Meditation: April 29

“As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.” Matthew 24:32

One major sign of the return of Christ will be the renewed courage and strength among those who carry the testimony of the Lord. As it was in the days of the prophets and later the apostles, so shall it be among individuals who will stand for truth without compromise. They will be among a people who have relented to casual Christianity, but will not allow the pressures brought to bear against them to discourage them nor diminish their faith. There will be new life within the Church as both young and old will boldly face persecution if required, for righteousness sake. The sign will be an awakening spreading to the ends of the earth. The Kingdom of God will be their message, the cross will be their standard, and zeal of the Lord will totally consume them. Professor Martin Scharlemann of Concordia Seminary said, “As soon as the missionaries are no longer welcome to do their work and their host countries begin to expel them, look up.”

Meditation: March 23

“Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up.” Isaiah 33:10

God rises above the heights of the loftiest mountains. He rises above the ingenuity of the wisest men on the face of the earth. Many who have settled for a level of truth based upon what can enter into the minds of men. But when He is exalted, no thought could ever be stretched to dimensions known only to Him. His judgments provide proof that we are wrong in our assessments of life and things excluding Him yet deemed to be important. He exposes the frailty of everything that did not originate from Him and remain attached to Him. God was awaiting the right moment in time, when unbelief had reached its peak among the doubters and skeptics. While those who believed on Him anticipated His return, eagerly longing for His rule and reign to be established among men on earth. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Meditation: March 16

“The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open; the earth is shaken exceedingly.” Isaiah 24:17

The earth is violently disturbed as the result of the violent offenses measured against its Creator. It awaits the rule of the sons of God whose aim is to reflect the glory of Jesus Christ. Until then, it is held captive, not willingly but anticipating a liberty that will only come as the rule of the righteous. Some will grow bitter towards God because of the calamities that many inhabitants on the earth are now suffering. They will think of God as being cruel and unfair. But His judgments will ultimately bring an end to sins that often appear to be benign, but are the root cause of wars and all earthly calamities. The mark established by God is not the aim of many leaders who now lead many astray, thus sin runs its full course. He created the earth to be a habitation of rest and peace, but sin has left its mark and produced death. Pray that righteous rulers will arise in order for the people to rejoice because the Prince of Peace is ruling over them.

Meditation: March 4

“Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day — but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.” 2 Peter 3: 12-13 (MSG)

The coming of the Lord will attract the attention of those who are eagerly awaiting His return. While all things around us are being shaken, and nothing appears to have any degree of stability, there remains a constant focus in an upward direction in spite of all other things that would otherwise be disturbing. God has promised that He would send His Son again to the earth. If the earth could not receive the words of the prophets, and the world rejects His standard, it is not the world on which His kingdom will be established. He will descend, but above the earth while the heavens and the earth is burned with fire, then He will establish new heavens and a new earth where righteous will reign. But then, it will be under the rule of those who are kept by His power and anticipate His return. They will hardly notice the destruction of the old because they so eagerly await what God has to replace it. Sin is now running it course, but do not be discouraged. God will restore all that is now being destroyed by sin and those who have given their souls over to it. When those things are completely removed, His Day would have fully come!

Meditation: March 3

“For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; (8) but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.” Hebrews 6:7-8

What we have experienced and participated in with God is not merely for ourselves. He allows us to experience His goodness in order to provide healing for others. Either we will bear healing herbs for wounded, restless, and reckless souls, or we bear thorns and briers to further wound them. The deepest wound is wielded by sword-handlers who are unskilled in spiritual warfare. They cannot effectively interpret God’s grace in ways to benefit the wayward. We have been enlightened, tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. Therefore, we are the ones that are to bear herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated. The fruit of our lives is for those who wish to know the Source and purpose for our being alive. Then, we are able to live our lives as a blessing to others and a praise unto the Lord.

Meditation: February 8

“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2

In troubled times, we become acutely aware of our need for rescue. When the currents of life are rising all around us and it seems as if there is no way to survive, even if we are not saved from the situation, our immediate need is security in the midst of it. Jesus becomes our oasis in the midst of the desert. He is our solid rock in the midst of troubled waters. He is within reach at all times if we merely reach out to Him. In those moments of despair, when hope is wavering because of the insurmountable pressure, we should not merely cry out in pain and agony. Our cry must be directed towards the One who can save us. Oh, if men would direct their cries towards God alone as the only rock of their salvation. If they would stretch out their hands in the dark and gloom to discover that there is another Hand on the other side to lead and guide them towards a brighter future. He will pull them up from the miry clay and place their feet upon a rock. That rock is higher than any man. It is higher than any problem. It places us above the circumstances enabling us to get a glimpse of the shores to which His journey leads.

Meditation: January 19

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27

Impossibilities are not a part of the language of God. The finite mind stretches to its limits in understanding as he strains to his limits in power. For God made man as much as He has made all things. He has full knowledge of how they function and their purpose for He is the Lord, that is His name. Therefore, they were created to bring Him pleasure and give Him glory. The flesh puts forth its best effort to rule. Even though one’s flesh may feel its liberty to rule over another’s flesh, the Lord is the God over all flesh. Every being and every thing on the face of the earth is under His jurisdictional rule. Men usually equate both failures and successes on the basis of their own experiences. They cannot see nor understand that God has no limits. He reveals Himself to them and asks them a rhetorical question. He addresses them as one who would otherwise think of Him as a man would think of another man. “Is anything too hard for Me?” Only those who have come to know Him intimately can rightly respond to His question. They have learned of their own limits and no longer attempt to live their lives without Him. When they face both the simple and the most profound of circumstances, they have learned to fully trust and depend upon the Lord to see them through.

Meditation: January 18

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:6-7

The people of God were discouraged because God’s Presence appeared to be withdrawn from among them. Their Temple had been destroyed for over seventy years and the workers who would rebuild it had become weakened and wearied. There are times when it may appear as if God is silent and all hope is lost; then God gives us a prophetic word that He will be restored all who put their trust in Him while all things that others relied upon will be shaken. There will be signs in heaven and signs upon the earth. Strange phenomena will happen so that the nations of the earth will be forced to look beyond themselves for help. Then there will be people of all walks of life that will look in our direction because our eyes will be constantly focused upon Him. Only the Church of the Living God, where the message of Jesus Christ is heard, will provide a sanctuary for the bewildered souls who opted to trust in other things rather than in God. Nations or people-groups will be shaken so that God’s original intent may be established among them. Then His “glory will fill this temple” says the Lord of Hosts.

Meditation: January 16

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth.” Acts 17:26

Our common ancestry unites us all into the family of the human race. We are a species of being to which God has given special attention. All may not be aware of it, but God has given His undivided attention to mankind. All created things have been set in motion to affect him in some way or another. He has been allowed to provide care for every created thing that dwell on the surface of the earth. The Dominion Mandate given to Adam is to be given expression through us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. To examine our physiology would be more than remarkable because there is more yet about how we were made yet undiscovered by the most trained and skilled doctor or scientist. But the question as to why we were made remains unanswered by the wisest philosophers, and psychologist who studies do not delve into the thoughts that appear to have no answers because if we are honest with ourselves, deep life questions always lead to the question of God. And if there is any evidence in nature around us or in our human nature than reveals the wonders of God, we are forced to acknowledge His existence. And if He exists, we are compelled to inquire into what He wills for our lives. We occupy both time and space in order to know the Lord and to make Him known. Our peace is joined to our mission. We benefit from what we share with others.

Meditation: January 14

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9-10

The act that becomes a habit, the habit that equates into a lifestyle of doing good, is the life we have been called to live. We enter into the life and experience of Christ and grow into giving a fuller expression of Christ. It has to do with a new nature of the believer. He focuses his attention on the Lord, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will compel him to do things that are pleasing to the Father. It is easy to begin to feel used and not appreciated by the recipients of your benevolence. There are even times when it may even feel that all of your efforts are in vain, but God has promised benefits to those who would remain faithful. You will first reap the reward of being like Jesus when we see Him as He is, then we will be enabled to enjoy all that God offers throughout eternity. We are being changed to appreciate heavenly things and heaven’s order on the earth so that we are made fit to love God and to enjoy Him forever.