The magi viewed an astronomical wonder. A star announcing the arrival of the King of the Jews appeared.
Acting upon the divine disclosure, the magi journeyed to the Jews’ capital city, Jerusalem, the reasonable birthplace of a king. But the King of the Jews had been born in the humble, little town of Bethlehem, five miles south of Jerusalem, in fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy, “But you, O Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2, NKJV). Only a disclosure of this prophecy guided the wise men to Bethlehem and Jesus.
Human reason leads away from the miracle of the incarnation. It just doesn’t make sense that God would send His Son to Earth to be born in a stable, to live among sinful human beings, and then to die on the cross for us. But Scripture leads us to these startling facts. The written Word leads us to the incarnate Word and enlightens us so we may be the illustrated Word to our contemporaries.
Christmas is a good time to recommit ourselves to the task of helping others find the way to Jesus.
Showing posts with label Bible Christianity theology Christian living devotional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible Christianity theology Christian living devotional. Show all posts
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
God is Redemptive Exodus 15:1-13
God Is Redemptive. Exodus 15:1-13
By James Dyet, reprinted from Anchor © Haven Ministries. Used by permission. copyright 2007
“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. You will bring them in ...." (Exodus 15:13, 17)
Overworked and underpaid! Many workers today believe they fall into this category. however, that description pales when compared with the work conditions the Hebrews in Egypt had to contend with. They were slaves with the ever-increasing demand to make more bricks with less straw.
You can imagine how joyful those Hebrews were when God redeemed (delivered) them from Egypt and its bondage. Soon after God covered Pharaoh and his cavalry in the Red Sea, Moses and his sister Miriam led the Hebrews in praiseful celebration of this triumphant divine deliverance.
The apostle Peter wrote that God has redeemed believers by the blood of Christ (I Peter 1:18-19). The word "redeemed" in verse 18 means to buy in the slave market, to buy out of the slave market, and to set free. When Christ died for us, He bought us with His blood to set us free. Now we are no longer slaves to sin; we are free to serve God willingly and gladly (Romans 6:17-18). That's something worth celebrating, don't you agree?
Insight:
Religion without redemption enslaves people by binding them to lifeless rules and ceremonies. But all who believe on Christ receive life and liberty.
By James Dyet, reprinted from Anchor © Haven Ministries. Used by permission. copyright 2007
“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. You will bring them in ...." (Exodus 15:13, 17)
Overworked and underpaid! Many workers today believe they fall into this category. however, that description pales when compared with the work conditions the Hebrews in Egypt had to contend with. They were slaves with the ever-increasing demand to make more bricks with less straw.
You can imagine how joyful those Hebrews were when God redeemed (delivered) them from Egypt and its bondage. Soon after God covered Pharaoh and his cavalry in the Red Sea, Moses and his sister Miriam led the Hebrews in praiseful celebration of this triumphant divine deliverance.
The apostle Peter wrote that God has redeemed believers by the blood of Christ (I Peter 1:18-19). The word "redeemed" in verse 18 means to buy in the slave market, to buy out of the slave market, and to set free. When Christ died for us, He bought us with His blood to set us free. Now we are no longer slaves to sin; we are free to serve God willingly and gladly (Romans 6:17-18). That's something worth celebrating, don't you agree?
Insight:
Religion without redemption enslaves people by binding them to lifeless rules and ceremonies. But all who believe on Christ receive life and liberty.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Live Where You Live
Live Where You Live
written by Jim Dyet
JamesDyet.com © 2007
“ . . . he blesses the home of the righteous” (Proverbs 3:33).
About every other year my wife and I scope out the Parade of Homes in our city. It’s fun to see what kinds of houses contractors and designers put on the market to entice buyers to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars. But viewing beautiful houses isn’t all fun, at least for me. Slipping footies over shoes before entering a model home may be a cakewalk for young lookie-loos, but it’s a killer for me. I have had the same inflexible back for decades. It might be simpler for a centipede to give itself a pedicure than for me to get my shoes into footies. You can imagine how my back feels after repeating the procedure at each doorstep of twenty-something houses. Ouch! Snap, crackle, and pop!
I have to admit some houses in the Parade of Homes seem like palaces compared to our house, but I am content to simply shuffle through them, return home, and appreciate what I have. At home, the taxes are lower, the yard is landscaped, my recliner feels so good, and the whole house is footies free! So, Lord willing, I expect to live right where I live for a long time.
From sea to shining sea, we plant ourselves in a variety of dwellings—from ranches to retirement villages, apartments to adobes, bungalows to boathouses, cabins to condos, and single occupancies to multiplexes. But where we live isn’t as important as how we live. Nor is what we spend on a place as important as important as what we invest in the days we live there. Sure, the grass may look greener elsewhere, but life may not be as rosy there.
Take stock of what makes the “good life” really good:
• the presence of the Lord;
• contentment;
• a clear conscience;
• joy and laughter;
• faith;
• a well-worn Bible;
• prayer;
• open lines of communication with family and friends;
• a reason to keep on keeping on;
• a grateful heart.
Someday you may choose to move to a different residence, and you may have to downsize. Nevertheless, you can take along everything that really matters. Check the above list again, and determine that today and every day you will live where you live until you take possession of your home in heaven.
“Lord, bless this house. May the joy of knowing you are present here brighten every corner and extend to my neighbors.”
© Jim Dyet
written by Jim Dyet
JamesDyet.com © 2007
“ . . . he blesses the home of the righteous” (Proverbs 3:33).
About every other year my wife and I scope out the Parade of Homes in our city. It’s fun to see what kinds of houses contractors and designers put on the market to entice buyers to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars. But viewing beautiful houses isn’t all fun, at least for me. Slipping footies over shoes before entering a model home may be a cakewalk for young lookie-loos, but it’s a killer for me. I have had the same inflexible back for decades. It might be simpler for a centipede to give itself a pedicure than for me to get my shoes into footies. You can imagine how my back feels after repeating the procedure at each doorstep of twenty-something houses. Ouch! Snap, crackle, and pop!
I have to admit some houses in the Parade of Homes seem like palaces compared to our house, but I am content to simply shuffle through them, return home, and appreciate what I have. At home, the taxes are lower, the yard is landscaped, my recliner feels so good, and the whole house is footies free! So, Lord willing, I expect to live right where I live for a long time.
From sea to shining sea, we plant ourselves in a variety of dwellings—from ranches to retirement villages, apartments to adobes, bungalows to boathouses, cabins to condos, and single occupancies to multiplexes. But where we live isn’t as important as how we live. Nor is what we spend on a place as important as important as what we invest in the days we live there. Sure, the grass may look greener elsewhere, but life may not be as rosy there.
Take stock of what makes the “good life” really good:
• the presence of the Lord;
• contentment;
• a clear conscience;
• joy and laughter;
• faith;
• a well-worn Bible;
• prayer;
• open lines of communication with family and friends;
• a reason to keep on keeping on;
• a grateful heart.
Someday you may choose to move to a different residence, and you may have to downsize. Nevertheless, you can take along everything that really matters. Check the above list again, and determine that today and every day you will live where you live until you take possession of your home in heaven.
“Lord, bless this house. May the joy of knowing you are present here brighten every corner and extend to my neighbors.”
© Jim Dyet
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Did Shakespeare Leave His Mark on the Bible?
Scholars differ about Shakespeare’s contribution to the translation of the King James Version of the Bible. Some believe he was a contributing writer. Others insist he was just one of King James’ closest friends. It is interesting, however, to conjecture whether the KJV translators or the bard himself slipped Shakespeare’s name into Psalm 46.
William was 46 when the King James Version of the Bible was translated. If you examine Psalm 46 in the KJV and count forward to the 46th word, you come to the word “shake,” and if you count 46 words from the end of Psalm 46, you come to the word “spear.”
It is interesting to conjecture whether Shakespeare left his mark on the Bible, but in the final analysis the matter lacks eternal significance. What is eternally significant is whether the Bible leaves its mark on us. After all, God gave the Bible to show us how to enter into a peaceful, eternal relationship with Him (2 Timothy 3:15). He also gave the Bible to instruct us in righteousness and to equip us for a spiritually productive life (verses 16, 17).
You and I may be the only Bibles some people read. Let’s live in such a way that they read a clear message about our Savior.
“But his delight in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:2, 3).
P.S. Fly the flag today! Let’s show the world we are proud to be “one nation under God” and determined to “let freedom ring.”
copyright 2007 James Dyet
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
William was 46 when the King James Version of the Bible was translated. If you examine Psalm 46 in the KJV and count forward to the 46th word, you come to the word “shake,” and if you count 46 words from the end of Psalm 46, you come to the word “spear.”
It is interesting to conjecture whether Shakespeare left his mark on the Bible, but in the final analysis the matter lacks eternal significance. What is eternally significant is whether the Bible leaves its mark on us. After all, God gave the Bible to show us how to enter into a peaceful, eternal relationship with Him (2 Timothy 3:15). He also gave the Bible to instruct us in righteousness and to equip us for a spiritually productive life (verses 16, 17).
You and I may be the only Bibles some people read. Let’s live in such a way that they read a clear message about our Savior.
“But his delight in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:2, 3).
P.S. Fly the flag today! Let’s show the world we are proud to be “one nation under God” and determined to “let freedom ring.”
copyright 2007 James Dyet
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Maltese Inherits $12 Million
When I first saw the photo of Leona Helmsley’s Maltese, Trouble, I thought I was looking at my Maltese, Molly. The two appear to be canine twins, but the comparison ends with their appearance. Trouble inherited $12 million. Molly . . . well, that’s a different story. Molly has enriched my life, but I can’t give her anything but love and an occasional freeze-dried liver treat. She seems to be content with that, and I am sure Trouble could get by comfortably on far less than $12 million.
My beneficiaries will not gain a windfall when I transition from this life to the next, but I hope they will feel richer for having shared life with me. If I can leave them a legacy of solid Christian character and memories of good times and laughter, I believe they will feel rich.
And just for the record, while my health is good, I’m going to keep on spoiling my dogs, Molly and Rosie. I think they can look forward to many more strolls in the park, naps at my feet, “good dogs” affirmations, and delectable liver treats.
—Jim
P.S. My book, Meditations for Dog Lovers, offers fun glimpses of my relationship with my two dogs.
Here’s a sample chapter:
Unconditional Love
I have to be honest with you. I sometimes feel sorry for Molly because Gloria and I are age-challenged. We are what society calls, “seniors.” I’m not fond of the designation, but I can live with it, especially if Gloria and I visit a restaurant that offers a senior discount. However, our senior status means our children are adults. So there are no kids living with us. If Molly wants to play, she’s stuck with two owners who can get down on the floor but take a painfully slow time to get up.
I don’t think Molly understands the human aging process. If she does, she has never come right out and barked, “You guys are old and slow.” She just accepts us—yes, even loves us—as we are.
When I leave home, Molly follows me to the door and gives me that long look that says, “I’ll miss you.” When I return, she greets me. She wags her tail, barks, and jumps around my feet. I don’t have a dog language translator, but I’m sure she is saying, “I’m glad you’re home.” If that isn’t doggy love, what is?
Yes, sometimes I feel sorry for Molly, and I wish she had kids to play with, but she doesn’t seem to fret. She offers unconditional love and shows that is real.
Good Dogma
Have you met people who wonder how God can love them? I have. Some have low self-esteem. Some lug a load of guilt around in an unrelenting conscience. Some think God is too busy to care about them. His time is taken up with important matters like making the world go round, keeping the stars lit, managing angels, and restraining powerful evildoers from blowing up the world. Others believe God’s love is limited to those who have gone to church since they were toddlers. A few are serving time in prison. How could God possibly love felons?
Well, there is good news. God loves everyone without exception. He loves you and me just as we are. He knows all about our weaknesses, our failures, our blemishes, our imperfections, and our sins. He even knows about our baldness or our big nose or our warts or our freaky big toes, yet He loves us. That’s unconditional love, and it’s a treasure!
Now, here’s an amazing phenomenon. Once we recognize that God loves us unconditionally and we believe on His Son as our Savior, He places His love in our hearts so we can love Him and His commandments (Romans 5:5). The apostle John understood this fact. He wrote, “We love because he first loved us” (I John 4:19).
A Bible Treat
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man. Though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die, but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7, 8).
—From Meditations for Dog Lovers, by Jim Dyet (AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN) © 2005
My beneficiaries will not gain a windfall when I transition from this life to the next, but I hope they will feel richer for having shared life with me. If I can leave them a legacy of solid Christian character and memories of good times and laughter, I believe they will feel rich.
And just for the record, while my health is good, I’m going to keep on spoiling my dogs, Molly and Rosie. I think they can look forward to many more strolls in the park, naps at my feet, “good dogs” affirmations, and delectable liver treats.
—Jim
P.S. My book, Meditations for Dog Lovers, offers fun glimpses of my relationship with my two dogs.
Here’s a sample chapter:
Unconditional Love
I have to be honest with you. I sometimes feel sorry for Molly because Gloria and I are age-challenged. We are what society calls, “seniors.” I’m not fond of the designation, but I can live with it, especially if Gloria and I visit a restaurant that offers a senior discount. However, our senior status means our children are adults. So there are no kids living with us. If Molly wants to play, she’s stuck with two owners who can get down on the floor but take a painfully slow time to get up.
I don’t think Molly understands the human aging process. If she does, she has never come right out and barked, “You guys are old and slow.” She just accepts us—yes, even loves us—as we are.
When I leave home, Molly follows me to the door and gives me that long look that says, “I’ll miss you.” When I return, she greets me. She wags her tail, barks, and jumps around my feet. I don’t have a dog language translator, but I’m sure she is saying, “I’m glad you’re home.” If that isn’t doggy love, what is?
Yes, sometimes I feel sorry for Molly, and I wish she had kids to play with, but she doesn’t seem to fret. She offers unconditional love and shows that is real.
Good Dogma
Have you met people who wonder how God can love them? I have. Some have low self-esteem. Some lug a load of guilt around in an unrelenting conscience. Some think God is too busy to care about them. His time is taken up with important matters like making the world go round, keeping the stars lit, managing angels, and restraining powerful evildoers from blowing up the world. Others believe God’s love is limited to those who have gone to church since they were toddlers. A few are serving time in prison. How could God possibly love felons?
Well, there is good news. God loves everyone without exception. He loves you and me just as we are. He knows all about our weaknesses, our failures, our blemishes, our imperfections, and our sins. He even knows about our baldness or our big nose or our warts or our freaky big toes, yet He loves us. That’s unconditional love, and it’s a treasure!
Now, here’s an amazing phenomenon. Once we recognize that God loves us unconditionally and we believe on His Son as our Savior, He places His love in our hearts so we can love Him and His commandments (Romans 5:5). The apostle John understood this fact. He wrote, “We love because he first loved us” (I John 4:19).
A Bible Treat
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man. Though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die, but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7, 8).
—From Meditations for Dog Lovers, by Jim Dyet (AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN) © 2005
Monday, September 3, 2007
Jesus Cares about Our Future Comfort
Jesus Cares about Our Future Comfort
“In my Father’s house are any rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
My wife and attended a very impressive open house in our neighborhood. First, it expressed a couple’s deep love and concern for the husband’s aging parents. The couple had hired a professional contractor to transform their sizable basement into an apartment for the parents. Secondly, the remodeled basement epitomized comfort, attractiveness, and convenience. It even included an elevator!
Before Jesus kept His rendezvous with death, He gathered His disciples together to comfort and instruct them. Knowing they would miss His companionship, He told them He would return to Heaven, prepare a place for them, and come back someday to escort them to Heaven.
We may not be able to afford a multi-million-dollar house down here, but our heavenly accommodations will outclass even the most luxurious dwelling down here. After all, Jesus, the Carpenter of Nazareth, is preparing it. Its beauty, comfort, and design will thrill us, and it will be maintenance free forever. It will never need a new roof or a paint job or window replacement or any other upkeep expense. We won’t have to deal with mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities bills, or homeowners insurance. As for an elevator, we won’t need one. If we have to climb stairs, doing so will be a breeze. We will have left every physical distress behind—even those aching knees.
INSIGHT: We do not know when our final moving day will be, but we know it will be to the place Jesus is preparing for us.
—“Jesus Cares about Our Future Comfort” was written by James Dyet and was published by Haven Ministries. Copyright 2007. Used by permission.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
“In my Father’s house are any rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
My wife and attended a very impressive open house in our neighborhood. First, it expressed a couple’s deep love and concern for the husband’s aging parents. The couple had hired a professional contractor to transform their sizable basement into an apartment for the parents. Secondly, the remodeled basement epitomized comfort, attractiveness, and convenience. It even included an elevator!
Before Jesus kept His rendezvous with death, He gathered His disciples together to comfort and instruct them. Knowing they would miss His companionship, He told them He would return to Heaven, prepare a place for them, and come back someday to escort them to Heaven.
We may not be able to afford a multi-million-dollar house down here, but our heavenly accommodations will outclass even the most luxurious dwelling down here. After all, Jesus, the Carpenter of Nazareth, is preparing it. Its beauty, comfort, and design will thrill us, and it will be maintenance free forever. It will never need a new roof or a paint job or window replacement or any other upkeep expense. We won’t have to deal with mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities bills, or homeowners insurance. As for an elevator, we won’t need one. If we have to climb stairs, doing so will be a breeze. We will have left every physical distress behind—even those aching knees.
INSIGHT: We do not know when our final moving day will be, but we know it will be to the place Jesus is preparing for us.
—“Jesus Cares about Our Future Comfort” was written by James Dyet and was published by Haven Ministries. Copyright 2007. Used by permission.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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