A Peaceful World ~ Raul Ries

“He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.”

Micah 4:3-4

There will still be nations in the Millennial Kingdom, but Christ will be the King over all the people of the world. Because Satan will be bound, there will be no demonic activity during this time! However, There will still be the sin nature among humans living in the Kingdom. Christ will reign supremely and role back the Aadamic curse (except for death) so that there will be no sickness, no poverty or famine. Because Christ will be sitting on the throne of David, He will ensure righteousness and justice throughout the world.

Considering all of the political turmoil in our world, the thought of a “perfect” world seems beyond our comprehension. Yet, the Bible has promised us that the day is coming when Christ will rule and reign the world. Are you ready to reign with Him?

Thought for the Day:

The day is coming when peace and righteousness will rule the world!

Principles of Morality and Marriage ~ WOW the Bible in 7 minutes a day

Principles of Morality and Marriage

1Corinthians 6:12-7:16,25-35,39-40; Psalm 119:114-116; Proverbs 22:2

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:

It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy. I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress-that it is good for a man to remain as he is: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord-how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world-how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world-how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment-and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 6:12-7:16, 25-35, 39-40

WORSHIP

You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.
Depart from me, you evildoers,
For I will keep the commandments of my God!
Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
Psalm 119:114-116

WISDOM

The rich and the poor have this in common,
The LORD is the maker of them all.
Proverbs 22:2

A Humble God ~ Mark Balmer

Based on “Foolish Wisdom” by Pastor Dave Folkerts; 10/31-11/01/09,

Message #DF143; Daily Devotional #6 - “A Humble God”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): In today’s world it is not always easy to be humble. We live in a world where we are inundated with self promoters. Most of our radio DJs, celebrities, musicians, and professional athletes are quick to tell you why they are the coolest, the richest, or the fastest on the field. In these tough economic times it is tempting to do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it involves misrepresenting ourselves to our peers and leaders. It is very easy to fall into the trap of sinful pride when working in an area where we feel we have expertise. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus present Himself as a humble servant time and time again. It would be impossible for us to even fathom the understanding of the world that Jesus must have had as the Creator of the universe. Despite having this amazing level of power, Jesus washes each of his disciples feet prior to the Passover feast (John 13:5-10). Whenever we, as Christ followers, feel that we are given a task that we are somehow too good for we should remember the example of loving kindness from our Creator and Savior.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): In this week’s service we looked at how our attitudes should be like that of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:5-8). “Your attitude should be the very same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God to be grasped…” (Philippians 2:5-6) In verse six there are two strong assertions made. The first assertion is that Jesus’ inward and outward nature matches that of God the Father. The second assertion is that Jesus Christ is equal to God the Father. All the attributes of God’s mercy, omniscience, wisdom, and sovereign power are possessed by Jesus and vice versa. By Jesus’ example we can be assured that it is God’s very nature to be a humble servant. We, as Christ followers, must be careful to not self promote ourselves out of desire for a promotion or a fear of being laid off. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. That he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6, NKJV) We can be assured the accolades and praise for a job well done will come from God at the appropriate time.

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): People often sign up to do the most glamorous jobs that are in the spotlight and will bring high praise, but when faced with a task considered lowly they are quick to pass on it. The example of Jesus our Savior, who possesses power and knowledge we could never imagine, washing the disciples feet should always serve as an example to us of true service. Remember that “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4, NKJV)

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Matthew 18:4; Colossians 3:12; James 4:6

Do You Worship or Worry? ~Joyce Meyer

And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent [of bronze] and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.
— Numbers 21:8

In Numbers 21, we see that when the Israelites were out in the wilderness, they were dying in large numbers because of a plague of snakes that had come upon them as a result of their sin. Moses went and fell down before God and worshiped Him. He turned his attention immediately to God, not to himself or anyone else, to solve the problem.

I have discovered that throughout the Bible when people had a problem, they worshiped. At least the ones who were victorious did. They didn't worry—they worshiped. I would ask you today: Do you worry or worship? Moses sought God about how to handle the snakes. He didn't make his own plan and ask God to bless it; he didn't try to reason out an answer, nor did he worry—he worshiped. His action brought a response from God.

We know that the pole with the bronze serpent on it represented the cross and Jesus taking our sin upon Himself on it. The message is still the same today: "Look and live." Look at Jesus, at what He has done, not at yourself and what you have done or can do.

The answer to your problem, whatever it may be, is not worry, but worship. Begin to worship God because He is good, and His goodness will be released in your life.

Building stone bridges ~ David Mc Gee

Acts 17:22-23

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the one whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you."
NKJV

Life Lesson

We should build bridges with people who don't understand the good news about Jesus not just stand back and throw stones at them.

It is easy to throw stones. It takes more effort to build something and costs much more to restore it. What then, is the price to redeem? Well, that price is far greater than we could ever pay. Only Jesus could pay that fine. Jesus died on the cross. He bore the penalty for our sins. It is by grace that we are saved and not by works (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

As Christians, we possess this knowledge. What should we be doing with it? Should we be using it as a crowbar to pry people apart? Should we use it as a wrecking ball to tear people down? Should we strike hard with this tool, pinning nail to wood with one mighty blow? Certainly not! What a horrible misuse of God's grace toward us that would be!

How we love to nest ourselves in the grace we have been given, and then, thinking ourselves to be on a higher branch, we drop stones on everyone else. We didn't have to earn our grace, but everyone else had better get to work! How hypocritical! When we are unwilling to show grace to others, we are misrepresenting God.

Jesus humbled Himself and dwelt with sinners.

Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do. I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think they are already good enough." NLT

In Acts 17:22-23, it would have been easy for Paul to start throwing verbal stones. Instead, he demonstrated God's grace by seeking to build a bridge of understanding so that the great news of the Gospel could be communicated. Instead of pointing out differences, he used a bridge to present the Gospel message to the people. Are you a bridge builder?

Dear Father,
Thank You that it's not by any works of my own, but by Your grace that I'm saved. Please forgive me for times when I have torn down bridges instead of building bridges to tell people about Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please give me the fortitude to speak out of love instead of boasting. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

When It Comes To His Ability ~ Bob Coy

Is anything too hard for the LORD?" Genesis 18:14 (NKJV)

It's not something we readily admit to. It slithers into our hearts so subtly and stealthily. Things happen in a day, a week, a month, a year, a lifetime. Things that we don't want to happen. They add up and before we realize it our heart can turn skeptical when it comes to God's absolute power in and over our lives.

If God could ... then my life would look a lot different, our fallen minds reason. We begin to think of God as another add-on in our lives who might effect some random changes here or there, but that's pretty much it. He's no longer the supreme Sovereign over all situations, challenges, and things.

That's sort of the place Sarah had reached in Genesis 18. Her child-bearing years were a thing of the past, visible only in the rear-view mirror of life. To have a child, at her age...nothing could be more impossible. It could never happen, not even if God... Though a godly woman, the years of disappointment had eroded Sarah's confidence in His ability in this particular area of her life. So when He personally shows up and shares that she would have a child, she scoffs at the notion.

Then the piercing, penetrating question comes, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" This is exactly what Sarah needed to hear. Think it through: If God created the entire universe, (Genesis 1:1), and if it all fits in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 40:12), then absolutely everything is under His control. Nothing in existence is impossible or too hard for Him...including the things that seem insurmountable in our own lives.

God may not want to do everything we want or expect Him to, and we may not always understand why. But let there never be any doubt when it comes to His ability.

Discuss and share with your group about a time in your life when you felt your burden was too heavy to bear. How did you see God help you during that time? What did you do?

Dig into Genesis 18:1–14. What made this situation seem so unbelievable? What does Sarah’s response say about her faith? How would you have reacted if you had been Sarah? What proof would you need to give you assurance?

Decide to pray for those who may be burdened and doubting God’s ability to heal and restore. Lift them up, and ask God to encourage their faith in Him.

Fountains of healing ~ Jon Courson

My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
James 3:10-12

‘We live in a pleasant area,’ said the men of Jericho to the newly-anointed prophet. ‘But our crops are dying because our water is poisoned.’

So what did Elisha do?

He poured salt into the water, and the water became sweet once again (2 Kings 2).

Salt into polluted water? Yes, because Paul tells us our speech is always to be seasoned with salt, that is grace (Colossians 4:6).

What does this mean? It means that in any given moment, I can bring healing to an otherwise poisonous situation by speaking grace. If I keep talking about how gracious God has been to me, and how gracious He’ll be towards others, the polluted puddles of put-downs and pettiness will become pools of purity and praise.

I want this in my life so badly I can taste it. Oh, I’m far from what I should be — but I see the wisdom of James, for I’ve known people who have refused to listen to gossip and who have instead learned to speak graciously. And there is a beauty about their lives and a refreshment from their lives I so desire. If you want to be the man or woman God uses, join me in praying that we will be those who add the salt of grace to everything we say.

Expecting the Worst ~ Greg Laurie

I have had the privilege of visiting, on a number of occasions, the Yad Vashem in Israel and The Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

Every time I walk through these buildings, look at the exhibits, and revisit that horrible period in human history, I am amazed at the wicked depravity that humanity is capable of. And it was not all that long ago that these things took place.

It causes one to wonder how it could be possible that humanity is inherently good, as we have been taught to believe—at least in secular society. The belief that humanity is basically good has been reinforced by psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and even some religious leaders.

The problem is that we have this pesky thing called guilt that constantly bothers us.

The Bible says, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19 NKJV).

The reason we experience this pesky thing called guilt, the Bible tells us, is because we are guilty. The whole world is guilty before God.

We can pretend it is not there. We can find someone else to blame for our problem. But the only real and effective way to remove guilt is to get to the root of the problem, which plainly is sin.

The truth is that humanity is not basically good. Humanity is basically sinful. Humanity is basically corrupt. That is God’s assessment of humankind. And it is confirmed by the way that we live and what we do.

We see it in the acts of terrorists who heartlessly murder people with no apparent pangs of conscience whatsoever. We see it every day in our own nation in the crimes that are committed, especially against children.

The Bible tells us that this is because people have no fear of God in their lives: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28 NKJV). And Romans 3:11 says, “There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God” (NKJV).

You see, the motive for humanity’s sinfulness is built in godlessness. This is the only explanation for the things that people are capable of.

This is why the fear of God is so important in the believer’s life. Proverbs 16:6 tells us, “By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil” (NLT).

One of the best definitions I have heard for the fear of God is “a wholesome dread of displeasing Him.” It is not a fear of righteous retribution. Rather, it is a sense of wanting to do what God wants you to do.

It is not about being frightened by God or afraid of what He will do to you. Rather, it is a love and a respect for Him to the extent that you want to honor Him and don’t want to do anything that would dishonor or displease Him.

The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (see Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10).

Solomon, after his binge into every kind of sin imaginable, came to this conclusion: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NKJV).

He was essentially saying, “Listen, here is what I have learned from life. After doing everything that God told me I should not do, I have discovered that God knew what He was talking about.” We would do well to reverence God and to honor Him.

Along with the fear of God, we need to have love for God. As the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:9 NKJV). So we are to reverence to God.

But Paul also said, “For the love of Christ compels us . . . ” (verse 14). This means that we are to love God so much that we want to do what would honor Him. But at the same time, we fear and reverence God so much that we would never want to do those things that would dishonor Him.

Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren

• @joshinthe818 Hey Pastor Rick, I'm a church planter in Burbank! THANKS 4 LETTING ME KNOW JOSH! RW Who else out there?about 6 hours ago from web in reply to joshinthe818

• Today:The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Last yr 176,000 Christians were murdered 4 their faith.about 6 hours ago from web

• If you are a church planter, please let me know!about 6 hours ago from web

• Size doesnt attract.Love does.People shun cold churches & flock to where they're loved. Our 4,500 home groups give love!12:05 PM Nov 6th from web

• The greatest churches in history are yet to be built.Are u prepared to be used by God? Willing to pay the price? To be hated?12:00 PM Nov 6th from web

• It’s a myth that megachurches are going away.They’ll be LARGER & MORE of them in Next Gen due to multi-site & technology.11:52 AM Nov 6th from web

• We’ve planted over 40 churches but still needed multi sites as one answer for our own space needs.11:49 AM Nov 6th from web

• Multisites arent a substitute 4 planting churches but a cheaper strategy than building bigger to handle your growth.Do BOTH11:48 AM Nov 6th from web

• Other churches are family, not competition. We’ve helped 6 denominations plant in the Saddleback Valley. We love them all.7:11 AM Nov 6th from web

• In a democracy nobody gets their way all the time. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose.7:02 AM Nov 6th from web

• Redefining marriage has lost in EVERY state(31)when PEOPLE got to VOTE on it -still media calls the majority view extreme?6:58 AM Nov 6th from web

• 280 of our young Hispanic pastors at Saddleback 4mentoring.We'll all speak Spanish in Heaven so u better start learning it!10:32 AM Nov 5th from web

• Never confuse prominence with significance.Your ministry has eternal significance, despite who knows about it now. 2Cor4:189:42 AM Nov 5th from web

• "Only those who throw away their lives for my sake & the Good News will ever know what it means to really live" Mk8:35 LB9:00 AM Nov 5th from web

• The more self-centered I am, the more unsatisfied I'll be.8:58 AM Nov 5th from web

• "Every civilization decays by forgetting the obvious - especially that which is permanent" - G.K. Chesterton3:46 PM Nov 4th from web

• "There's trouble ahead when you live for the approval of others...Your task is to be true, not popular" Luke 6:26(Mes)12:15 PM Nov 4th from web

• DMark, a well-known mentor once told me "You're nobody till somone writes a book against you." HA! Ignore it.12:12 PM Nov 4th from web

• Your primary identity is defined by your Savior, not your sins. "Anyone in Christ is a new creation" 2 Cor5:1712:05 PM Nov 4th from web

• Sinful inclinations ARENT your Identity!Don’t say“I’m an alcoholic”(or whatever) Say “I'm a Believer who struggles with,,,”12:00 PM Nov 4th from web

Timeline Of God‟s People ~ Kay Arthur

Jeremiah, Part 1 (Return To Me)

Program 32 – Timeline Of God‟s People

When you have the Bible in one hand and you have the news in the other and you know this Bible; you understand it. Then you have a commentary of what is happening in the world. Then you’re not left in the dark. And you’re not led astray by false prophets. If you understand God’s timeline for Israel, and that’s what we’re going to look at today, the past and the future, then you’re going to know the timeline for the nations also. Got your coffee? Got your tea? Get something to drink. Have you got the Word of God? Have you got a pencil? Have you got paper? Let’s go, and let’s continue our study of the timeline, the timeline that has to do with Israel.

What we did is we started with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham was the first of the nation of Israel. From Abraham God would make a great nation. We saw next, as we drew that timeline and I hope that you’ve gone and downloaded it at least since ah yesterday’s program, that you’ve gone to “preceptsforlife.com” and downloaded it. It’s there. It’s for you. It’s free. But I want you to draw your own drawing even though you have it because the drawing of it will help, okay.

So then we had a “V” going down from that line because they went down to Egypt. That’s where Moses was born in 1525. They come out of Egypt in 1445. In 1405 B.C. they’re in the land. When they get in the land eventually in 965 they build a temple. So I’ve got a blue temple on that line and 965 below it.

Then we come to the days of Jeremiah. We know in the days of Jeremiah there’s a temple. We know in the days of Jeremiah that God is telling him that He is going to bring disaster upon them, that He is going to pay them double for all their sins. (See Jeremiah 16:18) They’re going to pay twofold because they have rebelled against God. Jeremiah begins his prophecy in 637 B.C. in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah. (See Jeremiah 1:2)

If you have an Inductive Study Bible by the way, all of this information is in there, all the history, all the dates. It’s awesome! In 586 B.C. that temple is going to be destroyed. We’re going to study about it. We’re going to read about its destruction in the book of Jeremiah. That happens in 586 B.C.

Now draw another “V” down that parallels the “V” down there with Egypt and you come over this time they’re going into Babylon. They’re going into captivity. This power, this evil from the north we’re going to find out and God’s going to name it in Jeremiah, so you don’t miss it, it is Babylon. They are in captivity.

Now I’m not going to tell you how long because you’re going to study that and when you do you can come back and you can put it on the chart. When you study it you’ll find out why it is that amount of time. And what it shows you is what truth this whole week is about, that there is a glorious throne. Above this line is a throne with God on the throne. There is “A glorious throne on high from the beginning [and it] is the place of our sanctuary.” (Jeremiah 17:12)

God takes all the situations of life, Beloved, and He uses them to draw us to Him so that He becomes our sanctuary, so He becomes the very air that we breathe. He becomes our all in all. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is El Olam, the everlasting God.

They’re in Babylon and they come out of Babylon and what is the thing that they need to do? When they come back to their land they have to build a temple. And so what you want to do is after that “V” for Babylon then you come back and you draw another temple. This temple cannot be compared with Solomon’s temple. It is described in the book of Haggai and the people weep when they see it because of its smallness, because of its nothingness compared to the glory of Solomon’s temple. (See Haggai 2:3)

But that temple is eventually rebuilt and completed and you want to put “516 B.C.” It is completed 516 B.C. You see this in the book of Ezra. You see this in the book of Haggai. These are books that tell you about this reconstruction of the temple. Now this is: “Temple #2”. So above that temple write “Temple #2”. It is going to be called Herod’s Temple. Herod the Great who loves to build is going to make that temple more and more magnificent.

A boy is born to a virgin. His name is Immanuel, God with us. (See Matthew 1:23-25) That birth of that Son, and I’m drawing a little crib, a little manger, that is the coming of the Messiah, the One that they have been waiting for, the One that they have been talking about ever since Genesis chapter 3, verse 15. Finally the Messiah, the Christ, the promised One is here. He is born. He has ah, ah, He lives about 33 years and then He is crucified. So right after the crib put a cross. That is the birth and then the death of Jesus Christ, the burial and the resurrection.

Now when Jesus Christ comes what is His message? And you want to remember this. It is the same message of Jeremiah. It is “Repent.” It is return to God. It is come to Him and let Him get rid of your sins. And what does Jesus Christ preach? He preaches “…Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) The King is here! It’s King Jesus. This is the One that they have been looking for. This is the Messiah. And He is going to bring in His kingdom. But before He can bring it in, before He can take people into His kingdom He has to die. A corn of wheat has to fall in the ground and die, and if it does not die it abides alone.

So He says: “...What shall I say, „Father, save Me from this hour‟?” (John 12:27) [No, for this hour I came into the world.] (PARAPHRASE, John 12:27) Jesus Christ came to give His life as a ransom, a payment, for your sins and for my sins. (See Matthew 20:28) He died on the cross, Jesus who knew no sin was made to be sin for you and me, so that you and I might have His righteousness, so that we might have forgiveness of sins. (See 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Now listen carefully. Jeremiah is going to talk about the mission of Jesus Christ. He’s gonna talk about the mission of Jesus Christ when we get to Jeremiah chapter 31. It is gonna be so exciting. And because you know this chart and because you get the fundamentals in your heart and because you understand yes, there are earthly temples, but there is “A glorious throne [of majesty] on high from the beginning [and this] is the place of our sanctuary.” (Jeremiah 17:12) This is the place of our security. So whether there’s a temple on earth or not really doesn’t matter to us as new covenant people because we have a throne on high and Israel had a throne on high.

So now what Jesus does is, during this earthly ministry, He prophesies to them and He says, “Woe unto you Jerusalem”. He says, “Because the day is coming when not one stone will be left upon another. This temple is going to be destroyed.” (See Matthew 24:2) And that happens, the destruction of the temple, and you can just take an arrow from “Temple #2” and come down and just put blue bricks, right there. That temple is destroyed in 70 A.D.

Now Jesus is born about 4 B.C. He’s born the same year that Herod dies, so in 4 B.C. Jesus is born. All right, He dies about 29 A.D. All right, in 70 A.D. the temple is destroyed. This is destruction number two. This is “Temple #2”.

All right now, what does the future hold and where do we go from here? Because you see, as we look at the days of Jeremiah when everything was unraveling, when everything was falling apart and God reminds them, “Hey, the Lord is your refuge. He is your refuge in the day of disaster. There is, “A glorious throne on high from the beginning [It] is the place of [y]our sanctuary.” (Jeremiah 17:12) You are trusting in the arm of flesh. Stop it. Stop it. He is sovereign. He is in charge. Isaiah chapter 45 tells us that He is the LORD and there is no other. He creates light and He creates darkness. He creates good and He creates calamity. (See Isaiah 45:5-7) And you want to remember that word “calamity” because it is a key word in Jeremiah chapter 18.

So the temple is destroyed. What happens when the temple is destroyed? Well come over here on the line and put another downward “V” because what happens when the temple is destroyed then the Jews are scattered throughout the earth. It is called and referred to as the “Diaspora”; the Diaspora.

And so with the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus, the Roman general in 70 A.D. then the Jews, some of them were killed and slaughtered and others were dispersed around the world. Now when you read in the Prophets, you’ve got to look at what he is talking about. What dispersion is he talking about? Is he talking about the dispersion under Babylon? Is he talking about the dispersion after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.?

So the children of Israel begin to come back into the land. In 1917. And we’ll talk about that in just a minute. In 1917 the Brits, so to speak, took over Israel. They called it the Land of Palestine. I never call it Palestine and I will tell you why. The Bible never calls it Palestine. It is always referred to as the land of Israel, the land that belongs to Jacob, the land that belongs to his twelve sons by covenant from God.

But in 1917 we have the British Mandate. And with the British Mandate then Jews eventually began to straggle back into the land. And they started coming back because God had laid it in their hearts that they were to make “Aliyah.” “Aliyah” means to “go up,” “go up” to Jerusalem. So they came back, and through blood and sweat and toil and tears and sickness and death they began to get this land ready.

In 1947; and this is very important for you to know, in 1947 there was such distress between the Arabs living in he land and the Jews living in the land that the UN stepped in and said, “Okay, we’re gonna take the land west of the Jordan, west of the Jordan which is present-day Israel now. We’re going to take that land and we’re going to divide it. We’re gonna give half of it to Israel and we’re gonna give half of it to the Arabs.”

And the Jews said, “Okay. All right, we’ll do it.” They wanted their land. Why did they want their land? They’d been through the holocaust. They have been put to death in these ovens, five million; I believe it was five million Jews were killed in Auschwitz and in these other camps. They want a place where they can be secure.

And so what you have is when the Arabs turned that down; now I want you to remember they had their chance. And when they turned it down in 1948 what you have is you have Israel becoming a nation. You have Israel now declared. Can a nation be reborn? Oh yes! Oh yes! Here is a nation reborn. Here they are in the land. They have lived in Egypt as a people. They have lived in Babylon as a people. Then they have lived scattered.

And you want to remember this when you read the Prophet, ’cause He talks about how He’s going to go and how He’s going to bring His people back to the land, and how kings and queens are going to become their servants, their slaves to take care of them. So in 1948 they come back to the land. But have they had rest? Oh no! They’ve had one war after another war, after another war because the Palestinians, the PLO are saying to them, “Hey, this is our land. It is not your land.”

Well you go back and we know from Genesis chapter 15 God makes a covenant with Abraham and He lays out the boundaries of the land. (See Genesis 15:7, 18-21) God told them in Leviticus that this was His land and that it was to be His possession and His land was not to be sold. Why is it Israel is in such trouble today? Because Israel wants the friendship of the nations. Israel’s trusting in the arm of flesh. And in trusting in the arm of flesh they cut a deal and they give up the West Bank, and they make other concessions because they want peace when they will have no peace that way.

All right now, I want to go to the thousand year reign when Jesus Christ comes back and He sets up His kingdom. But what happens before that? Well I want to start from that thousand-year reign, the beginning of it, and I want to go backwards on the chart. I want to go backwards first of all for seven years. And this is called the seventieth week of Daniel. It’s in Daniel chapter 9. (See Daniel 9: 24-27)

It tells us that in a seven-year period this is what’s going to happen, that Israel is going to be allowed to make sacrifices, that they are going to be allowed to make grain offerings. The only way that Israel would make sacrifices and grain offering is if Israel had a temple. We know from Daniel chapter 7, and we know from Revelation chapter 11 and we know from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, that there is going to be “Temple #3”. So write it down. Put it on the chart. You’ve got the temple. You’ve got the seven years divided into two periods of time of three and one half years each. In the middle of that seven year period after three and a half years, then a man is going to walk into the temple, into the holy of holies and he is going to declare himself as God. He’s going to take his seat in the temple, in the holy of holies. Nobody is supposed to be in there but God in His glory.

And then you’re going to have a reconfiguration of the economics of the world because at that time, according to Revelation chapter 13 you’re going to have a one-world ruler. And if you want to buy, if you want to sell you’re going to have to have a mark on your forehead or on your right hand. There are calls even now for a new economy, a new currency. There are calls where there is a global currency; a global economy. All of that is setting us up for the very last days.

But now listen very carefully. Just before these last seven years I think you’re going to see Iran and Russia and Ethiopia and others coming against Israel when Israel is at peace. So it could be right at the beginning of these seven years. So when you pick up the news and you read articles like, “Iran, Israel, Nuclear End-Game Now Much Closer”, you can look up if you know the Word of God. If you know Ezekiel you can say, “Hey, we’re getting close. We better get ready.”

In the article that appeared February 23rd in 2009 “The Cutting Edge” by Edwin Black, he says “In recent days four key developments have clicked in to edge Iran and Israel much closer to a military dénouement with profound consequences for American oil that the nation is not prepared to meet.”

What has happened? “First Iran has proved it can successfully launch a satellite into outer space as it did on February 2nd. Second, the International Atomic Energy Agency last week admitted that they had underestimated Iran’s nuclear stockpile by one third. Quite a mistake. Third, Iran has wrapped up its enrichment program with thousands of new home-grown highly advanced centrifuges.

Israeli counter-measures today have included a massive international covert program of equipment sabotage, assassination of key nuclear personnel and a vibrant dramatic offensive.” It says “The consequences for this confrontation between Israel and Iran are apocalyptic.”

Have you got that? They’re unveiling. The apocalypse is the book of Revelation. So today is the day that you need to decide that you are going to serve God, that you are going to acknowledge, “Hey, there is a glorious throne on high from the beginning, and I’m going to bow before that glorious throne and I’m going to give my life to the One that sits on that throne, to God Almighty”. I’m going to receive Jesus as My Savior. If you’ll do that you’ll be prepared for the days ahead.

Trusting in the arm of His Strength ~ Daily Light

MORNING

Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. - Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; ... we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I THES. 5:8. I Pet 1:13. Eph. 6:14,16,17. Isa. 25:8,9. Heb. 11:1.

EVENING

The children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.

Thus saith the LORD, because the Syrians have said, the LORD is a God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys; therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. And they pitched one over against the other seven days; and so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. - Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

They shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

I KGS. 20:27. I Kgs. 20:28,29. I John 4:4. Isa. 41:10. Jer. 1:19.

Ezekiel 18:1-19:14 ~ Hebrews 9:1-10 ~ Psalm 106:32-48 ~ Proverbs 27:10 ~ One Year Bible Blog

Ezekiel 18:1-19:14 ~ Hebrews 9:1-10 ~ Psalm 106:32-48 ~ Proverbs 27:10
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Old Testament - Ezekiel chapter 18 is a powerful chapter! What we are seeing in this chapter is the Old Covenant - which I do believe was compassionate & "fair", but different from the New Covenant, which I believe is compassionate & graceful (which may not necessarily be "fair" - but which is good news - Gospel - for us sinners!). Verse 30 is a good look at the Old Covenant: "Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn from your sins! Don't let them destroy you!" Verse 4 of course stands out too with: "And this is my rule: The person who sins will be the one who dies." You read this at a high level and you'll get a bit nervous, no? :) Indeed this is the Old Covenant: your actions will dictate your death or your life. It's up to your actions. It's up to you. You'll get what you deserve. And this is certainly "fair." However, this changes through Jesus Christ's atonement for our sins once and for all on the cross. Under the New Covenant, through God's gift of grace, we now simply need to have faith that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, died for our sins and rose from the dead. As we've been reading in Hebrews currently - we simply need to have faith in Christ as our High Priest. God's grace and our faith becomes the key (regeneration). Not our actions on their own. This being said, after our salvation (justification) through grace and faith, God is very interested in our actions and wants us to live a life of holiness (sanctification). This is a lot of theology here... and more than I can blog on without goofing it up - actually I probably already have. :) Check out a good overview of justification and sanctification (and regeneration!) on bible.org at this link. Also, I'll copy this image below, which I found interesting. I may not agree with every point on this image, but overall I find this useful: (though, I'd say you could take a thick black magic marker and just write "Jesus" and "Grace" all over this image below too, and that would really be all you need to know :)

Verse 32 can be argued to be the single most important point in all of the book of Ezekiel - "I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live!" This is a powerful verse. Think this verse shows us that God is compassionate? Think this might be the single most important point in the book of Ezekiel? Think this verse can apply to our lives today? Are their areas of sin in your life which God is calling you to turn back from? Calling you to turn toward true Life? And to be free from the slavery of sin? Will you turn back? Will you repent?

Ezekiel Chapter 19 is a funeral song and allegory about the land of Judah and Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the lioness and the lions are two of her sons, two kings - one who ended up trapped and deceived by Egypt and the other by Babylon. The last sentence of verse 14 is a sad one... "This is a funeral song, and it is now time for the funeral." As we know, it is now time for the funeral for Jerusalem in Ezekiel's time. However, of course, there is the redemption to come and the continuation of the house of David. The promise to Abraham won't die here! There is another Lion of Judah yet to come...

New Testament - Hebrews chapter 9 is a fairly brief reading today on the Old Covenant rules for approaching God. We also read today about the ark of the covenant: (replica below - no Indiana Jones claims here... :)

Below are a couple of good images of the tabernacle, which you'll recall details about from our readings in Exodus chapters 26 & 27 earlier this year:

One thing that stands out in my mind when reading this chapter today is that just after Jesus dies on the cross there is an earthquake, which shakes the Temple in Jerusalem where the Most Holy Place was located at the time of Jesus' death. The curtain separating the Most Holy Place from the rest of the Temple is torn in two. This is incredible imagery that shows that no longer is the Most Holy Place and an earthly high priest the only way to God. Jesus has torn that veil in two and Jesus is our new and eternal High Priest ushering in the New Covenant!

Psalms - Psalm 106 verse 39 stood out to me today, speaking about the Israelites: "They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the LORD's sight." I think this Psalm verse stands the test of time with our modern world today. Do you believe that we still defile ourselves with our evil deeds today? Do you believe that our love of idols is adultery in God's sight? How can we stop defiling ourselves with evil deeds and stop loving idols in our modern world today? Who can save us from ourselves?

Proverbs - Proverbs 27:10 is interesting and not something I would think of on my own: "Never abandon a friend--either yours or your father's. Then in your time of need, you won't have to ask your relatives for assistance. It is better to go to a neighbor than to a relative who lives far away." I would of course think it's better to ask a distant relative for help than a friend. But, this Proverb tells us differently... Why do you suppose this is? I guess as I think about it, it is probably because when our "time of need" comes we will first turn to our neighbors in our local community - to call the fire department or call the police or call the paramedics or whatever the case may be. We'll need our neighbors during that time of need initially. And then, longer term, yes we'll need our relatives who live far away. But that unforeseen time of immediate need is just one more reason to live in loving community with our neighbors! And let us always be ready to serve our neighbors when they need us. Do you really know your neighbors? Are you a good neighbor?

Worship God: Today's readings in Hebrews chapter 9 about the holiness of God remind me of Chris Tomlin's song "Holy is the Lord!" Chris does a nice job quoting from Nehemiah 8:10 in this song: for the joy of the Lord is our strength!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X4CwGGJQMI

Is the joy of the Lord your strength? Click here for your Joy!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you from today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike