Father, we praise You for the passion Paul has for Your Gospel. He is resolved and dedicated to You. Paul gives a final rebuttal of legalism (trying to be made right with You through works).
He uses the example of Isaac and Ishmael.
You promised Abram that he would have many descendants and be the father of a great nation. Since Abraham and Sarah were old and Sarah could not conceive, they decided not to wait on You to fulfill Your promise to give them a son (Isaac) through Sarah.
They decided to have a child (Ishmael) through Sarah’s slave from Egypt (Hagar).
This disobedience caused many problems that continue today. (Genesis Chapter 16).
Paul addresses those who desire to live under the Law.
He asked them if they understood what the Law requires.
Paul then begins to expound on the Book of the Law. (Genesis 21:8-13)
Paul tells them that Abraham had two sons. Ishmael was born to a slave woman (Hagar) according to the flesh (man’s plan). Isaac was born supernaturally to a barren woman through Your promise (Your plan).
Paul tells us these are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai and one through the promised Messiah.
Ishmael represents spiritual slavery, the result of being under the law, and Isaac represents freedom found only in Your Son through Your promise.
In (verse 27), Paul quotes (Isaiah 54:1), which speaks of the children of the promised child. Paul then affectionately addresses those who are children of the promise. He then addresses the children of the flesh (those living in bondage under the Law). He tells them that those who live under the Law have and will persecute those who live under the promise. (Genesis 21:9).
Paul then quotes (Genesis 21:10) which calls them to cast out the slave woman, for the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir, but only the son of the free woman will inherit the promise. Paul then assures his brethren of their freedom found in Christ alone.
Father, we praise You and thank You for sending Your Son to set us free. May we not be a bondservant to anything except You.
We will remain enslaved to sin until You set us free. (John 8:35-36)
Open our eyes and hearts so we may see who we truly serve.
Amen.
When have you failed to wait on God and acted on your own impulses?
Are you content with your plans, or do you press on in prayer until you know the plans of God for You?
Are you living in the freedom that is only found in Christ, or are you living in bondage?
2 I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.[a]
The Lord’s Answer 2 Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald[b] may run with it. 3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it[c] will certainly come and will not delay.
4 “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness[d]— 5 indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.
6 “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,
“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ 7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
9 “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin! 10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. 11 The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice! 13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies! 16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed[e]! The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. 17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
18 “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. 19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”
20 The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
1 Corinthians
I am 54yrs old
I am aware of the things that I thought I would be – that I am not
Today I was burdened by the thought that everything I do seems to affect someone’s life – that all the decisions I am making, I am making on behalf of others
I am keenly aware that I have no decisions to make for myself – that I no longer even know what decisions to make for me
I don’t know what I want, what I am here for – and nothing, it seems, makes me happy
Yet even as I pray for purpose, I no longer have the zeal for hard work
So.
Father, reveal to me my purpose – and find me a reason for living – and I will live for you
The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him.
Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms.
I gave you all Israel and Judah.
And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes?
You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own.
You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
AND when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
When Mary Magdalene saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre, she ran, and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple (John), whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Meanwhile, the other women entered into the sepulche, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus, but two angels who looked like men, stood by in long shining white garments. The women were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, and the angels said to them, Be not afraid: Why do you seek the living among the dead? You seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Remember how he spoke to you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again (and the women remembered Jesus’ words). Come, see the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee: there shall you see him, as he said to you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled with fear and were amazed with great joy: neither said they anything to any man; for they were afraid, but nevertheless they ran to bring his disciples word.
By this time, Peter and the beloved disciple John had heard from Mary Magdalene, and ran both together: and the disciple John did outrun Peter, and came to the sepulche before Peter. And John stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then came Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and saw the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own home, as Peter wondered in himself at that which was come to pass. But Mary Magdalene stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And saw two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? whom do you seek? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, Sir, if you have borne him hence, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned herself, and said to him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus said to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Thus, when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
And as the other women went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus to them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed to the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money to the soldiers, Saying, Say, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Then Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, told these things to the eleven apostles, and to all the rest, as they mourned and wept. And the apostles, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen by the women, reckoned their words as idle tales, and the apostles believed them not.
Afterwards, Jesus appeared in another form to two of them that same day, as they walked, and went into the country to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were withheld that they should not know him. And he said to them, What manner of communications are these that you have one to another, as you walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said to him, are you only a stranger in Jerusalem, and have not known the things which are come to pass therein these days? And he said to them, What things? And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said to them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew near to the village, where they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and broke, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem at evening time on the first day of the week, and found the eleven disciples and those that were with them gathered together with the doors shut for fear of the Jews, and they said to them, The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread, but they did not believe them. And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, Peace be to you. But they were terrified and fearful, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet and his side. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said to them, Have you here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.
Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Jesus upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit: Whose soever sins you remit, they are remitted to them; and whose soever sins you retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be to you. Then said he to Thomas, reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise showed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, I go a fishing. They said to him, We also go with you. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, Children, have you any meat? They answered him, No. And he said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat to him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus said to them, Bring of the fish which you have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus said to them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples dared ask him, Who are you? knowing that it was the Lord. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted *(because there was above five hundred brethren there). Jesus then came, and took bread, and gave, and fish likewise.
*Note: 1 Corinthians 15:6 says Jesus was seen of above five hundred brethren at once. I think it is possible that this happened in Galilee because that would explain the catch of 153 great fishes, which they were not able to draw it into the boat, but dragged it along to shore. Proverbs 19:2 says “Ignorant zeal is worthless; haste makes waste” (The Message). However, I know Jesus to be wise, so it is highly unlikely that Jesus would have hastily proved himself by providing a hundred and fifty-three great fishes, if only a dozen people were to eat it, because Jesus probably wouldn’t have shown off with ignorant zeal and waste a bunch of food deliberately. Which leads me to think, Galilee very well could have been the place where the resurrected Lord appeared to above five hundred brethren at once.*
This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yea, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs. He said to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him, Yea, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say to you, When you were young, you girded yourself, and walked where you would: but when you shall be old, you shall stretch forth your hands, and another shall gird you, and carry you where you would not. This spoke he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said to him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrays you? Peter seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus said to him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you? You follow me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not to him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you?
Thus, Jesus had showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days total, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power. But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth. Jesus commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem, and wait for the promise of the Father for them to be endued with power from on high, which Jesus had already spoken to them earlier: For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.
After the Lord had spoken this blessing to them, while they beheld, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven; and a cloud received him out of their sight (and Jesus sat on the right hand of God). And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. And they worshipped Jesus, and they returned with great joy to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name.
Absolutely Random - shitsugane 