Tag: blameless
“Hail! King of the Jews!”
Scripture reading for January 20th: Mark 15, Psalm 15, Proverbs 15
Mark 15:16-20 “And the soldiers led Him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed Him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on Him. And they began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking His head with a reed and spitting on Him and kneeling down in homage to Him. And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple cloak and put His own clothes on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.”
Mark’s account of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, probably from Peter and possibly his own memory, was full of mockery and derision. The soldiers, course men of the world of Rome, loved to laugh at someone else’s expense. Where they got the purple robe we do not know. But they found thorns growing near-by and quickly fashioned a crown. Placing it on Jesus, they mocked this ‘King of the Jews’, spit on him and repeatedly struck Him, beating Him severely, before crucifying Him. Scoffing and mocking are sins of pride. People seek to elevate themselves and put in total humiliation those they mock. Jesus wisely held His tongue, and in fact, prayed for these men, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
Psalm 15:1-2 “O Lord, who shall sojourn in Your tent? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart;. . .”
Prayer: Glorious Lord, thank You for Your steadfast love and faithfulness to take our sins in Your body on the cross that our sins might be atoned for. Thank You for the Gift, Your Holy Spirit, that enables us to now fear the Lord and live blamelessly through grace during our sojourn in this world. Your righteousness given to us enables us to live in Your Holy Presence forever! Amen! Hallelujah!
Proverbs 16:5-6 “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.”
Build yourself up in holy faith!
Scripture reading for July 15th: 1st Kings 17-18, Psalm 119, Jude
Jude 18-23 “They (the Apostles) said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
Jude was the half-brother of Jesus and wrote this letter to remind believers about the difficult times of the last days before Christ Jesus would return. Jude quoted the Apostle’s warning about scoffers in the last days being numerous and causing division in the church. God’s antidote was for believers to build themselves up through praying in the Holy Spirit and keeping in the love of God. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray when we don’t even know how to pray. God’s Spirit brings a river of God’s love into our inner man and clothes us with an anointing of fresh oil to empower us to love and reach out to those who doubt and even to those in danger of the fires of hell. Love never fails!
Jude 24-25 “Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit to help me to pray and stay on course in these perilous last days. Help me to show mercy to those who doubt and to reach out to those in danger of Hell’s fires with the message of Christ’s salvation. It is comforting to know that You will keep me from falling and present me before Your Presence with great joy! Praise Your Name forever and ever!
Psalm 119:114-115 “You are my Hiding Place and my Shield; I hope in Your Word. Depart from me, you evildoers, that I my keep the commandments of My God.”
Standing fast in the Lord!
Scripture reading for June 17th: Proverbs 26-28, 1st Thessalonians 3
1st Thessalonians 3: 6-10 “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you–for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith.”
Paul was in jail for his faith and sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to see how the church there was holding up under persecution. Timothy brought a good report of the believer’s faith and love and their steadfast devotion to Christ Jesus. This comforted Paul and encouraged him. He was deeply grateful to God for this grace in a newly established church family. His prayer was that he be able to come and further strengthen their faith through teaching and preaching more of God’s Word. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to apply it to our lives! (Romans 10:17) Jesus is coming soon!
1st Thessalonians 3:11-12 “Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your Word which brings faith, first for salvation, and then for growing holiness and deeper faith. Help me to stand firm in faith in You and Your Truth as I wait for the soon return of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let me hear reports of faithfulness and love among those that you have sent me to as well. This will comfort and encourage me and others!
Proverbs 28:20 “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.”
Established blameless before Jesus
Scripture reading for September 16th: 1st Thessalonians 3, Psalm 35, Proverbs 31
Key Scriptures: 1st Thessalonians 3:11-13 “Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
Paul prayed that God would direct his way back to the church so he could spend more time with them. He prayed for the Thessalonians to increase in love for one another and for all people. He also prayed that God would establish their hearts in blameless faith before His throne. Jesus Christ would soon return for those who were waiting in faith and living a holy life.
Faith Confession: Lord Jesus, direct my way each day to those who need the love of Jesus and ministry of God’s Word. Let love flow in abundance through me. Establish those I have shared with in blameless holiness that they may all be ready for Christ’s soon return.
Psalm 35:9-10 “Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in His salvation. All my bones shall say, “O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
Blameless on the Day of Christ!
Scripture reading for September 2nd: Philippians 1, Psalm 25, Proverbs 21
Key Scriptures: Philippians 1:9-11 “And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Paul was always praying for those who had come to Christ Jesus through the Gospel message. The Gospel message was a doorway that opened up to new birth and growth in Christ-likeness. Paul prayed that their love would grow incrementally along with their understanding of God’s Word and holy character. The goal was seeing all the believers declared blameless on the day of Christ’s judgment. He wanted all believers to have rewards that brought praise to God.
Faith Confession: Lord, thank You for praying for me and writing down this prayer for Your Church. Help me to become a man of prayer for other believers with the goal that all would stand blameless through Jesus Christ at His judgment seat.
Psalm 25:4 “Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.”
Psalm 25:21 “May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.”
Blameless before God
Scripture reading for September 14th: Proverbs 26-28, 1st Thessalonians 3
Key Scriptures: 1st Thessalonians 3:11-13 “Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
Paul eagerly desired to return to the believers at Thessalonica. He was encouraged by the report of their faith in the face of persecution and false doctrine. He prayed for a way to return and for their love to abound towards one another. Their faith in Jesus Christ would prepare them for Christ’s return and make them blameless in His sight.
Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
Proverbs 28:10 “Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of righteousness and for counting me among the blameless. I look forward to a “goodly inheritance.” Amen.
Thankful for Christ’s Blamelessness!
Scripture reading for December 7th: Colossians 4, 1st Thessalonians 1-3
Key Scriptures: 1st Thessalonians 3:12-13 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.”
Paul desired greatly to come and minister again to the Thessalonians. He had asked God to make a way, and for God to increase their love for each other through His indwelling presence. Paul wanted them to be blameless and holy when Jesus Christ returned to earth with all His holy ones to take His Bride away! This prayer for them would inspire them to seek God for His righteousness and to live holy lives in expectancy!
Joyful in hope at Christ’s return: “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You; Your Name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:8-9)
Thankful for godly leadership!
Scripture reading for March 13th: Judges 18-21
Key Scriptures: Judges 18:18-20 “When these men went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol, the priest and said to them, “What are you doing?” The answered him, “Be Quiet! Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” Then the priest was glad. He took the ephod, the other household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.”
The tribe of Dan had turned to idolatry and a form of religion. They had no King or did not remember the Lord and His Word. This story tells of an idolatrous family and tribe whose priest served for dishonest gain!
Thankful for godly leadership: God commands leaders to live godly examples and not work for money but for Him! “Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” (1st Thessalonians 22:9-10)
Elders are entrusted with God’s work!
Scripture reading for October 7th: Titus 1
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Titus 1:6-9 “An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless–not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
Every organization needs sound leadership. The Church of Jesus Christ is no different and Paul instructed Titus about choosing sound leaders that could be entrusted with God’s word and work. First, the elder-leader must be above reproach in the community and family that he leads. He must be the husband of ‘one’ wife! He should have taught his children to believe and instilled God’s word in their lives. His personal habits and character will be known by those living near him and he must have a good reputation–not doing things that are destructive and doing good to his family and others. He must have a good grasp of God’s word and sound doctrine.
Observations for over-comers: Information and application of God’s word go hand-in-hand with an over-coming life. Believers should strive for a blameless reputation. “I will be careful to lead a blameless life–when will You come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” (Psalm 101:2-3)
In chains for Christ!
Scripture reading for September 29th: Philippians 1:1-26
Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian church while in chains imprisoned in Rome. Paul was himself practicing what he wrote to the church he had founded, by maintaining a positive tone and encouraging words. He viewed himself to be a prisoner for Jesus Christ! (Philippians 1:13) The letter was written to the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi and the overseers and deacons to encourage them to persevere. Christ had begun His work in them and He would see it through to completion! (Philippians 1:6)
Paul prayed a beautiful prayer for these saints. “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11) Paul’s heart for this church was that they grow in love. This love would come from an understanding of God’s will for purity and holiness in their personal conduct. God wants to use each person to bring glory to Himself. Jesus Christ is the only source of true love and righteousness. The day of Christ’s return will bring rewards to those who are by choice living to please and glorify God.
Paul encouraged the Philippians to understand that even suffering and persecution can work out God’s plans. What he was enduring in the Roman jail was furthering the cause of the Gospel. Many in the Roman guard got to hear because of his imprisonment. Other believers were encouraged to be bold because of Paul’s attitude and joy to serve God even in prison.
Paul made a conscious choice to rejoice! He understood that through prayers and the Holy Spirit everything would turn out for his deliverance. He was not sure what that deliverance might look like at that moment. “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:20-21) Oh that we might grow in grace to embrace such an attitude and make a daily choice to rejoice!