Day 282: God is Invested in Us

1 Thessalonians 5; Isaiah 23-24; Psalm 116

I love the metaphor of light and darkness. Followers of Christ should live in the light, which I kind of equate with transparency, authenticity, purity, and awareness. The darkness, to me, represents secrecy, lostness, and hiding. Paul encourages believers to live in the light, that that is what God saved us for. He goes on to say a little more about how we should live: get along with each other, warn people who aren't living right, encourage and help people who feel left out or weak, be patient with people, and don't hate anyone. It's a lot harder to live out those things, than it is to list them off, but these should be some of our goals, some tangible ways to live out the gospel and love of Jesus.

Isaiah is pretty doom and gloom. For these two chapters, Isaiah shares of the destruction God is going to cause the earth. I think what is significant about this is that the people of these places saw themselves as being so secure, so wealthy, as if they had it all together. They weren't worried, thought highly of themselves, and trusted in their position and wealth. Then God shows up and with one swipe, knocks them on their rears and ruins everything they had built. This is a good reminder that the stuff I accumulate, whether it be money, possessions, popularity, status--they will not last if God's plan is to eliminate them.

This psalm is all about how God is personally invested in us and saves us. He pays attention to us, our prayers, our needs, our hurts, and wants to restore us. The psalmist wonders what he should give God for being so kind and merciful, but all he can really do is give a sacrifice or offering and his praise. Today, that sacrifice and offering is ourselves, our obedience. I love these verses especially: "You, Lord, have saved my life from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. Now I will walk at your side in this land of the living."

Day 281: Naked Isaiah

1 Thessalonians 4; Isaiah 20-22; Psalm 115

Paul instructs the Thessalonians how to live. He talks about living a holy life, not immoral, not disrespectful, not as a slave to our desires like those who do not love God. We are to be pure and honorable because God chose us so that we would live that way. He continues by saying, "Try your best to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work hard." Why? So they will "be respected by people who are not followers of The Lord" and they won't have to be dependent on anyone. We should live a respectful life filled with love, according to Paul, not taking advantage of others or doing anything immoral whether sexually, financially, or anything else. I think the most important thing is that we live differently. People should know that we love Jesus and follow God without having to say a word about our faith.

Isaiah, shocking! God told him to take off everything and for three years, Isaiah walked around naked! Whoa! All for God to make a point. I'd pay attention, maybe thinking he was crazy, but if someone was walking down the street in their birthday suit proclaiming a message from God...well, I don't know, it'd be weird. Nonetheless, Isaiah obeyed and people heard the message. I pray that God doesn't ask me to do something like that, but God does ask for obedience from us.

This psalm has some really poignant verses. First, it begins, "We don't deserve praise! The Lord alone deserves all of the praise because of his love and faithfulness." God alone deserves praise. Why? Because of his love and faithfulness. It's amazing that people can read scripture and NOT see how faithful God is in fulfilling his promises, and how loving he by giving people 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. chances to repent and return to him.

Then in the psalm it says that those "who made the idols and all who trust them are just as helpless as those useless gods. If we worship something inanimate, something powerless, what can we expect but a dead response? Worshipping the living, almighty, merciful Creator, we can expect a living, meaningful, powerful response.

Finally, there is a verse that says "all of you worship The Lord, so you must trust him to help and protect you." In this I see a conundrum that a lot of Christians struggle with. We worship God at church but the other 6 days a week we fail to truly trust him with our problems. If we worship him, sing and speak his praises, then we should believe in him to help us when we need it. We should expect nothing less and give nothing less to a loving and faithful God.

Day 280: Knowing Brokenness

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13; Isaiah 17-19; Psalm 114

Paul's words are so encouraging. He builds up these followers of Jesus, simply by telling them how happy their faith made him. He was so excited to hear of how God was growing their faith, so much so that he barely mentions his own sufferings, as if they are not important in light of the incredible prosperity of the faith of the Thessalonicans. I feel like sometimes I make my suffering the priority, rather than other people's successes. We sometimes dwell on ourselves as victims, rather than looking for opportunities to encourage others' blessings.

I don't know much about the relationships between Israel, Egypt, and Assyrians. I think it might be tense. Nonetheless, these are the groups that these passages in Isaiah are talking about. When do the Israelites stop worshiping idols? When they are like an olive orchard devoid of any fruit or life, at their lowest. When will Ethiopia come and worship God? When they are like road kill for buzzards and wild animals, when they are basically dead. When will Egypt become followers of The Lord? When they have experienced civil war, are hungry, and feel completely lost, at their most helpless. When do people turn to God? When they have reached their lowest. I don't believe God likes to see us hurt, but his purpose is to draw us to him so that he can heal. When do we know we have been healed? Well, we have to be broken to experience healing. It's awesome that God takes these nations who were broken for various reasons and it is in their brokenness they turn to Him, and he blesses them.

Day 279: Some Fear is Ok

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16; Isaiah 14-16; Psalm 113

Paul describes what happened in Thessolonica with the sharing of God's message. First, they came with pure motives, simply to spread the message of life and salvation of Jesus. They weren't trying to get rich, gain power, corrupt, control, or benefit personally. Their hearts were loving, in the purest sense. Then, they faced persecution. That could have stopped them from sharing the message, and Paul hints that yeah, they might have been a little discouraged because he says that "God gave us the courage." It's ok to feel some fear or uncertainty, it's not good when that stops us in our purpose-driven tracks. He goes on to say just how much these people, their salvation, and their devotion to The Lord meant to him: "We cared so much for you, and you became so dear to us, that we were willing to give our lives for you when we gave you God's message." Wow, that's compassion and love. Sometimes I miss out on opportunities to love or make Jesus known because, while I'm compassionate, I limit it to people I think deserve it. That is NOT what Paul did, nor what Jesus wants. I need to love each person and see each person as an eternal soul in need of the healing power of Jesus, willing to give my life to share the gospel with them. In America, I think there is less of a sense of urgency and devotion to this idea simply because we don't struggle with persecution and we have everything we need, so we don't feel like we really need Jesus. Paul's pure passion for the gospel of Christ and his live-giving love for the people is powerful.

These three chapters of Isaiah are all about destruction. God is going to come through and teach them a lesson or destroy nations that do wrong, whether that be Israel for being disobedient, Babylon and Assyria for being evil, or Moab for being prideful.

This psalm reveals God's heart. His name deserves praise, when? From sunrise until sunset! And what does he do that deserves praise? He cares for the needy and those that are hurting and helpless. His love for those who are mistreated or broken is so significant. I need to reflect that so much more. Praise God that he is a God who loves without limits or prejudices.

Day 278: Faith

1 Thessalonians 1; Isaiah 11-13; Psalm 112

I want to be like the church in Thessolonica! In this first chapter, Paul is so excited about them! His prayers are of thanksgiving for them, they followed Paul and Christ's example, were glad in their suffering, turned from their idols, and spread the message of Jesus everywhere! If there was a way to do this Christ-following thing right, I suppose this church was pretty close. I want my life to be like this too; that people are thankful they know me, I follow Jesus' example for living, I turn from my sins, and spread the gospel to everyone. These people were an example for others and I believe we should strive to do the same. People watch and follow you more than you think. May we believers be people who live like Jesus so that people know what kind of example to follow.

There is POWER in these three chapters in Isaiah. First, it talks about a peace for God's people that will be perfect. Not even animals will pursue one another. God's people will be gathered together in this place of complete love and tranquility. Then there is the song of praise that the Lord's followers will sing (something I've been wanting to memorize because it's awesome):

"I thank you, Lord! You were angry with me, but you stopped being angry and gave me comfort. I trust you to save me, Lord God, and I won't be afraid. My power and strength come from you, and you have saved me." With great joy, you people will get water from the well of victory. At that time you will say, "Our Lord, we are thankful and we worship only you. We will tell the nations how glorious you are and what you have done. Because of your wonderful deeds we will sing your praises everywhere on earth." Sing, people of Zion! Celebrate the greatness of the holy Lord of Israel. God is here to help you.

Then, a chapter of incredible destruction and victory over evil. When I think about how much pain is in this world, how many people are hurt by others, I long for the day when God will defeat those things.

There seems to be a recurring theme in these passages today: being remembered. This psalm talks about how God is going to abundantly bless his followers because they "gladly obey" his teaching, will "be remembered for their fairness," are a light in the dark for others, are "honest in business," and it goes on and on of qualities of these people. The part that I really like are the next couple of verses: "Bad news won't bother them; they have decided to trust The Lord. They are dependable and not afraid, and they will live to see their enemies defeated." They aren't scared. Why? Not because they are so awesome, are super spiritual, or have the whole Bible memorized. It is simply because they have DECIDED to trust God. They made a conscious choice to recognize that God is who he says he is and comes through in his promises of hope and provision, and so there is no reason to fear anything. WOW. What kind of trust that is! And these people are remembered for this kind of faith. So awesome.

Day 277: The City

Revelation 21-22; Isaiah 9-10; Psalm 111

These last two chapters of Revelation have some powerful images and promises. John sees a new heaven and new earth. This place has no more suffering or death, everything is brand new, there is no darkness, no more night, people's thirst is quenched, and the kingdom is made of the most precious stones. As I read about the dimensions and construction of the city, I wonder if it is metaphorical or literal: that the 12 foundation stones are the 12 tribes, as in they set the foundation for the spiritual practices that we follow in spirit today. Whether it is literal or metaphorical, God makes it clear that there will be abundant life for those who are allowed in the city. I think my favorite scripture from these chapters is this: "If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It's free!" I think there is a hunger, thirst, desire, within all of us. Christ is the only thing that can satisfy and fulfill that emptiness. And what does it cost? Nothing. We just have to reach out and take it. God is so generous and so gracious!

Isaiah captures the back and forth faithfulness of God's people and God's back and forth rescuing and punishing of them. If there's one thing I know for sure about humans, both from scripture and observation, they are fickle. They love one thing, then another, hate one thing, then another. But what is SO incredible, is that in the span of two chapters, God gives light to his people, rescuing them and completely devastating their enemies as well as punishes the people for their unfaithfulness. We should have hope because of this. As often as the people in the Old Testament messed up and turned their back on God, He came through and rescued them.

Psalm 111 continues this message of how awesome God is. He doesn't break his agreements, he is merciful, he is right, rules with justice, and he rescues his people. So how should we respond? The last verse tells us: "Respect and obey The Lord."

Day 276: Questions

Revelation 20; Isaiah 7-8; Psalm 110

When it comes to Revelation, I tend to finish reading with more questions than answers. For instance, my translation says that the devil "will have to be set free" again for a bit, after the 1000 years. Why does he "have to"? Then what are those who were beheaded going to do for 1000 years? Which countries are Gog and Magog? And the list goes on...And I'm ok with some questions. The answers to these questions will not make or break my faith. They don't make me feel like God doesn't love me or he's trying to hide stuff from me. I trust God and I'll live my life for him.

What I do find so interesting, and this is something I had not picked up before, is the scene described at the end of this chapter of the final judgement: "Everyone of them was there no matter who they had once been....Then everyone was judged by whet they had done." All humans who have ever lived are going to stand before God on the great white throne and have to give account for what their life consisted of. Ugh. That's going to be painful. None of us are perfect and it makes me wonder what is going to be pointed out about me. I pray that our lives would be filled with good things so that that judgment isn't so terrifying.

In these chapters in Isaiah, there is several references to fear and worry. First, Judah is told not to be afraid of their enemies for any reason. God promises that they are basically all bark and no bite. Then later, God tells them that if they should fear anyone, it should be God because his power to destroy or protect is greater than any other force on earth.

This psalm ends with God winning victory after victory. No where in scripture is God the victim, and even while he is dying on the cross, Jesus showed great power, control, and love, not acting victimized. With God, we should live victoriously!

Day 275: Tough for People Pleasers

Revelation 19; Isaiah 5-6; Psalm 109:20-31

In an earlier post I wrote about who or what the prostitute referred to in Revelation could be. In this chapter, it doesn't sound like messed up, unfaithful Israel, but Babylon, which I think might be the center for the new one world religion that would be set up in end times. I'm getting some of this from what I'm reading here and some of it from the Left Behind series, which is very much based on scripture too (they are probably smarter than I am and have studied it more). Anyone who has any thoughts on this, feel free to comment! Revelation can be really confusing.

Later in this chapter, it has the wedding feast of Christ and his church, and the final battle of this time (there is one more after 1,000 years). I love the idea that Jesus Christ will celebrate and accept us like a bride at a wedding. His love for his people is extravagant, passionate, complete. This passage promises that we will be given clothes of purity, representing the good we have done. God knows what we do and in these times everyone will be rewarded for what we do. I think about that moment, when I will someday stand before Jesus and get my gown of white. I want him to be proud of me, so what must I do? Live and breathe for him and the kingdom of God. Then later in this chapter, Christ wipes out the vast armies and rulers that come against him with a double edged sword that comes from his mouth. That's a weird image. Most people believe this simply represents his Word. Jesus is going to defeat the evil of this world with words, scripture, the Bible's teaching. What? Those must be some powerful words! We need to trust in the word of God like this, that scripture breathed in our lives and hidden in our hearts can overcome evil, pain, and destruction.

Isaiah presents a pretty bleak outlook on humanity in these two chapters. It begins by saying that God had hoped for goodness in his people, but because of their freedom, they chose dishonesty and wickedness. God is angry because the people are focused on drinking and partying, being impure, not following God's commands; they "say wrong is right, darkness is light, and bitter is sweet." I think that is a perfect description of what we humans are sometimes prone to do. We like to justify the wrong we do and so we call it right. I think of many of the major issues in our nation and world today that God condemns in his word and yet humans, including some Christians, say that they are ok. In my Bible, this chapter is called "Isaiah Condemns Social Injustice." That's one of the things that I'm noticing more and more is part of God's heart. How do we love God? We care for those who can't care for themselves: the poor, the widows, the orphans. We work to fix social injustices. Just like Christ will destroy evil with his word, we need to read God's word with our hearts open and willing to accept its truth and power, even if it goes against what the world says.

I love this passage in this psalm: "Please help me Lord God! Come and save me because of your love. Let others know that you alone have saved me. I don't care if they curse me, as long as you bless me." God saves us because of his great love for us. He doesn't rescue us because he has to, because we deserve it, but simply because he loves us that much. The psalmist wants everyone to know what it is that does save him when it happens. This is his testimony, his sharing of God's impact on his life, and if we are saved by God, we have a story to tell as well. The last part of this would be tough for people pleasers: I doesn't matter if other people curse us, say bad things about us, don't like us--but doesn't it sometimes feel like it does matter? Yeah, because we like to focus on others' opinions. This scripture reminds us that what really matters is not the opinions, curses, thoughts of others, but God's thoughts, opinions, and blessings on us. God's approval is the only one that matters. That's something to live for!

Day 274: Female Strutting

Revelation 18; Isaiah 2-4; Psalm 109:1-19

The destruction of Babylon in Revelation 18 demonstrates a significant dependence and reliance. The kings, merchants, and captains all got rich because of the reign of Babylon. It was this city and all that it contained that gave them power and wealth, which they hastily acquired. And "in a single hour her riches disappeared," "in a single hour the city was destroyed," never to rise again. The dependence and acquisition of wealth is futile. What's the purpose? When we die, or at the end of days, it isn't going to save our lives or our souls. These kings, merchants, and captains felt pity and were terrified because the city that supplied them with everything was, within a single hour, gone. Powerful imagery of how worldly things don't last because God, who lasts forever, has power over them.

In Isaiah, there is a pretty harsh description of the women at the time of God's judgment. It talks about how the women strut around, attracting attention shamelessly, focusing on their appearance and charm. God makes it clear that that is not what he wants women to be like. God has no problem with us trying to look nice, but here, it is all about focusing the attention on their physical appearance, on being pleasing and possibly seductive. This passage says that God will replace their perfume with stink, their fancy hairdos with bald heads, and their expensive clothes with sackcloth. All that stuff that we sometimes spend way to much money on with be stripped away. It's ok to want to look presentable and wear deodorant so we aren't smelly, but we are to not use our bodies and money to entice men or belittle other women. Someday, all the time we spent on our hair, makeup, and clothes won't matter because we will either be really wrinkly or dead. In heaven, God will clothe us with splendor and place a crown on our heads--who needs fancy clothes at that point?

This psalm reveals that life isn't fair and people are cruel. We can pray our hearts out for people and all they do is treat us terribly. That does not mean we give up, but we press on knowing that our reward comes from above, not from others.

Day 273: Returning to Sin

Revelation 17; Isaiah 1-2; Psalm 108

The identity of this prostitute in Revelation 17 has been debated. Most people think that she is either Israel, God's chosen who constantly turn to pagan religions and rituals. This would make sense since throughout the Old Testament, God's people are constantly being referred to as a prostitute. Others think that the prostitute could be a one world religion that is set up during the End Times. This is also possible since she sits on all these nations and kings. What we do know is that she "was drunk on the blood of God's people who had given their lives for Jesus." Whoever she is, she will destroy the lives of Christ followers, whether that be the unfaithful church of Israel or a one world religion. True followers of Christ are going to face death during end times. A very scary, but real threat. I pray for believers of that time, that they would have faith that can withstand the fear of death.

At the beginning of Isaiah it makes an interesting point: the people are covered with bruises, they are weak and beaten because of their sin, and yet they don't turn to God who would heal their pain. Sin SO does that. It beats us down and yet how often we return to our bitterness, jealousy, or whatever sin entices us. God says that he is sick of their sacrifices because what they need to do is live right, not just go through the motions of worship. I think of our churches today: we sometimes go through the motions, even say we are sorry, head to the altar, etc., but our lives only vaguely reflect that remorse we feel under the inspiring words of our pastor or worship leader. The Israelites were no different and God was ticked. It continues by saying that there will come a day when God will humble all those that are proud and destroy the faith of those who worship idols. God will prove himself to be "fearsome, marvelous, and glorious."

There are a few key phrases in this psalm that I think are really powerful: with all my heart, all that I am, before the sun rises, for everyone to hear, in every nation. These phrases just remind me of how we should praise The Lord, how soon each day, and who to share our praises with. Just an important reminder of how much God deserves our worship.

Day 272: Sorrow to Joy

Revelation 16; Esther 9-10; Psalm 107:23-43

I think if we have been a Christian for a long time, we forget what it is like to not believe in God. In Revelation, it talks about the angels pouring out the bowls of God's wrath on the earth. These are terrible curses on the world and those who have the mark of the beast "cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him." Later, "because of their painful sores, they cursed the God who rules in heaven. But still they did not stop doing evil things." These people acknowledge that God is real, he is powerful, he is active, and he can hear them. They ACKNOWLEDGE that, but they refuse to worship him. I think this shows an interesting place in a person's spiritual walk. There may be people around us who simply believe there isn't a God. Then there may be those who admit that there is a God, maybe even the one true God, but they refuse to worship him. It is so important that we Christians submit our lives to The Lord and allow him to work in us and through us. We need to love and help and serve like Jesus, to be an example of the full and abundant life that he promised; this will demonstrate to those who believe God is real but don't submit, just how powerful a life lived for God can be.

God gave the Jews permission to take things from their slain enemies, but every time, they don't. Is this because their faith was strong and they felt they didn't need more stuff? That God would provide? Whatever the reason, I find it interesting. Then they celebrate to "remember this month as a time when our sorrow was turned to joy, and celebration took the place of crying." God can and does turn our sorrows into joy and he wants us to find ways to remember those powerful moments. That's why they made a special day to remember this and all of it was written down, like a big journal. I pray that we are able to find ways to remember the wonderful things God has done in our lives so that when we go through tough times and all we feel is sorrow, we will have faith that joy is on its way.

Like the previous verses discussed in the previous post, this psalm is all about rescue. God rescues us from the serious trouble that we will have in this life; this psalm pretty much promises all of that. It ends with some thoughts on choices though. It talks about how God can turn rivers into deserts and fruitful fields into beds of salt. Why? If we choose to live outside of his blessing, his grace, his will, his plan for our lives, this is what the landscape of our life will turn into. On the other side, however, if we choose to live in his blessing, his grace, his will, and his plan for our lives, "the Lord can also turn deserts into lakes." Who we live for will determine the richness and fruitfulness of our lives. That's a very powerful thought.

Day 271: Rescue

Revelation 15; Esther 6:14-8:17; Psalm 107:1-22

I love these songs of praise scattered throughout Revelation. In this particular one, it points out the rightness and fairness of God. God's knowledge and wisdom and love are beyond what we can imagine, and because of that, he knows what is right, what is just, and he does those things. It also says that he "alone is holy, and all nations will come and worship" him. What "holy" means is exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness. Yep, that doesn't sound like anyone I know except God. He is the only one worthy of COMPLETE devotion; he is PERFECT in goodness and righteousness. I think one of the points of Revelation and end times, besides judging the world, is to demonstrate God's worthiness of complete devotion, worship, praise, and honor. He isn't a wimpy, stupid, distant God. He is powerful. He is wise. He is real.

Wow, Haman was hung by the very device he built. His pride, jealousy, and hatred made his life go from bad to worse. But Esther was able to save Mordecai and her people. What saved them? A law that the king had written. What I find interesting though, is that the law didn't say 'don't hurt the Jews.' Instead, it said that they could fight back against those who would seek to destroy them. So is God condoning violence? I think what God wants them to do is see life as a battle against our enemies. Whether our enemies wield swords and shields, or they are things like bitterness, anger, and evil, we are to defend ourselves and fight against them. Our God is not a passive God, and I don't believe he wants his followers to be passive victims either.

This psalm talks about how God saves us and what he saves us from. He saves people from being lost in the desert. These are people who feel like their life has no purpose and there is no end in sight to the emptiness of their life. He saves people from their hunger and thirst. Each person experiences either a deep physical or spiritual emptiness that needs to be filled. He saves people from serious trouble. Whatever this may be, it is something very significant, very heavy, very dangerous. It could be financial trouble, family trouble, sin, or something else. God rescues people who were prisoners or slaves, who are bound by chains. Again, this could be figurative or literal. He rescues us from the things that trap us, our sin, our bad decisions, our rebellion, and some people who are in literal bondage, he has the ability to save them, too. God rescues people from darkness. So many live in a spiritual darkness, where sin rules their lives, they can see no good things in this world and they are wandering blindly. God gives light and can save them too. And finally, he rescues people from the pain of sin. When we look back on our lives and see the things we have done that were disgusting, wretched, disobedient, we don't have to feel a deep hurt because of them; The Lord has washed us clean and saves us from the guilt and shame of such things. God is so good!

Day 270: Abortion

Revelation 14; Esther 5:1-6:13; Psalm 106:24-48

It is hard to understand the difference between the 144,000 that surround Jesus in this chapter and can learn the song, and "every race, tribe, language, and nation that receive the message about Jesus just a few verses later. The first part makes it sound like only 144,000 get the privilege of worshiping Jesus, however, if that is the case, that contradicts John 3:16 which says "whoever believes in him," not specifying that they must be virgins, Jews, priests. Interesting.

The next part of this contrasts the treatment of those that follow the beast and those that follow Jesus. Those that have the mark of the beast and worship him "will never be able to rest," while those have faith in Jesus "will rest from their hard work." It is hard to imagine complete rest, or peace, because on this Earth we have so much that tugs at our heart, our attention, our worries. I think of a time in my life when I was SO stressed out: I was physically tense, emotionally stretched, crying, and felt completely hopeless. These people that this scripture refers to that worship the beast will feel like that FOREVER. That is horrible! I pray that no one experiences that! But God's people will rest and the command is this: "God's people must learn to endure. They must also obey his commands and have faith in Jesus." During these times, it is going to be tough. Lives will be lost, the world will be crumbling, Christians will face persecution like has never happened before. We will need to endure and have faith to make it through such times. But why? What would be the point in persevering? Scripture promises: "the Lord will bless everyone who has faith in him when they die...they will be rewarded for what they have done." Awesome. The trials we endure in this life are not worthless. We are demonstrating our love and faithfulness to a God who sees us and loves us and wants to reward us.

In the story of Esther, Haman is completely wrapped up in himself. He demonstrates what happens when we seek to boast and brag and honor ourselves. We end up being humiliated. This is just like the parable that Jesus told about the banquet and not placing ourselves in the place of honor or we will be disgraced. Haman had to pretend to honor the very man he wanted to kill. Yet again, we see God at work. I truly believe that God kept the king restless that night so that we would read the records and be reminded of Mordecai. God was working out his plan to save his people.

I'm so glad I read this psalm; it is a reminder that God disgusts the killing of children. Just listen to these words: "Then they fell into the trap of worshiping idols. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons and to the gods of Canaan. Then they poured out the blood of these innocent children and made the land filthy. By doing such gruesome things, they also became filthy. Finally, Lord, you were angry and terribly disgusted with your people." Killing children: I cannot help but think of abortion when I read this psalm. People are fighting for the right to kill their children. Whether a child is 10 weeks old in the womb or 10 years old, it is still the child of two humans and it seems that to argue that 10 weeks old in the womb isn't really "life" is simply a way to justify destroying it. As followers of Jesus, we need to make sure that we value life. How a baby is conceived should be a beautiful thing, but even if it is not, we must trust that God has a plan for that life. God hates the killing of children. Period.

Day 269: Which Side?

Revelation 13; Esther 3-4; Psalm 106:1-23

Whoa, the implications of what is written in this chapter of Revelation is really powerful. These beasts that are given power for a short time corrupt the entire world into worshiping them. They are able to work amazing miracles and convince everyone of their power. And get this: everyone who doesn't worship them is put to death. John reminds us urgently: "This means that God's people must learn to endure and be faithful!" To worship this beast just to save our earthly life is to trade all of God's gift of salvation and life for eternal death. If such a time comes in our lifetime, are we going to be willing to be faithful to Jesus Christ? What about when the mark of the beast must be put on our hands or foreheads in order to do business and buy food? Will we be willing to not take the mark, risk our lives out of love for The Lord? Such a powerful and dangerous message requires some thought as to which side we stand on, because it sounds like there will be no middle ground in these times. People in our 21st century culture like to live in the grey area, not offending anyone, but not standing for anything. This chapter reveals that the grey area will not exist forever. Are we going to be hot or cold? Black or white? In or out? Alive or dead?

In Esther, evil Haman uses the differences of the Jews as a reason to kill them. It's awesome that Mordecai was unwilling to bow to another besides God, but the cost was great (just like it talks about in Revelation). There are a few actions that these people perform that I think are important to learn from. First, Haman is driven by greed, pride, and selfishness; to kill Mordecai was not enough, he needed to destroy everyone like him in order to protect his self-image. His pride was destructive enough to kill hundreds, maybe thousands. Then, the king hands over his ring to Haman to do what he wants. Why would he simply give over his control rather than overseeing something so significant? Xerxes should have been more discerning as a leader. This is not to say that delegation is bad, but we need to find people to trust that are really trustworthy. Finally, there is a great shift in faith in Esther. At first, she comes up with excuses, but when she realizes that everything is on the line for her and her people, she steps up. Sometimes is takes dire circumstances for us to realize how much faith we need.

The beginning of this psalm focuses on the forgetfulness of God's people. As his followers, we need to remember his miracles, not just the things he has done in our lives, but in history as well. Life may not move forward as we expect, but God has come through every time for those who love him, why would it be any different for us today?

Day 268: Esther's Cool Story

Revelation 12; Esther 2; Psalm 105:26-45

I love this passage in Revelation: "Our God has shown his saving power, and his kingdom has come! God's own Chosen One has shown his authority. Satan accused our people in the presence of God day and night. Now he has been thrown out! Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives." Any time scripture talks about defeating the devil and overcoming sin, I feel empowered. It is by Jesus' sacrifice and the word of God that the Lord's followers can participate in such a victory. However, if we think that the battle will be easy, we are missing an important part of this passage: "They were willing to give up their lives." Such victory over the darkness of this world takes everything we have and costs much. Christ promises that it is worth it, but it is not cheap. This passage goes on to say that heaven pities the earth because that is where Satan lives. However, his time is short. Again, a reference to the reign of The Lord, because the devil will not rule long. God's anger burns intensely though, and as hard as believers might fight to win souls for The Lord and battle sin, we can be assured that the evil one will be pressing just as fiercely.

There is a lot about Esther's story that is so cool: she was a nobody who became a princess (the first "Disney" princess), she was obedient to her wise uncle, she was a favorite from the beginning. But I also see God's part of this story at work: he wanted a way to save lives and so from the beginning of the story orchestrated events that would allow Esther to be in a position of power. We have free will, but I have no doubt that God can plant desires in our hearts: Vashti's desire to not be treated as a trophy, Xerxes' officials suggestions, Esther's beauty, the guards anger at the king, and Mordecai's knowledge of the murder plot. I also find it interesting that she and Mordecai come from the tribe of Benjamin. If I'm not mistaken, this is the smallest and least significant tribe of the Jews. Of course. God loves to use the least, lowest, weakest, most unsuspecting to do great things.

This psalm ends in this way: "He did this so that his people would obey all of his laws." Ok, so what is the significance of that. The first time I read it, nothing connected, but as I looked at it again, I realized what it means. He crushed and devastated Egypt, lead the people through the desert, provided water from rocks, gave them more food than they could eat, all for what? So that they would obey his laws. And what are the laws and their purpose? To keep them holy and give them life abundantly. All those miracles were meant to bring the people closer to God. It wasn't so that he could show them how awesome he was and they would be afraid, though many were, but it was to provide for them a way of life that would be good and pleasing to the Creator of the universe. That's what God's whole story is about: drawing his people closer to him by rescuing us, providing for us, loving us.

Day 267: Crazy Witnesses

Revelation 11; Esther 1; Psalm 105:1-25

Whoa, the story of the two witnesses sounds incredibly powerful and terrifying! These two people, who have stood in the presence of God, will come and proclaim The Lord. For a time, they will destroy anyone who tries to harm them, they will prevent rain, and turn water into blood. If people hear and see this, how could they deny the God of heaven? So many will be so stubborn or brainwashed that they will reject what they are seeing. What is also sad, is that these two will be killed but their bodies will lay and rot for 3 days. Then, miraculously, they will rise from the dead in front of the whole world. One comment that is made in this passage refers to the city of Jerusalem. It says that the "city is spiritually like the city of Sodom or the country of Egypt." The holy city of The Lord will be corrupt, disgusting, and sinful. Sad and scary.

The first chapter in Esther is a perfect example of how  pride and boastfulness can destroy a relationship. Xerxes had paraded everything else in his kingdom around and decided it was time to do the same with his wife. But, she decided that she was not a trophy to be shown off to the world and refused. Xerxes was angry and felt the need to protect his reputation and pride. It isn't uncommon for people to seek protection of their image at the cost of others.

This psalm begins by saying "tell, tell" and "praise, sing, celebrate" what God has done. It's a good reminder that we need to praise God for simply who he is, what he has done, and the miracles that happen in our lives. And what are we supposed to do with this information? Tell it! Share it! Sing it out! This psalm also chronicles what God did for his people. They were homeless and hungry, but God had already orchestrated a plan to help them. He doesn't leave them high and dry, down and out, left to fend for themselves. Even though Joseph was sold as a slave by his brothers, God used that time to test him and then bring him honor. It's crazy, but it is how God builds our character and brings his greater plan into focus.

Day 266: Why the Sabbath Matters

Revelation 10; Nehemiah 13; Psalm 104:24-35

Why is John eating a scroll, and why is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach? Sometimes Revelation is so weird. However, I think by saying to eat it, it is instructing him to take it, "ingest it" sort of, as in memorize it, meditate on it, make it part of who you are. It's very sweet going in, it may be good at the beginning, but the more he chews, the more he thinks, the more time that passes, it will become nasty at the end. This could symbolize how things will be in the end times. Things may start out great, but they will turn bitter.

Nehemiah had been trying to return the people to God's favor by having them live according to God's word. It was not an easy task. It's like they read God's word and instantly forget what it taught them. The people were supposed to take care of the priests, but Nehemiah finds that some of them went back to their farms because the people did not provide for them. This reminds me of churches today that can't support a pastor because they aren't willing to give some of their own money. We as Christians need to support our pastors so that they can be blessed by it and do the work of The Lord.

 Next, Nehemiah realizes that people are working on the Sabbath. This doesn't seem like it should be a serious sin, but I think the heart of the matter is very serious. The only two reasons to work on the Sabbath are a) you don't trust God to provide and so you feel you have to continue to work to bring in money, and b) you are greedy and want to earn as much as possible and 7 days of business is better than 6. Both of these are very dangerous and do not reflect faith in God or an attitude of submission to The Lord. Nehemiah stopped all of that immediately by simply closing the gates on the Sabbath. People literally could not come in and sell stuff and even slept outside of the gates overnight. That reminds me of Black Friday and how people will get so crazy to buy stuff and get a "good deal" that they will spend the night in front of their favorite store.

Finally, Nehemiah gets mad because the people had been marrying foreigners. But I thought we were supposed to reach out to others? We are, but the problem with this action is that the people were unable to be faithful to God and would pervert their relationship with him because of the influence of pagan gods from their spouses. That's why it was a big deal. And Nehemiah put a halting stop to that too.

This psalm closes with an interesting comment: "I hope my thoughts will please you, because you are the one who makes me glad." Sometimes people look at my life and are so complimentary; however, what they don't see are my thoughts. I may do a decent job of not being a mean person on the outside, but how often do my thoughts reflect my selfishness and pride? God alone can see those and I believe they come from a heart that still isn't consumed by Jesus. My pride and selfishness need to be replaced by humility and compassion so that God can be pleased with them. I, too, hope my thoughts please God!

Day 265: Rough Times

Revelation 8-9; Nehemiah 11-12; Psalm 103-104:23

The trumpets and the destruction caused by them in Revelation is terrifying. It's hard to imagine such disaster. One third of things on the earth are destroyed. But what stands out to me in this chapter are not the catastrophes, but the presence of God. At the beginning of the chapter when the seventh seal was opened, there is silence in heaven. Whoa, what does that mean? The sounds of praise are gone, the rustle of angel wings are stilled, the cries of the saints are silent, perhaps God himself has drawn inward and his glory is hidden for a time. After this happens the prayers of God's people come up from the earth and reach the ears of heaven. Silence in heaven will, no doubt, have an effect on the earth. What kind of effect, I'm not sure, but I find this situation very intriguging.

Then at the end of this chapter, it tells of an eagle flying over the earth saying "Trouble, trouble, trouble, to everyone who lives on earth!" Life is not going to be easy, especially during this time. Believers and non-believers alike, it sounds like, are going to face devastating consequences. This will be a time when faith is tested. Just consider this: "In those days people will want to die, but they will not be albe to. They will hope for death, but it will escape them." WOW. Talk about torture. And during this time, the people who survive these seals and hate God, those who worship idols will continue to worship those idols and demons. They will be stubborn and blind and will not turn to God. So sad. I cannot imagine the hopelessness of worshiping something that is lifeless, made with my own hands. These people will continue living a lie, and there is nothing believers will be able to do about it. This is God's judgment and people will choose to refuse to turn to him, even in one of the greatest displays of his power. And the point of all the silence and distruction is to make people realize who God is.

Psalm 103 is an awesome song of worship to The Lord. It talks about praising The Lord with all of our hearts and all that we are, never forgetting what he has done for us. God forgives us, brings justice to those who are mistreated, provides us with strength, is merciful and patient, and doesn't punish us as our sins deserve. What a good and glorious God!

Psalm 104 shows how God created and cares for his creation. He thought about and continues to think about our needs and provides for them.

Day 264: 144,000 and Then Some

Revelation 7; Nehemiah 9:38-10:39; Psalm 102

There are some denominations that think only 144,000 will be saved because of this chapter in Revelation. It talks about marking the foreheads of the servants of God, and lists 144,000 who will receive this mark. However, immediately after this, John sees "a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language." These people were standing before the throne of God, wearing white robes and singing praises. Hm...so who are these people? According to the elder, "these are the ones who have gone through the great suffering. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and have made them white." If that doesn't sound like salvation, I don't know what does. I'm probably wrong on this, but the way I see it, there will be 144,000 Jews who are marked and then a massive amount of the rest of us who will get to praise God in heaven.

The elder goes on to explain what this large crowd gets because of their salvation through the Lamb's blood: "They will never hunger or thirst again, and they won't be troubled by the sun or any scorching heat. The Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to streams of life-giving water, and God will wipe all tears from their eyes." That is beautiful. Jesus Christ does so much for his people. Following him is worth everything with a promise like that.

The agreement that all the priests and Levites sign is all about practices that will help to keep the focus of their lives on The Lord. They will remain pure and holy, set apart because they won't let their sons and daughters marry foreigners. This isn't about racism or something, it is simply about protecting what is sacred. God didn't want them to marry foreigners because every time they did they turned from him and started worshiping other idols. The very next thing is about resting on the Sabbath and not overworking. The last part has to do with bringing offering to the temple. Are they to bring what is left over? Nope, they are instructed to bring the first and the best of what they have. Why is this important? Because when we depend on God to the point of giving the first and the best, we have to trust him to provide throughout and at the end. So often we give God what is leftover in our lives. The time we have left in the day, the money still left at the end of the month, and that doesn't require any faith and it certainly isn't worshipful if it isn't our best.

This psalm is primarily about how we as humans are weak, fading, temporarily here on this earth. We are at the mercy of God and of time. But God is so powerful, just, constant, eternal, deserving of praise, and merciful.

Day 263: Martyrs

Revelation 6; Nehemiah 8:13-9:37; Psalm 101

I'm not for certain exactly what the 4 horsemen in this chapter in Revelation represent, but my best guess are the Antichrist, war, famine, and death, in that order. However, what stands out to me in this chapter are not the four horsemen, but the image of the martyrs. They are under the altar waiting for God to fulfill the judgment. What is powerful is God's response to them: "each of those who had been killed was given a white robe and told to rest for a while." They are washed clean, clothed with honor and purity, and given peace. That is so beautiful! However, what comes next is both sad and powerful: "They had to wait until the complete number of the Lord's other servants and followers would be killed." Ouch. What are these martyrs beneath the altar waiting for? What is God waiting for? For others who proclaim Christ to meet their death at the hands of others. Because of their faith, they will be killed. I kind of assume this will happen during the end times, but at the same time, people TODAY will be killed for their faith all over the world. I am in awe of those who would truly give up their life to stand firm for Jesus Christ and I can only hope and pray that I would be able to demonstrate that same faithfulness in my life and death if that was the case.

These passages of Nehemiah are an example of humility and acknowledging who God really is. The people had fallen far away from God, but they wanted to do things right again, so they read the Word and followed it. They had a worship service that lasted 6 hours! Some Christians today would be appalled that a service would last a minute more than the allotted 60 per week. Then they offer up this prayer of their history. They recognized that they and their ancestors had turned away. During times of prosperity and peace, they would forget about God seek foreign idols, and God would turn them over to their desires. When they were stuck and helpless, they would finally cry out and God would rescue them again. This history shows two things: first, that people are forgetful and needy, and second, that God's love never fails.


This psalm explains how we can live and lead with integrity, to be honest and fair. The last four verses say this: "Anyone who spreads gossip will be silenced, and no one who is conceited will be my friend. I will find trustworthy people to serve as my advisers, and only and honest person will serve as an official. No one who cheats or lies will have a position in my royal court. Each morning I will silence any lawbreakers I find in the countryside or in the city of The Lord." So who should we surround ourselves with? With those who are trustworthy and honest. What should we do everyday? Silence the gossipers and lawbreakers. To do this is to demonstrate integrity; may God help us to do these things.

Day 262: Not Just a Box to Check

Revelation 5; Nehemiah 7:4-8:12; Psalm 100

"EVERY tribe, language, nation, and race" and "ALL beings in heaven and on the earth." Who did God want to save? Who did Jesus die for? Who should sing praises? Who will worship Jesus at the end of days? Jesus came to save everyone, and according to John's vision, all people will one day sing praises to him. Why does Jesus deserve this? Two reasons as stated in scripture: first, he is God; second, he "has won the victory" over sin and death.

In Nehemiah, the people asked Ezra to read from the book of God's Law and "from early morning till noon, he read the Law of Moses to them and they listened carefully." They wanted to hear what God had to say to them, they paid attention to his word with open ears and hearts. They didn't just want to check off the church box or the read my Bible box. This was important to them! When God's word was opened, they even spent time bowed down in worship. God's word is powerful and these people understood that. Sometimes we get so used to having stuff, like our Bibles, our churches, that we take it for granted. These people, when they had heard the Law, they realized just how far they had fallen and were really upset. The leaders encouraged them that this wasn't a day to be sad about their past sins, but to celebrate God and their desire to be his people. They were to be glad about what God had accomplished in them, not dwell on their failures. It can be easy to see the Bible as a big list of rules or expectations, and in some ways it is. But Jesus came not to be a rule enforcer, but to be a life giver, and that is what we can focus on and celebrate and live for.

Psalm 100 reminds of how awesome the God we serve is. We do not need to be afraid, because his "love and faithfulness will last for ever."

Day 261: Worship 24/7

Revelation 4; Nehemiah 5:1-7:3; Psalm 99

So there are some crazy things that John sees in his visions in Revelation. Animals with eyes all over their body--weird. However, these strange creatures do something that is very important for us to notice: "Day and night they never stopped singing, 'Holy Holy Holy is The Lord, the all powerful God, who was and is and is coming!'" They never stopped! They worshipped constantly. You and I need to do that, too. But wait, don't we have jobs and lives? We can't sit in church 24/7. True, we can't. But if our worship is reserved for the hour we spend in church every week, then we are misunderstanding what God expects of us and what is truly worship. To praise or worship God means to give credit, give glory, give utmost respect and admiration to him, not a few well selected songs that go with the sermon. Praise and worship is an attitude of our hearts, not a time spent singing. These beasts in Revelation were constantly singing, yes, but what they are doing is worshipping The Lord, praising him. I think it would be naive to say that God wants us to sing 24/7; but an attitude of praise and worship is something that I do believe he wants from us. It's a powerful way to live.

Nehemiah reveals an important quality of good leadership: caring sacrificially for those beneath us. The leaders had been taking advantage of their position and again money and power through taxes, slavery, and rape. Previous governors had asked for an allowance and food paid by the people, requiring them to pay more than necessary. Nehemiah rebukes these people for their actions. His reason? "We must honor our God by the way we live, so the Gentiles can't find fault with us." How we live our lives shows what is most important to us, and God should be most important. We are to live holy lives, blameless, and without fault, so that others will see our lives and give glory to our God.

The story of Nehemiah and the wall gets even more interesting. Some dudes send for him to come and talk about stuff outside of the city. Nehemiah realizes that they just wanted to stop the work of rebuilding the wall. The wall represented strength and the fact that they were rebuilding something was going to show that God was on their side, so it was super important that they complete it. Slowing or stopping the work would give other nations a chance at overpowering them. I think there are people today who seek to intentionally or unintentionally hinder the work of The Lord. Christians sometimes get caught up in these distractions, thinking they need to appease everyone or explain themselves, when we should just keep going. Nehemiah, through this process asks God to give him strength and when the wall is finally finished, their enemies "felt helpless, because they knew that our God had helped us rebuild the wall." God got the glory in a powerful way because they stuck to their plan and didn't get side-tracked by distractions.

This psalm repeats the phrase, "Only you are God!" Sometimes we can get caught up in something else that we think is important and put it before The Lord in our lives. Anything that becomes more important than our relationship with God, has become a god. This psalm reminds us that the only one, the only thing, that is truly worthy of such a title is The Lord.

Day 260: Lukewarm

Revelation 3; Nehemiah 4; Psalm 98

A couple of the churches addressed in Revelation seem to be missing the point. They are dead, empty, lukewarm, asleep, and weak. These churches need to wake up and decide if they are going to be completely devoted to Jesus or not his followers at all. Before I read the book Radical and started reading by Bible, I was asleep, I was lukewarm. These messages could have been written just for me. I was in danger of being caught off guard and spit out of the mouth of God; I thought I was doing ok, and that ok was good enough, but I didn't realize just how far off from the truth I was. I needed to trade in my sin-stained, mediocre, ineffective Christian life for white garments. I needed to open my eyes, decide whether I was going to be hot or cold for Jesus and then hold firmly to that decision. I look around today and I do see a lot of lukewarm churches who are asleep. Revelations says that there will be a "time of testing that everyone in all the world must go through." If we don't trust in Jesus and if we don't know what we believe or how to stand firmly on it, we are not going to "win the victory" and be able to "sit with [Jesus] on his throne."

I love this part of the story in Nehemiah. The Jews are rebuilding the wall, but they don't get to do whistling while they work, smiling, and enjoying their project. There are people hurling insults and curses at them, threatening to attack and kill them. Not exactly a pleasant work environment. These are God's people, shouldn't he be saving them from their enemies? God does protect them, but it doesn't mean that they won't have enemies or have to deal with persecution. Nehemiah is wise and encourages them, reminding them that God will fight for them, and he has the workers build with one hand and carry a weapon in the other. God will fight for them, but they have to be prepared to step in to battle if The Lord calls them to. We will have enemies, people that hate us and insult us because of our beliefs and the work we do for God's kingdom. It is inevitable. But, we should be reminded by this story that if we trust and believe and prepare ourselves, God will fight on our side.

This psalm is a cry to worship. God deserves our worship in any way we can.

Day 259: Message to the Churches

Revelation 2; Nehemiah 3; Psalm 97

To each of these churches addressed in chapter 2, there is a warning that I believe is important for us today. We should make sure we live with love, we don't need to worry about how we will suffer, and we need to be careful of false teachings and immoral teachers. Some of these churches were doing things fairly well, they were remaining true to The Lord or were suffering with faith, perhaps they were serving with love, but The Lord wanted them to be even more devoted, more like his son. What is interesting, that I hadn't noticed before, is that to each of these churches, he says "whoever wins the victory" he will provide or present them with something. In order to have a victory, there must have been some type of struggle or battle. So living as a believer is a battle against our sinful nature and against the dark forces of this world. How do we do fight and what do we win? We fight by being faithful and hopeful, by loving and seeking the truth. God promises that we will have eternal life, we won't be hurt by the final judgment, and we will be given power. As a part of the Church of The Lord, we need to seek following these commands, to love, to endure, and to seek truth, so that on that day of judgment, God will be able to say that we won the victory.

In Nehemiah, each of the workers had a job, a section, to complete. Most of them did their job and so the wall gets built. This image works for us today. God has given us each a section of the wall to build, so to speak. He doesn't say, ok, you need to build it all, or you can just sit and watch. Each of us has a specific purpose and place we are to love and serve in. If we don't do that, God will still ensure that the work he has commissioned gets done--he's God. But we miss out on being a part of the process and blessings that come with being a part of the project of furthering God's kingdom.

I love the ending of this psalm: "Love The Lord and hate evil! God protects his loyal people and rescues them from violence. If you obey and do right, a light will show you the way and fill you with happiness." Such a wonderful promise!

Day 258: Fiery Jesus

Revelation 1; Nehemiah 1-2; Psalm 96

Revelation is a powerful book. Just in the first chapter, there is great tension between life and death, heaven and earth, fear and conquering. I love the picture of Jesus in this first chapter. He's not a wimpy, weak man, with soft hands, speaking softly and smiling gently. Instead, his hair is white, his eyes are like flames of a fire, his feet glow as if they are bronze in a furnace, his voice is the roar of a waterfall, and a double edged sword comes from his mouth. Whoa. Not the Jesus we learned about in Sunday school who is holding the little lamb. Jesus is that man too, but I also appreciate this picture of him that is bold, fiery, in charge. I think sometimes people struggle to trust Jesus because all they image is gentle Jesus. But Jesus was and is a fighter, he fought Hell and won! He loves us and has a purpose for us and we can have faith in our tough God.

Nehemiah shows us that God does indeed answer prayer. He was distraught over the ruins that Jerusalem had become and had a heart to rebuild it. Nehemiah had some obstacles he had to overcome though. First, he was working for a foreign king. He prayed and God allowed him to leave. He needed safe passage, God helped provide this. Nehemiah also needed supplies, amazingly, God helped with this too. When he finally got to Jerusalem and started the build, there were critics and God gave Nehemiah the strength and wisdom to face these men too. I need to be more like Nehemiah! Praying as a first response to any concern or problem. Offering my honest thoughts and fears to God and trusting that he will answer. Speaking and acting even when afraid, trusting that God will indeed provide. Pressing on through obstacles even when it seems impossible, because God can do all things.

Psalm 96 is an awesome song of praise to God. The Lord deserves our worship, our devotion, our praise. I also like that it tells us when and with who to share God: "Day after day...tell every nation on earth." In case there was any doubt as to how often I am to praise and worship God Almighty and who I'm supposed to share that with...welp, that's cleared up. What this psalm also goes on to say is that God is the only thing that is worthy of our worship. We don't worship a God who has issues, who is absent, who is deceptive or manipulative. He is the Creator, he is Good, he is Just. There is nothing in or about our Lord that would lessen how or why we serve and worship him. That's just plain awesome.

Day 257: No Sugar Coating

Jude; Ezra 9-10; Psalm 95

I love the book of Jude. He just spits it out, no sugar coating, just pure and simple truth. Primarily he talks about false teachers of God. He says that we must "defend the faith" because there have been people who have snuck in and been deceptive and misleading. I think there is something to this message: he doesn't say "attack others," we are not to be offensively powerful, but defensively strong. We are to defend, protect, remain strong for the Truth of God. Are we living our lives and willing to speak up for the Gospel, to protect the Truth? Do we even know what the Truth is? Jude tells us that there is judgment and eternal fire waiting for those who live foolishly, selfishly, against God's will. I pray that we do not get caught up in such things, but defend the holy Truth of God.

Another thing that I think is important about this book is that it doesn't deny the attack on God. It doesn't say that God is God and nobody messes with him. These people were there at the time this book is written, they came later, they are around today, and will be present in the future. These people will "start making fun of God. And now these people are already making you turn against each other. They think only about this life and they don't have God's Spirit." I believe that Satan uses whatever he can manipulate in order to turn faithful followers against God or one another. Distorting the truth of God is one way to cause dissension. Just look at the church! I don't even know how many different denominations of Christianity there are and many think that everyone else are idiots. The church divided is not as effective in growing the kingdom as a church united. Jude concludes his letter with these instructions in how to live and act: "keep building on the foundation of your most holy faith, as the Holy Spirit helps you to pray. And keep in step with God's love, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to show how kind he is by giving you eternal life. Be helpful to all who may have doubts. Rescue any who need to be saved, as you would rescue someone from a fire. Then with fear in your own hearts, have mercy on everyone who needs it." Powerful. Urgent. Loving.

The Israelites, including the church leaders, were living just like the godless around them. This was BAD. So bad that Ezra tore his clothes and wept in sorrow for hours. So bad that drastic measures had to be taken. The Israelites were God's chosen and were supposed to live set apart, differently, following the instructions of The Lord. But they compromised and lived like those around them. I think this same epidemic is present in America today. Who is a Christian? It's sometimes hard to tell because they live exactly as their un-churched neighbors. As God's children we are called to live differently. How did the Israelites make right their wrong? Drastic measures. Let us look at our lives. Are we living according to God's word and truth, or do our lives look eerily similar to the godless around us?

This psalm simply reminds us to worship God, who is the Creator, who holds the ocean and mountains in his hands, who has been patient.