#494 Judgment and Promises (Isaiah 65) – Lessons from Evil Doers I

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It has been said, and is indeed true, that we learn from our mistakes; however, how much better is it to learn from the mistakes of others, if we are willing to do so.  Isaiah recorded some of the sins the nation of Israel committed that led God to punish them in His holy righteousness.  Let us look at these, learn from them, and make our lives honoring to God.  Yesterday we saw that there were those who refused the right kind of worship toward God, instead choosing to worship and patronize their idols.  God wants us to worship Him, and Him alone!  Any church in which we worship should recognize Jesus Christ as God and that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, rose again, appeared to many in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, and ascended to Heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father.  Our churches should recognize that the only way of salvation is accepting Christ as our Savior and Lord, and that we have direct access to our heavenly Father only through Jesus Christ, our High Priest.  Isaiah also listed other sins these evil doers did that we will look at and learn from tomorrow.

As you study your Bible, look at the ways God was dishonored through sin, learn from them, and live a life pleasing to Him, ever striving to be more Christlike!

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:  for there is no difference:  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God:  Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 3:22-24)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#459 Proclaiming God’s Word

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Upon receiving the Holy Spirit as Christ had promised before His ascension, the disciples were transformed and were ready to serve the Lord in a more powerful way than ever before.  They fearlessly proclaimed the Word of God to the multitude of pilgrims who had gathered inJerusalemfor the celebration of Pentecost, even speaking to them in their own language.  Peter, the same Peter who denied Christ, boldly preached powerful messages to the multitudes, so thoroughly touching the hearts of the people that they asked Peter and the disciples what they needed to do next.  Of course, this opened the door for an explanation of what was needed for salvation and receipt of the Holy Spirit.  This boldness and fearlessness is available to every single Christian.  When accepting Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells us, ready to give us the power to proclaim God’s Word to all with whom we come in contact. 

Today, use the boldness available to you through the Holy Spirit to tell someone about the salvation that is available to them by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior!

“And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, ‘Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?’”   (Acts 2:7)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#458 Fulfillment of God’s Word

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The belief and trust of the disciples and other believers in the upper room waiting for the risen Lord’s promise to be fulfilled was honored when one day the Holy Spirit was brought upon them.  Scripture tells us it sounded like a “mighty rushing wind… and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.”[1]  This was a fulfillment of Old Testament Scripture,[2] New Testament Scripture,[3] and the promise the risen Savior had voiced to His disciples prior to His ascension.[4]  It was also a further indication that the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ was not the end, but the beginning of our celebration.  He was raised from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father in Heaven, and God in the form of the Holy Spirit was sent to fill the disciples and other believers inJerusalem that day of Pentecost and now to indwell each of us when we accept Christ as our personal Savior.  It transformed lives then, and it transforms lives today.

Allow your life to be transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit by allowing Him to speak and work through you!

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”   (Acts 2:4)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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[1] Acts 2:2a, 4a

[2] Joel 2:28-29

[3] Mark 1:8

[4] Luke 24:49

#457 Depending on God’s Word

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As the disciples and other believers were in the upper room waiting for the Lord’s promise, Scripture tells us they were of one accord, trusting God’s promise to be fulfilled.  Led by Peter’s teaching of the Old Testament, they spent their waiting time studying God’s Word and spending time with God in unified prayer and supplication.  Too often when we have to wait on God’s promise and answer to prayer, we get upset and take off in our own direction.  Likewise, when a church has to wait on the Lord for a minister and/or ministry, too often congregants will decide they can take matters into their own hands, going against the will of God and causing a break in the unity of the church.  God expects us to wait on His timing and do so in Christian love and unity, studying, trusting, and depending on His Word and staying in prayer and supplication before Him.  And, we can be assured He faithfully keeps His promises.

You can count on the faithfulness of God to fulfill His promises in His perfect timing!     

“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.”   (Acts 1:14)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#256 Waiting on God’s Word

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

God’s timing is perfect!!  There are times when God requires us to wait on His answer to our individual prayers and times when He requires the church body to wait for the right minister or ministry God has for it.  But He does not expect any of us to just sit, wait, and do nothing until His answer comes.  We can draw an example from the experience of the disciples and believers who were in a similar situation after Christ’s ascension into heaven as He had instructed them to wait inJerusalemuntil the promise of the Holy Spirit had been fulfilled.  The disciples returned toJerusalemwith great joy, encouragement, and hope for the future, and we can imagine that they walked with a determined stride and a skip to their steps.  Then, they had to wait, be obedient, and rest on His promise.  They gathered in the Upper Room along with numerous other believers, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, but they did not sit stoically and grumble about their situation, they did what the Lord expected of them.  Let us continue tomorrow and see how they spent their time while waiting for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. 

Have you ever had to wait on the Lord for an answer to prayer that you were sure should come at once?  How did you handle the wait?

“And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”   (Luke 24:49)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#455 Reality of God’s Word

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is absolutely amazing the change that took place in the disciples after seeing and being with the risen Christ.  They still had many questions for Jesus, but their faith had been restored, their trust in God’s Word had been re-established, and their understanding of Scriptures had been opened.  Ready to serve their Lord and spread the Good News of the risen Savior they were now faced with the reality that Jesus was going to once again leave them.  This time was different, though, as Jesus had given them the promise of the Holy Spirit that would indwell them and empower them to accomplish His command of telling the Gospel throughout the world.  The disciples went with Jesus toBethanywhere they received the Lord’s blessing and witnessed His ascension into heaven, and this time they went back toJerusalemfilled with joy, not fear and disappointment.  We, as the disciples demonstrated, can experience a joyful heart ready to serve our risen Savior knowing that He is at the right hand of the Father ready to intercede on our behalf.

As a Christian, you should be experiencing a joyful heart, knowing that your Savior and Lord is alive and sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven!

“And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.  And the worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:  And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.  Amen.”   (Luke 24:51-53)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#454 Understanding God’s Word

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Upon seeing Jesus alive after His resurrection, the disciples were overjoyed at having Him back with them.  Although the risen Christ would appear suddenly then disappear just as suddenly, the disciples were again learning and being taught as they were before their Savior had been crucified.  Can we not imagine that they may have listened and tried to comprehend His words just a little bit more closely and thoroughly?  Additionally, God’s Word tells us that their understanding was opened although they still asked some questions of Him that they should have grasped or understood previously.  We too, as Christians, can have our understanding opened when we approach His Word with an open heart and open eyes of faith.  The more we read and study, and the more we pray for understanding, the more He will show us the truths of His Word.

Pray that the Lord will open your understanding of His Word today!

“Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.”   (Luke 24:45)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#452 Believing the Risen Savior

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When reading and studying the Scripture we find that the disciples did not really believe that Christ would be resurrected, and even after He was resurrected it took them time to digest all that had happened with Thomas refusing to believe Jesus was alive until he could see and touch Him.  Jesus often told them who He was and that He would be killed and that He would rise again the third day, but they did not understand and/or believe.  When Christ was crucified, they hid and wondered how they were going to carry on in life, some going back into their original livelihood.  But something happened:  they saw the risen Savior and all hope, joy and determination returned.  Thomas, when he actually saw Jesus, did not need to touch Him; he acknowledged Christ as Lord and Savior.  Today, we have not physically seen Jesus; however, we have the eyewitnesses who did, we have God’s Word which is absolute Truth, and we have our faith that assures us that the Savior we serve is alive forever, thus giving us the blessed hope (certainty) of eternal life.

Allow the risen, living Savior to give you the hope, joy, and determination to serve Him faithfully!

“Jesus saith unto him, ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’”   (John 20:29)

May God Richly Bless You Today