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 in the archives, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog.
Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27, 2009
Devotions: Ps 131-34; 141-143:11; Zeph 3:1-13; Isa 24:14-23; 1 Pet 2:11-24; 3:13-4:6; Mt 20:1-28
Lord, I’m keeping a low profile. I have stilled my soul like a weaned child next to its mother; I wait hopefully for God’s favor. I know God has kept His promises to David—through sending Jesus the Messiah in David’s line. God doesn’t turn away from those He has chosen. It is wonderful to live in unity with those adopted into God’s family. Let us who serve Him lift our hands and praise our God! Lord, set a guard over my mouth; I don’t want to sin by my speech; let God or God’s people rebuke me, to set me right. Keep my heart from inclining to evil, my God; I keep my attention focused on God, my Lord. I walk along this hard path, constantly attacked by enemies. Let God deliver me; may my Lord hear my supplications and answer as pleases Him! I muse on all that God has done, and I pray to hear again today that God has visited His people; Lord set me on the right path and lead me by Your Spirit. I am Your servant!
Woe to all who offend our Holy God! Let us wait upon God’s Day, His judgments and His blessings. God will deliver us from shame and oppression. Let us shout aloud in His praise; let us rejoice and exult with all our hearts. God will let us live in peace.
From every side, we sing God’s praise: ‘glory to the Righteous One!’ Let terror come on God’s enemies. He will feast His own; God has swallowed up death forever. We have waited on Him and He is saving us; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation. His hand rests upon His own, and He will deliver us.
Let us abstain from the fleshly passions that war against our souls! Sustain good conduct among us, so that we won’t cause the Gentiles to misunderstand God! For God’s sake, let us submit to every human institution. God wills that we should silence the ignorance of godless fools by doing what is right. We are free, and will live as servants of the holy God, honoring all men, loving the family of believers, fearing God, and honoring earthly masters. Let Christians who serve be submissive and respectful; God credits us when we suffer wrongly; this is part of our calling: the Messiah suffered for us; let us follow His example. He did not revile those who slandered Him; He entrusted judgment to He Who judges rightly. By His wounds, we are healed. We are under the care of our Shepherd and Guardian! Trust Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to explain to anyone why we have hope—and to do this with reverence and gentleness. Let us keep our consciences clear, so that those who seek to revile us will be put to shame. The Messiah died for sins, once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God; He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit—by Whom He preached to the spirits in prison. All have power to be reborn through the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, Who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him. Let us suffer in a holy manner, letting go of sin, and live henceforth by God’s will. Let the past suffice for doing what the Gentiles like to do—licentiousness, passion, drunkenness, reveling, carousing, and lawless idolatry. All must give account presently to the Holy Judge. That is why the gospel has been presented to everyone, including those who were dead before Jesus came among us—that all might be judged for life in the flesh, but all might live in the spirit, like God!
Jesus illustrated God’s kingdom with this story: ‘A householder went out early in the morning and hired some workers for his vineyard; he agreed with them to a day wage of one denarius, and put the selected laborers to work. He did the same thing around 9 AM, and again at noon, 3 PM, and 5 PM. When evening came, the owner had his steward pay the workers, starting with the last group hired, and working up to those hired earliest. Everyone got the same pay: one denarius, though some had worked one hour, and others had put in a full 12 hours in the vineyard. The latter complained, but the owner stood fast: ‘I kept my agreement with you. Do you begrudge my generosity in paying my money to those who worked shorter periods?’ Jesus concluded: ‘So the last will be first, and the first last’ in God’s kingdom. Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and He told His twelve closest disciples, ‘Look: we’re going up to Jerusalem; there, the Son of man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes; they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to be mocked, scourged, and crucified. And He will be raised on the third day.’ Zebedee’s wife, the mother of James and John, came and petitioned Jesus: ‘Command that these two sons of mine may sit at Your left and right when You come into Your kingdom.’ Jesus answered, ‘You don’t know what you’re asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am to drink?’ They said they were able, and Jesus responded, ‘You will drink My cup, then. But it isn’t Mine to decide who sits beside Me; that is determined by My Father.’ The other ten apostles were indignant when they learned about the petition of Zebedee’s wife and sons, but Jesus called them to Himself and told them, ‘You know that Gentile rulers lord it over their people. But that’s not the way it works with Me: whoever would be great among you must be your servant; and whoever wants to be first must be slave to everyone! Even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.’
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