Day 242 - Ezekiel 1-10

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 242 - Ezekiel 1-10 (What Will Happen to Us if God Were to Judge the Church Today?)
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"Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple.  And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his side; and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." 
To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.  Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary."  (Ezekiel 9:3-6)

I believe that today's Scripture reading is intended by God to convict those who belong to the household of God.  In our text above, God commands an angel holding a pen to write a mark on the foreheads of all those who grieve over the sins of the people and the abominations done within the temple of God and in the homes of the leaders of the people for they were worshipping idols which God commanded them not to do. 

After the angel with the heavenly pen finished marking all who grieved over the sins of the nation of Israel, five other angels who had charge over the city of Jerusalem were dispatched by God to kill all those who did not have the mark on their foreheads.  We are not told by Ezekiel how many people were killed that day or how many survived who had the mark on their foreheads but Ezekiel apparently thought that none of the remnants in Jerusalem will survive: "Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:8b)?"  

It is interesting tat God gave very specific instructions to the angels of destruction to start the judgment with the people who were supposedly serving in the sanctuary: "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.  Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary (Exekiel 9:5,6)." 

The apostle Peter wrote, "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17)."  I think that it is reasonable to conclude that if God became very angry with those who were supposed to grieve over the sins of idolatry committed by the inhabitants of Jerusalem to the extent of killing all except the few who sighed and cried over all the abominations done within the walls of the city, that God must also be angry with His people today who are supposed to not only participate in the sins of the wicked but to grieve over it.

I could not help but wonder, if God were to judge His household of faith today which is the Church of Christ, how many will He find faithful in grieving over the sins of our nation of America such as the sin of abortion and of sexual immorality and of blasphemy?  Will He find me and you sighing and crying over these horrible sins today?  I am afraid I may not be included in the few who would be spared if God were to command His angels of destruction to kill all those who do not grieve over those sins beginning with the Church.

I am convicted.  I repent of my sin of apathy over the sins of this nation in which my family calls home.  "O God, forgive me that I am not grieved as I should over the sins of this nation.  Please give me a burden to sigh and cry over the abominations done in this country and even within your Body, the Church.  I ask that you grant the same burden as well to all your children, especially those who act as shepherds over your flock.  Have mercy on us O God and spare us from judgment which we deserve." 

Day 240 - Jeremiah 29-52

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 240 - Jeremiah 29-52 (God's Mercy and Judgment)
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              "For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast                 them out from His presence. 
            Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King                   Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of               Babylon, came to Jerusalem.  He burned the house of the LORD and the king's house; all the                     houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.  And all the army of               the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all                 around." (Jeremiah 52:3, 12-14)

For four hundred years, God had preserved the magnificent temple that king Solomon had built to house the Ark of the Covenant.  The Ark itself had been preserved by God for more than eight humdred years. Considering that the Jews were constantly engaged in battles with their vicious and savage enemies all around them, the preservation of the Ark and the temple are two of the greatest testaments to God's mercy for His people.

But God not only is a God of mercy; He is also a God of justice and as such must punish those who deserve to be punished.  God had not lacked in warning the Israelites to forsake their sins and return to Him but their hearts were hardened and they chose instead to continue to serve themselves and the idols of the nations around them.  And so, God finally carried out the judgment He warned He would do if they refused to turn from their sins.

If God did not spare judgment on Sodom and Gomorrha and of His chosen people the Jews, how can anyone think that He would spare judgment on a nation such as the United States which has aborted over 60 million babies since 1973 and is leaving no stone unturned in its resolve to normalize homosexuality in society even to the extent of destroying the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman which God has ordained from the time of creation.

Let no one be deceived, God is not mocked and He will not spare this once great nation if we do not turn away from our sins as a nation and beg for God's mercy.  God alone knows what kind of judgment is coming to us as a nation if unless we repent and unless the Holy Spirit sweeps anew in another revival we so desperately needs.

What can one person do, you may ask.  We must realize that any revival in the past began with individuals who were touched by God and therefore if enough individuals repent and beg for God's mercy and for the Holy Spirit to move as He had done so in the past, who knows but that God would relent and decide to spare us from judgment as a nation.

"Dear God, please forgive us of our sins as a nation of the United States of America and have mercy on us.  Send your Holy Spirit upon your people as you did so on the day of Pentecost and during various times throughout history.  May you hold your hand from judging us as a people and raise many more modern-day prophets like Jeremiah and John the Baptist who will call us to repentance.  Convict us your children of our individual sins and help us to live holy lives for you.  In Jesus name we pray, amen."

Day 232 - Jeremiah 29-34

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 233 - Jeremiah 29-41 (God Wants to Blow You Away With His Love)
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            '"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of                   evil, to give you a future and a hope... "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great                   and mighty things, which you do not know."'(Jeremiah 29:11; 33:3) 

Every parent of a newborn baby desires the best for his or her child.  If that is true of human parents, how much more does God desire the very best for His children.  Jesus said:

           ^"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he                  asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts                  to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who              ask Him!"  (Matthew 7:9-11) 

<sup>God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah in our text above, invites His children to call unto to Him, as a child calls unto his earthy parent, so that He might show them "great and might things which you do not know."  What an invitation from our heavenly Father who created the whole universe!

During the past few weeks, I have had a couple of trials which I asked God's help for.  First, the engine of the only vehicle my wife and I drive had to be replaced due timing belt failure.  God answered in a mighty way by giving me an almost new replacement engine with a 3-year warrant for an unbelievable price!

The second trial came in the form of a dislocated ankle of my son Joseph while we were serving on short-term missions in Haiti which cause the two of us to return to the US ahead of our team. The first doctor we consulted after we arrived home concluded that Joe needed surgery.  We called unto God for His intervention and after getting a second opinion, the other doctor concluded that no surgery was needed!  Praise God!

There are many other great and mighty things that God has shown me since I became His child through faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  None, however, can top the gift of eternal life which He has given me and all who have placed their trust in Jesus.  God desires to give this same gift of eternal life to all the people He created.  May you know this great and mighty gift of God if you have not yet received it.</sup>

Day 229 - Jeremiah 23-28

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 229 - Jeremiah 23-28 (THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS)
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       '"Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, 
        "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; 
        A King shall reign and prosper, 
        And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 
        In His days Judah will be saved, 
        And Israel will dwell safely; 
        Now this is His name by which He will be called: 
        THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."'
        (Jeremiah 23:5-6) 

All religions in the world except for true Christianity teaches that a person must have personal righteousness in order to gain favor with God.  True Christianity, however, teaches that "There is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10)," and that righteousness can only be imputed or transfered to us through faith in Jesus Christ.  That is what the prophet Jeremiah had in mind when he wrote "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" in our text above.

You see, if someone can stand before God's presence on his own righteousness (although that would be an impossibility; at best the person would be as righteous as Job or Daniel), then he would have something to boast about before God which would then immediately remove him from God because God hates pride above all sins.  It makes sense, therefore, that only through the righteousness of God Himself can we stand before Him.

But how could it be possible that God's own righteousness could be imputed on our behalf?  That is the whole reason of the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus and for the purpose of going to the cross in order to take the death and punishment we deserve upon His own body.  Christ took upon Himself our sins and in exchange gives His own righteousness to those of us who would repent of our sins and put our trust in Him.

Praise God I do not have to stand before Him on my own righteousness which would be impossible but that I can stand before Him at any time on the merits of Christ's righteousness which He has given to me and to all who believe in Him.  Have you received the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ?  If not, ask Him now to forgive you of your sins and He will transfer His righteousness to you so the you can say,  "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Day 228 - Jeremiah 18-22

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 228 - Jeremiah 18-22 (God is the Potter, I Am the Clay)
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"Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!"  (Jeremiah 18:3-6) 

Two of the the many attributes of God are these: He is good and He is the creator of all life. Because God is the Creator of all life, He can do with it as He sees fit and whatever he does is good and without a shade of injustice.  I believe that it is for this very reason that God, in our text above, told His children the Israelites, that He, being the Potter and they the clay in His hands, can do as He pleases.

For those people who may think that it is not fair that God can do as He pleases with the people He created, it is understandable that they would raise their anger towards God for their sufferings and their perceived unfairness of God.  To those of us who know and love God and His Son Jesus Christ, we still are not immune to doubting God's fairness when tragedy strikes us personally.

The key to trusting that God knows exactly what He is doing whenever we doubt God's fairness is submission.  Soldiers understand this because they are absolutely required to submit to their authority without question even when they don't think it is fair.  Shouldn't it be so much easier for Christians to be able to submit to the authority of a perfectly good and just God?

The next time you sense doubt in the Creator arising within you, raise your hands in surrender to God and throw yourself into His loving arms knowing that He is good and that He loves you and wants nothing but the best for you.

Day 227 - Jeremiah 14-17

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 227 - Jeremiah 14-17 (Want Fairness from God?  Think Again.)
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        "The heart is deceitful above all things, 
        And desperately wicked; 
        Who can know it? 
        I, the LORD, search the heart, 
        I test the mind, 
        Even to give every man according to his ways, 
        According to the fruit of his doings."

        (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

The prevailing belief in the world about human nature is that man is basically good and if left to himself will do the right thing.  Nothing can be further from the truth.  God emphatically declared in our text above that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked".  God also said that noone except Him can know the depths of man's wickedness.

A simple test will prove the truth of man's total depravity.  If you had a six-year old daughter, would you leave her unattended for even just five minutes in a crowded mall while you go to the restroom?  I'm sure you won't because no one in his right mind would do such a horrible thing.  Why?  Because of the fact the man is basically evil and cannot be trusted for the safety of a child.

Now, God says that He, the Lord, searches the heart of man and tests our minds; what for?  "To give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."  What a scary thought!  The demand of every person is fairness and justice; how would you and I fare if God were to give us our just wages? Thank God He offers us grace through His Son Jesus Christ instead of justice so that "anyone who believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16b)."

So, you and I basically have two choices: we could either do nothing and get our just wages from God which is eternal death or, we could cry out to God for His mercy and grace through His Son Jesus Christ and receive the gift of eternal life.  Have you made your choice yet?  I pray you choose the latter today if you have not yet done so. 

  

Day 226 - Jeremiah 4-13

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 226 - Jeremiah 4-13 (How to Get God to Delight in You)
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       ^"Thus says the LORD: 
        "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 
        Let not the mighty man glory in his might, 
        Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 
        But let him who glories glory in this, 
        That he understands and knows Me, 
        That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. 
        For in these I delight," says the LORD."
        (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

If I were to randomly ask ten people from the street which person they admired most, I would guess that eight or nine out of the ten would name either a famous athlete or celebrity or a wealthy businessman. And if I were to ask how many of those famous, mighty and rich people glory in God instead of their powers, I would guess that none of them would say that they glory in God and in knowing Him.  Rather, I think they would each boast about their own prowess and how they alone (and maybe with some help from other people) are responsible for their success.

I am not saying that there is no celebrity or powerful person today who glories in God instead of their own powers - I can name one or two who do.  These are those who take the words of our text above to heart and glory in knowing God rather than in themselves.  They have resolved in their hearts and minds that God's delight and pleasure is far more important and to be desired than riches or influence or fame.

God says that He delights in those who glory in knowing and understanding Him.  James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus and author of the New Testament book bearing his name, had all the reasons to glory in his privileged position but he knew too well that to do so would be a horrible mistake.  James talked about this very thing when he wrote, "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)."  Had James gloried in himself we would have only twenty-six instead of twenty-seven books of the New Testament.

There is one fundamental difference between a person who works in his own strength and the person who does everything in dependence on God - the person who completely depends on the Holy Spirit for everything naturally gives glory to God for all of his accomplishments whereas the person who does everything in his own strength claims all the glory for himself.  I try to live my life in complete dependence on God because I want to glory only in Him so that He can take pleasure in me.  

Day 224 - Jeremiah 1-3

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 224 - Jeremiah 1-3 (God Called You Before He Formed You)
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       "'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; 
        Before you were born I sanctified you; 
        I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
        They will fight against you, 
        But they shall not prevail against you. 
        For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver you."'

        (Jeremiah 1:5,9)

God told Jeremiah in our text above that He knew him before He formed him in the womb and that He had sanctified and ordained him a prophet before he was even born.  God knew that Jeremiah would be afraid of the daunting task he was born to do which was to judge the nations, especially Israel: 

        "See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, 

        To root out and to pull down, 
        To destroy and to throw down, 
        To build and to plant." 

        (Jeremiah 1:10)

Indeed, Jeremiah expressed his fear after God's call on his life: "'Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth (Jer 1:6)."'  Then God, who constantly encourages all His children, strengthened Jeremiah with His words:  "They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver you (Jer. 1:19)."'

Although we may think that God only calls special people like Jeremiah or Billy Graham for some great work that He wants to accomplish, the truth is that God has a plan for every person He has created.  We need only to surrender our will to God and wait upon Him to reveal His calling on our lives and He will.

I know without a doubt that God has called me and my wife to return to our native country, the Philippines, to share the good news of salvation to our people there and to make disciples for Christ as He commanded all Christians to do.  Like Jeremiah at the beginning of his ministry, I still feel inadequate and afraid but I try to encourage myself in the Lord through His promises that He will be with me to give me success.

How about you?  Have you surrendered your life to Jesus yet?  If not, you need to do so right now if you want to know what God's calling is for your life.  Ask God to forgive you of your sins and to give you His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Then wait upon Him to reveal His calling on your life and He will.   

Day 223 - Isaiah 63-66

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 223 - Isaiah 63-66 (The Person God Looks At)
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       ^"But we are all like an unclean thing, 
        And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;...
        And there is no one who calls on Your name, 
        Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; 
        For You have hidden Your face from us, 
        And have consumed us because of our iniquities.         "But on this one will I look: 
        On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, 
        And who trembles at My word."         (Isaiah 64:6-7, 66:2b)

If there is one truth in the Bible that I could point at as the most important for any person understand and heed it is this: the best work of man done in his own strength is completely abhorrent to God whereas, the least work of man done in the power of the Holy Spirit is completely acceptable and pleasing to God.

In our text above, Isaiah writes that "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" before God.  The picture of the filthy rag is not just any kind of rag but specifically the kind that women back then would use during their menstrual period after it has caught the discharge of blood.  Imagine the best act of person considered by the world as a holy man but who does not do it in the power of the Holy Spirit of God - that person's good deed is counted as soiled sanitary napkin by God!

Now, consider the thief on the cross with Christ during His crucifixion who for the most part of his life probably had not given much thought to doing any good to others - at the very last moment of his worthless life humbles himself before God in human flesh right beside him and prays for the salvation of his soul - Jesus assured him that that very day he would be with Him in paradise!

God said, "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, sand who trembles at My word."  Jesus repeated those same words in His famous sermon on the mount when He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3)."  In both instances, God the Father and God the Son were saying that those who are spiritually poor or destitute or devoid of any sinful pride but who looks to God alone for their complete sustenance are the ones whom God looks at.

I don't know about you but there is nothing in life I desire more than for God to look at me with pleasure and nothing I dread more in life than that God would consider my best work as filthy rags in His sight and nostrils.  "Dear God, thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins and as my substitute for the death I deserved.  Thank you that through Christ and the Holy Spirit who lives within me that I am acceptable to You and that I have inherited eternal life.  Hallellujah!"

Day 212 - Isaiah 19-28

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 212 - Isaiah 19-28 (You Can Have Perfect Peace)
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       ^"You will keep him in perfect peace, 
        Whose mind is stayed on You, 
        Because he trusts in You. 
        Trust in the LORD forever, 
        For in Yah, the LORD, is everlasting strength."
        (Isaiah 26:3-4) 

What person would not want perfect peace?  All of us are plagued with stress and worries and everything else that is the opposite of peace.  Most people would say that they want peace and would do anything to get it.  Well, here's great news; the Bible says anyone can have perfect peace.

There is one condition, though, to attain perfect peace.  No, you don't need to go on a pilgrimage to some summit or desert.  You don't have to deny yourself all worldly comforts and be holed up in some monastery as a monk.  You don't have to empty your mind and be on a lotus position and say "Uhmmmmmmm".
You do, however, need to keep your mind stayed on God through His Son Jesus Christ.

So what in the world does it mean to have our mind stayed on God?  The key is the word trust.  Isaiah writes that the person whose mind is stayed on God trust in Him.  Trust has to have both a subject and an object.  For example, a subject of trust could be money I need to pay my bills and the object could be anything including God or myself or a rich relative.

To trust God means to make Him the object of our trust for all the subjects in our life that keeps us from having peace.  Therefore, to have perfect peace, I need to be able to trust God to provide for all my needs both present and future including my eternal destiny.

I would be lying if I said that I have perfect peace all the time.  Learning to trust God for everything is not at all easy.  It is a lot easier to just worry about my problems and try to figure a way to solve it myself which usually makes me lose sleep at night when I do.  I am still growing in my ability to trust God for every area of my life.  Whenever I am able to trust Him with a subject, I experience perfect peace about that particular subject.  Whenever I am not worried about anything, I am able to have perfect peace.

To trust in Jesus means to lay whatever burden we may be carrying upon Him instead carrying it ourselves.  Jesus said,  

          "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you              rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and                lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy            and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)"

The secret then to experiencing perfect peace is exchanging our burdens which keep us from having peace with the "burden" of Christ which He describes as easy and light and provides rest for the soul.  

How do we make this exchange? Jesus said it is by first of all coming to Him. Have you come to Jesus yet to trust Him with all your needs especially your need to be saved from the punishment of your sins?  If not, you will never know perfect peace until you do.