Tag Archives: prophets

Have you ever been to a diamond mine? (John 5:41-47), February 2, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
When you find a diamond in the field, it’s not such a thing of beauty. So why does everyone want diamonds in the first place?
Scripture
1. John 5:41-47
2. This kind of glory does not come from mortal men. And I see that you do not possess the love of God. I have pursued you, coming here in My Father’s name, and you have turned Me away. If someone else were to approach you with a different set of credentials, you would welcome him. That’s why it is hard to see how true faith is even possible for you: you are consumed by the approval of other men, longing to look good in their eyes; and yet you disregard the approval of the one true God. Don’t worry that I might bring you up on charges before My Father. Moses is your accuser even though you’ve put your hope in him because if you believed what Moses had to say, then you would believe in Me because he wrote about Me. But if you ignore Moses and the deeper meaning of his writings, then how will you ever believe what I have to say?
Devotional
1. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a diamond mine or any place where you can find raw gems in the ground, but it is a fascinating experience. The first time you go there, you might expect to see something very different that what you will really see
  1. Expect to see shiny, glimmering, jewels
  2. Really find lots of dirt and a few rare off colored dull pieces of something
  3. Might think it is broken, discarded glass
2. Jeweler sees something different
  1. Sees potential after polishing and cutting
  2. Studies the stone for hours before first cut is made
  3. Angles facets just right to capture light throughout the stone and cause it to reflect within itself adding brilliance to the stone
  4. Dull misshapen piece of rock becomes a flawless, priceless jewel after much study, careful work, long hours
3. Same way with scripture
  1. Might just see a bunch of rules and laws from Moses and the prophets
  2. Dos and don’ts we must keep
  3. Study, careful work, long hours brings out the beauty and richness of God’s word
  4. Helps us capture the inner beauty of what He wants us to know about Him
4. Aim to please men and we’re left with just lumps of dirt, aim to please God but put no effort in it and we have those dull bits of colored rock, give our all to Him and work tirelessly to please Him and we find diamonds in life each day
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

There will be a test at the end (Luke 16:15-18) December 10, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 23-24

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 16:15-18
Jesus (to the Pharisees): You’ve made your choice. Your ambition is to look good in front of other people, not God. But God sees through to your hearts. He values things differently from you. The goals you and your peers are reaching for God detests.
The law and the prophets had their role until the coming of John the Baptist. Since John’s arrival, the good news of the kingdom of God has been taught while people are clamoring to enter it. That’s not to say that God’s rules for living are useless. The stars in the sky and the earth beneath your feet will pass away before one letter of God’s rules for living become worthless.
Take God’s rules regarding marriage for example. If a man divorces his wife and marries somebody else, then it’s still adultery because that man has broken his vow to God. And if a man marries a woman divorced from her husband, he’s committing adultery for the same reason.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Many in our society want to throw out what God’s word says as archaic, meant for another time and another generation. It’s not meant for our progressive, modern society. The people of Jesus’ day had similar ideas. The Pharisees, however, were the church leaders. They tried their best to enforce the laws God had inspired in the writers of the Old Testament. They wanted to make sure all those old rules were followed to the letter of the law and, in fact, they added their own interpretation to those rules so that 612 traditions came along with the Levitical commands God gave Moses on Mt Sinai.

Jesus addressed the Pharisees often about their losing their faith because of their strict enforcement of the rules but their failure to live up to and follow those same rules themselves. But these words of Jesus are pretty interesting and important for our society today. We need to hear these words addressed to the religious leaders because it applies to us just as much as it did to them those 2,000 years ago. Listen carefully to what Jesus had to say once again.

“The law and the prophets had their role until the coming of John the Baptist. Since John’s arrival, the good news of the kingdom of God has been taught while people are clamoring to enter it. That’s not to say that God’s rules for living are useless. The stars in the sky and the earth beneath your feet will pass away before one letter of God’s rules for living become worthless.”

Many want to take that first sentence and stop. They want to conveniently forget the rest of the paragraph. But Jesus didn’t stop talking after the first sentence. The role of the law and prophets changed, but they didn’t go away. Before John the Baptist came to herald the coming of Christ and the kingdom of God to earth, the law and prophets set the boundaries of behavior and condemned the actions of men and women in community. It told us how to live together in society and what God’s standards for living were. The law and prophets pointed out the evil in us.

But their role changed when Christ came on the scene. When He died for us and His spirit came to live in us when we let Him, His laws are written on our heart. It’s a law of love. Remember what He told the scribe who asked about the greatest commandment? Love God and love your neighbor, every other commandment rests on these two as their foundation. But we can’t love the way He wants us to love until He lives in us and we let Him control our lives. When He does, He writes His laws on our hearts. His laws don’t go away. They transform us. His rules don’t disappear, they become an integral part of who we are because He becomes an integral part of us.

All of the don’t do this and don’t do that kind of evil rules of living get turned around to do this and do that kind of good because you love God and love others the way He loves. The world gets turned upside down because you begin to see the way He sees. He lives in you and you become part of Him just as He is part of you. The rules didn’t change, you do. The guidance doesn’t change, you do. The taboos don’t change, you do. The things that He says will destroy your life don’t change, you just don’t desire them any more. God transforms our thinking because He wants to live in a temple – us – that remains pure and clean and holy. So He changes us. He wants us to be that vessel.

Is adultery still wrong? Yes. Is homosexuality still wrong? Yes. Is theft still wrong? Yes. Is lying and cheating and stealing and desecrating the Sabbath and disrespect for you parents and murder and breaking all the other commandments still wrong? Yes. These things hurt not just the one committing the sin, but they hurt the community in which they are committed. Just look around at the state of our society and it’s not hard to see that thinking it’s okay to throw out the commandments is okay has led to total decay across our land.

God’s laws will not go away before the stars in the sky or the earth beneath your feet disappear. It might be worth while to brush up on them. There will be a test at the end.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Be bold (Luke 13:32-35) November 28, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Deuteronomy 20-22

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 13:32-35
Jesus: You can give that sly fox this message: “Watch as I cast out demons and perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I’ll reach My destination. But for today and tomorrow and the next day, I have to continue My journey, for no prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.”
O Jerusalem! O Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and you stone the messengers who are sent to you. How often I wanted to gather in your children as a hen gathers in her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing to come to Me. Look now, your house is abandoned and empty. You won’t see Me until you welcome Me with the words of the psalms, “Anyone who comes in the name of the Eternal One will be blessed!”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

It’s interesting to see Jesus’ boldness in the middle of all the political and religious turmoil in Judea. When you think about the historic time in which Jesus lived, Judea was a powder keg waiting to explode. The Jews lost their nation when the Assyrians attacked the Northern Kingdom and then the Babylonians finished the job and drove the Judeans into exile almost 600 years earlier. The nation never ruled itself independently from that time until the United Nations gave Israel the strip of land they now govern after World War II.

That’s a long time to feel God’s punishment for their disobedience. But He warned them through the many prophets He sent their way to change and follow His decrees, but they wouldn’t. Through all that time, both as a nation and as the vassal of some other kingdom, the Jews continually revolted against their leaders, just as they revolted against God. They would not be ruled by anyone.

Consequently, the Greeks kept a strong military force in Judea after they conquered the Persians and took over the country. Then the Romans kept a stronger military force in the country after they conquered the Greeks. Here Jesus stood in the midst of all the political turmoil in which the Zealots were trying to build Israel into an independent nation again. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were at each others throats trying to gain control of the temple. The Essenes fought both of those primary Jewish sects to try to reform their religion and bring back real worship into the temple again as keepers of the ancient scrolls.

The upheaval across the country was tremendous. Everyone walked on eggshells because Herod wanted to show the populace that he was in charge as the Judean king. Pilot kept an iron fist to make sure everyone knew that Rome still held the reins over the tiny country. The various sects within the Jewish faith argued their sides in the Sanhedrin and levied fines and imprisonment for infractions of their laws to ensure the citizens of their country knew it was the temple they must obey.

And in the middle of all of this uproar, Jesus comes on the scene and tells His followers things like this. Tell Herod, that old fox, that I’m going to do what I’m supposed to do until I get to Jerusalem. He might think he can kill me, but he doesn’t have a chance. I have a purpose to fulfill and I’ll be in Jerusalem in three days after I’ve completed my mission of healing and driving out demons for the next three days first.

No one talks to the king like that…unless of course you are God’s Son. Oh, yeah, He is. As many times as the Pharisees or Herod or the scribes or the townspeople tried to do Jesus harm, they never could. The Father had His hand of protection firmly over His Son ensuring nothing happened to Him until He gave Himself over to those guards in Gethsemane. Until Jesus allowed Himself to be taken and beaten and crucified, no one could harm Him.

Jesus said we could have the same boldness when we talk about the kingdom of God, though. He said if we will allow His Spirit to inhabit us and give Him control of our lives, He will give us the words to say when we face kings and authorities and are dragged into court on account of Him. We don’t need to be afraid of the times. It will get tougher for Christians in the coming years. The Bible predicts it. But we don’t need to cower or fear. Jesus promised He will never leave us or forsake us. He will be with us to the very end.

So like Jesus in those days of political and religious turmoil, don’t be afraid of unrest that goes on around you. There will always be political and religious upheaval as long as people fail to follow God. That’s just the way it is. We live in an evil world that will continue to create chaos and turmoil until Jesus returns. But don’t worry, it won’t be much longer. All the signs are coming together. As Galatians says, “…when the set time had fully come…”. He’ll come back to get us.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Hate crimes? (Luke 6:22-23) October 1, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 3-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 6:22-23
Jesus: When people hate you,
when they exclude you
and insult you
and write you off as evil
on account of the Son of Man, you are blessed.
When these things happen, rejoice! Jump for joy!
Then you have a great reward in heaven
For at that moment, you are experiencing what the ancient prophets did when they were similarly treated by the ancestors of your detractors.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There is a lot of hate in the world today. So much so that in this country we have even started labeling things as hate crimes. Kind of tragic to think we have come to that state, isn’t it? One group of people say derogatory things about another group and it’s considered a hate crime. Another group commits some violent act against a protected group and it’s a hate crime. When could any purposeful violence against another not be considered a hate crime? Why do we need special words to describe crimes against one section or another? Isn’t all crime against one another wrong?

But that’s for another day. Today I want to talk about the promise Jesus made to those who carry His name, Christians. Notice that Jesus didn’t start this admonition with “if people hate you…” He said, "When people hate you on account of Me. Do you think crimes against Christians will be considered hate crimes? Don’t count on it. God’s word tells us to expect others to hate us, exclude us, insult us, write us off as evil. It’s an expectation Jesus gave those who heard His message on the mountainside that day.

Can you imagine the rumbling that spread through the crowd as Jesus said those words? Join Me, but everyone will hate you when you do. Follow Me, but no one will invite you to their party when you do. Obey My commands, but you will be the brunt of everyone’s jokes as soon as you do. Oh, and by the way, when all these things happen to you, and you can be sure they will, consider yourself blessed because you’re doing just exactly what I’ve asked you to do.

So what would you do at that point in the sermon? How many do you think got up and walked away? How many started thinking Jesus really was insane? How many stuck around just to see how crazy His sermons would get? How many thought anyone would follow Him after a job description like that?

You can be sure most of the crowd stayed out of curiosity at best, not out of loyalty to Jesus. Remember He told them and His disciples that the road was narrow and few would find it. Most would follow the broad road the world pushed them along. Most would listen to the lies of Satan and just meander the way of the world thinking everything was okay but walk right into their own destruction. Sure the crowd would come to see the healing and hear His preaching, but as Jesus taught like this, few would give up their comforts to take on the life He promised.

But Jesus reminded them and us that God’s people have always felt severe persecution. Look at what happened to Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Hosea, Isaiah, name the prophet. The vast majority of the people around them didn’t like their message and criticized them for it. Most people didn’t want to change their behavior, their worship, their lives, to follow the commands God directed. Most people wanted to continue to do what they wanted to do. Most refused to give up control of their lives to God. And so they hated His messengers.

If we follow Christ, we will do what He says and His command to all of us is to share His message, to be His witnesses where we are. And as soon as we share His message, we will be hated for doing so. Why? Because we ask people to change if they expect to escape eternal punishment. We tell them the only way they can find eternal rest, eternal reward, the only way to please God is to change and not just be good, but to give themselves to God, to obey Him.

The self-centered nature we inherited through the seed of humankind rears its ugly head and says I want to be in charge of me. Until we let go of me, we will see Christians as the enemy. We will label Christians as haters of everyone else. We will exclude them because they make us uncomfortable with the truth of God’s word. We will call them evil even though deep in our heart we know they are not. We will try to crush them because we refuse to follow the narrow path God lays out for us.

But when we accept Him, when we follow Him, when we obey Him, we will experience all those things Jesus promised on that hillside, but in the end, we will join Him in eternity. The short time of suffering we experience here will seem as nothing compared to the eternity we will get to spend with Him. Is it worth it? You bet it is.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

We can join the party (Luke 4:23-27) September 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 25

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 4:23-27
Jesus: You’re about to quote the old proverb to Me, “Doctor, heal yourself!” Then you’re going to ask Me to prove Myself to you by doing the same miracles I did in Capernaum. But face the truth: hometowns always reject their homegrown prophets.
Think back to the prophet Elijah. There were many needy Jewish widows in his homeland, Israel, when a terrible famine persisted there for three and a half years. Yet the only widow God sent Elijah to help was an outsider from Zarephath in Sidon.
It was the same with the prophet Elisha. There were many Jewish lepers in his homeland, but the only one he healed—Naaman—was an outsider from Syria.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever tried to convince your brothers and sisters about some new information you’ve learned that would really benefit them? I remember my younger sister trying to tell me a few things along the path of life, but she certainly couldn’t know any more than me, right? She’s four years younger, so how could she have learned any life lessons ahead of me? I’m her older brother and should be teacher her.

It’s the same with parents and aunts and uncles and often with cousins and even with neighbors who watch you grow up. It’s really hard to convince those who know you best that you know something that will help them when they know all your faults. They watched you make all those mistakes when you were a teenager, so what could you add to the discussion?

That’s the story we’re faced with as Jesus reads the scripture from Isaiah that day in the synagogue. Those who knew Him best couldn’t believe He could be the long awaited Messiah. He was just a carpenter’s son. They knew Mary and Joseph and they knew the rumors about His birth. He came too soon after the marriage. There were some things that just weren’t right about this guy, so how could Jesus be the Messiah.

It’s kind of sad that we have such a hard time telling those we love the most about important things like how to find eternal life. If those closest to us can see Christ in us and see the difference He makes in our lives, maybe, just maybe, they will want that something different, too. But they will want to see the long term results, because they also know about the fads and false starts you’ve made in the past to try to straighten out your life on your own. Those didn’t go so well, so family and friends usually have a “let’s wait and see” attitude about a radical change in your spiritual life.

But the other things Jesus talked about really excite me. He pulled out two really important stories from the Old Testament to prove His point, but they tell us something about God that should make you want to sing and dance around the room for a while. The stories Jesus mentioned about Elijah and Elisha helping two widows during famines are significant. Those two prophets were two of the nation’s greatest prophets in their history. You’ll remember that in Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain, Peter, James, and John saw Elijah with Jesus and Moses in the garden that night. Elijah and Elisha were special men.

So what’s so great about these two stories? They went to help outsiders. Jews just didn’t do that. Devot Jews had nothing to do with outsiders. If they talked with or touched a non-Jew, they had to go through some ritual cleansing before they could participate in any of the worship activiites that surrounded their daily lives. So when Elijah and Elisha went outside their countrymen and helped these two widows from foreign nations, this was a really big deal.

And what it tells me is that God cares about the outsiders. The Jews are His chosen people. They are set aside for His special purposes, but He hasn’t forgotten the rest of us. He still loves us and cares for us. In fact, He cares for us so much, that during those two incredibly savage famines that swept through the countries surrounding Israel, Elijah and Elisha ministered to people outside their own culture and faith. God directed them to two women in foreign countries that were considered unclean by the Jews. These two men listened to God and determined even the outcasts needed God and His sovereign power in their daily lives.

And that means He cares for us. We are outcasts, outsiders, enemies, yet God still pours out His love and makes it known through His Son, Jesus, that He cares for us immensely. In fact, He cares so much, that He gave His only Son to die on the cross for our sins. All we have to do is believe in Him as the Son of God. Believe in Him for the forgiveness of your sins. Believe in Him for the guidance He will give you each day as you allow Him to live in your life and teach you His ways.

We don’t have to be outsiders anymore. Jesus made a way for us to join the party.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Through the eyes of faith (Matthew 23:34-39) May 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Luke 7-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 23:34-39
Jesus: That is why I am sending you prophets and wise men, teachers of breadth and depth and substance. You will kill some of them and crucify others. You will flog others in your synagogues. You will pursue them from town to town. And on your heads, stained through your hands and drenching your clothes, my friends, will be all the righteous blood ever shed on this earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah whom you murdered in the house of the Lord between the sanctuary and the altar. I tell you: this generation will bear the blood of all that has gone before.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. You kill the prophets whom God gives you; you stone those God sends you. I have longed to gather your children the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you refuse to be gathered. Surely you can see that God has already removed His blessing from the house of Israel. I tell you this: you will not see Me again until you say, with the psalmist, “Anyone who comes in the name of the Eternal One will be blessed.”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I grew up in a parsonage. And I was ordained in my denomination twenty-five years ago, myself. So I’ve been around the pulpit a long time. One of the things I’ve learned in that time, is that a lot of people like to have the pastor for lunch. I’m not talking about inviting the pastor to their house to enjoy a meal together. I’m talking about carving the pastor up and devouring him or her over the dinner table. I didn’t know until I was a teenager how often my dad got criticism about his messages from the faithful few that just had to say something. And it was always the same few. And there were always a few in every congregation.

I discovered when I began filling pulpits the same thing happened. Most people seemed to appreciate what I had to say from the pulpit. It wasn’t always comfortable, but I always try to share what God places on my heart and invariably the message reaches the right people in the congregation. I never preach to individuals, but individuals get God’s message, often in a way I never expected. That’s how God works.

But some people will hand me a note or make a comment or send me an email and let me know I missed the mark. Do I realize the political state of the world today? I really need to preach about that. Do I understand how many people are being killed by gun violence today? I ought to have a sermon about that. Do I know how many babies die in abortions every year? Am I concerned about that?

It’s interesting how many times I’m given sermon topics that someone is sure God has spoken to them about and so is sure I should speak to the congregation about it. Well, it just doesn’t work quite that way. At least it doesn’t work that way in any of the homiletic classes I’ve even taken. So I usually thank them for their concern and let it go. I would hate to be as miserable as they appear when they pick apart sermon topics and miss what I’ve tried to talk about in that day’s message.

I think that’s what Jesus was telling the crowd of teachers and Pharisees gathered around Him that day. God sent teachers and prophets and wise men to them to help them understand God’s message, but instead of listening to their message, they had them for dinner. Criticizing everything those prophets and teachers and wise men tried to do to help them. Those Pharisees thought they knew better. They thought they knew the law better than God knew the law.

Pretty silly, isn’t it? God gave them the law. He sent the prophets. He put the words into the prophet and teachers’ mouths. Why did these governing priests, who continually fought for position and power think they knew more than those God sent?

The answer is pretty simple. The Bible tells us Satan puts a veil over our eyes. The analogy I like to use takes you back to elementary school days. Remember those hidden picture puzzles? The teacher would give us a picture and we would have to find the shovel and the comb and the pail and the apple and umbrella and other objects hidden in the picture. God’s truth in this world is like looking at that hidden picture. Satan has put a veil over our eyes and all we see is the picture until we deliberately exercise our faith in Him.

When we put our faith in God, the hidden objects appear. We see all those things we couldn’t see before. The truth stands out and every time we look at that picture, there are the hidden objects. We can’t help but see them from then on. The truth stares at us. We can try to ignore it, but we can’t. But first, we must exercise our faith in Him. So what are you waiting for? Want to know the truth? It’s there in plain sight. Take another look through the eyes of faith.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

It’s all in there (Matthew 17:11-12) April 18, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Corinthians 15-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 17:11-12
Jesus: Scripture tells us clearly that indeed Elijah will come to restore all things. But see this: Elijah has come already. No one recognized him for who he was, so he was arrested and killed. That is part of the preparation of which our Scripture speaks: for the Son of Man, too, will be arrested and killed at the hands of people who do not see Him for who He is.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There’s a problem that all prophets have when God gives them a glimpse into the future. How do you describe what you see? In the 1800’s for instance when people talked about a ‘horseless carriage’, they had some precedent to describe it. There were plenty of carriages and steam engines began to come around so a horseless carriage could be described. But what if you lived in 500 AD? How would you describe a modern automobile? Or better yet, if you lived in 50 AD, how would you describe a Boeing 757?

What if God gave you a glimpse into today from that vantage point and you saw a battle taking place? The battles you had seen were pretty gory and you thought they were loud. Roman soldiers establish their phalanx and marched toward their enemy. The sound of spears and swords smashing against shields were the noises you heard. Then above that din, you would hear the screams of the wounded and the dying.

Now transport that prophet from 50 AD to 2000 AD with its tanks, jets, smart bombs, landmines, and so forth. The noise on the battlefield is loud enough to actually cause eardrums to burst and bleed. How would a prophet describe that war? Would he call the jets metal birds? Dragons? Flying beasts that spit thunder and fire from their belly? What would you say about them? How would you describe a tank? Or the rifles? Or even the gear the soldiers wear? If you saw a fully outfitted soldier would you even recognize he is a human?

So the Bible’s prophets tell us the best they can about what will come. They talk about Elijah will come again to announce the Messiah. How best would you describe John except by comparing him to Elijah, a voice calling in the wilderness to prepare the way for the one who comes. It’s exactly what John did. It’s where he lived. It’s how he dress. The prophet described John well comparing him to Elijah.

And so did the prophets who described Jesus. The suffering servant. The perfect sacrifice. The Lion of Judah. The Messiah. Jesus point out the sad truth, though. Scripture described John but no one recognized him for who he was. The scriptures described Jesus, too, but no one recognized Him for who He was. Soon they would parade Him through the streets of Jerusalem as King of kings. They would sing Hosanna to Him and praise Him honoring Him as king in the lineage of David. But by the end of the week, the religious leaders would stir the crowd to cry crucify Him.

We all have the same scriptures available to us. Some of us see God’s word as just a collection of stories to entertain us. Some of us read them and know they are God’s word, but assume there is plenty of room to interpret them any way we want. We think since God is love, He will surely overlook anything we have done and just let us into heaven because He loves us. We don’t need to change. His love will cover us in the end because He wants all of us to live with Him. Besides, He hasn’t come yet. We have plenty of time to get right with Him before He comes.

Some read God’s word and recognize His word is truth. What God says, He means. Yes, God is love. Yes, He wants all of us to live with Him. But in making us in His image, He gives us the choice for our eternal destiny. He has left the choice of our destiny up to us. We can live with Him or we can choose not to. We read His word and recognize we are fallen, broken, in need of His grace and mercy. We learn the only way we can find our way to Him is to see He has already reached out to us and we must accept the gift of grace He holds out to us. We must believe in His Son, Jesus for salvation.

We can also see Jesus words and John’s revelation and in those descriptions, it’s not too difficult to see the signs they talked about when the end would be very near. Earthquakes, famine, signs in the sun, moon and sky. We are closer than many want to believe. The earth is going through pains like a woman in childbirth. Last year over 25,000 earthquakes above 3.0 on the richter scale shook our planet. They are coming faster and stronger this year than last, just like a woman in labor as described in scripture.

Is it time for us to read the Bibles on our tables and bookshelves and see the signs, read the descriptions, and understand that time is running out? Check it out for yourself.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God’s witnesses are always here (Revelation 11:1-14), September 6, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 11:1-14

Set – Ezekiel 31; Revelation 11

Go! – Ezekiel 29-32; Revelation 11

Revelation 11:1-14
¹ Then I received a measuring rod. It resembled a staff, and I was commanded to take measurements.
A Voice: Get up, and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship in it. ² However, do not measure the court outside of the temple. Separate that area out because it has been handed over to the nations. They will trample over the holy city for 42 months. ³ I will authorize my two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth, the clothes that mourners wear.
⁴ These two witnesses are the two olive trees and two lampstands standing in front of the Lord of the earth.⁵ If anyone wishes to harm the witnesses, fire spews out of the witnesses’ mouths and consumes their foe in flames. Anyone who wishes to harm them is destined to die this way. ⁶ They have the authority to shut up the sky so that no rain may fall during the time of their prophecies. They also have authority to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with any plague whenever they desire.
⁷ On the day they finish their testimony, the beast from the abyss will declare war on them and win victory by killing them. ⁸ Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city (which, spiritually speaking, is called Sodom and Egypt) where their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days, representatives of the peoples and ethnicities, languages and nations stare down at their lifeless bodies and refuse them a proper burial. ¹⁰ Because these two prophets tormented the earth dwellers by speaking God’s message, the people will rejoice over their dead bodies and celebrate their deaths by exchanging gifts with one another.
¹¹ At the end of the three and a half days, the spirit of life that comes from God entered their corpses, raising them, and they stood again on their feet. Those who looked on were terrified by what they saw. ¹² Then they heard a great voice from heaven.
A Voice: Come up here!
Their enemies watched the spectacle as the witnesses ascended into heaven in a cloud.
¹³ In that same hour, a great earthquake shook the earth causing one-tenth of the city to crumble into dust, and 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake. Then the rest who were left alive, quaking in fear, turned and glorified the God of heaven.
¹⁴ The second disaster has passed; watch as the third disaster comes quickly.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

My prophet Isaiah wrote these words as I inspired him. “So it is when I declare something. My word will go out and not return to Me empty, But it will do what I wanted; it will accomplish what I determined.” I send My prophets out to declare My word. Despite humanity’s efforts to stop it, those efforts always fail. My word will always create the results I want. People will hear My message. They will know what I want them to hear.

Throughout the ages My prophets have been ridiculed, beaten, stoned, shunned, executed, crucified, martyred, misused, misunderstood. They have taken abuse at every turn. They have been ignored and people have tried to discount the message they spoke on My behalf. I have always had witnesses and prophets speaking on My behalf. Even at the end of the age I will send two witnesses to speak My truth to those that remain to give them the message of salvation and try to win them back to Me.

John saw the vision of the end times that during the time My witnesses return to declare My message there will be few that heed their warnings. They will declare the truth of My word and call all nations to repentance, but as with the prophets before them, most will ridicule them, hurl insults at them, and try to destroy their message. In fact, some will try to destroy My witnesses, but those that try will only serve to destroy themselves. Until they have accomplished the mission I gave them to do, they will have My hand of protection on them and no one will harm them.

Then they will die at the hands of evil men. But like My resurrection 2000 years ago, they will find life filling them again three days later and will ascend on clouds of glory in the sight of those who killed them. No one will be able to explain their resurrection and ascension except as by the power of God and many will fall on their face in recognition of My position as God of all creation.

To the very end My desire will always work to bring men back to My saving grace. You have the choice to believe in Me, to follow My commands, or not. Make the right choice before it’s too late.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:23-31), September 4, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Ezekiel 22:23-31

Set – Ezekiel 22; Revelation 9

Go! – Ezekiel 22-24; Revelation 9

Ezekiel 22:23-31
²³ The word of the Eternal came to me.
Eternal One: ²⁴ Son of man, say to her, “You are a land plagued with drought during My wrath—[not a single drop of rain has fallen from the sky.” ²⁵ Her prophets conspire in her midst like raging lions killing their prey; they have destroyed lives, stolen treasures and other valuable things; they have made many wives widows all over the city. ²⁶ Her priests violate My laws and desecrate My holy things. They fail to distinguish between the sacred and profane. They no longer teach that there is a difference between pure and impure! They completely disregard My Sabbaths; as a result I am defamed among My people. ²⁷ Her princes and officials are like a pack of wolves tearing apart their prey. They kill innocent people and ruin lives just to get what they want! ²⁸ Her false prophets whitewash these wicked acts by claiming to receive divine visions, but they are all false! Their divination turns up only lies! They say, “This is what the Eternal Lord says . . . ,” when the Eternal Lord has not said anything to them at all. ²⁹ Her people are full of wickedness: they are bullies and thieves; they have abused the poor and helpless; they have taken advantage of foreigners and perverted justice. ³⁰ I searched for one man among them, a man who could build the wall and stand in the gap before Me and advocate for the land, a man who could convince Me not to destroy it; but I found no one. ³¹ Therefore, I will dump the fires of My fury on them, and the flames of My indignation will devour them. I will give them what they deserve.
So said the Eternal Lord.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Jerusalem became wicked throughout its very core. From the king to its lowliest citizen, from the vilest criminal element to the priesthood, the city’s citizenry turned from its trust and reliance on Me and became self-centered and trusted in their own strength and power. I sent My prophets to declare My word to them and plead for their repentance, but they would not repent. The people continued to live for themselves and lift up their false gods.

So, as I have with populations that refused to heed My warnings before, I determined to blot the city out of My site. I determined to level My judgment against them and destroy them completely. But before My judgment against the city and its inhabitants came, I gave them one more chance. I looked for one person who would stand as a hedge between My destroyer and the people of Israel who would defend them.

I exercised My grace just as I did with Abraham before My messengers went to Sodom and Gomorah. Then I looked for ten righteous people in the city to save Sodom, but ten could not be found. Now for My people’s protection, I only looked for one. Just one who would stand in the breech and help Me stop the evil that wreaked havoc across the city.

The sad thing about the city is there were some who believed in Me. There were some who had yet to bow to idols and who were still faithful in their worship. But none would stand up to the task and help Me save their brothers and sisters. Although they loved Me, they didn’t love their brothers and sisters enough to stand up for them and turn My wrath. No one stood as Moses did in the wilderness to tell Me, “If you destroy your people, destroy me, too.” You see, no one really understood how to love others as I love. Otherwise someone would have dared to stand in the gap… . But noone did.

Your culture today is much like Ezekiel found as I spoke to him about his nation and Jerusalem. Evil abounds. Men and women feel religious and spiritual, but don’t know Me. They search for something to satisfy the emptiness in their soul but look everywhere but to Me because they do not want to give up sovereignty of their lives to Me, the only way to salvation. I have sent My prophets to you in the form of pastors, Christian leaders, My word available in almost every language around the world.

But do you love your brothers and sisters enough to stand in the gap for them today? Are you willing to be like Moses and perish for them to plead their cases for My mercy and grace instead of My wrath? I still look for those individuals that are willing to love like I love. I still look for those that will stand in the gap and act as a hedge, a buffer, a speaker for Me. There are so few who really understand what I meant when I said, “There is no greater love, than when one lays down his life for another.”

To what length will you go for those around you?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Prophets still sound warnings (Jeremiah 25:1-14), August 17, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Jeremiah 25:1-14

Set – Jeremiah 25; John 19

Go! – Jeremiah 23-25; John 19

Jeremiah 25:1-14
¹ The word of God concerning all of Judah again came to Jeremiah when Jehoiakim (son of Josiah), king of Judah, had reigned for four years. Meanwhile, the dreaded Nebuchadnezzar was in his first year as king of Babylon. ² During these ominous days the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the citizens of Jerusalem and the people of Judah.
Jeremiah: ³ I have been warning you since the word of the Eternal started coming to me in the 13th year of King Josiah (son of Amon), ruler of Judah. For these last 23 years, I have been telling you again and again what was coming, but you never listened. ⁴ It wasn’t just me whom the Eternal sent. He sent you His servants, the prophets, again and again, but you never paid attention to them. You never listened as ⁵ they said, “Turn back from your evil ways and actions so you can live forever in this land the Eternal gave to you and your ancestors. ⁶ I will not harm you if you do not chase after other gods to serve and worship them or provoke Me to anger with the little idols your hands have made.”
Eternal One: ⁷ But you did not listen to Me or My prophets! Now I, the Eternal One, declare that you have stirred up My anger with the little idols your hands have made, and you have brought this harm upon yourselves. ⁸ Therefore, I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, declare that since you have not heard or obeyed My words, ⁹ I am about to summon the clans of the north along with King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who serves Me. I will use them to punish this land and those of you who live in it. I will also use them against all the surrounding nations of Judah. I will destroy them completely, making them a place of horror, an object of scorn, a land of everlasting ruin. ¹⁰ I will silence any hint of laughter and joy, the sweet words of the bride and bridegroom at a wedding, the milling of grain and the lighting of a lamp. ¹¹ It will all end, and this place will be a horrific wasteland. And these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.
Eternal One (to Babylon): ¹² When the 70 years of servitude are complete, I will then punish the king of Babylon, his people, and the land of Chaldea for their guilt. I, the Eternal, will make it a land of everlasting ruin. ¹³ All that I warned would happen to that land—all that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations and is now written in this book—I will do. ¹⁴ For the mighty Babylonians will be turned into slaves for many nations and powerful kings; I will repay them according to what they have done and how they have treated My people.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

All My prophets tried to warn the Israelites about their coming destruction if they failed to come back to Me. Instead, they continued to worship the false gods of the people around them. They crafted idols of wood, silver, and gold and worshiped them in place of Me. I kept sending My servants to them year after year. They would address the kings, the priests, the people and plead with them to come back to Me, but so often they patterned their lives after the nations around them instead of following the commands I gave Moses after I freed them from slavery from Egypt.

Many today read the Old Testament prophets and wonder how the Israelites could wander so far from Me and continue to fail in their faith. How could they fail to follow Me after all I had done for them? How could they fail to listen to the prophets and go their own way?

It’s easy to point back to others and point out their faults, though. Take a look at yourself. Do you let anything get between us? Do you spend time talking with Me? Is it your best time or what you have left over? Do you study My word to learn who I am, how I act, what I say, what I want you to do or do you just skim through My word as a duty to perform or not read it at all? Do you meditate on what I tell you? Do you listen to My Spirit in you and act on what I command of you?

The stories of the Israelites in the Old Testament often represent the story of individual lives today. I come to you time and time again through the words of My scriptures, My prophets, My followers, My Spirit, but like the Israelites, My voice is ignored and you do what you want instead of obeying Me. The path for the Israelites led to destruction because of their disobedience. The path remains the same for all who do not follow Me.

You know My desires for you, but I cannot make the decision for you. Choose wisely. Choose Me.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.