Wednesday

Isaiah 52:1-10

Awake, awake, O Zion,
clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your garments of splendor,
O Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
will not enter you again.
Shake off your dust;
rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
O captive Daughter of Zion.
For this is what the LORD says:
"You were sold for nothing,
and without money you will be redeemed."
For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them.
"And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD.
"For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock, "
declares the LORD.
"And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.
Therefore my people will know my name;
therefore in that day they will know
that it is I who foretold it.
Yes, it is I."

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion, "
Your God reigns!"
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the LORD returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.
Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The LORD will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.

Have you ever done something so wrong that the stress of that event resulted in unbearable stress? I have. Last year I had a nervous breakdown. I had violated a company policy, resulting in falsification of company records.

In verses 4 through 6, Isaiah talks about when the Israelites lived in Egypt and their exiles in Assyria and other foreign lands. We all, at times, are living in exile. I was exiled in a land called stress, caused by sin.

Verse 6 ends with God's words: "Here I am."

God sends His messengers to proclaim the Good News!

This is what Isaiah tells us in verse 7:

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,

Breaking the news that all's well,

proclaiming good times, announcing salvation,

telling Zion, "Your God reigns!"

(The Message)

The good news is that our God reigns, and He has sent His Son to us and to die for us, so we can have Good News and be free of our sins -- and return from our exile to our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.

ML

Friday

Psalm 51: 1 – 9
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.


I am imperfect by nature, and I do what is wrong on purpose. Sometimes even I cannot bear the bad things I do – which, although I might do them to others, I really do against God. I cannot change my imperfection or undo my wrong-doings.

But I can call on God when I truly regret the bad that I do, when I honestly suffer under my impurity. And God will give me the gift of deep wisdom (which is the opposite of a sinful nature). Not only that, God will restore me to a clean, pure state that I could never reach by myself. With these great gifts comes unspeakable joy.

A joyful life requires constant connection with God's loving forgiveness.



AL

Wednesday

Matthew 5: 27 – 32
You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

Only God

What is more important than Jesus
if you are a Jesus man or woman?
Would you rather have one hand
and walk with Jesus,
or two hands grubbing for rot?
Would you rather have one eye
looking at Jesus,
or two eyes looking at filth?
Jesus is the fairest of the fair,
the purest of the pure,

If you give up groping for darkness,
what have you gained?

You have gained Life and beauty
and my best friend.

EE

Tuesday

Matthew 5: 21 – 26

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day taught that the sixth commandment only forbade actual murder. Buddhism calls anger one of the five hindrances. Psychologists often view anger as a primal emotion that should not be suppressed lest it find another outlet. The internet has sites where users can express anger for Republicans, Democrats, husbands, wives, fat people, skinny people, employers… you get the picture. There were funny posts, outrageous posts and incredibly profane posts, but most were a sad expression of bloggers allowing their own anger to ruin their lives.

At first glance, it seems that the sixth commandment is centered on protecting others. In this passage, Jesus instructs us, not to suppress our anger, but to resolve our disputes. Unrelenting anger may cost us money, time or worse. When our exasperation becomes anger, love turns to apathy. We blame others for our problems, and our anger becomes depression.

Here Jesus provides both the practical and the deeper answer. He challenges us to make the first move, to act with responsibility and dignity toward others. Our behavior, in turn, alters our negative feelings towards our enemies. We can repair broken friendships, business partnerships and family relations. The sixth commandment protects us.

KVG

Monday

Matthew 5: 17 – 20

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus’ coming is the completion of The Old Testament’s prophecy. Jesus is not God’s new and improved brand of religion.

The Law has not changed one iota since its inception. The purpose of the Law is to help people love God with all their hearts and minds. The Apostle Paul wrote that God’s Law shows us our inadequacy to achieve salvation by our own merit.

God’s Law is unique compared to other laws of Moses’ time. It is applied equally regardless of position and or power. All crimes are crimes against God as all people are created in God’s image. It’s not hidden - everyone can know the Law. It is universal; applying to all people. Lastly, it is constructive. It shows people how to love God with all their minds and hearts. None of this changed when Jesus came.

The Pharisees had certificates of learning and became authorities on proper behavior. The portion of their lives they displayed was always spotless, while other parts secreted sins. They knew the law but didn’t have God in their hearts. If God’s goodness is in our hearts it will show in our motives, actions, and continuing thoughts. Jesus’ perfection allows God’s grace to cover our shortcomings.

AJ

Saturday

Romans 5: 12 – 21

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
NIV

There are so many problems with sin. Many of them are obvious, but others are as insidious as sin itself.

We often fool ourselves that because we haven’t committed adultery or murder we aren’t sinners. This is as erroneous as thinking that living a “good life” will allow us to spend eternity in heaven.

Sometimes as we try to walk in the light of our Lord, we realize the fallacy of that line of thinking. Then, sin presents us another problem. We become so convicted of our sin nature that we doubt our salvation. Sadly, we can even get to the point of counterfeit righteousness – I’m so pious, I KNOW how bad I am!

Jesus’s sacrifice, His single act of obedience, atones for EVERY act, thought, inclination of sin EVER.

It took me years to really believe that last statement of truth. Thankfully, not as many years as it took me to believe that I was indeed a sinner and in need of salvation.

MS

Ash Wednesday

Genesis 3:14-19

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,

Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!

You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;

he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;

with pain you will give birth to children.

Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'

Cursed is the ground because of you;

through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground,

since from it you were taken;

for dust you are and to dust you will return."
NIV

When I was nine I bought a baseball. I was ecstatic for about three seconds. You see, I switched price tags and “bought” a premium baseball for pennies on the dollar. Immediately, Mom noticed and gave her orders: “March into the store, return the baseball, apologize!” Consequences were everywhere.

Today’s scripture reminds us of the tragic, long-term effects sin brought into this world. After Adam and Eve failed to trust that God is good and his word reliable -- when they disobeyed God -- everything went horribly and enormously wrong. The story of Adam and Eve became our story.

Everything is affected. We are separated from each other and from God. We cannot fix what we have broken. We desperately need God to save us from ourselves.

Amazingly, right here in Genesis 3:15, embedded in a text about the consequences of sin and the real war humanity faces, we also find the “seed” of promise.

Even at the beginning, God has rescue in mind. The Messiah will come. To us he has come, and on the cross guilt, sin, and death have been defeated.

DJI