Scripture: But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:61-62
Observation: Jesus stands accused of many things before the priests and Sanhedrin, however he refuses to answer anything. Then he is asked one question - are you the Christ - and he answers 'yes'.
There was likely no obvious punishment for almost anything else Jesus was accused of. There was no punishment for healing, or claiming the ability to tear down the temple. And Jesus had no need to respond to anything, as various accounts of everything were contradictory. Yet he is asked this question, which implicitly caries the charge of blasphemy, and he answers. It may be easy to understand that he answers because he had to fulfill the scriptures and be sentenced to death, but it isn't that easy ... the prophecy is specific to the manner of his death, and blasphemy isn't a Roman law, so responding to this question did not mean crucifixion was likely.
Jesus answered this question because it is the one question EVERY believer must answer, every time we are asked, without failure. When asked, is Jesus the Chris, the answer is always and forever "yes". This is the only requirement of salvation, and disclaiming this truth is the only guaranteed path to damnation. As such, Jesus - at his moment of judgment - modeled the behavior we are all to follow ... he was asked if Jesus is the Messiah, and he answered yes.
Application: When I stand before God some day, the list of things I COULD be asked about will be ... oh, so very long, and so very bad. I could be asked about every thoughtless word, every mean act, every sin, and every failure to provide love and kindness and mercy to others. That interrogation could take a long, long time, as I tried to explain away the wrong things I do many times every day.
Instead, God will ask me one question ... Who is Jesus? I will answer the same way I would answer anyone, anywhere, anytime ... Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, and my Lord and Savior. With that, the questions will be done.
That is the only question that matters. Jesus showed me what to answer.
Prayer: Lord, Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He is the Messiah, the Christ, who died for my sins, and lives again. This I know and believe. I will keep that before me and within me, and I will always respond with it when asked. May my life ever improve so that others would know my answer without me ever saying it. Amen.
Monday, March 9, 2020
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Giving the Vineyard to Others
Scripture: Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. Mark 12:9
Observation: This parable of Jesus is a thinly-veiled insult of the Jewish religious leaders, and they know it. The owner is God, the vinedressers are the Jews, the vineyard is the covenant relationship between God and the Jews, and the people the owner sends are his prophets. The vinedressers kill all the prophets, and then they kill the owner's own son. And what will the owner do next? He will destroy the vinedressers. This is all pretty easy to understand.
However, it is the final clause that is interesting. The owner will then give the vineyard to others. He won't return and take his own grapes or work the land himself. Neither will he lament the vineyard and therefore turn his back on it and let it go fallow. No ... he will instead establish a new covenant with a new group of people.
The covenant with the Jews was that of a two-way relationship. By their honor and love of the Lord, he would love and bless them. Out of that relationship, the rest of the world would understand and learn how to honor and love the Lord, and the resulting blessing would flow to all people. When the people have finally killed the son, this covenant relationship will now pass to ... others.
Application: One of my areas of doubt is about God's true intentionality with us 'gentiles'. I am sometimes concerned that there is, at the very least, a hierarchy of God's people, and the Jews remain at the top, with believing Christians at least one step down. In this parable, Jesus is saying something very different. He is clearly stating that, upon his death, a new people will be given a new covenant with the Lord. Jesus will say this even more clearly to the disciples.
The old covenant is not now with the gentiles. Rather, a new, better covenant is now with Christians. I am one of the others, given the vineyard to care for. May I be aware of the owner's requests, and honor him when they come.
Prayer: Lord, your wine, your blessing, is sweet and loving and kind. You are great in your mercy and justice and love. Please forgive my failures on a daily basis, and guide me in strength to better serve you in deed and thought. May your name be forever on my lips in worship and prayer. Amen.
Observation: This parable of Jesus is a thinly-veiled insult of the Jewish religious leaders, and they know it. The owner is God, the vinedressers are the Jews, the vineyard is the covenant relationship between God and the Jews, and the people the owner sends are his prophets. The vinedressers kill all the prophets, and then they kill the owner's own son. And what will the owner do next? He will destroy the vinedressers. This is all pretty easy to understand.
However, it is the final clause that is interesting. The owner will then give the vineyard to others. He won't return and take his own grapes or work the land himself. Neither will he lament the vineyard and therefore turn his back on it and let it go fallow. No ... he will instead establish a new covenant with a new group of people.
The covenant with the Jews was that of a two-way relationship. By their honor and love of the Lord, he would love and bless them. Out of that relationship, the rest of the world would understand and learn how to honor and love the Lord, and the resulting blessing would flow to all people. When the people have finally killed the son, this covenant relationship will now pass to ... others.
Application: One of my areas of doubt is about God's true intentionality with us 'gentiles'. I am sometimes concerned that there is, at the very least, a hierarchy of God's people, and the Jews remain at the top, with believing Christians at least one step down. In this parable, Jesus is saying something very different. He is clearly stating that, upon his death, a new people will be given a new covenant with the Lord. Jesus will say this even more clearly to the disciples.
The old covenant is not now with the gentiles. Rather, a new, better covenant is now with Christians. I am one of the others, given the vineyard to care for. May I be aware of the owner's requests, and honor him when they come.
Prayer: Lord, your wine, your blessing, is sweet and loving and kind. You are great in your mercy and justice and love. Please forgive my failures on a daily basis, and guide me in strength to better serve you in deed and thought. May your name be forever on my lips in worship and prayer. Amen.
Monday, March 2, 2020
Understand Ones Own Prayer
Scripture: So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:22-24
Observation: The disciples are a little surprised to find the fig tree that Jesus cursed the prior day withered and dead 24 hours later. However, Jesus certainly is not, as he teaches that this is simply the result of faith. Jesus made a plea to the Lord with the faith that the Lord would do it, and it happened.
However, it is interesting to note that Jesus' prayer was NOT "please kill this tree." His prayer was "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again" (v14). The method by which this prayer was answered was not to simply prevent the tree from ever producing fruit, or by through some process over time ensuring no one ever picked fruit from this tree. No, God killed the tree immediately. This outcome surprised even the disciples who heard the prior day's declaration.
Application: In faith, I pray so often for ... very, very vague outcomes. I pray for "health" and "guidance" and "protection" and "wisdom" and "patience". I probably don't even understand what God's response to these kinds of prayers looks like. Certainly he answers them, but in what manner I don't even try to predict and therefore likely don't recognize.
Jesus' prayer about the fig tree produced an outcome that fulfilled the prayer. However, the disciples weren't quite expecting that. How often have my own prayers been fulfilled in an unexpected way and thus I didn't know they had been fulfilled? Would praying more specifically even change that, or is God so creative that his solutions would always baffle my problems?
I will pay attention to my prayers, and I will learn to wonder at the Lord's creativity in fulfilling them, for in faith I know he will.
Prayer: Lord, this day I pray for my friends who have a sudden and major health battle in their lives. I ask for total healing. Please give doctors wisdom and skill, and where they cannot act please intervene in power and remove the issue yourself. I desire to see joy, celebration, and a chance to enjoy more years on earth from this couple, as an outcome of this trial. Amen.
Observation: The disciples are a little surprised to find the fig tree that Jesus cursed the prior day withered and dead 24 hours later. However, Jesus certainly is not, as he teaches that this is simply the result of faith. Jesus made a plea to the Lord with the faith that the Lord would do it, and it happened.
However, it is interesting to note that Jesus' prayer was NOT "please kill this tree." His prayer was "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again" (v14). The method by which this prayer was answered was not to simply prevent the tree from ever producing fruit, or by through some process over time ensuring no one ever picked fruit from this tree. No, God killed the tree immediately. This outcome surprised even the disciples who heard the prior day's declaration.
Application: In faith, I pray so often for ... very, very vague outcomes. I pray for "health" and "guidance" and "protection" and "wisdom" and "patience". I probably don't even understand what God's response to these kinds of prayers looks like. Certainly he answers them, but in what manner I don't even try to predict and therefore likely don't recognize.
Jesus' prayer about the fig tree produced an outcome that fulfilled the prayer. However, the disciples weren't quite expecting that. How often have my own prayers been fulfilled in an unexpected way and thus I didn't know they had been fulfilled? Would praying more specifically even change that, or is God so creative that his solutions would always baffle my problems?
I will pay attention to my prayers, and I will learn to wonder at the Lord's creativity in fulfilling them, for in faith I know he will.
Prayer: Lord, this day I pray for my friends who have a sudden and major health battle in their lives. I ask for total healing. Please give doctors wisdom and skill, and where they cannot act please intervene in power and remove the issue yourself. I desire to see joy, celebration, and a chance to enjoy more years on earth from this couple, as an outcome of this trial. Amen.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Raw Versus Prepared Sacrifices
Scripture: When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. ... And if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. Leviticus 2:1,4
Observation: The grain offering ... isn't grain. The choices for the grain offering involve either the delivery of fine flour mixed with oil, or of baked bread. In all cases, a portion of it is burned on the alter, and the rest is for the priests.
There is then a significant difference in the nature of a burnt offering versus a grain offering. For a burnt offering, a live animal is brought to be sacrificed. It is then killed, prepared, and placed on the alter, all by the priests and right there before God. However, with a grain offering, the giver does all the prep work at home, away from the priests and from the tabernacle. The work itself may be partial - the grinding of grain into flour only - or complete (baking it). In the larger type of work, it may be completed in several different ways ... baked as bread, dried as wafers, fried in a pan. The results of that work are then brought forward for a portion to be sacrificed.
Application: I have 'offerings' I just give to God, which are primarily my tithe. I give money, with no intent to further manage or control how God will use it. That money might be used to ... buy a new vacuum for the church, allow a pastor to buy someone a coffee during a counseling session, pay a drummer's stipend, fly in a guest speaker, fund repairs for a lawn mower ... who knows! I give the money "raw" without form or purpose.
I have other 'offerings' that are more prepared. Sometimes this is money given for a purpose, like when we run a campaign for new livestream equipment. Mostly, such prepared offerings are in the form of my time, like sacrificing extra time on Sunday to deliver the FPU class, or host an Alpha table, or help with Christmas lights. These are efforts that will result in God's work being done, and for which I am giving to help bring about, but not in a random way. I can decide a bit how I engage in this sacrifice, and the degree to which I do so.
There are times I have thought that all the sacrifices in Leviticus were a burden placed on God's people for them to show their commitment to and love of God. However, they also provide flexibility. They give God's people choices about how to serve the Lord, and the degree to which they want to be hands-on in that service. They can bring an animal and leave, or work a harvest, grind grain, kneed dough, sweat over a hot oven, and give the results of that work away.
I have the same choice in how I serve the Lord, and I love being able to do both.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the blessings you always return when I give to you in any manner. I feel closer to you when I can engage in your work, and I know you have blessed my general giving. That you seek our engagement with you, when you could simply demand it, is amazing. Amen.
Observation: The grain offering ... isn't grain. The choices for the grain offering involve either the delivery of fine flour mixed with oil, or of baked bread. In all cases, a portion of it is burned on the alter, and the rest is for the priests.
There is then a significant difference in the nature of a burnt offering versus a grain offering. For a burnt offering, a live animal is brought to be sacrificed. It is then killed, prepared, and placed on the alter, all by the priests and right there before God. However, with a grain offering, the giver does all the prep work at home, away from the priests and from the tabernacle. The work itself may be partial - the grinding of grain into flour only - or complete (baking it). In the larger type of work, it may be completed in several different ways ... baked as bread, dried as wafers, fried in a pan. The results of that work are then brought forward for a portion to be sacrificed.
Application: I have 'offerings' I just give to God, which are primarily my tithe. I give money, with no intent to further manage or control how God will use it. That money might be used to ... buy a new vacuum for the church, allow a pastor to buy someone a coffee during a counseling session, pay a drummer's stipend, fly in a guest speaker, fund repairs for a lawn mower ... who knows! I give the money "raw" without form or purpose.
I have other 'offerings' that are more prepared. Sometimes this is money given for a purpose, like when we run a campaign for new livestream equipment. Mostly, such prepared offerings are in the form of my time, like sacrificing extra time on Sunday to deliver the FPU class, or host an Alpha table, or help with Christmas lights. These are efforts that will result in God's work being done, and for which I am giving to help bring about, but not in a random way. I can decide a bit how I engage in this sacrifice, and the degree to which I do so.
There are times I have thought that all the sacrifices in Leviticus were a burden placed on God's people for them to show their commitment to and love of God. However, they also provide flexibility. They give God's people choices about how to serve the Lord, and the degree to which they want to be hands-on in that service. They can bring an animal and leave, or work a harvest, grind grain, kneed dough, sweat over a hot oven, and give the results of that work away.
I have the same choice in how I serve the Lord, and I love being able to do both.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the blessings you always return when I give to you in any manner. I feel closer to you when I can engage in your work, and I know you have blessed my general giving. That you seek our engagement with you, when you could simply demand it, is amazing. Amen.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Jesus is Always Approachable
Scripture: Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah". Mark 9:5
Observation: During the transfiguration, as Jesus in his glory is talking to Moses and Elijah, Peter speaks up and addresses Jesus. However, he does not address him by name, as one would assume would be his normal day-to-day custom. Likewise, he does not address him by the title he himself has acknowledged - Messiah - which would seem most befitting of all at this exact moment given the amazing circumstance. Instead, he addresses him by what must surely have been a title he used at the beginning of his relationship with Jesus almost three years prior ... rabbi, or teacher.
This is so out of place, it seems awkward to the point of embarrassing or even insulting. It would be as if, during the most important meeting in US history, the secretary of state interrupted the president by saying "hey, boss". It is technically true, and it is a title that connotes superiority, but it is hardly the proper address in a formal setting. This is surly all the more so for Jesus at the transfiguration.
That said, Jesus does not correct Peter. He says nothing of this at all. God himself shows up and calls Jesus "son", a name Jesus himself also uses about himself, and carries on with his teaching of Peter, James, and John after the event.
Application: Jesus is ALWAYS approachable. There would never be a time - for myself or anyone else - where Jesus would be put off by the manner in which someone engages with him. While talking to Moses and Elijah, he didn't care what Peter called him, but was perfectly happy with the fact that Peter was there and beginning to understand more and more.
Jesus can't be interrupted by my prayers, or worries, or rants, or anything, because he is always open and available to anything I want to bring to him.
Prayer: Jesus, you are my Lord, and you are my teacher, and you are my friend, and you are my comforter, and you are my hope, and you are my savior. The first and last, Lord and savior, are the most important, but I thank you for being all of the other personas as well. Amen.
Observation: During the transfiguration, as Jesus in his glory is talking to Moses and Elijah, Peter speaks up and addresses Jesus. However, he does not address him by name, as one would assume would be his normal day-to-day custom. Likewise, he does not address him by the title he himself has acknowledged - Messiah - which would seem most befitting of all at this exact moment given the amazing circumstance. Instead, he addresses him by what must surely have been a title he used at the beginning of his relationship with Jesus almost three years prior ... rabbi, or teacher.
This is so out of place, it seems awkward to the point of embarrassing or even insulting. It would be as if, during the most important meeting in US history, the secretary of state interrupted the president by saying "hey, boss". It is technically true, and it is a title that connotes superiority, but it is hardly the proper address in a formal setting. This is surly all the more so for Jesus at the transfiguration.
That said, Jesus does not correct Peter. He says nothing of this at all. God himself shows up and calls Jesus "son", a name Jesus himself also uses about himself, and carries on with his teaching of Peter, James, and John after the event.
Application: Jesus is ALWAYS approachable. There would never be a time - for myself or anyone else - where Jesus would be put off by the manner in which someone engages with him. While talking to Moses and Elijah, he didn't care what Peter called him, but was perfectly happy with the fact that Peter was there and beginning to understand more and more.
Jesus can't be interrupted by my prayers, or worries, or rants, or anything, because he is always open and available to anything I want to bring to him.
Prayer: Jesus, you are my Lord, and you are my teacher, and you are my friend, and you are my comforter, and you are my hope, and you are my savior. The first and last, Lord and savior, are the most important, but I thank you for being all of the other personas as well. Amen.
Hope Found in Worship
Scripture:
Vindicate me, O Lord,
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.
Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
Psalm 26:1-2
Observation: Throughout this psalm, David declares his righteousness and calls upon God to examine him. He declares that God alone is before his eyes, that he has and will walk in God's ways and truth alone. He will never associated with any kind of sinful people, and he will forever declare God's greatness, worshiping the Lord at all times, while remaining blameless all his days.
In summary, David's three major declarations in this psalm are that he has and never will 1) associated with non-believers, 2) transgress from the commands of God, and 3) cease to worship the Lord.
This is the David who ... 1) actually joined the Philistines in their war against Saul, and 2) had a man killed because he slept with that man's wife. In other words, even David had no hope of avoiding the very acts he himself declares. David had no hope of ever avoiding sin. David had no hope of avoiding friendly association with unbelievers in the world.
So how is it that David is the man after God's own heart? Because he DID ... worship publicly, openly, joyously, and aggressively, whenever and wherever he could. He worshiped in front of every citizen in the streets of Jerusalem. He worshiped while hiding in caves. He worshiped while his son rebelled against him. He worshiped after the death of a child. David worshiped ... period.
Application: I will forever fail to live the life the Lord would ask me to live. I will disobey his commands, and I will ignore his voice, and I will fail to love others at least daily. However, I can worship. I can worship in my car during my commute. I can worship during a quick break at work. I can worship before bed at night.
Worship is our place our right relationship with the Lord. Yes, we pray for guidance, strength, provision, and forgiveness, but it seems clear that worship is the path by which our right standing with the Lord is confirmed. It is by worship that we demonstrate we are after God's heart.
Prayer: Lord, I praise you this day and every day. May songs of your greatness forever be upon my lips and flowing from my heart. I thank you for the chance to show my love for you in such a manner as worship. Amen.
Vindicate me, O Lord,
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.
Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
Psalm 26:1-2
Observation: Throughout this psalm, David declares his righteousness and calls upon God to examine him. He declares that God alone is before his eyes, that he has and will walk in God's ways and truth alone. He will never associated with any kind of sinful people, and he will forever declare God's greatness, worshiping the Lord at all times, while remaining blameless all his days.
In summary, David's three major declarations in this psalm are that he has and never will 1) associated with non-believers, 2) transgress from the commands of God, and 3) cease to worship the Lord.
This is the David who ... 1) actually joined the Philistines in their war against Saul, and 2) had a man killed because he slept with that man's wife. In other words, even David had no hope of avoiding the very acts he himself declares. David had no hope of ever avoiding sin. David had no hope of avoiding friendly association with unbelievers in the world.
So how is it that David is the man after God's own heart? Because he DID ... worship publicly, openly, joyously, and aggressively, whenever and wherever he could. He worshiped in front of every citizen in the streets of Jerusalem. He worshiped while hiding in caves. He worshiped while his son rebelled against him. He worshiped after the death of a child. David worshiped ... period.
Application: I will forever fail to live the life the Lord would ask me to live. I will disobey his commands, and I will ignore his voice, and I will fail to love others at least daily. However, I can worship. I can worship in my car during my commute. I can worship during a quick break at work. I can worship before bed at night.
Worship is our place our right relationship with the Lord. Yes, we pray for guidance, strength, provision, and forgiveness, but it seems clear that worship is the path by which our right standing with the Lord is confirmed. It is by worship that we demonstrate we are after God's heart.
Prayer: Lord, I praise you this day and every day. May songs of your greatness forever be upon my lips and flowing from my heart. I thank you for the chance to show my love for you in such a manner as worship. Amen.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Provision is Fundamental
Scripture: "When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?" Mark 8:19-21
Observation: Jesus tells the disciples to be wary of the 'yeast' of the Pharisees, and they think he is hinting that they forgot to bring enough bread for their trip. Jesus corrects them in this passage, effectively saying, "you have seen me twice multiply bread to serve thousands, why would you think I need more?" However, he doesn't re-teach them about the Pharisees, which appears to be the metaphorical point they missed, and instead indicates that they simply don't understand his true nature (and we will soon get to the point when Peter declares Jesus to be Messiah).
It therefore seems that what the disciples don't yet understand is that ... as Messiah, Jesus provides. He provides food for the hungry, healing for the sick, sight for the blind. He also provides hope for the those with faith, warning for those with false knowledge, teaching for those seeking understanding, wisdom for those seeking truth. So the disciples don't need to be worried about bread, for it - in fact, everything - will be provided.
Application: The Lord provides everything as it is needed, and this includes salvation through faith in Jesus. Our 'job' is so simple ... to believe he can and will provide, be that our bread for today, strength for the day, or mercy for eternal life.
And this is bedrock. The reason Jesus didn't repeat the lesson about the Pharisees is that he realized he needed to re-teach the basics instead, and thus discerning false understanding was still too advanced. The fundamental is faith, and that lesson had to be reinforced again. That same lesson has to be reinforced in me often. I know I am better at this than I was! However, there is room to improve. The more I simply trust that God will provide everything, in every situation, always, the better I will be able to serve him in other ways.
Prayer: Lord, you are my provider, Yahweh Yireh. You not only promise to provide, you have proven and delivered on your promise over and over and over again in my life. I trust in you for all things and in all ways, my Lord. May I lean into that trust more and more every day. Amen.
Observation: Jesus tells the disciples to be wary of the 'yeast' of the Pharisees, and they think he is hinting that they forgot to bring enough bread for their trip. Jesus corrects them in this passage, effectively saying, "you have seen me twice multiply bread to serve thousands, why would you think I need more?" However, he doesn't re-teach them about the Pharisees, which appears to be the metaphorical point they missed, and instead indicates that they simply don't understand his true nature (and we will soon get to the point when Peter declares Jesus to be Messiah).
It therefore seems that what the disciples don't yet understand is that ... as Messiah, Jesus provides. He provides food for the hungry, healing for the sick, sight for the blind. He also provides hope for the those with faith, warning for those with false knowledge, teaching for those seeking understanding, wisdom for those seeking truth. So the disciples don't need to be worried about bread, for it - in fact, everything - will be provided.
Application: The Lord provides everything as it is needed, and this includes salvation through faith in Jesus. Our 'job' is so simple ... to believe he can and will provide, be that our bread for today, strength for the day, or mercy for eternal life.
And this is bedrock. The reason Jesus didn't repeat the lesson about the Pharisees is that he realized he needed to re-teach the basics instead, and thus discerning false understanding was still too advanced. The fundamental is faith, and that lesson had to be reinforced again. That same lesson has to be reinforced in me often. I know I am better at this than I was! However, there is room to improve. The more I simply trust that God will provide everything, in every situation, always, the better I will be able to serve him in other ways.
Prayer: Lord, you are my provider, Yahweh Yireh. You not only promise to provide, you have proven and delivered on your promise over and over and over again in my life. I trust in you for all things and in all ways, my Lord. May I lean into that trust more and more every day. Amen.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Many Mysteries of the Bible
Scripture: Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:9-10
Observation: Jesus has returned to the Decapolis region, fed 4,000 people, and then departs for a place called Dalmanutha. There is only one problem with this story, and it isn't the miracle of the feeding of the multitude. It is ... there is no such place as Dalmanutha.
Jewish and Roman historians generally agree that there was never a town or region in Judea with this name. Other gospels do not mention this place, citing a different place (Magdala) as the place Jesus goes after leaving the Decapolis. However, at least one scholar offers an explanation for this: Dalmanutha may have been the name of a field near Magdala where a battle occurred during the Jewish revolt against Rome. If this is the case, the location may have now been familiar to contemporary readers, though unknown to anyone at the actual time of Jesus or now looking back as a reader of the historical context of the bible.
Application: This is the challenge of understanding God's word ... trying to figure out the significance of certain items and contexts. I can personally come up with six different reasons for Mark referencing a more-or-less nonexistent place at this point in the bible:
1) Where Jesus went didn't matter, so let's not make it a focus by anyone.
2) The battlefield of Dalmanutha was now SO culturally significant to the Jews that it should be confirmed as a location relevant to Jesus.
3) The battlefield of Dalmanutha was relevant to Mark (maybe a family member fought/died there) so he wanted it honored as a place Jesus had been.
4) In narrating this gospel to Mark, Peter - a native of Galilee - knew the area so well that he knew the name of a field as well as the nearby town, so just called the location by the name of the field.
5) Where Jesus did go - Magdala - is the home town of Mary Magdalene, and therefore:
a) Other disciples were jealous of Mary's relevance in the early church so dodged naming her home;
b) Mark acknowledged that Mary was greatly honored and therefore didn't want to detract from the story of Jesus here by calling even more attention to her.
Are ANY of these accurate?? Probably not. They are all totally random guesses without knowledge, context, or education. The point is, the bible can be difficult to study because of elements like this ... variations in text that occur when interpreting any ancient writing.
This is why, for me at least, reading the bible should not be a study, but a conversation with God. I must allow the Lord to simply reveal to me what he would like to say to me. Today, he is likely telling me, "quit trying to Google strange place-names and just listen to me!"
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your reminder today that my understanding of you is not is research, but in relationship. May I listen to your guidance, teaching, and loving support. Amen.
Observation: Jesus has returned to the Decapolis region, fed 4,000 people, and then departs for a place called Dalmanutha. There is only one problem with this story, and it isn't the miracle of the feeding of the multitude. It is ... there is no such place as Dalmanutha.
Jewish and Roman historians generally agree that there was never a town or region in Judea with this name. Other gospels do not mention this place, citing a different place (Magdala) as the place Jesus goes after leaving the Decapolis. However, at least one scholar offers an explanation for this: Dalmanutha may have been the name of a field near Magdala where a battle occurred during the Jewish revolt against Rome. If this is the case, the location may have now been familiar to contemporary readers, though unknown to anyone at the actual time of Jesus or now looking back as a reader of the historical context of the bible.
Application: This is the challenge of understanding God's word ... trying to figure out the significance of certain items and contexts. I can personally come up with six different reasons for Mark referencing a more-or-less nonexistent place at this point in the bible:
1) Where Jesus went didn't matter, so let's not make it a focus by anyone.
2) The battlefield of Dalmanutha was now SO culturally significant to the Jews that it should be confirmed as a location relevant to Jesus.
3) The battlefield of Dalmanutha was relevant to Mark (maybe a family member fought/died there) so he wanted it honored as a place Jesus had been.
4) In narrating this gospel to Mark, Peter - a native of Galilee - knew the area so well that he knew the name of a field as well as the nearby town, so just called the location by the name of the field.
5) Where Jesus did go - Magdala - is the home town of Mary Magdalene, and therefore:
a) Other disciples were jealous of Mary's relevance in the early church so dodged naming her home;
b) Mark acknowledged that Mary was greatly honored and therefore didn't want to detract from the story of Jesus here by calling even more attention to her.
Are ANY of these accurate?? Probably not. They are all totally random guesses without knowledge, context, or education. The point is, the bible can be difficult to study because of elements like this ... variations in text that occur when interpreting any ancient writing.
This is why, for me at least, reading the bible should not be a study, but a conversation with God. I must allow the Lord to simply reveal to me what he would like to say to me. Today, he is likely telling me, "quit trying to Google strange place-names and just listen to me!"
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your reminder today that my understanding of you is not is research, but in relationship. May I listen to your guidance, teaching, and loving support. Amen.
Friday, February 21, 2020
Understanding Mandates to Serve
Scripture: When you
take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man
shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord,
when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number
them. Exodus 30:12
Observation: God here gives Moses instruction for the future census he will take of Israel in the wilderness, including this instruction - every man will give a ransom for himself to the Lord. This does happen, and we know the ransom has both heavenly and earthly purposes. The earthly purpose is to fund the ministry of the temple. This money will be the initial income to the temple to pay for future needs and support the priests. The heavenly purpose is that this will be the initial offering of the overall populace to seek the forgiveness of the Lord. While there will be ritual offerings for the nation, this is the first offering mandated for all to participate.
Application: As a believer, I see three ways I participate in worship. One is through group rituals of the church, and another is my personal time. However, there is a third way, which is more of a personal compliance ... I do it myself, but also it is required of all believers. The ransom of Israel fell into this category. Today, this category includes tithing and participation in certain projects outside of Sunday services. Even my daily devotions fall into this category, as our pastor expects that all leaders are doing devotions, yet I (gladly!) choose to spend this time in the word of God.
Yes, there is an element of compliance in these, but there is also a personal and private choice. There may be a little personal sacrifice, but there is obvious long-term good. I will continue to look for these sorts of activities, as it feels like they often offer the best chance to participate in the work of the Lord.
Prayer: Lord, I appreciate your instructions about what and how we should do every day, for I see these instructions provide a way to serve you. I do love it when I know I am aligned to your will. Amen.
Observation: God here gives Moses instruction for the future census he will take of Israel in the wilderness, including this instruction - every man will give a ransom for himself to the Lord. This does happen, and we know the ransom has both heavenly and earthly purposes. The earthly purpose is to fund the ministry of the temple. This money will be the initial income to the temple to pay for future needs and support the priests. The heavenly purpose is that this will be the initial offering of the overall populace to seek the forgiveness of the Lord. While there will be ritual offerings for the nation, this is the first offering mandated for all to participate.
Application: As a believer, I see three ways I participate in worship. One is through group rituals of the church, and another is my personal time. However, there is a third way, which is more of a personal compliance ... I do it myself, but also it is required of all believers. The ransom of Israel fell into this category. Today, this category includes tithing and participation in certain projects outside of Sunday services. Even my daily devotions fall into this category, as our pastor expects that all leaders are doing devotions, yet I (gladly!) choose to spend this time in the word of God.
Yes, there is an element of compliance in these, but there is also a personal and private choice. There may be a little personal sacrifice, but there is obvious long-term good. I will continue to look for these sorts of activities, as it feels like they often offer the best chance to participate in the work of the Lord.
Prayer: Lord, I appreciate your instructions about what and how we should do every day, for I see these instructions provide a way to serve you. I do love it when I know I am aligned to your will. Amen.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Obedience as a Blessing
Scripture:
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3
Observation: David writes Psalm 23 as a prayer pronouncing God's blessings in his life. These blessing include ... patient guidance, rest, comfort, protection from evil and danger, presence, food and drink, companionship, honor, abundance, goodness, mercy, and eternal life. Verse 3 also includes the idea that being led in righteousness - for the honor of God's own name - is also one of these blessings.
In other words, being shown a correct and honorable life, guided in the way that is proper behavior, and doing so explicitly because one has faith in God and thus behaving properly honors the Lord, is a blessing. Righteousness is therefore no more a "burden" than rest, or good food, or comfort is a burden. Being taught righteousness, and obeying for the honor the God, should be a an element of life that fills our lives with gladness and peace and joy.
Application: Psalm 23 is a short 6-verse psalm that many people memorize, yet it is this verse 3 that trips up many including myself. We get the imagery of God as our good shepherd, watching over us as we sleep, guiding us through the valley of death, protecting us from evil, feeding us a meal, and showing us "goodness and mercy all the days of my life". Yet ... telling us to be obedient to righteousness for his honor is part I and others would easily gloss over.
Logically, I have learned that right behavior is in fact a blessing. It is the lifestyle that will honor God, which he in turn will honor. However, it doesn't always seem easy in the world today. I even know that openly honoring the Lord can lead to persecution - sometimes in the extreme - in the modern world. Yet this most comforting and gentle of the psalms is here to remind us that being led by our Father on his path, obeying his words, and doing so explicitly for his honor and his glory, is a privilege and a blessing to me.
Prayer: Lord, Abba, today I desire your blessings in all their fullness and all their circumstances. I wish to be protected, to be devoid of want, to be fed made comfortable. And I wish to be led along your path, by you, in righteousness, for your glory and honor and praise. You are the Lord, the one God, maker of heaven and earth, provider and ruler and instructor. You are love and mercy and justice. May I honor your name by obeying your word. Amen.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3
Observation: David writes Psalm 23 as a prayer pronouncing God's blessings in his life. These blessing include ... patient guidance, rest, comfort, protection from evil and danger, presence, food and drink, companionship, honor, abundance, goodness, mercy, and eternal life. Verse 3 also includes the idea that being led in righteousness - for the honor of God's own name - is also one of these blessings.
In other words, being shown a correct and honorable life, guided in the way that is proper behavior, and doing so explicitly because one has faith in God and thus behaving properly honors the Lord, is a blessing. Righteousness is therefore no more a "burden" than rest, or good food, or comfort is a burden. Being taught righteousness, and obeying for the honor the God, should be a an element of life that fills our lives with gladness and peace and joy.
Application: Psalm 23 is a short 6-verse psalm that many people memorize, yet it is this verse 3 that trips up many including myself. We get the imagery of God as our good shepherd, watching over us as we sleep, guiding us through the valley of death, protecting us from evil, feeding us a meal, and showing us "goodness and mercy all the days of my life". Yet ... telling us to be obedient to righteousness for his honor is part I and others would easily gloss over.
Logically, I have learned that right behavior is in fact a blessing. It is the lifestyle that will honor God, which he in turn will honor. However, it doesn't always seem easy in the world today. I even know that openly honoring the Lord can lead to persecution - sometimes in the extreme - in the modern world. Yet this most comforting and gentle of the psalms is here to remind us that being led by our Father on his path, obeying his words, and doing so explicitly for his honor and his glory, is a privilege and a blessing to me.
Prayer: Lord, Abba, today I desire your blessings in all their fullness and all their circumstances. I wish to be protected, to be devoid of want, to be fed made comfortable. And I wish to be led along your path, by you, in righteousness, for your glory and honor and praise. You are the Lord, the one God, maker of heaven and earth, provider and ruler and instructor. You are love and mercy and justice. May I honor your name by obeying your word. Amen.
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
How Quickly we Forget God
Scripture: Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank. Exodus 24:9-11
Observation: After the Lord has given Moses instruction about various topics and clarifications around the commandments, he holds a feast in which ... 74 Israelites attend and see the Lord. Moses, Aaron, Aaron's two oldest sons, and 70 elders all see God, and eat and drink a meal in his presence. They also see a glimpse into heaven, perceiving a beauty that is difficult to describe and supernatural in its glory.
In about a month, these same people will decide that Moses has taken too long in his conversation with God, and will build a golden calf. Aaron will lead this himself, requested by the people but certainly surrounded by the elders. They will declare that calf to be God and worship it. After being personally greeted by the Lord himself, seeing him, being provided for by him, and glimpsing heaven itself ... they turn away from that experience in just a matter of weeks.
Application: I do this almost daily. I know everything the Lord has done for me, and then I will ignore and forget him for days at a time. I feel strongly connected to God after reading his word, and pray thanks for everything he has done in my life to deliver and guide me ... then I ignore him, commit sin without thought, seek to solve problems without prayer, and in general forget God.
It is shocking to discover that 74 people met God in person, and reverted to their own ways in 40 days. However, I have experienced God in my life in many ways, and I revert to old ways, maybe in weeks, maybe in days, but maybe even in hours.
Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for my 'golden calves', for failing to keep your love and precepts front-and-center in my mind and my life day-by-day. I forget you moment by moment, please forgive me for that. I desire to keep you as the purpose of my life not just as a high-level concept, but in every moment, every action, and every thought. Thank you for how you have loved me and guided my life, and I seek to never forget that. Amen.
Observation: After the Lord has given Moses instruction about various topics and clarifications around the commandments, he holds a feast in which ... 74 Israelites attend and see the Lord. Moses, Aaron, Aaron's two oldest sons, and 70 elders all see God, and eat and drink a meal in his presence. They also see a glimpse into heaven, perceiving a beauty that is difficult to describe and supernatural in its glory.
In about a month, these same people will decide that Moses has taken too long in his conversation with God, and will build a golden calf. Aaron will lead this himself, requested by the people but certainly surrounded by the elders. They will declare that calf to be God and worship it. After being personally greeted by the Lord himself, seeing him, being provided for by him, and glimpsing heaven itself ... they turn away from that experience in just a matter of weeks.
Application: I do this almost daily. I know everything the Lord has done for me, and then I will ignore and forget him for days at a time. I feel strongly connected to God after reading his word, and pray thanks for everything he has done in my life to deliver and guide me ... then I ignore him, commit sin without thought, seek to solve problems without prayer, and in general forget God.
It is shocking to discover that 74 people met God in person, and reverted to their own ways in 40 days. However, I have experienced God in my life in many ways, and I revert to old ways, maybe in weeks, maybe in days, but maybe even in hours.
Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for my 'golden calves', for failing to keep your love and precepts front-and-center in my mind and my life day-by-day. I forget you moment by moment, please forgive me for that. I desire to keep you as the purpose of my life not just as a high-level concept, but in every moment, every action, and every thought. Thank you for how you have loved me and guided my life, and I seek to never forget that. Amen.
Friday, February 7, 2020
Understanding is Not Faith
Scripture:
I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?'
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Job 42:2-3
Observation: After God corrects Job, Job does in fact answer him, and this is that response ... He knows and believes God is the almighty creator, that his will and purposes are just and right, and God alone has all wisdom and authority. Therefore, he has spoken incorrectly out of ignorance.
And ... this was the point from the beginning. Job was God's example of a man who fears and honors the Lord, and in the very end Job - despite the emotional words he has spoken in response to both physical and personal attacks - still stands as a man who fears and honors the Lord. He knows God is the Lord of the universe, and that he himself is nothing in comparison, and yields his life, his thoughts, his will, his emotions, and his all to the Lord.
While it was never said, that was the original conflict between God and satan: That Job would rebel against God when attacked. Job did not. Job, his wife, and all his friends have no idea why this all happened, and it is never, ever revealed to them. There is no explanation for his suffering. Yet God saw the outcome, and even Job's suffering served the Lord's purpose of an example of how faith in the Lord advances his kingdom.
Application: Again, it is important that Job never has any of this explained to him. Just like none of us ever have anything associated with our pain and hardship explained to us. Instead, I am simply to trust God. For all I know, in that way I may serve God's great purposes even more than if I accomplished some mission here on earth.
When God was looking for a great man, his measure was ... would that man still honor God even after having all blessing removed. This is God's measure of greatness. May I try, to the best of my ability, to have that kind of great faith.
Prayer: Lord, I trust in you in all things, and I trust in you alone. May I not lean on my own understand. May I not lean on any understanding, for understanding is meaningless. May instead I lean on faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?'
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Job 42:2-3
Observation: After God corrects Job, Job does in fact answer him, and this is that response ... He knows and believes God is the almighty creator, that his will and purposes are just and right, and God alone has all wisdom and authority. Therefore, he has spoken incorrectly out of ignorance.
And ... this was the point from the beginning. Job was God's example of a man who fears and honors the Lord, and in the very end Job - despite the emotional words he has spoken in response to both physical and personal attacks - still stands as a man who fears and honors the Lord. He knows God is the Lord of the universe, and that he himself is nothing in comparison, and yields his life, his thoughts, his will, his emotions, and his all to the Lord.
While it was never said, that was the original conflict between God and satan: That Job would rebel against God when attacked. Job did not. Job, his wife, and all his friends have no idea why this all happened, and it is never, ever revealed to them. There is no explanation for his suffering. Yet God saw the outcome, and even Job's suffering served the Lord's purpose of an example of how faith in the Lord advances his kingdom.
Application: Again, it is important that Job never has any of this explained to him. Just like none of us ever have anything associated with our pain and hardship explained to us. Instead, I am simply to trust God. For all I know, in that way I may serve God's great purposes even more than if I accomplished some mission here on earth.
When God was looking for a great man, his measure was ... would that man still honor God even after having all blessing removed. This is God's measure of greatness. May I try, to the best of my ability, to have that kind of great faith.
Prayer: Lord, I trust in you in all things, and I trust in you alone. May I not lean on my own understand. May I not lean on any understanding, for understanding is meaningless. May instead I lean on faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Your Name is Power
... Power ... Freedom ... Mercy ... Faithful ... Glory ... Mighty ...
Lord, your name is!
Lord, your name is!
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Living in the Pre End Times
Scripture: Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you." Matthew 23:3-4
Observation: The disciples ask about the end times, and Jesus first instruction is not to be deceived. He then goes on to lists the following types of events: False Messiahs; Many wars; Ethnic conflicts; Major regional wars; Famines; Other pestilence; Multiple natural disasters; Societal hatred of the church; General betrayal and hatred within the church; False teaching in the church; Communities living outside God's laws; A redefinition of love that is cold.
Jesus ends this list by then stating the gospel message will be preached to all the world, and "then the end will come" (v14). However, based on this reading, it seems that all these other items ... having nothing to do with the end times. In fact, it is possible Jesus is saying the opposite, that these things will occur throughout the world, but do not be deceived by people that declare these represent the end times, for they do not. Instead, these are just examples of how the world and societies and the church will function prior to the end times, as influenced by satan in the world who is trying to prevent this very last success ... the worldwide spreading of the gospel of Jesus.
Application: Oh, how I wish the end times would come. Do I truly want to live during the 'great tribulation'? Okay, probably not, and I'm not sure I understand prophesy about that and the 'rapture' enough anyway. But everything else Jesus talked about is upon us ... both national and ethnic wars, natural disasters and the changing of global climate to cause broad famine and pestilence, church struggles both internal and external, huge populations entirely rejecting God, and an active rejection of the love that even defines God himself.
If these aren't signs of the end times, at least we know they all had to come to pass first, and they have. All of them, in crystal clear fulfillment of Jesus' word. I don't know where the gospel still needs to go - maybe some places in the middle east, or corners of small Asian countries, or even to my neighbor's house - but I hope we get it there soon.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I know that Jesus will return like a thief in the night, at an appointed time that is so secret not even he knew it. But we have passed through, and live within, all the pre-end-times challenges. I would love to see you and see your return. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Observation: The disciples ask about the end times, and Jesus first instruction is not to be deceived. He then goes on to lists the following types of events: False Messiahs; Many wars; Ethnic conflicts; Major regional wars; Famines; Other pestilence; Multiple natural disasters; Societal hatred of the church; General betrayal and hatred within the church; False teaching in the church; Communities living outside God's laws; A redefinition of love that is cold.
Jesus ends this list by then stating the gospel message will be preached to all the world, and "then the end will come" (v14). However, based on this reading, it seems that all these other items ... having nothing to do with the end times. In fact, it is possible Jesus is saying the opposite, that these things will occur throughout the world, but do not be deceived by people that declare these represent the end times, for they do not. Instead, these are just examples of how the world and societies and the church will function prior to the end times, as influenced by satan in the world who is trying to prevent this very last success ... the worldwide spreading of the gospel of Jesus.
Application: Oh, how I wish the end times would come. Do I truly want to live during the 'great tribulation'? Okay, probably not, and I'm not sure I understand prophesy about that and the 'rapture' enough anyway. But everything else Jesus talked about is upon us ... both national and ethnic wars, natural disasters and the changing of global climate to cause broad famine and pestilence, church struggles both internal and external, huge populations entirely rejecting God, and an active rejection of the love that even defines God himself.
If these aren't signs of the end times, at least we know they all had to come to pass first, and they have. All of them, in crystal clear fulfillment of Jesus' word. I don't know where the gospel still needs to go - maybe some places in the middle east, or corners of small Asian countries, or even to my neighbor's house - but I hope we get it there soon.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I know that Jesus will return like a thief in the night, at an appointed time that is so secret not even he knew it. But we have passed through, and live within, all the pre-end-times challenges. I would love to see you and see your return. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Becoming Good at Love
Scripture: But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13
Observation: Jesus pronounces eight 'woes' upon the scribes and Pharisees, this being the first. It is related to all the rituals and requirements they have placed on everyone, and Jesus' message is very, very clear ... these rules subvert the true teaching of and will of God. God wants people to simply love him, and love one another, and all actions and behaviors that flow from those two objectives will be honorable.
The Pharisees define rules and procedures, and condemn people for failing to comply, this telling them they are unworthy of grace - and ultimately heaven - due to these failures. Meanwhile, they themselves comply with the rules, but in doing so they treat others poorly and judgmentally, and thus truly fall short of God's will. It is by the rules of the Pharisees that they tell others shut up heaven is shut to them, while they themselves are not entering it either.
Application: We want God to see us for what we are good at. The Pharisees thought they were good at complying with rules, and therefore wanted that to be the criteria by which they were judged. In turn, they made that the criteria upon which others were judged. Jesus is clear ... there is only one criteria, and that is the love of God, expressed by faith and belief in Messiah. This thought is directly associated with the end of chapter 22, where Jesus answered the question about the greatest commandment (love God and love others) and then immediately questioned the Pharisees about the identity of the Messiah. These points - love God and believe in Messiah - are clearly linked.
I believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the son of God. I need to generate the emotion of love in my heart more, however. I love God, but I don't always love his created. Yes, that isn't uncommon, but it is something to improve. I need to love others more. If I did, surely my actions would be different, and I would make better decisions and take better actions more often. I would comply with the best of the 'rules' ... not the ceremonial actions, but the moral behaviors. If I became good at love, everything else would improve.
Prayer: Lord, may I love you more every day, and in the outpouring of that love may I improve my love of others. I know I fail in this area, and it is that failing that is at the core of wrong behavior. All your laws hang on the idea of loving you and others. I love you, my Lord. May I love your created as much, and even more, than I love myself. Amen.
Observation: Jesus pronounces eight 'woes' upon the scribes and Pharisees, this being the first. It is related to all the rituals and requirements they have placed on everyone, and Jesus' message is very, very clear ... these rules subvert the true teaching of and will of God. God wants people to simply love him, and love one another, and all actions and behaviors that flow from those two objectives will be honorable.
The Pharisees define rules and procedures, and condemn people for failing to comply, this telling them they are unworthy of grace - and ultimately heaven - due to these failures. Meanwhile, they themselves comply with the rules, but in doing so they treat others poorly and judgmentally, and thus truly fall short of God's will. It is by the rules of the Pharisees that they tell others shut up heaven is shut to them, while they themselves are not entering it either.
Application: We want God to see us for what we are good at. The Pharisees thought they were good at complying with rules, and therefore wanted that to be the criteria by which they were judged. In turn, they made that the criteria upon which others were judged. Jesus is clear ... there is only one criteria, and that is the love of God, expressed by faith and belief in Messiah. This thought is directly associated with the end of chapter 22, where Jesus answered the question about the greatest commandment (love God and love others) and then immediately questioned the Pharisees about the identity of the Messiah. These points - love God and believe in Messiah - are clearly linked.
I believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the son of God. I need to generate the emotion of love in my heart more, however. I love God, but I don't always love his created. Yes, that isn't uncommon, but it is something to improve. I need to love others more. If I did, surely my actions would be different, and I would make better decisions and take better actions more often. I would comply with the best of the 'rules' ... not the ceremonial actions, but the moral behaviors. If I became good at love, everything else would improve.
Prayer: Lord, may I love you more every day, and in the outpouring of that love may I improve my love of others. I know I fail in this area, and it is that failing that is at the core of wrong behavior. All your laws hang on the idea of loving you and others. I love you, my Lord. May I love your created as much, and even more, than I love myself. Amen.
Monday, February 3, 2020
Only the Relationship Matters
Scripture:
Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the Almighty would answer me,
That my Prosecutor had written a book.
Job 31:35
Observation: Job ends his entire defense by wondering what sins he has committed. He outlines several sins he did not commit, and wishes that God would have simply documented what he did do wrong so he may understand it. The sins he does claim in this chapter that he has not committed are ... lust and adulatory, lying or cheating others, suppressed or repressed the poor, been greedy for money, shown hate toward others, failed to care for strangers, and stolen from the land.
However, in his final defense, Job skips over his relationship with God. This isn't because he didn't have a relationship with God, but that his anger of his situation has left him alienated from God. He feels he cannot engage with God, approach or speak with God about his plight, or stand before him for his defense. In the end, that is what he wants ... not an understanding of his sins, but clarity on his relationship with God, and a conversation with God about his circumstances.
Application: A relationship with God is everything. When I feel close to God, I am better mentally, and I am better behaved in all circumstances. When that relationship just becomes an exercise is behavioral compliance, however, everything goes wrong.
Job's example then is this: When the going got tough, he (and his friends) tried to riddle out the reason, when all he really should have done is engaged with God is prayer. He says over and over that he needs an intermediary to do this, and certainly Jesus helps us in this regard.
I have been in hard times, and I still hurt from time to time. It is good to know there is a proper way to proceed through such times, and it is by simply turning to God in prayer.
Prayer: Lord, I do thank you for your love, and for Jesus as our intercessor, and your Spirit to guide me daily. May I look to you for my daily needs, and my guidance, and my comfort. I will not lean on my own understanding or behavior, but look to you alone for meaning and strength. Amen.
Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the Almighty would answer me,
That my Prosecutor had written a book.
Job 31:35
Observation: Job ends his entire defense by wondering what sins he has committed. He outlines several sins he did not commit, and wishes that God would have simply documented what he did do wrong so he may understand it. The sins he does claim in this chapter that he has not committed are ... lust and adulatory, lying or cheating others, suppressed or repressed the poor, been greedy for money, shown hate toward others, failed to care for strangers, and stolen from the land.
However, in his final defense, Job skips over his relationship with God. This isn't because he didn't have a relationship with God, but that his anger of his situation has left him alienated from God. He feels he cannot engage with God, approach or speak with God about his plight, or stand before him for his defense. In the end, that is what he wants ... not an understanding of his sins, but clarity on his relationship with God, and a conversation with God about his circumstances.
Application: A relationship with God is everything. When I feel close to God, I am better mentally, and I am better behaved in all circumstances. When that relationship just becomes an exercise is behavioral compliance, however, everything goes wrong.
Job's example then is this: When the going got tough, he (and his friends) tried to riddle out the reason, when all he really should have done is engaged with God is prayer. He says over and over that he needs an intermediary to do this, and certainly Jesus helps us in this regard.
I have been in hard times, and I still hurt from time to time. It is good to know there is a proper way to proceed through such times, and it is by simply turning to God in prayer.
Prayer: Lord, I do thank you for your love, and for Jesus as our intercessor, and your Spirit to guide me daily. May I look to you for my daily needs, and my guidance, and my comfort. I will not lean on my own understanding or behavior, but look to you alone for meaning and strength. Amen.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Lacking Context for Social Justice
Scripture: He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, "‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" Matthew 19:18-19
Observation: The "rich young ruler" is told by Jesus to obey God's commands. When he asks, "which ones", he is told ... a partial and edited list. First, he is told only really five of the ten commandments (not murdering, committing adultery, stealing, lying, and obedience to parents). The sixth item, loving your neighbor as yourself, is not one of the ten, but is an edited version of not coveting, which originally lists several of your neighbors items (house, wife, etc.). This leaves four commandments completely unlisted, and interestingly they are the first four regarding the relationship with God ... having no other God, worshiping idols, honoring God's name, and observing the sabbath.
Why did Jesus skip these? I can only logically think of one answer: Without a relationship with God, the very idea of obeying the commandments is moot - it doesn't even really exist within one's heart - and therefore there is no reason to discuss these four commands within the context of this question. To put this another way, it is only by having a relationship with God that anyone can properly consider their relationship with others, therefore teaching about cultural and moral behavior only makes sense to those who already know, love, and seek to honor the Lord.
Application: I spent 15 minutes last week reading about the "tyranny of the woke", and how confused our society has become about social justice. I then went down a little rabbit hole about examples of recent issues where all communication on social issues is breaking down due to a total lack of mutual context, and wondered how we can ever find sensible dialogue again. Jesus knew this would happen, and he knew why.
Worldwide, societies that have systematically rejected God have also systematically embraced injustice. However, those that seek to embrace justice actually have no idea what justice means, what it looks like, or how it operates. We now see our "post-truth" society falling into a spiral of rejecting God, thus adopting policies and norms outside of God's precepts, which then encourage society to further reject God. The very idea of having cultural norms that align to God's moral guidelines is moot - the idea doesn't really exist within most people's hearts - because the relationship with God is leaving our society.
Prayer: Lord, I have prayed for my nation, my town, my neighborhood, my friends, and even for my era. All things are possible through you, so therefore I now simply pray into your will. May I and others find the way to be faithful to your word, telling others you good news. If this creates a revival, so be it, and if this merely saves a handful of souls, so be it. Thy will be done. Amen.
Observation: The "rich young ruler" is told by Jesus to obey God's commands. When he asks, "which ones", he is told ... a partial and edited list. First, he is told only really five of the ten commandments (not murdering, committing adultery, stealing, lying, and obedience to parents). The sixth item, loving your neighbor as yourself, is not one of the ten, but is an edited version of not coveting, which originally lists several of your neighbors items (house, wife, etc.). This leaves four commandments completely unlisted, and interestingly they are the first four regarding the relationship with God ... having no other God, worshiping idols, honoring God's name, and observing the sabbath.
Why did Jesus skip these? I can only logically think of one answer: Without a relationship with God, the very idea of obeying the commandments is moot - it doesn't even really exist within one's heart - and therefore there is no reason to discuss these four commands within the context of this question. To put this another way, it is only by having a relationship with God that anyone can properly consider their relationship with others, therefore teaching about cultural and moral behavior only makes sense to those who already know, love, and seek to honor the Lord.
Application: I spent 15 minutes last week reading about the "tyranny of the woke", and how confused our society has become about social justice. I then went down a little rabbit hole about examples of recent issues where all communication on social issues is breaking down due to a total lack of mutual context, and wondered how we can ever find sensible dialogue again. Jesus knew this would happen, and he knew why.
Worldwide, societies that have systematically rejected God have also systematically embraced injustice. However, those that seek to embrace justice actually have no idea what justice means, what it looks like, or how it operates. We now see our "post-truth" society falling into a spiral of rejecting God, thus adopting policies and norms outside of God's precepts, which then encourage society to further reject God. The very idea of having cultural norms that align to God's moral guidelines is moot - the idea doesn't really exist within most people's hearts - because the relationship with God is leaving our society.
Prayer: Lord, I have prayed for my nation, my town, my neighborhood, my friends, and even for my era. All things are possible through you, so therefore I now simply pray into your will. May I and others find the way to be faithful to your word, telling others you good news. If this creates a revival, so be it, and if this merely saves a handful of souls, so be it. Thy will be done. Amen.
Monday, January 27, 2020
God at the Center of Marriage
Scripture: The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” Matthew 19:3
Observation: The Pharisees are always asking Jesus trick questions, and here it is about the sensitive matter of divorce. This has always been problematic. God was opposed to divorce, but Moses' law permitted it. There are issues and nuances in the various conversations, but it seems to come down to this one thing ... if two people marry, and both are obedient to the Lord, there will be no divorce, however if one of them is disobedient to the Lord then the other has a way to remove themselves from marriage.
At the heart of this is what it means to be unified, and that unity is in God. A right relationship involves three people - the couple, and God. A person who then leaves God within the context of that relationship has actually left the relationship.
Application: I am not a great husband. I try to be a good husband, but I know there are gaps in how I treat my wife and family. I can be distant, quick to anger, sullen and moody, and inattentive. I know there are times my wife and I don't really "mesh" when it comes to daily activities and interests. I probably can't even say I make up for it by being a great provider anymore, not that that was ever the requirement of being a husband.
Jesus teaches me that, to be a good husband, I must be obedient to the Lord. If I do this, other matters will resolve themselves. I also know that my marriage is a blessing from God - he created our relationship for us - and that can and should always look for the Lord in my wife, and strive to show her the love of God through me.
We have friends struggling with this. I don't know what to say to them. I trust in their love of God, and therefore trust that God will reconcile their hearts and minds.
Prayer: Lord, I pray today for our friends. They are both hurting in their hearts and in their souls. May your love emerge in a way that not only reconciles their arguments, but restores their hearts and minds in a way that strengthens their bonds and love. I pray they find you today, Lord, in the center of their marriage. Amen.
Observation: The Pharisees are always asking Jesus trick questions, and here it is about the sensitive matter of divorce. This has always been problematic. God was opposed to divorce, but Moses' law permitted it. There are issues and nuances in the various conversations, but it seems to come down to this one thing ... if two people marry, and both are obedient to the Lord, there will be no divorce, however if one of them is disobedient to the Lord then the other has a way to remove themselves from marriage.
At the heart of this is what it means to be unified, and that unity is in God. A right relationship involves three people - the couple, and God. A person who then leaves God within the context of that relationship has actually left the relationship.
Application: I am not a great husband. I try to be a good husband, but I know there are gaps in how I treat my wife and family. I can be distant, quick to anger, sullen and moody, and inattentive. I know there are times my wife and I don't really "mesh" when it comes to daily activities and interests. I probably can't even say I make up for it by being a great provider anymore, not that that was ever the requirement of being a husband.
Jesus teaches me that, to be a good husband, I must be obedient to the Lord. If I do this, other matters will resolve themselves. I also know that my marriage is a blessing from God - he created our relationship for us - and that can and should always look for the Lord in my wife, and strive to show her the love of God through me.
We have friends struggling with this. I don't know what to say to them. I trust in their love of God, and therefore trust that God will reconcile their hearts and minds.
Prayer: Lord, I pray today for our friends. They are both hurting in their hearts and in their souls. May your love emerge in a way that not only reconciles their arguments, but restores their hearts and minds in a way that strengthens their bonds and love. I pray they find you today, Lord, in the center of their marriage. Amen.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Speaking in Literal Metaphors
Scripture: And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19
Observation: Simon declares the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, and Jesus immediately declares that Simon's name is now Peter, meaning rock, then expounds upon this. However, while it may appear he is talking about Peter, there is also a more likely interpretation that there is wordplay here. Jesus calls the man "rock," but from then on he is talking about a different "rock" and a different person's mission. Instead, the "rock" is the truth Peter has declared. Therefore, Jesus is saying:
-- This truth - Jesus is Messiah - will be the foundational principle of the church.
-- Satan himself cannot stand up against anything built upon that truth.
-- The church will be the gateway to heaven, because faith in Messiah is the gateway to heaven.
-- Whomever declares that truth as witnessed by the church on earth will be bound to heaven.
-- Whomever declares against that truth will be lost to heaven.
In other words, the Church on earth is the group that believes Jesus is Messiah, and it is faith in that truth that provides all hope and all authority and all foundation in life.
Application: Jesus did love wordplay. He can rename Peter "rock" while discussing the foundational truth of the universe. It is also in these wordplays we see the power of God, as he can make all variations of the wordplay come true ... establishing the church based on faith, empowering Peter to be the first teacher of that truth, then building the largest church on top of Peter's grave. God does this throughout the bible - inspiring a prophetic statement that has multiple meanings, then having all the meanings including the literal concept come to pass - so of course Jesus can do this, too.
Where is God doing this in my life? Where is he guiding me, my wife, and my family, where we may believe he is telling us to do something metaphorical, but he will lead us to both a metaphorical and literal result? As I find new promises from God in my life, I should certainly look for these.
Prayer: Lord, I think you for the guidance in my life. May I watch for your direction, and know that you may be telling me many things with just a few words. I will not get locked into one concept, for I see your ways. Amen.
Observation: Simon declares the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, and Jesus immediately declares that Simon's name is now Peter, meaning rock, then expounds upon this. However, while it may appear he is talking about Peter, there is also a more likely interpretation that there is wordplay here. Jesus calls the man "rock," but from then on he is talking about a different "rock" and a different person's mission. Instead, the "rock" is the truth Peter has declared. Therefore, Jesus is saying:
-- This truth - Jesus is Messiah - will be the foundational principle of the church.
-- Satan himself cannot stand up against anything built upon that truth.
-- The church will be the gateway to heaven, because faith in Messiah is the gateway to heaven.
-- Whomever declares that truth as witnessed by the church on earth will be bound to heaven.
-- Whomever declares against that truth will be lost to heaven.
In other words, the Church on earth is the group that believes Jesus is Messiah, and it is faith in that truth that provides all hope and all authority and all foundation in life.
Application: Jesus did love wordplay. He can rename Peter "rock" while discussing the foundational truth of the universe. It is also in these wordplays we see the power of God, as he can make all variations of the wordplay come true ... establishing the church based on faith, empowering Peter to be the first teacher of that truth, then building the largest church on top of Peter's grave. God does this throughout the bible - inspiring a prophetic statement that has multiple meanings, then having all the meanings including the literal concept come to pass - so of course Jesus can do this, too.
Where is God doing this in my life? Where is he guiding me, my wife, and my family, where we may believe he is telling us to do something metaphorical, but he will lead us to both a metaphorical and literal result? As I find new promises from God in my life, I should certainly look for these.
Prayer: Lord, I think you for the guidance in my life. May I watch for your direction, and know that you may be telling me many things with just a few words. I will not get locked into one concept, for I see your ways. Amen.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Eternal Timeline for Exaltation
Scripture:
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
Psalm 13:3-4
Observation: The psalmist (David) asks how long will it be that his enemies exalt over him, and then he states his fear of the ultimate timeline ... until his death. His prayer is that he will be acquitted and saved from his enemy soon, but at the very least this will happen before he dies so that his enemy cannot have the final say, both pronouncing the final statement that they have won, and celebrating that victory as final and permanent.
Application: It is only in the context of God's judgment and mercy that we can understand that death is not final. I have enemies. These enemies have not only defeated me, but it is possible they have "permanently" defeated me ... that there will never be a time where they are not exalted over me.
Yet, this isn't true. There will be a time when I die, and am raised in Christ to reside in heaven. And there will be a time when they die, and what happens to them is a matter between them and God, for them to work out for themselves. If they eventually realize the truth about Jesus, place their faith in him, and are raised as me, that would be wonderful. There would be no condemnation either way, and in fact the old hurts won't matter in any way. If they do not choose this path ... again, that is a matter for them to work out with God, and I do not believe it will go well for them.
True judgment doesn't occur before death, with a hope of 'victory' in this life. Victory is about eternal life in Christ alone. This is the only personal victory and outcome I care about.
Prayer: Lord, into your hands I commend my soul, this day and every day. I do not pray as David did for a timeline to be exalted above my enemies, for that does not matter within the timeline of earth. I will someday simply be with you, and that is so much more than any earthly status. Amen.
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
Psalm 13:3-4
Observation: The psalmist (David) asks how long will it be that his enemies exalt over him, and then he states his fear of the ultimate timeline ... until his death. His prayer is that he will be acquitted and saved from his enemy soon, but at the very least this will happen before he dies so that his enemy cannot have the final say, both pronouncing the final statement that they have won, and celebrating that victory as final and permanent.
Application: It is only in the context of God's judgment and mercy that we can understand that death is not final. I have enemies. These enemies have not only defeated me, but it is possible they have "permanently" defeated me ... that there will never be a time where they are not exalted over me.
Yet, this isn't true. There will be a time when I die, and am raised in Christ to reside in heaven. And there will be a time when they die, and what happens to them is a matter between them and God, for them to work out for themselves. If they eventually realize the truth about Jesus, place their faith in him, and are raised as me, that would be wonderful. There would be no condemnation either way, and in fact the old hurts won't matter in any way. If they do not choose this path ... again, that is a matter for them to work out with God, and I do not believe it will go well for them.
True judgment doesn't occur before death, with a hope of 'victory' in this life. Victory is about eternal life in Christ alone. This is the only personal victory and outcome I care about.
Prayer: Lord, into your hands I commend my soul, this day and every day. I do not pray as David did for a timeline to be exalted above my enemies, for that does not matter within the timeline of earth. I will someday simply be with you, and that is so much more than any earthly status. Amen.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Released from a Life of Shame
Scripture: Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” Genesis 42:37
Observation: Chapter 41 says Joseph was 30 when he stood before Pharaoh. The 7 years of plenty have then passed, and they are likely into year 3 of famine since other nations are having to seek aid, so Joseph is now 40. He was 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery, and at that time Reuben was going to save Joseph so that he could gain atonement from his father for the sin he had committed in sleeping with Bilhah.
It is 23 years later, and Reuben is STILL trying to find a way to make atonement with his father.
Reuben committed one (albeit, bad) sin, and he has spent the majority of his adult life trying to reconcile it. And he can't. How many times has a similar situation arose? Something goes wrong in the house of Jacob ... a herd of sheep is lost, or a stranger causes strife, or another local family threatens their property, or a storm destroys a barn ... and Reuben declares, "I will take care of it for you, father, a swear this on everything I own!" And Jacob says ... no, Reuben, there is no way for me to trust this to you.
It is in this model we understand that, when a person commits a terrible act against someone, there really isn't anything one can 'do' to undo it. Instead, there is only the possibility of forgiveness. If the victim won't forgive, then the perpetrator is without recourse for restoring the relationship.
Application: As the family and history of Israel is our revelation of God's love, Reuben is the example of the reason God's love is so critical. Reuben is the first born and should be the pride of the father, but he is instead untrusted and despised even after years and years and years of trying to make the situation right, and living with the shame that entire time. If this was the way God treated us, we would all languish in grief forever, or else give up and resent God.
Instead, God freely forgives through our faith and simple request. Knowing no action of ours can erase sin, God instead just erases it anyway.
I was reminded last week that God promises not only to forgive me for my past, but to remove my shame about that past. I can forget it! This is God's promise, not only that he forgets the sin, but that I can no longer dwell in it mentally or have remorse for it. God has completely erased it. He doesn't just forgive, he erases it from my life's story.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the promise of removing my shame of my past. I will try to live in a manner that moves forward in your love. Reuben couldn't do that, but you created the way for me to do so. Thank you for your amazing, perfect love. Amen.
Observation: Chapter 41 says Joseph was 30 when he stood before Pharaoh. The 7 years of plenty have then passed, and they are likely into year 3 of famine since other nations are having to seek aid, so Joseph is now 40. He was 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery, and at that time Reuben was going to save Joseph so that he could gain atonement from his father for the sin he had committed in sleeping with Bilhah.
It is 23 years later, and Reuben is STILL trying to find a way to make atonement with his father.
Reuben committed one (albeit, bad) sin, and he has spent the majority of his adult life trying to reconcile it. And he can't. How many times has a similar situation arose? Something goes wrong in the house of Jacob ... a herd of sheep is lost, or a stranger causes strife, or another local family threatens their property, or a storm destroys a barn ... and Reuben declares, "I will take care of it for you, father, a swear this on everything I own!" And Jacob says ... no, Reuben, there is no way for me to trust this to you.
It is in this model we understand that, when a person commits a terrible act against someone, there really isn't anything one can 'do' to undo it. Instead, there is only the possibility of forgiveness. If the victim won't forgive, then the perpetrator is without recourse for restoring the relationship.
Application: As the family and history of Israel is our revelation of God's love, Reuben is the example of the reason God's love is so critical. Reuben is the first born and should be the pride of the father, but he is instead untrusted and despised even after years and years and years of trying to make the situation right, and living with the shame that entire time. If this was the way God treated us, we would all languish in grief forever, or else give up and resent God.
Instead, God freely forgives through our faith and simple request. Knowing no action of ours can erase sin, God instead just erases it anyway.
I was reminded last week that God promises not only to forgive me for my past, but to remove my shame about that past. I can forget it! This is God's promise, not only that he forgets the sin, but that I can no longer dwell in it mentally or have remorse for it. God has completely erased it. He doesn't just forgive, he erases it from my life's story.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the promise of removing my shame of my past. I will try to live in a manner that moves forward in your love. Reuben couldn't do that, but you created the way for me to do so. Thank you for your amazing, perfect love. Amen.
Friday, January 17, 2020
When God Repeats Himself
Scripture: Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Genesis 35:9-10
Observation: Jacob and his family return to Bethel, the place where Jacob departed from when he was initially afraid of Esau. This time, he is again afraid of retribution from the Shechemites, but he obeys God and goes to Bethel. He further obeys the Lord the builds an alter there, to commemorate the time that the Lord appeared to him when he was fleeing from Esau.
What happens next is ... God appears to him again ... God blesses him again ... God repeats the act of renaming him Israel ... God repeats his promise to give Israel the land promised to Abraham and Isaac ... Israel builds a second alter, sacrifices on it again, and names it Bethel same as the first.
God made a promise to Jacob, and then gave him instructions. Jacob (eventually) learned to trust those promises, and became a man willing to obey the word of the Lord. Therefore, God repeated his promise to Jacob. Jacob celebrated and honored God again.
Application: As I spend time seeking the promises of God in my life, I see this model. It is very likely God has made promises to me, and he will repeat them and remind me of them as I grown in my faith, obedience, and love for God. The challenge I have is not that God has not given me good promises in my life, but likely that I wasn't listening or understanding at the time.
I look forward to God repeating himself.
Prayer: Lord, I see how you work with imperfect people, and I am certainly one of those, an imperfect person. Please forgive my sins and help me to repent further every day, so that I may be better prepared to hear your voice and your promises in my life. Amen.
Observation: Jacob and his family return to Bethel, the place where Jacob departed from when he was initially afraid of Esau. This time, he is again afraid of retribution from the Shechemites, but he obeys God and goes to Bethel. He further obeys the Lord the builds an alter there, to commemorate the time that the Lord appeared to him when he was fleeing from Esau.
What happens next is ... God appears to him again ... God blesses him again ... God repeats the act of renaming him Israel ... God repeats his promise to give Israel the land promised to Abraham and Isaac ... Israel builds a second alter, sacrifices on it again, and names it Bethel same as the first.
God made a promise to Jacob, and then gave him instructions. Jacob (eventually) learned to trust those promises, and became a man willing to obey the word of the Lord. Therefore, God repeated his promise to Jacob. Jacob celebrated and honored God again.
Application: As I spend time seeking the promises of God in my life, I see this model. It is very likely God has made promises to me, and he will repeat them and remind me of them as I grown in my faith, obedience, and love for God. The challenge I have is not that God has not given me good promises in my life, but likely that I wasn't listening or understanding at the time.
I look forward to God repeating himself.
Prayer: Lord, I see how you work with imperfect people, and I am certainly one of those, an imperfect person. Please forgive my sins and help me to repent further every day, so that I may be better prepared to hear your voice and your promises in my life. Amen.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Hope from the Very Worst
Scripture: Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:32
Observation: Jesus is in the midst of a head-to-head fight with the Pharisees, and it begins when they claim he casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Jesus corrects this clearly. However it is in this verse that he pivots the fight into a much stronger offensive. He will go on to condemn the very hearts and motives of the Pharisees, denying their motives, words, and thoughts. He places them as less faithful than the sinners of ancient Nineveh, or of the foreign Queen of Sheba. His logic is straightforward, and his warning clear:
-- Any and every act can and will be forgiven, even such a great act as hating Jesus himself.
-- However, if one curses the Holy Spirit, this is the act of knowing God exists yet in that knowledge actively rejecting his authority, and that is the unforgivable sin.
-- Those who do this may even still profess to believe in God - they may say good words, or give others good teaching - but their hearts are now revealed.
This isn't a sin of ignorance. This isn't a sin of anger or passion or deception or temptation or weakness. And this isn't even a willful sin that rebels against the laws, commands, and precepts of God. This is a sin outside of the body or soul. This is the sin of a personal spirit that has - with full knowledge, in sound judgment, and with total consciousness - chosen to reject God. It is the worst thing one can do.
However, in this same message is the greatest of all hope ... EVERYTHING ELSE is forgiven! Even cursing God himself, even rejecting Jesus ... these are forgivable with the act of repentance and faith.
Application: I have cursed God. I have rejected Jesus. I have declared independence from all belief. And I have repented of that, having discovered the love of God and salvation of Jesus in my life. And from this verse I know I am forgiven.
This is the takeaway for me here. It is not that there is some unforgivable act, but rather that I am forgiven of even the time in my life I actively declared that I rejected all concepts of salvation, God, and Jesus. I am now a believer. I publicly declared my faith, and was baptized into that faith, born again as a new creation. Jesus declaring the very worst sin possible against the Pharisees actually shows that billions and billions and billions of other wrongs are washed away, because God loves us so much that he gave his son.
Prayer: Lord, my Lord and my God, may I live every day without any thoughts or concerns about my former life, for it is all washed away. Thank you for your forgiveness, which I could never have earned. Amen.
Observation: Jesus is in the midst of a head-to-head fight with the Pharisees, and it begins when they claim he casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Jesus corrects this clearly. However it is in this verse that he pivots the fight into a much stronger offensive. He will go on to condemn the very hearts and motives of the Pharisees, denying their motives, words, and thoughts. He places them as less faithful than the sinners of ancient Nineveh, or of the foreign Queen of Sheba. His logic is straightforward, and his warning clear:
-- Any and every act can and will be forgiven, even such a great act as hating Jesus himself.
-- However, if one curses the Holy Spirit, this is the act of knowing God exists yet in that knowledge actively rejecting his authority, and that is the unforgivable sin.
-- Those who do this may even still profess to believe in God - they may say good words, or give others good teaching - but their hearts are now revealed.
This isn't a sin of ignorance. This isn't a sin of anger or passion or deception or temptation or weakness. And this isn't even a willful sin that rebels against the laws, commands, and precepts of God. This is a sin outside of the body or soul. This is the sin of a personal spirit that has - with full knowledge, in sound judgment, and with total consciousness - chosen to reject God. It is the worst thing one can do.
However, in this same message is the greatest of all hope ... EVERYTHING ELSE is forgiven! Even cursing God himself, even rejecting Jesus ... these are forgivable with the act of repentance and faith.
Application: I have cursed God. I have rejected Jesus. I have declared independence from all belief. And I have repented of that, having discovered the love of God and salvation of Jesus in my life. And from this verse I know I am forgiven.
This is the takeaway for me here. It is not that there is some unforgivable act, but rather that I am forgiven of even the time in my life I actively declared that I rejected all concepts of salvation, God, and Jesus. I am now a believer. I publicly declared my faith, and was baptized into that faith, born again as a new creation. Jesus declaring the very worst sin possible against the Pharisees actually shows that billions and billions and billions of other wrongs are washed away, because God loves us so much that he gave his son.
Prayer: Lord, my Lord and my God, may I live every day without any thoughts or concerns about my former life, for it is all washed away. Thank you for your forgiveness, which I could never have earned. Amen.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Restating the Truth
Scripture: Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ Matthew 10:34-36
Observation: Jesus is teaching his disciples, and here clarifies his mission and purpose. He is not here to bring peace. Instead, his existence will divide people. There will be those who believe, and those who do not, and Jesus does not intend for people with these different believes to be peaceable. Those who don't believe will be against those who do. More interestingly, those who do believe should be against those that don't.
This opposition is not hate or anger, but it is resolute. It is a firmness of belief that is stronger than even family ties. If someone believes in Jesus, and their own family doesn't, then they are opposed to each other in this matter.
Furthermore, this was not a new idea. Jesus didn't make this up! He is merely quoting Micah. This should have been the understanding of what faith in Messiah was always going to be about ... that faith represents the truth about God, and those opposed to faith are therefore opposed to God's will and purposes.
Application: It is always surprising how often Jesus had to restate the truth about matters because everyone wanted him to be something else. He quotes several prophets who already spoke about him, just today showing that faith in him will be a divisive matter, and that he is in fact the Messiah as proven by his specific miracles.
Believers today want Jesus to fit their opinions about what a savior should be, and not the facts about who Jesus was. Do I do this? Do I prefer his mercy more than his justice, or his love more than his instruction, or his resurrection more than his sacrifice?
I do want certain "good" things in life as provided by Jesus. However, it is important to receive Jesus as he is, and not as we wish. Obedience, learning, discipleship, and sacrifice are all part of the truth about Jesus, just as much as forgiveness, love, mercy, and salvation.
Prayer: Lord, this day, may I know that I follow a savior who also expects me to serve obediently. I am to do as you told me to do, and not just believe what you said to believe. Give me this day not just my daily bread, but also the chance to do my daily work, to pick up my cross. Amen.
Observation: Jesus is teaching his disciples, and here clarifies his mission and purpose. He is not here to bring peace. Instead, his existence will divide people. There will be those who believe, and those who do not, and Jesus does not intend for people with these different believes to be peaceable. Those who don't believe will be against those who do. More interestingly, those who do believe should be against those that don't.
This opposition is not hate or anger, but it is resolute. It is a firmness of belief that is stronger than even family ties. If someone believes in Jesus, and their own family doesn't, then they are opposed to each other in this matter.
Furthermore, this was not a new idea. Jesus didn't make this up! He is merely quoting Micah. This should have been the understanding of what faith in Messiah was always going to be about ... that faith represents the truth about God, and those opposed to faith are therefore opposed to God's will and purposes.
Application: It is always surprising how often Jesus had to restate the truth about matters because everyone wanted him to be something else. He quotes several prophets who already spoke about him, just today showing that faith in him will be a divisive matter, and that he is in fact the Messiah as proven by his specific miracles.
Believers today want Jesus to fit their opinions about what a savior should be, and not the facts about who Jesus was. Do I do this? Do I prefer his mercy more than his justice, or his love more than his instruction, or his resurrection more than his sacrifice?
I do want certain "good" things in life as provided by Jesus. However, it is important to receive Jesus as he is, and not as we wish. Obedience, learning, discipleship, and sacrifice are all part of the truth about Jesus, just as much as forgiveness, love, mercy, and salvation.
Prayer: Lord, this day, may I know that I follow a savior who also expects me to serve obediently. I am to do as you told me to do, and not just believe what you said to believe. Give me this day not just my daily bread, but also the chance to do my daily work, to pick up my cross. Amen.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
On my Knees Again
WOW this song WAILS!
Your forgiveness is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips ...
Like holy water on my skin ...
Your forgiveness is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips ...
Like holy water on my skin ...
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
El Roi
Scripture: Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?" Genesis 16:13
Observation: Hagar is in distress. She is pregnant - not by her own will - and is now outcast. She is humiliated, bullied, beaten, rejected, and alone. In this state, God shows up though he had no real interaction with her before, and both comforts and instructs her to proceed on the path of bearing and raising her son, while going through this hard time. Hagar responds with this ... that she acknowledges that God has seen her and her trial, and she has heard from him.
Application: In my time of distress, this was the one absolutely clear word I received ... "I see you."
God saw me in my depressed, downtrodden, fearful, humiliated, lonely condition. He saw me, and he saw my circumstance, and he saw the causes, and he saw the injustice, and he saw the lies, and he saw the pain ... and he saw my future. And he told me so.
That day I wept with every emotion. I wept with sadness, joy, hope, despair, love, anger. I did not want to walk through that circumstance, but I knew the Lord saw me, and cared so much about me and my family.
I will never forget the word the Lord gave me that day. Being seen by God - having my situation seen by God - is something I can never repay, and can only now serve the Lord to the best of my ability for his love and mercy.
Prayer: Lord, you are Abba, my father. You are Yahweh Yireh, the Lord who provides. And you are El Roi, the God who sees me. Thank you, my Lord and my God, my redeemer and my protector. May my life serve you as a living sacrifice, and may my words and actions be a holy aroma, pleasing to you. Amen.
Observation: Hagar is in distress. She is pregnant - not by her own will - and is now outcast. She is humiliated, bullied, beaten, rejected, and alone. In this state, God shows up though he had no real interaction with her before, and both comforts and instructs her to proceed on the path of bearing and raising her son, while going through this hard time. Hagar responds with this ... that she acknowledges that God has seen her and her trial, and she has heard from him.
Application: In my time of distress, this was the one absolutely clear word I received ... "I see you."
God saw me in my depressed, downtrodden, fearful, humiliated, lonely condition. He saw me, and he saw my circumstance, and he saw the causes, and he saw the injustice, and he saw the lies, and he saw the pain ... and he saw my future. And he told me so.
That day I wept with every emotion. I wept with sadness, joy, hope, despair, love, anger. I did not want to walk through that circumstance, but I knew the Lord saw me, and cared so much about me and my family.
I will never forget the word the Lord gave me that day. Being seen by God - having my situation seen by God - is something I can never repay, and can only now serve the Lord to the best of my ability for his love and mercy.
Prayer: Lord, you are Abba, my father. You are Yahweh Yireh, the Lord who provides. And you are El Roi, the God who sees me. Thank you, my Lord and my God, my redeemer and my protector. May my life serve you as a living sacrifice, and may my words and actions be a holy aroma, pleasing to you. Amen.
Monday, January 6, 2020
Gray Area Around Clear Commands
Scripture: But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. Matthew 5:34-36
Observation: Jesus is teaching a basic lesson that many of us now know, and that lesson is a simplification of the commandment not to lie. If we do not lie, then there is no reason to "swear" that our word is true. The only reason to swear is because ... sometime we lie, yet in some cases we want to prove we aren't lying by binding our word to something we value. Jesus goes through a hierarchy of things people might swear by - heaven, the earth, Jerusalem and the temple, or our own lives - and shows these are all bad.
The message is to keep is simple. Rules don't matter because they complicate and deceive. If the command is "don't lie" then ... don't lie. Rules about swearing to things introduces legalistic complexity that actually exists only because the command is being broken. If the lie is "don't commit adultery" then rules about lust and divorce only introduce complexity about what to do if someone commits adultery. If the command is "love one another" then guidelines about seeking revenge during conflict only exist to govern situations where that love is absent.
Of course, this simplicity of the commands is what makes them hardest for flawed humans to comply with. We are sinful, and thus the black-and-white nature of the commands means we will fail. We will get angry. We will lust. We will lie. Therefore, the real lesson of Jesus is likely found in how to deal with such failures ... address them in your life, rather than creating rules that define gray areas where the sin can therefore exist unaddressed.
Application: Where have I created gray area and thus allowed myself to sin without addressing it? Certainly I have done this. I think nothing of anger toward others - thinking people stupid or complaining about them in my mind - as long as I treat them well enough. This is explicitly unloving. I have other areas as well.
So what would my daily walk with the Lord look like if I truly complied with the commands? If there was no gray area, I would have to love everyone, always. I would never lust, never swear, never covet an object or position or honor or success. In all these, my life would likely become ... better. I would find contentment and joy. I would build relationships. Sure, some may decide I was passive, or false, or unambitious, and certainly there would be some negatively directed toward me. But I would likely be happier, and God would be also.
Prayer: Lord, your commands are good for me. I know that obeying your laws and precepts would actually bless me and my family. May I do a better job at this. I will not be perfect, and I will fail daily, but may I start with loving others more and more, by at least having fewer bad thoughts and assumptions about others. Please soften my heart toward strangers, acquaintances, coworkers, family, and friends. Amen.
Observation: Jesus is teaching a basic lesson that many of us now know, and that lesson is a simplification of the commandment not to lie. If we do not lie, then there is no reason to "swear" that our word is true. The only reason to swear is because ... sometime we lie, yet in some cases we want to prove we aren't lying by binding our word to something we value. Jesus goes through a hierarchy of things people might swear by - heaven, the earth, Jerusalem and the temple, or our own lives - and shows these are all bad.
The message is to keep is simple. Rules don't matter because they complicate and deceive. If the command is "don't lie" then ... don't lie. Rules about swearing to things introduces legalistic complexity that actually exists only because the command is being broken. If the lie is "don't commit adultery" then rules about lust and divorce only introduce complexity about what to do if someone commits adultery. If the command is "love one another" then guidelines about seeking revenge during conflict only exist to govern situations where that love is absent.
Of course, this simplicity of the commands is what makes them hardest for flawed humans to comply with. We are sinful, and thus the black-and-white nature of the commands means we will fail. We will get angry. We will lust. We will lie. Therefore, the real lesson of Jesus is likely found in how to deal with such failures ... address them in your life, rather than creating rules that define gray areas where the sin can therefore exist unaddressed.
Application: Where have I created gray area and thus allowed myself to sin without addressing it? Certainly I have done this. I think nothing of anger toward others - thinking people stupid or complaining about them in my mind - as long as I treat them well enough. This is explicitly unloving. I have other areas as well.
So what would my daily walk with the Lord look like if I truly complied with the commands? If there was no gray area, I would have to love everyone, always. I would never lust, never swear, never covet an object or position or honor or success. In all these, my life would likely become ... better. I would find contentment and joy. I would build relationships. Sure, some may decide I was passive, or false, or unambitious, and certainly there would be some negatively directed toward me. But I would likely be happier, and God would be also.
Prayer: Lord, your commands are good for me. I know that obeying your laws and precepts would actually bless me and my family. May I do a better job at this. I will not be perfect, and I will fail daily, but may I start with loving others more and more, by at least having fewer bad thoughts and assumptions about others. Please soften my heart toward strangers, acquaintances, coworkers, family, and friends. Amen.
Friday, January 3, 2020
God in the Hands of Man
Scripture: Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. Matthew 3:13-15
Observation: Jesus is God on earth - he is manifested of the Holy Spirit, and an eternal entity of Yahweh - yet he declares that being baptized by a human is part of ... fulfilling all righteousness.
Only God is fully righteous, and certainly humans are not. John was a good man and a prophet, but he was not fully righteous. However, God himself places himself into John's hands, stating that doing so is part of fulfilling righteousness. This is likely true for a couple reasons, one of which is the fulfillment of earlier prophesy. It was clearly state that John would come declaring repentance in the wilderness, and that Messiah would come having had this preparation. As a result, John is able to transition his followers - which included James, John, and Andrew at least - to become Jesus' disciples.
Application: God does not need humans or mankind, but again uses us to advance his purposes. In this one example, by telling John "go ahead an baptize me", Jesus fulfills at least three prophesies, and commandeers the foundation of his ministry team.
God doesn't need me, but is there anything I am doing that God can use? Can he use my blog? Can he use my time at work? Can he use my ongoing desire to better connect in Bothell? Can he use my knowledge, personality, hobbies?
Prayer: Lord, I would love to be used in any way you like. You don't need me, but I know you enjoy working with mankind in fulfilling your purposes. Here I am. Use me. Amen.
Observation: Jesus is God on earth - he is manifested of the Holy Spirit, and an eternal entity of Yahweh - yet he declares that being baptized by a human is part of ... fulfilling all righteousness.
Only God is fully righteous, and certainly humans are not. John was a good man and a prophet, but he was not fully righteous. However, God himself places himself into John's hands, stating that doing so is part of fulfilling righteousness. This is likely true for a couple reasons, one of which is the fulfillment of earlier prophesy. It was clearly state that John would come declaring repentance in the wilderness, and that Messiah would come having had this preparation. As a result, John is able to transition his followers - which included James, John, and Andrew at least - to become Jesus' disciples.
Application: God does not need humans or mankind, but again uses us to advance his purposes. In this one example, by telling John "go ahead an baptize me", Jesus fulfills at least three prophesies, and commandeers the foundation of his ministry team.
God doesn't need me, but is there anything I am doing that God can use? Can he use my blog? Can he use my time at work? Can he use my ongoing desire to better connect in Bothell? Can he use my knowledge, personality, hobbies?
Prayer: Lord, I would love to be used in any way you like. You don't need me, but I know you enjoy working with mankind in fulfilling your purposes. Here I am. Use me. Amen.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
First Promise of Restoration
Scripture: So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7
Observation: Cain and Abel presented their offerings to the Lord, and the Lord accepted Abel's but rejected Cain's. It is understood this is because Cain's offering was simply part of his excess harvest, and not an offering made from the best of his crop, while Abel offered his firstborn lamb. As Cain laments this, God speaks to him and offers corrective advice ... don't be sad, just do better! Next time, offer a proper sacrifice, and you will be accepted.
That's all Cain has to do. Cain does not have to fix his past, just do it right next time. He doesn't have to re-do the original offering, or pay some penance or penalty for the first failure. Instead, God simply says, do it well next time and I will absolutely accept your offering. However, if you continue to do poorly, this is the entry for sin into your life.
Application: This is the same solution God gives us all every day. God knows I screw up every day ... I sin, I get angry, I deceive. God just says 'hey, do better next time, but if you don't then know that sin piles up.'
I try to do better. Of course none of us can be perfect, and Jesus provides relief for the piled-up sin. However, when I do succeed in setting aside the badness in my life - and getting something right the next time - God certainly notices and accepts it. Thanks to his love manifested by the forgiveness of Jesus' sacrifice, God doesn't keep score and weigh the bad against the good. He sees the good effort, and accepts it - and me - by that act.
May I therefore be better today and in this new year. I don't want to be better in order to counteract my actions of the past, but rather to simply be acceptable to God today. The past is forgiven. The future can be acceptable, and thus I can walk closer with God every day.
Prayer: Lord, I desire to simply get things right this day, not to make up for the past, but to be acceptable to you this day. And then to repeat that every day as much as I can. Thank you for your forgiveness of my past failures, and for providing good information and teaching so I can know how to present myself to you now. Amen.
Observation: Cain and Abel presented their offerings to the Lord, and the Lord accepted Abel's but rejected Cain's. It is understood this is because Cain's offering was simply part of his excess harvest, and not an offering made from the best of his crop, while Abel offered his firstborn lamb. As Cain laments this, God speaks to him and offers corrective advice ... don't be sad, just do better! Next time, offer a proper sacrifice, and you will be accepted.
That's all Cain has to do. Cain does not have to fix his past, just do it right next time. He doesn't have to re-do the original offering, or pay some penance or penalty for the first failure. Instead, God simply says, do it well next time and I will absolutely accept your offering. However, if you continue to do poorly, this is the entry for sin into your life.
Application: This is the same solution God gives us all every day. God knows I screw up every day ... I sin, I get angry, I deceive. God just says 'hey, do better next time, but if you don't then know that sin piles up.'
I try to do better. Of course none of us can be perfect, and Jesus provides relief for the piled-up sin. However, when I do succeed in setting aside the badness in my life - and getting something right the next time - God certainly notices and accepts it. Thanks to his love manifested by the forgiveness of Jesus' sacrifice, God doesn't keep score and weigh the bad against the good. He sees the good effort, and accepts it - and me - by that act.
May I therefore be better today and in this new year. I don't want to be better in order to counteract my actions of the past, but rather to simply be acceptable to God today. The past is forgiven. The future can be acceptable, and thus I can walk closer with God every day.
Prayer: Lord, I desire to simply get things right this day, not to make up for the past, but to be acceptable to you this day. And then to repeat that every day as much as I can. Thank you for your forgiveness of my past failures, and for providing good information and teaching so I can know how to present myself to you now. Amen.
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