Coming to the Still Waters

Today's verses are 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 which read, 11 - Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.   12 - Greet one another with a holy kiss.   13 - All the saints greet you. 14 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Last words are always important.  Much is said in the last moments and we hang on every word or we read them over and over again when it is coming from one we love.  Paul has given of his life to the Corinthian church and there would be no one to doubt his love for them.  Lets look at what he says. "Finally, brethren,..." - I am not above you but alongside of you   "...rejoice,..." - be glad   "...be made complete,..." - fitted for the journey or task   "...be comforted,..." - call to one's side   "...be like-minded,..."

Church Resolutions? It’s that time of year when we sit down and think about the coming year and what “will” be different.   Maybe we write down these resolutions, blog them or even preach about them to do something physical that might give us some accountability to actually keep them.   From the source www.usa.gov , here is a list of the common New Year resolutions made year after year. ·       lose weight ·       volunteer to help others ·       quit smoking ·       get a better education ·       get a better job ·       save money ·       get fit ·       eat healthy food ·       manage stress ·       manage debt ·       take a trip ·       reduce, reuse, and recycle ·       drink less alcohol Do any of these look familiar to you?   I have tried and failed quite a few of them over the years.   I have found that a major change usually doesn’t come at a specific time of year but at a time in life when you are awakened to the need to change.

Today's verses are Romans 8:28-30 which read, 28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.   29 - For those who He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;   30 - and these whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, he also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Of course verse 28 is the most famous one and also the one that is most misquoted or not quoted in its entirely.  Lets take a deeper look at it. "And we know..." - we have perceived with our eyes, we have experienced "...that God causes all things to work together..." - God is a partner in these labors   "...for good..." - for our constitution or nature   "...to those who love God,..." - love dearly, the most complete love, stand at the

Our verses today are Psalm 119:161-168, which read, 161 - Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your words.   162 - I rejoice at Your word, as one who finds great spoil.   163 - I hate and despise falsehood, but I love Your law . 164 - Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous ordinances.   165 - Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.   166 - I hope for Your salvation, O LORD, and do Your commandments.   167 - My soul keeps Your testimonies , and I love them exceedingly.   168 - I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies , for all my ways are before You. The words underlined are mine for emphasis but I think I could have underlined the whole passage.  Look at the emphasis of the Word of God.  He stands in awe of it.  He rejoices in it.  He loves it.  He praises God because of it.  He obeys it.  He treasures it. We are on the brink of that time of the year that people make resolutions

Today's verses are Psalm 140:12 and 13 which read, 12 - I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor.   13 - Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.   The first 11 verses has King David dealing with the evil and injustice of his world.  He talks about "...evil men...violent men...evil things...continually stir up...sharpen their tongues...a viper...the wicked...trip up my feet...the proud...hidden a trap...set snares...evil device...mischief of their lips...slanderer..."   I think the Psalms that deal with the evil world are becoming more real in the days that we live.  The news is loaded with some of these actions.    King David calls out to the Lord for many things like deliverance and protection but he comes to resolve about God in this whole matter of the evil of the world and that is what we find in these ending 2 verses of the Psalm.   "I know..."

Today's verses are Matthew 10:5-8 which read, 5 - These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them:  "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans;   6 - but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.   7 - And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'   8 - Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.  Freely you received, freely give." This is Jesus sending out His disciples with the message of Jesus.  They are instructed on this trip to not go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans but to their own people, the Israelites.  The disciples would later be sent out to the whole world and every people group but this time Jesus' instruction was very focused to their brothers and sisters by race. The message they are to give is "...The kingdom of heaven is at hand."   This was another way to say, "The coming Messiah has come."   The fulfillment o

"Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere, go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born." Luke 2:8-12 says, 8 -  In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night . 9 -  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened . 10 -  But the angel said to them, " Do not be afraid ; for behold , I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people ; 11 -  for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior , who is Christ the Lord . 12 -  " This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger ." The phrase "...keeping watch..." has the base of "guarding" so the shepherds were in prot

Today's verses are Ezekiel 34:11-16 which read, 11 - For thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.   12 - As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.   13 - I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.   14 - I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel.  There they will lie down on good grazing and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.   15 - I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord God.   16 - "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen t

Today's verses are Matthew 1:23-25 which read, 23 - "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name, Immanuel," which translated means, "God with us." 24 - And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife,   25 - but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. I am always amazed at all the obedience of the Christmas story.  Many times in the Bible we see someone going or doing contrary to God and then see the consequences of it.  The story of Christmas is full of just the opposite.  We see so much obedience not only at the moment but prior to the event with their lives. This passage highlights the obedience of Joseph.  Earlier in verse 19 Joseph is described as "...her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her,..."   Joseph was a man who was "righteous" before this event.  T

Today's verses are Luke 2:6, 7 which read, 6 - While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.   7 - And she gave birth for her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn.     A young couple is traveling back to the town of their descendent's tribal home, Bethlehem.  It was more than 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem and through mountainous terrain.  The young lady was "great" with child and so this added to the urgency to get there. A great adventure and I have always wondered what was some of the conversation between Joseph and Mary on that trip.  Did they know the prophesy about the Messiah being born in Bethlehem in Micah 5:2 and that is where they were headed?  Were they caught up in the idea of having a child and feeling the kicks from inside the womb or where they so wrapped up in the thought of getting there and protecting themselves from the dangers of

Today's verses are Romans 6:20-23 which read, 20 - For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.   21 - Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?  For the outcome of those things is death.   22 - But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.   23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.     A famous last verse that has some pretty cool verses that come before it that build it up to have that "punch" for the end of the chapter.  I think it might be good to make this into some type of chart as Paul is comparing two ways of life.  "Let's put these two side by side and see what your conclusion is" could be Paul's thought here. Condition:  slave to sin (bondage to) Freedom:  don't have to do what God says is r

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 which read, 19 - For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.   20 - To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;   21 - to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.   22 - To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.   23 - I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker in it. Why does Paul do this?  Why does he make himself "a slave to all,..." "...as a Jew,..." "...as without law,..." and "...became weak,...?"   Paul did this so that he "...might win...&

Today's verses are Luke 24:44-49 which read, 44 - Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Here is Jesus affirming all of the Old Testament - the Law, the Psalms, and the the Prophets - and affirming again that He is the Christ, the Messiah, who is speaks of. 45 - Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,... This is something that Jesus does for us as we read and study the Scripture that never makes it old.  I pray this for you and us so that we would follow and fulfill Scriptures instruction with ever present fervor. 46, 47 - ...and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem. Jesus gi

Today's verses are Psalm 62:5-8 which read, 5 - My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. 6 - He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. 7 - On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. 8 - Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.   Let's look at some of the words in this passage. "soul" - it comes from the word for breath or to take a breath "wait in silence" - a silence to cleanse or cut away "only" - indeed in an emphatic sense that is stable "hope" - a cord to hold onto, looking for "rock" - large boulder "salvation" - deliverance "stronghold" - high place, secure height, retreat "shaken" - totter or slip "refuge" - shelter, place to flee for protection Let's go back through it: With my n

Today's verses are Jeremiah 23:5, 6 which read, 5 - "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.   6 - In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, 'The LORD our righteousness.'" The verses before this passage are speaking about false shepherds (spiritual leaders) leading the sheep (Israel, God's people) away from God.  God would gather the remnant (those who hear God's voice) back and raise up other shepherds (faithful spiritual leaders) to tend them. The verses following this passage are speaking about a change of focus from the event of the Exodus when Israel was delivered from the hands of Pharaoh and guided to the Promise Land to a new event to focus on of the remnant coming back to the land of Israel from all ove

Today's verses are Mark 13:33-37 which read, 33 - "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.   34 - It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.   35 - Therefore, be on the alert--for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning--   36 - in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 - What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"     Wow - this goes so much along with my short devotional this morning before the choir sings.  Sometimes it is so great to give an illustration or short story to make a point and that is what Jesus is doing here.   First is the fact in verse 33 that there is an "...appointed time..." and it "...will come..." and &

Today's verses are Psalm 136:23-26 which read, 23 - Who remembered us in our low estate, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,   24 - and has rescued us from our adversaries, for His lovingkindness is everlasting;   25 - who gives food to all flesh, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.   26 - Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. This psalm follows a pattern of "To Him..." and then ends the phrase with "...for His lovingkindness is everlasting."   It ends with that phrase 26 times, once for every verse.  So to God we give praise about what comes next in the phrase and sum it up with this characteristic of God called "lovingkindness."     "Lovingkindness" is a word that your computer will put a line under to say it needs to be corrected.  "Lovingkindness" is a combination of goodness, kindness, and faithfulness.  So every phrase about God and what God has done in this psalm is fol

Today's verses are Genesis 22:15-19 which read, 15 - Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven,   16 - and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this things and have not withheld your son, your only son,   17 - indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.   18 - In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." 19 - So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba. It is a second call from heaven because the first call was to "Stop!" (my paraphrase from a parent's point of view of being asked to offer my child, my only child up as a sacrifice).  Abraham was asked to obey God's instruction and many times we ask "wh