Posts Tagged ‘Israel’

Declare Jesus and persecution is a certainty. How can I ever endure it?

Thursday, June 6th, 2013

Perseverance, June 6
 
…you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
”When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
”A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. “It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!
”Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
”Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
”And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
”Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.
”But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
”Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
 
Matthew 10:22-31, www.solascriptura.com
 
Jesus, for these words of enlightenment, we are grateful. We do not want to be persecuted or disliked when we tell people we belong to You and have chosen to serve You.
 
We do not fear those who persecute us even if they were able to sentence us to physical death for loving You. No man can take us from Your eternal protection. Your presence is like a protective shield around us, encouraging us to persist in our love.
Father, it is overwhelming to realize that You know when a hair falls from our head or a bird falls from the sky. Such omniscience and omnipresence exceed our understanding, but not our appreciation.
 
O’God, if we could but acknowledge and respond to Your unending presence, how much smoother our day would go.
 
Give us the perseverance this day to witness of Your love and to endure whatever comes, knowing that some will be encouraged. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Courage, Fidelity, Perseverance | 16 Comments »

God’s word, written on your heart!

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

Mind of Christ, May 12

… “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah–
”not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
”For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
”None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
”For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 8:8-13, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we see that the old covenant, based upon the promises to Israel if they obeyed the law (The Ten Commandments), was replaced by the new covenant. Why? You tell us that Israel did not continue in Your covenant. They sinned and You disregarded them. But thank you Father that was not the end, it was the beginning, for Israel and for all Gentiles. You sent Your only Son, Jesus, to live for us and teach us and He died for our sins.

Now every person lives under the new covenant, one in which You have placed Your truth upon our hearts. We no longer need to be taught by man, You are our teacher. We have equal opportunity and status before You. If we but acknowledge our sin to Jesus and ask for His Light to shine upon our hearts, You have promised to remember our sins no more. Thank You Father that the only sacrifice needed forever more, has been made. Atonement, perfect atonement, once and for all.

Help us this day to rejoice over the new covenant, one which permits us to have the mind of Christ, in us. In His precious and Holy name we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Conscience, Mind of Christ, Religion | 1 Comment »

New covenant, Old covenant…does it matter?

Friday, April 5th, 2013

Salvation, April 5

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah–

“not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Jeremiah 31:31-33, www.solascriptura.com

Father, this Old Testament prophecy signaled the coming of the Messiah, the One who would cause the relationship of every human being to change as it pertains to You. The Old Covenant was a promise to Israel, Your chosen people. It did not surprise You that they would fail to comply with Your commandments, but You, in Your mercy and grace, provided a solution, a Savior, Your only begotten Son, the Messiah, Jesus.

Father, Your prophet tells us that a New Covenant was coming, wherein all mankind would have Your laws written on their hearts and minds. Father, each of us are recipients of the New Covenant and we praise You for not requiring us to be redeemed by our adherence to the Law, something Israel could not do and something we are unable to do. The straight edge of the Law simply clarifies the extent of our sins.

Yes, we are still to obey the Law, but there is a new Law in place, wherein Your grace, and our faith in Jesus, leads us to want to obey You and this is the best part Father; Jesus not only paid for our sins but He said the Holy Spirit would come to comfort us, teach us and give us counsel after He was resurrected and taken to Your side. We do not depend upon our will and our strength nor are we asked to do so.

We are Your people Father and You are our God. Thank You just doesn’t quite cover the gratitude we feel. How can we adequately respond to the promise of eternal life? We know the answer, because Jesus told us: Love You with all of our heart, mind and soul and love our neighbor as ourselves. Help us do so, today. Amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project P.O.Box 302 Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Forgiven, God's Children, Law of God, Mind of Christ, Providence of God | 242 Comments »

Joy, the inspired truth about heaven

Saturday, December 29th, 2012

Salvation, December 29

Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; his right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The LORD has made known His salvation; his righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Psalm 98:1-3, www.solascriptura.com

Father, when You tell us to “sing a new song”, that implies that it is not a song we know. Is that what heaven is like Father, a place of new songs, new understandings?
We can not, from this side, gain an appreciation of what heaven will be like. You have promised us that it will be beautiful, unlike anything our hearts and minds have imagined or seen.

What we know for sure, Father, is that we who love You will be greatly esteemed, because of our faith in Jesus and His redemptive act and our obedience to You. You have revealed the truth to us and You are continuing to reveal the truth. Bless us as we seek You. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O.Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Heaven, Hope, joy | 6 Comments »

Pretty simple; just two commandments!

Sunday, September 9th, 2012

Law of God, September 9

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
’And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
”And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
”And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”… 

Mark 12:28-34, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, the scribe (lawyer) in this quotation of Your words, is often referred to as being a member of a group that doubted that You were the Son of God. Here the scribe says to You, after You answered his question, “well said Teacher”. Jesus, help us to never speak to You as if You were a mere man, offering our opinion of Your words, as though we were in a position to evaluate what You say.

Yet, You say to the scribe who endorses Your words, “you are not far from the kingdom of God.” Jesus, we know that knowing the truth, such as the two greatest commandments, which summarize the 10 commandments, is not the entire issue. Help us today to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that the truth can become a pivot point for a daily commitment to love You with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Move us, Jesus, from agreeing with You to being empowered by You, to be renewed by your strength, mercy and grace as people committed to fulfilling Your laws. In Your Holy name we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Heaven, Law of God, Perseverance, Religion, salvation | 10 Comments »

40 years in the desert and their sandals did not wear out?

Wednesday, August 15th, 2012

Temple of God, August 15

Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land
”the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders.
”Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.
”And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet;
”you have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink; that you may know that I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 29:2-6, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Your chosen people have experienced firsthand what it is to be the temple of the living God. You did miracles in their midst, giving them manna every day, giving them water where none should have existed and leading them in the paths You wanted them to go.

They saw how they were redeemed from captivity as Moses confronted Pharaoh with miracle after miracle showing him that You Father, were in total control. These people were walking examples of Your glory.

Yet, Father, disobedience persisted. They had eyes that did not see and ears that did not hear and their hearts were not full of discernment.

Father, we, and everyone in the world, have been chosen by You to receive Your grace. Jesus, when He went to the cross and was raised again, told us that His death and resurrection established a New Covenant, one in which the truth is written on the heart of every man, whereby no one is without at least some Light.

We are Your temples and You are our Lord. The evidence of Your love has been verified. Help us and every person in every nation to respond to Your grace. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, God's Children, Temple of God, salvation | 38 Comments »

I feel distant from God. He did not move!

Friday, August 10th, 2012

Providence of God, August 10

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; he shall preserve your soul.
The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
…This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.

Psalm 121:1-8, Psalm 102:18, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Your eyes are always fixed upon Your people; You do not slumber or tire of reaching out to help us, to comfort us. Help us know that we always stand in the shadow of Your love even when we feel distant from You.

Help us realize that when we feel distant from You that it is not You that have moved. Strengthen our resolve to draw near to You when we feel so alone. What a friend we have in You, Jesus.

Lead us as we seek to know Your will this day and help us to simply do it. “Just do it” is more than a slogan. It is a call to action. In Jesus Holy name, invigorate us to act, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Courage, God's Children, Industriousness, Providence of God, Religion | 8 Comments »

Did you say that God knew me before I was born?

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Temple of God, July 3

…the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
”And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
”For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
”And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

Luke 1:13-16, www.solascriptura.com

Father, if we were to ever wonder about Your level of control in the affairs of man, here You allow us to listen in to one of Your angels as John the Baptist’s parents were being told of his miraculous birth and pivotal mission.

You ordained John before he was born. You set him apart and Father, when he proclaimed the coming of Jesus, You had already seen the entire scene. It is Your omniscience, Your knowledge of the beginning, the process and the end that we are witnessing.  

Father, we realize You have already seen who we are and how we are going to live our lives. Nothing we do surprises You. Yet, everything we do seems new and unrehearsed to us. We do not know how tomorrow will turn out and we sometimes have anxiety and fear about what will happen.

Help us O’God to trust You and to have faith in the fact of Jesus’ redemptive power. We know that if we seek You, if we hunger and thirst for Your word and Your Holy presence, You are there for us. No one, ever, could be to us what You are. Help us, today, to know that we are enveloped by Your love. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, God's Children, Holy Spirit, Inspirtation, Law of God, Prayer, Providence of God, Religion | 4 Comments »