Monday, December 28, 2020

12/28/20 WHAT’S NEW? #7 — Lamentations 3:22-23 (HCSB) Because of the LORD’s FAITHFUL LOVE we do not perish, for HIS MERCIES never end. 23 They are NEW every morning; great is Your FAITHFULNESS!

“FAITHFUL LOVE”: This Heb. word, used about 250 times in the OT, refers to God's gracious love. It is a comprehensive term that encompasses love, grace, mercy, goodness, forgiveness, truth, compassion, and faithfulness.

HIS MERCIES never end. They are NEW every morning”: As bleak as the situation of judgment had become, God's covenant lovingkindness was always present (cf. vv. 31, 32), and His incredible faithfulness always endured so that Judah would not be destroyed forever (cf. Mal 3:6).

great is Your FAITHFULNESS: The bedrock of faith is the reality that God keeps all His promises according to His truthful, faithful character. [adapted from The MacArthur Study Bible]

My former pastor Dr. Ron Herrod once said that he took some pictures to the camera shop to be developed (in the “old days”). When he received them, he saw one of himself that he thought didn’t look good. He told the clerk, “This picture doesn’t do me justice.” The man looked at the picture, then at Ron, and exclaimed, “Sir, you don’t need justice; what you need is MERCY!” And so it is with each of us! Thank the Lord that HIS MERCIES never run out; they are NEW every morning!

Friday, December 25, 2020

12/25/20 WHAT’S NEW? #6 — Luke 2:10-11 (HCSB) But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you GOOD NEWS of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

“GOOD NEWS” is “euangelizo” in NT Greek, from which we get “Evangelism!” “Great” is “mega-” and “joy” is “chara,” Together “great joy” could be translated as “maximum joy,” “excessive gladness, or “full cheerfulness.” The angel announced to the shepherds the VERY BEST NEWS there has ever been! God had finally fulfilled His Genesis 3 promise to send us a “Savior,” a “Messiah,” who just happens to God (“the Lord”) as well. He would fix the mess that Adam and Eve made with their sin and which each and every one of us has contributed nearly every day of our lives.

THAT is the REAL MEANING of CHRISTMAS; Jesus really IS the REASON for the SEASON! Praise the Lord. I hope you can embrace this GOOD NEWS and enjoy the merriest, godliest Christmas ever!

Monday, December 21, 2020

12/21/20 WHAT’S NEW? #5 — Isaiah 65:17 (HCSB) “For I will create a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH; the past events will not be remembered or come to mind.” — Israel's future kingdom will include a temporal kingdom of a thousand years (see Rev 20:1-10) and an eternal kingdom in God's new creation (51:6, 16; 54:10; 66:22).

2 Peter 3:13 But based on His promise, we wait for the NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH, where righteousness will dwell. — The "promise" of a new universe is rooted in the OT (e.g., Ps 102:25). The word "new" means new in quality, i.e., different from before, not just new in chronology. The universe is new in quality because righteousness has settled in and taken up permanent and exclusive residence (cf. Isa 60:19-22).

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. — All the sinners of all the ages, both demons and men, including Satan, the beast, and false prophet, are in the lake of fire forever. The whole universe has been destroyed, and God creates a new universe to be the eternal dwelling place of the redeemed. The entire universe as we now know it will be destroyed and be replaced by a new creation that will last forever. [adapted from The MacArthur Study Bible]

Friday, December 18, 2020

12/18/20 WHAT’S NEW? #4 — Isaiah 62:2 (HCSB) Nations will see your righteousness and all kings, your glory. You will be CALLED BY A NEW NAME that the LORD’s mouth will announce.

Most of chapters 1-35 of the book of Isaiah involve God’s declaring His frustration with the faithlessness of His people, His rejection of them and His plans to remove them from the Holy Land. He predicts that other nations will regard them as a humiliated, rejected, useless people.

But in the last third of the book, Isaiah the prophet describes the character and mission of the Messiah—Who is the Conquering King AND the Suffering Servant. Then God promises to remember His covenants He made with Abraham, Moses, David and so on. Eventually, someday in the future, God will restore His people to their former position at the head of the nations of the earth. And their enemies will no longer refer to them with the slurs of the past. Because of God’s intervention, they will have a NEW reputation, indeed, a NEW NAME.

When our politicians, celebrities, news anchors, and even neighbors say awful things about Christians, let’s remember that God promises to set ALL things right someday, (hopefully) SOON!

Monday, December 14, 2020

12/14/20 WHAT’S NEW? #3 — Isaiah 48:6 (HCSB) You have heard it. Observe it all. Will you not acknowledge it? From now on I will ANNOUNCE NEW THINGS to you, HIDDEN things that YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN.

In the preceding verses, God expresses His frustration over the unfaithfulness of the northern kingdom of Israel. He reminds them that He deliberately predicted many of the current events long ago so that when these things happened they would recognize God’s working on their behalf. Instead they have turned to false gods and have begun to trust them. So God says that from that time on He would ANNOUNCE (predict) brand NEW THINGS, thus far HIDDEN from them and not KNOWN to them.

Let’s RECOMMIT ourselves to READ, MEDITATE on and MEMORIZE God’s Word more frequently and faithfully than ever before. Plus, the Bible is clear that our Heavenly Father is a communicating God; He wants us to know His plans and will (Amos 3:7; Romans 12:2 ). Let’s converse with Him regularly in prayer and ask Him to show us and plan to involve us in His brand NEW projects.

Friday, December 11, 2020

12/07/20 WHAT’S NEW? #2 — Isaiah 43:18-19 (HCSB) Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. 19 Look, I am about to DO SOMETHING NEW; even NOW it is COMING. DO YOU NOT SEE IT? Indeed, I WILL MAKE A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS, RIVERS IN THE DESERT.

Deliverances of the nation in the past will pale into insignificance in comparison with the future deliverance the Lord will give His people… In the Messiah's future kingdom, the barren places of Israel will be well-watered and will supply refreshment for God's chosen people (adapted from The MacArthur Study Bible).

You can find many verses in the Bible to build a pretty strong case that God is utterly unchangeable and predictable. BUT you can find just as many verses that challenge us to remember that God is frequently up to something NEW, something no one could have foreseen (unless He revealed it to them).

For so many churches it’s so easy to keep doing exactly what they’ve been doing. But “if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting!” And, for most American churches, that’s not good enough. Ask God to do something entirely new and to tell your leaders about it so that all of you can be part of God’s solution instead of part of the problem!

Monday, December 7, 2020

12/07/20 WHAT’S NEW? #2 — Isaiah 43:18-19 (HCSB) Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. 19 Look, I am about to DO SOMETHING NEW; even NOW it is COMING. DO YOU NOT SEE IT? Indeed, I WILL MAKE A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS, RIVERS IN THE DESERT.

Deliverances of the nation in the past will pale into insignificance in comparison with the future deliverance the Lord will give His people… In the Messiah's future kingdom, the barren places of Israel will be well-watered and will supply refreshment for God's chosen people (adapted from The MacArthur Study Bible).

You can find many verses in the Bible to build a pretty strong case that God is utterly unchangeable and predictable. BUT you can find just as many verses that challenge us to remember that God is frequently up to something NEW, something no one could have foreseen (unless He revealed it to them).

For so many churches it’s so easy to keep doing exactly what they’ve been doing. But “if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting!” And, for most American churches, that’s not good enough. Ask God to do something entirely new and to tell your leaders about it so that all of you can be part of God’s solution instead of part of the problem!

Friday, December 4, 2020

12/04/20 WHAT’S NEW? #2 — Psalm 33:3 (HCSB) Sing a NEW SONG to Him; PLAY SKILLFULLY on the strings, with a JOYFUL SHOUT. Psalm 40:3 (HCSB) He put a NEW SONG in my mouth, A HYMN OF PRAISE to our God. MANY will SEE AND FEAR and PUT THEIR TRUST IN THE LORD. (also Psalm 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; 42:10) — Besides praising God, our music should cause unbelievers to SEE that God actually exists, FEAR His righteous judgment and wrath, and PUT THEIR TRUST in Him!

Revelation 5:9 (HCSB) And they sang a NEW SONG: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. — OK, Jesus has told us the lyrics. Now, perhaps, some of you composers and arrangers need to create the score!

Revelation 14:3 (HCSB) They sang a NEW SONG before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, but NO ONE COULD LEARN THE SONG EXCEPT THE 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. — Surely, like me, there’s been a time when you heard a song you really liked, but no matter how hard you tried, you just could NOT “get it!” Sounds like that’s gonna happen for the vast majority of believers after Jesus’ Triumphal Return!?

Eph. 5:19 mentions “Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs.” Psalm is Greek for sacred music, usually with instrumental accompaniment. Hymn is Greek for sacred music (NOT a musical piece 100-150 years old in a hardback book in the back of the pew!). And “Song” in Greek is “ode!” Not much difference!?

Every great revival the world in church history has been accompanied by NEW MUSIC, SKILLFULLY composed, played and sung with JOY! Let’s stop the “Worship Wars” over church music and PRAISE Almighty God with many songs, many instruments, quiet and loud, slow and fast, old and NEW!

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

12/01/20 WHAT’S NEW? #1 — Ezra 9:8-9 (HCSB) 8 But now, for a brief moment, GRACE has come from Yahweh our God to PRESERVE A REMNANT for us and give us a stake in His Holy Place. Even in our slavery, God has given us NEW LIFE and LIGHT to our eyes. 9 Though we are slaves, our GOD HAS NOT ABANDONED US in our slavery. He has extended GRACE to us in the presence of the Persian kings, giving us NEW LIFE, so that we can REBUILD the house of our God and REPAIR its ruins, to give us a WALL in Judah and Jerusalem.

NEW LIFE and LIGHT: Scripture is clear that, as each of us begins life on earth, we are SPIRITUALLY DEAD. We are NOT ignorant and need a teacher. We are NOT sick and need a doctor. We are NOT lonely and in need of a good friend. We desperately need NEW SPIRITUAL LIFE; we need a SAVIOR and REDEEMER! Only then can we cast off the works of darkness and live in Christ’s NEW LIGHT!

REBUILD… REPAIR: In a survey of the OT Prophets I have done several times, I like to find all the “RE-Minders” in each book, i.e. words that begin with “re-,” such as renew, redeem, rebuild, repair, repent, remove, restore, etc. And, lo and behold, even though Ezra is not considered a prophetic book, we notice here that when God extends His Amazing GRACE to us and gives this NEW LIFE, He also gives us the ability to REBUILD and REPAIR our “RUIN”ed cultures, churches and families, so that we are PROTECTED as if by a “WALL.”