Time to Act

October 28

(Psalm 119:126-133 NIV) “It is time for you to act, O Lord; your law is being broken. {127} Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, {128} and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path. {129} Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. {130} The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. {131} I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. {132} Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. {133} Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.”

(Ezekiel 24:10-14 NIV) “So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred. {11} Then set the empty pot on the coals till it becomes hot and its copper glows so its impurities may be melted and its deposit burned away. {12} It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire. {13} Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided. {14} I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

(Isaiah 13:6-13 NIV) “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. {7} Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. {8} Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. {9} See, the day of the Lord is coming --a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger-- to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. {10} The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. {11} I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. {12} I will make man scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. {13} Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.”

God is patient, but His patience will eventually come to an end. “There is a time for everything.” God has withheld judgment for many centuries, but a day is coming when He will return to settle accounts. His law has been broken for too long. His grace has been rejected by too many. On that day, the time will have come for Him to act. His efforts at mercy have been frustrated. The evil have rejected His Son and resisted His cleansing fire. He will no longer hold back. Those without the cover of Christ will experience the wrath of God. It’s time for you to act! Call on the name of Jesus. Those who have Christ’s covering are identified by several traits: they love His ways… they stay on His path… they obey His statutes. No sin rules over them. They walk in His light. They love the name of His Son. Will you be among the covered? It’s time to act. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day 

Discarded Like Dross

October 27

(Psalm 119:118-125 NIV) “You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain. {119} All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. {120} My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws. {121} I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors. {122} Ensure your servant's well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me. {123} My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise. {124} Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. {125} I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.”

(Matthew 25:41-46 NIV) ““Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. {42} For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, {43} I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' {44} "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' {45} "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' {46} "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.””

Psalm 119 speaks of a God who “discards” the wicked like dross. When refining metals like gold, fire is used to heat the ore to a molten state. Impurities rise to the top and are skimmed off. This is “dross”. Someday God will divide the wicked from the righteous. The righteous will be like gold. The wicked will be “discarded” like dross. Jesus taught this. He spoke many times about a day when all humanity would be separated into two groups. One group will be gathered to Him and treasured like gold. The other group will be sent away, or in other words, discarded. Many do not like this teaching. Many New Testament “scholars” today deny the Jesus of judgment. They just cannot reconcile “eternal punishment” with their image of a loving Christ. But this is the Jesus of Scripture. This is the God of the Bible. Believe! Let Him change your dross into pure gold before the great fire of judgment. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Hope That Soars

October 26

(Psalm 119:116-119 NIV) “Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. {117} Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.”

(Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV)  "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. {29} He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. {30} Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; {31} but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

(Romans 15:13 NIV)  "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Hopes can be dashed to the ground in a moment’s time if tied exclusively to human effort and accomplishment. But when our hope is in the Lord, we have an infinite and endless supply line. Because the Lord is everlasting, our hope can be renewed daily and sustained as long as we live. Hope can soar like an eagle when it is placed in a Creator God who knows all things. Our stamina increases when we realize that our hope is in a God who never gets tired, and whose strength never fails. Hope like this cannot be contained. It is contagious and it overflows onto those around us. Do you need a dose of this kind of hope? Have your hopes been dashed? Ask the Lord to deliver and sustain you today. Ask Him to uphold you, and while you are in his hands, your strength will be renewed and your hope can soar to new heights. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day  

Making it to Practice

October 25

(Psalm 119:111-115 NIV) “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. {112} My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end. {113} I hate double-minded men, but I love your law. {114} You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. {115} Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!”

(Luke 8:20-21 NIV) “Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." {21} He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.””

Whether it is a sport like football, a philharmonic orchestra, or a rock band… making it to practice is mandatory if you want to play on a regular basis. Why would we see that as any less important for those who say they want to follow the King? When we set our heart on becoming a great athlete or musician, practice becomes part of a daily regimen that takes us to new heights. We may not always like practice, but if we are serious, we will not question its value or neglect it. Likewise, when we set our heart on being a disciple of Jesus, practicing our faith is no longer just an option. Instead, it becomes part of our daily routine, no questions asked. God’s word becomes a staple for the heart that is set on being a Christ follower. Putting God’s word into practice on a daily basis is the pathway to success for the believer who wants to excel and become a champion for Jesus. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day