Introduction to Our Study of Babylon from Jeremiah 50-51

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/31/2014 8:43 AM

My Worship Time                                                     Focus:  Introduction to our study of Babylon

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Jeremiah 50-51

            Message of the verses:  Before we began to look at the verses from chapters 50-51 of Jeremiah I wanted to write an introduction to them.  We know much more about Babylon now than what Jeremiah knew when he penned chapters 50 and 51 of his book and so I want to take a look at what Babylon is.  There are several names for Babylon in the Scriptures and I looked up several of them to see how many times they are mentioned in the Scriptures.  Babylon is mentioned 260 times in the entire Bible, while Babel is mentioned two times; Babylonians is mentioned four times and finally Chaldeans is mentioned 80 times.  This information is from my Online Bible program and it is from the NASB95 version of the Bible.

            Babylon is not only a city, but it is also a system and both will be destroyed during the last days of the tribulation period.  The systems destruction is seen from Revelations 17 and the systems destruction is seen in Revelations 18:1-19:10.  Now we have mentioned that the system and the city of Babylon began in Genesis chapters 10-11 with a man named Nimrod who was “a mighty hunter before the Lord” (Genesis 10:9 NIV).  We can even go back further in Genesis to find what the Lord said to Eve about the how He would bring the Messiah into the world:  “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."”  Now God was actually speaking to Satan, but in this verse God tells how He would destroy him.  I truly believe that this verse speaks of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ for this is the only place in Scripture where the seed of woman is mentioned.  The point that I want to make here is that of the seed of woman for it is believed that Eve believed that Seth was that seed, and I have read that the mother of Nimrod believed that Nimrod was this seed and that is where the Babylonian religion began, way back in Babel where the seeds of this religion began, and where the Lord confused the languages so that the system and the religion would be slowed down because of the different languages that God began then.  Man could not communicate with each other like he could before.  “The Babel speaks of confusion and the words Babel/Babylon mean a rebellion against God, the earthly city of human splendor opposing the heavenly city that glorifies God.  All of this culminates in the Babylon of Revelation 17:1-19:10, ‘Babylon the Great’ that symbolizes the anti-God system that controls the world in the end times and then is destroyed by the Lord.  There are many parallels between Jeremiah 50-51 and Revelation 17-18, and I suggest you read all four chapters carefully.”  (Quoted from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on Jeremiah.) 

            We have just studied Jeremiah chapters 446-49 which was about the nations that God was going to bring judgment upon, and now we are going to look at Babylon in chapters 50-51 of Jeremiah.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “Jeremiah devoted 121 verses to the future of nine nations and 44 verses to the defeat and destruction of Jerusalem.  When we count the number of verses in Jeremiah 50-51, however, he devoted 110 verses to the fall of Babylon.  It is an important subject indeed!”

            We continue with his introductory comments on chapters 50 and 51 of Jeremiah because it will show us the direction in which we will study these two chapters.  Jeremiah’s prophecy about Babylon has both a near and a far fulfillment.  The Medes and Persians captured Babylon in 539 (see. Dan. 5), but they didn’t destroy the city.  Cyrus issued a decree that the Jews could return to their land (Ezra 1:1-4), which many of them did in three stages:  in 538 (Ezra 1-6), 458 (Ezra 7-10), and 444 (Book of Nehemiah).  It was Alexander the Great who finally destroyed Babylon in 330 and left it a heap of ruins.  Since Babylon symbolizes the anti-God world system, however, the ultimate fulfillment is recorded in Revelations 17-18.  Remember, the prophet often looked at ‘two horizons,’ one near and one far, as they spoke and wrote about the future.

            “Jeremiah 50-15 is something like an extended declaration coupled with a conversation.  Usually it’s the Lord speaking through His prophet, but occasionally we hear the Jewish people speaking and the Lord answering them.  God speaks to and about Babylon; He also speaks to the invading army; and He speaks to the exiles of Judah.  Three movements are in the declaration:  God declares war on Babylon (50:1-28); God assembles the armies against Babylon (50:29-51:26); and God announces victory over Babylon (vv. 27-58).”  So here we have the outline that we will be studying in the next few days.

8/31/2014 9:21 AM

Looking at the last two verses in 1 Thessalonians

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/30/2014 10:46 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  A Request For Submission

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1 Thessalonians 5:27-28

            Message of the verses:  It is my goal to finish looking at the fifth chapter of 1 Thessalonians today and that will also end our study in the book of 1 Thessalonians.  My plans are to begin 2 Thessalonians next month, but will probably not finish the first chapter of that book in September, but hope to finish it in October as we also will be looking at the end of the book of Jeremiah, and then begin Lamentations in September too. 

            “27 I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.”

            We have mentioned that the Apostle Paul knew that this letter that he wrote to the Thessalonians was an inspired letter that would become a part of the New Testament, thus he adjures them to read it to all of the brethren.  The word “adjure” according to John MacArthur is the Greek word (enokizo) and he states that it “is a strong word that means ‘to bind with an oath.’  Paul was so intent that all the Thessalonians receive his letter’s contents that he imposed a solemn oath (by the Lord) on the elders.  The Holy Spirit through Paul thus obligated them to make sure everyone heard the letter (cf. Rev. 2:7, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22.”

            Now as we look at the word “read” it means that this letter was to be read aloud in the public worship service.  Now this is a practice of many Bible believing churches to read the portion of Scripture that is going to be preached about out loud before the preaching has begun, but in our day and age we have the Bible in our homes to be able to read it to ourselves, whereas in Paul’s day this was not the case so that is why he asked them to read it aloud. 

            Paul Gives His Benediction to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 5:28):  “28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

            John MacArthur writes “The apostle Paul summed up his correspondence with a benediction, praying that they would experience the grace of  the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul began and ended all his epistles with a mention of divine grace because grace is at the heart of the Christian theology (John 1:14; 17; Rom. 3:24; Eph 1:7; 2:5; Titus 3:7).  Grace summarizes all that God provides believers in Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 9:8; 2 Thess. 1:11-12; 2 Peter 3:18).  Regarding Paul’s use of the term grace in the opening and closing of his letters, Leon Morris observed:

            ‘Grace fundamentally means ‘that which causes joy,’ a shade of meaning we may still discern when we speak of a grateful action or the social graces.  It comes to mean ‘favor,’ ‘kindness,’ and then especially God’s kindness to man in providing for his spiritual needs in Christ.  Thence it comes to signify what is due to grace, namely, God’s good gifts to men, and finally the attitude of thankfulness which all this awakes within the Christian.  As used in greetings it is the free gift, of God that is meant, but the word necessarily evokes memories of the free gift on Calvary… It is the grace of the Lord which lingers in the Apostle’s thoughts [as he closes his litters], just as it is the grace of the Lord with which he begins his litters.  (The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids:  Eerdmans, 1989], 49, 187).’

            “The closing requests Paul made to the Thessalonians match what all dedicated pastors desire for their own churches: that their people pray for them, that their people demonstrate affection to them and to one another, and that their people hear, read, study and apply God’s Word.  The evangelical church now resides in a time when so many people assume that it can accomplish its mission by man-centered methods, programs, and strategies.  Thos same people minimize the need to seriously and faithfully pray for their pastors, or the necessity to regularly rely on the divine, all-sufficient resources contained in Scripture.  It is a lie from Satan that pastors can do without the divinely energized prayers of their people, but it is God’s truth that, through those prayers, He will powerfully enable pastors to fulfill their callings and help build His Church.”

            Warren Wiersbe ends his commentary on 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and thus the end of 1 Thessalonians with the following paragraph.  “Paul ended with another reminder that the Word of God is the important thing in the local church.  The Word must govern our conduct and guide our lives.  We are to read the Word personally, but we also need to hear the Word in fellowship of the local church, for the one experience helps balance the other.”

            As I come to the end of another book of the Bible I am amazed that each book that I study how much I enjoy that particular book when I am studying it.  I remember a few years ago that I was studying the book of James and because I enjoyed it so much I told the men in the Bible Study that I was attending that I wanted to teach the book of James to them, which I did. 

            As I think back on our study of the book of 1 Thessalonians I believe that this study caused me to look a great deal differently to what I thought was in this book.  I only, in the past, use to think that it was all about prophecy of the end times, and although it does have much endtimes prophecy in it there is much more in it that describes how a New Testament Church is to look like and operate.  The Thessalonian Church was a very young church that the Lord used Paul to begin along with his fellow missionaries and because of persecution they had to leave very soon after the church was started.  What I see in those people was the great work of the Holy Spirit working through them so that the church not only survived, but prospered.  I see Paul who was used to begin the church to pray much for the church and because he could not go back to them sent Timothy to them to find out how they were doing.  He never went back to Thessalonica that we know of, and yet when we look at what he began there it thrived.  The city is still there to this day, and perhaps there is still a church there which brings glory to the Lord.  I hope so.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that what I have learned from these last verses in 1 Thessalonians is that there is a great need to pray for our pastors, and I need to be much more faithful in doing this.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I want to pray to the Lord to see if it is His desire that I begin a prayer group to pray for our pastor in the way that I have learned to pray for him in this section of 1 Thessalonians.

Memory verses for the week:  Colossians 3:1-7.

1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  2 Set you mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth.  3 For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.  5 Therefore consider the member of you earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience; 7 and in them you once walked, when you were living in them.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Philippi” (Acts 16:12).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who were the first brothers?”

Answer in our next SD.

8/30/2014 11:42 AM

           

Judgment on Kedar, Hazor, and Eam (Jer. 49:28-33)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/29/2014 11:13 AM

My Worship Time                                                    Focus:  Judgment on Kedar, Hazor and Elam

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  Jeremiah 49:28-39

            Message of the verses:  We first will look at the judgment on Kedar, and Hazor which cover verses 28-33:  “28 Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. Thus says the LORD, "Arise, go up to Kedar And devastate the men of the east. 29 “They will take away their tents and their flocks; They will carry off for themselves Their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels, And they will call out to one another, ’Terror on every side!’ 30 “Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor," declares the LORD; "For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you And devised a scheme against you. 31 “Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, Which lives securely," declares the LORD. "It has no gates or bars; They dwell alone. 32 “Their camels will become plunder, And their many cattle for booty, And I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners of their hair; And I will bring their disaster from every side," declares the LORD. 33 “Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, A desolation forever; No one will live there, Nor will a son of man reside in it."”

            13 and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam (Genesis 25:13).”  We see from this verse where the people of Kedar came from, but Dr. Wiersbe points out that it is not known where the people of Hazor came from.  Now there was a city in northern Palestine named Hazor that is seen in Joshua 11, but this does not have anything to do with these people.

            These were two nomadic Arab nations which lived in the desert and what we see here is some familiar phrases that we seen to describe other nations that would be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar as God directed him to do so.  I am not saying that he knew that God was directing him to destroy these nations like God told Joshua to destroy nations in the Promised Land, but God was using Nebuchadnezzar to do his bidding to destroy nations which were mostly worshipers of idols, and were also complacent as we see in verse 31, and we also see that they had fear on every side which is the other familiar phrase.  Dr. Wiersbe writes that they happened in 599-598 B. C. 

            We will now look at the judgment that come upon Elam from Jeremiah 49:24-29 “34 That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying: 35 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ’Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, The finest of their might. 36 ’I will bring upon Elam the four winds From the four ends of heaven, And will scatter them to all these winds; And there will be no nation To which the outcasts of Elam will not go. 37 ’So I will shatter Elam before their enemies And before those who seek their lives; And I will bring calamity upon them, Even My fierce anger,’ declares the LORD, ’And I will send out the sword after them Until I have consumed them. 38 ’Then I will set My throne in Elam And destroy out of it king and princes,’ Declares the LORD. 39 ’But it will come about in the last days That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’" Declares the LORD.”

            I will give verses that also speak of Edam or the Edamites:  Gen. 14:1; Isa. 11:11; 21:2; 22:6; Jer. 25:25; Ezek. 32:24; Dan. 8:2.  Now the Edamites lived beyond the Tigris River which was across from Babylon and this nation eventually became a part of the Medo-Persian Empire. The Edomites were know for their archery and that is why the Lord says that He will break their bows.  The Babylonians would defeat them and Dr. Wiersbe writes what would next happen:  “Whenever a nation was defeated, the victors would set up their king’s throne in the city gate (1:15; 39:3; 43:8-13), and that’s what God promised to do in Elam (49:38).  He would let them know that He was King.”

            Dr. Wiersbe continues “The Lord ended this description of judgment with a promise of mercy.  Why He chose to restore Egypt, Moab, Ammon, and Elam is not explained, but they will share in the kingdom of God’s grace.”  I truly wonder about this myself, but one thing is for sure and that we worship a God who is gracious and merciful and for that I am thankful.

            I think that it is important to look at what Dr. Wiersbe wrote at the end of his commentary on the 49^th chapter of Jeremiah and so I will quote it as we end our study on Jeremiah chapter 49.

            “As you studied these chapters, perhaps you became weary of reading the same message:  Judgment is coming and there’s no escape.  There’s a sameness about what God said about these nine nations, and if we aren’t careful, that sameness can produce ‘tameness’ and cause us to lose a heart sensitive to the Lord’s message.

            “Keep in mind, however, that these prophecies were written about real men, women, and children, and that what Jeremiah wrote actually came true.  Whole civilizations were wiped out because of their sins, and eventually Babylon itself was destroyed.  This means that multitudes of people died and went into an eternity of darkness.

            “God sees what the nations do, and He rewards them justly.  What Hezekiah said about the Lord needs to be emphasized today:  ‘O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth’ (Isa. 37:16, NIV).  Joshua called Him ‘the Lord of all the earth’ (Josh. 3:11), and both Jesus and Paul called Him ‘Lord of heavens and earth’ (Luke 10:21; Acts 17:24).

            “God never gave the Law of Moses to any of the nations that Jeremiah addressed, but He still held them accountable for the sins they committed against Him and against humanity.  Because of the witness of creation around them and conscience within them, they were without excuse (Rom. 1:17-32, especially v. 20) and guilty before God.

            “In recent history, the nations haven’t acted any better than the ones recorded in Jeremiah 46-49.  Innocent blood is shed legally as millions of babies are aborted in their mother’s wombs.  International terrorism, genocide, exploitation of people and material resources, war, crime, the abuse of children, and a host of other sins have stained the hands of nations with blood.  What will they do when the Judge becomes angry and starts to avenge the innocent?

            “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God’ (Hebrews 10:31).”

8/29/2014 11:57 AM

A Request for Affection (1 Thess. 5:26)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/29/2014 10:25 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  A Request for Affection

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1 Thessalonians 5:26

            Message of the verse:  “26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.”  “26 Give a handshake all round among the brotherhood (Philips).”

            MacArthur writes “Greet conveys the intention of a friendly and righteous gesture, as opposed to a formal, reserved acknowledgement.”  I quote this section because perhaps we don’t understand what Paul is saying when he instructs them to greet each other with a “holy kiss.”  Now when he says “all the brethren” his is leaving no one out, which would include the women also.  I, at times, use the NLT of the Bible, but one of the problems that I have with it is that it uses “brothers and sisters” in places where versions like the NASB, KJB, and others only use the term “brothers.”  I am not one who puts down women, but let us look at a verse from 1 Timothy to help show what I am talking about here:  9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”   What Paul is saying here is that there is an order in God’s creation and He created man first, and then woman, but that does not mean that women are inferior to men.  We only have to look at the trinity to see that there is an order there.  God the Father is not superior to the Son or to the Holy Spirit, but the persons in the godhead do submit to each other and that is what He desires for mankind too.

            Now when the elders in the Thessalonian church receive this letter they were to pass it on to the entire church and by giving each a holy kiss they would show the love that Paul had for all of them.  MacArthur writes “As members kissed, they would tangibly demonstrate love for one another as well.  In Paul’s day, it was customary for people to greet a superior with a kiss on the foot, knee, elbow, or hand; but friends kissed one another on the cheek. (The wretched hypocrisy of Judas Iscariot’s kiss is the most twisted illustration of this custom [cf. Matt. 26:29].  Among believers, the holy kiss became a symbol of genuine love and affection; but it was more than a liturgical sign or ritual gesture performed only during worship services—it was a spontaneous, personal display of affection practiced whenever believing friends met.”  I suppose that when we look at movies and see how kissing is used in them that somehow we have a problem with this way the believers in Paul’s day used a kiss when greeting each other.  This perhaps is why people as early as the 13^th century began to abandon this practice.  I realize that there were no movies then, but people began to take advantage of this practice, making it something more that a greeting.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think of a time when my father was living his last days on planet earth and while I was waiting, along with the rest of the family for him to pass on; I was listening to a Christian station who had a contest on.  I answered the question and won a record.  I told the lady who gave me the prize why I was in her state and she gave me a big hug.  Now I had never met her before but because we were both believers that seemed like the right thing to do.  That would be like what Paul was telling the readers from Thessalonica who gave each other a holy kiss.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Be more affectionate with other believers.

Memory verses for the week:  Colossians 3:1-7.   

1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  2 Set you mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth.  3 For you died, and you life is hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, you also will be revealed with Him in glory.  5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come on the sons of disobedience; 7 and in them you once walked, when you were living in them.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Joshua” (Joshua 10:12).

Today’s Bible question:  “What was the chief city in Macedonia where Paul preached?”

Answer in our next SD.

8/29/2014 11:05 AM

More Gentile Nation Prophecies from Jeremiah 49:1-27

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/28/2014 3:06 PM

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  More Gentile Nations Prophecies

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Jeremiah 49:1-27

            Message of the verses:  I want to look at a number of nations that Jeremiah writes about in the 49^th chapter of his book.

            Judgment on Ammon (Jeremiah 49:1-6):  “1 Concerning the sons of Ammon. Thus says the LORD: "Does Israel have no sons? Or has he no heirs? Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad And his people settled in its cities? 2 “Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "That I will cause a trumpet blast of war to be heard Against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; And it will become a desolate heap, And her towns will be set on fire. Then Israel will take possession of his possessors," Says the LORD. 3 “Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah, Gird yourselves with sackcloth and lament, And rush back and forth inside the walls; For Malcam will go into exile Together with his priests and his princes. 4 “How boastful you are about the valleys! Your valley is flowing away, O backsliding daughter Who trusts in her treasures, saying, ’Who will come against me?’ 5 “Behold, I am going to bring terror upon you," Declares the Lord GOD of hosts, "From all directions around you; And each of you will be driven out headlong, With no one to gather the fugitives together. 6 “But afterward I will restore The fortunes of the sons of Ammon," Declares the LORD.”

            We mentioned in our last SD on Jeremiah that Moab came from an incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters and Ammon came from the other daughter of Lot and Lot himself.  There is more information about this in that SD.

            When the Assyrians defeated the 10 tribes of Israel in 722 B. C. the people of Ammon moved into Gad as if Israel would never return, and this is one of the reasons that God was against them.  We see from verse four that Ammon was a very proud people, with no need of the Lord, for in those days, and I suppose it is the same today the nations had many gods and when they defeated a country it was believed that their god was stronger than the one they defeated, however God was ordaining all of the victories and defeats, including what will happen to Ammon.  We see once again that God shows His mercy as He promises to restore Ammon in the later days.  John MacArthur has a note in his study Bible about verse six:  “As with Moab God promised that captives would have an opportunity to return.  This was partially fulfilled under Cyrus, but will be more fully in the coming kingdom of Messiah.”

            Judgment on Edom (Jeremiah 49:7-22):  “7 Concerning Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has good counsel been lost to the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? 8 “Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan, For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him At the time I punish him. 9 “If grape gatherers came to you, Would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, They would destroy only until they had enough. 10  "But I have stripped Esau bare, I have uncovered his hiding places So that he will not be able to conceal himself; His offspring has been destroyed along with his relatives And his neighbors, and he is no more. 11 “Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive; And let your widows trust in Me." 12 For thus says the LORD, "Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, and are you the one who will be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainly drink it. 13  "For I have sworn by Myself," declares the LORD, "that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will become perpetual ruins." 14 I have heard a message from the LORD, And an envoy is sent among the nations, saying, "Gather yourselves together and come against her, And rise up for battle!" 15 “For behold, I have made you small among the nations, Despised among men. 16 “As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there," declares the LORD. 17 “Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss at all its wounds. 18 “Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors," says the LORD, "no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it. 19  "Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan against a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make him run away from it, and whoever is chosen I shall appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand against Me?" 20 Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them. 21 The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea. 22  Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.”

            The Edomites are were descended from Esau who was the older brother of Jacob, but it was Jacob that received the blessings from the Lord and it was Jacob who had the beginnings of the twelve tribes of Israel as he had twelve sons.  The Edomites did not get along with the Jews, but they both had a common enemy which was Babylon.  According to Jeremiah 27:3 “and send word to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the sons of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah,” Edom was at the Jerusalem summit in the days of Zedekiah to make plans to fight against Babylon. 

            The book of Obadiah is also written about the judgment against Edom and it is uncertain when Obadiah was written, so Jeremiah may have quoted from Obadiah or the other way around if Obadiah was written first.

            The judgment of Edom was a very severe judgment as we see it described like a harvest where nothing would be left for the gleaners (Jer. 49:10).  It is Nebuchadnezzar who will come upon Edom, but read the quote from Dr. Wiersbe “In the midst of wrath, the Lord remembers mercy (Hab. 3:2 and shows compassion for the widows and orphans (Jer. 49:11; see Ex. 22:21-24; 23:9; Lev. 1933; Deut. 10:18; 2719.  But Edom’s pride would bring her low as pride always does.”  Hab. 3:2 says “LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.”

            Judgment on Syria [Damascus]:  (Jeremiah 49:23-27):  “23 Concerning Damascus. "Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heard bad news; They are disheartened. There is anxiety by the sea, It cannot be calmed. 24 “Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and pangs have taken hold of her Like a woman in childbirth. 25 “How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy! 26 “Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets, And all the men of war will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD of hosts. 27 “I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, And it will devour the fortified towers of Ben-hadad."”

            One only has to look at the TV sets or look on the Internet or listen to the radio, or even read their newspapers to see that there is great trouble in Syria, and especially in Damascus.  A man that I greatly respect from his writings and also from his stance on many different things that concern Israel and the Bible was on TV a number of weeks ago talking about what is right now going on in Syria and actually read these verses from Jeremiah on the air stating that this could be the time when these verses come true.  Damascus, from what I have heard, is the city that has had people living in it the longest of any city in the world, and also from what I heard has never been completely destroyed, so as we read from the book of Jeremiah which was written a very long time ago we can see things going on in Damascus that perhaps come be what Jeremiah wrote about.

            1 The oracle concerning Damascus. "Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city And will become a fallen ruin. 2 “The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks to lie down in, And there will be no one to frighten them. 3 “The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel," Declares the LORD of hosts. 4 Now in that day the glory of Jacob will fade, And the fatness of his flesh will become lean. 5  It will be even like the reaper gathering the standing grain, As his arm harvests the ears, Or it will be like one gleaning ears of grain In the valley of Rephaim (Isaiah 17:1-5).”  The entire 17^th chapter of Isaiah is about Syria and Damascus.

            Dr. Wiersbe completes his writings on Syria by writing “This message is brief, but it carries power.  How much does God have to say to convince people that His wrath is about to fall?”

            We will look at Kedar and Hazor along with Elam in our next SD from Jeremiah.

  

A Request for Prayer (1 Thess. 5:25).

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/28/2014 7:47 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus: A Request for Prayer

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1 Thessalonians 5:25

            Message of the verses:  “25 Brethren, pray for us.”

            We begin our final journey from 1 Thessalonians as over the next four Spiritual Diaries it is my plan to finish our study by looking at Paul’s final requests that he has for the Thessalonians.  We will look at the request of them praying for him as a pastor, and also he encourages them to show affection for one another, and it is his desire that they submit to the Word of God, and then we will look at his final benediction.

            We can look at the following verses from some of Paul’s other letters to see that he asks his flocks to pray for him:  Romans 15:30; 2 Cor. 1:11; #ph. 6:18-20; Col. 4:2-4; Philemon 22.  As we think about Paul asking for prayer for himself we can conclude that as believers we also need to pray for our pastors, as they too are men called by the Lord to do the job of being the under shepherds for the Great Shepherd to lead and to guide His flock.

            As we look at the word “brethren” we know that this is a common word used by Paul and other NT writers to show that there is no one being left out, for all believers are brothers in the Lord, showing that we are all a part of the family of God.

            Now when Paul uses the word “us” he is talking about all those who were with him when they came to Thessalonica including Paul, Timothy and Silas, and they had all faithfully taught them the truth of the Gospel, and Timothy had returned to see how they were doing. 

            When we look at the ministry of the apostle Paul as seen from the book of Acts and also from his letters to the different churches that he founded and also wrote to we know that Paul led a life that was very difficult.  As soon as he became a believer in Jesus Christ as seen from Acts chapter nine we see that the Lord had set him apart to preach to the Gentiles and that the Lord told Ananias “"Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake."” (Acts 9:15b-16)  Now when we look at 2 Corinthians chapter eleven we see all of the things that did actually happen to Paul in his service for the Lord. 

            John MacArthur in his commentary from 1 Thessalonians writes “Paul’s requests for prayer suggest a number of matters that believers especially ought to remember when they pray for their pastor.  First it is important to pray for the pastor’s safety.  In his second letter to them, Paul told the Thessalonians, ‘Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread, rapidly and be glorified, just as it did  also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith’ (2 Thess. 3:1-2; cf. Rom. 15:31a).”

            “Second, believers ought to pray for their pastor’s wisdom in service.”

            “Third, believers should pray that their pastor’s future plans and priorities are consistent with God’s will for him.”  “Pastors have desires and visions for future ministry and, like Paul, they need the encouragement that can result from believing prayer—that God in His providence will fulfill those plans.”

            Fourth, Christians need to pray for their pastor’s effectiveness in preaching the Word of God.”

            “Finally, the flock needs to pray that God would spiritually strengthen its pastor and allow him to minister with integrity.  Gardiner Spring solicited prayer for spiritual strength this way:  ‘Brethren, pray for us, that we may be kept from sin; that we may walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time [Eph. 5:16]; that our hearts may be more devoted to God, and our lives a more impressive example of the Gospel we preach; that we may be more completely furnished for our work and our conflicts, and put on the whole armor of God [6:10-17]; that we may be more faithful and wise to win souls, and that we may discipline our body, and bring it into subjection, lest having preached to others, we ourselves be cast away [1 Cor. 9:27].’  (‘A Plea to Pray for Pastors,’ 9; emphasis in original).”

            I believe that prayer is a remarkable privilege that believers have, as God has allowed us to be a part of what He is accomplishing on this earth, and when one thinks about that one may just be ah-inspired for this privilege.

            Spiritual meaning for my life:  I am thankful that I can learn more effective ways to pray for our pastor.  When I think about praying for our pastor’s safety it was almost a year ago that our pastor fell from a tree and could very well have lost his life, but God had mercy on him, his family, and our church as he was rushed to the hospital and after being there for sometime he was able to come home and eventually back to the pulpit to preach the Word of God.  I am thankful for the answer of many prayers for his recovery.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Be better at praying for our pastor and assistant pastors each day.

Memory verses for the week:  Colossians 3:1-7.

1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  2 Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth.  3 For you have died and you life is hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.  5 Therefore consider the members of you earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience; 7 and in them your once walked, when you were living in them.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Cut off his ear” (Luke 22:50).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who said ‘Sun, stand thou still upon Gideon’?”

Answer in our next SD.

8/28/2014 8:42 AM

             

           

Judgment on Moab (Jeremiah 48:1-47)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/27/2014 10:44 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Judgment on Moab

Bible Reading & Meditation                                            Reference:  Jeremiah 47:1-47

            Message of the verses:  “1 Concerning Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Woe to Nebo, for it has been destroyed; Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured; The lofty stronghold has been put to shame and shattered. 2  "There is praise for Moab no longer; In Heshbon they have devised calamity against her: ’Come and let us cut her off from being a nation!’ You too, Madmen, will be silenced; The sword will follow after you. 3  "The sound of an outcry from Horonaim, ’Devastation and great destruction!’ 4  "Moab is broken, Her little ones have sounded out a cry of distress. 5  "For by the ascent of Luhith They will ascend with continual weeping; For at the descent of Horonaim They have heard the anguished cry of destruction. 6  "Flee, save your lives, That you may be like a juniper in the wilderness. 7  "For because of your trust in your own achievements and treasures, Even you yourself will be captured; And Chemosh will go off into exile Together with his priests and his princes. 8  "A destroyer will come to every city, So that no city will escape; The valley also will be ruined And the plateau will be destroyed, As the LORD has said. 9  "Give wings to Moab, For she will flee away; And her cities will become a desolation, Without inhabitants in them. 10  "Cursed be the one who does the LORD’S work negligently, And cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood. 11  "Moab has been at ease since his youth; He has also been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs, And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed. 12  "Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter his jars. 13  "And Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

    “14 "How can you say, ’We are mighty warriors, And men valiant for battle’? 15  "Moab has been destroyed and men have gone up to his cities; His choicest young men have also gone down to the slaughter," Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 16  "The disaster of Moab will soon come, And his calamity has swiftly hastened. 17  "Mourn for him, all you who live around him, Even all of you who know his name; Say, ’How has the mighty scepter been broken, A staff of splendor!’ 18  "Come down from your glory And sit on the parched ground, O daughter dwelling in Dibon, For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, He has ruined your strongholds. 19  "Stand by the road and keep watch, O inhabitant of Aroer; Ask him who flees and her who escapes And say, ’What has happened?’ 20  "Moab has been put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out; Declare by the Arnon That Moab has been destroyed. 21  "Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, Jahzah and against Mephaath, 22  against Dibon, Nebo and Beth-diblathaim, 23  against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul and Beth-meon, 24  against Kerioth, Bozrah and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. 25  "The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken," declares the LORD. 26  "Make him drunk, for he has become arrogant toward the LORD; so Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will become a laughingstock. 27  "Now was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you shake your head in scorn. 28  "Leave the cities and dwell among the crags, O inhabitants of Moab, And be like a dove that nests Beyond the mouth of the chasm. 29  "We have heard of the pride of Moab-he is very proud-Of his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance and his self-exaltation. 30  "I know his fury," declares the LORD, "But it is futile; His idle boasts have accomplished nothing. 31  "Therefore I will wail for Moab, Even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres. 32  "More than the weeping for Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your tendrils stretched across the sea, They reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest The destroyer has fallen. 33  "So gladness and joy are taken away From the fruitful field, even from the land of Moab. And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy. 34  "From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have raised their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate. 35  "I will make an end of Moab," declares the LORD, "the one who offers sacrifice on the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods. 36  "Therefore My heart wails for Moab like flutes; My heart also wails like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have lost the abundance it produced. 37  "For every head is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and sackcloth on the loins. 38  "On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets there is lamentation everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable vessel," declares the LORD. 39  "How shattered it is! How they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back-he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an object of terror to all around him." 40  For thus says the LORD: "Behold, one will fly swiftly like an eagle And spread out his wings against Moab. Moab. 41  "Kerioth has been captured And the strongholds have been seized, So the hearts of the mighty men of Moab in that day Will be like the heart of a woman in labor. 42 “Moab will be destroyed from being a people Because he has become arrogant toward the LORD. 43  "Terror, pit and snare are coming upon you, O inhabitant of Moab," declares the LORD. 44  "The one who flees from the terror Will fall into the pit, And the one who climbs up out of the pit Will be caught in the snare; For I shall bring upon her, even upon Moab, The year of their punishment," declares the LORD. 45  "In the shadow of Heshbon The fugitives stand without strength; For a fire has gone forth from Heshbon And a flame from the midst of Sihon, And it has devoured the forehead of Moab And the scalps of the riotous revelers. 46  "Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; For your sons have been taken away captive And your daughters into captivity. 47  "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab In the latter days," declares the LORD. Thus far the judgment on Moab.”

            Whenever I think of Moab and also the Ammonites I think of God’s grace and God’s mercy, for both of these nations began with a drunken incestuous relationship with Job and his two daughters after they left the city of Sodom before God destroyed both Sodom and Gomorrah.  Both daughters thought that because of the fact that they were living in a cave with their father that they would never have children and so they got their father drunk so that he could provide a child for each of them.  After living in the wicked city of Sodom it is no wonder that they would conceive an idea like that (no pun intended).

            The people of Moab lived on the East Side of the Dead Sea, along with Ammon, and it was a hilly place to live which gave them confidence that no army could get to them, but because of they did not fear the Lord and worshiped idols they were doomed and were defeated by the Babylonians. Now we are developing a theme here as we study the in chapters in the book of Jeremiah, and that theme is that Babylon is being used by the Lord to conquer the nations that did not worship the Lord, and even detested the Lord.  Now when we get to chapters 50-51 we will see that God will have Babylon destroyed for the same reasons.  Now as we look towards what the Bible teaches about the end times we see what is called The Day of the Lord, and we have seen already little pictures of what this is about from the prophets we have already studied, but the true “Day of the Lord” will happen at the end of the tribulation period along with at the end of the Millennial Kingdom when God will destroy the wicked and then after the destruction of the wicked at the end of the Millennial Kingdom God will completely destroy the world along with the entire universe, then judge the wicked, and then set up His eternal Kingdom with a new heaven and a new earth and an new Jerusalem.  (Forgive me, but the end times is something I have a special part in my heart for.”

            Back to Jeremiah and we see that Moab is going to be destroyed because of being proud and because of their worship of idols.  “42 “Moab will be destroyed from being a people Because he has become arrogant toward the LORD.” 

            Dr. Wiersbe states that there are over twenty different places that are named in this chapter, and many of them are not known where they are located, but he writes the following “but the list shows how detailed God can be when He wants to predict future events.”  He adds the following in an endnote:  “Madmen in Jeremiah 48:2 is the name of a Moabite city.  It’s not the English word for men who are mad.” 

            Jeremiah used different kinds of imagery in writing this chapter, and in verses 11-13 the image pictures Moab as a self-satisfied nation who is feeling secure like wine that is being aged in a bottle so it will taste better as it ages.  However the Babylonians will empty these wind jars along with destroying the Moabites.  We see this same image in verses 26-27.  “The nation was drunk from the cop that God gave her (25:15-16, 27-29), and like someone at a drunken party, she was vomiting and wallowing in her own vomit.  It isn’t a pretty picture.”  Next we see the image change to a dove who hides, but then we see that another image of an eagle swooping down on its prey.  The dove has no chance, and neither did Moab when Babylon swooped on them. 

            Remember we have called Jeremiah “The Weeping Prophet,” well Jeremiah weeps over the people of Moab, as he sees what will happen to them because of their sin.  Jeremiah is a man with great compassion, and when we study about our Lord when He was on planet earth He had great compassion for sinful people and weep over them on different occasions.  We see the compassion of God, but we also see the wrath of God who must judge sinful behavior. 

            I want to now zone in on the last verse which has brought some confusion to me and so I will quote from both Warren Wiersbe and also John MacArthur, and perhaps others to help better understand what this verse means.  “47 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab In the latter days," declares the LORD. Thus far the judgment on Moab.”  Warren Wiersbe writes “After writing a long chapter on judgment, Jeremiah ended with a promise “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab In the latter days," declares the LORD. Thus far the judgment on Moab.”  This statement refers to the future Kingdom Age when Jesus Christ will reign.”  (Warren Wiersbe)

            From John MacArthur’s Study Bible “God will allow a remnant of Moab to return to the land (cf. 12:14-17; 46:26; 48:47; 49:6, 39), through their descendants in the messianic era (‘the latter days’).”

            “Yet it is not a perpetual destruction. The chapter concludes with a short promise of their return out of captivity in the latter days. God, who brings them into captivity, will bring again their captivity, #Jer 48:47. Thus tenderly does God deal with Moabites, much more with his own people! Even with Moabites he will not contend for ever, nor be always wrath. When Israel returned, Moab did; and perhaps the prophecy was intended chiefly for the encouragement of God’s people to hope for that salvation which even Moabites shall share in. Yet it looks further, to gospel times; the Jews themselves refer it to the days of the Messiah; then the captivity of the Gentiles, under the yoke of sin and Satan, shall be brought back by divine grace, which shall make them free, free indeed. This prophecy concerning Moab is long, but here it ends; it ends comfortably: Thus far is the judgment of Moab.”  (Matthew Henry Commentary)

            8/27/2014 11:32 AM

 

Sanctification's Final Security (1 Thess. 5:24)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/27/2014 9:38 AM

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  Sanctification’s Final Security

Bible Reading & Meditation                                          Reference:  1 Thessalonians 5:24

            Message of the verse:  24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”

            “Php. 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

            Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30  and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

            As we conclude Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians I want to make a very long quote from the pen of John MacArthur who will give us seven essential principles that all Christians need to remember concerning the sanctification process.

            “First, experiential sanctification is inherently both negative and positive.  Negatively, it involves the purging out of sin.  Scripture compares sin to leaven which connotes the evil influence with which sin permeates humanity.  Sanctification does not remove the presence of sin, but it purges from the believer his love for sin and decreases sin’s frequency in his life.  Positively, sanctification involves the renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:2) and the putting on of Christlikeness. The negative and positive changes occur as the Holy Spirit continually uses Gods Word in believers’ lives (John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; cf. John 15:1-3).

            “Second, sanctification occurs chiefly in the heart, the mind, the inner being.  It is not concerned with modifying one’s outward behavior—even if that behavior were in line with God’s law—apart from the changed heart, nor is it circumscribing one’s attitudes and actions to an arbitrary code of ethics (cf. Rom 14:17; Col. 2:16-23).  Sanctification does affect a Christian’s outward actions (cf. John 15:4-5; Eph. 2:10), but it is essentially an inward grace.  It is illustrated by what the apostle Peter wrote to believing wives:  ‘Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God’ (1 Peter 3:3-4).

            “Third, the Bible implicitly calls sanctification a beautiful reality (cf. Ps. 110:3 KJV).  Holiness is the beautiful crown jewel of the Godhead, reflecting divine perfection, unmitigated virtue, absolute righteousness, and pure sinlessness (cf. Ex. 15:11; Pss. 47:8; 145:17; Isa. 57:15).  Sanctification, then, is a noble experience, imparting to believers a measure of the majesty God intended for them when He created mankind in His image (cf. Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 8:4-6).

            “Fourth, sanctification is an ongoing reality.  At the new birth, God plants the seed of righteousness, the principle of divine life, into the believer’s heart (cf. 1 Peter 1:23-35).  That does not mean he will never sin again, but it does mean he will discontinue living in his previous unbroken pattern of sinfulness and begin to live in a new pattern of holiness (cf. Rom. 6:17-18; 1 John 3:9).

            Fifth, believers must remember that people can counterfeit sanctification in a number of ways.     First, moral virtue can substitute for true sanctification.  People can exhibit character qualities such as fair-mindedness, loyalty, civility, kindness, generosity, diligence, and philanthropy and yet at heart be unbelievers cf. Isa. 29:13).  Second, religious activity can masquerade as sanctification.  For example, devoutly religious people might spend years avoiding the most heinous sins and seeking to pleas God by adhering to their church’s rituals and self-righteously engaging in good works (cf. Matt. 23:23-25; Luke 18:10-14).  But they do it all because they are afraid of God and want to earn His forgiveness, not because they are His children who sincerely love Him for His grace.  Third, outward Christian profession can appear to be genuine sanctification (cf. Matt. 23:27-28).  It often parades a hypocritical type of piety that is merely superficial (cf. Matt. 7:21-23).  Such false sanctification deceives not only those who witness it, but also those who practice it.  Fourth, their conscience and fear of sin’s consequences often restrain people from bad behavior.  Most of the time they reject sin because they fear its negative physical, psychological, or even legal consequences.  They may have grown up in a Christian family in which their parents taught them biblical principles and established a doctrinal foundation that informs their consciences with moral convictions.  Such people are afraid to engage in overt sin and on the exterior appear to be righteous, but only because they do not want a guilty conscience to bother them.  A saving love for Christ does not motivate their behavior; instead, human fear and a sensitive conscience drive their actions.

            Sixth, sanctification keeps believers from polluting holy things.  ‘To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled’ (Titus 1:15).  Unbelievers mock and blaspheme God and His Son.  They ridicule the things of God and the people of God, which means they also ridicule and demean the Word of God.  They pollute everything God has designed for His glory and mankind’s blessing (cf. Rom. 1:21-32), such as the beauty of creation, marriage, and friendship.  By contrast, when God is sanctifying believers, they consider the simplest, most mundane things in life as holy and respect all the things the unbeliever does not (cf. Ps. 1:1-6).

            “Finally, Christians must remember that sanctification is God’s priority for their lives.  It is His will for them (1 Thess. 4:3; cf. Heb. 12:14) and the result of Christ’s death on their behalf—‘who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds’ (Titus 2:14).  All believers are to live for sanctification.  They have no other goal in life than to be like Jesus Christ:  ‘The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked’ (1 John 2:6).”

            I have a new friend that I meet in the church we now go to and he is involved in a Bible study that I now attend, and every since I meet him in that Bible study he talks about sanctification, and to be honest I was, at times wondering how he could take the different verses from the books of the Bible we were studying and see sanctification in them.  After going over what I have learned in this prayer that Paul prayed for the Thessalonians I have a much better understanding of sanctification and a much better appreciation for my new friend.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I desire to think much more about the sanctification process that I have been learning about, with a desire of continuing to better understand it and to do the things that I am to do to grow in the Lord, which is what sanctification is all about.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  2 Peter 3:18.

Memory verses for the week:  Colossians 3:1-7.

1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  2 Set you mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth.  3 For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.  5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience; 7 and in them you once walked, when you were living in them.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Grace (3:24), Faith (5:1), Blood (5:9).

Today’s Bible question:  “When Jesus was betrayed, what did one of the disciples do to a servant of the High Priest?”

Answer in our next SD.

8/27/2014 10:36 AM