tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12593175210587248022024-02-20T03:47:17.864-08:00Joyride with Dr. WillDr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.comBlogger720125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-7065772234737693862021-04-27T09:29:00.004-07:002021-04-27T09:32:40.232-07:00Where did you go, Doc?<p> Dear friend,</p><p>Thank you for your visit - I haven't spent much time here myself for quite a while (as you may have noticed). I loved making and sharing thoughts here - and for the most part, it was a matter of recording daily devotions, largely without much interpretation. </p><p>When I started, it was as a supplement to my work as a motor vehicle sales consultant, at the suggestion of a wise and entrepreneurial colleague. When I departed, it was largely due to the onset of my wife's Alzheimer's dementia, which absorbed our lives for most of a decade, until her graduation in April, 2018. </p><p>In more recent days, I was fired from my sales training job as CoViD became a reality and the company's owners and managers sought to minimize expenses as they put the dealership on the market. After a season living with a generous stepson and his family, I've taken up residence in a seniors' community where I have a comfortable small apartment - my cloister cell, as I see it - and where a capable staff provide food, shelter and some protection from things like the SARS-COV-2 virus - they got us all vaccinated early in the rollout.</p><p>After my wife's death, I've poured more energy into living intentionally - I've walked off more than 40 pounds of long-accumulated suet, and added a '26.2' sticker to my small SUV, commemorating my 75th birthday when, as an experiment, I walked 26.5 miles - not a formal marathon, but significant for myself. </p><p>I've been profoundly blessed by relationships, not least during the planetary multiform crises we've all shared in the past months. And my heart-overflow, the communication I once would have recorded here, has been channeled to my personal Facebook page - it is essentially an open journal, more varied and more deeply revealing (and probably less attractive) than the older entries in this 'Joyride' blog. I'm not riding, exactly - sort of yoked with Christ - these days, but the intuition that joy has great value, which helped christen this blog, has simply deepened over the course of my recent years.</p><p>So, let me invite you, sister, brother, friend, to come and visit me at 'Will Hensel' on Facebook - there are a few Wills and Williams there; I'm the geezer in the blue shirt :-).</p><p>Joy, peace, safety and all good to you, sister, brother friend, and to everyone in your heart-circle,</p><p>In Christ's holy love,</p><p><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Dr. Will </span></i></b></p>Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-88077322999055571362018-01-12T14:58:00.001-08:002018-01-12T14:58:28.290-08:00Benefits of a pure heartFriday, January 12, 2018 - Daily Office: Ps 16, 17, 22; Gen 6:1-8; Heb 3:12-19; Jn 2:1-12<br />
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Lord, preserve me--I have no good apart from You! I delight in Your saints, but those who choose other gods multiply their own sorrows, and I have nothing to do with them or with their religion. YHWH Is my chosen portion and my cup, and I have a goodly heritage. YHWH gives me counsel day and night, and by His grace, I will not be moved. My heart and soul rejoice in God, Who shows me the path of life; in my God are fullness of joy and eternal pleasures. Lord, vindicate me; purge me of all wickedness; incline to me and protect me; keep me as the apple of Your eye, and save me from the malice of the wicked, deadly enemies all around! Deliver me from men whose portion is the life of the world; as for me, God Is my portion forever, and I am content. Jesus faced uttermost desolation--separation from God His Father; He was mocked, deserted, and murdered unjustly; the punishment that I deserve fell upon Him. So God exalted Him to the highest place, and the afflicted can rejoice in the goodness and mercy of our God; let us join to proclaim His deliverance, for God has done it!<br />
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As humankind multiplied on the earth, mighty Nephilim were born as the sons of God married daughters of men. YHWH saw that wickedness was great in the earth, and human hearts were only wicked continually. So He said, 'I will blot out humanity whom I have created, along with the beasts and creeping things and birds.' But among the living, Noah found favor in God's eyes, a righteous man blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. <br />
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The Hebrew writer counsels: Take care, brothers and sisters, lest any of you harbor an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God! Exhort one another continually, so none is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. We share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. Don't harden your hearts, as those did who in times past rebelled against God--like those who left Egypt following Moses, but fell away and died in the wilderness before the Israelites came into Canaan. God does not welcome the disobedient and unbelieving!<br />
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Jesus began His public ministry, according to John, by attending a wedding in Cana of Galilee. His disciples accompanied Him, and Mary, Jesus' mother, was also a guest. When the supply of wine gave out, Mary said to her Son, 'They have no wine.' Jesus replied, 'Woman, what have you to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.' But his mother, undeterred, said to the servants nearby, 'Do whatever He tells you.' Standing there were six stone jars, normally used for Jewish rites of purification, each capable of holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water, and they did so. Then He said to them, 'Draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.' When the steward tasted the water, now become wine, he called to the bridegroom and said to him, 'Every man serves the good wine first; and when the guests have drunk freely, they serve the poorer wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.' This was the first sign that Jesus worked, at Cana in Galilee, and thus manifested His glory; consequently, His disciples believed in Him. After this, Jesus went down to Capernaum, with His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and there they stayed for a few days. Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-54009445358946352462018-01-08T09:11:00.001-08:002018-01-08T09:25:40.477-08:00How does the Bible view deception?<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Deception</i></b> shows up in my ‘home’ translation four times:<span lang="X-NONE" style="background: black; border: 1pt none black; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->In Joshua 9 with respect to the Gibeonites’ deception of Israel, an attempt to survive the Israelites’ genocidal eradication of other communities as YHWH brought His people in to Canaan. The consequence: ‘<span style="background: white;">But Joshua made them that day </span>cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the <span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Lord</span></span></span>, to this day, in the place that he should choose.’ (Josh 9:27)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="text">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->In Proverbs 26: <span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">and harbors deceit in his heart;</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-17167" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">25 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">when he speaks graciously, believe him not,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">for there are seven abominations in his heart;</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-17168" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">26 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">though his hatred be covered with deception,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="text">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In 2 Thessalonians 2 (concerning ‘the man of lawlessness): </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="chapternum"><b><span style="background: white;">2 </span></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup data-fn="#fen-ESV-29646a" data-link="[<a href="#fen-ESV-29646a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;">2 </span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29648" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">3 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29649" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">4 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29650" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">5 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29651" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">6 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29652" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">7 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29653" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">8 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29654" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">9 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29655" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">10 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29656" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">11 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29657" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">12 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="chapternum"><span style="background: white;">4. And in the second chapter of 2 Peter (concerning false prophets and teachers, verses 10b-13): </span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,</span></span><span class="text"></span><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-30495" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">11 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.</span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-30496" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">12 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-30497" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">13 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Various forms of ‘deceit’ appear in that translation 129 times: 83 in the OT and 46 in the NT. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Eve claims she was deceived by the serpent (Gen 3). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Jacob the deceiver robs Esau’s blessing and birthright by deceit, and then is deceived by Laban in Jacob’s bargaining for Rachel as his wife (Gen 27 and 29). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Jacob’s sons deceive Hamor and Shechem after the latter raped their sister Dinah, leading to the slaughter of all the Canaanite men in that community (Gen 34). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Deception is implicated in sins against God and neighbor (Lev 6:2; Deut 11:16). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">The Gibeonite deception was mentioned earlier (cf also Josh 9:22). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In the books of Samuel, Saul accuses Michal of deception when she helps David escape his murderous wrath; the witch of Endor accuses Saul of deception when he seeks her help in summoning Samuel’s ghost from Sheol; and lame Mephibosheth tells David of deception by his scheming servant, which resulted in the king’s misjudgment of both Saul’s crippled son and the lying servant (cf. 1 Sam 19:7; 28:12; 2 Sam 3:25; 19:26). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In Kings, Elisha proves he is no deceiver when he raises a dead child at his mother’s petition (2 Ki 4:28) And the Assyrian king Sennacherib tries to persuade Hezekiah that God is deceiving Israel by promising their deliverance from Assyria’s army (2Ki 19:8-13). [You’ll recall how that turned out: God killed 185,000 Assyrians and delivered Israel as Isaiah had spoken on YHWH’s behalf.] <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Deceit appears several times in the book of Job (12:16; 13:7,9; 15:11, 35; 27:4; 31:5)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">The Psalms have many cautions against deceit and its dire consequences (5:6; 10:7; 17:1; 24:4; 32:2; 34:13; 35:20; 36:3; 43:1; 50:19; 52:2, 4; 78:57; 101:7; 109:2; 120:2, 3). So also in Proverbs (12:5, 17, 20; 14:8, 25; 20:17; 24:28; 26:19, 24; 31:30).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In Isaiah, Sennacherib’s misguided threat is repeated (36:14 and 37:10, cp 2 Ki 19:9ff); the Lord’s Servant is declared free of deceit (53:9), while mockers are called the offspring of deceit (57:4). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Jeremiah, the ‘weeping prophet’ writes several times about the dire consequences of deceit: (4:10;; 5:27; 8:5; 9:4, 5, 6, 8; 14:14; 23:26). Deceit numbs people to real danger, and hardens them against repentance and godly sorrow; it puffs up the rich and mighty; it destroys civility and honesty among neighbors, bringing weariness, godlessness, and murderous malice. Some who claim prophetic gifts are deceived, and so are ungodly deceivers. The deceitful are likened to failing brooks. Of human hearts, the prophet says, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’ (Jer 17:9). At least twice, Jeremiah complains that God has deceived him (4:10, 20:7). Being God’s mouthpiece makes the prophet a special target of deception and vengeance (20:10). God’s prophet warns that deceiving prophets are themselves hopelessly deceived, and cannot be heeded. As Jeremiah closes, YHWH warns his people: ‘do not deceive yourselves’. And as the women of the king of Judah’s household are being led out into captivity, they acknowledge that ‘trusted friends have deceived you and prevailed against you; now that your feet are sunk in the mud, they turn away from you.’ Jeremiah also prophesies against Edom, who trusted too much in their isolated mountain territory for security; they are self-deceived in the dread they have inspired in others and in the pride of their own hearts; however: ‘Though you make your nest as high as the eagle’s, I will bring you down from there, declares the Lord.’ (Jer 49:16). And the prophet gives voice to the lamentation of Jerusalem: ‘ I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city, while they sought food to revive their strength.’ <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Deceit arises in the works of other prophets. Daniel speaks of a future ruler who will cause fearful destruction and for a time ‘by his cunning he shall make deceit prosper’ (8:25)—in God’s providence this deceiver will be broken, ‘but by no human hand’. In his prophecies concerning ‘the kings of the South and the North,’ Daniel describes ‘a contemptible person’ who will usurp royal authority ‘and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong’ despite leading small forces. (Dan 11:20ff). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Hosea indicts Ephraim and Israel for their lies and deceit, but praises Judah, a tribe that ‘still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One’ (Hos 11:12). </span></span><span class="chapternum"><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Amos prophesies against God’s people Israel, specifically addressing ‘you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?’ (Amos 8:4ff). For such conduct, God will bring famine, not just for water or bread, ‘but of hearing the words of the Lord.’ (v.11). Those so famished will wander from sea to sea, but fail in their quest; and ‘they shall fall, and never rise again.’ (v.14).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Obadiah echoes Jeremiah’s prophecy against Edom and their self-deceived and misplaced trust in their lofty dwelling, from which God will tear them down. They have no allies; former friends have deceived and deserted the Edomites. (Ob 1:3, 7)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Micah prophesied against Samaria and Jerusalem. They would seek to avoid exile by bribing neighboring kingdoms (Mic 1:14). But God’s judgment was surely coming; He would not acquit those ‘with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights’ (Mic 6:11). Moreover, ‘Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.’ God will smite them, make them desolate for such sins. They have gone too far into the counsels of evil and falsehood, and now face desolation and exile. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">According to Zephaniah, when YHWH converts the gentiles and restores the children of Israel, God ‘will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue…and none shall make them afraid.’ (Zeph 312-13)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">The late chapters of Zechariah address the cleansing of the house of David and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. False prophets will face shame and punishment. ‘On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive…’ (Zech 13:4)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Matthew (13:22) and Mark (4:19) present Jesus telling the ‘parable of the sower’ and soils; in both cases, Jesus says that the deceitfulness of riches choke the good seed, the true word about the kingdom of God, and so for those so deceived, the word proves fruitless. Debating with the Pharisees, Jesus teaches that people are not defiled by what they eat, but rather by what comes out from the human heart: ‘evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.’ (Mk 7:21-22) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Freedom from deceit was one of the qualities Jesus perceived in Nathanael, the true Israelite (Jn 1:47). By contrast, the chief priests and Pharisees accosted the officers they had sent to arrest Jesus; the latter came back without Him, having witnessed that ‘No man every spoke like this man.’ However: ‘The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?”’ (Jn7:45-47)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">On their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas, commissioned by the church at Antioch and set out by the Holy Spirit, at Paphos on Cyprus, encountered a Jewish magician named Bar-Jesus, also known as Elymas. They clashed as the missionaries sought to testify to the local proconsul Sergius Paulus while Elymas sought to turn him from faith. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed the magician: ‘You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop make crooked the straight paths of the Lord?’ And the magician was struck blind, while the proconsul believed. (Acts 13:6-12)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Deceit is a great evil in Paul’s Roman letter. The ungodly who deny the evidence concerning God available to all through His creation, who did not honor or thank God, but became futile in thought, darkened in mind, fools claiming to be wise, worshiping man-made images of creatures, and spurning the Creator and Master of all. God gave them up to the consequences of their choices—unnatural lusts and fornication. ‘They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.’ (Rom 1:19ff) Paul perceives deceit as an element in the unrighteousness of both Jews and gentiles—all under sin’s power: “None is righteous, no not one; no one understands, no one seeks God. All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave, they use their tongues to deceive.” Their words carry venom; their mouths flow with curses and bitterness; they hurry to shed blood; they create ruin and misery; they have no knowledge of the ways of peace, and there is no fear of God in their sight.’ (Ro 3:12ff)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Sin uses deceit, even concerning God’s law and commandments, to kill those seeking God. (Ro 7:11) And in his final exhortations to the Romans, Paul appeals to the brothers and sisters ‘to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught’ and to ‘avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own appetites, and by fair and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the naïve.’ (Ro 16:18). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In the Corinthian letters, Paul continues to warn against self-deceit and deceit by spiritual and human agents of deception: ‘Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise [in truth].’ (1 Cor 3:18) The apostle deplores argument and division among the Christians. ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived’ – the kingdom is denied to the immoral, idolaters, adulterers, sexual perverts, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers and robbers—just as some among Paul’s audience (and some in this forum) had been: ‘But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.’ (1 Cor 6, esp. vv.9-11) And in his concluding discussion of the gospel and of the meaning of the resurrection, Paul exhorts: ‘Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”’ It’s a shame for believers to continue in sin and folly, particularly in the light of the resurrection. (1 Cor 15, esp. v.33)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In his second Corinthian letter, Paul strives against the influence of false teachers seeking to deceive the congregation. He has labored to keep them a pure and faithful bride to Christ. '</span></span><span style="background: white;">But I am afraid that as the serpent </span>deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ….<span class="text">And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.</span> <span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-28986" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">13 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-28987" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">14 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-28988" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">15 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds</span>.’ (2Cor 11:3, 12-15) Paul himself has been accused by some of the Corinthians of deceit (2Cor 12:16). He strenuously denies this false charge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In his letter to the Galatians, Paul confronts self-deception and hubris: ‘For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.’ (Gal 6:3) We should soberly assess our own works and personal responsibilities, while helping others with burdens too great to bear alone. ‘Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.’ (v.7). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">The letter we call Ephesians emphasizes unity in the faith and in the faith community; God in Christ has gifted us with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, building up the body of Christ. One result of these God-given privileges and powers is ‘that we may no longer be children, tossed to a fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.’ (Eph 4:14). As we live out the new life God enables in Christ and by the Spirit, the deceptions and darkness of ungodly living can and must be set aside. Those outside God’s community ‘are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.’ (v.18) Instead, we are ‘to put off your old self, which belongs to your former way of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires’ (v.22). We are to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and ‘put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.’ (v. 24)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Paul counsels the Colossian Christians, ‘See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.’ (Col 2:8) To do this would be to spurn the fullness of deity, and ‘all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ (v.3) in favor of sin and folly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In writing to the Thessalonians, Paul assures that ‘our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive’—Paul, Silas and Timothy ‘have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but to please God Who tests our hearts.’ (1 Thess 2:3-4) He answers their fraught questions about the second coming: ‘Let no one deceive you in any way.’ And he patiently reviews the signs that will precede Christ’s Parousia. (2 Thess2:3ff)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">To Timothy, Paul writes concerning proper order in community life among the faithful. In what has become controversial in some ‘modern’ circles, Paul asserts that no woman may teach, or have authority over, men—on grounds that ‘Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.’ (1Tim 2:14) Later, Paul writes: ‘Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons’ (1Tim 4:1)—such demonic doctrines will include forbidding marriage and restrictive dietary laws. In seeking to prepare Timothy and those he will serve for the challenges ahead, Paul writes ‘</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white;">12 </span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-ESV-29850" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">13 </span></span></sup></b><span style="background: white;">while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.</span> (2 Tim 3:12-13) A solid foundation in godly teaching and God’s scripture are a bulwark against these evils. The sacred writings ‘are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.’ (vv.14-17)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">To his fellow worker Titus, Paul writes guidance to help him ‘amend what was defective’ in the doctrine and praxis of the Christians on Crete, ‘and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.’ (Tit 1:5). Paul details the qualifications for an elder; these are high and necessary: ‘For there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers….’ (Tit 1:10) The godly elder will have a lot of opposition, but will prevail, by God’s grace and power. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">The writer to the Hebrews exhorts those who share a heavenly call, to dwell on Jesus, ‘faithful over God’s house as a son’ (Heb 3:6a) The Christians are exhorted to take care, ‘lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.’ (Heb 3:12-13)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">James addresses deceit early in his epistle, in the context of true faith - acting on what one believes: ‘Do not deceived, my beloved brothers.’ (Jas 1:16) Every good and perfect gift comes down to us from the Father of lights, concerning Whom there is no variation, no shadow, no change, no variation. Our part is to persevere in searching into the perfect law, the liberty God in Christ has given us, and then to act upon what God enables us to believe: ‘Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.’ (v.22) And we guard against deception by bridling our tongues: ‘If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.’ (v.26)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In his first epistle, Peter writes of deceit three times: ‘So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.’ (2:1) Speaking of Jesus: ‘He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth.’ (2:22) And guidance for followers of Jesus: ‘Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit….’ (3:10)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">In his epistles, John addresses both self-deception and deceptions from other sources: ‘If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 Jn 1:8) John seeks to protect believers who heed his words: ‘I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.’ (1 Jn 2:26) Again: ‘Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as [Jesus] Is righteous.’ (1 Jn 3:7). Addressing specific heretical deceptions: ‘For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.’ (2 Jn 1:7).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Finally, in his apocalypse, John writes of the great deceiver: ‘</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the <b>decei</b>ver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.’ (Rev 12:9) Of the ‘second beast’ in his vision, the revelator writes: ‘</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">13 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people,</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span id="en-ESV-30907" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">14 </span></span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of<sup data-fn="#fen-ESV-30907d" data-link="[<a href="#fen-ESV-30907d" title="See footnote d">d</a>]" style="box-sizing: border-box;">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+13&version=ESV#fen-ESV-30907d" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;" title="See footnote d"><span style="color: #b34b2c;">d</span></a>]</sup> the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.</span>’ (Rev 13:13-14) And finally, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">in the vision of the ‘fall of Babylon’: ‘</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">21 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">and will be found no more;</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span id="en-ESV-31000" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">22 </span></span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">will be heard in you no more,</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span class="text"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">and a craftsman of any craft</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">will be found in you no more,</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span class="text"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">and the sound of the mill</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">will be heard in you no more,</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span id="en-ESV-31001" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">23 </span></span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">and the light of a lamp</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">will shine in you no more,</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span class="text"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">and the voice of bridegroom and bride</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">will be heard in you no more,</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span class="text"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">for your merchants were the great ones of the earth,</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span id="en-ESV-31002" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">24 </span></span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">and of all who have been slain on earth.”</span></span> (Rev 18:21-24)</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-33358479830718233542018-01-04T12:45:00.001-08:002018-01-04T12:50:07.671-08:00Faithful obedience and enlightenment<b>Thursday, January 4, 2018 - Devotions: Ps 85, 87, 89:1-29; Josh 3:14-4:7; Eph 5:1-20; </b><br />
<b>Jn 9:1-12, 35-38</b><br />
<b><br /></b> YHWH, You have been favorable to Your land; You restored the fortune of the family of Jacob. You forgave their iniquity and pardoned all their sin. You withdrew your wrath and turned from your hot anger. God of our salvation, restore us again! Set aside Your righteous indignation toward us. Revive us again, Lord; let us rejoice in You. Show us Your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. Help me hear what YHWH Elohim will say; let Him speak peace to His people, all who turn our hearts to Him, so that true glory may dwell among us. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss one another. As holy God looks down in righteousness, let God's people look up in faithfulness. As God provides, let us go in the path of righteousness. Our God loves Jerusalem more than any other settlement of His people. City of God, glorious things are said about you! It is a privilege to be a native of Jerusalem, the city God Most High will establish. The wellsprings of song and dance are in you, favored city! YHWH, I will sing of your steadfast love forever; I will proclaim Your righteousness to all generations--they are eternal, unshakeable. Your covenant is established forever. Let the heavens praise our God; He alone is true God, terrible before the ranks of spirit beings; none is mighty as You Are, our God! All that is, You have made; all that exists belongs to You. Your throne sits on a foundation of righteousness and justice; You are heralded by Your love and faithfulness. Blessed are all who know the festal shout of worship and praise to our God--who walk in the light of Your countenance, who exult in Your name without ceasing, and who extol Your righteousness. Our might derives from God alone. He has anointed the Root and Offspring of David, His own Son, as eternal king. No enemy can outwit Him; He rightly names God as His own Father. God's steadfast love will keep Him forever, and the covenant will not depart from Him. Amen!<br />
<b><br /></b> God prepared Joshua to lead the Israelites into Canaan. When the feet of those bearing the Ark touched the waters of Jordan, the waters stood and rose up, upstream at Adam near Zarethan, and the river bed was laid bare. The people passed over opposite Jericho, as the priests bearing the Ark of the covenant of YHWH stood on dry ground at mid-stream, until all the nation had passed over the Jordan's course. Then YHWH directed Joshua: 'Take twelve men, one from each tribe; have each take a stone from the midst of the riverbed, and carry them to the west bank, and lay them down in the place where you encamp tonight.' Joshua did as God directed, and he told the twelve, 'This will be a sign among you; when in days to come, your children ask 'What do these stones mean?' Tell them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the covenant of YHWH. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.'<br />
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Paul's letter we call Ephesians counseled his readers: Be imitators of God, as beloved children. Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offer and acceptable sacrifice to God. Don't even speak of fornication, of all impurity, or of covetousness. Let there be no filthiness, no silly talk, no levity in your lives together. Instead, devote yourselves to thanksgiving. Know this for certain: no fornicator, no impure or covetous person, no idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words; it is such things that bring down the wrath of God upon those who are sons of disobedience. Therefore, don't even associate with such people; you also once were of darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. So walk as children of light; the fruit of light is in all that is good and right and true. Strive to learn what pleases the Lord. Shun the unfruitful works of darkness; instead, expose them to the light. It is a shame to speak of things done in secret; but when anything is exposed to light and becomes visible, it can be transformed--anything that becomes visible is light. For this reason, it has been said, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from death, and Christ shall give you light.' So take care how you walk; proceed as wise people, not fools; make the most of the life God gives you, for the days are evil. Don't be foolish; instead, understand the Lord's will. Don't get drunk with wine; that is debauchery; instead, be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart, at all times, in all ways, giving thanks to God the Father for everything ,in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.<br />
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Jesus had almost been stoned by indignant Pharisees for asserting 'before Abraham was, I Am.' But He evaded them, and as He was going along, Jesus and His disciples passed by a man blind from birth. The disciples asked Jesus, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'The blindness came neither from his sins or those of his parents; he is blind so that God's works might be manifest in him. We must work the works of Him Who sent Me as long as day lasts; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I Am in the world, I Am the Light of the world.' Saying this, Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, then anointed the man's blind eyes with the clay, saying to him, 'Go; wash in the pool of Siloam' [the pool's name means 'Sent']. The man did as Jesus directed, and came back seeing! The neighbors and others who had known him as a blind beggar conferred: 'Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?' Some said, 'Yes, it's the same man' and others said, 'No, but he's very much like that fellow.' The man himself spoke up, 'I am the man.' They asked, 'Then how were your eyes opened?' He said, 'The man named Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, "Go to Siloam and wash". So I did, and received my sight.' The bystanders asked, 'Where is He?' And the man said, 'I do not know'. The people brought the man to the Pharisees. It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes [and when he walked to the pool and washed. After cross-examining the man and his parents, the Pharisees cast him out.] Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and found him and said, 'Do you believe in the Son of man?' The healed man answered, 'Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?' Jesus said, 'You have seen Him; it is He Who speaks to you now.' And the man said, 'Lord, I believe!' And he worshiped Jesus. Jesus said, 'I came into this world for judgment, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.' Some Pharisees overheard this and said to Jesus, 'Are we also blind?' Jesus answered them: 'If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say 'We see,' your guilt remains.<br />
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<br />Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-47457324877136707842018-01-02T14:25:00.002-08:002018-01-02T14:25:34.126-08:00Receive His gifts, and see His body grow!<b>Devotions for Tuesday, January 2, 2018: Ps 33, 34; 1 Ki 19:1-8; Eph 4:1-16; Jn 6:1-14</b><br />
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Righteous ones, rejoice in the Lord! Praise YHWH with lyre and harp; sing a new song to Him, and play with all your might and skill! For His word is upright; He is altogether faithful. God loves righteousness and justice; the creation is filled with the steadfast love of the Lord. He spoke, creating the heavens; the host of galaxies arose by His breath. He is Master of the seas and waters. Let all the living stand in awe of our God; He brings the counsel of nations to naught, while His counsel stands forever. Blessed is the nation whose God is YHWH, the people He has chosen for Himself. He sees and knows all that goes on among us on earth; He regards those who rightly fear and honor Him--those who hope in His steadfast love, Who Is our Help and Shield. Let Your steadfast love rest with us, dear Lord! Let us all exalt His name together; let us look with love and expectation to God, Who saved me. Taste and see: the Lord Is good; those who seek Him lack no good thing. Anyone with sense desires life and seeks to enjoy what is good--so keep your tongue from speaking evil, your lips from deceit. Pursue peace, for God regards those who do what is right. He Is near to the brokenhearted; He redeems His servants; those who take refuge in Him will not be condemned.<br />
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After Elijah overthrew and slaughtered the priests of Baal, King Ahab complained to Jezebel, and she threatened the prophet's life. So the prophet fled to Beer-sheba, and there abandoned his servant. Alone, Elijah wandered a day's journey into the desert, and then sat down under a broom tree, ready to die. He lay down and slept there; presently, an angel appeared and touched him, and said to Elijah, 'Get up and eat.' Near his head lay a baked cake and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. The Lord's angel again came and touched him, saying, 'Arise and eat, for otherwise the journey will be too great for you.' So Elijah arose, ate and drank once more, and in the strength receive thereby, he traveled forty days and nights, arriving at Horeb, the mountain of God.<br />
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In his letter, Paul wrote: 'As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you: lead a life worthy of your calling--with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope, by one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, Who Is above all and through all and in all. But grace was apportioned to each of us according to the measure of the Messiah's gift. Thus is it said, 'When He ascended He led a host of captives, and give gifts to men.' This implies that He had also descended into the lower parts of the earth. And He Who descended also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And His gifts were that some should be apostles, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, so as to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature humanness, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ--so that we may no longer be children, tossed to a fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him Who Is the head, into Christ, from Whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which He supplies it, when each part is working properly, effects bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love. <br />
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Jesus traveled to the east side of the Sea of Galilee. A multitude followed Him, because they had witnessed His great signs in healing many who were diseased. Jesus ascended a mountain and sat down with His disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish Passover. Gazing across the approaching multitude, Jesus said to Philip, 'How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?' Philip answered, 'Two hundred denarii--more than a half-year's wages--would not buy enough for each to get even a little.' Andrew spoke up: 'There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they before so many?' Jesus said, 'Have the people sit down.' There was a lot of grass at this place, so the crowd--five thousand men, plus women and children--sat down, as Jesus' disciples directed. Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were seated; likewise with the fish. Everyone got as much as they wanted. And when all had eaten their fill, Jesus directed His disciples to gather up the leftovers. They filled twelve large baskets with fragments left by the crowd. When the people saw what Jesus had done, they said, 'This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!' <br />
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<br />Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-35533456128818768102017-10-17T11:53:00.001-07:002017-10-17T11:53:33.114-07:00Passages<b>Tuesday, Oct 17, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 5, 6, 10, 11; Jonah 1:1-17a; Acts 26:24-27:8; Lk 8:26-39</b><div>
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Lord, hear my words, my groaning lament; I pray to You, my King and my God. In the morning, I prepare a sacrifice for You, and watch. You are holy; no wickedness, no evil can be near You. Boastful ones cannot abide in Your sight; You hate all who do evil. You destroy liars and abhor the bloodthirsty and deceitful. I will enter Your house through Your abundant, steadfast love; I worship in awe of Your holiness and might. Lord, lead me in and into Your righteousness; make a straight path for me to follow You Home. Let the wicked face the consequences of their sins and idolatries, their rebellion against You. And let all rejoice who take refuge in You; defend us, so that we who love Your Name may exult in You. Cover us with Your favor as with a shield. Help me abide the wait as I long for You to vindicate and deliver me. I cannot praise You from Sheol; there is no worship from one who is dead. Let all workers of evil depart from me! YHWH hears and accepts my prayer, and He will deal with my enemies. Lord, draw near; let the arrogant be caught in the traps they have devised for others; let the godless face their desolation. They deny God and fear no adversity; they smirk and plot; they crush the helpless and expect no divine retribution. Rise up, Lord; let holy judgment fall on those who deny You and abuse Your creatures and creation. Nations rise and fall, but YHWH rules forever! Let God hear the cries of the meek; let Him strengthen their hearts and vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, so that mortals of the earth may strike terror no more. YHWH tests righteous and wicked alike; He hates those who love violence. The upright will behold His face; the wicked will suffer coals of fire and brimstone!</div>
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YHWH's word came to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Get up and go to Nineveh and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.' But Jonah ran the other way--to Joppa and a ship bound for Tarshish. ThenYHWH hurled a great wind, and stirred a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship Jonah had boarded was in danger of breaking up. The mariners tried to lighten the ship; meanwhile, Jonah was asleep in the steerage. The captain roused and interrogated him, and the crew cast lots to discover the cause of their hardship. The lot fell on Jonah, and he fessed up: 'I'm a Hebrew, fearer of YHWH, the God of heaven, Maker of earth and sea alike.' They all realized their predicament was the result of Jonah's flight from God, as he had confessed as much to them. They asked him what they should do, and he told them, 'Throw me overboard; then the sea will quiet for you.' They tried to avoid this solution, but the storm worsened; at last, they acknowledged God's right and authority. In the end, they cast Jonah into the raging seas, and the sea grew quiet again. Seeing this, the men feared YHWH exceedingly and offered a sacrifice to Him and made vows accordingly.</div>
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Paul had spoken in his own defense before King Agrippa and the Roman Porcius Festus. Festus thought that Paul was insane. But Paul denied this: 'I speak the sober truth; King Agrippa knows what I'm saying.' And he addressed the king: 'King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe!' The king temporized: 'In a short time, do you think to make me a Christian?' Paul replied, 'Long time or short, I would to God that you and all who hear me today might become as I am--expect for these chains.' Festus, Agrippa and his queen Bernice withdrew and conferred: 'This man is doing nothing deserving death or prison. He could have been released, had he not appealed to Caesar.' And so Paul sailed for Rome, accompanied by Dr. Luke, author of Acts, among others, including the Macedonian Aristarchus from Thessalonica. Paul was one of several prisoners in custody under Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Cohort. Their ship passed through Sidon, then in the lee of Cyprus to Myra in Lycia, where they transshipped to an Alexandrian vessel bound for Italy. With difficulty from bad weather, they came upon Fair Havens, a port near Lasea. </div>
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Jesus also was on the waters, and He calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee, enabling his vessel and companions to arrive safely in the territory of the Gerasenes on the eastern side of the lake. As Jesus stepped from the boat, He was accosted by a Gerasene man possessed by demons. He had long lived naked, among the tombs. The spirits threw him down before Jesus, and spoke loudly: 'What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech You, don't torment me!' Jesus had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man; it had often seized the man; he had been kept under guard, in chains, but he broke the bonds and the demon drove him into the desert. Jesus asked: 'What is your name?' The reply: 'Legion, for we are many,' since many demons had entered the man. They begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss, but rather into a large herd of pigs feeding on a nearby hillside. Jesus gave this permission, and the demons came out of the man and entered the swine. Consequently, the entire herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and drowned there. Seeing all this, the herdsmen fled into the city and countryside, reporting what had happened. Then people went out to see what had happened; they found Jesus and the man now freed from the demons, sitting dressed, at Jesus' feet, and in his right mind. They became frightened, and the witnesses recounted told the newcomers how the formerly-possessed man had been healed. Then all the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, for they were seized with a great fear. So Jesus got into the boat to sail away. The man whom Jesus had exorcised begged to remain with Jesus; but He sent the man away, saying 'Go back to your home and tell how much God has done for you.' And he did that, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. </div>
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Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-86725309102205356612017-10-04T08:10:00.001-07:002017-10-04T08:20:30.394-07:00His power perfected in my weakness<b>Wednesday, October 4, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 101, 109, 119:121-44; 2 Ki 18:9-25; 1 Cor 8:1-13; Mt 7:13-21</b><br />
<b><br /></b> David wrote: I will sing of loyalty and justice to You, O Lord. I will heed the blameless way. God, when will You come to me? In my house, I'll walk with integrity, setting nothing base before my eyes. I hate the works of those who fall away; let that pattern not cling to me. Let perversity of heart remain far from me. May I know nothing of evil. I will destroy those who slander secretly; I will not endure the haughty and arrogant. I will favor the faithful, and we will dwell in the land of promise together. My ministers will be those whose walk is blameless. No one practicing deceit will abide in my house; no liar may remain in my presence. Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked--starting with whatever is ungodly in myself, cutting off evildoers from YHWH's holy city. Let holy God speak, for I am slandered by wicked and deceitful mouths. They attack me without cause and beset me with words of hate. They return accusation and hatred, even as I love them. So I leave these betrayers in God's hands and judgment; let the consequences of their transgressions come upon them by His holy hand. Let their curses fall back on them; may they be saturated with their own malice. As for me, Lord God, deliver me, I pray. I am poor and needy; my heart is stricken; I am shaken off like a locust, weak in the knees, gaunt to extremes. My accusers scorn me and wag their heads at me. YHWH my God, help me! Let Your blessings overrule their curses; make Your servant glad and put my assailants to shame. And I will praise YHWH alone and amid the multitudes. For our God stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would put them to death. I have done right, Lord; don't abandon me to my oppressors. My eyes grow dim as I watch for Your salvation. According to Your steadfast love, O Lord, deal with me; give me godly understanding that I may know Your testimonies. I love You and Your commands above all else, and direct my ways accordingly. Your testimonies are marvelous, and my soul rejoices to keep them. Unfolding Your word brings light, and I long for Your commandments. Be gracious to me, as to all who love Your name. Steady my steps according to Your great and precious promises; let no iniquity have dominion over me. Shine Your face on me, Your servant; I weep as humans ignore Your law. You Are righteous, O Lord, and your judgments are right, appointed in faithfulness and justice. Zeal consumes me when Your foes forget Your word. Your promise is well tried, and I love it; I am small and despised, but Your commandments are my delight.<br />
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In the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser besieged Samaria. Three years later, the city fell to his siege, and Assyria carried the Israelites away to Halah, and along the Habor river, the river Gozan, and other cities of the Medes. This was the consequence of Israelite disobedience and failure to keep God's covenant--they neither listened nor obeyed. In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign, Sennacharib, now Assyrian ruler, conquered all the fortified cities of Judah. Hezekiah sued for a settlement; Sennacharib demanded 300 talents of silver and 30 of gold; Hezekiah gave him all the silver in the Lord's house and in the king's house, too. He stripped the gold from the temple doors and doorposts. The Assyrian king sent emissaries, the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh, leading a great army against Jerusalem. They called for the king, and Eliakim, the household executive and Shebnah, the royal secretary, and Joah ben Asaph, the royal recorder, came before them. The Rabshekah addressed them and dictated Sennacharib's terms: 'Egypt cannot help you, nor will YHWH your God. My master offers 2000 horses, if you can find riders for them--but you have no cavalry and no chariots. It is YHWH Himself who has directed me to go up against this land and to destroy it.'<br />
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Paul addressed questions from the Corinthian Christians: Concerning food offered to idols, all possess knowledge; however, knowledge puffs up while love builds up! Those who imagine that they know something do not yet know as they ought. But God knows those who love God. An idol, so-called, has no real existence. There may be so-called gods on earth or in the heavens--and there are many such--yet for us there is one God, the Father, from Whom are all things and for Whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, through Whom are all things and through Who we exist. Not everyone knows these things. As a result, some with weak conscience feel guilty when they eat meat that has been offered to an idol; this defiles their conscience. Neither food nor abstinence will commend us to God. Just take care than in your liberty you do not cause the weak to stumble. Your example may cause someone to eat food offered to an idol. As a result of your knowledge, this weak person is destroyed--a brother or sister for whom the Messiah died! And if you thus sin against your brothers and sisters and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against the Messiah. If food causes my brother or sister in Christ to fall, I will never eat meat, lest I cause them to fall.<br />
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As He approached the end of His sermon on the mount, Jesus said: Enter God's kingdom by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who go that way are many. The gate is narrow and the way hard that leads to life, and few find and follow that. Beware of false prophets; they come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly, they are ravening wolves. Know them by their fruits--no grapes on thorn bushes, no figs from thistles! Sound trees bear good fruit; evil fruit comes from bad trees. And every tree that does not bear good fruit is felled and burned. Thus, you can know a prophet's quality by their fruits. Not every person who says to me 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven--only those who do the will of My Father in heaven.<br />
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<br />Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-41176445334585470632017-10-03T09:24:00.000-07:002017-10-04T08:19:16.298-07:00Kingdom living in a fallen world<b>Tuesday, October 3, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 94, 97, 99; 2 Chron 29:1-3, 30:1-27; 1 Cor 7:32-40; Mt 7:13-21</b><br />
<b><br /></b> God of vengeance, shine forth! Render judgment to the proud. How long should the wicked exult? They pour forth arrogance and boasting; they crush Your people, YHWH, and afflict Your heritage. They slay widow and sojourner; they murder orphans, proclaiming, 'God doesn't see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.' Listen, dullards and fools: The One Who planted the ear can hear; He Who formed the eye can see. The One Who chastens nations, chastises; God Who creates knowledge and is humankind's Teacher knows mortal thoughts: they are but a breath. YHWH, the mortals whom You chasten is blessed, as are any whom You teach from Your law, to give them respite from trouble until the day of final judgment for the wicked. YHWH will never forsake His people, not abandon His heritage. He will bring justice to he righteous, and the upright in heart will follow His ways. If YHWH had not been my help, I would soon have dwelt in profound silence. When I have thought my foot was slipping, You upheld and sustained me, Lord! When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul. The wicked and mighty among humans frame mischief by statute; they condemn the innocent to death. But YHWH Is my strong, the Rock of my refuge. God will bring back on the wicked their own iniquity; He will wipe them out. So let earth rejoice! Righteousness and justice are foundations of His kingship. Heavenly beings proclaim God's righteousness; mortals behold His glory. Idolaters are put to shame; God's disciples hear and rejoice at Your judgments, O God. You, YHWH, Are the most high, exalted far above all other 'gods.' YHWH loves those who hate evil and keeps His saints alive, delivering us from the hand of the wicked. Light dawns for the righteous, joy for the upright in heart. Let us give thanks to His holy name! Holy Is He, Mighty King, lover of justice, maker of equity. Let us worship at His footstool. Moses, Aaron and Samuel were among His priests; God forgave them, delivered them, preserved them. Let us worship YHWH, for He Is holy.<br />
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King Hezekiah sought to restore worship of YHWH in Jerusalem, opening and repairing the very doors of God's temple there. He declared to all Israel and Judah that they should gather to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem, at God's house there. Their first Passover was delayed, celebrated in the second month, for lack of consecrated priests and because of the time needed for the people to assemble. Hezekiah's message: 'People of Israel, return to YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may turn again to the remnant who have escaped from Assyrian captivity. Don't be like your faithless, stiff-necked ancestors. Yield yourselves to God; come to His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, that His fierce anger may turn from you. Doing this, you and your community and your children will find compassion with our captors. YHWH your God Is gracious and merciful; He will not turn away from you, if you return to Him.' Few from Asher, Manasseh or Zebulun heeded this message, humbling themselves and journeying to Jerusalem. Judah and its princes, however, responded as one, wholeheartedly, obeying the word of the king. A great assembly gathered in the second month in Jerusalem. They removed the idolatrous altars from the city, casting them into the Kidron valley. They killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. Priest and Levites, stung to shame, sanctified themselves, and began bringing burnt offerings into the Lord's house, and following the priestly offices as Moses had detailed them. The Levites killed sacrificial lambs for many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun who had not cleansed themselves. Hezekiah had prayed for them: 'The good YHWH pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, YHWH, the God of his fathers, even though not observing the sanctuary's rules of cleanness.' YHWH heard and granted Hezekiah's prayer, and healed the people. The people kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with great joy, and the Levites and priests praised YHWH ceaselessly, singing to the Lord with all their might. King Hezekiah encouraged the Levites, and the festival proceeded for seven days. Then the whole assembly agreed to continue the feast and celebrations for another seven days! The king provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for sacrifice, and the princes added another thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep! All rejoiced; there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon; and the prayers of priests and Levites for the people came to God's holy habitation in heaven.<br />
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Paul counsels the Corinthian Christians: I want you freed from anxiety. A man unmarried focuses on the affairs of the Lord and how to please Him, while a married man is concerned about worldly affairs and pleasing his wife. A single girl or woman focuses on pleasing the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit, while married women are anxious about pleasing their husbands and the cares of the world. For your own benefit, chaste singleness has great advantages. But if one is engaged and feels strong passion and deep conviction to behave properly toward his fiancee, let them marry--it is no sin. But anyone firmly established in heart, without constraint and under control, does well to remain unmarried: he who marries his betrothed does well, but he who refrains from marriage does better. A wife is bound to her husband while both live; if her husband dies, a woman is free to marry, only in the Lord. But in my judgment, she is happier if she remains a godly widow. And I say this with the confidence that I have the Spirit of God.<br />
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As He continued His sermon on the mount, Jesus said: Don't judge, lest you be judged; the judgments you pronounce on others will be applied to you; the measure you give, is what you'll get. You claim to see the speck in another's eye, but you fail to notice the log in your own eye. Hypocrite! Take the log from your own eye--clear your own account; then perhaps you'll see clearly enough to take the speck from your brother's eye! Don't share what is holy with dogs; don't throw your pearls to swine; it's likely they'll trample your pearls into the muck, then attack you. Keep on asking, and what you ask will be given to you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks, receives; all who seek, find; and to everyone who knocks, God will open the Way. Consider yourselves: if a man's son asks him for bread, he won't give the boy a stone, will he? If one's child asks for a fish, who would give their child a serpent instead? So consider: if you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! So: whatever you wish that people would do to you, do so to them; for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-50840911244757608222017-08-24T13:47:00.001-07:002017-08-24T13:47:53.098-07:00Elements of right judgment<b>Thursday, August 24, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 131-35; 2 Sam 19:1-23; Acts 24:1-23; Mk 12:28-34</b><br />
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Lord, I focus on things at my own level, not those too great and marvelous for me. I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child near its mother's heart. Our hope, as always, is in the Lord. Let God be Judge, and do not turn me away. God is altogether faithful and righteous. He has chosen Zion as His resting place and the sprout of Jesse, the son of David, to be His Messiah, Whom God will crown with glory and might. How pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live in unity; in this God blesses human life for ever. Let all who serve and worship YHWH lift our hands and praise the Lord of glory, Maker of heaven and earth. YHWH Is good, supreme above all other gods, Maker and Master of creation. He has chosen and delivered His people Israel, that through them, He may bless all peoples. Your Name, O Lord, endures forever. All other objects of worship are mere idols, man-made trinkets; and those who worship idols become like them. So let God's people praise YHWH--Aaron's children and Levi's offspring. Let all that has breath praise our God!<br />
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Jonathan warned David when Saul planned to kill him. He tried to praise David and bring his father to another viewpoint--and Saul relented, saying 'As the Lord lives, David shall not be put to death.' So Jonathan brought Saul and David together again. When war sprang up between Israel and Philistia, David went to battle and defeated his king's enemies. But an evil spirit 'from the Lord' came upon Saul, and he took up his spear and tried to impale David with it. David eluded the attack and escaped. David's wife Michal, warned him against her father's murderous intent, and David fled through a window and escaped. She delayed the king's discovery of his absence, and then told her father that David had threatened her life, to assure her assistance in his escape. David fled to Samuel at Ramah, and together they journeyed to Naioth in Ramah. Receiving word of this, Saul sent three groups of messengers in turn to take David prisoner; each group was overtaken by the Spirit of God and failed in their hostile mission; then Saul himself journeyed to Naioth in Ramah, but he also was overtaken by God's Spirit, stripped off his clothing, and lay naked, exposed and powerless for a day and a night.<br />
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When assassins threatened his life, Paul had been sent with armed escorts from Jerusalem to Felix in Caesarea. Five days later, Paul's accusers arrived, representatives of the high priest Ananias, with the lawyer Tertulllus as their spokesman. Tertullus charged Paul as an agitator and 'ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,' who had profaned the Temple. The Jews sent from Ananias affirmed these charges. The governor then directed Paul to respond. He made his defense cheerfully--he had gone to Jerusalem and the temple to worship; he had disputed with no one. Paul affirmed that 'according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law or written in the prophets.' He shared with his accusers a confident hope in the resurrection of the just and unjust. 'So I keep my conscience clear before God and man.' He had come to offer alms to support the Jews. He was falsely accused 'by some Jews from Asia,' who 'ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, if they have anything against me.' Paul claimed he was accused because of his position concerning the resurrection of the dead. Felix delayed his verdict, and kept Paul in custody, granting him some liberty and the care of his friends in attending to his needs. <br />
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A Jewish scribe overheard Jesus disputing the Sadducees over the resurrection. The scribe asked Jesus, 'Which commandment is the first of all?' And Jesus quoted the Shemah 'Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God is One! And you shall love YHWH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength' 'And,' Jesus continued, 'the second is this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." No commandment is greater than these.' The scribe agreed: 'You are right, Teacher; truly you said that He Is one and there is no other god but He; and to love Him with all the heart, and understanding and strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself--is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.' Jesus saw that the man spoke wisely, and said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And after that, no one dared to question Jesus further. Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-7175721246219433582017-08-07T11:57:00.001-07:002017-08-07T11:57:19.289-07:00Abide as God commands and enables<b>Monday, August 7, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 89, 2 Sam 13:23-39; Acts 20:17-38; Mk 9:42-50</b><br />
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<b>Ethan the Ezrahite wrote: YHWH, I will sing of Your steadfast love forever; I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations. You swore a covenant with David and his house, to build his throne for all generations. Let the heavens join in praising You; no heavenly being is like YHWH! Lord, You rule heavens and earth; You rule the raging, chaotic seas; You crush every enemy, including chaos and rebellion. You tower over all creation; Your throne sits upon foundations of righteousness and justice; steadfast love and faithfulness go before You! Blessed are the mortals who shout Your praise; our well-being is from our King, the Holy One of Israel. You chose David, a king after Your own heart; You made him highest mortal king on earth. You have established his line forever, as You promised. You allow human idolatry and sin to bear their consequences--death and exile, not least. But You sustain David's line with the incarnation of Your own Son, Jesus. Blessed be YHWH for ever!</b><br />
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<b>David's ambitious son Absalom invited David and all David's other royal sons to be his guests at a sheep shearing. David declined, but consented to his other sons attending at Absalom's invitation. At the gathering, Absalom had his servants murder his half-brother Amnon, in vengeance for Amnon's rape of Absalom's sister Tamar. After the murder, all the surviving princes scattered. Word was brought to David that Absalom had murdered all the other royal heirs, but David's nephew Jonadab assured the king that only Amnon was dead, as the result of his rape and shaming of Tamar. The other sons gathered to David, and they all mourned together. Meanwhile, Absalom fled into Geshur for three years, while David, recovering from Amnon's loss and accepting its inevitability, grieved the absence of his son Absalom. </b><br />
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<b>Paul was bound in haste for Jerusalem, determined to reach the city before Pentecost, if possible. He called for the elders of the church in Ephesus to meet him at Miletus, where Paul addressed them: 'You know how I lived among you from my first day in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and withstanding the trials that befell me due to plotting among the Jews. I never shrank from forthrightly proclaiming anything to your profit; I taught in public, house to house, testifying to both Jews and Gentiles concerning repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus the Messiah. Now, look: I am headed to Jerusalem, bound in the Holy Spirit, now knowing what will befall me there--except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and affliction lie before me. I do not account my life of any value, even to myself, if only I may fulfill the course God has laid before me, the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus the Messiah, to testify to the gospel of God's grace. Now behold: I know that all of you, among whom I have preached the kingdom, will see my face no more. Therefore, I testify to you today: I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I never shrank from declaring to you God's entire counsel. Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock concerning whom the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with the blood of His own Son. I know that after my exodus, fierce wolves will come among you, not sparing the flock. From among your own will arise men speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. So be alert, remembering that for three years I never ceased night and day to admonish everyone with tears. Now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified. I coveted no one's gold, silver or apparel; you know for sure that I earned my support with my own hands, and supported also all who worked and traveled with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, recalling the words of the Lord Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."' Paul then knelt and prayed with them all; and they wept and embraced and kissed the apostle. Their sorrow was deepest over his statement that they would see him no more. At last, they brought Paul to his ship. </b><br />
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<b>Jesus told His nearest disciples: 'Whoever causes one of the little ones who believes in Me to sin would be better off if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea. Likewise, if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better to enter life maimed, than with two hands to go to hell. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; you are better off alive and maimed than, with two feet, to be thrown into hell. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; better for you to enter God's kingdom with one eye than to keep both eyes and yet be thrown into hell. where the worms never die and the fire is not quenched. Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if its savor is lost, you cannot restore its seasoning power. Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.' </b>Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-29621143723068015282017-07-05T11:21:00.002-07:002017-07-05T11:23:49.018-07:00God's Word brings reconciliation<b>Wednesday, July 5, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 119:145-76; 128-30; 1 Sam 12:1-6, 16-25; Acts 8:14-25; Lk 23:1-12</b><br />
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With my whole heart, I cry: YHWH, answer me. I will keep Your statutes; save me, that I may observe Your testimonies. I rise before dawn; I cry for help; I hope in Your words. I watch through the night, that I may meditate on Your promises. In Your steadfast love, YHWH, hear my voice; in Your justice, preserve my life. Those who persecute me ignore Your law, and draw near with evil purpose. You, O God, are even closer, and You are ever faithful; all Your commandments are true. You have testified that Your testimonies are eternally valid. Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget Your law. Redeem me, Lord; give me life as You have promised. Salvation is far from the wicked who ignore Your statutes. Great is Your mercy, YHWH; give my life according to Your justice. Though I have many persecutors and adversaries, I cleave to Your testimonies. The faithless disgust me, who do not keep Your commands. In Your steadfast love, preserve my life, since I love Your precepts so dearly. All Your words are true' Your righteous ordinances endure forever. My heart is in awe of Your word, though princes persecute me without cause. I rejoice at Your word like one finding great treasure; I do Your commands and hope for salvation. Let my cry come before You, YHWH; give me understanding that matches Your word. My lips will pour forth Your praise; I will sing of Your word, for all Your commandments are right. I choose Your precepts, so stand ready to lift me up, God. I long for Your salvation, and Your law is my chief delight. Let me live, to praise You; let Your ordinances be my help and stay. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek me out, God, for I do not forget Your commandments. Blessed are all who fear and obey our God. He makes our labor fruitful and provides our daily bread. He makes our wives fertile and fills our homes with children. May YHWH bless us from Zion; may we witness the prosperity of Jerusalem. May we look upon our grandchildren. And let God's peace rest on Israel!<br />
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After anointing Saul, Samuel addressed all Israel: 'Behold, I heard you and have made a king over you; he walks before you now. I am old and gray. If you bear me any accusation, make it now, before God and His anointed. If I am guilty, I will set right my offenses.' The people replied, 'You have done nothing wrong.' And Samuel answered, 'The Lord is witness, and so is His anointed one, that I have not offended you.' And the people agreed. The prophet continued: 'Now watch what YHWH will do before you all. Today is wheat harvest day, isn't it? I will call upon YHWH to send thunder and rain, to show you how great is your wickedness in asking YHWH for a human king.' And this all came to pass, so that the people greatly feared YHWH and Samuel, His prophet. The people begged him, 'Pray for us to the Lord your God, that we may not die for our sins.' And the prophet answered, 'Fear not; you have done evil, but don't turn aside from following YHWH; serve Him with all your heart, turning from vain things which cannot profit or save. YHWH will not cast His people aside, to protect His name, because He has chosen you as His own people. Far be it from me, that I should sin by ceasing to pray for you; I will pray, and also instruct you in the way you should go. Only fear YHWH and serve Him faithfully with your whole heart. If you persist in wickedness, you will be swept away, both you and your king.' <br />
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The deacon and evangelist Philip was having great success in Samaria; and when the Jerusalem apostles heard of this, they sent Peter and John to them, that the converts might receive the Holy Spirit. When the apostles laid hands on the converts, the Spirit was given them. Seeing this, Simon Magus, the Samaritan mage, offered money, hoping to purchase the power to dispense the Holy Spirit. Peter replied, 'May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's sovereign gift with money! You have no part nor lot in this matter; your heart is not right before God. Repent this wickedness and pray the Lord for forgiveness of the intent of your heart. I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity.' Simon answered, 'Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing you have said may come upon me!' When the apostles had testified and spoke the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the Lord's gospel in many villages along their route. <br />
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His accusers brought Jesus before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and began to accuse Him: 'We found this man perverting our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, say that he himself is Messiah, a king.' Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' Jesus replied, 'You have said so.' Pilate said to the chief priests and the mob with them, 'I find no crime in this man.' But the Jews were adamant: 'He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee to this very spot.' Hearing this, Pilate inquired whether Jesus was Galilean; learning that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him over to Herod. This pleased Herod greatly, for he had wanted to meet Jesus and see Him do some miracle. Herod interrogated Jesus at length, but received no answer, while the chief priests and scribes stood by vehemently accusing Jesus. Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt and mocked Him; then, arraying Jesus in gorgeous apparent, Herod returned Him to Pilate. The Roman and Hasmonean leaders became fast friends that day, who had been at enmity previously. Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-32924893805944501272017-06-29T13:42:00.001-07:002017-06-29T13:42:29.775-07:00Mortals waver; God is steadfast<b>Friday, June 29, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 102, 107:1-32; 1 Sam 9:1-14; Acts 7:17-29; Lk 22:31-38</b><br />
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YHWH, hear and answer my prayer; don't hide from me in times of distress; please answer speedily when I cry out to You. My days pass like smoke in the wind; my bones burn like a furnace; my life withers; I forget to eat--I'm like a lone vulture in the wilds, an owl in a desert, a bird alone on a housetop. Only enemies call out, and only to deride and curse me. My diet is ashes; my drink is my own tears. In Your righteous indignation, You have discarded me. But You, Lord, are enthroned for ever; Your Name endures to every generation. Have pity, Lord, on Your holy city, Your bondservants and worshipers. Let the nations fear the Lord; and let the Lord build up Zion and come to her in glory. God, hear the prayers of the destitute; do not despise our supplication. Let those who come after me take note: YHWH looks down from heaven upon the wretched of the earth; He frees prisoners, pardons those sentenced to death. So let mortals declare God's Name, and worship Him alone; let those in Jerusalem praise our God together. God has broken my native strength, so that my only hope is in Him. The earth and heavens He created may perish, but God endures for ever. Lord, the children of Your servants will dwell secure, and their posterity will be established before You! <br />
Let us thank God, Whose steadfast love endures forever. Let His redeemed declare it, whom He has ransomed from trouble and gathered from every corner of the earth. Some rambled in desert wastes; God heard their cries and delivered them, providing water and leading them to cities: He feeds the starving, gives water to the thirsty, and fills all with good things! Others were moored in darkness, prisoners in affliction, bound in irons. Their hearts quavered, and they fainted in hard labor, destitute and hopeless. When they cried to YHWH in their trouble, He delivered them; He brought them out from darkness into His marvelous light; He broke their bonds asunder. Let them thank YHWH for His steadfast love and mighty acts of compassion. And some were sick because of sin; they loathed food; they languished near to death. In their trouble, they cried out to YHWH, and He heard and delivered them from destruction; He sent forth His word and healed them. Let them join in thanking God for His steadfast love and works of deliverance. Let them give up sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of God's deeds in songs of joy. And some descended seaward in ships; they saw God's hand on the face of oceans and seas--the wind and waves came near to overwhelming them. Their courage melted; they reeled and staggered like drunks, at their wits' end. Then they cried out to YHWH, and He stilled storm and seas; He brought them peace and guided them to their safe harbor. Let them thank YHWH for His steadfast love and wondrous works; let the great congregation extol and the elders praise our God.<br />
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When the Israelites begged God for a human king, He obliged them, sending Samuel to anoint the tall, comely son of Kish named Saul. Kish's donkeys went missing, and he sent Saul to find them. They searched high and low without success, then visited the man of God, Samuel, whom God had directed to anoint Saul as 'prince over My people Israel.' <br />
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The deacon and evangelist Stephen was falsely accused before the Jewish council, and gave his defense--an eloquent review of Israel's history before God--that enraged the authorities, who had him stoned. During his remarks, Stephen said, 'The people multiplied in Egypt, until a pharaoh arose who knew nothing of Joseph. He feared the Israelites, and sought to weaken or destroy them, by decreeing that every newborn male should be killed at birth. Moses was born at this time, a beautiful child whom God preserved, so that when he was exposed, the pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son, so that Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of Egypt, and waxed mighty in words and deeds. When he was forty, he was moved to visit his brethren, the descendants of Israel, and he witnessed an Egyptian oppressing a Hebrew, and Moses killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. The next day, Moses again visited, and sought to make peace between two quarreling Israelites. But the offender thrust Moses aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptiain yesterday?' Hearing this, Moses fled and became an exile in Midian, where he fathered two sons. <br />
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In the Upper Room, at Jesus's Last Supper, He addressed Peter: 'Simon, Simon, look! Satan has demanded to have you [referring to all the apostles], that he might sift you all like wheat. But I have prayed for you [singular--Peter alone], that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, you will be able to strengthen your brothers and sisters.' Peter claimed he was ready to die with Jesus, but Jesus knew better: 'I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this coming day, until you hae denied three times that you know Me.' Jesus reminded the apostles that when He had sent them out as missionaries, they took nothing and lacked nothing. 'But now,' He said, 'Take your purse and your bag, and if you lack one, sell your mantle and buy a sword. I Am about to fulfill the scripture that says, "He was numbered among the transgressors"--for what has been written about Me is coming now to its fulfillment.' They answered, 'Look, Lord: we have two swords.' And Jesus said, 'It is enough.' Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-6292584563569836572017-06-23T14:47:00.001-07:002017-06-23T14:47:24.925-07:00Mercy, faith, redemption!<b>Friday, June 23, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 102; 107:1-32; Num 20:1-13; Rom 5:12-21; Mt 20:29-34</b><br />
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Lord, let my cry come before You; don't hide Yourself from me; listen and reply as I call out to You. My days pass away like smoke; my bones burn as if in a furnace; my heart faints, withered like grass. I am outcast and downcast, like a vulture in the wilderness, an owl in wastelands. I lie awake all night; enemies taunt me ceaselessly; my food tastes like ashes and my drink is mingled with my tears. Your indignation devastates me, and I am forlorn. But You, Lord, endure forever, enthroned, mighty, lauded. Have pity on Zion, that the nations may fear YHWH, and people yet unborn may praise You. God looked down from heaven; He heard the groans of prisoners facing death, and set them at liberty. God has broken my strength, but He Is almighty. Creation will perish, but the Creator abides forever. The children of Your servants shall dwell secure, and their descendants shall remain established before You! Let the Lord's redeemed declare it; give thanks to the Lord, for He Is good; His steadfast love endures forever. He has brought us to Himself from all the ends of the earth. Some wandered in deserts, and He brought them to safe cities. He satisfies the thirsty and hungry! Some languished in darkness and gloom, prisoners afflicted in irons, who had rebelled against God's word and spurned His wise counsel. Their hearts were bowed in hard labor; they fell, and no one helped them stand. But God heard their lament and brought them forth from darkness and broke their bonds asunder. Let them thank YHWH for His steadfast love and mighty acts! Some were sickened by sinful ways, afflicted in their iniquities. They lost appetite for food and for life and neared the gates of death. They cried to the Lord, and He delivered them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them. So let them also thank the Lord for His wonderful works; let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of His deeds in songs of joy! Some went down to the sea in ships, to seek commerce; there, they encountered the deeps of the Lord--winds and waves only God can master; the currents lifted and dashed them, and their courage disappeared. They reeled and staggered like drunks; they came to wits' end, and cried out to God. And He delivered them from their distress; He stilled the storms and calmed the waves. He brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank YHWH for His steadfast love and wondrous works. Let all extol God in the congregation, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders. <br />
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During their wilderness wanderings, the people of Israel came into the wilderness of Zin and abided in Kadesh. There, Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron, died and was buried. There was no water for the people, and they banded together against Moses and Aaron, saying 'Would that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! Why did you bring us into this wilderness, that we and our livestock alike should die here? Why leave Egypt for this evil place? There is no grain, nor figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates; there is no water to drink.' Moses and Aaron went to the door of the tabernacle and fell facedown. YHWH's glory appeared, and He spoke to Moses: 'Take the rod and assemble the people; in their presence, tell the rock to yield its water. In this way you will give drink to the congregation and their livestock.' Moses took up the rod, as God had commanded. He and Aaron assembled the people, and delivered God's message: 'Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?' And Moses struck the rock with his rod, twice; and water flowed abundantly and the people and their livestock drank all they needed. But YHWH remonstrated with Moses and Aaron: 'Because you did not believe in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the people of Israel, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have promised to them.' This took place at Meribah, the waters of Contention, where the Israelites contended with YHWY and He showed Himself holy before them.<br />
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Paul wrote: Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and death spread to all mortals because all mortals sinned. Sin was in the world indeed, before God gave the Law to humankind; but sin is not accounted where there is no law. Even so, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like those of Adam, who was a type for the one who was to come. God's free gift is not like the sin of His creatures. If many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one Man, Jesus the Messiah, abounded for many. God's free gift is not like the effects of one man's sin. Holy judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification to many. If, because of one man's sin, death reigned through that one man, Much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and God's free gift of righteousness reign in life, through the one Man, Jesus the Messiah. As one man's trespass led to condemnation of all humans, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all humans. As by one's disobedience many because sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. Law came in, to increase the trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, even more, grace also might reign through righteousness issuing in eternal life through Jesus Messiah, our Lord. <br />
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Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho, heading up to Jerusalem, followed by a great crowd. Two blind men were sitting near the road; and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David!' Jesus stopped and called to them: 'What do you want Me to do for you?' They said, 'Lord, let our eyes be opened!' In pity, Jesus touched their eyes; immediately they received their sight and followed Him. Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-81881136685690207292017-06-22T12:06:00.000-07:002017-06-22T12:08:03.656-07:00Discerning kingdoms: of mortals and of God<b>Thursday, June 22, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 105:1-45; 1 Sam 8:1-22; Acts 6:15-7:16; Lk 22:24-30</b><br />
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Thank YHWH; call on His name; make His deeds known among all peoples. Sing to Him; sing praises and tell of all His wonderful works. Glory in His holy name; let their hearts rejoice, all who seek YHWH. Seek Him, then; seek YHWH and His presence. Keep in mind His marvelous acts of power, love and mercy. He Is--YHWH our God; His judgment extends worldwide; He Is mindful of His covenant for ever--His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, with Jacob--an everlasting covenant: 'I will give to you the Land of Canaan, your portion as an inheritance.' YHWH chose Israel when they were of little account, wandering among the nations; He protected them from more powerful peoples and rulers. God had already sent Joseph to Egypt, before drought and famine beset His chosen people. Joseph was sold by his jealous brothers into slavery; his feet were bruised with fetters; his neck was in a collar of iron. God tested Joseph, and by grace, Joseph passes His test. Egypt's king freed him and made Joseph lord over Pharaoh's house and the land of Egypt, to instruct the princes of the land and to teach wisdom to their elders. Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. YHWH made His people very fruitful, stronger than their foes. God turned Egyptian hearts to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants. And in time, YHWH sent Moses and Aaron to work signs and miracles before Pharaoh. He sent darkness; He turned their waters to blood and caused their fish to die and their land to be overrun by frogs. God's servant spoke, and swarms of flies and gnats beset Egypt. Hail and lightning devastated the land; God smote their vines and fig trees. Locusts overran the land and devoured all plant life, but left Goshen intact, where the children of Israel dwelled. Finally, God struck down all the firstborn, human and animal, throughout Egypt, but passed over the households of Israel. He led the Israelites forth with silver and gold; Egypt was glad when they departed, for fear of God had overwhelmed the former masters. God guided His people in the wilderness, with a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. He brought them quail and manna, the bread of angels, to eat, and water to drink, even in the desert, from the Rock He opened before them. For YHWH remembered His holy promise and Abraham, His servant. So God led forth His people with joy and singing; He gave them the lands of nations, and they took possession of the cities and fields, the fruits of the former residents' toil--to the end that His people should follow God's statutes and obey His laws. Praise YHWH!</div>
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When Samuel became old, he put his sons over Israel as judges. His firstborn was Joel, and his second, Abijah. They ruled in Beer-Sheba. But these sons perverted justice; they took bribes; they did not follow God, but turned aside after selfish gain. Then, the elders of Israel assembled and came before Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, 'Look! You are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Appoint a king for us, to rule us as kings rule other nations.' This displeased Samuel, and he prayed to YHWH. But YHWH said to Samuel, 'Listen to all the people say to you. They have not rejected you; rather, they haver rejected Me from being King over them. From the day I delivered them from Egypt to this very day, they have forsaken Me and served other gods; they're treating you as they have always treated Me. So now, hearken to their voice and solemnly warn them about the ways of a human king who would rule over them' Samuel did as God commanded: 'The king you want will conscript your sons to be his charioteers, cavalry and foot soldiers. He will appoint captains of thousands and of fifties, and will force others to plow his ground and harvest his crops. He will set others to making weapons and equipment for wars. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and bakers and cooks. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves for his own, and will take a tithe of what you raise and harvest for yourselves, and use it to reward his officers and servants. He will take for himself your male and female slaves, and the best of your domestic livestock. In short, you will be slaves of your mortal king. And on that day, you'll cry out to YHWH for respite, but He will not answer you on that day. But the people refused to heed Samuel's words; they insisted: 'No! We will have a king over us, so we can be like all the other nations, so that our king may go out before us and lead us in battle.' Samuel reported their words to YHWH, and God told His man, 'Hearken to their voice, and make them a king.' And Samuel dismissed the people, saying 'Every man: to your own city.' </div>
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The Jewish opponents of the evangelist and deacon Stephen instigated false accusations against him; they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes against him before the Jewish council. The high priest demanded that Stephen answer their false charges. So he did: 'Brothers and fathers, listed to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham, while he was yet living in Mesopotamia, and said, 'Depart from your land and kindred and go hence, to a land which I will show you.' And he obeyed, living in Haran until Abraham's father died. Then, he relocated to this land in which you are now living. God promised him land and descendants, but at that time, gave him neither. God told him that his descendants would be aliens in a place where foreigners would enslave and mistreat them for four centuries. God told him, 'I will judge the nation that enslaves your descendants, and they shall come out and worship Me in this place.' And God gave the Israelites the covenant of circumcision. In this manner Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. When the patriarchs became jealous of Joseph, they sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him and rescued Joseph from all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made Joseph governor over Egypt and the king's own household. A great famine overtook Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find no food. Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, and sent his remaining sons there to buy grain; on their second visit to Egypt from Canaan, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and then Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. At the king's bidding (but doing God's will), Joseph called Jacob his father and all his kindred, a total of 75 souls, to relocate to Egypt under Joseph's care. So Jacob went down to Egypt; there he died, and presently, so did our other forefathers, and they were carried back the Shechem and laid there in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver, from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. </div>
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At the Last Supper, with Jesus in the upper room before His crucifixion, the apostles disputed over which of them should be considered the greatest. Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; those in authority over them are alled benefactors. But it is not so with you: let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. Consider which is greater: one who sits at table, or one who serves? It's the one at table, correct? But I Am among you as One Who serves. You are the ones who have persevered with Me in My trials; and to you, I assign a kingdom, as My Father assigned a kingdom to Me--that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.' </div>
Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-7780698436950710152017-05-09T08:36:00.001-07:002017-05-09T08:39:18.375-07:00Eternal truths beyond transient appearances<b>Tuesday, May 9, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 45, 47, 48; Wisdom 3:1-9; Col 1:15-23; Lk 6:12-26</b><br />
<b><br /></b> The court poet wrote this ode for a royal wedding: My heart overflows with this good theme: You Are fairest of men, blessed by God forever. Gird on Your sword; in glory and majesty, ride forth! Defend the right; establish the truth; let Your mighty right hand perform dread deeds; may your sharp arrows find your enemies' hearts! Your divine throne endures forever; your scepter ministers royal equity; You love righteousness and hate wickedness. And so Your God has anointed You with the oil of gladness; Your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. Stringed instruments serenade You from ivory palaces; Your ladies in waiting are daughters of kings; and at Your right hand stands the queen, robed in gold of Ophir. Let the royal consort turn fully toward her liege Lord; O queen, leave your family of origin behind, and take up the role of royal spouse. The King Is your Lord; bow to Him alone. The princess is decked in gold-woven robes; in joy she enters the royal palace. Great Lord, Your sons will be princes on the earth; Your name will resound in the praises of all peoples for ever! Let all peoples applaud and show to God loud songs of joy! YHWH, God Most High, Is terrible--great sovereign over all the earth. Sing praises to our God, Who reigns over all the nations; He Is highly exalted. Great Is our Lord and greatly to be praised in God's holy city! His holy mountain is the joy of all the earth. All other kings blanch before Him; He alone Is ruler. O God, we have meditated on Your steadfast love; Your fame and praise encircle the globe. You Are Victor; Judah's daughters rejoice in Your judgments. Tell the next generation: This Is our eternal God; He will be our Guide for ever!<br />
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The souls of the righteous are in God's hand; no torment can touch them. Fools think that the righteous perish--that their decease is an affliction. But in truth they are at peace, and they have assurance of immortality. God has tested them like gold in a furnace, and in the time of their visitation, they will shine forth and run like sparks through stubble. God rules them, and His righteous ones govern nations and rule over the peoples of His creation. All who trust in our God will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with Him in love--His grace and mercy abide on His elect, and He watches over His holy ones.<br />
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Jesus Is the image of the invisible Creator; He Is Firstborn over all creation. In Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible--including every spiritual power: thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him. He Is before all creatures; in Him all creation coheres. He Is Head over the body of believers, the church; He Is the beginning, Firstborn from the dead--so Jesus Is pre-eminent in all things. In Him all God's fullness is pleased to abide; through Him God reconciles to Himself all things on earth and in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. And we, once estranged and hostile in our minds, doing evil deeds, He has reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present us holy and blameless and irreproachable before God, provided that we continue in the faith arising from His faithfulness--stable and steadfast, not shifting away from the hope in the gospel we have heard and accepted, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, of which Paul became a minister.<br />
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Jesus spent all night praying on a mountain; when day came, He called His disciples and chose twelve of them, whom He named apostles: Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who became His betrayer. Jesus came down with these and stood on a level place; He was surrounded there by a great multitude of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by unclean spirits, He cured. All the crowd sought to touch Him, for power came forth from Him and healed them all. Jesus lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said: 'Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when mortals hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you and cast out your name as evil on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for look: your reward in heaven is great--for their ancestors did the same things to God's prophets in days past.'Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-76139917267740881502017-05-08T11:52:00.000-07:002017-05-08T11:52:03.760-07:00Human 'wisdom' or God's holy love? <b>Monday, May 8, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 41, 44, 52; Wisdom 1:16-2:11, 21-24; Col 1:1-15; Lk 6:1-11</b><br />
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<b>Blessed are those who consider the poor; YHWH delivers them in their days of trouble; He protects and preserves their lives. They are called blessed, and are not surrendered to the will of their enemies. My enemies seek my demise, but God has sustained me. I know God is pleased with me by this token: my enemy has not triumphed over me, and I still live. You, Lord, have upheld me by Your grace and have set me in Your presence forever. Blessed is YHWH, God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and amen. Lord, we have heard of Your deeds in our time, and have been told by our ancestors how You acted in their times. You drove out nations to make space for Your people, because You delighted in them. You are my King and my God; by Your grace, we defeat our enemies; You have put them to confusion who hate us. And still, we struggle. We will not forget You, nor depart from Your ways, Lord. Don't cast us off forever; deliver us, for the sake of Your steadfast love. God breaks down the wicked; but I am like a green olive tree in God's courtyards; I trust in His steadfast love forever. God, I will proclaim Your holy Name and Your praises, everywhere and always. I trust in God with no fear. He keeps my tears in a bottle, and sustains me. Thus I know that God is for me, that I may walk before God in the light of life abundant and eternal. </b><br />
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<b>Righteousness is immortal, but by their words and deeds, ungodly people summon death, befriended death and made covenant with death: they are fit for death's party! They tell themselves, 'Our life is short and sorrowful; there is no remedy for death; no one has returned from Hades. We were born by mere chance, and after we die, it'll be as if we had never existed. The breath in our nostrils is like smoke; reason is a spark kindled by our heartbeats. When it goes out, the body turns to ashes and the spirit dissolves like empty air. Our names will be forgotten in time; no one will remember our works; our life will pass away like traces of a cloud and be scattered like mist dissolved by sunlight, evaporated by its heat. Our allotted time is the passing of a shadow, and death seals us up forever; there is no return. So let's enjoy the good things at hand now; let us use the creation to the full, as in youth. Let's drink deep of costly wine, and lavish perfume; let no spring flower go unplucked! Let's take full advantage of every revelry, and leave every sign of enjoyment--for this is our lot. Let us oppress the righteous poor; pay no attention to widows and gray-headed old folks. Let might be our right, for whatever is weak proves worthless.' They reasoned in this manner, blinded by their wickedness, led astray by their blindness. They did not know God's secret purposes; they had no inkling of hope for the wages of holiness, nor discernment for the prize of blameless souls. God created humankind for incorruption; He made us in the image of His own eternity, but through the devil's envy death entered God's creation. And those who belong to the satan's party experience death indeed.</b><br />
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<b>With Timothy, Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, when we pray, for we have heard of your love for the Messiah Jesus and for all His people--you depend on the hope laid up for you in heaven, since you first heard of God's grace and truth, learned first from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, a faithful minister of Christ to our mutual benefit; and he has told us of your love in the Spirit. From that day, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Is the ikon o fthe invisible God; He Is the Firstborn over all creation. </b><br />
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<b>On a Sabbath, Jesus was leading His disciples through grainfields. His disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. Witnessing this, some Pharisees objected: 'Why are you acting thus? You are doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath!' Jesus answered them: 'Haven't you read what David did when he was hungry? He and those with him entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, though that is not lawful for any but the priests to eat--and he shared it with his companions.' Jesus added, addressing the Pharisees, 'The Son of man Is Lord of the Sabbath.' On another Sabbath, Jesus entered a synagogue and taught. Among those present was a man whose right hand was withered. The scribes and Pharisees watched Jesus to see whether He would heal the man on the Sabbath--they intended to accuse Him, if so. Jesus knew their thoughts. He had the man with the crippled hand rise and stand in the midst of the congregation. And Jesus said to His critics, 'I ask you: is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save life, or to destroy it?' As He looked around at them all, Jesus said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He did so, and his hand was restored. But Jesus's opponents were filled with fury, and they discussed among themselves what they might do to Jesus.</b>Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-31324342925075562292017-04-26T13:57:00.002-07:002017-05-04T12:09:32.266-07:00Living by God's word and God's love, in God's world<b>Wednesday, April 26, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 12-14, 119:1-24; Dan 2:17-30; 1 Jn 2:12-17; </b><br />
<b> Jn 17:20-26</b><br />
<b><br /></b> Help me, Lord. I can find no one who is godly! Everyone lies; no one keeps faith. People all seem to have flattering lips and devious hearts. Let YHWH arise and deliver those who need His help. His promises are purified seven times, like silver in the furnace. The wicked prowl, and vileness is exalted among the sons of men everywhere. Lord, how long must I await Your mercy? Consider and answer me, I pray You. I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to YHWH, for He has dealt bountifully with me. Fools deny God's existence, but He is watching seeking any who are wise. There is none that does good! God is the refuge and deliverer of the righteous. And when He restores His people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel will be glad. Blessed are all who walk in YHWH's law--who keep His testimonies, who seek Him wholeheartedly. They do no wrong but walk in His ways. God, You have commanded us to be diligent in keeping Your statutes. I will not be put to shame if I focus on Your commandments. I will praise You with an upright heart and learn Your righteous ordinances. How can one keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek you with my whole heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. I declare Your ordinances aloud; I delight in Your testimonies. I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my attention on Your statutes. I will not forget Your word. Please: open my eyes to behold the wonders in Your law. I am a pilgrim on earth; don't hide Your commandments from me. You have rebuked those who wander from Your commandments. But Your testimonies are my delight.<br />
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As Daniel prepared to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he asked his Israelite allies to pray, so that they would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. That night, Daniel received a vision that prepared him to speak with the emperor. The prophet praised aloud: 'Bless be the name of God forever and ever, to Whom belong wisdom and might. He controls times and seasons; he raises kings up and casts them down. He informs the wise and gives knowledge to the understanding. He alone can reveal deep mysteries; light dwells within Him, and he knows what is hidden in darkness. To You, God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise; for You have given me wisdom and strength; You have revealed what was hidden to all, and have made known the king's matters. And so Daniel alerted the king's servant Arioch that God had revealed Nebuchadnezzar's dream, 'and I will show the king the interpretation'. Arioch took Daniel before the king, who asked, 'Are you able to tell me the dream I saw and its interpretation?' And Daniel gave all credit to God: 'There Is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to you what will come to pass in latter days. God has revealed all this to me in order that you may benefit from the dream and its meaning.'<br />
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John's treatise continued: The world and its lusts pass away, but those who do God's will abide for ever. Children, it is the last hour; many antichrists have come already. That's how we know what time it is. They departed from among us, but they were never of us. But You have been anointed by the Holy One, and you know the truth. Who is a liar? Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Messiah: anyone who denies the Father and the Son is the antichrist. And no one who denies the Son has the Father. Those who confess the Son have the Father also. Abide in what you have heard from the beginning; doing so, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is what He has promised us: eternal life! I am writing about those who would deceive you. But you really need no teacher; the Holy Spirit anointing you received from Him abides within you. So: as His anointing teaches you all truth, abide in Him as you have learned to do. Then, when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink in shame from before Him. If you know that He Is righteous, you may rest assured that everyone who does right is born of Him.<br />
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The conclusion of Jesus' High Priestly prayer: I pray also for those who will come to believe through the words of these You have given Me--that they all may be one, as You are in Me and I in You, Father, and that they all may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given to them the glory You gave to Me, that they may be one even as We Are one: I in them, and thou in Me, so that they become perfectly one and the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You love Me. Father, I desire that they, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I Am, to behod my glory, which You have given Me in Your love for Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world has not known You, but I have known You; and these know that You have sent Me. I made known to them Your name; and I will make it known, t hat the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-49369717393559964572017-04-25T14:41:00.001-07:002017-04-25T14:41:56.057-07:00Preserved and empowered to serve God in this world<b>Tuesday, April 25, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 5, 6, 10, 11; Dan 2:1-16; 1 Jn 2:1-11; Jn 17:12-19</b><br />
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Hear my words, Lord; heed my groaning, as I pray to You, my King and my God. As we commune, I prepare a sacrifice for You, and watch. I come before You through the abundance of Your steadfast love. In Your righteousness, God, lead me; make the path straight before me. Let those rejoice who take refuge in You; defend us, that we may exult in You. Cover us with Your favor as with a shield. Heal me, I pray; deliver me in Your steadfast love. Let Sin and all wickedness depart from me, for YHWH accepts my prayer and turns my enemies to shame. The wicked proudly deny God, and slide further and further into depravity. Let God arise and deliver the hapless. Let God break the arm of the wicked evildoers. YHWH hears the desires of the meek; He strengthens their hearts and brings justice to the fatherless and the oppressed. YHWH is my Refuge; He tests both righteous and wicked; only the upright will behold His face.<br />
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In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar was deeply troubled by a particular dream; he demanded of his magi that they first relate to him the dream and then tell him its meaning. The 'Chaldeans' claimed this was impossible, and Nebuchadnezzar moved to make good his threat to tear them all limb from limb. In the roundup that followed, Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to the captain of the king's guard, and when he learned the reason for the coming slaughter, Daniel volunteered to meet the king's demands. He asked his compatriots to seek God's mercy in prayer, so that they (and all the 'wise men' of Babylon) might not perish.<br />
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John's expression of concern for his 'little children' in the faith is written so that they may not sin. But, he states, if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father: righteous Jesus, the Messiah, and He Is the expiation for our sins and for the sins of the entire world. We may sure that we know Jesus if we keep His commandments, and walk as He walked. This, John affirms, is nothing new, but an old commandment--and yet it is also new, in that it links believers with Jesus Himself. Darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. No one in Christ's light can hate his or her brothers and sisters; loving them equates with abiding in Christ's light. <br />
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On His last night before the cross, with His closest disciples, Jesus prayed: 'While I was with them, I kept them safe in Your name, Father--the Name You gave to Me. None is lost but the son of perdition, and that fulfills the scripture. But now, I Am coming to You; I speak at last in this world so that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I Am not of the world. I don't pray that You should take them out of the world, but rather that You keep them from the evil one. Like Me, they are not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth! As You sent Me into the world, so I Am sending them into the world. For their sake, I consecrated Myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.' Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-25474436610942683572017-04-21T11:42:00.001-07:002017-04-21T11:46:29.252-07:00Jesus unveils the climax of history<b>Friday, April 21, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 118, 136; Dan 12:1-3, 13; Acts 4:1-12; Jn 16:1-15</b><br />
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Let us give thanks to YHWH, for He Is good. Let Israel, and Aaron's house, and all who fear the Lord together proclaim: 'His steadfast love endures for ever.' When in great distress, I called on God, He answered me and set me free. With YHWH on my side, I fear nothing; what could mortals do to me? I will look in triumph on those who hate me. There is no good in trusting creatures; lean on God alone! YHWH is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Hearken! There are glad songs of victory in the encampment of the righteous: 'The Right Hand of the Lord Is exalted; He does valiantly.' So I shall not die, but live and recount the deeds of my Lord. Open the gates of righteousness to me, that I may enter and give thanks to YHWH: I thank You that You have answered me. The Stone which the builders rejected has become the Head of the corner. This is YHWH's doing, marvelous in our eyes! This day is YHWH's; He has made it; let us then rejoice and be glad in His day! Blessed are all who enter into the name of YHWH; He alone Is God, and He has given us light. Let the festal procession advance to His altar, bearing branches. God, my God, I thank You! You Are my God, and I extol You. Let all give thanks to the Lord, for He Is good; His steadfast love endures for ever! Recount His deeds: He alone does great wonders; by understanding He made heavens and earth; He made the great lights--sun, moon and stars; He smote Egypt's firstborn and brought the house of Israel out from bondage; He divided the Red Sea before them, and led Israel through but overthrew Pharaoh and his host. He led His people through the wilderness; He struck down great kings, among them Og and Sihon, before His people, and gave the lands they had possessed as a heritage to His servants, the people of Israel. He remembered His own in their low estate and rescued us from all our foes. He feeds all humanity. So give thanks to the God of heaven, for His steadfast love endures for ever.<br />
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Daniel prophesies: 'Michael, the great prince who is given charge of God's people Israel, will arise, amid a time of trouble unprecedented. Everyone whose name is recorded in God's book of life will be delivered. Many who sleep in the dust of earth shall be awakened--some to shame and contempt, others to joy and life eternal. The wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars, for ever and ever. For now, go your way till the end, when you may rest; be assured that you will stand in your allotted place at the end of days.'<br />
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As Peter and John conferred with the crowd at the Temple, their antagonists--priests, temple guards and Sadducees--came against them, arrested them, and took them into overnight custody. The next morning, the Jewish authorities--rulers, elders, scribes, and the high priestly family, including Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, interrogated the apostles: 'By what power and name did you heal this once-crippled man?' Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered: 'Rulers of the people and elders: if we are being examined today concerning the good deed, the healing of a crippled man, let you all know this. This man stands whole before you by the Name of Jesus the Messiah of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, but Whom God raise from the dead. He Is the Stone Whom you builders rejected, but Who has become the Head of the corner. There is salvation in no one else; there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.'<br />
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During the last night before His crucifixion, Jesus addressed His closest disciples in the upper room: 'I have told you many things, so that you will not fall away. The authorities surely will put you out of the synagogues. The hour is coming, in fact, that anyone who kills you will think he is serving God in doing so. They have not known the Father, nor Me. But I said these things to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you this was coming. I didn't say all this to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to Him Who sent Me. For this reason, your hearts are filled with sorrow--but I tell you this: it is to your advantage that I go away. Otherwise, the Counselor would not come to you. But since I Am going, I will send Him to you, and He will convince the world concerning sin, and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin because they do not believe in Me [sin is idolatry, putting anything in God's rightful place]; concerning righteousness because I go to the Father and you will see Me no more [I have descended, and will descend to the lowest place, and then the Father will exalt Me to His right hand]; and concerning judgment because the ruler of this world is judged [Sin and the satan think they are killing me, but in sending me to the cross, the powers of evil are signing their own death warrant and surrendering to God's victory]. I have much more to tell you, but you could neither understand nor bear more truth at this time. [Wait, then, for the Spirit Whom I will send to you!]'<br />
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<br />Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-40183234082636495462017-04-21T09:30:00.000-07:002017-04-21T09:30:12.962-07:00Bearing fruit in God's Kingdom<b>Wednesday, April 19, 2017 Devotions: Ps 97, 99, 115; Mic 7:7-15; Acts 3:1-10; Jn 15:1-11</b><br />
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YHWH reigns! Let the earth rejoice and the coastlands be glad. He Is surrounded by clouds and thick darkness; His throne rests on righteousness and justice. Fire goes before Him and consumes His adversaries. His lightnings illumine the world; earth sees and trembles. Mountains melt like wax before YHWH, Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all peoples behold His glory. All are put to shame, who boast in worthless idols; all 'gods' bow before Him. Zion hears and rejoices; the daughters of Judah are glad, because of Your judgments, O God! You, YHWH, Are most high over all the earth, exalted far above all 'gods'. YHWH loves those who hate evil; He preserves the lives of His saints, delivering them from the hands of the wicked. Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. You righteous ones, rejoice in YHWH, and give thanks to His holy Name! <br />
YHWH reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! YHWH Is great in Zion; exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and terrible Name. Holy Is He! Mighty King, lover of justice, You have established equity and have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Let us extol YHWH our God; worship at His footstool. Holy Is He! Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel, too. They cried to YHWH and He answered them, speaking in the pillar of cloud; they kept His testimonies and the statutes He gave them. O YHWH our God, You did answer them; You were a forgiving God to them, and Avenger of their wrongdoings. Let us extol YHWH our God, and worship at His holy mountain: for YHWH our God Is holy! <br />
YHWH, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and faithfulness! Why should the nations ask, 'Where is their God?' Our God Is in the heavens; He does whatever pleases Him. Their idols are silver and gold, human workmanship. They have mouths, but<br />
cannot speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but cannot hear; noses, but no sense of smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but cannot walk. They make no sound in their throats. Those who make these idols are like them, and so also are all who trust in them. O Israel: trust in YHWH! He Is our Help and Shield. House of Aaron: trust in YHWH, your Help and Shield! All who fear YHWH, trust in Him, our Help and Shield. YHWH has been mindful of us; He will bless us--and Israel--and the house of Aaron--and all who fear Him, small and great alike. May YHWH give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by YHWH, Who made heaven and earth! The heavens remain His heavens; but He has given the earth to the sons of mortal humans. The dead do not, cannot, praise YHWH, nor can any who go down into silence. But we will bless YHWH now and forever. Praise YHWH!<br />
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Rather than trusting any other, I will look to YHWH; I will wait for the God of my salvation, Who will surely hear me. Enemies, don't rejoice over me: for when I fall, I will rise; when I sit in darkness, YHWH will be Light to me. I will bear the indignation of YHWH because I have sinned against Him, until He is pleased to plead my cause and execute judgment for me. He will bring me forth into light, and I shall behold His deliverance. Then my enemies will see; shame will cover her who said, 'Where is YHWH your God?' My eyes will gloat over her, and she will be trodden down, like mire in the streets. God brings a day for raising up walls--a day for extending boundaries. And God's people will stream in from Assyria and Egypt and the River, from sea to sea and mountain to mountain. The earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their doings. Shepherd Your people with Your staff, the flock of Your inheritance, who dwell alone in the forest amid a garden land; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in olden days. Just as in the Exodus from Egypt, I will show them marvelous things!<br />
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Peter and John were going to the Jerusalem Temple at 3 PM, 'the hour of prayer.' Near the Beautiful Gate (the eastern gate, from which God was said to come to His temple), they encountered a man crippled from birth, whose custom was to beg alms at this location. Peter noticed the man, and said to him, 'Look at us!' The man fixed his attention on the apostles, hoping for a contribution; he got something much greater: 'I have no silver or gold,' Peter told him, 'but what I have I give you: in the Name of Jesus the Messiah from Nazareth, walk.' Peter took the man's right hand and raised him up; immediately, his feet and ankles became sound and strong. Leaping up, the man stood, walked, and accompanied Peter and John into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. The people around them witnessed all this; and recognizing him as the former cripple who habitually begged at the Beautiful Gate, they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. [This miracle drew a crowd, to whom Peter soon preached, following which he and John were arrested by the temple police at the behest of the Sadducees.]<br />
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Jesus shared these things with His inner circle in the Upper Room on the night before His crucifixion:<br />
'I Am the true Vine; My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch of Mine that bears no fruit, He takes away; and every fruitful branch He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you. Now: abide in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine, neither can you be fruitful apart from abiding in Me. Those people not abiding in Me are cast forth and wither; they will be gathered and thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you will, and it will be given you. It is to My Father's glory that you bear much fruit, thus revealing yourselves as My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; now abide in My love. You do this by keeping My commandments, as I have kept the Father's commandments and abide in His love. I have said these things to you, so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.' <br />
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<br />Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-57228427290735379422017-04-20T14:53:00.001-07:002017-04-20T14:53:09.296-07:00Praise, prophesy, persevere<b>Thursday, April 20, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 146-49; Ezek 37:1-14; Acts 3:11-26; Jn 15:12-27</b><br />
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Praise the Lord, my soul; I will praise YHWH as long as I live. No reason to trust eminent mortals; there is no help there. Happy are they, rather, whose Help is from the God of Jacob, YHWH our God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them. He keeps faith for ever; He executes justice for the oppressed and feeds the hungry. YHWH sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up those who are downcast. He watches over sojourners, sustains widows and orphans. And He brings to ruin the ways of the wicked. YHWH will reign to all generations. Praise the Lord!<br />
It is good to praise our God; He Is gracious, and songs praising Him are in order. YHWH builds up Jerusalem. He heals the brokenhearted; He binds up their wounds. He numbers the stars and names them all. Great is our Lord, abundant in power; His understanding is beyond reckoning. He lifts up the downtrodden, and casts to earth the wicked. Sing to YHWH with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on stringed instruments! He covers the heavens with clouds; He prepares rain for the earth and makes grass grow on the hillsides. He feeds the wild things--the beasts and birds receive from His bounty. Our God does not delight in animal strength; He is pleased by those who fear Him, and who hope in His steadfast love. Let Jerusalem praise YHWH; praise your God, Zion! He sustains your gates and boundaries; He blesses your children among you. He brings peace to your borders; He fills you with the finest wheat. He oversees everything that happens on the earth; His word runs swiftly! He ordains snow showers and ice storms. and He thaws and melts the snow and ice. He causes winds to blow and waters to flow. He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and ordinances to Israel. He does this with no other nation or people. Let us praise YHWH!<br />
Praise Him, then, in heaven and on earth's prominences. Let all angels and all His host praise God. Praise Him, sun and moon, all you shining stars! Let all creation praise the name of the Lord.<br />
For by His command they all were created; He has established His creation for ever. Sea monsters, ocean deeps, fire and hail, snow and sleet, frost and winds of storm--praise and obey our God! Kings of the earth, and all peoples, princes, and every magistrate and ruler on earth; youth and aged, maids and men--let all praise our God. His name alone is exalted; His glory is over all the worlds. He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints, the people nearest to God.<br />
Praise the Lord; sing to Him a new song. Praise Him in the assembly of the faithful. Let all He favors rejoice in our King, praising His name with dancing, making melody to Him with every instrument. For YHWH takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with victory. Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy from their couches and beds. Let God's high praises fill our throats; let us lift up the sword of the Spirit to bring God's will to pass among the nations. Christ's victory has put the idols and ungodly rulers in eternal bondage; He has executed judgment to free His people to do His service. This is glory for all His faithful ones! Praise the Lord! <br />
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God brought the prophet Ezekiel out from Jerusalem; by the Spirit, God put the prophet in the center of a valley filled with human bones, very dry. God asked Ezekiel, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' Ezekiel replied that only God knew that answer. So God said to him, 'Prophesy to these bones: "Dry bones, hear God's word: See, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with new skin, and put <i>ruach</i> within you, and you shall live; and you shall now that I Am YHWH.' Ezekiel did as he was told, and the bones were enfleshed and inspired, 'and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedinglyly great host.' God told the prophet: these are the whole house of Israel. You will know that I Am YHWH when I open your graves and raise you, my people, in resurrection life. Then I will place you in your own land, and you will know Me and know that I have done what I have promised. This is the Lord's word.<br />
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Peter and John had encountered a paralyzed beggar, lame from birth, and in Jesus' name, he had been healed. The man leaped up, walked, and entered the Temple with the apostles--he who had previously been both unable to enter and barred from admittance. Everyone nearby witnessed all this, and they were filled with wonder and amazement. Peter addressed the crowd drawn by this spectacle: 'Men of Israel, why stare in wonder or think that we made this man walk by our own power or piety? No: this is the doing of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, Who glorified His Servant Jesus, Whom you delivered up and denied to Pilate, even when the procurator had decided to release Him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked instead for a murderer to be released as a boon to you. You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. And we are witnesses to all this. But the name of Jesus, by faith in His name, this man was made whole and strong, whom you all see and know. The faith that is through Jesus has given this man perfect health in the very presence of you all. I know that you and your rulers acted in ignorance. But God fulfilled what He foretold by all His prophets: that His Messiah should suffer. Now therefore, repent; turn in a new way, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah appointed for you, namely Jesus, Whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets. Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren, as He raised me up. Listen to him; do what He tells you. Know that every soul who does not listen to that prophet will be destroyed from among the people.' All God's prophets, from Samuel on, said the same things. You are the descendants of the prophets, members of the covenant that God gave to your forbears, as He said to Abraham, 'And in your posterity shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' When God raised up His Servant, He sent Him first to you, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness.' <br />
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On His last night with the apostles prior to His crucifixion, Jesus gave them these words: 'This is My commandment: love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are My friends, if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, for I have made known to you everything I heard from My Father. You did not choose Me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear good fruit, that will abide. Therefore, whatever you ask in My name, He may give it to you. Again: love one another. Know this: if the world hates you, it hated Me first. The world would love you if you belonged to the world; but I chose you out of the world--and therefore, the world hates you. A servant is not greater than his master; if some persecuted Me, they will persecute you; and if some kept My word, they will keep yours also. All this is done to My account, because they don't know the One Who sent Me. They would have no sin if I had not come and spoken to them; but now, they have no excuse for their sin. If I had not done in their midst the works no one else did or could do, they would not have sin; but now, they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. This actually fulfills what is written in their law: 'They hated me without cause.' But with the Paraclete comes, Whom I shall send you from the Father, namely the Spirit of truth, Who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness to Me, and you also are witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning.' <br />
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<br />Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-84516211444022347322017-03-29T14:45:00.002-07:002017-03-29T14:45:37.720-07:00Believe. Turn. Live. Unto Jesus!Wednesday, March 29, 2017<br />
Devotions: Ps 101, 109, 119:121-44; Jer 18:1-11; Rom 8:1-11; Jn 6:27-40<br />
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I will sing to You, YHWH, of loyalty and justice. I will heed the way that is blameless--when will You come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my dwelling; I will not set before my eyes what is base. This is a challenge I have faced for many years, Lord! I hate the deeds of those who fall away; set perversity of heart far from me. I will know nothing of what is evil! I will look favorably on those who are faithful; I will separate myself from deceit and lying, and those who practice these sins. Let God not be silent; let those who hate me be set aside by His power and grace. Father, keep me from joining in unkindness and cursing. Let God's steadfast love abide with me and keep me from harm. My heart is stricken, Lord; spare me this agony! Save me according to Your steadfast love, and put my accusers to shame, since Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. I will praise God with my voice, in the midst of His people. God stands by the needy and save us from those who would condemn us to death. Do not let the godless oppress me; teach me Your statutes; give me understanding that I may know Your testimonies. I love Your commands above all else, and seek to direct my steps according to Your precepts. Unfolding Your words brings light and understanding--the very things I long for! Keep my steps steady, Lord; let no iniquity dominate me. Make Your face shine on me, righteous Lord, and give me understanding, that I may live!<br />
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YHWH sent Jeremiah to the potter's house, where the craftsman was working at his wheel. YHWH said, 'Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does with the clay? I am Master; I can pluck up or cast down, build or destroy any nation, as he does with his handiwork. Return from your evil ways and your ungodly activities!' <br />
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As God has delivered me through the Messiah's faithful sacrifice, there is now no condemnation, since I am found in Jesus. The law of the Spirit of life in the Messiah Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. The law, weakened by the flesh failed; but God has done what the law could not. We walk by the Spirit, setting our minds on the things of the Spirit. That is life and peace. Fleshy minds are hostile to God, and neither can nor will submit to God's law. As the redeemed, we are in the Spirit, Who dwells in us. And all in whom Christ lives have died to sin and death, and are alive because of His righteousness. And God, Who raised the Messiah Jesus from death, will give eternal life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit Who indwells us!<br />
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Jesus told His disciples: don't labor for perishable food; seek food that endures to eternal life--provided by the eternal Son, on Whom God the Father has set His seal: believe on Him Whom God has sent. I Am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me will not hunger; those who believe in Me will never thirst. All whom the Father gives Me will come to me, and I will never cast one out. I came from heaven to do His will Who sent Me: that I should lose nothing and no one He has entrusted to My care--all this I will raise up at the last day. My Father's will is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life; Belieand I will raise them up at the last day. Amen! <br />
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<br />Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-40748245588833020722017-03-10T12:26:00.000-08:002017-03-10T12:26:03.977-08:00Life! In Christ!Friday, March 10 - Devotions: Ps 40, 51, 54, 95; Deut 10:12-22; Heb 4:11-16; Jn 3:22-36<br />
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Mired in a desolate pit, I waited patiently for YHWH, and He drew me up and set me on a rock. He put a new song of praise to God in my mouth! Blessed are all who put their trust in YHWH, and who shun false mortals and false deities. Lord, You have multiplied wondrous deeds and marvelous thoughts to us. You help me to listen carefully; I delight to do Your will; You have written your word in my heart. In the great congregation I will share the good news of God's deliverance, telling of Your faithfulness and steadfast love, which preserve me. I am a sinner, but You have blessed me; bring to shame and confusion all who oppose you, all who seek me destroy me. Hasten, Lord, my Help and Deliverer! Wash me thoroughly; cleanse me from all sin. I know that You desire truth in our innermost being; teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me; fill me with joy; hide Your face from my iniquities; blot out my sins, dear Lord! Create in me a clean heart, a new and upright spirit; restore to me the joy of my salvation; open my lips that I may shout Your praise--the only sacrifice that I can make that is acceptable before You, Holy Lord. Vindicate me; hear my prayers; I leave my enemies to Your judgment and justice. I give thanks to Your name which alone is good, and turn from all enemies. Let all God's people make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation! Our YHWH is a great God, the great high King above all gods. He holds nature in His hand; all is His; and He made all that exists. Let us worship and bow down, kneeling before YHWH our Maker; we are His flock.<br />
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Moses declaimed: 'What does YHWH your God require: fear God; walk in all His ways; love and serve Him with all your heart and soul, and keep His good commandments. He made and owns everything, yet He has chosen you before all peoples. So: circumcise your hearts; slough off your stubbornness and rebellion! Our God is the only One, and He Is entirely just and impartial. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, for the alien and refugee. Love the sojourners as God has loved us; serve Him, cleave to Him, swear only by His name! He Is our Praise, and He has preserved and multiplied us, to His glory! <br />
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Let us strive to enter His rest! God's word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword; it penetrates to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. All creatures are laid bare, entirely transparent before our God! And we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens--namely, Jesus, God's Son--let us hold fast our confession. He has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet He is without sin! Therefore, let us with confidence draw near the throne of grace, to receive mercy and the grace we need. <br />
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Jesus and His disciples traveled into Judea, where they were baptizing. Some of John the Baptizer's followers got into a dispute with a Jew, concerning purification. The parties appealed to John, saying that Jesus, the One John had affirmed, was now baptizing more than John himself. John replied, 'No one can receive anything except what heaven provides. You heard me testify: I am not the Messiah, but was sent before Him. The bride belongs to the groom, and the groom's friend rejoices at His voice and at the approaching marriage. This joy is mine, and now is full. Jesus comes from above, and testifies to matters no earth-dweller can know--He demonstrates that God Is true. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. All who believe in the Son have eternal life, while any who disobey the Son shall not see life; instead, God's wrath rests upon them. Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-84306033980379984592017-03-02T07:38:00.003-08:002017-03-02T07:38:46.749-08:00God's covenant faithfully embodied in Jesus the MessiahThursday, March 2, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 37; Deut 7:6-11; Tit 1:1-16; Jn 1:29-34<br />
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Don't fret or envy wicked evildoers: soon they will fade and wither. Trust in YHWH and do good; that is the path to security. Delight in God and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, and He will vindicate you like the rising of the dawn light; your righteousness will shine like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord; wait upon Him with patience--again, don't fret or worry over the wicked. Refrain from anger; forsake wrath; fretfulness leads only to evil. God will cut off the wicked, while those who wait upon Him, God will put over His creation. In a short time, the wicked will be no more and the meek will possess the land and delight themselves in abundant prosperity. While the wicked are plotting against the righteous, God is holding the wicked in derision--God knows, and now you do too, that a day of judgment is coming for the wicked. Their plots and weapons will be turned upon them. So: better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked! God upholds the righteous; He breaks the arms of the wicked. They will vanish away like smoke. The wicked borrows and cannot repay; the righteous gives generously, and is generously supplied and protected. Mortals' steps are from the Lord; He establishes them in whose way God delights. I was young, and now I'm old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Righteous people give liberally, and God provides for them and their children. Depart from evil, then; do good, and abide forever, by God's grace and favor. Seek God; immerse yourself in His word; then you will not slip or depart from His level way. Wait upon the Lord; He will exalt you. Mark not the wicked; they will disappear; rather, mark the blameless ones and behold the upright. There is a future for people of peace! God is our refuge in trouble and He Is our salvation, because we take refuge in Him. <br />
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Moses told the people of Israel: You are a people holy to YHWH your God. He chose you from among all the peoples of the earth to be His own--not because of your numbers or virtues--rather, because of His great and sovereign love. He has redeemed you; and your God keeps His covenant; His love is steadfast and immovable. He destroys His enemies. So keep His commands, statutes and ordinances!<br />
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Paul wrote to Titus: as God's servant and apostle of Jesus the Messiah, I seek to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of truth, which accords with godliness. God never lies, and so we have firm hope of eternal life--already manifested in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Messiah Jesus--and this saving gospel we now share as God our Savior commands: Grace and peace from God the Father and from the Messiah Jesus our savior. Titus, I left you in Crete to appoint elders in every town: men of one woman, whose children are believers, never profligate or insubordinate, not arrogant or quick tempered, not drunken, violent or greedy. God's bishops, God's stewards and vicars, must be hospitable, lovers of goodness, self-controlled, holding firm the sure word as taught, and so capable of instruction in sound doctrine and in confuting unsound teaching. May are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers: these upset whole families, and must be silenced. They have no right to teach in God's name. Rebuke them sharply, that they may become sound in the faith. Their very mnis and consciences are corrupted. They profess to know God, but deny Him by their deeds--detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good deed.<br />
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John the Baptizer had testified that God's Messiah, 'whose sandal I am not worthy to untie,' already stood amid the crowds around him. The very next day, John saw Jesus approaching and spoke: 'Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world! This Is He of Whom I said, "After me comes a Man Who ranks before me, for He Was before me." I myself did not know Him; but for this reason I came baptizing with water: that He might be revealed to Israel. I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and the Spirit remained on Him. I myself did not know Him, but the One Who sent me to baptize with wather said to me, "He on Whom you see the Spirit descend and remain--this Is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." And I have seen and have borne witness that this Is the Son of God.' Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1259317521058724802.post-89873112717327033082017-02-21T08:02:00.001-08:002017-02-21T08:02:31.219-08:00Faithful God's sovereign love sets us free foreverTuesday, February 21, 2017 - Devotions: Ps 121-126; Prov 4:1-27; 1Jn 4:7-21; Jn 11:30-44<div>
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I raise my gaze to the hills: where will my help come from? It comes from YHWH, creator of heaven and earth. He never sleeps, and He will keep me from stumbling or being pushed around. YHWH is my Keeper; He shades me from the hot sun, protects me in the moonlit night. He keeps me from all evil and sustains my life. YHWH watches over my going forth and returning home, for ever. So I am thrilled when it's time to go to God's house for worship. I was blessed to visit the Holy City, Jerusalem, to which the nations make aliyah, going up in pilgrimage. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Lord, and of all the holy land; indeed, Jesus, You have made all the earth holy ground, the kingdom of our God. Let there be peace on earth and with those who please our God. I turn to You, Lord, for succor and for strength. Have mercy on us and free us from the contempt of the proud and wicked. If You had not sustained us, the hostility of evil men and evil spirits would have swallowed us alive. Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us up to enemies. He has broken the snare and set us free! Those who trust in Him are like Mount Zion--immovable, abiding forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so YHWH is round about His people. Let there be peace for the Israel of God. When God acts to deliver us, we are enraptured--laughter fills our mouths, and we shout for joy. YHWH has done great things for us; we are restored, as streams restore the Negev. May all who sow with tears, reap with shouts of joy! We go out in tears to sow; we return home with the harvest, proclaiming the praise of our God.</div>
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Listen to the wisdom of our elders; obey the commandments of our God. Pursue wisdom; get insight--for Wisdom will guard you and exalt you, crowning your life and work with beauty. Follow in the paths of righteousness; hold onto godly instruction. Shun the paths of the wicked; turn away and move on with the Lord and His people. Evildoers cannot rest; they cannot sleep apart from doing wicked things. They devour wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like dawn, shining ever brighter till noonday, while the way of the wicked is in deep darkness--there is no telling what will cause them to stumble. Hold fast, dear ones, to wisdom; hide these words in your heart; they are life and healing for anyone who does this. Keep your heart with all vigilance, Separate yourself from deception and lying. Look forward; look up. Do not swerve right or left; the Way is straight and narrow; the ditches are wide and treacherous. Turn from evil; hold fast to wisdom, and do what is good.</div>
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Let us love one another; love is of God, and by loving we are born of God and know God. His love is manifest in the advent of His Son, and we may live through Him. Love is God's expiation for our sins through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. And if God loves us so, we also must love one another. If we do, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. We can know this because God the Holy Spirit is in us. The eternal Father sent His Son as Savior of the world. God abides in all who confess that Jesus is the Son of God; and this perfects love in us, swo that we may have confidence for the Day of judgment--as He Is, so we are in this world. Perfect love casts out all fear, for fear springs from punishment, and anyone who fears is not perfected in love. We love because God first loved us; and we must love our brothers and sisters, whom we can see--if not, we lie when we claim to love God. This is His command: that all should love God, and all should love our brothers and sisters also.</div>
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Jesus had waited several days after receiving news that Lazarus of Bethany was dying. Then, He made His way to visit that household. Martha hurried out to meet Jesus, and He affirmed to Her: 'I Am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me, even if they die, will live--and never be separated from Me in death.' Then Jesus called for Mary and she hurried out to meet Him. She fell at His feet and said, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' Seeing her tears and the grief of other mourners, Jesus was deeply moved and stirred in His Spirit. He asked where they had laid Lazarus; they said, 'Come and see, Lord.' And Jesus wept. The Jews were divided--some touched by His grief; others miffed that Jesus had not prevented Lazarus' death. Jesus came to the tomb and directed that the stone sealing its opening should be moved aside. Martha remonstrated--her brother had been in the grave four days, and she expected a foul odor. But Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that ifyou would believe, you would see the glory of God?' So they rolled away the stone, and Jesus lifted His eyesw and said, 'Father, I thank You have heard Me. I now that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of bystanders, that they may believe that You have sent Mer.' Then, Jesus cried aloud, 'Lazarus! Come forth!' And the man came out of the cave, hands and feet still bound with bandages and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus directed those standing by, 'Unbind him, and let him go.' </div>
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Dr. Will Henselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334847837217343333noreply@blogger.com0