Title: What Are You Giving God To Work With? / Topic: Consequences

Today’s Reading: Lamentations 1; Lamentations 2; Obadiah 1; Revelation 14

Scripture: Lamentations 1:14
"My sins have been bound into a yoke;
by his hands they were woven together.
They have come upon my neck
and the Lord has sapped my strength.
He has handed me over
to those I cannot withstand.

Observation: Here, Jeremiah, speaking in the third person for the nation of Judah, confesses that they have given the Lord "sins" which He has "bound into a yoke." This is a yoke of oppression and punishment against them. But they themselves provided the raw material of which their future, this "yoke," was created.

Application: The way I live gives the Lord the raw material to create my future. My choices determine what it is that God will use to either harm me or bless me. The truth is that many folks want to sow their wild oats when they are young and then later they pray for crop failure! But the Bible tells us, "Whatever seeds a person plants, that's the kind of crop that will grow. Whether seeds of good and Godly things that will bring a beneficial crop of blessing, or selfish and sinful seeds that will bring a deadly harvest of destruction. Don't be deceived, you can't outfox God." (PMS* Paraphrase)

Bottom line: Don't give God garbage unless you want to spend eternity in the dump. Let Him live His glorious power out through your life and you can spend eternity with Him.

Prayer: Lord, I want to plant good seeds because a want a great harvest. I want a crown of reward, not a yoke of punishment. Empower me to live by faith in Your positive power of blessing and righteous living.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

*PMS Paraphrase is the Pastor Mike Stipech Paraphrase where I reword a phrase or verse or two from memory. No guarantees are made. A link is always provided so you can read what real scholars translated the passage to say.

Title: Be Careful What You Ask For / Topic: Vows

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 42; Jeremiah 43; Jeremiah 44; Psalm 48; Revelation 13

Scripture: Jeremiah 42:3-6, 19-22
3 Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."
4 "I have heard you," replied Jeremiah the prophet. "I will certainly pray to the LORD your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the LORD says and will keep nothing back from you."
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God..."
19 "O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today 20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.' 21 I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you. 22 So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle."

Observation: These people asked Jeremiah to seek God on their behalf and made a vow to follow whatever answer Jeremiah brought. But when the answer came, and they didn't like it, they just decided not to follow it! They broke their vow because the word didn't fit their predetermined desire.

Application: Be careful what you ask for. If I tell the Lord I will follow Him no matter what, I had better be prepared for an interesting trip. God is not a tame animal. He does not do tricks on command. He commands, we do the tricks. At least that's how it's supposed to work. So don't make rash statements. Count the cost before you commit. And once you commit, keep your word.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, You call me to follow You -- to take up my cross daily -- to not turn back. Help me to have the courage, dedication, and strength of character to do just that. I want to keep all my promises to You. May it be so.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Unstoppable / Topic: Courage

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 40; Jeremiah 41; Revelation 12

Scripture: Revelation 12:11
They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.

Observation: This powerful description of courageous disciples of Jesus Christ is inspiring. These are overcoming individuals of great personal character and daring. And like their Lord, they suffer, some even to the point of death. And like Jesus, they do not consider death to be the worst thing that could happen to them. They know that worse than death would be to succumb to the pressure and turn away from the Lord. Notice that their overcoming "tools" are "the blood of the Lamb" (which has implications for our salvation, cleansing, and communion with Jesus in His death), and "the word of their testimony" (which communicates a bold, unyielding declaration of who they are because of Jesus). They are unstoppable, and even though some are killed, they overcome the enemy. Death is not losing. It can be a gateway to victory.

Application: Oh to be like these. And in truth, some of us may be called to do just that for this is a prophecy of a time yet to come.

Prayer: Lord, ready me and all Your people to stand strong. This world does not accept the bright light of truth and those who dare to live radically in that kind of light face nearly constant rejection and even confrontation. The days will grow darker and "the love of most will grow cold." Enable me to stand strong, and overcome the enemy of my soul.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Ultimate Justice / Topic: Judgment Day

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 29; Ezekiel 30; Ezekiel 31; Ezekiel 32; Revelation 11

Scripture: Revelation 11:18
The nations were angry; and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your saints and those who reverence your name,
both small and great—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

Observation: Judgment day is coming. This verse chronicles the future day when it all comes down to what God has to say. "The nations were angry..." So what? Be angry all you want, but it makes no difference because it is judgment day. It is the time of rewards and punishments. Rewards for God's servants the prophets, his saints, and those who reverence His name. And a time of punishment, destruction for those whose actions "destroy the earth."

Application: Hang in there. Justice is coming. We live in a world where satan is in operational control (see my blog on the subject), but he will be put in his place, and all those who cooperated with him will suffer.

When I feel the injustice of suffering for doing good, I need to remind myself that ultimate justice is coming. God will reward the faithful and punish the evil doers. So do not become weary in doing what's right, for in due time, we will reap a harvest if we continue and do not give up.

Prayer: Lord, I rejoice that You are the Great Judge and that Your Honor and Goodness and Justice will se the agenda on Judgment Day. Help me to focus on pleasing You no matter the fallout. I look forward to Your coming. Maranatha, come quickly, Lord.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Mystery / Topic: The Invisible Realm

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 25; Ezekiel 26; Ezekiel 27; Ezekiel 28; Revelation 10

Scripture: Revelation 10:1-4
1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."

Observation: What message did the voices of the seven thunders speak? John was about to write it down, but "a voice from heaven" told him not to. Why? I wish I could say, "God explained it to me," but He hasn't so, why lie? The truth is, I don't know. Nobody does.

Application: What this speaks to me is the truth that the invisible spiritual realm is both invisible and spiritual. (Wow, profound, huh?) Seriously, though, because it is invisible, I cannot see it -- because it is spiritual, I cannot figure it out. It is a mystery. Mystery is something we like in novels and motion pictures, but not much in church. But while we have certain things of which we can be sure (the Bible is God's word; God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Jesus death and resurrection is the only means of gaining a right standing before God), even these have elements of mystery that we cannot fully understand. (And there is plenty of truly weird stuff in the Bible that we can'r really understand.) Paul wrote "now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror." (And the mirrors of Paul's day weren't as good as ours.) So we don't see clearly, and sometimes it seems backwards.

Bottom line: HUMILITY. We have to have humility and say, "I don't understand it all," and even sometimes, "I don't understand at all." But faith sometimes means trusting beyond the headlights. God has chosen to limit how far I can see and yet He says, "trust Me." I do.

Prayer: Lord, I do trust in You and I do trust You. I thank You that You have shrouded truth from us humans -- that You reveal it as You see fit. Help us to trust, obey, and marvel at You. You are the great, mighty, eternal, compassionate, merciful, mysterious, sovereign Lord.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: The Drastic Call / Topic: Sacrifice

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 22; Ezekiel 23; Ezekiel 24; Revelation 9

Scripture: Ezekiel 24:15-19
[Ezekiel's Wife Dies]
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners ."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?"

Observation: God's prophet has been trying to get the message to the people. But they haven't been listening. How to get them to pay attention? It has to be something dramatic -- something drastic. And what God decides to do is shocking. He is going to bring about the death of Ezekiel's wife. The Lord first warns Ezekiel, and tells him that he is not to follow the customs of mourning. He is to show no outward grief.

How painful this had to be for Ezekiel. (I believe it was also painful for God as well.) But it works! After he does not mourn his wife's death, he writes, "Then the people asked me, 'Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?'" This drastic signal got their attention and made them listen.

Application: Ezekiel (and his wife) were called to great sacrifice here, even beyond the immense sacrifice of their life and ministry. The goal was to get the people to listen, to ask, to seek. And it would be tough to do. Ezekiel knew this when he was first called. (Read the early chapters of Ezekiel.)

The application is that those who are called to God are called to give their lives to God. And giving your life to God sometimes means you give your life for God (i.e. you die). If a person is not ready to die, he is not ready to truly serve God. In fact, the call to salvation itself is a call to die. Baptism is a sign but also a foreshadowing. Jesus said "take up your cross daily."

Like Jesus, we must be willing to die that others may live. Ezekiel and his wife were willing to live out this drastic call. I respect and admire them so much. And God has called us who serve Him today to no less dramatic service.

Prayer: Lord, may I be found worthy to live and die for You. May I not shrink back from paying any price that others may live -- that heaven might be full and hell empty. Forgive me for my wimpy ways -- and empower me to take the challenge to step up and give my all.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Good Fear / Topic: Knowing God

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 20; Ezekiel 21; Psalm 111; Revelation 8

Scripture: Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Observation: "The fear of the Lord" -- what does this phrase mean? I generally think of fear as a bad thing. I surely don't want to be motivated or dominated by fear. But "the fear of the Lord" must be a good thing. I think it is a holy awe that comes from a deep knowledge of just Who God is.

Application: If I understand God, I will live wisely. If I truly know the dramatic breadth of His influence, power, awareness, justice, etc., it would cause me to tremble in my boots. God sees and knows all. But if I surrender to this awesome God and submit to His power and will, then I am welcomed into His Kingdom and I receive the privilege of receiving His blessings.

Bottom line: To walk in fear of the Lord is not to be afraid that if I step out of line, He will zap me. No, it is to be aware of my own tendency to step out of line which causes me to miss out on the amazing blessings of living in line with His purposes. I don't want to miss out.

Prayer: Lord, help! I want to know You, and to fear You as I should. I am a man fraught with failings that lead me to things other than You. Help me not to settle for good things, but to get the best: You. Change my nature by the amazing power of Your love.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.