Psalm 90: 9, 12-14:  “For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh. … Do return, O Lord, how long will it be? …O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness.”  For much of western society tomorrow is a day about time, as the turning of a calendar page will remind us.  Perhaps that is why this Psalm is appointed for its eve, because it, too, concerns itself with time: eternity, days, years, morning, how long?  This is not a bad thing; once in a while we all need to stop and ask the Lord to “teach us to number our days.”  After all, one day we will wake up and time will be no more.  When that day comes, we do not want to be wishing we had used our time more wisely.

John 8: 5, 6: “’Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what do you then say?’ And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds to accuse Him.” These men were not concerned with righteous, or justice, or the Law.  They only wanted to get at Jesus, and they were willing to sacrifice the woman to achieve their aim, using as their weapon the accusing finger.  But Jesus took His finger, the same finger that had written the Law on tablets of stone (Deuteronomy 9: 10), and wrote it again on the ground.  Their fingers were accusing, His was embracing; for the Law in actuality points us to God’s love, not His judgment.  Do we use our fingers to accuse, or to liberate? (Isaiah 58)

Psalm 18: 33:  “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places.”  There are certain brands of sneakers that can make you fly, or so they say, but this is even better.  Even as the feet of a hind (a type of deer) are especially suited for the rugged mountainous terrain of Palestine, enabling the animal to ascend heights above his enemies, so the Lord sets us on the high places of His presence.  And there in His presence, who can assail us? There our souls find safety, peace, and rest, and are renewed for the battles ahead.   

Isaiah 49: 20: “The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, ‘The place is too cramped for me; make room for me that I may live here.’”  How can children of whom we have been bereaved, such as the martyrs of Bethlehem (whose Feast we celebrate today), come back and ask to live with us again?  How?  As the Lord says, “This is My work” (v. 23), His work of resurrection.  We can apply this in other ways, as well; those who raised children in the Church only to see them stray when reaching adulthood, and those who have seen spiritual children likewise wander and leave the pasture desolate, will again see them, for God has inscribed them on the palms of His hands (v. 16).  Those who hopefully wait for Him will not be ashamed!

John 13: 35: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  It’s not the big crowds, it’s not the Gospel tee shirts, it’s not the smells and bells, it’s not the inspirational music or energizing beat, it’s not even the number of scripture verses memorized and quoted.  Only one thing will prove your love for Jesus, and that is your love for your fellow believers.  On this Feast of St. John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, let us remember and practice this greatest of signs that point the way to Christ.

Acts 6: 3, 5:  “’But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.’ … and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.”  So, you wanna serve the Lord?  You wanna be a deacon?  Where do you start?  You’d have to start where St. Stephen did: four times (Acts 6: 3, 5, 10, and 7: 55) it says he was full of the Holy Spirit; thrice (Acts 6: 3, 5, and 10) it says he was full of wisdom, which comes from the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2: 10-16), so you might as well say that seven times he is noted as being full of the Spirit.  For divine ministry, you do like Stephen and even Jesus Christ did - you start with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1: 10), you end with the Holy Spirit (Luke 23: 46), and everything in between is about the Holy Spirit, too (Acts 10: 38).  Happy Feast of St. Stephen!

Psalm 46: 4:  “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”  Isn’t is shocking to hear these days how many Christian ministers are falling into hopelessness, and passing that on to their congregations?  Any fears of the Church failing, collapsing, or coming to total ruin should be allayed by this Psalm.  God is more than capable of protecting and upholding His own.  As it says here, kingdoms may shake and collapse, but the Church will remain.  Nations do all they can, and all they cause is political turmoil.  God simply lifts His voice and all melts away.  Why?  Because, come what may, “The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  So on this Christmas Eve, “Be still, (cease striving) and know that I am God.” 

Isaiah 33: 20-21: “Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; your eyes shall see Jerusalem an undisturbed habitation, a tent which shall not be folded, its stakes shall never be pulled up nor any of its cords torn apart. But there the majestic One, the Lord, shall be for us.” As we approach Christmas Eve 2016, this is hardly a description of Jerusalem or nearby Bethlehem.  And yet the nativity of Christ 2000 years ago fulfilled this passage and so much more.  The presence of Jesus brings peace. Of course, Isaiah is talking about far more than literal cities; He’s talking about the presence of God with us in the Incarnation.

A) Revelation 22: 3, 5:  “His servants will serve Him … and they will reign forever and ever.”  I know, I’ll bet your first answer was “Jesus Christ,” and that is 100 % correct.  But His promise here, and in Luke 22: 30, and in Revelation 3: 21, and numerous other places, is that the saints will rule and reign with Him.  He is King of kings.  He’s the King with the capital “K”, and we’re the kings with the lower case “k.”  It will be according to our ability; how well we have proven ourselves during our training here in this life.  Some may be given charge of ten cities, others five, etc.  But the faithful will rule and reign.  Over who?  Over the unfaithful, of course!

A) Revelation 21: 2, 14, 16-17: “I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem … the wall of the city had twelve foundations ...He measured the city and found it to be 1,400 miles in length, and as wide and high as it is long.  He measured its wall and it was 200 feet thick.”  The city John saw was square, with twelve foundations.  That makes three foundations per wall.  You don’t have to be a builder to realize that a wall that is 1,400 miles long and 1,400 miles high, and 200 feet thick will need more than three foundations!  Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wall that high, anyway.  That’s way above our atmosphere, I believe.  All of which goes to show that St. John is not dealing with literal figures here.

A) Luke 1: 6: “There was a priest named Zechariah ... His wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.”  This is surprising, because Gabriel later says that Elizabeth is a relative of Mary.  (Luke 1: 36)  That would make Mary, at least in part, of the tribe of Levi.  Much is made in Scripture that the Christ would come from Judah, and the genealogies of Christ in Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter three do much to emphasize this.  But since Jesus is also our great High Priest, should He not also be from Levi just as He is from Melchezedek?  Perhaps, through Mary, He was.

A) Psalm 112: 1:  “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.”  Good start to this psalm, then it gets better!  For those who meet those qualifications, it says 1) His children will be mighty in the land.  2) The generation of the upright will be blessed.  3) Wealth and riches are in his house.  4) His righteousness endures forever. 5) Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright.  6) Good will come to Him.  7) He will never be shaken.  8) He will be remembered forever.  9) In the end, He will look in triumph on his foes.  So, wouldn’t it be a good idea to fear the Lord and follow His commands?

Jude 18: “… In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.”  Attaboy, Jude, preach against all them people in the world!  Except Jude is talking here about some in the Church.  You can’t divide the Church from the outside, nor would anyone be surprised if a non-Christian was devoid of the Spirit (v. 19).  And yet from St. Jude’s time until now there have been many who fall into the mold he casts here.  Which is why, even though it has been the ‘last time” for two thousand years now, Jesus is still held in the heavenlies (Acts 3: 21, KJV); He’s not coming back for a bunch of mockers.  

Matthew 11: 2: “Now when John in prison heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples ...” Often we get a mental picture of John in the wilderness all alone, preaching to crowds with no support.  But this story, as well as John chapters one and three, shows us that John had faithful disciples to assist him.  “Only the rebellious live in a lonely land” (Psalm 68: 6).  So what did they do?  I don’t know, maybe they caught his grasshoppers.  Chow time, John!

2 Peter 2: 19:  “… promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.”  Many times it is said, “Freedom is being able to do whatever you want to do.”  But A. J. Cronin once wrote, “Man will never know true freedom and happiness unless he has tamed himself.”  He was inspired by the words of Thomas a Kempis, “Unless you deny yourself you shall not have perfect liberty.”  I think they had both read 2 Peter.  No one who is unable to deny his carnal desires is really free.  In other words, true freedom is being able to not do what you want to do.

Psalm 119: 52: “I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O Lord, and comfort myself.”  Some people try to get their comfort from drugs, alcohol, or companionship from the opposite sex.  Problem is, you know that sooner or later your comforter will become your jailer.  The psalmist has a better idea - Self-medicating with the Word of God brings not only comfort and encouragement, but also hope (Romans 15: 4).  Now that’s comforting!  

Isaiah 9: 4:  “For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.”  What was this battle of Midian?  That was the one with Gideon (Judges chapters 7,8), where 135, 000 Midianite swordsmen were totally wiped out. In other words your burden, your oppressor, has been destroyed.  Thoroughly.  The awesome part: Just as the massive army of Midian was eradicated by Gideon’s mini-squad of three hundred, our oppressor was conquered by - a Child born to us.  (Ten bonus points if you can guess His Name).

Isaiah 8: 18: “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, Who dwells on Mount Zion.”  At first glance it seems like this verse is referring to Isaiah and his sons Shear-jashub (Isaiah 7: 3) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isaiah 8: 3).  Imagine the problems these boys had filling out official forms, or even name tags!  But these names were for prophetic signs, as Isaiah says here.  However, Hebrews 2: 13 says that Isaiah is also speaking prophetically of Christ and His Church.  Not just SJ and MSHB, but we, Christ’s brethren, are for signs and wonders in the Kingdom of God.  Don’t be afraid of that!

Luke 22: 31: “Simon, Simon, behold, satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.”  So, you have a calling from God, a call to leadership in His Kingdom?  Praise God, but know that it is not all a bed of roses.  Like Peter, prepare to get sifted.  Prepare to go through the humbling of patent failure, the crucible of dark tear-sodden nights.  Then you have to swallow your pride and get up again.  And again.  And again.  Then maybe, just maybe, you will be ready to preach on the Day of Pentecost.  Perhaps that’s what you’re going through right now, and why you’re going through it.  But, as Peter learned, it’s worth the price to follow your Lord.

Isaiah 7: 11, 12: “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God” …”I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord.” Doesn’t Ahaz sound nice and religious?  Very good, He remembers Deuteronomy 6: 16!  But a look at his life would show a heart far from God.  Sometimes people try to look very religious, and in doing so, they disobey the word of the Lord.  If the prophet Isaiah tells you to ask for a sign, you ask for a sign!  Except for God’s mercy in taking the matter into His own hands, Ahaz’s disobedience would have cost the world one of the greatest signs of the Messiah: that of the Virgin bearing Immanuel. (v. 14)

Luke 22: 2:  “And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people.”  Why was Judas necessary for the plan to kill Jesus to succeed? Because no one knew where Jesus spent His private time.  He spent His nights during Holy Week in the Garden of Gethsemane and in Bethany, but this was unknown to His enemies.  In order to arrest Him they needed a guide, and Judas became that guide (Acts 1: 16).  Imagine, Judas used his gift and calling - to bring men to Jesus - and turned it around for unimaginable evil.  And isn’t this still done today, whenever we use the talents God gave us and employ them in the kingdom of darkness?

Psalm 119: 37: “Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways.”  We all know that manifestations of vanity such as pornography must be turned away from.  But in the second part of this verse the psalmist asks to be revived in God’s ways.  Thus, He considers them as not vanity.  In these days when many people are claiming that it is vain to attempt to serve and follow the Lord or walk in His ways, here we are reminded that “Your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15: 58)  So keep on in His ways, they aren’t vanity!

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18:  “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  It’s probably impossible to rejoice always unless you pray without ceasing. Or is it impossible to give thanks in everything unless you rejoice always?  Or how can you pray without ceasing unless you give thanks in everything?  The point is, although these three directives are in three separate verses, they are by no means separate.  For one to operate properly, the other two must be going, too.  Which comes first?  I have no idea.  But they all three depend upon the others.  And they are all gifts from God.

1 Thessalonians 5: 11: “Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”  How seriously do we take this exhortation, this command?  We are not to ignore each other, disrespect each other, or give up on one another.  Instead, we are to take it as our personal mission to edify one another.  St. Paul says that the believers in Thessalonica were doing this.  Perhaps this is why, even though he was only with them for a period of three weeks or so, the Church was not just surviving, but doing well. It’s called Body Life, and it’s a vital part of Christianity.

Luke 21: 18, 19: “You will be hated by all on account of My Name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish.”  A friend of mine, folically challenged, claims that none of his hair is lost, just misplaced, gone ahead of him into Heaven.  Once there, he will get it all back.  Maybe.  But it’s sad how more people pray against being hated, bald, and delivered up to death than pray for utterance, wisdom, and endurance.  The 21st Gospel focuses on comfort more than obedience, blessing more than testimony. If the Church is ever to be taken seriously, this has to change.

1 Thessalonians 4: 7: “For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.”  It makes sense: if the Lord wanted you to live like the world, He could have just left you there.  But He called you out of darkness (1 Peter 2: 9).  Particularly in the case of sexual immorality, God’s people are called to live a higher way, possessing our own vessels in sanctification and honor rather than in lustful passion.  To reject this is to reject God (v. 8). 

Luke 20: 29, 30:  “There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died childless; and the second and the third took her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.”  Who’s the dumbest guy in the Bible?  For my money, it’s the seventh brother.  You’d have to think sooner or later he would begin to sense a pattern.  But it just goes to show how ridiculous the Sadducee’s example was.  How unfair to judge Jesus’ teaching based on such a story!  It makes you think: If they had to resort to these depths to make their theology logical, maybe it wasn’t so good after all.  And it wasn’t.  (You may now make your own modern-day application)