One Year Bible - November 5

EZEKIEL 12:1 - 14:11                                                                                                 
WHEN YOUR LIFE IS FALLING APART: It is a sign to you that you need to repent and call on the Lord for deliverance.  Those people who "pet" you and say that God wouldn't tear your life up, will be judged for prophesying out of their own heads.  But these idolaters have their pants on backwards. They didn't believe anything Ezekiel told them!  Of course, they hadn't believed Jeremiah either.  And obviously, they didn't believe God because judgment was delayed until they didn't believe judgment was coming anymore!  They actually supposed that they were getting away with something.  But, read what the Holy Spirit is saying, (Eze 12:23-28 and Heb 3:7-15)   It is the enemy's bait to tell you that judgment is a long way off!  The flesh does not like God's interference, and sees God's commands as intolerance. And because sin is deceptive, we believe that stuff!

PRETENDERS, FAKES AND HYPOCRITES: These are claiming to have wisdom and knowledge and the ability to lead, but they are just saying what you want to hear.  Not only are they condemned by God, but they are taking you with them!  It says that they (13:2) "follow their own spirits and have seen nothing!"  They have the unmitigated gall to say, "The Lord said...." They don't want God to keep you from them, because they want you to serve THEM instead! They are overbearing, condescending, flattering, and phony.  They are seducers and manipulators.  They refuse to "go up into the gaps" or to "make up the hedge" or to "stand in the battle".  They could get hurt!  No!  They expect YOU to do it, though!  These false leaders expect you to sacrifice yourself for them.  Real leadership is a living sacrifice, and they go first, modeling and leading the way.  Imagine being so twisted that God declares you to be His enemy!!!  They were undermining God's Name and God's glory, and had to be flushed out and flushed down.  Their names were blotted out of the registry and they lost any claim on the Kingdom of God.

When manipulation and seduction didn't work, the women used MAGIC to seduce people to think they could prolong their lives. That they would be spared by their arch-enemy if they stayed faithful to their charms. These women were pandering for food!  God said He would neutralize their power in order to rescue some from their clutches.  RESULT? 1 Tim 4:1-2 says, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;"  Those trapped in this deception are made bold in their opposition to God.  Their lifestyle appears easier than being righteous.  It was the softer, more acceptable route to take.  Going against the flow brings rejection, humiliation, persecution, isolation.  But if you are on the easy road, you will die of starvation and drought, or in battle.  Spiritual food and drink can ONLY come from the Lord.

The pretenders, fakes and hypocrites have one more trick up their sleeves: (chap14) "Let's pretend to ask God what to do, even tho we have no intension of obeying Him."  But God isn't stupid.  God is street-smart and savvy.  They thought they could insult God by worshipping "idols of the heart" and shamelessly lead others astray - - - and then expect God to give them "a word".   God wants to recapture their hearts and the hearts of their followers.

REPENT: (14:6-11) Repentance is necessary because of estrangement.  It is defined as "turning away your faces from all your abominations" (14:6).  The OT word is "turn" or "return".  Re-connect with God in dependency.  He must be the center of your life - going to Him about EVERYTHING.  An "idol of the heart" is secret - it causes the estrangement because it takes God's place.  It is a counterfeit or a substitute.  A "broken cistern".  Without repentance, God will set His face against you. (14:8)  James 4:4 puts it this way: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?"  And again in James 4:6-7, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  When we refuse to repent, judgment is inevitable. 

RESPONSE:  This really tears me up.  I WANT to repent for the people I love.  I want them to "get it".   I don't want to see them suffer, but know that it is inevitable because of their hardness of heart.  Hardness of heart makes them blind and deaf to the truth.  They can't understand it anymore.  That is how people get deceived and way "out there".  Trying to deceive God leads to self-deception.  So, if that's you - "TURN".

HEBREWS 7:1-17                                                                                                        
This is a continuation of the 3rd warning about refusing to "grow up", but instead allowing our flesh to be sacrificed to obedience, and taking responsibility as a Christian.  Part of that responsibility is to become a priest of the Lord.  God's original purpose (Gen 1:26-28; Gen 19:6; 1 Pet 2:5; Rev 1:5-6; 5:10) was for a "nation of priests" - that's us!  But this is a "better priesthood" (Heb 7:7) than anything that pre-existed because it is able to get results.  The great point in this chapter is that with no more sacrifices and a better covenant, this new system has the power to perfect and mature the sons of God.

WHO IS MELCHIZEDEK?  Jesus is our forerunner - meaning He expects us to follow His example and be priestly like He is.  Melchizedek was given as a living example of what is expected and what grace is given to us to fulfill our purpose.   The first useage of the word "priest" in the Bible is associated with Melchizedek (Gen 14:18), which makes the Melchizedek priesthood much more ancient than that priesthood of Aaron.  Melchizedek, like true believers, has no past and has an endless (eternal) future.  The fact that Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek signifies that the Melchizedek priesthood is superior to that of Aaron. The tithe is hereby lifted into the spiritual realm and is a spiritual matter, no longer under the law.  It is for the mature believer.  

RESPONSE:  Being a "liberated" 21-Century person, I used to think of MY money as "mine"! But in Hebrews 7 we learn that the tithe was around BEFORE the law, and even AFTER JESUS!  The tithe is an acknowledgement of our dependence on God, and not on Mammon (any substitute for God that sustains our lives). It also documents our gratitude to God, Who gives us "all things" (1Tim 6:17; Heb 1:2; 1 Co 6:12; 10:23; 2 Co 6:10; Phil 3:8).  ALL our money actually belongs to God, but He is willing to accept the tithe as representative of the WHOLE.

PSALM 105:37-45                                                                                                             
THE WORLD IS GLAD TO GET RID OF US!  That's what Psa 105:38 says!  This is not talking about a "rapture", but an escape from the enemies of our soul.  When we leave the world system and their claims behind us (getting born again), the enemy is chasing us, breathing threats.  It is when we usher in the Presence of God - go into His Presence as we walk thru Wal-Mart, then the enemy is AFRAID of us!  Now he's running from us!  We don't work to overcome the enemy.  We work to stay connected to God - denying our flesh, denying our own agenda, our own rights, our own arguments - because being with God is "better" (see Hebews).  "Praise ye the Lord!"

PROVERBS 17:3                                                                                                
God is being compared to a "melting pot" and a "fiery furnace".  We can come easy, or we can come hard.  The fire (distress, pressure, hindrances) will reveal what's in us.  My mom used to say, "What you are when you are offended, is what you are."  Ouch!

RESPONSE:   My first reaction to being "in the fire" is usually, "Get me out!"  I didn't believe that God could get me THRU the fire.  He actually doesn't exactly get us thru the fire INTACT!  The parts that are not God get incinerated.  He wants to get rid of the arrogance, the independence, the rudeness, the selfishness, the lying, the fear, and anything else that will hinder God from being manifest in us.  We cover Him up with our flesh!  Isn't this interesting:  GOD is the heat - not Satan!  So stop rebuking the pressure!  Succumb to it and let the junk burn.  We do that by focusing on the goodness and greatness of God - by speaking to Him, singing to Him, shouting to Him how great He is!  How faithful He is!  How fabulous He is!  We can get thru anything if God is with us!  Let the flesh be humiliated and burn. 

One Year Bible - November 4

EZEKIEL 10:1 - 11:25                                                                                               

ICHABOD: (1Sam 4:19) The glory departed. It is gradual, and before we know it, He's gone. This is how people backslide - in increments.  But God is in control of all the forces of judgment that He uses. God's judgment comes from the midst of His revealed character in the Wheels. The LINEN-ROBED Person will then scatter fire from the chariot-throne and burn the City.

THOSE CHERUBIM: Remember, the elders believed that God had already left the country and wouldn't see their abominations. And here the cherubim are, COVERED WITH EYES. God's Presence sees everything.  The face of the OX, the burden-bearer, is missing and is now a cherub! The ox was sacrificed and now God's Presence (cherubim) covers the earth.

Two cherubim covered the Mercy Seat of the Ark of Covenant. (See Psa 80:1; 99:1; 2 Sam 6:2).  They were ONE (in union) with the Mercy Seat.  They were in the Holy of Holies, the Throneroom of God.  They had fire that went up and down among them.  The Spirit was in the wheels.  They were full of eyes and had hands and wings and straight feet, as well as wheels. As Ezekiel watched, the glory of God departed the threshold and stood over the cherubims. Then the cherubims carried Him away.

THE PRINCE AND THE PROPHET:  A group of 25 men still in Jerusalem, led by the princes, are plotting revolt against Babylon, saying they must free Jerusalem, for Jerusalem is now a boiling pot doomed to destruction. They think that because they are still in the Land and not in captivity yet, that they have God's favor.  God told them, however, that those in exile are the "sanctuary of God's Presence" - for it is God's Presence that make the Sanctuary, not the other way around.  Filled with the Spirit, the prophet, Ezekiel, tells them they will be destroyed if they continue in their rebellion.   While he is still prophesying, his prince falls dead at his feet. Heartbroken, Ezekiel falls down and cries out to God wondering if God will destroy even the righteous REMNANT!

A FUTURE HOPE: There will be a re-gathering through the Cross.   We will have an "undivided heart" and a "new spirit", a "soft heart".  But the idolaters will be destroyed.  Then the cherubim went out of the city and rested on the Mount of Olives, foretelling the day when Jesus would leave the Temple courts, pronouncing judgment on them, and make His way across the Kidron to the Mount of Olives from which, after His crucifixion, He would ascend to the Father.

RESPONSE: I used to think my mother was covered with eyes, too. She seemed to see everything we did!  Even if she didn't actually see it, she knew about it.  God's Presence is even more invasive.  He knows our thoughts before we express them.  There is no such thing as secret idolatry from God.   If there is anything that we use as a substitute for God to satisfy the hunger in our soul, God knows about it.   The glory of God is hesitating at the threshold, waiting for us to repent.   God considers our substitute an "image of jealousy".  Don't wait for the fire.  Repent now.

HEBREWS 6:1-20                                                                                                       
BACKGROUND: This is a continuation from chapter 5, and contains the third warning. Keep in mind that the books of Hebrews thru Revelation are ALL ABOUT FAITH.  Hebrews teaches us the purpose of faith - to push us thru self-sacrifice and into spiritual maturity.  The motive given here is that everything on the "other side" is "better" than what we've known in our spiritual IMmaturity.  There are two opposite results given here: The five (5) warnings of NOT going on to maturity OR having access to five (5) "eternals" that are discussed in Hebrews.

FIRST WARNING: Heb 2:3 warns us of apathy, carelessness, and indifference on our part. Our flesh wants nothing to do with "God's Rest" - which is entered thru self-sacrifice.  It is a condition of being "in faith" - resting in God's promises.  It is "natural" to be self-centered, self-serving, and selfish. It goes against our flesh-nature to be self-sacrificial and God-centered. We have to re-program ourselves by forming new righteous habits (the process of "sanctification").  EXHORTATION: Stay aggressive and purposeful about your pursuit of God and His Presence.  Consciously go after God, constantly remind yourself to stay God-centered.

SECOND WARNING: Heb 3:7-4:1 warns us of "an evil heart of unbelief".  Whenever we refuse to obey God (those promptings) because of fear or self-preservation, our hearts "harden" and over time, we become "dull of hearing"- and deceived.  There is no rest in that condition, and we are in danger of dying "in the wilderness" - without ever achieving our purpose or our spiritual goal of Christlikeness.  EXHORTATION:  Hold fast to what you know. Exhort one another. Continually instruct your own heart with Truth about God's goodness and greatness.

THIRD WARNING: Heb 6:4-6 warns of the impossibility of continually "starting over" as Christians.  We can't keep "getting saved" so we can start over.   INSTEAD, once we are born again, if we "fall",  we must truly repent and then show the fruit of repentance - an EXchanged life (His for mine, letting my SELF die thru obedience).   When we sin, we have an Advocate (1Jo 2:1-2) and we go to Him, Jesus, for forgiveness, and then "go on unto perfection".   Don't get tangled up in that cycle of sin -> repent -> sin the same sin -> repent again -> repeat -> repeat.   Instead, consider the wasted years, wasted efforts, wasted life burned up ("thorns and thistles") and begin producing "better things...that accompany salvation."  "go on" in the original language means "endure; bring forth fruit; be driven by the wind".  It is aggressive, pushing forward; leaning into it.  You are overcoming spiritual inertia.  It will require ALL your "rocket boosters" to get you back into orbit, so to speak. YOU MUST GROW UP, AND IT WILL COST YOU EVERYTHING.  You are not "starting over" - you are going on from here - you can't go back to the beginning - you MUST go on and grow up and show "the same diligence ... to the end."   If we don't "go on" and gain maturity, we are in danger of God's discipline, and a failure to "inherit".   We WILL suffer losses in eternity for sure, and forfeitures here. 

Something we learn from the people of the Wilderness is that bitterness causes unbelief, and hardness of heart comes from complaining against God for how He deals with us.  Our choice is to surrender or to rebel.  This THIRD WARNING is about using our spiritual knowledge in life situations - making our faith practical - and growing up. There is more to the Christian life than just being saved from hell. We must also LIVE saved.  Because we can't be saved more than once, everything we do after we are born again, will be examined, judged, and either burned or blessed (see also 1Co 3:13-15).   It is not that our good works done along our way are not noted and appreciated, but that God expects us to live up to our full potential, finish our course in faith, in pursuit of Him.  Faith is manifested in obedience and in patient endurance.  Unbelief is manifested in loss and forfeiture.

GOD'S IMMUTABLE (UNCHANGEABLE) PURPOSE": God's purpose is so good, so holy, so powerful, that it is impossible to pervert it.  God's "unchangeable purpose" is also our "anchor of the soul" and it is this:  that we become a family of sons in God's image, who minister in His Name and in His place (Gen 1:26-28; Psa 8; Rom 8:17-18,30; Heb 2:6-10). God's "Divine nature" being produced in us keeps us stable (anchored).   That "HOPE" (our hope is that we will be like Him 1 Jo 3:2-3)  is "within the veil" - and to access it, will COST US EVERYTHING because the veil represents the "rending of our flesh".  Jesus preceded us thru the veil of His own flesh as our "forerunner" - meaning that it is His intent that we follow Him AND follow His example.   EXHORTATION: Press forward. Don't keep repeating the same cycle - repent and go forward from here.  It is better to let it all burn than to forfeit everything. (Mat 5:29-30)  Submit and obey, conquering your pride and letting it die the humiliating death of crucifixion.  We are not victims; we are sacrifices.  It only FEELS like being a victim because our flesh isn't used to being denied yet. 

"BETTER": Heb 1:4 says we will obtain a "better Name" of "son" that speaks of responsibility, obligations, and relationship to the Father. Now Heb 6:9 speaks of "better things...that are fruit of salvation" which is talking about access to and fulfillment of the promises of God in our lives (because of our new maturity (see Gal. 4).

"ETERNALS": Heb 5:9, "eternal salvation" , refers to the Life (Jo 3:16) that is set on a foundation of unchangeable absoluteness.  It is a quality of practical life that we inherit when we "obey Him".  It is accessed thru "crucifixion of the flesh" (Gal 5:24*), which are opportunities for self-sacrifice in everyday life.  The "eternal salvation" that takes place is the salvation of our LIFE - not just our spiritual parts. Heb 6:2 "eternal judgment" refers to judgment that is past, present and future.  It is what tells us that we "messed up" and must repent. That is a good thing!  Repent and go on.  Don't dwell on it.  The thing judged will then be burned or blessed. That is also a good thing!  I don't want to drag "thorns and thistles" around with me!  The "eternals" are about a saved LIFE, not just going to heaven some day. 

RESPONSE:   I get "hung up" on Heb 6:15 and obtaining the promise thru "patient endurance".  It means to "not lose heart".  It is the word "loooooong-suffering".   It is faith that is not relaxed by waiting!   Faith must continue to be lively, aggressive in believing and in speaking in order to obtain the promise of spiritual maturity.  Faith is always tested by delay.  ***That interval of "patient endurance" must be accompanied by blameless, obedient walking, because one of the purposes of delay is to DEVELOP OBEDIENCE!!!!***

PSALM 105:16-36                                                                                                     

This Psalm, one of the "Numbers" Psalms, was originally written to celebrate the coming of the Presence of God into our midst.  It instructs our hearts of the faithfulness and the power of God. Vs. 16-45 trace the history from Joseph to the Exodus (Gen 37-50).  Some interesting information is gleaned here that must have been passed down by oral tradition:  Joseph was kept in stocks that were painful, while in Egypt's prisons (13 years), and it caused "iron to come into his soul" - it made Joseph more determined than ever to glorify God with his life.  The "word of the Lord" (God's promises) "tried him" (destroyed his SELF-life with fire).  We also learn that it was God who caused Pharaoh to deal with the Israelite slaves deceptively. V.30 tells us that God put frogs in the kings' toilet!  The important point made here is that God is in complete control, even tho it APPEARS as tho His people are being victimized. Appearances can be deceiving; God does what He says He will do, despite appearances.

PROVERBS 27:1-2                                                                                                  
Preparing is okay; presuming is not.

One Year Bible - November 3

EZEKIEL 7:1 - 9:11                                                                                                        
"THE END HAS COME": Disaster is here. (7:5-6) Doomsday is here (7:7, 10). Gold and silver will not buy your way out.  The "Day of the Lord" refers to when God Sovereignly intervenes in history.  God is shown as "coming" in judgment, on the clouds, out of heaven, melting the mountains, setting fire to the earth.  In Isa 64:1-3 Isaiah prayed for God to come down and destroy creation.  What he meant was for God to manifest Himself. The "judgment-comings" of God in the OT were His interventions in human events with His wrath. What accompanies "that Day"?  Idols (counterfeits and substitutes) will be dealt with and those things that we depended on will "burn up" in judgment. And  "They shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth." (7:9)  Everything is so overwhelming that the people are paralyzed from action.

PICKED UP BY THE HAIR:  It is still five years before Jerusalem is destroyed, and the Holy Spirit translated (by the hair) Ezekiel "home" to see what was going on.  In contrast to "the glory of the Lord" Ezekiel sees "the image of jealousy" in the Temple.  It greatly provoked our jealous God.  Idolatry and orgies inside the Temple drove God out of His own sanctuary!  There were dirty pictures on the walls of the Holy Place and an antichristian deity enthroned in the Holy of Holies! Some priests were actually worshipping the sun in secret. Their attitude was despising of the House of the Lord.  And these were the leaders!  They "ministered" under the influence of evil spirits!  Keep in mind that in order to internalize this Scripture, that our soul is the Holy Place, our spirit is the Holy of Holies.  We ARE the Temple, and the Sanctuary of God Almighty. Are we hiding secrets? Do we allow wild thoughts to come in and stay?  Or have we asked God to so fill us that the thought of sin is abhorrent?  Are we sensitive to the approach of evil?

"GOD HAS LEFT THE BUILDING":  Here we have the slaughter of the idolaters. The ones with the marks on their foreheads were preserved. The righteous intercessors, "who sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done", were "sealed".  THE MAN IN WHITE LINEN: is Jesus in the midst of the Candlestick with six additional branches (the human Church). Jesus marked the remnant while the other six carried out the executions. In this massacre of the idolaters, the "glory of the Lord" has moved out to the threshold, on its way out.  But it lingers - - - waiting for a change of heart in the people. There is still a remnant and the "the Lord knows those that are His" (2 Tim 2:19).  God's judgment on the rest was because of: (9:9) "iniquity, perverseness, ... bloodshed."

RESPONSE:   God said, "Begin at My Sanctuary".  Orgies in the Temple:  What would idolatry in the church look like?  Counterfeit worship?  Substituting knowledge for experience? Misplaced values?  Leadership with secrets?  Do we "sigh and cry" over abominations, or do we look the other way?

We are the Temple and God no longer dwells in a building "made with hands".  So contemplate "orgies in the Temple" from that standpoint:  Indulging in a secret thought-life. Living to gratify SELF.  Pride and arrogance.  Bigotry, hatred, unforgiveness, hardness of heart.  In Ezekiel we saw judgment "begin in the House of the Lord" (1 Pet 4:17).

HEBREWS 5:1-14                                                                                                     
THIRD WARNING: Fortunately for us, God "has compassion on the ignorant".  There are TWO Greek words for "ignorant". This one is "agneo" which just means "I don't know." The other word is "idiotes" which means "I don't want to know."  The warning is actually over in chapter 6, but the discussion begins here:  Some people "miss it" because they just don't realize what they are forfeiting every time they give in to their flesh. You see, it says here that "eternal salvation" is for those who "obey Him".  They have been tamed to submission - not weak, not doormats, not passive, but obedient to God.  In fact, that obedience is some of the most dangerous, courageous, outlandish things you will ever do!   It caused Jesus to "suffer". When we don't obey God, we become CALLOUSED.  Soon, we grow "dull of hearing" - we lose our edge and become sluggish.  We don't enjoy pleasing God like we used to.

THE GOAL AND THE PRIZE - REST:  Salvation is the Remedy, not the Goal!  God's Presence is our goal, and it is there we find "Rest", which is the prize.  You've probably heard of the "Law of First Usage".  It states that the meaning of words in the Bible get their understanding from the first time it gets used.  The word henceforth is interpretated from that first setting. This word "rest" is first used in Genesis 5:29, and it is Noah's name. "Noah" actually means "Rest". His father named him that because Noah was consolation for all their hard work.  Then in Genesis 8:21, when Noah emerged from the Ark, the first thing he did was to build an altar and make a burnt offering to the Lord.  "And the Lord smelled a sweet savor..." The words "sweet savor" in the original language (Heb) is "the odor of rest" or "a restful smell". What is "the odor of rest"?  It is the smell of self-sacrifice.  The burnt offering that Noah made represented himself.  When Noah "entered in to rest", he acknowledged God as being sufficient and gave it all while he built the ark in faith and obedience (Heb 11:7).  When we are consumed in self-sacrifice, it gives off an "odor of rest" to God, that the Bible calls "a sweet savour".

"HABITS":  V. 14 Says we become skilled at living righteously by "use" - which is the word for "habits".  Rom 12:21 says we overcome evil habits (selfishness, self-centeredness, etc.) with "good" - or better habits.  When we are pressured, we rely on "muscle memory" - a habit we developed when there was NO pressure.  So, make it a righteous habit to force your mind to think about Jesus, about God's goodness and God's greatness. About God's faithfulness. Do it while you drive your car, while you fold the laundry, while you mow the lawn, while you make supper, etc.  That way, when pressure comes to fire a retort, to lose your temper, to manipulate someone, to speak unadvisedly - or to grab a candy bar - whatever your vice is - you will DEFAULT to your new habit in God.  Otherwise you will stay UNskilled, UNtried, UNproven, INexperienced.  This passage says that this is spiritual babyhood!  Jesus understands this - He had to "learn obedience through the things He suffered" also!  Our habit must be self-sacrificial, and this requires that we force our hearts to enter His Rest.

"ETERNAL SALVATION":  No - this doesn't mean that there is another salvation that isn't "eternal". What this means is that this particular salvation spoken of in Hebrews 5-6 comes from eternity and into our lives when we allow ourselves to mature through obedience.  It is the salvation spoken of in Phil 2:12 that we "work out", the salvation of our SOULS (1 Pet 1:9), the redeeming of our practical lives, not just a spiritual salvation.   But it only comes thru obedience.  This "eternal salvation" puts us in direct communication with eternity - or heaven and its resources.  Isa 57:1 5 says that God "inhabiteth eternity".  That eternity is a "high and lofty place".  It is the unseen, invisible realm (2Co 4:18), the LIFE (John 3:16; John 10:10) that is set on a foundation of unchangable absoluteness.  It is a quality of life that we inherit when we "obey Him".  This "eternal salvation" is for those "that obey Him". When we choose to opt out and submit to our own flesh, we forfeit all that, including the "Rest".  

RESPONSE: I have always had the mistaken idea that my growth-rate is my business.  I thought that I moved along at my own pace!  I didn't know about the consequences of all my big screw-ups (which we'll read in chapter 6).  So what if I stayed immature?  Well, there are consequences, the chief one of which is not being able to please God because I was always overwhelmed by circumstances.

PSALM 105:1-15                                                                                                                    
IMPORTANT: Please refer back to the background information of Psalm 90-106: the "Numbers" Psalms - "Labouring" to enter in to God's Rest."

This Psalm was originally written to accompany the Ark on its return to Jerusalem, from being at Obed Edom's house. It is a celebration of the coming of God's Presence and rejoicing in His faithfulness and power. Keep in mind that this is an outward expression. V. 4 uses two different words for "seek". One means to habitually draw near to look, expecting Him to come near. The other word means to diligently pursue Him with the expectation of apprehending Him. This means we must NEVER give up "making contact" with God when we worship. We keep at it until we know He is near. V. 8 says He remembers His word - James 4:8 says when we draw near to God, He DOES draw near to us. Exo 17:6 says He "stood before" - right in front of - Moses. Psa 16:8 says I can "set the Lord always before me" - immediately in front of me. That is cause for rejoicing! Usher Him in with singing!

PROVERBS 26:28                                                                                                       

Why is it that when we lie about someone, when they find out and are hurt by it, we get mad at them? We should be upset with ourselves!

A "flatterer" is someone who smiles while they put a knife in our backs.

RESPONSE: We should all resolve to be very careful about what we say.  My mother used to say, "if you can't say something nice about someone, then don't say anything at all."

One Year Bible - November 2

EZEKIEL 3:15 - 6:14                                                                                                          
THEIR BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS:  A "watchman" in the Bible is a person who prays, then warns when he sees danger coming. When you know that someone is in danger and don't warn them, God will hold you accountable. The results of your warning are not your problem, however. Some people choose to persist in their danger, in this case, their backsliding and apostasy.

FOUR SIGNS OF JUDGMENT:  (1) The "tile": God would fight against Jerusalem, not for it. (2) Sleeping position: Left side = Israel; right side = Judah. Both had turned against God to worship their substitutes and counterfeits ("broken cisterns" Jer 2:13).   (3) Polluted bread, cooked over human dung: because the people have polluted themselves, famine and drought will hasten the siege and many will die.  (4) The shaved head & beard: After the famine, Judah will suffer the humiliation of military defeat by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.   After shaving off all his hair, Ezekiel was to divide it into three parts: one part would die in the city by famine & disease; one part would be killed in battle; and one part scattered to the winds.  Yet, there would be a righteous REMNANT, "bound up in thy skirts" - protected and preserved by God.

WHY IS GOD SO ANGRY?  (5:6-7) There are unbelievers who behave better than some of us do!   (5:10) Heart hungers and addictions drive us to do independent-from-God things.  (5:11) When we act on those hungers outside of God, we defile our hearts and our bodies.  In the end, "They shall know that I am the Lord." (6:7, 10, 13, 14)  Delayed judgment is NOT permission to rebel. It is mercy. 

RESPONSE: What does it take to get someone's attention?  How could anyone get this far away from God?  Why does it take such ultra-conditions to get them to repent?  And even when their world was torn apart and destroyed, most STILL persisted in their rebellion.  Only a handful of hair remained in Ezekiel's skirt!

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE:  God does not accept "excuses" for turning our back on Him.  When God judges sin, His purpose is not destruction, but restoration. (like a farmer burning over a spent field). Some "reasons" for apostasy are given in Ezekiel and Jeremiah:  (1) Unmet spiritual hunger - and subsequent grasping for substitutes. (2) Fear and unbelief when God "changed things up". They "pull away", rather than confront their issues (Heb 10).  (3) Intellectually and morally "outgunned" by unbelievers or by leadership who are working to deceive us while they are deceived themselves.  (4) Self-preservation that leads to being easily offended. They put externals and temporals above what is internal and eternal. External "treasures", even if they are SELF, are HOOKS.   (5) "Love of the world and the things in the world" (1 John 2:15-17).  Again, they are "treasures" that serve as HOOKS to draw us away. Hooks lose their allure when we satisfy our hungers with God.

HEBREWS 4:1-16                                                                                                               
SECOND WARNING:  Be "afraid" of coming short of God's Rest. Rom 3:23 calls it "coming short of His glory".  Remember, this isn't speaking about salvation from sin, but of salvation from sinning; of growing up into being a "son" (Galatians 4:1-7), of being "in faith".

The importance of this passage is that we learn that salvation from sin and death is not God's goal for us. It is only our entrance to God's Life.  Getting saved is how we "qualify" ourselves to live for God.  So many of us have been born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit, and have never realized that there is MORE!  We think we have heard it all, seen it all, and even done it all - and have gotten jaded or even bored! Then Hebrews is the book for you! There is not only more, but we are warned to be AFRAID of missing it!

WHY AFRAID? The original language word for "fear" here is "phobos", from which we get "phobia" - an exceedingly terrible, unreasonable fear.   We are accountable for the call God has extended to us.  Everything in the Bible is about God drawing us to Himself. That is His desire.  When we act independent from Him, when we go whole days without even talking to Him, when we don't desire Him, God is not pleased.  God's rest is found in His Presence.  It takes faith to "labour to enter" His Presence ("the Land"). We train, instruct, and teach our own hearts and minds that God is trustworthy and great and wonderful (Rom 12:2; Mat 22:37; Rom 8:7; Eph 4:23; 1Pet 1:13, et al).  We don't wait for the right thoughts to come into our minds. We TELL our minds and our hearts what to think!  We can actually push ourselves into being "in faith" by telling our hearts and minds about God's goodness and God's greatness, OUT LOUD.  Deuteronomy, the book about entering the LAND, (God's Rest) has for its theme: "Remember God's goodness and God's greatness".  This keeps us out of unbelief.  It saves us from fear. God LOATHES an "evil heart of unbelief".   I don't want God to "loathe" me!  Nothing feels as good as knowing you've pleased God.  Nothing feels as terrible as knowing you've displeased Him.  We should be afraid to back away from God for fear that He won't be enough. 

WE HAVE "HELP":  Praise God!  We have the Word of God and we have Jesus.  If sin has deceived us into thinking the world is man-centered and that what God wants does not matter - then the Word of God will UN-deceive us!  It has the "power" and the "life" in it to pierce through our misconceptions, our deceptions, our preconceptions - and show us what is really in us.   Even if we are hardened.   Because God's Word is "sharp" enuf.  And when Truth is laid bare to us and we are laid bare to Truth, we have a "priest" (the one who used the Word to cut us open in the first place) who totally understands us. THEREFORE, we come BOLDLY - knowing God wants us with Him, knowing Jesus has made a way for us and drawn us forward - and obtain "grace to help".

SPECIAL WORD:  I love this. The Greek word for "help" is "boetheia" which is the Old English word "fraps".  Fraps are the ropes and chains that are wrapped around a ship in a storm, to keep it from being dashed to pieces.  A diver drags it underneath and it is drawn upward from the sea and wound around and around to hold the ship together.  It is used in Acts 27:17, "helps", referring to the ropes and chains that undergirded the ship.  "Grace to help" is intended to keep me from falling apart when I go thru storms of life.   It undergirds and holds me together.   I obtain it when I push into God's Presence by insisting that God is great, and God is good.   By acknowledging that He is greater than anything that comes into my life.  That God is in charge, God is working His plan, God will not be thwarted.  My rest comes, not because I am weary, but because I am satisfied and content with just God.  This is the inheritance of a "son", whom Galatians 4 says has been changed from the inside-out.  A real, inward change has taken place.   Gal 3:25 says, "faith has come."

RESPONSE:   My biggest problem is in loosing my focus.  When I "forget God" - don't keep Him in focus, then I get all obsessed with myself again, wanting life to be "fair" - whatever that is.   When I keep my mind wrapped around God's goodness and God's greatness, I am actually CHOOSING to be happy and content, no matter what is happening!  Christian maturity is measured by how much we are conformed to Jesus' image and likeness.  How content am I? How satisfied with Him am I?   Have I learned to delight in the Lord?  Or do I need something else in order to be happy?

PSALM 104:24-35                                                                                                   
Everything created is dependent on God for sustenance.  According to v. 29-30 God is in attendance at every death and every birth.  Even tho His creations come and go, His glory endures forever.

MY CHOICE:  I can CHOOSE to be happy.  How?   By deciding right now to sing praise to God as long as I have a voice.  By deciding that I will draw my satisfaction from God, that whatever I think I may need, I WILL go to God to fill my hungers.  My "meditation" (what I tell myself) of God will be "sweet" - give me pleasure, and in turn, please God.   NOTE: The wicked are gathered out of the earth, so that the "meek inherit the earth" (Psa 37:11), not the other way around!

HALLELUJAH!  "Praise the Lord" is originally written, "Hallelujah".  Psa 105 also ends with "Hallelujah", and Psa 106 begins and ends with "Hallelujah".  Also Psa 104 begins and ends with "Bless the Lord, O my soul".  This Psalm is intended to push us over into God's Presence, as we instruct our hearts with God's goodness and God's greatness.

PROVERBS 26:27                                                                                                            

This reads like an American cartoon show: Wile E. Coyote builds a trap for the Roadrunner, then falls into the trap himself. Roll a stone boulder uphill to lie in wait to push it onto an enemy, and as you near the top of the hill, the stone comes rolling back over your own head to crush you.

RESPONSE:   It is foolish to seek revenge or to plot someone's harm. God sees it, and turns it on us instead.  We may reap before we've actually even sown!

One Year Bible - November 1

EZEKIEL 1:1 - 3:15                                                                                                             
WILD MAN:  "Ezekiel" means "Strength of God" and comes from the Hebrew word "chazak" which refers to the decisive and resolute strength of an eagle that keeps his gaze straight ahead. It is the singlemindedness that acts like a man, instead of panicking or giving up.  It is translated "encouraged" in 1Sam 30:6.  It is the strength that comes because we know how to hold fast to God. That pretty much describes this young prophet-priest.  When we first meet him, he is married, has been a captive in Babylon for 5 years already, with no home, no Temple, no altars, no ministry.  He is 30 years old, about the same age as his contemporary, Daniel, who has been in Babylon about 11 years longer than Ezekiel. They know each other, obviously. Jeremiah is an old man by now, living back in Jerusalem - and both Ezekiel and Daniel know of him and of his ministry, too.  Ezekiel was outspoken, passionate, daring and unusual.  He had the most bizarre visions pictured in the Bible, and saw the glory and the majestic throne of God.  It was Ezekiel who kept the faith alive as, amazingly, the captives persisted in their disregard for God's commands.

EZEKIEL'S AUDIENCE:  The Babylonian captives were prisoners of war.  They were disobedient and spiritually calloused.  During the siege of Jerusalem, they were idolatrous and violent.  They were naively believing that God would "forgive and forget" and protect them from their enemies, even though they were unfaithful, idolatrous, perverse blasphemers.  Just as Jeremiah prophesied, 1/3 were destroyed by famine and disease, 1/3 died in battle, and 1/3 went into captivity. (Actually this is not speaking of equal thirds, but of three unequal parts.  Over one million actually died from famine, disease, and battle.  Only 14,600 are listed as being taken captive.)   HOWEVER, the first 24 chapters of Ezekiel cover the time BEFORE that final, fateful siege that ended in the total destruction of Jerusalem. Those 24 chapters cover 7 years of trying to get people's attention!  Then he prophesied during the siege (chap 25-32), and after the siege (chap 33-48).  God called the people to whom he was sent "impudent and hardhearted". Think of stubborn relatives, who have heard the truth and rejected it because of the moral implications.

THEME:  "They shall know that I am God." This phrase occurs 62 times.  Ezekiel's job was to convince the captives that they had brought this on themselves because of their unspeakable abominations, that God's judgment was righteous, and then to offer hope IF they would repent.

THE GLORY OF GOD: This phrase is used 16 times in the book.  We learn that when we depart from the "glory of the Lord", that the "glory of the Lord" departs from us.  God has a plan and His plan will not be thwarted! He SHALL have a people made in His likeness through whom His glory would be revealed! It should be noted that Revelation is almost PARALLEL to Ezekiel. Both REVEAL (not conceal) "Who is in charge"!

WHAT IS THE GLORY OF GOD?  Ezekiel saw "the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." (1:28) "Glory" is the full potential of a thing.   It is God's goodness and greatness (Exo 33:18-19).  Glory is what gives a person weight, so it includes power, majesty, influence, honor, wealth, wisdom, superiority, authority, splendor, magnificence, privilege, abundance.  The throne is always linked with God's glory because of its power, authority and majesty. 

CHERUBIM: The "cherubims of glory" are in the Holy of Holies, which is God's throneroom and also the place from where He communicates with us (Heb 9:5; Exo 25:18-22).   They are first seen at the entrance of the Garden of Eden, holding flaming swords - to be sure man finds it!  I believe they have some kind of tractor seat on them because the root word is "cherub", which means "to ride".  Ezek 9:3 suggests that the glory of God rested on the cherubims.  In 1 Kings 7:27-38 we see the cherubims acting as the agents of cleansing as they cry, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" (Rev 4:8).  They are full of eyes so that they can see beyond the chaos and see God's purpose.  God rides on the cherubim, which form God's throne-in-motion, the vehicle of His Presence (2 Sam 22:11).   God is enthroned on His creation (four faces), which means that everything exists for His pleasure and His purpose.

GOING DEEPER:  What grabs my attention is the fact that these creatures have wheels!  They DART to the four corners of the earth.  They contain the elements of lightning, fire, whirlwind, and great noise.  These creatures are not only God's dwelling place, but are a revelation of the character of God.  The face of a man suggests human compassion and understanding.  The face of a lion suggests kingship and dominion, strength and fearlessness.  The face of an ox suggests patient and enduring service, even in weariness and pain.  The face of an eagle suggests living above the world, with insight and wisdom.  The four are one creature, with singleminded purpose; no indecision, but prompt execution of the will of God.  Emanating from the wings was "the Voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech".  Their sound is gone out into all lands, and the words to the end of the world.  Various commentators from the earliest times in Church history have recognized Ezekiel's vision as a prophetic revelation of the detailed structure of the whole Bible, given many centuries before it was completed.  The most obvious correspondence is between the Four Faces and the Four Gospels.  The "wheel in the middle of a wheel" is the New Testament hidden in the allegory of the Old Testament!  And we see the GOSPEL speeding its way to the four corners of the world.   God is seen in the wind, the cloud, and the fire. HE IS "FIRE...FROM HIS LOINS UP, AND HIS LOINS DOWN", meaning He sits on the earth (loins down) and in heaven (loins up).

EZEKIEL'S CALL: "BRIARS, THORNS AND SCORPIONS":   A Life of hardship and persecution. The people to whom he was sent are bitter because of all their losses, convicted because of their guilt, and are being forced to see the connection between their sin and their punishment.   Ezekiel was to eat the scroll that contained his message of man's failure. (The teacher always has to live it first!).  If we do not EAT the book and digest it until it becomes bitter to our flesh and transforms us so that we live it, even tho it is sweet to our mouth, we forfeit our calling and have no power.   Ezekiel was to speak ONLY what God told him.   No one around him acknowledged Ezekiel as a "prophet", but he must preach and declare the "word of the Lord" whether anyone listens or not!   But note, Ezekiel's "trump card": (2:2) "the spirit entered into me" AND "the hand of the Lord was strong upon me." (3:14) Our call is to obey in our real-life circumstances.  Ezekiel's situation was dismal, but God would use him there, even without a church in which to carry out his duties.  God calls us to faithfulness, not success.  Ezekiel's life would be one of knowing and hearing God in the context of discouragement. . . . but, with the awareness of the glory, power, majesty, and sovereignty of God.

RESPONSE:  God vindicates His holiness.  He won't tolerate uncleanness and unfaithfulness forever. The only reason to delay judgment is to give us opportunity to repent.  But people are "hardheaded".  Ezekiel's passion for God would have to sustain him through some tough times.  The people he is called to have lost everything, even family members.  Some have boiled and eaten their children!  They probably feel that God has forsaken them.  The hardest thing to grasp at a time like that is that we have brought this on ourselves.  When we are rebellious, we never think we are responsible.  We see ourselves as victims, and then blame everyone and everything else.  The more Truth we hear, the harder our hearts (heads) become.  Fortunately, "For the word of God is living and active (on wheels). Sharper than any double-edged (flaming) sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Heb 4:12)  Our real problem is "the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb 3:13) which "hardens" us and causes us to become self-deceived. The problem with being "self-deceived" is that we don't know it!

HEBREWS 3:1-19                                                                                                       
Hebrews" means "to cross over" and refers to the crossing of the Jordan into "the Land". Here in chapters 3 and 4, this is interpreted to mean "entering into God's Rest".  It is the place of being "in faith", pleasing God.  The Jordan River is the lowest riverbed in the world (1000 ft below sea level) and means "to descend". Our "Jordan River" is figurative to crucifixion of the flesh.

"GOD'S REST":  There are two words used in the NT for God's "rest". The "rest" spoken of in the Gospels in reference to being born again, means "rest from weariness, rest from labor, rest from trying to save ourselves."  It refers to inactivity.  The "rest" spoken of in Hebrews 3 and 4 is the "Sabbath rest" spoken of in Genesis 1 and 2, and is the rest of being satisfied. This rest does NOT refer to inactivity.

God's rest is found in His Presence.  "God's Rest" is not a rest because of weariness; it is the rest of satisfaction and contentment!   God rested because He had completed what He set out to do and was satisfied with it (Gen 1:31-2:3).  For us to be in "God's Rest" is a condition where we are "in faith", manifesting Jesus as we trust Him to live in us.  It is a place of trust (faith) and obedience.  We get to this place by going against our flesh with obedience to the Word of God.  Remember, Jesus meets us at the entrance of "the Life" with a SWORD in His hand, and He has and will open the way (Josh 5:14; Heb 4:12-13).  We have God's permission to ASSUME that when we draw near to Him, He comes to us (James 4:8).  Don't wait until your circumstances are "out of control" to connect with God.  Speak out loud to your heart, instructing yourself to trust God, obey His voice and come.  We instruct our heart to trust God with the outcomes, no matter what they are. That's rest.  Our faith is to rest, confident that the outcomes are in God's hands. 

"HEAVENLY CALLING": The word "son/s" is used 23 times in Hebrews, and this book urges us to grow up to be sons (see also Galatians 4).  All through the book we read how being a "son", conformed to Jesus' image, is "better" than what we have experienced before.  We must not allow ourselves to be satisfied with "good enuf" because we are afraid of crucifixion.  This two-sided admonishment says that everything in "God's Rest" ("the Land") is "better" than settling for a life without meaning and influence, and without inheritance. Gal 6:7 and Heb 1:3 define "son" as the one who is "heir of God"/"heir of all things".  The other side of that is that when we DON'T press forward to enter in, God "loathes" us (3:10; Psa 95:8-11) and will not allow us to come into His Presence.

"EVIL HEART OF UNBELIEF" :  The opposite of "laboring" to enter "God's Rest" is to have an "evil heart of unbelief".  Heb 3:8-11 are a quote from Psalm 95:7-11, where the word "grieved" is the translation of an OT word "loathed and detested".  How do we become the object of God's loathing?  This passage tells us they forfeited their inheritance thru hardened hearts and unbelief, which are manifested in complaining and looking to substitutes for reliance on God.  We harden our hearts every time we hear God's voice and refuse to respond in obedience.  They "tested God"- to see whether He would fail them.  They didn't bother to know "God's ways" which are the ways of obedience and rest.  When we don't obey and enter God's rest, there is a disconnect, a departing heart from God.  The end result: "an evil heart of unbelief" is rooted in FEAR and self-preservation.   The "deceitfulness of sin" is the lie that life is men-centered, and it leads to being self-serving.

FOR THE RECORD:  What is our inheritance as "sons conformed to the image of Jesus"? Exactly what is our goal?  Where is "the land" that we are headed for?  What our inheritance IS NOT: heaven.  Heaven is given to us when we are born again.  We enter "eternal life" at our rebirth (John 3:16, et al).  Hebrews 3 and 4 make it VERY CLEAR that "the Promised Land" is "God's Rest" and that it is still available in this life.  To "inherit" something, I don't have to die, but the Person who leaves me something dies (Heb 9:15-17). 1Pet 1:4-5 says our "inheritance" is "reserved in heaven" - (heaven is the place of "God's Rest" and His Throne)  which Greek word ("reserved") means that it is being held in reserve like a savings' account, so that we can access it and make withdrawals on it.   It is NOT being held until our death, but rather is for life NOW and we make withdrawals on it for the purpose of attaining God's goal: "that we might be partakers of the divine nature" (Heb 3:14; 2Pet 1:3-4).  It is a "MUST" that we "enter in" to God's rest (Heb 4:6)....to partake of God, to be "in faith" - to give our SOUL rest (Mat 11:29).  Using the allegory of the OT "inheritance", we may say that in the NT, we find that our inheritance is "God's Rest" - it is a state of mind of being "in faith", rather than having an "evil heart of unbelief" with its inherent unrest, fear, rebellion, disappointment, dissatisfaction.

RESPONSE:   In practical terms, what does all this mean? First of all, Hebrews says it is more glorious to be God's believing son (confirmed to Christ's image), than to be only His servant. So, when the opportunities come to "enter in" to God's rest, I must seize them, through self-sacrifice and obedience to God. The alternative, which is a form of self-preservation, is to back off in fear and unbelief because I don't really believe that partaking of God is "better" than serving myself.  Fear of death and self-preservation is at the very root of unbelief.  I used to always wonder what would happen to me?  Who is going to look out for me? What about me?  Life in God (lived by faith) cannot be man-centered.

The other thing I had trouble understanding was that to access God's rest, took "LABOUR".  I was supposed to WORK AT IT! We don't try harder; we train more (before we need to be armed against the fight).  Each time we train ourselves to trust God and magnify Him, it gets easier to remember Him when situations arise.  When we refuse to deny our flesh at these opportunities, our heart hardens against God.  We can't wait until the challenge comes to train our hearts.  We must train beforehand.  We can't fight a battle without training.  We must train every day, all the time.

For example, someone insulted me and it made me mad. I can think of lots of "come-backs" to defend myself.  However, God wants me to "rest" - trust Him, believe Him, be satisfied with what He gives me, be content to be loved and accepted by Him.  How do I do that?  Before this ever happens, I instruct my own heart every morning that God can be trusted.  He is faithful.  He has always been there for me.  He has never left me or been unkind.  He is full of mercy toward me.  He has lost His heart to me and is totally in love with me.  God wraps me in His arms when I ask Him to.  God is mighty, a strong deliverer, a wonderful Friend.  What I am doing is convincing my own heart that it is okay to trust God completely. I don't need to ever defend myself. Then, when the opportunity comes, when the insult is made, I tell myself (not out loud this time), that everything is okay.  Nothing bad will happen to me if I don't react my "old" way.  I refuse to harden my heart in order to get what I think I want.  There is nothing that I want bad enough to sin in order to get it.  I rest.   Anything else is "evil" and "unbelief".  What follows is "better" than what I had going on before - a better position in God ("son"), and more to follow. The "rest" that I have is from being completely satisfied with God; He is all I really need.

PSALM 104:1-23                                                                                                         
IMPORTANT: Please refer back to the background information of Psalm 90-106: the "Numbers" Psalms - "Labouring" to enter in to God's Rest."

Psalm 104 is called "The Creation Psalm" because it parallels the six days of creation in Genesis.  In the midst of His creation, God is manifest as being full of majesty and power and greatness. He is greater than anything we may face. All of life arises and vanishes in total dependence on God. All of creation has Divine purpose, including me.  When my heart fears or feels threatened, I can know that God's greatness has not been challenged or threatened. He owns it all; He formed it all; He can manage me.  If He chooses, He has angel-servants to help me.

NOTE: V. 5 says that even though the earth is hung on nothing, it would remain forever.  It is so permanent, that not even the shock of sin would destroy it entirely. (see Job 26:7)  Nothing would disturb the earth's position in the universe.  The earth hangs in mid-air, resting on its own foundations (gravity? - drawing everything toward its center? or is it Jesus, upholding it with the word of His power:Heb 1:3?).  Psa 78:69 calls the earth "established forever", as does Eccl 1:4.  The word for "earth" refers to the land, the solid ground, not the world systems that are man-centered and therefore temporary and doomed for judgment.

PROVERBS 26:24-26                                                                                                     
This is in the context of things that destroy like fire. Here is a person with "hatred" in his heart.  This hatred could be anything from "being set against" someone, to actual "malicious brooding".  Either way, the person with hatred in his heart is UNTRUSTWORTHY.  Even tho' he covers up his hatred with deception, with false friendship, with sweet-talk, eventually his heart will be exposed publicly.  The Lesson Here: Don't be taken in by sweet-talking or by too-quick offers of friendship if you don't know the person well.  Better yet, do like Jesus:  "But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man." John 2:24-25.  In fact, when it comes right down to it: 1 Peter 2:23 says, "He entrusted himself to Him who judges justly."  We only trust people indirectly as we trust Jesus and the Father.  We are motivated by what pleases God and by self-sacrifice.  The only person who truly suffers harm from hatred is the one who has hatred in his heart. 1 John 3:15 says he is a murderer and does not have the life of God in him.

One Year Bible - October 31

LAMENTATIONS 4:1 - 5:22                                                                                              DISGRACED BECAUSE OF UNREPENTED SIN: The city (Jerusalem) has fallen into such horror and cruelty, no one would have thought it possible.  This was one of the most terrible sieges of all time.  Jeremiah is looking right at all those dead bodies now.  There is no more denying the judgment against sin.  Israel had forced God's hand.  The destruction was so terrible, that even the foundations were burned!  Prophets, priests and kings were primarily to blame, and they bore the brunt of the punishment.  They had utterly failed to discharge their ministry.  It is an unpleasant event when God has to discipline His own. The believer and God are both disgraced when it happens.

HOPE: "Your punishment will end." (Lam 4:22) And God will still avenge us on our enemies. We cannot turn to God without His help, and so we cry, "Restore us to Thyself, O Lord, that we may be restored." (Lam 5:21)  Even though we are thoroughly disgraced because of our sin, God restores.  Chapter five details the utter despair and deep distress when we are being disciplined by the Lord.  But again, in a flash of insight, "But Thou, O Lord, reign forever; Thy throne endures to all generations."  We may die of sorrow, but God endures and remains faithful.   Even if we DIE in the midst of our grief, we came that far with God and find Him to be enough.   Whatever we are going through today, is in preparation for tomorrow.   After what we have been through with God, it is tougher to touch us, overthrow us, trouble us, upset us.   It is important to face sorrow, disappointment, devastation, and catastrophe with the grip of Jeremiah.  This will strengthen us in the face of what lies ahead of us.  God never does anything without a purpose.

RESPONSE: Things to remember when I am in trouble: (1)God loves me too much to allow me to continue in my sin and uncleanness.  (2) I can come easy or I can come hard, but I MUST obey God or die. (3) God is righteous and I may not sit in judgment of God.  (4) If I cry out to God in repentance, He will hear me.  (5) God is faithful and does all that He says He will do, regardless of appearances to the contrary.   (6) God is my portion; everything else is temporary. (7) My hope rests on the character of God, who is just, righteous, merciful, eternal, sovereign.  (8) His mercies are new every morning, and never get used up.  (9) The purpose of discipline is RESTORATION, not DESTRUCTION. (10) When I don't know how to pray, or what to say to God, I had best sit down and shut up.  (11) Everything on my plate - - God put it there.  (12) If it weren't for God's mercy, things would be much, much worse.   (13) God's discipline does not last forever.  (14) When I can't help myself, God takes up my cause.  (15) When everything is gone, God says, "Fear not".  (16) Life is hard - God is good.  (17) As horrible as Lamentations is, the word "steadfast love" or "pity" is used 32 times in five chapters.  (18) God never holds the past against us, once we repent. (19) My best option is always to REPENT, which Jeremiah defines as "turning" away from my substitutes and toward God.   (20) If Jeremiah can weep and sing at the same time, so can I.

HEBREWS 2:1-18 "THE HEAVENLY CALLING"                                                              
Please see yesterday's background material on the Book of Hebrews.

Chapter 2: OUR "GREAT SALVATION" IS THE PROVISION FOR US TO BE LED BY CAPTAIN" JESUS.   Joshua 5:14 shows us Jesus meeting us at the border of "the Land" (Heb 3-4  The Land is symbolic of "God's Rest"), and He is called "Captain of the Lord's army".  As Captain, Jesus goes first, opening the way and setting the pattern for the rest of us.  Jesus does not ask us to do anything that He Himself has not already done and made provision for!  Jesus is there to get us past the GIANTS who guard "the Land".  The FIRST WARNING in Heb 2:3 is against this first giant: apathy, carelessness, and indifference on our part.  Let me explain: Yesterday when I woke up and got out of bed, instead of my usual early morning prayer with the Lord, I "skipped it" - I had too much on my mind (carelessness and indifference).  I had a list of things to do and all of them were urgent. My attitude was that "I'm going to heaven some day and that's enuf. I can manage this by myself."  That ruined my day!  I was not happy, not content, and so I whined and complained all morning about how busy I was.  I snapped at people and everyone knew something was wrong with me.  I had neglected my "great salvation" and did not have rest.  I didn't "escape" either! (escape into the Life of God)  I believe that this warning is put first because it is the most likely to happen.  In today's world it is easy to get too busy, too tired, too distracted - and grow careless about involving God with all of our life. 

Jesus is with us, sword in hand, to lead us thru "suffering" and into "perfection", which Hebrews defines as "obedience".  The suffering is in the crucifixion or denying of our flesh.  We cannot protect and preserve our own flesh, our own opinions, our own agendas, our own feelings, etc. and still be conformed to the image of God's Son, Jesus.  This is what Jesus' sword is for!  I must not be apathetic about my walk with God - I don't just "miss the mark"; I miss the Kingdom Life!

What is the "great salvation"?  This is confirmed with "gifts of the Holy Spirit" - so we know this is more than being saved from hell.  Salvation from hell and death is attested to by Jesus' Blood and His Resurrection. The "great salvation" in Hebrews is talking about the baptism in the Holy Ghost!  When we don't rely on His Spirit in us, when we don't both to pray in the Spirit, when we deny the strength and power of God, we don't escape our misery!

How does our "great salvation"get closer to God?   We must grow up and follow our "Captain", because God intends for us to rule the earth, to put everything under subjection: every idea, every opinion, every thought, every motive, all of it . . . beginning with ourselves.  We have been crowned with "glory and honor"!  This means we can realize potential to the fullest, if we obey God and do like Jesus did.  Our "Captain" - which word in Greek means "to go first so as to open the way".   And how does He bring "many sons to glory"?  THRU SUFFERING! Hebrews 5:8 says that this suffering was because He "learned obedience".  We must deny our flesh to obey God.  All self-preservation must be crucified out of us, or we will find an occasion to deny Christ.  But we need not fear: Jesus defeated fear when He took away the power of death from the devil.  This is because all phobias find their power in the fear of death. SO NOW WE GO FORWARD BOLDLY (Joshua chap 1 & 5).

RESPONSE: God is interested in character-formation.  Hebrews is all about growing up, taking responsibility for our spiritual health, and pressing forward toward God. Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters - God's family of sons - - - when we have been "sanctified".  That is, set-apart solely for God's use, living to give God pleasure, living to please God.  I used to think that it was impossible to live that way all the time!  I had habitual behaviors that did not please God, that I thought were just part of me.  I didn't know that "sanctification" is really just a series of NEW habits!  We don't break old bad habits; we form new habits that replace the old ones (Rom 12:21).  "Captain" Jesus has opened up a way to do that!  He gave me the Holy Spirit to empower me for it and to remind me to do it.  Now God orchestrates my circumstances to give me opportunities to deny my flesh and submit to God to please Him.  I don't have to be afraid of what will happen to me when I do that, because Jesus removed the fear when He conquered death and took it OUT of the devil's control.  Now I don't have to defend myself or insist on my "rights" - because Jesus does that for me if it is necessary.  My part is to submit to God, please Him thru obedience.  If I am EVER going to realize my full potential in God, this is basic.

PSALM 103:1-22                                                                                                            
IMPORTANT: Please refer back to the background information of Psalm 90-106: the "Numbers" Psalms - "Labouring" to enter in to God's Rest."

Psalm 103: Laboring to enter God's Rest, the life of faith, has benefits (bountiful rewards).  Overcoming apathy or indifference to God is worth it.  Overcoming our own selfishness and obsession with ourselves is worth it.  Overcoming what other people think of us is worth it.  There are benefits to staying connected to God (John calls it "abiding").  As we practice staying in His Presence, it is uncomfortable at first, and even difficult - but keep at it: the benefits are worth it!  "The Land" is symbolic for "God's Rest" we learn in Hebrews 3 and 4. "God's Rest" is where we trust God for outcomes.

Sometimes when my heart needs to be FORCED into God's Presence because I feel too busy, too hurt, too tired, too hurried, etc......I repeat this list of BENEFITS:
(v.1) Everything about me is meant to submit itself to God.
(v.2) "benefits" means "bountiful bestowments", "abundant rewards". God has been GOOD to me and there is plenty more where that came from!
(v.3) Two of those benefits: He forgives All MY iniquities (when I know better and do it anyway) and heals all my diseases.
(v.4) He redeemed my life from the pit and crowns me with grace and mercy (made me truly happy).
(v.5) He fully and completely satisfies my heart and soul, and fills me with new life and joy.
(v.6) God is in charge of justice and rightness, and I can trust Him fully.

(v.7) He reveals Himself to us, shows me the way He thinks and the way He acts.
(v.8) God is never severe with me, but always ready to forgive. It is His nature to have compassion on me, and His mercy is plentiful, therefore He is slow to anger.
(v.9) He will correct and fight us when we refuse to repent, but even that comes to an end.
(v.10) He has not dealt with us according to our crimes of revolt and forfeiture, nor our wrong deeds.
(v.11) Keeping the fear of God protects me - as long as I am accountable to God for my Life, He shows mercy toward me when I screw it up.
(v.12) Even when I don't obey, when I repent, God does not hold that against me!
(v.13) "Pity" is the Hebrew word, "racham" which is actually from the word for "womb." It is the action of the mother's womb on the fetus to cherish, nourish and protect it. God regards me with lavish affection and gets joy out of watching me.
(v.14-18) He knows what I am made of, and that my time on earth is short, but He is with me forever and ever, showing mercy and justice.
(v.19-22) When I live to please God, there are even angels assigned to obey the "voice of God's word" where I am concerned.

To sum it up, God supplies, rewards, forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, satisfies, renews, loves, protects, avenges, fills, lavishes.

PROVERBS 26:23                                                                                                             
Lips that speak of love and fidelity, but are actually covering up a wicked, hateful heart are like a clay pot painted with glossy silver. It's still ugly underneath.