Today's Verse: Colossians 3:17 (ESV)

And swhatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, tgiving thanks to God the Father through him.

s ver. 23; 1 Cor. 10:31
t ch. 1:12; 4:2; See Eph. 5:20

In the third chapter of his Epistle to the Colossians, Paul teaches that spirituality is not something that one goes outside of the world to get, but, according to The Teacher's Commentary, it is living the life that God prepares for us in the world, in intimate union with Jesus. The Bible Exposition Commentary reminds us that, as Christians, we bear the name of Christ: we belong to Him. And everything that we do should be done to glorify His name.


Today's Comments: If we decide to do something not in the name of Christ, we are, in fact committing sin. We are not honoring God, as we are commanded to do. And, doing things in Jesus' name may mean that we may have to suffer derision or persecution. There are some times where we may be given a choice between following laws, rules, or regulations which we know to be contrary to what God has taught us. My blog entry of April 17, 2009 concerning Nora Sterry discusses this prospect.

On the other hand, the name of Jesus also comforts us and gives us purpose in life. God is the focus of our worship, and therefore he should be the focus of our life. We should live our lives according to the teaching of Jesus, and when we sometimes fail, we are comforted by calling on His name. The hymn below was written by a bedridden invalid just four years before her death. And it reminds us that even invalids can minister to us. Just consider my wife, Norma, who I talked about in my blog on September 18th of this year.

"I will never forget Marge’s (Marge Avery) reply to Norma when Norma asked why people from church needed to visit and minister to her instead of taking care of the things that they needed to do at home. Marge’s reply was that Norma was needed to teach them how minister."

If we truly love our neighbor, then we need to minister to him or her--- in the name of Jesus. As Christians, it is our responsibility to bring the light of Christ to the world. And we can only do that in His name.

Hymn of the Day:

TAKE THE NAME OF JESUS WITH YOU
Lydia Baxter, 1809–1874

Take the name of Jesus with you,
child of sorrow and of woe;
it will joy and comfort give you—
Take it, then, where’er you go.

Take the name of Jesus ever,
as a shield from ev’ry snare;
if temptations round you gather,
breathe that holy name in prayer.

O the precious name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
when His loving arms receive us
and His songs our tongues employ!

At the name of Jesus bowing,
falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heav’n we’ll crown Him
when our journey is complete.

Chorus: Precious name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 39

Today's Verse:2 Timothy 1:4-7 (ESV)

4 jAs I remember your tears, kI long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of lyour sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and myour mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you nto fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us oa spirit not of fear but pof power and love and self-control.

j [Acts 20:37]
k Phil. 1:8; [ch. 4:9, 21]
l Rom. 12:9; 1 Tim. 1:5
m Acts 16:1; [ch. 3:15; Ps. 86:16; 116:16]
n 1 Tim. 4:14; [1 Thess. 5:19]
o Rom. 8:15; [John 14:27; Rev. 21:8]
p Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8

Paul was, of course trying to encourage Timothy, saddened by his last visit to Paul, who was languishing in prison. Others had abandoned Paul, and Timothy, the timid soul which he appeared to be, needed a reminder that he had the Holy Spirit, passed onto him during ordination, to see him through these troubled times.

Today's Comments: Like the apostasy that surrounds us today, the events surrounding Timothy made it very difficult to stay enthusiastic and encouraged. Often difficulties that we encounter are placed there to strengthen our faith. And we must continue to realizes that, even when things seem to be at their worst, God is still in control. God has and will continue to make all things work for good. And we should continue to trust that He will equip us to deal with the pitfalls that we encounter along the way. We need to persevere, despite our perception of adversity.

Hymn of the Day:

O FOR A FAITH THAT WILL NOT SHRINK
William H. Bathurst, 1796–1877

O for a faith that will not shrink
tho pressed by many a foe,
that will not tremble on the brink
of any earthly woe.

That will not murmur nor complain
beneath the chast’ning rod,
but in the hour of grief or pain
will lean upon its God.

A faith that shines more bright and clear
when tempests rage without,
that, when in danger, knows no fear,
in darkness feels no doubt.

Lord, give me such a faith as this,
and then, whate’er may come,
I’ll taste e’en now the hallowed bliss
of an eternal home.

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 321

Poem of the Week:

BURN SPIRIT BURN

by Beverly Caruso

Burn Spirit, Burn
Crank it out
Let me SHOUT
What you have done for me.

From this Ivory Tower,
You're setting me FREE
Free from the world's demands
I come to you with lifted hands.

BURN Spirit Burn
burn up the rubble
Every last bit of stubble
give me CLEAN hands,
a PURE heart
a FIRE that won't go out.

Twenty-four hours a day, the devil's
Under my dancin' feet
I stomp and Praise
with the Jericho Shout"

I'll take back my City
in your name
the idols crumble
I'm building a FIRE

by the HOUR
Minute by minute
I sense Your POWER
LET IT BURN<>LET IT BURN
From this Ivory Tower.

Today's Verse: John 15:8 (ESV)

gBy this my Father is glorified, that you hbear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

g Isa. 61:3; Matt. 5:16; 2 Cor. 9:13; Phil. 1:11
h ver. 5

The reference here is the previous verses in which Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches.

Today's Comments: The Bible Reader's Companion tells us that we glorify God by doing things that bring Him praise. For example, living a good life glorifies him, because to do so, we need to have an intimate relationship with Jesus. By having that intimate relationship, we are able receive God's grace to do the Father's will. We are able to bear much spiritual fruit.

The fruit which the Bible talks about is shown in both the love that we have for God and the love that we have for each other. As we mature in our relationship with Christ, we are able to love God more, as well as our fellow man; and we learn to become the disciples that Christ wants us to be.

Today's Verse: Isaiah 54:13 (ESV)

yAll your children zshall be taught by the Lord,
aand great shall be the peace of your children.

y Cited John 6:45
z Jer. 31:33, 34
a [ch. 9:7; Ps. 119:165]

In this section, Isaiah is talking about the Eternal Covenant of Peace. It is the children of those in exile who will be restored to God.

Today's Comments: Isaiah's prophesy does not promise a bed of roses. In restoring Israel, God offers us a covenant of peace through belief in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the bread of life, and we must accept Him in order to participate in that covenant. With His grace, we must forsake our wicked ways and submit to His rule in our hearts. Thus, we must make a moral choice: follow Christ or follow the world.

Today's Verse: Hebrews 5:12 (ESV)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again dthe basic principles of the oracles of God. You need emilk, not solid food,

d ch. 6:1
e 1 Cor. 3:2

The writer, in this group of verses begins to warn his readers against the sin of apostasy. It is quite possible that many of the Jewish Christians were slow to understand the heavenly priesthood of Jesus, and the writer was cognizant, as well as disappointed in their spiritual maturity, considering it to be slothful or apathetic. It was not that they were having trouble learning. It was, according to several commentaries, because they were too lazy.

Today's Comments: Apostasy seems to be a recurring theme in our studies of the Bible. We are often even apostate when it comes to giving thanks to God, an appropriate subject on this Thanksgiving Day. Some of what I spoke about in my sermon this morning covers this subject. Here it is:

The lessons for today were:

• Deuteronomy 8:1-3,6-10(17-20)
• James 1:17-18,21-27
• Matthew 6:25-33
• Psalm 65 or 65:9-14

And now the sermon:

Today, we celebrate, of course, the Feast of Thanksgiving. Most all people in this country celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, whether they are religious or not. And yet, this holiday has deep roots in Christianity and starts with the Puritans in England who, as victims of religious persecution and bigotry came to start a new life in a new land.

If you go to the Internet today to read how Thanksgiving really started, you will find several conflicting stories. In fact, from the standpoint of some Native American historians, the first Thanksgiving, which most believe was a gathering of Pilgrims and friendly Indians to celebrate and give thanks for the harvest, was actually an attempt to negotiate a land treaty between the Indians and the Pilgrims in 1621. Some anthropologists suggest that Thanksgiving arose from a Native American custom of giving thanks for the harvest that dates back to the Stone Age.

However, there is no argument over the fact that George Washington, in October of 1779, during his first year as President, signed a proclamation setting aside Thursday, November 29th as “A Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer.” That day was appointed (as the proclamation reads) “to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.” The adjective “signal” here would mean “notably out of the ordinary.” And, as we shall see in the lessons for today, God’s many favors to His people have certainly been notably out of the ordinary.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the third Tuesday of November as a national holiday of Thanksgiving, and in 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to the fourth Thursday in November, where we celebrate it today.

As we find in studying the history of this country, Thanksgiving had nothing to do with pre-Thanksgiving sales, Cyber Mondays, Black Fridays, and did not include early Christmas lights or decorations. We are not even sure that Turkey was eaten at that first Thanksgiving meal, when the Pilgrims and their Native American benefactors gathered. Some sources suggest that fish, and shell fish were served along with wild game, which might have included a turkey or two. We are, however, sure that Thanksgiving was exactly as its title implies--- a day of giving thanks to God.

You may have observed that I try to consolidate, simplify and summarize the points of my sermons, not so you can understand them, but so that I can. And so, in simple terms, I give the following three summary points:
• One: God provides and sustains us.
• Two: For that which God gives us, we should be thankful in our hearts.
• Three: We should always give thanks to God for what He gives to us, His people.

The Old Testament lesson reminds us that, even in adversity, God feeds and sustains His people. But here, feeding and sustaining mean much more than just turkey and stuffing. You see, God also sustains his people by teaching them about righteousness. Sure, God fed them with manna, and when they got tired, he threw in a few quail, as well. But, if we go back and look at why God’s people were in Egypt in the first place, we would find that God sent them there to be taught, trained, and disciplined. If God was going to build a nation of His chosen people, He was going to make sure that they could stand as a nation, a nation of godly and righteous people. He used Egypt as His training grounds, much like we use Fort Irwin for our desert troop training. God wanted to be sure that His people would be free from the influences of the pagan kingdoms around them. And culturally, Egypt was the only place in the Middle East which would not permit its people to fraternize with other cultural groups. And so, the Israelites were allowed to grow and become a nation within a nation. And at the right time, God hardened the heart of Egypt’s Pharaoh and readied the Israelites for their Exodus from Egypt and their return to the Promised Land.

We also know that, in the wilderness, God continued to test His people. It was not out of spite, but it was to build them up and continue their preparation to settle in the new land. Yes, God fed them with manna; but he also fed him by His word, giving them commandments and rules of life to live by. He taught them, as He teaches us today, that when we worship and obey him, he blesses us; but when we fail in our obedience and give in to our sinful desires, we separate ourselves from Him. And for all that He gives to us, we should give Him thanks. As the Old Testament lesson states, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

The Epistle reminds us that all we are given comes from God. As believers, we are sanctified or set aside by God, and through His grace, we are regenerated. Understanding this, then we are urged to put aside all wickedness, and not only listen to God, but to obey Him, as well, and do what He has told us to do: Love Him and worship Him. And, one way we show our thanks to God is by keeping His second great commandment: that of loving our neighbor.

The psalm reminds us that abundance comes from God. To paraphrase David, All things come of thee, oh Lord.

Finally, the Gospel gives us words from Jesus, as he gave the Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus is feeding His people: not with manna or with loaves and fishes, but with the Word of God. He is also teaching his disciples and preparing them for what is to come. The Gospel reminds us that our real needs are simple, and God knows what they are. If we first seek God, then He will subsequently provide for our needs.

As a New Testament example of one who, I think, illustrates the proper attitude of Thanksgiving, I would like to turn to the The Gospel account of Blind Bartimaeus. It tells about a person, blind from birth, who Jesus encountered along the road from Jericho to Jerusalem during travel to His last Passover. We read that Bartimeaus called out to Jesus, asking the Son of David to have mercy on him. Jesus then asked him, What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” According to The Bible Exposition Commentary, he addressed Jesus as Rabboni, the same words that Mary Magdalene used when she first saw the risen Lord (John 20:16). One might conclude, therefore, that Bartimmeus knew who Jesus was and that he had faith that Jesus could heal him.

Jesus' question to the blind man was designed to allow Bartimeaus to express and give evidence of his faith; not because Jesus needed that evidence, but because His disciples needed to be taught a lesson. The title with which Bartimeaus addressed Jesus acknowledged that his view of Jesus was something more than just man to man. It was servant to master and student to teacher. Bartimeaus addressed Jesus not only from the prospective of respect, but also from a position of reverence and trust. It confirms that the faith that this blind man had in Jesus was real.

At this time, Jesus was still teaching, using this moment to feed His disciples. Bartimeaus was an example in faith for them to follow. The blind man’s request was simple: to provide for only one need--- to see. Once that need was met, God would provide for the rest. Bartimeaus trusted that Jesus could and would provide. And, when Jesus heard him and healed him with the words “Go your way; your faith has made you well,” instead of leaving, the healed beggar, in response, followed Jesus along the road to Jerusalem. In contrast, remember the ten lepers who Jesus healed? How many came back to thank him? The answer was one.

Like the healing of Blind Bartimaeus, when the Holy Spirit works in our lives and gives healing to us, will we turn to follow Jesus Christ, or will we take things for granted and turn away from God, like the Israelites eventually did? Bartimaeus not only opened his eyes to see, but he opened his heart to follow, as well. And so must we.

Last Monday night, at my Talbot Bible Lands Class, where we are preparing and studying for our December and January trip to Israel, Dr. Richard Rigsby, our 85 year old professor, reminded us to think about Thanksgiving from a Christian perspective. It is true that we have a lot to be thankful for, including family and friends, prosperity, and plenty, liberty and freedom. But everybody has those things.

As Christians, we have other things to be thankful for, which are many and, in George Washington’s words, signal, and which the faith of Bartimeus reminds us about. We have the Son of David: the Christ, the one who can heal us, and the one who, through his death and resurrection, has given us eternal life for the price of only belief and faith in Him. Jesus deserves our thanks, and we should never forget that signal and unique gift of salvation and eternal life that He has given to us. Let us, therefore, as we celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday, give praise and thanks to God for all that He has given to His chosen people, and, as James reminds us, let us show our thanks in love for our neighbor, as well.

Today's Verse: Mark 10:51 (ESV)

And Jesus said to him, e“What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, f“Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”

e ver. 36
f John 20:16

Jesus' question to the blind man was key to what He was trying to accomplish. It was designed to allow Bartimeaus to express and give evidence of his faith. The title with which he addressed Jesus acknowledged that his view of Jesus was something more than just man to man. It was servant to master or student to teacher. Bartimeaus addressed Jesus not only from a position of respect, but also a position of reverence and trust. It confirms that the faith that this blind man had in Jesus was real.

Today's Comments: One notes, in reading the complete account of Bartimeus that he called out to Jesus, asking the Son of David to have mercy on him. In addition, according to The Bible Exposition Commentary, he addressed Jesus as Rabboni, the same words that Mary Magdalene used when she first saw the risen Lord (John 20:16). It is obvious, therefore, that Bartimmeus knew who Jesus was and that he had faith that Jesus could heal him.

Last night, at my Talbot Bible Lands Class, before we were ready to end, Dr. Richard Rigsby reminded us to think about Thanksgiving from a Christian perspective. It is true that we have a lot to be thankful for, including family and friends, prosperity, and plenty, liberty and freedom. But everybody has those things. In addition, we have some other things, which the faith of Bartimeus reminds us about. We have the Son of David: the Christ, the one who can heal us, and the one who, through his death and resurrection, has given us eternal life for the price of only belief and trust in Him. Jesus deserves our thanks, and we should not forget the unique gift that He has given to us. Let us, therefore, as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, give praise and thanks to God for what he has given to His chosen people, and let us show our thanks in love for our neighbor.

Today's Verse: Mark 10:52 (ESV)

And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; gyour faith has hmade you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

g ch. 5:34; Matt. 9:22; Luke 7:50; 8:48; 17:19
h ch. 5:23, 28; 6:56

This verse, of course, is taken from the account of Blind Bartimaeus, who called on Jesus for healing. And, although others attempted to rebuke this blind beggar, Jesus heard him and healed him with the words “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And, in response, the healed beggar followed Jesus along the road to Jerusalem.

Today's Comments: Thanksgiving is shortly coming upon us. I will be preaching at our Thanksgiving service on Thursday. These are the lessons that I will be reading for the day:

• Deuteronomy 8:1-3,6-10(17-20)
• James 1:17-18,21-27
• Matthew 6:25-33
• Psalm 65 or 65:9-14

The short sermon is simply stated in two sentences: we only need depend upon the Lord for our provisions, and we should give thanks to Him for all that He gives us. The longer sermon is still to be written.

How many of us, today, ask God for help and then fail to thank him? Remember ten lepers who Jesus healed? How many came back to thank him? The answer was one.

Like Blind Bartimaeus, when the Holy Spirit works in our lives, will we turn to follow Jesus Christ, or will we take everything for granted and turn away from God, as eventually did the Israelites? Bartimaeus not only opened his eyes to see, but he opened his heart to foll0w. And so must we.

Today's Verses: 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (ESV)
Fight the Good Fight of Faith

11 But as for you, jO man of God, kflee these things. lPursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 mFight the good fight of the faith. nTake hold of the eternal life oto which you were called and about which you made pthe good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
j 2 Tim. 3:17
k 2 Tim. 2:22
l See Prov. 15:9
m [ch. 1:18]; See 1 Cor. 9:25
n [Phil. 3:12]
o 1 Pet. 5:10
p See 2 Cor. 9:13

The background of this book, of course, is Paul's advice to Timothy, a seemingly timid young man, but a leader in the church. The time is just prior to Paul's execution in Rome. This was the time in the church when there were second and third generation believers, and it was a time in which Rome would soon be taking their official stance against Christianity. The church was also full of false teachers and those whose lifestyles and beliefs were warped. Thus, Paul was imparting his wisdom to those who would be following him in the leadership of the church. And such wisdom is important to our understanding, even in these modern times.

Today's Comments: It looks like the church of today is still full of false teachers and warped lifestyles. If we look at these two verses, there are some key words that we should focus on:

• O man of God: Paul considered Timothy as one of God's chosen. He was one of the elect. If we are to lead, we also must be men of God.
  
• flee: get away from. Here Paul is referring to the false teachers and doctrines. We are to get away from those things which separate us from God.
  
• Pursue: This means go after chase. We are to pursue those things that bring us closer to Jesus Christ, or those characteristics of good Christians:
  

• righteousness
• godliness
  
• faith
  
• love
• steadfastness
  
• gentleness

.

• Fight: This is much more than a chase. Being a Christian can put one into an all out skirmish.
  
• Take hold: grasp, don't let go. Hold on fast to faith and those characteristics that separate the Christian from others.
  
• eternal life: This is the reward for our faith in Jesus Christ

Our solution is not to flow with the rest of the world, our solution is to flow with the Word of God.

Hymn of the Day:

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT WITH ALL THY MIGHT
John S. B. Monsell, 1811–1875

Fight the good fight with all thy might!
Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right;
lay hold on life, and it shall be
thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God’s good grace.
Lift up thine eyes and seek His face;
life with its way before us lies;
Christ is the path and Christ the prize.

Cast care aside, lean on thy Guide;
His boundless mercy will provide;
trust and thy trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its life and Christ its love.

Faint not nor fear; His arms are near;
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
only believe, and thou shalt see
that Christ is all in all to thee.

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 316

Poem of the Week:

If, like Paul advised Timothy, we are in a fight for our lives against the devil, we might want to remind ourselves of the recent war that started on 9/11. While we may not consider it a holy war, there are others that do.

I present this poem of the week by Bev Caruso.

Ground Zero

The earthly giant fell to the ground

Steel melting, blood spewing,

Guts crushing

Papers, papers, with figures

of worldly fortunes turned to DUST

falling with slow motion

for some there was time...time to

say "goodbye, I know it is time

time for me to Die"

"Snatched into eternity FOREVER one brilliant September day

Went some off our nation's finest

Minds full of promise

Satan bellowed his face

from a cloud of Dark black

In Mockery of "In God we Trust"

Three thousand never came home from work

Uproar in the big city

As the world's Giant fell apart

All this "horror" could not crush the

Steel of a Big Hero's heart...

The words of Jesus echoing in the streets

"No greater Love than this, that

A man lay down his life for his friends"

But these hero's of the City of New York

cried out.

..."Let's Roll..as they

charged into inferno's roar

WHO IS GOD..His word says that"god is Love" and that is why Satan's face was blown away that memorable brilliant September day.

But in the rubble under millions of tons

of concrete and steel

A cross,untouched,Imperishable,

Eternal did LAY

A New spirit is in our land...and thanks

to our Hero's who died that day

We will never forget them,

for they taught us what it takes

TO BECOME A MAN

By Beverly Caruso

John3:16 "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that we should not die,but have eternal life."

Today's Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Paul was preaching to a church that was less than perfect. People had their own interpretations of what it meant to be Christian and what it meant to have particular spiritual gifts. In this section, Paul puts it all together, reminding the Church in Corinth that the true measure of spirituality and spiritual maturity is love.

Today's Comments: The implication of Paul's writings for today are that gifts of the spirit are given to us to assist us in worship of God and to assist us in helping our neighbor. Therefore, all spiritual gifts are interpreted within the meaning of love. And that love is measurable because it expresses itself in everyday actions and attitudes.

As I have quoted, so many times before, St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, us words." That is the yardstick by which, I think, we are measured, and it is an area in which we often fall short.

Today's Hymn:

IMMORTAL LOVE–FOREVER FULL
John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807–1892

Immortal Love—forever full,
forever flowing free,
forever shared, forever whole,
a never ebbing sea!

We may not climb the heav’nly steeps
to bring the Lord Christ down;
in vain we search the lowest deeps,
for Him no depths can drown.

But warm, sweet, tender, even yet
a present help is He;
and faith has still its Olivet,
and love its Galilee.

The healing of His seamless dress
is by our beads of pain;
we touch Him in life’s throng and press,
and we are whole again.

Thru Him the first fond prayers are said
our lips of childhood frame;
the last low whispers of our dead
are burdened with His name.

O Lord and Master of us all,
whate’er our name or sign,
we own Thy sway, we hear Thy call,
we test our lives by Thine!

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 46

Today's Verse: Malachi 3:16 (ESV)

The Book of Remembrance

Then those who feared the Lord mspoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and na book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.

m [Deut. 6:6, 7]
n See Ex. 32:32

The last of the Old Testament Prophets, Malachi, wrote during the period of apostasy in Judah, after the completion of the second temple (516 B.C.). He prophesied against the priesthood, which had become corrupt, worship, which had become routine, widespread divorce, neglect of social justice, and failure to tithe.

Today's Comments: Proverbs 1:7 reminds us that: the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. What fools we have been for so long a time, over and over! No sooner does the Temple in Jerusalem get rebuilt than another period of apostasy sets in, and God has to send his prophet Malachi to try and fix things. But today we do not have the prophets; we have the written Word of God, the Bible. But then again, who cared about the prophets? Who cares today about the Bible? To most of those lived during 460 to 430 B.C. (when Malachi actually ministered), the words of the prophet did not matter. Only a few listened, and they are listed in the prophet's book of remembrance. And today? The same issues of apostasy still exist. The Bible is ignored; and worse yet, the Bible is deliberately misinterpreted so that corrupted behaviors are viewed as "normal" or "natural." Will our temple someday come crashing down upon us, like it did in AD 70, because God's people just didn't get it? Although the prophets did not specifically write for our time, their words have meaning that we should try to understand. There are lessons for us in the Old Testament, and we should not ignore them.

Today's Verses: Psalm 112:1-3 (ESV)

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved

1 hPraise the Lord! iBlessed is the man who fears the Lord, who jgreatly delights in his commandments! 2 His koffspring will be mighty in the land; lthe generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 mWealth and riches are in his house, and his nrighteousness endures forever.

This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
h See Ps. 104:35
i Ps. 128:1, 4; [Ps. 111:10; 115:13]
j See Ps. 1:2
k [Ps. 25:13; 102:28; Prov. 11:21; 20:7]
l Ps. 37:26
m See Prov. 3:16
n [Ps. 111:3]

This particular psalm enumerates both the blessings that are won by those who keep God's commands and the acts that secure those blessings. Of course, it is implied that the ungodly will not receive these blessings, but will be punished. Those who will receive God's blessings are those who honestly (in their hearts) fear and obey the Lord and those who are pleased to obey Him. They are rewarded, and so are their decedents who continue to love and fear Him.

Today's Comments: I do not think that this means that those who are afflicted in this world are bad or unrighteous. For those who would try to use this psalm to justify their preaching of the prosperity gospel, one must remember that, without the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we would all be judged to be unrighteous. As Christians, we appear to God as righteous because of our acceptance of Jesus as our savior. And, while we can depend upon God to reward us, we may be required to suffer for Him, just as most of Jesus' disciples had to. Our reward may not be in this life, but then again, what is greater than being rewarded with eternal life in the Kingdom of God?

Poem of the Day:

LIGHTHOUSE BEAM





Beverly Caruso

Today's Verses: Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and wsin which clings so closely, and xlet us run ywith endurance the race that is zset before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, awho for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising bthe shame, and cis seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

w See Eph. 4:22
x See 1 Cor. 9:24
y See ch. 10:36
z ch. 6:18
a Luke 24:26; Phil. 2:8; [Isa. 53:11]
b Ps. 22:6, 7; 69:19; Isa. 53:3
c ch. 1:3

The writer of this book seeks to show that the priesthood of Christ is far superior to the priesthood of those who came before Him. Verses 1 and 2 of Chapter 12 follow a list of those who bore witness to the coming of Christ the Messiah--- the Old Testament prophets. The writer then urges us to look to Jesus and walk in His footsteps.

Today's Comments: The Bible Reader's Companion looks at Christian life like a relay race. Those who have come before us in faith have passed the baton to us. And, we see Jesus as having started the race for us; but He is also at the finish line, as well. And, The Bible Knowledge Commentary suggests that we, as Christians should run the race with perseverance, setting aside the sin that hinders us and fixing our sights on the perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ.

Hymn of the Day: FOR ALL THE SAINTS - William How, 1823–1897

Bishop William W. How wrote the text of “For All the Saints” in 1864, for use in the Anglican church liturgy commemorating All Saints Day. It was originally titled “Saints Day Hymn—Cloud of Witnesses—Hebrews 12:1.”

For all the saints who from their labors rest,
who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
and Thou, in darkness drear, their one true light:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
thru gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 334

Today's Verse: Isaiah 54:17 (ESV)

no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
cand their vindication5 from me, declares the Lord.”

c ch. 45:24, 25
5 Or righteousness

In this section of the book of Isaiah, God promises Israel a covenant of peace and prosperity. Unlike the physical destruction of Jerusalem that is previously discussed, God promises the new Jerusalem in which the righteous will be protected by His impregnable city. It is interesting to note that in previous passages, Isaiah spoke about the suffering servant--- the one who would suffer for our sake. Now, he talks about the servant king, who brings justice and fulfills the promises of the covenant.

Today's Comments: I think that it is important to realize that this passage speaks to the servants of the Lord--- those who obey Him. Isaiah is speaking to the covenant keepers--- those who will recognize and embrace the suffering servant, who God, as described in the words of Isaiah, will send to suffer for our sake, and as our King, who will come again to fulfill the promises that God has made to His people.

Today's Verses: Matthew 16:17 (ESV)

And Jesus answered him, e“Blessed are you, fSimon Bar-Jonah! For gflesh and blood has not revealed this to you, hbut my Father who is in heaven."

e [ch. 13:16]
f [John 1:42; 21:15–17]
g 1 Cor. 15:50; Gal. 1:16 (Gk.); Eph. 6:12; Heb. 2:14
h 1 Cor. 2:10; 12:3; [ch. 11:25; John 6:45]

Peter had just confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. While Jesus had been acknowledged by some as one of the great prophets, it was Simon Peter to who God revealed the truth that Jesus was the Son of the Living God. And, this revelation foretold the importance that Peter was to assume in the future of the church as a key in the founding of God's church.

Today's Comments: While Peter may have had a tremendously important role in the founding of God's church, I am not yet ready to say that that role included that of first in a succession of many Popes in the Roman Catholic Church. But this section of Matthew's Gospel does point out the importance that Peter played; and there is no doubt in my mind that the Roman Catholic Church was the successor of Peter's efforts. And, it bothers me somewhat when I hear evangelicals even suggest that the Roman Catholic Church is not a true Christian Church because of their focus on Church authority and interpretation. My answer is that every church has its own interpretation of scripture; and evangelicals, themselves, rather than attempting to interpret for their congregations, often leave interpretation to their individual members. But, that, in itself, suggests interpretation.

Again, as I have said so many times before, we need to come to God's table, not with our differences, but with our similarities. Our interpretations of scripture may differ, but, in my opinion, our love for God and for our neighbor should not.

Hymn of the Day:

THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION
Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900

This one hymn reminds us that the foundation of the Church is on Jesus, himself.

The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation by water and the Word:
from heav’n He came and sought her to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.

Elect from ev’ry nation, yet one o’er all the earth,
her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.

Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee.

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 264

Today's Verse: Romans 8:16 (ESV)

kThe Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

k 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13, 14; 1 John 3:24

This section discusses the fact that we are adopted as heirs by Christ. As such, we are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who, as The New Bible Commentary suggests, implants in us a sense of intimacy such that we recognize God as our father and can communicate with Him on those terms.

Today's Comments: It is the Holy Spirit, as suggests The Bible Exposition Commentary, that empowers us to obey God and to be more like Christ. One of the issues that I have been discussing in emails with a close friend has to do with people who seem to receive the Word and then later appear to have either ignored or neglected it. Maybe the answer is that they first decided to receive the spirit, but then, the Holy Spirit knowing that such reception was only going to be temporary or without true commitment from the heart, never became in-dwelt in those individuals to prevent them from their disobedience or apostasy. Whether or not that is an answer, it might be a possible answer to consider.

Hymn of the Day:

GRACIOUS SPIRIT, DWELL WITH ME

Thomas T. Lynch, 1818–1871

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me:
I myself would gracious be;
and with words that help and heal
would Thy life in mine reveal;
and with actions bold and meek
would for Christ my Savior speak.

Truthful Spirit, dwell with me:
I myself would truthful be;
and with wisdom kind and clear
let Thy life in mine appear;
and with actions brotherly
speak my Lord’s sincerity.

Mighty Spirit, dwell with me:
I myself would mighty be;
mighty so as to prevail
where unaided man must fail:
ever by a mighty hope
pressing on and bearing up.

Holy Spirit, dwell with me:
I myself would holy be;
separate from sin, I would
choose and cherish all things good,
and whatever I can be,
give to Him who gave me Thee!

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 154

Today's Verse: Romans 12:12 (ESV)

zRejoice in hope, abe patient in tribulation, bbe constant in prayer.

z See ch. 5:2
a See Heb. 10:36
b See Acts 1:14

In this section, Paul talks about that which is pleasing to God, with respect to Christian behavior. God expects us to use the gifts that He gives to us and have a proper attitude toward those gifts.

Today's Comments: Attitude is really what it is all about. The attitude of the Christian shows the love of God and the love of neighbor. We don't become Christians just to sit and look pretty in church. God wants us to use whatever He chooses in the way of gifts to us in His worship and in our ministry to our neighbor. We are a priesthood of believers, and one of the functions of the priest is to minister to His flock. And so we should minister to anybody that we see who might benefit from our efforts. In other words, we should be there for others, as much as possible.

Today's Verses: Psalm 112:1 (ESV)

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved

1 hPraise the Lord!
iBlessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who jgreatly delights in his commandments!
7 He is not tafraid of bad news;
his uheart is firm, vtrusting in the Lord.

t Prov. 1:33
u Ps. 57:7
v Ps. 11:1; 64:10
h See Ps. 104:35
i Ps. 128:1, 4; [Ps. 111:10; 115:13]
j See Ps. 1:2

This particular psalm is one of what is called the "praise psalms." One who fears the Lord and delights in the law is blessed. This is contrasted with the fate of the ungodly. No matter what we hear or befalls us, we can trust in the Lord.

Hymn of the Day: NO ONE UNDERSTANDS LIKE JESUS - Words and Music by John W. Peterson, 1921–

No one understands like Jesus.
He’s a friend beyond compare;
meet Him at the throne of mercy;
He is waiting for you there.

No one understands like Jesus;
ev’ry woe He sees and feels;
tenderly He whispers comfort,
and the broken heart He heals.

No one understands like Jesus
when the foes of life assail;
you should never be discouraged;
Jesus cares and will not fail.

No one understands like Jesus
when you falter on the way;
tho you fail Him, sadly fail Him,
He will pardon you today.

Refrain: No one understands like Jesus
when the days are dark and grim;
no one is so near, so dear as Jesus—
Cast your ev’ry care on Him.

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 209

Today's Comments: The Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary calls this the Psalm of the Happy Man. It suggests that whatever the situation, we can always see strength, even when the children of God suffer. And, it is Christ, himself who we can call upon to give us that strength so that we can survive the dark days or be forgiven when we stray. And, we all need strength to survive the dark days, and we all stray and need forgiveness, many times in our lives.

Today's Verse: 1 John 2:14 (ESV)

I write to you, fathers,
because you know shim who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because tyou are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

s [See ver. 13 ]
t [See ver. 13 ]

The Teacher's Commentary suggests that to "know" Jesus is to have a full grasp of who he is, and that means to have a personal relationship with Him. That means that we respond to His commands to love one another as he has loved us. And, it appears that John is writing to a group who at the minimum had that relationship with Jesus, reminding them of their fellowship with Christ and with each other.

Today's Comments: The implication of John's message for us today is that we need to make sure that we stay in fellowship with Christ and with each other. As fathers, (and mothers) we must grow and mature in our faith so that we can teach our sons and daughters about Jesus.

It is interesting to note that, as one follows biblical history down from Abraham, successive generations lost their knowledge of God. We remember, for example, what Joseph's brothers did to him. In other words, it is our knowing God and sharing our knowledge with others that keep us from false teachings and apostasy.

Today's Verse: 2 Corinthians 10:3 (ESV)

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.

In this book, Paul's focus is transformation through our relationship with Christ, according to The Teacher's Commentary. He spoke to a church in which some criticized his style and methods of leadership. He was speaking to those, like the Judaizers whose style of leadership was to rule by decree and the Jewish law. It means that, once we establish a true relationship with Christ, God's grace is given to us, and through it, we are moved to live a righteous life.

In this particular passage, Paul cautions his readers that the ways of the world are not necessarily the ways of the church. We don't use worldly weapons to tear down spiritual barriers. That can only be done through divine power.

Today's Comments: Successful spiritual warfare involves the abandonment of worldly ways and attitudes. According to The Bible Reader's Companion, we use truth which the spirit can use to reshape the thinking of others. Our learning, personal influence, impressive credentials or polished demeanor, according the The Bible Knowledge Commentary, are examples of weapons of the world, and mean nothing. Paul is really talking about the idea of servant leadership and love which get the job done. We don't win people over by coercion and force. We win people over by patient understanding and love.

Today's Verse: 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)


if my people who are called by my name ghumble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

g [ch. 12:7]

This verse is part of God's words spoken to Solomon during a night appearance to him, during the dedication of the temple.

Today's Comments: These are the conditions of prayer: that we call on God by name and that we humble ourselves. According to The Bible Reader's Companion this means that we abandon hope in ourselves and rely completely on God. Prayer is a personal relationship with God.

We know, of course, that Solomon allowed his life to sink into apostasy, and his descendants paid the price. In the light of the shootings at Fort Hood, are we also paying the price of our own arrogance, greed, and apostasy?

Yesterday, at my State Military Reserve drill, I had to go in for a physical medical screening, and my doctor was a former Air Force flight surgeon and psychiatrist. He is also a science fiction author. We ended up having lunch together. It is his opinion that the shooter at Fort Hood was part of an Al Queda sleeper cell, and his instructions were that if he could not tolerate deployment, he should then try to take out as many people as he can, including himself. This doctor told me that there was evidence of preplanning based upon the way that the shooter attacked his victims. Before moving to the next victim, he would make sure that he killed the previous victim.

Which brings me to my main point or question: We know that in the Old Testament, God used other kingdoms or powers to deal with the apostasy of Israel. Is he using other powers to deal with our apostasy, as well? It is worth a thought.

Hymn of the Day: REVIVE US AGAIN - William P. Mackay, 1839–1885
Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? (Psalm 85:6)

We praise Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy love,
for Jesus who died and is now gone above.

We praise Thee, O God, for Thy Spirit of light,
who has shown us our Savior and scattered our night.

All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain,
who has borne all our sins and has cleansed every stain.

Revive us again; fill each heart with Thy love;
may each soul be rekindled with fire from above.

Chorus: Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Hallelujah, amen!
Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Revive us again.

Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 306

Poem of the Week: Beverly Caruso has written the following poem, which, I think is appropriate for the current situation.

STRONG SOLDIERS

Here's to our troops
From the land of the free
Here's to our troops
A little prayer from Me

I appreciate YOU so much
On my pillow each night I pray
for God to protect you
and keep a bullet, sniper or bomb away

Some of you, just kids,
touched down in hot desert dust
To Protect and defend us
We love YOU so much

It's because of men and women like you,
that take the bullet FOR ME,
so I can breathe, walk around without fear
and say what I please

If faith can move mountains,
I release my FAITH for you NOW....
God is all around you where ever you are...
pray for your enemies;
the son of God said
Pray for your enemies to surrender and LIVE

May the Mighty name of Jesus
be with you each day
And bring you home, strong solider,
BRING YOU HOME, THIS I PRAY