by David Scott Robertson
(Gen 1:1 KJV) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
(Gen 1:2 KJV) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
(Gen 1:3 KJV) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
(Gen 1:4 KJV) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
(Gen 1:5 KJV) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
(Gen 1:8 KJV) And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
(Gen 1:13 KJV) And the evening and the morning were the third day.
(Gen 1:19 KJV) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
(Gen 1:23 KJV) And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
(Gen 1:31 KJV) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
My alarm goes off at 5am.
I drag my sleepy body out of my warm bed to start my day.
I go through my daily rituals, routines, constitution and workplans.
Then I return home in time to beat the sunset.
I go through my nightly rituals, routines, constitution and family plans.
Then I fall wearily into bed and call it a day.
Yes sir,
It's been a good day.
A fine day.
I didn't get as much accomplished as I would have liked
But tomorrow is another day.
I'll get up a bit earlier and get a jump on things.
After all, the early bird gets the worm, right?
Now on this very point
I want to go back to the scriptures that I opened with.
You and I probably think that a typical, normal day
Is to get up when it's light and go to bed several hours after it gets dark.
The rooster,
The cows,
The dog,
The UPS delivery person,
And most of the working world agrees.
But the "morning and evening"
Constituting a day is NOT what the Bible text says in Genesis.
It says (6 times)
"And the evening and the morning were the (1st - 6th) day." (Genesis 1:5; 8; 13; 19; 23; and 31.)
Isn't that interesting?
Don't you find that odd?
My little brain looks at that and says, "that's backwards!"
But that's not what God's Word says.
My thinking (again) is out of alignment with God's thinking!
It would seem that the Genesis account of creation has God
Starting with darkness (Genesis 1:1)
And working His way toward light (Genesis 1:3).
Note that the sun, moon, and stars were not created until the fourth day! (Genesis 1:14-19)
Perhaps the first light was the same resplendent Light of the World,
Jesus Himself -( I John 1:5, John 8:12; John 9:5)
That lights the New Jerusalem in our sunless eternity! (Revelation 22:5)
Is there a principle here?
Could it be that we can start tomorrow today?
Or more specifically tonight?
Could there be an advantage to planning ahead,
Preparing the next day's work,
Lining up the 5 W's and 1 H as much in advance as possible?
(Who, what, where, when, why, and how.)
Plan the work,
Work the plan.
This approach gives a whole new meaning to the term "early bird" for me!
I would casually brush this principle aside
Were it not for the fact that God repeats it
No less than six times during His recorded workweek.
Six evenings and six mornings,
Then God takes a day off.
It also interests me that the Jews,
The culture through whom God elected to send His Son,
Caught hold of this principle and to this day begin their Sabbath Friday evening.
The practical, life application of
"The evening and the morning" being the day
Is simply one of
Thoughtful,
Purposeful,
And intentional planning for the following work cycle.
Do this six times a week
Then take a day off to rest.
Worked for God.
Works for me.
DSR
12/24/00
Sunday, December 24, 2000
Saturday, December 23, 2000
So You Want To Marvel God, Huh?
by David Scott Robertson
Wouldn’t it be awesome to cause Jesus Christ to marvel at you?
Can you imagine God Himself
Observing your or my behavior and marveling?
Think about it!
The Lord knows everything.
He’s seen it all.
He sees it all.
He knows the end from the beginning.
And yet,
The scriptures plainly tell us that Jesus,
The God-Man,
Marveled.
One time during Jesus’ earthly ministry,
A certain Roman centurion sent some elders of the Jews to the Rabbi.
The centurion’s had a servant,
Who was dear to him,
Who was sick and at death’s door.
Certain elders of the Jews implored the Master to accompany them
To meet this worthy Gentile and heal his afflicted worker.
Jesus consented to go and went with them for some distance.
Let’s pick up the amazing story in the 7th chapter of the gospel of Luke:
7:6 "Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
7:8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
7:9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."
There it is!
Jesus was amazed!
Jesus marveled at such faith!
Faith is the gateway to a “marvelous” relationship with Christ.
The scriptures testify to this by saying
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
So you agree, then, that you want God to marvel at the demonstration of your faith?
Be careful!
Check out the other time that the scriptures tell us Jesus marveled:
Mark 6
6:1 And he [Jesus] went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
I’m not sure at all
That I want God to marvel at me
Because of my unbelief.
Conclusion: It is not enough for our exploits
To cause God to marvel.
Our thoughts, words, and deeds
Must be rooted and grounded in genuine faith in Jesus Christ
And total reliance upon His forever settled Word
In order to qualify for the right kind of marveling.
DSR
12/23/00
Wouldn’t it be awesome to cause Jesus Christ to marvel at you?
Can you imagine God Himself
Observing your or my behavior and marveling?
Think about it!
The Lord knows everything.
He’s seen it all.
He sees it all.
He knows the end from the beginning.
And yet,
The scriptures plainly tell us that Jesus,
The God-Man,
Marveled.
One time during Jesus’ earthly ministry,
A certain Roman centurion sent some elders of the Jews to the Rabbi.
The centurion’s had a servant,
Who was dear to him,
Who was sick and at death’s door.
Certain elders of the Jews implored the Master to accompany them
To meet this worthy Gentile and heal his afflicted worker.
Jesus consented to go and went with them for some distance.
Let’s pick up the amazing story in the 7th chapter of the gospel of Luke:
7:6 "Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
7:8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
7:9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."
There it is!
Jesus was amazed!
Jesus marveled at such faith!
Faith is the gateway to a “marvelous” relationship with Christ.
The scriptures testify to this by saying
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
So you agree, then, that you want God to marvel at the demonstration of your faith?
Be careful!
Check out the other time that the scriptures tell us Jesus marveled:
Mark 6
6:1 And he [Jesus] went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
I’m not sure at all
That I want God to marvel at me
Because of my unbelief.
Conclusion: It is not enough for our exploits
To cause God to marvel.
Our thoughts, words, and deeds
Must be rooted and grounded in genuine faith in Jesus Christ
And total reliance upon His forever settled Word
In order to qualify for the right kind of marveling.
DSR
12/23/00
Monday, November 20, 2000
Do It Anyway
by David Scott Robertson
This morning I did something I love to do.
I wrote down a "Thought about God."
What may seem trivial and uneventful to you
Is a big deal to me
Because of the circumstances surrounding me writing that thought.
This morning I was tired.
Really tired.
The kind of tired that makes you fall asleep 19 times
While reading 1 chapter in the Bible.
Moreover, I had a headache.
I was running short on time.
I was...
Excuses, excuses, excuses...
Blah, blah, blah...
Yadda, yadda, yadda...
Etc. and so forth.
If you haven't discovered this truth by now you soon will:
Conditions are NEVER perfect to do anything.
There's always something to
Disrupt, interrupt, postpone, or defer
Your ambition to do something significant.
The good often robs you of the best.
The urgent frequently pilfers away the important.
The nemesis of not enough time
Usually pushes your good just one day beyond your grasp.
Somebody always seems to have a need that trumps your desire.
It's always something, isn't it?
My challenge to you today is this:
Do it ANYWAY!
Do it NOW!
Feel the FEAR and do it anyway!
Endure the PAIN and do it anyway!
Overcome the INCONVENIENCE and do it anyway!
Bear the COST and do it anyway!
Take the TIME and do it anyway!
You only reach the mountain top
By clawing your way to the top
One exhausting, sacrificial step at a time.
But, oh, the view from the top!
Once you've been to the top you'll be ruined for life.
Once you taste and see that the Lord is good
In allowing you to persevere through
Many dangers, toils, and snares
To achieve,
To obtain,
To conquer,
To succeed in the thing to which He has called you to do,
You will never, ever be the same.
The philosopher Emerson was right when he said:
"The mind once expanded can never retain its original shape."
Right on!
I dare you!
I challenge you!
I defy you!
In Jesus' name,
Do it anyway!
DSR
11/20/00
This morning I did something I love to do.
I wrote down a "Thought about God."
What may seem trivial and uneventful to you
Is a big deal to me
Because of the circumstances surrounding me writing that thought.
This morning I was tired.
Really tired.
The kind of tired that makes you fall asleep 19 times
While reading 1 chapter in the Bible.
Moreover, I had a headache.
I was running short on time.
I was...
Excuses, excuses, excuses...
Blah, blah, blah...
Yadda, yadda, yadda...
Etc. and so forth.
If you haven't discovered this truth by now you soon will:
Conditions are NEVER perfect to do anything.
There's always something to
Disrupt, interrupt, postpone, or defer
Your ambition to do something significant.
The good often robs you of the best.
The urgent frequently pilfers away the important.
The nemesis of not enough time
Usually pushes your good just one day beyond your grasp.
Somebody always seems to have a need that trumps your desire.
It's always something, isn't it?
My challenge to you today is this:
Do it ANYWAY!
Do it NOW!
Feel the FEAR and do it anyway!
Endure the PAIN and do it anyway!
Overcome the INCONVENIENCE and do it anyway!
Bear the COST and do it anyway!
Take the TIME and do it anyway!
You only reach the mountain top
By clawing your way to the top
One exhausting, sacrificial step at a time.
But, oh, the view from the top!
Once you've been to the top you'll be ruined for life.
Once you taste and see that the Lord is good
In allowing you to persevere through
Many dangers, toils, and snares
To achieve,
To obtain,
To conquer,
To succeed in the thing to which He has called you to do,
You will never, ever be the same.
The philosopher Emerson was right when he said:
"The mind once expanded can never retain its original shape."
Right on!
I dare you!
I challenge you!
I defy you!
In Jesus' name,
Do it anyway!
DSR
11/20/00
Monday, November 6, 2000
The Invincible Man
by David Scott Robertson
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ." -- Luke 2:25-26
Simeon.
The invincible man.
Invincible because it was impossible for him to die...prematurely.
No freak accidents.
No fatal heart attack.
No enemy of Israel to strike him down.
No deadly surprises possible.
No demon in hell could contradict the plan.
For the Spirit of God had revealed to Simeon
That he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ, the Messiah.
Simeon would not, simply could not, die
Until the face of the consolation of Israel,
Who would later become known as Jesus of Nazareth,
Met his old and weary eyes.
Simeon was on a mission from God.
He was on divine assignment from heaven.
With the call came supernatural protection.
He had no idea that his story
Would be part of the canon of scripture for all eternity.
Simeon simply had the word of the Lord
And it changed the way he lived
And impacted the time he died.
Can you imagine how it would make you feel
Knowing that you could not die until
Some precise, exact, and specific event happened?
Such knowledge of God-ordained destiny
Should not promote pride or arrogance.
It should not foster neglect of responsibilities
And fuel an appetite for presumptuous and foolish risk-taking.
It should, instead, spur a person on toward
Watchfulness,
Soberness,
Vigilance.
A daily dynamic expectation of the
Invevitable, supernatural, extraordinary intervention of God.
Constantly,
Daily,
Watching,
Waiting patiently in humility
For the day (perhaps today),
For the hour (what time is it?)
For the momentous moment
To actually see the
Lord's Anointed,
Emmanuel,
The Prophet of all prophets,
The King of all kings,
The Lord of all lords,
Indeed, the Savior of the world.
And one day,
Just as the Holy Spirit had predicted,
It happened.
The event of a thousand lifetimes happened.
Diety met humanity.
Then,
Without any fanfare,
The invincible man went the way of all the earth and died
At some unknown time
At some nondescript place.
What does the account of
The invincible man
Teach us?
Like Simeon.
If we get the word of the Lord
That something will happen,
(Or something will not happen)
Then we can stake our lives
That the thing will come to pass even as the Lord has spoken it
In due season,
In the fulness of time.
But we must we wise when handling holy things.
Don't disqualify yourself.
Don't put the Lord your God to a foolish test.
Don't act presumptuously.
Don't deviate from the plan of God.
Don't add to or take away from the prophecy.
Don't neglect what God has
Instructed, commanded, or required you to do
In order for the thing to come to pass.
Do not let the thief
Steal you prophecy,
Kill your word from God,
Or destroy your vision.
But above all,
Avoid the most dangerous snare of them all:
"[do] not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but [be] strengthened in [your] faith and [give] glory to God, being fully persuaded that God [has] power to do what he [has] promised." Romans 4:20-21
DSR
11/6/00
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ." -- Luke 2:25-26
Simeon.
The invincible man.
Invincible because it was impossible for him to die...prematurely.
No freak accidents.
No fatal heart attack.
No enemy of Israel to strike him down.
No deadly surprises possible.
No demon in hell could contradict the plan.
For the Spirit of God had revealed to Simeon
That he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ, the Messiah.
Simeon would not, simply could not, die
Until the face of the consolation of Israel,
Who would later become known as Jesus of Nazareth,
Met his old and weary eyes.
Simeon was on a mission from God.
He was on divine assignment from heaven.
With the call came supernatural protection.
He had no idea that his story
Would be part of the canon of scripture for all eternity.
Simeon simply had the word of the Lord
And it changed the way he lived
And impacted the time he died.
Can you imagine how it would make you feel
Knowing that you could not die until
Some precise, exact, and specific event happened?
Such knowledge of God-ordained destiny
Should not promote pride or arrogance.
It should not foster neglect of responsibilities
And fuel an appetite for presumptuous and foolish risk-taking.
It should, instead, spur a person on toward
Watchfulness,
Soberness,
Vigilance.
A daily dynamic expectation of the
Invevitable, supernatural, extraordinary intervention of God.
Constantly,
Daily,
Watching,
Waiting patiently in humility
For the day (perhaps today),
For the hour (what time is it?)
For the momentous moment
To actually see the
Lord's Anointed,
Emmanuel,
The Prophet of all prophets,
The King of all kings,
The Lord of all lords,
Indeed, the Savior of the world.
And one day,
Just as the Holy Spirit had predicted,
It happened.
The event of a thousand lifetimes happened.
Diety met humanity.
Then,
Without any fanfare,
The invincible man went the way of all the earth and died
At some unknown time
At some nondescript place.
What does the account of
The invincible man
Teach us?
Like Simeon.
If we get the word of the Lord
That something will happen,
(Or something will not happen)
Then we can stake our lives
That the thing will come to pass even as the Lord has spoken it
In due season,
In the fulness of time.
But we must we wise when handling holy things.
Don't disqualify yourself.
Don't put the Lord your God to a foolish test.
Don't act presumptuously.
Don't deviate from the plan of God.
Don't add to or take away from the prophecy.
Don't neglect what God has
Instructed, commanded, or required you to do
In order for the thing to come to pass.
Do not let the thief
Steal you prophecy,
Kill your word from God,
Or destroy your vision.
But above all,
Avoid the most dangerous snare of them all:
"[do] not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but [be] strengthened in [your] faith and [give] glory to God, being fully persuaded that God [has] power to do what he [has] promised." Romans 4:20-21
DSR
11/6/00
Wednesday, October 4, 2000
The Extremely Beautiful Woman
by David Scott Robertson
"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
She was beautiful.
Extremely beautiful.
Her hair was so blonde it was almost white.
Her facial features were naturally attractive requiring no makeup at all.
Her teeth were perfect.
Her skin was dark and tan from hours at the tanning bed.
Her body was the kind that unscrupulous magazine editors preyed upon to exploit.
She was,
By nearly any standard or definition, beautiful.
Extremely beautiful.
But things are not always as they seem.
Although her outward beauty might be considered extreme,
Judging a person by their appearance is
Subjective, dangerous, and unfair.
Growing up with this kind of body and without God in her life caused a few problems.
Early sexual activity.
Pregnancy.
Abortion.
Pornography.
Sexual promiscuity.
STD.
Soul ties.
Marriage.
Sexual abuse.
Pregnancy.
Abortion.
Divorce.
Alcoholism.
Marriage.
Divorce.
Cancer.
Radical masectomy.
Anger.
Bitterness.
Loneliness.
She was unattractive.
Extremely unattractive.
Her hair had fallen out from chemo.
Her heavy makeup barely concealed the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes.
Her dentures hurt her tender gums.
Her skin was wrinkled, dry, and shrunken from too many hours in the sun.
Patches of melanoma dotted her nose and shoulders.
Her body was the kind that medical journals wanted to study to help combat disease.
She was,
By nearly any standard or definition, unattractive.
Extremely unattractive.
One day a preacher visited her hospital room
And told her how beautiful Jesus Christ thought she was.
DSR
10/4/00
"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
She was beautiful.
Extremely beautiful.
Her hair was so blonde it was almost white.
Her facial features were naturally attractive requiring no makeup at all.
Her teeth were perfect.
Her skin was dark and tan from hours at the tanning bed.
Her body was the kind that unscrupulous magazine editors preyed upon to exploit.
She was,
By nearly any standard or definition, beautiful.
Extremely beautiful.
But things are not always as they seem.
Although her outward beauty might be considered extreme,
Judging a person by their appearance is
Subjective, dangerous, and unfair.
Growing up with this kind of body and without God in her life caused a few problems.
Early sexual activity.
Pregnancy.
Abortion.
Pornography.
Sexual promiscuity.
STD.
Soul ties.
Marriage.
Sexual abuse.
Pregnancy.
Abortion.
Divorce.
Alcoholism.
Marriage.
Divorce.
Cancer.
Radical masectomy.
Anger.
Bitterness.
Loneliness.
She was unattractive.
Extremely unattractive.
Her hair had fallen out from chemo.
Her heavy makeup barely concealed the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes.
Her dentures hurt her tender gums.
Her skin was wrinkled, dry, and shrunken from too many hours in the sun.
Patches of melanoma dotted her nose and shoulders.
Her body was the kind that medical journals wanted to study to help combat disease.
She was,
By nearly any standard or definition, unattractive.
Extremely unattractive.
One day a preacher visited her hospital room
And told her how beautiful Jesus Christ thought she was.
DSR
10/4/00
And Him Name Shall Be Called...Jealous
by David Scott Robertson
"Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." - Exodus 34:14
"And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins." - Joshua 24:19
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." - Exodus 20:5
"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." - Deuteronomy 4:24
"(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth." - Deuteronomy 6:15
"Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people." - Joel 2:18
"God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies." - Nahum 1:2
"So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy." - Zechariah 1:14
'Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury." - Zechariah 8:2
"For I [the Apostle Paul] am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 11:2
"Whom do you serve?"
"What is He like?"
"What is the name of your God?'
A right response,
A correct comment,
A biblical, scriptually accurate reply would be...
"I serve Jealous."
"He is jealous."
"His name is Jealous."
"What? Your zealous for Jealous?"
"I thought your God was love?"
"I thought your God was just?"
"I thought your God was
Wonderful
A Counselor
A Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace?
Where do you get off calling Him Jealous?"
My response is that I didn't describe Him as Jealous,
God described Himself as Jealous in the scriptures He inspired.
Jehovah is jealous for His land and for His people.
Yaweh is jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.
Elohim is jealous for the loyalty and purity and faithfulness of His children.
He won't tolerate idolatry in any shape, form, or fashion.
God is good and if God compared Himself to jealousy
So much so as to identify Himself with the proper name "Jealous" (Exodus 34:14)
Then there must be some redeeming value in jealously.
Paul the Apostle called it a "godly jealousy"
In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians (11:2).
Jesus was ANGRY (Matthew 21:12)
As He turned over the moneychangers tables in the temple...
Yet He sinned not.
Jesus was SORROWFUL unto death (Matthew 26:38)
As He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane...
Yet He sinned not.
Jesus was TEMPTED in all points as we are (Hebrews 4:15)
Yet He sinned not.
King David said, "Do not I HATE them, O LORD, that HATE thee?" (Psalm 139:21)
"I HATE [the enemies of God] them with perfect hatred:
I count them mine enemies." (Psalm 139:22) [emphasis mine]
David hated yet sinned not.
So, then, to be
ANGRY,
SORROWFUL,
TEMPTED,
To HATE,
Or be JEALOUS
Is not sin nor necessarily leads to sin
IF they are expressed within the context of God's guidelines.
So God calling Himself Jealous is not a
Paradox,
A lie,
Or a mistake.
It is an attribute of the Almighty and thoroughly Holy God.
It is a spiritual characteristic
That we should strive for and work towards by the Spirit of God.
It should work out in our lives in practical ways similar to a fruit of the Spirit
Causing us to jealously guard the deposit of God
In us,
Our loved ones,
Our church,
Our nation,
And our world.
Godly jealously should spur us on toward love and good deeds,
And encourage us to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness.
So my advice today is:
Be zealous for Jealous!
DSR
10/4/00
"Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." - Exodus 34:14
"And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins." - Joshua 24:19
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." - Exodus 20:5
"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." - Deuteronomy 4:24
"(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth." - Deuteronomy 6:15
"Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people." - Joel 2:18
"God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies." - Nahum 1:2
"So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy." - Zechariah 1:14
'Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury." - Zechariah 8:2
"For I [the Apostle Paul] am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 11:2
"Whom do you serve?"
"What is He like?"
"What is the name of your God?'
A right response,
A correct comment,
A biblical, scriptually accurate reply would be...
"I serve Jealous."
"He is jealous."
"His name is Jealous."
"What? Your zealous for Jealous?"
"I thought your God was love?"
"I thought your God was just?"
"I thought your God was
Wonderful
A Counselor
A Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace?
Where do you get off calling Him Jealous?"
My response is that I didn't describe Him as Jealous,
God described Himself as Jealous in the scriptures He inspired.
Jehovah is jealous for His land and for His people.
Yaweh is jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.
Elohim is jealous for the loyalty and purity and faithfulness of His children.
He won't tolerate idolatry in any shape, form, or fashion.
God is good and if God compared Himself to jealousy
So much so as to identify Himself with the proper name "Jealous" (Exodus 34:14)
Then there must be some redeeming value in jealously.
Paul the Apostle called it a "godly jealousy"
In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians (11:2).
Jesus was ANGRY (Matthew 21:12)
As He turned over the moneychangers tables in the temple...
Yet He sinned not.
Jesus was SORROWFUL unto death (Matthew 26:38)
As He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane...
Yet He sinned not.
Jesus was TEMPTED in all points as we are (Hebrews 4:15)
Yet He sinned not.
King David said, "Do not I HATE them, O LORD, that HATE thee?" (Psalm 139:21)
"I HATE [the enemies of God] them with perfect hatred:
I count them mine enemies." (Psalm 139:22) [emphasis mine]
David hated yet sinned not.
So, then, to be
ANGRY,
SORROWFUL,
TEMPTED,
To HATE,
Or be JEALOUS
Is not sin nor necessarily leads to sin
IF they are expressed within the context of God's guidelines.
So God calling Himself Jealous is not a
Paradox,
A lie,
Or a mistake.
It is an attribute of the Almighty and thoroughly Holy God.
It is a spiritual characteristic
That we should strive for and work towards by the Spirit of God.
It should work out in our lives in practical ways similar to a fruit of the Spirit
Causing us to jealously guard the deposit of God
In us,
Our loved ones,
Our church,
Our nation,
And our world.
Godly jealously should spur us on toward love and good deeds,
And encourage us to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness.
So my advice today is:
Be zealous for Jealous!
DSR
10/4/00
The Propostion
by David Scott Robertson
He was married.
She was not.
She was lonely.
He was not.
He was saved.
She was not.
"I have a proposition for you," she said, "come to bed with me."
"How much will it cost me?" he said.
"Why nothing," she said (slightly offended), "I'm not a prostitute!
It will cost you absolutely nothing."
"That's an interesting proposition," he said, "but let me first count the cost..."
"You can be sure our sin will find us out," he said.
All that's done in secret will one day be revealed.
Then it will time to pay the cost."
He said...
"My wife will find out - it could cost me my marriage."
"My children will find out - it could cost me the opportunity to raise them."
"My church will find out - it could cost me my ministry."
"My friends will find out - it could cost me their respect."
"The young men I am mentoring will find out - it could cost me their confidence."
"I might contract a disease - it could cost me my health or even my life."
"My Jesus will find out - it could cost me my soul."
"So you see," he said, "the cost is too high.
And I cannot afford to pay it."
"I'm hurting," she said.
I know," he said.
"I have a good Friend I'd like to introduce you to," he said.
"His name is Jesus, would you like to meet Him?"
"I would," she said.
DSR
10/4/00
He was married.
She was not.
She was lonely.
He was not.
He was saved.
She was not.
"I have a proposition for you," she said, "come to bed with me."
"How much will it cost me?" he said.
"Why nothing," she said (slightly offended), "I'm not a prostitute!
It will cost you absolutely nothing."
"That's an interesting proposition," he said, "but let me first count the cost..."
"You can be sure our sin will find us out," he said.
All that's done in secret will one day be revealed.
Then it will time to pay the cost."
He said...
"My wife will find out - it could cost me my marriage."
"My children will find out - it could cost me the opportunity to raise them."
"My church will find out - it could cost me my ministry."
"My friends will find out - it could cost me their respect."
"The young men I am mentoring will find out - it could cost me their confidence."
"I might contract a disease - it could cost me my health or even my life."
"My Jesus will find out - it could cost me my soul."
"So you see," he said, "the cost is too high.
And I cannot afford to pay it."
"I'm hurting," she said.
I know," he said.
"I have a good Friend I'd like to introduce you to," he said.
"His name is Jesus, would you like to meet Him?"
"I would," she said.
DSR
10/4/00
The Perfect Day
by David Scott Robertson
What would a perfect day look like?
I'm not just talking about perfect weather,
But an all-around perfect day for you?
So get out your legal pad and pen
And let's write down the components of a perfect day.
THE PERFECT DAY ACCORDING TO ME
- I'm with my family.
- My spouse and I are in love like newlyweds.
- It's my day off work.
- We're all at the park on a picnic.
- I don't have a headache.
- We're playing Frisbee.
- Then we fish in the stream at the park.
- We are laughing.
- We are happy.
- We are together.
- To top it off we go out for dinner at a fine restaurant and let them do the dishes.
- Finally, we close the day eating popcorn and playing games in front of the fireplace.
- It has been the perfect day.
Wow!
That IS a great day!
To be together with those you love the most
Who love you back
In a safe, comfortable, fun environment…
Who could ask for anything more?
Surely, this comes close to most people's idea of a perfect day!
But wait a minute.
Let's think about this.
If our definition of a perfect day
Looks anything close to this idyllic scenario
Then by default that rules out all other days unlike this one as being perfect.
That means that no day that I am at work can be perfect.
That means that no day it rains can be perfect.
That means that no day my wife and I have a disagreement can be perfect.
If my family and I are not at the park,
Or maybe I have a headache,
Or perhaps we don't have the extra cash to eat out…
In other words,
If anything else on our list is not just right
Then we cannot experience a perfect day.
Think of it!
That might average out to two or three perfect days in an entire lifetime!
Clearly,
Our reality,
Our perceptions,
Our core values of life cannot be based upon external circumstances.
If we wait for conditions to be perfect we'll never accomplish anything.
Most everything on planet Earth that
Has been done
Has been done
By people who were operating in less than perfect
Bodies, circumstances, or conditions.
As I pen these words
My right foot is propped up with an ice pack on my swollen ankle
That I twisted when I fell down the stairs this morning.
So does the fact that I have to limp painfully everywhere I go today
Negate my chances for the perfect day?
No way!
I choose not to live a "perfect bowling score" lifestyle.
If you miss knocking down even one pin in the game of bowling
You cannot achieve a perfect score.
So what!
Hear me!
Life is a wondrous gift from God.
God's presence makes bad things
Tolerable,
Bearable,
Even beneficial to my personal growth and character development.
Whether good or bad,
Sunshine or rain,
In sickness or in health,
The Lord Jesus Christ can literally make every day the perfect day
When it is lived out according to His divine will and plan.
DSR
10/4/00
What would a perfect day look like?
I'm not just talking about perfect weather,
But an all-around perfect day for you?
So get out your legal pad and pen
And let's write down the components of a perfect day.
THE PERFECT DAY ACCORDING TO ME
- I'm with my family.
- My spouse and I are in love like newlyweds.
- It's my day off work.
- We're all at the park on a picnic.
- I don't have a headache.
- We're playing Frisbee.
- Then we fish in the stream at the park.
- We are laughing.
- We are happy.
- We are together.
- To top it off we go out for dinner at a fine restaurant and let them do the dishes.
- Finally, we close the day eating popcorn and playing games in front of the fireplace.
- It has been the perfect day.
Wow!
That IS a great day!
To be together with those you love the most
Who love you back
In a safe, comfortable, fun environment…
Who could ask for anything more?
Surely, this comes close to most people's idea of a perfect day!
But wait a minute.
Let's think about this.
If our definition of a perfect day
Looks anything close to this idyllic scenario
Then by default that rules out all other days unlike this one as being perfect.
That means that no day that I am at work can be perfect.
That means that no day it rains can be perfect.
That means that no day my wife and I have a disagreement can be perfect.
If my family and I are not at the park,
Or maybe I have a headache,
Or perhaps we don't have the extra cash to eat out…
In other words,
If anything else on our list is not just right
Then we cannot experience a perfect day.
Think of it!
That might average out to two or three perfect days in an entire lifetime!
Clearly,
Our reality,
Our perceptions,
Our core values of life cannot be based upon external circumstances.
If we wait for conditions to be perfect we'll never accomplish anything.
Most everything on planet Earth that
Has been done
Has been done
By people who were operating in less than perfect
Bodies, circumstances, or conditions.
As I pen these words
My right foot is propped up with an ice pack on my swollen ankle
That I twisted when I fell down the stairs this morning.
So does the fact that I have to limp painfully everywhere I go today
Negate my chances for the perfect day?
No way!
I choose not to live a "perfect bowling score" lifestyle.
If you miss knocking down even one pin in the game of bowling
You cannot achieve a perfect score.
So what!
Hear me!
Life is a wondrous gift from God.
God's presence makes bad things
Tolerable,
Bearable,
Even beneficial to my personal growth and character development.
Whether good or bad,
Sunshine or rain,
In sickness or in health,
The Lord Jesus Christ can literally make every day the perfect day
When it is lived out according to His divine will and plan.
DSR
10/4/00
Tuesday, October 3, 2000
The Prayer Spot
by David Scott Robertson
It's early morning.
The best time of my day.
It's my time with the Lord.
My quiet time.
My "devotions."
My sweet hour of prayer.
My "manna in the morning" to feast on the Word of God.
And today
I've discovered the ideal prayer spot.
I'm on vacation for a week in what some would call a "tropical paradise."
Today I have parked my skinny frame on a wooden bench
Overlooking a lush, exotic Floridian lagoon.
Cool, fresh air kisses my face.
A symphony of nature sounds tickle my ears.
The sum of my senses drink in
The serenity,
The solitude,
The peacefulness of this prayer spot.
If conditions ever were right
To "be still and know that [He] is God"
Then I guess this would be it.
Circumstances seem to be ripe
For my soul finding rest in God alone here
In this special prayer spot.
I think I have all the necessary ingredients
For a fruitful, highly productive, and wonderful "hour of power" with God.
But in a week,
I'll be back home in Tennessee.
Then what?
Will I have less of an opportunity to find the ideal prayer spot?
What about the Christian businessman at O'hare Airport in Chicago this morning?
Does he have an equal shot to hear from God in the crowded terminal?
How about the single mom raising twin boys in Omaha
Scrambling to get her kids off to day care?
Can she enjoy meaningful fellowship with Jesus this morning?
Our God can make sending a fax or making photocopies
A spiritual experience
As prayer is offered up to Him while conducting routine business
In the most unlikely (and irreligious) places.
So what advantage do I have today
In my tropical paradise prayer spot
Over Christian men and women
Godly boys and girls
Who, even as I write this, are meeting with the Lord in
Bedrooms,
Bathrooms,
Board rooms,
And broom closets?
No advantage whatsoever.
None at all.
"'Do not come any closer,' God said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground'" Exodus 3:5 NIV.
DSR
10/3/00
It's early morning.
The best time of my day.
It's my time with the Lord.
My quiet time.
My "devotions."
My sweet hour of prayer.
My "manna in the morning" to feast on the Word of God.
And today
I've discovered the ideal prayer spot.
I'm on vacation for a week in what some would call a "tropical paradise."
Today I have parked my skinny frame on a wooden bench
Overlooking a lush, exotic Floridian lagoon.
Cool, fresh air kisses my face.
A symphony of nature sounds tickle my ears.
The sum of my senses drink in
The serenity,
The solitude,
The peacefulness of this prayer spot.
If conditions ever were right
To "be still and know that [He] is God"
Then I guess this would be it.
Circumstances seem to be ripe
For my soul finding rest in God alone here
In this special prayer spot.
I think I have all the necessary ingredients
For a fruitful, highly productive, and wonderful "hour of power" with God.
But in a week,
I'll be back home in Tennessee.
Then what?
Will I have less of an opportunity to find the ideal prayer spot?
What about the Christian businessman at O'hare Airport in Chicago this morning?
Does he have an equal shot to hear from God in the crowded terminal?
How about the single mom raising twin boys in Omaha
Scrambling to get her kids off to day care?
Can she enjoy meaningful fellowship with Jesus this morning?
Our God can make sending a fax or making photocopies
A spiritual experience
As prayer is offered up to Him while conducting routine business
In the most unlikely (and irreligious) places.
So what advantage do I have today
In my tropical paradise prayer spot
Over Christian men and women
Godly boys and girls
Who, even as I write this, are meeting with the Lord in
Bedrooms,
Bathrooms,
Board rooms,
And broom closets?
No advantage whatsoever.
None at all.
"'Do not come any closer,' God said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground'" Exodus 3:5 NIV.
DSR
10/3/00
Tuesday, September 5, 2000
My Lettter of Resignation
by David Scott Robertson
I quit.
I resign.
I’m done.
It is finished.
I’ve done all that I know to do and it’s not been enough.
I’ve come to the end of my strength.
I’ve been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
I have pulled from all my natural resources,
All my abilities,
All my experience,
And still I have fallen short.
I have cashed in all my favors from friends
And collected on every debt owed me and still I’m coming up short.
I have tried hard and cried hard
And put forth maximum effort with minimum results.
I am undone.
I am disqualified.
I am beached,
Sidelined,
Out of the race,
Run aground on the coral reef of life
And am utterly disgusted at the prospect of being beat to pieces by the pounding tide.
In short,
I am in the very process of
Dying to self,
The very act of crucifying the fallen nature I inherited from my ancestor Adam.
I resign from life as I have known it to be.
And this, I tell you, is good.
Very good.
You see,
Until I die to my carnality,
That fleshly part of all of us that presumes to be the center of the universe,
Until that comes under the
Subjection, authority and blood of Jesus Christ,
We am hamstrung in being of much good to God or anyone else for that matter.
Oh yes, God loves me and you unconditionally when we fall short.
But that’s not the point.
The point is that He created us for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11).
He created us to worship Him;
To Love Him,
To enter into that place that a man in the Old Testament named Enoch did
When he had the testimony that he pleased God
And then Enoch was no more for God took him.
John the Baptist caught the vision when and said,
“He must increase, I must decrease.”
The Apostle Paul caught the vision and said,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Peter the vision and said,
“Depart from me Lord I am a sinful man” [reference]
The prophet Isaiah caught the vision and said
”Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips…”
The Roman Centurion caught the vision and said,
“I am not worthy to even come to you…”
The Syrophoenician woman with the demon possessed child caught the vision and said,
“[In effect, yes it’s true that I am a dog] but even the puppies eat the crumbs…”
Job caught the vision and said,
“I abhor myself and put my hand over my mouth and shall speak no more.”
John the Beloved caught the vision of the resplendent, glorified Christ in the book of Revelation
And fell at his feet like a dead man.
David Robertson caught the vision and said,
I resign! I deny myself. I take up my cross and follow Jesus. I resign that I have no rights. I resign that I don’t even have to “succeed” in order for me to believe that God loves me. I resign that I am not the master of my own fate, the lifter of my own head, the captain of my own destiny. I resign to the fact that I am neither competent nor qualified to be a man of God, a child of the King, let alone a minister of the gospel. I resign FROM all my reliance on my weak flesh and resign TO be cloaked in the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I resign that He alone has A plan and THE plan for my life.”
So there you have it.
My letter of resignation.
I QUIT…looking to myself and other men for answers and I resolve to look to Father God instead.
I RESIGN…from presumptuous thinking that my gifts, talents, and abilities are what God needs to advance His kingdom, and I resolve to look to Jesus Christ.
I’M DONE…expecting other people to do my praying for me, my fasting for me, or my praising for me. I resolve to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.
Today begins the process of daily mortification of my fleshly nature,
Regular, disciplined, and scheduled abandon
To the spontaneous movement of the Holy Spirit in and through my life.
To live is Christ, to die is gain!
DSR
9/5/00
I quit.
I resign.
I’m done.
It is finished.
I’ve done all that I know to do and it’s not been enough.
I’ve come to the end of my strength.
I’ve been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
I have pulled from all my natural resources,
All my abilities,
All my experience,
And still I have fallen short.
I have cashed in all my favors from friends
And collected on every debt owed me and still I’m coming up short.
I have tried hard and cried hard
And put forth maximum effort with minimum results.
I am undone.
I am disqualified.
I am beached,
Sidelined,
Out of the race,
Run aground on the coral reef of life
And am utterly disgusted at the prospect of being beat to pieces by the pounding tide.
In short,
I am in the very process of
Dying to self,
The very act of crucifying the fallen nature I inherited from my ancestor Adam.
I resign from life as I have known it to be.
And this, I tell you, is good.
Very good.
You see,
Until I die to my carnality,
That fleshly part of all of us that presumes to be the center of the universe,
Until that comes under the
Subjection, authority and blood of Jesus Christ,
We am hamstrung in being of much good to God or anyone else for that matter.
Oh yes, God loves me and you unconditionally when we fall short.
But that’s not the point.
The point is that He created us for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11).
He created us to worship Him;
To Love Him,
To enter into that place that a man in the Old Testament named Enoch did
When he had the testimony that he pleased God
And then Enoch was no more for God took him.
John the Baptist caught the vision when and said,
“He must increase, I must decrease.”
The Apostle Paul caught the vision and said,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Peter the vision and said,
“Depart from me Lord I am a sinful man” [reference]
The prophet Isaiah caught the vision and said
”Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips…”
The Roman Centurion caught the vision and said,
“I am not worthy to even come to you…”
The Syrophoenician woman with the demon possessed child caught the vision and said,
“[In effect, yes it’s true that I am a dog] but even the puppies eat the crumbs…”
Job caught the vision and said,
“I abhor myself and put my hand over my mouth and shall speak no more.”
John the Beloved caught the vision of the resplendent, glorified Christ in the book of Revelation
And fell at his feet like a dead man.
David Robertson caught the vision and said,
I resign! I deny myself. I take up my cross and follow Jesus. I resign that I have no rights. I resign that I don’t even have to “succeed” in order for me to believe that God loves me. I resign that I am not the master of my own fate, the lifter of my own head, the captain of my own destiny. I resign to the fact that I am neither competent nor qualified to be a man of God, a child of the King, let alone a minister of the gospel. I resign FROM all my reliance on my weak flesh and resign TO be cloaked in the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I resign that He alone has A plan and THE plan for my life.”
So there you have it.
My letter of resignation.
I QUIT…looking to myself and other men for answers and I resolve to look to Father God instead.
I RESIGN…from presumptuous thinking that my gifts, talents, and abilities are what God needs to advance His kingdom, and I resolve to look to Jesus Christ.
I’M DONE…expecting other people to do my praying for me, my fasting for me, or my praising for me. I resolve to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.
Today begins the process of daily mortification of my fleshly nature,
Regular, disciplined, and scheduled abandon
To the spontaneous movement of the Holy Spirit in and through my life.
To live is Christ, to die is gain!
DSR
9/5/00
Thursday, February 3, 2000
The Divine To-Do List
by David Scott Robertson
The Divine To-do List
subtitled: “Action Items from Heaven”
also subtitled: “Minister to Them!”
also subtitled: “Get to Work!”
also subtitled: “Don’t Just Listen, Do the Word!”
by David Scott Robertson
There I was,
Doing my devotions early one morning,
Minding my own business,
When the Word of God
Leaped off the page and grabbed me by my jugular vein!
What started as simply a simple devotional reading of 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5
Suddenly, without warning, turned into a Divine To-do List!
(Always exercise caution when reading the Bible: it could change your life!)
In his first epistle to the church at Thessalonica,
The Apostle Paul writes to the believers
And especially in the 5th chapter
Hammers out an inspired list of action items.
The commands in this Divine To-do List demand a response –
Not just from the Thessalonians of around AD 51,
But from followers of “The Way” in Y2K.
How about adding some of these tasks to your Daytimers?
(1 Th 5:11 NIV) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Action item: A simple word of encouragement can build up someone who is torn down. It’s cheap, quick and mighty powerful. Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:12 NIV) Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Action item: Identify those leaders who are doing a bang-up job for Jesus. Affirm them with a note, e-mail, call, or get really spiritual and give them a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:13 NIV) Hold them in the highest regard ni love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
Action item: How can I tangibly demonstrate my respect for those who serve the Lord so faithfully? Ask yourself today, “How can I be an ambassador of peace?” Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:14 NIV) And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Action item: Who is timid? Who is fearful? Who is lacking in the grace of confidence? Whose self-esteem is soiled and at an all-time low? Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:15 NIV) Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Action item: Who has gotten the short end of the stick? Who got a raw deal? Who was treated unfairly at your workplace? Who is vengeful? Who ahs hurt feelings that you know? Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:16 NIV) Be joyful always;
Action item: Do you know an unhappy person?: Or worse, a joyless Christian? Who can I take before the throne of grace that I know is grappling for God, groping for His will and grasping for Joy? Who can I call today and tell them, “I’m praying for you?” Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:17 NIV) pray continually;
Action item: Is there someone whom God has laid on your heart? Can I find someone to agree with me in prayer concerning an issue on someone else’s behalf? Is anyone interceding? Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:18 NIV) give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Action item: How can I have an attitude of gratitude today? How can I be thankful in a circumstance I’m not thankful for? Who needs to see a genuine Christian be joyful, hopeful and thankful in spite of crummy circumstances? There’s not but two times to praise God – when you feel like it and when you don’t; and when you don’t is the best time of all. Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:19 NIV) Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.
Action item: How can I be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit today? Can I get quiet in His presence long enough to hear His still, small voice? How can I make sure I don’t “offend the Dove” and cause the Holy Spirit to lift His anointing from me? Minister to him!
(1 Th 5:20 NIV) do not treat prophecies with contempt.
Action item: What has God spoken prophetically into your life? What do the scriptures say? Which commands have been given that I am not obeying? How can I revere and respect God’s word more? How can I share God’s word with others in such a way that it will edify, exhort and console them? Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:21a NIV) Test everything…
Action item: Is this scriptural? Does this person’s teaching line up with the Bible? Does my decision bear witness among godly advisors? Have I prayed and fasted about this decision?
(1 Th 5:21b NIV) …Hold on to the good.
Action item: Have I forgotten all of God’s past mercies towards me? Has this present crisis negated God’s previous blessings? Shall I so quickly forget the ugly pit of sin I was in prior to coming to Christ?
(1 Th 5:22 NIV) Avoid every kind of evil.
Action item: Abstain from every appearance of evil. Flee from youthful lusts. Have nothing to do with the foolish deeds of darkness but rather expose them. Don’t go to places of questionable entertainment. Don’t compromise! Don’t’ lower the standard for anybody!
(1 Th 5:23a NIV) May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through…”
Action item: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication” (1 Th 4:3 KJV).
(1 Th 5:23b NIV) “…May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Action item: Christ alone can make us “whole.” Honor God with all three parts of your life – your body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
(1 Th 5:24 NIV) The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
Action item: He is faithful. Am I faithful? No-one can be faithful for me. Am I faithful to my marriage vows? To my kids in sharing adequate time with them? Am I faithful in paying my tithes? Am I faithful to using my God-given talents to advance God’s kingdom?
(1 Th 5:25 NIV) Brothers, pray for us.
Action item: Prayer is the engine that drives revival. Get on your knees and fight like a man (or woman)! God healed Job when he prayed for his friends. Intercession for others is God’s will for your life.
(1 Th 5:26 NIV) Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
Action item: Get discernment on this one! Sometimes a firm handshake is more culturally acceptable…
(1 Th 5:27 NIV) I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
Action item: Share God’s Word! Be a living epistle! Have family devotions! Talk about God’s Word every day in every way! Hid God’s Word in your heart so that you are either quoting it or paraphrasing its timeless truths in your speech.
(1 Th 5:28 NIV) The grace of oru Lord Jesus Christ be with you…
Action item: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
DSR
2/3/00
The Divine To-do List
subtitled: “Action Items from Heaven”
also subtitled: “Minister to Them!”
also subtitled: “Get to Work!”
also subtitled: “Don’t Just Listen, Do the Word!”
by David Scott Robertson
There I was,
Doing my devotions early one morning,
Minding my own business,
When the Word of God
Leaped off the page and grabbed me by my jugular vein!
What started as simply a simple devotional reading of 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5
Suddenly, without warning, turned into a Divine To-do List!
(Always exercise caution when reading the Bible: it could change your life!)
In his first epistle to the church at Thessalonica,
The Apostle Paul writes to the believers
And especially in the 5th chapter
Hammers out an inspired list of action items.
The commands in this Divine To-do List demand a response –
Not just from the Thessalonians of around AD 51,
But from followers of “The Way” in Y2K.
How about adding some of these tasks to your Daytimers?
(1 Th 5:11 NIV) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Action item: A simple word of encouragement can build up someone who is torn down. It’s cheap, quick and mighty powerful. Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:12 NIV) Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Action item: Identify those leaders who are doing a bang-up job for Jesus. Affirm them with a note, e-mail, call, or get really spiritual and give them a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:13 NIV) Hold them in the highest regard ni love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
Action item: How can I tangibly demonstrate my respect for those who serve the Lord so faithfully? Ask yourself today, “How can I be an ambassador of peace?” Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:14 NIV) And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Action item: Who is timid? Who is fearful? Who is lacking in the grace of confidence? Whose self-esteem is soiled and at an all-time low? Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:15 NIV) Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Action item: Who has gotten the short end of the stick? Who got a raw deal? Who was treated unfairly at your workplace? Who is vengeful? Who ahs hurt feelings that you know? Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:16 NIV) Be joyful always;
Action item: Do you know an unhappy person?: Or worse, a joyless Christian? Who can I take before the throne of grace that I know is grappling for God, groping for His will and grasping for Joy? Who can I call today and tell them, “I’m praying for you?” Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:17 NIV) pray continually;
Action item: Is there someone whom God has laid on your heart? Can I find someone to agree with me in prayer concerning an issue on someone else’s behalf? Is anyone interceding? Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:18 NIV) give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Action item: How can I have an attitude of gratitude today? How can I be thankful in a circumstance I’m not thankful for? Who needs to see a genuine Christian be joyful, hopeful and thankful in spite of crummy circumstances? There’s not but two times to praise God – when you feel like it and when you don’t; and when you don’t is the best time of all. Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:19 NIV) Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.
Action item: How can I be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit today? Can I get quiet in His presence long enough to hear His still, small voice? How can I make sure I don’t “offend the Dove” and cause the Holy Spirit to lift His anointing from me? Minister to him!
(1 Th 5:20 NIV) do not treat prophecies with contempt.
Action item: What has God spoken prophetically into your life? What do the scriptures say? Which commands have been given that I am not obeying? How can I revere and respect God’s word more? How can I share God’s word with others in such a way that it will edify, exhort and console them? Minister to them!
(1 Th 5:21a NIV) Test everything…
Action item: Is this scriptural? Does this person’s teaching line up with the Bible? Does my decision bear witness among godly advisors? Have I prayed and fasted about this decision?
(1 Th 5:21b NIV) …Hold on to the good.
Action item: Have I forgotten all of God’s past mercies towards me? Has this present crisis negated God’s previous blessings? Shall I so quickly forget the ugly pit of sin I was in prior to coming to Christ?
(1 Th 5:22 NIV) Avoid every kind of evil.
Action item: Abstain from every appearance of evil. Flee from youthful lusts. Have nothing to do with the foolish deeds of darkness but rather expose them. Don’t go to places of questionable entertainment. Don’t compromise! Don’t’ lower the standard for anybody!
(1 Th 5:23a NIV) May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through…”
Action item: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication” (1 Th 4:3 KJV).
(1 Th 5:23b NIV) “…May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Action item: Christ alone can make us “whole.” Honor God with all three parts of your life – your body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
(1 Th 5:24 NIV) The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
Action item: He is faithful. Am I faithful? No-one can be faithful for me. Am I faithful to my marriage vows? To my kids in sharing adequate time with them? Am I faithful in paying my tithes? Am I faithful to using my God-given talents to advance God’s kingdom?
(1 Th 5:25 NIV) Brothers, pray for us.
Action item: Prayer is the engine that drives revival. Get on your knees and fight like a man (or woman)! God healed Job when he prayed for his friends. Intercession for others is God’s will for your life.
(1 Th 5:26 NIV) Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
Action item: Get discernment on this one! Sometimes a firm handshake is more culturally acceptable…
(1 Th 5:27 NIV) I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
Action item: Share God’s Word! Be a living epistle! Have family devotions! Talk about God’s Word every day in every way! Hid God’s Word in your heart so that you are either quoting it or paraphrasing its timeless truths in your speech.
(1 Th 5:28 NIV) The grace of oru Lord Jesus Christ be with you…
Action item: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
DSR
2/3/00
Tuesday, February 1, 2000
Retirement Banquet
by David Scott Robertson
(1 Sam 12:1-5 NIV) “[1] Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. [2] Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. [3] Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”
[4] ‘You have not cheated or oppressed us,’ they replied. ‘You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.’ [5] Samuel said to them, ‘The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.’ ‘He is witness,’ they said.”
The prophet Samuel’s ministry was beginning to draw to a close.
To be sure there were a few more key assignments for Samuel on God’s task list –
There were prophecies to utter,
King Saul to rebuke,
King Agag to put to death before the Lord,
A shepherd boy to anoint as King over Israel –
Btu still, for the most part, Samuel was old and gary and winding down his career.
A lifetime ago,
Actually before Samuel’s life began,
His mother had cried out in anguish to Jehovah to end her barrenness.
Hannah prayed through
And Samuel was the result.
The boy was devoted to the Lord for a lifetime
And eventually entrusted to the care of Eli the priest to raise.
From a child Samuel had known the holy scriptures
Which had made him wise unto salvation.
Now he was old and gray
And surrounded by his sons.
Samuel had been a natural,
Or could we say – supernaturally – born leader.
Samuel lived a lifetime of ministry with integrity.
Now he stands and addresses the nation of Israel
At a gathering of the people and makes one of his most memorable speeches.
I sort of think of this occasion as Samuel’s Retirement Banquet.
The Bible doesn’t’ say there was a banquet.
But you know as well as I do that
Wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord
There is usually food in the midst.
But what the man of God says
Moves me to awe, inspiration, admiration and wonder: -
“Whose ox have I taken?”
“Whose donkey have I taken?”
“Whom have I cheated?”
“Whom have I oppressed?”
“From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any one of these things I will make it right/” (1 Samuel 12:2-3).
I’d like to imagine that there was a period of silence in the crowd.
Time to let any accusers speak out against Samuel.
But there were none!
Nobody had any dirt no Samuel.
There were no skeletons to drag out of his closet.
No woman called out from the group to mention an affair.
No man challenged the prophet’s bold questions.
Instead, Israel’s response was,
“’You have not cheated or oppressed us,’ they replied.
‘You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.’” (1 Samuel 12-4)
There it is!
Ministry with integrity!
Year after year of integrity,
Decade after decade of integrity,
An entire lifetime of ministry with integrity.
O God my Father!
May this be my testimony
At my retirement banquet
Should Jesus tarry His coming.
May I be able to ask bold questions:
“What office supplies did I steal?”
“Whose character did I assassinate?”
“Can you find one dollar that I embezzled?”
“Whom have I misrepresented?”
“If I have one any of these, I shall make it right.”
Incidentally,
Before you leave any office, church, neighborhood or relationship,
Make it right!
Make what right?
Your heart, conscience, and the Holy Spirit will tell you.
At the time of writing,
I am nearly forty years old.
As far as the prophetic time-clock is concerned,
I believe I’ve lived too long to die now.;
However, should Father God postpone for many years picking up the kids
And I go the way of the grave,
My earnest, fervent, heartfelt prayer to God is
That I might have a testimony at my
Retirement banquet
Like Samuel had at his.
DSR
2/1/00
(1 Sam 12:1-5 NIV) “[1] Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. [2] Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. [3] Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”
[4] ‘You have not cheated or oppressed us,’ they replied. ‘You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.’ [5] Samuel said to them, ‘The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.’ ‘He is witness,’ they said.”
The prophet Samuel’s ministry was beginning to draw to a close.
To be sure there were a few more key assignments for Samuel on God’s task list –
There were prophecies to utter,
King Saul to rebuke,
King Agag to put to death before the Lord,
A shepherd boy to anoint as King over Israel –
Btu still, for the most part, Samuel was old and gary and winding down his career.
A lifetime ago,
Actually before Samuel’s life began,
His mother had cried out in anguish to Jehovah to end her barrenness.
Hannah prayed through
And Samuel was the result.
The boy was devoted to the Lord for a lifetime
And eventually entrusted to the care of Eli the priest to raise.
From a child Samuel had known the holy scriptures
Which had made him wise unto salvation.
Now he was old and gray
And surrounded by his sons.
Samuel had been a natural,
Or could we say – supernaturally – born leader.
Samuel lived a lifetime of ministry with integrity.
Now he stands and addresses the nation of Israel
At a gathering of the people and makes one of his most memorable speeches.
I sort of think of this occasion as Samuel’s Retirement Banquet.
The Bible doesn’t’ say there was a banquet.
But you know as well as I do that
Wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord
There is usually food in the midst.
But what the man of God says
Moves me to awe, inspiration, admiration and wonder: -
“Whose ox have I taken?”
“Whose donkey have I taken?”
“Whom have I cheated?”
“Whom have I oppressed?”
“From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any one of these things I will make it right/” (1 Samuel 12:2-3).
I’d like to imagine that there was a period of silence in the crowd.
Time to let any accusers speak out against Samuel.
But there were none!
Nobody had any dirt no Samuel.
There were no skeletons to drag out of his closet.
No woman called out from the group to mention an affair.
No man challenged the prophet’s bold questions.
Instead, Israel’s response was,
“’You have not cheated or oppressed us,’ they replied.
‘You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.’” (1 Samuel 12-4)
There it is!
Ministry with integrity!
Year after year of integrity,
Decade after decade of integrity,
An entire lifetime of ministry with integrity.
O God my Father!
May this be my testimony
At my retirement banquet
Should Jesus tarry His coming.
May I be able to ask bold questions:
“What office supplies did I steal?”
“Whose character did I assassinate?”
“Can you find one dollar that I embezzled?”
“Whom have I misrepresented?”
“If I have one any of these, I shall make it right.”
Incidentally,
Before you leave any office, church, neighborhood or relationship,
Make it right!
Make what right?
Your heart, conscience, and the Holy Spirit will tell you.
At the time of writing,
I am nearly forty years old.
As far as the prophetic time-clock is concerned,
I believe I’ve lived too long to die now.;
However, should Father God postpone for many years picking up the kids
And I go the way of the grave,
My earnest, fervent, heartfelt prayer to God is
That I might have a testimony at my
Retirement banquet
Like Samuel had at his.
DSR
2/1/00
Thursday, January 13, 2000
The Other Jesus
by David Scott Robertson
(Colossians 4:11 NIV) “Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.”
This verse in the New Testament absolutely fascinates me.
The Apostle Paul,
Writing a letter to the church at Colosse
To emphasize the supremacy and centrality of Christ,
Mentions a Jewish believer whose name,
Translated in Greek,
Was “Jesus”.
The name “Jesus” is the Greek form
Of the Hebrew word, ‘Yeshua’ (Joshua)
Meaning, “The Lord saves.”
In the economy of God,
The Other Jesus’ path somehow intersected Paul’s.
And the Other Jesus became a help and a comfort to the imprisoned apostle.
It seems very apparent that the Other Jesus
Was a messianic Jew
But obviously not the Messianic Jew.
Somewhere along the line,
The Other Jesus became a believer in Jesus of Nazareth.
And at some point,
The Other Jesus altered the Greek pronunciation of his name by t wo letters
To become simply “Justus”,
A common Jewish personal name.
Now this whole scenario intrigues me.
For you see,
Embedded in this one verse (Colossians 4:11)
Is a fantastic story;
One that I cannot know
And am not qualified to tell.
But that doesn’t stop me from wondering,
Who was it that recommended that the Other Jesus change his name to “Justus”?
Was it Paul, who may have explained “the Way” more perfectly to him?
Once Justus invited Jesus to come into his heart and became a believer,
Was he overwhelmed by the need to change is name
To something, anything, except “Jesus”?
I don’t know.
But I do know that
There’s nobody like the real Jesus.
In the last days,
Many false Christs will come proclaiming that they are Jesus.
But of course, they are imposters.
Jesus Christ provides such a thorough transofmration
Of the lives He comes to be Lord over
That the Bible declares,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)
When Jesus arrives in a person’s heart
Their former identity sheds
And the man is, “Born again.”
There’s a name change destined
For all those whose names are found in the Lamb’s Book of Life: -
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.
I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it,
Known only to him who receives it.” (Rev 2:17 NIV)
Just as
Justus
Made room for Jesus,
Jesus made room for Justus.
Justus was served
And though undeserved
Justice was served.
DSR, 1/13/00
(Colossians 4:11 NIV) “Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.”
This verse in the New Testament absolutely fascinates me.
The Apostle Paul,
Writing a letter to the church at Colosse
To emphasize the supremacy and centrality of Christ,
Mentions a Jewish believer whose name,
Translated in Greek,
Was “Jesus”.
The name “Jesus” is the Greek form
Of the Hebrew word, ‘Yeshua’ (Joshua)
Meaning, “The Lord saves.”
In the economy of God,
The Other Jesus’ path somehow intersected Paul’s.
And the Other Jesus became a help and a comfort to the imprisoned apostle.
It seems very apparent that the Other Jesus
Was a messianic Jew
But obviously not the Messianic Jew.
Somewhere along the line,
The Other Jesus became a believer in Jesus of Nazareth.
And at some point,
The Other Jesus altered the Greek pronunciation of his name by t wo letters
To become simply “Justus”,
A common Jewish personal name.
Now this whole scenario intrigues me.
For you see,
Embedded in this one verse (Colossians 4:11)
Is a fantastic story;
One that I cannot know
And am not qualified to tell.
But that doesn’t stop me from wondering,
Who was it that recommended that the Other Jesus change his name to “Justus”?
Was it Paul, who may have explained “the Way” more perfectly to him?
Once Justus invited Jesus to come into his heart and became a believer,
Was he overwhelmed by the need to change is name
To something, anything, except “Jesus”?
I don’t know.
But I do know that
There’s nobody like the real Jesus.
In the last days,
Many false Christs will come proclaiming that they are Jesus.
But of course, they are imposters.
Jesus Christ provides such a thorough transofmration
Of the lives He comes to be Lord over
That the Bible declares,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)
When Jesus arrives in a person’s heart
Their former identity sheds
And the man is, “Born again.”
There’s a name change destined
For all those whose names are found in the Lamb’s Book of Life: -
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.
I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it,
Known only to him who receives it.” (Rev 2:17 NIV)
Just as
Justus
Made room for Jesus,
Jesus made room for Justus.
Justus was served
And though undeserved
Justice was served.
DSR, 1/13/00
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