Remember, believe, and live by God's Word: written, spoken, incarnate

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. I invite to you add in any reflections or comments you may have.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Saturday, January 16, 2010
Devotions: Ps 20, 21:1-7, 110:1-5, 116, 117; Gen 6:9-22; Heb 4:1-13; Jn 2:13-22

God will answer in days of trouble and protect us; may we shout for joy in victory, and set up banners in honor of God’s name. May YHWH fulfill all our petitions! We boast in the name of YHWH our God. Our Master rejoices in God’s favor—crowned with God, living forever, heaped with glory and majesty, joyous forever. Our King trusts His Father, and He will not be moved. God has made His enemies a footstool for Jersus; He has become our eternal High Priest, after Melchizedek’s order. All His enemies will fall before Him. YHWH listens and answers our prayers; I will call upon Him all my days. YHWH is gracious and merciful; He preserves the simple; when I was low, He lifted me up. Let my soul rest in God’s favor; YHWH has dealt bountifully with me! He has given and preserved my life. I offer myself, Lord, to You, as a living sacrifice. I am Your servant. Praise the Lord!

Noah is a significant man in holy history—the only righteous man in his generation, ‘he walked with God.’ God told Noah that He had determined to put an end to corrupt flesh, ‘for the earth is filled with violence’ and ‘I will destroy them with the earth.’ God directed Moses to build an ark of gopher wood, caulked with pitch , 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet tall, roofed, with three decks. This would save Noah when God brought a flood of waters to destroy all living flesh under heaven. God stated that He would establish His covenant with Moses, and God would save Noah and his wife, and his three sons with their wives. God commanded further that Noah bring two of every sort of living creature, male and female—birds, animals and ‘creeping things.’ God directed that Noah store food for the journey. And Noah obeyed all that God commanded him.

Those who have faith will enter God’s rest; others will not. A final day of judgment will come, by which time people must act on their faith, or they will forever be excluded from God and His grace. There remains before us a Sabbath rest for God’s people—an end to our labors. So, at present, we must strive to enter that rest, not to fall by disobedience. God’s word is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword; it penetrates to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow; God’s Word judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. All creatures are open and naked to the examination of Him with Whom we have to do.

Jesus visited the Jerusalem temple at Passover; there, He found vendors selling cattle, sheep and pigeons, and money-changers at their business. Jesus made a whip from cords and drove the vendors and money-changers, and all their animals, out of the temple grounds. He poured out the money-changers’ coins, and overturned their tables, and ordered the pigeon vendors, ‘Take these things away. You shall not make My Father’s house a house of trade!’ His disciples noted this, remembering the scripture: ‘Zeal for Your house will consume me.’ But the Jewish authorities objected; they asked Jesus, ‘What sign will you show us for doing this?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews didn’t understand that Jesus was referring to His own body; they said,’It has taken forty-six years to build this temple—and will you raise it up in three days?’ Therefore, when Jesus was resurrected from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said and done these things, and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.