December 15, 2015
One of the psalms of ascent, written to prepare pilgrims as they climbed the steps to the temple. This psalm was addressed to those who served in the temple at night. Certainly, it addressed the Levites assigned to serve as a night watch, that their work should never be considered mundane but always worshipful. It also brings to mind those like the old woman Anna who continually fasted and prayed at the temple (Luke 2:47). Today, it is a reminder to those who serve the Lord to remember to offer praise to Him even in the most mundane moments of service. It also encourages those who are experiencing sleepless nights not to waste the time, but to take the opportunity to lift up hands of worship to God.
December 14, 2015
People think the book of Jonah is about a fish. It’s not. It’s really not even about Jonah. It’s about God. The fish is only mentioned 4 times. Jonah is mentioned 18 times. But God is named 38 times. God is the hero in the book of Jonah. God is the One who calls, the One who pursues, the One who saves. Jonah is the one who runs from God’s call and argues with God about His mercy towards Nineveh. We’ve all heard stories about a man catching a big fish. But God took a big fish and caught Himself a man! This story is a sign pointing to its fulfillment in Christ, who died for our sins and lay in the tomb for three days before being raised, defeating sin, death and the grave in order to save us!
December 13, 2015
The prophet Obadiah, whose Hebrew name means “Servant of the LORD,” delivered a prophecy against Edom for gloating over Israel’s fall. The land of Edom was founded by Jacob’s (“Israel’s”) twin brother, Esau (Also known as “Edom”). Edom was situated south of Judah and difficult to overthrow in its mountain strongholds. However, God warned that His wrath was against Edom. Her pride and pleasure in Israel’s destruction would lead to her own demise. And unlike Israel, whom God would one day deliver and reestablish, Edom would be no more. As the Word has said, “pride goeth before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).
December 12, 2015
The letter to the church of Philadelphia is the only one of the seven that contained a commendation without any correction from Jesus. This little church was in the smallest of the seven cities addressed in Revelation. It didn’t have the population nor resources of the churches in the larger cities, but it did have spiritual power (“a little strength”), a commitment to God’s Word (“kept my word”), and Christ-centered faith (“not denied My name”). Jesus not only commended them, He gave them an “open door” of ministry effectiveness, so that the gospel went out from this little church to the surrounding world for centuries. God loves to do big things with little people.
December 11, 2015
John’s Revelation begins with seven letters from Jesus to seven specific churches. Each letter was addressed to the “angel of the church.” The word “angel” might also be translated “messenger,” so one might assume this meant the letter was to be read by the pastor, who would then read it to the church. All seven churches were located in Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. There are many views on how to interpret these seven letters. Some think they describe the progressive ages of the church as the end times approach, with the Laodicean church being descriptive of the condition of the last church before Christ’s return. Others rightly point out that the letters were accurate in their descriptions of the actual churches of John’s day, and therefore had a present tense meaning for them. Perhaps both of these views are correct, so that the letters were both prescriptive and prophetic. I have visited all seven cities in Turkey and I observed that the letters accurately described key features of those cities. Whatever their intent, whether historical, progressive or future, these seven letters tell us that Jesus is the real Head of the Church and He is actively involved in its administration and in its ultimate future.
December 10, 2015
God often calls preachers, prophets and kings from obscure places. The prophet Amos was a simple, herdsman living about twelve miles South of Jerusalem near the small town of Tekoa. He was a country boy, but God called him from the pasture to the palace to proclaim the Word of God before kings. Where did he get his message? The Scripture says, “he saw,” meaning he received his message in a vision from God. God still calls the small and the simple to proclaim His Word.
December 9, 2015
The prophecy of Joel opens with a word of warning and judgment, describing the coming “day of the Lord” (“yom Yahweh”). Yet, it also contains a call to repentance, inviting God’s people to “return” to Him. He gives the warning to bring about repentance. But not many will listen.
December 8, 2015
The Old Testament prophets usually referred to Israel in the feminine gender. Hosea continued that tradition by beginning his book with references to Israel’s “harlotry,” even being called of God to take a “wife of harlotry” to illustrate the depth of Israel’s sin. But here, Hosea quoted the Lord calling Israel “My son.” No doubt this passage must refer to Israel being led out of bondage in Egypt. Yet, the switch to the masculine must signal something more. Matthew certainly thought so, for he quoted this verse as being fulfilled in Christ when Joseph carried him to Egypt to escape Herod’s persecution (Matt. 2:15). There are over 300 messianic prophecies in the Old Testament and Christ fulfilled every one.
December 7, 2015
In John’s third letter, he wrote commending Gaius for his care of the traveling Bible teachers that had visited his church. But John warned Gaius about the bad example of Diotrephes (Greek for “nurtured by Jupiter”) who apparently held some sort of leadership role in the local church and had denied help to the traveling teachers. Among the character flaws that John ascribed to Diotrephes was that he “loves to have the preeminence.” In other words, he was “fond of being first.” He was ambitious and power hungry, unwilling to submit to the apostle John. This is not the paradigm for servant leadership that Jesus taught. He taught that servant leaders were not to lord it over others as the Gentile rulers did, but that whoever would be great must become a servant and whoever would be first, must become a slave (Matt. 20:25-27). When people like Diotrephes take leadership in a church, the church suffers. But John promised Gaius that when he came to visit, he would confront this worldly leadership style.
December 6, 2015
When Christianity was barely 50 years old, already false doctrines were being taught concerning Jesus. The apostle John calls one who would give a different confession concerning Christ as “a deceiver and an antichrist.” It seems he was standing against an early deception called gnosticism, which believed that the flesh was evil and that only the spiritual was good. This belief therefore concluded that Christ could not have literally been in the flesh. This conclusion denied the incarnation. It denied the name given to Jesus at His birth, which was “Immanuel,” God with us. John guarded his eyewitness testimony that Jesus is God in the flesh. This was why he was so specific in his first letter to say he had seen, examined and touched Jesus (1 John 1:1). He was affirming the doctrine that the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The incarnation is not only the central theme of Christmas, it is the true doctrine concerning Christ. Jesus is God in the flesh. He really came. He really died for our sins. He really rose from the dead and ascended to the Father. This is his-story.