January 7th - Love the truth, reject everything else

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)

To be honest, no one loves like this. All of us have broken the law which makes us sinners as the Bible tells us...we are all unrighteous when compared to God.

“…there is none righteous, no not one…all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:10, 23)

But in the future humanity is to be changed...

“…I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

The change happens after being resurrected from death, and both the just and the unjust will be changed into the image of Jesus.

“...there shall be a resurrection which is impending of both the just and unjust." (Acts 24:15)

"...Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.…just as in Adam ALL die, so also in Christ shall ALL be made alive….Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 49)

Only then will we be perfect.

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

So, our only hope is the grace of God saving us - a gift, not as a reward for good works.

"For by grace are ye saved... it is the gift of God. Not of works..." (Ephesians 2-8-10)

I don't know about you but I am counting on His GRACE!  I have learned to reject any religion that requires works to be saved...

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces...You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of Gehenna as you are...Woe to you, blind guides!...You blind fools!" (Matthew 23:13-23)

Jesus told humanity that the way to heaven was His resurrection...

"As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.” (John 12:32)

"Jesus says to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, if not by Me." (John 14:6)

So, how many people will He bring to the Father? All of them!

January 6th - The Great Commission is Not What You Think

A careful reading of the first part of Acts showed me that the disciples of Jesus did not witness to anyone except their fellow Jews. These Jewish disciples had been instructed NOT to go to the other nations. 

"These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: Do not go in the way of the nations..." (Matthew 10:5)

 “...I am sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel...” (Matthew 15:22)

Peter spoke to Israel as follows...

"When the day of Pentecost had come...Peter stood up...and addressed the crowd...Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem" ... "Men of Israel..." (Acts 2:1,14; 3:12). 

Peter told them that their Jewish leaders had rejected their Messiah and had Him crucified. Then Peter told them what they must do for Him TO RETURN to fulfill all promises made to Israel...

“Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?' Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins...repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.'" (Acts 2:36-38; 3:18-21)

Note, the other nations were at that time "excluded from the commonwealth of Israel" as Paul would later tell them...

"Therefore, remember that formerly you, the nations in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by the so-called Circumcision, which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:11-12) 

The inclusion of the other nations in God's plan of salvation was a secret, a "mystery" hidden until revealed to the Apostle Paul after the death, entombment, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Paul was then told the secret by the risen Christ Jesus... 

"...you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you...which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men...to be specific, that THE NATIONS are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the good news of which I was made a minister...to me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the nations the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the MYSTERY which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things." (Ephesians 3:1-8).

It was the Apostle Paul, not the disciples of Jesus, that God chose to take the good news of salvation to all nations of the earth. And in Acts Chapter 13 Paul began doing so...

“For so the Lord has commanded us, I have placed you as a light for the nations, that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth. When the nations heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord." (Acts 13:46-49)

From then on Paul spoke about the saving grace of God to both the people of Israel and all of the other nations, but he finally gave up on the leaders of the Jewish nation...

“Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews...they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening...when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word...let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the nations; they will listen.” (Acts 28:17-28)

Only a few Jewish people believe Jesus is their Messiah today yet all them are destined to believe when the "fulness of the nations" is complete.

"...a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the nations has come in; and so ALL Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “the deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:25)

Are people from other nations required to become Jewish? Of course not! The grace of God is for all nations, not just the people of Israel. The hope for ALL humanity is now in the return of Jesus.

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and has given us this word of reconciliation...”  (2 Corinthians 5:19)

“...the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all humanity, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus." (Titus 2:11-13)

Those of us who believe the gospel of grace given to Paul rejoice in our salvation and tell our families and friends that God loves them, He is not mad at them, and that they have been saved and reconciled to God through the death of His Son Jesus, a Jew born in Bethlehem who grew up and saved the world. He did so by living a sinless life, the shedding His pure blood to atone for the sins of the world. 

When we share this truth to friends and family we fulfill our commission - and that is GREAT!

January 5th - What Manner of Spirit are You?

Thinking today about the "kind of spirit" I find in myself from time to time.

"...they went and they entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him (Jesus). But they did not receive Him...when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:54-56 NASB)

Nebuchadnezzar had this "kind of spirit" and so he built a furnace of fire for those who would not fall down and worship him...

“Then the herald loudly proclaimed, Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” (Daniel 3:4-6)

Paul warned the believers in Corinth that "another Jesus" was being proclaimed among them.

“For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed…” (2 Corinthians 11:4)

In my perspective, this other Jesus is often proclaimed today, a Jesus who will cast all unbelievers into hell to be eternally tormented. However, the "wrath" of God ends in death, not a blazing furnace.

“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath (death) through Him…For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:8-9; 6:22-23)

The real Jesus is the “Savior of the world”, not its condemner. When you meet Him you will declare with the Samaritans...

"We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." (John 4:42)

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:17)

So, those who teach eternal conscious torment in hell is the just (right) thing for God to do to anyone, you might consider "what manner of spirit you are of". 

And consider, the Scripture says that the fruit of the Spirit of God is...

"...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..." (Galatians 5:22)

January 4th - Crushed and Reformed

"And now I am committing you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to edify and give the enjoyment of an inheritance among all who have been hallowed." "(Acts 20:32) 

Humanity is a work in progress.  Formed by God who knew they would be marred by sin, crushed, and remolded into His image. It was necessary to demonstrate His mercy.

"That which is molded will not protest to the molder, Why do you make me thus?...now if God, wanting to display His wrath and to make His powerful doings known, carries, with much patience, the vessels of wrath, adapted for destruction, it is that He should also be making known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy...us, whom He calls also, not only out of the Jews, but out of the nations also...For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all." (Romans 9:22-24; 11:32)

So relax, we all are committed "to God and the word of His grace." He has chosen the  human race to reveal His mercy and grace. Nothing you do, or do not do, will change that. 

"...He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the Beloved...being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will." (Ephesians 1:4-11)

God is in total control of our destiny. It is a good work and will be perfected.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

January 3rd - Is Jesus Returning Soon? Watch and Wait!

Is Jesus returning soon? Watch and wait.

“…be waiting for His Son out of the heavens, Whom He raised from among the dead, Jesus, our Rescuer out of the coming wrath.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

Believers have been waiting a long time, more than 2,000 years. It is not surprising that we wonder sometimes if He is really coming again. Before the Apostle Peter died, he warned that in the “last days” there would be some who would doubt that Jesus would return. 

“…knowing this first, that in the last days scoffers will be coming with scoffing, going according to their own desires and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers were put in the grave, all is continuing as it has been from the beginning of creation…the Lord is not tardy as to the promise, as some are deeming tardiness, but is patient because of you, not intending any to perish, but all to make room for repentance." (2 Peter 3:3-4, 9)

Jesus Himself promised that He would return.

“In My Father's house are many abodes; yet if not, I would have told you, for I am going to make ready a place for you. And if I should be going and making ready a place for you, I will  come again and I will be taking you along to Myself, that where I am, you also may be.” (John 14:2-3)

“...and as they were looking intently into heaven at His going, lo! two men stand beside them in white attire, who say also, "Men! Galileans! Why do you stand, looking into heaven? This Jesus Who is being taken up from you into heaven shall come again in the manner in which you gaze at Him going into heaven." (Acts 1:10-11)

And the Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus will return.

“…the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the Chief Messenger, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall be rising first. Thereupon we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be snatched away together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, shall we always be together with the Lord. So that, console one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-18)

Two thousand years is a long time to wait but if the Bible is true there will be a generation that will see Jesus return - and it may be the baby boomer generation who have seen the rebirth of the 

the State of Israel - the "fig tree"! Jesus said...

"Now from the fig tree learn a parable: Whenever its bough becomes tender, and the leaves sprout out, you know that summer is near. Thus you, also, whenever you may be perceiving all these things, know that He is near-at the doors. Verily, I am saying to you that by no means may THIS GENERATION be passing by until all these things should be occurring."  (Matthew 24:32-35)

But what about the Scripture that says, “concerning that day and hour no one is aware”?

“…and they shall see the Son of Humanity coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory…concerning that day and hour no one is aware, neither the messengers of the heavens, nor the Son; except the Father only." (Matthew 24:30, 36-37)

No one knew two thousand years ago. At that time even Jesus did not know the day or the hour. But I suspect He knows now. And, the Bible says that believers have never been  "in darkness, that the day may be overtaking you...".

“Now you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day may be overtaking you as a thief, for you are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.  Consequently, then, we may not be drowsing, even as he rest, but we may be watching and be sober...” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6)

Those watching will have a good idea of the time of His return, for the evidence will be all around us...

“And there shall be signs in the sun and the moon and constellations, and on the earth pressure of nations in perplexity, at the resounding of the sea and the shaking, at the chilling of men from fear and apprehensiveness of that which is coming on the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then they shall be seeing the Son of Humanity coming in a cloud with power and much glory. NOW AT THE BEGINNING of these occurrences, unbend and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is drawing near." (Luke 21:25-28)

We baby boomers have seen the budding of the fig tree, and are observing "fear and apprehensiveness", so His return could very well be "drawing near"!

January 2nd - Grow in Grace and Knowledge

"...grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)

Paul prayed the following prayer for those who believed the gospel (good news)...

"Therefore we also, from the day on which we hear, do not cease praying for you and requesting that you may be filled full with the realization of HIS WILL, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding..." (Colossians 1:9)

He would later tell Timothy what His will is and what they should rely on. He says that God...

"WILLS that all humanity be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator of God and humanity, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent ransom for ALL..." (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

"...rely on the living God, Who is the Savior of all humanity, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching." (1 Timothy 4:10-11)

I am a slow learner so it has taken many years to finally feel confident in my understanding of God's plan.  It is really good news for humanity, and all other created beings. The truth as I understand it is that God intends to save "all humanity" and reconcile all other creatures to Himself through Christ Jesus, His only begotten Son.  

I read the Bible hoping each year to continue growing in the  "grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 

January 1st - New Year's Resolutions

New Year Resolutions:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart...” (Proverbs 3:5)

"Do not worry about anything..."  (Philippians 4:6)

"Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things..." (Colossians 3:2)

"...do what is right, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

"...lead a quiet life, attend to your own business, and work with your hands." (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

"...learn to be content." (Philippians 4:11)

"...rejoice in the LORD..." (Psalm 97:1)

"...grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."  (2 Peter 3:18)