June
2006 by Mary Van Nattan |
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June
27, 2006 My friend, Beth, sent me this in email. It was a blessing to me and I wanted to share it here in my blog. --------------------------- 1st was Hannah in 1Sa 1:16 "Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. " And next Eli's sons 1Sa 2:12 "Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. " Isn't it funny how a drunk woman was thought of the same as a woman who worshipped Belial, and Eli's sons who knew not the Lord also were sons of Belial. I am struck today, that by these definitions in the Bible, I am surrounded by 'sons and daughters of Belial' in our society. A
little disheartening isn't it? I just praise God that HE is victorious, you know?? My reply to her: Thank you for that thought, sister! It is a blessing to know that God is bigger than the evil around us! I just thought of a verse that applies - Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life... And also - 2Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (See the whole chapter for context. It's really good.) First and Second Peter are two of my favorite Bible books. It has amazed me how often there is a verse in one of them that applies to some situation or topic, and yet they are really such short books. His epistles are chock full of doctrine and teaching. Really amazing for an ignorant fisherman! :-) So, there must be hope for us too, since we have the same Teacher! Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. CA
June
22, 2006 I have really enjoyed reading and studying Isaiah of late. Two things have been standing out to me this time that I had not noticed so much before. The first blessing is how much Isaiah writes through the Spirit about Jesus Christ. I am thinking about reading Hebrews next because its theme has been said to be that "Jesus Christ is so much better," and that seems true. The theme of Isaiah could, in some sense, be said to be that a better thing is coming - meaning Christ Himself. This aspect makes Isaiah a great blessing. The other thing I've been noticing is how much God says about other people being saved besides Jews. I had begun to noticed the Lord's comments about the nations and people in general not long ago in Psalm 117, and have noted other references as well. In reading Isaiah, the Lord has brought to my attention different things that He said about the nations worshipping Him or being saved, or the Jews bearing witness to Him (presumably to the world). This has been a great blessing too, because it shows that although God dealt specifically with the Hebrews in the Old Testament, yet He also desired other people to be saved as well. Now through Christ Jesus - who is spoken of so much in Isaiah - the way is made so much easier for us Gentiles to come nigh to God! The Lord makes a number of references to this coming day in Isaiah, though I didn't count exactly how many. Ephesians 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. I think that we have so often heard how God dealt with the Jews in the Old Testament that we don't notice all the ways He dealt with Gentiles then, and the things He said that were to the nations or looked forward to a time when they would be in the one fold (John 10:16). It would make an interesting study. When we stop and think about it, there were quite a lot of Gentiles who were either brought into Israel or actually believed in their own culture in the O.T. times - an early Pharaoh of Egypt (Gen. 12), Abimelech king of Gerar (an early Philistine Gen. 20-21), Rahab, Ruth, Naman, Nebuchadnezer, Uriah the Hittite, Ittai the Gittite, the 600 hundred men who came with David from Gath, etc. My challenge to you is to notice these things particularly the next time you read through Isaiah. It is a blessing and joy to meditate upon our great Saviour in this book, and to see God's desire to save the Gentiles as well as Israel! Psalm
104:34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. CA
June
11, 2006 Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Here is another verse that shows us conclusively that Jesus Christ is God Almighty. The LORD says He will not give His glory to another, yet in the New Testament we find Jesus Christ receiving glory repeatedly. (Look it up. Search it out.) Therefore, Jesus Christ must be God the LORD. Peter wrote through the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ should receive glory for ever. 2Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. That is certainly a God-like glory. 2Peter 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. This last passage is extremely powerful, for it describes the worship as it happens in heaven before the throne of God Almighty. If Jesus Christ were not very God, this would absolutely not be permitted for, as we read in Isaiah, the Lord will not give His glory to another. This may seem like a mute point to some, but with all the people today who are set on "reinventing Jesus" it is timely and good to keep this fresh in our minds. Man is constantly attempting to bring Jesus Christ down to his level and make Him a mere man. But, God has highly exalted Him and given Him His glory - the glory God will not give to another! Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; May God find us also exalting His Son! CA
June
5, 2006 I have been enjoying the book of Isaiah very much lately. It amazes me how we can read through a book of the Bible over and over and still learn new and wonderful things! Truly it is God's book. Man could not have produced something like this! In the book of Revelation when Jesus Christ said He is the first and the last, that statement alone is enough to assure us that He is God. Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. After all, if He is the first He must have been there before the beginning, and only God could start it all. This we know from other scripture as well. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (Also see Eph. 3:9, Col. 1:16) Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. This passage shows very distinctly that Jesus is speaking, for He is the only one (so far) who was dead and is alive for evermore, and He is the only one who has the keys of hell and death. But, even more interestingly, we find the LORD God applying this same title to Himself in the Old Testament as well. In Isaiah we find it twice in the context of creation. Isaiah 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. Isaiah 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. 13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. Now examine another mention. Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. In the same breath, the LORD says He is the first and the last and that beside Him there is no God. Therefore Jesus Christ is God, for He has claimed the same name and title for Himself. If you do not call Him God in both the Old and New Testament you make God a liar! Heb. 6:18 and Rom. 3:4 So many people question that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, or that He was God in the Old Testament. These verses cannot be argued with by an honest person. Thank God for giving us such a clear revelation of Himself and His Son. Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. CA |
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