And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessingandhonorand glory and dominion forever and ever.” (Revelation 5:13, NASB)
On 25 February I wrote an essay, “The Name Above All Names.” I wrote, “When I go through my mental prayer list, and I pray in Jesus’ name, I run through the list of adjectives, nouns, and verbs below, as an act of worship. These words describe Who Jesus is, name Him, and they tell us what He does!” I’ve decided to write about each of these words (actually, I credit the Holy Spirit with this idea, as I’m not smart enough to come up with this). The Spirit has given me several more of these descriptors:
Lord Jesus, You are the perfect Lamb of God; You are the Light of the world; You’re my Peace; You are the Potter (I am the clay); You’re my Rock; You are my Sacrifice; and You are Truth. Lord Jesus, I love you with all that I am!
Next time: Awesome.
Worship: “When the Stars Burn Down,” by Phillips, Craig & Dean
And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved. (Isaiah 14:3, NASB).
I heard the above verse when Sue read it to me. We have a verse of the day calendar which Sue reads to me everyday to get our day started. The calendar has a picture of God’s glorious, beautiful creation and the verse. It’s a great way to start our day. As I listened I thought I could write an essay about it. After all, who wouldn’t want to be relieved of “your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved.”
Actually, the context for this verse is entirely different. The first two verses explain: “When the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the Lord as male servants and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressor.” Israel had been defeated by Babylon, and many people of Judah taken into exile. Isaiah prophecies here about the day when the people will return to their Homeland and be restored in God’s sight.
I still claim this third verse. But I’m not in any chronic pain. I suppose I’m in turmoil, as I’d prefer not to have the ALS that’s in my body. But God’s plan is far superior than mine. I have to keep reminding myself of this. The “harsh service in which [I’ve] been enslaved” is the ALS in my body. Actually, I can’t say that I’m suffering. I’m well cared for. Sue leads a team of great caregivers (I hate this term, because it makes me the careTAKER, although it accurately describes what they do).
Still, I look forward to the day when Jesus heals me, whether on this earth or in heaven. In heaven, we’re told, there is no more death, nor illness, no more suffering, nor crying. Who wouldn’t want this?
I say this prayer to Jesus every morning to thank Him. It seems especially appropriate on this Resurrection Sunday:
Lord Jesus, I praise You and I thank You for Your sacrifice, which I don’t deserve, and for sending Your Holy Spirit. Thank You Lord.
Lord Jesus, You vacated Your heavenly throne, and You left the comfort, majesty, and glory of Your heavenly home, to come to the earth which You created, on the greatest rescue mission in history. Lord Jesus, I praise You and I thank You for rescuing me.
Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself and took the form of a man; You walked among us, and You taught us; You took on all the aches and pains of earthly flesh; You were tempted and tried, yet You still lived a perfect life, free from sin, so You were an acceptable sacrifice to the Father. Lord Jesus, You are the spotless, the unblemished, Lamb of God. Thank You, Lord.
Lord Jesus, when the Father’s timing was right, You submitted Yourself to horrific, unspeakable torture, and to the agony of crucifixion. You did so willingly, and You did so for me, because You love me so much. Thank You, Lord.
Lord Jesus, You died on the cross. You were laid out in the tomb. But on the third day, God raised You from the dead, for life everlasting, so that by Your grace, I shall live forever, with You, in heaven! Thank You, Lord.
Lord Jesus, You ascended into heaven, where even now, You’re seated at the right hand of God; You’re my Advocate before the Father; You’re praying for me right now; and You’re preparing a dwelling place, a mansion, for me in heaven. Thank You, Lord.
Lord Jesus, You spoke with the Father, Who then sent us Your Holy Spirit. Thank You, Lord.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20, NASB)
Worship: “Crucified With Christ,” by Phillips, Craig & Dean
Lord Jesus, I have been crucified with You, and it is no longer I who live, but You live in me. Lord Jesus, my heart is Your home. Please help me not to defile Your Tabernacle, so that You will find complete rest and comfort with me here. Thank You, Lord. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in You. You love me so much that You gave Yourself up for me. Thank You Lord.
Lord Jesus, I love You with all that I am. I thank You for Your sacrifice, which I don’t deserve, and for sending Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Worship: “Was It a Morning Like This?” by Sandi Patty
Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Genesis 22:10-12, NASB)
I was watching The 700 Club Interactive this post Thursday. One of the hosts, Andrew Knox recounted how, many years ago, he had trouble getting excited about Palm Sunday and Holy Week. He decided to ask God for help. God pointed him to Genesis 22, to the story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Abraham had just finished the preparations to sacrifice Isaac, when the Angel of the Lord told him to stop. God then provided a ram in the thicket as a substitute for Isaac. Much the same as Jesus being OUR substitute! God later told Andrew that while He had prevented Abraham from sacrificing his only son, God did not refrain from sacrificing His only Son! God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to cleanse us from our sins with His blood!
Worship: “God Will Provide a Lamb,” by Michael Card
Our dear friends, Bart and Gail Barton, sent us the Holy Week message from their Pastor Marv Fisher (what a great name for a pastor!). Here it is in its entirety:
Dear Church Family,
This Sunday we will celebrate Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rides down the slopes of the Mount of Olives, and enters Jerusalem on a colt, saying,
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” Palm Sunday begins what many believers refer to as holy week. This week concludes on Resurrection Sunday which we will celebrate this year on March 31st. At our Wednesday evening service on the 27th, we plan to have several of you read through the scriptures beginning with Jesus in the upper room with His disciples, to His crucifixion and burial. On Friday evening we will share the seder together, (sign up by this Sunday) and on Sunday we will celebrate Christ’s victory over the grave!
Jesus was fulfilling prophecy when He rode that colt into the holy city over 2000 years ago, declaring Himself to be King. But perhaps one of the mysteries of this prophecy is when He decares; peace in heaven, as he descends and declares His kingship. Jesus was entering the most difficult week of His 33 years on earth. On Monday, He drives out the money changers in the temple, on Tuesday His authority was challenged, and He tells a parable which described Himself as a vineyard owners son being thrown out and killed, on Wednesday Satan enters into Judas, and the chief priests and scribes plot His death, on Thursday we read of the intimate gathering in the upper room where Judas leaves to betray Him, and later that night, His trial begins under the cover of darkness. On Friday Jesus is crucified, and He spent Saturday in the grave. So, with all this betrayal about to take place, how is therepeace in heaven?
The will of the Father brings peace. Walking in the will of the Father produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Walking in the will of the Father can be very difficult. Walking in the will of the Father may require us to cry out as Jesus did in the garden; not my will, but yours be done. The will of the Father meant hardship for Jesus, but it brought peace to heaven. The prophecy of the redemption of millions of people was about to be fulfilled. This Sunday we will compare the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem to the eternal judgement of Satan as he is thrown into the lake of fire in Revelation 20:10. The will of the Father brings about the peaceful fruit of righteousness for the many, are you one of them?
Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. (Leviticus 1:1-9, NASB)
This Lenten Season, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice. But in the Torah, we get a picture of sacrifices that Jesus eventually would fulfill. The book of Leviticus has commandments which God passed through Moses, which were fulfilled by the sons of Levi, which were how to perform the sacrifices. Let’s look for Jesus in God’s instructions.
First, Jesus was “without defect.” He lived a perfect life, free from sin, so that He was an acceptable sacrifice to the Father. Next is the blood. God demands blood for atonement of sins. God commanded that the blood of the sacrifice be “sprinkle[d] around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” Jesus’ sacrifice had much blood. We are cleansed from all of our sins by His blood! Finally, “the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.” Jesus is, indeed, that Soothing Aroma to the Lord!
Per God’s command, sinners were required to repeat this process every time they sinned. Believers in Christ Jesus have been forgiven. Once we have called upon the name of the Lord to be saved, we only have to confess our sins to Him! Jesus is my Atonement!
Worship: “O The Blood,” by Selah
Worship: “Nothing But the Blood,” by Hillsong UNITED
Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. (Luke 6;41-43, NASB)
I have a problem! I often judge people when I’m guilty of the exact same sins!
Every morning I confess my sins that I know about to my Abba Father. I confess that I’m guilty of judging others while being guilty myself. Jesus says that this is hypocrisy. I don’t want to be a hypocrite.
I then ask the Holy Spirit for help. He is my Helper! I ask Him to help me not to judge other people, as I have enough problems of my own. My sins are countless, and I need His help to correct them, and to be my Conscience throughout the day to help me not to repeat them.
I am a hypocrite. That’s why I need Jesus in my life!
Worship: “Beneath the Cross,” by Keith & Kristyn GettySHA’ALU SHALOM YERUSHALYIM! PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM, AND GOD’S PEOPLE ISRAEL!
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion! . . . Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord . . . Save, O Lord; May the King answer us in the day we call. (Psalm 20:1-2, 7, 9, NASB)
In my walk through the Bible I came across Psalm 20, which reminded me of Israel’s war with Gaza. King David wrote this Psalm, entitled “Prayer for Victory over Enemies.” In addition to the obvious application to war, there is a personal one as well.
David invokes “the God of Jacob” for help “in the day of trouble!” Further, David implores God to send “help from the sanctuary and support you from Zion!” He says that the ungodly will boast of the numbers of their physical assets, but “we will boast in the name of the Lord.” Finally, King David asks, “Save, O Lord; May the King answer us in the day we call.”
On a personal level, we all go through times of trouble. We all have to rely on God. It’s great to know that He’s right here when we need Him! The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, does indeed set us “securely on high!” God sends us help from His sanctuary. “But we will boast in the name of the Lord.”
Moses said, “By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.” (Numbers 16:28-29, NASB)
Moses suffered from a rebellion. Korah, Dothan, and Abiram rebelled against Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. Moses put it all on the line in the passage above. He told his fellow Israelites to stay away from the rebels’ tents and families. Then Moses said the following: “By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.”
Then the earth opened, and swallowed the rebels, their families, their tents, and all their possessions. I guess Moses WAS sent by God!
Lesson learned: We shouldn’t interfere with people who are doing God’s work! How do we know if they’re doing God’s work or not? We have to look carefully at what they’re doing, and balance it carefully with God’s Word. To do this, we have to study God’s Word to know what it says.
Worship: “Our Great God,” by Fernando Ortega & Mac Powell
In his letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul wrote:
. . . if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13, NASB)
Paul tells how we must be saved: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Paul goes on to explain: “For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” To be saved, then, we must confess Jesus as Lord; we must also believe wholeheartedly that God raised Him from the dead to life everlasting. So then, it’s a matter of our hearts and our mouths and if if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:9-13, NASB)
Further, Paul explains, that it doesn’t matter who we are, that we can must all call upon the name of Jesus to be saved. After all, Jesus is the Lord of us all!
Worship: “God of All,” by Twila Paris
Has anyone else noticed that this year is just flying by? I was recently called to jury duty by the Norfolk Circuit Court. After much explanation, Sue got me out of it. PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM, AND FOR GOD’S PEOPLE ISRAEL!
“. . . and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:4-5, NASB)
To me, the New Year is about introspection, a time for a new beginning. It’s a time to reflect on what has been, and a time to resolve to be better, with God’s help. It’s a time to look forward, and to hope. What better way, than to consult God’s Word? The Apostle John, in God’s Revelation, provides such a hope to us. John, in his vision, promises a day when we’ll see no more death, nor crying, nor pain. “The first things have passed away.” God has promised to “make all things new.” I look forward to that day with great hope!
I resolve to go through the Bible again with the chronological study. I’m going to study the psalms as well.
I’m also going to change the frequency with which I publish these essays. I’ll post every five days instead of every three days. I’ve found it’s difficult to do it more frequently because of my eyes. Some days I can’t work my computer because my eyes can’t function. So I think it’s better to give an extra two days so I can do as well as I can. I’ll publish on days that are multiples of five (the 5th, 10th, etc.).
