John 1:10-13 - The Right to be Children of God

John 1:10-13 

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His sown, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Message: The Right to be Children of God

Time: Jesus' disciple John, the brother of James, the son of Zebedee was one of the inner circle of Jesus' most trusted companions. It's most likely that John wrote his gospel while he was in Ephesus, and that he wrote it for an audience that lived outside Palestine, perhaps in Asia Minor. John appears to have had in mind members of a Jewish community who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but who had continued to worship in the synagogue. John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: I kind I ran through the last lesson. It was an important one, but I didn't give it the time it needed. The first 5 verses of the chapter served as an introduction, showing us all that Jesus while new to the people that are seeing Him is not new and was with God at creation. Quite the bold statement. And further more that the Word (Jesus) is God. In verse 6, John comes on the scene and yet all of the focus by the write John is not on John the Baptist but rather on Jesus. There really is only a short description of John: (1) sent from God; (2) a witness (though, verse 19 on will have a little more information about him). So of the two items that are mentioned both are about God. I've always sort of wondered, how is it that John knew about Jesus? I can't find it mentioned, but either way, like many of the prophets, we do not know much about them other than that they are "sent from God." 

The previous lesson, brief about John, introduces Jesus as the Light. And the Light is meant to be believed. All people are meant to believe through him. So the focus is not simply to believe, but believe through him. The light illuminates God and so we believe God through the Light, through Jesus. We are enlightened by this Jesus, this Light, the Word. There has never been someone like the Light, like Jesus and so for good reason, there is a forerunner. 

We learn much about the Light now in these verses of 1:10-13:

• He was in the world
• The world was made through Him 
• The world did not know Him

Not simply the World did He come, but also His own. There is a contrast between the World and His Own. His Own are a subset of those in the World. And yet even among His own there were those that did not receive Him. 

There is a tone of sadness now which hits us. There is the Light to the World, but they don't know Him and now to His own, some do not know Him. This seems to be a mark on the Jewish people. Many of His own, His called ones, do not know Him. Granted, one day they will, but for too long, many do not. 

But many do. And to these he gives them the right to become children of God. 

Followers of Jesus are just that followers or Christ-bearers or Christians and they are in contrast to those in the Word, the Secular. 

This own, these many are born of God. They have a foundation they have come from. A child does not choose His parents or choose to be born. A child is born. Interesting that John uses this language of being born. There are those born of blood; those born of the flesh, born of the will of man. Those are all present in our world, but there are some born of God. 

This is a very significant set of verses for it points us toward the idea that we are chosen. We do not choose God. He chooses His children. His own are given the right to be Children of God. 

Summary: God calls many of His own to be born of God, as his Children - those that receive Him. 

Promise: To be born again is an act of grace alone, and only God can bring us to new spiritual life. The evidence that we have been born again is that we believe in Christ.

Prayer: O heavenly father, Great is Your name. You God choose us and we are your children through receiving You. But I am born again, born anew because You being my Father. Thank you Father God. Thank you for the special birth You have given me. You have allowed me to Know You and so be with you for all eternity. It is sad Lord to see those in the World not born of You. I have sorrow for them and yet rejoice in those that are born of You God. Jesus is the Light. For God so loved the world. What a great gift has been given me. I don't understand, but remain so thankful for what You have done for me. 

My Utmost for His Highest - June 21 - The Ministry of the Interior

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; - I Peter 2:9

    By what right do we become “a royal priesthood”? By the right of the Atonement. Are we prepared to leave ourselves resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centred, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God. Until we get into a right relationship to God, it is a case of hanging on by the skin of our teeth, and we say — “What a wonderful victory I have got!” There is nothing indicative of the miracle of Redemption in that. Launch out in reckless belief that the Redemption is complete, and then bother no more about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ said — pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints, pray for all men. Pray on the realisation that you are only perfect in Christ Jesus, not on this plea — “O Lord, I have done my best, please hear me.”

    How long is it going to take God to free us from the morbid habit of thinking about ourselves? We must get sick unto death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God can tell us about ourselves. We cannot touch the depths of meanness in ourselves. There is only one place where we are right, and that is in Christ Jesus. When we are there, then we have to pour out for all we are worth in this ministry of the interior.

My Notes

Multiple thoughts here. How is it that I am chosen and a royal priesthood? Definitely because of anything in me so never think about myself as doing that work. I am only right in Christ Jesus. Ministry starts from the interior. This is where prayer starts. And this is what our lives are to be about - listening to the Holy Spirit speak to us and tell us who we are to be praying for. 

 - From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition

My Utmost for His Highest - March 23rd - Am I Carnally Minded?

for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people? - 1 Corinthians 3:3 

No natural man knows anything about carnality. The flesh lusting against the Spirit, that came in at regeneration, and the Spirit lusting against the flesh, produces carnality. "Walk in the Spirit" says Paul, "and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)"; and carnality will disappear.

Are you contentious, easily troubled about trifles? "Oh, but no one who is a Christian ever is!" Paul says they are, he connects these things with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens petulance in you? That is a proof that you are yet carnal. If sanctification is being worked out, there is no trace of that spirit left. 

If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put it right; He asks you to accept the light, and He will put it right. A child of the light confesses instantly and stands bared before God; a child of the darkness says--"Oh, I can explain that away." When once the light breaks and the conviction of wrong comes, be a child of the light, and confess, and God will deal with what is wrong; if you vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.

What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone it is the most real thing imaginable. God will see that you have any number of opportunities to prove yourself the marvel of His grace. The practical test is the only proof. "Why", you say, "If this had happened before, there would have been the spirit of resentment!" You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.   

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

- carnality - of the flesh, material, worldly
- trifles - something of little value or importance
- petulance - impatient or irritable, especially over a petty annoyance 

My Utmost for His Highest - November 14 - Discovering Divine Designs

I being in the way, the Lord led me.… — Genesis 24:27

We have to be so one with God that we do not continually need to ask for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God, and the natural life of a child is obedience — until he wishes to be disobedient, then instantly there is the intuitive jar. In the spiritual domain the intuitive jar is the monition of the Spirit of God. When He gives the check, we have to stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind in order to make out what God’s will is. If we are born again of the Spirit of God, it is the abortion of piety to ask God to guide us here and there. “The Lord led me,” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design, which, if we are born of God, we will credit to God.

We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never allow that the haphazard is anything less than God’s appointed order, and be ready to discover the Divine designs any where.

Beware of making a fetish of consistency to your convictions instead of being devoted to God. “I shall never do that” — in all probability you will have to, if you are a saint. There never was a more inconsistent Being on this earth than Our Lord, but He was never inconsistent to His Father. The one consistency of the saint is not to a principle, but to the Divine life. It is the Divine life which continually makes more and more discoveries about the Divine mind. It is easier to be a fanatic than a faithful soul, because there is something amazingly humbling, particularly to our religious conceit, in being loyal to God.

My Thoughts

• The mark of a mature Christian is not having to ask God to be led as obedience is natural as I become a true child of God. Children obey. 
• I need to see God's divine design in all the details of life, not only the grand ones. 

Mark 10:13-16 - Receiving the Kingdom Like a Child

Mark 10:13-16
13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.

Message: Receiving the Kingdom Like a Child

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Preface -  Jesus continues teaching and instructing the disciples and his followers as he goes through Galilee. We not only have a personal faith, but our faith also has an affect on how we treat others and encourage them to grow in Christ and therefore Jesus admonishes us to consider those around us and be sensitive to their needs. This also applies in our marriages. And here Jesus addresses children.


Since Jesus has returned from the mountain where he was transfigured before 3 disciples with Moses and Elijah he has been teaching many different significant things. He is preparing people for his departure from earth, teaching them much.

• Mark 9:14-19 - Jesus Confronts a Faithless Generation - He remarks on the lack of faith among the disciples and followers because they can't deal with a boy who has been demon possessed. 
• Mark 9:20-24 - Help for Unbelief - He gives confirmation that the calling card of the Christian in getting Jesus to act is belief. 
• Mark 9:25-29 - Dependence on Christ - He reminds us that we must depend on Christ calling on Him through power for him to work. 
• Mark 9:30-32 - Teaching in Galilee - Jesus continues teaching through Galilee, namely that he will be killed and then rise from the grave 3 days later. 
• Mark 9:33-35 - Who is the Greatest? - We are reminded that greatness is found in being a servant, not necessarily being first. 
• Mark 9:36-37 - Receiving a Child in Jesus' Name - We need to receive those that are lesser than us, children, or not the rich and popular, to have God in our lives. 
• Mark 9:38-41 - On the Side of Jesus - The importance of living life and acting out things in the name of Jesus; being dependent on Him. 
• Mark 9:42 - Causing Others to Sin - The follower of Jesus is not simply focused on personal growth, but wants to make sure nothing in his life is causing another person to sin. 
• Mark 9:43-50 - The Unquenchable Fire of Hell - There is a seriousness of offending others and other causing others to sin or ourselves, and this consequence is hell. 
• Mark 10:1-9 - The One Flesh Union - God joins a husband and wife together and we do not simply abandon it when it no longer feels right. It is necessary to keep working at it. 
• Mark 10:10-12 - When God Allows Divorce - Adultery results when a man or woman marries another. Yet, immorality and an unbelieving spouse that leaves is warranted.

Like women, children did not hold a strong position in the community. In this lesson Jesus talks about the goal to receive the kingdom of God, not acquiring it, achieving it, making it happen on earth, or exercising a strenuous effort to get it, but receiving it. The situation that brought this upon Jesus was that they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them. Obviously, children were coming to Jesus for favor or help or healing, but the disciples, taking on the position perhaps that children should be dismissed rebuked them. The children were innocent and had needs like everyone else.

Jesus responds and shows that they are no different from anyone else and even that they have a special position. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them." Permit them and do not hinder them. Children possess something that adults do not. They have an innocence and a dependence on others. Adults tend to think they are self-sufficient, with no needs and they have it all figured out. Even the disciples and followers of Jesus I think have this tendency. To realize that we have needs I think paints a picture that we are weak.

Yet, Jesus states something radical - the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Jesus gives this idea that the kingdom of God which is what people want belongs not to the self-sufficient, but instead to the children. It belongs to those that still act like a child in believing that they do not have it all figured out. Jesus spoke often of the kingdom of God and it is a central message of his as something that we are to be about. Many times he speaks of the goal for us to be children of God. It seems we are to be children of God in the kingdom of God where we are recognizing God as our king. If we want the kingdom of God we must be like a child.

Thus, Jesus emphasizes the significance of this with the words Truly I say to you. I think Jesus is saying something even more significant when he uses the words, "Truly." It is almost maybe a point of divinity like he has first hand knowledge of what he is saying.

Mark 3:28 - Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men. 
Mark 8:12 - Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation. 
Mark 9:1 - Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.
Mark 9:41 -  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

I think Truly is a strong word that Jesus uses to make a point of emphasis. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all. Again, the point here is 'we receive' the kingdom of God. For instance, it says in John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. This is not about achieving or working towards, but receiving. This is open hands out and receiving.  

And the manner in which receive is like a child. Thus, there is innocence in the way we receive it. There is the recognition that we are still in need. That we don't have it all figured out. That we are dependent on God. This is the type of person that receives the kingdom of God. And if it is not like a child then Jesus says the person will not enter it at all. That is really significant. If not like a child then not at all.  

Mark concludes this lesson with Jesus And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. This is the impact that Jesus has on the little children. 

Summary -  Jesus has been teaching us many lessons. The lessons have not simply been me-focused, but also focused on others. And he is speaking in ways that are contrary to the culture - being dependent on Him and being sensitive to people and understanding to the lesser ones. Here he remarks that to enter the kingdom of God we must be like a child - innocent, dependent, in need of someone greater than us.

Promise: We come into the kingdom only by admitting that we have nothing to give, that all we can do is rely on Christ for grace and forgiveness.
Prayer: Lord, I am thankful these messages and truths that we have recorded in the Bible about you. Thank you for leading me to this study so that I can better understand your message to me. Lord, I pray that you would give me that simple recognition always that I am ever dependent on you, that I come to you with nothing to give but am utterly dependent on You. Lord, help me to counsel others on these truths.

Mark 9:36-37 - Receiving a Child in Jesus' Name

Mark 9:36-37
36 Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Message: Receiving a Child in Jesus' Name

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Preface - As they arrive in Capernaum, the disciples have already been discussing about who would be the greatest and Jesus quickly steps in to tell them that the desire to be great is normal, but defining greatness is different with Jesus. It is about being a servant and thus being last or not first.

Jesus continues with this theme that service to people an giving yourself to the least is the path to greatness. It is sad for me to see that children and women in many parts of the world are not viewed as having much worth. It is not that we are to view ourselves with little worth, but we should not view ourselves more highly than we ought. Honor comes through service to others.

The thought here is that we naturally receive the powerful into our spaces, our circles, our churches, but Jesus wants to call to our attention that the lowly, the less powerful, the rejected - they all should be received in our surrounding in the same way.

I think Jesus is also showing over and over the significance of community in the life of a follower. We need each other. And we need to be there for one another as well. Independence and personal gain and personal achievement is often what is preached in our society, but being there for others is a key. This is hard. I notice this hard for me. I'm selfish. I want certain things and being there for others sometimes is hard. I was tired last night from work and turned away my son from speaking. My fatigue provided the response and now my person regrets it.

I hate that I live so often by my emotions.

Summary - Jesus continues in Capernaum and continues with the thought that as we desire to be great ourselves and also we desire to have God in our life, being there for others, serving others, and receiving little people as valued people, as no different from the powerful is what we must do.

Promise: From Tabletalk - Our churches must be places where society's castoffs and leaders alike are welcome.

Prayer: Lord, help me be that person that accepts others, that accepts the lowly. I overthink situations often to the point that I am turning people away. I hate that I am often controlled by my emotions. Even when I am tired or hungry, help me God, with your power to be there for others, to receive those around me. Help me to know how to do that, so that I am not enabling them but serving them.You God are Holy and I worship you.

Galatians 3:23-29 - All Sons and Daughters

Galatians 3:23-29
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Message: All Sons and Daughters (presented by Josh Swanson, Hope Church, Eastside, August 28, 2017)

Time: Paul wrote to the churches in southern Galatia after having a hand in starting them on his first missionary journey to Asia Minor. Paul wrote the book a few months before his attendance at the Jerusalem Council in AD 49. The Galatians fell away quickly from the gospel of grace Paul had preached to them and their disloyalty to Paul’s authority as an apostle. Paul began the letter defending that very issue. In chapter 3 he begin to get to the heart of their error; namely, that these Galatians sought to be justified by the Mosaic Law. In contrast, Paul presented his argument that justification comes to people by faith in Jesus Christ, not by their works under the Law.

What the Lord is Saying:

Josh started out with a discussion of orphans, mentioning how many of our stories in movies and characters are about people that are orphans. We all have a need to belong - to be embraced - we connect with characters - humanity feels a lostness - alienation - we feel disconnected - we feel homeless - the Bible speaks to this - answers the question “What is wrong with me?” - Adam/Eve paradise lost; Paul strangers and aliens (Not of this world) - Yet God is the healer of what is wrong - God brings reconciliation - God adopts us, bringing us home.

The key message of today's text comes from verse 26 - For you are all sons of God

1. Before Faith - Israel is confined by laws, ceremonies, rituals.
1. But this was temporary
2. in Christ, we are full sons of God
3. in Ch. 4, we are moved from slaves to sons
2. Rich Text - we are heirs, so what does this mean
1. In Exodus  - children of Israel were brought out of slavery
2. Reason you are a son is being united with Jesus
3. What is true for Jesus in his relationship with God is also true for us
4. Verse 26 says "All" and in verse 28, "all one" (I was reminded of the Sheila Walsh song from the 80s, "We're all one.")
3. Adoption as defined in the Greco Roman world
1. Families cared for families, specifically Jewish
2. But in Greco-roman world adoptions occurred
3. 7 or 8 Caesar leaders were adopted; Caesar Augustus was adopted by Julius Caesar to maintain the hierarchy
4. Octavion said that Julius thought by Octavion to be one of God's so Caesar Augustus gave him the name son of God.
5. Every President of the United States makes a similar claim that he will make America great again
6. This is the tone in this world that Paul proclaims his message
4. Jesus divests himself to the lowest type of person - "a slave"
1. The meaning of adoption in that day was infant exposure or taking a child and throwing it on the trash heap where it would end up a slave or in brothels and have no dignity or worth
2. Jesus becomes the lowest class person once again - "We are all sons of God."
3. The only recipient of heirs are sons, but God here is making everyone a recipient; this is an explosive message
5. This was a radical message
1. A whole new community; our new identity in Christ
2. But do we show partiality in our faith
3. Do we treat each other the same?
4. God is forming a new community
5. It's a new social movement
1. western nations all have dignity and worth (humanistic values)
2. equally birthed in Christian movement
3. Luke Ferry, philosopher in France wrote - "Christianity introduced concept that all classes of people have equal identity; Christianity was the pre-cursor of modern democracy; "All men are created equal."
4. people like equal dignity
5. Civil Rights movement is another example
6. All these movements ideas, at their core, is found in Jesus Christ's message of adoption of the lowest class of people
7. Do we care about everyone?
6. A new Vision of God
1. In the pantheon of god's you go to a different god to get what you want
2. But everywhere Jesus calls him My Father
3. He invites us into same relationship
4. How do I become a child of God?
7. What has God done for us
1. God becomes man, a slave, exile, suffers, dies
2. Every time Jesus speaks to God he calls him "Father" except for 1, when he is dying on the cross
3. Faith is the open hand that receives the gift
4. Turn from wandering to welcoming
5. Read the prayer of belief

Prayer of Belief: Lord, Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever imagined, but through you, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared to hope. I thank you for paying my debt, bearing my punishment, and offering forgiveness. I turn from my sins and receive you as Savior. Amen. 

This is a strong message. We are all children of God. There are no class systems. The true message of the Gospel is everyone is a priest. We are all made in the image of God. Jesus was a different kind of leader, he submitted himself to others. Each person is filled by Jesus' presence. The new humanity is one of equality.

Promise: We are all full sons of God. We are this way because of our unity with Christ. What is true of Jesus is true of me. I have been adopted. All men are created equal.

Prayer: Lord, it is difficult sometimes to see how we are trained in this world. It is hard to see the messages of church and religion and the separation that takes place between people in society. Lord, thank you that this isn't your message. Lord, you came to save us. You came to make us fellow heirs of the promise. You came to remind us we are all made in your image. Thank you for showing us this about ourselves and seeing such value in us. Thank you for truth. Thank you for making me a son of God.

Luke 2:22-35 - Our Divine Vocation

Luke 2:22-35

22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Message: Our divine vocation

Time: The Gospel according to Luke was probably the last Synoptic Gospel to be written, thus penned around 60 AD. The words salvation are in Luke, though not in Matthew and Mark. Luke, a gentile physician, wrote more than any other NT writer, writing primarily of redemptive history.

What the Lord is Saying: There is a continuous theme in the Old Testament that is carried forward in the New Testament because it is a theme that occurs in the lives of Jews and Jewish Christians. That theme is cleanliness versus being unclean. Many of the sacrifices that were set up in Leviticus were for the purpose of someone becoming clean again. The most common source of uncleanness was the stain of sin in a person's life. But there are other things as well. One of those things is a woman giving birth. After the birth, they were considered unclean for 7 days and then would have to stay home 33 days more, and then for having a girl these periods were doubled. And then they were to present in the temple an offering of purification: a burnt offering of a lamb a year old, and a young pigeon or turtle-dove as a sin offering. But if someone is poor then the lamb can be replaced with a young pigion or turtle-dove. This is what Mary brought for Jesus (v. 24).

And then there was Simeon, who we know nothing about, but that he was waiting for the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit came upon him, perhaps for a moment, rather than continually; but he was clearly a holy man. At some point in Simeon's life he had been told by the Spirit that he would not die before first seeing the Lord's Christ. It would make sense then that Simeon was very old.

Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus into the temple to carry out the custom of the Law in making and Simeon takes the baby in his arms to thank or praise God (v. 28).Simeon here recognizes that in this infant something special. God had told him through His spirit to wait for this baby, and this is indeed a special moment in the temple where Simeon, an older and wiser man sees that he can now depart from this world because he has seen the salvation of God's people, namely Jesus. Jesus is a light to the Gentiles and a glory to Israel. Thus, Jesus covers all people.

Joseph and Mary hear this, amazed once again. If anything this is also for their benefit, what Simeon has voiced, for them to hear that this baby is indeed different. There have already been so many signs of Him being different but these words from Simeon are the clearest.

Simeon speaks to Mary and Joseph with a prayer or a command and blesses them. They are blessed to have the honor of being related to this child and were entrusted to bring Him up. Jesus will be a savior of death to some (unbelievers) and a savior of life to still others (believers). But these words had to be hard to hear by Mary and Joseph that this baby would be rejected by many, would receive lashings and be opposed, but all of this is ordered by Providence as Jesus will reveal the actions of men. Jesus' suffering would hurt Jesus but also hurt Mary. But his suffering is necessary, as is our suffering.

Here we have the prophecy of Jesus and his life, by a man, Simeon that is really not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture and Luke records him. Jesus is set apart. He is indeed unique.

Promise: Suffering is a necessary part of life. The reality is suffering hurts and it is hard, but we remember it is necessary.

Prayer: Lord, I have seen that suffering is real. It does indeed hurt for it to occur in our lives. We have suffered for pain that our children experience or hurt that comes upon us from their actions. It is tough to be a parent, to experience all of the sacrifice and the things that we do to help make our kids great and then along the way, we hurt for them. It is a joy but it is also a difficult part of life. God, I thank you for what you do in our lives and for bringing us along in life the way that you have. Keep our eyes focused on You. Thank you for the prophecy of Jesus and that he is salvation for all people. We need You and we need You every hour.

Ephesians 1:3-14 - The Inevitable Question

Ephesians 1:3-14
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him ¹⁰ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him ¹¹ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
 
Message: The Inevitable Question

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying:

My Prayer based upon the passage
Lord, I have been blessed by You God, my Father and blessed with every spiritual blessing, in the heavens, in Christ. I am blessed because of being in Christ. God, you chose me to be in Christ before you laid the foundation of this world and you destined me to be holy (set apart) and blameless (without sin) before God. You destined me before hand to be your children through the work and life of Jesus Christ, because of your kindness, the kindness of Your will. Your grace or your gift despite my condition as a sinner, which is a gift from Christ to me. In Christ I have been redeemed through his cleansing blood. You have cleaned me, you have forgiven my sins, simply because of the riches of Your grace which you poor on us. It cost so much and yet you shower that costly gift on us. And even after giving us this gift, in your wise way and in the special knowledge that you have, you have made known to us the mystery of your eternal plan and will, once again according to your kind plan purposed in Christ. This purpose saw the future and saw that all things in Christ, seeing all things in the heavens and on the earth. In Christ, I have an inheritance in my life because of the pre-determined purpose of God. You will work all things after the counsel of His will. In Christ, I am the first to have hope and this praises Him and lifts up His glory. And being in Christ, I, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of being set free, and after listening, believed, I have been sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit promised to me. The Holy Spirit is given to me as a pledge of a future inheritance, giving me a view to being completely redeemed or saved of being God's own possession. I praise Him and His glory is to be praised for all of this.

My summary of this passage
This is a great prayer and a great passage. There is so much meat to this prayer. God has blessed us. That is a done deal. We have received every spiritual blessing possible. That is a done deal. My position in Christ will never be better or worse than it is now. I have been pardoned, my sins simple excused. I have been redeemed; I've been made right with God. I've been adopted; I am not simply called, but I have been grafted in to be with God. I am a branch, not merely a stick; I am connected with God. I have peace in Christ. There is nothing better than peace.

All of these blessings have been conferred upon me because of one thing: being in Christ. Being in Christ was the result of God choosing me before God laid the foundation of this world. Before the foundation of the world it was determined I would be holy or set apart; I would be blameless or without sin, before God. But, never does this happen because of my works or effort, but because of the work and life of Jesus Christ. My condition of being a sinner is completely irrelevant to my position before Christ. My worth and acceptance before God is based upon Christ, not me. In Christ I have been redeemed through his cleansing blood. Because of Christ I am forgiven. Because of Christ I am clean.

But I am not finished. My work is not done on this earth nor is Christ's work in me done on this earth. In Christ, my purpose is to be for the praise of His Glory. God works all things, in my life, after the counsel of His will. I am never alone here. I have the Holy Spirit in me, working through me, living in me, and still that work points to His Glory. 

TableTalk's assessment
This passage mentions predestination and they want to argue that the doctrine of predestination is central to the Bible. It is not simply a Pauline doctrine, but it is a Bible doctrine. Whether Calvinist, Arminian, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, there is a teaching on predestination. "The difference has to do with the basis of predestination (God's simple foreknowledge or His eternal decree), whether predestination extends to the salvation of individuals, and so forth."

Promise: My position in Christ is because of Christ.

Job 31 - Job's Final Defense

Job 31:23
“For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.

Message: Job's Final Defense

Time: The time of Job is unclear and commonly debated. Often the language of the book can give clues. It seems to be that Job had a lifespan of close to 200 years as Job 42:16 says he lived 140 years after the events in the book.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Bible is often a book of repeats. There are core messages that basically are repeated throughout this book. 

In this chapter 31 Job asserts his integrity. 

Chastity
Verse 1 is a verse that is a good reminder that I have appreciated at various times in my life. I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? The meaning of this verse is great because Job states that he has made a covenant with his eyes. He remarks that he has purposed to lead a pure life and therefore, it is impossible that he could gaze at another woman. Like, how could he? 

Job then asserts that how can we be surprised with God's wrath when our actions or our choices are not for him. Thus, what he has done is guard himself from impurity or sin. Does He not see my ways and number all my steps?(Verse 4). God sees all. How is that we think we can live our lives without surrendering daily to the Lord. 

A sincere, upright, and honest life
Job states that if he lived a life in an improper manner then he did in fact deserve God's judgment. He speaks at first of falsehood or vanity. To live a life of falsehood is to misrepresent yourself. It is to make yourself out to be something that you are not. It is not to speak the truth. Or it is living a life of deception. When I see someone getting ready to experience calamity, do I help bring it to light. Am I a person that often will wrongly shine a spotlight on other people's shortcomings? 

If I have acted in this manner then God has every right to weigh me with accurate scales which is what verse 6 says, "Let him weigh me with accurate scales." Let God accurately look at my character and treat me according to my ways. If I act in improper ways then I should receive a consequence. Why should I expect my harvest to yield produce if I have spent my time sowing seeds of selfishness. Man is so quick to thank God for his blessings but shouldn't we do the same in regards to calamity. 

Verse 1 speaks of gazing at a virgin while verse 9 speaks of being enticed by a woman: If my heart has been enticed by a woman.  The sin here is adultery. If Job acts in that way, then he states that his wife would then be allowed to go after someone else or sleep with someone else as it says may my wife grind for another. If a man chooses another woman, then he should expect his wife to do the same. The wife would then became a servant of another man. The fire of adultery burns the house down as it would uproot all my increase.

Treated his servants in an upright manner
Job switches to another subject and expresses that he has to be a good leader. What happens when someone files a claim against him? What happens when someone asserts that we have done something wrong? What happens when someone calls us into question? How do we respond? His point is that he needs to respond in an upright manner and not simply assert his position. And then he asks what will happen when the Lord questions him. The point I think is that we need to honestly use this time to look at ourselves in the mirror and see that there may be something about us that needs to be changed. Verse 13 and 14 says, If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves when they filed a complaint against me, What then could I do when God arises?

Kindness to the Poor and Providing for the Poor
There are actually two thoughts here that Job puts forth. It seems often that all I think I need to do for the poor is write them a check and send in a little money, but Job first states that our actions toward them are to be actions of care an concern. He says in verse 16, if I have kept the poor from their desire. Have I frustrated their hopes? Have I disappointed their expectations? 

This is a tough application. There are poor all around us and how do I act toward them as they ask for money on the street corner. Do I take time to really consider them? Or do I look for a quick out? Job thought of this as supremely important. It says, "If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,or that the needy had no covering." I do know we give our old clothes and things to the poor. I do know I give counsel to the needy often through GMO. I guess in all of life I could always do more. 

He mentions dire consequence if he doesn't act correctly. In verse 22, Let my shoulder fall from the socket. And then in verse 24 he asks whether his confidence instead lies in his money -- “If I have put my confidence in gold, and called fine gold my trust, if I have gloated because my wealth was great, and because my hand had secured so much." This is a danger in life to put our confidence instead in what we have instead of in the Lord. It's one thing to say our allegiance is in God, but how do we show this through our actions. 

Properly treating those who injure us
Do I wish injury or something bad to happen to others? More often than not, I do not, for those that I like. But, what about those that I don't like? Or those that I feel like in one way or another I am in competition with? I sense at times, that I unfortunately want their demise. It is a sad reality. Here Job says he has not been this way. In verse 29 - Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy, or exulted when evil befell him? No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life in a curse. This is the nature of true faith, of true religion, as Albert Barnes states: It controls the heart, represses the angry and revengeful feelings, and creates in the soul an earnest desire for the happiness even of those who injure us.

Conclusion
The concluding verses of this chapter have been hotly debated over the years regarding their true meaning, according to Albert Barnes. The sentiment though is one of Job simply stating that he has tried to be a hospitable person to his neighbor and has not wished injury of them. And he does this all for His Almighty God.  
 
Promise: Job is proclaiming once again an important truth and that is his present calamity is not the result of past sin. He has lived a blameless life and his present situation is not because he has done something wrong. At times, I need to act like this and not be so quick to admit fault. I need to be confident in who I am in Christ and what I have done. I am a sinner and often do things out of that sinful nature, but I need to remember that God is working in me and many times His good ways are shining through my life.

Proverbs 1:10-19 - The Enticement of Sinners

Proverbs 1:10-19
¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
¹¹ If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause;
¹² Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who go down to the pit;
¹³ We will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with spoil;
¹⁴ Throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse,”
¹⁵ My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,
¹⁶ For their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood.
¹⁷ Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird;
¹⁸ But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
¹⁹ So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors.

Message: The enticement of sinners

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I have remembered reading this passage several times. It is a warning from a father, it seems to a son. But, in actuality, it is Solomon warning his pupils. It is a good warning. There are people that come into our life, especially at a young age, when we are more impressionistic and working to become not what we were raised, but our own person. And the lure from those who are at a similar place in their life, also breaking away from their parents ways, and being their own person, is certainly enticing. I know this first hand or rather, even more so, second hand, I witness it, as my children grow up and hit the high school age. They all have gone in different directions at that age, with the latest, having a slight desire to go down that wrong path. 

Verse 13 stands out because it speaks of the lure that is present and often praised in these times, to get wealth. We are about acquisition and having something that will keep us entertained. "We will find all of precious wealth" is a telling sign and one that is tempting. And then the idea of verse 14 and let's not do it alone, but "throw in your lot with us." The idea I read yesterday stating that two are better than one from Ecclesiastes can obviously be used for the wrong reasons as well.  

There are 3 clear warnings in this text: (1) Do not consent, (2) Do not walk in the way with them, and (3) Keep your feet from their path. I like what this says because each of these statements is a little different. 

Do not consent
Just don't do it. It is a clear and concise statement which is the command that children especially often need. It is quick word of "don't" like don't touch the hot iron. We need these quick warnings at times. They speak the truth. Do not go along. This is the first warning. It is the one that you would hope the children immediately do because you have trained them previously that you can be trusted because your warnings in the past have worked. 

Do not walk in the way with them
Do not hang around them. Do not go along with them. Do not say that you can be associated with them but will not do what they do. We think we are mightier than we are. We think we can hang around people and they won't affect us. We say this about what we listen to, watch, are entertained by; all the time we are saying it is innocent and it won't affect us. But, their is a danger, The verse of "do not be unequally yoked" takes on the meaning that those who are in bed with others of different ways than them will be a chameleon and will start looking differently. We must stay clear of these people.

Keep your feet from their path
Join a different company. Join a different group. Have a different belonging. It is not that we simply don't do it or that we don't walk with them, but our path is different. To be free from any enticement, I must stay free of any association. Before I can swim with the sharks, I must first learn to swim. I am always intrigued by people that minister to serious sinners, like prostitutes, strip dancers, drug addicts, but they can only do this if they are well grounded. The former homosexual who ministers to homosexuals must be very careful. This is why it is so important to stay grounded in God's word because we are called to minister to the lost, but we do not want to be swayed in their direction, so we must start each day on our knees and focused on God's word first. 

Promise: The enticement of sinners is deception. It lures us into thinking that we need "this" to be a part of our life and it will make us more complete, when in actuality, it will strip away what is in our life and replace it with something that will be to our detriment. This is everywhere present and is the basic understanding of sin and being tempted.


 

Jesus Calling: September 25

Poor all of your energy into trusting Me. It is through trust you stay connected to me, aware of My Presence. Every step on your life – journey can be a step of faith. Baby steps of trust are simple for you; you can take them with almost unconscious ease. Giant steps are another matter altogether: leaping across chasms in semidarkness, scaling cliffs of uncertainty, trudging through the valley of the shadow of death. These feats require sheer concentration, as well as utter commitment to Me.
    Each of My children is a unique blend of temperament, giftedness, and life experiences. Something that is a baby step for you may be a giant step for another person, and vice versa. Only I know the difficulty or ease of each segment of your journey. Beware of trying to impress others by acting as if your giant steps are only baby ones. Do not judge others who hesitate, in trembling fear, before an act that would be easy for you. If each of My children would seek to please Me above all else, fear of others' judgments would vanish, as would attempts to impress others. Focus your attention on the path just ahead of you and on the One who never leaves your side.

Psalm 23:4
English Standard Version

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

Matthew 7:1–2
^{English Standard Version} 

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

Proverbs 29:25

English Standard Version   The fear of man lays a snare,     but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Thoughts (2019)

The comparison trap is a huge one in life. If I can just walk through life, with My Savior, and not look to my left and right, at my neighbor, at my friends at what they are doing, at what they have and simply stay focused on my relationship with God, then all is fine. The problem is I do stop and stare and in the process I begin to question my Maker. I must return to the Word each day and examine in light of the gifts that God has given me. He has gifted me, but in a unique way. And my responsibility is to lay hold of those gifts and use them for His glory. At times, I actually think that life would be better if everyone was just like me. I want everyone to have my temperament, and often think my life experiences make me greater than others. Jesus meets each of us right where we are. 

Prayer (2019)
Lord, forgive me for the thoughts I have inside of me, that stir in my head. Rarely do they come out of my mouth. If they do, I am embarrassed, but you know me, all of me, and you hear my thoughts of envy, of me thinking I am better than others. Lord, there are good things that happen to friends in my life and yet I often want them to fall and experience hardship. I want to come out on top. I want to get the medals and thought of as the great one. Lord, free me from myself. Help me to rejoice more in the victories of others and come alongside those who are hurting. I am not in a race with others. I want to be a man of integrity - inside and out. Take me there. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries. 

Jesus Calling: July 29

Come to Me continually. I am meant to be the Center of your consciousness, the Anchor of your soul. Your mind will wander from Me, but the question is how far you allow it to wander. An anchor on a short rope lets a boat drift only slightly before the taut line tugs the boat back toward the center. Similarly, as you drift away from Me, My Spirit within you gives a tug, prompting you to return to Me. As you become increasingly attuned to My Presence, the length of rope on your soul's Anchor is shortened. You wander only a short distance before feeling that inner tug--telling you to return to your true Center in Me.

Hebrews 6:19
English Standard Version

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain
 
I John 2:28
English Standard Version

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
 
Mathew 22:37
English Standard Version

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

My Prayer (2019)
Yes Lord, you are my anchor, always there, always bringing me back. My hope is in You. I am Your child, and You are my hope. O Merciful God, I confess that I have sinned, this time my sin was towards my father, thinking that my way for him was the best way. Did I take time to understand him? No. Did I take time to consider what he was feeling? No. Instead I pushed my agenda and declared my way was the best way. Lord, even as I asked his forgiveness, the pain of my sin remained. Yet, you have already made me clean. You have already purified me and tossed my sin as far as the east is from the west. So help me to remember it no more and to restore me to him. On this day, I am  now afresh with the desire to love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind. I want to delight in your will, walk in your ways, to the glory of Your Name.  

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: July 6

I am your Father-God, Listen to Me! Learn what it means to be a child of the everlasting King. Your richest duty is devotion to Me. This duty is such a joyous privilege that it feels like a luxury. You tend to feel guilty about pushing back the boundaries of your life to make space for time alone with Me. The world is waiting to squeeze you into its mold and to crowd out time devoted to Me. The ways of the world have also warped your conscience, which punishes you for doing the very thing that pleases Me most: seeking My Face. Listen to Me above the clamor of voices trying to distract you. Ask My Spirit to control your mind, for He and I work in perfect harmony. Be still and attentive in My Presence. You are on holy ground. 

Isaiah 9:6
English Standard Version

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 
Zechariah 9:9
New King James Version

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Romans 8:15-16
English Standard Version  

¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Exodus 3:5
English Standard Version 

⁵ Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: June 2

     Relax in My healing, holy Presence. Be still, while I transform your heart and mind. Let go of cares and worries, so that you can receive My Peace. Cease striving, and know that I am God. 
     Do not be like Pharisees who multiplied regulations, creating their own form of "godliness." They got so wrapped up in their own rules that they lost sight of Me. Even today, man-made rules about how to live the Christian life enslave many people. Their focus is on their performance, rather than on Me.
     It is through knowing Me intimately that you become like Me. This requires spending time alone with Me. Let go, relax, be still, and know that I am God. 

Psalm 46:10
New American Standard

Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Verse thoughts

My default reaction to almost everything in life is to "try harder." God knows this and knows that I need these words each day, to be reminded, that my first reaction to things does not have to be to "try harder" but instead to cease striving, to silently and quietly wait on Him, without fear; to be calm and not tremble, but know Him to be God. I need to leave it to Him to fulfill His own counsel and support His own interests in the world.
 
I John 3:2
English Standard Version

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

My Prayer
Lord, so often my emotions get the better of me. This past week I saw something my son was doing and my emotions swelled up and I started to get angry at him, come down upon him. Thankfully God, you gave me the good sense to talk to my wife who helped me see that my emotions were getting the better of me and my son would have frozen up and not done his school work if I came down on him. I wanted to take action and take control, quickly. I wanted to react. But I didn't. I stopped and was silent and ceased striving and instead simply waited. You are God and You got this. You know me better than I know myself. And by the end of the week, he was making good decisions and having success. I got scared God and I wanted to just take control of the situation. I wanted to make my own rules. Lord, sometimes I do need to speak up but only after I have taken it before You and given You the opportunity to give me peace about me speaking up. Lord, thank You for waking me up and using my wife to help me not do something I would have regretted. I am Your child and I want to be like You.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.  

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: May 29

     I am with you, watching over you constantly. I am Emmanuel (God with you); My Presence enfolds you to radiant Love. Nothing, including the brightest blessings and the darkest trials, can separate you from me. Some of My children find Me more readily during dark times, when difficulties force them to depend on Me. Others feel closer to Me when their lives are filled with good things. They respond with thanksgiving and praise, thus opening wide the door to My Presence.
     I know precisely what you need to draw nearer to Me. Go through each day looking for what I have prepared for you. Accept every event as My hand-tailored provision for your needs. When you view your life this way, the most reasonable response is to be thankful. Do not reject any of My gifts; find Me in every situation. 

Matthew 1:23
English Standard Version

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel” 

Colossians 2:6-7
English Standard Version

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Romans 9:4-5 - The Privileges of Israel

Romans 9:4-5 - 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Message: The Privileges of Israel

Time: Romulus founded ancient Rome about 753 BC. By 600 BC it had become a wealthy, flourishing city with a monarch. Around 500 BC, the monarch was overthrown. A republic resulted and after war, Rome became the only great power in the Mediterranean, succeeding the empire of Alexander the Great. Before and after the birth of Christ, Rome's dominion continued to expand to about two thirds the size of the continental US. At the time Paul wrote, Rome had a population of about 1,000,000. Most were slaves. It was a vast empire, but had many religions present. It is unknown how the church started in Rome, but Gentiles and Jews both were involved. Paul was writing to address a problem, but he wanted to be there and perhaps, make Rome his base for his missionary journey's

What the Lord is Saying:

Verse 4

...who are Israelites – descendants of Abraham through Joseph. God changed their name, as recorded in Genesis 32:28, He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” Paul identifies himself as an Israelite as well in Romans 11:1. - I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

to whom belongs the adoption as sons. –Adoption here is not a new term. Paul previously used this word in the last chapter, as an encouragement to believers in Christ, to affirm their place with God. They were regenerate, born again individuals. Romans 8:15 - For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” However, I don’t think this is how this word is being used here for Paul does not refer to the Jews as adopted Sons of God or children of God, but instead simply ‘sons.’ It is simply a statement that refers to God selecting the entire nation of Israel to receive His special calling, covenants, and blessings. Exodus 19:6 - and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” 

And so as sons, Paul lists what belongs to them:

• The Glory
• The Covenants
• The Giving of the Law
• The Temple Services
• The Promises 

1. The Glory of God expresses all that God is in His being, nature, character, power and acts. It repeatedly speaks of a presence of God that is unique. Exodus 24:17 - And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. And so it is the Israelites that have been given that glory.

2. And they have also received covenants. Covenants were made with Israel because they were to be the channel used by God to bring about salvation to the human race. The thing about the Jewish people that has always surprised me is they seem to be this secret club and they often have this persona of "just leave us alone and let us be." Maybe that is because they have been the butt of so many people's joke and assaults over the years, but there doesn't seem to be any desire on their part to convert society. But, the covenant was meant to be an agreement between God and man. And what God did here was based upon His character not on the individual receiving the covenant promise.

3. And the giving of the law that Paul has already expressed so many times in this book. The law is expressed so many times in the chapter 2 and 3, but always in the context of it not being a means to salvation. And yet later on in chapter 7 the idea is conveyed that we are to fulfill the Law. The bottom line is that the Jews "were entrusted with the oracles of God (Romans 3:2)." And Nehemiah 9:13,14, "13  “Then You came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. “So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and laid down for them commandments, statutes and law, through Your servant Moses."

4. And they were given the privilege of temple service, however, the word temple is not in the original Greek. So, it is really to perform service. But, Paul is referring to the service as seen in the tabernacles, offerings and priesthood.

5. And promises. Promises were made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Verse 5
Obviously, much has been written about the translation of verse 5 since it brings together the idea that Jesus is God. Many have played around with the punctuation in this verse.

The conclusion of these two verses is really to express that the Jews have been given special privileges. Paul is clearly wanting to show that they are special. The Lord has granted great blessings to Israel.

Promise: From Tabletalk, July 8, 2014, "If we have faith in Jesus, the blessings of adoption, glory, covenants, the law, worship, promises, patriarchs and Christ are all ours as well."