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dfroza · 5 years

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A look upon the genesis of earth

and of the universe in Today’s reading of the book of Jeremiah that should spark reverence in each One of Us:

By his power he made earth.

His wisdom gave shape to the world.

He crafted the cosmos.

He thunders and rain pours down.

He sends the clouds soaring.

He embellishes the storm with lightnings,

launches the wind from his warehouse.

Stick-god worshipers look mighty foolish!

god-makers embarrassed by their handmade gods!

Their gods are frauds, dead sticks—

deadwood gods, tasteless jokes.

They’re nothing but stale smoke.

When the smoke clears, they’re gone.

But the Portion-of-Jacob is the real thing;

he put the whole universe together,

With special attention to Israel.

His name? God-of-the-Angel-Armies!

The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 51:15-19 (The Message)

to be accompanied by the lines of Psalm 16 and Proverbs 16 that coincide with September 16:

[Psalm 16]

The Golden Secret

A precious song, engraved in gold, by King David

Keep me safe, O mighty God.

I run for dear life to you, my safe place.

So I said to the Lord God,

“You are my Maker, my Mediator, and my Master.

Any good thing you find in me has come from you.”

And he said to me, “My holy lovers are wonderful,

my majestic ones, my glorious ones,

fulfilling all my desires.”

Yet there are those who yield to their weakness,

and they will have troubles and sorrows unending.

I never gather with such ones,

nor give them honor in any way.

Lord, I have chosen you alone as my inheritance.

You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion.

I leave my destiny and its timing in your hands.

Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.

I’m overwhelmed by the privileges

that come with following you,

for you have given me the best!

The way you counsel and correct me makes me praise you more,

for your whispers in the night give me wisdom,

showing me what to do next.

Because you are close to me and always available,

my confidence will never be shaken,

for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment.

My heart and soul explode with joy—full of glory!

Even my body will rest confident and secure.

For you will not abandon me to the realm of death,

nor will you allow your Holy One to experience corruption.

For you bring me a continual revelation of resurrection life,

the path to the bliss that brings me face-to-face with you.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 16 (The Passion Translation)

[Proverbs 16]

Go ahead and make all the plans you want,

but it’s the Lord who will ultimately direct your steps.

We are all in love with our own opinions,

convinced they’re correct.

But the Lord is in the midst of us,

testing and probing our every motive.

Before you do anything,

put your trust totally in God and not in yourself.

Then every plan you make will succeed.

The Lord works everything together to accomplish his purpose.

Even the wicked are included in his plans—

he sets them aside for the day of disaster.

Exalting yourself is disgusting to the Lord,

for pride attracts his punishment—

and you can count on that!

You can avoid evil through surrendered worship

and the fear of God,

for the power of his faithful love

removes sin’s guilt and grip over you.

When the Lord is pleased with the decisions you’ve made,

he activates grace to turn enemies into friends.

It is better to have little with a heart that loves justice

than to be rich and not have God on your side.

Within your heart you can make plans for your future,

but the Lord chooses the steps you take to get there.

[Living like a King]

A king speaks the revelation of truth,

so he must be extraordinarily careful in the decrees that he makes.

The Lord expects you to be fair in every business deal,

for he is the one who sets the standards for righteousness.

Kings and leaders despise wrongdoing,

for the true authority to rule and reign

is built on a foundation of righteousness.

Kings and leaders love to hear godly counsel,

and they love those who tell them the truth.

The anger of a king releases the messenger of death,

but a wise person will know how to pacify his wrath.

Life-giving light streams from the presence of a king,

and his favor is showered upon those who please him.

Everyone wants gold, but wisdom’s worth is far greater.

Silver is sought after,

but a heart of understanding yields a greater return.

Repenting from evil places you on the highway of holiness.

Protect purity and you protect your life.

Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure.

The higher you lift up yourself in pride,

the harder you’ll fall in disgrace.

It’s better to be meek and lowly and live among the poor

than to live high and mighty among the rich and famous.

One skilled in business discovers prosperity,

but the one who trusts in God is blessed beyond belief!

[Walking with Wisdom]

The one with a wise heart is called “discerning,”

and speaking sweetly to others

makes your teaching even more convincing.

Wisdom is a deep well of understanding

opened up within you as a fountain of life for others,

but it’s senseless to try to instruct a fool.

Winsome words pour from a heart of wisdom,

adding value to all you teach.

Nothing is more appealing

than speaking beautiful, life-giving words.

For they release sweetness to our souls

and inner healing to our spirits.

Before every person there is a path

that seems like the right one to take,

but it leads straight to hell!

Life motivation comes from the deep longings of the heart,

and the passion to see them fulfilled urges you onward.

A wicked scoundrel wants to dig up dirt on others,

only to spread slander and shred their reputation.

A twisted person spreads rumors;

a whispering gossip ruins good friendships.

A vicious criminal can be persuasive,

enticing others to join him as partners in crime,

but he leads them all down a despicable path.

It’s easy to tell when a wicked man

is hatching some crooked scheme—

it’s written all over his face.

His looks betray him as he gives birth to his sin.

Old age with wisdom will crown you with dignity and honor,

for it takes a lifetime of righteousness to acquire it.

Do you want to be a mighty warrior?

It’s better to be known as one who is patient and slow to anger.

Do you want to conquer a city?

Rule over your temper before you attempt to rule a city.

We may toss the coin and roll the dice,

but God’s will is greater than luck.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 16 (The Passion Translation)

my reading in the Scriptures for September 16, day 88 of Summer and day 259 of the year:

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comebeforegod · 5 years

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Why Did the Lord Jesus Give Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven

By Yang Qing

I Was Confused When Reading the Scriptures

When reading the verses, I thought: There were twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus, but why did He give the keys to Peter rather than the others? What did Peter do so that the Lord was so pleased with him? If I can figure these questions out and act according to Peter’s actions, then won’t I also earn the Lord’s praise and in the future enter into the kingdom of heaven? However, I still didn’t make them clear after reading these verses several times and then I had to eat breakfast first and go to work.

I Found the Answers After Consulting My Colleague

During the lunch break, I inquired of a colleague who believed in the Lord, and she was glad to help me.

She said, “In the past I was puzzled by the scripture, too. Later, I read Matthew 16: 13-19 several times and contemplated them carefully. Thank God’s enlightenment. I came to understand the Lord’s will.

We can see from Matthew 16:13-16 that when the Lord Jesus asked His several disciples, ‘Whom do men say that I the Son of man am,’ some of them said He was John the Baptist, some said Elijah, some said Jeremiah, and only Peter said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ From this, we can see that among the twelve disciples, only Peter knew the Lord Jesus is the coming Messiah, Christ. Peter confirmed the Lord Jesus was Christ through His work and words. No matter how the Pharisees condemned, attacked and judged the Lord Jesus, he wasn’t deceived but just obeyed the guidance and will of the Holy Spirit and followed the Lord Jesus all the time. From this, we know Peter had true knowledge of the Lord Jesus. In addition, when the soldiers came to seize the Lord, Peter darted forward to protect the Lord and cut off a soldier’s ear. His action was a result of being hot-blooded and a little rude, which was not in line with the Lord’s will, but from another angle, in the presence of such a danger, that Peter did this showed he truly loved the Lord. Besides, after the Lord rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, Peter shepherded the churches according to the Lord’s commands and finally he was crucified upside down for the Lord, thereby bearing beautiful and resounding witness. From these things, we can also see Peter truly loved the Lord, or he wouldn’t risk his life to protect the Lord, nor would he pledge to follow the Lord till death and spread His gospel, much less bear the testimonies of submitting to God unto his death and loving Him to the extreme.”

I nodded and said, “That’s right. Among the twelve disciples, only Peter recognized the Lord Jesus was Christ. Peter indeed had true knowledge of the Lord.”

My colleague went on talking, “The Lord Jesus said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment’ (Matthew 22:37-38). ‘If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our stayed with him. He that loves me not keeps not my sayings’ (John 14:23-24). ‘Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven’ (Matthew 7:21). Peter observed the greatest commandment—loving the Lord, so that he wasn’t afraid of the soldiers protected the Lord. What’s more, he could even lay down his life and be nailed upside down on the cross for the Lord’s sake, obeying God unto death. This was enough to show that he was the person who followed the way of the Lord. That the Lord Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven allows us to know Peter was a man after the Lord’s heart and his pursuit was approved by the Lord. In order to enter into the kingdom of heaven, we should imitate Peter and be a person who loves and knows the Lord. Only in this way can we receive His promises.”

After hearing her words, I saw the light and said, “It turns out that there are the earnest intentions of the Lord and His expectations of mankind in Him giving Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Then specifically how did Peter pursue to know and love the Lord?”

Only by Imitating the Pursuit of Peter, Will We Receive the Lord’s Approval

Hearing my words, she took out a tablet computer with delight and said to me, “Regarding how Peter pursued to love and know the Lord, I read two passages of words from a gospel website, which explain it very clearly. Allow me to read them to you.

‘Peter followed Jesus for a number of years and he saw many things in Jesus that people do not have. … Jesus’ every move acted as an exemplar for him in his life, and Jesus’ sermons were particularly engraved in his heart. He was very considerate of and dedicated to Jesus, and he never had complaints of Jesus. This is why he became Jesus’ faithful companion everywhere He went. Peter observed Jesus’ teachings, His gentle words, and what He ate, wore, His daily life, and His travels. He followed Jesus’ example in every way. He was not self-righteous, but he cast off all of his previous outdated things and followed Jesus’ example in word and deed. It was then that he felt that the heavens and earth and all things were within the hands of the Almighty, and for this reason he did not have his own choice, but he drew in everything that Jesus was to act as his exemplar’ (‘On the Life of Peter’).

‘After a period of experience, Peter saw in Jesus many of the deeds of God, saw the loveliness of God, and saw much of God’s being in Jesus. So too did he see that the words of Jesus could not have been spoken by man, and that the work Jesus did could not have been done by man. In Jesus’ words and actions, furthermore, Peter saw much of the wisdom of God, and much divine work. During his experiences, he did not merely come to know himself, but also focused on observing the actions of Jesus, from which he discovered many new things; namely, that there were many expressions of the practical God in the work that God did through Jesus, and that Jesus’ words, actions, the ways He shepherded the churches and the work He carried out differed from any ordinary man. Thus, from Jesus he learned many lessons that he was supposed to learn, and by the time Jesus was about to be nailed to the cross, he had gained some knowledge of Jesus—a knowledge which was the basis of his lifelong loyalty to Jesus, and of his crucifixion upside down for the sake of Jesus’” (“Only Those Who Know God Can Bear Testimony to God”).

Having heard these words, I said to her, “It turns out that when Peter lived with the Lord Jesus, he paid great attention to observing His words and the things that He did.”

She said, “Yes, from these two passages we can see Peter desired to know the Lord. When he was in contact with the Lord Jesus, he observed His every word and action. In the Lord Jesus, he saw much of the being of His divinity. For example, His words are full of authority and power; no one is capable of doing His work; no one possesses His mercy, love, patience and tolerance toward man. In addition, from the different ways that the Lord Jesus treated ordinary people and the Pharisees, Peter could see His holiness and righteousness. The Lord’s revelations and living out are all positive things and can bring light to man. Peter saw many adorable sides of God in the Lord Jesus, and these stirred up his love for the Lord. He took the Lord Jesus as an exemplar, was mindful of His will and had the utmost loyalty to Him, shepherding the churches and spreading His gospel. Besides, Peter firmly kept His words in mind, and always contemplated them and put them into practice. And he examined his own words and actions at all times. If he found there was something that he did was not according to the Lord’s words, he would pray to God and despise his rebelliousness. Thus he resolved to practice on the basis of the Lord’s words and follow the example of the Lord Jesus. Moreover, Peter stood as equal to the others when working and he didn’t put himself in a position of one of the Lord Jesus’ disciples, but only loved God and fulfilled his duty as a creature of God. No matter he encountered the derision of the unbelievers or the persecution of the ruling party, he had no complaints against God. No matter how many hardships he suffered and what kind of trials and refinements he faced, his love of God had never changed. Due to his pursuit, finally he could obey God unto death and love God to the utmost, and be nailed upside down on the cross for God’s sake. The Lord Jesus favored his humanity and his pursuit in believing in God, and knew he was the most worthy to be entrusted with everything and the most worthy of trust. Therefore, the Lord Jesus said, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona … and on this rock I will build my church…. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven’” (See Matthew 16:17-19).

When my colleague finished her words, I felt a special kind of brightness within and truly felt that God could see deep into the heart of man. It is not causeless that the Lord Jesus praised Peter and gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. In the past, because of Peter’s three denials of the Lord, I didn’t understand why the Lord praised him. Now, I realized I was so stupid and ignorant. The Lord considered the essence of a man, but I considered his momentary expressions. If I don’t put my conception aside and seek the Lord’s will, how can I not make mistakes? Through my colleague’s fellowship, I knew Peter was loved by God and he was our exemplar. Though I couldn’t live with the Lord today, I could imitate Peter to pursue to know the Lord, love the Lord and practice His words in real life. Only in this way can I receive the praise of the Lord and have the opportunity to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

I said to my colleague, “Thank the Lord for His guidance that allows me to hear such good preaching and have an abundant harvest. Thanks be to the Lord! Amen!”

She said with a smile, “Thank the Lord! Amen!”

#Knowing Jesus #Jesus Christ’s Ministry #Jesus’ Disciples Knowing God

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fear-god-shun-evil · 5 years

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Reasons of Jesus Giving Peter Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven

By Yang Qing

I Was Confused When Reading the Scriptures

This morning, after the morning prayer, I opened the Bible and read chapter 16, verse 19 of the Gospel of Matthew where the Lord Jesus said to Peter, “And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” When reading the verses, I thought: There were twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus, but why did He give the keys to Peter rather than the others? What did Peter do so that the Lord was so pleased with him? If I can figure these questions out and act according to Peter’s actions, then won’t I also earn the Lord’s praise and in the future enter into the kingdom of heaven? However, I still didn’t make them clear after reading these verses several times and then I had to eat breakfast first and go to work.

I Found the Answers After Consulting My Colleague

During the lunch break, I inquired of a colleague who believed in the Lord, and she was glad to help me.

I nodded and said, “That’s right. Among the twelve disciples, only Peter recognized the Lord Jesus was Christ. Peter indeed had true knowledge of the Lord.”

My colleague went on talking, “The Lord Jesus said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment’ (Matthew 22:37-38). ‘If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our stayed with him. He that loves me not keeps not my sayings’ (John 14:23-24). ‘Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven’ (Matthew 7:21). Peter observed the greatest commandment—loving the Lord, so that he wasn’t afraid of the soldiers and protected the Lord. What’s more, he could even lay down his life and be nailed upside down on the cross for the Lord’s sake, obeying God unto death. This was enough to show that he was the person who followed the way of the Lord. That the Lord Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven allows us to know Peter was a man after the Lord’s heart and his pursuit was approved by the Lord. In order to enter into the kingdom of heaven, we should imitate Peter and be a person who loves and knows the Lord. Only in this way can we receive His promises.”

Only by Imitating the Pursuit of Peter, Will We Receive the Lord’s Approval

Having heard these words, I said to her, “It turns out that when Peter lived with the Lord Jesus, he paid great attention to observing His words and the things that He did.”

She said, “Yes, from these two passages we can see Peter desired to know the Lord. When he was in contact with the Lord Jesus, he observed His every word and action. In the Lord Jesus, he saw much of the being of His divinity. For example, His words are full of authority and power; no one is capable of doing His work; no one possesses His mercy, love, patience and tolerance toward man. In addition, from the different ways that the Lord Jesus treated ordinary people and the Pharisees, Peter could see His holiness and righteousness. The Lord’s revelations and living out are all positive things and can bring light to man, Peter saw many adorable sides of God in the Lord Jesus, and these stirred up his love for the Lord. He took the Lord Jesus as an exemplar, was mindful of His will and had the utmost loyalty to Him, shepherding the churches and spreading His gospel. Besides, Peter firmly kept His words in mind, and always contemplated them and put them into practice. And he examined his own words and actions at all times. If he found there was something that he did was not according to the Lord’s words, he would pray to God and despise his rebelliousness. Thus he resolved to practice on the basis of the Lord’s words and follow the example of the Lord Jesus. Moreover, Peter stood as equal to the others when working and he didn’t put himself in a position of one of the Lord Jesus’ disciples, but only loved God and fulfilled his duty as a creature of God. No matter he encountered the derision of the unbelievers or the persecution of the ruling party, he had no complaints against God. No matter how many hardships he suffered and what kind of trials and refinements he faced, his love of God had never changed. Due to his pursuit, finally he could obey God unto death and love God to the utmost, and be nailed upside down on the cross for God’s sake. The Lord Jesus favored his humanity and his pursuit in believing in God, and knew he was the most worthy to be entrusted with everything and the most worthy of trust. Therefore, the Lord Jesus said, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona … and on this rock I will build my church…. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven’” (See Matthew 16:17-19).

I said to my colleague, “Thank the Lord for His guidance that allows me to hear such good preaching and have an abundant harvest. Thanks be to the Lord! Amen!”

She said with a smile, “Thank the Lord! Amen!”

#Lord Jesus #The Bible #the Son of man #Testimony #pray to God

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christinaepilzauthor-blog · 7 years

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Historic Places: Wittenberg

It may seem crazy for me to say that Wittenberg was one of my favorite destinations during a trip that included powerhouses like Paris, Florence, and Rome, but there it is. This little town, which one can easily stroll through in under 30 minutes had this Lutheran girl captivated from the moment I stepped off the train to see the building-sized 'Die Bibel' towering over me. Add in a few billboards marketing 'Luther-burgers' and posters shouting 'Luther!' and the anticipation was killing me by the time we reached Lutherhaus. Maybe I need to back up a bit. For those who do not have an obsession special interest in Martin Luther, the little village of Wittenberg (actually Lutherstadt Wittenberg) is where an unremarkable monk performed an act that would rock the world from its foundations almost exactly 500 years ago. When he nailed his 'Disputation on the Power of Indulgences' - or as they are much better known, the 95 Theses - to the door of Castle Church on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther had no idea what he was getting himself into. That church and the parish church where Luther spent much of his time preaching still stand in Wittenberg within view of each other and connected by a quaint cobblestone street. The entire area is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. I could go on and on about the history of Martin Luther and the Reformation, but let's just take a look at Wittenberg itself.

Lutherhaus

Upon entering Wittenberg, I had the wondrous sensation of being surrounded by an entire community that was just as enthusiastic about Martin Luther as I was. This doesn't happen in my lovely little hometown in Michigan. Just seeing his name and image everywhere I looked made me smile. What other Lutherans may not even realize is that Luther is known in Germany for more than his epiphany regarding the grace of God. He is widely revered as the father of the modern German language due to his extensive Bible translation work and other writings. But, I'm getting off course again. Back to Wittenberg . . . . Lutherhaus is one of the first places you encounter when entering Wittenberg. This former Augustinian monastery was home to Martin Luther when he was a monk and later became his family home, which was generously shared with a large variety of students and visitors. Now, it serves as a Reformation museum and something of a welcoming station for those visiting the village. One of the well-preserved rooms of the house is the living room where Luther held his famous Table Talks. The cozy atmosphere found within this sprawling structure gives life to the real family that lived within these walls. Other rooms were filled with pamphlets written by Luther, a thick first edition of the Bible translated into German, and even one of Luther's own study Bibles complete with verses underlined by his own hand! We saw 16th century priest's vestments, paintings, and even an old trunk used for carrying all those coins paid for indulgences.

And that was just at Lutherhaus. Due to our time being limited by the train schedule, we had to move on to see the rest of Wittenberg, though I could have spent hours taking in everything that was available here.

St Mary's Church

Continuing in Luther's footsteps along the 'historic mile' takes one past shops featuring every imaginable product with Luther's name or face emblazoned on it. I refrained....mostly. We went home with a Lutheran rose decal for my car, a Martin Luther shot glass, and a bottle of 'Reformator' liquor. Anyway, this walk will also take you past the home of friend of Martin Luther and fellow reformer, Philip Melanchthon. This building is an example of renaissance architecture and holds an exhibit of the Augsburg Confession. The steeples of Luther's parish church of St Mary's can also be seen upon exiting Lutherhaus.

Martin Luther gave hundreds of homilies inside this ancient church. With portions of it dating back to the 12th century, it is the oldest structure in Wittenberg. The key features of the church are the Protestant altarpiece and the baptismal font which was part of the church when Luther's own children were baptized there. This church was also the location of Luther's wedding when he married former nun, Katharina von Bora.

The Town Hall is only steps away from St Mary's and is home to a large statue of Martin Luther in its courtyard. Philip Melanchthon is also featured here. The pair are also found together near the altar of All Saint's, or Castle Church, the next stop on our trip through Wittenberg.

Castle Church

Walking toward Castle Church, it is obvious that necks are craning and eyes are straining for that first view of The Door. Unfortunately, the door, at least the original one which served as a community bulletin board of the 16th century, no longer exists. A steel door embossed with the words of the 95 Theses now stands in place of the destroyed wooden original. It is no less amazing to stand in front of it and know that this is where the first, maybe only vaguely interested, people stood and read Martin Luther's bold remarks about the corruption in the Catholic church.

Our tour guide and at least one book that I have read point out that it is unlikely that Luther actually nailed the theses to the door himself as history remembers. While he was not yet the famous figure he would become, Luther was an important man with servants and students to perform menial tasks such as this for him. Or maybe he, sensing that this was an important document that he might need to defend and discuss, did it himself. Does it really matter?

Not to me. I was thrilled just to be standing there.

Inside Castle Church, the air is thick with the cloud of witnesses that have worshiped there. Upon the tower of the church are engraved the words "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott" (A Mighty Fortress is Our God), and one can imagine a congregation, led by Martin Luther himself, singing it with their voices reaching the high arched ceiling above. In Luther's time, this was the new church, having been built in 1506. The graves of Luther and Melanchthon are found near the altar of this church made famous by their work as reformers. When Luther was buried there in 1546, it was Melanchthon who preached at his funeral.

It was such a blessing to visit this amazing town as it was preparing for the 500th anniversary of the posting of the 95 Theses. If you are ever in Berlin, I highly recommend you hop on the train and make your way to Lutherstadt Wittenberg and spend a day walking in Martin Luther's footsteps.

Source: Samantha Wilcoxson

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