1 Christmas

First Sunday After Christmas

posted

Isaiah 45:22-25     Turn to the Lord
Psalm 111       Praise the Lord
Colossians 3:12-17       New Life in Christ
Luke 2:25-40       Presentation of Jesus

Isaiah:

The Lord is the only God. He invites everyone, to the farthest parts of the world, to turn to him and be saved.
The Lord has declared and sworn in righteousness that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear.

Righteousness and strength are in the Lord alone. All his enemies shall come to him and be put to shame. The children of Israel will be vindicated and glorified in the Lord.

Psalm:

Praise the Lord! With my whole heart I will thank the Lord in the congregation of the righteous. The Lord has done great things, and those who study them will take pleasure in them. The Lord is honorable and majestic in everything he does, and his righteousness will never end. He has done great things so that they will be remembered, because the Lord is gracious and merciful.

The Lord continually remembers his covenant; he provides sustenance for those who fear him. In all his works he reveals his power to his people and gives them a share in the inheritance of the nations. He is faithful and just in all his deeds, and all his teaching are trustworthy and eternal; they are to be carried out with righteousness and faithfulness. He has declared that his covenant is eternal. "He sent redemption to his people" (Psalm 111:9a). His name is awesome and Holy (reverenced; venerated). "The fear (appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. The Praise of the Lord endures forever" Psalm 111:10).

Colossians:

Since we have been chosen and beloved by God, we should endeavor to be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient and forbearing and forgiving of one another, if anyone has a complaint. Remember how much the Lord has forgiven us, and be forgiving of others also as we have been forgiven. Above all we must be loving, because love binds everything together in complete harmony. Allow the peace of Jesus Christ reign in our hearts since that is the hope in which we were called into the body of Christ, the Church.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish (caution) one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16). Let us do everything that we do in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God through him.

Luke:

At the time for their purification according to the Law of Moses (on the eighth day after the birth; (Leviticus 12:2); Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be circumcised (Genesis 17:12), and to present him to the Lord as their first-born son (Luke 2:22-23).

A man named Simeon, who was righteous and devout, lived in Jerusalem. He was looking for the consolation of Israel (the coming of Messiah), and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the "Lord's Christ" (God's promised "Messiah"). "Inspired by the Spirit, he came into the temple" (Luke 2:27), where he encountered Jesus and his parents who had brought Jesus to fulfill the custom of the law. Simon took the baby Jesus in his arms and said: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy Word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people, Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).

Mary and Joseph were amazed at what Simeon had said about their baby; and Simeon blessed them and said, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34b-35).

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel (who is otherwise unknown) of the tribe of Asher, the descendants of Jacob's eighth son. [The tribe of Asher was the only tribe west of the Jordan River (except the tribe of Simeon, second son of Jacob by Leah, not the Simeon of Luke 2:25) which produced no hero or judge for the nation ]. Anna had been widowed after only seven years of marriage, and remained a widow to age eighty-four. She was in the temple, never leaving, worshiping, fasting, and praying day and night. At the very hour that Jesus was presented, she came up and gave thanks to God; and she spoke about Jesus to everyone who was seeking the redemption of Jerusalem.

When Mary and Joseph had fulfilled the requirements of the law, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee. And the child grew up and became strong, and God's favor was upon him.

Commentary:

The Lord is the one and only true God. He is Lord and God, whether we acknowledge and accept him as our Lord and God or not. God has given us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not, but there is a day coming when we will face the final judgment and be accountable to him for what we have done in this lifetime. In that day, everyone who has ever lived will acknowledge him as Lord and God, and everyone will bow before him in obedience; but then it will be too late to change our eternal destinies.

Those who have rebelled and opposed the Lordship of God in this world will be put to eternal shame, but those who have become his children by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ will be vindicated and glorified in the Lord. "Born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians are the adopted children of the "New Israel," the Church.

In that day the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed (Luke 2:35b). There are many who claim to be Christian, and who even claim to be "born-again," who are not "saved" from eternal destruction, and are not spiritually "born-again." Not everyone who calls Jesus "Lord" is a Christian (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46).

The Lord never forgets his covenant with his people, the New Covenant of grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) through faith in Jesus Christ, initiated by Jesus on the night of his betrayal, the eve of his crucifixion (Matthew 26:26-28). God sustains those who fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God, physically and spiritually, through Jesus Christ by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit sustains us to eternal life.

Through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit the Lord reveals his power to his people and gives them a share in the inheritance of eternal life. Jesus is the one and only Redeemer ("Savior;" Acts 4:12; John 14:6), the redemption which God has provided for his people who trust and obey the Lord. Jesus is the name of the Lord.

Those who do not believe in God and the concept of God won't fear him, because they are spiritually ignorant and eternally "lost." Until one one understands that God exists, that he is all-powerful and all-knowing, and that he has the power of eternal life or eternal death over us individually, we don't know anything of eternal spiritual value.

We have all been chosen and beloved by God, but not everyone realizes and acknowledges this. Unless we understand ourselves in relationship with God, we cannot receive the healing and "redemption" God offers us in Jesus Christ.

In comparison to God, he alone is righteous (doing what is right, good, and true, according to God's Word), and we are unrighteous ; he is sinless (sin is disobedience of God's Word), and we are sinful; he is strong and we are weak; he is wise and we are spiritually ignorant. We should seek to know and apply God's Word in our daily lives. Only then are we able to teach and caution others. We cannot comprehend what God has done for us in Jesus Christ until we recognize our own unrighteousness and sinfulness, and our need for redemption and salvation. When we realize who Jesus is and what the Lord has done for us in Jesus Christ, we will want to give thanks to God and to glorify the name of Jesus.

Simeon was looking for the consolation, redemption and salvation of Israel, and as he was instructed and guided by the Holy Spirit he received what he had prayed for; he saw the fulfillment of God's promise of a Savior, the Messiah. Before the coming of Jesus Christ only a few individuals were chosen by God to have fellowship with God by the Holy Spirit. Simeon and Anna are examples.

Jesus is the promised Savior provided by God for all people, to be received by faith (obedient trust). Jesus is intended to be the revelation of God and God's purpose to the Gentiles, and the fulfillment of God's promise to glorify Israel.

Jesus is "good news" to those who are God's people, who accept Jesus as their Lord and choose to trust and obey Jesus, and "bad news" to those who reject Jesus as Lord and refuse to trust and obey Jesus. Jesus is the stone which the "builders" (Israel; and the World) rejected, which has become the "cornerstone," the "keystone" which creates the solid foundation, and locks the construction of God's eternal kingdom in place (Luke 20:17-18).

Anna is the example of a child of God; a believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She was constantly in the temple praying for and looking for the fulfillment of God's promise of a Messiah, the Savior of the World. As she was obedient to the Holy Spirit, the Lord led her to encounter the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ at his circumcision in the temple.

After she had encountered the Christ, she spoke of him to everyone who was looking "for the redemption of Jerusalem. We can long for the coming of the Messiah, and if we truly do, and become obedient to God's Word, he will reveal himself to us (John 14:21). But unless and until we have personally experienced Jesus, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot be witnesses testifying to that spiritual reality.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

January 1

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Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18

Praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for blessing us with all spiritual blessings in heaven through Jesus. God chose us in Christ, before the beginning of Creation, to be holy and blameless in his judgment through Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. In love, he intended us to be his sons and daughters through Jesus, in accordance with his will, so that his grace (unmerited favor) freely and generously given to us through Jesus Christ, his beloved, will be praised and glorified.

Paul continually remembered the Christians (in Ephesus, and throughout the Church) in his prayers, giving thanks to God for their faith and their love for all the saints. Paul asked the God of our Lord Jesus, our Father in glory, to give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, that their hearts might be enlightened, and that they would know the hope to which we have been called, the richness of the inheritance we share with the saints.

Commentary:

Through faith (obedient trust) we have been given every spiritual blessing in the eternal, invisible, supernatural, kingdom of God, which exists around us now and is coming to replace this present Creation. God has always intended, from the very beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God. That is the destiny which he has chosen us to receive, but he allows us the freedom to choose whether to accept and receive it or not.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed of sin (disobedience of God's Word) so that we can be holy and blameless in God's presence. In love he intends for us to become his adopted children through Jesus Christ. Through his Beloved, Jesus Christ, he has given us free, abundant, glorious grace (unmerited favor), which is worthy of our greatest praise and thanksgiving to him.

Accepting the gracious gift of God in Jesus Christ as our eternal Savior and Lord is the first step in discipleship and spiritual growth. Paul rejoiced in their thankfulness to God for their salvation in Jesus Christ, and their love for all "believers." Paul was "discipling" them by letter, while he was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. Paul wanted them to know the Biblical apostolic doctrine of the Church; the doctrine taught by the Apostles of Jesus Christ, including Paul, and which is recorded in the New Testament, and he was praying for and teaching that to them.

Paul was also praying for and teaching them to grow in discipleship. Jesus had commanded his disciples to wait in Jerusalem (the Church is the “New Jerusalem) until they had been spiritually "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), and then they were to go into the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making "born-again" disciples of Jesus Christ, teaching them to trust and obey everything Jesus taught (The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20).

The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the spirit of (divine, eternal) wisdom; the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), who will teach Jesus' disciples all things, and recall to their remembrance all Jesus' teachings (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit can we have a personal knowledge of and relationship with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Only by the indwelling Holy Spirit are we spiritually reborn to eternal life. The Holy Spirit is the foretaste of the life to come in eternity through whom we can experience the hope of the Gospel and the inheritance of the saints ("believers"). It is possible to know with certainty for oneself whether one has been "filled" with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit or not (Acts 19:2).

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype and example of a "modern," "post-resurrection," "born-again" disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, like we can be. He was "discipled" by a "born-again" disciple, Ananias, until Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:10-18, and then Paul began fulfilling the Great Commission to teach the Gospel and make "born-again" disciples (Acts 9:20-22; Matthew 28:19-20), and to teach them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 1:6; 2:2).

Sadly, in too many instances, the (nominal) "Church" today has settled for making "members," "fair-weather Christians," instead of making disciples, and building "buildings" instead of building the kingdom of God.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

January 2

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John 1:1-18 Prologue of John

The Word of God was with God at the beginning of Creation, and is God, divine, eternal, and powerful. Through him all things were made, and nothing that exists was made without him. "In him was (true, eternal) life, and the life is the light of men" (John 1:4). "The light (of righteousness, divine enlightenment, and eternal life) shines in the darkness (of unrighteousness, spiritual ignorance, and spiritual death), and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5).

John, the Baptizer was sent by God. He came to testify to the light so that everyone might believe by his testimony. He made it clear that he, himself, was not the light, but he bore witness to the light.

"The true light that enlightens every [person] was coming into the world" (John 1:9).

He was in the world, which had been made through him, but the world didn't recognize him. His own home and people didn't recognize, accept, and welcome him. "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13).

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

John testified that this was the one who was coming after John, but who ranks above John and existed before John. In him is inexhaustible grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) for all, to be received grace upon grace. The law came through Moses; grace and truth come (only) through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; only Jesus, who is in perfect communion with God, has revealed him.

Jesus is fully God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus has been designed into Creation from the very beginning; he's not an after-thought, "Plan B," added after mankind introduced sin (disobedience of God's Word) into Creation.

God designed Creation so that we would have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God's Word or not, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God's will is our best interest. God knew that given that freedom, we would all sin (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and fall short of God's righteousness (doing what is right, good, and true in accordance with God's Word). The penalty for sin is (eternal, spiritual) death (Romans 6:23; the "second death:" Revelation 20:14; 21:8). Jesus is God's only provision for the forgiveness of our sins, salvation from eternal destruction, and restoration to fellowship and eternal life with God which was broken by sin (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and demonstrated in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-3, 14). Jesus' word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24), with the creative force of God's Word (Mark 4:41; compare Genesis 1:3).

Only in Jesus is true, eternal life. He existed with God from the beginning of Creation. He is God who became human (not a man who became God). He died physically on the cross as the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of the sins of all people for all time who are willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. His resurrection from physical death to eternal life demonstrates that there is existence after physical death (not "nothingness;" not reincarnation: Hebrews 9:27).

We are eternal beings in physical bodies. We were born physically alive but spiritually dead because of sin. Jesus came to make it possible for us to be forgiven and cleansed, so that we could receive the gift of eternal life through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

In order to live eternally in God's heavenly kingdom, we must be spiritually "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be "reborn.;" the moment we die physically, our eternal destiny is eternally fixed and unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus is the light of the World (John 1:4, 8:12); the light of righteousness (John 1:5; 3:19-21), the light of spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9), the light of eternal life (John 8:12).

John the Baptist was the fulfillment of God's Word, prophesied four or five hundred years earlier, of a prophet like Elijah who would herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 3:1, 4:5; Matthew 17:10-13). John did not claim to be a great prophet like Elijah; he just considered himself a voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to repent and prepare to receive the Messiah, in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 40:3). John was not a failed attempt to become the Messiah (John 1:8, 20).

God has been progressively revealing his purpose for Creation from the very beginning. God wasn't surprised by the fall of man through sin in the Garden of Eden. Jesus had already been designed into Creation.

"Messiah" is the Hebrew word meaning (God's) "anointed" ("Christ" is the Greek equivalent). With the giving of the Law, God commanded Moses to "anoint" Aaron and his sons with oil to consecrate them as priests of God (Exodus 28:41), prophets (and Kings (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Samuel 9:16; 16:3; 2 Samuel 12:7).

So from the very beginning of the Bible, God had been preparing Israel for the coming of the Messiah who would be the eternal prophet, priest and king of God's people. Jesus is the ultimate eternal prophet who declares the Word of God (Deuteronomy 18:15; John 14:10, 24), he is our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14; 5:5-6; 9:11-14; Psalm 110:4), and he is God's "anointed" eternal King above all kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14).

Jesus is the promised Messiah who came into the world in human flesh, but although the Jews were expecting the Messiah, they did not recognize and accept Jesus. His own hometown and his own family didn't recognize and accept him (Mark 3:21; John 7:1-5; Luke 4:16-30).

To everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God (and trusts and obeys Jesus) he gives the power (the ability; the authority) to become children of God, but note that we must claim and appropriate the promise for ourselves by obedient trust in Jesus. The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is our "rebirth" by God's will and power as God's "adopted" Children.

Jesus is the only "begotten" Son of God, begotten of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20-23; Luke 1:31-35). Jesus existed before John or before anyone in Creation because he was eternal with God and is eternal God (John 1:1, 8:56-58).

Jesus is the "New Moses." Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant of law. Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant of grace (unmerited favor; the free gift of salvation) by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we have an inexhaustible source of grace.

No one was ever able to fulfill the requirements of the law; to be righteous as God is righteous (Romans 3:23; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-10). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to fulfill the requirements of the righteousness of God's law through obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-9 Galatians 3:3-14) through faith in Jesus.

God is Spirit. He is invisible. Jesus existed with God from the beginning of Creation, and is, in his very nature, God. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God to the world in human flesh.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is the ultimate revelation of God to us individually and personally (John 14:21-23). Jesus is the only way to know and have fellowship with God our Creator John 14:6, and Jesus reveals himself and God the Father to us through his indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:21, 23). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of (divine, eternal) truth (John 14:17).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

January 3

posted

Psalm 72 Bless the King

O God, give the king thy justice and righteousness, that he may judge your people in righteousness and give justice to the poor. May the mountains and hills produce prosperity and righteousness. May the king "defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor" (Psalm 72:4)!

May the king live as long as the sun and moon, throughout all generations. Let him be like rain showers that refreshes mown grass, and waters the earth. May righteousness and peace abound in his day, until the moon ceases to exist.

"May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth" (Psalm 72:8). May his foes grovel in the dust in his presence. May the kings of Tarshish (in the western Mediterranean), Sheba and Seba (in south Arabia) pay him tribute and bring him gifts. "May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him" (Psalms 72:11)!

When the needy, the poor and helpless call upon him he delivers them; he has pity on them and saves them. He regards their blood as precious, and redeems their lives from oppression and violence.

May he live long, may the gold of Sheba be given to him. Let prayers be offered for him continually, and blessings invoked for him daily. May the land overflow with an abundance of grain and fruit, and may the people fill the land like grass of the field. May his name endure forever, and his fame be known as long as the sun exists. May all people and nations bless themselves by him and call him blessed.

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name for ever; may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen, and Amen" (Psalm 72:18-19).

Commentary:

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm. Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28), and possesses the character of God. He has been given God's righteousness and justice, which is far above human ability.

He alone is righteous. In his physical lifetime, he was tempted just as we are, but he was sinless: perfectly obedient to God's Word, unto a terrible death on the cross.

Jesus is the righteous judge, who will return on the Day of Judgment, and judge all people with the justice of God. He will not judge us by the world's standard of justice. In this world's justice, the rich and powerful are favored and the poor, weak and needy are oppressed and exploited.

Jesus will be the standard of judgment, against which all will be judged. Those who have accepted Jesus as their eternal Lord and King, and have trusted and obeyed him will have been "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8), and will enter eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom. But those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Jesus is the eternal King who will reign in God's kingdom forever. The sun and moon of this Creation will pass away, but his kingdom will endure forever.

Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His dominion is over all Creation, but not everyone acknowledges and accepts his dominion. This is the age of God's grace and salvation. He allows us the freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey God's Word, and to learn by trial and error that his Word is good, feasible, and perfectly in our best interest (Romans 12:2). But God isn't going to tolerate rebellion for ever, or at all in his heavenly kingdom, or it wouldn't be heaven!

The Day of Judgment is coming, at the end of our individual lives, when God's grace and salvation will no longer be available. When we die, time stops for us, and our eternal destiny is fixed and unchangeable. In that Day, the Lord will command and we will have no choice but to obey. Those who are saved by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus will rejoice, but the enemies of Jesus who rejected and disobeyed him will be in eternal misery and destruction in Hell.

Jesus is the "son of David" (Matthew 1:1-17; 21:9) the fulfillment of God's promise to David that his descendant would inherit his throne eternally (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). The Queen of Sheba brought gold and gifts to King Solomon, the son of David. The magi (wise men; "the three kings") brought gifts and gold to Jesus at his birth (Matthew 2:1-12). Jesus is the eternal heir to David's throne.

The Lord helps the poor, weak and needy when the call to him in faith. He also withholds blessings from the rebellious and disobedient, in the hope that they will turn to the Lord and acknowledge that he is the provider of every good thing (Psalm 39:10-11 RSV; Deuteronomy 28:38-42; Malachi 3:10-11; 2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

I think America today is experiencing God's corrective discipline. People work longer and harder and have less to show for it. It now takes two incomes to maintain the same standard of living which used to be provided by one income. Fires and floods are ravaging the land. America needs to wake up and return to obedient trust in God's Word, so that the Lord will again bless us with prosperity.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

January 4

Isaiah 60:1-6 Arise and Shine!

Arise and shine, your light has come and the Lord's glory has risen upon you.

Look and see! Thick spiritual darkness covers the earth and the peoples, but the light of the Lord will rise upon you and and all people will see God's glory upon you. All nations and peoples will be attracted to that light.

Look around and see; your sons and daughters will return to you carrying their children in their arms. The abundance of the seas and the wealth of nations shall come to you; you will be radiant and your hearts will rejoice. "A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian (on the east bank of the Red Sea and Ephah (northeast bank of the Red Sea; both in what is now Saudi Arabia) all those from Sheba (Saba, in Southern Arabia, south of Midian) shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord" (Isaiah 60:6).

This text was probably written right before the fall of Babylon (Chaldea) to Cyrus of Persia (October 29, 539 B.C.*), where the remnant of Israel was in exile. During the following generation, Cyrus allowed the exiles to return to their Promised Land, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 25:12, of return after seventy years, counted from the destruction of the temple to the rebuilt temple's dedication. Israel's children did return from exile in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

During the reign of Solomon (961-922) the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon of Israel, known for his divine wisdom, and as the son of David. David was the great "shepherd-king" of Israel. She brought gifts of gold, spices and precious stones (1 Kings, 10:1-13). These three regions, Midian, Sheba, Ephah, were famous for raising camels.

Jesus is the ultimate son of David, the eternal heir to the throne of David, and the ultimate great "shepherd-king" of Israel (John 10:11-15). The prophecy of this portion of Isaiah was fulfilled at Jesus' birth by the Magi (the Wise Men; the Three Kings; Matthew 2:1-12) from the east, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (a resin produced in Arabia, used in preparation for burial of the dead).

Jesus is the light of the world; the light of righteousness (John 3:19-21), spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9; Luke 24:45) and eternal life (John 1:4; 8:12).

The Church is to be the "New Israel" and the "New Jerusalem" on earth. We are to be the light of the world, too, as we have Jesus' example and teaching (Matthew 5:14-16). We are to reflect the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a spiritually lost and eternally dying world. We are to live in obedience to Jesus' teachings and to be "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8), by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

It is the Holy Spirit within us who leads us into divine, eternal truth, teaches us all things, and gives us eternal life (John 14:6, 14:17, 26). The Holy Spirit gives Jesus’ disciples what to say in testimony at the moment it is needed (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

It is the power of the Holy Spirit, working in and through Jesus' "born-again" disciples, who reveals the light of the Gospel, and attracts the lost to Jesus Christ. We cannot accomplish Christ's mission of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word) and salvation (from our eternal condemnation and destruction by God) to the world in our own human resources (Zechariah 4:6).

Jesus warned his disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, before going into the world to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). We must be "born-again" disciples (students; of the Gospel of Jesus Christ) before we can be apostles (messengers). It takes "born-again" disciples to make "born-again" disciples).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Introduction to Isaiah, p. 822) New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

January 5

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Ephesians 3:2-12 Prayer for wisdom

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was a prisoner for preaching the Gospel. He was "discipling" new Christians by letter. Paul had been given the stewardship of God's grace on their behalf. The mystery (of God's plan for creation) which had not been known in previous generations had now been revealed to the apostles (messengers; of the gospel) and prophets (those who proclaim God's Word revealed to them by the Holy Spirit). The mystery had been revealed to Paul personally by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Jesus (Romans 8:9), as Paul had written elsewhere (Acts 9:3-6; Galatians 1:12). Part of the mystery was that God intended salvation for all people, not just the Jews; the Gentiles are fellow heirs, part of the same body, and partakers of the same promise in Jesus Christ through the Gospel.

Paul had been made a minister (servant) of the Gospel by the grace of God given to him by God's power. Paul considered himself the least of the saints (believers; consecrated to God's service), because Paul had formerly persecuted Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). But by God's grace (unmerited favor; a free gift), Paul had been given the ministry of the Gospel to preach the incalculable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul's ministry was also to make all people aware of the of the mystery of God's plan, which had been unknown for ages past, by God who is the creator of all things, so that through the Church the great boundless wisdom of God might be revealed to all powers and authorities in the universe, according to God's eternal purpose which he accomplished in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul was, by God's intention, the prototype and example of a "modern," "post-resurrection," "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8), disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, as we all can be. I believe that he was also God's choice of the disciple to replace Judas Iscariot, Jesus' betrayer (Acts 1:15-26).

Paul was on his way to persecute Christians when he was confronted by the Spirit of the risen Jesus. Paul accepted Jesus' rebuke, he repented and became obedient to Jesus (Acts 9:1-9). Paul was "discipled" by a "born-again" disciple, Ananias until Paul was "reborn" (Acts 9:10-18), and then, led and empowered by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, he began fulfilling the "Great Commission" (Matthew 28:19-20), which Jesus gave his disciples to be carried out after they had been "reborn" (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

Paul was a "born-again" disciple making "born-again" disciples (2 Timothy 1:6), and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2) as was Paul. He was continuing the process of discipling new Christians, at Ephesus, and elsewhere, by letter, since he was in prison.

Paul was as much an apostle as Peter or the others of the eleven remaining of Jesus' original Twelve, although Paul hadn't known Jesus personally, during Jesus' physical ministry. Paul had a personal relationship with Jesus through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus promised that he would manifest (reveal) himself to his disciples (John 14:21). Jesus promised that the indwelling Holy Spirit would teach them all things and recall to their minds all that Jesus taught (John 14:26). Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would equip and empower his disciples to carry on the mission of Christ (Luke 21:14-15). Jesus' disciples are prophets, because they proclaim God's Word fully and accurately, as they have received it from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

But note that not every person is what he or she claims to be. There are many nominal "Christians" who are not disciples of Jesus Christ. Many claim to be "born-again" who do not know and are not obedient to Jesus' teachings. There are many nominal "Churches" that aren't spirit-filled and spirit-led. There are many false teachers and false prophets in the world and in the "Church" today.

How is a person to know? By reading the whole Bible, and reading portions of it daily. The Bible is the standard by which all Church "doctrine" and all teaching must be judged. Any average reader can read the Bible in one year, and there are many plans available (see Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right).

God wants us to know his Word so that we can trust and obey it. If we are willing to understand, so that we can apply it daily in our lives and seek his guidance from his Word, one day at a time (Matthew 6:11; 34), he will open our minds to understand his Word (Luke 24:45).

But remember that the Bible must be understood in context, in relationship to the whole, and from the perspective of the New Testament. Those who are "born-again" are in the Holy Spirit, and are no longer obligated to keep the Jewish Law (Romans 8:1-9). They fulfill the demands of the Law from love by the power of the Holy Spirit, rather than by fear of condemnation. In Paul's day, Jewish Christians wanted to force Gentile Christians to keep Jewish Law, and Paul vigorously opposed that "legalistic" faction (Galatians 5:1-6; Acts 15:1-31).

Paul's Gospel, received from revelation by the Holy Spirit, was no different than the Gospel of Peter and the other remaining original disciples. It is the Biblical (recorded in the Bible) apostolic (as taught by the apostles including Paul) doctrine, and Paul suffered to preserve it fully and accurately.

In the first century Church, false doctrines and false teachers and false prophets were already occurring in the Church and are refuted in the New Testament; and they are still present in the Church today (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right.

Ministry is stewardship of the "Gospel of Grace through Faith" (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Ministers are to be shepherds of God's "flock." At the time of Jesus' physical ministry, the religious leaders of Judaism had departed from that stewardship. For example, they cared nothing for Judas Iscariot's spiritual condition (Matthew 27:3-5). They conducted their office as their personal empire (Matthew 23:13-16; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:46-47). In too many instances, the nominal "Church" today, particularly in America, is in the same situation as Judaism at the time of Jesus' first advent (coming) When Christ returns will he find faith (Luke 18:8b)?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?