Receive and obey God's living Word

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, December 2 and 3, 2009
Devotions: Ps 12-14; 18:1-20; 119:1-24; Amos 3:12-4:13; 2 Pet 3; Mt 21:23-46

Lord, help! No one is godly any longer. Everybody lies. May God cut off flattering tongues, protecting the needy and poor. God’s promises are pure; He protects me, despite the vile wicked prowling on every side. God, don’t forget me forever; how long will my enemy be exalted over me? Lord, answer me, lest I sleep in death. I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart rejoices in my salvation, because YHWH has dealt bountifully with me. Fools deny God’s existence, power and wisdom. But God looks down on humanity, seeking signs of life and faithfulness. They’re hard to find! Let God’s deliverance come from Zion; let God restore His people and let all of us be glad and rejoice. YHWH, You are my strength, my rock and deliverer! I call upon YHWH, Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. How mighty and compassionate to save is my God! How awesome, this Master of all creation! He has delivered me and set me on high, because He delights in me. He blesses me because of the righteousness of my Lord Jesus. All are blessed who walk in God’s way; Lord, help me be steadfast in obeying Your words and precepts. I seek You with my whole heart, that I might not sin against You. I take delight in going Your way. Open my eyes to behold the beauties and wisdom of God. How I long for You, God! You rebuke the arrogant and insolent; Your testimonies are my delight and my counselors.

God will rescue the remnant of His people from their exile; but He will punish those who neglect His service and testimonies, and those self-indulgent women who oppress the poor and crush the needy. God has provided everything His people need; when they ignore or spurn His provision, they suffer; yet, they persist in want rather than repent and return to YHWH! The very earth suffers want because of the unfaithfulness of God’s chosen. Why not repent and receive His fullness? YHWH is His name, the God of hosts! Hear Him and obey.

Peter sought to stir up his readers to recall prophecy and keep God’s commands. We must ignore the scoffers who call God’s truth to question. God is Creator, and Sustainer, and Judge. He is patient, and His timing is perfect; He forbears, but He is still in control. His Day will come suddenly and all that exists will be subject to His judgment. How should we await God’s coming to us? Wait in godliness; labor to prepare for the new heavens and new earth. Be zealous to be without spot or blemish every day. Take God at His word; accept His forbearance and His salvation. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah: to Him be glory now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

In the Jerusalem temple, the chief priests and Jewish elders asked Jesus, 'By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority.’ Jesus replied, ‘I’ll ask you a question, too; answer Me, and I’ll answer you: was John’s baptism from God, or was it merely a human innovation?’ His enemies discussed their options: ‘If we say John’s baptism was from God, He’ll challenge us as to why we didn’t believe and support him. And if we say John acted without God, we’ll have to fear the people, who believe he was a prophet.’ So they told Jesus they didn’t know the answer to His question. And He said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’ Jesus went on: ‘A man had two sons, and told them both to get to work in his vineyard. One said he’d do it, but he didn’t go or work; the other refused at first, but then he went and did what his father had asked. Which of these did his father’s will?’ The Jewish authorities answered that the son who actually did what his father directed was the one who obeyed. Taking this, Jesus went on: ‘Yes; and truly I tell you that the harlots and tax collectors go into God’s kingdom ahead of you: John came in the way of righteousness, but you neither believed nor conformed to his message; but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him and acted on his message. Even when you witnessed all this, you did not then repent and believe him.’ He told them another parable: ‘A householder planted a vineyard and a hedge around it, and constructed a wine press and tower. Then he rented out this facility to tenants, and left for another country. When harvest time approached, the owner sent servants to the tenants to get his share of the fruits; but the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. He sent other servants, and they did the same. Finally, the owner sent his own son, believing the tenants surely would respect him. But they conspired: “This is the heir; let’s kill him and take his inheritance for ourselves.” They cast him out of the vineyard and murdered the owner’s son! When the owner comes, what will he do?’ The Jewish authorities replied, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their season.’ Jesus concluded, ‘Haven’t you read in the scriptures, “The very stone the builders rejected has become the head cornerstone; this was YHWH’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”? I tell you: God’s kingdom will be taken away from you and given to a nation which produces God’s kingdom fruit!’ Hearing this, the chief priests and Pharisees realized that Jesus was speaking about them. Though they wanted to arrest Jesus, they feared the multitudes, who believed Jesus to be a prophet of God.