Tag: Sunday rest
Sunday rest: the Glory of God
Dear Friends,
I am ready for a great day of resting in Christ and allowing His peace and presence to come into clearer focus in my life. Life is busy and I often find myself going from one meeting to another and one appointment to another without a break. Something is always needing attention or fixing. On the day of rest, I need fixing by recentering my life on God and His glory!
In reflecting on this past weeks reading in Ezekiel, I am impressed by Ezekiel’s visions of the glory of God. Ezekiel saw things in heaven around the throne of God’s glory that he had trouble describing in earthly language or word pictures. How does a finite creature describe an infinite being? The glory of God was life-changing for Ezekiel. He was encouraged and motivated to speak God’s message and obey even difficult assignments that would be uncomfortable and dangerous.
The saddest part of this past week’s reading was the part where God’s glory reluctantly left the Temple and city that He loved. God tried over and over to make a place for His glory in the midst of His people. They refused to honor Him and worship Him in Spirit and truth. He withdrew His glory to show them what darkness was in them.
I am thankful that God’s glory now resides in His church among His people. The day of Pentecost brought a rushing wind and tongues of fire bringing glory back to His living stones in the New Temple. We are now being transformed by the glory of God living in our midst personally and corporately. We have new revelations of that glory as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit fills us with power to share His glory with others! Sunday morning worship explodes with God’s glory descending into the midst of His worshiping church! Would that we do everything we can to welcome the God of glory today! We never want to see Him take His glory and depart! In His Love and Glory, Pastor John
Sunday rest: Thirst quencher!
Dear Friends, Greetings on another day of rest! Summer is a time of heat and humidity in Kansas! Every time you work or play outside, you work up a thirst! It is easy to get dehydrated because of sweating and fluid loss. Plenty of water is needed to stay hydrated and healthy. But there’s another kind of thirst described by Isaiah. Isaiah 55 is a prophetic call to those who are thirsty. This thirst is not just for water, but thirst for the love of God and intimacy with Him. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1) The fare God offered didn’t cost money but it wasn’t totally free either!
Listening to God is one of the ‘costs’ that Isaiah lists as essential to enjoying the banquet of love with the Lord. We must come to the Lord and listen to His Word. We must hear what He says and obey. We must be careful not to spend our money on that which is not bread. (Isaiah 55:2-3) Many people today are investing their time, money, and labor on frivolous pursuits that won’t count for anything in eternity. They are seeking pleasure from things and living for their flesh. Seeking the Lord first should be the priority of our lives. (Matthew 6:38) (Isaiah 55:6) In the Lord is the finest of pleasures and delightful satisfaction of our hunger and thirst!
In Isaiah 55:7 God calls those who are living in wickedness and evil to join the feast by repentance and dependence on God’s mercy. God does not desire to punish anyone but rather have them enjoy the ever-lasting covenant of his faithful love. (Isaiah 55:4) His thoughts are higher than ours and His ways are beyond our ways. He has spoken a Word of mercy to all who will call on Him. Like the rain and snow coming from heaven to water the earth, so His Word will accomplish His purposes! (Isaiah 55:10-11)
God’s promises can quench your thirst! They are obtained by faith. They are given by God because of His faithful love and everlasting covenant through our Lord Jesus Christ! “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not been glorified.” John 7:37-39 May your thirst be quenched by drinking from Jesus today! In His Love, Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection–Immanuel
Greetings friends! God bless your day of rest! God is with us and we are secure in His amazing love!
As we have read through the books of Solomon and now are beginning Isaiah, there are many topics that we could reflect on. We could reflect on the life of Solomon who began so well. He was visited by the Lord and was told that he could ask the Lord for anything. Solomon wisely chose to ask for wisdom to govern the people of God. God gave him wisdom and riches and honor as well. (1st Kings 3:5-12) He had this wisdom and wrote it down for us in the book of Proverbs. He later violated the Word of God and took many wives from many lands. These women corrupted him and led him into idolatry. The book of Ecclesiastes is written later in his life and is a depressing account of his quest to find meaning in life under the sun! The Song of Songs was probably written early in his life when he was close to God.
Even wise men go astray and God knew that man needed something more than a temple and animal sacrifices. Just seeing God in a vision or having a Word from Him failed to prevent a man’s downfall. Isaiah was given the task of telling God’s backslidden people, these descendants of David and Solomon, about God’s plan. About 700 years before Christ, Isaiah spoke a Word from the Lord which was written down for us. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) (Matthew 1:20-23) Matthew quoted this verse in his recounting of the birth of Jesus Christ, saying that Jesus’ birth was a fulfillment of what the Lord had spoken through the prophet Isaiah!
Mankind experienced “God with us” in the physical person of Jesus Christ for 33 years. He lived among His people, the Jews. They saw Him and heard His authoritative teaching and experienced His miraculous works. His bigger goal was to have each of His followers throughout history to be indwelled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would be “God with us” to each individual as well as to His people when they gathered together in His name. For nearly 2000 years this special empowerment has been available to believers everywhere who have asked for it. ‘God with us’ is the mark of the New Testament Christian. ‘God with us’ keeps us fresh and moving towards the goal of seeing the Lord. We are so blessed to live in the wonderful dispensation of “Immanuel”! In His Love, Pastor John
Sunday rest: spreading God’s fame!
As we reflect back on this week’s reading, I am drawn to the psalm of thanks written by King David in 1st Chronicles 16:8-36. This is quoted again in part in three other psalms in the Book of Psalms 96, 105, 106. This psalm of thanks was composed when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to Jerusalem after being away in captivity and then at the house of Obed-Edom. This is the time that David took off his kingly robes and danced before the Lord with all his might. (2nd Samuel 6:12-16) He was overjoyed to have the presence and blessing of God in Jerusalem, the city of David.
The psalm has a joyful tone and is boastful of the Lord and his great miracles and mercies. It exhorts singing, praying, rejoicing, remembering, giving, declaring, trembling, crying out, and thanksgiving from all peoples! The desire of God to spread His fame to the nations of the earth is a recurring theme! (1st Chronicles 16:8,24,28,31,35) God wants the nations aware of His wonders, miracles, and judgments. He exhorts the nations to ascribe to the Lord the glory due His Name.
1 Chronicles 16:35-36 ask the Lord to save them out of the nations! “Say also: “Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy Name and glory in Your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” Then all God’s people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.”
What a great reflection on this seventh day of rest! God has not changed! He is desirous of all nations knowing Him and coming under His eternal rule! We are to share His marvelous works and deeds with all nations and every person! We are to worship, sing, remember, give, thank, seek, rejoice, cry out, declare, and praise this God who reigns from everlasting to everlasting! Have a great day of rest and joy! Jesus Christ is Lord!
Sunday rest: God watches all!
Dear friends,
With wars and rumors of war very much alive in our world and on the news, we must remember that God is on His Throne and He watches over all mankind and rules without fear or fretting. He knows everything, the evil and the good. He is perfectly just and will punish the evil and protect and reward those righteous by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
As we rest and reflect on the reading of the past week, I am again reminded that God has His eyes on His Word and He watches His people! Our Father is omniscient, which is a fancy way to say that He knows everything, past, present and future. Nothing is hidden from His sight or understanding. Everything that exists, is there because of His Word, which He faithfully watches over. He is sustaining our world by His Word. No Word of God has ever failed. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will never pass away. Nothing is impossible with God when it comes to fulfilling His Word.
He also watches over the sons of man, looking for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him and who by faith trust His Word and act accordingly. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless towards Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) God promises ‘strong support’ for those trusting Him by faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him.
In 2nd Kings, we found leaders who ‘did right’ in the eyes of the Lord and those ‘who did evil’ in the eyes of the Lord. Both examples are written down as reminders for God’s people of all nations and cultures and times. Paul warned the church through Scripture, “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” (1 Corinthians 10:6) We all have the capacity to walk by faith through hearing and receiving God’s Word. We also have capacity to walk in disobedience and evil through following our flesh and the temptations of our enemy, Satan. Let’s keep our eyes on our Lord and His unfailing Word in our walk this week! Remember, God’s eyes are on you! In His Love, Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection–praise!
Greetings in Jesus’ Name!
Jesus is our heavenly Bridegroom! His Bride comes from every tribe, tongue and nation. From the rising of the sun to its going down, His Name will be praised! But in the New Jerusalem, a sun is not needed! As God’s glory filled the temple of Solomon’s day that he built, so God’s glory will fill His eternal city, the New Jerusalem. It will be a city of peace, joy, and everlasting blessing for those with their names written as citizens there. There will be joy unspeakable and full of glory!
As his father David was a warrior/king, Solomon was a king of peace among the nations! He ruled Israel and through his wisdom made ties of peace with many other nations. He took wives and concubines, 1000 in all, from many lands! His splendor and wisdom were told of throughout the known world! The wealth of nations were brought to him. God’s favor rested on him to build a “house for God’s Name”. God’s glory filled that “House”! This foreshadowed the promised Messiah who came through Solomon.
Jesus Christ is Solomon’s greater son! He is wisdom to us! (1st Corinthians 1:30) He is the Prince of Peace! As King of kings, He will rule over the world from Jerusalem and all the nations will serve and worship Him! The glory of His later ‘House’ will be greater than the former ‘house’! Amen! Have a great day of praise and worship to our great King! In Adoration of Him, Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection–Resurrection
Matthew 28:1-7 “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him.”
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Mary and I wish each of you a blessed Resurrection day, as we celebrate the most powerful event in human history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave! “He is risen” was the message of the angel to the first women visiting the tomb to anoint His body. That cry brings us to worship our King, Son of David, Son of God, Who alone defeated the “giant” of sin and death and the grave. He is alive and shows Himself to all who will humbly seek Him.
The Son of God came to dwell among us and reveal the heart of His Father–love for us through His earthly ministry and compassion for our fallen nature. This love caused the Father to give His Son, Jesus Christ, the mission of taking the sins of all people and paying the penalty for our sins through sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus, Alone, did for us what we could not do for ourselves. It is not our good works, our family, our knowledge or position, our church membership, or even our confession of faith that saves us. We are saved by His finished work of paying for our sins on the cross and by His grace extended to us through His intercession and drawing us to repentance and faith.
May God’s amazing grace fill your life today with obedience, faithfulness, and worship with His family as we all gather to declare “He is risen indeed!” Amen! Pastor John and Mary
Sunday rest and reflection–Palm Sunday
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of the Lord! Heaven and earth rejoice in His Glory! His Spirit hovers over the earth and the hearts of His own to impart life and grace. He rules in truth and justice! He shows mercy to those who call on Him and punishes the wicked. He jealously guards over his own Bride, the Church. He arms them with His own Sword, the Word of God. They sing and dance in adoration!
Yet as God’s people gather today to worship, study and fellowship, many huddle in fear because of some taunting giant in their lives! The army of Israel was paralyzed for forty days by Goliath, the Philistine giant. He taunted them daily to send out a man! The biggest man they had was their king, Saul. The whole army was paralyzed by sight and the resulting intimidation. They saw Goliath as huge and considered their own strength as small. Then David came on the scene with perfect vision!
Faith enabled David the have courage to step up and fight the giant. Goliath’s size, strength, and armament was not the main consideration. His nine foot-six frame would come crashing down in David’s way of looking at this problem. The fifteen pound spear-head would be useless against the Name of his God! David had tackled the lion and the bear, what could this uncircumcised Philistine do? In the Name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, David ran towards the giant and launched a smooth stone. Victory!
If you are facing a giant who is mocking you and your God today, why not handle the giant like David did! He knelt at the brook–humbly seeking God’s favor and direction. But instead of selecting stones, we look in faith at Jesus Christ, our humble King,. He defeated the ‘giant’ of death and hell through love and obedience ! Jesus purchased the ‘Gift of His Father’ to give us overcoming power to stand in His victory against all our ‘giants’. Go in the power of the Holy Spirit and topple your giant! May God bless you today with joy and peace in believing! Rejoice this Palm Sunday in Your humble King! In His Love, Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection
Genesis began with God. He is the central figure! He is creating, working and enjoying! It was good! Man was placed by God in a Garden, walking with God in the cool of the day! Man is made special and in God’s image, male and female. Man is to rule over creation and tend it with God’s blessing!
Genesis is foundational to our worldview as Christians. Without Genesis we wouldn’t understand where the universe, earth, and solar system came from. Without Genesis we wouldn’t know about the serpent and how sin entered along with death. We wouldn’t know about our special creation and purpose on the earth. We wouldn’t understand why the world was flooded and where the rainbow came from and what it testifies about! We would struggle to understand how we got all the nations and languages. We would not know how and why God began the nation of Israel and His plans to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring. We would not understand the conflict in the Middle East that pits millions of Arabs and Ishmael’s descendants against the Jews and Christians. We would miss all the rich stories of the fathers of faith as they struggled to walk with God, wrestled with Him, and followed Him through famine, imprisonment, threats and their eventual death. The lives of Adam, Eve, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Esau, Rachael, Leah, Joseph, Judah, and numerous others are chronicled. We read about their successes and failures; their loves and their quarrels; about births and deaths. They were much like us, yet known by name by our Father God!
Genesis 50:24-25 “And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
Sunday Rest and Reflection
Greetings in Jesus’ Name!
The story of Balaam, a prophet who was hired by Balak, King of the Moabites is my reflection today. Balak was afraid of the Israelites and had heard the reports of how they had completely destroyed Sihon and Og, two other kings that opposed them. God had given them this victory. Balak sent a delegation to hire Balaam to come and curse the Israelites. Balaam, to his credit, sought God as to what he should do. God told him not to go and not to curse Israel. (Numbers 22:12)
A short time later, Balak sent more distinguished men and more money to try and entice Balaam to come and curse the Israelites. Balaam was tempted and not satisfied with God’s first instructions, he sought a second opinion. Money and men have a way of clouding God’s instructions. This time God told him to go, but do only what He instructed him. This led to the incident where Balaam’s donkey talked to him and warned him about the Angel of the Lord who was waiting on the way to kill him! God’s mercy and justice are evident here in this tension.
Balaam goes to curse the Israelites and as he stands to act, a spirit of true prophesy comes on him. Each time, he blesses God’s people instead. These blessings speak of Jesus Christ and God’s desire to bless his people. Numbers 23:6-10 records the first blessing and verses 18-24 the second blessing. God has blessed his people, who can curse them? (Numbers 23:20,23)
The tragedy of Balaam is what he did later. He evidently figured out a way to help out Balak. He told them to send in the women and seduce the Israelites and get them into idolatry, bringing a curse on themselves. Revelation 2:12-14 Jesus Christ used this incident to warn the New Testament church against bringing a curse on themselves. God desires to bless and has blessed His people with everything needed for life and godliness through Jesus Christ! We must be watchful against Satan’s attempt to seduce us.
In His Love, Pastor John