Abundant Grace: November 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015

Even if Others Reject It, We Need to Share It

“Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness.” Isaiah 26:10

How great is God’s grace? It is great enough that He would send His only Son to this wicked world, have Him rudely treated, and finally brutally killed in order to forgive the sins of all mankind. That is pretty great grace. Everyone, every man, woman, and child should fall on their face in repentance and thanksgiving that God would do that for us. But Isaiah says that what is reasonable is not necessarily so.

No matter how much grace God continues to give to the unrighteous, they will not just jump for joy and embrace the fountain of their daily grace. Isaiah says that in spite of the grace of God there are those who will continue to choose to live in unrighteousness and reject God’s call to hear the Gospel and believe. In this Advent season we are reminded daily of God’s gift to us and the need to daily embrace it in our lives and faithfully share it with others who have not yet believed.

Dear Father, Thank You for the gift of grace and help us share it with others. Amen.

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Friday, November 27, 2015

A New Goal in Life

“The way of the just is uprightness.” Isaiah 26:7

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a perfect life. We cannot do that. We are sinners and even with Christ as our Savior, we are still sinners – forgiven sinners. With our forgiveness from sin we gain a new understanding of exactly how our righteous God views sin. That new perspective not only reveals an important truth but gives us concern for a new way of living. Colossians 2 says, “As you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him.” By faith we came to know Him and by faith in His word we are to walk in Him.

How did Christ walk? He walked in righteousness and truth. He was obedient to the Father. He fulfilled the Law by never breaking the Law. We can’t do that, but we can have a desire to be imitators of Christ, pattern our lives after His as much as we can, and seek to do God’s will in all areas of our life. We will, in effect, live in uprightness.

Dear Father, Strengthen us each day to walk by the Spirit and not be the flesh. Amen.

The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend. Amen

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

Abundant Grace Thanksgiving

And here we are! This is my favorite of all holidays. Thanksgiving! It is full of great memories. It was the one holiday when all the aunts and uncles were together at Grandma’s house. There were no cousins on that side of the family. That meant that the only two people to contend for the turkey legs were by brother and me. I actually never got the leg because my wise Grandma knew that I wasn’t going to get even half of it eaten. That was alright, though, as Grandma knew best.

Today my wife and I are the Grandma and Grandpa. Our six children, their spouses and their fifteen children are all here. So is Great Uncle Larry and perhaps a few other invited friends will show up as well. He and I no longer want the leg. All the grandchildren are too young to take one on. Anyway, we cooked the turkey yesterday and deboned it for serving today. Not quite the way Grandma did it, but it works well with 30 people coming to the table. There will be chaos and noise and I won’t hear a thing from the other end of the table. When the last dish is done and the kids have gone to their in-laws houses for a second Thanksgiving feast my beloved bride and I will reflect on all the blessings of the day.

And that is really what we all need to do more of. God is so good to each and every one of us. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been tragedies or hard times this past year. It doesn’t mean that everything we have hoped for has come about just the way we wanted. It does mean that God is so good to each of us. The sun has always come up, and if it hadn’t we would be in the land that needs no sun to light the sky. God in grace has held our hand in sickness and difficulty. He has walked beside us in the beauty of answered prayers and the anticipation of how He will answer more. He has forgiven our sins and kept us sheltered under the shadow of His wing. He has and will continue to be God and continue to be good. That is what we need to remember beyond just today.

Just in case we think all must be good by human standards for us to be thankful, let us conclude today with the great hymn by Martin Rinkart which was written during the 30 Years War when over half the population of Germany died by war or plague or famine. That is the setting from which comes the great Thanksgiving hymn “Now Thank We All Our God”.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Do You Really Want Peace?

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” Isaiah 26:3

Edward Bickersteth wrote a very simple hymn, “Peace, Perfect Peace”. Each verse is a simple couplet. The first half is a question that presents a dilemma. “Peace perfect peace in this dark world of sin?” How can there be peace when all around us is chaos, wickedness, sorrow, and death? The second half of the couplet gives the reply. “The blood of Jesus whispers peace within”. The responsive couplet in the fifth verse says it all. “Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.”

Peace does not erupt naturally from the human heart. Fear, despair, hopelessness, and more is the natural product of our sinful being. But when we think of God our Savior, Christ our Lord, the Holy Spirit our Comforter, then with our mind stayed on that blessed thought there can be peace within. God wants us to take a different perspective than the one we would choose. Don’t look around – Look UP!

Dear Father, Thank You for peace, peace, wonderful peace. Amen.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

It is God's Salvation

“We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9

When we receive a gift the first thing we often do is to claim that gift as ours. Just go to a child’s birthday party and see how often, without prompting, the child recognizes the giver but just lays claim to the gift. Giver shmiver! This is mine! It is as if the child felt that he either deserved it or that he has somehow achieved that gift by himself. That is too often how we regard the gift of our salvation. But Isaiah says it is God’s salvation.

Salvation is God’s gift to us. We did nothing to deserve it. We had no participation in achieving it. We didn’t suddenly get smart enough to figure out we needed it. We didn’t talk God into it. We didn’t initiate the idea or desire for it. That is all from God. It is His salvation. We are the ones who receive that gift from Him, and when we rejoice in salvation it is good to remember where it came from.

Dear Father, Thank You for the free gift of Your salvation. Amen.

Monday, November 23, 2015

No More Death

“He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces.” Isaiah 25:8

The death of a loved one can be one of the most traumatic events people face. The person who is our object of affection, hope, joy, and peace is gone. GONE! The terror of this separation has plagued mankind since the first recorded death when Cain killed Abel. Billions of dollars each year are spent on trying to avoid death and billions more are spent trying to memorialize the dead and somehow keep them alive.

God has a better plan. How about getting rid of death? How about taking the great sorrow of parting away from death? How about giving eternal life instead? Isaiah preached this Gospel message. Death is swallowed up by God. How? Jesus Christ died for our sins, by the grace of God, and He was raised by God from the dead. Death was defeated. For the followers of Jesus there is NO MORE DEATH! There is hope, joy, the blessed assurance of eternal life and of meeting our loved ones once again.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Jesus to end our sentence of death. Amen.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Our Only Hope and Refuge

“For You have been a strength to the poor and needy, a refuge from the storm, and a shade from the heat.” Isaiah 25:4

The Gospel Song, “Where Could I Go But to the Lord” has this repeated chorus: “Where could I go, where could I go, seeking a refuge for my soul? Needing a friend to help in the end, where could I go but to the Lord?” (Sherrill, Billy/Sutton, Glenn) Isaiah proclaims this message for all of mankind – there is no place to go except to God.

Every life faces some sort of distress. Often if we saw our neighbor’s distress we would not want to exchange our own for theirs. Everybody has troubles and the only place of refuge is in the Lord. Money takes wings. Health fades quickly. Friends are fickle. Jobs are insecure. Relationships disappoint. Worldly truth changes daily. Governments can’t fix it all. But God is a refuge, a very present help in sorrow. God alone always cares, comforts, and keeps His promises. Where can we go? To the Lord!

Dear Father, Help us always remember our only true and lasting comfort is You. Amen.

The Friday Benediction

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Lasting and Unchanging Truth

“O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You. Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1

Outside the Church there has always been a denunciation of the truth of God’s word. Men have reviled it for condemning their lifestyles, challenging their own conceptions of right and wrong, and for confidently asserting that His way is a better way than any agency of philosophy, science, education, or government that man can devise. The problem is that the modern church has bought into this falsehood and wants to present another message than the one God has given.

Isaiah begins this new section of his prophecy with the proclamation that God has been right all along. Everything He has ever said is truth. Every way He has ever directed has been right. Everything He has ever done is wonderful. While some churches have abandoned this truth for the deceit of men, the true Church still proclaims the excellency and perfection of the ancient and eternal truth of God.

Dear Father, Thank You for perfect guidance and truth. Amen.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Law and Gospel

“This is the word of the Lord which has been spoken against {the nations}.” Isaiah 16:13

The past few days of our chapters in Isaiah have been rather unpleasant. God has declared judgment on many nations and continues to do so for the next several chapters as well. What has He been judging nations for doing? In chapter 13 God names “arrogance and haughtiness”. In chapter 14 He names “pride and evil doing”. In chapter 15 He accuses them of “idolatry”. In chapter 16 God condemns their “extortion and oppression.” In chapters 17-24 He exposes their sin of “forgetting God, loving violence, occult practices, and more”.

In summation He accuses them of breaking the Law of God. We all break the Law of God and He feels the same toward individuals and nations today as He did then. But God also gave us the Gospel, the good news of His love and forgiveness in Christ. This is the message that Isaiah was to give to the nations and the people in them. It is our job as well.

Dear Father, Your wrath and Your mercy change not. Forgive us and strengthen us to spread the Gospel to all. Amen.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

God, the Righteous Judge

“Do not rejoice, Philistia, because the rod that struck you is broken.” Isaiah 14:29

Ahaz was one of the most wicked kings to ever rule over Judah. He desecrated the temple and repeatedly rejected the grace of God. Still he had been used by God to discipline the neighboring nations for their sins. When Ahaz died those nations thought they would be free from punishment, but they were wrong. The punishment had come from God, not Ahaz.

Do we hope to rejoice when corrupt leaders are voted out of office in America? Do we anticipate that new leaders will inflict on us less judgment from God than the old corrupt ones did? If a nation is being punished for its many grave sins, the punishment won’t end until there is repentance and confession of those sins. Rulers alone are not to blame for the discomfort of the pain they inflict. God is the true judge and punisher of sin. It is His displeasure alone that matters and it is our sins that need to be confessed and forgiven.

Dear Father, Let us not expect men to free us from the right punishment for the sin that offends you. Amen.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Who Gets to Be God?

“For you have said in your heart, ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God’.” Isaiah 14:13

We would all agree that this verse represents a very arrogant attitude. But it is not an attitude that is uncommon among men. Everyone who says in his heart, “there is no God”, has just made himself god instead. Every man who says that the word of God is not true has just claimed authority above God who declares that it is true. Every man who says, “I have not sinned”, has just made himself the judge of sin and displaced God from being judge.

But thanks be to God that He has made provision for such foolish and arrogant thoughts. He has sent His Son to die for the sins of mankind that all who will believe in Him may have their sins forgiven and not perish. When we stumble in our minds and revert to thoughts that are totally unbecoming, we have a Savior who will forgive when we confess.

Dear Father, Our foolish pride is often too great. Thank You for the gift of Your Son for us. Amen.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Being Ready for the Day of the Lord

“Behold the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and anger.” Isaiah 13:9

It is a commonly expressed desire for men to wish for the appearance of the day of the Lord. Things are bad and people want Christ to come and make them better. That in itself is not a bad idea. But there is more to the day of the Lord than making things better. The flip side of that day is what Isaiah is talking about.

The day of the Lord will also be a day of judgment. Many people who are crying out for the day of the Lord are lost people who are simply tired of things getting perpetually worse. The day of the Lord for them is judgment and eternal death. For believers it can mean seeing loved ones we never witnessed to being cast into hell. It will also mean standing before the judgement seat of Christ. Maybe we should all want to be a little better prepared, both for ourselves and our loved one, before we insist on the day of the Lord.

Dear Father, You have given us this day; help us to use it well. Amen.

The Friday Benediction

Thursday, November 12, 2015

God is Still Alive and Caring

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

Have you ever had a morning where you just didn’t want to get out of bed because you felt like life had dealt you one blow too many? You’re not alone. I encourage you to just keep lying there for a while. While you do, think about just a few things that haven’t gone wrong. God may be temporarily hidden behind the darkness of our troubles, but He is still there. That is what Isaiah is saying.

Judah was going through some really hard times during Isaiah’s day. But God gave him inspiration to see something other than his troubles. God reminded Isaiah of His wonderful salvation. He reminded the prophet of His wonderful power. Then He reminded the prophet to sing. Think of any hymn that comes to mind and then sing it. Now, get up and keep on going. God is not dead.

Dear Father, We too often find ourselves where we don’t want to be. Remind us of Your power and salvation in these times. Amen.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Common Ground in a Diverse Community

“Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together.” Isaiah 11:7

There are those, like me, who believe in a true millennial reign of Christ on earth. There are those who believe in simply the reign of Christ over a blissful state forever. Those two positions have two things in common. Christ is the first. His second coming is the second. Both positions are supported by this passage in Isaiah. Chapter eleven begins with the earthly appearance of Christ and his preaching ministry. The middle of the passage deals with His judgment and punishment of the wicked. The next part deals with His kingdom.

Those are three things the Church agrees on. Some people lose sight of all the things we have in common in Christ. They focus on differences and become antagonistic to opposite views on specifics. Christ called us to be one in Him as He is one with the Father. This passage gives us a lot to find in common. It reveals that we are truly one in Christ in spite of our differences.

Dear Father, Let us never lose sight that Christ alone is the center of our faith. Amen.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

All Our Boasting Should Be in God

“Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?” Isaiah 10:15

This particular verse was directed by God toward the nation of Assyria. Their king kept boasting about how he had conquered all the nations around him and he gloried in his invincibility. God had been reminding the king, in the previous few verses, that he, the king, had actually done nothing at all. God had been at work and the king should not boast.

How about us? Do we ever hear ourselves saying, “Look how much I have done?” Do we sometimes even add to that, “Look how much I have done for God?” If we are God’s children we should be ever mindful that God is at work in us and that God is not overwhelmed by what we have done. It is by His power and grace that we can do anything at all. Unlike the king of Assyria, we need to be ever mindful of what God is doing and live in praise and recognition of that.

Dear Father, Let us remember that all we do that is good is Christ working in us. Amen.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Christians in an Evil World

“Woe to those who enact evil statutes and those who constantly record unjust decisions.” Isaiah 10:1

Are you troubled by the persistent evil that comes out of our government and courts? This is nothing new. The history of mankind has been consistent on devising evil, promoting evil, and protecting evil. This evil has been within the community of God’s people, priests and false prophets, and in the world around God’s people. We too often react with amazement that such things can happen. Obviously we need to be in God’s word more often to see this as no surprise.

So how do we respond? In John 21 Jesus told Peter, “What is that to you? You follow Me.” That is our response. We follow Christ and not be dragged down to follow the world. God has declared woe on the world and its leaders. What is that to us? We must continue to follow Christ. That one assignment is our job, our calling, our greatest joy. God will take care of the rest.

Dear Father, Let us not grow fainthearted in the midst of great evil. Amen.

Friday, November 6, 2015

God Always Keeps His Word

“For the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:7

How can we be sure that God will bring peace? How can we be sure that we can find a wonderful counselor in Christ? How can we be sure that Jesus is who He said He is? We can be sure because God has promised it in His word. If we reject the truth of who God is, or that there is even any God, we cannot know anything. We will be lost and forlorn all our life long seeking something that can satisfy and not finding it. Hebrews says, “He who comes to God must believe that He is.” (11:6)

Without faith we cannot know Him or all the joy, hope, peace, and comfort that He gives. But if we do believe Him then we will find that He is always true and that what He promises He will give. For the unbeliever there can never be any certainty in their own life, but God will still do what He says even if they don’t believe it. That is the certainty of God – He will perform His word.

Dear Father, Increase our faith. Amen.

The Friday Benediction

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Peace in His Time

“His name shall be called ‘Prince of Peace’.” Isaiah 9:6

Across the street from the United Nations there is a large wall containing this verse, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4) What they need to add to that wall is the verse “Unto us a Child is born, a Son is given, and His name shall be called, ‘Prince of Peace’.” Without the second verse the first verse is impossible. Think of how many millions of people have been killed in war since the founding of the United Nations. Look at how many conflicts rage today.

There is only one peace giver and that is Jesus Christ. He gives peace of heart and soul to those who believe in Him. He also promises to give peace to the earth when He reigns as King. He alone can overcome all the hatred of men, their jealousies and presumptions. He alone can bring peace for He is indeed the one and only, “Prince of Peace”.

Dear Father, Thank You for the peace that comes through Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Christ - The Everlasting God

“His name shall be called ‘Everlasting Father’.” Isaiah 9:6

Men live and then men die. We have a beginning and we will all have an end. Our end is not just dust but an eternity somewhere – either heaven or hell. Jesus, however, had no beginning because He was in the beginning. He also offers the only means to having a positive ending. He can do this because He is everlasting. As the psalmist puts it, “From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2) Or as the author of Hebrews puts it, “Without father, without mother, having neither beginning of days nor end of life.” (Heb. 7:3) And as the psalmist says, “Thou art a priest forever”. (Psalm 110:4)

Jesus adds to this description of Himself when He says in John 10:30, “I and My Father are One.” Jesus left no doubt that He was the everlasting Father in that passage and the Jews sought to kill Him because of His declaration. The Virgin born child is the Everlasting Father come in the flesh to reveal the Father to all men.

Dear Father, Thank You for giving us Your eternal Son that we might have eternal life in Him. Amen.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Almighty God Among Us

“His name shall be called ‘Almighty God’.” Isaiah 9:6

This Son who is given to us, this child who is born of the Virgin; who is He? He is Almighty God! The great declaration of Scripture is that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God.” (John 1:1) This Child who was born of the Virgin, this Son given to us, He made all things – Jn. 1:2. He could control all things – Matt. 6:23-27. He could raise the dead – Jn. 11:43-44. He could perform astounding miracles – Jn. 6:1-13. He knew the hearts of men and their thoughts – Mark 2:7-8.

Here is Jeremiah’s commentary on God, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” (Jer. 32:17) Jesus gave continual evidence that this verse was true of Him. Without a doubt Jesus’ life and ministry declared that this Virgin born Child is “Almighty God”.

Dear Father, Thank You for dwelling with us in the Person of Your Son. Amen.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Wonderful Counselor

“His name shall be called ‘Wonderful Counselor’.” Isaiah 9:6

What purpose does a counselor serve? Many people think that counselors are there to give advice. That may be partly true, but that is not always their main intent. Counselors are there to listen. Counselors are there to provide a safe place, a trusted and confidential place to pour out our sorrows. They can also give advice. Jesus is a good listener. He also gives perfect advice. He is safe and confidential. What more could we want from a Wonderful Counselor?

Has Jesus experienced all the pain of mankind? Yes! Can He understand all our fears, sorrows, and insecurities? Yes! Can He offer words of comfort that will soothe the soul? Yes! Can He keep our secrets in the safety of His loving heart? Yes! Can He give advice that is always perfect? Yes! Can all those things be true of any other man? NO! We may find many good, kind, caring, and confidential counselors, but we can never find one like our Savior. Praise God for giving us the Wonderful Counselor!

Dear Father, Thank You for giving us the One who cares and understands the best. Amen.