enemies, cruelly scourged, and then crucified.  That does not look anything like being glorified.  When someone is glorified, they might receive medals, awards, or trophies.  They might have a parade in their honor, a banquet, and be seated in the place of honor.  Certainly not executed like a common criminal!

However, this was exactly the way that God would be glorified.  The death of Jesus upon the cross, the shedding of His sinless Blood, was necessary for the atonement of the sins of mankind, and is central to our salvation.  This sacrifice shows the greatness and all-encompassing love of God for us.  Jesus’ death and resurrection would glorify God by destroying the power of Satan.

Next Jesus turned His attention to telling His disciples a new commandment, and that is that they love one another just as He has loved them (vs. 34-35).  It is by showing such a love for each other that others will know that they are followers of the Savior.

Just what kind of love did Jesus have?  First, it is a sacrificial love, a love that was so strong that He willingly gave His life to pay the price for our sins.  We should have a love for others, one that, though we may not actually have to give our life for another, we are readily willing to sacrifice what we can for them.  We can give of our time, our money, our belongings to others, giving what we can without begrudging the sacrifice.

Jesus also loved everyone.   He accepted everyone, Jewish, Samaritan, or Gentile, men and women.  No one was turned away.  When He was ready to return to heaven, Jesus told the disciples to go into the world and bring the Gospel to everyone.  Just like the children’s song goes “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.”  They are all precious in His sight.  We need to follow in His footsteps there, too, showing love to everyone, whether they look like us or not, or whether they speak like us, as well.

The world at the time of the early Church was a harsh and cruel one.  There was very little love and caring for others.  One may love their family, and have a degree of love or caring for one’s close friends, but that was it.  There was no love, caring, or compassion for the poor, the homeless, or the critically ill.  Even common courtesies that one might extend to a stranger were rare.  The pagan religions of the day certainly did not teach kindness and love to others.  However, that is exactly what Christianity taught.  The people of the day took notice of this.  They noticed that the Christians helped the poor when no one else would.  They saw that they took care of the sick, the widows and orphans, which the pagan religions did not teach to do.  Even today, no other religion stresses the necessity in showing love one for another, and caring for “the least of these”.

How can others know if we are one of Jesus’ children?  Jesus told us what that identifier is, and that is love.  In words and deeds, a believer should show love to all those around.  A Christian’s love for others should be obvious.  As followers of Christ, our love should make us stand out in a crowd.

A Victory And A Wedding

Revelation 19:1-9

Whenever there is a great victory, there is usually a great celebration that follows.  After long and difficult wars have been fought, when the fighting finally ceases, the victorious country will have celebrations across the land.  We saw this following both World War I and World War II.  Even sports teams, especially if it has been a difficult year for them, have grand celebrations after winning the championship.  Our Scripture today comes from the Book of Revelation, and describes such a grand celebration after a special victory.  Many people look on the Book of Revelation as a book of doom, where they read page after page of severe and catastrophic judgments being cast on the world.  And though there are descriptions of severe judgments for the enemies of the Lord Jesus, it is also very much a book of praise and celebration to the Savior.  Today’s Scripture passage is just such a one, giving an account of a victory celebration for Jesus.

As we read our opening verse, we read the words “after these things”.  We need to look back into chapter 18 to see what “these things” are.  There we read about the fall of Babylon the Great.  This is not specifically referring to the former Babylonian Empire, the one that took the Kingdom of Judah captive in 586 BC.  That empire no longer existed, having fallen to the Persians in 539 BC.  In Revelation “Babylon” represents both a corrupt religious and political system, that in the end times have joined hands together and oppose Biblical Christianity and followers of the Lord Jesus.  In chapter 18 we read of God’s judgement on this system.

Because of the fall of “Babylon”, a system that greatly persecuted God’s children, the believers, there is great celebration in heaven.  We see a great multitude in heaven praising God (vs. 1-5).  The twenty-four elders and four living creatures, these angelic beings whom we have met before, join in with the other angels and believers in heaven, in worshiping God, and praising His righteous justice.  This is the beginning of His final victory against evil.

As we continue in our passage, we read of a marriage celebration (vs. 6-9).  This is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  The Lamb, as we have seen earlier in the Book of Revelation, is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the Bridegroom, and the Bride is the Church, all those from many nations who have been redeemed by His shed Blood, and put their faith and trust in Him.  The Bride is adorned in clean and bright fine linen, which represents the righteousness she was given by faith in Jesus.  This is the culmination of God’s redemptive plan, where all believers are eternally united with the Lord Jesus.

Most people enjoy attending a wedding, and even more like to attend a wedding banquet which would follow.  Not only is there a magnificent wedding in heaven between the Lord Jesus and His Church, but there will be a grand banquet following (vs. 9).  We all love to eat, especially if the meal is good and well-prepared.  I think I can safely say that the food in heaven will be spectacular, better than anything we have ever eaten here on earth!

There is one thing of interest in the Scripture passage.  This is the word “Hallelujah” or its Latinized version “Alleluia”, meaning “praise the Lord” is only used four times in the Bible, and each time is in Revelation 19.  The first is in verses 1-2.  People call out Alleluia because God’s judgments are true and just.  It is also proclaimed to the Lord because He is coming again to judge the earth, and bring vengeance for the blood of His martyrs.  The second time Alleluia is sung is in verse 3.  This is in honor of when the people see that the Lord God has judged those who have harmed His servants.  The third time is in verse 4, when the elders and living creatures proclaim Amen for that judgment of the Lord.  A voice from the throne calls all who fear God to praise Him.  The final Alleluia comes in verses 6-7, and that is sung at the marriage feast of the Lamb.

As we close this passage of Scripture, we have seen that all of God’s judgments are righteous.  He will rightly judge that joint religious and political world system “Babylon” with His harshest judgments, and will triumph over it.  However, not only are there judgments and punishments, but there is also much praise and celebration, especially at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.  At that time, where will you be standing?  Everyone will be in one of two camps, either with the judgment that falls upon “Babylon”, or seated at the wedding and marriage feast.  It’s one or the other, and the decision is yours.  If you haven’t already, choose to turn to the Lord Jesus, accepting Him as your Savior, and you will be part of that wedding ceremony.

Tell The Future Generations

Psalm 145

Many families like to pass down stories from previous generations, maybe of some famous ancestor, or of some special event or activity that one relative of the past had done.  Whether they are good stories, or perhaps even not-so-good, families pass these tales on from the past to their next generation.  We learn about our country’s history in school, and those important events are also passed down from generation to generation.  This was very important to do, especially before printing books was invented.  That is how important things were remembered, by passing the stories on from one generation to the next.  If they failed to do so, then all the history, whether of country or family, was lost.  Our psalm today tells of how important it is to tell the next generation about God.  Let’s see what the Scriptures have to say.

Psalm 145 is the last psalm in the Book of Psalms to be attributed to King David.  It is also one of several acrostic psalms, where each verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  It is a psalm that celebrates God’s majesty, His greatness, goodness, His mercy, mighty works, and His faithfulness.  These were all important things about God that each generation was obligated to tell the next one about.  Failure to do so then, and now, means that one’s children and grandchildren would not hear about the Lord Jesus, and ultimately not be saved, spending an eternity without God in the lake of fire.

Our psalm begins with King David exalting God as King over all creation (vs. 1-3).  He emphasizes that God is eternally sovereign, and worthy of his praise every day.  God’s greatness is unsearchable, it is beyond our human comprehension.

As David continues, he declares how important it is that each generation tells the next about God and His greatness (vs. 4-7).  They need to pass on to their children and grandchildren the accounts of His mighty acts, recalling all the wonderful things that they and previous generations witnessed that the Lord did for them.  It is so important that we tell our children and grandchildren about the Lord Jesus, passing on teachings of Biblical truths to future generations.  And then not only to our own family, but spreading the message of Jesus to others, who in turn can then pass the Gospel on to their families and future generations.

As we read further, David highlights several of God’s special characteristics, that of His grace, compassion, slowness to anger, mercy, and goodness (vs 8-9).  Mercy is God withholding from us the punishment that we deserve, and grace is giving us the blessings that we do not deserve.  God is slow to show His anger over our sins.  He is good, kind, and compassionate to all that He has made.  Every day He showers His compassion on us.  All of these characteristics are unchanging, and His offer of salvation is to all who repent.

David continues by repeating the admonition of the importance of speaking to others all about God’s glory and power, making known His mighty acts to all the world (vs. 10-13).  Yahweh isn’t just some ineffectual deity, like the pagan gods of the nations of the world.  He is the supreme God of the universe, and His Kingdom is eternal.  It is everlasting, and His dominion endures forever.  God’s rule is absolute and His promises are trustworthy.

Our psalm continues by reminding us that God cares for all of His children (vs. 14-20).  He upholds all who fall, and He provides for all who call upon Him.  This shows that He is not a detached and uninvolved God as some people believe, but instead is personally involved in the lives of believers.  Because He is a just and righteous God, He is faithful to all of His promises.  We can trust in Him.

As we close our psalm, King David renews his commitment to speak of the praise of the Lord to everyone (vs. 21).  This is something that we should be encouraged to do, as well.  We should live a life of worship, and acknowledge God’s greatness every day.  We should make a point to tell future generations, not only in our own family, but to others as well, all about God’s greatness, His love, mercy, compassion, and grace.

Don't Let Opposition Stop You

Acts 13:44-52

The Lectionary for this Sunday brings us back to the Book of Acts, and continues with the account of the missionary journey of the apostles Paul and Barnabas.  The Lord had sent them to spread the Gospel in Cyprus, and then on into west-central Turkey.  Last week we read how Paul was preaching the Gospel in a city called Antioch.  Today we will see the response of his message of salvation to these people.

As our Scripture from Acts opens, one week has passed since Paul and Barnabas had arrived in town, and given their first sermon on how Jesus is the Messiah God had promised the people.  As was his custom, whenever Paul entered a city, he searched out a local synagogue, attending the Sabbath day services.  When asked to speak, he would proceed to show through the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.  He had done that last week, and now, a week later, multitudes of people gathered at the synagogue to hear further what Paul had to say (vs. 44).

In the crowds that next Sabbath, however, were many Jewish people who were opposed to the Lord Jesus, and the fact that many were saying He was the Messiah (vs. 45).  They did not like it that they said He had risen from the dead, and that salvation was through faith in Him.  As Paul was proceeding to preach another message about Jesus and salvation through Him, these Jews did not want to see more of the synagogue’s congregation believe in his message.  They were envious of the popularity of these two, and viciously spoke out against what they were saying.  The more Paul preached, the more these certain Jewish leaders spoke out against them, contradicting and blaspheming.

Paul and Barnabas couldn’t continue to ignore their interruptions to their sermon, so Paul spoke up boldly.  He said that if the Jewish people were going to reject the Word of God, then they were going to go and bring it instead to the Gentiles, the non-Jewish people (vs. 46-47).  The Jews had been given first shot at hearing and accepting the message of salvation.  Though many had believed, many more had rejected it, and were now actively opposing the spread of the message.  So now the pair were going to bring salvation to the Gentiles.  This made the Gentiles happy, and many came to faith that day, and the Gospel message spread (vs. 48-49).  This was something that their enemies did not want to see happen, so they stirred up some chief people in the community to strongly oppose and persecute the apostles, and drove them from town (vs. 50-52).

As we read this Scripture passage, we see the power that the Word of God has.  The previous week Paul had preached a salvation message, and now, the next week, nearly the entire city gathered at the synagogue to hear the Gospel.  The Bible, the inerrant and inspired Word of God, has power, and is capable of drawing people to salvation.

We also see that when we are faithful in bringing the message of Jesus to others there is going to be opposition and possibly persecution.  A strong spiritual battle occurs when the truth of God is proclaimed and when we stand for Biblical truth.  If we continue to stand strong for Him, the Lord can use such opposition to further spread the Gospel.  The message of Jesus was now actively brought to the Gentiles because of this persecution.

Did Paul and Barnabas let this persecution discourage them, or cause them to return home in fear?  Not in the least!  The two did not quit when they were rejected.  Neither of them set their affections on temporal things.  Other’s opinions did not mean anything to them.  They did not set store with other’s responses, or care about applause.  Nor did they get discouraged because of assaults.  Instead, Paul and Barnabas were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.  They shook the dust off their feet and continued their mission, showing that true joy comes from obedience to God, not through circumstances.

We should not pay attention to praise and applause, nor get discouraged with rejection or abuse.  Criticism should never get us sidetracked from the mission God has for us to do.  Instead, we should continue to boldly proclaim the Gospel, even in the face of opposition.  We can trust in God, knowing that His plan will prevail, and we can find joy in serving the Lord Jesus, regardless of any trials we go through.

My Sheep Hear My Voice

John 10:22-30

How well do you think you would do on a voice recognition test?  By just listening to their voices, could you identify certain movie, TV, or internet stars, or politicians?  You might do better if they were your especially favorite star.  And perhaps you would have no problem in identifying a close friend, relative, spouse, or child.  That is because you have a special interest and relationship with them.  How about the Lord Jesus?  Would you recognize His voice?  Now naturally no one today can hear His actual, literal voice, but we can hear Him “speak” to us through His Word, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit “speaks” to us in our hearts through prayer.  In our Scripture today, Jesus says that His sheep hear His voice and will follow Him.  Are you one of His sheep?  Let’s look into the Scripture passage.

Today’s Bible passage is from the Gospel of John, and these verses took place in the winter months, at the Feast of Dedication, which is also known today as Hanukkah. The festival of Hanukkah celebrates the cleansing, sanctification, and dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC.  This was after the Greek ruler Antiochus IV had erected a statue of Zeus within, and had sacrificed a pig upon the altar.  There was only one small bottle of holy oil that had not been defiled, and the Lord God miraculously allowed that small amount to last to light the menorah for eight days.  During this festival Jesus came to the Temple, and was walking along Solomon’s Porch, on the eastern side of the Temple’s outer court.  This was a significant spot where rabbis would often teach people gathered there.  It was here that some of the Jewish religious leaders came up to Jesus and specifically asked Him if He was the long-awaited Messiah or not (vs. 22-24).

Jesus responds back by telling these religious leaders that they have already been told, but that they do not believe because they are not His sheep (vs. 25-26).  They do not, and will not believe because their eyes and mind are spiritually blind.  Satan has blinded their minds, keeping them tied up in their man-made religious rituals and beliefs, and their hearts closed to receiving the message of salvation that Jesus brings.  Just like so many today, their hearts and minds were closed and hardened.  They only wanted to see and hear what they wanted to see and hear, and only believe what they wanted to believe.  They did not have a soft and tender heart for the Holy Spirit to speak to.

The Holy Spirit speaks to those whose hearts are open to Him.  He opens their eyes and minds to the Scriptures, drawing them to faith in the Lord Jesus as Savior.  Those who have faith in the Lord Jesus become God’s children, adopted into His family, and become one of His sheep.  Genuine believers know the Shepherd's voice (vs. 26-27).  We hear it in Scripture, in prayer, and in godly preaching.  We know it because He knows us, and has made us His own.  A sheep knows his shepherd's voice.  Even though he may be in a crowd of other sheep, and other shepherds are calling out, he will respond to his shepherd’s voice, and no other.

There are many benefits to being part of God’s flock, being one of Jesus’ sheep, and the greatest one is that as a sheep of the Lord’s flock we have been given eternal life (vs. 28).  We read here verses that speak of the Christian’s eternal security, once saved always saved.  True believers are kept by Jesus Christ, and cannot lose their salvation (vs. 28-29).  No one who is safely in His hands can be plucked out.  They are His forever.

Even though we are held securely in the Father’s hand, and will never lose our salvation, we can drift in our obedience to Him.  Like a sheep who takes its eyes off of the shepherd, we wander onto paths that we think will lead to something better for us, but actually are dangerous, and lead to sin.  We must keep our eyes on Jesus, and guard against pursuing anything except His will.

As our Scripture closes, Jesus states that “I and My Father are one.” (vs. 30).  This is a direct claim to His deity, affirming that He is equal with God.  There are some who say that Jesus never claimed to be God, but this verse gives lie to that statement.  Jesus is not just a prophet, or a teacher, or just a good man.  He is fully God.

As we close this Scripture, we have seen that only those who hear and follow Jesus are His sheep.  Though all are welcome to come to Him and join His flock, only those who hear and respond to His voice are His sheep.  And once one is a part of the flock, they are kept by Jesus, and can never be lost.  Jesus’ words are authoritative and trustworthy.  In this world where nothing seems secure and everything seems unsure, Jesus speaks in absolutes.  His Words have no exceptions, no exemptions, and no excuses.

A Heavenly Celebration

Revelation 7:9-17

It’s always thrilling to watch a great celebration.  People are shouting out in joy and happiness.  Often there is celebratory music being played, and perhaps even a parade at the beginning of the festivities.  Watching such events is exciting, but it is even more special if you are taking part in such an event, if you are a part of the celebration.  Our Scripture today from the Book of Revelation gives us another glimpse of some visions that the Apostle John had of events that will take place shortly before the glorious return of the Lord Jesus to earth.

John had recently witnessed the opening of the seven seals, and seen what events each one had brought forth.  Now John is witnessing a great multitude gathered together, and who are singing praises to the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God.  These people in white robes are celebrating.  They are ecstatic.  The white robes are what one would wear to a victory celebration.  And the same with waving palm branches.  Today we might wave flags or light sparklers.  The people are happy and are shouting out.  This is Jesus’ victory celebration.  Today we might have a ticker-tape parade down the main street of the city.  I remember how excited and joyous my hometown of Chicago was in 2016 when our Cubs baseball team won the World Series that year, our first in 108 years!  There was a major victory parade, and then a major celebration at a large park near downtown.  However, that is nothing compared to the celebration that we see for the Lord Jesus in this Scripture!

As our Scripture opens, we read of a great multitude of people, too numerous to count, which are from every country, every nationality, and speaking every language known (vs. 9).  These are believers who are assembled before God’s throne, giving praise to the Lamb of God, Jesus.  This shows that salvation has been offered to everyone.  No group or nationality is more favored, and none are left out.  All are welcome to come to Jesus for salvation.

We see that these believers are dressed in white robes.  These white robes symbolize their purity and righteousness.  We might wonder which of any of us could possibly say that they were pure and righteous enough to wear a pure white robe?  It is not our purity or righteousness that merits such an honor, it is the Lord Jesus’.  When we were saved, He gave us His righteousness, which was granted to us through the sacrificial Blood which He shed on the cross.

As we read in verse 14, the robes are made totally white by being washed in the Blood of the Lamb.  Who would ever think that washing something in blood would make it white??  In addition to being rather repulsive, washing something in blood would leave stains of its own, and blood stains are not the easiest to get out of clothing, especially something white.  Blood is definitely not a bleaching agent.  However, the Blood of Jesus can cleanse every spot and stain of sin.  When we come to Him in faith, accepting Him as our own personal Savior, His shed Blood cleanses and forgives us of all of our sins.

The celebration continues as the multitudes, along with the angels, and other angelic beings such as the elders and four living creatures (which we met last week), gather around the throne (vs. 11-12).  They bow before the Lord Jesus, singing out His praises, and acknowledge His power and glory.  Some may not willingly wish to do so now, but there is coming a day when all people will ultimately bow before God, affirming His supreme authority.

One angel asks John a rhetorical question, asking if he knows who this large group of people are. (vs. 13-14).  The angel answers his own question by telling John that they are the ones who have come out of the Great Tribulation.  Shortly before Jesus returns to earth to set up His millennial kingdom there will be a time of terrible tribulation.  Persecution against believers will be the worst that it has ever been since the days of the early church, and many will be tortured and martyred.

However, we are not without hope!  Jesus, who is seated upon His throne, will dwell with His believers, those who have sacrificed for Him, especially those who have given their lives for Him (vs. 15).  God promises to shelter His people, removing all suffering, hunger, and thirst.  This is not just wishful thinking, but a literal promise of God, where He will bring us eternal peace and joy in heaven, wiping away every tear (vs. 16-17).

As Christians, we can be reassured that no matter what hardships we face, we are destined for eternal glory.  While there is still time, we should urgently spread the Gospel message in order to ensure that more people have the chance to hear about Jesus, turn to Him and be saved before it is too late.  We never know when He will call His children home, and those who do not know Him will face the final judgment.

Come With Thanksgiving and Praise

Psalm 100

It would be a very special day if I looked in my mailbox and found a personal invitation to come for a private visit to the White House, or to Buckingham Palace, or some other royal or presidential residence.  Imagine, the President or the King invites me to come visit!  And when I enter their residence I should be sure not to be griping and complaining, or have a sour look on my face.  Instead, this calls for rejoicing and thankfulness.  I have been given a special opportunity.  Well, such an invitation is highly unlikely to ever happen to me.  However, I have been given an even greater invitation, and you have, too.  Our psalm for this week describes such an invitation and just how we should respond.  Let’s take a look.

Psalm 100 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving to Yahweh, giving us a call to worship Him, and recognize His sovereignty.  The unknown author of this short but beautiful psalm calls us to joyfully worship the Lord, and to show Him our gratitude.  When a great leader, political or otherwise, steps out before a large crowd, we frequently will hear the shouts of the crowds cheering for him, and often there might be music, such as a marching band, playing music fitting for the occasion.  This is to be no different with the Lord.  When we are in His presence, we should give out a joyful shout, and sing with gladness and joy (vs. 1-2).

Who does the psalmist call to bring to God these joyful cheers and songs?  Is it a select few that are called upon?  As we read here, the psalmist says that “all lands” are invited to sing their joyful praise to Him.  This shows that Yahweh isn’t just the God of Israel, alone, or that every other nation should just stick to their own pagan gods.  Instead, He is God of all nations, all lands, and these people are also called to worship Him.  Worship is not just for a select group, but for all people who acknowledge Him.  Our worship and praise should be heartfelt, enthusiastic, and especially sincere.

The psalmist continues by giving us one strong reason why praise is an appropriate response, and that is that the Lord God is our Creator and our Shepherd (vs. 3).   Humans were created by God, in His image (Genesis 1:27).  We did not evolve from some one-celled creatures from the ocean or bottom of a pond.  Neither are we completely self-sufficient.  We need the Lord God every day.  Some people go through life thinking that they are the masters of their lives and destinies, and that they don’t need any deity.  However, there will be a day coming for them when they will have a rude awakening, and know that they didn’t make themselves, nor are they the boss of themselves!

When we get saved, God brings us into His family.  We become His sons and daughters.  All humans are creations of God, and He is their Creator, but only those who are saved through the Lord Jesus are His children (John 1:12).  Not only are we God’s children, but we are His sheep and He is our Great Shepherd.  As a Good Shepherd, Jesus keeps us in His pasture, feeding us and keeping us safe from all harm.  God made us and we are His.  Our identity is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Next we read a great invitation by God to come into His presence (vs. 4).  Christians are invited through His gates and right into His divinely royal court.  Some gates are open ones, and any can enter.  Others are closed to all but a select few.  The gates into the presence of God are opened to all who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior.  We are to come with joy , thanksgiving, and praise. We don't enter, though, with grumbling and complaining, nor with a bad attitude.  We are told to enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Those are the first steps towards entering God’s presence.  When we come to the Lord in prayer, we should never be so disrespectful, but instead show Him honor and homage by giving praise and thanks first before bringing our petitions.

As this brief psalm of praise and thanksgiving ends, we are reminded of God’s unchanging nature (vs. 5).  Satan tries to have us believe that God is a distant God, filled with anger and wrath, and is just waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can clobber us.  That is not the case, as our psalmist informs us here.  We read that God is good, He has everlasting mercy for His children, and His truth endures forever.

The values of this world change from day to day.  What is accepted one day, is scorned the next.  What society says is true today, they will claim as false tomorrow.  However, God’s nature is unchanging, and His truth, the Bible, will endure forever.  So let’s get ready to enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise each and every day.

What We Need To Hear

Acts 13:15-16, 26-39

Many people want what they want, not necessarily what is good for them.  They want the news that they want to hear.  They want to eat what they like, not particularly what is good for them, which is why parents frequently have to urge their children to “eat their vegetables”.  Once they become adults, many people only want to hear or do things that make them feel good about themselves, so they block out anything that they might disagree with or dislike, and they don’t want someone telling them otherwise.  Unfortunately this often holds with things dealing with spiritual issues.  Thankfully, though, there are some that won’t cater to that thinking, such as the Apostle Paul.  In our Scripture for today we read of a sermon Paul gave, one that some might not have wanted to hear, but one that Paul knew they needed to hear.

As our Scripture opens, Paul and Barnabas are continuing on their missionary journey, and they have arrived in the city of Antioch of Pisidia, which is located in present day west-central Turkey.  Paul had developed a pattern that he generally followed on his missionary journeys, and that was when he entered a city, he first searched out a local synagogue, if the city had one.  If they did, he and his companions would attend the next Sabbath day services.  Many synagogues had the custom of letting any guests speak and comment on a particular Scripture passage if they wished to.  When given that opportunity, Paul immediately would speak up, selecting Scriptures that related to the Messiah, and he would proceed to speak on how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled those prophecies, and how He is the Messiah, who died and rose again to bring salvation.  Paul was given this opportunity in Antioch, and he definitely used it (vs. 15-16).

After giving a brief outline of the history of their people, Paul begins to speak about Jesus, and how the Pharisees and religious leaders, particularly in Jerusalem, condemned Him and had Him put to death, only for God to raise Him from the dead, where He was seen by many (vs. 26-31).  Paul declared to this congregation in Antioch that Jesus is the promised Savior, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.  He highlighted Jesus’ rejection, crucifixion, and resurrection, affirming that these events were foretold in Scripture.

Paul knew his Bible well, and was thus able to back up all of his statements about Jesus being the promised Messiah with Scripture.  We read here quotes from Psalm 2:7 (vs. 33), and from Isaiah 55:3 (vs. 34), and also from Psalm 16:10 (vs. 35).  Paul undoubtedly quoted from other Scriptures throughout this sermon that just aren’t recorded here.  The apostle declared that it wasn’t David they were talking about in these Scriptures, as he died, was buried, and his body corrupted like everyone else’s.  However, Jesus, being the divine Son of God, rose from the dead on the third day.  Paul testified to them that the Law of Moses is unable to justify sinners, and that forgiveness of sins is only found in Jesus (vs. 38-39).

Similar messages preached in Judea by Peter and the other apostles brought anger and wrath from the Jewish religious leaders, and many of the believers there were being persecuted for their faith and preaching the message of Jesus.  Furthermore, as we study the Book of Acts, it was recorded that these religious leaders sent their spies throughout the Mediterranean world to find by whom and where the Gospel of Jesus was being preached, and persecution followed.  Fear of scorn, unpopularity, or persecution did not stop Paul and Barnabas, nor change their message.

Today, in some parts of the world, there is active persecution of Christians, and pastors or priests are severely attacked for preaching the Gospel.  In other parts of the world, the opposition is much more subtle, with only verbal attacks, and decreased attendance at church for preaching a strong, Biblical message.  When Paul came to Antioch, and entered the synagogue that Sabbath day, he did not look out at the congregation and wonder what the people would like to hear.  He didn’t preach a “feel good” message, telling them how wonderful they are, and that they can accomplish anything they want if they only believe in themselves.  He didn’t tell them that they didn’t need to worry, because everyone goes to heaven, that God would never send anyone to hell, or that it doesn’t matter what one believes, that every religious belief is valid, and that “all roads lead to heaven”.  Nor did he preach some 1st century form of the “prosperity gospel”, that if they only give large sums of money to his ministry, God will hear and answer their prayers.

Paul did not preach what these folks wanted to hear.  Instead, he preached what the congregation needed to hear.  They needed to hear how Jesus saves us from our sins, how He died for us, rose again, and that if we place our faith and trust in Him, we will be saved.  Far too many preachers prepare their messages, catering only to what they believe the congregation wants to hear, and not for what they need to hear.  And too many people go out of their way to find a church where the message will specifically make them feel good about themselves.  Neither Paul, Peter, or any of the other apostles made that mistake.  They knew the message of Jesus and salvation through His Blood alone was not a popular one, but they never stopped preaching that.

Breakfast With Jesus

John 21:1-14

What kind of normal, human skills did Jesus have?  We know that from His teen years until age thirty, Jesus worked as a carpenter in His foster father Joseph’s shop.  We also know that Jesus was a very good teacher, often using very relatable parables as spiritual lessons to teach the crowds.  However, did you ever think of Jesus as a cook?  In our Gospel reading today we’ll see where the Lord Jesus prepared a meal, which I’m sure was the tastiest meal one could ever eat!

As our Scripture opens, we see that the disciples had traveled up to the Sea of Galilee, possibly out of obedience to what the angels and Jesus had told the women at the tomb (Matthew 28:5-10).  Seven of the eleven disciples decided to go fishing - Peter, James, John, Thomas, Nathaniel, and two others (vs. 1-3).  As was the custom, they took their boat out onto the lake overnight, fishing with nets.  However, that night they had no luck, so they started to head back.  As they slowly got closer to shore, a gentleman standing on the beach shouted out to them, asking whether they had any luck (vs. 4-5).  When they answer back that they hadn’t caught anything, He suggests casting the nets once again on the right side of the boat.  Doing so, they caught a great amount (vs. 6).  Immediately after the catch of fish, John must have recalled a similar event from the early days of being Jesus’ disciples, and he recognized that this man on the shore was Jesus.  When he told the others, Peter immediately jumped off the boat and swam to shore to be with the Lord (vs 7-8).  When the others brought the boat in, they were greeted by Jesus and the breakfast He had prepared for them (vs. 9-10).

So what can we learn from this event that happened a couple of weeks after the Resurrection?  We see, first of all, as we have throughout each of the Gospels, that Jesus has sovereignty over all of creation.  Here He demonstrated His divine authority over nature by directing the disciples to a miraculous catch of 153 fish after their unsuccessful night of fishing.

The disciples show us here that blessings will follow when we obey what the Lord tells us.  At first they didn’t recognize Him, perhaps because they weren’t expecting to see the Savior humbly making breakfast along the shore.  However when they willingly followed what the Lord instructed them to do, it resulted in an abundant provision for them.  When we obey what Jesus tells us, it will lead to both spiritual and material blessings.

It was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee early in His ministry, perhaps right near the same spot, that Jesus had called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be His disciples, telling them that He would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-22).  Now, in a few short weeks, Jesus would be sending them out into the world to do just that.

How did Peter feel, just days after having denied knowing Jesus?  Did he feel forgiven, or that he wasn’t worthy to be with Jesus, or part of that group?  When we have a big failure in our life, do we give up and live a defeated life, or do we believe that God can restore us?  Some people believe that after having denied Jesus, Peter no longer felt worthy to follow Jesus in full-time ministry, so that is why he was out fishing that night.  They believed he was returning to his life as a fisherman.  However, Jesus and the angels had told the disciples to leave Jerusalem and go to Galilee, which is why they were there.  Fishing that night was just probably a way to occupy their time until Jesus showed up.  Peter had believed and accepted the Lord’s forgiveness and restoration.

Jesus had predicted Peter’s fall with his denial, but He also prayed for Peter’s faith, and that Peter’s failure would not be the end of the story.  Jesus knew that Peter would stand again, and that he would strengthen others (Luke 22:31-32).  God can use our failures to prepare us to be more effective for Him.  If we humbly turn to the Lord Jesus, He’ll give us a fresh start.

Worthy Is The Lamb!

Revelation 5:1-14

To witness some grand ceremony can be very exciting.  The coronation of a new king, particularly if they adhere to centuries-old traditions, or a royal wedding with pomp and ceremony are all exciting to be a witness to.  Only a select few are ever privileged to witness these ceremonies.  Our Scripture today describes a ceremony that will be grand and exciting to witness, one which takes place in heaven.  Let’s look at what will be happening at this occasion.

The Book of Revelation records a series of visions of future events that the Apostle John had, many of which take place in heaven.  As our Scripture opens, the Apostle John is a witness of an event taking place in the Royal Courts of Heaven.  Not only is John there, but we also see Jesus, the Lamb of God, along with four living creatures, and twenty-four elders.  These last two groups are special angelic type beings.  The four living creatures are also mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel, and many Bible scholars believe them to be Cherubim.  The twenty-four elders are also heavenly beings who hold a degree of authority, as they are seated upon thrones.

John witnessed the Lord God upon His throne in heaven, holding a scroll which was sealed with seven seals.  An angel proclaimed in a loud voice, inquiring who was worthy to open these seals and look at what was inside.  However, no one, either in heaven or earth, was worthy to open the seals of the scroll (vs. 1-3).  John started to weep over this, but then one of the elders informed him that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David (both Names for the Lord Jesus Christ) was the only One worthy to open the scroll (vs. 4-5).   The apostle then observed the Lamb of God, though He had been slain, symbolizing His sacrificial death and resurrection, stand and take the scroll (vs. 6-7).   As the elder had said, He had prevailed over Satan and death, and all the enemies of God, and He alone was worthy to open the scroll.

This Lamb would have looked a bit different from any ordinary lamb.  Not only was it noticeable that He had been dead, but was now alive, He also had seven horns upon His head, along with seven eyes.  The number seven has symbolic meaning in the Bible, symbolizing completeness, perfection, and spiritual wholeness.  The seven horns represent perfect power, and the seven eyes symbolize perfect wisdom and omniscience.

The Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, then took the scroll from the hand of God, as He alone has the authority to execute God’s plan for the world during the coming time of tribulation.  When He took the scroll, the four creatures and the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before Him, and brought before the Lord golden bowls full of incense (vs 8).  I love the smell of incense!  To me, there is nothing better than a church sanctuary filled with the scent of church incense. The incense in these bowls represent the prayers of believers.  Our prayers are like incense, rising up to God, which is a pleasing aroma to Him.

The living creatures and elders, these spiritual beings, then break forth into song, praising the Lamb of God as being worthy to take the scroll and open the seals, as He was slain, redeeming mankind to God by His Blood (vs. 9-10).  Then other angelic beings joined in the song of praise, bringing innumerable voices in praise of Jesus (vs. 11-12).  Then joining them, all creatures in heaven, on earth, and in the sea join in singing praise (vs. 13-14).

These songs of praise to Jesus acknowledge His redemption, through His Blood, of mankind from every nation.   His shed Blood has made every born-again believer a king and priest for God.  The four creatures, the elders, all other angelic beings, along with all creation declare the Lord Jesus worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing.  All creation will ultimately bow before the Lord Jesus Christ, recognizing His divine authority.

God's Word Is Truth

Psalm 33

When we were little, we likely believed in a lot of things, that once we grew older we found out were not true, such as Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, etc.  We watched Batman and Superman on TV and in the movies, and found out that they were not real, either.  If some of our friends, siblings, or even our parents were prone to telling fibs, then it might be difficult for us to know who we can believe.  As we get older we wonder who we can believe?  Were our teachers telling us the truth?  What about the news media?  They so often lie to us.  Who will give us the truth?  Our psalm today gives us the answer, that there is one place where we most assuredly will find the truth, and that is in God’s Word.

Throughout our psalm for this week, the psalmist reassures us that God is faithful, and that we can trust in Him because His Word, the Bible, is absolutely true and without error.  The psalmist reminds us in his psalm that God holds absolute authority.  He is the sovereign God, and we can trust in Him.  Because God is trustworthy and omnipotent, and that His Word is true, we should give Him praise and worship (vs. 1-3).  That is a fitting response to His goodness and faithfulness.

Our psalmist continues to instruct us that God’s Word, the Bible, is true and trustworthy (vs 4).  In the last couple of centuries the world has been trying to discredit and negate the Bible, telling us that it is a book of myths and superstitions.  However in a world that is repeatedly showing us that so many of the things we hear on the news are false narratives, we find the truth in God’s Word.  If we struggle to believe that God’s Word is true, then we are doubting God’s very character.  He is righteous, just, and good (vs. 5).  He is both love and truth itself (I John 4:8; John 14:6).  Every time we question the Scriptures we are agreeing with Satan, the father of lies.

As we read on, we see that all of creation came to be by the word which God spoke (vs. 6-9).  As the supreme, almighty, omnipotent God of the Universe, He just needs to speak a word, and that thing which He spoke comes into being (vs. 9).  He spoke forth creation, and all of the heavens and earth, along with all creatures and inhabitants of the world came into being.  When God speaks a word, the thing that the word expresses immediately leaps to life.  When we read in Genesis 1, we read multiple times “God said”, and then what He said immediately was created.  His Words have power!  Only God’s Word has the resurrection power to bring all who are spiritually dead in their sins to spiritual life.  Because He, alone, is the Creator with all-power, we are encouraged to have a strong fear of the Lord, (vs. 8), as all creation should stand in awe of Him.

Throughout history, the world has been in conflict against God.  Rulers have tried to destroy His people, along with His Word.  Even today believers suffer persecution, either directly in some countries, or by more subtle means in other places.  The world tries in various ways to stamp out God in society.  However, God brings all their plans to nothing.  His plans, and His alone, will stand forever (vs. 10-12).   No human plans can ever override God’s divine will.  If a nation or people submits themselves to the Lord Jesus, He promises to bless them, which reinforces the idea that righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34).  However, unfortunately we do not really see that at all today.

With the world feeding us lies and spiritual falsehoods about God, we might wonder if He even cares at all about us. There are some heretical false “Christian” denominations that say the Supreme Being has little, if any, involvement with mankind and life on earth.  Our psalm declares that to be a lie (vs. 13-15).  God sees and knows the hearts of men, and nothing is hidden from Him (Hebrews 4:13).  He searches every heart and thought (I Chronicles 28:9).

We are urged not to trust in our nation, or any other nation’s military might for deliverance (vs. 16-19).  Earthly strength, such as military power and wealth, cannot save us.  Only having trust in the Lord Jesus will bring us true security.  Those who fear Him, and hope in His mercy will be delivered.  In the face of Satan’s attacks, whether they be psychological or physical attacks, we may attempt to use our own armor, our own power or intellect to counter them.  However, our own efforts are hopelessly ineffective.  We cannot earn our salvation, and we cannot defeat Satan on our own.  Our only hope is found in the Lord Jesus.

Our psalmist concludes by declaring that we can trust in God and His unfailing love (vs. 20-22).  Throughout this passage of Scripture we are assured that God’s Word is true and trustworthy, and that it is without error.  He spoke the Word, and all creation came into existence.  Everyone, including all of the nations that oppose Him, are subject to His will.  When we trust and believe Jesus and His Word, we are assured of His deliverance.