Reading Psalms

Psalms is a book of praise, is it not? Yes, but it is also a book of prophecy. In Psalms, you can find many references to the time of Jesus where Jesus speaks through David generations before He was born through the Holy Spirit. David speaks and we see mirrors of Christ's own emotions as He was hated without cause. Not only this but I also find many references to the last days and how the wicked will be destroyed. The 1,000 year reign of Christ as King over all the Earth is also mentioned in Psalms.

How kings and nations pour into the courts of Zion to praise Him and fall at His feet. The riches of the nations will belong to Him and He will rule in righteousness and peace. Psalms is about how God delivered Jesus from the pit or the grave and how Jesus trusted in God's word more than anything else. So many mirrors of Christ can be found in Psalms and talk of how He will be praised among the nations once He sits on the throne of David forever.

No book contains more prophetic insight into the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, His life, His death, His persecutions, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and the prophecies concerning Christ that are a part of our future that have not yet taken place. It is all here, from Psalm 22 which shows Christ's own suffering and pain, to Psalm 23 which is also all about Jesus, and beyond.

^{Psalm 89:3-4}

³ You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,

⁴ 'I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.' "
Selah

Reading 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John

Some of the strongest scriptures on the new covenant and the new life in Jesus Christ is found in John's letters. He writes in puzzles. That which we have heard from the beginning is a statement he uses over and over again. If you read these letters through, you will find the answer of what has been heard since the beginning. Love.

John claims that we must obey God and be holy and righteous. We must comply to God's commandments and in simplicity he reveals the commandments we are to live by. We must believe that Jesus Christ was born in the flesh as the Son of God and to love one another as Christ commanded us to do under the new covenant. That's it. No long list of rites, rituals, long prayers, traditions, but faith and love. If you go back and read many of Paul's writings, you will find that he is also saying the same thing.

We must believe and love. John's writings exclaim the love God has for us and our obligation to love one another. In his writing he simplifies what righteousness is saying that he that hates his brother is still in darkness but he that loves his brother is in the light. Hate is evil and love is good. We fight this battle daily... a battle between good and evil... love and hate... sacrifice and selfishness. Grace is a gift but it is not without obligation to obey the commandments of Jesus who bought us. His commandment is to love and believe in Him... that He is the Son of God. Faith and love and if you have these things you are saved. Am I free from the written code (law)? Yes, for righteousness unto eternal life is fulfilled in Christ Jesus. However, it is now the commandment of Jesus to love one another that is the spirit of the law. Fulfilled out of love for God.

1 John 2:7-11

7Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

Reading Romans

In reading Romans, I mostly take from it the teaching on God's freedom through Jesus Christ. Jesus being the end of the law to those who believe. I am not under the law any longer but instead under grace. This free gift results in righteousness by way of faith in Jesus. Not only the man but also everything concerning Him. Paul does such an great job of explaining this righteousness by way of faith.

Paul states that through Adam and his sin, the whole world through him were thrown into corruption but the righteous acts of Jesus brings righteousness to all who believe in Him. Sin automatically spread to every man after Adam but through Jesus, righteousness automatically spreads to all who believe.

A right standing with God, not earned, but provided for. He gives this gift freely to us that we might be free from the law and free from sin. I (as a believing Christian) no longer have to obey the law in order to be saved for the requirements of the law have been fulfilled in the life of Christ. Despite this fact, Paul urges us to not use our freedom to go on sinning but instead live a life of good works (fulfilling Christ's commandment of love) because we love and wish to serve the God that purchased us.

Romans 3:21-24

21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Reading Lamentations

Lamentations is a small book. Didn't take long to finish. It is about 5 chapters. The book is mainly in reference to the punishment that Israel and Jerusalem received due to their sin against God and others. You might think that punishment from God seems evil or even view at as an injustice but the truth of the matter is it is punishment for those who deserved punishment.

Evil is always against good and those who support evil and self serving ways always find unique ways to pummel those who love God. Those that loved God and his ways were constantly taken advantage of. Innocent blood was shed, goods were stolen, false gods were worshipped (even right in God's temple), people stole from the poor and widows, and this was only a small portion of the monstrosities. 

Evil takes it's opportunistic stand against those that are humble and sincere and takes advantage of them. Often this came from those in power during this time. Priests, princes, kings, and nobles who were in charge of supporting and promoting God's ways were overcome by the temptation to do evil to others to fulfill their own selfish desires. Human children were even sacrificed on altars to false gods. There were many that cried out to God in prayer on a daily basis because of the pain and suffering that was caused by these evil and wayward men. As a result, God sends them destruction. 

Many of these evil men performed their rites and abused their power and influence under the guise of being the elite of God's people. Performing horrible acts in hidden rooms and in private, out of the way places and then returning to their normal life; pretended to be a follower of the God of Abraham. The punishment was necessary to teach Israel and Judah's future generations to turn from their evil ways and they have. In the end there is hope. God will save his people and forget their sins and bring them back better than their former glory.

Reading Jeremiah

Took a bit, but I finally finished reading Jeremiah. This book is filled with prophecy and describes the Israelites horrible idolatry and sins against God and God's warnings through Jeremiah to his people to turn from their evil ways. Of course, they didn't listen. So God uses Jeremiah to communicate the consequences to them.

This includes the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and the Babylonian captivity where the Israelites were led away to Babylon as slaves. It also includes several prophecies concerning the end times and the destruction of Babylon, Moab, Edom, Egypt, etc. You will find many of the prophetic themes in this book including the absolute desolation of Babylon which is present day Syria/Iraq.

Jeremiah 51

28 Prepare the nations for battle against her—
       the kings of the Medes,
       their governors and all their officials,
       and all the countries they rule.

 29 The land trembles and writhes,
       for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand—
       to lay waste the land of Babylon
       so that no one will live there.