Watch God work!

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.

Monday, December 21, 2009
Ps 61, 62, 112, 115; Zeph 3:14-20; Titus 1:1-16; Luke 1:1-25

Lord, I cry for Your mercy and blessing. Put me on the high Rock; extend my life by Your grace, and I will continue to sing Your praise forever! My soul longs for God alone; I appreciate Your discipline, Lord; I say this while I’m not in great pain or in extreme distress—You are my Salvation. There is no other source of goodness and confidence. Help me to do Your will and return praise for Your favor, O Lord! Blessed are all who delight in God and His word. Light rises in the darkness for the upright; their descendants are blessed; their property is multiplied by God’s favor. They have no fear of evil, and their hearts are firm, trusting YHWH in all circumstances. They can be steadfast because God is trustworthy and generous. How our ease irritates the wicked! Lord, glorify Your name; our God is in heaven and is absolute Sovereign—He accomplishes whatever He desires. Other ‘gods’ are mere idols, with no power and no goodness to offer. Let God’s people put our trust in Him and may God increase our blessings; may He protect our children and grandchildren. The earth is in our care, as a trust from YHWH; and so we praise the Lord.

Let the people of God shout and sing His praise! Let us rejoice and exult with all our hearts. For God has removed the judgment from us; He is in our midst. We have no fear, for our God is with us. He saves the weak, the lame and outcast; He turns our shame to honor and praise. He will bring us home! Glory to YHWH our God! Let us watch as God keeps His word and blesses His people.

Paul, God’s servant and the apostle of Jesus the Messiah: to further the faith and knowledge of God’s elect—the knowledge that corresponds with godliness and the sure hope of eternal life, promised by God’s unfailing word ages ago and manifest in Jesus, and the preaching entrusted to Paul by God’s command: to Titus, with grace and peace from God the Father and the Messiah Jesus, our Savior. Paul had left Titus in Crete to complete the work there, appointing elders in every town: men who are blameless, one-woman men, whose children are believers, not profligate or insubordinate. Bishops, as God’s stewards, must be blameless, neither arrogant, quick-tempered, drunkards, violent, quick-tempered, or greedy for gain; theymust be hospitable, lovers of goodness, self-controlled, upright and holy. They must hold firm to the word taught them, and capable of teaching and defending the faith—sharing sound doctrine and confuting those who contradict it. Such men are rare—for there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers, deceivers and legalists—especially among the Judaizers, the ‘circumcision party.’ These teach falsely and disturb whole families. The Cretans, by their own admission, are liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons—so rebuke them sharply, so they become sound in their faith, instead of heeding Jewish myths or the traditions of men who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure; but to the corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted. They profess to know God, but deny Him by their actions; they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit to do any good deed.

Doctor Luke writes: ‘Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the great events accomplished by God among us, as affirmed to us by those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the good news, I decided to do the same, since I have followed these matters closely for a long time. I have written an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth about the things of which you have been informed. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah; he was of the division of Abijah; and he was married to a woman also from Aaron’s line, named Elizabeth. Both were righteous before God; they observed all the commands and ordinances blamelessly. But Elizabeth was barren, and they had no children; and both were advanced in years. While Zechariah’s division was serving in the Jerusalem temple, it fell by lot to Zechariah to enter the temple and burn incense at the Lord’s altar. A large multitude were outside praying as he did this. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar as Zechariah did his ministry. When he saw the angel, Zechariah was troubled and afraid. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.” And you will have joy and gladness; many will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great before the Lord; he will drink no wine or strong drink; he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb! He will turn many sons of Israel to YHWH their God, and John will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready.’ Zechariah replied, “How shall I know this? I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” The angel answered, “I am Gabriel; I stand in God’s very presence; and I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Look: you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things come to pass, since you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their own time.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting outside for Zechariah, and wondering at the delay. When he finally emerged, he could not speak; by the motions he made, they perceived that he had seen a vision while in the temple. And he remained unable to speak. When his division’s service was completed, Zechariah returned home. In due time, Elizabeth conceived; she hid herself for five months, saying “The Lord has done this to me, taking from me my reproach among men.”