It means to have a personal, private audience with the King. Thais have a great respect and understanding of living under a King who rules them in love but who is quite distant in life experience from them. Very few Thais ever see the King; much less have a private audience with him. Those who do come into his presence enter on their knees far below his high throne.

Meditation

Zechariah 8:20-22—The LORD of Hosts says this: “Peoples will yet come, the residents of many cities; the residents of one city will go to another, saying: Let’s go at once to plead for the LORD’s favor and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I am also going. Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead for the LORD’s favor.”

I fear too many Christians have lost their awe for God.  They treat Him casually and use His name carelessly.  For those unfamiliar with royalty, I guess it is not surprising that holy fear is an uncommon virtue.  The prophet Zechariah speaks of a time when the world recognizes the ruling power of the Lord and with a sense of urgency seeks His holy presence.  Why should people go to Jerusalem?  Zechariah gives us the answer in verse 23.  “The LORD of Hosts says this: ‘In those days, 10 men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

God told Moses in Exodus 33:19,20:

I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  But He answered, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”

His face is too great to be seen by our mortal eyes!  Yet His love is so astounding that He bids us to come and worship Him.

Fow diow!  Our Father gives us private audience.  When we kneel before Him and share our hearts He hears and responds.  We are the most privileged people in existence to know and serve such an incredible God.  The role of ritual, sacrament and ceremony should remind us that His holiness warrants our reverence.  His power demands our submission.   But most importantly, His love guarantees our life.  To bow before a king who cannot own our souls is an act of respect.  To bow before the King who made us is unending adoration.   Fow diow!  Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

Earth’s crammed with Heaven and every common bush is afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes.—E.B. Browning

©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)

Matthew 14:13—When Jesus heard about it, He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone.  When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns.

John the Baptist was beheaded and his disciples after recovering his body for burial came and reported his death to Jesus.  Matthew’s gospel gives us some insight into the fact that this news weighed heavily on Jesus and He felt the immediate need to get away.    Imagine how He must have felt when the boat comes to shore and there is a crowd waiting for Him!  Have you ever had the flu and had unexpected company arrive the same day?  Have you ever lost your job only to receive a call from your children that you are needed to chaperone a party that night for a hundred kids?

Because Jesus was wholeheartedly committed to reaching people, when He saw the huge crowd He felt compassion for them.  Instead of feeling sorry for His own inability to be left alone to grieve, He healed their sick and in one of His most famous miracles, fed over 5000 people food from five loaves of bread and two fish.  This is where most preachers end the story—they laud Jesus for His incredible love for people at a time when He was emotionally fatigued.

But the story is not over.  After dismissing the crowds, Jesus did not jump in the boat with His disciples and return with them home.  Instead of giving up on personal time He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray (14:23).  He spent hours with His Father decompressing, perhaps unburdening His heart or shedding tears for John.  The perfect Minister needed a break and took it.

Beware of making ministry more important than spending time alone with God.    There will never be a shortage of sick or hungry people.  When the Holy Spirit leads you, help them; just remember that dismissal is also a part of ministry.  All of us need time to get away to be alone with God.  Refreshment, strengthening, wisdom and peace come from His presence.   Don’t be afraid to climb the mountain to meet with God and miss the boat.

©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)

Meditation

Acts 21:21—But they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, by telling them not to circumcise their children or to walk in our customs.

The Apostle Paul gave a report to James and the elders of the church in Jerusalem.  He related in detail all he had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When he finished the elders glorified God and then shared with Paul of the thousands of Jews who had become believers.  That report was followed by concern that these new Jewish converts were also zealous to keep the law.  They were hearing reports that Paul was teaching Jews who lived among Gentiles to abandon obeying Moses or walking according to Jewish customs.  This report was harmful to Paul’s reputation.  So the elders finished by instructing Paul what to do to dispel the incorrect perception.

Is it possible we think we are modeling Jesus to people but in fact the picture we present is distorted by things misread in our lives?  People wrongfully assumed Paul was telling Jews to disregard the law.  Perhaps they overheard a discussion and misinterpreted it.  Perhaps they didn’t like Paul’s style and were just looking for a chance to slander him.  It doesn’t take much to trip people up.  It is pretty easy for confusion to envelop clarity.

Just as the elders saw the problem and gave Paul a clear solution, so occasionally we ought to ask people to whom we are accountable to give us feedback on how we are doing in sharing Jesus.  Am I engaged in something that is keeping others from focusing on Christ?  Are others troubled by a perception of which I am unaware? Tell me!  It’s easy if it’s my phone—I just click on the icons and they go away revealing the background photo.  It’s not quite so simple for life—all the more reason to be responsive.  By the way, when Paul obeyed the elders advice, Jews from Asia who despised him, assumed he brought Greeks into the Temple area.  They wrongfully accused him in and created a riot.  Don’t be discouraged if you suffer setbacks trying to do what is right.  Jesus was crucified as our perfect Savior.

Inspiration

You can’t make disciples without accountability.—Bill Hull in The Disciple Making Pastor

©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)

Meditation

Matthew 1:1—The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.

Whenever I come to a section of Scripture that is a genealogy or a long list of names, my tendency is to quickly skim through it and move on.  After all, why spend time reading a list of names?  This year for my daily quiet time I decided to read through Scripture and include the study notes in my Holman Study Bible.  I was quite blessed by what I learned about Matthew 1:1-17 which is the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

1.       The phrase, “the historical record of Jesus Christ,” is unusual.  Usually a genealogy is named after the oldest ancestor whom the Jews would have considered most important since all were derived from that person.  That Matthew names his genealogy after Jesus implies that He is more important than Abraham.  That he writes Jesus Christ further substantiates Him as the Messiah.

2.       Matthew identifies Jesus as the Son of David which immediately validated all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah descending from the line of King David (2 Samuel 7:16, Isaiah 9:2-7).

3.       Matthew identifies Jesus as the Son of Abraham which “implies that just as Abraham was the father of national Israel, Jesus will be the founder of a new spiritual Israel.”

4.       Four Gentile women are mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy.  The inclusion of Tamar a Canaanite; Rahab from Jericho; Ruth a Moabitess; and Bathsheba who was most likely a Hittite; is remarkable!    From this we discern that it was God’s intention to redeem not just the Jews but also Gentile men and women.

5.       Matthew’s work coincides remarkably well with 1 Chronicles 1-3 and Luke 3:23-38 from the generation of Abraham to David.  Given that genealogies could follow either legal or biological progression, the discrepancies between the different lists can be explained and are remarkably well preserved.  The Jews took special pride in recording their descendents especially with respect to the line of David since the Messiah was prophesied to come through his line.

6.       Matthew identified a human mother but not a human father of Jesus, implying His virginal conception.

7.       The arrangement of Jesus’ genealogy into three sets of 14 generations was probably an example of gematria.  Gematria is a system  which gives a numerical value to alphabetical letters (A=1, B=2, etc).  If Matthew wrote in Hebrew, which many scholars contend, then the numerical value of the letters which make up David is 14!  Matthew may actually be artistically highlighting Jesus’ Davidic lineage.[1]

In essence, even a list in Scripture can reveal much to us if we will just take the time to study it carefully.   That God is so intentional about history ought to encourage us with both the depth of His sovereign planning and the breadth of His love for humanity.  Therefore, even a list can strengthen our faith and give us pause to worship afresh, our Awesome Savior!

©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)

On Wednesday, April 13^th, 1949, at 11:55 a.m., a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Puget Sound area.  While the earth shook, streets buckled, windows shattered, and chimneys toppled, the school emergency siren blared full-blast.  Teachers and students quickly escaped their trembling brick structure.  For some reason, Marvin re-entered the school and went to the ground-level basement where he spotted Kelcy Allen.  Marvin yelled at him, “Hey, we’ve got to get out of here!”  Then he grabbed Kelcy’s hand and led him out onto the school ground.

Bricks from a crumbling, overhead cornice began falling on them.  Marvin cried, “Look out!” and then instead of running, pulled the young six-year old under his own body protecting him from the falling bricks.  Two days later Marvin was laid to rest at the Home of Peace cemetery in Tacoma.  Fifty-one years later, triggered by another earthquake near Seattle, Kelcy did some investigating and found the forgotten name of his rescuer.  He was shocked to discover that no one knew of Martin’s heroic sacrifice.  So Kelcy shared with community leaders what happened that fateful day and two years later, thanks to great work by Mrs. Babe Lehrer, a statue was created and unveiled in front of Lowell Elementary memorializing Marvin’s heroism.

Meditation

Hebrews 10:12—But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.

Marvin gave his life for Kelcy and in so doing instilled in him a motivation to live well; to make that boy’s cost worth the price.  Kelcy’s story of a young man’s sacrifice remind me that bricks of envy, lust, rage, impatience, gossip, theft, gambling, murder, rudeness, lying, cheating, immorality . . . fall from the sky.  Some have your name or my name on them.  But Jesus, the faultless One, heard our cry for help and sacrificially threw His body over yours and mine.  He took our bricks and died.  But unlike Marvin, death could not keep Him.  His victory over His stone tomb defines our divine rescue.

So who knows what Jesus has done for you?  Is His sacrifice unrecognized or are you sharing what He did for you with others?  Shouldn’t we have Kelcy’s gratitude for Marvin as our amplified gratefulness for Jesus?  If we don’t have the motivation to share our story, then it begs the question if we truly understand and appreciate the cost and reality of our rescue!

©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)

We don’t know much about Nahum.  His name means “comforter,” and he was an Elkoshite from the town of Alqosh which may have been in the area of Capharnaum in northern Galilee.[1] What we do know is that he wrote strong words of warning from God, who was very angry with the behavior of Assyria.  Nahum’s words to Assur-bani-pal were hardly comforting!

Meditation

Nahum 1:14—The LORD has issued an order concerning you: There will be no offspring to carry on your name.  I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.

There are multiple things we learn about God from reading Nahum.

1.       “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God” who punishes His enemies (1:2).  If the Lord was not jealous for His people, we could rightfully question the depth of His love.  If God did not take action against evildoers, than what is to be gained by living righteously?

2.       God is “slow to anger but great in power” (1:3).  We ought to be encouraged that God is not hasty in taking action—He is deliberate.  He considers what He is going to do and when He acts it is for the right reason.

3.       “The LORD is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him” (1:7).

4.       God knows exactly what is happening on earth, cares about what He sees and acts when He needs to act.  A contemptible person reaches the point where he or she has exhausted God’s patience and angered Him greatly through unceasing wickedness.  The end result of loathsome behavior is eternal judgment.

After Jonah warned Nineveh of God’s impending wrath, the city repented.  Later, when Nahum delivered his warning, the Assyrians ignored God’s messenger and continued their despicable behavior.  Nineveh was destroyed by fire and a corrupt empire came to an end.

Do you know someone who personifies wickedness?  Be courageous and warn of God’s hatred of evil.  Offer the truth of God’s grace and kindness and pray the contemptible individual will repent.  Elimination is the fruit of disgrace.

Inspiration

“All wickedness flows from a disregard of God . .  . Since the fear of God is the bridle by which our wickedness is held in check, its removal frees us to indulge in every kind of licentious conduct.”—John Calvin

©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)

The Apostle Paul in Romans 12 gives us a beautiful blueprint from God in how we are to live up to His desire.  This chapter emphatically teaches that God expects our spiritual worship which He defines by our becoming living sacrifices—holy and pleasing to Him (vs. 1).  So how do we accomplish this? The following are seven key areas that stimulated my mind as I meditated on Paul’s advice.

I.        Be Holy:  Don’t be conformed to the world; detest evil; do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil by good; do not repay evil with evil; cling to what is good

II.       Renew Your Mind:  Discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God; think sensibly in proportion to the faith God gives you; joyful in hope; patient in affliction; rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep

III.      Be Humble:  Have a sober estimate of self; do not be proud; associate with the humble; do not be wise in your own estimation; don’t avenge yourselves

IV.      Serve the Lord:  Use the gifts God gave you according to His grace; be fervent; be diligent; persistent in prayer

V.       Love Others:  Without hypocrisy; show family affection with brotherly love; outdo one another in showing honor; bless those who persecute you; do not curse;

VI.      Be Generous: Share with the saints in their need; pursue hospitality; if your enemy is hungry or thirsty give him something to eat or drink

VII.     Be Unified:  Be in agreement with one another; do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes; live at peace with everyone

Why does God want our spiritual worship?  He made us to fellowship with us.  Jesus reveals this when He prayed, “May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.  May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me” (17:21).  God’s immeasurable love sent Jesus not only to rescue us from our sin but also to show what it means to have fellowship with Him, our Father.  The beauty of spiritual worship is that it pleases God, blesses us, and furthers the Lord’s work in reaching more people with His love as they see our transformation.

Aside from His instructions through Paul, what does God do to help us become spiritual worshipers?  First and foremost, He gave us Jesus, the perfect model of spiritual worship.  Before He died, Jesus prayed, “I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4).  Notice He followed His Father’s plan and expected the same of those who followed Him (see Luke 9:23).  For His followers He prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (17:17). Second, God sent His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) to be our Counselor to guide us in the truth (John 16:13); and to empower us (Acts 2:4,4:8,6:10,8:39,9:31,11:28,13:4,16:6,20:28).  God never asks us to do what He will not equip us to perform—the key is our willingness to obey and pursue Him!  Third, God uses us to encourage each other to be spiritual worshippers (Acts 2:46,47).

There is no greater pursuit in life than to pursue God—to bless Him through our spiritual worship and to be blessed by Him forever!

©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.     

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)

Meditation

3 John 3,4—For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified to your faithfulness to the truth—how you are walking in the truth.  I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Every day, you and I leave tracks; most of the time we are oblivious to this.  But unless we are isolated, someone sees us or notices the sign that we were there.  The best tracks we can leave come from a steadfast adherence to the truth.  When we live according to the way Jesus desires, we positively impact people.  Our holy footprints testify that we are faithful.

There is an African proverb that says, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito.”  God does not just love us because it is a godly thing to do.  He loves us so that we are transformed.  He wants us to follow His truth because He knows that when we obey Him, our lives are fulfilled and become an encouragement to others.  We can and should walk in such a way that a blessing is left far beyond our actual presence.

Lord, help us walk in Your truth, so that even when we are gone, people still see the signs that You were there!

Inspiration

People don’t listen to you speak; they watch your feet.—Anonymous

©2012 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)

Gloating is taking excessive pleasure in another’s adversity or misfortune.  It reveals the ugly side of people’s character.  While Jesus hung on a cross:

Those who passed by were yelling insults at Him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! The One who would demolish the sanctuary and build it in three days, save Yourself by coming down from the cross!”  In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking Him to one another and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself!  Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now form the cross, so that we may see and believe.”  Even those who were crucified with Him were taunting Him. (Mark 15:29-32)

That a holy Messiah suffering in the most unimaginable manner could be mocked and taunted by His own countrymen, reveals the blackness of their wicked hearts.

Meditation

Obadiah 12—Do not gloat over your brother in the day of his calamity; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction; do not boastfully mock in the day of distress.

God raised up the prophet Obadiah to warn the nation of Edom of His impending judgment.  He was angry with the descendants of Esau because they were related to the Israelites yet took no action to help Israel during her time of plight.  They gloated at Israel’s misfortune and were smug in their own security.  Today, there is no Edom.

Do you take satisfaction seeing someone who is a rival or enemy suffer?  Stop.  Why bring God’s hand against yourself?  Do you observe others around you gloating?  Remind them that it takes but a moment to die—we have no mocking ground, no taunting foundation or gloating rock to stand upon.  More importantly, we are made in the image of God and we ought to act like it.

Inspiration

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.—Mother Theresa

©2011 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)

Meditation

Amos 3:7; 4:13—Indeed, the LORD GOD does nothing without revealing His counsel to His servants the prophets . . . He is here: the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to a man, the One who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth.  Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name.

Amos was a shepherd from the town of Tekoa which was about twelve miles from Jerusalem. God gave Him many visions and burdened him to share what He revealed with the Israelites living to the north of the land of Judah.  We don’t know much about Amos other than that he prophesied during the reigns of Israel’ s King Jeroboam II (782-753 B.C.) and Judah’s King Uzziah (767-740 B.C.).

The fact that God called a sheep breeder to proclaim His message is profound in many ways.  First, who more than a shepherd would relate simply to other people with plain and easily understood speech?  We fuss about the technique, style, or preciseness of communication but what God is looking for is understanding.  Second, that God would divulge His plan to a common man and not the king or someone wealthy or powerful suggests that His intent was for all of Israel to receive His warnings.

Amos reminds us of God’s power and invokes His most sacred Name—Yahweh.  This is important if for no other reason than it gives us confidence that the Revealer is completely credible and worthy of trust.  Do you believe that God loves you and wants to reveal His thoughts to you?  If you will but stop your frenetic activity and make the time to be quiet and to ask Him for His thoughts you will be greatly surprised that He indeed will speak to you.  It is when I go to Him humbly, and inquire from a genuine heart that I often hear His voice.  He speaks to my thoughts and touches my heart.  It is exhilarating when God speaks for we instantly know He cares.  He is the Revealer and that He would speak to us is awesome!

Inspiration

The Lord’s chief desire is to reveal Himself to you and, in order for Him to do that, He gives you abundant grace.—Jeanne Guyon in Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ

©2011 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals send your name and email address to: dan@firstcause.org and ask to be placed on the distribution list.  You can also sign up at our website at Reveration Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)