Psalm 11
Rather than completely despairing and giving up because of the hopelessness of the situation, David remembers that God is Sovereign. He is in control and will bring about justice in due course. He remembers that God is righteous and loves justice.
Psalm 12
The word of man & the Word of God contrasted:
The word of man is full of lies, full of flattery and deception. It boasts and thinks it will triumph through its own tongue.
The Word of God responds to the groaning of the needy and the (presumably) faint voice of the weak. It is flawless and is like silver refined 7x in the clay furnace.
Acts 1
Jesus told the apostles about the kingdom of God. They were told not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for God's promised gift, the Holy Spirit. He reminded them they were not to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority, but they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
We have received God's Holy Spirit and so are to be His witnesses with His Holy Spirit to the ends of the earth.
v1-11
We are told:
A) The Authority of God the Father - is supreme. He has His own authority and will decide for Himself what is right and when.
B) The agency of God the Holy Spirit - will bring power to God's witnesses as they witness to Him to the ends of the earth.
C) The activity of Jesus, the Son of God - on earth at this time came to an end physically during this incident. He ascended from earth to heaven, but will come back in the same way His disciples saw Him leave into heaven.
As a believer, I must be certain of these three facts about the Persons of the Trinity. God is supreme, I need His Spirit's power in taking His message worldwide and one day, Jesus will return in the same way He left. They shape who I am and all that I believe, which inevitably must affect my behaviour.
During the waiting period before the Holy Spirit came upon them, they gathered together and prayed. They also realised that there needed to be a replacement in the apostles for Judas who had departed them, and so they chose one.
For the disciples, there must have been a sense that something significant was now about to happen. Jesus had promised it - He had suggested this was going to be a significant time in their ministry, particularly as they were going to receive God's power, which they had seen powerfully displayed in the resurrection. So, they took time to spend with God praying about it and thus preparing for it. The choice of a new leader was about the leadership and also strategy for the coming activities - it was realising that to go forward the right people needed to be in place, commissioned by God.
Judas was someone who had experienced Jesus close at hand & seen who He was. Yet, still he betrayed Him. Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5) yet had now changed and were there with the apostles praying. They had come to see who Jesus was and had believed in Him. Judas is a real warning of the dangers of being close to Jesus and still rejecting Him. Jesus' brothers (and Peter) are an encouragement that no matter what people's responses to Jesus may be now, there is always hope that they may turn and change, turning and learning to follow Jesus.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Psalm 6-10 The goodness of God & the wickedness of humans
Psalm 6
v1-7 David feels like he is under the oppression of God. He confesses his need for God's mercy, his own weakness & his need for healing. He expresses his tiredness, sadness and grief. However, he expects God to respond because of who He is.
v8-10 Because David is sure God has heard him, his whole tone has changed. He speaks of the assurance he has that God will hear and answer.
Psalm 7
v1-11 David appeals to God on the basis of God's justice. He argues that if he is guilty, God should let the oppressors victorious over him. God is just and David believes he has integrity and is innocent, particularly in contrast to those who are wicked.
v12-16 He knows that God will respond to the wicked and bring his judgment, but he also knows that those are wicked will also get caught by their own devices.
v17 David's prayer ends in thanks to God because of who He is - righteous. It ends in praise because God is Sovereign and in control.
Psalm 8
David worships and is full of wonder because of God's majesty over all the earth and His creation and rule of and over all the earth. We are under God, His heavenly beings, but crowned with a glory and honour. God cares for us and we are a part of His mind and purpose.
Psalms 9-10
Truths about God:
He does wonders
His Name is Most High
He upholds rights & causes
He is on His throne
He judges righteously
He rebukes nations and destroys the wicked
He blots out their name for ever and ever
He reigns for ever
His throne is established for judgment
He will judge the world in righteousness
He governs the peoples with justice
He is Lord
He is a refuge for the oppressed
He is a stronghold in times of trouble
He has never forsaken those who seek Him
He is enthroned in Zion
He will be proclaimed among the nations
He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted
He has mercy
He brings salvation
He is known by His justice
He has opponents
He seems to stand far off and forget
But, He does actually see trouble & grief
He is the helper and defender of the fatherless and oppressed
He is King forever and ever
He hears the desire of the afflicted
In Psalm 9, David praises God for all He has done in bringing victory over his enemies. David wants God to see what has happened to Him and to be remembered and shown mercy. Psalm 10 sums up his feeling that the wicked get to go ahead and do what they want without any accountability, but it also reminds himself that God is King for ever and ever and they are not getting away with 'murder' without God seeing. God sees, knows and will remember and judge.
v1-7 David feels like he is under the oppression of God. He confesses his need for God's mercy, his own weakness & his need for healing. He expresses his tiredness, sadness and grief. However, he expects God to respond because of who He is.
v8-10 Because David is sure God has heard him, his whole tone has changed. He speaks of the assurance he has that God will hear and answer.
Psalm 7
v1-11 David appeals to God on the basis of God's justice. He argues that if he is guilty, God should let the oppressors victorious over him. God is just and David believes he has integrity and is innocent, particularly in contrast to those who are wicked.
v12-16 He knows that God will respond to the wicked and bring his judgment, but he also knows that those are wicked will also get caught by their own devices.
v17 David's prayer ends in thanks to God because of who He is - righteous. It ends in praise because God is Sovereign and in control.
Psalm 8
David worships and is full of wonder because of God's majesty over all the earth and His creation and rule of and over all the earth. We are under God, His heavenly beings, but crowned with a glory and honour. God cares for us and we are a part of His mind and purpose.
Psalms 9-10
Truths about God:
He does wonders
His Name is Most High
He upholds rights & causes
He is on His throne
He judges righteously
He rebukes nations and destroys the wicked
He blots out their name for ever and ever
He reigns for ever
His throne is established for judgment
He will judge the world in righteousness
He governs the peoples with justice
He is Lord
He is a refuge for the oppressed
He is a stronghold in times of trouble
He has never forsaken those who seek Him
He is enthroned in Zion
He will be proclaimed among the nations
He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted
He has mercy
He brings salvation
He is known by His justice
He has opponents
He seems to stand far off and forget
But, He does actually see trouble & grief
He is the helper and defender of the fatherless and oppressed
He is King forever and ever
He hears the desire of the afflicted
In Psalm 9, David praises God for all He has done in bringing victory over his enemies. David wants God to see what has happened to Him and to be remembered and shown mercy. Psalm 10 sums up his feeling that the wicked get to go ahead and do what they want without any accountability, but it also reminds himself that God is King for ever and ever and they are not getting away with 'murder' without God seeing. God sees, knows and will remember and judge.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Psalms 1-5 A greater joy
Psalm 1
The righteous: are blessed, don't walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, sit in the seat of mockers, but delight in the law of the Lord and on it, meditates day and night. He's like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither and whatever he does prospers. The Lord watches over the way of the righteous.
The wicked: are not like that! They are like chaff blown away by the wind, they won't stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. Their way will perish.
The righteous make a choice to live that way, whereas the wicked are blown along with whatever catches them. Am I making the daily choice to be with the righteous in my life?
Psalm 2
The Lord's anointed has been appointed to be the Father's Son, to have the ends of the earth as His possession and bring about His judgment, or for those who take refuge in Him, safety. The believer's use of this Psalm in Acts clearly shows that the Psalmist was talking of Jesus as being God's Anointed One. And so, the question asked of us is how will you respond to the Lord's Anointed One? Will we "Kiss the Son" or turn our back on Him? And will our kiss be that of one who loves Him, or one who will betray Him?
Psalm 3
David has woken to many foes, many people rising up against him, many doubting that God will deliver him. cf 2 Sam 16:5-8 David however reacts by recognising who God is - He is the shield around him, He bestows glory on him and lifts up his head, he answers from his holy hill. And so, because of that, he can lie down and sleep at night, he knows he will wake again, because God sustains him. He won't fear the tens of thousands who oppose him on every side, because he knows God will rise up and deliver him.
The question for me is whether I trust in God in the same way? Do I place all my confidence in God alone, or do I retain some of my own? In Christ alone, my hope is found.
Psalm 4
Don't turn David's glory into shame, don't love delusions and seek false gods. Instead, know that God has set apart the godly for Himself and will hear when we call on Him. David's peace and assurance come from knowing that God is with Him and for Him, no matter what others may suggest or try to persuade him.
Psalm 5
GOD:
Listens to our words, our sighing. He listens to our cry for help. He takes no pleasure in evil. He cannot dwell with the wicked. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. He hates all those who do wrong. He destroys those who tell lies and abhors those who are bloodthirsty and deceitful. He is righteous. Everyone who takes refuge in Him will be protected and surrounded with His favour as a shield.
David at prayer:
David prays before, during and after his time of trouble. Here he is praying in the morning, laying his requests before God in expectation. He sighs as he prays, wondering how God will respond, waiting for God to protect him and look after him in the midst of evil. Our prayers likewise need to be those that look to God to take full care of us in the midst of evildoers who seek to bring down the Lord's people.
Monday, 4 February 2013
Luke 24:1-53 The turning point - from despair to great joy
The women had been with Jesus, on the way to and at the cross, they followed Joseph to the tomb when Jesus' body was laid there - they knew He had died and where He had been laid. When they arrived at the tomb, they must have been perplexed and bewildered. It took two angels to remind them of Jesus' words that He would be crucified, buried, raised. In the midst of all the emotion, somehow they had forgotten Jesus' promises. Surely, the tendency is for us to do the same - in the busyness of life with all its emotions, we have the propensity to forget Jesus' words and promises to us.
The story of Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection is everything to me. Without each aspect of His story, my own story would be one without hope. I would be left 'in sin', without hope, without the joy of all that He brings. In short, His resurrection is of vital importance.
Would I be foolish & slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken? Do I see Jesus in Moses and all the Prophets. Jesus' use of the OT and later on remind us that ALL Scripture is God-breathed and is useful and profitable. If Jesus Himself opened the Scriptures and taught them, surely we should be doing the same. We have no justification for doing otherwise.
Before Jesus is revealed to the two disciples, they remain the dark and somewhat clueless about Jesus. However, once He has revealed Himself to them, they talk of Him openly and freely, finding their friends and sharing the news of Jesus. Do I do the same? Do I remember it is God alone who opens our eyes so we can see Jesus?
Seeing Jesus for themselves changed their whole perspective. Knowing He was not dead & buried, but was indeed risen changed everything for them. I must ensure the same is true for me!
"Witnesses of these things" sums up what we are to be - witnesses to all Jesus is, was and did, all that happened - His life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and coming are all part of what we are supposed to be. We are to do all this "clothed with power from on high" - the Holy Spirit with us, helping us and aiding us.
The story of Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection is everything to me. Without each aspect of His story, my own story would be one without hope. I would be left 'in sin', without hope, without the joy of all that He brings. In short, His resurrection is of vital importance.
Would I be foolish & slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken? Do I see Jesus in Moses and all the Prophets. Jesus' use of the OT and later on remind us that ALL Scripture is God-breathed and is useful and profitable. If Jesus Himself opened the Scriptures and taught them, surely we should be doing the same. We have no justification for doing otherwise.
Before Jesus is revealed to the two disciples, they remain the dark and somewhat clueless about Jesus. However, once He has revealed Himself to them, they talk of Him openly and freely, finding their friends and sharing the news of Jesus. Do I do the same? Do I remember it is God alone who opens our eyes so we can see Jesus?
Seeing Jesus for themselves changed their whole perspective. Knowing He was not dead & buried, but was indeed risen changed everything for them. I must ensure the same is true for me!
"Witnesses of these things" sums up what we are to be - witnesses to all Jesus is, was and did, all that happened - His life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and coming are all part of what we are supposed to be. We are to do all this "clothed with power from on high" - the Holy Spirit with us, helping us and aiding us.
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Luke 23:13-56 Promises in the face of death
Pilate wanted to please everyone - ultimately, he was about popularity, not justice. He surrendered Jesus to their will as a result.
Jesus responding to the women mourning and wailing for Him must have stood out - He was not seeking sympathy, but rather was concerned about the future - He knew things would only get worse. This surely must have stood out to the bystanders listening and watching Him.
Those watching Jesus sneered at Him - mocking, and despising Him. Jesus remained silent. Those crucified with Him had 2 different reactions - one despising and the other turning to Him and surrendering to Him and His mercy. Jesus responded accordingly to the one who turned to Him.
The criminal who turned to Jesus clearly saw Jesus as He was - innocent and unjustly condemned. He knew He was coming into His Kingdom and thus asked to be remembered. Jesus promised and assured Him that He would.
Jesus' death was both physically, spiritually and nationally/globally significant. This was a major event that had major consequences. They remind us of whom Jesus REALLY is.
In the face of apparent failing and disappointment, the women and Joseph continued to respond trusting in who He said He was. Their faith would later be vindicated. The question is 'do I have similar faith' even when circumstances are at their lowest ebb? Only if I trust fully in who Jesus is will I.
Jesus responding to the women mourning and wailing for Him must have stood out - He was not seeking sympathy, but rather was concerned about the future - He knew things would only get worse. This surely must have stood out to the bystanders listening and watching Him.
Those watching Jesus sneered at Him - mocking, and despising Him. Jesus remained silent. Those crucified with Him had 2 different reactions - one despising and the other turning to Him and surrendering to Him and His mercy. Jesus responded accordingly to the one who turned to Him.
The criminal who turned to Jesus clearly saw Jesus as He was - innocent and unjustly condemned. He knew He was coming into His Kingdom and thus asked to be remembered. Jesus promised and assured Him that He would.
Jesus' death was both physically, spiritually and nationally/globally significant. This was a major event that had major consequences. They remind us of whom Jesus REALLY is.
In the face of apparent failing and disappointment, the women and Joseph continued to respond trusting in who He said He was. Their faith would later be vindicated. The question is 'do I have similar faith' even when circumstances are at their lowest ebb? Only if I trust fully in who Jesus is will I.
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Luke 21:25-22:30 Stand up! Your redemption is drawing near.
Christians are to different to the rest of the world - when the signs of the end of the age start, we are to stand up & lift up our heads, because our redemption is drawing near. We are to be careful, not becoming weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness or the anxieties of life, but rather to be watching out, alert & praying. Our relationship to Jesus is what makes the difference.
Our lives are to be different to the world's - we are waiting for Jesus' return. Everything is to be geared around this. We are to live in our relationship with the Son of Man, so that when He appears, we are able to stand before Him.
22:1-6
The parties involved were:
Chief Priests & teachers of the law
The People, also described as the crowd
The Twelve, including Judas in particular.
The officers of the temple guard
Jesus
Some were with Jesus, going with Him, living with Him, following Him, unaware of what was about to happen.
Then there were those who were opposed to Jesus, plotting what would happen - drawing Judas into their crowd.
In the midst of them all were the people/the crowd, who were intrigued by Jesus - who enjoyed and appreciated Him, but had not yet made their minds up on Him.
22:7-13 It is vitally significant Jesus' death took place at Passover - the image of sacrifice loomed large. 1 Cor 5:7 reminds us that Christ was our Passover Lamb - making sacrifice for us. He was the Lamb of God come to take away the sin of the world.
22:14-23 Jesus points out the necessity of His going to the cross, as it has been decreed. He is going to pour out His life to be given for others, it is part of His new covenant in His blood. All this is to bring in His Kingdom.
22:24-30 Jesus takes the world's standards of who is the greatest and turns them upside down. He says the greatest is actually the servant, that lording it over others is not the way we are to be as believers, but rather, we are to be servants, not those who exercise authority. Jesus Himself lived this out in practice on a day to day basis. He practised what He preached.
Our lives are to be different to the world's - we are waiting for Jesus' return. Everything is to be geared around this. We are to live in our relationship with the Son of Man, so that when He appears, we are able to stand before Him.
22:1-6
The parties involved were:
Chief Priests & teachers of the law
The People, also described as the crowd
The Twelve, including Judas in particular.
The officers of the temple guard
Jesus
Some were with Jesus, going with Him, living with Him, following Him, unaware of what was about to happen.
Then there were those who were opposed to Jesus, plotting what would happen - drawing Judas into their crowd.
In the midst of them all were the people/the crowd, who were intrigued by Jesus - who enjoyed and appreciated Him, but had not yet made their minds up on Him.
22:7-13 It is vitally significant Jesus' death took place at Passover - the image of sacrifice loomed large. 1 Cor 5:7 reminds us that Christ was our Passover Lamb - making sacrifice for us. He was the Lamb of God come to take away the sin of the world.
22:14-23 Jesus points out the necessity of His going to the cross, as it has been decreed. He is going to pour out His life to be given for others, it is part of His new covenant in His blood. All this is to bring in His Kingdom.
22:24-30 Jesus takes the world's standards of who is the greatest and turns them upside down. He says the greatest is actually the servant, that lording it over others is not the way we are to be as believers, but rather, we are to be servants, not those who exercise authority. Jesus Himself lived this out in practice on a day to day basis. He practised what He preached.
Friday, 1 February 2013
Luke 22:31-23:12 Darkness reigns
22:31-34 Peter's confidence is empty, compared with Jesus who knows what WILL happen. We must remember, we never have the full picture - only God knows fully.
Jesus did not shrink from the cross - the agony of what He would face was immense. He knew this & so asked God if it was what He wills to take it from Him, but He knew that He wanted to do His Father's will. Ultimately, Jesus chose to go to the cross, by being obedient to His Father's will.
This passage is a reminder of the frailty and folly of Jesus' disciples. Even when Jesus was explicit with them, they didn't have the staying power to obey Him. They showed the humanness of humanity when faced with the 'God-ness' of Deity.
Jesus' disciples were afraid - His enemies were opposed to Him. However, He had previously prayed about it, submitted to God's will, and then prepared Himself for it.
Peter's response to those who accused him of being with Jesus showed his strength of personality. His weakness was his willingness to deny Jesus so readily and quickly. Jesus knew he would be used again and used mightily - this situation was to be the turning point for Peter. His mouth got ahead of him and spoke faster than he was willing to keep to. He should have taken Jesus at His word, listened and obeyed and prepared for what God was going to bring before him.
Jesus' attitude to those who opposed Him was humble, gentle, gracious, patient, disarming, but also remained in control through God's mercy not giving them what they deserved at that very moment. 1 Peter 2:19-23 sum up Jesus' attitudes well.
Jesus did not shrink from the cross - the agony of what He would face was immense. He knew this & so asked God if it was what He wills to take it from Him, but He knew that He wanted to do His Father's will. Ultimately, Jesus chose to go to the cross, by being obedient to His Father's will.
This passage is a reminder of the frailty and folly of Jesus' disciples. Even when Jesus was explicit with them, they didn't have the staying power to obey Him. They showed the humanness of humanity when faced with the 'God-ness' of Deity.
Jesus' disciples were afraid - His enemies were opposed to Him. However, He had previously prayed about it, submitted to God's will, and then prepared Himself for it.
Peter's response to those who accused him of being with Jesus showed his strength of personality. His weakness was his willingness to deny Jesus so readily and quickly. Jesus knew he would be used again and used mightily - this situation was to be the turning point for Peter. His mouth got ahead of him and spoke faster than he was willing to keep to. He should have taken Jesus at His word, listened and obeyed and prepared for what God was going to bring before him.
Jesus' attitude to those who opposed Him was humble, gentle, gracious, patient, disarming, but also remained in control through God's mercy not giving them what they deserved at that very moment. 1 Peter 2:19-23 sum up Jesus' attitudes well.
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