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Daily Bible thoughts 771: Wednesday 17th December 2014:

 Isaiah 57:14-21

This short passage preaches the gospel. It declares that there can be ‘’peace’’ (19) for both Jews and Gentiles. These are words picked up by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:17. He sees them as applying to the preaching of the good news by Jesus through the church. It’s a message of peace with God made possible by Jesus; and peace with all others who have peace with their Creator through Christ. They are united in Him, in His church: built into ‘’a holy temple in the Lord’’ (Ephesians 2:21). This ‘temple’ is made up of people who are reconciled to God and to each other.

But these verses in Isaiah 57 also imply that not everyone will experience God’s peace. You can’t stay ‘’wicked’’ (20, 21) and enjoy it. Spiritual healing and ‘’comfort’’ (18) are for those who repent. As someone said, ‘’The gospel is bad news before it is good news’’. The bad news is that we are born under the judgment of God because of our sin, and if we do not turn away from wrong we cannot be saved.

Here are two complementary truths about God that seem paradoxical: He is transcendent (15a). He is ‘’the high and lofty One’’ who is so far above us He is beyond our reach. Yet He is also immanent (15b). He is close to us; closer even than breathing. And it is possible for a humbly repentant person to have a close and intimate relationship with Him. Such a person who is truly sorry for his or her sins can know God.

By the time Paul quoted verse 19, something significant had taken place. Jesus had been crucified, and the cross makes all the difference!

‘’There is a way for man to rise to that sublime abode; an offering and a sacrifice, A Holy Spirit’s energies; an Advocate with God.’’

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you made a way where there was no way.

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Daily Bible thoughts 770: Tuesday 16th December 2014:

 Psalm 110

This is a Messianic psalm. David wrote it to celebrate the enthronement of a King who was yet to come. Though he did not know who this King was, he saw Him as superior to himself and called Him ‘’Lord’’ (1). Jesus and the New Testament writers understood that he was referring to the Christ, the anointed One, the Messiah (Mark 12:35-37; Acts 2:34-35; Hebrews 1:13). This King will also be ‘’a priest’’ (4). Melchizedek was both priest and king, and so he was a ‘type’, foreshadowing Christ (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7). This psalm speaks of:

The Messiah’s triumphant rule:

  • Extending out from ‘’Zion’’ (i.e. Jerusalem) to affect the ‘’whole earth’’ (2a, 6). This surely is the story of the spread of Christ’s Kingdom since the day of Pentecost?
  • Not defeated by enemies, even though enemies there will be (2b). In truth, it often looks like the enemies have the upper hand, but they do not. However the ‘game’ looks now, we know the ‘final score’. Jesus now ‘rules’ ‘’in the midst’’ of them.
  • Ultimately overcoming all evil (5, 6). Also note the ‘’until’’ in (1). The ‘’footstool’’ is a metaphor for dominion over one’s enemies (1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:22). The Ascended Lord Jesus is going to see every last enemy put down (1 Corinthians 15:25-28). Verses 5-7 have images reminiscent of John’s vision of the final battle in which the Lord Jesus will overcome all the ungodly forces united against Him (Revelation 19:11-21).

The Messiah’s willing troops: The battle is the Lord’s. It is ‘’your day of battle’’ (3a). As someone said, ‘We are fighting from victory and not for victory. The decisive battle has already been fought and won at the cross. Nevertheless, the struggle is real and fierce and calls for a willing army. There is still blood being spilled on the battlefield; there are still casualties. So how willing are we? The soldiers of the King above all kings must be:

  • Willing to serve: prepared to give their lives away to God and to others;
  • Willing to sacrifice: Soldiers in this war must give up the desire for comfort, ease and a quiet life. There is no place in the army for ‘chocolate soldiers’ who melt in the heat of battle;
  • Willing to suffer: life in the trenches cannot be expected to be easy;
  • Willing to die: Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: ‘’When Jesus bids a man come and follow Him, He bids him come and die.’’ There’s more than one way to die. You can’t march out with God without first dying to self. But this war, even though it is already won, may require the ultimate sacrifice. Every Christ follower needs to face and accept the truth that it is a dangerous thing to be a Christian in this hostile world.

The original Hebrew text of (3) is difficult to translate. It is not clear who is ‘’Arrayed in holy majesty’’. If it’s the King, then His youth will be renewed, even as the dawn gives rise to ‘’dew’’ each morning. But if it refers to the soldiers, then they are the ones whose youth will be renewed and who are as abundant as the dew. They will be resourced to serve their King.

Reading this psalm we can be filled with hope. It says to us that in the midst of thick, oppressive darkness and terrible opposition we are right to eagerly anticipate the triumph of Christ’s Kingdom. Prayer: I am grateful to know the final score before the final whistle. It is clear from your Word that Jesus wins in the end, and we win with Him.

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Daily Bible thoughts 769: Monday 15th December 2014:

Ephesians 2: 11-22

As I read this, I am reminded that when God called Abraham, it was so that through him and his descendants the whole world would be blessed (Genesis 12: 1-3). That blessing has now come to us.

The people to whom God gives new life, be they Jews or Gentiles, are being built into a new society, the church, in which Jesus Christ has primacy (20b). This ‘’holy temple in the Lord’’ (21) is built on the Scriptures of Old and New Testaments (20a) and is indwelt by the Spirit. It is made up of people who were once estranged from each other but who now find their focus of unity in Jesus (14-16).

If today’s passage can be thought of as a painting, I believe verse 13 is the nail (or hook) on which it hangs. The entire section may be summed up in these words: ‘’But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.’’ Before conversion we Gentile Christians experienced a ‘double estrangement’:

a.) We were estranged from the Jewish people and their privileges (11, 12, 19a; see Romans 9:1-5). We were at a distance from the revelation of God they had that enabled them to know something about Him and relate to Him: ‘’Now because of Christ – dying that death, shedding that blood – you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything. The Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance…Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody…That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone.’’ The Message;

b.) More importantly however, we were estranged from God Himself. But through Jesus; through His cross (16, 18) we have access to God. I understand that in the Temple, there was a sign that told the Gentiles to keep out of the court of the Jews, on pain of death. That is all now resolved in Christ (14).

The ‘’He’’ in (17) refers to the Lord Jesus. Post-resurrection, He came to people and ‘’preached peace’’ to them. After His ascension, He continued this preaching ministry in and through the church. In fact, this ministry continues today. There is a double-peace for the double-estrangement. Through Jesus’ sacrifice we can have peace with God, and peace with every other person in Christ. There is a ‘’Consequently’’ (19) to the saving work of Christ: ‘’God is building a home. He’s using us all – irrespective of how we got here – in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day – a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.’’ The Message.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that through Jesus’ sacrifice I have a relationship with you, and I have been brought into a big family with brothers and sisters all over the world. Thank you for this undeserved privilege.

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Daily Bible thoughts 765: Tuesday 9th December 2014:

 Isaiah 55: 8-13

‘Let it snow…’ (And let it rain too!) God doesn’t think or work as we do. He is God, so His thoughts and ways are inevitably ‘’higher’’ than ours (8, 9): ‘’As the heavens are higher than the earth’’. So the question is, ‘How will these high thoughts and ways come down to affect us at ‘ground-level’? The answer is, ‘By means of God’s ‘’word’’ ‘(10, 11). His ‘’thoughts’’ and ‘’ways’’ are revealed in His Word. That Word is like ‘’the rain and the snow’’ which falls ‘’down from heaven’’ and is productive in this world, causing growth and fruitfulness. It may seem to be wasted, but it isn’t.There is a huge, indeed immeasurable, gulf between God’s infinite Mind, and our puny, finite minds. How can that be bridged? By means of God’s refreshing Word. The Bible doesn’t tell us everything there is to know, but it does reveal everything God wants us to know; all that we need to know in order to be saved by Him.

So, we can be encouraged by these thoughts:

  • God’s prophetic Word is effective: God was going to restore the exiled captives among His people (12, 13). He had said this again and again through Isaiah. What He had said, that He would do. In fact, from our perspective we can say ‘This He has done!’ In these verses we can also catch a glimpse of the ultimate coming of God’s Kingdom, and this He will do. God’s speaking and His working cannot be separated; His Word is as good as His act.
  • God’s written Word is effective: It is like rain and snow falling on our hearts, changing the inner (and outer) landscape, making us fruitful and beautiful. People don’t always like rain and snow, and as God’s Word falls on us it can sometimes feel like being caught in unpleasant weather. But His Word goes to work on us and changes us – even when we are not aware of anything much happening.
  • God’s preached Word is effective: Generations of preachers have drawn strength from these words. They have visited this well; this oasis in the wilderness and found refreshment. How many times have we heard these words quoted in prayer meetings? They are true. We can count on them. We may not see results from our preaching. Or, we may not see all possible results. But results there will be if we are preaching God’s Word and not using a ‘snow machine’. It’s got to be the real thing.

‘’Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.’’ The Message.

Prayer: How I thank you Lord that your Word is ‘’living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates…it judges…’’ (Hebrews 4:12). Thank you that it works effectively in our lives to change us into the likeness of Christ.

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Daily Bible thoughts 764: Monday 8th December 2014:

 Isaiah 55:1-7

‘’Come…Listen…Seek…’’ Verse 2 poses a relevant question: ‘’Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?’’ The Message. This has relevance for every day of the year, but it seems especially pertinent as we approach another Christmas. The festive round of over-indulging on drink, food and presents is about to begin. Come 2nd January, people will find that they are no more satisfied than they were last year, or any other. The binge will once more lead to the same disappointing results: feeling flat, fat, and broke (and even in debt.) And all through the year we give our time and efforts to things that cannot fill the inner void. ‘’ Why be content with that which is not real food, which does not truly satisfy? The question is addressed to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, who were becoming complacent; they were getting comfortable in Babylon. And the Lord asks them: Are you really satisfied with the things Babylon has to offer? Is this all you were created for?’’ Tom Hale: The Applied Old Testament Commentary, pages 1058, 1059.In this passage God calls His people to find their deep, true satisfaction in Him alone. The words, originally addressed to the exiles in Babylon as we have seen, have relevance to us today. We are called away from obsession with things that do not fulfil to a profound God-centeredness. The invitation says:

  • ‘’Come…’’ (1). Four times in the first verse you read this word. God calls us to come to Him, and our spiritual hunger and thirst will be freely The cost to God was incalculable (Isaiah 53), but the gift to you and me is free. As you read these words in Isaiah, you may also call to mind the words of Jesus (John 4: 10, 13, 14; 7:37-39; Revelation 22:17; John 6:35). What Jesus said must have had a significant Old Testament resonance in the ears of those who heard Him. When God appeared on earth in human form He was still saying ‘’Come’’. It’s been pointed out though that it is hard to give spiritual blessings to those who don’t want them; to give the good news of the gospel to those who are disinterested. There must be ‘thirst’. ‘’Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway-buy and eat! Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money-everything’s free!’’ The Message.
  • ‘’Listen…’’ (2b, 3a). See also ‘’Give ear’’ and ‘’hear’’. If we come to God we must also listen to Him, if we are to benefit from being near Him. We have to ‘apply’ ourselves to His truth (as we saw a couple of days ago). ‘’Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.’’ The Message.
  • ‘’Seek…’’ (6, 7; see Jeremiah 29:13, 14). A life of going hard after God begins with repentance and continues down that road. It is not enough to deeply desire God’s blessings; we have to also want to progress in His ways. There is wonderful promise here for the truly repentant. But there is also an urgency; a warning that the ‘door of the ark’ will not always be open. There is a day of opportunity that will pass. So, now is the time to seek the Lord.

If we come to God, listen to Him and seek Him, turning from all He shows us to be wrong, He will make our lives ‘missional’ (5). He will attract people to Himself through us (see Titus 2:9, 10). Ultimately, the promise to David is worked out in Jesus (3; see Acts 13:34), who will bring people from all nations to Himself through the witness of His people (Matthew 28:19.)

Prayer: Lord God, I very much want to take you up on your invitation. So I come to you in order to hear your voice and obey. Please help me to do so.

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Daily Bible thoughts 763: Friday 5th December 2014:

Proverbs 23:10-18

Spiritual application: A friend of mine spoke about the pastor of a thriving church. When asked about the ‘secret’ of his success, this Christian leader replied, ‘I am a serious reader of the Bible.’ It was the only answer he felt he could come up with. God mightily uses people who take His Word seriously. There is much about our culture that is trite, and many Christians have a superficial relationship with the Bible. They are by no means ‘serious’ readers. They skim-read it, if they look at it all. There will come a point where the Bible will read you, if you will allow it. But it is less likely to happen if you’re just skating across the surface. Application is required for best results (12). But application is what we feel (and what we say) we don’t have time for in these busy, busy lives of ours. The poet, Davies, wrote, ‘What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?’ The people who get the most out of the Bible take the time to ‘stand and stare’. Or, they sit and stare. Maybe, even, kneel and stare. Whatever their physical position, they give God’s Book the space to work deeply on them and change them. This is not just about gaining head knowledge; like cramming for exams. It is about opening your ‘’heart’’ as well as your ‘’ears’’. What is said in this twelfth verse about proverbs/wisdom literature, can (and I believe, must) be extended to include the entire Bible. But in this sound-bite culture, that fosters short attention spans, application does not come easily.

If we take God’s Word seriously, here are some things that will ensue:

  • We will take justice seriously (10, 11): This proverb is about respecting the property rights of others; not unjustly taking their land. We have regard for those rights out of fear of God. He is the God of justice. ‘’For they have a powerful Advocate who will go to bat for them.’’ The Message. God cares for the vulnerable, and you don’t want to Have Him for an opponent.
  • We will take discipline seriously (13, 14): A clear sign that our society has moved the ‘’ancient boundary stone’’ of God’s Word is seen in the erosion of proper, loving discipline in the home and the classroom. In too many ways and at too many times children are allowed to rule. Things have been turned on their heads. It’s madness! Furthermore, the consequences are immeasurably bad. The Bible does not advocate cruelty, but there is a right application of discipline that brings wisdom (15, 16). The word ‘’withhold’’ (13) causes me to think that it is a form of robbery if we fail to discipline our children. We owe it to them to bring correction. ‘’Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones; a spanking won’t kill them. A good spanking, in fact, might save them from something worse than death.’’ The Message.
  • We will not envy the people around us who close God out of their lives (17, 18). Through God’s Word we are given perspective and insight. We are enabled to see life clearly; to see through to the true nature of things. Why be jealous of people who are going to end up in Hell? Why would anyone want to change places with them? People who are going to ‘’be left with an armload of nothing.’’ The Message.
  • Our lives will be saturated in reverence for God. We will be ‘’zealous’’ in fearing Him – wanting His honour and glory above all else.

Prayer: Lord God, people have given their lives to make it possible for me to read the Bible. Help me, then, to read it with the utmost seriousness.

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Daily Bible thoughts 762: Thursday 4th December 2014:

 Psalm 109:21-31

The psalms show that we can be ‘honest to God’.

This is a vulnerable prayer (22): There are times when we need to admit that we’ve been cut and we are bleeding. If you attempt to suppress the hurt it will come out in some other way. The best thing we can do with our wounds is to bring them into the presence of God for His healing. ‘’Do thy friends, despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer? In His arms He’ll take and shield thee. Thou wilt find a solace there.’’ I wonder if the writer of that much-loved hymn had this psalm in mind when he wrote those beautiful words. As we saw when we looked at the first part of the psalm, there were people who were being bad to David, when he had only ever done good to them. No wonder he was in pain. This was a gross injustice.

This is an intense prayer (24): I read about the ‘Full gospel church’ in Seoul , Korea. At the time it was internationally known as the largest church in the world. They had a place called ‘Prayer Mountain’ – a prayer centre up in the hills behind the city. I remember reading that when the Christians in that church had a problem, many of them would go to ‘prayer mountain’ for a few days. They would book themselves into a rather spartan room, with not much in the way of furniture (or heating!). And they would pray and fast, and come away with answers. Some Christians today look askance when you mention fasting, but Jesus did say ‘’When you fast…’’ (Matthew 6:16), and it remains a legitimate and important form of prayer. Somebody once said to me, ‘It’s your body praying.’ There come times when you may need to set yourself to ‘pray through to breakthrough’ and fasting may be part of that.

This is a prayer for God’s glory (27): David desired a work of God that would be for the glory of God. He wanted the Lord to intervene and for everyone to see that He had done this. ‘’Then they’ll know that your hand is in this, that you, GOD, have been at work.’’ The Message. ‘’His desire is not simply for a solution but for such a solution as is unmistakably an act of God and a public vindication of spiritual reality (31).’’ J.A. Motyer: ‘New Bible Commentary, p.560

This is a confident prayer (28-31): David had full expectation that God would do what he was asking of Him.

‘’For the believer, in every situation, another set of factors operates. However numerous and vicious foes may be, however trying and disastrous our circumstances, there is always But you, O Sovereign Lord…’’ J.A. Motyer: ‘New Bible Commentary, p.560.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that when the outlook is gloomy the ‘up look’ is always bright.

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 761: Wednesday 3rd December 2014:

 Ephesians 1:15-23

It is a remarkable thought that Jesus has been made to be ‘’head over everything for the church.’’ (Underlining mine.) He has been put in that topmost position for our sakes, and this has application to prayer.

Many years ago, when I was a pastor at ‘Bridge Street Church’ in Leeds, I arrived early one evening for a men’s meeting. I found the door to the cellar open, and there was a light on. So I made my way down the steps to see who might be there. But before I set eyes on anyone, I heard the voice of the church’s head usher. He was a lovely, practical man, whose heart was in serving the Lord. What came to my ears was the sound of someone pouring out his heart to His Saviour. I beat a hasty retreat. I felt I was trespassing on sacred ground. I probably learned more about him in those moments than at any other time. When you overhear someone praying, you feel their heartbeat. What’s that saying? ‘’What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more.’’

In today’s reading we stumble across Paul on his knees, and we get to take his pulse. I find it challenging to think how persistent Paul was in both praise and prayer (16, 17: ‘’I have not stopped giving thanks…I keep asking…’’ ) Paul saw positive qualities in the believers he was writing to (or, rather he had ‘’heard’’ about these characteristics) and He thanked the triune God who was shaping their lives and prayed for yet more of His transforming activity. Do you remember what I said yesterday about the Trinitarian format? Well, here it is again. The Son, the Father and the Spirit are mentioned in (16, 17). So what did Paul ask?

  • That they would know God better (17): He knew that this could only happen by virtue of ‘’wisdom and revelation’’ imparted by the Spirit;
  • That they would have insight into the future God has prepared for them (18a): He prays for heart knowledge of this ‘’hope’’;
  • That they would know how rich they are because of God (18b – OR, how rich God is because of them; see Deut.32:9. It is not totally clear whether this ‘’glorious inheritance’’ is ours or His. Of course, both realities are true, regardless of the meaning here.)
  • That they would know the power available to the church (19-23). Remarkably, this ‘’incomparably great power for us who believe’’ is like the power that raised Jesus from the dead and put Him on the throne of the universe. ‘’All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.’’ The Message. Remember that God gave Jesus all this power and control ‘’for the church’’.

‘’Thou art coming to a King; large petitions with thee bring. For His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much.’’

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the stupendous power available to us.

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Daily Bible thoughts 760: Tuesday 2nd December 2014:

 Ephesians 1:3-14

In the Greek language, this is one long sentence, having no punctuation. It moves at breakneck speed, you might say. It’s been likened to a golden chain made up of many links, and to a snowball rolling downhill, picking up pace and volume as it moves. Paul is spouting praise like a fountain, and you can imagine his scribe struggling to keep up with all the words pouring out of him. The apostle is ‘’lost in wonder, love and praise.’’ He stands amazed at so great a salvation.

There is a Trinitarian structure to this opening sentence – something we regularly find in Paul’s writings. We will encounter the format again. What the Father planned in eternity past; whatever God the Son made possible at the cross; that is what the Holy Spirit makes real in our lives. He has been described as the ‘Executor of the Godhead’.

  • God the Father chose us (4, 5): There is a mystery to the doctrine of ‘election’, but it is taught in the Bible, and God has given us ‘’wisdom and understanding’’ (8), even if we can’t dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’. ‘’He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ…’’ The Message. It gives enormous security to know that we are God’s wanted, dearly-loved children. His great purpose to save us is all for His glory (6, 12, and 14). The plan of salvation flows from God’s mind and heart and results in His honour. It is also a purpose of ‘’grace’’ (6, 7). In fact this can be called ‘’glorious grace’’ (7) and it has been ‘’lavished’’ on us (8). Our salvation does not depend on any merit in us, but upon God’s free gift. God’s purpose embraces Jews (‘’we’’ 11, 12) and Gentiles (‘’you also’’ 13).
  • God the Son bought us (5-7, 3): Not only is this passage Trinitarian in shape; it is also Christ-centred. Paul emphasises by repetition that all the blessings God wants us to enjoy are ‘’in Christ’’. Imagine taking a child into a toy shop and saying, ‘You can have not just one thing but everything!’ Yet that is nothing compared to what God gives in and through His Son (3). Jesus paid an unimaginable price for us to enjoy this ‘everything’ (7). God’s ultimate purpose is a new creation: a fully Christ-centred universe (9, 10). As David Pawson once said, it will be ‘’a universe in which even the stars are Christians.’’
  • God the Spirit sealed us (13, 14): The Holy Spirit is described by Paul as ‘’a deposit’’. A deposit is not the full amount you are going to pay for something, but it is part of it, and a promise that at the right time you will hand over the rest! How do we know we are going to heaven? We have a little bit of heaven inside us already in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Eternal life is the life of the future already invading the present. We carry around inside our mortal bodies a foretaste of an immortal future. We have ‘heaven on the way to heaven’. In terms of the seal: you might go to market in those days and buy something, but perhaps you couldn’t take it home with you there and then. So you would take your ring, dip it in wax and seal the item. In so doing you were identifying what you had bought as being your own. You were saying, ‘This is mine. I’ve paid for it. I can’t take it home with me just now, but I will come back for it eventually.’

‘’God saves sinners not to solve their problems but to bring glory to Himself (vv.6, 12, 14; 3:21)’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.773.    

 Prayer: Lord, what can I say? I want to join Paul in his breathless worship.

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