And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,

And the hearts of the children to their fathers .... (Malachi 4:6). Strictly speaking this prophecy is not about the restoration of the individual family unit, for the phrase “the fathers” refers to the patriarchs. But we can take the principle behind the prophesy to direct our prayers in this direction. What the verse clearly shows, is that it's God's heart to reunite broken relationships (Ephesians 1:10).  This of course includes not only the reconciliation of children and parents, but also marriages (see 2:15, 16).  The enemy of our souls has different strategies for different seasons.  And over the last fifty years or so the family unit, the very basis of societal stability,  has been under heavy attack.

It started in the sixties with the relaxation of the divorce laws, laws that were there to protect the children. It progressed into a lawless hyper, pseudo,  sexuality, massively devaluing this precious gift of God. And in the aftermath of it all we live in the most orphaned age ever. It is surely true to say that the spirit of the age is fatherlessness! In fact masculinity, in this politically correct climate,  is said in and of itself to be toxic. But when the enemy comes like a flood like this,  the Lord raises up a standard agains him (Isaiah 59:19 ).  As part of this is He is restoring the office of the Prophet (Ephesians 4:11), and the  raising up of the end times prayer movement. Now “the Lord does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).  And there is much talk in prophetic circles of the billion soul harvest (Google these things)! It's all about reconciliation!


Two promises on my heart this morning are firstly “if any two agree as touching anything, it shall be done for them” (Matthew 18:19). The second one is “ if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And ...... we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14, 15). It seems to me that we have misunderstood how to pray according to His  will.  Now there are some things about which we do not know the will of God i.e. if I should marry Mary. But there are many things He has told us is His will. In particular, reconciliation is always His perfect will (Ephesians 4:11), salvation of loved ones is always His perfect will (2 Peter 3:9). What I am saying, is that our prayers should reflect this  unless or until He shows us otherwise. So please do not pray “Please save little Johny, if it is Your will!”  The only time we hear Jesus praying this way is in the garden.  And to my way of thinking it was more about His asking help to come to terms with what He already knew was the Father's will (Matthew 26:39).  

Lord Jesus, when Your disciples asked You to teach them to pray You told them to declare “Will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven.” So as we come into the new year, I declare as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. I declare that You will make even my enemies to be at peace with me (Proverbs 16:17). And I come into agreement with anyone reading this who is declaring and contending for Your will to manifest on earth, in Your precious Name Amen.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;

..... there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is detestable or deceitful, only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:4, 27). The context of course,  is the new heaven and new earth, the former having passed away (verse 1).  I hear people saying that they believe that heaven and hell are here on this earth.  And there's a sense in which the here and now is a pale,  inadequate glimpse of  two greater realities.  Consider earth  without sorrow,  death, pain, detestable things, without the cowardly, the  unbelieving, without murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all  liars (verses 4, 8, 27). And consider earth with only these things,  excluding even the fleeting  pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25).

But let's be clear, the reality of heaven far more glorious, and the reality of hell far more terrifying (see Revelation 6:16). Some say a loving God would not send someone to hell for eternity for a short lifetime of sin. And actually God does not send anyone to hell, for as many as choose to received Him, to put their trust in Him, He gives the right to be His children, and to pass from death to life (John 1:12; 5:24). A decision to not take advantage of His offer of salvation is a choice, procrastination is a choice. Banking on a death bed conversion, over which you may have no control,  is a choice. The waters of salvation are freely offered. And Jesus stretches His arms out on the cross essentially declaring “You will go to hell only by going round my dead body” which He offered for the life of the world (John 6:51).

Hell was not prepared for mankind, it was prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).  God did not send His Son, the Lamb of God (John 1:29),  into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. The one who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe (rejects faith) is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:17, 18).  The real question is, “is it all about me, or all about Him?”  The Kingdom is all about dying to out own selfish desires, which are essentially all about us demanding to be the centre of the universe! If there were any of this in heaven it wouldn't be heaven. And becoming a Christian is about becoming like the One who gave everything so that we could live.  

Lord Jesus I don't pretend that this life's not hard, nor do I pretend it's fair. The greatest injustice however was You the perfect and  innocent Lamb of God crucified.  Thank You Lord for the promise to work all things together for good for those who choose to love You.  A big part of that is that You are making us more and more like You, and making us fruitful for the Kingdom (Romans 8:28, 29).  Life is hard Lord, but I choose this morning to greatly rejoice in You for You have clothed me with a robe of righteousness. Thank You that You will wipe away all tears and that we will be with You forever. We pray these things in Your precious Name Amen

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,

.... Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two. From east to west, Making a very large valley  (Zechariah 14:4). As with just about all end time prophecy, there is much debate and little agreement as to interpretation. Some see this prophecy as literal, others figuratively. What is interesting though is that it is now known that a geological fault line runs down the Great Rift Valley and goes right through the mount of Olives. But it's not as though the Lord could not split the mountain if there was no such fault! The context of the prophecy is of the nations gathering against Jerusalem, it is being destroyed,  but then the Lord fights against the nations “like a warrior fighting in battle” (verses 2, 3).  

The mount of Olives is where the Lord ascended, and where He experienced His  deepest sorrow, in Gethsemane. It is the place where the Angel said, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). And it is likely that this verse and this morning's verse, are those from which comes the  traditional that Jesus shall come again to judge the earth, from where He left the earth. But whether this is the place,  and that this is what happens when He comes, one thing is certain, He is coming again, and His coming  is nearer than when we first believed. This being the case we should heed Paul's admonition that we the church should wake from our slumber (Romans 13:11).

This year has been a  very difficult year for many of us. Maybe not as sever as the destruction of Jerusalem (verses 2, 3), but severe enough for sure. And I am reminded this morning, as we come its close that the Lord fights for us “like a warrior fighting in battle.”  I am reminded too of the soon coming of the Lord, and the need for us to be awake, and to watch and pray for we know neither the time nor the season (Mark 13:33).  


Lord Jesus, there is this tendency even as Christians to have the same mind set as the scoffers who ask sarcastically  “Where is the promise of His coming? Thank You Lord that in Your Word You remind us that with You one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. You are not slack concerning Your  promise Lord,  but are longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. There are loved one this morning Lord who do not yet know You, and I am asking Lord for their salvation. Nevertheless Lord I long for Your appearing. Forgive us Lord and give us grace to watch and pray, and wake us up where we need to be awoken,  and we will give You the glory in Your precious Name Amen

.... then they will look on Me whom they pierced.

.... Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”  “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication (Zechariah 12:10b, 10a). As I said previously,   the Old testament contains two pictures of Messiah, the conquering Messiah,  and the suffering Servant.  The latter picture contains His being forsaken by God at the moment of death (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46); His hands and feet being pierced in a clear picture of  crucifixion, (Psalm 22:14- 18; Zechariah 13:a). It also contains  the rejection of Him and His substitutionary salvation  (Isaiah 53:3, 5; John 1:11; 1 Peter 3:18).  This morning's scripture however prophecies the eventual restoration of the Jew to their Messiah.  

There's an oblique reference here to both the deity and humanity of Christ, and even to what theologians call Trinity. In particular, it's the Lord who is speaking, and they look on “Me” (i.e. 'Me' is the Lord) “whom they have pierced” in My human hands and feet. Finally  I will pour out the “Spirit” .....  Perhaps it was from passages like this, that Jesus first began to understand that He was God in the flesh. You also have to wonder if He was thinking of this passage when He told  “Blessed are those who morn.”  He would surly have known that there is a godly sorrow that leads to repentance (Matthew 5:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10).

It makes sense to link the following two verses in the next chapter to this morning's Scripture. "Someone will say to him, 'What are these injuries to your hands?' He will reply, 'those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.  'Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion,' says the LORD of hosts. 'Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (13; 6, 7 JKV,  LXX).  Jesus knew well that He is the Good Shepherd, God's Companion, God's equal, the One who gave His life for us sheep, we who have gone astray (John 10:11; John 5:18; Isaiah 53:6a, b)! And He calls us His friends when we receive the  “Spirit of grace and supplication.” Indeed “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11, 12).  His own will receive Him however, for  Paul writes “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness”  (Romans 11:11, 12)?  Their fullness of course,  is what is prophesied in this morning's scripture.

Father, forgive us for our ignorance of the mystery that “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And  that all Israel will be saved.”  Help us Lord to marvel Lord at the depth of Your wisdom and knowledge. Your ways ways past finding out, and You judgments unsearchable. (Romans 11:25, 26,  33). We repent Lord of every last trace of antisemitism, and we choose to obey You command  to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  And we give You praise and glory in Jesus Name Amen

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

....  whose hope is in the LORD his God (Psalm 146:5). The Psalmist just admonished us to not put our trust in princes, nor in fact in any other human being. They can can neither help nor save,  for they will die and their thoughts and plans perish with them  (verses 3, 4).  Having the help of the God of Jacob, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter!  Many people say they believe in God, but which god, for “there are many so-called gods” (1 Corinthians 8:5)? Likely we will answer the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! But we should not be quick to dismiss the question “which god,” for I strongly suspect that each and every one of us has believed, and/or is tempted to believe,  some lie or other about  Him.  

The thing about believing a lie, is that we don't know it's a lie, or we wouldn't believe it! I was reminded this morning about a book I read years ago “Your God is too small!” I am also thinking about doubt in relationship to a verse that has been standing out to me in these days. It is that the Most High God rules in the Kingdom of men (Daniel 4:17). And doubt,  because in terms of appearance at the end of this very difficult year, it does not look that way for many of us! And I for one needed to be reminded this morning, of some of the truths about the God in whom I have put my hope and trust for His help! I need to be reminded that He is the creator who keeps truth forever, and who executes justice for the oppressed (verses 6, 7). 


According to the Hebrew lexicon, the word translated “truth” here also means  faithfulness, reliability, stability and is an attribute of God. And I needed to meditate on these things this morning as I wrestled with doubt. It takes time, and I needed to sit in His presence, and to be still and to know that He is God.  I also needed to be reminded that He will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).   He will be honoured and glorified,  and given His rightful place, and not just in heaven,  but right here “in the earth.”  This is His will, I mean He told us to declare “Kingdom of God come, will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven!” The question is “when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? Indeed He is looking for those who take their eyes off what is seen, who believe Him for His promises,  and who will storm the gates of heaven until He accomplishes what He has promised!

Father, I choose again this morning to put my trust and hope in You, not in the political system, in any man or ideology.  Thank You Lord that as we spend time in Your presence, You rekindle hope and trust. Thank You that You are a faithful God,  and that You bless us as we wait in hope and trust in You. I want to found among the faithful Lord, among those who  continue to fight the good fight of faith until the end. Thank You Lord that You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You, and we give You praise and glory again this morning in Jesus Name Amen  

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

.... Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea ... to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:9, 10).   As Zechariah prophesied here, Messiah the King, whose birth we celebrated yesterday,  would just a few short years later, come riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.  The donkey, as opposed to a war horse, signified peace. Zechariah's prophecy tells that  as King Messiah will have world wide rule (dominion to the ends of the earth).  Other passages show Messiah's peace will come as He judges and rebukes the nations, breaking them with a rod of iron (Isaiah 2:4; Psalm 2:8, 9).

We see  two very different pictures of Messiah in these two adjacent verses, the lowly,  humble one, and the conquering Messiah. Consistent with the first,  we read of Him as the suffering servant,  bringing salvation through His suffering (9:9; Isaiah 53).  The two pictures must have seemed very confusing at the time of Christ. It's not therefore surprising that many, suffering under the oppressive rule of the Romans,  were desiring and concentrating on the second picture, the conquering Messiah. The Christmas season is often described as advent. Advent means coming, and the New Testament explains that it's the same Messiah, and that there are two distinct advents, two comings (Acts 1:11).  And  it's at the second coming that He will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26, 27).

We can learn something from this, in particular, if we think we have God all figured out, we have not. I remember the Lord saying to me years ago “You'll never outguess me Phil.” Tongue in cheek (I was not serious) I replied “Don't underestimate my intelligence.” We both had a good laugh! There are so many things we don't understand. But why the delay? Well for one thing “He is not desirous that any should perish but all come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).  And He waits for us so that He may be gracious, wanting us to come to that repentance (Isaiah 30:18). In the meantime in this morning's reading He calls those of us who love Him to rejoice, for He has already come to us. And He comes in humility and gentleness, willing to give us peace and rest in the here and now while we wait for His appearing (John  14:27; Hebrews 9:28).  Our ultimate hope is in eternity, but there is here and now hope too, for He has plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). They may just not look like what we expect, but they are good plans!    

Father, Your World tells us that ear has not heard, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him (Isaiah 64:4).  There are many of us Father, that are waiting for You to intervene in our situations at this Christmas time.  Waiting is hard Lord, and waiting patiently even harder!  But You have purpose in the delay, and with this morning's verses You are calling us again while we wait to rejoice in the Lord always, and in case we missed it You say again it rejoice (Philippians 4:4). Give us grace to do this Lord, in Your precious Name Amen


Yes, many peoples and strong nations

....     shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD (Zechariah 8:22). On this day when we celebrate the birth of Christ, this prophecy in its ultimate fulfillment,  looks forward to God's purpose in sending Him into the world,  namely that He might unite in Himself people from every every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and bring them to the New Jerusalem (Revelation 5:9; 21:2, 3).  The firstfruits of the fulfillment of this prophecy concerning those who came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord in Jerusalem is recorded in Acts 2 where,  from among the Jews and multi-ethnic proselytes (converts to Judaism),  over three thousand  were saved (Acts 2:9-11, 41).

In context, the “many” and the “strong” of this prophecy are  contrasted with the few and “feeble” of those who at that time were sent to rebuild the temple (4:9; Nehemiah 4:2, 3).  But Zechariah is the one who asks “who has despised the day of small things, small beginnings” (4:10).  And what smaller beginning could there be for the One who will rule the world with a rod of iron than that  Almighty God (Isaiah 9:6) should become flesh and be born in a stable, in an obscure village,  in  Judea, an obscure backwater of the Roman empire? But “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 2:7). And as this morning's prophecy was given to encourage the Jews at that time, so these things are written to encourage us.  Indeed  there is a tendency to think that you and I and our  part in the Kingdom is insignificant.  But  as beloved adopted sons and daughters in Christ,  we are all significant!

This morning's scripture is particularly significant for me, as  several years ago now, I attended a “Watchmen for the Nations” gathering in Jerusalem. Named the 822 gathering , it was named after this morning's scripture.  Watchmen say of a gathering that it “is unlike a Christian conference where there are set times worship, keynote speakers and a pre-arranged order of events. A gathering is a call to come and worship the Lord while corporately posturing together to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.” These gatherings are wonderful times of reconciliation,  as remnants of various factions come together to ask for,  and seek forgiveness from each other.  Particularly poignant for me was to see Messianic Jews and Christian Arabs embracing one another on stage in the heart of the most contested city in the World.  It was not, and still is not,  the Norm, but it is a firstfruit of both this scripture,  and of Christ's prayer (John 17:21).

Lord Jesus, long,  long ago before the foundations of the World, long before the Father asked Isaiah “Who will go for us,  and whom shall I send,” He had asked You and You had said in essence “Here am I send me!”  Thank You Lord for being willing to come into this sick and hurting world to be  born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. You are the Prince of Peace,  and we pray this morning as You have asked us to, for the peace of Jerusalem.  And we say even so come  Lord Jesus, in Your precious Name Amen


Great and marvellous are Your works,

.... Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations (Revelation 15:3b)!  In the first part of the title verse it is called the song of Moses and of the Lamb. It is a reference to the song of victory, firstly over the Egyptian army (Exodus 15:1), and secondly over the victory accomplished in and through the cross (Colossians 2:15).  Though Revelation is difficult to understand, there is one thing  that is very clear. It's that in the battle between good and evil that is being played out on the earth, in the end evil is conquered and truth and justice prevail. To put it another way, we the saints win!

We win because the Lord is on our side (Psalm 124:1), and great and marvellous are His works etc. But we are in a war to the death with the enemy of our souls.  And we are to fight the good fight of faith, and to overcome  (1 Timothy 6:12, see 21 December). Unfortunately far too many of us, especially in the West,  are either passive, or we fight with the world's weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3). And the fact of the matter is that “from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.” However “the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). This verse will not make sense unless we understand, as I keep saying, that we are in partnership with God in this war, and that we have a significant role to play. The saying is true, that all that needs to happen for evil to triumph, is for good men (and women) to do nothing.

Whether we realize it or not, and many don't for the church is very much asleep, we are in the throws of one of the greatest battles of History. It's manifesting itself right now in the ongoing battle for the American elections. It's not so much about Trump, though clearly he is part of the equation. No,  it is about a permanent takeover by the radical left, who by nefarious means are seeking to steal the election and impose failed socialism on America with its radical anti God agenda. But there is remnant who are believing the prophets for Trump's second term,  and are contenting with violence in prayer for victory in the spiritual realm.  It needs to be won there, before it will be won in earth. It remains true that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” (Daniel 4:25). But, again,  as I keep on saying, there are many things that He will not do, if He does not have the cooperation of saints who are prepared to take it by force.

Father, you have to wonder what would have happened if Moses had not believed and obeyed when You told him to lift up his rod over the sea and divide it (Exodus. 14:16). It was a decree Lord, and as kings and queens in Your Kingdom we are to decree Your will. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne (Psalm 84:19), so we know that a cheating and lying anti-God takeover is not of You. We therefore declare this morning Lord that the Kingdom of God is coming and the will of God is being done, and we will contend for it, until it does. For great and marvellous are Your works, and just and true are Your ways, We pray these things in Jesus Name Amen

‘Not by might nor by power,

.... but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. “What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!”’” (Zechariah 4:6, 7).  Zerubbabel was charged with the rebuilding of the temple, and there was great opposition. But  “the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it.”  The Lord asks “who has despised the day of small things” (verses 9, 10a)? At this stage of the game Zerubbabel simply had the plumb line in his hand (10b), and the task must have seemed monumental, like a great immovable mountain before him.  Laying foundations is slow and hard work, with seemingly little progress (small things, small beginnings).

But since the capstone is the last stone to be put in place, “his hands shall also finish it.”  Notice it is both “by My Spirit,” and “his hands shall finish it.” Even though it is not  by  Zerubbabel's power and might, it is still partnership. One of the paradoxes of the Kingdom,  is that it is through our weakness that He shows Himself strong in us  (2 Corinthians 12:9).  It is appropriate to ask in application,  what mountains are you,  or I,  or the Church are facing at this time.  There will always be  opposition to the Kingdom, and without Him our “striving would be loosing.” But it is not by our might or our power or wisdom that we overcome, it is by His Spirit. And it is far too easy to take our eyes off the Lord forgetting our part. Remember the elephant and the mouse (November 10)!

I am reminded again that many times when the Lord speaks it is an indication of what He wants, what His will is, rather than something  that will definitely happen.  Certainly He can, and in fact does at times,  do things without us.  But in eternity we are to reign with Him (Revelation 20:6), and while we still here on earth, He calls us Kings and priests (i.e.  Revelation 1:6; 5:10). Kings and Queens reign, and Kings and Queens decree things. He has also told us that if we ask anything according to His will He hears and and that if we know He hears us we have the petitions we desire (1 John 5:14, 15). This makes our prayers significant, but it also lays a responsibility upon us. The fervent prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective, and by faith we are righteous in Him (James 5:16; Philippians 3:9).   But we need His help here too, I do!

Father, forgive us for our prayerlessness, forgive me. Part of it Lord is  unbelief, for we tend to think that our help is insignificant , and we wonder what difference our prayers make.  But the weapons of our warfare, though they are not the world's weapons,  are mighty through You (2 Corinthians 10:4).  And what this means is that many times it is our prayers calling on heaven, and You answering. Indeed Lord it is not by our might or our power, but by the might and power of Your Spirit. We declare this morning Lord that the Kingdom of God and the will of God is being done on earth as it is in Heaven. And we know this because You the most high God rule in the Kingdom of men (Daniel 5:21). In Jesus Name Amen

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion!

... For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD.  “Many gentiles shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst” (Zechariah 2:10, 11). Being an Old Testament prophet was a serious buisness, for if your prophecy did not take place, the people were to stone you (Deuteronomy 18:20).  This being so, many prophecies had both a then current fulfillment, and a future one. We see this in the prophecy that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, 16; Matthew 1:23). The name is itself prophetic, for it means “God with us.” The phrase “the daughter of Zion” refers to the whole (redeemed) Jewish nation, and the then current fulfillment of  'I will dwell in your midst' was the Lord coming to the soon to be rebuilt temple. It found a greater fulfillment in the Christmas story in that “the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). It finds a still greater fulfillment in eternity (Revelation 7:15 NKJV).

Since by and large, the Jewish nation rejected Jesus as their Messiah (John 1:11), it was assumed for almost two thousand years that the Church had replaced Israel as God's people. But Paul asks “have they (Israel) stumbled that they should fall?” He answers “Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”  And there is coming a day when “All Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:11, 26).  So God has not finished with the Jew! In particular, the rebirth of Israel in 1948 was prophesied,  for Isaiah ask “Can a nation be born in a day” (Google “Birth of Israel,” and see Isaiah 66:8)? In addition  Zechariah's prophecy speaks of Gentiles being joined to the Lord to be His people,  in the same way Israel are God's people.  Modern day Israel is not perfect, but neither is the church. God is finished with neither of us!

And as I meditated on these things this morning I was  reminded again of the patience of God, and the lengths to which He has gone to make it possible for rebellious mankind to have a relationship with Him. From the moment of the first sin in the Garden (Genesis 3), until today He was planning it all. And when the time was right,  He sent His Son to be born of a woman to redeem those under the law (the Jew), and that we (the gentiles)  might  receive adoption  as sons and daughters of God (Galatians 4:4, 5). And He  made us one new man (Jew and Gentile) making peace, so that He might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross (Ephesians 2:15, 16). And again from the beginning,  His primary plan and purpose was to unite us all in love with Him and with each other (Ephesians 1:10). Did I mention His patience?  

Father, I am reminded again this morning Lord, that  You are not willing that any should perish but all come to repentance, and that You wait for us to be gracious to us.  Your prayer Lord Jesus,  is that we should be one as You and the Father are One. Give us grace Lord,  especially at this season,  to display peace and goodwill to all. We choose to sing and rejoice in You,  and to give You the glory in Jesus Name Amen

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb

.... and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives unto death (Revelation 12:11). The 'him” referred to,  is the accuser of the brethren (Satan verse 10) who “has been cast down” (past tense). The scene then is in the future,  looking back on the the ones who overcame i.e. the  victorious church. Christ promises many things to those who overcome,   they will: eat from the tree of life; not be hurt by the second death; be given a new name, some of the hidden manna,  power over the nations,  white garments and to not be blotted out of the book of life;  be confessed before the Father and the angels; be made a pillar in the Temple of God and granted to sit with Christ on His throne (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12,  21).

Great rewards, but who is sufficient for these things?  Paradoxically (and wonderfully) in the Kingdom it is in weakness that we, like Christ,  overcome and become more than conquers (Romans 8:37).  He came as a little helpless baby, and He was crucified in weakness.  But He now lives by God's power (2 Corinthians 13:4). and  invites us to share in that overcoming resurrection  power (Philippians 3:10). It is His strength in us, operating through us, and it is made perfect in our weakness  (2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:13).  And the foundation, the  end and the beginning of it all,  is “by the blood of the lamb.”  The Lamb of course is Jesus, the “lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).  And this redemption (the buying us back from the slave market of sin) is through His shed blood (Revelation 5:9; John 8:34).

Having secured our salvation by His blood, we are set free from the fear of not measuring up, of death and of Hell (Romans 8:1). And we are equipped to be His Ambassadors to this wicked and hurting world (2 Corinthians 5:20). As ambassadors we overcome the Evil one by the word of our testimony,  and like Jesus,  not loving our lives unto death (Philippians 2:8).  These two things go very much together. In other words our living for Christ is part and parcel of our testimony.  If our lives do not match our words,  we are not living according to the truth, and are in fact living a lie  (1 John 1:6). It is not that we will ever be perfect in this life, but it is our goal, and as we spend time in His presence we are being transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). In other words it's the journey that is important here. But after we have set Christ apart in our hearts we also need to be ready and prepared to give an answer (in words) of the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15). Nobody is saying this is easy in this climate of intimidation. It is however essential in overcoming the accuser!

Father thank You for the security of salvation (1 John 5:13), that allows us to go forward with boldness, knowing with Paul that the process of overcoming is indeed a process, and that though we have not attained perfection,  nevertheless it motivates us  press on towards the mark of the high calling to which You have called us (Philippians 3:12-14). We want to glorify You Lord,  in Jesus Name Amen

 

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

....    Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23, 24). In verse 1 we read “You have searched me, O Lord,  and known me.” Thus this  Psalm concludes with David asking God to do what He had already been doing for some time.  And if you or I find the the thought of God searching our hearts scary, I dare say we don't yet know God as David did! In verse 5 he says “You have hedged me in from behind and in front, and laid Your hand upon me.” It calls to mind the incident where God sent Nathan to exposed David's heart to himself over his adultery with Bathsheba,  and the subsequent murder of her husband in an attempt to cover it up (2 Samuel 11, 12). Remarkably then in verse 6 he declares “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” And in this morning's verses he is saying “Keep doing it Lord!”

In the midst of his repentance, David writes “Let me know joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice” (Psalm 51:8). The phrase “the bones You have broken” speaks of crushing guilt and shame, and fear of just punishment. But the pain that comes at the exposure of our sin,  is a crossroads.  Paul  writes “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation without regret; but the sorrow of the world produces death (2 Corinthians 7:10). The Corinthians had responded as David did,  and Paul goes on to say “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done” (verse 11).  In other words they were now on fire for God!

“Without regret” is an interesting phrase! Paul, I believe, is speaking from experience. His pre-conversion self (Saul) had been “ breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). And He too had had a dramatic encounter with the Lord that had lead to repentance (verses 4-6).  In many ways, it's my own story too. I have often said things like “If I knew then, what I know now ....”  You can probably fill in your own story here! So yes I would do things differently! But I also know myself well enough to know that, at least in the past, I had to learn things the hard way, from the school of hard knocks. And this being the case,  I can look back and say “God knew I had to go through that, and do what I did, in order for me to come to the end of myself. And it was only at that point that my stubborn and rebellious heart was willing to surrender.” So no, I don't have regrets, because those were the very things that brought me to Him, and likely the only things that would have!

Father, when we respond the right way in repentance, what Your searching our hearts, and trying our anxious thought is doing, is heart surgery. It exposes the roots of our anxieties, and cuts away at anything that prevents us from receiving Your extravagant healing love.  So search me O Lord and try my heart, and lead me more and more  into fullness of life and deeper intimacy with You.  Let the bones that You broke continue to rejoice in Jesus Name Amen  

The LORD your God is in your midst,

.... The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).  One of the names of Christ  is Emanuel, that is God with us (Matthew 1:23), but God is also in us (1 Corinthians 6:19).  And it being close to Christmas, the four advent themes of  hope, peace,  love and joy jumped out for me from this passage. Our hope is in the Mighty One, and He will save (glorification), He did save (justification), and He is saving (sanctification).  As I told the boys at the recovery meeting last night,  I want as my higher power, to be  the Mighty One who spoke and stars were flung into space (Genesis 1:3; John 1:3).  He is our hope!

When we come to Him as a little child,  He will indeed quiet us (give us His peace) with His love.  A little child is in no doubt about its dependence,  and in the midst of the trauma and crises of life, will immediately run to mummy. When we do that too,  the motherhood of God,  implicit in the comfort of the Holy Spirit,  will settle,  establish  and quiet us, as we become still and know that He is God (Acts 9:31; 1 Peter 5:10; Psalm 46:10).  And He does it all through His love. The little child,  having run to its mother, not only finds peace, but also experiences love in that embrace.  We too are intended to experience His love in His embrace.  But we will not feel that if we are overtaken with the World's hype over Christmas.  We need to slow down, and come to Him. Yes I know we are busy, but we make time for what is important to us. And for me these times of mediating on Him and His Word, out of which this blog flows,  are essential.

It's amazing to think of Him  rejoicing over us with singing.  But I remember sining over my baby son “Little man, little man, little pal of mine. Little man, little man, Daddy thinks you're fine. Little man, little man Daddy love you so. You're my fella, your my boy, Daddy's pride and joy.”  I was rejoicing (joy) over him with singing.  We can learn so much about God from our children. If I who am flawed can do things like this  is it such a stretch to think that God does it?  God so loved that He gave ..... It's not about earning His love, its not about performance. I love my son because he is my son.  And as many as believe in Him He gave the right to be called His children (John 1:12). Hallelujah!

Father, thank You that You promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Thank You for the hope You give us concerning both eternity and the here and now. Thank You for the peace You give, and that You have loved us with an everlasting love. Thank You for joy. For many of us Lord,  we are still in sorrow, but thank You for Your promise that though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning. Help us Lord as we approach the celebration of Your birth, to enter into it with hope, peace,  love and joy, and help those of us for whom Christmas is a very difficult time to set our hope on You. We give You praise and thanks in Jesus Name Amen

Though the fig tree does not blossom

.... Though there be no sheep in the fold ....    Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like gazelles' feet.  He  makes me walk on the heights (Habakkuk 3:17-19). Disaster was everywhere, the Babylonians were about to conquer (1:6), the wicked were prospering and the righteous oppressed (1:3),  the crops had failed and the flocks destroyed. Yet, in spite of this, Habakkuk was determined to rejoice in the God of his salvation and deliverance! But he  didn't start off that way. In 1:2 he complains “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear?”

The change came when he went into the secret place to watch for “what He will say to me.”  He is given  a vision and  told to write it down “so that those who read it can run,” but also  to wait for it, though it tarry (2:2, 3). Part of what he sees,  is that in spite of the flourishing of iniquity, there is coming a time when “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (2:12, 14).  Habakkuk had found his centre in the secret place. I am reminded of Psalm 91:1, 2  “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress;  in Him I will trust.'”

Notice joy and strength are go together (3:18).  Indeed “the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Note also that both rejoicing in the Lord and trust  are choices.  Habakkuk writes  “I will rejoice in the Lord.” David writes  “in Him will I trust.”  We too may,  when our hearts are overwhelmed within us,  need to start by pouring out our complaint to the Lord (Psalm 142:2ff). Note that it is  first  “to the Lord” not to friends, which often involving them in things we should not. However, if the Lord does direct you to take it further, there is a  procedure that needs to follow, with its ultimate purpose of reconciliation (Matthew 18:15-17).  And to stress the point it's all about reconciliation not revenge! But I digress, the point is that the Lord wants us to come to peace and joy.  And there is a passage that I “work” when my heart is overwhelmed within me. It's Philippians 4:4-7, and by working it I go through it phrase by phrase repenting where I have not followed the instructions. And I choose to replace my anxiety with all kinds of prayer,  not forgetting to be thankful. Depending on how overwhelmed I am,  I may need to go through it several times before I am able to rest in His promised shalom peace (verse 7).

Lord Jesus, thank You  Lord for Your Word that is written so that we who read can run, that is tap into the principles and promises. In particular that allow us to tap into the peace that passes understanding.  Thank You for the assurance of the ultimate total victory and some of it in the here and now (Psalm 27:13).. Thank You Lord that as we wait (tarry) on You,  You make our feet like the sure footed gazelles, who are able to rest and be secure in the high places of Your presence (Ephesians 2:6), in Your precious Name Amen

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

.... give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread (Proverbs 30:8). This petition from Agur is a request for God to help him to be a genuine, authentic person. The Hebrew word translated here as falsehood also means delusion, emptiness  or vanity, pointless or worthlessness behaviour and idleness.  He wants lies neither to proceed from his mouth, nor the lies of others to find a resting place in his heart. Agur has just switched from instruction to petition. He tells us “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar” (verses 5, 6). What he is seeing,  is that the character he desires comes from absorbing every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4), not one word less, but neither one word more!

In asking that he be given neither riches nor poverty, Agur is seeking to avoid the deceitfulness of riches and the curse of poverty. It is the love of money,  not money itself,  that is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).  And Paul warns that “those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1Tim. 6:9).  The poverty Agur speaks of,  is the type of poverty we see in third world countries with its ravaging hunger and starvation, not that of which we speak in the West.  Agur warns himself of two dangers. The danger of being rich is that you forget God, the danger of third world poverty is that you seal and in doing so dishonour God (verse 9).

Coming to “give me only my daily bread.” I am reminded of Paul's “having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (1Timothy 6:8).  Several years ago now, mother suggested that we adults give our Christmas gifts to charity, rather than giving each other things we don't really need, and often don't even want!  One of my favourite charities is Opportunity International. It “designs, delivers, and scales innovative financial solutions that help families living in extreme poverty build sustainable livelihoods and access quality education for their children.” They  “equip families with the tools and training they need to build their businesses, improve their harvests, provide for their families, send their children to school, and break the cycle of poverty.” They do it through micro – financing loans.  It is holistic,  and because of the way that they do it, has an astonishingly high rate of loan repayments! In other words gifts given there,  really do keep on giving!

Father,  we ask You this morning to put falsehood and lies far from us. Help us to daily feed not only our bodies, but our souls and spirits with Your life giving Word.  Help us to be the authentic people You call us to be, and to accomplish the good works that You have prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).  Help us to learn not to go beyond that which is written (1 Corinthians 4:6), to learn with Paul to be content in whatever state we are in, and to not get caught up in all the hype of Christmas (Philippians 4:11). Help us also Lord to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10), and not to forget You at this season.  And Lord please help and protect those for whom Christmas is such a difficult time in Jesus Name Amen

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

.... too little to be among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2). Bethlehem Ephrathah is identified as the Bethlehem in Judah, as opposed to the Bethlehem in Zebulun (Matthew 2:6; Joshua 19:15). The tribes of Israel were divided into clans of thousands, and the city of Bethlehem in Judah was too small to be counted as a clan. “Yet” is to be understood to mean “in spite of its smallness and hence apparent unimportance.” “The One” can be applied only to the then coming Messiah, and is clearly identified as such by the chief priests and the scribes at the time of Herod (Matthew 2:4, 5). “Whose going forth ... from everlasting” speaks of the eternal existence of Messiah. This was in fact claimed by Jesus,  but in spite of it being clearly written here in the Hebrew Scriptures, it was considered blasphemy by the Jews of Christ's day (John 8:58, 59).

Some have tried to explain that Jesus deliberately set out to fulfill Old Testament prophecy in His claim to be Messiah.  But this is one of many prophecies over which He would have had no control. He was also thought to come from Nazareth where Joseph (His step -father) and Mary settled after their return from Egypt where they had fled from Herod (Matthew 2:13, 23; Luke 2:39; John 1:46).  The relationship of the Old to the New Testament, and in particular the fulfillment by Christ of Old testament prophecy is an import verification of the truth of  Scripture. For those who truly want to know and/or to have a solid rational for their faith, this is a good place to look.  It is also something we should seriously think about if we are to be able to give an answer to those who ask of the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15).

Of course not everyone is intellectual, but you don't have to be intellectual to understand the significance of fulfilled prophecy. And some will need to go into this deeper than others.  It is good however to have confidence that we have not believed myths,  or fairy tales  (cunningly devised fables 2 Peter 1:16).  And in the midst of the seduction of Christmas by commercialism and the propaganda and intimidation of the World,  it might well be the right thing to do as the Bereans did.  They were more fair-minded than the skeptics in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out (or confirm) whether these things were so (Acts 17:11). And at this time of year, at least for a while it might be a good thing to imitate them!

Father, in the midst of the hype, the business and the preparations for Christmas, help us not to loose sight of the real meaning of Christmas. Help us to take time to ponder again the wonder of You so loving the World,  and each one of us individually,  that You broke into time and space, and in the ultimate demonstration of Your Love died for us while we were yet Your enemies (Romans 5). Thank You Lord. We give You praise and Glory in the Name of Messiah Jesus Hallelujah Amen

Come, bless the LORD, All you servants of the LORD, who by night stand in the house of the LORD

 (Psalm 134:1). David's tabernacle employed singers and musicians who ministered to the Lord day and night, or twenty-four seven as we say these days (1 Chronicles 9:33; 13:8). And this is what this morning's Psalm is all about. Now it was prophesied that in the last days God would raise up David's fallen tabernacle (Amos 9:11).  In 2007 I heard of the International House of Prayer at Kansas City (IHOPKC), that at that time had operated twenty four seven for eight years.  It continues today, and there are now many such places, all over the globe.  IHOPKC is live streamed from their website ihopkc.org.  It, and its fascinating prophetic history described there,  are worth checking out. IHOPKC describes what they do as  “the harp and bowl model.”  The harp is worship, and the bowl “the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8). It is a “scriptural, God-focused, dynamic structure that facilitates the flow of sustained, enjoyable prayer.”

Back in 2007 I could not say that I found prayer enjoyable, but  I was fascinated,  and decided to visit. I guess you could call me a “God chaser.”  I took my family to Africa in 1990 chasing after what I understood was revival there, but it had long past. At IHOPKC I was not disappointed. IHOPKC, like any move of God is controversial, and again with all that we encounter, we need to learn to chew the meat and throw away the bones. We are called to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), it means to make life long learners of the Kingdom. By and large however, we have made converts conforming them to the theology and practices of  our own little group or denomination. New converts, like little children,  are eager to learn, but after  they are conformed,  their understanding too often finishes up setting like cement.  Secular education speaks of life long learning, but too often in the church,  we cease to learn anything new.  And much or our teaching essentially consists of warning the flock not to explore outside the group.

We must of course test all things and hold fast to what is true (1 Thessalonians 5:21).  And certainly we need to make sure our people have a firm foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11; Hebrews 6:1, 2). After this we need to teach them to discern, and that “if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:2).  I have been privileged over the years to have resources to go to various places to check things out. And time after time, I have come away, feeling like a little boy sitting on the seashore of the vast ocean of what is available in the Kingdom to be known.  Clearly not everyone has such resources, but these days the internet is available,  and it's all on line sitting there to be discovered and discerned.

Father,  one of the ways that we the church have been conformed to the World,  is that we have held on very tightly to what we have allowed your children to believe.  Forgive us Lord, help us, help me,  to allow Holy Spirit to be our teacher. Give us grace to trust You Lord, and to not be constantly trying to correct each other.  Give us discernment Lord,  teach us how to have our senes exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:14) in Jesus Name Amen

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

.... For brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1)! Unity, we are not talking here about mere tolerance of each other, nor are we talking about either uniformity or conformity, we are talking more about harmony, which is a “pleasant” aggregation of those who are  different, as with a  chord in music.  This unity is compared to  Aaron's consecration with oil (verse 2). This oil was composed of several rich spices mixed together in such a way as to produce a pleasing fragrance.  It is expressive of “unanimity and concord, in a well-cemented society; all jointly conspiring and contributing, according to their various capacities, tempers, and conditions, to the good of the whole” —Benson.

The pressures to conformity (rather than unity) both inside and outside of the church are enormous.  And the default,  as our political and denominational systems demonstrate is polarization,  the devision into factions. Though the world denies the existence of truth, nevertheless it divides over its own particular truth, its own particular view of the world. The Protestant church tends to divide over  theological truth, and as the names of the denominations imply,  tends to emphasize just one truth out of the many multifaceted truths of Scripture.  And Biblical truth, like our Trinitarian Creator,  is often found only in unity in differences, and heresy too often is truth out of balance. Division is also often the result of majoring on minors. But also, the places where the true church (as opposed to the visible church) agree, are far more important and prolific,  than the places where we disagree.   We cannot however be in unity with those who twist the Scriptures to make them fit their own agendas.

Showing it importance, Jesus high priestly prayer,  just before His crucifixion,  majored on our unity. He prayed that we might be one, just as He and the Father are one.  And He gave the World the right to judge, by our unity,  that the Father had sent Him  (John 17:21). In other words our unity is paramount to evangelism. No wonder Paul admonished us,  to as much as is within us to be at peace with all (Romans 12:18).  We don't have to create unity, He has already done that by abolishing the dividing walls between us.  That is why we are told to do our very very best to maintain the unity that Christ purchased for us on the cross. And we are to do this with all  humility and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, (Ephesians 2:14; 4:2,3).

Lord Jesus, it is only as we walk in the light as You are in the light that we will have fellowship and unity among ourselves (1 John 1:7). So Lord I come before You this morning for myself,  and on behalf of Your true church, to confess that we have not been eager to maintain the unity that You purchased for us at such great cost.  We have allowed  pride of orthodoxy and other things, to sabotage Your work on the cross,  and accordingly,  as You gave them the right to do, the world has refused to believe that You the Son of God came down from heaven to redeem us. Forgive us Lord, and turn us again, at this Christmas season,  to walk in humility,  gentleness and unity, bearing with one another in love. May this bring You the glory and the harvest that You so richly deserve. We pray these things Lord  in Your precious Name Amen
 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

.... Who was and is and is to come (Revelation 4:8b)! This doxology (hymn of praise) is spoken by the four living creatures each of which had “six wings, and were full of eyes around and within” (verse 8a). Whenever the living creatures gave glory and honour and thanks to God Him who sits on the throne,  the twenty-four elders fell down before Him,  and they casts their crowns before the throne,  saying “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created” (verses 9-11). The book of Revelation is full of mysticism and symbolism, and is a challenge to anyone who tries to give purely rational interpretations of Scripture.  It's difficult in this scientific age which tries to reduce everything to logic and reason. In particular we have largely lost our sense of wonder,  and have thrown out mystery. But true worship and praise has little to do with logic, and is so much more than simply singing hymns and choruses.

I'm reminded of a dramatic encounter an alcoholic friend of mine had years ago. He had staggered into my kitchen loaded drunk,  and the Spirit of the Lord fell on Him. In obvious awe he fell down on his knees praising and worshipping God. It was completely out of character, if you know what I mean! After a while he would get  back to his feet and I would ask him “Is He worthy?”  And again and again he would fall to his knees in worship. The reality of his encounter struck home to me when seeing this a short time later,  his unchurched and unsaved father made a profession of faith. On top of this, he had come in out of control drunk, but left within the hour stone cold sober.

True worship is a matter of the heart, it has to do with spirit and truth (John 4:24),  and in invokes encounter. The Scripture tells us that the Lord is Holy, and He inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3 KJV), that is it has to do with His tangible presence.  It is fellowship with the the Holy Father and his Son, and requires us to walk in the light, and for the Blood of Jesus Christ to keep cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1:3-9).  We catch glimpses of this in some of the ancient hymn writers. I am thinking in particular of the phrase “lost in wonder, love and praise.”

Father, most of us,  most of the time, are desperately in need of revival, of encounter with You.  Wesley's hymn is on my heart this morning Lord “Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down .... visit us with thy salvation, enter every trembling heart .... Finish, then, thy new creation pure and spotless let us be .... changed from glory into glory, til in heaven we take our place, ’til we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.”  Do not leave us alone Lord,  rend the heavens and come down. Restore and revive Your people and me.  Thank You Lord it's not all up to us, for You Yourself are seeking those who will worship You in spirit and in truth (John 4:23, 24). So then if we seek You with all of our heart,  how can we fail (Jeremiah 29:13)?  For this and many other things Lord we give You thanks  praise in Jesus Name Amen.
 

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,

.... Like a weaned child with his mother.  A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honour. (Psalm 131:2;  Proverbs 29:23). This Psalm and the Proverb in this morning's daily readings go together well.  The Psalm opens with “LORD, my heart is not haughty ... neither do I concern myself with things over my head.” A child,  in the process of being weaned from the breast, is likely to throw temper tantrums, and in his or her own way  demand, demand, demand. In the process of weaning the child, the mother is teaching the child the first instalment in life's lesson that we cannot always get what we want. It's a hard lesson!  And it's only learnt as the child himself decides to let go of his “rights,” and face reality.  Some of us never fully learn this lesson!

When the mother is wise and loving, and she does this gently but firmly,  compensating the child with hugs and kisses and gentle rocking,  the child will eventually let go and nestle contentedly in his mothers arms  “like a weaned child with his mother.”  The process of  calming and quieting our soul is also like this. Note that both the child and the mother have a role to play. And as in the weaning of the, the child's  is largely surrender,  so it is with us in surrender to the nurturing embrace of the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). And this will not happen when we cling to our pride demanding our rights, or recognition, or position or title or authority. These are the very same things encouraged by the world, and “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12)!  

Humility is neither thinking more, nor less of ourselves than is the case.  There is a valid pride and a toxic pride, and there is a valid humility and a false humility. Taking pride in our work is to do it contentiously,  as unto the Lord. Toxic pride is to boast of ones accomplishments. Paul asks “What do you have that you were not given, and if it were given you, why do you boast as though it were not” (1 Corinthians 4:7)?  On the other hand we can take that too far. False humility refuses to take credit where it is due. “It was Jesus.” I like what Bill Johnson said to the woman who insisted that it was Jesus who was singing through her. He said “It wasn't that good!”

Father, Paul council us to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought but rather think of yourself with realistic  judgment, in accordance with the faith You have  given us. And in faith Lord I believe my life has meaning and significance, and that I am dearly loved and valued. My value Lord is in what You paid for me, the death of the Lord Jesus.  And that is of infinite value.  Help me this morning Lord to have the balance in these things,  so I can do my part in quieting my soul and lean with Paul, to be content in whatever state I find myself (Philippians 4:11). Help me to humble myself so that You may exalt me in due time in Jesus Name Amen
 

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

....    And in His word I do hope (Psalm 130:5).  It seems that sooner or later in every life,  there comes a moment (or moments) of crisis. And in the midst of the crisis we call out to the Lord “out of the depths” (verse 1). I think the Lord waits for such times, in order that He may be gracious to us, and so that He may have mercy on us (Isaiah 30:18). At such times within the encounter we become aware of His Holiness and our own lack thereof. This is the Psalmist, and he cries out “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,  who could stand?”  He adds “But there is forgiveness with You,  that You might be feared” (verses 3, 4).  And we have hope in the Lord, for with Him there is Mercy,  and abundant redemption (verse 7).

Part of  redemption is that the the Lord is very much into making the crooked places in our lives straight, and the rough places smooth (Isaiah 40:4). It is usually however,  far from instantaneous. From my life verses (Psalm 40:1-3), the Lord made clear to me that I was to wait patiently on Him (verse 1). After the crisis of all crises in my life  25 years ago, I obeyed His instruction to on His Word,  His promise of the redemption of my situation. But things got worse before they got better.   And I did wait, but I did not always wait patiently! This redemption of our circumstances is an ongoing process, and the one He has changed the most through it all,  is me! Waiting in the age of instant fixes is difficult, but the Lord has His timing, He is never early, but He is also never late!

And He waits for us, and with us, and He waits to be gracious. We need to wait in hope, and our hope needs to be in Him,  and in His Word (verse 5). He has told us that He is actively at work for good for all of us who know Him,  and are called according to His purpose. And two of His primary purposes are that we become more like Christ, and that we become fruitful fo the Kingdom (Romans 8:28, 29).  One of the many promises of His Word that He has underlined for me, is that “when a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).  He has already done that with two separate individuals in my life. And I am waiting in hope on more!

Lord, I could never have waited this long if You had not waited for me and with me. I wanted to give up so many times, but You always did something to keep me moving forward. And at each stage You drew me closer. I even got to like myself! Lord I pray for all those reading this, that You will equip them to wait on You in hope, and that through the work You do in them,  and are doing in me,  many may see and fear, and put their trust in You (Psalm 40:3). And I choose within my soul this morning to continue to wait for You and to trust and hope in Your Word  in Jesus Name Amen

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing,

.... unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy (Amos 3:7, 8)?  Many fail to understand the nature of prophecy, thinking that when God speaks,  nothing can change it. And certainly this is the case many times. Nothing was going to change the Christmas prophecies of Christ's birth,  for example. But this is not always the case, and to think so fails to understand the Father heart of God, and the nature of His relationship with us. Because of the wicked deeds the children of Israel did while Moses was receiving the ten commandments, God told Moses he wanted to consume them. But Moses interceded and “the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people” (Exodus 32:7-14).

We need to understand the connection of the fulfilled prophecy to intersession, and the significance of our prayers. It is too simplistic to say “without God man cannot, without man God will not,” but many times this is true of the prophetic words we are given.  In particular positive prophetic words that are spoken need to be bathed in prayer. We need to understand such words as God inviting us into partnership with Him. And Him saying to us ”How badly do you want this?” In this regard He gives us the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8). In other words we need to keep on knocking!  Consider the principle  “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). When the child is departing,  we need to come before the Lord storming the gates of heaven for his soul. I just finished watching a movie “St Augustine, the son of her tears.” Through thick and thin and many tears,  he was birthed into the Kingdom by his mother's prayers!

The Lord is not some far off distant God. The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him (Psalm 25:14), so it is not just with His prophets that He reveals things. It is all about relationship, about intimacy with Him, about spending time in the secret place. Indeed “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).  Jesus told us “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). All this is contingent on our accepting His invitation to abide in Him (verse 4). What will we do with these things?  Will we press into the prophesies and the promises, accepting His invitation to walk with Him,  or will we miss out on the most amazing relationship ever?

Father, You  tell us that if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us (James 4:8). But it's not as though You did not make the first move! You did that Lord by breaking into history, in what we are called to remember at this season,  the incarnation. And as we approach Christmas Lord, let us not get caught up in the hype of it all.  I don't want to be a lukewarm lover,  so stir us up Lord,  so we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your Holy Name in Jesus Name Amen

Where there is no vision, the people perish:

.... but blessed is he that keeps the law (Proverbs 29:18). The diversity of  translations of this proverb is accounted for in the complexity of the Hebrew. Here vision is that of the seer, the prophet, hence “prophetic vision,” or “revelation” (NIV).  Likewise “perish” has to do with the consequences of “running wild” (NLT), of “casting off restraint” (NIV), particularly of God's rules.   And no matter what you think about prophecy,  whether it is for today or not, it is undeniable that people are perishing, casting off restraint and running wild. Prophecy is largely misunderstood, dismissed or neglected in much of the church. And part of that,  is that where it was practiced in the past, there was often much abuse, and immaturity in its use.

In fact Jesus warned us  “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15).   Actually the existence of false prophets points to the existence of the genuine. You don't forge seven dollar bills! And that prophecy is for today is witnessed by Paul's admonition to earnestly desire the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1). And as Christmas approaches it is helpful to see Christmas as fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy. In particular Jesus was to be born of a  virgin (Isaiah 7:14;  Luke 1:27, 35).  He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1). He would be rejected by His own (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11). He would suffer and die, for the sins of the world (Isiah 53:5, 10a; John 1:29).  Of course there are many many more prophecies that Jesus fulfilled,  that we cannot go into here. But what I want to say is that the accuracy of Biblical prophecy should provoke us to believe the prophecies yet to be fulfilled. In particular that He will come again as judge (Acts 1:11; 10:42).  

But I am sensing the Lord wants me to go out on a limb this morning, and  prophecy that in spite of all appearances,  Trump will  serve a second term as President of the United States.  I am not alone in prophesying this, there is a large community of prophets whom I trust,  who are saying the same thing. This same community prophesied in advance that Trump would win the 2016 election when it too looked impossible. It's not that I greatly admire Trumps character, but the word was and is,  that He is God's modern day Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28),  God's wrecking ball against Political Correctness.  And if this is correct then the mainstream media is the false prophet, not necessarily individual reporters, but they are deceived. And for those who are skeptical, let me suggest that you hold judgment and wait and see. You will not need to wait long! In the meantime you can search these things on google and Youtube  (search “Trump prophecies”).

Father, You tell us in Your Word that You do nothing without revealing it to Your prophets (Amos 3:7).  And that if we believe Your prophets we will prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20). The numbers are interesting if we believe Your prophets (as opposed to the false ones) we will have 20/20 spiritual vision. You do this Lord to show us that Your are real, alive and well on planet earth, and that Your rule in the kingdoms of men (Daniel 4:7). We repent this Lord, for we have run wild, and we are perishing. Forgive us Lord and  show us Your glory in Jesus Name Amen  

Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;

..... unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep (Psalm 127:1, 2). The author of this Psalm is Solomon, and there is a key word here that links the Psalm with Ecclesiastes, that Solomon also wrote. It's the thrice repeated word “vanity.”  This word  occurs 35 in Ecclesiastes,  and is linked to the phrase “under the sun” which occurs there 30 times.  The word translated “vanity” has the sense of being useless, ineffective, empty of meaning or significance.  Solomon had more riches, more fame, more wisdom than any man who ever lived.  But He had set his heart to seek pleasure, he  “had seven hundred wives,  and three hundred concubines” (1 Kings 11:3). Yet in the end to him it was all vanity!

The link with “under the sun” is important in understanding what he is saying.  He is saying everything is vain apart from the One who is above the sun, or in terms of this morning's verses “unless the Lord ....”  These considerations help us to understand what Jesus meant when He said “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Clearly we can build houses and set guards (electronic or otherwise) on our houses, cities etc.  But enduring meaning, true significance and fulfillment are found only in relationship to the Lord. Jesus tells us that Kingdom life (eternal life and life in its fullness) is all knowing the Father and the Son (John 17:3). It is interesting to note that many famous people having reached the top, or having reached their life's goal,  have found it empty and have turned to the Lord.

I am reminded of something a Jamaican preacher said years ago. Before he came to Canada he had been looking for a job, and had had an interview in a firm that exported bananas. They had asked him what his life goals were, and he had spoken of his call to preach the gospel. At the end of the inter view they thanked him for his honesty, but told him “We are looking for someone who will give his life to bananas!”  He said he could picture written on his tombstone when he died that “He gave his life to bananas!” The second of this mornings verses speaks to the hyper activity of our culture, to our looking for love in all the wrong places, to the urgent need to keep busy, to fill our lives with anything but God, to the sorrow and the anxiety that occupy our minds by day,  and rob us of sleep at night.  But it is the Lord who gives His beloved sleep and peace.

Forgive us Lord, forgive me,  for the many times our priorities have been wrong and we have essentially been giving our lives over to bananas. It's not that we don't need down time,  and there is no sin per say in entertainment, but there needs to be balance Lord. The harvest truly is plentiful Lord, but the labourers are few. Therefore send us out a labourers into Your  harvest (Matthew 9:37, 38). And Lord You tell us that peace comes as we bring everything to Your with all kinds of prayers with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6, 7). So for these and many other things we give You the glory in Your precious Name Amen  

Those who sow in tears

....Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:5, 6).  As verse 1 makes clear,  the Psalmist had experienced God's faithfulness in this Biblical principle,  as in the long exile in Babylon they had doubtless sown in prayer and in tears, waiting for the promised return to Jerusalem (Zion). Indeed when the Lord had brought back the captives to Jerusalem they were “like men that dreamed,” scarcely able to believe the reality of the fulfillment of their prayers. Like the disciples on the Emmaus road,  they were hard pressed  to believe “for joy” that Jesus was alive (Luke 24:41).

In many ways the Psalm is a parable of salvation, and the joy thereof. Many of us only came to the Lord through deep pain, and many times,  like Israel, it was pain of our own making. In verse 4 the Psalmist prays for God to bring back the rest of the captives who were scattered,  and not yet brought home to Zion. Likewise in the aftermath of our salvation,  there are many things that need to be cleared up. There are loved ones still not saved,  there are relationships that need to be reconciled and restored, and then there is the ongoing need for our sanctification, that is our deliverance from the power and the pollution of sin.  None of this is automatic, and our part,  many times,  is to sow in tears, continually going forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, as we deal with the issues that need to be dealt with.

The Lord had promised that the Babylonian captivity would end after a “mere” seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10). Likewise the Lord has given the believer many great and precious promises of deliverance (2 Peter 1:4),  that we need to press into. One that I cling to, is that “when a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7). Another relates to the word “continually” in this morning's verses. It is about persistence, faith and being fully engaged in prayer (walking and walking and weeping and sowing seed - verse 6 in the Hebrew). Faith comes in here, because we need to believe and to make our own,  the principle in these verses. The weeper and sower will “doubtless” come again with the harvest, which is the fruit of our prayers.  And it stretches us to continue to believe when the answer is delayed,  but let not the man who doubts think that he shall receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6).


Lord Jesus, You told the father who had brought his child for healing that all things are possible to those who believe. He answered with tears “I believe help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).  He was being stretched as we are at times too Lord. Well meaning friends,  have asked “What if it does not happen?” But Lord I would, with Patricia King, rather get to heaven and ask why You did not come through for me, than You ask me why I gave up.  You have promised Lord, and You are not a man that You should lie.  I want the World, for Your glory,  to say “The LORD has done great things for him” (verse 2). One thing is for sure Lord,  joy comes in the morning. And for this and many other things,  I give You thanks and praise in Your precious Name Amen

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

.... Sexual immorality, wine, and new wine enslave the heart. My people seek counsel from their piece of wood, and their diviner's rod speaks to them. For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray; in their immorality they desert their God (Hosea 4:6a, 11, 12). There is an interesting book entitled “None of these diseases.”  It is about the  “Extraordinary medical benefits are available to those who follow the Bible's teachings.” The authors deal with stress, sex, anger, circumcision, tobacco, and more!  The thing that stands out to me are the cleanliness regulations given thousands of years before we understood about bacteria. Apparently in the ancient world well meaning doctors killed millions by deliberately infecting their wounds.  The  book is inspired by Exodus 15:26 "If you .... keep all My statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians.”

The Bible is a remarkable book, and it's things like the above that give me confidence that it is indeed the Word of God.  And we are indeed destroyed if we do not know and obey it. Having said that,  we also need wisdom to know what Old Covenant regulations are required under the New Covenant dispensation, for not all of them are (see for example Acts 15:19, 20).  But coming back to this morning's verses, and leaving aside the multi billion dollar annual cost of sexually transmitted diseases and the abortion industry, our sexual immorality messes up our minds and our hearts. Paul puts it this way “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28).   And that was me, but I am now washed, sanctified and justified (1 Corinthians 6:11).

You might be saying surely the bit about idols is not relevant. But we have many modern idols that are just as foolish as wooden ones. It seems that if we do not believe the truth, we will believe anything! A man can be a woman,  and we can jump in and out of bed with this one or that one without emotional, relational or spiritual consequences. But He made us male and female, we reap what we sow,  and “sexual immorality, wine, and new wine enslave the heart” (Genesis 1:27; Galatians 6:7; John 8:34).

 As regards to deserting our God, the Lord illustrated this to me years ago. I was sitting in the caff talking to this young woman and she told me “I don't think adultery is wrong.” I looked her in the eye and said (not unkindly) “That's because you want to do it!”  She was hitting on me of course. But the point is that if God says “no adultery” (Exodus 20:14), and you want to do adultery, you do just one of two things, you either desert your adultery, or you desert God.

Lord Jesus, I want to thank You this morning, for the wisdom of Your Word. If all else fails read the instructions (2 Timothy 3:16). Thank You for Your promise that if we abide in Your  word [continually obeying Your  teachings and living in accordance with them, then]  we are truly Your disciples. And
we will know the Truth, and the Truth will set us free (John 8:31, 32 AMPC).  Help us to do our part Lord, knowing that You will then do Yours, and we will give You the glory in Your precious Name Amen

Then she will say, 'I will go and return to my first husband

.... For then it was better for me than now’ (Hosea 2:7). The whole book of Hosea is a parable of Israel as an unfaithful wife,  and the Lord as the long suffering husband. The Lord commands Hosea “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD” (1:2). Hosea  knows of the adultery in advance of the  marriage, and yet marries her anyway. After having given Hosea children,  she leaves him for other lovers.  Then suffering the consequences of her decisions comes this morning's verse. Like the prodigal son, she comes into her right mind realizing it was better then than “now” (Luke 15:17). How many of us had to come to the devastating result of our own rebellion (Galatians 6:7), before we too realized that His ways are best?

And in spite of her adultery,  Hosea buys her back from the slave market of her sin (3:1, 2).   The Lord also knew the faithlessness of humanity in advance. And the book of Hosea testifies clearly of His willingness to buy us back from our spiritual adultery. Indeed He  is not willing that any should perish, but all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). It does however require repentance and turning to Him in faith (John 3:16).  Ezekiel explains repentance. To repent is to “Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" ( 14:6 ).  It is to "Turn! Turn from your evil ways" ( 33:11 ).

There is a secondary application to Hosea's parable (apart from salvation). It has to do with the casual modern attitude to marriage both in society,  and in the church.  I speak here neither from self righteousness, nor to bring condemnation. For one thing I have utterly failed in this area, and for another “there is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ” (Romans 8:1). The point is, that marriage among believes, is a parable of the relationship between Christ and the church, and it is something of a mystery (Ephesians 5:28-32). In other words when the world looks at Christian marriages, it is  intended to see the love of Christ for the World, and to motivate them to want in! Part of this is that He intends marriage to be permanent, with the primary exception Matthew 19:9) being marital unfaithfulness (including pornography – Matthew 5:28).  Even then it is by permission (19:8), and if we are to be imitators of God, then, as  Hosea's parable suggests, we might even then go the second mile. This is to love our spouse as Christ loved the Church,  and gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25).

Father, thank You for Your amazing,  extravagant healing love and tender mercy. As Paul says the only reasonable response is to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1,2). I want to repent this morning Lord, in identification repentance  (Daniel 9:5) for myself,  for your church and for our culture, for the casual way we have treated marriage.  In this, according to Your Word,  the church has failed to demonstrate the love of Christ to the world, a love so great that You sent Your beloved Son that whosever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Forgive us Lord and help us to live lives worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8).  And we will give You the glory in Jesus Name Amen

There is no fear in love; but perfect love

... casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:18, 19). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), but perfect love cast out fear.  There are many who have come to salvation through fear of hell, and there is wisdom in this. But as these verses imply, we are not intended to stay there! In particular, for the believer, the fear of judgement needs to be cast out (verse 17).  Those of us who have heard and believed have passed from death to life and will not come to judgement (John 5:24).  This fear is cast out by “perfect love, ” and if we are still in fear, it is because we “not been made perfect in love.”  You may be objecting that you will never be perfect, let alone perfect in love.  But actually in the very same context of loving others, Jesus tells us to be perfect even as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

But that we will never be perfect in this life is true, for “in many things we all fail” (James 3:2). The point though, is that we are to aim for perfection. In particular, we are to aim to love others as Christ has loved us (John 13:34). It's not about striving, it's about abiding, that is about staying in moment by moment intimate communion with the One whose very essence is love (God is love verse 16).  Love is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and Jesus tells us “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). In particular, whether we acknowledge it or not,  our ability to love at all is a ultimately a response to His initiating love (verse 19).  To abide in Him is to abide in love.

Certainly we have a part to play in our abiding in love, in our being perfected in it.  This love of which John speaks is not primarily an emotion.  Abiding in love looks like something. It moves us towards sinlessness (3:6), it does no shut up it's heart to those in need (3:17), it keeps His commandments (3:24), it loves the brethren (4:12, 13),  it testifies that Jesus is the Son of God (4:15). And it gives us the authority to ask what we will, with the assurance we will receive it (John 15:7).  The primary focus of this passage however is loving one another, and it is what being perfected in love is all about. Verse 12  reads “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”

Lord Jesus, I thank You for verse 10 in this passage “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the substitutional sacrifice for our sins.”  We love Lord,  because You first loved us. Help us, help me, to abide in Your love, so that we may be rooted and grounded in it, and that it may naturally flow out of us to our brethren,  and to this wicked and hurting world for whom You died. Continue to perfect Your love in us Lord, in me. And we will give You the glory in Your precious Name Amen

Those who do wickedly against the covenant

.... he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and firmly resist him (Daniel 11:32).  Some have attempted to identify the “he” of this prophecy with later historical figures, but this passage is very difficult to identify in history. The principles however are not difficult to understand.  In every age there are those who “do wickedly against the covenant,”  that is who throw out the commandments and principles of God.  And it is more than easy to lead those who have done so into further corruption. I have often said in jest “flattery will get you everywhere!” Flattery of course is excessive or insincere praise. Paul admonishes  everyone to not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Well I have not arrived in this area, how about you?

Paul tells us those who have done wickedly against  the covenant have been taken captive by the devil to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). “But the people who know their God ...”  The “but” indicates that the people who know their God are different.  But what does it mean  to know God?  There's a huge difference between knowing about Him,  and knowing Him. To know Him is to love Him and others. John tells us that He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love  (1 John 4:7). Our ability to love at all is because He initiated love.  He is the very source of it, all of it, even if we don't acknowledge this fact  (1 John 4:19 NIV). If God did not exist, neither would love. I used to think I had a lot of love, but I came to realize that I have not arrived in this area either!

It is a process, learning to love and learning to know Him are inseparable, and we need to have a realistic sense of where we are in this.  Paul again tells us clearly that we may profess to know God, but by their actions deny Him being “detestable and  disobedient” (Titus 1:16). If we know God we will truly want to serve and be obedient to Him. Knowing God is about being in ongoing relationship with Him in this way. It is to no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who love us and gave Himself for us (2 Corinthians 5:15). To do this, is to be in the process of becoming “strong, and firmly” resisting the enemy of our souls. The last part of  this morning's verse in the NKJV talks about doing “great exploits.” The World has yet to see what God can do with someone who is fully committed to Him! There are some who come close to showing us! I am thinking of Roland and Heidi Baker (Google “Iris ministries”).

Father, over and over I keep coming back to the recovery saying that it is progress that we aim for not perfection. I am not what I want to be, but thank You Lord I am not what I once was.  Thank You that though I am flawed,  I am fully accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6),  and that You who began a good work in me will keep right on working in me until that Day I see You face to face (Philippians 1:6). For this, and many other things, I give You thanks and Praise in Jesus Name Amen

Seventy weeks are determined

.... for your people and for your holy city ... to make an end of sins..... to bring in everlasting righteousness .... Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks .... And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself ... And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:24 - 26). There is much debate about the meaning of these verses, especial among those who wish to eliminate the supernatural from the Bible, or from who want to deny  Jesus is the Christ (Greek), the Messiah (Hebrew).  And  490 years (= 70 x 7) from the  decree to rebuilt Jerusalem (verse 25, Nehemiah 2:1) brings us to the time of Christ, and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (the sanctuary).  And after 69 weeks (7 + 62 verses 24,  25) Messiah is cut off.  Some have  deduce that Jesus was 33 when He was crucified.  

The word Messiah occurs many times in the Old Testament,  and can refer to the coming Messiah for whom the Jews are still waiting.  It also refers to Cyrus for example (Isaiah 45:1). The word simply means anointed one, as does the Greek equivalent Christ. But this Messiah is the Prince,  and Jesus Prophet and priest and  King and Priest. Also this messiah is cut off, but “not for Himself,” and it is “to make an end of sins.”  So then the atonement – the making of us “at-one-ment” with God,  is already established (Hebrews 19:12). But this leaves one week (seven years) left. What's that about?

Again there's much debate, and very little agreement. Here are some thoughts. Jesus Himself seem to see a gap in God's timetable  between His coming,  and the bring in of “everlasting righteousness” (verse 24). I mean in quoting Isaiah 61 in Luke 4:18, He stops at a comma. He ends with “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” comma. Isaiah continues “and the day of vengeance of our God (Isaiah 61:2). There's a theory, and some evidence for it,  that God does not count time when Israel is in exile. But what if it's when there's no temple? There is much talk right now about rebuilding the third (Ezekiel's) temple (Google third temple Jerusalem). The seventieth week also seems to be connected to the seven year tribulation period “Even in troublesome times” (verse 25). Much of this is speculation and again there is great debate as to whether the church will go through the tribulation,  or will be raptured before, in the middle or after it. Some things are sure, the Bible gives us enough to be confident that we have not believed cunningly devised fables (2 Peter 1:16),  that Jesus is coming again (acts 1:11), and that in the end good triumphs over evil (the book of Revelation).

Father, it has been with some fear and trepidation that I followed Your leading this morning,  and wrote about these things. I am so aware that we should not be many teachers (James 3:2), and that “he who thinks He knows something should acknowledge that he knows nothing as he aught to know” (1 Corinthians 8:2). Lord if I have written anything that is not of You,  let it fall to the ground. But Lord let the certainly of what is certain comfort,  and  help establish Your saints, in Jesus Name Amen

Now by this we know that we know Him,

.... if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:3, 4). Some would say we don't need to keep His commandments, because keeping His commandments is a work,  and we're not saved by works (Ephesians 2:8, 9). But John is not saying here that keeping His commandments saves us, rather that keeping His commandments is evidence that we are saved. Conversely, if we don't keep His commandments, this is evidence that the truth is not in us (verse 4), i.e. that we are not saved! If we are saying we are saved and don't keep His commandments we are fooling ourselves.  But,  you might ask, who truly keeps His commandments?

Well nobody, for if we say we have no sin we are also fooling ourselves (1:8). And there is provision for that for “if we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive” (1:9). This mornings verse is part of the context of that verse, and the assumption therefore,  is that the confession includes forsaking the confessed sin.  But again, you might ask how can we then be sure we are saved? We Biblical assurance is about doing our best to walk in the light, and as much as possible with us, to be keeping His commandments. And if in the midst of sincerely seeking to do this doing we sin, then Jesus Himself is the atoning sacrifice (2:1,2).  It is presumption (God will forgive me, that's His job), not weakness that is the problem here!  We must not play games with God!

Keeping His commandments (Christ's commandments verses 1,2) is about keeping His Word (verse 5). It is about loving one another (John 13:34), about walking in the light and in the ongoing process of being cleansed from all sin (1:7). If we hate our brother we are walking in darkness (2:11). Walking in the light is about by the Spirit putting to death the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (Romans 8:13; 2:16). The lust of the flesh is that which pampers our sinful nature, the appetites we develop when we continue to sin. The lust of the eyes, is that which delights the eyes, the things money can buy, bigger and better cars, houses, material possessions etc. It is the love of these things which is the problem, not the things themselves (verse 15)! Our first love must be to Him. The pride of life is about vain glory, it includes thirsting for knowledge that  puffs us up (1 Corinthians 8:1),  for honour and applause from man, rather than from God.  It's about putting too much importance on titles and position.  It is wanting to feel better than others,  and it was Satan's problem (Isaiah 14:14), and that of the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:6).  

Father, You truly want us to know that we are saved  (1 John 5:13), and as John is telling us in these verses,  true assurance comes as we walk in the light as You are in the light (1:7).  Nobody can do this perfectly Lord, and  I want to thank You this morning for Your provision for when we fail (1:9; 2:1,2). Thank You Lord it's not all up to us, for it is You who keeps what we have committed to You (2 Timothy 1:12) in Jesus Name Amen