Psalm 119:1-4
1 Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the Lord.
2 Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts.
3 They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in his paths.
4 You have charged us
to keep your commandments carefully.
Why is it so often that when people think about Christians or the bible that they think that they don’t or can’t have any fun? I know that having fun and being joyful are two different emotions but one does not think about being joyful without having fun. The Word does not put limitations on me like many people think. It actually frees me to live according to God’s plan for my life, which will have fun and be joyful while I do it. I think that version of fun is different than those who do not know Christ. Where those people get drunk on wine or other forms of alcohol I get drunk on the Holy Spirit. That is such a better way to get drunk. There are no negative side effects when doing that. The side effects include joy, peace, happiness, boldness and contentment just to name a few.
Verse 2 says “search for him with all their hearts”, which lets me know that my being joyful is directly connected with my level of wanting to know Him. Pastor Tim shared this weekend about having a more intimate relationship with Jesus and what effect that has had on his life, his marriage, his role as father and husband and for himself personally. My level of joy, or lack thereof, could be tied to my level of how I seek Him and His ways and His Word.
When I am doing verses 1 and 2, verse 3 is the next level of incorporation into my life. When I am seeking Him in His Word I will know what the truth is and will not compromise with evil. I will not sway to the left or the right on the path He has for me. When I do that I am not devoured by the devil, who is sneaking around like a lion looking for me so he might pounce on and devour me. Praise God for His plan for me.
He has given me instructions to follow. He has laid out His plan for me and for my life. I am not accountable to anyone else on what they do or how they do it. I am only responsible for my life, my level of desire to be in His Word and for His plan for my life. When I seek Him as I should, with all my heart, all my mind and all my strength, my level of joy goes up and my walk with Him becomes closer and closer. As that happens my level of joy increases exponentially. I thank God that I do not have to worry about what Jesus is saying about me to anyone because He only speaks good and not evil. Praise God!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
www.dailybreadfromtheword.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
If He Wins I Win!
Psalm 110
1 The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”
2 The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
you will rule over your enemies.
3 When you go to war,
your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
4 The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
6 He will punish the nations
and fill their lands with corpses;
he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
7 But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.
He will be victorious.
For many years the start of verse 1 confused me. Was this saying that the Lord was talking to Himself? I didn't understand it. Then I looked at it in Hebrew and it became more clear. The Hebrew renders it this way,
יְהוָה - Hebrew written
ieue - Hebrew spelled
Yahweh - Hebrew in English
לַאדֹנִי - Hebrew written
l·adn·i - Hebrew spelled
to·lord-of·me - Hebrew in English
So what the Hebrew reads is Yahweh to Adonai. Yahweh is defined as follows:
Jehovah = "the existing One"
the proper name of the one true God
Adonai is defined as follows:
Lord, master, king, Lord of lords
This brings it into a more clear context. What David is saying here is that God, the Father, said to Jesus, David's Lord and master, to "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet."
Verses 2 and 3 go on to talk about what God is going to do for Jesus by extending His kingdom from Jerusalem and that Jesus will rule over His enemies. When He needs to go to war He will have followers ready to serve Him.
Verse 4 confirms Jesus priestly ministry by showing that He is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Praise God! Melchizedek received tithes and conferred blessings. That is what Jesus does today through His chosen pastors. Not all pastors fit this role. Only those who hold true to the teachings of Jesus and the Word as the final authority are able to fit that role for Jesus.
Verses 5 through 7 are a victorious battle cry for Jesus. He knows that God the Father has His back and that no enemy can stand in the presence of Him. He will confer judgment upon those who rebel and will bring the just punishment to the nations for their disobedience to His Word. Verse 7 lets us know that when all is said and done, Jesus wins! If Jesus wins then that means I win. Praise God!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”
2 The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
you will rule over your enemies.
3 When you go to war,
your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
4 The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
6 He will punish the nations
and fill their lands with corpses;
he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
7 But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.
He will be victorious.
For many years the start of verse 1 confused me. Was this saying that the Lord was talking to Himself? I didn't understand it. Then I looked at it in Hebrew and it became more clear. The Hebrew renders it this way,
יְהוָה - Hebrew written
ieue - Hebrew spelled
Yahweh - Hebrew in English
לַאדֹנִי - Hebrew written
l·adn·i - Hebrew spelled
to·lord-of·me - Hebrew in English
So what the Hebrew reads is Yahweh to Adonai. Yahweh is defined as follows:
Jehovah = "the existing One"
the proper name of the one true God
Adonai is defined as follows:
Lord, master, king, Lord of lords
This brings it into a more clear context. What David is saying here is that God, the Father, said to Jesus, David's Lord and master, to "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet."
Verses 2 and 3 go on to talk about what God is going to do for Jesus by extending His kingdom from Jerusalem and that Jesus will rule over His enemies. When He needs to go to war He will have followers ready to serve Him.
Verse 4 confirms Jesus priestly ministry by showing that He is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Praise God! Melchizedek received tithes and conferred blessings. That is what Jesus does today through His chosen pastors. Not all pastors fit this role. Only those who hold true to the teachings of Jesus and the Word as the final authority are able to fit that role for Jesus.
Verses 5 through 7 are a victorious battle cry for Jesus. He knows that God the Father has His back and that no enemy can stand in the presence of Him. He will confer judgment upon those who rebel and will bring the just punishment to the nations for their disobedience to His Word. Verse 7 lets us know that when all is said and done, Jesus wins! If Jesus wins then that means I win. Praise God!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Monday, May 18, 2009
Did Someone Say Something Bad About You?
Psalm 109:26-30
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, Lord.
28 Then let them curse me if they like,
but you will bless me!
When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,
praising him to everyone.
Has it ever seemed like people were talking bad about you and didn't know what they were saying, but you knew it wasn't good? That happens to all of us at time in our lives. Sometimes we find out what they were saying and sometimes we don't. Unfortunately this happens in churches with as much, if not more, fervor as it does in the secular world. I know this to have happened in both arenas about me. Do I let it affect me when it does happen? Sometimes. It depends on the source of the talking. I don't take much credence with someone who is not a Christian and they talk bad about me being a Christian. I don't worry about what someone else thinks about my duties for God in His plan for my life. I think I can use these verses to help me get over anyone talking about me because I know that if I am doing what God has directed me to do, then He will bless me and I get to rejoice in being obedient to Him.
I try myself not to get wrapped up in any of the gossip that goes on in any area of my life. When it does creep in I try not to get pulled in by it. If there are accusations made against someone I love, I will confront the person who had the accusations made, in love, and get their feedback before I would say anything to anyone else about it. I try to follow what is written in the follow verses:
Matthew 18:15-17
15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector."
This method of action is prescribed by Jesus Himself so I know this the way to go. It is hard having to confront someone you love, especially if they are a believer, because you don't want to jeopardize the relationship. Jesus tells us here how to approach it and what to do. Praise God that He cares that much about us to give us direction in this area of our lives.
Heavenly Father I thank You for the wisdom and direction You have provided in Your Word. I thank You that the Word became flesh in the person of Jesus and that He spoke to many areas of my life that I can apply the right tools to any given situation. I thank You that You love me and direct my path so that I can follow Your plan for me. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, Lord.
28 Then let them curse me if they like,
but you will bless me!
When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,
praising him to everyone.
Has it ever seemed like people were talking bad about you and didn't know what they were saying, but you knew it wasn't good? That happens to all of us at time in our lives. Sometimes we find out what they were saying and sometimes we don't. Unfortunately this happens in churches with as much, if not more, fervor as it does in the secular world. I know this to have happened in both arenas about me. Do I let it affect me when it does happen? Sometimes. It depends on the source of the talking. I don't take much credence with someone who is not a Christian and they talk bad about me being a Christian. I don't worry about what someone else thinks about my duties for God in His plan for my life. I think I can use these verses to help me get over anyone talking about me because I know that if I am doing what God has directed me to do, then He will bless me and I get to rejoice in being obedient to Him.
I try myself not to get wrapped up in any of the gossip that goes on in any area of my life. When it does creep in I try not to get pulled in by it. If there are accusations made against someone I love, I will confront the person who had the accusations made, in love, and get their feedback before I would say anything to anyone else about it. I try to follow what is written in the follow verses:
Matthew 18:15-17
15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector."
This method of action is prescribed by Jesus Himself so I know this the way to go. It is hard having to confront someone you love, especially if they are a believer, because you don't want to jeopardize the relationship. Jesus tells us here how to approach it and what to do. Praise God that He cares that much about us to give us direction in this area of our lives.
Heavenly Father I thank You for the wisdom and direction You have provided in Your Word. I thank You that the Word became flesh in the person of Jesus and that He spoke to many areas of my life that I can apply the right tools to any given situation. I thank You that You love me and direct my path so that I can follow Your plan for me. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Where is Your Confidence?
Psalm 108:1-5, 12-13
1 My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
12 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
13 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
What should my confidence or my faith be in these days? Should I rely on the stock market for my future? Should I have faith in the housing market for success? Should I rely on collection accounts to provide for my family? The answer to the first question is apparent in verse 1. The answer to the other three questions is...see the answer to the first question. My confidence, my faith, my reliance is on God and His Word and His direction for me. When I am following God's plans for me I wake up in the morning and sing His praises. What better way to live my life is there?
I "wake up" my music on my computer while I work that is praise and worship music. Sometimes I listen to a teaching series. I focus my energies on following Him throughout the day and rely on His wisdom and guidance to carry on my activities. When I try to rely on myself or have confidence is others I am often let down and disappointed. God never lets me down and never leaves me feeling unsatisfied.
I do thank You Lord for all that You have done for me, to me and through me. Your work is not yet complete within me and I will only become perfect in You when I see You face to face. I should just walk around with a big orange sign that says "Work in Progress" or "Construction Zone" because I will not be finished with what God is doing in me or through me until I am in His presence.
God's love is higher than anything we can experience here on earth. His love endures all things and covers all my sins with the expression of Jesus' sacrifice and His shed blood. Why wouldn't I want to follow His leading and His directions? Why would I put more confidence in what I can see than what is unseen with natural eyes but witnessed very clearly within my spirit? My answer is that only in Jesus and His shed blood can I see clearly what God has for me and what He says about me and what He will do for me. It's all written down in His Word for me to seek out and find.
Verse 12 confims what I just talked about. All human help is useless. I would add unreliable, deceitful, unrepentent, selfish, sinful, corrupt and greedy to the list. We do get things accomplished, but only with the help of God to we really see positive results. He does get His work accomplished on this world through us, but not because we are so great or so skilled. He does use our skills and talents He put into us to His advantage, if we submit to His leading. Praise God!
Father I thank You that You cared for me enough to die on the cross for me. I thank You that You care enough about me to lead me and guide me throughout my day. I praise Your name forever and ever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
12 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
13 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
What should my confidence or my faith be in these days? Should I rely on the stock market for my future? Should I have faith in the housing market for success? Should I rely on collection accounts to provide for my family? The answer to the first question is apparent in verse 1. The answer to the other three questions is...see the answer to the first question. My confidence, my faith, my reliance is on God and His Word and His direction for me. When I am following God's plans for me I wake up in the morning and sing His praises. What better way to live my life is there?
I "wake up" my music on my computer while I work that is praise and worship music. Sometimes I listen to a teaching series. I focus my energies on following Him throughout the day and rely on His wisdom and guidance to carry on my activities. When I try to rely on myself or have confidence is others I am often let down and disappointed. God never lets me down and never leaves me feeling unsatisfied.
I do thank You Lord for all that You have done for me, to me and through me. Your work is not yet complete within me and I will only become perfect in You when I see You face to face. I should just walk around with a big orange sign that says "Work in Progress" or "Construction Zone" because I will not be finished with what God is doing in me or through me until I am in His presence.
God's love is higher than anything we can experience here on earth. His love endures all things and covers all my sins with the expression of Jesus' sacrifice and His shed blood. Why wouldn't I want to follow His leading and His directions? Why would I put more confidence in what I can see than what is unseen with natural eyes but witnessed very clearly within my spirit? My answer is that only in Jesus and His shed blood can I see clearly what God has for me and what He says about me and what He will do for me. It's all written down in His Word for me to seek out and find.
Verse 12 confims what I just talked about. All human help is useless. I would add unreliable, deceitful, unrepentent, selfish, sinful, corrupt and greedy to the list. We do get things accomplished, but only with the help of God to we really see positive results. He does get His work accomplished on this world through us, but not because we are so great or so skilled. He does use our skills and talents He put into us to His advantage, if we submit to His leading. Praise God!
Father I thank You that You cared for me enough to die on the cross for me. I thank You that You care enough about me to lead me and guide me throughout my day. I praise Your name forever and ever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Saturday, May 16, 2009
He is Worthy to be Praised Forever!
Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 Some wandered in the wilderness,
lost and homeless.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
they nearly died.
6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety,
to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
9 For he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,
imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11 They rebelled against the words of God,
scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12 That is why he broke them with hard labor;
they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
he snapped their chains.
15 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze;
he cut apart their bars of iron.
17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
23 Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.
33 He changes rivers into deserts,
and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there
and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How he blesses them!
They raise large families there,
and their herds of livestock increase.
39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.
The first three verses here really set the stage for the rest of the chapter. We see attributes that worthy to give thanks for on a daily basis. Goodness, faithfulness, unconditional love, redemption from sin & protection for those who are cast off from others. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 4 through 9 let us know that God cares for the homeless, lost, hungry and thirsty. When they cry to Him for help He rescues them. He will lead them to safety, a place where they can live, eat and drink. He does this with good things, not bad things. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 10 through 16 show us that God will also help those who are in darkness, depressed & miserable. When they cry for help He will be there to lead them out of the darkness and depression. He will break the chains of their misery. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
I like the way the Message Bible renders verses 17-18:
Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn't stand the sight of food,
so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.
When these people cry for help God is there. Verse 20 says it best, "He sent out His Word and healed them". What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 23 through 32 depict how God interacts with the natural world. How He works with the oceans and wind and the waves. They can be stirred up to bring confusion, disorientation and distress. With one word He can calm any stormy seas and bring to peace any bad weather. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 33 through 38 really show us a picture of God that lets us know that in any climate, in any weather, in any drought that He is in control. He can turn what looks like a famine into a return 100 times what was planted. Where on earth did I get that from? I will show you:
Genesis 26:1-6 & 12-15
1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.
If God can do it for Isaac then He can do it for me and He can do it for you. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 39 through 43 show us again that God will not allow His children to be wiped from the earth. It says that when they are low in number and are oppressed, troubled and sorrowful that He will cause those who are bringing this on His children to become confused and to wander about. He rescues the poor from trouble and bring increase to their household. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Father I thank You for Your everlasting love for me and for all who read this. I praise Your name forever because it is worthy to be praised! I thank You for all that You have done for me, in me and through me and I praise You that You are not done with me yet. I am truly honored to serve You and to be called one of Your children. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 Some wandered in the wilderness,
lost and homeless.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
they nearly died.
6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety,
to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
9 For he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,
imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11 They rebelled against the words of God,
scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12 That is why he broke them with hard labor;
they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
he snapped their chains.
15 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze;
he cut apart their bars of iron.
17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
23 Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.
33 He changes rivers into deserts,
and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there
and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How he blesses them!
They raise large families there,
and their herds of livestock increase.
39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.
The first three verses here really set the stage for the rest of the chapter. We see attributes that worthy to give thanks for on a daily basis. Goodness, faithfulness, unconditional love, redemption from sin & protection for those who are cast off from others. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 4 through 9 let us know that God cares for the homeless, lost, hungry and thirsty. When they cry to Him for help He rescues them. He will lead them to safety, a place where they can live, eat and drink. He does this with good things, not bad things. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 10 through 16 show us that God will also help those who are in darkness, depressed & miserable. When they cry for help He will be there to lead them out of the darkness and depression. He will break the chains of their misery. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
I like the way the Message Bible renders verses 17-18:
Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn't stand the sight of food,
so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.
When these people cry for help God is there. Verse 20 says it best, "He sent out His Word and healed them". What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 23 through 32 depict how God interacts with the natural world. How He works with the oceans and wind and the waves. They can be stirred up to bring confusion, disorientation and distress. With one word He can calm any stormy seas and bring to peace any bad weather. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 33 through 38 really show us a picture of God that lets us know that in any climate, in any weather, in any drought that He is in control. He can turn what looks like a famine into a return 100 times what was planted. Where on earth did I get that from? I will show you:
Genesis 26:1-6 & 12-15
1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.
If God can do it for Isaac then He can do it for me and He can do it for you. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 39 through 43 show us again that God will not allow His children to be wiped from the earth. It says that when they are low in number and are oppressed, troubled and sorrowful that He will cause those who are bringing this on His children to become confused and to wander about. He rescues the poor from trouble and bring increase to their household. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Father I thank You for Your everlasting love for me and for all who read this. I praise Your name forever because it is worthy to be praised! I thank You for all that You have done for me, in me and through me and I praise You that You are not done with me yet. I am truly honored to serve You and to be called one of Your children. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Friday, May 15, 2009
His Love Endures Forever!
Psalm 106:1-5, 47-48
1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
47 Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD.
Wow! It has been too long since I last wrote anything down. I am ashamed of my lack of performance in getting into His Word. I praise God for His faithfulness to me even when I am not as faithful to Him. The verses between verse 5 and verse 47 are an accounting of areas that the children of Israel did not follow God like they should have. I was living in these verses the past 16 days. It seems like ages have past.
I am truly thankful that God does not hold my sins or lack of getting His Word out to others against me. I am righteous in His sight because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. Praise God! I can boldly come to you today and proclaim God's faithfulness will long outlast my faithfulness to Him. I do praise God because His love does endure forever. I may try to proclaim the mighty acts of God and what He has done, but none can do it quite like His own Word. Doing what is right is doing what God calls you to do.
God has called me to be in the businesses I am currently in and to start more as He leads. I am called to preach the Good News to the lost and to share the love of Jesus with everyone I meet. I am called to be the head and not the tail, to be above and not beneath, to be healthy, to be wise and to be prosperous. I am called to be a sower of the seed of the Word of God and to be generous with my sowing. I am called to love my wife like Christ loves the church. I am called to be a light in the darkness and to shine the light of God's love and not hide that light. I am called to be hungry for His Word and I am called to meditate on His Word day and night. I am called to not look back at what has happened, good or bad, but to look forward to what God has next for me.
Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
47 Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD.
Wow! It has been too long since I last wrote anything down. I am ashamed of my lack of performance in getting into His Word. I praise God for His faithfulness to me even when I am not as faithful to Him. The verses between verse 5 and verse 47 are an accounting of areas that the children of Israel did not follow God like they should have. I was living in these verses the past 16 days. It seems like ages have past.
I am truly thankful that God does not hold my sins or lack of getting His Word out to others against me. I am righteous in His sight because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. Praise God! I can boldly come to you today and proclaim God's faithfulness will long outlast my faithfulness to Him. I do praise God because His love does endure forever. I may try to proclaim the mighty acts of God and what He has done, but none can do it quite like His own Word. Doing what is right is doing what God calls you to do.
God has called me to be in the businesses I am currently in and to start more as He leads. I am called to preach the Good News to the lost and to share the love of Jesus with everyone I meet. I am called to be the head and not the tail, to be above and not beneath, to be healthy, to be wise and to be prosperous. I am called to be a sower of the seed of the Word of God and to be generous with my sowing. I am called to love my wife like Christ loves the church. I am called to be a light in the darkness and to shine the light of God's love and not hide that light. I am called to be hungry for His Word and I am called to meditate on His Word day and night. I am called to not look back at what has happened, good or bad, but to look forward to what God has next for me.
Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Are You Speaking Out?
Psalm 107:1-2
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
This seems pretty timely for me. I have been giving thanks to the Lord because He is so good to me. I know that His faithful love endures forever. His shed blood has redeemed me from my sins. Have I been speaking out? It depends. I have been posting faithfully on facebook, but I have not been sharing with others face to face. I need to tell others that Jesus has redeemed me and He can redeem them as well. I will be going out on the streets on Friday to share with the Hispanic community in St. Paul at the Cinco de Mayo festival. This is such a great time and I love going.
I know this verse is from the Old Testament, but are there any more verses that talk about sharing our faith with others in the New Testament? Let's see.
Mark 16:15-18
15 And then he [Jesus] told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
Jesus then made these statements to them:
Acts 1:4-5, 8
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Notice here that they were not supposed to tell others about Jesus until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. That must pretty important if Jesus told them to do it that way. What happened when they listened? After they were all filled with the Holy Spirit Peter preached the first sermon of the new church and about 3,000 people believed in Jesus and were baptized. Could Peter have accomplished this task without the Holy Spirit? I don't think he could. He was so wishy-washy that he would not have been bold enough nor would he have had the right words to say to be that effective. He couldn't even convice three people that he didn't know who Jesus was so how could he have been able to lead 3,000 to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Savior? Bottom line, he couldn't. There's evidence of this in the following:
Acts 4:13-14
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.
Peter and John had been called in front of the council because a man was healed through the power of the Holy Spirit and then Peter boldly proclaimed to the council in whose authority they had done what they did for the man. You can see that there is a change because of the Holy Spirit. They were not that bold before they had Him in their lives.
Does having the Holy Spirit and proclaiming the saving grace of Jesus mean that everyone will love you? No. Here is an example of what they early apostles went through and were able to go through because of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5:12-42
12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”
21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.
When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. 22 But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, 23 “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. 25 Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”
26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. 27 Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 28 “Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?” he demanded. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. 31 Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. 32 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. 35 Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! 36 Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. 37 After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
Here is one of the most empowering statements in the whole bible, " 38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” When you do what God instructs you to do in the way He instructs you to do it you will not be able to be overthrown by the devil or any human being used by the devil. The main reason is that Jesus has already defeated him and when we as born again, spirit filled believers know that and walk in that with confidence there is nothing the devil can do to us to disuade us from God's plan for us. The devil knows this to be true. Praise God forever!
My admonition to you today is to follow God's plan for your life. Share Jesus with those you come into contact with each day in the way God shows you to do it. It won't always be the same, but if you ask Him to show you who to share with He will give you the words to say. Praise God for His faithfulness and for His plan for each of you and for me. I leave you with the benediction:
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
This seems pretty timely for me. I have been giving thanks to the Lord because He is so good to me. I know that His faithful love endures forever. His shed blood has redeemed me from my sins. Have I been speaking out? It depends. I have been posting faithfully on facebook, but I have not been sharing with others face to face. I need to tell others that Jesus has redeemed me and He can redeem them as well. I will be going out on the streets on Friday to share with the Hispanic community in St. Paul at the Cinco de Mayo festival. This is such a great time and I love going.
I know this verse is from the Old Testament, but are there any more verses that talk about sharing our faith with others in the New Testament? Let's see.
Mark 16:15-18
15 And then he [Jesus] told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
Jesus then made these statements to them:
Acts 1:4-5, 8
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Notice here that they were not supposed to tell others about Jesus until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. That must pretty important if Jesus told them to do it that way. What happened when they listened? After they were all filled with the Holy Spirit Peter preached the first sermon of the new church and about 3,000 people believed in Jesus and were baptized. Could Peter have accomplished this task without the Holy Spirit? I don't think he could. He was so wishy-washy that he would not have been bold enough nor would he have had the right words to say to be that effective. He couldn't even convice three people that he didn't know who Jesus was so how could he have been able to lead 3,000 to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Savior? Bottom line, he couldn't. There's evidence of this in the following:
Acts 4:13-14
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.
Peter and John had been called in front of the council because a man was healed through the power of the Holy Spirit and then Peter boldly proclaimed to the council in whose authority they had done what they did for the man. You can see that there is a change because of the Holy Spirit. They were not that bold before they had Him in their lives.
Does having the Holy Spirit and proclaiming the saving grace of Jesus mean that everyone will love you? No. Here is an example of what they early apostles went through and were able to go through because of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5:12-42
12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”
21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.
When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. 22 But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, 23 “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. 25 Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”
26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. 27 Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 28 “Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?” he demanded. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. 31 Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. 32 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. 35 Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! 36 Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. 37 After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
Here is one of the most empowering statements in the whole bible, " 38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” When you do what God instructs you to do in the way He instructs you to do it you will not be able to be overthrown by the devil or any human being used by the devil. The main reason is that Jesus has already defeated him and when we as born again, spirit filled believers know that and walk in that with confidence there is nothing the devil can do to us to disuade us from God's plan for us. The devil knows this to be true. Praise God forever!
My admonition to you today is to follow God's plan for your life. Share Jesus with those you come into contact with each day in the way God shows you to do it. It won't always be the same, but if you ask Him to show you who to share with He will give you the words to say. Praise God for His faithfulness and for His plan for each of you and for me. I leave you with the benediction:
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
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