The Lord is risen indeed!

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, in the archives, where I introduce myself and the blog.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Devotions: Ps 12-14; 119:1-24; 1 Sam 16:1-13; Acts 10:1-16; Lk 24:13-35

I cry to God for help; there’s no other source on earth. We live in a time of deceivers; YHWH, cut off flatterers; destroy the double-hearted. Give me the safety only You can provide, while the wicked prowl on every side and humanity exalts vileness. I will trust in Your steadfast love; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to YHWH, because He has been kind and generous to me. Fools deny God’s existence; God looks for humans who acknowledge and obey Him. Ignorance is not a defense or excuse; God will judge all humankind. Let deliverance come to us from God our Master. Blessed are those who walk in God’s ways, who study and memorize and meditate on His word. Let me grow more steadfast, wise and obedient, my Lord! I will praise You with all my heart. I can keep my way pure by living in accord with Your word; keep me near; let me not wander from Your commands. I have memorized and recited Your word, that I might not sin against You! Deal bountifully with me, Your servant; I long for You and I delight in You and in your commandments. Your testimonies are my delight, my teachers!

YHWH stirred up Samuel: ‘Don’t keep grieving over Saul! I have rejected him. Fill your horn with oil and I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem; My next king is chosen from among his sons. Take a heifer with you and say you are coming to sacrifice to Me. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I’ll guide you and show you whom to anoint.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded. He arranged the sacrifice and consecrated Jesse and his sons to attend. One by one, Samuel encountered the sons of Jesse, beginning with the eldest. But none of the first seven was YHWH’s choice. Samuel asked Jesse whether he had any other sons. ‘Only the youngest remains. He’s keeping my sheep.’ Samuel replied, ‘Send and bring him here; we won’t sit down till he arrives.’ So Jesse had David brought in from the fields. Though young, he was handsome, with beautiful eyes and a ruddy complexion. And YHWH told Samuel, ‘Arise, anoint him. This is the one I have chosen.’ So Samuel anointed David amid his brothers and before his father; and the Spirit of YHWH came mightily upon David from that day. Samuel arose and returned to Ramah.

As Peter continued his rounds, his next meeting was with Cornelius, a devout centurion of the Italian Cohort, stationed at Caesarea. He was generous with alms to the local people and constant in prayer to God. About 6 PM one day, Cornelius had a vision from God. God’s angel approached and addressed him by name. Cornelius was frightened, but answered, ‘What is it, Lord?’ The angel continued: ‘Your prayers and alms have been noted with favor by God. Now: send me to Joppa, and bring here a man named Simon, called Peter, who is lodging with the tanner Simon, whose house is near the sea.’ The angel departed, and Cornelius obeyed his instructions, sending two servants and a devout soldier under his command to Joppa to find and return with Simon Peter. The next day, God alerted Peter: about 3 PM, Peter climbed to the housetop in Joppa, to pray. He became hungry, and as he was preparing food, he fell into a trance and had a vision: heaven opened and something like a great sheet descended. In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles and birds. A voice spoke: ‘Rise, Peter! Kill and eat.’ Peter responded, ‘No Lord; for I have never eaten anything common or unclean.’ The Voice answered, ‘What God has cleansed, you must not call common!’ This sequence was repeated three times, and the thing was taken up and the vision completed.

After the women had returned from Jesus’ empty tomb, on the first Easter day, two of those present when they brought back their story about the angelic message that Jesus was risen were returning on foot to Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were discussing all that had happened, and as they walked and talked, Jesus Himself joined them along their way—but they were prevented from recognizing Him. He asked them what they were discussing. They stopped and looked sad. One of the two, named Cleopas, answered ‘Ar you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have been happening lately?’ Jesus said, ‘What things?’ They answered, ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers had Him crucified. We had hoped He would be the One to redeem Israel. This is now the third day since those events. Moreover, some women in our community amazed us. They were at Jesus’ tomb early this morning, and could not find His body! They came back saying they had seen a vision of angles, who told them He is alive. Some of our group went to the tomb; they found matters just as the women described, but they didn’t see Jesus.’ To all this, Jesus responded, ‘O foolish men and slow to take to heart all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into His glory?’ Then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to the all the scriptures that concerned Himself. In this way, they drew near Emmaus, and their companion appeared to be going further. But they invited Him, ‘Stay with us, for it is near evening; the day is now far spent.’ So He went with them. At their table, He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened; they recognized their companion as Jesus! And then He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Didn’t our hearts burn within us while He talked to us and opened the scriptures?’ They got up and hurried back to Jerusalem; they found the eleven apostles and the other Christians with them. The group told them, ‘The Lord has risen indeed! He has appeared to Simon!’ And the two from Emmaus told what had happened on the road, and how Jesus was known to them in the breaking of the bread. What a day!

Thursday, July 9, 2009
Devotions: Ps 18; 1 Sam 16:14-17:11; Acts 10:17-33; Lk 24:36-53

Lord, I love You: You are my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Stronghold, my Savior! Death had me in its snares, but God brought me forth. How mighty and awesome is the power and righteousness of my God! YHWH has blessed me as I trust Him; He lights my lamp and brightens my heart. With my God I can cope with every circumstance; His ways are perfect. He helps me scale heights; He prepares me for work, for war and for celebration. God has girded me with wisdom and strength—all my fruit comes from His provision. YHWH lives; let God be exalted!

The Holy Spirit left Saul when the king disobeyed God; and an evil spirit tormented him. His attendants suggested that they should find a musician with skill to soothe the king when the evil spirit troubled him. Someone suggested David, Jesse’s son, and the king sent and asked that Jesse send David to Saul. He came and entered the king’s service; David served as Saul’s armor-bearer. And David’s music refreshed the king, and relieved him of the evil spirit’s oppression. The Philistines invaded Judea, and Saul mustered Israel against them. The opposing armies faced one another across the Valley of Elah. A gigantic warrior, Goliath of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. Goliath stood nearly ten feet tall; his bronze armor weighed about 150 pounds, and his spear-head was 15 pounds of iron! Goliath defied Saul’s army, offering single combat to anyone, with the victor’s side taking the battle, and the losing side becoming servants to the victors. The challenge dismayed Saul and all Israel.

As Peter puzzled over the vision God sent, challenging his beliefs about dietary restrictions, the three men sent by Cornelius from Caesarea arrived and called for Simon Peter. The Holy Spirit prompted Peter: ‘Go down to these men, and go with them without hesitation; this mission is from Me.’ Peter obeyed; the messengers explained that their master, the centurion Cornelius was ‘an upright, God-fearing man well-regarded by the Jewish nation. He was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear all you have to say.’ Peter invited the messengers into the house as his guests. And the next day, he got up and went to Caesarea with them. Cornelius had gathered his household and friends, and welcomed Peter by falling at his feet in worship. Peter lifted him up, saying ‘Stand up. I’m just a man, like you.’ They came into the assembled group, and Peter addressed them. ‘You know it’s unlawful for a Jew to associate or visit with Gentiles. But God has shown me I should not call any man common or unclean. So I came immediately when I was summoned. Why did you send for me?’ Cornelius answered, ‘Four days ago, I was keeping the ninth hour in prayer in my house. A man stood before me, saying “Cornelius, your prayer has been answered and your alms remembered before God. So send to Joppa for Simon Peter in the house of Simon the tanner, near the seawall.” So I sent for you immediately; you were kind enough to come. So we are all here, in God’s sight, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.’

While the Christians were comparing notes about the resurrection of Jesus, and Cleopas and his companion from Emmaus were adding their news, Jesus Himself stood among them. They were startled and afraid, supposing they saw a spirit. But Jesus said, ‘Why so troubled? Why question in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; handle Me—I Am flesh and bones, not merely a spirit.’ Their disbelief was now from joy, not confusion or fear. Jesus said, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave Him a piece of boiled fish, and He ate it in front of them! Then, He spoke again. He reminded them that He had told them that He was fulfilling everything written about Him in scripture; He enabled them to understand, and said, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah should suffer and on the third day rise from death, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations. You have actually witnessed the fulfillment of these things. Now pay attention! I Am sending the Promise of My Father upon you. Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’ Then Jesus led them out to Bethany, lifted His hands and blessed them. And as He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. The disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple, blessing God.