God defines us

Monday, December 6, 2010

Devotions: Ps 9, 15, 25; Amos 7:1-10; Rev 1:1-8; Mt 22:23-33

Lord, I will praise you exuberantly, and tell of all Your wonderful deeds, Most High God! You have sustained me in times of trouble, great and righteous Judge. You rebuke the nations and lay waste Your enemies. YHWH is a Stronghold for the oppressed, and all who know You, Lord, put our trust in You. Praises to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Praise to Him Who dwells in Zion, my gracious and loving God. Those who walk in the righteousness of Jesus Your Son are able to dwell with You. Let us speak truth, avoid slander, do no evil, and leave judgment and reproach to You. I will take no bribes, keep my word, and stand steadfast in times of buffeting, by God's grace alone! To You, YHWH, I raise my soul. Let me not be put to shame. Help me to know and follow Your ways, Lord. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. Remember me according to Your steadfast love and for Your goodness' sake. Teach me true humility and godly obedience; let me follow Your paths, all of which are love and faithfulness. YHWH's friends are those who fear Him and keep our attention focused on Him. Lord, relieve the troubles of my heart and bring me out of my distresses. Forgive all my sins, I pray, and redeem all of us, Your people.

God spoke to Amos as He prepared to send locusts to devour the second harvest in the land of Israel; Amos interceded, and God witheld the locust plague. God intended to bring fires of judgment upon the great deep and the holy land. Amos interceded, and God relented from the judgment by fire. Then God showed Amos a plumb line, and said, 'Look: I set this plumb line among My people Israel; I will never again pass them by; Isaac's high places will be desolated; Israel's sanctuaries will be laid waste; and I will strike the house of Jeroboam with the sword of wrath.' Amaziah, priest at Bethel, reported to Jeroboam, king of Israel, that Amos was conspiring against the house of Israel, and 'the land is not able to bear all his words.'

John reports the Apocalypse: The revelation of Jesus the Messiah which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. Jesus made this known by sending His angel to John, His servant, who bore witness to God's word and to the testimony of Jesus the Messiah—including everything that John saw. Blessed are they who read these words aloud; blessed are those who hear; and blessed are those who keep what is written here. For the time is near. To the seven churches in Asia, John wrote: Grace to you and peace from Him Who Is, and Who was, and Who Is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne; and from Jesus the Messiah, the faithful Witness, Firstborn from the dead, Ruler of kings on earth. To Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and Who has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, every one who pierced Him; and all tribes on earth will wail on His account. Even so! Amen. "I Am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, Who Is, and Who was, and Who Is to come, the Almighty."

Jesus was questioned by a delegation of Sadducees, who believe there is no resurrection. 'Teacher, Moses said "If a man dies, having no children, his brother must marry the widow, and raise up children for his brother." Now, there were seven brothers among us. The first married, but he died, leaving no children, and his widow married his second brother. So too the second died childless, and third, and down to the seventh brother. None of the brothers fathered a child; all died, and finally the woman died. Now: in the resurrection, to which of the seven will she be wife, since they all had her, one after another.' Jesus answered them: 'You are wrong, because you know neither the scripture nor the power of God. In the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage; resurrected humans are like heaven's angels in this matter. Concerning the resurrection of the dead, you have read what God said to you: "I Am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." He Is not God of the dead, but of the living!' When the crowds heard this discussion, they were amazed at Jesus' teaching.