Every Knee Shall Bow

 

 

Turn to me and be saved,
    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
    from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
    a word that shall not return:
“To me every knee shall bow,
    every tongue shall swear.”

Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
    are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
    shall come to him and be ashamed.

Isaiah 45:22-24

 

In the end, every knee shall bow before the Lord God. Let us trust in the Lord, the King of Kings, for our salvation.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Revelation 1:4-8 Believe or Not; Every Eye Will See

Revelation 1:4-8 NIV

Every Eye Shall See

Every eye will see him. I was recently told (again) by someone I know and care about that they do not believe like I do. I was told, "When you're dead you're dead. There is nothing more." It is heartbreaking to hear someone that has been taught the truth; deny Jesus the Christ.

He is "the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (vs 8) It does not matter whether one believes or not. The day will come when every eye will see him; every knee will bow; even those who pierced him; even those who denied him.

Be careful with your words. Do not deny the one who died for you. Jesus said, "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matt 10:33 KJV)

He is, he was, and he will come again. He is the Almighty God who created you and would save you from yourself.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Acts 17:16-34 Unknown God

Acts 17:16-34 NIV
We encounter many false gods; many idols, every day. Believe it or not they are worshipped all around us. When ever we trust in any thing, even ourselves, before we trust the one made the world and everything in it, we are worshipping a false god.

While Paul was in Athens, he encountered many false gods. There were many altars and images throughout the city which the people bowed before and worshipped. One particular altar had the inscription "To An Unknown God" written on it. He took that opportunity to tell them about the one true God that they knew nothing about. This unknown god that Paul taught about is not made of earthly materials and cannot be contained in any earthly structure. He is bigger than all the false gods put together. He is the one in whom we live and move and have our very being.

There is only one true God. We can either trust Him or we can trust a lesser, false god. I would think it much preferable and beneficial to humankind to trust the one who actually lives.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 23:1-25 Bowing to the Crowds or Standing Up for Jesus

Luke 23:1-25 NIV
Seems like just about everyone wanted Jesus dead. Well, probably not everyone; but, our reading does say the whole assembly. Everyone wanted him dead, except for Pilate. He wasn't real thrilled with executing an innocent man. He tried to hand him over to Herod and get Herod to do the deed. That didn't work. Pilate gave the people the choice of executing Jesus or the murdered Barabbas. The people chose to let Barabbas free and have Jesus crucified. Pilate didn't want a riot on his hands so he bowed to the assembly's desires and ordered the execution of an innocent man.

How often do we go along with the crowd simply because we don't want to take a stand alone? Will you stand up for Jesus or will you bow down to the desires of humankind?


God's Peace - Pr. J

Hosea 7 - Hunting Season - Yooper Holy Days

I spent Monday evening at my husband's hunting camp. He is preparing for the Yoopers' (a person who lives in or is from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) grand holy days - that is deer hunting -firearm season. People come from all over to celebrate those last two weeks of November. I find the whole season quite confounding. Men, women and children miss worship services as they are sitting in their blinds and you cannot even begin to imagine how full our taverns get after the sun sets! Lots of drinking and carousing going on... Just a warning: Drinking or drugging and hunting do not make good companions. Stuff happens - bad stuff happens - when sites are not set on the Kingdom of God.

Right now, it is bow season. Not so many participate in this sport.

"They do not turn to the Most High;    they are like a faulty bow." (Hosea 7:16 NIV)

Like a faulty bow that cannot hit a target, so too are all those who refuse to keep their eyes on the goal of the Kingdom. A warped bow is almost impossible to use and one whose faith is skewed will struggle mightily in their journey through the wilderness. Like a bent arrow, we might be aiming for the target, but the slightest wind will cause us to stray.

May God help us all to keep our eyes the Most High and on the target He has given us, which is His Kingdom, through Jesus Christ, our LORD.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

P.S. Just a note to thank God for all of the hunter's who are from out of our area (seasonal residents)somehow manage to make it to Zion to worship during firearm season even while sometimes local members cannot manage it.

Psalm 148 - Praise the LORD

I remember a poem I wrote when I was very young. It had to do with unity with all of God's creation. There are a few things that we have in common with all of His creation. For starters, the LORD created everything upon the earth and in the heavens above the earth. We are all God's creation. With creation, we bow down and praise the LORD!  With all of earthly creation and all the heavenly host, we praise the LORD!

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. Don't forget this blog is to encourage you to read your Bible daily so read Psalm 148 - it is awesome... Also, Romans 8:18-25

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
2. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Cross references:

1. Psalm 148:1 : Ps 33:2; 103:1
2. Psalm 148:1 : Ps 19:1; 69:34; 150:1
3. Psalm 148:2 : Ps 103:20
4. Psalm 148:2 : S 1Ki 22:19
5. Psalm 148:3 : S Ps 19:1
6. Psalm 148:4 : S Dt 10:14
7. Psalm 148:4 : S Ge 1:7
8. Psalm 148:5 : Ps 145:21
9. Psalm 148:5 : S Ps 147:15
10. Psalm 148:6 : Jer 31:35-36; 33:25
11. Psalm 148:7 : Ps 33:2
12. Psalm 148:7 : S Ge 1:21; Ps 74:13-14
13. Psalm 148:7 : S Dt 33:13
14. Psalm 148:8 : S Ex 9:18; S Jos 10:11
15. Psalm 148:8 : Job 37:11-12; S Ps 103:20; 147:15-18
16. Psalm 148:9 : Isa 44:23; 49:13; 55:12
17. Psalm 148:10 : Isa 43:20; Hos 2:18
18. Psalm 148:11 : S Ps 102:15
19. Psalm 148:13 : S Ps 113:2; 138:4
20. Psalm 148:13 : S Ps 145:5
21. Psalm 148:13 : S Ps 8:1
22. Psalm 148:14 : S 1Sa 2:1
23. Psalm 148:14 : S Ex 15:2; Ps 22:3
24. Psalm 148:14 : S Ps 145:10
25. Psalm 148:14 : S Dt 26:19

Psalm 57 - Advent Watch

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." (Psalm 57:5 NIV)

Can you imagine what it will be like to witness the full glory of God over all the earth?  Every knee will definitely bow!  There are days when I think and pray, let it be now, O LORD!  Let it be today! 

So much chaos in this world, so much division, so many disasters.  The church on earth is busy working toward peace.  It is busy working for unity.  But, the only real and lasting peace and unity that will come for all of God's people is the peace that comes when the LORD returns for His Church.

We are reminded, during Advent, to wait and watch for that day.  But, in the meantime, when we face troubling times, we take refuge under the shadow of His wings.  (vs 1)

God's Peace - Pr. J