Depend on God to the end

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching the blog archives for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. As you read, I encourage you to record any reflections or comments you may have, for the entries here serve best as the first remarks in a conversation.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Friday, July 9, 2010
Devotions: Ps 16, 17, 22; Deut 31:7-32:4; Rom 10:1-13; Mt 24:15-31

Preserve me, God; I take my refuge in You—I have no good apart from You. Those who follow other gods multiply their own sorrows, and I will not join in their error. YHWH is my choice; I cast myself on Him. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. My heart is glad and my soul rejoices in God my Savior. Lord, You have shown me the path of eternal, abundant life. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under Your wings and keep me from the violence of the wicked who seek my very life. I am satisfied to be Yours! Jesus faced desolation for me: ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ Jesus was degraded, mistreated, falsely accused, wrongly condemned, cruelly murdered—and He rose from this appalling descent and now sits at God’s right hand. Let us praise God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and proclaim His deliverance to every generation to come!

Moses charged Joshua and prepared him to take over leadership of the people of Israel. Moses wrote down YHWH’s law and provided that to the Levites. He established the law of the Sabbatical: at the time of the Feast of Booths every seven years, be sure to read this law before the assembled people, from oldest to youngest. Let the people hear and learn to fear YHWH your God, and obey His law. God told Moses that Moses soon would die and Joshua would assume leadership of the people. He told Moses, too, that the people would be unfaithful to YHWH and follow the gods of the land, breaking covenant with God. And that unfaithfulness would enrage God, and He would let them suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness. God dictated a song that Moses should teach the people, as a witness on God’s behalf among them. ‘This song will confront them as a witness for Me.’ So Moses wrote the song and taught it to the people, and YHWH commissioned Joshua to lead the people into the land of promise; and God promised, ‘I will be with you!’ Moses told the Levites to store the Book of the Law beside the ark of the covenant of YHWH their God, as a perpetual witness. God ordered Moses to assemble the elders of Israel before Himself, and warn them of the consequences of sinning against God. And Moses repeated God’s song to the people: “Hear, o heavens, and let earth hear the words of my mouth: May my teaching fall as rain and distill as dew, as gentle rain upon tender grass and as showers upon the herbs. For I will proclaim the name of YHWH; ascribe greatness to our God. The Rock: His work is perfect; all His ways are justice. He is a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and righteous.’

Paul writes concerning the call of Jewish and Gentile believers: Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God is that the Jews may be saved. I affirm that they have zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. Ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit ot God’s righteousness. The Messiah is the end and fulfillment of the law, so that everyone who has faith may be justified. Moses wrote that one who fulfilled all the law would live righteously. But the righteousness that comes by faith says something different: Do not say in your heart ‘Who will ascend to heaven’ to bring Christ down, or ‘Who will descend into the Abyss’ to bring Christ up from the dead. No: God’s faith says, ‘The Word is very near, on your lips and your heart—the word of faith that we preach. If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Mortals believe with our hearts and so are justified; and we confess with our lips and so are saved. Scripture affirms, ‘No one who believes in Him will be put to shame.’ There is no distinction between Jew and Greek: the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows His riches on all who call upon Him. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved!

Jesus warned His listeners about hard times before them: When you see the desolating sacrilege mentioned by Daniel standing in the Holy Place, let those in Judea flee to the mountains; let anyone on a housetop run—don’t go back into the house for anything! If someone is in the field, he must run, not even go back to get his coat. And pray that you won’t have to flee in winter or on a Sabbath. It will be a time of tribulation unlike any other in history. If God didn’t shorten those days, no one would survive them. But He will shorten them, to save His elect. So don’t believe it if someone says to you, ‘Hey here’s the Messiah!’ or ‘There He is!’. False messiahs and false prophets will abound, and they will perform great signs and wonders to lead astray even the elect, if that were possible. So, remember: I have told you beforehand. Don’t fall for their lies; don’t follow their false leads. When the Son of man comes, it will be like a mighty flash of lightning from farthest East to farthest West, and the heavens will be shaken. Everyone in every nation on earth will know, and many will mourn; and all will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. He will deploy His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from everywhere, from one end of heaven to the other!