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Fall 2018, 40 Days of Prayer, Day 7

“O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! ² From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. ³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; ⁴ What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? ⁵ Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! ⁶ You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, ⁷ All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, ⁸ The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. ⁹ O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!”  Psalm 8:1-9

This Psalm is a psalm of praise.  Verses 1-2 seek to establish the sovereignty of God over the creation. He is majestic, powerful, and strong. He is the Creator of all things on earth. Theses verse set the stage for the rest of the Psalm. Yet, we cannot over look how amazing the Creator is. Daily we often walk through God’s creation without giving the creation a second thought. The trees, the grass, the birds of the air, even our own children, we sometimes take for granted that they are all present because they were created by the sovereign will of God. It is easy to take these things for granted because we get lost in the daily sprint we call life. What if we just took a second and look around us and thank God for the gifts that He has so richly bestowed upon us? We have the opportunity all around us to recognize the majesty of God the power that He brings to full light each and every day. He is the Creator God!! I am reminded of Acts 19 when Demetrius the silversmith, a worshiper of Artemis, is angry with Paul because Paul is declaring, “gods made with hands are not gods”.  We as humans have the ability to create things but we must recognize and understand that we are ourselves have been created. He created everything out of nothing. As creative of some humans can be, God is the ultimate creator.

Verses 3 – 4 start out by directing our attention to the heavens. When I was a little boy I lived with my grandfather and grandmother. Every night I would look out the window and I would see my grandfather standing in the driveway looking at the stars.  Being curious I asked him what he was looking at and he said the stars and the vastness of God’s creation. He told me that it amazed him that God created all of that but that He also loved him so much that He sent His Son to pay the price for his sins. Till the day that he died my grandfather continually marveled that the God that created so much still cared for a simple man like himself. This has stuck with me for over 25years. When I read Psalm 8 in preparation of writing this devotional, I found myself revisiting that conversation. The Creator of the universe loves and cares for us so intently that He sent His Son so that we may be restored to Him. No matter how small or insignificant we may feel at times remember that the God of the universe loves and cares for you beyond our comprehension.

Prayer Focus

God, we confess that You are the sovereign ruler over the creation.  You have made us and all things for Your glory.  Not only this, but we confess that You care for each one of us.  You have declared Your love for us in this psalm.  You have shown Your love for us in Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Thank You for Your Sovereign and gracious care for me, Amen.

From Sermon on Justification by Faith by John Wesley

"To him that does not work, but believes on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." Romans 4:5.

1. But what is it to be "justified?" What is "justification?" It is not the being made actually just and righteous. This is called "sanctification;" which is, in some degree, the immediate fruit of justification, but, nevertheless, is a distinct gift of God, and of a totally different nature. The one implies what God does for us through his Son; the other, what he works in us by his Spirit. So that, although some rare instances may be found, wherein the term "justified" or "justification" is used in so wide a sense as to include "sanctification" also; yet, in general use, they are sufficiently distinguished from each other, both by St. Paul and the other inspired writers. 2. Neither is that far-fetched conceit, that justification is the clearing us from accusation, particularly that of Satan, easily provable from any clear text of holy writ. In the whole scriptural account of this matter, as above laid down, neither that accuser nor his accusation appears to be at all taken in. It cannot indeed be denied, that he is the "accuser" of men, emphatically so called. But it does in nowise appear, that the great Apostle has any reference to this, more or less, in all he has written touching justification, either to the Romans or the Galatians. 3. It is also far easier to take for granted, than to prove from any clear scripture testimony, that justification is the clearing us from the accusation brought against us by the law: At least if this forced, unnatural way of speaking mean either more or less than this, that, whereas we have transgressed the law of God, and thereby deserved the damnation of hell, God does not inflict on those who are justified the punishment which they had deserved. 4. Least of all does justification imply, that God is deceived in those whom he justifies; that he thinks them to be what, in fact, they are not; that he accounts them to be otherwise than they are. It does by no means imply, that God judges concerning us contrary to the real nature of things; that he esteems us better than we really are, or believes us righteous when we are unrighteous. Surely no. The judgment of the all-wise God is always according to truth. Neither can it ever consist with his unerring wisdom, to think that I am innocent, to judge that I am righteous or holy, because another is so. He can no more, in this manner, confound me with Christ, than with David or Abraham. Let any man to whom God has given understanding, weigh this without prejudice; and he cannot but perceive, that such a notion of justification is neither reconcilable to reason nor Scripture.

Fall 2018, 40 Days of Prayer, Day 6

Psalm 2:10-12

10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 Worship the Lord with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

The Gracious Extension of an Olive Branch

God is long suffering in His forbearance - He is not slow as some count slowness, waiting patiently for kings and rulers to discover the error of their ways. He has even offered counsel to the rulers of the earth, those who incite their subjects against God and His Anointed One. God urges discernment on these kings, for man cannot fight God. In His goodness, the Father prefers to show mercy and grace rather than justice and wrath. He graciously calls them and all people to repent of their defiance and instead worship His Son.

We who call Him Lord have the great privilege of worshiping Him. We were created (and recreated) for this. We personally know the God of Creation. He is a friend of sinners like us. He sticks closer than a brother and will never leave us nor forsake us. We hold these promises dear. We who are truly called by His name are a tiny minority. We have escaped His wrath but the multitudes who surround us are still objects of that wrath. What will happen to them on the great and terrible day of the Lord? His anger will be upon them and they will perish.

Out of pity for the objects of His wrath, He told us to go and make disciples of all nations. All who accept the Gospel will be able to avoid the judgment that is coming. The Gospel is God’s offer of mercy for all who will embrace it. To do homage to the Son means to give Him fealty – which in turn means to pledge to be faithful to Him and to be obedient. So how are we doing, personally, in the task He left us to? Are we discipling anyone? Am I sharing the Gospel with someone who may not want to hear about Christ but desperately needs to hear of God’s grace?

When we gather on Sunday, are we eager and prepared to worship? Do we worship Him with reverence? Do we worship at all? Do we rejoice with trembling? Do we rejoice at all? Oh come, let us adore Him and set Him upon the throne of our hearts. He is our Lord and Master and we must long for His appearing. Church, worship your King.

Prayer Focus

Father, You are good and kind. Your patience and longsuffering leave us humbled and grateful. Holy Spirit, we thank You for living in us, for guiding us, for reminding us, for teaching us. Jesus, we worship and adore you. Thank You for reconciling us to the Father. Triune God, we praise You, holy, exalted, sovereign, and beautiful. We love You Lord.

From Sermon on Justification by Faith by John Wesley
"To him that does not work, but believes on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." Romans 4:5.
For as, "by one man's disobedience," all "were made sinners;" so, by that offence of one, "judgment came upon all men to condemnation." (Romans v. 12) 7. We were in this state of condemnation, even all of humanity, when "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end we might not perish, but have everlasting life." In the fullness of time he was made Man, another common Head of mankind, a second general Parent and Representative of the whole human race. And as such it was that "he bore our griefs," "the Lord laying upon him the iniquities of us all." Then was he "wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities." "He made his soul an offering for sin:" He poured out his blood for the transgressors: He "bare our sins in his own body on the tree," that by his stripes we might be healed: And by that one oblation of himself, once offered, he hath redeemed me and all mankind; having thereby "made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world." 8. In consideration of this, that the Son of God has "tasted death for every man," God has now "reconciled the world to himself, not imputing to them their" former "trespasses." And thus, "as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification." So that, for the sake of his well-beloved Son, of what he has done and suffered for us, God now grants, on one only condition, (which himself also enables us to perform,) both to remit the punishment due to our sins, to reinstate us in his favor, and to restore our dead souls to spiritual life, as the earnest of life eternal. 9. This, therefore, is the general ground of the whole doctrine of justification. By the sin of the first Adam, who was not only the father, but likewise the representative, of us all, we all fell short of the favor of God; we all became children of wrath; or, as the Apostle expresses it, "judgment came upon all men to condemnation." Even so, by the sacrifice for sin made by the Second Adam, as the Representative of us all, God is so far reconciled to all the world, that he hath given them a new covenant; the plain condition whereof being once fulfilled, "there is no more condemnation" for us, but "we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ."

Fall 2018, 40 Days of Prayer, Day 5

Psalm 2:7-9

7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”  

The Father Gives Dominion

 New Testament writers often quoted Old Testament passages. They were well versed in the scriptures and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, saw prophecies of Jesus their Messiah there. But even earlier Jewish theologians understood many of the Psalms as being Messianic and considered Psalm 2 as one such.  Messianic Psalms address many aspects of the Christ’s ministry including his betrayal, His death and resurrection, and both the first and second comings. Paul used this Psalm to assert that Jesus’ resurrection proves Him to be the only begotten Son of God.

These verses in Psalm 2 are referenced by the Apostle Paul in Acts 13. If you’ll recall, this was early in Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey. Paul was asked to speak at the synagogue at Psidian Antioch and he chose this text to back his argument that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Paul also quoted from Psalm 16, Isaiah 55, and Habakkuk 1 in that sermon. What makes this Psalms reference in Acts 13:33 unique is that Paul cited book and chapter, referring to the “second Psalm”.

Jesus’ second coming is the focus of this passage. His sovereignty did not and does not extend to just Israel. The Father has given Him dominion over the whole earth. All people will one day acknowledge His lordship, or as Philippians 2 says, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  But before humanity kneels before the risen Lord, our corporate rebellion will crescendo into even the last days and every fist will be clenched and every throat will scream defiance. And people will spit at God even as he shatters them like a clay pot. We are a wretched race.

Mercifully, the Lord has promised to withhold His just wrath from those whom He has redeemed. We have already acknowledged our brokenness. We are well aware that we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior and have accepted His great salvation. Either we gladly embrace Him as Sovereign Lord now, or we will be forced to when He claims His inheritance. He is Lord and will not be denied.

Prayer Focus

Lord Jesus, we gladly proclaim you King of all creation and Lord of our hearts. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, worthy of all worship and praise. We ask you to help us recall your dominion when all around us seem to be worshiping and following the prince of the power of the air. We love you, Lord, and welcome your rule and reign over us.

From Charles Wesley’s Sermon, Justification

"To him that does not work, but believes on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." Romans 4:5.

How a sinner may be justified before God, the Lord and Judge of all, is a question of no small importance to every child of man. It contains the foundation of all our hope, inasmuch as while we are at enmity with God, there can be no true peace, no solid joy, either in time or in eternity. What peace can there be, while our own heart condemns us; and much more, He that is "greater than our heart, and knows all things?" What solid joy, either in this world or that to come, while "the wrath of God abides on us?"  What is the general ground of this whole doctrine of justification? 1. In the image of God was man made, holy as he that created him is holy; merciful as the Author of all is merciful; perfect as his Father in heaven is perfect. As God is love, so man, dwelling in love, dwelt in God, and God in him. God made him to be an "image of his own eternity," an incorruptible picture of the God of glory. He was accordingly pure, as God is pure, from every spot of sin. He knew not evil in any kind or degree, but was inwardly and outwardly sinless and undefiled. He "loved the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his mind, and soul, and strength." 2. To humans thus upright and perfect, God gave a perfect law, to which he required full and perfect obedience. He required full obedience in every point, from the moment man became a living soul, till the time of his trial should end. No allowance was made for any falling short: man and woman being altogether equal to the task assigned, and thoroughly furnished for every good word and work. 3. To the entire law of love which was written in their heart, (against which, perhaps, they could not sin directly,) it seemed good to the sovereign wisdom of God to add one law: "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that grows in the midst of the garden;" annexing that penalty, "In the day that you eat, you shall surely die." 4. Such, then, was the state of man in Paradise. By the free, unmerited love of God, he was holy and happy: He knew, loved, enjoyed God, which is, in substance, life everlasting. And in this life of love, he was to continue forever, if he continued to obey God in all things; but, if he disobeyed him in any, he was to forfeit all. "In that day," said God, "you shall surely die." 5. They did disobey God. They "ate of the tree, of which God commanded him, saying, you shall not eat of it." And in that day they were condemned by the righteous judgment of God. Then also the sentence whereof he was warned before, began to take place upon him. For the moment he tasted that fruit, he died. His soul died, was separated from God; separate from whom the soul has no more life than the body has when separate from the soul. His body, likewise, became corruptible and mortal; so that death then took hold also. And being already dead in spirit, dead to God, dead in sin, he hastened on to death everlasting; to the destruction both of body and soul, in the fire never to be quenched 6. Thus "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men," as being contained in him who was the father and representative of us all. Thus, "through the offense of one," all are dead, dead to God, dead in sin, dwelling in a corruptible, mortal body, shortly to be dissolved, and under the sentence of death eternal. For as, "by one man's disobedience," all "were made sinners;" so, by that offence of one, "judgment came upon all."