Today’s Reading: Lam 4:1–5:22, Rom 16:1–27, Prov 31:10–31

Today’s Theme: Doxology

Today with every passage commented on we give a closing praise (doxology, just like the end of Romans) to God for the year that has passed and look forward to 2015 learning small but important lessons which will position us well to be used to the glory of God in the new year.

I want to take a moment now to thank God for the privilege of serving by commenting each day of 2014 on the word of God according to our bible reading plan. God has enabled me by his Holy Spirit to comment on every reading with points of study and application for our lives everyday for 2014.

I want to thank Pastor Dennis for asking me to do this and want to thank every person that has read even just one note and been encouraged, strengthen, enlighten or empowered by it.

This is the final daily reading notes in the current series and in this format. Every word has been written to the glory of God and for the joy and building up of the Church. May you continue to grow in Jesus as you read, think about, study and apply the word of God in the new year.

Live for him, with everything!

Lamentations 4:1–5:22

The Lord reigns

But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations.(Lamentations 5:19, ESV)

As this year ends we say yes Lord you are both sovereign and good, reign in our lives, we bless your name now and forever.

Restore us o Lord

Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old—(Lamentations 5:21, ESV)

Jeremiah appeals to God for restoration . Let’s consider this prayer for our own lives as we contemplate the close of this year and entering a a brand new year tomorrow.

Romans 16:1–27

Work together

Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,(Romans 16:3, ESV)

This is a husband and wife team (Aquila was a common Roman name for a man). As we enter the new year, lets consider how we can work together and support one another like this great example of a husband and wife working together to the glory of God.

Avoid some people

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.(Romans 16:17, ESV)

We should avoid those seeking to cause division seeking to go contrary to the teaching of the Gospel. Lets remain in unity around the truth of the gospel of God which is what we have read about all month long in the letter to the Romans.

Don’t serve yourself

For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.(Romans 16:18, ESV)

Lord keep us from the trap of serving ourselves as we enter the new year, help us to serve and honour each other to the glory of your name.

Crush Satan

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.(Romans 16:20, ESV)

It is not us but God who cruses Satan under our feet. So be filled with God in the new year, the one who crushes Satan by the great victory he has won in Christ.

We look forward to the final crushing of Satan under the feet of God’s people which will be accomplished at the second coming of Christ where Satan will be finished of to the glory of God and joy of all peoples.

God is able

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages(Romans 16:25, ESV)

Thank you Lord that you are able to strengthen us. Stand on this truth as we enter the new year, you do not cross over in your own strength but Our God’s who is able to strengthen you according to the great promises of the gospel of God.

Obedient faith

but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—(Romans 16:26, ESV)

Lord thank you for the revelation of the Gospel so that we could come to not just faith but obedient faith.

May 2015 be marked by our obedience to the Gospel’s call.

Proverbs 31:10–31

Be productive

She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.(Proverbs 31:24, ESV)

The wife can certainly help bring in money for the household. Again like we see earlier with the husband and wife team, the bible was teaching godly equality while the surrounding cultures and religions saw women as lower class citizens.

As the bride of Christ we can take a lesson from this, that we should be productive and fruitful. May this be the case for each of us individually and collectively in 2015.

Build up the home

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.(Proverbs 31:27, ESV)

Just because a woman can help bring in money it does not change the fact that the home is her domain and responsibility in God’s design for the family and society.

Again as believers we learn from this that we must not be idle but look well to the ways of the Bridegroom’s house, the church. Lets work together in ministry with care, love, vigour and joy to the glory of God throughout 2015.

Please feel free to comment using the feedback form below on how the notes provided throughout 2014 have been a blessing to you.

Today’s Reading: Lam 3:1–66, Rom 15:22–33, Prov 31:1–9

Today’s Theme: Strive in Prayer

Today there is a general theme of prayer.

We learn that prayer is not automatic as if God had no personality or choice in either hearing our prayers or in the way he answers. Other religions see God as a force to be tapped into with no power of choice or essence of person to refuse our requests which is not the biblical picture of God.

We also learn about God graciously taking up our case and the call for us to strive in prayer with our leaders.

We should always pray that God’s will be done regardless of our own requests or plans.

The final lesson is that the temporary escape from problems through drink is of no benefit and in keeping with our theme we should bring our cares to God in prayer.

Lamentations 3:1–66

The steadfast love of the Lord

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.(Lamentations 3:22–23, ESV)

This is where that wonderful hymn the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases… is taken from.

We should consider this truth and rejoice in it, that God’s steadfast love never ends and he shows us new mercy ever morning which should fill our hearts with joy and assurance in his love.

Prayers are not automatic

you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.(Lamentations 3:44, ESV)

We must not presume on God hearing anyone’s prayers, God actively chooses to ignore some prayers if they are said in hypocrisy for example. God is personally active and voluntarily involved in the hearing and answering of each individual prayer made to him.

God has taken up our case

“You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.(Lamentations 3:58, ESV)

Lord thank you for taking up our case, fighting for us and paying the price to redeem us

Romans 15:22–33

Strive in prayer

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,(Romans 15:30, ESV)

There must be striving and purpose in our prayers for our leaders that God would hear and answer our prayers and take up our case.

By God’s will

so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.(Romans 15:32, ESV)

We should always say by Gods will, we make our plans and set about to work praying the Lords will be done. This is an important element of our general prayers that Jesus taught us and we must not forget it.

Proverbs 31:1–9

Escaping does not help

let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.(Proverbs 31:7, ESV)

The purpose of wine and strong drink…. no thanks, escaping is not the answer.

Earlier in this passage we read that a King should not drink wine and strong drink so they can always use good judgement.

Instead of escaping with drink, bring your requests to God in prayer.

Today’s Reading: Lam 1:1–2:22, Rom 15:8–21, Prov 30:1–33

Today’s Theme: Christ our Hope

Jesus is the great hope of Israel and the nations of the word, he is the one who was promised and has come to confirm God’s word and make good on God’s promises. We can have true hope in Jesus, he is the only way to salvation, joy and peace .

Lamentations 1:1–2:22

Consider the future

Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her future; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. “O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!”(Lamentations 1:9, ESV)

Lord help us to always consider our future in everything we do. What we do today has a effect on what happens tomorrow. You can not sin and win.

The yoke of sin

“My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were fastened together; they were set upon my neck; he caused my strength to fail; the Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand.(Lamentations 1:14, ESV)

Our own transgressions become a yoke around our neck and go on to be our conqueror and salve master. This is why we thank God for the freedom from sin found in the cross.

Don’t rebel against God’s word

“The Lord is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word; but hear, all you peoples, and see my suffering; my young women and my young men have gone into captivity.(Lamentations 1:18, ESV)

The Lord is right to Judge those who stand against his word. The lesson is clear, don’t resist but accept and uphold God’s word

The word restores

Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.(Lamentations 2:14, ESV)

When we expose ourselves to the Word of God we can be restored

Romans 15:8–21

Actual promise confirmed

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,(Romans 15:8, ESV)

The promises made to the Hebrew Patriarchs was not some mystical, allegorical promise, these were actual promises given by God and fulfilled in Jesus.

God confirms his word

and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”(Romans 15:9, ESV)

When we as Gentiles see that God fulfilled his word to the Jews we are comforted that he will confirm his word for us too and glorify him for his mercy.

The hope of the nations

And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”(Romans 15:12, ESV)

This and the previous three promises show where God’s plan and heart has always been concerning the nations of the world. Jesus is the hope of the nations as well as the hope of Israel.

Abound in hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.(Romans 15:13, ESV)

In order for us to abound in hope we must be filled with Joy and Peace in our faith, how can we have hope if we are miserable… Rejoice

The Holy Spirit at work

For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;(Romans 15:18–19, ESV)

Paul had a full ministry that went beyond words, it was marked by deeds and the power of the Holy Spirit at work.

A holy ambition

and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation,(Romans 15:20, ESV)

This is a holy ambition to reach the unreached with the gospel of God.

Proverbs 30:1–33

God our shield

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.(Proverbs 30:5, ESV)

He is not a shield to everyone, just those who take refuge in him

Don’t add to the bible

Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.(Proverbs 30:6, ESV)

This applies to what God is saying in the bible too, there are traditions and translations who add the apocryphal books to the bible which is adding to God’s word which is a sin.

We see those who try to change and reinterpret the word of God today in the so called liberal movement which does away with miracles, does not believe Jesus is the son of God or that salvation is needed, they believe the bible is just the words of men and not the divinely inspired and inerrant word of God.

We stand against these lies and attacks of the enemy and affirm that God has divinely inspired and preserved his holy word. We cover this in The Gospel video made by WWMF Media where we demonstrate that no other ancient book has any where near as many close to original manuscripts to rely on as the bible.

Give and give

The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”:(Proverbs 30:15, ESV)

This seems to be the spirit of the age we are in now it is the insatiable greed of capitalism and materialism. We are instead called to lives of contentment and generosity.

Today’s Reading: Jer 52:1–34, Rom 14:13–15:7, Prov 29:1–27

Today’s Theme: The Example of Christ

We are called to imitate Christ and live lives of grace showing love, patience and understanding with each other so that our harmony can bring glory to God. We are called to live in the freedom God provides by the righteousness he gives, the peace he has won and the joy to be found in him. The bondage of religion and the mind of man has no hold on us anymore.

Jeremiah 52:1–34

The great hope

And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.(Jeremiah 52:31, ESV)

As we come to the end of the book of Jeremiah there is a small tinge of hope in the release of king Jehoiachin which points to the true hope offered by the book found in its revelation of God as the Lord of history guiding world events to execute his judgement and show his mercy and most importantly God’s intention to create a new covenant (Remember 31:31–34) through the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Romans 14:13–15:7

Judge yourself

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.(Romans 14:13, ESV)

So like Jesus said we should judge ourselves, we need to do this in order to avoid being a stumbling block

What you think is important

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.(Romans 14:14, ESV)

The mind and conscience are very powerful. If in your mind it is a sin to eat ice cream then it will truly be sinful for you but not for anyone else, this is why we must embrace the freedom we have in Christ or we can end up putting ourselves in unnecessary bondage.

At the same time God will influence your mind by his Spirit so that some things which seem ok to other Christians is not ok for you. In those cases as we said yesterday never push against your own conscience.

Righteousness, peace and joy

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.(Romans 14:17, ESV)

Paul encourages us that God’s kingdom is not about what we eat, drink, wear or observe but is about the righteousness that God so abundantly supplies and that we live in light of. It’s about the peace Jesus has given us so we are no longer hung up by man centered religion. It is about the Joy centred relationship we have with God in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

So we should not let the trivial, non essential things of religion steal our peace, we should trust in the righteousness God has given us and live in the joy of the Lord which will strengthen us to live for God every day.

Pursue peace

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.(Romans 14:19, ESV)

We should not pursue the external cultural differences that divide us but pursue peace and building each other up

Eat in faith

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.(Romans 14:23, ESV)

We must be true and follow our God given convictions. If you eat pork or halal meat you need to eat it in faith if you eat it thinking of eating it as a sin then it will be a sin to you.

Our faith is in God who is over all so we can bless our food in Jesus name and eat it in faith and peace.

Don’t be a bully

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.(Romans 15:2, ESV)

We must not be bullies with the truth, we need to maintain a humble serving attitude no matter how much we know or how strong or mature our faith, we should seek to see our brothers grow and walk consistently before the Lord.

The book of hope

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.(Romans 15:4, ESV)

The purpose of all that is recoded in the scriptures is that we might have hope in God as we follow the instructions and examples recorded. The most important biblical record for us today is the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the greatest example to us all.

God of endurance and encouragement

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,(Romans 15:5, ESV)

God causes us to endure and encourages us in the way so we can live in harmony with each other in Christ to the glory of his name.

Live in grace

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.(Romans 15:7, ESV)

Christ welcomed us in grace and we should emulate the same attitude of grace to others so we can live in harmony as the body of Christ to the glory of God and the joy of all peoples.

Proverbs 29:1–27

The danger of pride

He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.(Proverbs 29:1, ESV)

This is a frightening prospect, to be broken beyond repair because of our own pride

Free to praise

An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.(Proverbs 29:6, ESV)

When we are walking in righteousness we have the freedom to praise God

Remember the poor

A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.(Proverbs 29:7, ESV)

God upholds the most righteous political position on the human rights of the poor.

Don’t give full vent

A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.(Proverbs 29:11, ESV)

Lord help us to hold back from venting and to quietly hold back

The people need leadership

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.(Proverbs 29:18, ESV)

The people need a goal and strong spiritual leadership or they will cast of restraint

Trapped by fear

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.(Proverbs 29:25, ESV)

Our own fears create a trap for our feet. So live in freedom by trusting the Lord

Today’s Reading: Jer 51:1–64, Rom 13:8–14:12, Prov 28:1–28

Today’s Theme: Fulfilling Love

Today we learn about the essence of the law which is love, and that by loving others we actually fulfil the law by default. So the call is for us to live lives governed by the love of and for God.

Jeremiah 51:1–64

God plans and then does what he wills

“Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon; make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes; for the Lord has both planned and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.(Jeremiah 51:12, ESV)

The Lord brings his Sovereign will to pass, he both speaks it and does it.

Romans 13:8–14:12

Fulfil the law through love

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.(Romans 13:8, ESV)

One thing we owe each other is to love each other. The word owe means we have a debt, obligation and duty but it should be a delightful duty and a light burden.

We fulfil the law by truly loving others because the spirit of the law is all about love for both God and our fellow man. This is why Jesus said the summary of the law was to love God with everything and to love others in the same way we love ourselves.

Paul and others elaborate on this later in the NT by stating no one in their right mind hates his own body but nourishes and cherishes it and so husbands should love their wives like their own body and the principle follows for all human relationships.

Consider the laws like don’t steal, it is not loving to take by force that which does not belong to us and would not like to suffer that injustice ourselves or don’t commit adultery, it flies in the face of the commitment and devotion demanded by love and we would hate if someone was unfaithful to us. We can look at each of God’s good laws in this way and see that love is at the root.

So fulfil the law today by following the example of Jesus by loving others.

Love does no intentional wrong to others

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.(Romans 13:10, ESV)

A great explanation of why love is the fulfilment of the moral law. Love will not do what is wrong to a fellow human being and so by default fulfils the law.

Wake up

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.(Romans 13:11, ESV)

This is pointing to the second coming and Paul wrote this 2000 years ago so how much closer are we now, 2000 years later. We can not afford to be asleep we need to be alert, aware and awake.

Also for each individual Christian, even if Christ does not return in our lifetime, every day we come closer to our death and it is through death and resurrection that our salvation is fully realised because it is those who enter in that are saved.

Put on the Lord Jesus

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.(Romans 13:14, ESV)

We should not make opportunities for the flesh because when we do the flesh will seek to gratify its lust, instead in a deliberate and conscious way we need to put on Jesus, adopting his way of living and behaving. This is our call to sanctification.

I want to emphasise the point that this is like putting on clothes which means it is not natural it takes a conscious effort and decision for each believer as an individual to deliberately put on Jesus like a jacket to protect us form the cold harsh winds of sin.

Don’t quarrel over opinions

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.(Romans 14:1, ESV)

We must not waste our time quarreling about opinions. Man’s opinions have caused all sorts of division and confusion so when someone is weak we should not entertain the desire of their flesh or ours to prove point over point, instead we should show love.

There are many things that we can have different opinions about and still be one in Christ, we do not need to force each other to think or behave in our way because many of our preferences are dictated by our background, culture and presuppositions.

However there are areas we can never compromise on and another opinion just will not do, these are core to the Christian faith like the deity of Christ etc.

You are not God

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.(Romans 14:4, ESV)

The reason we judge each other in the body on non essentials (like style of worship etc), is that we have a god complex where we feel the need to control everything. We need to trust that God is in control and if a fellow believer does things in a different way to us we need to realise that God is their master and will uphold them and make them stand.

If you are frustrated that other don’t do things in the way you do, just let it go, you are not a god, you are a member of a diverse body with people form every time, nation, tribe and language all with their own style, preferences, cultures and nuances.

We trust God as the master over us all, who will uphold each of us and make us stand so we can stand before him on that day.

Be fully convinced

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.(Romans 14:5, ESV)

We must not sin against our own conscience, we must be fully convinced and live lives of conviction by following those convictions. The convictions we follow must be our own not those imposed by someone else or we will just end up in the bondage of religion again.

A day of reckoning

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.(Romans 14:12, ESV)

A day of reckoning is coming for Christians, so live with this in mind.

Proverbs 28:1–28

Pray for our leaders

When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.(Proverbs 28:2, ESV)

We pray our leaders will be men of understanding and experience.

Be generous

Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.(Proverbs 28:8, ESV)

Our lives should be driven by generosity not selfish gain and profit.

Work with what you have

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.(Proverbs 28:19, ESV)

Lord help us to work hard with what we have.

Don’t be stingy

A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.(Proverbs 28:22, ESV)

Don’t be stingy, it is to your profit to be generous.

Trust the Lord

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.(Proverbs 28:26, ESV)

Our minds are so fragile and finite, we can not rely on them we must trust in the Lord by His Holy Spirit.