Friday, December 24, 2021

December 24


John 21:1-14


[1] After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. [2] Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. [3] Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.


[4] Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5] Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” [6] He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. [7] That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. [8] The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.


[9] When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” [11] So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. [12] Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. [13] Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. [14] This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.


Revelation 21


[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”


[5] And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” [6] And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [7] The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. [8] But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”


[9] Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” [10] And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, [11] having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. [12] It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—[13] on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. [14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.


[15] And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. [16] The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. [17] He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. [18] The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. [19] The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20] the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. [21] And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.


[22] And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. [23] And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24] By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, [25] and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. [26] They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27] But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.


Job 41:12-34


    [12] 

    “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,

        or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame. 

    [13] 

    Who can strip off his outer garment?

        Who would come near him with a bridle? 

    [14] 

    Who can open the doors of his face?

        Around his teeth is terror. 

    [15] 

    His back is made of rows of shields,

        shut up closely as with a seal. 

    [16] 

    One is so near to another

        that no air can come between them. 

    [17] 

    They are joined one to another;

        they clasp each other and cannot be separated. 

    [18] 

    His sneezings flash forth light,

        and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. 

    [19] 

    Out of his mouth go flaming torches;

        sparks of fire leap forth. 

    [20] 

    Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke,

        as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. 

    [21] 

    His breath kindles coals,

        and a flame comes forth from his mouth. 

    [22] 

    In his neck abides strength,

        and terror dances before him. 

    [23] 

    The folds of his flesh stick together,

        firmly cast on him and immovable. 

    [24] 

    His heart is hard as a stone,

        hard as the lower millstone. 

    [25] 

    When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;

        at the crashing they are beside themselves. 

    [26] 

    Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail,

        nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. 

    [27] 

    He counts iron as straw,

        and bronze as rotten wood. 

    [28] 

    The arrow cannot make him flee;

        for him, sling stones are turned to stubble. 

    [29] 

    Clubs are counted as stubble;

        he laughs at the rattle of javelins. 

    [30] 

    His underparts are like sharp potsherds;

        he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire. 

    [31] 

    He makes the deep boil like a pot;

        he makes the sea like a pot of ointment. 

    [32] 

    Behind him he leaves a shining wake;

        one would think the deep to be white-haired. 

    [33] 

    On earth there is not his like,

        a creature without fear. 

    [34] 

    He sees everything that is high;

        he is king over all the sons of pride.”


Zechariah 10


    [1] Ask rain from the LORD

        in the season of the spring rain,

    from the LORD who makes the storm clouds,

        and he will give them showers of rain,

        to everyone the vegetation in the field. 

    [2] For the household gods utter nonsense,

        and the diviners see lies;

    they tell false dreams

        and give empty consolation.

    Therefore the people wander like sheep;

        they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.


    [3] “My anger is hot against the shepherds,

        and I will punish the leaders;

    for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah,

        and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. 

    [4] From him shall come the cornerstone,

        from him the tent peg,

    from him the battle bow,

        from him every ruler—all of them together. 

    [5] They shall be like mighty men in battle,

        trampling the foe in the mud of the streets;

    they shall fight because the LORD is with them,

        and they shall put to shame the riders on horses.


    [6] “I will strengthen the house of Judah,

        and I will save the house of Joseph.

    I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,

        and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,

        for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. 

    [7] Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,

        and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.

    Their children shall see it and be glad;

        their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.


    [8] “I will whistle for them and gather them in,

        for I have redeemed them,

        and they shall be as many as they were before. 

    [9] Though I scattered them among the nations,

        yet in far countries they shall remember me,

        and with their children they shall live and return. 

    [10] I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,

        and gather them from Assyria,

    and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,

        till there is no room for them. 

    [11] He shall pass through the sea of troubles

        and strike down the waves of the sea,

        and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.

    The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,

        and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. 

    [12] I will make them strong in the LORD,

        and they shall walk in his name,”

    declares the LORD.


Zechariah 11


    [1] Open your doors, O Lebanon,

        that the fire may devour your cedars! 

    [2] Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,

        for the glorious trees are ruined!

    Wail, oaks of Bashan,

        for the thick forest has been felled! 

    [3] The sound of the wail of the shepherds,

        for their glory is ruined!

    The sound of the roar of the lions,

        for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!


    [4] Thus said the LORD my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. [5] Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. [6] For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”


[7] So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. [8] In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. [9] So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” [10] And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. [11] So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. [12] Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. [13] Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. [14] Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.


[15] Then the LORD said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. [16] For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.


    [17] “Woe to my worthless shepherd,

        who deserts the flock!

    May the sword strike his arm

        and his right eye!

    Let his arm be wholly withered,

        his right eye utterly blinded!”


Zechariah 12


[1] The oracle of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: [2] “Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. [3] On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. [4] On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. [5] Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.’


[6] “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.


[7] “And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. [8] On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them. [9] And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.


[10] “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. [11] On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. [12] The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; [13] the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; [14] and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.


Zechariah 13


[1] “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.


[2] “And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. [3] And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.


[4] “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, [5] but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’ [6] And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’ he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’


    [7] “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,

        against the man who stands next to me,”

    declares the LORD of hosts.


    “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;

        I will turn my hand against the little ones. 

    [8] In the whole land, declares the LORD,

        two thirds shall be cut off and perish,

        and one third shall be left alive. 

    [9] And I will put this third into the fire,

        and refine them as one refines silver,

        and test them as gold is tested.

    They will call upon my name,

        and I will answer them.

    I will say, ‘They are my people’;

        and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”


Zechariah 14


[1] Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. [2] For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. [3] Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. [4] On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. [5] And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.


[6] On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. [7] And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.


[8] On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.


[9] And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.


[10] The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. [11] And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security.


[12] And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.


[13] And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. [14] Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. [15] And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.


[16] Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. [17] And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. [18] And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [19] This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.


[20] And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. [21] And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Do You Understand the Trinity?



PRAY OVER THIS

“And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’”

(Luke 1:35)
 
PONDER THIS

It has been said, “Try to explain the Trinity, you’ll lose your mind; deny it, you may lose your soul.” This is Bible doctrine. The only reason we believe it is because the Bible teaches it. You may say, “Well, I can’t put any faith in something I can’t understand.” Then don’t turn on the lights because you don’t understand electricity. You may say, “I understand electricity. I’m an electrician.” But even Einstein said he didn’t understand electricity. He hoped before he died he could understand electricity. But he never did.

Don’t think that you have to define or explain God. The only way you know about the Holy Trinity is by what is revealed in Scripture. This is a sacred mystery, but it is absolutely true.

What are some other things you believe in even if you are unable to see or explain them fully?
What are some other Bible doctrines that require faith for belief?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time today to meditate on the mystery of the Trinity. Think on passages like the one in today’s devotion that reveal the reality of the Trinity.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

God’s Indescribable Gift


If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:10–11)


How do we practically receive reconciliation and exult in God? We do it through Jesus Christ. Which means, at least, that we make the portrait of Jesus in the Bible — that is, the work and the words of Jesus portrayed in the New Testament — we make that portrait the essential content of our exultation over God. Exulting in God without the content of Christ does not honor Christ. And where Christ is not honored, God is not honored.


In 2 Corinthians 4:4–6, Paul describes conversion in two ways. In verse 4, he says it is seeing “the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” And in verse 6, he says it is seeing “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” In either case you see the point. We have Christ, the image of God, and we have God in the face of Christ.


To exult in God, we exult in what we see and know of God in the portrait of Jesus Christ. And this comes to its fullest experience when the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as Romans 5:5 says. And that sweet, Spirit-given experience of the love of God is mediated to us as we ponder the historical reality of verse 6, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”


So here’s the Christmas point. Not only did God purchase our reconciliation through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10), and not only did God enable us to receive that reconciliation through the Lord Jesus Christ, but even now we exult in God himself, by the Spirit, through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:11).


Jesus purchased our reconciliation. Jesus enabled us to receive reconciliation and open the gift. And Jesus himself shines forth as himself the indescribable gift — God in the flesh — and stirs up all our exultation in God.


Look to Jesus this Christmas. Receive the reconciliation that he purchased. Don’t put the gift on the shelf unopened. And when you open it, remember God himself is the gift of reconciliation with God.


Exult in him. Experience him as your pleasure. Know him as your treasure.



John Piper 

December 23


John 20:24-31


[24] Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”


[26] Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” [27] Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” [28] Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” [29] Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”


[30] Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31] but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.


Revelation 20


[1] Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. [2] And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, [3] and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.


[4] Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5] The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. [6] Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.


[7] And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison [8] and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. [9] And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, [10] and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.


[11] Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13] And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.


Job 41:1-11


    [1]  “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook

        or press down his tongue with a cord? 

    [2] 

    Can you put a rope in his nose

        or pierce his jaw with a hook? 

    [3] 

    Will he make many pleas to you?

        Will he speak to you soft words? 

    [4] 

    Will he make a covenant with you

        to take him for your servant forever? 

    [5] 

    Will you play with him as with a bird,

        or will you put him on a leash for your girls? 

    [6] 

    Will traders bargain over him?

        Will they divide him up among the merchants? 

    [7] 

    Can you fill his skin with harpoons

        or his head with fishing spears? 

    [8] 

    Lay your hands on him;

        remember the battle—you will not do it again! 

    [9] 

     Behold, the hope of a man is false;

        he is laid low even at the sight of him. 

    [10] 

    No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.

        Who then is he who can stand before me? 

    [11] 

    Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?

        Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.


Zechariah 6


[1] Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. [2] The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, [3] the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. [4] Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” [5] And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. [6] The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” [7] When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. [8] Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.”


[9] And the word of the LORD came to me: [10] “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. [11] Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. [12] And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. [13] It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ [14] And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.


[15] “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”


Zechariah 7


[1] In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. [2] Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, [3] saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”


[4] Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: [5] “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? [6] And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? [7] Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’”


[8] And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, [9] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, [10] do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” [11] But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. [12] They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. [13] “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts, [14] “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.”


Zechariah 8


[1] And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, [2] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. [3] Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. [4] Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. [5] And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. [6] Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? [7] Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, [8] and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”


[9] Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. [10] For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. [11] But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. [12] For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. [13] And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”


[14] For thus says the LORD of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, [15] so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. [16] These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; [17] do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.”


[18] And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, [19] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.


[20] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. [21] The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ [22] Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. [23] Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”


Zechariah 9


    [1] The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach

        and Damascus is its resting place.

    For the LORD has an eye on mankind

        and on all the tribes of Israel, 

    [2] and on Hamath also, which borders on it,

        Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. 

    [3] Tyre has built herself a rampart

        and heaped up silver like dust,

        and fine gold like the mud of the streets. 

    [4] But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions

        and strike down her power on the sea,

        and she shall be devoured by fire.


    [5] Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;

        Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;

        Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.

    The king shall perish from Gaza;

        Ashkelon shall be uninhabited; 

    [6] a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod,

        and I will cut off the pride of Philistia. 

    [7] I will take away its blood from its mouth,

        and its abominations from between its teeth;

    it too shall be a remnant for our God;

        it shall be like a clan in Judah,

        and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites. 

    [8] Then I will encamp at my house as a guard,

        so that none shall march to and fro;

    no oppressor shall again march over them,

        for now I see with my own eyes.


    [9] Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

        Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

    Behold, your king is coming to you;

        righteous and having salvation is he,

    humble and mounted on a donkey,

        on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 

    [10] I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

        and the war horse from Jerusalem;

    and the battle bow shall be cut off,

        and he shall speak peace to the nations;

    his rule shall be from sea to sea,

        and from the River to the ends of the earth. 

    [11] As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

        I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 

    [12] Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

        today I declare that I will restore to you double. 

    [13] For I have bent Judah as my bow;

        I have made Ephraim its arrow.

    I will stir up your sons, O Zion,

        against your sons, O Greece,

        and wield you like a warrior’s sword.


    [14] Then the LORD will appear over them,

        and his arrow will go forth like lightning;

    the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet

        and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. 

    [15] The LORD of hosts will protect them,

        and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones,

    and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,

        and be full like a bowl,

        drenched like the corners of the altar.


    [16] On that day the LORD their God will save them,

        as the flock of his people;

    for like the jewels of a crown

        they shall shine on his land. 

    [17] For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!

        Grain shall make the young men flourish,

        and new wine the young women.

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

The Souls of Dirty Sinners


We are all dirty sinners.

What separates sinners from God?

Denying Christ alone!

He is our only hope.

There is no way to God except through the blood shed on the cross.

God demanded a blameless substitute.

None was found except Christ.


1 John 2:2


[2] He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.


John 14:6


[6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.


Revelation 1:5


[5] and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. 


To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 


1 Timothy 1:15-16


[15] The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. [16] But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.


Romans 3:22-25


[22] the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25] whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.


Ephesians 1:7-10


[7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, [8] which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight [9] making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ [10] as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.


Acts 17:30


[30] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,


Was Jesus a Part of Creation?


PRAY OVER THIS


“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16

 

PONDER THIS


Jesus is the power of creation. The little baby in Matthew 1 is the mighty God of Genesis 1. There was nothing made without Him. I don’t believe in evolution. It’s the next best guess of those who do not know the Word of God.


If evolution is true, you have problems with the Scripture. If the Bible can’t tell me from where I have come, how can it tell me where I am headed? You have trouble with salvation. If there’s no creation, no Adam and Eve, no garden of Eden—then there was no fall into sin. If there’s no fall into sin, there’s no need for a new birth. Man’s just progressing onward and upward. But Jesus said in John 3:3 that we must be born again. If Genesis 3 is a myth, John 3 is a farce. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the power of creation. Everything was made by Jesus.


Based on today’s devotion, why is it important to believe what the Bible says about Jesus as God the Son and as the power of creation?

Have you lived in a way that does not line up with today’s verse, Colossians 1:16?


PRACTICE THIS


List some beliefs you hold that rest on the fact that Jesus is God the Son and the power of creation.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

That You May Believe


Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31)


I feel so strongly that among those of us who have grown up in church and who can recite the great doctrines of our faith in our sleep, and yet who can yawn through the Apostles’ Creed — that among us something must be done to help us once more feel the awe, the fear, the astonishment, the wonder of the Son of God, begotten by the Father from all eternity, reflecting all the glory of God, being the very image of his person, through whom all things were created, upholding the universe by the word of his power.


You can read every fairy tale that was ever written, every mystery thriller, every ghost story, and you will never find anything so shocking, so strange, so weird and spellbinding as the story of the incarnation of the Son of God.


How dead we are! How callous and unfeeling to your glory and your story, O God! How often have I had to repent and say, “God, I am sorry that the stories men have made up stir my emotions, my awe and wonder and admiration and joy, more than your own true story.”


Perhaps the galactic movie thrillers of our day can do at least this good for us: they can humble us and bring us to repentance, by showing us that we really are capable of some of the wonder and awe and amazement that we so seldom feel when we contemplate the eternal God and the cosmic glory of Christ and a real living contact between them and us in Jesus of Nazareth.


When Jesus said, “For this purpose I have come into the world” (John 18:37), he said something as crazy and weird and strange and eerie as any statement in science fiction that you have ever read.


Oh, how I pray for a breaking forth of the Spirit of God upon me and upon you; for the Holy Spirit to break into my experience in a frightening way, to wake me up to the unimaginable reality of God.


One of these days lightning is going to fill the sky from the rising of the sun to its setting, and there is going to appear in the clouds the Son of Man with his mighty angels in flaming fire. And we will see him clearly. And whether from terror or sheer excitement, we will tremble and we will wonder how we ever lived so long with such a domesticated, harmless Christ.


These things are written — the whole Bible is written — that we might believe — that we might be stunned and awakened to the wonder — that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came into the world.



John Piper