#raisethedead Canonical Bible reading day 108 / 1 Kings 15-17

1KI 17:17-24 ESV

After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. And he cried to the Lord , “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord , “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

I seem to forget about this miracle of the old testament.  I tend to let myself believe that all of the “bringing back from the dead” happens in the new testament and after Jesus is born.  But here is Elijah raising the dead.  Well.  Here is God raising the dead through and for Elijah.  That is the point.  God is the only one with the power to raise the dead.  He is the same yesterday and today.  He never changes.  I love that God raises the dead in the old testament as it reminds me that the God of old testament is not a different God but the same.  This is clear evidence to me that Jesus is truly the Son of God himself.  Jesus raises the dead as only God can do.  Jesus empowers his disciples to do miracles after he has gone.  It was Jesus who had the authority to empower them.  He is the Son of God.  His word is perfect and everlasting.  All hail King Jesus!

#don’tshootthemessenger Canonical Bible reading day 107 / 1 Kings 12-14

1KI 13:1-5 ESV

And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord : “Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.” And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: “Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.” And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord .

When we here a word of truth from a man that is from God there should only be one response.  When a word comes from God to us it is absolute.  It will come about as it has bee spoken else it is not from God.  Do not defy or come against the messenger from God.  The only response for us though the message is a hard one, though we do not like or want to receive it, the only response is to surrender to it. 

It is not likely that God will afflict us immediately as He did with Jeroboam.  But perhaps we would be the better for it if he did.  I see that immediate affliction as an act of mercy from God.  God took his hand to spare the whole body.  God dried up the hand of Jeroboam to immediately show Jeroboam exactly who has the power and the authority and it was not King Jeroboam but God.  God awakened King Jeroboam to see.  God’s message came by way of God’s messenger.  God was not allowing for King Jeroboam to fail to hear the message that was brought.  Nor was He allowing for the king to come against the messenger from God.  God is the one with all power and all the authority.  When we hear from Him, the only response is to submit.  There is no greater power and no higher authority than the Lord our God.

#blessing Life Journal day 341 / Colossians 1-4

Colossians 1:9-14 ESV

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be    strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

How beautiful and powerful is this blessing.  To have this measure of blessing is greater than all of the wealth this world could possibly offer.  There is nothing that could be given to anyone that would be greater than this.  More powerful words have never been spoken.  As you read this, know that I have prayed this very blessing over you…

I pray that you will be filled with the knowledge of the will of God in all spiritual wisdom. That you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, that you would bear fruit in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might.  This for all endurance and patience with joy. May you always have a grateful heart towards God who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. This same God has delivered us from the domain of darkness.  We have been transferred by Him unto the kingdom of His beloved son Jesus, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Amen.

#faithofaCanaanitewoman Life Journal day 327 / Matthew 14-16

Matthew 15:21-28 ESV

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”  And her daughter was healed instantly.

As I began to think about these verses and their meanings, I had to clarify for myself some definitions to a couple of key words.
Namely:
Faith and authority

Of course these verses do not contain the word authority.  But I think that the idea of it is important when considering what Jesus is saying to us here. 

Faith can be defined as simply believing that Jesus is who He says He is and therefore believing that He will do what He says He will do.  Moreover, Jesus is both capable (powerful) and desires (compassionate) to protect us and provide for all of our needs. That is what brings me to the definition of authority.

Authority means simply to be given charge over a person or persons. That is, the one in authority is to provide for and protect those that they have been given charge over.  Nothing more. Nothing less. 
Note: If this is the definition of authority, anyone who abuses the authority that they have been given for selfish gain or self amusement seriously violates the authority that they have been given.  That person should not be trusted with authority. Authority is meant for the benefit of those underneath that authority, not for the benefit of the one who has been given the authority.  The one whom has been given authority has been given a great responsibility.

I believe that faith in God and authority are so closely linked that they can hardly even be talked about apart from each other.  To have faith in God is to believe that God is the ultimate provider and protector as HE promises that He is.  Therefore our part in this relationship of faith is to submit to His authority and rest under His provision and His protection.  It that light, let us consider the Canaanite woman from Matthew 15:

Jesus said that this woman has great faith.  Why? What is the evidence of her great faith?
She came absolutely convinced that Jesus was the one person that has the power and the desire to care for her needs.  She would not be deterred.  I believe in fact that Jesus knew that this woman had remarkable faith.  I believe that He declined her requests at first simply for the benefit of the disciples and indeed for us too.  Jesus knows that faith in Himself is more powerful and desirable than any other thing.  He wanted his disciples then and his disciples now to see this picture of faith.  Consider what the woman was up against. 

She was a woman approaching a group of men only to ask for something personal for herself.  This was socially unacceptable many times over.
Jesus simply ignored her upon her first request. 
Immediately His disciples literally begged Jesus to send her away.
She persisted.
Jesus then verbally rejected her in front of all of His disciples.
She persisted.
Jesus again rejected her in front of all of His disciples.
She still persisted.
The evidence of her faith is her persistence.  She faced great opposition. Yet she would not be deterred nor would she be swayed.  She knew from deep within that Jesus is the one.  He is only one with the power and desire to care for her needs.  Against all opposition she pressed in until she got what she needed. 

Jesus is who He says that He is.  As such, there is no one else.  No other name other than the name of Jesus is worthy to be your provider and protector.  No one else can care for needs like Jesus.  No person under the provision and protection of Jesus has ever been found wanting.  No one under His authority will ever be found wanting, not ever.  He is who He says that He is.  He is the only one in all of the universe that has the ability and desire (power and compassion) to care for you completely and eternally.  It is right, it is fitting to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.  No one else is up for the task.  No one else is worthy.  Only Jesus.

Faith in Jesus is more powerful and desirable than any other thing.

#beholdthemaggot Life Journal day 307 / Job 25, Mark 13, 14

Job 25:1-6 ESV

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
“Dominion and fear are with God;

he makes peace in his high heaven.

Is there any number to his armies?

Upon whom does his light not arise?

How then can man be in the right before God?

How can he who is born of woman be pure?

Behold, even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure in his eyes;

how much less man, who is a maggot,

and the son of man, who is a worm!”

So how do you feel about Bildad the Shuhite? He says some horrible things about us. But He lifts up God and speaks glorious praises about Him.

He is exactly right about God. You could not exalt God to a place that would be inappropriately high. Indeed we could never exceed with our lips His splendor and majesty and power.

What then? If Bildad is perfect in His words about God, is he then so off in his speaking about us?

The moon and the stars are not bright and pure before God. God spoke these into being. All the brightness and splendor that belong to the moon and the stars were given by the breath of God. God’s glory makes the moon and the mighty stars as darkness.

Bildad is not speaking harshly against us simply to be harsh. He is driving home a truth. He is attempting to teach us, to magnify the glory and splendor of the Mighty God. God is perfect in purity and awesome in wonder. He is light that makes all else as darkness. He is powerful and all power comes from His right hand. Perhaps the most important question for us to consider from these verses is this;

How can man be right before God?

Answer:

Only by being in absolute agreement with God.

All that God is and does is right and perfect. If we want to be right, we must be right with God! Therefore all that stand in opposition to God do so in prideful arrogance and are as a maggot or a worm.

No one is right before God except for Jesus Christ who is the very Son of God. Jesus has every attribute of God Himself and is in perfect unity with God. All the glory and honor that is due God is also due Jesus Christ. He sits at the right hand of God. Christ Jesus died for us so that He Himself could represent us before God and transform us. We do not have to be as maggots and worms before God. In Christ Jesus we are made perfect and can have perfect unity with God. Perfect unity with God is perfectly desirable above all things.

Thank you Jesus Christ for your awesome sacrifice for my atonement. Your name is like no other name Jesus. All glory and praise is due you. Thank you for looking on me with such overwhelming compassion.

#provisionandprotection Life Journal day 300 / Job 18, Psalm 114, Acts 27, 28

Psalm 114:1-8 ESV

When Israel went out from Egypt,

the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

Judah became his sanctuary,

Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled;

Jordan turned back.

The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs.

What ails you, O sea, that you flee?

O Jordan, that you turn back?

O mountains, that you skip like rams?

O hills, like lambs?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

at the presence of the God of Jacob,

who turns the rock into a pool of water,

the flint into a spring of water.

This psalm demonstrates the power of God and it demonstrates the authority of God.  Authority at its core is all about provision and protection.  I have authority over my two sons and my wife.  What this means is that I am responsible to provide for them and to protect them.  You can see God’s provision and protection in these verses.  He is in authority.  There is no authority greater than The Lord Your God.  God has the power and the desire to be your authority.  That is to say that He knows all that you need and is capable and willing to provide it to you.  As for protection, fear God only.  For under His protection, there is nothing else to fear.  He has already defeated evil.  He above all and nothing can harm you.  No but God can and will provide for your needs and protect you for all of eternity.  There is only one place to go to be absolutely secure. Jesus is the only way.  Fear God and come under His great authority to be provided for and protected.  In failing to come under the protection you have left yourself unprotected and without provision.  God is the only one who can care for you.  Come to Jesus and know what it is to be secure.