A Weekly Devotional – The Times – Personal Meditation (2)

A Weekly Devotional – The Times – Personal Meditation

Comment: NEVERTHELESS! I have this against you, that you have left your FIRST LOVE. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; REPENT AND DO the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you REPENT. The present-day church in many nations, and who were one time gospel centers for the world are now in need that someone should once again speak the words of the Gospel to them. We are living in an age “worldwide” that reveals the truths of 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

Devotional: Not every church member knows the love of God, nor is every church member a child of the love of God. But for those of us who are saved by the LOVE of God, through the sacrifice of God’s Lamb (His Son Jesus), I ask! Do we know and understand that the Christ/Messiah knows the works of His church on earth, including every individuals’ response to God by personal faith? Failing to know this does not relieve us of the responsibility to preach the gospel of God.

In Revelation 2:1 through Revelation 3:1-22, Jesus reveals conditions that either bless or condemn the activities of the church. As each church receives this evaluation, (there are seven) He gives a warning to repent and an invitation to HEAR what the Spirit of God has said. From our position on earth the church things we participate in, do not seem to be so bad. But, from Messiah’s view we are not where we ought to be! 

There is an interesting section of scripture in Isaiah, when He was called by God to be a prophet to Israel. Isaiah 6:1-13, especially from verses 8 through 13. This same LORD who knew the condition of God’s chosen people at the time Isaiah was called to preach to Israel, also knows the condition of His CHURCH. Isaiah 6:9-10 are like the words spoken by the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4. Israel in her journey as God’s Chosen and we the Church in our journey as God’s Bride have failed God’s love because we have willing worshipped the gods of this world, we have fallen away from God’s love and committed adultery with false religions, even mixing these adulterous acts within our churches, we have wiped our mouths and claimed that we are doing, nothing wrong. 

I say: How long LORD, shall we endure the failure of our churches today, we are liberal with our doctrines, in fact some churches do not have a doctrine. Some churches worship the god of celebration, some the god of ritual and some the god of self-indulgence. God answers Isaiah by saying in Isaiah 6:11-13 – Until the cities are laid waste… until only the stump of the terebinth tree remains. So, the holy seed shall be its stump.

Are you of the stump? Whom shall be God’s remnant be? Whom will He teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breast? Isaiah 28:9-13 is not for the weak-minded child of God, but for those heavy burdened with drought, who fail to abide in His Word. To understand this you must read, Isaiah 28:1-10. God teaches “Precept upon precept. Line upon line, line upon line. Here a little, there a little.” While some may believe that these verses are directed at teaching through an entire book in the Bible at a time, I would disagree. It does however mean that what is taught is to be taught because there is a spiritual draught in our day just as it was in Israel’s day.

A Weekly Devotional – The Times – Personal Meditation (1)

A Weekly Devotional – The Times – Personal Meditation

Comment: The decision to provide a weekly devotional may serve to be a good thing as this will give me more time to prepare a more in-depth meditation. Often when developing a thought or two for the day, many other verses of scripture and content comes to mind. Time can limit a daily meditation and restrict the increase of an awareness of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit and the Word. 

Devotional: Proverbs 4:7 – Wisdom is the principle thing, therefore get wisdom and in all of your getting, get understanding. This wisdom that Solomon who was King of Israel at the time of his writings? Is he talking about human wisdom? Or, the Wisdom that comes to the children of God through the study of God’s written Word and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit? Yes! and through daily personal meditation God gives His children “His Wisdom” 

This wisdom does not come from the world, the world does not know or understand the Wisdom of God; notice if you will, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 also Isaiah 64:4. Notice in the last sentence of 1 Corinthians 2:9, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him, and now meditate on Hebrews 1:1-4. Can we understand? We can if we avail ourselves to the Creator God who made the worlds, purged our sins, who is above all, because He is ABOVE ALL.

As we begin this weekly journey, I was reminded that Israel’s New Year begins tonight and through tomorrow. Israel has two trumpets to blow and herald in the New Jewish year 5778. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of both the Hebrew month of Tishre and the Jewish high holidays, which ends with Yom Kippur ten days after the New Year begins.

Note: God told Moses to make two trumpets for himself of silver Numbers 10:1-10, these were used to gather the people together and directing them regarding the movement of the camp. In Leviticus 23 we see that these trumpets were used to begin the feast, which brings in the Jewish New Year. Now there is much we can say about this New Year within the Jewish communities all across the world today, but again time restrains me. One thought; why two trumpets, would not one be sufficient? God called the nation to be a witness to the nations and He has also called the church to be a witness to the nations, therefore two trumpets.

To pray and meditate on the times in which we live, may I suggest the following reading, Matthew 24:32-33 (Parable of the Fig Tree) by the way the Fig Tree is Israel, see Joel 1:6-7, also Hosea 9:10. The regathering of Israel is the parable of the fig tree. Now no one knows the day or the hour for the return of Messiah, Matthew 24:36-44, yet God has called His Children to be ready! Are you ready? If you seldom pray and meditate in the Word of the Living God, then you are NOT ready to say in prayer; “EVEN SO COME LORD JESUS.

Some of this material comes from the ministry of Amir Tsarfati of the Ministry “Behold Israel” if you wish you can download this app from the “app store” it is free.

A Daily Devotional – Faith – Personal Meditation (6)

A Daily Devotional – Faith – Personal Meditation

Comment: Years ago, one of the submarines I was on experienced a torpedo attack. The details of that attack are a bit blurry since the event happened in the 1980’s, but I do remember very clearly God’s intervention. His intervention is as clear to me today as it was on the day when He delivered us out of the hand of the prowler. As the event unfolded I prayed for God to spare the ship and our lives and when the moment past, I went to my Bible. The following is where my eyes landed in His Word and I do not think it ‘odd’ that God directed my eyes to the following Psalm which at this point in my journey with God as my Savior, had never read before. Now you do not need to be a submarine sailor to understand the words of God to me on that day.

Devotional: Psalm 124: 1-8 (NIV) – If the LORD had not been on our side— let Israel say— if the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

 

Since that day I am convinced and always reminded the if you are a child of God the Father through personal faith in Jesus Christ/Messiah, that “our help in life’s journeys comes from God” This help is in His Name, notice what Asaph says in Psalm 75:1; “We give thanks to Your, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your Name is near. Also in Psalm 61:3, David says to the LORD, “For you have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy, and Solomon speaks clearly in Proverbs 18:10 – “The Name of the LORD is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are SAFE. 

As you face the day (every day) remember that it is God the Father who protects us daily, we are surrounded by His wondrous works, read and meditate in the Psalms every day, may I suggest Psalm 19.