Live in a holy manner till His return

Thursday, May 22, 2014 Devotions: Ps 50, 59, 60; Ex 34:1-17; 1 Th 2:1-20; Mt 5:17-26 God, the Mighty One, YHWH, speaks and summons the earth; He shines forth from Zion. Before Him is a devouring fire; a mighty tempest rages around Him; He calls to judge heavens and earth: 'Gather to Me My faithful ones, joined with Me by covenant. Now listen to Me: I Am your God; I have no need of material sacrifices—all that exists is Mine by right of creation and ownership. Offer to Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving; do Me honor, and I will deliver you and your shall glorify Me.' And to the wicked, our God says, ''You have no right to recite My statutes or take My covenant on your lips. You hate discipline; you cast My words behind you. You befriend thieves and make adulterers your companions. You freely mouth evil; you slander your brothers and sisters. I've been silent as you did these abominations, but now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. Only those who bring true sacrifice honor Me, and to those I will show the salvation of God.' Lord, deliver me from my enemies; evil-doers plot my ruin, seeking my life. So, come and help me, Almighty One! They bay like ravening wolves and snarl in contempt: 'Who will hear us?' But You, my Lord, laugh at them with derision. My Strength, I will sing Your praises as You enable me to look with triumph on my enemies. Make open spectacle of them, that onlookers may be instructed. I will sing Your praises all my days, Mighty One, my Strength and my Redeemer. After Moses had quelled the orgy in the Israelite camp, he ascended Sinai again. And YHWH directed him to cut out two more stone tablets like the first; and God wrote the Ten Words on them. Moses did as God directed, and early in the morning, he carried the fresh stone tablets up the mountain of God. YHWH descended in a cloud and stood with Moses on the mountain; and God passed before Moses and proclaimed His Name: 'YHWH, YHWH, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness toward thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but Who will not absolve the guilty, visiting the iniquities of parents on offspring to the third and fourth generations.' Moses quickly bowed to the earth and worshiped, and he said to the Lord: 'If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord go in the midst of us, I pray, even though this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and sin and take us for Your inheritance.' God answered: 'Behold! I make a covenant; before all your people I will do marvels the like of which have never been done in all the earth; all the peoples around you will see the work of YHWH, for it is a terrible thing I will do with you. Now observe my commands: Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Take heed to yourselves, that you avoid making covenant with the residents of the Land where you are going, lest it become snare to you. Tear down their altars; break their holy pillars; cut down their Asherim: you shall worship no other gods, for YHWH, Whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Otherwise, when the people of the land play the harlot after their gods, someone may invite you to eat of his sacrifice, and then you may take some of their daughters for your sons and their daughters play the harlot after their gods and make your sons do the same. Make no molten idols for yourselves!' Paul wrote: Brothers and sisters, you know that our visit to you was not in vain; we had been shamefully treated in Philippi, yet we declared to you the gospel of God, despite great opposition. For our appeal does not arise from error or uncleanness; nor is it made by guile; rather just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with His gospel so we speak—not to please mortals, but to please God, Who tests our hearts. We don't flatter or seek material gain. We were gentle, like midwives or nurses caring for infants or children. We desired to share our very lives, not just a message, because you had become very dear to us. We worked night and day, so as not to burden you while we preached God's gospel to you. You witness, as God does, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behavior toward you. We exhorted each of you as loving fathers exhort their own children; we encouraged you; we charged you to lead a life worthy of God, Who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. We continually thank God for this also: that you accepted the message we brought as it actually is: the word of God at work in you who believe. You became like the Christian churches in Judea, in that you suffered from your countrymen as they did from the Jews, ho killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and who threw us out; they displease God and oppose all men by hindering us from addressing the Gentiles in order to save them. In this, the adversaries fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has come upon them at last! Since we were bereft of you for a time—not in heart, but in person—we endeavored all the more earnestly to see you again face to face. I, Paul, strove again and again, but Satan hindered us. After all, you are our glory and joy, our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming again! Jesus continued his Sermon on the Mount: Don't think I have come to abolish the law and prophets—No, I came to fulfill them. Till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all has been accomplished. So, whoever relaxes even one of the least commandments and teaches others likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But those who keep the commandments and teach others to do the same will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! You have heard that in former days it was said: 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I tell you: everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the flames of Gehenna. So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, go and be reconciled to your brother, then return and offer your gift to God. Make friends quickly with your accuser, on the way to the court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, the judge remand you to the guard, and the guard put you in prison. I tell you truly: you'll never get out till you have paid the last penny.