The memory of promises we have made

Today we promise. Promises of the ancients. Promises of Christians and followers of Jesus. Let us be promise keepers.

The Vow of the People: four solemn promises to the Lord our God

1. Honor the Lord in our body (the temple of the Lord-the Holy Spirit): not to be joined intimately to the body of another faith (spirit).
2. Honor the Lord in our occupation: set aside a day out of seven days for Him only. Not to be distracted by matters of work or transact commercially.
3. Honor the Lord in active ministry: offerings, serving, various ministries and physical upkeep of the Lord’s temple.
4. Honor the Lord in our attitude and lifestyle: put worship and ministering to Him as our first priority. 

Bible verses are quoted from Nehemiah 10:28-39 NLT (boldness and italics added as highlight)

²⁸ Then the rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand— ²⁹ joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our Lord:

³⁰ “We promise not to let our daughters marry the pagan people of the land, and not to let our sons marry their daughters.

³¹ “We also promise that if the people of the land should bring any merchandise or grain to be sold on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will refuse to buy it. Every seventh year we will let our land rest, and we will cancel all debts owed to us.

³² “In addition, we promise to obey the command to pay the annual Temple tax of one-eighth of an ounce of silver^[b] for the care of the Temple of our God. ³³ This will provide for the Bread of the Presence; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, the new moon celebrations, and the annual festivals; for the holy offerings; and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel. It will provide for everything necessary for the work of the Temple of our God.

³⁴ “We have cast sacred lots to determine when—at regular times each year—the families of the priests, Levites, and the common people should bring wood to God’s Temple to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God, as is written in the Law.

³⁵ “We promise to bring the first part of every harvest to the Lord’s Temple year after year—whether it be a crop from the soil or from our fruit trees. ³⁶ We agree to give God our oldest sons and the firstborn of all our herds and flocks, as prescribed in the Law. We will present them to the priests who minister in the Temple of our God. ³⁷ We will store the produce in the storerooms of the Temple of our God. We will bring the best of our flour and other grain offerings, the best of our fruit, and the best of our new wine and olive oil. And we promise to bring to the Levites a tenth of everything our land produces, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns.

³⁸ “A priest—a descendant of Aaron—will be with the Levites as they receive these tithes. And a tenth of all that is collected as tithes will be delivered by the Levites to the Temple of our God and placed in the storerooms. ³⁹ The people and the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms and place them in the sacred containers near the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers.

“We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.”

Footnotes:

1. 10:1 Verses 10:1-39 are numbered 10:2-40 in Hebrew text.
2. 10:32 Hebrew tax of 1⁄3 of a shekel [4 grams].

a conversation: Jesus and Matthew

Yesterday I encountered a set-back. Some important documents could not be located at the usual filing place. A locked place accessible to only three persons. I lost my cool because there was a time limit to complete the task. I am one of the three with access and the only one who knows what the documents are for. I lost peace. The peace of Jesus. This morning I spent time to sit in front of the Lord and praised Him. Then I read the Bible verses that opened in front of me as I sat on the floor. Jesus spoke: “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and waves. and suddenly there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:26) As I prayed in the Spirit interspersed with understanding and admitted my weakness I perceived the calm that I had lost in the storm. It is now a pleasant morning with the Lord’s presence.

Then I continued to read the passage all the way to chapter nine. I was further touched by the following record of a conversation between Jesus and Matthew. Yes. The bible did not record what Matthew had said to the Lord. But when I read the passage I realized what he had said and the Lord had heard and answered.

Jesus was saying that Matthew was a sinner and was like a sick person. He needed help. Jesus offered him what he needed. What did Matthew say? Matthew said yes to Jesus. “Yes, I will follow you. Yes, I am a sick person who needs to be healed. Yes I am a sinner who needs to be saved and delivered. Yes, Jesus, You can heal me. You can save me. You can make me into a new person. Yes, I believe You. Yes, come to my home. Yes, I am inviting all my colleagues and friends so they too can receive help from You. Thank You for stopping for me, taking the bother to talk to me, offer me a new beginning, giving me a new life. Yes, I am willing. Yes, I come, just as I am. Yes, I repent. Yes, Lord I know I am a sinner.”

Matthew 9:9-13 New King James Version (NKJV)
Matthew the Tax Collector
9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’[a] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”[b]

Footnotes:
[a] Matthew 9:13 Hosea 6:6
[b] Matthew 9:13 NU-Text omits to repentance.

New Living Translation Matthew 9:13
When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

HEED THIS CRY: “HOW LONG”? (revised 2020 Nov 17)

Today’s cry is “HOW LONG?” This is the cry of many right now. How long, God, before we, your people see the outcome we cry out for? Yes, the cry is “HOW LONG”. Yet, be surprised, there are many “how longs” to be answered, not by God, but by many different recipients of this question. Who asks “how long” and demands an answer? Read on to see the answers for yourselves.
(1) JESUS ASKS CHRISTIANS (HIS DISCIPLES): “HOW LONG?” Matthew 17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”
(2) PROPHET ASKS GOD: “HOW LONG?” Habakkuk 1:2 [ The Prophet’s Question ] O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save.
(3) GOD ASKS GOD’S PEOPLE: “HOW LONG?” Hosea 8:5 Your calf is rejected, O Samaria! My anger is aroused against them— How long until they attain to innocence?
(4) WISE KING ASKS HIS SONS: “HOW LONG?” Proverbs 1:22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. Proverbs 6:9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
(5) GODLY ANOINTED KING ASKS HIS SUBJECTS: Psalm 4:2 How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah
(6) GOD ASKS THE PASTOR (MOSES)WHO REPRESENTED THE CONGREGATION: Exodus 16:28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? Numbers 14:11 [ Moses Intercedes for the People ] Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? Numbers 14:27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.
(7) THE CHURCH’s WEARIED LEADER ASKS THE LETHARGIC CONGREGATION: Joshua 18:3 Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you? (i.e. How long are you going to stay in the old man of sin and not put on the new man of righteousness?)
(8) THE ANSWER FOR A TRULY BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN IS “NO LONGER”: Romans 6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Our answer: we are no longer there anymore. We are in Christ Jesus now and in the light and no longer in the darkness of sin and death!)

(9) FINALLY, THE PIERCING CRY OF THE MARTYRS:
Revelation 6:9-11New King James Version (NKJV)
Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

how to still our wild behavior? Behold, God!

While praying and interceding about a young person’s condition of uncontrollable outbursts of anger, I was shown this hymn by the Lord. Ancient of Days. The words are rich and powerful for worship, praise, and edifying. The third stanza speaks of Jesus’ peace “stilling the rude wills of our wild behavior, and calming passion’s fierce and stormy gales.” The fourth stanza speaks of the Holy Spirit gives life, increase, plenty, wealth, prosperity and peace. The hymn is a prayer with focus on: Pray, Worship, Praise God. The author urges us to behold God in his glory, be filled with reverence for God, look to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost for all that we need and want to live the abundant life that Jesus has promised and given in His salvation for us.

1 Ancient of Days, who sittest throned in glory,

to thee all knees are bent, all voices pray;
thy love has blessed the wide world’s wondrous story
with light and life since Eden’s dawning day.

2 O Holy Father, who hast led thy children
in all the ages, with the fire and cloud,
through seas dry-shod, through weary wastes bewild’ring
to thee, in rev’rent love, our hearts are bowed.

3 O Holy Jesus, Prince of Peace and Savior,
to thee we owe the peace that still prevails,
stilling the rude wills of our wild behavior,
and calming passion’s fierce and stormy gales.

4 O Holy Ghost, the Lord and the Life-giver,
thine is the quickening power that gives increase;
from thee have flowed, as from a pleasant river,
our plenty, wealth, prosperity, and peace.

5 O Triune God, with heart and voice adoring,
praise we the goodness that doth crown our days;
pray we that thou wilt hear us, still imploring
thy love and favor, kept to us always.

Author: William Croswell Doane (1886)

some words about the thief

Jesus speaks of the thief who came to steal, kill, and destroy. Who is that thief and what did he come to steal, kill, destroy? How shall we prevent or counter? I have recently encountered some cases which I am now led to share. First bear in mind what Jesus has actually said when he said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10)

Reading the whole passage below (John 10:1-18), we find a number of important words Jesus speaks of: sheepfold, thief and robber, gate, gatekeeper, sheep, Jesus, flock, saved, steal, kill, destroy, good shepherd, sacrifices life, hired hand, money, authority, commanded.

We know by now that Jesus is talking about His believers (followers). His disciples. They are His sheep and belong to His sheepfold. Note that they can recognize Jesus’ voice, come to Him, be led by Him, and follow Him. Why did Jesus come? Jesus came to this world to save His sheep, give them a rich and satisfying life.

On the other hand there is an enemy group who came to this world with the purpose to destroy life. Jesus called them thieves and robbers. They came to steal life, kill life and destroy life. Another group is called hired hand who works for money and does not care about the life and death of the sheep. They are not real shepherds. They abandon the congregation and run away when danger comes.  Note that in these two cases the two groups share one common goal: each has its own selfish and evil agenda. One openly opposes Jesus and His followers, aggressively attacks and destroys, whereas the other one pretends to be on the side of Jesus and His sheep but in fact passively deceives and destroys too. The thief (open enemy of God) hates God. The hired hand is indifferent to God. Both have no love for God.

Only God (The Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) can give life. Jesus can give hIs life and take it again. Jesus loves the Father and obeys His commands. “This command I have received from My Father.” Jesus refers to the command to lay down His life for the salvation of mankind.

John 10:1-18 New Living Translation (NLT) The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! ² But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.⁴ After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

⁶ Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, ⁷ so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me^[a] were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.^[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. ¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. ¹² A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. ¹³ The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, ¹⁵ just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

¹⁷ “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. ¹⁸ No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

Footnotes:

1. 10:8 Some manuscripts do not include before me.
2. 10:9 Or will find safety.

Another significant point is there are people who are not of Jesus’ sheep. They do not believe in Jesus even when they see the many supernatural good works that Jesus did in God’s name and authority. They even tried to kill Jesus for claiming to be the Son of God. (John 10:25-32)

But those who believe belong to Jesus. What will be their rewards for believing? Jesus gives us eternal life, and we shall never perish and no one can snatch us out of God’s hand (or Jesus’ hand). (John 10:27-30)

Why are some people against Jesus? They feel offended that He claims to be the Son of God. They are jealous of Him. They want to have what He has but cannot have. This is  not new. The devil became devil because he wants to be God.

Application today: Read the Bible and believe. Hear the Holy Spirit and obey. Be assured of our salvation and position in Christ as the children of God. Know that we have eternal life, rich and satisfying abundant life. Be aware that there are two groups of oppositions to God’s salvation through Jesus. These enemies of Jesus will try to cause damages and losses (in varying degrees) to Christians. Know the assurance from Jesus that God (the Father) is greater than all. We can be safe in His hands. (John 10:29)

NB: A case: a family of four (excluding the dad who passed away) have been severely and bitterly divided. The two siblings hate each other. Being unable to forgive each other has robbed them and the family of peace and love. The youngest member, still a child, growing up in this environment is being conditioned and adversely affected in body, soul and spirit. The only way to return to the peace that Jesus as given is to come back to the passage and obey Jesus: forgive and reconciled truthfully. One essential key is to walk by the Spirit and not be flesh.