Judges 1, Judges 2, Judges 3, Luke 12:32-59

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%201,2,3;%20Luke%2012:32-59&version=NKJV

 God’s People in Pain ~ God’s people Rule ~ God’s Kingdom Comes 

Judges 1             “Judah shall go up … fight against the Canaanites …  and the Lord delivered” But the tribes “did not drive out the” surrounding peoples.  

Judges 2              The Lord came…said: you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land…tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. -Therefore… they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ So…all the children of Israel…lifted up their voices and wept…Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals…Yet they would not listen to their judges…Then the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel;  

Judges 3            they gave their daughters…they served their gods…again did evil in the sight of the Lord.  

                       The Almighty, Holy, Faithful God continuously protected His people and set them free from their enemies. God gave them a kingdom on earth and made them accountable to Him. But time and time again God’s people ignored God’s Word, Character, Commands and Love for them. They turned away from Him to worship and obey what they could see, feel, and hear. They mingled their hearts and lives with demons and idols. God’s people did evil in His sight so God’s anger was against them. Even though they “lifted up their voices and wept”, “Yet they would not listen”. 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:6; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Revelation 9:20

Points to ponder –    The Lord God is worthy of my complete, full hearted obedience. Partial obedience is DISobedience. God requires 100% loyalty, trust and faith in Action.

                 People refused God’s protective law by NOT driving out what influenced them to sin. Inaction was rejection of God.

                     God’s people, though loved by God, alienated themselves from Him. By their allegiance to personal pride and lust, their lives were filled with many types of deep pain. God’s people proved to be unfaithful and double-minded/ hearted.

                     It wasn’t about the people, it was all about God! What would have Glorified the Lord God and brought His people unshakable Joy? Living with God in the freedom of the Promised Land AND thus showing and introducing the idolaters to God, for them love, worship and be freed by the Living God too! They all would have had eternal life! And God’s peace would have reigned through them all!

                 Lord, reveal to me how I live by my physical, temporal, self-willed senses and NOT by faith and Holy Spirit “sight” in trusting Your Reality of Truth in order to please You. Show me how my mind changes due to fear and “discomfort” so I do not Love by faith in Jesus Who sacrificed His life for me to NOW live a vibrant eternal life by His Word and Power.  

Luke 12:32-59          “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give…provide…a treasure in the heavens that does not fail…there your heart will be also.”

                  Lord Jesus’ Words ringing clear and true, for the Israelites, nowadays and Jesus’ time! I hear the same tune, “Turn from you see, feel, and hear. Do not mingle your heart with demons and idols, but trust God and thereby receive the good Kingdom your Father pleasures to give you!”  

                 Jesus, please awaken many to disown their earthly treasures, loyalties and idolatries that cause their hearts to pain and fear, so not to perish. Please have Your Word Drive Out the thoughts, words, habits, values and lusts so we do not turn our backs against Your Father. Jesus, you had me born-again for God’s Kingdom living and rule under You. Please, Lord, increase Your territory of Love throughout myself and my sphere of influence.  

“Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching…Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.…Blessed is that servant whom…his master will find so doing when he comes…that he will make him ruler over all that he has…BUT IF that servant…begins to beat the…servants, and…be drunk, the master…will come …when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers…For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

My Kingdom of God agenda:            What have I traded permanent for temporary? How am I using the time and tools God has allotted me?

             What territory have I left laid to waste? What “Christian” thinking of “grace” has allowed the weeds and thorns to infest and rot my “territory” because my passionate desire for God’s gleaming righteousness and glory has dimmed by excuses, rationalizations and compromise? Am I Driving Out unholy thinking with the Word of God and acting upon it?

            Am I being truthful to myself and with those in my charge? Or am I watering down the Gospel and Jesus’ Blood? Am I selling out cheap grace using a “get out of hell” card without James 1-4 enacted? What kind of servant am I? Much is REQUIRED of me by God.

Jesus said, “I came to send fire on the earth …to give…division…one house will be divided…but how is it you do not discern this time?”

                  What time is it now? “In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,” and “rumors of wars”.  

“I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

 This Good News requires my responsibility and accountability to my Master, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

                 Am I using God’s eternal Tool, the Word of God? Am I praying without ceasing for God’s Holy Spirit counsel and Doing what He says? Jesus gives life to those who seek, ask and receive in God’s terms. Lord Jesus, have me follow hard after You and Drive Out whatever thwarts for Your cleansed temple within me! Have Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.

Bible References –         James 2:10-26; 1 John 4:10; 1 John 5:3; Jude 1:16-25 +  James 1:2-8, James 4:7-10       +    John 1:12-14; John 3:3-21; Psalm 51; 1 John 3:1; Psalm 145:13; Matthew 24:14; Luke 1:31-33; 1   +  Corinthians 15:23-28; Matthew 25:31; Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 6:9-13; 1 Chronicles 4:9-10   +  2 Timothy 3:1-9; Matthew 24; Mark 13     +  James 1-4,1 John 1-5, Jude 1  +  1 Thessalonians 5:17; Matthew 7:7-8; Matthew 11:28; Romans 10:9-10; 1 John 1:9; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19 

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)

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2 Chronicles 10, Revelation 1, Zephaniah 2, Luke 24

But he rejected the advice…  2 Chronicles 10:8

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, … which must shortly take place.  … for the time is near.  Revelation 1:1,3

Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32

To read, see: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Chron.10;%20Rev.%201;%20Zeph.%202;%20Luke%2024&version=NKJV 

2 Chronicles 10          Rehoboam went to … make him king. Jeroboam  spoke to Rehoboam …therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before …But he rejected the advice …and consulted the young men who had grown up with him.

                  Who am I listening to? To whose counsel? And why? What is the proof that it is wise counsel? Lord, have me run to the Throne instead of the phone. Have me pour into your Bible else I may be liable. Make me humble before You force me to crumble. Amen! Isaiah 40:13

King Rehoboam … saying, “…your yoke heavy, I will add to it; …I will chastise you with scourges!” So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the LORD might fulfill His Word,

                   Pride and arrogance is against God. Rejecting wisdom and not being just, merciful or walking humbly with God provokes God’s wrath. Yet this was the consequence from earlier sins against the Lord God (verse 15).   Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 16:5 Micah 6:8

when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, …Israel departed to their tents. …King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.

                Lord God Almighty, please have my nation’s officials heed Your Voice, fear You and listen to Your people. Have Your people take Your Yoke upon them so they will live by Your Word and Holy Spirit. Have me seek Your Face and Will and desire it above all else!! Please cause Your people to repent to You before we suffer greater judgement upon our land! Amen. Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 37:4, 2 Chronicles 7:14

Revelation 1              The Revelation of Jesus Christ, … which must shortly take place.  … for the time is near.

                If the time was “near” then, how soon is Christ Jesus coming now? What must I do to be faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ? (Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 1, Psalm 51, 1 John 4:15, Romans 10:9, Matthew 28:18-20, Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:14-17, Hebrews 10:23, John 15)

                Jesus Christ rose from the dead and now lives to intercede for us (Matthew 28, Hebrews 7:25). So what is Jesus Christ like now? Here is the Revelation of Jesus Christ:

Amazing description of the Lord Jesus Christ, from His own mouth!

the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. Him who loved us, washed us from our sins in His own blood, has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.  the First and the Last

Action>>             He is coming with clouds, every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.

Appearance =           One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Spoke –         He laid His right hand on me, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen   

I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

Do I have any more questions? Not now, for the Lord Jesus Christ has it all covered, past, present and future!! Should I fear man? NO! Should I trust Jesus Christ with my life, past, present and future? YES! Should I fear and love God well? YES! Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ!! Romans 14:11-12, Isaiah 45:23

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Rev 22:20

Zephaniah 2             Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, Before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you, Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’s anger.

     Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, The word of the LORD is against you,  “I will destroy you; …  I have heard the reproach …  And the insults of the people … With which they have reproached My people, And made arrogant threats against their borders. Therefore, as I live,” Says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,” … The LORD will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations. Desolation shall be at the threshold;

                  This can pertain to MY country! We have been arrogant and against the Lord of Hosts! Woe to the people who go against the Lord God Almighty!  LORD, may we “Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’s anger. …” – and may I be one of the first! Repentance is necessary!

                  I thought my own way was right. After all, that’s what my parents taught me and they went to church. That’s what my teachers taught me and they had authority. My culture told me I was right, and there are so many people, surely the multitudes would know. But God told me different (Psalm 1, Psalm 51) and the Lord God Almighty is always the Biggest and the Best. (John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 11:28-30; John 3:3-21; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17 )

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Luke 24                     Now on the first day of the week, … they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. … did not find the body of the Lord Jesus…. behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. …“Why do you seek the living among the dead? …Remember how He spoke to you … and the third day rise again.’” And they remembered His words….told these things to the apostles…. and they did not believe them.

               How many times do I NOT remember God’s Word for my own heart? That God IS near. That He is NOT dead, but alive and living in me? Or ignore the fact that God is actively pursing other people too? Or not perceive the evident power of God Everywhere? How often do others not believe me when I tell them what God has done? I don’t want to be like those who incurred Jesus’ rebuke for their unbelief and hardness of heart? Hebrews 7:25; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 4:30; 1 John 4:4; Luke 19:10; Matthew 9:6-8; Hebrews 11:1; Acts 10:38; Romans 1:4; Matthew 26:64; Psalm 19; Mark 16:14

Now …two of them were traveling to …Emmaus, … So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. … “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”

                 Jesus Christ DID redeem Israel, and the Gentiles! But not as man expected!! Isaiah 55:8-9 Redemption was/ is eternal, not temporal! Lord, open the eyes of my heart to “know” you and how you have resurrected ME: Redeemed me to live IN the freedom of Christ! I want to joyously understand and live this viewpoint unceasingly!  

“He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” May I not be slow of heart to believe!

                    Am I reading God’s Word to SEE Jesus often? To learn about He Character of God and my relationship with and in Him? God, show me how You are sanctifying me so I may glorify You. What part(s) of me are “dying” because of my flesh, family, friends, and work that is revealing the living Savior in my midst?

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

             Am I like them? Does my heart BURN within me when I read God’s Word as He “talks” with me through it? Do I ask the Lord to open my understanding in order to comprehend the Scriptures? Verse 32, 45

                  Do I constrain the living Lord Jesus Christ to abide in me, to stay with me, to sup with me? How do I do this, or not? John 15 is my litmus test!

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

                 Do I “know Jesus” in the breaking of His Bread at the Lord’s supper? Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart to You and please never vanish from my sight!

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

                  Do I eagerly rush to tell others about the risen Lord Jesus Christ Who transformed me to be His child many years ago, and continues to sanctify me even within the past 24 hours!?

Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, … they were terrified … “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? …Handle Me … they still did not believe…

                   Lord, please increase my faith to be as solid as if You were sitting beside me right now! (I love You! And thank You! I am listening…) John 20:29

He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

                 Jesus testified that His life was the fulfillment of His Father’s plan. Then Jesus commissioned His people to witness and fulfill Jesus’ work while He lives to intercede for them in heaven. Hebrews 7:25

                Does this honoring “job” cause me to worshiped Jesus and go to live obeying Him with great joy, continually praising and blessing God? verse 52-53 May it be so Lord Jesus! May nothing hinder me from knowing your Kingdom Perspective and living it!!

“Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Rev 5:13

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)

Numbers 8; Psalm 44; Song of Songs 6; Hebrews 6

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.  Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.  God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.    Hebrews 6:16-20

I love the nautical image used here.  I grew up on a lake.  Whether swimming or boating, the water was my life during the summer.  Typical for a kid, I thought boats were only useful for flying across the water at full speed.  My parents usually obliged me, so I rarely saw an anchor used.  On the rare occasion we made use of one, I was always impressed, even as a young boy, that a device weighing less than ten pounds could hold something the size of a boat in place.

I occasionally have to travel to a naval base for my job.  The base in question has a small field next to the main road which is filled with excess equipment, including several of the navy’s anchors.  They have no resemblance to the anchor in my family’s boat.  They easily outsize my rental car as I pass by.  I can only imagine what it must be like from the perspective of the ocean floor to see such a thing descend from the surface.  As big as these anchors are though, they are nothing compared to the size of the ship they lock into place.  Yet, lock in place they do.  Tides run in and out.  Wind gusts of great strength and waves of great size can buffet the ship from all directions.    Yet, those aboard can rest confident that their position remains unchanged.  Properly set into the ocean bed, an anchor can immobilize ships large enough to rate their own zip codes.

Even the most impressive anchor is merely a tool though; in and of itself it is of no value.  Stowed on the ship, it accomplishes nothing.  Dropped into the water, it is useless if the chain to which it is attached fails to extend to the floor beneath.  Settled into soft sand, it might as well have been left at port.  It is effective only when it grabs hold of the earth below.  The earth is the steady object which the ship attaches too via the anchor.

Ships are made to float untethered, but I wasn’t; I’m not meant to drift freely through life.  I need something greater than myself to use as a stable point of reference, but what can I anchor to?  It’s increasingly difficult to find something to place my trust in.  Respected leaders routinely fail us.  Esteemed pastors fall.  Friends and even family let us down.  Time-honored beliefs and institutions can dissolve within a generation.  Nations and empires, and thus the security of their citizens, can fall in a night.  We are sometimes given traumatic reminders that we can’t even count on the stability of the earth itself.  No, anchoring my hopes to any of these is as effective as a great ship anchoring to shifting sand.

Thankfully, I have an eternal God to anchor to;  A God so great that He can swear on nothing higher than Himself.  Hebrews 6 shows me that God has provided my soul an anchor, and that anchor is nothing less than the hope of God’s promises set before us.  Its immeasurable value comes from the fact that it is anchored behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies, to the very character of God!

I thank God for His unchanging permanence.  I praise Him for revealing to us the unchanging nature of His purpose.  I rejoice in Him for making me infinitely less than He is.  I love Him for instilling within me a deep hope in His promises, and for anchoring that hope to nothing less than His Holy character.

My present circumstances are uncertain.  My future is assured.  I have an anchor for my soul, and it’s invincibly bound to my God!

Michael (mmattix)