“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 NLT
For those of us living in America, and those viewing the news headlines across the world, an updated version of the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution is on display. Peaceful protests have been redefined. Not sure who amended the First Amendment, but it sure looks like it was according to the news media and certain politicians. The fact is it was not amended, but still stands and says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (1) It is hard to watch this chaos unfold with the ignorance of those who ignore it and remain silent.
So, for what it is worth, I’m not remaining silent. There is no need to state the obvious for all people with even a speck of honesty know the reality of the situation. This world is in chaos, and it saddens me to say the United States is contributing to it with the divisiveness in the country. It is no longer divided by politics but between right and wrong. ‘Right is wrong and wrong is right.’ ‘Good is evil and evil is good.’ Millions of people in the world fear the future in its current state, and there are sound reasons for that. The truth is that life on this planet will only grow worse until the arrival of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom. But there is good news, a guaranteed perfect future for those who know Christ as savior.
John, the apostle, wrote of that future time through the leading of the Holy Spirit and said, “He (Jesus) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Rev.21:4 nlt) The likes of the lies, corruption, violence, and chaos we are witnessing today will be gone forever. Yes, even the amended ‘peaceful protests’ will be gone forever. Real peace will finally be observed. Let us repeat after John at the end of Revelation, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev.22:20 nlt)
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 NIV
It has always amazed me how some people, even Christians, dismissed the Old Testament as having no relevance for today. The New Testament has all the ‘Red Letter’ words of Jesus’ teaching the way of salvation and how to love God and others as yourself. The Pauline Epistles teach us how to walk in the spirit, live the Christian life, and the importance of the church body. And who isn’t fascinated with the end times in the book of Revelation if we can understand it. But there is all of that and more in the Old Testament if we only take the time to go through it.
The most important aspect of the Old Testament, in fact the entire Bible, is that it is about Jesus Christ. When keeping that in mind you’ll begin to find new meaning in the stories you have heard and read as far back as when you were child. Simply put; God created the heavens and the earth, He created us, we sinned against Him, we needed a savior to take our punishment and reconcile us back to God, the Old Testament paves the way for the Messiah born in Bethlehem and there are even prophesies of the end times. It’s all in there.
Isaiah 53 speaks of Jesus’ suffering sacrifice by dying for our sins. This chapter accurately describes the events of Jesus’ death written 700 years earlier. “He was despised and rejected by mankind……Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised……Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering……But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities……He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter……He was assigned a grave with the wicked, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth……For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Is.53 niv)
It’s kind of hard to deny that Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus Christ. It’s not a coincidence, but a factual truth found in the New Testament gospels. Jesus is found all throughout the Old Testament for He is God the Son, the second person of the trinity. The Old Testament proves who Jesus is and what He has done as any portion of Scripture from the New Testament. You can look for Jesus in the Old Testament. He’s there!
I enjoy going to a restaurant that serves a bottomless cup of coffee. You never worry if that second cup is coming or will I have enough coffee to finish my meal. There is a story in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings that tells of a poor widow who had a bottomless cup of grace given to her for her faith and obedience to God.
The prophet Elijah predicted there would be no rain for the next couple of years until Elijah spoke it. No rain led to a famine that devastated all of Israel. Elijah wasn’t exempt from feeling the effects of the famine. The Lord did provide for him in miraculous ways, one of them through this poor widow. Elijah was told to go to the town of Zarephath north of Israel along the Mediterranean Sea where he would meet a woman who would feed him. He met her, but she only had enough for one last meal for her and her son and after that she expected they would die. But God told Elijah that she would feed him.
When the woman told Elijah of her dilemma he responded in a way to test her faith as she revealed an awareness of the Lord God Elijah serves. “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!” (1Kg.17:13-14 nlt) The woman would have a bottomless flour and olive oil supply.
She obeyed the word of the Lord and was given bottomless grace for the daily provisions as long as the drought and famine continued. Perhaps you’re facing a dry spell in your life on this day. Maybe you’re in the middle of a spiritual drought. Perhaps the Lord is testing you to step out in faith and help someone at your own expense as the poor widow. She obeyed the Lord and her needs were met. Why not do the same and receive a bottomless cup of grace from the Lord. It’s much better than a bottomless cup of coffee.
The role of men in our society has greatly diminished over the years. This isn’t just a reality for the 21st century but has been developing especially in the United States since the end of World War II. I was reminded of this last weekend with the anniversary of D-Day on June the 6th. Our local regional airport also held their annual World War II Weekend by the Mid Atlantic Air Museum. These men who fought this war were known as the ‘greatest generation.’ That is not taking away anything from the many women who had a vital role, or the men and women in the Untied States who contributed to the war effort during this period in history.
We saw society change gradually in the years following World Warr II. Some for the good, and some for the not-so-good. The advancement of women in the workplace has been a good thing. Women’s presence in the workforce has been increasing in all fields, adding another dimension to the overall success of many companies and organizations with their expertise. The not-so-good effect is many men have downplayed their God given role within the family and in society itself. This has been filtering down for the last two generations and the family unit is suffering from it, not to mention the local church.
When the apostle Paul closed his letter the church in Corinth, he instructed the men to ‘act like men.’ Sounds like there may have been a problem. Men not acting like men is a problem in society, it is even a bigger problem when it occurs in the church. Paul told them to be watchful. Their eyes were to be trained on expecting the unexcepted, to always be ready to handle any situation. There were to stand firm in the faith and not compromise on any of the Lord’s Words in Scripture. They were to be strong, as men ought to be, and they were to do everything in love. That’s how real men act. Let’s act like men!
There isn’t a person who has ever lived that didn’t have any needs. There is no one alive today who doesn’t have any sort of need. Our God promises to take care of our needs, but there are some of us who fret over a potential future downfall of our income or a rise in our expenses. Will we be able to make ends meet? Well, if that is our attitude, we’re focusing on the wrong things.
Jesus told His disciples and anyone willing to pay attention the remedy for having all we need. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Mt.6:33 nlt) The Lord knows what we need. He also knows what we don’t need, so, don’t expect Him to give it to you. God’s desire for us is to seek His kingdom. Looking upward as opposed to horizontally to the things of this world will help us see the light of what is not needed in this life, but what is needed for eternal life. Our desires will become His desires as we live righteously leading others to the kingdom of God through faith in Christ.
Don’t get caught up worrying about your needs in this life. Trust in the Lord. He will provide. Just make sure your priorities are in order. What do you need? You need to ‘Seek the kingdom of God above all else,’ and let Him do the rest.
Believe it or not, one of the hardest things for Christians to do is to pray. You may be one who believes it from your own experience. Finding the right words to say either in a group or in private holds some people back. Others fear they’re not worthy enough to address God, or He wouldn’t hear anyway. Still others haven’t built that relationship with Him as His children where He welcomes us to simply talk with Him. Scripture has given us several models of prayer to follow for our help, the most notable is Jesus’ example in the Lord’s prayer. The prophet Daniel gives us his exemplary prayer in Daniel chapter 9 to follow.
Daniel’s prayer consists of six elements all to be considered when giving serious thought in wanting to improve our prayer life. He realized Judah’s seventy years of captivity was about to end and petitioned the Lord on behalf of his people. Daniel’s preparation and his prayer shows his reverence for the Lord God. May we take advantage of this prayer to enrich our own prayer life. That’s why it’s there!
Humility – v.3, Daniel fasted and covered himself with sackcloth and ashes. (we can skip the sackcloth and ashes)
Worship – v.4, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God’
Identified with the people – v.5, ‘we have sinned and done wrong’
Confession – v.5-15, ‘To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.’
Petition – v.16-18, ‘O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake’
God’s Glory – v.19, ‘O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.’
“Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power! Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them.” Mark 9:1-3 NLT
This week in Sunday’s Biblical Insights Jesus gives three disciples, His inner circle, a glimpse of His glory and the future kingdom of God. Last week we focused on the discussion Jesus had with His disciples on who did people say He was. The disciples answered Him which Jesus in turn immediately asked them, ‘who do you say I am?’ They confirmed their answer through Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, even though they still didn’t totally understand.
We ended last week with Jesus calling the crowd to Himself telling them, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mk.8:34, 38 nlt) Jesus explained if you hang on to this life with its sin you will lose it, but if you give up your life for His sake you will save it. The fate of those who deny Jesus is noted as Jesus announces His return to earth in the glory of His Father. This is where we begin today.
This passage of Scripture is well-known as the Transfiguration. It is a revelation of Jesus’ deity. The story is also found in Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels. The first verse in our text today, some scholars believe belongs at the end of chapter 8. This may be correct. We are wise to remember the Bible was not written with chapter divisions, but they were added later for clarity and organization of thought. Sad, but, true, they always didn’t get it right. Jesus’ words about His return in His glory in the last verse of chapter 8 flows right in thought with the first verse of chapter 9. “Jesus went on to say, ‘I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!’” (Mk.9:1 nlt) Jesus will return in glory and set up His divine kingdom. The Transfiguration fulfills these words in verse 1.
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Jesus takes three disciples with Him up to a high mountain, most likely Mt. Hermon, the highest mountain in the Caesarea Philippi region. Peter, James, and John were chosen for this trip. These three often witnessed events the other disciples did not. This is nothing against the ones left behind, but it shines a light on Jesus’ teaching method. Jesus had an important message to get out, and little time to do it. He needed well-trained disciples to accomplish it. Note, Jesus chose only twelve disciples and among those twelve He went deeper with three others. And these twelve changed the world with the gospel message after Jesus’ accession into heaven. Sometimes less with deep impact accomplishes more.
Peter, James, and John witnessed a spectacular divine event before their eyes. “Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them.” (Mk.9:3 nlt) Jesus’ divine glory was revealed. His clothing was radiant in white light as it had never been before. This wasn’t a superficial change of outward appearance. It was a change in His essence. Jesus’ body was glorified as it will be when He returns to earth to set up His kingdom. Imagine the reaction of the disciples as they saw this, along with another stunning occurrence, the presence of Elijah and Moses in front of them talking with Jesus. It is interesting that they recognized two Old Testament figures. In Luke’s gospel, it is referenced Elijah and Moses were talking with Jesus about His upcoming death. (Lk:20-21)
“Peter exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’” (Mk.9:5 nlt) Peter had the reputation of speaking first and thinking later. But in this case, I think we can offer him a little grace. The Bible does say that they were all terrified by what they saw. Peter’s suggestion for the shelters has commentators offering several thoughts as to his motives. I must admit it is hard to determine. One opinion is Peter might have thought the millennial kingdom was beginning then and there. He may also have thought they were going to be there for a while, so might as well make permanent shelters. One disturbing thought is Peter seemed to have put Elijah and Moses on equal status with Jesus. This may not have been his intent, and we know all the disciples were still learning. God did remove that thought by removing Elijah and Moses from the scene. But before He did that, God spoke to them as a cloud covered them, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” (Mk.9:7 nlt) The cloud was a symbol of God’s presence of protection and guidance as when leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. It also represented the Shekinah glory that was in the Temple of old. The Lord God tells them to listen and obey His Son. He is the one Elijah and Moses spoke about that was to come. Jesus is the only one left standing. Listen to Him!
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God allowed Peter, James, and John to see Jesus’ divine glory as it will in the kingdom of God. They were not to say anything to anyone about it until Jesus is raised from the dead. Probably hard for them to do, but Scripture said they obeyed Jesus’ words. “So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by ‘rising from the dead.’” (Mk.9:10 nlt) The disciples still have questions for Jesus concerning this matter, and we will pick it up next week.
We end our week of devotions from the wisdom book of Proverbs with ‘A Christian Perspective’ concerning the world’s leaders. Scripture is clear in more than a few verses that God does raises up the leaders of the world for His purposes. We may or may not agree with God’s choices depending where we find our home on this earth, but then we are disagreeing with God. We may not want to do that. So, what should we do? Pray for your leaders, and pray they ask for wisdom. It is there for the asking.
Throughout this week it was stressed that true wisdom is from God. It was also noted, “The fear (reverence) of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Pr.1:7 niv) This wisdom and knowledge is available to every President, Prime Minster, King, even a dictator if they truly desire it wanting to rule well, if they ask for it. Why then is there so much chaos in the world today? Obviously because most leaders don’t ask for God’s wisdom and why is that? The second half of Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” We would agree that there must be plenty of foolish leaders in the world today to be in the mess we are in. But it doesn’t need to be that way.
Our scripture verse today says, “Because of me, kings reign, and rulers make just decrees. Rulers lead with my help, and nobles make righteous judgments. (Pr.8:15-16 nlt) By wisdom leaders rule and make just decisions for the laws in their countries. They have the help of God’s wisdom to judge justly in every circumstance. Our world needs God’s wisdom working through each world leader today to rule righteously and with justice. It is readily available. All they need to do is ask. It’s there for the asking.
The most important thing you can receive in this life is not wisdom; it is the Lord God. Having a relationship with God and accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as your personal savior is the only real thing that matters in this life. What you do you with Jesus in this life will determine your destiny after this life is over. It is vital, and it is urgent, because we do not know what tomorrow will bring.
So, where does wisdom place on the top ten list of most important things to receive in this life. I believe it’s number two. First, you can’t achieved wisdom without God. The wisdom book of Proverbs starts in chapter 1 by saying, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” (Pr.1:7 niv) The word ‘fear’ is not one of fright or terror, but a reverential awe of the Lord God Almighty. We recognize who He is as creator of the universe, who created us with a mind, soul, and spirit to have a relationship with Him, and we stand in awe. Any wisdom we obtain comes from God.
The Lord God has given all mankind the ability to think and reason as we are made in the image of a personal God. But wisdom and understanding are vastly different from the natural abilities that God has given everyone. All of us are born with a sin nature clouding our perspective and reasoning, especially accessing right from wrong. Some of the most brilliant educators, scientists, doctors, financers, mathematicians, poets, and all who have done great work in their fields of expertise lack true wisdom and knowledge that is only available in God. True wisdom and knowledge are only available when one knows God and is in awe of Him.
So, how do we get wisdom? ‘The fear of LORD is the beginning of knowledge.’
In the Old Testament book of the Law Deuteronomy, Moses lays out the laws of landmark. “Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.” (Dt.19:14 niv) Boundary markers were set to establish and secure one’s property. Moving the property line to enrich yourself was a serious crime. This law became necessary, especially to widows who had no defense in their times of distress. King Solomon referred to this ancient law in our verse for today. The NLT translation gives us clearer understanding, “Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers set up by previous generations.” (Pr.22:28 nlt) The boundary marker was set in stone as we may say today. It was not to be moved.
God has ancient boundary markers for each of us which we are not to move. The boundaries He places around our lives are set in stone. What’s on the other side is not for us. This isn’t stealing property from your neighbor and seizing his BBQ gas grill, it’s robbing your own soul from living in righteousness by engaging with what is in the forbidden zone on the other side. God establishes boundaries in our lives to protect us and help us to grow in the fruit of the spirit.
Temptation to move the boundary stone comes to all of us at one time or another. The grass is not always greener on the other side; most likely it is dried up and barren as the prodigal son found out. (Lk.15) God put those boundaries in place to warn and protect us from harm physically and spiritually. God’s boundary stone is not to be moved. It’s there for our benefit.
Word for the Soul 