Into The Depths - Exodus 15:1-5

Exodus 15:1-5 ESV

1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,

 I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

2 The Lord is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation;

this is my God, and I will praise him,

 my father's God, and I will exalt him.

3 The Lord is a man of war;

 the Lord is his name.

4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,

and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.

5 The floods covered them;

they went down into the depths like a stone.

In Revelation the AntiChrist, the beasts, and all those who followed after them were cast into the lake of fire.  The deliverance from Pharaoh foreshadowed our deliverance from the army of Satan as prophesied.

Babylon is thrown into the sea.

Yesterday informs tomorrow and gives us confidence today.

Their Own Desires - 1Timothy 4:1-3

2 Timothy 4:1-3 NIV 

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Doctrine may seem an archaic word for some and signal an unenlightened understanding of Scripture to others. Often the word preached is diluted, incomplete, or misinterpreted. 

There were those from the beginning who rejected the true gospel and devised a gospel more suited to their own desires, but few will argue that the time has come at the present day for going one's own way. Rejection of Christianity seems to be in vogue and the Scripture has been discarded as irrelevant and primitive.  Voices clamor with competing truths which oppose God. 

Our charge is to endure patiently and stay true to the word. 

The time has come and is near. 

 

Final Desolation - Daniel 9:1-2

Daniel 9:1-2 ESV

 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

The final desolation will be the abomination in the temple in Jerusalem in the last week of the last days. 

To The Pure - Titus 1:15-16

Titus 1:15-16 ESV 

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

With the eyes we can view the same thing, but see different things. This can be easily demonstrated by a casual experiment. 

The view from the heart is a different matter. What is seen depends more on the heart than the image coming through the eyes. A heart that is purified by the presence of the Holy Spirit is contrasted to the heart of one that remains in darkness. The unbelieving profess to know, but do not. The light of that darkness is dark indeed. 

But Jesus Only - Matthew 17:1-8

Matthew 17:1-8

 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Jesus is the only one transformed in this experience. They glimpse the divine majesty of the man they know as Jesus. 

Moses and Elijah then join Him on this mountain. They represent the law and prophets of the Old Testament. We are not told here what they talked about, but everything revealed previously was in preparation of the coming of Jesus and His salvation of grace. 

The passion of Jesus was yet to come and the Holy Spirit has not been given. The disciples have yet to realize the passing of the old covenant and coming new covenant. 

They hear the voice of God the Father blessing and confirming His Son. He directs the disciples to listen to voice of the Son, who only speaks the words of the Father. In fact, Jesus is the Word. 

They fall down in terror at the voice of the living God. Then the Word comes to them and touches them.  He speaks tenderly to them to rise and fear no more. When they look up they only see Jesus. 

The two witnesses have disappeared. They were used by God to pave the way for his Son. Like John the Baptist, they fulfilled their purpose and now defer to the head of all creation: no one but Jesus only.   

Love Fulfills - Romans 13:10

Romans 13:10

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Love fulfills, it is the beginning and end. 

The operative force behind all things. 

We are told that Jesus fulfilled the law. Therefore we know Jesus is love. 

We move and have our being in Him. 

Find your neighbor and love.  

The Promise - Romans 4:14-15

Romans 4:14-15

For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Jesus died that we would have a way to be heirs to the kingdom of God. To do so we must die to self. In a sense, Christ died to self in that His death enabled the body of Christ, the Church, to find life. That life exists because we have been freed from the law through the grace of God through Christ. 

The way of faith is justified and the promise is sure.  Faith overcomes the wrath to come. 

Entrusted - 1Timothy 6:20-21

1 Timothy 6:20-21 ESV 

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

 Grace be with you.

The Greek word below for " deposit entrusted" includes the idea of sharing or serving, which goes along with what follows. Timothy has received the bread of life, that is Christ. Paul exhorts him to stay true to the gospel, avoiding the dilutions and contradictions that lead into the shadow of death. 

What seems right to a man can be opposed to God. This has always been the case. The Word was entrusted to Timothy and is entrusted to us, with seal or deposit of the Holy Spirit in each believer. 

Speak the truth of God. He has given us the Word and the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of truth. 

παραθηκη paratheke; from 3908; a deposit or trust:--

entrusted (1), treasure *(1),

Not Deceived - 1Timothy 2:13-15

1Timothy 2:13-15 ESV 

For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self- control.

It would seem Paul is stating something which is not part of our typical understanding of what happened in the Garden. By saying Adam was not deceived, he must have eaten the fruit knowing full well the consequence that would follow. 

Perhaps it was love and compassion that caused Adam to partake of the forbidden fruit. Eve transgressed the law, but Adam still loved her. 

This is a foreshadowing of the love that God would ultimately demonstrate in His self-sacrifice for His Church, the Bride of Christ.  

Christ would come through the childbearing of man and would eat the fruit of man's sin, becoming our sin that we might be free of its chains. 

We are saved when we believe and continue in our faith in Him.  Persevering to the end, we will join Christ in His kingdom. 

Mystery Of Godliness - 1 Timothy 3:14-16

1 Timothy 3:14-16 ESV 

 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

 He was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated by the Spirit,

 seen by angels,

 proclaimed among the nations,

 believed on in the world,

 taken up in glory.

The household of God is a house of prayer. 

Just as the Israelites were led in the desert by a pillar of fire at night, so is the church in the wilderness of the world, leading the way to the truth of God. 

The church inhabits the mystery of godliness, for we are part of the body of Christ. 

Godliness is a mystery to those who are still of this world. It is the Spirit that vindicates and confirms the Son. It is in the Spirit that we worship and dwell in the house of God. 

At The Present Time - Romans 3:21-26

Romans 3:21-26 

 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

The key word in this passage is faith, which is the key word in the Gospel.  The object of that faith is Jesus, who is in fact God. God put Himself into His creation to show and extend His righteousness to all. 

When we believe we fully enter the present moment, for God is ever present and we find ourselves in His eternal presence. 

Which Is Idolatry - Colossians 3:5-6

Colossians 3:5-6 ESV 

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

Idolatry is as present today as yesterday, or more so. The cult of self has no lack of followers. That road is wide and well traveled though it only leads to the wrath of God. 

By Works Of The Law - Romans 3:19-20

Romans 3:19-20 ESV 

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The law was given to a particular people to bring it to the whole world. That particular people demonstrated the inability of man to comply, and therefore the need for a redeemer. The knowledge of sin includes accountability.  Their failure provided the light and pathway to God.  We learn that our best effort can only fall short of the righteousness of God.  

Every mouth will be silenced before the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 

The Doers - Romans 2:12-13

Romans 2:12-13 ESV 

 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Having or not having the law does not save anyone. Knowing the gospel of Christ does not save anyone. It is in living a life that is informed by the light of God that we will find righteousness before God.  It is living in the gospel truth. 

When we sincerely seek the will of our Father we will be found. 

The Victory - 1Corinthians 15:56-57

1Cor. 15:56-57 ESV 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death travels with sin and lurks in the shadows which oppose the light.  The power of sin lies in the knowledge of good and evil. The choice is before every man, and the choice of life comes through Jesus Christ. He alone was able to fulfill the law. 

He shares that victory with us. 

The Image - Colossians 1:15

Colossians 1:15 ESV 

 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

A photo is an image of a person,but it is just an image, not the person.  More so was Jesus compared to the invisible God. He took on our image to bring to us the life of God. 

We connect with the Father through the lens and language of our experience. We receive His word we begin to take on the invisible for ourselves. We become reborn like the firstborn of all creation and transferred into His kingdom. 

In the end we will be totally transformed to be like Him, not just in spirit, but in His image in every way. 

Out Of Darkness - 2Corinthians 4:6

2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV 

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Out of the darkness of creation God called for the light. That light has risen in the hearts of man where darkness prevailed. The glory of The Lord shines in the heart of the believer. We rise in that light into the divine. 

That knowledge will allow us to see Jesus face to face. We shall know Him as He know us. 

Hope Does Not Disappoint - Romans 5:3-5

Romans 5:3-5

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Life brings with it many challenges.  While the particulars may differ from person to person, our ultimate purpose is to find and give glory to God.  Our tribulations serve as a means of finding Him and enable us to grow in relationship to Him. 

We see here a progression of spirit which brings us into a stronger hope based on the promise of God. This hope is more than a wish because our hope is in God.  It is a certain and sure reality that will come to pass. We are able to confirm this by the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Born Of The Spirit - John 3:8

John 3:8 NIV 

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

None are able to see the kingdom of heaven unless born of Spirit. We are reborn and are borne by the Spirit as we begin to walk in the light. We then know where we are going. 

The wind blows wherever it pleases because God's sovereign will goes forth and will not return empty. 

They Ran - Acts 19:13-16

Acts 19:13-16 NIV 

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon- possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

The demon knew Jesus was the Christ. It knew that Paul was a follower of Jesus. 

These Jews used the name of Jesus, but had not believed in His name. They had not taken His name for their own. They had not comprehended or known the spiritual reality of their situation. As such, they were ill prepared for this encounter. 

Since the Jews did not have The Lord with them, they were no match for the evil spirit. They were overpowered and subjected to the dominion of Satan. 

It is critical to know what we know. If we don't have a relationship with Christ, we are subjects of the prince of this world. There will be no place to run. 

The Whole Of Creation - Revelation 22:20-21

Revelation 22:20-21 ESV 

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

The Bible ends with these words. It began with God and ends with His return.  His story encompasses the whole of creation. 

River Of Life - Ezekiel 47:6-12

Ezekiel 47:6-12 ESV 

And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

The River of Life is before us. We will see it again at the end of Revelation. It will flow into the sea and the sea will be made fresh. Notice that everywhere the river goes it will impart life. 

The light of the temple, the life of God will go forth from the sanctuary. 

The sea of chaos and rebellion will be no more. 

A House Of Prayer - Isaiah 56:6-8

Isaiah 56:6-8

“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,

to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,

and to be his servants,

everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,

and holds fast my covenant—

 these I will bring to my holy mountain,

and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

 their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

will be accepted on my altar;

for my house shall be called a house of prayer

for all peoples.”

 The Lord God,

 who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,

 “I will gather yet others to him

besides those already gathered.”

All those who have entered the house of God reside in a house of prayer. Not a dwelling made of stone or the will of man, but a living house of true worshipers who have entered the body of Christ.   

The gathering continues. 

Reason - Daniel 4:34-35

Daniel 4:34-35 ESV 

 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

 for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

and he does according to his will among the host of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

 and none can stay his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”

Who said it is unreasonable to believe in God?

Believing God and in God is the highest form of reason possible. Lifting our eyes to heaven separates us from the beasts of the field. 

We are planted in this earth to yield a harvest for the glory of God. We were made to share in that glory.