One Year Bible - September 30

ISAIAH 60:1 - 62:5                                                                                                               
God's purpose for the Church is that they be the expression of God's glory.  These last chapters describe God's ultimate realization of God's purpose for the Church and for each individual believer in that Church.

ISA 60: NEW LIGHT/UNDERSTANDING:  This new understanding is that we are not delivered FROM trouble, but IN trouble.  We don't run FROM the battle, but TOWARD the battle - we are going to get our hair messed up(v.1-2)!   Then God will enlarge (v.3-4) our borders to include all nations.  As our responsibility grows, God will enrich (v.5-9) us from within as people join us.  The surrounding people will join us or perish as we become established. (v.10-12)  God will reverse our circumstances as we take up responsibility for bringing deliverance to all creation. (v.13-18)  "Everlasting glory" shall be upon our heads, as the Church shares in His righteousness and His joy.

ISA 61: NEW PRIESTHOOD:  Ex 19:5-6 says to us, "You shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: And you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."   1 Peter 2:9 echoes this with "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:"   Jesus has reproduced Himself in a people who are His voice, His hand, His seed, His branch, the place of His feet.  When we read this passage, we must see ourselves as the fulfillment, not just the receptacles.   Of course, Jesus fulfilled this in actuality.  But then He sends us in the same way He was sent by the Father (John 20:21).  Our primary role as God's priests is to be intercessors (v.6-9), "to stand between the living and the dead" (Num 16:48).   We shall be named "the priests of the Lord", "the ministers of our God". (v.6)

ISA 62: NEW HUSBAND/NEW NAME: God's relentless purpose is to build a people in His own image and likeness.  Names indicate character in the Bible.  A "new name" means a change in character or in our circumstances. (eg. Abram/Abraham).  "Marrying" Him is how we appropriate Jesus' finished work.  Being His Bride guarantees our provision and protection. He will not be silent until we are vindicated.  He will uphold us and comfort us in our trials.

RESPONSE: I am seeing more and more where the Apostle Paul got his theology.  He not only had a good grasp of what the OT said, he was given understanding about what it meant.  The big thing I see is that God has not changed His mind.  He has not changed His plan and He has not changed His purpose.

PHILIPPIANS 1:27 - 2:18                                                                                                 
UNCOMMON JOY:  It honors God when we are joyful during difficulties.  It is an OPPORTUNITY to share the Gospel.  Even death is the opportunity for the joy of being united to Jesus.  The philosophy for joy is simple: let your outward behavior be appropriate to the Gospel:  Stand fast: We are in a hostile environment and must hold our ground.  Contend as one: Be united with other believers.  Don't be afraid: Don't let things make you "run away". We are privileged to believe: We are part of an elite group - believers in Jesus!  Privileged to suffer: Elsewhere he calls it "the fellowship of His sufferings".  There is an intimacy between Jesus and us when we share rejection and persecution with Him.

HOW TO BE JOYFUL - CULTIVATING A SERVANT HEART:  If you are really "in faith" and enjoying the Lord, you will work together with other believers, loving each other and serving one another.  (v.3) We won't compete for position.   (v.3) Be more concerned about your own faults, than with someone else's.   (v.4) Be aware of the needs of others.   (v.5-11) Follow Jesus' example.

JESUS' "MIND":  The word "mind" here does not mean "intellect". It means "intensions".  It is what He has in mind to carry out.   His mind was set on certain things. The foundation of Jesus' attitude was that He emptied Himself of Him-SELF.  Isa 53:12 says He "poured out His soul".  This is defined as  (1) being stripped of His rights and dignity.  He did not grasp the privilege or rights of being equal with God.   (2) stripped of His rank and privilege.  As a servant, He was obligated to obedience.  He always took the "low" rank, seeing opportunities to serve.   (3) stripped of His own life.   He was a sacrificial offering, laying down His own life from the beginning.   He didn't complain, because He had poured out His life and had nothing to "protect".   Jesus was "self-void".

BEING SAVED IS HARD WORK:   It is not "work" for your salvation, but "work it out".  DO what you already ARE.  An unchanged Christian is a contradiction.  We can "work it out" BECAUSE "God is at work in us", both to affect our behavior, and to make us desire the change.  Don't stop halfway.   A changed heart should be manifested in a changed life. "Working out" our salvation is a verb tense that means to continually be working at it, achieving results.   It takes sustained effort.  The word is actually a word that is like "working out" the ore in a mine.   God put rich deposits in us, and we are digging at it, bringing it to light, using it because it's already ours.  This is an active, aggressive pursuit of obedience to the Holy Spirit and the Word.   We must manifest outwardly what is already true inwardly and spiritually. This means that although my spirit has been raised from the dead (Eph 2:5), salvation still has to be "worked out" in my soul and body (2Cor 1:10).   1 Thess 5:23 says we must be sanctified "spirit and soul and body".  This takes place in the process called "sanctification".    We submit and obey in faith, God takes what we commit to Him, protecting what came from Him in the first place, and burning up the rest. 

WHINE OR SHINE:  In the "hard work" of being saved, remember this:  Never defend yourself. Never demand your own way.   Never complain.  Then you will "shine as lights in the world".

RESPONSE:  Jesus PAID it all, and He has already DONE it all.   I live BY His Life - He is my life-source, my energy.  When I behave independently, I fail and I fall.  When I maintain the state of "abiding" and stay connected to God as my Source, I walk in His victory.  I work constantly to re-orient my life around God. Worship helps me break my obsession with myself.

PSALM 72:1-20                                                                                                                    
ORDER IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD:  Righteousness and justice characterize the Kingdom of God.   Heb 11:33 says that those who live by faith, "Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,....."   UN-righteousness and IN-justice should grieve us.  Another characteristic of the Kingdom is unlimited provision.   Not only are our own needs met, but we supply the poor and victimized around us.   Wherever God's Kingdom "comes", God's glory will be manifested.

PROVERBS 24:11-12                                                                                                  
When grievous injustice and unrighteousness is taking place right under our noses, we will be judged if we do nothing to stop it.

RESPONSE:   Many years ago, in the 80's in Omaha (we would have been in our 40's at the time), my husband and I were on our way home from a Sunday night service.   We had to drive through a predominantly Black neighborhood on our way home.   As we drove past a Pizza Hut, we noticed about 50 or more Black "kids" (about 16-30 years old) gathered around in a commotion, watching someone being beaten on the ground.   My husband stopped our car in the street, got out of the car, and walked right into the middle of this situation!   He was prepared to rescue whoever was on the ground, but fortunately for him, the fight was over and things were "wrapping up".   Husband gave first-aid to the bloody ones, while I called the police.   By the time the police finally got there, the crowd was dispersing.  The point is: my husband wouldn't drive on past when something like that was happening right in front of us.   As it turned out, the guy on the ground who got the worst of it turned out to be the son of some friends of ours - he was a baker at the Pizza Hut!