Live by obeying God

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, December 10, 2009
Devotions: Ps 37; Amos 9:1-10; Rev 2:8-17; Mt 23:13-26

Don’t worry about the wicked; they’ll fade like grass. Trust in YHWH and do your best; live under God’s sovereignty; delight in YHWH and He will give you the desires of your heart! Commit your way to YHWH; trust Him and He will shine your vindication forth, your justification like the noonday sun! Wait patiently upon God; refrain from anger and forsake wrath. Leave the wicked to God. Soon they’ll disappear, and the meek will possess the land and prosper, by God’s grace. The wicked rage against the godly, but God is their Antagonist, and He laughs at them in derision; He knows their judgment and fall are inevitable. And God insures the eternal life and blessing of those who take refuge in Him.

Amos sees God standing beside the altar; God says, ‘Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake; shatter them on the heads of all the people; those that survive, I will slay with the sword: no one will escape! No flight can evade My judgment; I will search them out and put them to death!’ YHWH, God of hosts, commands the earth and heavens; YHWH is His name! He brought Israel out from Egypt; but the Philistines and the Syrians are also His creatures. The holy Lord God will destroy the sinful nation.

Jesus’ messages to the Asian churches continue: ‘Write to the angel of the church at Smyrna: These are words of the First and Last, Who died and came to life: I know your tribulation and poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who claim to be Jews, but are instead the synagogue of Satan. Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison, to test you; you’ll have ten days of tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will crown you with eternal life. Whoever can hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be hurt by the second death. Now: write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: The words of Him Who has the sharp two-edged sword: I know that you live where Satan has his throne; yet you hold fast to My name and you kept My testimony, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, my faithful one who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have among you some who keep to the teaching of Balaam, the one who led Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, tempting them to eat food sacrificed to idols and to practice immorality. And you have others among you who follow the Nicolaitans. Repent, then; because if you don’t, I’ll come to you soon and war against these apostates with the sword of My mouth. Let whoever has ears hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and a white stone, with a new name written on it, which no one knows except the one who receives it from Me.’

Jesus warned some of His Jewish opponents: ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You close off heaven’s kingdom for others; you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who desire to do so to enter. Woe, for you cross sea and land to make a single proselyte, and then when he is converted, you make him twice the child of hell that you are. Woe, blind guides; you say, “If anyone swears by the temple, the oath has no force; but if one swears by the temple’s gold, the oath is binding.” Blind fools! The temple is much greater than the temple’s gold. And you say, “If someone swears by the altar, the oath has no force; but if he swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound by that oath.” Blind men! The altar is greater than the gift the altar hallows. Whoever swears by the altar, also swears by everything on the altar; and one who swears by the temple, swears by everything in the temple and by Him Who dwells there; and whoever swears by heaven, swears by God’s throne and by Him Who sits there. Woe, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You tithe mint, dill and cumin, but neglect the much greater matters of law, justice, mercy and faith. You should do the latter without slighting the former. You are blind guides, straining out gnats and swallowing camels! Woe! You cleanse the outside of cups and plates, but gorge yourselves on extortion and greed. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the vessel’s inside, so that the outside may also be clean.’