DECEMBER 21, 2016

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” 
― G.K. Chesterton

MICAH 6-7

8He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly^a with your God. (6:8)

REVELATION 12

“Now have come the salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Messiah.

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,

who accuses them before our God day and night,

has been hurled down.

11They triumphed over him

by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony;

they did not love their lives so much

as to shrink from death.

JOURNAL 

Here are two pearls sitting right in the middle of prophecy and many verses that are confusing and difficult to process. Although every word is scripture I often wonder if part of the purpose is to find these buried treasures of verse as I read through things that are difficult to understand. 

I wonder if that is part of teaching me about how I am to pursue God and how he reveals himself to me in life. Diligently pursue God everyday and trust that he will give me pearls of inspiration and wisdom.

• Act Justly
• Love Mercy
• Walk Humbly with God
• Triumph through Sacrifice
• Obedience over self-indulgence

I do and can do this because my passion is to love God, love others and be obedient. In doing so I receive God's spirit of Power, Love and Sound Mind. These 3 form a power that is undeniable...that cannot be shaken. 

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

2 TIMOTHY 1:6-10

DECEMBER 20, 2016

“Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” 
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

MICAH 4-5

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. (5:4-5)

REVELATION 11

7Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

11But after the three and a half days the breath^b of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

JOURNAL 

Obviously this scene from revelation, is much like the road to calvary.  Public opinion would say "game over".  God's anointed are dead, laying in the street for over 3 days. Starting to discolor and smell.  Relief that finally something stopped the internal torment people were experiencing.  Then it happens, God shows up in ways never expected. Turns the table, flips the script, changes the game.

It is hard to mesh the spiritual with the world. The reality is that only God can really do it.  So often I wish that God would change the world to fit my needs and wants.  The truth is that God only does that to serve his purposes, not my desires.  This text also is a warning to not let the world's definition of success be confused with God's.  Death on a cross or dead and rotting in the street would never have been deemed the greatest victory the world has ever known. Yet it is. Public opinion will never be the final authority.  The world's laws and victories will never be the final scoreboard.

I don't think this means that we reject society and try to usher in the Kingdom on our own.  That is a dangerous path that in essence attempts to usurp God.  I think we still have to serve and love in this world in ways that reflect our obedience to God, without making the world our God and master.  On my own, this is impossible, but with God it is just a "breath" away.

 We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^e 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^f to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

COLOSSIANS 1:9-14

DECEMBER 19, 2016

“Be true to yourself.
Make each day your masterpiece.
Help others.
Drink deeply from good books.
Make friendship a fine art.
Build a shelter against a rainy day.
Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.” 
― John Wooden

MICAH 1-3

11Her leaders judge for a bribe,

her priests teach for a price,

and her prophets tell fortunes for money.

Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say,

“Is not the Lord among us?

No disaster will come upon us.”

12Therefore because of you,

Zion will be plowed like a field,

Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,

the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets. (3:11-12)

REVELATION 10

5Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! 7But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

JOURNAL 

Here from Micah is a warning that to me, seems against those that have found profit and comfort in their current position.  Of course since he is from a rural area he is a bit of an outsider and would naturally rebuke those in the city.  It also is a reminder of the dangers and the subtlety of comfort. Yet many times I find that my heart longs for comfort and ease...is that not the lure of retirement and vacation.  I can't help but wonder if that is not a well played lie to keep us out of the battle.  The more I can be compromised, the more comfortable I am, the harder it will be to break out of that into whatever God calls me to do. 

What is tough about this is...vacation, retirement are all wonderful things.  They are definitely gifts that are good.  Just as the Kingdom of Israel, Solomon's wealth were all blessings. But I think the danger is when they become the end and goal rather than a blessing from God.  One of the things that used to bother me as a financial advisor was always focusing on planning for the day that people will do nothing.  The more I think about it...it almost feels like a way to take people out of the game and render them ineffective. 

It also is a reminder for the need to get out of our comfort zone, slow down and hear from God.  The quote from Wooden really puts things into perspective.

16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

DECEMBER 18, 2016

“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” 
― Sigmund Freud

JONAH

5Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant^a and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

9But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

REVELATION 9

20The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

JOURNAL 

Reading through Jonah it is easy to see how I many times have acted like Jonah. When things don't work out like I want them to. When heartache strikes and I don't get my way, there is an anger and bitterness that can begin to surface.

Jonah moping over the plant is really kind of funny but it's also the state of his heart. He has such hatred for Ninevah that he cannot see beyond it. The hatred turns everything bad in his mind. Everything is exacerbated to a level where he is content to die because of a plant. Obviously it is not the plant but just where his heart has gone as a result of his bitterness and disappointment. 

This is a lesson that any time we let our own plans and our own judgement crowd out God's we are in danger of becoming disillusioned and bitter. 

31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

EPHESIANS 4:31-32

DECEMBER 17, 2016

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” 
― Elbert Hubbard

OBADIAH

10Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,

you will be covered with shame;

you will be destroyed forever.

11On the day you stood aloof

while strangers carried off his wealth

and foreigners entered his gates

and cast lots for Jerusalem,

you were like one of them.

12You should not gloat over your brother

in the day of his misfortune,

nor rejoice over the people of Judah

in the day of their destruction,

nor boast so much

in the day of their trouble.

REVELATION 8

3Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

JOURNAL 

So where is the "brotherly love"? I never realized what happened to Esau and his descendants. Apparently they were an established Kingdom in the mountains of Mount Seir.  They never were at peace with Israel, in fact they assisted any enemy and also participated in most attacks against them.  One Edomite of note was Herod the Great.

So I picture Edom being the snotty brother who finds all kinds of ways to get his brother in trouble and does his "happy dance" at every misfortune.  Although God is furious with Israel's rebellion, in the end,  Israel is restored and Edom is completely destroyed.

Reality is that we are all God's children. We are not to sit in judgement nor are we to be happy for another's misfortune. To do so is to act without love and to act without love is evil. I am realizing more and more that love must temper everything if it is of God. If love is absent it is not of God. 

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7