Well, here we are two weeks from Thanksgiving. You might be thinking about your menu or who will join you or where you are traveling to. Have you thought about your spiritual food? The food that fills you in ways that nothing else can. God asks us to seek Him daily, we even pray and ask for our daily bread, the daily bread given only when seeking the Word of God. The Word is of course Christ, do you seek Him daily? Spending time in prayer or reading the Bible is one way to seek this bread. Christian fellowship is another, spreading the gospel is one as well. Nothing, nothing will fill you the way that Christ can. So change the radio station to Christ inspired songs, google a daily devotion, seek Christ, He is waiting, He is looking, He is welcoming. Grab at bite, think, ponder and enjoy the spiritual food that we need daily.
Daniel 12:1-3 1)Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2)Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3)Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. This isn’t really a warning, more of insight in what is to come. How does one get to be in that book spoken of? The picture of those who are in the book brightly lighting the heavens, I bet you can visualize that!
Psalms 16 1)Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2)I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good beside You.” 3)As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4)The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, nor will I take their names upon my lips. 5)The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6)The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. 7)I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. 8)I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9)Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely. 10)For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 11)You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. There are a lot of clues in this Psalm. The link to Daniel, a foretelling of the Holy One yet to come, what will happen if you worship something other than God. What do you see?
Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25 11) Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12)but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13)waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14)For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 19)Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20)by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, 21)and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22)let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23)Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful: 24)and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25)not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. You know, Pastor has illustrated this thought of how before Christ came that the animals received our sins through the priest as an offering to God. When Christ came, that all changed. He penetrated the veil of the Holy Place, He gave to us a path in which we may come to God. Our assurance lays within the sacrifice of Jesus. Then it is up to us to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds”, let us pray and work diligently towards this goal.
Mark 13:1-8 1)As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful building!” 2)And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.” 3)As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4)”Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 5)And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that on one misleads you. 6)”Many will come in My name, saying I am He!” and will mislead many. 7)”When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8)”For nation will rise up against nation, ad kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. So naturally the disciples are intrigued by Jesus’s comments and want to know more. A warning, many, many will come in His name claiming to be the Christ. The world will unravel, people will become desperate to cling to the Good News fully knowing that only He, Jesus, can save us. Prepare, know the Word, grow in the fullness of Christ. Be content in knowing that this has been shared with you, that you have been chosen to know Jesus, Alleluia and Amen.
Through Christ, Seek God,
D.J. Schoneweis