epcblog

Devotional thoughts (Monday through Thursday mornings) from the pastor of Exeter Presbyterian Church in Exeter, NH // Sunday Worship 10:30am // 73 Winter Street

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Apostles Creed, #27

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body;


"And the life everlasting."


God is eternal, and He will have eternal communion with His chosen people in a land of perfect blessing. Moses knew this and wrote about it even before Israel went into the land of Canaan. King David knew this as well, and composed many psalms that give us glimpses of life with God in glory. This life everlasting is the final blessing to which the prophets testified.


If there is no eternal life, we have no glorious hope. But our hearts long for eternity, and the Lord will give us the desire of our hearts.


There is a realm of great joy and holiness already in the present heavens. This is where Moses and David are now, together with a great multitude of Jews and Gentiles. Heaven will be made one with the renewed earth at the return of the Messiah, and the full Israel of God will dwell securely with Him in the Land forever..


Deuteronomy 33:26-29 "There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. 27 The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy. 28 So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew. 29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs."


Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.


Daniel 12:1-4 "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."


Psalm 65 1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. 2 O you who hears prayer, to you shall all flesh come. 3 When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. 4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! 5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; 6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; 7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, 8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. 9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. 10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. 11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. 12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, 13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Apostles Creed, #26

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins;

"The resurrection of the body;"

The Suffering Servant of God died for us and has now risen from the dead. According to the Scriptures, we also shall rise, and we will enjoy the fullest fellowship together with Him.

This resurrection life will not only be spiritual; it will also be physical. God is capable of bringing a blessed imperishable existence to dry bones. He is able to speak a powerful word of life to the dead even now.

Not only will the righteous be raised. All will be raised, some to judgment and shame, and others to the enjoyment of the light and love of Almighty God.

Psalm 22:22-31 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. 25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Ezekiel 37:1-15 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD." 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."

Daniel 12:1-3 At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Apostles Creed, #25

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints;

"The forgiveness of sins;"

Sin is a very old and deep problem. It can only be put away through sacrifice.

The sacrifice of one fully righteous man for the Lord's people has provided the atonement that we needed. We are credited with His righteousness by the gift of faith in Him, and our sins are truly forgiven.

This is the way for Israel to be in fellowship with the Lord, through faith in the righteous sacrifice appointed by God. There is no other way. Through the Messiah our sins are forgiven.

Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Genesis 3:21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Leviticus 4:27-31 "If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, 28 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. 29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. 30 And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. 31 And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven."

Psalm 40:6-8 Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

Isaiah 53:11-12 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Habakkuk 2:2-4 And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end- it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Apostles Creed, #24

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church;

"The communion of saints;"

The Lord is the God of the living. Some of the living are still on earth. Some have gone to be with Him in heaven. Those who are truly in the Lord will always be in Him. If the living on earth are in Him, and the living in heaven are in Him, then there is one assembly of believers in the Lord, the Messiah of Israel, and there is an unusual fellowship of worshipers in heaven and on earth.

While there is certainly a separation between heaven and earth at the present moment, there is a communion of worship among all who are in Christ as His great assembly is being gathered. Though God's people experience death on earth, yet they are alive with Him now where He lives. This is why the death of the Lord's saints is called precious in His sight.

Exodus 3:6 And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

2 Samuel 12:21-23 Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." 22 He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."

Daniel 7:18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.

Psalm 22:28-31 For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Psalm 97:9-12 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. 10 O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 131:1-3 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Apostles Creed, #23

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit;

"The holy catholic church;"

"Holy" means set apart, "catholic" means worldwide, and the "church" is the assembly of those who worship God. I believe in a worldwide assembly of people set apart for the worship of Israel's God.

It has always been the Lord's intention to save not only Jews, but also Gentiles. From the time of God's call to Abram, the Lord indicated this wonderful plan. Through this father in the faith all the family groups of the earth would be blessed.

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures God revealed that He would gather a group of worshipers from all over the earth. God is doing this even now. The church throughout the world is the congregation of those who worship God through Jesus the Messiah, the perfect descendant of Abram.

Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Psalm 22:22, 27-28 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:... 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.

Psalm 66:1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth...

Psalm 86:9-10 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Psalm 117 1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! 2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 145:9-10 The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. 10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!

Isaiah 11:10
... the root of Jesse ... shall stand as a signal for the peoples- of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved....

Monday, September 21, 2009

Apostles Creed, #22

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

"I believe in the Holy Spirit;"

The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters at creation, not as an impersonal force, but as a personal life-giving being. Throughout the story of redemption God has sent His Spirit to fill people for special tasks of revelation, service, spiritual leadership, and personal renewal.

The promised Messiah was to be one who was full of the Holy Spirit more than any prophet, judge, or king who came before Him. This blessedness was to be used to bring forth a new age of spiritual life among the Lord's people, an age of good news, restoration, and refreshment. This age has come to us through Jesus.

The ultimate promise of God for His people is a promise of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, not only on the Messiah, but on all who are found in Him. As the Messiah is full of the Holy Spirit of God in the land of life, He will grant this gift to all the Lord's Israel, fulfilling the longing of Moses so many centuries ago, that all the Lord's people would be as the prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them.

Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Numbers 11:25-29 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. 26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, "My lord Moses, stop them." 29 But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!"

Judges 3:10 The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel....

1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward....

Psalm 51:10-13 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

Psalm 139:7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Isaiah 11:1-2 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Isaiah 42:1-4 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion - to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

Ezekiel 37:11-14 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."

Joel 2:28-32 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. 30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Apostles Creed, #21

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come...


"To judge the living and the dead."


Israel's Messiah, the Son of God, has become the One Offering for all who would take refuge in Him. The only other option for anyone is to stand before God without any offering.


Our own works lack the perfection that the Lord requires. They cannot save us. Anything about which we might boast has only come to us as a gift of God. We need Him alone.


The Messiah is our Whole Offering to God. We are the fruit of His labors. He is our Peace Offering, Sin Offering, and Guilt Offering.


Look at our lives and this present moment through another lens, that of the festivals that God gave to Israel. According to Leviticus 23, the cycle of feasts started with Passover and ended with Tabernacles. Do you see the fulfillment of these great days in Israel's Messiah?


Christ, our Passover Lamb has already been sacrificed. He has risen as the Firstfruits from the Dead, and ascended on high. He has sent forth the Holy Spirit in a great Pentecost and the harvest of the nations has begun. That harvest is swiftly moving forward over many centuries as the life of the Lord's assembly continues to grow.


But eventually the harvest will be completed.


The next feast will come. The trumpet will sound. There will be a great Day of Atonement, a separation of the wicked and the righteous before the throne of the Lord Almighty, the God of eternity. Then the complete Israel of the Lord's redeemed will dwell in peace forever with our God in the new Tabernacles of the resurrection heaven and earth.


There is a Judgment Day coming. When that Day of Atonement comes and the Lord judges the living and the dead, we must have an acceptable offering to stand before God. What is the offering of the Lord's Israel before God on that day? We plead the blood of Christ alone, our works testifying to His grace in our lives, and we are kept in the covenant assembly of God forever.


Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.


Note the sacrifices in Leviticus 1-6

Not the order of the festivals in Leviticus 23

Note the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16:15-22


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Apostles Creed, #20

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.


"From there He will come"


Jesus came to save through His own suffering and death, and He did this according to the Scriptures. He also rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven, again according to the Scriptures.


According to the same Scriptures, the Lord will come to judge at the time of the long expected Day of the Lord. He will surely come again as He promised.


Malachi 4:1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”


Psalm 96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.


Psalm 98:7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with equity.


Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Apostles Creed, #19

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven,


"And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty."

The Scriptures give us a number of great accounts of those once low who were suddenly and remarkably brought to sit at the right hand of the greatest earthly power. The stories of Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Mordecai prepare us for a Messiah who will have supreme power and authority.


Jesus, though He was fully equal in divinity to the Father as the eternal Son of God, willingly humbled Himself in order to suffer as a Man on behalf of His Israel. He was then lifted up again to the highest position of honor and glory.


Psalm 110 speaks mysteriously of two who are both called by the name "Lord." The Father instructs the Son of God to sit at His right hand. This Son is said to be both Priest and King. He reigns on high until God makes His enemies His footstool. This victorious warrior is ruling in heaven. He has spoken peace to Israel, a peace that He has secured with His life.


Psalm 110:1 The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”

2 The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,

in holy garments;

from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.

4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”

5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs

over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.


Esther 10:2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Apostles Creed, #18

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead;


"He ascended into heaven,"

The Jesus I trust in was exalted even beyond His bodily resurrection. He came from heaven to atone for our sins, and after he had completed that great work on the cross and had displayed His victory with His resurrection, He returned to His Father.


Psalm 24 is one of the passages that describes the view from heaven as the glorious Son of God came home after defeating sin and death. The gates of the heavenly sanctuary were opened to our righteous Redeemer. He has purified the way for us to be with Him there through His blood. We are His willing captives, rejoicing in His glorious presence,


Psalm 24:3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The
Lord, strong and mighty,
the
Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The
Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory!
Selah


Psalm 68:18

You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the
Lord God may dwell there.


Sunday, September 13, 2009

Romans 3 video


From Dr. Mike's Studio...

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Apostles Creed, #17

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day...


"He rose again from the dead;"


Jesus rose from the dead in fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures. His resurrection was on the Feast of the Firstfruits, and He is the Firstfruits of a new age of eternal life.


Isaac was rescued from Abraham's knife, Joseph was brought out from the depths of Pharaoh's dungeons, and Jonah was delivered from the belly of a great fish. But Jesus was brought forth from the grave to a new kind of life beyond this world of decay.


He not only gave His body willingly as the Passover Lamb; He also lifted Himself up again to exaltation. His days have been prolonged forever.


His name is "The Lord is our Righteousness." In Him we have been named with this same great name. We have become the Lord's holy city.


He tented among us as the Son of God. At just the right moment, the tabernacle of His flesh was struck down. Again, at just the right moment, His body, the fallen booth of David, was raised up forever.


Isaiah 33:10 “Now I will arise,” says the Lord,

“now I will lift myself up;
now I will be exalted."


Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes
an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the
Lord shall prosper in his hand.


Jeremiah 23:6 and 33:16 Both the singular figure of salvation and the Jerusalem he brings to life are called by the name, ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’


Amos 9:11 “In that day I will raise up

the booth of David that is fallen...


Friday, September 11, 2009

Apostles Creed, #16

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell.


"The third day"


The fact of a coming age of resurrection for God's people is amply testified to throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. The great surprise was that the Messiah would show forth that resurrection by rising from the tomb on the third day.


The exact specific detail of the number three was tucked away in the story of Jonah, who spent three days in the belly of a large fish, a symbolic representation of Sheol, before he was brought again into the world of the living by the power of God.


The Lord also indicated in one of the psalms of David that He would not let His Holy One, the Messiah, see corruption. We know that the psalm could not be about David. He had a grave, and his bones remained in that grave. He did see corruption. But the glorious Son of David rose from the tomb after continuing under the power of death until the third day.


He has become the firstborn of the age of resurrection.


Jonah 1:17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight;
yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
6 at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.


Psalm 16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.

8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption
.

11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.