Week of 14 Pentecost – August 17 thru 23, 2008

Seasonal Note: This is the new Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com

Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (with God's help), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.

14 Pentecost – Sunday
Posted August 17, 2008

Exodus 6:2-8 -- The Name of the Lord;
Psalm 138 -- The Name and Word of God;
Romans 11:33-36 -- The Wisdom of God;
Matthew 16:13-20 -- Peter’s Confession;

Exodus:

God told Moses, “I am the Lord.” God said that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but that God had not revealed himself to them by the name of the "Lord.” God had made a covenant with the patriarchs to give them and their descendants the land of Canaan, where they had dwelt as nomads. The Lord was aware of the plight of the people in bondage in Egypt, and had not forgotten his covenant. So Moses was to tell the people of Israel that the Lord would deliver them from hard labor and bondage in Egypt, and he would redeem his people with an “outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment” (Exodus 8:6). The Lord promised that they would be his people and he would be their God. The Lord promised to bring them out of bondage in Egypt and into the land which the Lord had promised to give to their forefathers.

Psalm:

With my whole heart I will give thanks and praise to the Lord. I will praise the Lord above all gods. I will praise the Lord in his holy temple. I will give thanks to him for his faithfulness and steadfast love. The name of the Lord and his Word are exalted above everything. When I called to him he heard my cry and answered me; he strengthened my soul.

All the leaders and people of earth will hear his Word and give him praise. They will give glory and praise for all his ways. Although the Lord is above all, his favor is upon the humble, but he is far from the haughty.

In the midst of adversity the Lord preserves my life. His arm is outstretched against my enemies’ wrath and his right hand delivers me. “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 138:8). The Lord will not forsake his workmanship.

Romans:

“O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33)! Who among humans knows God’s thoughts; who is qualified to give God advice? Who is able to repay for God’s great deeds? God is the origin, the means, and the objective of all things. Amen!

Matthew:

Jesus and his disciples were in the region of Caesarea Philippi, and Jesus asked his disciples who people were saying that Jesus is. The disciples replied that some thought he is John the Baptizer, others thought he is Elijah, or Jeremiah, or some other prophet. Then Jesus asked his disciples who they thought Jesus is, and Peter declared that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah; both mean [God’s] “anointed,” in Greek and Hebrew, respectively), the Son of the living God.

Jesus declared that Simon, the son of John, was blessed because God the Father had revealed that to Simon, not by Simon’s own ability. Then Jesus gave Simon a new name “Peter” (“Petros,” in Greek) saying saying that on that “rock” (Peter’s confession), Jesus would build his Church, and the powers of death (or the gates of hades, the kingdom of the dead) would not prevail against it. Jesus told his disciples that he was giving them the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and what they locked up on earth would be locked in heaven, and what they released on earth would be released in heaven. Jesus strictly told them not to tell anyone that Jesus is the Christ.

Commentary:

God has always intended, from the very beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know and have fellowship with our Creator (Acts 17:26-27). Jesus is the only way to know divine, eternal truth, to have forgiveness and restoration to personal knowledge of and fellowship with God which was broken by sin (disobedience of God’s Word), and true eternal life with the Lord in his kingdom in heaven (John 14:6). Jesus has been designed by God into the very structure of Creation (John 1:1-5, 14).

God has been progressively revealing himself. God first revealed himself in the goodness of Creation itself. Then he began to reveal himself in his call to Abraham. God promised to make a great nation of the descendants of Abraham, and to give them a land which God would show to Abraham, as an eternal inheritance (Genesis 12:1-3).

God had been known as El Shaddai (God Almighty), the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the patriarchs of Israel. They had been nomads in the Promised Land, but they came into bondage to slavery in Egypt.

God knew the bondage of his people in Egypt and he called Moses to lead God’s people out of Egypt and into their Promised Land of Canaan. God revealed himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, “the I AM,” (the God who was, is and always will be). God told Moses that God’s name was to be “Lord.”

The Lord promised to redeem his people, Israel, from bondage to slavery in Egypt with great acts of judgment and with an outstretched arm, his mighty, supernatural power, which extends throughout the Created Universe.

God fulfilled that promise, demonstrating his power and judgment against Pharaoh of Egypt through ten plagues, culminated by the death of the first born of all the people and livestock of Egypt. God led Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, on dry land, and then drowned the pursuing Egyptian army.

The Bible, the record of the history of God’s dealing with his people, Israel, is a revelation of God and his purpose for Creation. The history of God’s redemption of Israel from bondage in Egypt is a parable and a metaphor for God’s plan for Creation.

In a sense we are all in bondage to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this present world. Jesus is the new “Moses.” Jesus is God’s outstretched arm and the right hand of God’s judgment against the “Pharaoh” of this present age, Satan. Jesus frees from bondage and leads us through the “Sea” of baptism into Jesus Christ, through the “wilderness” of this lifetime, across the “River” of physical death, and into the eternal Promised Land of God’s kingdom in heaven.

The Psalmist, David, had been was a humble shepherd boy who God exalted to become the Lord’s “anointed,” the great shepherd-king of Israel. David had experienced the “outstretched arm” of the Lord to deliver David from danger, adversity, and the wrath of David’s enemies. David had experienced the Lord’s deliverance by the Lord’s right hand.

David had learned from experience by trusting and obeying God’s Word that God’s name and his Word are worthy of great praise, glory and exaltation. When David called on the name of the Lord and the promises of God’s Word, God heard and answered, delivered and redeemed David from all his troubles and enemies. David learned from experience that the Lord did not forsake him.

David prayed that all nations and leaders of this world would hear God’s Word and come to know God’s name and his saving power. God’s name and his Word has been made known throughout the world, but not everyone has yet learned to trust and obey God’s name and God’s Word. Not everyone is willing to acknowledge the Lord as above all. Many want to have the glory, praise and power that rightly belongs only to the Lord. There is a Day of Judgment coming when everyone will bow before the Lord and acknowledge the name, authority and Word of God (Philippians 2:10-11).

David is the forerunner and illustration of the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of God by the Holy Spirit, and Son of David, the eternal heir to the throne of David by his earthly parentage.

God has knowledge and wisdom and spiritual riches beyond human ability or understanding. God’s wisdom is eternally true and unchanging, unlike what the world falsely calls wisdom. Those who seek God’s Word and his wisdom will be rewarded with spiritual riches and understanding. God will reveal his wisdom and purpose to those who sincerely seek to know, trust and obey God. Jesus is the wisdom and power of God (1 Corinthians 1:17-25).

Jesus is God’s “anointed” eternal Savior and King, the promised Messiah (Christ). Jesus is the only “begotten” (by the Holy Spirit; not by “adoption” as we can become children of God) Son of God (John 1:14).

Jesus is the fullest revelation of God to the world in human flesh (John 14:8:11). In Jesus the whole fullness of God dwelt bodily (Colossians 2:8-9). Jesus is the name of the Lord. Jesus is the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).

Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” to eternal life by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the gift (“baptism;” “anointing”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The indwelling Holy Spirit is the ultimate revelation of God the Father and Jesus Christ to us personally and individually (John 14:15-17, 21, 23). 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).

Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c), who have learned to trust and obey Jesus’ teachings, have been “born-again” by the indwelling Holy Spirit, have come to know Jesus personally, have come to know with certainty and testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Who do you say that Jesus is?

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)?

14 Pentecost –Monday
Posted August 18, 2008

Psalm 26 -- Prayer for Deliverance;

Lord, I have trusted unwaveringly in you and have lived a life of integrity. Examine me; test my heart and mind. I always remember your steadfast love and live according to your truth. I do not associate with liars and dishonest people; I hate evildoers and the wicked. My hands are clean (of guilt), and I come to your altar singing aloud in thanksgiving to you, and telling of your wonderful deeds.

I love being in your house and in the presence of your glory. Let me not be swept away with sinners and be destroyed with evil and bloodthirsty people and those who corrupt justice. I have walked in honesty; redeem and bless me. I stand on solid ground. In the great congregation of your people I will praise the Lord.

Commentary:

God’s Word is divine, eternal and unchanging truth that we must live by to have real, eternal life. God’s Word is the solid ground on which to stand firmly and build our lives upon. God’s Word will keep us from dishonesty, evil and wickedness.

Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is God’s only “anointed” Savior and eternal King. We can only come to divine truth, to know and have fellowship with God, and have true, eternal life through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Only Jesus gives the gift (anointing; baptism) 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).

All of us have sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin (disobedience of God’s Word) is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus’ death on the cross is the only sacrifice, once for all time and people willing to receive it by faith, which is acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

Only by faith in Jesus and the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9), can we be cleansed of guilt, and enter into and experience the presence and glory of the Lord. Only by Jesus are we redeemed and blessed, and Jesus is the only solid ground on which we will stand without falling (Matthew 7:21-27).

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)?

14 Pentecost – Tuesday
Posted August 19, 2008

Jeremiah 15:15-21 -- Personal Lament;

The prophet Jeremiah believed that the Lord knew Jeremiah’s situation. Jeremiah left vengeance to the Lord, and asked for the Lord’s forbearance so that Jeremiah would not be swept away with the wicked by God’s judgment. The Lord knew that Jeremiah was suffering reproach for the Lord’s sake.

Jeremiah had “tasted” the Word of God and it became a joy to Jeremiah and the delight of his heart, because Jeremiah was marked with the name of the Lord, “God of hosts.”

Jeremiah did not rejoice or join merrymakers; he was filled with indignation (against the wicked and the unrepentant) and the burden of the Lord’s call upon him to prophesy. He suffered unceasing pain and his wounds seemed incurable, refusing to be healed. The Lord will not abandon Jeremiah like a stream or well that goes dry.

The Lord replied, saying that if the prophet returns to obedient trust in the Lord, the Lord will restore him. If Jeremiah proclaims the Word of God rather than what the world falsely calls wisdom, he will be God’s spokesperson. People will turn to God’s prophet, and the prophet shall not to turn to them. God will make his prophet like a bronze fortress. People will fight against the prophet but will not prevail, because God is with him to save and deliver him. God promised to deliver his prophet from the power of the wicked and redeem him from bondage to the ruthless.

Commentary:

A prophet is one who has a close personal relationship with the Lord, and knows and proclaims God’s Word by the guidance of the Lord (by the indwelling Holy Spirit). God’s Word contains both great promises but also ominous warnings. A faithful prophet proclaims God’s Word fully and accurately, and people are often offended and don’t enjoy hearing warnings of God’s judgment and condemnation.

Jeremiah trusted that the Lord knew his suffering and persecution for God’s Word, and he entrusted vengeance against his persecutors to the Lord. Jeremiah also acknowledged that it was only by God’s mercy that Jeremiah might be saved from being swept away with the wicked by God’s judgment and condemnation.

Those who seriously begin to learn and apply God’s Word in their daily lives will discover that God’s Word is a joy and a delight. They will begin to receive the promises it contains, and avoid the dangers the warnings are intended to help us avoid.

Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and demonstrated in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus' word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24). As we begin to trust and obey Jesus, we will receive 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 is the name of the Lord. Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 14:8-11; 20:28). Jesus is the fullest revelation of God to the world, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), the fullest revelation of God the Father and Jesus Christ to us personally and individually (John 14:15-17; 21, 23).

Christians are “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples (learners; of Jesus’ teachings, by Jesus’ word and example; Romans 11:26) and then apostles (messengers; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ. We are to be known by the name of our Lord. But just calling ourselves “Christians” and calling Jesus our Lord doesn’t make it so, if we don’t trust and obey Jesus (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46).

Since the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh, Jesus’ death and resurrection from physical death to spiritual, eternal life made it possible for all who have faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ to have a close personal relationship with God, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John16:7), which only a few Old Testament prophets like Jeremiah had by obedience to God’s call. The Lord’s Word of reply and promise to Jeremiah, is not just for Jeremiah, but for all Apostles of Jesus Christ who proclaim the Word of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly "born-again" Christians testify to God's Word by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Matthew 10:19-20).

Believers are to stay within the Church being "discipled" by "born-again" disciples until they have also received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, before going out into the world to proclaim the Gospel and continue the mission of Jesus Christ to bring salvation and eternal life to the spiritually "lost" and dying (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). Then they are guided and empowered to know when, where, how, and what to proclaim of God's Word. We cannot accomplish the mission of Christ in our own human ability, but only by the power and inspiration of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).

Christians need to read the entire Bible to know and recognize God's Word, and they need to read it on a daily basis for spiritual guidance and spiritual growth. Any average reader can easily read the entire bible in one year, and there are many plans available (see Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right). Unless we've read the Bible, how will we be able to recognize false teachings (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right)? Christians need to find and attend weekly a Church that teaches sound biblical, apostolic (as taught by the Apostles, including Paul, and recorded in the New Testament (and not any book other than or in addition to the Bible).

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)?

14 Pentecost – Wednesday
Posted August 20, 2008

Romans 12:1-8 -- The Consecrated Life;

Paul was “discipling” new Christians. Believers are to live so as to be a “living sacrifice.” They are to be holy (set apart for God’s use; righteous according to God’s Word), so that our lives are acceptable to God, which is a reasonable obligation for worship of God. We are not to conform to the standards of this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds, so that we will know and demonstrate that God’s will is good, reasonable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

We should examine ourselves honestly and thoroughly, according to the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we don’t have an exaggerated sense of our righteousness. The Church is like a physical body; there are many members, having differing functions. So we have different gifts by the Holy Spirit, which we are to use by the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are prophecy, servanthood, teaching, exhortation, material contribution, leadership, and charitable aid. So we should seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to know and use these gifts to the best of our ability (see also 1 Corinthians 12:4-31).

Commentary:

The sacrifice that God desires is our obedient trust in him (Micah 6:8; Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Our lives are to be lived as a “living sacrifice,” sacrificing our self-will so that we can do God’s will. As animals sacrificed under the Old Covenant of law had to be perfect, we must be devoted to God and living according to his Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in Jesus Christ.

The only way we can be holy and acceptable to God is by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. The only way we can be purified and transformed is by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-9), which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Jesus says that we must be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to see the kingdom of God all around us now, and to enter it in eternity. 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).

As we begin to live in obedient trust in Jesus’ teaching and example, we will be filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we have personal knowledge of and fellowship with the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9), who will continue to “disciple” us. The Holy Spirit will open our minds to understand the scriptures (Luke 24: 45), will teach us all things, and help us remember all that Jesus teaches (John 14:26).

We should examine ourselves by the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, to identify and change areas of our life which are not in accordance with God’s Word. The Lord will help us transform one area at a time, one day at a time (Matthew 6:34). The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:27) is useful for self-examination because it represents Jesus’ teachings in a concise form in one place.

By living according to the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit we can come to know with certainty that God’s will is good, reasonable, and our very best interest, and we demonstrate that by our lives in the world. Christians must be born-again by the indwelling Holy Spirit before attempting to go into the world to proclaim the Gospel and carry on the mission of Christ (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). By the indwelling Holy Spirit we can know with certainty God’s will for our lives, and identify the gifts we are given in the Holy Spirit. As each believer is guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit the whole body of the congregation will be enriched, unified and function properly.

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)?

14 Pentecost – Thursday
Posted August 21, 2008

Matthew 16:21-26 -- On Discipleship;

Jesus and his disciples had gone to Caesarea Philippi, on the northern border of Israel. After checking his disciples to see that they knew who Jesus was (the Messiah; Christ; Matthew 16:13-20), he began to prepare them for his crucifixion.

Jesus said that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the Jewish religious leaders, be killed and raised on the third day. Peter rebuked Jesus, saying God should not allow that; those things should never happen to Jesus. But Jesus rebuked Peter for resisting God's will and adding to the temptation Jesus felt by his natural human urge for survival.

Jesus told his disciples that anyone who wanted to follow Jesus would have to carry his own spiritual "cross" of suffering for the Gospel. Jesus declared that those who want to save their own (physical) life will lose (true, eternal) life. But whoever is willing to give up his physical life for Jesus' sake will find true eternal life. What good would it do if a person possessed all the riches in the world, if he dies? What would a person be willing to give for eternal life in paradise restored in the kingdom of heaven?

Commentary:

Caesarea Philippi was the site of worship of the Greek idol, “Pan,” and also of a temple built by Herod, dedicated to Caesar Augustus, who had given Herod the territory. Jesus told his disciples at least three times of his coming crucifixion, death, and resurrection (according to Matthew: 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19), but his disciples didn't understand, until after his resurrection.

We have all sinned (disobeyed God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is (eternal) death (Romans 6: 23). Jesus is God's one and only plan for forgiveness of our sin (disobedience of God's Word), salvation from eternal condemnation and destruction, restoration to fellowship with God which was broken by sin, and eternal life in paradise restored in God's eternal kingdom in heaven (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). Salvation is by grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus has been designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).

We are all born physically alive but spiritually unborn. In order to have true, spiritual, eternal life, we must be spiritually "born-again" (a second birth; John 3:3, 5-8). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be reborn to spiritual, eternal life. We are spiritually reborn 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).

Christ crucified seems like folly to worldly people who are spiritually "lost" and dying, but to those who believe, it is the wisdom and power of God for our Salvation (1 Corinthians 1:17-25; 2:1-8). The Kingdom of God is all around us, but only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit can we see it now, and ultimately enter in eternity.

Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and demonstrated in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is God in human flesh (John 14:7; Colossians 2:8-9; John 14:8-11; 20:28). Jesus' word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24).

Christians are "born-again" disciples (learners) and then apostles (messengers) of Jesus Christ who trust and obey Jesus. Worldly people do not like God's Word or Jesus Christ. Disciples cannot be expected to be treated any better than Jesus was. In order to follow Jesus' teaching and example, we must be willing to surrender our lives, our wills and our possessions in order to live according to Jesus' example and God's will and receive spiritual riches.

If we believe Jesus' promise of eternal life we will be willing to give anything and everything in exchange. If we seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, all our physical needs will be supplied also, but if we try first to provide for those physical needs, we'll never get around to finding God's eternal kingdom (Matthew 6:31-33).

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)?

14 Pentecost – Friday
Posted August 22, 2008

Jeremiah 17:13-14 -- Fountain of Living Water;
Acts 3:1-10 -- Healing in Jesus’ Name;

Jeremiah:

Those who forsake the Lord will be ashamed, for he is the (only) hope of Israel. Those who turn from the Lord are destined for earth (and the grave, rather than heaven); they have forsaken the Lord who is the source of “living water.”

Only the Lord can heal us eternally; only the Lord can save us eternally. His people are those who praise (and glorify) him.

Acts:

The Holy Spirit had just been poured out upon the original disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:1-13). Peter and John (two of the three disciples of Jesus’ inner circle) were on the way to the temple for the daily hour of prayer at 3:00 pm. A man who had been lame from birth was being carried to a spot near the “Beautiful Gate” of the temple (probably on the east side), where he begged for money daily. The man called out to Peter and John as they were entering the temple and they stared at him. Peter told the beggar to look at them. The lame man did so and Peter told him that he and John had no money, but they would give him what they had, which was the faith and knowledge that Jesus could heal the lame man. Peter took the lame man by the hand and pulled him up, and the lame man’s feet and ankles were immediately made strong. The lame man leaped up and stood, and he entered the temple with them, leaping and praising God. Everyone saw him walking and recognized him as the beggar at the “Beautiful Gate;” they were amazed and wondered about what had happened to him.

Commentary:

Jesus is the only source of “living water” (John 4:14) the water that satisfies our spiritual thirst; the water that gives us spiritual life and sustains us in the wilderness of this lifetime. Jesus is the source of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which is the source of “living water” flowing out into the world through his disciples, and welling up in them to eternal life (John 7:37-39).

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).

We are all born physically alive but spiritually "unborn." This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8), by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

We’ve all been born spiritually hungry and thirsty and only Jesus can satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst. We are all born with a spiritually eternally terminal illness and only Jesus can heal us spiritually.

We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and the penalty of sin is (spiritual, eternal; Romans 6:23) death. Only Jesus can save us eternally from eternal condemnation, death and destruction in hell with all evil (Acts 4:12; see god’s Plan of salvation, sidebar, top right).

Jesus’ miracles of physical healing, feeding and resurrection were intended to demonstrate that Jesus is also able to heal, feed and resurrect us spiritually. People were attracted to Jesus by the physical miracles that Jesus was able to do, but unless they recognized their spiritual need and his ability to heal spiritually, they missed the eternal healing and salvation only Jesus is able to give.

Changing water into wine, multiplying bread and fish, healing the blind, deaf and mute, even raising the physically dead has only temporal benefit. People will get physically hungry and thirsty again, and everyone will die physically before long. If we only seek and receive physical benefits from Jesus we have missed what only he has to offer us eternally.

Jesus’ disciples had been “born-again.” They had a personal relationship with the risen and ascended Jesus by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. They had come to personally know and experience that only Jesus can heal and save us spiritually. They gave their testimony, but it is up to the hearer to act in faith (obedient trust in Jesus Christ) upon that testimony.

Those who respond in faith will receive the spiritual blessing. The Lord wants us to respond in faith, so that we can experience his power and faithfulness. When we respond with the “mustard seed,” the “yes” of faith, he will demonstrate his power and faithfulness, and cause our faith to grow to certainty.

Our physical trials in this lifetime are intended and allowed by the Lord to lead us to realize our spiritual need of him. The Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus) didn’t recognize his spiritual blindness until he was struck physically blind on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-21). I personally testify that it took a worldly catastrophe for me to realize my spiritual condition, and motivate me to turn and seek the Lord.

This world teaches us to try again, as often as we fail. There are people who get up over and over and repeat the same mistakes, until finally some of them are successful in a worldly way. Others examine their past failures spiritually and are able to make changes which result in eternal success. I cannot imagine anything more tragic than repeating the same worldly mistakes over and over, and missing the spiritual lessons that might have been learned.

Do we desire worldly success at any cost, or are we seeking eternal truth? Do we desire material riches more than eternal life in paradise?

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)?

14 Pentecost – Saturday
Posted August 23, 2008

John 5:1-15 -- Jesus Heals the Sick;

Jesus was in Jerusalem for one of the feasts celebrated by the Jews. There was a pool called Bethzatha (Bethesda; north of the Temple), which had 5 porticoes, where the sick came to be healed. They believed that when the water was disturbed, by an intermittent spring, any one who stepped into the pool would be healed.

Jesus saw a man who had been lying there daily for thirty-eight years, and Jesus knew he had been there a long time, so he asked the man if he wanted to be healed. The man replied that he had no one to help him get into the pool at the right time, and so someone else got in before him. Jesus told the man to get up, pick up his mattress and walk. Immediately the man was healed, and he picked up his bedding and walked.

This happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish religious leaders told the man he was breaking the Sabbath law by carrying his bed. The man said that the person who had healed the man had told him to pick up and carry his bed. They asked him who had healed him, but he didn't know, because Jesus had withdrawn. Later Jesus found the healed man in the temple and said that the man had really been healed, and that he should sin no more, because the consequences of sin are worse than being an invalid for thirty-eight years. The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the man who had healed him.

Commentary:

Jesus' miracles of physical healing were intended to show that he is the promised Messiah, and that he can also, more importantly, heal spiritual illness. The man had been lying there for thirty-eight years. He still believed that if he could get into the water at the right time he would be healed, but perhaps had given up hope that he could do what was required. When Jesus asked if the man truly wanted to be healed, he replied with the reason he believed he hadn't been healed so far.

Jesus told him to rise, pick up his bed and walk, the man felt the healing in his body, and did as Jesus had told him. It doesn't take great faith to be healed by Jesus. It takes the smallest bit of faith, like a "mustard seed" (Matthew 13:31-32), the simple "yes" to Jesus. As we begin to trust and obey Jesus he will cause that faith to grow. As the man did as Jesus told him he experienced Jesus' healing power in him and he experienced the reality that he was able to walk. He believed and came to know with certainty (John 6:68).

Saving faith is not "superstition." Saving faith is not getting whatever we believe if we believe "hard enough." Faith is not like "wishing on a star," or wishing on birthday candles. It isn't the amount of faith we have; any faith at all is sufficient, as long as we believe in the right person, Jesus Christ. Faith in any other thing or person will ultimately fail. Real saving faith is only through obedient trust in Jesus Christ.

Many people came to Jesus only for what Jesus could do for them physically: free food and free health care. Unless they recognized that Jesus was the Messiah (Christ), God's promised eternal Savior and King, became his disciples, and began trusting and obeying Jesus as their Lord and Master, they would miss the spiritual healing that only Jesus can provide. People who were fed physically would get hungry again, and the physically healed would still die eternally. Jesus warns that unless they change their ways of living, and begin to trust and obey Jesus, their eternal destiny will be eternal misery and torment of eternal destruction in hell. The eternal destiny would be much worse than thirty-eight years as an invalid, or any other physical condition in this lifetime.

Jesus has the authority to forgive sin (disobedience of God's Word). We have all sinned and fall short of God's righteousness (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's only provision for the forgiveness of our sin, and our salvation from eternal condemnation and destruction (Acts 4:12, John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

In a sense, all truly "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ who have experienced spiritual healing and eternal life, beginning now, by 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). 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 comes to us in the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit and manifests (reveals) himself to us (John 14:21). He guides and empowers us to testify to our healing, just as Jesus had sought out the healed man in the temple, and the healed man testified that Jesus was his healer to the Jewish authorities.

The religious leaders were more interested in maintaining their worldly authority and tradition than the physical and spiritual healing of a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. They didn't accept his testimony because they considered him a sinner for carrying his bed on the Sabbath.

Let us not make the mistake of wasting our life waiting for physical benefits from worldly sources, instead of seeking spiritual healing and eternal life which are only by faith in Jesus Christ.

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)?