The B-I-B-L-E That’s the Book for Me

“This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your Word has given me life.

Forever, O Lord,
Your Word is settled in heaven.

Your Word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

The entrance of Your Words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.” [1]

[1] Psalm 119:50, 89, 105, 130
The “Word” in these verses refers to the Bible

Submitting To The Leadership of God

“Therefore, since we are originally [υπαρχοντες] of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, silver, or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man [Jesus Christ] whom He has ordained.” [1]

It’s not God who needs to repent. It is us. All people, even rulers, need to repent of an unjust attitude towards God. We need to repent of our rebellion against His rule.

“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.” [2]

Political and religious leaders fall short of God’s glory, but so do “we the people.” Many democratic voters falsely assume that we can cancel God if He does not adhere to our agenda? We may temporarily seem to succeed, but in the end, each of us will be voted into or out of heaven according to God’s Word as recorded in the Bible. We desperately need God to graciously help us to discern between right and wrong. We need His Spirit to empower us to embrace and obey Him.

Therefore, let us repent of any trace of a condescending attitude towards God within us and bow before Him and confess His Son Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. He is our only hope for eternity in the perfectly wonderful Kingdom of God.

The good news is that God is for us. He wants to guide us to victory over sin, death, and the devil. He wants us to inherit eternal life. That’s why He sent His Son into the world to atone for our sins. That’s why He sent His Holy Spirit into the world to indwell us who believe in Him. He wants us with Him forever.

[1] Acts 17:29-31
[2] Psalm 2:2-4

Paul Preached The Gospel

He preached, “Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days. Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” [1]

Those that believed the Gospel were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

“Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” [2]

[1] Acts 13:29-31
[2] Acts 13:48, 52

True To God and Self

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!’” [1]

Some of the words that Synonyms.com lists for deceitful are:

disingenuous

false

hypocritical

misleading

underhanded

untrustworthy

untruthful

counterfeit

deceiving

double-dealing

indirect

shifty

slick

sly

sneaky

stealthy

subtle

treacherous

tricky

two-faced

“Lord Jesus, please make us like Nathanael. ‘People in whom is no deceit.’ Not to be unknowingly duped or deceived by devil! Not to act as someone we are not! Not to water down God’s Word and work in our lives!”

Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” [2]

“Lord Jesus, please help us to know the truth and be free. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.”

[1] John 1:47
[2] John 8:32

Christ Our High Priest & Mediator

“You shall make a plate of pure gold, and grave on it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD… It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.” [1]

“Aaron must have this upon his forehead, that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things, and that they may be accepted before the Lord — Herein he was a type of Christ, the great Mediator between God and man. Through him, what is amiss in our services, is pardoned: even this would be our ruin, if God should enter into judgment with us: but Christ, our High-Priest, bears this iniquity; bears it for us, so as to bear it from us. Through him, likewise, what is good is accepted; our persons, our performances, are pleasing to God upon the account of Christ’s intercession, and not otherwise. His being holiness to the Lord, recommends all those to the divine favor that believe in him. Having such a High-Priest, we come boldly to the throne of grace.” [2]

[1] Exodus 28:36, 38
[2] Benson Commentary on Exodus 28:38

God Meets Us at the Mercy Seat

“There [at the ark] I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the Mercy Seat (הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת), from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony (אֲרֹ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֑ת), about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.” [1]

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation [Mercy Seat] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” [2]

God meets with us at the Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant or Testimony was on the lid between the two bowing cherubim (angels). God spoke to Moses from above the Mercy Seat. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is referred to as the Propitiation or Mercy Seat in 1 John 2:2. God meets with us in Christ. Therefore, we pray in the Name of Jesus.

[1] Exodus 25:22
[2] 1 John 2:1-2

An Outstanding Nation

A nation of people who seek to obey God’s voice and keep covenant (relationship) with Him is His special treasure and considered His priests and holy nation.

“If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Exodus 19:5-6