Scripture Nugget 1.5.2017

“There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. …. this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. …. And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them (his children) and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in the hearts.’ This is what Job always did. …. Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing. …. Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persists in your integrity? Curse God, and die.’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad? I all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

Devotional thought: Upfront I admit I am baffled by what we read in Job, there are no easy answers. Just as in our lives the answers to the question why? are often hard to come by. That being said, I see in Job a man of conviction and faith, a man who worships God when blessings and curses abound. Blameless and upright he practices his piety and is steadfast in his worship. He is an intercessor for his children, just in case, they have sinned and he stands firm in expressing his faith of God as his wife speaks in her overwhelming grief. Job certainly expresses faith, an absolute faith, but why? Is his faith that of a servant? As long as I do what the master asks I will always be cared for. Is his obedience based on some form of works righteousness? Or is his faith that of a child, one of assurance, one removed from doubt and fear? “Wesley kept encouraging Christians to seek a higher degree of faith, which would bring assurance and thus remove doubt and fear.” (Wesleyan Core Term, Faith of a Servant, pg 612, Wesley Study Bible) While we strive to be blameless and upright in God’s eyes, let us remember it is only through faith in Christ and by God’s grace and forgiveness that we are transformed to be like Christ! Obedience comes as a response to grace, not something done to earn grace. Righteousness is a gift from God.

Scripture Nugget 1.4.2017

“Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. … Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? … He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ … Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are all who take refuge in him.”

Devotional thought: With these words from Genesis still fresh in our hearts and minds from two days ago, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you do eat of it you shall die.’” And these from yesterday’s reading in Joshua, “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it.” The Psalmist’s opening thoughts are attention grabbing! Happy are those who delight in, chew on and constantly speak the law of the LORD, happy are those who take refuge in him. While those who disobey, those who attempt to lead others away are drive away. Let us learn to live out the lesson, stand firm with God, be trees planted by the river of life, yield spiritual fruit in every season, be full of life, life abundant in all that we do. Let us not be led astray by tempters whose presence and voices for a moment fill the spaces in front of our eyes and ears. Like a close-up shot on TV, that can wrongly portray the truth of what is happening in a certain place by covering up the big picture with one or two in a close-up. Let us constantly delight in the law of the LORD!

Scripture Nugget 1.2.2017

“… ‘No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’”

Devotional thought: What if Adam and Eve had been strong and courageous, standing firm in the commands God had given them, when tempted by the serpent?  We are all leaders, maybe not to the enormous extent of Joshua, called to replace Moses, but we all lead others through our example – the way we live out or lives. Be strong and courageous, be careful to act in accordance with God’s law/commands, be a student of The Book, be strong and courageous – do not be afraid. For the Lord God is with us wherever we go! Remember who and whose you are. “In a pluralistic society that values tolerance above all virtues, it can be hard to remember that our allegiance is to God, whose ways are often contrary to those of our neighbors. … As we actively remember God’s grace in our lives, we summon the courage to step out in faith and take on tasks and challenges that may threaten our identity and our peace. Beyond tangible reminders, we ourselves are living stones whose builder and maker is the eternal God.” (Wesleyan Life Application Topic – Remembering Who You Are, Wesley Study Bible, pg 267) This day, and everyday going forward, stand firm in God promises, stand confident that God is with you and will not forsake you, be strong and courageous, do not waver, do not be afraid, for God is with you!

Scripture Nugget 1.1.2017

“God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.’ … And the LORD God planted a garden on Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. …  The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you do eat of it you shall die.’ … But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and they ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’”

Devotional thought: Whose voice do I listen to? Whose commands/rules do I follow? God said, “for in the day that you do eat of it you shall die.” The serpent said, “You will not die.” They ate, they didn’t physically die, so one could argue the serpent was correct. However, they separated themselves from the presence of God. They cut themselves off from and out of that which God intended for them. Life abundant became life; life with God, in God’s Kingdom, became a place of fear, not because of anything God did but because of what they did, against what God commanded. What, who tempts you to touch, to eat that which God forbids? Is there someone in your life, someone you care deeply about, who would lead you to make a decision(s) that would separate you from God? Stand firm, don’t touch that tree!

Final Scripture Nugget of 2016

In The Book of Revelation we find: 7 - Beatitudes (Blessings); 4 - In the Spirit Statements; and  3 - I Am coming soon promises: Read in order they say:

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.” (1:3) “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, ‘Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” (1:10-11) “At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald.” (4:2-3) “Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.” (14:13b-c) “Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed, not going about naked and exposed to shame” (16:15b) “So he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. (17:3) “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (19:9b) “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years.” (20:6) “And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. (21:10) “See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (22:7) “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy of this book.’ (22:7b) “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (22:12-13) “Blessed are those who wash their robe, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.” (22:14) “The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen, Come, Lord Jesus! (22:20)

To me, this exercise of extracting the promised blessings, along with John’s statements of “being in the spirit” while practicing spiritual disciplines combined with promises of God’s soon return then reading them combined highlights God’s love, grace and mercy while removing the darkness often associated with the Book of Revelation. There is a reminder of the awfulness of the wilderness state and what can be experienced there; but overwhelmingly these blessings and promises remind us of God’s Over-the-horizon promises and our responsibility to live with Over-the-horizon faith. Surely God’s return is coming soon! Do we cry, Amen, Come on God! Or wait, I’m not ready. O please, that we all are able and willing to cry out, Come on God! And mean it. Let this be our cry this last day of 2016, every day of 2017 and all the days to come until our Lord returns.

Scripture Nugget 12.31.2016

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” Revelation 21:3-5

God is with us! The question for us, is, will we be with Him? Will we be His people? Will we accept, live in, be changed by and live out the grace and mercy that is offered, that comes from being with God? Life, life abundant, life eternal full of joy, light and love; no more sorrow, no more pain, no more death. God is making a new thing, a new creation – heaven on earth. God transforms, will I , will you, will we step into this newness, be transformed. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20) “The one testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen, Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)

Scripture Nugget 12.30.2016

“After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God, for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’ Once more they said, ‘Hallelujah! The smoke goes up from her forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ And from the throne came a voice saying, ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, and all who fear him, small and great. ‘The I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready; to her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure’ – for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’ Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’ Revelation 19:1-10

Worship God! Worship God with your whole heart! Worship God with the great multitude who worship God with their whole hearts. Read this passage a few times, very slowly, pausing to consider the sights and sounds of a great multitude in heaven saying, “Hallelujah! …….” While it is true that we may worship individually – this passage gives great example of why we are called to worship corporately. The worship phrases combined are this: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God, for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants. Hallelujah! The smoke goes up from her forever and ever. ‘Amen. Hallelujah! Praise our God, all you his servants, and all who fear him, small and great. Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready; to her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure.” Hear triumphant organs playing or majestic guitars – use a sense of the style of your home church worship service to hear, to experience this worship service I heaven. O to stand with a great multitude focused on God, to stand with the great multitude, in front of God seated on His throne, high and lifted up. Worship God! Given you believe why you worship, invite family, friends, neighbors and enemies to worship God with you. “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns!”

Scripture Nugget 12.29.2016

“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that you do not share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. … therefore her plagues will come in a single day – pestilence and mourning and famine – and she will be burned with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.’ … ‘The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your dainties and your splendor are lost to you, never to be found again!’ … ‘For in one hour she has been laid waste.’ Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints and apostles and prophets! For God has given judgement for you against her. Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘With such violence Babylon the great city will be thrown down, and will be found no more; … and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more;’” Revelation 18:4-5,8,14,19d-21,23

God’s prevenient grace beckons us out of sin to return fully to Him. Those situations we find ourselves in that we never anticipated. That one indiscretion that become another and another and even after it was over sometimes still dominates our thoughts, our hearts and minds. “Come out, come away, return to me,” God cries to us. “Repent and turn away, completely; I will forgive and forget. But if not, you will be judged just as the one who enticed you to sin is judged. Your sin separated you from me, and now I will make that separation permanent. No more light to overcome the darkness, no more bridegroom to guide you.” Silence. O children of God the time is now – return fully God, respond to God’s call – repent, the Kingdom of God is here. The Calendar tells us a new year approaches, socially we will be asked to make resolutions, to resolve to do something better, to make ourselves better. God tells us the New Year/ New Life begins with Christ! Now is the time to repent, to confess, to ask forgiveness, to be made new, newer, newest by God’s salvific grace. We need a Savior, resolve to repent, resolve to step into the arms of God who loves you, turn away from that situation, that relationship, that addiction, that indiscretion that took you farther than you ever wanted, farther than you ever fathomed that robbed you of life abundant. Turn back to God, stay in the light, hear the voice of the bridegroom.

Scripture Nugget 12.28.2016

“And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, King of the nations! Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your judgments have been revealed.’” Revelation 15:2-4

God wins! What an awesome worship song! It is a bold statement of faith of the one and only God. It is also an overwhelming response to the song sung to the defeated beast; “and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” Now the question we must ask ourselves is this; Who do I/we follow? Do we give in to the moment to the temporary or do we stand firm in eternity and the immortal? If we have been given a glimpse of the both God’s grace and judgment, why don’t we always choose grace versus than which leads to judgment? Worship the King, join in singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb!

Scripture Nugget 12.27.2016

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.’ Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, singing, ‘We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints and all who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lighting, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.” Revelation 11:15-19

Our God reigns with authority and power. Our God established and maintains the boundaries for His creation and keeps His promises for all time. While His creation rebels against those boundaries and breaks the God established covenants then seems surprised that God would cast judgment. God’s temple is opened and what is seen but the ark of his covenant – God not only keeps his promises on hand, he keeps his promises. And he does so forever and ever. O that I, you and all would live into those promises as steadfastly, minute by minute, day by day, forever and ever.