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| "One generation shall praise Your works to another and declare Your mighty acts" Psalm 145:4. |
My Meditations on Today’s Readings
(Ellipses are mine
and are used for contemplation.)
Key Words/Phrases:
In the latter days/in the day; for all people walk each in the name of his god,
but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever; But you, Bethlehem Eprathah…; The LORD is gracious and full
of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy, the LORD is good to all; there
is a generation (x3)…; There was still another mighty angel…he had a little
book open in his hand.
Good News for the
Generations of Believers - It Shall Come to Pass in the Latter Days -Micah 4 and 5 (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) The Good
News: 1) The mountain of the
LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be
exalted above the hills. 2) Many nations…shall say, ‘Come, and
let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.’
3) He will teach us His ways…and we
shall walk in His paths…for…out of Zion…the law shall go forth…and the word of
the LORD…from Jerusalem. 4) He
shall judge peoples and rebuke nations afar off; 5) They shall beat their swords into plowshares…and their spears into
pruning hooks…nation shall not lift up sword against nation…neither shall they
learn war anymore. 6) No one shall
make them afraid…for…the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken…for…all people
walk each in the name of his god…but we…will walk in the name of the LORD our
God forever and ever. In That
Day: In that day, says the
LORD, I will assemble…the lame; I will gather…the outcast…and those whom I have
afflicted. I will make the lame a
remnant and the outcast a strong nation and reign over them from now on, even
forevermore. The Coming of Messiah: But you…Bethlehem Ephrathah…though
you are little…yet…out of you…shall come forth…to Me…the One…to be Ruler in
Israel…whose goings forth…are from old…from everlasting. Therefore…He
shall give them up…until the time…that she who is in labor has given
birth…then…the remnant of His brethren…shall return…to the children of Israel. And He
shall stand…and feed…His flock…in the strength of the LORD…in the majesty…of
the name…of the LORD His God; and they shall abide…for…now He shall be great…to
the ends of the earth; and…this One…shall be…peace. Principle:
What the 1st and 2nd Comings of the Messiah will Bring: His goings forth
were from before the foundation of the world to the end of the world and
through eternity. We are awaiting His
return until the time that “she who is in labor has given birth” – until all the
redeemed are brought into the church.
Then the remnant – the Jews of the diaspora will return to Israel. This is the prophesy of the post-tribulation
time, of the millennial reign. War is
replaced by peace. The world is ruled by
the One who is peace. In that day the
LORD will assemble, gather, and make a great nation of many nations and peoples who are cared for and abide under
the Good Shepherd.
Passing the Torch
Through the Generations – Psalm 145: 1-9 (Facts: What It Says) Modeling
“The Man after God’s own Heart” in Praising God – How to Praise: 1) I
will…extol You…my God, O King.
2) I will…bless …Your name…forever
and ever. 3) Every day…I will…bless
You. 4) And
I will…praise Your name forever
and ever. 5) Great is the LORD…and greatly to be praised…His greatness… is unsearchable.
Part of our Great Commission – What to
Praise: 1) One generation…shall praise…Your works…to another, and shall…declare…Your mighty acts. 2) Men…shall
speak of…the might…of Your
awesome acts. 3) They shall utter…the memory of…Your great goodness, 4) and shall…sing of…Your
righteousness. The Evolution of
Personal Praise: 1) I will…meditate
on…the glorious splendor…of Your
majesty and…on Your wondrous works. 2) I
will…declare….Your greatness.
The Genesis
of Praise: The LORD is…gracious…and…full
of compassion…slow to anger...and…great in mercy. The LORD is good to
all...and…His tender mercies…are over…all his works. Principle: Praise of God is the genesis, foundation, power,
and vehicle of evangelism. It is the
natural outpouring and privilege of the saved soul. “It is why we exist as a church.” (John
Piper) It is one of the sacrifices that is pleasing to God. Therefore…by Him...let us continually offer
the sacrifice of praise to God...that is...the fruit of our lips…giving thanks
to His name. Hebrews 13:15. Jonah and David describe their knowledge of
God in almost identical words – merciful, compassionate (lovingkindness),
gracious. Note how each reacts
differently to that knowledge.
The Generation That
Defies God and Seeks to Destroy the Poor and Needy – Proverbs 30:11-14 – (Facts: What It Says) Marks of the Defiant Generation: There is a generation that…1) curses its father, 2) and does not bless…its mother, 3) is pure…in its own eyes…yet…is not
washed…from its own filthiness, 4)
oh, how lofty…are their eyes…and their eyelids are lifted up, 5) whose teeth are like…swords…and whose fangs
are like…knives. The Intent of the Defiant Generation: To…devour…the poor…from off the earth,
and the…needy…from among men.
Principle: Pride,
arrogance, narcissism, cruelty, self as god, and dishonor of parents mark the godless
generation. The targets of this dissolute generation are the poor and needy. Amos 8 : The LORD says, Hear this, you who trample
the needy and do away with the poor…I will never forget anything they have
done…the land will tremble, mourn, be stirred up and sink for this…I will turn
your religious feasts to mourning, your singing to weeping. There will be a famine of the Word of
God. They will fall to never rise again.
The Last Generation –
Revelation 10 – (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) Prophecy
and Warning to the Generations: John continues: I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He had a little book open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left
foot on the land, and cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, 7 thunders uttered their
voices. I was about to write, but I
heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the 7 thunders
uttered, and do not write them.’ The
angel…raised up his hand to heaven…swore by Him who lives forever and ever and
created heaven and earth and all things in them…that…there should be delay no
longer…that with the sounding of the 7th angel, the mystery of God
would be finished…as He declared to His servants…the prophets. The voice from heaven told John to take the
book and eat it. The angel said, ‘Take and eat it; and it will make your
stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.’ Then the angel said, ‘You
must…prophesy…again...about…many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.’ Principle: The prophecies given
1000’s of years earlier are being fulfilled.
An unrepentant generation is on the verge of annihilation and the 2nd
coming of Christ is being ushered in, all according to God’s Plan for saving a
people made holy – through Christ’s sacrifice - for eternal fellowship with
Him. Charles
Stanley, Life Principles Daily Bible,
pg. 1538: History is moving relentlessly to a predetermined conclusion. We may not know what will happen from day to
day, but we already know how everything will turn out. God triumphs, and we triumph with Him. What is “the little book?” W. A. Criswell, the longtime, beloved pastor
of First Baptist Dallas preached on this one Sunday long ago. Transcript
of that sermon.
My Lessons and
Applications: What is the outworking
of my faith in the political realm, the social realm, in church outreach,
within my own family? How does my faith
impact my sphere of influence? How do I
view the poor and needy? Do my actions –
or the lack of them – contribute to the devouring of them by the greedy and
corrupt? Do I believe prophecy – God’s
warning – and Christ’s numerous teachings in regard to the poor and needy? Is this belief made real through my
pocketbook, at the voting booth, with my time?
Am I an advocate or an adversary of the poor and needy through these
actions? Do I truly, deeply understand
the generational impact of my life - in actions and words – and specifically in
teaching and living the Word of God with my family? What
is my goal in life – to obey, honor and glorify God or to do what I want –
regardless of what God’s word says? Do I
destroy my family, my children, reeking generational chaos because “he/she
doesn’t make me happy?” Am I showing one
nature to the outside world I want to impress and another to my family, my
spouse, my child, my mother or father?
What is my attitude toward the elderly, the infirm, the
incapacitated? What is my attitude
toward those of other “tongues, tribes, nations and peoples?” The kingdom of Christ will be gathered from
each of these.
All
God's revelations are sealed to us until they are opened to us by obedience.
You will never get them open by philosophy or thinking. Immediately you obey, a
flash of light comes. Let God's truth work in you by soaking in it, not by
worrying into it. Obey God in the thing He is at present showing you, and
instantly the next thing is opened up. We read tomes on the work of the Holy
Spirit when... five minutes of drastic obedience would make things clear as a
sunbeam. We say, "I suppose I shall understand these things some
day." You can understand them now: it is not study that does it, but
obedience. The tiniest fragment of obedience, and heaven opens up and the
profoundest truths of God are yours straight away. God will never reveal more
truth about Himself till you obey what you know already. Beware of being wise
and prudent.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
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