Keep the testimony of Jesus

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.

Wednesday and Thursday, November 11 and 12, 2009
Devotions: Ps 81-83, 85, 86; Neh 7:73b-8:18; 1 Macc 1:1-28; Rev 18:21-19:10; Mt 15:29-16:12

Let us sing aloud in praise of our God; He has relieved me of great burdens; He has tested me in times of crisis; He is a jealous God and wants no rivals. His people have been fickle and disobedient. If we would simply be faithful, God would subdue and defeat our enemies, while we would prosper, satisfied with honey from the rock! God is sovereign over all spiritual beings, Judge of all sentient ones in heaven and on earth. Evil ones plot against God and His people, but He will defeat them all. Let God be revenged on His enemies, that they may know for certain that YHWH is Most High over all. God has favored His people in their land. YHWH, restore us in Your salvation; revive us, Lord. Speak peace over Your people, Father. Let our faithfulness meet God’s righteousness and power. Gladden the soul of Your servant, my God; You are good and forgiving. Answer me today; teach me Your way; make me wholehearted in my faith and obedience to God, and I will glorify Your name forever.

On the day of convocation, the First of Tishri in autumn, Ezra brought the Law of Moses before the assembled people. They stood in reverence as Ezra read from it from early morning to mid-day. Other leaders helped interpret the Law to the people: it was written in Hebrew and explained in the vernacular Aramaic. Nehemiah and Ezra led the people in repentance; and they told the people not to weep on this day of celebration. They comforted the people, and sent them to feast and celebrate, ‘because they had understood the words declared to them.’ On the second day of Tishri, the elders of the people, including heads of households, gathered with Ezra to study the words of Torah. They came across the commands directing the practices of Succoth. Accordingly, the people went into the countryside and brought tree branches and constructed booths and the people lived in these. They kept the feast for seven days, with great rejoicing, and on the eighth day held a solemn assembly, all in accordance with the Torah of God recorded by Moses.

After the conquests led by Alexander of Macedon, he fell sick and died, after dividing his empire among his most trusted officers. From these arose an evil king, Antiochus IV who named himself Epiphanes (‘God manifest’), who took his throne in 175 BC. Lawless men came out from Israel, proposing that the Jews covenant with the Gentiles, and Antiochus enforced this movement. They built a gymnasium in Jerusalem and exercised naked there; some sought to have the marks of their circumcisions removed—abandoning the covenant with YHWH; they joined with the Gentiles in wickedness. Antiochus invaded Egypt and defeated Ptolemy, and he plundered Egypt.

In John’s vision, .a mighty angel cast something like a huge millstone into the sea, and declared ‘So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and shall utterly disappear—no more sounds of revelry, no more the plying of crafts and trades, no more industry, no more light and celebration, no more weddings and feasts. For all this wealth was founded on the blood of the prophets and saints of God, all those slain to fuel the lust of godless commerce.’ A multitude in heaven cried out: ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory belong to our God; His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and avenged on her the blood of His servants. Hallelujah! The smoke of her destruction rises for ever!’ The 24 elders and four living creatures fell before the throne and worshiped God, saying ‘Amen! Hallelujah!’ A voice from the throne responded, ‘Praise our God, all His servants who fear Him, great and small.’ And the multitude spoke like many waters and many thunderclaps: ‘Hallelujan! The Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him glory; the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has readied herself; God is pleased to clothe her in fine linen, bright and pure.’ The linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to John: ‘Write this: Blessed are those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And the angel said to John, ‘These are God’s true words.’ John fell a the angel’s feet to worship him, but he said, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and those who testify for Jesus. Worship God!’ The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Jesus passed along the shores of the sea of Galilee and sat on a mountain there. Great crowds came to Him, bringing their sick, and Jesus healed them. At last, Jesus called His disciples and said, ‘I have compassion on this crowd; they have been with me for three days without food; I don’t want to send them away like this, lest they faint on the way.’ The disciples asked Jesus where they could get food for the crowds, since the place was desolate. Jesus asked what they had with them: seven loaves and a few small fish. So He took these, gave thanks, divided the loaves and fish, and had the disciples serve the crowd. Four thousand men, plus women and children, were fed, and the disciples took up seven basketfuls of leftovers when all had been satisfied. Jesus dismissed the crowds, got into the boat, and sailed to the region of Magadan. Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, asking for a heavenly sign from Him. He answered, ‘When you see a red sky at evening, you predict fair weather; and a red sky in the morning foretells storms. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, yet you cannot interpret the signs of the times you live in! An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign; all you’ll get is the sign of Jonah!’ And He departed from them and left. On the other side of the lake, Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’ They had forgotten to bring bread with them, so they thought He must be referring to their lack of bread for the journey. Aware of this, Jesus addressed them further: ‘Men of little faith—why do you discuss this lack of bread? Don’t you remember the five loaves to feed five thousand, with many basketfuls of leftovers, and the seven loaves to feed four thousand, and many basketfuls of leftovers again? I did not speak about bread: beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’ At last, they understood that Jesus was warning them against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.