Posted by: dhkrause | November 11, 2013

Whom Will You Serve?

God created each of us with a free will, and a very central choice we all make is whom we will serve.  In fact, we make this choice continually: whether to worship and serve our Creator, the true and living God, or to worship and serve false gods including oneself.  God’s calling for each of us, if we have ears to hear, is to love and worship Him with all our heart and soul, as Moses declares in Deuteronomy 10:

Deuteronomy 10
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul? 13 Keep the Lord’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good.

Joshua presented the nation of Israel with this most critical choice – to worship false gods or to worship and serve Yahweh, the true and living God.  The people responded by renewing their Covenant with Him:

Joshua 24
14 “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.”

22 Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship Yahweh.”
“We are witnesses,” they said.
23 “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and offer your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey Him.”

When David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, he called for all the people of the earth to worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness:

 1 Chronicles 16
28 Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name;
bring an offering and come before Him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness;
30 tremble before Him, all the earth.

In Psalm 2, David exhorts kings and judges to serve the Lord with reverential awe, and to pay homage to the Messiah, the Son of God when He comes:

Psalm 2
10 So now, kings, be wise;
receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Pay homage to the Son or He will be angry
and you will perish in your rebellion,
for His anger may ignite at any moment.
All those who take refuge in Him are happy.

Psalm 100 urges people of all nations to serve the Lord with gladness, entering His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise:

Psalm 100
1 Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
3 Acknowledge that Yahweh is God.
He made us, and we are His —
His people, the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
5 For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal;
His faithfulness endures through all generations.

The Psalmist in Psalm 103 commands his soul and all that is within him to praise Yahweh, and to remember and thank Him for all His many benefits:

Psalm 103
1 My soul, praise Yahweh,
and all that is within me, praise His holy name.
2 My soul, praise the Lord,
and do not forget all His benefits.
3 He forgives all your sin;
He heals all your diseases.
4 He redeems your life from the Pit;
He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
5 He satisfies you with goodness;
your youth is renewed like the eagle.

In Matthew 4, Jesus (Yeshua) defeated the devil and his temptations by standing firmly on the word of God.  He told him, for example, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Finally, the devil offered to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world if he would fall down and worship him.  Jesus replied with the only right choice for all people.

Matthew 4
8 Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9 And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written:
Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.”
11 Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.

In Mark 12, Jesus taught the most important commands of all:

Mark 12
29 “This is the most important,” Jesus answered: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 “The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

Our lives are all about whether or not we will continually make this choice to love, worship and serve the Lord with gladness, giving Him all we are.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/, 11/10/13

 (Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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Posted by: dhkrause | October 27, 2013

Servant of All

The Bible teaches that to be great in God’s kingdom is to be the servant of all.  In Mark 9, Jesus (Yeshua) noticed the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest.  He surprised them by teaching that the one who wants to be first must be the last of all and servant of all:

Mark 9
33 Then they came to Capernaum. When He was in the house, He asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34 But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, He called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then He took a child, had him stand among them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one little child such as this in My name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me, but Him who sent Me.”

In Mark 10, Jesus continues this teaching by contrasting this attitude of the servant, with that of prideful rulers who take joy in dominating others.  As the Messiah, he himself “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

Mark 10
42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. 43 But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

In Isaiah 49, God describes the mission of the Messiah – to be His Servant raising up the tribes of Jacob, the Restorer of Israel and a light for the nations, and to be His salvation to the ends of the earth.

 5 And now, says the Lord,
who formed me from the womb to be His Servant,
to bring Jacob back to Him
so that Israel might be gathered to Him;
for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is my strength—
6 He says,
“It is not enough for you to be My Servant
raising up the tribes of Jacob
and restoring the protected ones of Israel.
I will also make you a light for the nations,
to be My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Unlike the true people of God, tyrannical people have historically looked to money as a tool to destroy others and exalt themselves as cruel and proud rulers of ever increasing empires.  In Psalm 52, David declares that God will judge those trusting in the abundance of their riches and taking refuge in destructive behavior.  True people of God, like David, trust in His faithful love, putting their hope always in His name, for He is good.

Psalm 52
1 Why brag about evil, you hero!
God’s faithful love is constant.
2 Like a sharpened razor,
your tongue devises destruction,
working treachery.
3 You love evil instead of good,
lying instead of speaking truthfully.  Selah
4 You love any words that destroy,
you treacherous tongue!
5 This is why God will bring you down forever.
He will take you, ripping you out of your tent;
He will uproot you from the land of the living.  Selah
6 The righteous will look on with awe
and will ridicule him:
7 “Here is the man
who would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”
8 But I am like a flourishing olive tree
in the house of God;
I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.
9 I will praise You forever for what You have done.
In the presence of Your faithful people,
I will put my hope in Your name, for it is good.

When the parents of Jesus brought the eight day old child into the temple for his circumcision, a devout man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon took him up in his arms declaring him to be God’s salvation, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to Your people Israel.”

Luke 2
25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took Him up in his arms, praised God, and said: 29 Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace,
as You promised. 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation.
31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to Your people Israel.

Jesus declares in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.  Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”  Those who follow Jesus (Yeshua) are the servants of all.  To them he declares in Matthew 5, “You are the light of the world.”

14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/, 10/27/13

 (Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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Posted by: dhkrause | October 14, 2013

Peace with God

The Bible reveals the way to have peace with God, and to experience the peace of God in our lives.  For example, Psalm 51 contains David’s prayer for forgiveness and restoration – peace with God, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.

Psalm 51
1 Be gracious to me, God,
according to Your faithful love;
according to Your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.
2 Wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

9 Turn Your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.
10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me,
and give me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways,
and sinners will return to You.

God’s forgiveness, restoration and faithful love is evident in David’s hymn of praise in Psalm 103:

1 My soul, praise Yahweh,
and all that is within me, praise His holy name.
2 My soul, praise the Lord,
and do not forget all His benefits.
3 He forgives all your sin;
He heals all your diseases.
4 He redeems your life from the Pit;
He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
5 He satisfies you with goodness;
your youth is renewed like the eagle.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His faithful love
toward those who fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed
our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

In Psalm 85, the sons of Korah, like David, look forward to the coming of the Messiah in whom God’s faithful love and truth join together, and righteousness and peace embrace:

10 Faithful love and truth will join together; righteousness and peace will embrace.
11 Truth will spring up from the earth, and righteousness will look down from heaven.

Isaiah wrote of the characteristics of the Son of God who was to come, who is both the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the nations:

Isaiah 9
6 For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

In Isaiah 52, Isaiah describes those who proclaim peace, bringing the good news of God’s salvation:

Isaiah 52
7 How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the herald,
who proclaims peace,
who brings news of good things,
who proclaims salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

We receive God’s peace through faith in Yeshua (Jesus), as he declares in John 14:27,

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.

Those who declare and bring this peace are peacemakers sent by Him, about whom He declares in Matthew 5:9,

The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God.

Paul likewise declares how to receive peace with God, in Romans 5:1,

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul prays in Romans 15 that the God of hope and peace will be with believers, filling them with hope and peace and joy:

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
33 The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

In Philippians 4, Paul encourages believers to rejoice in the Lord, being assured that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds, and the God of peace will be with us:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Being united with the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the nations, His grace, mercy and peace are with us, in truth and love:

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.   (2 John 1:3)

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/, 10/13/2013

 (Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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Posted by: dhkrause | September 30, 2013

The Dwelling Place of God

A central theme of the Bible is that God desires to dwell with His people and in His people, and that the Messiah comes to make this possible.  A. W. Tozer writes in his book, “Man: The Dwelling Place of God”:

“DEEP INSIDE EVERY MAN there is a private sanctum where dwells the mysterious essence of his being. This far-in reality is that in the man which is what it is of itself without reference to any other part of the man’s complex nature. It is the man’s “I Am,” a gift from the I AM who created him.” …
“The importance of all this cannot be overestimated as we think and study and pray. It reveals the essential spirituality of mankind.” …
“That which makes him a human being is not his body but his spirit, in which the image of God originally lay.  One of the most liberating declarations in the New Testament is this:
‘The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’ (John 4:23, 24).”

David worshiped God in spirit and in truth, as exemplified in Psalm 57, a song of praise and worship written as he was hiding in a cave fleeing from the army of Saul:

Psalm 57
7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.  I will sing; I will sing praises.
8 Wake up, my soul!  Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
9 I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.
10 For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
11 God, be exalted above the heavens;
let Your glory be over the whole earth.

The promise of God dwelling with His people is prophetically pictured in the Feast of Tabernacles:

Leviticus 23
33 The Lord spoke to Moses: 34 “Tell the Israelites: The Festival of Booths to the Lord begins on the fifteenth day of this seventh month and continues for seven days.
39 “You are to celebrate the Lord’s festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh month for seven days after you have gathered the produce of the land. There will be complete rest on the first day and complete rest on the eighth day. 40 On the first day you are to take the product of majestic trees—palm fronds, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You are to celebrate it as a festival to the Lord seven days each year.
42 You are to live in booths for seven days. All the native-born of Israel must live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.” 44 So Moses declared the Lord’s appointed times to the Israelites.

God repeatedly promises that His people will live with Him eternally.  For example, in Isaiah 65, God declares that He will create a new heaven and a new earth, and a new Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight:

Isaiah 65
17 “For I will create a new heaven and a new earth;
the past events will not be remembered or come to mind.
18 Then be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating;
for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people.
The sound of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.

John 1 describes the Messiah Yeshua, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, coming to take up residence among us:

 John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.  2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him
not one thing was created that has been created.
4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.
5 That light shines in the darkness,  yet the darkness did not overcome it.
11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.
12 But to all who did receive Him,
He gave them the right to be children of God,
to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh,
or of the will of man, but of God.
14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us.
We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth.

In John 14, Jesus, Yeshua describes how the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth will come and dwell in God’s people, and that both the Father and the Son of God will make their home in our hearts:

John 14
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.
23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Paul (Shaul) asks believers in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”

In Revelation 21, John picks up the theme of God dwelling with His people in a new heaven and a new earth, in the new Jerusalem:

Revelation 21
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.  3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them.
They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/, 9/29/2013

(Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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Posted by: dhkrause | September 17, 2013

Reconciled to God through Christ

David, who trusted in the coming Messiah, writes about God’s faithful love and forgiveness in removing our transgressions from us,  in Psalm 103:

1 My soul, praise Yahweh,
and all that is within me, praise His holy name.
2 My soul, praise the Lord,
and do not forget all His benefits.
3 He forgives all your sin;
He heals all your diseases.
4 He redeems your life from the Pit;
He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
5 He satisfies you with goodness;
your youth is renewed like the eagle.

10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our offenses.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His faithful love
toward those who fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed
our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Yeshua, Jesus, explains that he is the way to the Father, the only way to be reconciled to God:

John 14
1 “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”
5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Yeshua, Jesus, teaches about being reconciled to God through him, and living fruitfully as his followers and friends:

John 15
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.
11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 17 This is what I command you: Love one another.

Shaul (Paul) writes about giving all that we are to God, as a living sacrifice.  This is our spiritual worship.  How are we to do this?

Romans 12
1 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

It is the joy and privilege of all who are reconciled to God through Christ to live for him, as Shaul, Paul, explains in 2 Corinthians 5:

14 For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. 15 And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. 18 Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Shaul, Paul, teaches that by the blood of the Messiah, both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled to God through the cross, to become one new humanity.  Through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father:

Ephesians 2
13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it. 17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/, 9/15/2013

 (Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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Posted by: dhkrause | September 2, 2013

Our Creator and Redeemer, Giver of Freedom, Courage and Strength

Let us respond rightly to our Creator and Redeemer, being set apart for Him who gives us love, joy, freedom, courage and strength.  As Psalm 100 joyfully declares, He made us, and we are His.  We enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise:

1 Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
3 Acknowledge that Yahweh is God.
He made us, and we are His —
His people, the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
5 For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal;
His faithfulness endures through all generations.

Isaiah 54 includes these promises for Israel which also hold true for all who join themselves with the God of Israel, our Maker and Redeemer:

5 Indeed, your husband is your Maker—
His name is Yahweh of Hosts—
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
He is called the God of all the earth.

10 Though the mountains move
and the hills shake,
My love will not be removed from you
and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
says your compassionate Lord.

17 No weapon formed against you will succeed,
and you will refute any accusation
raised against you in court.
This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants,
and their righteousness is from Me.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.

True personal freedom comes from being in right relationship with God, believing in the Savior He has sent.  Yeshua, Jesus, announced his Messianic mission with promises of freedom in Luke 4:

16 He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As usual, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him, and unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written:

18 The Spirit of the Lord is on Me,
because He has anointed Me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent Me
to proclaim freedom to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

In John 15, Yeshua, Jesus urges his followers to remain in him as branches in a vine, loving one another as he has loved us.  Then we will be fruitful giving glory to God.  His joy will be in us and our joy will be complete:

4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.

11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.

 These are two major requirements for fulfilling our God-given destiny:

1. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6). Recognize that He is the source of everything good in you, and give Him all the glory for your achievements, as Ya’akov (James) declares in James 1:

16 Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. 17 Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. 18 By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

2. Be strong and courageous.  Stand tall and victorious in your spirit, knowing that your strength is in God and you can do all things through the Messiah.  In Joshua 1, Yahweh three times tells Joshua to be strong and courageous, words which should continually resonate in our spirits as well:

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

As Shaul (Paul) declares in Philippians 4:13, “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  Like Shaul, we can take to heart the encouragement of Yeshua (Jesus) in John 16:33: “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/, 9/7/2013

(Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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Posted by: dhkrause | August 19, 2013

God’s Purpose and Calling

God calls people into His purpose, and empowers them with His grace.
Salvation is from Him alone, yet He repays each according to his works,
as David describes in Psalm 62:

1 I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah

11 God has spoken once; I have heard this twice: strength belongs to God,
12 and faithful love belongs to You, Lord. For You repay each according to his works.

Yeshua (Jesus) describes God’s supreme gift of salvation in John 3:

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

He saves us according to His purpose and grace, not according to what we have done.  Yet as believers we also have a holy calling in Messiah Yeshua, Christ Jesus,
as Shaul (Paul) explains in 2 Timothy 1:

9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
10 This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Shaul (Paul) writes in Ephesians 2 that we were all dead in our trespasses and sins, but God in His mercy has made believers alive with the Messiah.

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins
2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.
3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,
5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
6 Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,
7 so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—
9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

The Messiah also came to tear down the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles in the flesh, to create “one new man from the two”, “built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit”:

11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands.
12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.
16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.
17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.
22 You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

While believers are “saved by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8), “we must never get tired of doing good” as Shaul (Paul) explains in Galatians 6:

7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap,
8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
9 So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Believers are given “a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.  Along with the new birth we have received a calling to be holy in all our conduct.  Shimon Kefa (Peter) declares in 1 Peter 1 that through Him we “are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God”:

3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
5 You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance.
15 But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct;
16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

20 He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times for you
21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

 David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/

(Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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Posted by: dhkrause | August 5, 2013

Living Water

“Living water” in the Bible is a prophetic picture of the Spirit of God being poured out upon or into a believer’s life.  For example, Psalm 1 compares a person who delights in the Lord’s instruction to a tree planted beside streams of water:

1 How happy is the man
who does not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path of sinners
or join a group of mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside streams of water
that bears its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 46 describes a river whose streams delight the city of God:

 4 There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns.

In Isaiah 44, the Lord promises to pour water on the thirsty land and streams on dry ground, and to pour out His Spirit on the descendants of the righteous:

1 “And now listen, Jacob My servant,
Israel whom I have chosen.
2 This is the word of the Lord
your Maker who formed you from the womb;
He will help you:
Do not fear; Jacob is My servant;
I have chosen Jeshurun [poetic name for Israel].
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants
and My blessing on your offspring.
4 They will sprout among the grass
like poplars by flowing streams.

In Jeremiah 2, the Lord laments that His people have abandoned Him, the fountain of living water, and have dug cisterns for themselves, choosing to worship idols rather than the true and living God.

13 For My people have committed a double evil:
They have abandoned Me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.

In John 4, Yeshua, Jesus, tells the woman at the well in Samaria that the living water he will give will become a well of water springing up within a person for eternal life.

 9 “How is it that You, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked Him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.”
11 “Sir,” said the woman, “You don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do You get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are You? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”
13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again.
14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.”

In John 7, Yeshua, Jesus, stands up at the climactic moment of the Feast of Tabernacles in the temple and cries out that the one who believes in him will experience streams of living water flowing from deep within (speaking of the Spirit that was soon to be poured out.)

37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink!
38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”
39 He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been received because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

After Yeshua was glorified, the Spirit was poured out upon the believers on Shavuot, the day of Pentecost.  In Philippians 1, Shaul (also known as Paul), walking by the Spirit, describes how he lives every moment for the Messiah, fearlessly confident that after death he will be with the Lord:

20 My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

In Ephesians 4, Shaul, Paul, encourages believers to grow into an ever deeper walk with the Messiah and to promote the spiritual growth of one another, being knit together in love like supporting ligaments in the body:

15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. 16 From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Revelation 22 describes the river of living water flowing from the throne of God in the New Jerusalem, and those who have the right to the tree of life.  The Spirit and the bride renew Yeshua’s invitation for all who are thirsty to come and receive this gift of healing and eternal life.

 1  Then he showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the broad street of the city. The tree of life was on both sides of the river, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations, 3a and there will no longer be any curse.

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.

17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Anyone who hears should say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift.

20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/, 8/4/2013

(Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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Posted by: dhkrause | July 31, 2013

My Favorite Books, by Marla Krause, July 31, 2013

1. The Power to Change the World – Rick Joyner
http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Change-World-Revivals/dp/1929371721/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1375178944&sr=1-12
The Welsh and Azusa Street Revivals

2. Gaining Ground – Martin Scott
http://www.amazon.com/Gaining-Ground-Strategies-Transforming-Community/dp/0800793609/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375261595&sr=1-1
Turn curses to blessings on the land; even you, working with God, can do this.

 3. Identity Theft – Ron Cantor
http://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Ron-Cantor/dp/0768442176/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1375261673&sr=1-1
Names were changed and teachings were reversed; who did this?

4. A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days – Jonathan Bernis
http://www.amazon.com/Rabbi-Looks-Last-Days-Misconceptions/dp/0800795431/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1375261775&sr=1-1
Nearer to prophecy fulfillment each day; you have a part in this.

5. The School of Christ – T. Austin Sparks
http://www.amazon.com/School-Christ-T-Austin-Sparks/dp/B0058KGSJ4/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1375261846&sr=1-1
(And other books by the same author)

 6. Let Us Draw Near – Judson Cornwall
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Draw-Near-Judson-Cornwall/dp/0882702262/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375262074&sr=1-3

7. He Who Has Ears to Hear – Don Towle
(And other books by the same author)
http://www.amazon.com/He-Who-Has-Ears-Hear/dp/148239412X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375262278&sr=1-3

8. The Hearing Ear: Learning to Listen to God – Larry Lea
http://www.amazon.com/Hearing-Ear-Learning-Listen-God/dp/0884192156/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375262563&sr=1-1
(And other books by the same author)

9. God Tells the Man Who Cares – A. W. Tozer
http://www.amazon.com/God-Tells-Man-Who-Cares/dp/1600660533/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375262790&sr=1-1
(And other books by the same author)

10. The Harbinger – Jonathan Cahn
http://www.amazon.com/The-Harbinger-Ancient-Mystery-Americas/dp/161638610X/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1
Too many correlations of patterns of unfaithful choices by U.S. government which brought curses to U.S. homeland, to be coincidental.

11. Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel – William R. Koenig
http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Facing-Consequences-Dividing-Israel/dp/0971734704/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375263208&sr=1-1
Again, too many correlations of patterns of unfaithful choices by U.S. government which brought curses to U.S. homeland, to be coincidental.

12. C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography: The Early Years, 1834-1859
http://www.amazon.com/C-H-Spurgeon-Autobiography-1834-1859/dp/0851510760/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375263853&sr=1-2, and

C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography, Volume 2: The Full Harvest 1860-1892
http://www.amazon.com/C-H-Spurgeon-Autobiography-1860-1892/dp/0851511821/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375263853&sr=1-4,

or combined unabridged edition on Kindle:
The Autobiography Of C.H. Spurgeon [Annotated with Active Table Of Contents] [Kindle Edition]
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005YUJD5E/ref=oh_d__o04_details_o04__i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

13. The Autobiography of Charles G. Finney: The Life Story of America’s Greatest Evangelist – In His Own Words
http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Charles-Finney-The-Evangelist-In/dp/0764201565/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1375263555&sr=1-2

14. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete [Hardcover]
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Henrys-Commentary-Whole-Bible/dp/1598566121/ref=pd_sim_b_1 , or

Unabridged Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (best navigation) [Kindle Edition]
http://www.amazon.com/Unabridged-Matthew-Commentary-navigation-ebook/dp/B004BA54RE/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375265209&sr=1-2&keywords=commentary

 15. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge – R. A. Torrey
http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Scripture-Knowledge-R-Torrey/dp/0917006224/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375266278&sr=1-1
(And other books by the same author)

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Posted by: dhkrause | July 22, 2013

Our Hope is in God

A strong and recurring Biblical theme is for our hope to be always in God.
Psalm 146 describes how our hope is in the Lord our God, our great help and Creator:

1 Hallelujah!  My soul, praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing to my God as long as I live.

5 Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in them.

In Psalm 62, David points people to God, his salvation and stronghold, and source of hope:

5 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.
My refuge is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our refuge. Selah

In Hosea 12, the prophet reminds us to return to our God, with love and justice, putting our hope in Him:

5 Yahweh is the God of Hosts;
Yahweh is His name.
6 But you must return to your God.
Maintain love and justice,
and always put your hope in God.

In 1 Peter 1, the apostle describes our living hope through the resurrection of Yeshua, Jesus from the dead:

3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

8 You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

He describes our hope and calling through the revelation of Yeshua our Messiah, Jesus Christ.

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

20 He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times for you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The prayer of Yeshua, Jesus, in John 17 gives us great hope for seeing his glory and sharing his love both now and for eternity:

24 Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am.
Then they will see My glory, which You have given Me
because You loved Me before the world’s foundation.
25 Righteous Father! The world has not known You. However, I have known You, and these have known that You sent Me.
26 I made Your name known to them and will make it known, so the love You have loved Me with may be in them and I may be in them.

In Romans 5, Paul gives additional strong reasons for rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God, including that the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit:

1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

In Romans 15, Paul prays that believers will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit:

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Ephesians 2, Paul describes how those who were foreigners to the covenants of the promise were without hope until the Messiah came.  Now by faith people from all nations can become fellow citizens with Israel in the family of God:

12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.

In Colossians 1, Paul speaks about a mystery hidden for generations but now revealed to believers: “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.  He explains that he has been called 25 “… to make God’s message fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. 27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

In Titus 2, Paul exhorts believers to live in a sensible, righteous and godly way, while we await the Messiah’s glorious return:

11 For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/

(Bible Quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

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