QT 16 Sep 18, Acts 10:38, What are we here doing?

Acts 10:38 (ESV) — … how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

NOTE: It seems like such an insignificant comment about Jesus, but it really captures the purpose of any believer's life is the sentence, "He went about doing good …." I think that would be a nice epitaph for just about anyone. That would mean that you were not remembered for: causing strife, angering people, spoiling people's job, breaking down their accomplishments, using hurtful names, talking behind another's back, ridiculing another's beliefs, and many other things. Of course, one might reply that sometimes we must do those things when another person is in error. Jesus chose two paths in that regard. In one case he gently instructed people with error. He used questions to draw out another's thinking. He was compassionate on the lost and struggling. He also dealt harshly with some, but that was always individuals with authority who were propagated things that were untrue, not those who had an error to themselves.

PRAYER: It is so easy to use the things you have given us for the wrong reasons. Help us to be gentle in our words and our interactions. May others remember us as individuals 'who went about doing good.'

QT 13 Sep 18, Ex 34:2, We need to meet with God before we do anything (in the morning)

Exodus 34:2 (ESV) — 2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.

NOTE: In context, the verse is a very specific command from God to Moses and it specifically concerned the ten commandments. Still, the morning is a great time to come before the Lord and be recharged. Before the day has torn us day or taken away our witness, we need to meet and be refreshed by God. It is better than breakfast. It is more important than breakfast. It is more useful than breakfast. It is more life changing than breakfast. It is essential.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for these years of getting together in the morning. Thank you for the encouragement. Thank you for the word that specifically relates to the day. Thank you for revealing yourself to me.

QT 10 Sep 18, Ps 138: 7-8, God holds my future in his hands (and that is good news)

Psalm 138:7–8 (ESV) —

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

you preserve my life;

you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,

and your right hand delivers me.

8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of your hands.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

NOTE: As I wrote earlier, I willingly wait. I wait because I know that God will fulfill his purpose for my life. I don't know the paths that may take. I don't know what each year holds. I don't know what my secular job will be. I don't know the people whose path I will cross. I don't know the people I will minister, teach, and comfort. I do know that the Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.

PRAYER: Father, I await word on my next venture. You know it. I wait to hear of it. You will do what you desire for my life and for your glory. Have mercy on me a sinner. May I glorify you in all I do and say.

QT 6 Sep 18, Heb 1:11, Growing old

Hebrews 1:11 (ESV) —

11 they will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment,

NOTE: Someday, everything in life will seem harder and more difficult. Already, I can't play sports like I used to. I can't climb things like I used to. I can't even fall nicely like I used to. My energy is less than it used to be. I am getting old and my body is wearing down. But three things to note. One, God does not grow old. Two, my body will be resurrected to a glorious state someday. Three, my relationship with the savior does not have to grow old. It can be just as living and active and viral as the day I placed my faith in Jesus. And actually, it is better today than it ever has been. I know the savior so much better. I see him working so much more clearly. I understand him and his word in a way I never did before. And for all things I can't do or soon won't able to do, knowing God will not be one of those things, it will only get better with time.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for saving me and opening my eyes to truth. Thank you for your love and for speaking to me through the word and your spirit. I pray I would not harden my heart to your still small voice.

QT 5 Sep 18, Isa 30:18, When waiting becomes the joy

Isaiah 30:18 (ESV) —

18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,

and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

blessed are all those who wait for him.

“And Patience was willing to wait.”—Pilgrim’s Progress.

NOTE: God waits for me to learn to wait. I suppose it must be even more frustrating for God. I think I am the one having a hard time waiting. I would hate to be the one waiting on me to learn a lesson. Maybe my problem is what Patience learned to do. I need to be willing to wait. Rather than see it as an obstacle I must change my attitude -- why can't I be willing and excited to wait upon God, knowing that God's graciousness is near. That will be my goal, to change my attitude about waiting. God wants me to wait and I am willing to wait for his best and not my best. It is better anyway.

PRAYER: Father, remind today of the excitement of waiting. I want to change my attitude. I want to see waiting as much a reward as the thing I think I am waiting for. Father, change me.

QT 4 Sep 18, Dan 9:8-9, We are heading to our destruction

Daniel 9:8–9 (ESV) — 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him

NOTE: If this was Daniel's heartfelt concern 2600 years ago, I cannot imagine how he would feel today. We have rebelled in almost every degree and direction. We have a fake morality which is only concerned for others when it concerns us. We don't care what others might want, only what we want. We don't want discourse, we want to scream and claw and fight until we get what we want. We are worse than children. At least children were spanked for their misdeeds in society. Our (the world's) father is Satan and he encourages it. He is only interested in fostering the rebellion against God that started in the garden. He has dulled our brains and our morality. He has changed our focus to what feels good and to emotional arguments. We have stopped thinking. We are a stupid and digressing people. We are desperately in need of a savior, and we are convinced that we don't need a savior. We believe we can save ourselves.

PRAYER: Father forgive us for the deep sin we have committed. We ought to feel shame but we are so blinded by our sin and so hardened in our heart that we refuse to see our shame. Please, have mercy on us. Pour down your Holy Spirit and let us see real good again. Let us catch a glimpse of you again. Save us. We are destroying ourselves.

QT 30 Aug 18, Ps 107:23-24, What is God doing in your life through your job?

Psalm 107:23–24 (ESV) —

23 Some went down to the sea in ships,

doing business on the great waters;

24 they saw the deeds of the Lord,

his wondrous works in the deep.

NOTE: Many of us do "business on the great waters" if taken metaphorically, which I can do since it is poetry. In every business, if we look, we can see the hand of God at work. The storms may seem different, the calm different, the sound, and the little things all different. But, it we stop, listen, and look, we can see God at work. But do we bother to stop? Do we appreciate his hand and the seeming coincidences of life. I have certainly seen that in my situation at work. But what does it all mean and how can I use what I now see, to grow and to be a witness for Jesus?

PRAYER: Father, help me not only to see your wonders but to understand what they mean. Help me to know how to respond. Help me live in such a manner that Jesus Christ is honored, witnessed, and glorified in my business, my place of work. Amen

QT 29 Aug 18, John 19:17, What is my mission on earth?

QT 28 Aug 18, Exo 15:22-25, Faith is believing God cares, not God is powerful

Exodus 15:22–25 (ESV) — 22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,

NOTE: Bitterness turned sweet. It seems God does that often. He tests us. He knows our need, but we really don't believe he cares for us. This is immediately after the parting of the waters and the many miracles of leaving Egypt. God's power was visible in the form of a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. The evidence was overwhelming. But the people grumbled because they did not believe God cared enough to intervene in their small day-to-day lives. I believe this is the essence of faith, not that God is powerful, but that God cares for me.

PRAYER: Father forgive me for my unbelief. I do believe you know what you are doing in my life. I will wait and trust you to do what you choose. I know you care. I will be obedient to the things I need to do, and I will trust you for the things you need to do.

QT 27 Aug 18, Rev 22:12-15, The next age will be for those who believe in Jesus, and Jesus alone.

Revelation 22:12–15 (ESV) — 12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

NOTE: Two things to note. One, the way we live our lives has bearing on the rewards received in the next age. Two, the only way to enter the next age and the New Jerusalem is through washed robes. And that only happens when a person puts his faith in Jesus for their salvation. No other name in heaven will gain you access to the tree of life. No other beliefs or faith can save a person. Only Jesus, and belief in Jesus will allow you to receive the GIFT of eternal life in the next age. Those who refuse, can continue in their sins, but they will find themselves ultimately in the lake of fire and with access to the tree of life. Rewards are a payment. Washed robes is a gift.

PRAYER: Satan has confused the world with philosophies that either ignore the existence of the creator, or philosophies that suggest that all faiths lead to salvation. Those are wrong. Satan is a liar, and he has been one from the beginning (as Jesus tells the disciples). Father, open our eyes to our need. Show us our future. Save us from our stupidity and sin.

QT 23 Aug 18, Rev 22:10-11, Judgment is coming and we need to be God's witness to a dying world

Revelation 22:10–11 (ESV) — 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

NOTE: This is a book of judgment and the last words remind us of judgment. Whereas Daniel was told to seal up the words, John is told to not seal them up. Men will not have an excuse that they were not warned. Not that any excuse will stand before God, but God in his mercy gives warning. If you want to be evil and filthy, go for it. But if you want to escape judgment, then you can be part of the righteous by faith in Jesus and you can lives that are right and holy, and stand in contrast to the evildoer. As believers we are also God's mercy to the world. Our lives are a reminder (or should be a reminder) that judgment is coming for those who do not place their faith in Jesus. The time is near, and it is even nearer today.

PRAYER: Lord, we have a responsibility to those around us to live lives that are different from the world. Protect us from the Babylonian philosophy and culture that wants to assimilate us into its evil. Open our eyes to our foolish thinking. Saturate us in the world. May we exalt your word above the world's "sophisticated" view.

QT 22 Aug 18, Rev 22:8-9, We must worship God alone

Revelation 22:8–9 (ESV) — 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

NOTE: Why is this story here? What is the purpose? I think for a story about the end of history, it serves as a useful reminder. It was the worship of something or someone, other than God, that started the rebellion. The damage to people has been unfathomable. We can't worship ourselves or things. We can't listen to the "liar," as Jesus calls him. Yes, we know better, but do we really? Here is John, an apostle, confused enough to worship an angel. We worship power, position, popularity, beautiful people, and rich people. The angels says "Don't do it." The message of Revelation is to "Worship God." That means we listen to and obey his word above all. Babylon is trying to tell us that God's word is archaic and does not apply to modern life. It tells us that science, as defined by Babylon, knows better. It deceives us, just as Jesus said "he has been a liar from the beginning."

PRAYER: Lord, protect us, your children from the lies of Satan. We are susceptible to the Babylonian worldview. Everyone else believes it. And we, in our weakness, fall into the trap of being accepted by others. Let us hold our ground, but also to do it with gentleness and respect.

QT 21 Aug 18, Rev 22:7, The promise of blessing has purpose and reason

Revelation 22:7 (ESV) — “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

NOTE: The book of Revelation begins and ends with some of the same themes. One of those is the blessing promised to those who read the book. Here is it repeated with a slight variation, blessed is one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.  What does it mean? How do you keep a prophecy? I think the insights gained from Babylon (the specific city named in Revelation) are especially helpful. Babylon represents everything opposed to God and seeking to destroy his influence on earth. Babylon tried to conquer heaven. Babylon disobeyed the command to spread out. Babylon destroyed the temple, where the name of God was glorified. Babylon called themselves gods and rulers of life. Babylon tried to force the Jews to change their culture and adopt the Babylonian culture. It is all there. And today, our culture is Babylon. It calls us to throw off the rules of God. It calls to us to embrace that which God has called wrong. It calls to us to eliminate God's name and influence in our society. The dragon is well on his way to establishing the kingdom of Babylon on the earth.

PRAYER: Father, forgive us for our foolishness. Give strength to myself and other believers to stand up like Daniel and his friends to the change being forced upon us. I pray we hold on to our witness. The word of God is our standard. It is true and perfect. May we have the courage to defend it.

QT 20 Aug 18, Rev 22:6, A church wallowing in apostasy

Revelation 22:6 (ESV) — 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

NOTE: This passage reiterates the purpose of the book and puts the discussion of the churches (chapter 2-4) in context. The churches were not just present day church messages, but are part of the whole point of the book, to show us what soon must take place. I would argue that the message of six church ages have been fulfilled, and the seventh is being fulfilled right now. We are becoming a nation of apostasy, fools who dismiss God and his word. Even among Christians, we are rejecting his word in favor of cultural norms. We have stopped thinking. We are the church of Laodicea, lukewarm and useless. We make no impact. We stand up for nothing. We have none of the characteristics of Christianity or of a born-again believer. We are blind (no spiritual eyes), poor (no spiritual inheritance), and naked (no spiritual clothes of righteousness). We think we are rich, be we are not -- we are to be pitied. We have lost the spiritual wealth of generations of godly men and women, and traded it for the wares of Babylon (Satan's artifact and the worldview of a blind generation). How wicked and deceived we have become!

PRAYER: God, have mercy on us. We are fools. We have traded spiritual wealth for rotten filthy garbage. And we rejoice in the things we should sorrow in. How long oh Lord will we destroy ourselves and others? How long will your name be trampled through the mud? My heart aches that we might experience eternal life and the joy of knowing you as our savior. Please, have mercy.

QT 16 Aug 18, Rev 22:6-7, A blessing for those who "keep" the words of Revelation

Revelation 22:6–7 (ESV) — 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

NOTE: At the beginning of the book there is a blessing for those who read, hear, and keep the words of this book. If you have come this far, you have read or heard the words of the book. Now it only remains to keep the words, that is, to be a doer of the word and not just a hearer. How does one keep (obey) the prophecy of Revelation? There are a lot of applications. Certainly witnessing by word and lifestyle are extremely important. I think understanding what Babylon represents is a central theme of the book. Babylon is a worldview that is directly opposed to God, his word, his work, and anything that relates to him as creator or Lord. Babylon is a continuation of the rebellion that started in the garden. And so consequently, holiness must be an important application of the book, since the world calls us to an unholy lifestyle. What is the blessing? In the bible, blessings fall in a few categories, spiritual and physical, temporal and eternal. They don't have to be one or the other, but can be in all four categories. I think the spiritual and eternal are the most obvious blessings, but there could be spiritual and temporal blessings as well.

PRAYER: Father, I pray for the promised blessing of Revelation to flow into our lives. Help us to see daily how we can keep the words of the prophecy. Build holiness in our life. Give us strength and courage to stand up for what is right in a world that is committed to calling right wrong, and wrong right.

QT 15 Aug 18, Rev 22:3-5, Our broken world will finally be fixed

Revelation 22:3–5 (ESV) — 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

NOTE: This is the temple of God, the new Jerusalem. It is where God's throne sits. It is where the shekinah glory dwells (no need of lamp or sun). And it is where Jesus sits -- on the throne. And we will dwell with God in the new city, whether it be on earth, in the earth or above the earth. Our home is with the King. As the song goes, I can only imagine what my eyes will see. I do know it will be far greater than what I can imagine. And the peace that truly passes all understanding will fill my heart. Relationships will be right. We will no longer be a broken people living in a broken world, where things do not work as God intended.

PRAYER: Father, this world is marred by our sin and our original rebellion. Nothing is as you intended. But someday, you will restore creation to its original glory. And we will get to experience the pleasure of knowing you fully. Amen.

QT 14 Aug 18, Rev 22:1-2, The future is so much glorious than this life

Revelation 22:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

NOTE: Our new bodies are eternal, but they still need healing and we need the water of life. And what happens to our bodies if they do not have the water or access to the leaves? I don't know. But God has a creation in mind that is fulfilling, with meaning, and unbelievably better than what this life offers at its finest. I don't think we grasp the implications of that kind of life. We still hold on to this sin-marred world and this sin-stained life.

PRAYER: Father, free us from this world and this body which is so confused by sin. Help us to see you and your promises as so much more glorious. Forgive us too when we fail and once again fall into the traps of the evil one. Help us to grow in holiness.

QT 13 Aug 18, Rev 21:22-27, An Indescribable Future

Revelation 21:22–27 (ESV) — 22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

NOTE: There is still an earth, there are still nations and kings. The city does not need the sun or moon for light, but it does not say that they no longer exist. Only believers can enter the city. There is no temple, the city is the temple of the Shekinah glory. Only those who are redeemed can enter the city. A thought occurred to me. Our bodies still seem to require access to the tree of life. Genesis said as much too -- that to live forever required access to the tree of life. If those in the lake of fire do not have access to the tree of life, since their names are not written in the book of life, they would die in time.

PRAYER: The city sounds glorious and I feel so undeserving. I have done nothing. Jesus did it all. I have been given a gift for which I am most unworthy. Thank you Father for your indescribable gift.

QT 9 Aug 18, Rev 21:9-11, There are wonders we can't even comprehend still to come

Revelation 21:9–11 (ESV) — 9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

NOTE: I can't help but wonder if the new city of Jerusalem is not a satellite orbiting the earth. The mere size of it, 2000 mile cube, suggests such. I think the earth surface would wobble if it sat on the earth. It says that the nations of the earth stream through its gates, but that could easily be some type of travel system. The radiance and clear crystal suggest something that would be amazingly glorious in space. Also, the angel calls it the bride and the wife of the lamb. That merely could suggest its occurrence after the marriage feast. Or, it could refer to the Church, OT saints, and tribulation saints. God used the motif of a wife multiple times in the OT to refer to Israel, at one point, even two wives when Israel split into two nations. What does all this mean? There are wonders beyond our understanding still to come during the eternal age.

PRAYER: Father, help me to see glimpses of your wonder now. I know they exist and are in abundance, but I've allowed life to make me cynical and I have the lost the wonder of childhood. May I still realize and see your wonder today.

QT 8 Aug 18, Rev 21:8, Cowards are afraid to face the truth

Revelation 21:8 (ESV) — 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

NOTE: It does seem surprising that God describes those destined for the lake of fire as cowardly. The Greek word, deilos, is translated well. It means, fearful, timid or cowardly. But being a coward isn't a sin. So, what is God's point? I think God is saying that a person who has refused his grace is a coward. He has emotionally insulated himself from the truth. He doesn't want to know truth. He is scared to find out that he has lived his life wrong. He is fearful of finding God because he does not want to believe in God. He wants to be his own God and so he ignores the truth. He is fearful of being wrong.

PRAYER: Father, open our eyes to the logical consistency, the scientific facts, and the undeniable truth of the gospel. Show men their lies. Open their eyes. May your Holy Spirit convince them of sin, of the existence of true righteousness, and of an upcoming judgment for all men's sin.