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Life in Christ is not some suspended state where the believer simply sits around and waits for the trip home while acquiring wealth and power. As Paul brings the letter to the Ephesians to its conclusion, he explains that war that rages in unseen places and we are involved in the conflict. Paul tells the Ephesians to be strong and stand.
Paul then juxtaposes the fruit of the Spirit with the works of the flesh. Here one finds the beauty of the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer next to the destructive works of the flesh. This fruit is the result of a rooted abiding. This fruit is not perfect immediately, but it grows over time as we abide in Jesus.
Isn’t it interesting that when God chose to announce the birth of the Messiah to the world, he didn’t inform the wealthy political leaders of the day? Instead, God chose to tell shepherds that were tending their flocks nearby. It is likely that the sheep being tending were the ones that were used in temple sacrifices.
Mary, now pregnant, goes to visit Elizabeth and upon Mary's greeting her baby begins to leap within her as she is filled with the Holy Spirit and begins to prophesy over her. Elizabeth proclaims that the mother of her Lord has come to visit her. Mary's response is to praise the Lord.
The Gospel of John begins with words that repeat the opening words of the book of Genesis. The phrase, in the beginning, is not simply pointing out history, chronology or a timeline. No, John introduces us to the "Word" of God who is God and therefore he is eternal and was an active agent in creation of the cosmos.
The God of judgment was nearer than any of the skeptics imagined. Malachi stressed that the coming of God would be both sure and sudden. The words suggest something shocking and unexpected, but certain.
God was wearied of his people persisting in sin. God had demonstrated his faithfulness over and over, and yet his people were faithless. They walked in ongoing patterns of disobedience. Even the reminder of the covenant with the priests pointed to God's faithfulness. They even had the audacity to question God's justice.
Rather than continue to insult God with their tainted sacrifices, it would be better, Malachi argued, to shut down the temple because the sacrifices were no longer accomplishing their purpose. It was all formalism, and it was doing more harm than good. The devastating prospect was that God found no pleasure in his people.
Jealousy causes God to act by pouring out his wrath which results in judicial reparation. Make no mistake, God is patient and slow to anger. He is not capricious, arbitrary, nor impetuous in the exercise of his wrath. His wrath is thoroughly planned and carefully placed.
Jonah was terribly displeased that God would relent concerning the destruction of Nineveh. Jonah felt that the Ninevites deserved judgment, and evidently he had felt this anger for some time. He who praised the gracious mercy of God earlier now denounces it.
The king was not sure that even these drastic measures would avert the calamity, but he hoped that God would withdraw his burning anger and spare Nineveh. The king, though he was a pagan, recognized the sovereignty of God. Only God can change the disposition of the heart. God saw how the Ninevites responded, and he relented of the disaster that was headed straight for them.
Praying is sometimes our last resort. Jonah prayed out of his distress and cried for help from the depth of Sheol. He was as good as dead when he lifted up his desperate plea, but God heard the voice of his rebellious prophet Jonah and granted the petition for help.
Jonah would have been the first Israelite prophet to announce divine judgment to a foreign city, but here comes one of the surprising plot twists in the book. Jonah rebelled against the command of the Lord. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah fled to Tarshish. Initially, we are not given the reason for Jonah’s reluctance to proceed immediately to Nineveh. Jonah is simply a truant prophet of the Lord.
Solomon's heart was not wholly devoted to God like the heart of his father David. God was angry with Solomon because his devotion to him had grown cold. Solomon had been solemnly warned about the pursuit of other gods, but he had disregarded this command of the Lord. In his anger, the Lord pronounced a solemn judgment upon Solomon.
When he had finished praying, Solomon rose up and blessed the congregation. Solomon concluded his prayer with a brief exhortation that the people continue to demonstrate the piety and loyalty to God as they had during the building of the temple. 2 Chronicles 7:1 recounts how fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
Solomon indicated that he intended to work toward accomplishing the dream of his father by building a house for the name of Lord. The construction of the temple in Jerusalem would be one of the great achievements during Solomon's reign. Using plans designed by David, and the expertise of Phoenician craftsmen, Solomon went to work on this tremendous ancient work.
When would the evidence of God's divine endowment make itself manifest? It was not long before a case would come to Solomon that would require great wisdom. The case of two prostitutes, both claiming to be the mother of a baby, demonstrated the judicial wisdom that had been given to Solomon.
He was unsure of how to conduct himself as the new king. He also acknowledged that the nation had prospered to the point that the governance of it would be a major challenge even for an experienced leader. In light of these circumstances, Solomon asked God to give him a discerning heart that would qualify him to rule the people and to know the difference between what was true and false.
David encourages Solomon to be strong and follow after God by obeying his commands. If Solomon were to prosper, it would come about through faithful adherence to the law of Moses. David exhorted the young man to walk before God in truth with all his heart in order to experience the fulfillment of God’s promise of everlasting possession of the throne.
Then came the devastating pronouncement, “You are the man.” God had anointed David as king and delivered him from the hand of Saul. God had given Saul’s house, including his wives into the care of David along with both Judah and Israel and he would have given him many more blessings had he not despised the word of God and committing terrible evil.
