Model yourself on Jesus

Monday and Tuesday, December 2 and 3 Devotions: Ps 1-7, 10-11; Isa 1:10-31; 1Thess 1:1-2:12; Lk 20:1-19 Blessed are those who delight in YHWH's law, on which they meditate day and night. They shun the counsel of the wicked, the way of sinners and the seat of scoffers. They are like trees planted by streams of water, yielding good fruit in season, ever green, prospering in all they do. But the wicked are afflicted by God—driven like chaff, unable to stand in the congregation of the righteous or in the judgment of the Lord. God watches over the righteous, but the wicked will perish. Still, the nations conspire against God and His Christ; they seek to throw off God's sovereignty. But God laughs at them in derision; His will is done, His Anointed will rule—His Son, the Only-Begotten. So let the wise serve our Lord with gladness and in reverent awe, lest He be angry and we perish along the Way. Happy are those who take refuge in Him. Lord, I have many enemies, but I take my refuge in You, and I can rest secure, fearing no one. Deliver me, great Lord; bless Your people! Please, God, answer when I call to You. Let me be content to leave judgment and vengeance in His hands; let me put my trust in the Lord, Who hears and answers my prayers. I come to You because of Your steadfast, generous love. Let all rejoice who take our refuge in You; let us sing for joy. Save my life, my great Lord. I stand upon the righteousness of Your Son, my Lord Jesus the Messiah. Put to death those who oppose You, and let their intended evil fall upon them. I will sing praises to the Lord Most High. He hears the desires of the meek, the fatherless, the oppressed. God's throne is not shaken, and the upright will behold His face. God is nauseated by the false piety and empty sacrifices of the sinful. Instead, He commands: wash yourselves; remove your wickedness from My sight. Learn to do good; see justice; correct oppression; defend the fatherless; plead for the widow. I will wash you white as snow and care for you in My good land. Let the Zion of God be redeemed by justice; let His people repent our sins and turn again to our Rock and Redeemer, lest we perish in God's cleansing fire! Paul, with Silas and Timothy, wrote to the Thessalonian believers: we thank God for you constantly, recalling before Him your works of faith, labor of love, steadfastness in hope in our Lord Jesus the Messiah. We know that God has chosen you, brothers and sisters loved by our Lord. When we brought the good news to you, you heard the words and perceived the power and truth by the Holy Spirit; you were fully convicted and thoroughly transformed. And you know how we conducted ourselves among you, so that you chose to imitate us and our Lord, despite affliction receiving the word with great joy in the Holy Spirit. So you in turn became a positive example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia; your faith echoes forth everywhere—we have little more to do. The news of your conversion, your hospitality, and your holy living inspire others, as you turn from idols to serve the true and living God and as you wait in faith, hope and love for His Son from heaven, whom the Father raised from death, Jesus Who in turn delivers us from the wrath to come. You remember that when we arrived among you, we had been shamefully treated at Philippi, but still had the courage to declare the gospel of God in the face of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from error or uncleanness, nor is it made with guile; rather, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak not to please mortals, but to please God, the One Who tests our hearts. We have no motive of flattery or greed, as God is our Witness; nor do we seek glory from men, though as God's apostles we might claim it. We were gentle among you, like a nurse caring for the children in her care. Being affectionately disposed in your behalf, we shared both the gospel and our very selves, for you have become very dear to us. Recall our work habits: we labored day and night to support ourselves, even as we preached the gospel, to bless and not to burden you all. You testify alongside our God, that our behavior toward you has been holy, righteous and blameless. We exhorted each of you, like a father with his own children we encouraged you and charged you to lead lives worhty of God, Who calls you to His own kingdom and glory! Jesus was teaching in the Temple, preaching the gospel. And the chief priests, scribes and elders came up and addressed Him: 'Tell us by what authority you do and teach these things; who gave you this authority?' Jesus answered: 'I'll ask you a question, too; and if you answer Mine, I'll answer yours. Now tell Me: was John's baptism from heaven or of human origin?' The Jewish authorities conferred: 'If we say “from heaven,” He'll challenge us, asking why we didn't believe John; and if we say “from men,” the people might stone us, because they all believe John was God's own prophet.' So the Jewish authorities told Jesus they didn't know the answer to His question. And He said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what Authority I do these things.' Then Jesus began to tell the people a parable: A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to tenants, while he traveled in another country for a long time. At harvest time, the landlord sent a servant to the tenants, to collect his portion of the vineyard's produce. Instead the tenants beat and humiliated the servant, and sent him away empty-handed. The owner sent a second, and later a third emissary, and the tenants humiliated and wounded them as well. Finally, the owner sent his own son, thinking that perhaps the tenants would respect the owner's heir. Instead, they conspired to murder the owner's son, believing that in this way, they could take ownership of the vineyard for themselves.' And Jesus asked, 'What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.' The people hearing this said, 'God forbid.' But Jesus looked at them and quoted Scripture: What else could this mean except what the prophet wrote: “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner”? Every one who trips over that Stone will be broken to pieces; but when the Stone falls on anyone, it will crush him.' The scribes and chief priests tried to do violence to Jesus that very hour, but they feared the people, for they perceived that He had told this parable against them.