Ezekiel 34:11-16

God knows those who are His and He will find us no matter how far we roam. When we are hurt by the very people that are supposed to be our spiritual leaders He knows and He acts in our behalf. He takes our pain, shows us His truth and He turns what was meant to destroy us into our good.

Compare the Lord’s persistent shepherding and guiding of His people with the faithlessness of Israel’s leaders. See also Ps. 23, where similar ideas pertain to God’s shepherding of the individual rather than corporate Israel. 

 Ezekiel 34:11-16

¹¹ ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. ¹² As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. ¹³ And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. ¹⁴ I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. ¹⁶ “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.” 

Acts 16:29-34

What must we do to be saved? Believe in Jesus Christ......it is that simple. This precious gift of life cost God dearly but is given freely to you as a gift!

The events surrounding the arrest of Paul and Silas, the way they responded to suffering, and the mighty acts of God brought the jailer to his knees. He finally knew he needed God’s salvation. But how could he be reconciled to God? Paul and Silas’s answer was simple—just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. No other work was needed. The jailer and his family placed their trust in God and immediately expressed that faith by being baptized. 

Acts 16:29-34

²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 

³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. 

Luke 11:52-54

The Holy Spirit will take the things of God shown through Jesus’s life teachings and explain them to you so that you will not remain ignorant. Don’t let others steal the joy and peace that comes in being forgiven through the Cross. Faith alone pleases God! Whoever asks receives and whoever knocks the door is opened.

Jesus charged the lawyers with doing the opposite of what they claimed their calling to be. Rather than bringing people nearer to God, they had removed the possibility of their entering into that knowledge, and had prevented others from understanding as well.

The scribes and Pharisees began challenging Jesus in the hope that He might make a blunder that would allow them to destroy His ministry. They were lying in wait for Him.

Luke 11:52-54

⁵² “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” 

⁵³ And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him. 

Luke 13:1-5

Bad things happen!  Make peace asking for God’s forgiveness. Place your trust in Father, Son and Holy Spirit alone. Through Jesus and in the unity of the Spirit they will take your life and turn it into something usable for your good and the good of the Kingdom.

Jesus’ question reflected the opinion of His audience. The idea that judgment and death are the results of sin led to the belief that tragic death was the result of extreme sin. Jesus’ point here is that everyone stands at the edge of death until repentance occurs. The death in view here is spiritual, not physical.

The manner in which a person dies is not a measure of righteousness; what is important is not to die outside of God’s grace and care. The way to avoid such a fate is to repent, to come to God through the care of the physician Jesus.

Luke 13:1-5

13 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus answered and said to them,  “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? ³ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” 

Mark 2:17

Jesus, all God, came in the form of a man to save us from our own perceptions of self righteousness. What is impossible for us to accomplish He did. For there is no one righteous, no not one. Open your mind, heart and soul to Him who made you from the beginning and who has the means to save you for eternity....praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In this instance Jesus was speaking tongue-in-cheek when He used the word righteous. None are righteous, though some, such as the Pharisees, fancied themselves as such. Instead, Christ came to call sinners to repentance. Jesus did not condone the activities of sinners, but required repentance—a change of mind that recognizes the need of a Savior and recognizes Jesus Christ as the only Savior.

Mark 2:17

¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, He said to them,  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 

Nahum 3:3-4

Beware of the seductiveness of wealth and security. The parameters of this world drawn by evil’s close proximity will entice you to care about yourself, (your children, your family, your Church, your nation) only....God never intentioned it to be that way. Jesus was given as a light to all people so that all could be saved. He came with shouts of “Peace, peace to the people on earth”. 

 A Blessed Christmas to everyone near and far.

Horses and chariots were instruments of war. Verse 3 describes the horrors of the nation’s war machine, which resulted in countless corpses.

Harlotries refers to paganism. Any worship of gods other than the God of Scripture is an act of spiritual prostitution. Nineveh was so adept at pagan practices that the city earned the descriptive title, the mistress of sorceries.

Nahum 3:3-4

³ Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. 

There is a multitude of slain, 

A great number of bodies, 

Countless corpses— 

They stumble over the corpses— 

⁴ Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, 

The mistress of sorceries, 

Who sells nations through her harlotries, 

And families through her sorceries. 

Acts 13:44-47

God, all knowing, sent Jesus to save the whole world, so that anyone who believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life. The light of His truth sets man free from the tyranny of Satan’s evil rule that tries to bind him.

A person who convinces himself that he does not need forgiveness from the Holy One has already condemned himself.

Acts 13:44-47

⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. ⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us: 

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, 

That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 

Hosea 9:7

Do not fear man who can only destroy the body.....Fear God who has the power to destroy eternal life. We need to love one another and our enemies and treat all people with dignity and respect if we want to obtain peace and curb unrest. To hate is to break God’s command to love one another and treat others the way that we want to be treated. The opposite of God’s agape (uncondictional) love is satan’s hatred for all of God’s creation. Don’t be a pawn in evil’s game.

Sinful Israel disdained God’s true prophets, regarding them as raving maniacs. Enmity refers to strong resentment that can give rise to violent behavior.

Hosea 9:7

⁷ The days of punishment have come; 

The days of recompense have come. 

Israel knows! 

The prophet is a fool, 

The spiritual man is insane, 

Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity. 

Luke 11:42

The letter of the Law kills hope and breeds despair.  Christ is our only hope and He offers peace with God through His blood. What we could never earn through the law He freely gives to all who place their salvation and trust in Him alone! Remember His love covers a multitude of sin.

The Pharisees worried about tithing ten percent, even down to the smallest herbs, which were tithed according to the dictates of tradition, not the Law of Moses. However, they neglected two basic things that the prophets also had warned about: love and justice.

Luke 11:42

⁴² “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

Mark 6:4-6

God walked among them and they knew him not! How devastating that we could be near to Him and not recognize Him. Look around and see Him at work in your Church and in your life.

A prophet is not without honor except in his own country is a maxim still repeated and still true today. 

Mark 6:4-6

⁴ But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” ⁵ Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. 

2 Corinthians 2:5-11

In the manner that we judge we will be judged and in the manner that we forgive we shall be forgiven. That pretty much sums up how we should treat others and how others should treat us. Satan would like nothing more than divide us.

The purpose of church discipline is repentance and restoration. Forgiveness should always follow the correction, just as Christ instructed. One of Satan’s devices, or designs, is to cheat the believer out of true forgiveness. The devil will try to divide the church any way he can.

2 Corinthians 2:5-11

⁵ But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. ⁶ This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, ⁷ so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

Psalm 46:1-2

What comfort there is in knowing that no matter what life throws at us we are never left alone. God works those troubles into our good if we just trust in Him!

Our refuge and strength may be rephrased “our impenetrable defense.” The psalms regularly use imagery of a fortress to describe God. In the ancient Middle East, cities were built on heights with high walls for defense. Yet there was no city and no defensive structure that was impenetrable. However, the psalmist describes here the One who is a sure defense.

God is a refuge for His people against everything actual or imagined.

Psalm 46:1-2

¹ God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 

² Therefore we will not fear, 

Even though the earth be removed, 

And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 

Luke 1:29-33

Can you imagine the fear and anticipation of Mary? A young virgin visited by an angel and asked to accept by faith the impossible to bring forth the almighty Son Of God. She willingly accepted the will of God upon her life and brought forth the earth’s only hope for salvation. Blessed be her name and the fruit of her womb.

Jesus fulfilled (and will fulfill) God’s promise to David concerning an unending dynasty. The OT develops in detail this promise of an eternal Davidic kingdom. Mary was blessed because she received God’s favor and grace and accepted her part in His eternal plan to save us.

Luke 1:29-33

²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 

Hosea 10:12

The sure mercies offered in Jesus Christ will not always be here for the accepting....seek Him now!

Hosea calls the people to repentance, reminding them that a decision could not be postponed, and that God’s blessings could still be restored. In Israel’s case, the people had to reestablish social justice—righteousness—and loyalty—mercy—in the land.

Plowing and planting are necessary preliminary steps for growing a crop, which eventually sprouts when the rain falls in season. In the same way, repentance would set the stage for restored blessing, which God would eventually rain down on His people.

Hosea 10:12

¹² Sow for yourselves righteousness; 

Reap in mercy; 

Break up your fallow ground, 

For it is time to seek the Lord, 

Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. 

Nahum 1:15

God wins.....trust Him! Jesus was born with shouts of Peace, peace to the people on earth! He came to bring good tidings of salvation to all who would accept His gift.

The image is that of a herald of peace. 

With the promise of future deliverance from oppression, the prophet called for the people to live in righteousness and expectation. There is nothing better for the people of God in any age than to live in obedience to Him and in anticipation of His coming deliverance.

Nahum 1:15

¹⁵ Behold, on the mountains 

The feet of him who brings good tidings, 

Who proclaims peace! 

O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, 

Perform your vows. 

For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; 

He is utterly cut off. 

Jeremiah 1:4-8

If God leads you to it He will get you through it. God uses whom He wills and all we need to be is willing and compliant.

Jeremiah was keenly aware that the call of God in his life had been determined by God from before his conception. As God’s word became a reality in his life, the prophet understood that God knew him and had called him to proclaim a critical message at a crucial point in the history of the nation. The word knew refers to an intimate knowledge that comes from relationship and personal commitment. That intimate relationship was made apparent in God’s sanctifying work, whereby Jeremiah was “set apart” (made holy) for special service. Jeremiah’s role was to be a prophet to the nation of Judah as well as a messenger of God for all nations.

Jeremiah would not go and speak alone or of his own accord, but according to the word of the Lord and with His powerful presence. The term deliver is used in Jeremiah to indicate the saving of the people from their captors, the deliverance of the poor from their oppressors, and the safety of the prophet from possible harm before national leaders.

Jeremiah 1:4-8

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; 

Before you were born I sanctified you; 

I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” 

⁶ Then said I: 

“Ah, Lord God! 

Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” 

⁷ But the Lord said to me: 

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ 

For you shall go to all to whom I send you, 

And whatever I command you, you shall speak. 

⁸ Do not be afraid of their faces, 

For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. 

Isaiah 46:12-13

God is merciful and kind even when we stray far from Him but there will come an end to the grace He has extended in Jesus Christ. We stay grounded in our circumstances out of fear of the unknown or complacency. It is easier to be stagnant than to reach for the Star of Bethlehem.

As there were those in the first Exodus who longed to return to Egypt, so in the second Exodus there would be those who refused to leave the comfort and security of Babylon and Persia. In spite of the Israelites’ long history of rebellion, God loves His people Israel and has never utterly cast them aside.

Isaiah 46:12-13

¹² “Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, 

Who are far from righteousness: 

¹³ I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; 

My salvation shall not linger. 

And I will place salvation in Zion, 

For Israel My glory. 

Mark 4:39-41

^{One of the hardest things that we will ever do is to put our total trust in God to direct our lives and to protect us from the unknown. It is this total trust that elevates us above ourself and into His agape love. At this Holy time of the year it is good to remember that He sent His only begotten Son that we could have an abundant life free from fear.}

Jesus’ command over the wind and the sea demonstrates His full and complete deity. Only God the Creator can calm wind and sea. Mark uses the disciples’ question “Who can this be?” to evoke a similar response in the minds of his readers. Mark relates the works and words of the one he calls “Jesus Christ, the Son of God”

^{Mark 4:39-41}

³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ But He said to them,  “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” 

John 8:34-36

What is impossible for man is accomplished through the Son. Faith alone pleases the Father and His priceless gift to us cost Him everything so that we could be set free from the tyranny of sin and death. Believe in Him!

Jesus was speaking of spiritual slavery. Such a slave cannot break away from his bondage. He must have someone else set him free.

A slave was not a permanent resident of a house. A son remained a family member with family privileges forever. This proverbial saying is applied in v. 36. The application proves that the “Son” here is Jesus Christ . As a family member, the Son can bestow family privileges on others.

John 8:34-36

³⁴ Jesus answered them,  “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 

Luke 12:47-48

There is a price to pay for being enlightened to the truth of Jesus Christ. We would do well to consider the cost and then to choose our path with care. Those who hold onto the truth until the end of their tenure here on earth will be rewarded for their faithfulness. According to the Scriptures  the only unforgivable sin is calling what is done through the Holy Spirit evil. God will not tolerate us grieving His heart, the Holy Spirit, who gives us light through sharing with us the truth of His Son.

 The parable suggests degrees of God’s punishment: The faithful are rewarded, the ignorant are disciplined a little, the disobedient are disciplined moderately, and the blatantly disobedient are executed. In each case, the stewardship of the servant is evaluated.

Luke 12:47-48

⁴⁷ And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. ⁴⁸ But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. 

Jeremiah 39:15-18

From the beginning it was meant to be so......put your trust in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and then let go and let God be God! No matter what adversity life brings, in Him you are safe, loved and protected and He will turn it for your good.

Ebed-Melech, who had carefully rescued Jeremiah from the muddy cistern in the prison court, was promised safety and deliverance by the Lord because of his assistance to Jeremiah and because he had put his trust in God.

Jeremiah 39:15-18

¹⁵ Meanwhile the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, ¹⁶ “Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. ¹⁷ But I will deliver you in that day,” says the Lord, “and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. ¹⁸ For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,” says the Lord.’ ”