Hear the bells ringing, they're singing "Christ is risen from the dead!"
Joy to the world! He is Risen! Alleluia!
It was early this morning when the women headed to the tomb of Jesus to finish the job of wrapping his body in spices for burial. Were they ever in for a surprise. When they arrived, the stone was rolled away from the tomb (a stone that was several thousand pounds had been rolled uphill!!), and there was an angel sitting there. "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" the angel asked. I can only imagine the looks and thoughts of confusion that the women must have experienced right at that moment. After a brief talk with the angel, all but Mary ran off to tell the disciples. She hung around. She saw Jesus. Alive. She got to be the first to worship the resurrected Christ! Someday, we will see this Jesus face to face. Soon, I hope. Soon.
Maranatha, Lord Jesus!!
For insight and innovation for Secretary of Energy Steven Chu as he works to steward America�s energy resources
He instructed me and said to me, �Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.�
�Daniel 9:22
Lord, we praise You today for Your persistent presence in our lives. Though we often don�t understand why, it is Your desire, O God, to give us knowledge and discernment to help us face our responsibilities and challenges. We are humbled that You choose to impart to us Your wisdom, and ask that You would enable us to hear and respond to Your voice and direction.
Just as You used Your angel to speak to and assist Daniel as a result of his prayer to you, we ask that You would provide Your insight and ability to Steven Chu, our Secretary of Energy, and help him to make decisions that will ensure proper stewardship of our country�s energy resources. Wise Lord, grant this man Your wisdom in such a way that He�ll know with certainty that it came from You and You alone. We pray this on his behalf, in the name of Christ, amen.
30:1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
"However much God may terrify and humble his faithful servants, with manifold signs of his displeasure, he always besprinkles them with the sweetness of his favour to moderate and assuage their grief. If they weigh, therefore, his anger and his favour in an equal balance, they will always find it verified, that while the former is but for a moment, the latter continues to the end of life; no, it goes beyond it, for it were a grievous mistake to confine the favour of God within the boundaries of this transitory life."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
Tabletalk Magazine
"Planning to Grow"
Luke 14:25-33
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? (Verse 28)
There are two things to remember when planning spiritual growth. First, plans alone do not guarantee success. In fact, it might be possible to complete a goal of studying the whole Bible over the course of a year and not grow on "inch" spiritually. Second, while God does use our actions and can bless our plans, ultimately, growth is up to him. Spiritual growth comes by the sovereign grace of God. Nevertheless, it does take work to grow spiritually, and setting goals and making plans can help us direct our efforts.
Praying to be like the tree in Psalm 1. Let my delight be in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night.
I am my brother's keeper. (From Genesis 3-5)
Noah found favor. Noah walked with God. Noah obeyed God. (From Genesis 6-9)
Genesis 11 reminds me that our world seems to be struggling to reverse what God did at the Tower of Babel. But it fulfills prophecy, so let it happen! (From Genesis 10-11)
Psalm 4 reminds me why I can sleep at night.
1. Our eyes can deceive us into making bad choices. Lot saw the Jordan Valley and chose to go live in Sodom and Gomorrah.
2. Don't add anything to God's commands. Lot should not even have been with Abram!
3. Don't seek blessings or rewards from men. Right after Abram was blessed by Melchizedek, God's priest, he refused rewards from Sodom's king. (From Genesis 12-14)
1. God has entered into a covenant with his people.
2. We must not try to intervene to help God.
3. We have baptism as our "circumcision."
4. God will change our "names." (From Genesis 15-17)
This morning, as I make my way to worship, I pray for the attitude of "brother's keeper." Let me have genuine compassion for my brothers and sisters at the church. Don't let me get wrapped up in my problems so that I can't see the needs of others.
Help me make good and right choices during the next week.
Grace and peace, friends!