Thoughts By Scott

Friday, December 9, 2016

Peace Found in Jesus' Restoration

Photo by Kit

Scripture: Isaiah 11:6-10

And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.

Insights: Today’s verses conclude our theme this week regarding peace. Today’s focus is on the Lord’s restorative nature on all of creation. Look at these images in today’s verses regarding lions and oxen, cobras and children, and even cows and bears. They are no longer at war with each other. They are living at perfect peace with each other just as they had before the fall in the Garden of Eden. The Lord perfectly restores creation back to what it ought to have always been. The difference between the first garden and the eternal dwelling of the redeemed is the absolute death of sin. In eternity future there is absolutely no longer a battle with the old sin nature of man. Jesus Christ paid the price required in His death to abolish the power of sin forever. This future day is one for which I personally long. We have looked at four other aspects regarding peace in our lives from the Savior this week. This final thought ought to give us peace on its merits alone. To know there is not a future sin-filled pain gives me a great deal of peace. May the Lord be brought glory for His ever faithful goodness and eternal peace.

Questions:

1. Do you ever ponder your transformation from a sin stained life to a completely restored glorious life?

2. Do you ever express gratitude to the Lord for your future restoration?

Prayer: Father, thank You for the restoring work you are doing in my life right now, but I thank You even more for my future restoration in glory. I long for that day of perfect redemption. Amen.

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Thursday, December 8, 2016

Peace Found in Jesus' Character

Photo by Keith Davenport

Scripture: Isaiah 11:5

Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.

Insights: In today’s verse we learn about the character of Jesus. He is righteous. I love this attribute about Him because that means He is always acting rightly. In other words, I can trust Him to act rightly on my behalf all of the time. Now, it is true I do not always understand or recognize His actions being right. There are times in which He has to discipline me and when He does I don’t feel He is acting rightly toward me. Afterwards, however, I do understand and am able to recognize He had my best interest at heart the entire time. Another character trait that today’s verse informs us about Jesus is His faithfulness. Jesus is always faithful. The Great Commission tells us Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. This faithful promise of eternal presence is offered only to those who are His. A lost person will not receive this promise of never leaving them. If they die without being born again, then they will be separated forever from His grace, mercy and love. If, however, one is born again, then they can rest assured in Jesus’ faithful promise to never leave them nor forsake them. Jesus has many other attributes to His character, but these two are all today’s verse points to. These two character traits alone, however, ought to give you a great deal of peace as you trust in your Savior.

Questions:

1. What aspect of Jesus’ character is your favorite?

2. Are you striving to emulate that characteristic into your life?

Prayer: Father, I praise You for Your splendid character. You are marvelous and good. You are always right and faithful. May I learn more of Your amazing grace. Amen.

Peace Found in Jesus' Justice

Photo by Clyde Robinson

Scripture: Isaiah 11:3-4

And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.

Insights: Our world is full of injustices. I was in a donut shop this morning and they had the news on their television screens. I watched as the news displayed a robbery in which the police are looking for the suspects on the video. If any one has any information, they are to report to the local law enforcement agency. The shop honor in this video report experienced an injustice. Injustices expand far beyond just petty theft as well. The manner in which we treat an individual can be a form of injustice. There is One, however, who judges rightly every circumstance and situation. This One is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In the midst of all this world’s crazy chaos it gives me hope to know that Jesus will make all things right as He ushers in all of eternity. The wicked, those who have never encountered Jesus in a relational way, will spend eternity separated from His love in the Lake of Fire. The righteous, those who have been born again by Jesus’ grace, will spend eternity with Him in heaven. All avenues of injustice will be rectified into one of these two camps at the time of eternal judgment. As we read today’s verses we see Jesus does not judge based on His sight or His ability to hear. He judges perfectly from within a person. His vision allows Him to see deeper than just surface level. He sees the motives and intents of a person’s heart. It is my prayer that your knowledge of God’s perfect justice gives you a peace regarding your future.

Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced an injustice?

2. Does the realization that God judges perfectly produce peace within your life?

Prayer: Father, as I look around this world I see injustices everywhere. I am grateful You see them as well and You work out Your justice perfectly. Let me rest and trust in Your judicial system. Amen.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Peace Found in Jesus' Knowledge

Photo by Kai C. Schwarzer

Scripture: Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Insights: In today’s verse we see the second reason we ought to have peace in our Messiah, Jesus Christ. He knows everything. The theological language describing this truth is He is omniscient. Jesus possesses all wisdom and understanding. In His counsel strength is found. He, because He is God, understands why one ought to fear Him and how this fear cultivates knowledge. The reason these facts produce peace is because Jesus knows our past perfectly. He knows every sin we have ever committed and every right choice we have made to draw closer towards Him. He knows our present perfectly as well. He knows what our very thoughts are as we read this blog post. He knows exactly what we are feeling and the concerns which may be resting on our hearts. He knows the inside workings of our hearts at this second perfectly. He also, however, knows our future. He knows every decision we will make in the days to come. He knows where we will spend eternity, either in heaven with Him or in the Lake of Fire separated from His mercy and grace. The reason this knowledge gives us peace is because we can trust Him because He already knows. In other words, with others we often walk around guarded by what we say and do. With the Lord, however, there is no need for pretense of falsity because He knows the truth at the deepest level of our being. This fact comforts my heart and I pray it does yours as well. Approaching Him from this perspective grants us a vulnerability that will provide us with amazing freedom. We are able to live with courage and boldness because we can trust our Messiah with our future because He already knows what it is. Beloved, trust His knowledge and live in His peace as a result.

Questions:

1. Do you know someone who thinks they know everything?

2. Are you comforted by the fact that God does know everything?

Prayer: Father, I so often lie to myself that I am at times overwhelmed by the accuracy of knowledge regarding my life. Yet, at the same time, knowing You know my future gives me a peace indescribable. Amen.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Peace Found in Jesus' Lineage

Photo by Robert Anthony Provost

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

Insights: Last week was the first week of Advent and we looked at hope. This second week we look at peace. I titled the sermon Peace is Found in the Messiah. Today we specifically note that our peace in the Messiah comes from His lineage. He is the prophetically told Savior who has to come from the line of David. In today’s verse we see Isaiah telling us that this Messiah would be a shoot from the stem of Jesse. Jesse is David’s father and Jesus is from that line. Remember, Isaiah is writing these words almost 600 years before Jesus is born, but they come to pass just as Isaiah foretold. I used this idea to spring off on a tangent regarding the existence of God. I talked about the statistics involved in all of the elements needed for life to exist on planet earth. In other words, the earth has to be the right distance from the sun. If we are too close, we burn up. If we are too far away, we freeze. I gave a few other examples as well. I then used Dr. William Tolar's Chance or Choice example with coins being randomly pulled out of a pocket (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QEEb61tY64). I realize in a blog formate there is no way to explain all of this information. The point being, it takes more faith to believe in chance than it does to believe in a Designer who choose to create the universe and all that is in it. Part of Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies help explain and clarify His deity and Lordship as Savior. Knowing Him because of His fulfilling work gives me peace. It is my prayer this truth also gives you peace. The rest of the week we will examine four more aspects that give us peace about our Savior from this passage from Isaiah.

Questions:

1. Do you ever question the existence of God?

2. Does the fact that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophetic passages give you peace in regards to your Savior?

Prayer: Father, thank You for fulfilling every Old Testament prophetic word regarding Your Son, Jesus. I receive a great deal of peace knowing He is who He claims to be and by His work I am set free from my sin. Amen.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Hope for a Future Peace

Photo from H

Scripture: Isaiah 2:4

And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.

Insights: Today we conclude our thoughts regarding the hope we have in Jesus. Notice with me our eternal peace begins with judgment. In other words, Jesus will first be the judge of the saints at His bema seat judgment. After this judgment comes the Great White Throne judgment which is reserved for those who will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. When this judgment is over, God will then usher in His eternal peace. At that time in eternity's history there will be no more need for sword and spear. These weapons of destruction and death will be transformed into instruments of life. In other words, we will use the plowshare and the pruning hook to cultivate and nurture instead of killing. There are those who foolishly believe we can obtain peace here on this side of eternity. The truth is that ever since the fall, man has been at war. Cain killed Abel and the world has seen violence ever since. There is a day coming, however, in which all of this killing will come to an end. It is the day in which the Lord Jesus announces His eternal authority and begins His reign as the King of kings and Lord of lords. We, who have received Him as Savior and Lord, will live under His peaceful reign forever and ever. This day of which I speak is a hoped for day. I pray you long for it as much as I. Until that day comes, Jesus promises us peace in our hearts here on this side of eternity. Paul describes it as a peace that surpasses understanding. It is a glorious state of contentment in the midst of difficult and unbearable situations. Only by having a relationship with Jesus are you able to have this kind of peace. If you have never met Jesus, I encourage you to meet Him today. He will give you a hope for your future.

Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced the peace of the Lord in your life?

2. As you imagine a future in Christ without war and strife, what kind of emotions are stirred within you?

Prayer: Father, I long for that day of eternal peace with expectant hope. You are my fulfillment of peace and I can’t wait to see You face to face. Amen.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Hope for a Future Rule

Photo by Chad Kainz

Scripture: Isaiah 2:3

And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Insights: The second aspect to the hope we have in Jesus’ second coming is His rule. Notice in today’s verse we see Jesus Himself teaching us about His ways and guiding us to walk down His paths. He will establish His law and it will go out from Him. In the Lord’s prayer Jesus said, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” How is Jesus’ rule in heaven lived out by heaven’s residents? The answer to the question is perfectly. In other words, when Jesus gives a command, it is done. There is no arguing, procrastinating, worrying if it is the right decision, etc. When Jesus gives a command it is immediately followed in heaven. Notice with me a second aspect about this future rule under which we long to live. It is found in the phrase, “That He may teach us concerning His ways.” When we get to heaven it is true that we are glorified and no longer enslaved to our old sinful nature, but we do not become God. He is the infinite One. We are finite. One of the aspects of heaven is us learning from the great Teacher, Jesus, perfectly unhindered by the sorrows of sin. When He teaches us in heaven, we receive it perfectly and obey Him perfectly. So, the Lord’s prayer will be one day reality for us because God’s will is done perfectly in heaven. Until that day comes, may we strive to obey and learn His rule as best we can on this side of eternity. May we strive for obedience and servitude to Him in our current place of assignment from the Lord.

Questions:

1. How well do you follow the commands of God?

2. Do you have hope in the reality that in eternity God will teach you and you will obey perfectly His commands?

Prayer: Father, I learn from You now on this side of eternity, but I continue to sin. I long for the day in which I will be in Your presence and learn Your ways and paths unhindered by the bearer of sin. Amen.