Attention anyone who might be reading this blog, I am moving it to the church website to make it easier for people who are checking out the church to find.
You can find my new blog at this link: http://www.ybfree.org/reading-through-the-new-testament/
Sorry for the inconvenience, please continue to read your Bible and follow along at our new location.
Do me a favor.... send me a comment from the new site letting me know that you found it!
Please!
In Christ,
PR
Monday, February 22, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
John 6
By now, the feeding of the 5,000 is a familiar story. It is interesting though, that in this account it says that Jesus didn't question the disciples about how to feed the people because He was looking for ideas....He was testing them. I suppose the Lord still asks us questions today that He already knows the answer to, as a means of testing us.
There is a fair amount of time in this passage devoted to the idea of becoming part of the body of Christ. Without understanding that Jesus was speaking of spiritual things, "eating and drinking His body" would be hard for anyone to understand. I'm sure even those who hung around had their doubts.
Several key things in this passage: 1. there is a form of grace that overshadows us before we become Christians. It's function is to allow us to recognize that we are in need of salvation, and that Jesus is the means of being saved. You can't become a Christian unless God favors you with this grace. In church speak, we call it "prevenient grace" (it means "the grace that comes before").
The question that must be asked then is this: "who does God favor with this grace?" Does He pick and choose? Some scholars from throughout the ages believe that God decides who to shower with this special grace. It follows then, that only those people can become Christians. The rest have no real hope of ever accepting Christ. In fact, without prevenient grace, they wouldn't even want to.
I believe that prevenient grace covers every person in the world. John 3:16 says "for God so loved THE WORLD that He gave His one and only Son, so that WHOEVER believes in Him would not perish but would have eternal life". That phrase doesn't appear to limit prevenient grace to a select few. Anyone can respond to Jesus.
Having said that, there isn't a guarantee that the prevenient grace will always "overshadow" us. God doesn't have to give us unlimited chances to accept Him. He could withdraw the grace, and if He does then our hearts would become "hardened". There are several examples in Scripture of God "hardening" the hearts of people so that they wouldn't respond to Him. God did this so that His will would be carried out. For instance, He hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and in the New Testament, it would appear that Judas's heart was hardened. Keep in mind that God may very well have allowed prevenient grace to pour back over Judas after he had betrayed Him. And, if Judas responded with contrition and humility, he would be saved just like anyone else. Personally, I think that Judas was sorry for what he had done, but I don't know that he repented. Sadly, I don't think we will be seeing him in heaven. If we were going to, then why would Jesus have allowed the 11 to chose another person to take the place of Judas? And if there would then be "13" disciples, why are there only 12 names recorded on the foundation of the city? (Revelation 21:14) No, I think that Judas squandered eternal riches for the lure of worldly wealth and fame. And even if he did get the chance to repent, he must not have.
There are two types of people who follow Jesus. The first type follow because they want to be fed, entertained and part of the excitement that surrounds Him. There are times when it is great fun to walk with Jesus. Seas part, fire falls from heaven, sick people are healed, demons are cast out, waves are calmed. But there are other times when it is not so popular, when the whip cracks over your back, or when the crowd turns violent and ugly. There are times when food is scarce and beds even more scarce. That's when the second type of person who follows Christ is revealed. You see, they are along with the crowd who surrounds Jesus during happy times, but when the hard times come and the larger crowd falls away, these stalwart disciples remain. They may not always understand why events have turned, or even if they will make it though alive...but they echo the words of the disciples
"Lord, who else can we turn to? You have the words of eternal life. We believe, and know that you are the Holy One of God."
a fellow believer,
PR
There is a fair amount of time in this passage devoted to the idea of becoming part of the body of Christ. Without understanding that Jesus was speaking of spiritual things, "eating and drinking His body" would be hard for anyone to understand. I'm sure even those who hung around had their doubts.
Several key things in this passage: 1. there is a form of grace that overshadows us before we become Christians. It's function is to allow us to recognize that we are in need of salvation, and that Jesus is the means of being saved. You can't become a Christian unless God favors you with this grace. In church speak, we call it "prevenient grace" (it means "the grace that comes before").
The question that must be asked then is this: "who does God favor with this grace?" Does He pick and choose? Some scholars from throughout the ages believe that God decides who to shower with this special grace. It follows then, that only those people can become Christians. The rest have no real hope of ever accepting Christ. In fact, without prevenient grace, they wouldn't even want to.
I believe that prevenient grace covers every person in the world. John 3:16 says "for God so loved THE WORLD that He gave His one and only Son, so that WHOEVER believes in Him would not perish but would have eternal life". That phrase doesn't appear to limit prevenient grace to a select few. Anyone can respond to Jesus.
Having said that, there isn't a guarantee that the prevenient grace will always "overshadow" us. God doesn't have to give us unlimited chances to accept Him. He could withdraw the grace, and if He does then our hearts would become "hardened". There are several examples in Scripture of God "hardening" the hearts of people so that they wouldn't respond to Him. God did this so that His will would be carried out. For instance, He hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and in the New Testament, it would appear that Judas's heart was hardened. Keep in mind that God may very well have allowed prevenient grace to pour back over Judas after he had betrayed Him. And, if Judas responded with contrition and humility, he would be saved just like anyone else. Personally, I think that Judas was sorry for what he had done, but I don't know that he repented. Sadly, I don't think we will be seeing him in heaven. If we were going to, then why would Jesus have allowed the 11 to chose another person to take the place of Judas? And if there would then be "13" disciples, why are there only 12 names recorded on the foundation of the city? (Revelation 21:14) No, I think that Judas squandered eternal riches for the lure of worldly wealth and fame. And even if he did get the chance to repent, he must not have.
There are two types of people who follow Jesus. The first type follow because they want to be fed, entertained and part of the excitement that surrounds Him. There are times when it is great fun to walk with Jesus. Seas part, fire falls from heaven, sick people are healed, demons are cast out, waves are calmed. But there are other times when it is not so popular, when the whip cracks over your back, or when the crowd turns violent and ugly. There are times when food is scarce and beds even more scarce. That's when the second type of person who follows Christ is revealed. You see, they are along with the crowd who surrounds Jesus during happy times, but when the hard times come and the larger crowd falls away, these stalwart disciples remain. They may not always understand why events have turned, or even if they will make it though alive...but they echo the words of the disciples
"Lord, who else can we turn to? You have the words of eternal life. We believe, and know that you are the Holy One of God."
a fellow believer,
PR
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Luke 9
I wonder why Jesus told the disciples not to take any spare clothes, money or even a walking stick? I suppose it was because the absence of those things made them more likely to stop in towns and look for assistance. For most of us, asking for help is hard to do. We would rather make our own way, and do it ourselves. That's going to be a problem for the disciples, whose mission is to connect with the local people. I need to remember this when God strips away something that I know I need. It could be that He wants me to interact with someone, and this is how it's going to happen.
You've probably seen the sign hanging beside someones desk. It says "failure to plan on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on my part". It seems like that should be right, but when compared to the actions of Jesus it falls short. Speaking literally, I don't think Jesus ever had an emergency. I don't think he ever panicked. But when the crowd failed to bring along food for themselves, Jesus made it His problem. The sign over Jesus' desk would read "your problem is my problem. Your emergency is my emergency". That's what love says. Love says "I care enough about you to be inconvenienced by whatever is going on in your life."
I wonder, how many miracles are unused because modern day disciples have decided that the people should go elsewhere to find help for their needs?
18-22: How could Peter confess that Jesus was the Messiah, and then hear Jesus plainly say "I will be killed and will come back to life after 3 days" and then...see Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah, hear a voice from heaven....and still deny Him three times? This is the human condition before we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Fear and doubt and weakness overcome us. Praise the Lord that the Holy Spirit now has come, and we never have to collapse like that again!
23-26: This passage outlines the main thrust of the Christian life once we accept Christ. Self must die. It doesn't die easily, nor should it die all at once, because it is so intertwined in our character that it would probably kill us to have it removed all at one time. Piece by piece it is sliced away, and as it goes Christ replaces what He removes with His perfect nature. The good work of the Christian is to engage in the battle of surrendering self to Christ. As He reveals areas in our life where we don't match His character, we surrender those areas to Him, and through His power they are defeated, removed and replaced. Amen!
49-50: We should follow this advice for people who aren't part of our "denomination". Too ofter we are prone to focus on our differences instead of our similarities. The Church should be (and is) ONE. There is only ONE Church. Any denomination that preaches Jesus Christ accurately is part of it. However, I don't think this sentiment should carry over to people who don't accept the clear authority of the Bible. The New Testament has much to say about dealing with false teachers...some of whom sounded good, but had impure motives on the inside.
51-56: This is the human mistake that gave us the Crusades. "If you don't accept our teaching, and become like us, then we will kill you". That's completely unhelpful and not productive. That sort of mindset has never drawn anyone to Jesus and it never will. If our message is rejected, then we should simply move to another place that is willing to listen. I suppose that this thought doesn't consider any political motivation or advantages, but then again....should it? So what if it is in our best political interest to be involved in the region...if the message of Jesus is rejected there, let's move on and find somewhere else to be. Let the receipt of the message be our key indicator on whether or not we will interact politically.
Moving forward,
PR
You've probably seen the sign hanging beside someones desk. It says "failure to plan on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on my part". It seems like that should be right, but when compared to the actions of Jesus it falls short. Speaking literally, I don't think Jesus ever had an emergency. I don't think he ever panicked. But when the crowd failed to bring along food for themselves, Jesus made it His problem. The sign over Jesus' desk would read "your problem is my problem. Your emergency is my emergency". That's what love says. Love says "I care enough about you to be inconvenienced by whatever is going on in your life."
I wonder, how many miracles are unused because modern day disciples have decided that the people should go elsewhere to find help for their needs?
18-22: How could Peter confess that Jesus was the Messiah, and then hear Jesus plainly say "I will be killed and will come back to life after 3 days" and then...see Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah, hear a voice from heaven....and still deny Him three times? This is the human condition before we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Fear and doubt and weakness overcome us. Praise the Lord that the Holy Spirit now has come, and we never have to collapse like that again!
23-26: This passage outlines the main thrust of the Christian life once we accept Christ. Self must die. It doesn't die easily, nor should it die all at once, because it is so intertwined in our character that it would probably kill us to have it removed all at one time. Piece by piece it is sliced away, and as it goes Christ replaces what He removes with His perfect nature. The good work of the Christian is to engage in the battle of surrendering self to Christ. As He reveals areas in our life where we don't match His character, we surrender those areas to Him, and through His power they are defeated, removed and replaced. Amen!
49-50: We should follow this advice for people who aren't part of our "denomination". Too ofter we are prone to focus on our differences instead of our similarities. The Church should be (and is) ONE. There is only ONE Church. Any denomination that preaches Jesus Christ accurately is part of it. However, I don't think this sentiment should carry over to people who don't accept the clear authority of the Bible. The New Testament has much to say about dealing with false teachers...some of whom sounded good, but had impure motives on the inside.
51-56: This is the human mistake that gave us the Crusades. "If you don't accept our teaching, and become like us, then we will kill you". That's completely unhelpful and not productive. That sort of mindset has never drawn anyone to Jesus and it never will. If our message is rejected, then we should simply move to another place that is willing to listen. I suppose that this thought doesn't consider any political motivation or advantages, but then again....should it? So what if it is in our best political interest to be involved in the region...if the message of Jesus is rejected there, let's move on and find somewhere else to be. Let the receipt of the message be our key indicator on whether or not we will interact politically.
Moving forward,
PR
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Mark 6
In this passage you could almost feel sorry for poor Herod Antipas, who was tricked into beheading someone he respected. Don't bother. The whole family is a real piece of work. Here's what I understand about them.
Dad (Herod the Great) killed two of his sons leaving his granddaughter with no father. So, he betroths her to one of his other sons (Herod II...some believe he was also called Herod Phillip). Because of her genealogy, her marriage to Herod II moved him to successor of Herod the Great. However, the oldest son of Herod the Great, (Antipater) protested this, and Herod II was demoted. Then Antipater tries to poison his father and take the throne..but it fails, and he is executed. You would think that Herod II would take the throne, but no...in the last days before he died Herod the Great removed his name from the will, apparently knowing that he had knowledge of what was about to happen. Instead, he puts another son in his place (Archelaus) who is declared incompetent by Caesar a few years later. Herod Antipas ends up in charge of a quarter (or more) of the original kingdom. One day while Antipas is visiting Herod II, he falls in love with his wife...yes, they would be some shirt tail relations. The problem is: he is already married to a princess from a very powerful kingdom to the south, the Nabateans. Once they get wind of Antipas' affection for another woman, they call their princess home, and declare war on Antipas. If Herod Antipas would have listed to John the Baptist, a war would have been averted, and many lives saved. Instead, Herod Antipas loses the war.
Like I said, the family makes the rest of us look like model citizens. From what I can tell, they were models of greed, lust for power and selfishness.
On a far more refreshing note, we have the encouraging accounts of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and his walking on the water. Interestingly, if this had happened in modern times all the news channels and the newspapers would have been reporting what was going on with Herod Antipas. Scarcely anyone would have noticed Jesus changing history, except for a few stray reports....probably on page 4 or 5. I suspect that the same thing is true today. While we are fed a constant diet of politics and wars and Hollywood controversies, Jesus is making enormous changes in the lives of people around the community, and around the globe. We just don't hear about it.
Verse 52 catches my eye this morning. How could the disciples not understand the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000? Is it even possible to miss that? And even more scary...what miracles is Christ doing right in front of me...perhaps miracles that I am a part of..and I don't even realize it?
Do you think it's possible to be used in an incredible way by God, only to miss it yourself? It was certainly true of the disciples...because their "hearts were hard". So I guess the solution for us is to constantly pray that God will give us "sensitive hearts". By sensitive I mean hearts that are so tuned in to Jesus' speaking that they can pick up His whisper. God shouldn't have to shout to get our attention!
Praying for an ear attuned to heaven's voice,
PR
Dad (Herod the Great) killed two of his sons leaving his granddaughter with no father. So, he betroths her to one of his other sons (Herod II...some believe he was also called Herod Phillip). Because of her genealogy, her marriage to Herod II moved him to successor of Herod the Great. However, the oldest son of Herod the Great, (Antipater) protested this, and Herod II was demoted. Then Antipater tries to poison his father and take the throne..but it fails, and he is executed. You would think that Herod II would take the throne, but no...in the last days before he died Herod the Great removed his name from the will, apparently knowing that he had knowledge of what was about to happen. Instead, he puts another son in his place (Archelaus) who is declared incompetent by Caesar a few years later. Herod Antipas ends up in charge of a quarter (or more) of the original kingdom. One day while Antipas is visiting Herod II, he falls in love with his wife...yes, they would be some shirt tail relations. The problem is: he is already married to a princess from a very powerful kingdom to the south, the Nabateans. Once they get wind of Antipas' affection for another woman, they call their princess home, and declare war on Antipas. If Herod Antipas would have listed to John the Baptist, a war would have been averted, and many lives saved. Instead, Herod Antipas loses the war.
Like I said, the family makes the rest of us look like model citizens. From what I can tell, they were models of greed, lust for power and selfishness.
On a far more refreshing note, we have the encouraging accounts of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and his walking on the water. Interestingly, if this had happened in modern times all the news channels and the newspapers would have been reporting what was going on with Herod Antipas. Scarcely anyone would have noticed Jesus changing history, except for a few stray reports....probably on page 4 or 5. I suspect that the same thing is true today. While we are fed a constant diet of politics and wars and Hollywood controversies, Jesus is making enormous changes in the lives of people around the community, and around the globe. We just don't hear about it.
Verse 52 catches my eye this morning. How could the disciples not understand the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000? Is it even possible to miss that? And even more scary...what miracles is Christ doing right in front of me...perhaps miracles that I am a part of..and I don't even realize it?
Do you think it's possible to be used in an incredible way by God, only to miss it yourself? It was certainly true of the disciples...because their "hearts were hard". So I guess the solution for us is to constantly pray that God will give us "sensitive hearts". By sensitive I mean hearts that are so tuned in to Jesus' speaking that they can pick up His whisper. God shouldn't have to shout to get our attention!
Praying for an ear attuned to heaven's voice,
PR
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Matthew 14
Have you ever had one of those days when you just wanted to be left alone? Wouldn't it be nice once in a while to completely "unplug" from all your daily demands and your routine and just spend a little quiet time by yourself?
When Jesus heard that John had been executed by Herod, he just wanted to be alone. Probably to cry out to God and to be sad. I don't think there's anything wrong with withdrawing from the rest of the world for a brief time to grieve, or to reflect. But the crowds that surrounded Jesus wouldn't let it happen. As soon as they heard him say He was headed for a remote place, they started walking around the lake so they would be there when he came ashore. No peace for Jesus.
When I need down time and I don't get it, I get cranky. I notice today that Jesus didn't. Instead, when He looked at the crowd He was filled with compassion. Jesus wasn't encumbered by a sinful nature that demanded His attention. He was able to be selfless (although I am sure He was tempted to be selfish).
Thinking about the difference in our reactions, it's really my selfish desires that distract me from helping others, or feeling compassion for others.
If Jesus had chased the crowd away, and said "my good friend was just murdered and I need to be alone for a while" we wouldn't have the miracle of feeding the 5,000. I never thought about it like that before.
Maybe when my day doesn't seem to be going the way I want it to, and I feel like withdrawing, I should pray to be less selfish. Maybe a significant miracle is about to unfold right in front of me and I don't even know it.
The recount in Mark 6 about Jesus walking on the water really grabs me. Here in Matthew we don't have the verse that says "Jesus was about to pass by them". Mark has it. In both places it says that the boat was a considerable distance from land when evening came, and it was being tossed around by the waves. Jesus must have seen this... but He doesn't stop praying to go to their rescue. In fact, He stays where He is until somewhere between 3 and 6 am....then He starts walking across the lake..and is about to walk right by them...except they see Him and become even more afraid.
Maybe the lesson here (beside the obvious lesson about keeping your eyes on Jesus when you get out of your boat) is that Jesus didn't promise that we would never have problems. He didn't come to the rescue of John the Baptist. He didn't appear to be coming to the rescue of the disciples. He knew they had no reason to be afraid. My guess is that John wasn't afraid at all. The disciples were, and Jesus came to them because of that.
Remember this the next time you're having a hard day, or when you are struggling in general. Jesus didn't promise it would be easy....only that it would be worth it. Everyone is going to have some problems...but Christians are going to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus when the problems of this life are over. "It will be worth it all...when we see Jesus".
Some lessons are learned inside the boat....some require you to get out. This passage seems to have both!
Blessings,
PR
When Jesus heard that John had been executed by Herod, he just wanted to be alone. Probably to cry out to God and to be sad. I don't think there's anything wrong with withdrawing from the rest of the world for a brief time to grieve, or to reflect. But the crowds that surrounded Jesus wouldn't let it happen. As soon as they heard him say He was headed for a remote place, they started walking around the lake so they would be there when he came ashore. No peace for Jesus.
When I need down time and I don't get it, I get cranky. I notice today that Jesus didn't. Instead, when He looked at the crowd He was filled with compassion. Jesus wasn't encumbered by a sinful nature that demanded His attention. He was able to be selfless (although I am sure He was tempted to be selfish).
Thinking about the difference in our reactions, it's really my selfish desires that distract me from helping others, or feeling compassion for others.
If Jesus had chased the crowd away, and said "my good friend was just murdered and I need to be alone for a while" we wouldn't have the miracle of feeding the 5,000. I never thought about it like that before.
Maybe when my day doesn't seem to be going the way I want it to, and I feel like withdrawing, I should pray to be less selfish. Maybe a significant miracle is about to unfold right in front of me and I don't even know it.
The recount in Mark 6 about Jesus walking on the water really grabs me. Here in Matthew we don't have the verse that says "Jesus was about to pass by them". Mark has it. In both places it says that the boat was a considerable distance from land when evening came, and it was being tossed around by the waves. Jesus must have seen this... but He doesn't stop praying to go to their rescue. In fact, He stays where He is until somewhere between 3 and 6 am....then He starts walking across the lake..and is about to walk right by them...except they see Him and become even more afraid.
Maybe the lesson here (beside the obvious lesson about keeping your eyes on Jesus when you get out of your boat) is that Jesus didn't promise that we would never have problems. He didn't come to the rescue of John the Baptist. He didn't appear to be coming to the rescue of the disciples. He knew they had no reason to be afraid. My guess is that John wasn't afraid at all. The disciples were, and Jesus came to them because of that.
Remember this the next time you're having a hard day, or when you are struggling in general. Jesus didn't promise it would be easy....only that it would be worth it. Everyone is going to have some problems...but Christians are going to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus when the problems of this life are over. "It will be worth it all...when we see Jesus".
Some lessons are learned inside the boat....some require you to get out. This passage seems to have both!
Blessings,
PR
Monday, February 15, 2016
Matthew 10
It would be easy to feel like God loves the Jews more than the rest of us, since He tells His disciples to go only to the Jews. "God's chosen people". Aren't the rest of us chosen as well?
The short answer is "yes", we are chosen. But the plan of salvation is unfolding exactly as it was planned from the very beginning. And that plan calls for a certain group of people to be the "first fruits" and then they will be followed by all other people groups. Jesus says this not because He loves them more than us (God's love is infinite, so that isn't possible). He says it because this is the way He planned it. The Lord could have been born into any race or tribe....He chose the Jews. In fact, that had to be planned from the beginning as well. And from the time the three sons stepped off Noah's ark, God knew which of the three would be his ancestor. (Shem).
Thinking of God's ministers, there are several sentences here that are helpful in knowing how to treat those who serve the ministry. "those who work deserve to be fed" (verse 10 NLT), "if you receive the prophet, you will receive the same reward as the prophet" (vs. 40-42). I suppose there are some who are in ministry who really aren't working...I can't speak to that. However from my experience those who are in ministry are either working longer hours, or doing the work that no one else wants to do, while receiving fairly low wages. I know there are some ministers who are making fairly good salaries, and living pretty well...but the majority of churches are smaller and have limited income, and the men and women who serve them do so with some personal sacrifice. Jesus said "if you are carrying the Good News, then you should be taken care of by the people to whom you go". The minister should trust for this, and the congregation should rise to the occasion. I am proud to say that the congregation I serve excels at this.
In the same way that the minister is to trust in God for the means to subsist, all of us are to trust in God for the words to say when we are pressed to testify about our faith. Jesus plainly says that we are going to be put in some very difficult situations for the sole purpose of testifying once we are there. The next time you feel that you are in trouble for no reason, remember that. You might be at the hospital with symptoms because someone at the hospital needs to hear. You might be speaking to a government agent because they need to hear. It's a different way of looking at your life, I agree.
Verse 32 I quote often, because it provides the motivation for our witness. Who's to say that I will want to testify once I am in front of my accuser? Once I accept the fact that my confession of Jesus here on earth will result in His confession for me in heaven, I am quick to respond.
Verse 37-39 forces us to change our priorities and place service to Christ at the top. If I have anything in life that is more important to me than my relationship with God, satan will be able to exploit that to bring me down. Therefore, when I place Jesus in the highest priority in my life, I actually protect and preserve my life.
continuing to march,
PR
The short answer is "yes", we are chosen. But the plan of salvation is unfolding exactly as it was planned from the very beginning. And that plan calls for a certain group of people to be the "first fruits" and then they will be followed by all other people groups. Jesus says this not because He loves them more than us (God's love is infinite, so that isn't possible). He says it because this is the way He planned it. The Lord could have been born into any race or tribe....He chose the Jews. In fact, that had to be planned from the beginning as well. And from the time the three sons stepped off Noah's ark, God knew which of the three would be his ancestor. (Shem).
Thinking of God's ministers, there are several sentences here that are helpful in knowing how to treat those who serve the ministry. "those who work deserve to be fed" (verse 10 NLT), "if you receive the prophet, you will receive the same reward as the prophet" (vs. 40-42). I suppose there are some who are in ministry who really aren't working...I can't speak to that. However from my experience those who are in ministry are either working longer hours, or doing the work that no one else wants to do, while receiving fairly low wages. I know there are some ministers who are making fairly good salaries, and living pretty well...but the majority of churches are smaller and have limited income, and the men and women who serve them do so with some personal sacrifice. Jesus said "if you are carrying the Good News, then you should be taken care of by the people to whom you go". The minister should trust for this, and the congregation should rise to the occasion. I am proud to say that the congregation I serve excels at this.
In the same way that the minister is to trust in God for the means to subsist, all of us are to trust in God for the words to say when we are pressed to testify about our faith. Jesus plainly says that we are going to be put in some very difficult situations for the sole purpose of testifying once we are there. The next time you feel that you are in trouble for no reason, remember that. You might be at the hospital with symptoms because someone at the hospital needs to hear. You might be speaking to a government agent because they need to hear. It's a different way of looking at your life, I agree.
Verse 32 I quote often, because it provides the motivation for our witness. Who's to say that I will want to testify once I am in front of my accuser? Once I accept the fact that my confession of Jesus here on earth will result in His confession for me in heaven, I am quick to respond.
Verse 37-39 forces us to change our priorities and place service to Christ at the top. If I have anything in life that is more important to me than my relationship with God, satan will be able to exploit that to bring me down. Therefore, when I place Jesus in the highest priority in my life, I actually protect and preserve my life.
continuing to march,
PR
Friday, February 12, 2016
Mark 5
Once again we read of the man from whom Jesus cast out many demons. Remember, Jesus was on the southeastern shore of the sea of Galilee. In His day there were gentiles living there, not Jews. If they had been Jews, there certainly wouldn't have been any pigs! There must have been quite a few demons living in this man to infest 2,000 pigs. Here's something... By allowing the demons to enter the pigs Jesus effectively put a couple of people out of business. Whoever owned them must have been depending on them for a livelihood, and now they're gone. Maybe that speaks to the Lord's priorities. He is willing to cause short term harm...if it gives us the opportunity for long term good.
Turning our focus to Jairus for a moment, consider this: Jairus is a leader in the local synagogue. Most of the leaders are rebelling against Jesus (Pharisees and experts in the Law). I wonder if Jairus was a believer before his daughter was sick? If not, then he would be having a crisis just like the owners of the swine. Did his daughter's illness tip him into confessing his belief in Jesus? Or, was he already a believer and this was a temptation to doubt?
Either way, Jairus demonstrates the best practice: he goes to Jesus and falls at His feet, pleading for help. I wonder how many problems we could have victory over if we only followed his example? Who would still be alive today if we had humbled ourselves before Jesus? What ministries would be thriving? Who would be converted? Who wouldn't have wandered from the faith? What tragedies have we endured because we didn't run to Christ and plead for help?
I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to be impatient when I really want to see something happen. For instance, if Jesus agreed to heal my daughter, then I wouldn't want to stop and chat along the way. I would have no problem spending all the time He wanted AFTER my daughter is healed...but before...let's not. Instead, let's hurry to the task and accomplish it. After all, that is our purpose, right? To heal the daughter?
Maybe not. Or, maybe that's only a small part of the purpose. Maybe the real purpose was to demonstrate to a large group of people that Jesus is God, and as God He has authority over life and death. No one who believes in Him need be afraid of death. To the believer in Jesus, death is only sleeping. (maybe that was it).
Of course Jairus doesn't know any of that. He is quite possibly extending his faith as far as he can already...and now Jesus has stopped walking and is wondering who "touched him" in a crowd of people who are all touching Him. Good grief.
I consider this morning that there are a great number of people in our day who "crowd around" Jesus. They want to see the miracles, they want to be part of the moment...they are curious or thrill seekers, or something else. They are almost certainly bumping up against Jesus, and not a single one of them feels any healing power in themselves. How is it that Jesus was touched and jostled day after day and this is the only account of anyone receiving a "discharge" of healing power?
I have heard that Jewish tradition held that the tassels on the robe of the Messiah would contain healing power. By reaching out to touch the hem of the robe (where the tassels were) this woman is confessing her belief that Jesus is the Messiah. And anyone who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah will receive power from Him. Christ is completely aware of what is going on, even in the midst of the crowd. He isn't carried away in the moment, He doesn't miss the opportunity because He is too focused on Jairus. I might have been...but Jesus is not. His eye always has the Father in focus, and that keeps Him in the center of the Father's will. In the center of the Father's will is where all of us are complete and completely effective.
If only we would reach out in faith and touch the hem of Jesus. He is the only holy thing in all of creation that isn't contaminated once it comes in contact with something unclean. Anything touched by Jesus becomes whole, and holy. It becomes healed, functional and filled with joy. I suppose Jairus could have been thinking to himself "in just a few more minutes that is going to be me dancing for joy and thanking Jesus for helping me and my little girl".
But just at that moment....the bad news comes, the girl has died. Satan never misses an opportunity to encourage us to collapse in doubt and discouragement when a miracle is just around the corner. He always accuses and lies, and tries to rob us of our hope and faith.
Thank you Jesus, for whispering in our ear the same words you whispered to Jairus: "don't be afraid; just have faith". What miracles we would miss if we didn't act in faith!
I applaud Jairus this morning for his incredible testimony. His dogged pursuit of Jesus is an encouragement to me, his refusal to be sidetracked by doubt and fear are motivators for me as well. And the way that God worked in his life in power? Well, it fills me with hope that God will do the same for me.
I suppose that from that day on, every time Jairus looked at his daughter he was reminded of the great power of God. I hope that as his daughter grew into a young woman and had children of her own that she carried the faith with her. Scripture doesn't tell us what happened afterwards. Wouldn't it be a tragedy to have been healed by Jesus only to later surrender the faith?
have a wonderful day in Christ,
PR
Turning our focus to Jairus for a moment, consider this: Jairus is a leader in the local synagogue. Most of the leaders are rebelling against Jesus (Pharisees and experts in the Law). I wonder if Jairus was a believer before his daughter was sick? If not, then he would be having a crisis just like the owners of the swine. Did his daughter's illness tip him into confessing his belief in Jesus? Or, was he already a believer and this was a temptation to doubt?
Either way, Jairus demonstrates the best practice: he goes to Jesus and falls at His feet, pleading for help. I wonder how many problems we could have victory over if we only followed his example? Who would still be alive today if we had humbled ourselves before Jesus? What ministries would be thriving? Who would be converted? Who wouldn't have wandered from the faith? What tragedies have we endured because we didn't run to Christ and plead for help?
I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to be impatient when I really want to see something happen. For instance, if Jesus agreed to heal my daughter, then I wouldn't want to stop and chat along the way. I would have no problem spending all the time He wanted AFTER my daughter is healed...but before...let's not. Instead, let's hurry to the task and accomplish it. After all, that is our purpose, right? To heal the daughter?
Maybe not. Or, maybe that's only a small part of the purpose. Maybe the real purpose was to demonstrate to a large group of people that Jesus is God, and as God He has authority over life and death. No one who believes in Him need be afraid of death. To the believer in Jesus, death is only sleeping. (maybe that was it).
Of course Jairus doesn't know any of that. He is quite possibly extending his faith as far as he can already...and now Jesus has stopped walking and is wondering who "touched him" in a crowd of people who are all touching Him. Good grief.
I consider this morning that there are a great number of people in our day who "crowd around" Jesus. They want to see the miracles, they want to be part of the moment...they are curious or thrill seekers, or something else. They are almost certainly bumping up against Jesus, and not a single one of them feels any healing power in themselves. How is it that Jesus was touched and jostled day after day and this is the only account of anyone receiving a "discharge" of healing power?
I have heard that Jewish tradition held that the tassels on the robe of the Messiah would contain healing power. By reaching out to touch the hem of the robe (where the tassels were) this woman is confessing her belief that Jesus is the Messiah. And anyone who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah will receive power from Him. Christ is completely aware of what is going on, even in the midst of the crowd. He isn't carried away in the moment, He doesn't miss the opportunity because He is too focused on Jairus. I might have been...but Jesus is not. His eye always has the Father in focus, and that keeps Him in the center of the Father's will. In the center of the Father's will is where all of us are complete and completely effective.
If only we would reach out in faith and touch the hem of Jesus. He is the only holy thing in all of creation that isn't contaminated once it comes in contact with something unclean. Anything touched by Jesus becomes whole, and holy. It becomes healed, functional and filled with joy. I suppose Jairus could have been thinking to himself "in just a few more minutes that is going to be me dancing for joy and thanking Jesus for helping me and my little girl".
But just at that moment....the bad news comes, the girl has died. Satan never misses an opportunity to encourage us to collapse in doubt and discouragement when a miracle is just around the corner. He always accuses and lies, and tries to rob us of our hope and faith.
Thank you Jesus, for whispering in our ear the same words you whispered to Jairus: "don't be afraid; just have faith". What miracles we would miss if we didn't act in faith!
I applaud Jairus this morning for his incredible testimony. His dogged pursuit of Jesus is an encouragement to me, his refusal to be sidetracked by doubt and fear are motivators for me as well. And the way that God worked in his life in power? Well, it fills me with hope that God will do the same for me.
I suppose that from that day on, every time Jairus looked at his daughter he was reminded of the great power of God. I hope that as his daughter grew into a young woman and had children of her own that she carried the faith with her. Scripture doesn't tell us what happened afterwards. Wouldn't it be a tragedy to have been healed by Jesus only to later surrender the faith?
have a wonderful day in Christ,
PR
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Mark 4
Most of what we read today we also read yesterday...which frees me up to think about some of the smaller details. For instance: "why would Jesus deliberately talk to people in a way that He knew they wouldn't understand?" Isn't the point of His ministry to win people into the kingdom of God? How does talking in parables help with that?
Well, actually the main thrust of Christ's ministry wasn't to convert the masses. When we read the rest of the passage, you hear Jesus saying that the Kingdom will "start small and grow larger". If Jesus converted everyone, then it would have started large. The main purpose of Christ's ministry (as it pertains to education) was to train the disciples to replicate themselves while sharing the Good News. That ensures a widespread sharing of the Gospel over many years. Another purpose was to prove that He was truly God...and that was done by fulfilling prophecies that were made about Him many years ago. In this case, the Messiah is prophesied to speak and not be understood. Jesus could have spoken plainly to everyone, but then it wouldn't have fulfilled the prophesy. In fact, had he spoken plainly, it could have had the opposite effect. Some could say "listen, we all understand and respond to what He is saying...when the Messiah comes people won't listen".
Another part of this scenario focuses on the condition of the listener, instead of the speaker. While a speaker may talk plainly, it is possible for a listener to completely miss the point because they aren't hearing it correctly. When I was in school, I heard every single word the math teacher said... and I still didn't understand algebra. I speak very plainly to my children (at least I think I do) and while I am talking I can see that they don't hear a word I am saying.
I think something like that was going on when Jesus spoke to the crowds, because we hear the parables today and we can draw the right conclusions....they were either distracted or not interested. Or, maybe the Holy Spirit is giving us more insight than we know!
Attempting to listen intently,
PR
Well, actually the main thrust of Christ's ministry wasn't to convert the masses. When we read the rest of the passage, you hear Jesus saying that the Kingdom will "start small and grow larger". If Jesus converted everyone, then it would have started large. The main purpose of Christ's ministry (as it pertains to education) was to train the disciples to replicate themselves while sharing the Good News. That ensures a widespread sharing of the Gospel over many years. Another purpose was to prove that He was truly God...and that was done by fulfilling prophecies that were made about Him many years ago. In this case, the Messiah is prophesied to speak and not be understood. Jesus could have spoken plainly to everyone, but then it wouldn't have fulfilled the prophesy. In fact, had he spoken plainly, it could have had the opposite effect. Some could say "listen, we all understand and respond to what He is saying...when the Messiah comes people won't listen".
Another part of this scenario focuses on the condition of the listener, instead of the speaker. While a speaker may talk plainly, it is possible for a listener to completely miss the point because they aren't hearing it correctly. When I was in school, I heard every single word the math teacher said... and I still didn't understand algebra. I speak very plainly to my children (at least I think I do) and while I am talking I can see that they don't hear a word I am saying.
I think something like that was going on when Jesus spoke to the crowds, because we hear the parables today and we can draw the right conclusions....they were either distracted or not interested. Or, maybe the Holy Spirit is giving us more insight than we know!
Attempting to listen intently,
PR
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Luke 8
I confess to deriving some pleasure from watching my co-pastor squirm when we encounter people or passages of scripture that encourage us toward a subordinate role for women in the church. It's probably part of my carnal nature....but I enjoy bringing up 1 Timothy 2:11-12 just to watch the ladies become frustrated. I agree that it's immature...I'll work on it.
My actions however, do reveal a difference in the way we interpret what the Bible has to say about who should lead, and preach. Even when I am pretending to take the position that women should remain silent and never preach, in reality what I believe is exactly the opposite. And, I take this passage as a clue as to how Jesus viewed the ministry of women. In His day, women were considered as second class, but Jesus had them very close to Him. Some of these were powerful women..at the very least they had the ear of someone in power. I don't think you would have wanted to cross Joanna, she was almost certainly personally known by Herod and her husband was one of his most trusted partners. At the same time, Mary Magdalene is there from whom Jesus has cast out seven demons. A short time from now Jesus is going to deny a man from whom He casts out many demons the privilege of traveling with him...but Mary is afforded the same privilege.
In this chapter Jesus challenges our perception of reality. He says that His mother and brothers are the people who do God's will, not simply the family He was born into. Could that understanding help shape the way we see women? They are very much co-heirs with men. I wonder sometimes if gender will even be a distinction in heaven. Jesus himself says we won't marry or be married in heaven. Maybe the reason we argue over the role of women in the church is because our understanding is too limited. We see only the surface, when Christ sees much more. I hint at this because I see great and powerful ministries happening with women in charge. God appears to be blessing them, and He doesn't bless disobedience. Again, I don't see anywhere in Scripture that the Holy Spirit decides who gets what gift based on their gender. If the Spirit gifts you to preach or teach, then do it; in any way that is appropriate.
One other quick thought here. This passage is revealing the absolute power of Jesus over things out of control. The sea is out of control, and because it is, the disciples are filled with fear. When Jesus calms it, they begin to wonder about Him...because He clearly has great power. Moments later they encounter a man who is out of control. The townspeople have become used to having the madman run around naked in the cemetery. But when Jesus calms him, they become afraid! Why? Wouldn't you think they would come out of town celebrating, thanking Jesus for doing what they couldn't do? No. In our original nature we are only comfortable interacting with things we can control, and Jesus is "out of our control". He reminds us simply by His actions that there are powers to which we must submit...and He is in control of those powers. The wise person immediately bows and makes every attempt to get Jesus "on their side". Seriously. This is the creator, and if He is of a mind to do so, you or I can be dissolved in a moment.
The people of the town were afraid because they had encountered a powerful force that they didn't understand, and didn't know anything about. Instead of learning about Jesus, and discovering that He was benevolent towards them (as the disciples had already done) they chose to run away in fear. Those who run away and refuse to listen are like the seed that falls on hard ground, and the devil makes sure they have no chance to receive the message.
This is getting a little long...but I wonder about why the demons wanted to go into living things, even though within in two minutes they were drown. The demons didn't want to go into the abyss...but as soon as the inhabited the pigs they ran directly into the abyss. What? They didn't want to be without something to inhabit, and by their own actions they were without something to inhabit. It sounds to me as if their thinking is seriously compromised. I wonder if one of the results of being apart from God is a complete breakdown in logic.
The account of Jairus deserves more attention than I am prepared to give it today. I'll discuss it when it comes up again in a day or two.
Serving the one who is beyond my control
PR
My actions however, do reveal a difference in the way we interpret what the Bible has to say about who should lead, and preach. Even when I am pretending to take the position that women should remain silent and never preach, in reality what I believe is exactly the opposite. And, I take this passage as a clue as to how Jesus viewed the ministry of women. In His day, women were considered as second class, but Jesus had them very close to Him. Some of these were powerful women..at the very least they had the ear of someone in power. I don't think you would have wanted to cross Joanna, she was almost certainly personally known by Herod and her husband was one of his most trusted partners. At the same time, Mary Magdalene is there from whom Jesus has cast out seven demons. A short time from now Jesus is going to deny a man from whom He casts out many demons the privilege of traveling with him...but Mary is afforded the same privilege.
In this chapter Jesus challenges our perception of reality. He says that His mother and brothers are the people who do God's will, not simply the family He was born into. Could that understanding help shape the way we see women? They are very much co-heirs with men. I wonder sometimes if gender will even be a distinction in heaven. Jesus himself says we won't marry or be married in heaven. Maybe the reason we argue over the role of women in the church is because our understanding is too limited. We see only the surface, when Christ sees much more. I hint at this because I see great and powerful ministries happening with women in charge. God appears to be blessing them, and He doesn't bless disobedience. Again, I don't see anywhere in Scripture that the Holy Spirit decides who gets what gift based on their gender. If the Spirit gifts you to preach or teach, then do it; in any way that is appropriate.
One other quick thought here. This passage is revealing the absolute power of Jesus over things out of control. The sea is out of control, and because it is, the disciples are filled with fear. When Jesus calms it, they begin to wonder about Him...because He clearly has great power. Moments later they encounter a man who is out of control. The townspeople have become used to having the madman run around naked in the cemetery. But when Jesus calms him, they become afraid! Why? Wouldn't you think they would come out of town celebrating, thanking Jesus for doing what they couldn't do? No. In our original nature we are only comfortable interacting with things we can control, and Jesus is "out of our control". He reminds us simply by His actions that there are powers to which we must submit...and He is in control of those powers. The wise person immediately bows and makes every attempt to get Jesus "on their side". Seriously. This is the creator, and if He is of a mind to do so, you or I can be dissolved in a moment.
The people of the town were afraid because they had encountered a powerful force that they didn't understand, and didn't know anything about. Instead of learning about Jesus, and discovering that He was benevolent towards them (as the disciples had already done) they chose to run away in fear. Those who run away and refuse to listen are like the seed that falls on hard ground, and the devil makes sure they have no chance to receive the message.
This is getting a little long...but I wonder about why the demons wanted to go into living things, even though within in two minutes they were drown. The demons didn't want to go into the abyss...but as soon as the inhabited the pigs they ran directly into the abyss. What? They didn't want to be without something to inhabit, and by their own actions they were without something to inhabit. It sounds to me as if their thinking is seriously compromised. I wonder if one of the results of being apart from God is a complete breakdown in logic.
The account of Jairus deserves more attention than I am prepared to give it today. I'll discuss it when it comes up again in a day or two.
Serving the one who is beyond my control
PR
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Matthew 13
This passage begins with Jesus speaking about how we should grow, and concludes with images of what happens when we are fully grown. In other words, it speaks of planting and of harvesting. When we talk about Christianity and planting, it begins with someone sharing the need for salvation, and the way to accept Jesus as Savior. The word "Gospel" simply means "Good News". So when we share the Gospel, we are planting the seeds into peoples lives.
The first part of this teaching has greatly helped me in my ministry, because it prepares me for what happens when the Gospel is shared. Some will listen, and some will not. Some will be excited and initially look like they are going to be people who will stick around... only to fall away later. Knowing this helps me to be less disappointed when I see it happen. Of course, there is always some disappointment, but this softens it somewhat.
When I was in Israel a guide explained this to me in a way that really helped. In Israel, a large portion of the farming is done on hillsides, and the terrain is very rocky. So, you have a terraced spot that is fertile ground, with a footpath right beside it. The footpath is usually worn down to almost bare rock, with some light accumulation of dirt along the edges. When the farmer is scattering his seed, he isn't deliberately wasting it on the footpath, but it's so narrow that you can't help but have seed go there. That's why you have the description that you do. No successful farmer takes valuable seed and scatters it in the thorn bushes....that wouldn't make sense. But the different soils are so close together that you can't avoid it.
That idea dovetails into the rest of this passage. Those who are earnestly seeking God are rubbing elbows everyday with people who don't want anything to do with Him...or people who want to be associated with God, but don't want Him to be Lord of their life. Jesus tells us that we should expect to see this occurring, and He encourages us with this thought "it will all be made right at the final judgment".
Don't be discouraged when you see the wicked flourish. Don't be depressed when you see people who don't know God seem to get further ahead than what you do. At the end of days, God is going looking for "wheat", and He won't be keeping any "weeds" no matter how tall they have grown.
I want to make it my personal goal to grow more each day to be like Christ, and in His time, to be mature enough to share the Gospel effectively with the right people so that there may be a great harvest in heaven. Even if I don't survive (in this life) to witness the whole event myself.
Growing in Jesus,
PR
The first part of this teaching has greatly helped me in my ministry, because it prepares me for what happens when the Gospel is shared. Some will listen, and some will not. Some will be excited and initially look like they are going to be people who will stick around... only to fall away later. Knowing this helps me to be less disappointed when I see it happen. Of course, there is always some disappointment, but this softens it somewhat.
When I was in Israel a guide explained this to me in a way that really helped. In Israel, a large portion of the farming is done on hillsides, and the terrain is very rocky. So, you have a terraced spot that is fertile ground, with a footpath right beside it. The footpath is usually worn down to almost bare rock, with some light accumulation of dirt along the edges. When the farmer is scattering his seed, he isn't deliberately wasting it on the footpath, but it's so narrow that you can't help but have seed go there. That's why you have the description that you do. No successful farmer takes valuable seed and scatters it in the thorn bushes....that wouldn't make sense. But the different soils are so close together that you can't avoid it.
That idea dovetails into the rest of this passage. Those who are earnestly seeking God are rubbing elbows everyday with people who don't want anything to do with Him...or people who want to be associated with God, but don't want Him to be Lord of their life. Jesus tells us that we should expect to see this occurring, and He encourages us with this thought "it will all be made right at the final judgment".
Don't be discouraged when you see the wicked flourish. Don't be depressed when you see people who don't know God seem to get further ahead than what you do. At the end of days, God is going looking for "wheat", and He won't be keeping any "weeds" no matter how tall they have grown.
I want to make it my personal goal to grow more each day to be like Christ, and in His time, to be mature enough to share the Gospel effectively with the right people so that there may be a great harvest in heaven. Even if I don't survive (in this life) to witness the whole event myself.
Growing in Jesus,
PR
Monday, February 8, 2016
Luke 11
People are divided on the subject of knowing how to pray. Some recommend using a pattern (such as ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) and others say to pray whatever comes into your mind. I suppose that a balance of both ways is the best idea. I don't want my prayer life to be only a long list of things that I am asking for, and a formula that forces me to spend time telling God how much I adore Him could be a good thing. On the other hand, I don't want to reduce my time of prayer to a "checklist" either. In this passage I don't think Jesus is giving the disciples a formula that they need to use every time they pray. Instead He is showing them the sort of things they need to be praying about. We should revere the name of the Lord, we should ask for daily help and protection, etc. Rather than simply repeating the words, we should be echoing the sentiment in our extemporaneous prayers.
There are two things that really grab me today: First, the idea that someone could be so disconnected from God that they accuse God of operating under the power of the devil. I suppose that sort of thing stills goes on today. You can get some pretty intense emotional responses when you begin talking about what the Bible says about alternative lifestyles, addictions or abortion. People will accuse you of being evil...when you are actually good.
The second thing is the forceful way that Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and the legal experts. He really is coming down hard on them. He was invited to their house for dinner, but that gesture doesn't seem to have affected His delivery at all. If I were a Pharisee, I would be squirming and probably pretty angry. I suspect that I would have felt insulted, and my pride would be hurt. Here's the thing: Jesus isn't holding back to protect their feelings. It isn't because He doesn't love them, it's because they have been running roughshod over the people they were meant to take care of for generations. They have been prideful, arrogant and entitled, and now the Master is back to take them to task. The right thing to do would be to cry out in shame and repentance and ask for forgiveness. But their hearts are so hardened that they don't even feel shame....only anger.
The Bible tells us that one day each of us will stand in front of God himself to hear His judgment on what we have done with our lives. If we have been prideful and arrogant, we can expect to be cast into hell. Even though God loves us all, there is no indication in the Scripture that He is going to
"cut everyone a break" on judgment day. Just like He chewed out the Pharisees, He will take everyone to task that hasn't obeyed Him.
Thinking of that, we should be thankful when God rebukes us now, while we still have time to repent and get right with Him. No one wants to hear God say that He isn't pleased with what we are doing. But better to be humbled here and exalted on Judgment Day, instead of vice versa.
Thankful for even the hard messages from Jesus,
PR
There are two things that really grab me today: First, the idea that someone could be so disconnected from God that they accuse God of operating under the power of the devil. I suppose that sort of thing stills goes on today. You can get some pretty intense emotional responses when you begin talking about what the Bible says about alternative lifestyles, addictions or abortion. People will accuse you of being evil...when you are actually good.
The second thing is the forceful way that Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and the legal experts. He really is coming down hard on them. He was invited to their house for dinner, but that gesture doesn't seem to have affected His delivery at all. If I were a Pharisee, I would be squirming and probably pretty angry. I suspect that I would have felt insulted, and my pride would be hurt. Here's the thing: Jesus isn't holding back to protect their feelings. It isn't because He doesn't love them, it's because they have been running roughshod over the people they were meant to take care of for generations. They have been prideful, arrogant and entitled, and now the Master is back to take them to task. The right thing to do would be to cry out in shame and repentance and ask for forgiveness. But their hearts are so hardened that they don't even feel shame....only anger.
The Bible tells us that one day each of us will stand in front of God himself to hear His judgment on what we have done with our lives. If we have been prideful and arrogant, we can expect to be cast into hell. Even though God loves us all, there is no indication in the Scripture that He is going to
"cut everyone a break" on judgment day. Just like He chewed out the Pharisees, He will take everyone to task that hasn't obeyed Him.
Thinking of that, we should be thankful when God rebukes us now, while we still have time to repent and get right with Him. No one wants to hear God say that He isn't pleased with what we are doing. But better to be humbled here and exalted on Judgment Day, instead of vice versa.
Thankful for even the hard messages from Jesus,
PR
Friday, February 5, 2016
Matthew 11
I was talking with a fellow pastor a few weeks ago and he referenced this passage. We were talking about how God has been doing incredible things in our churches, and in our lives, and yet he found himself wondering if his faith was truly genuine. Can you imagine? Here's a guy who has seen God work miracles right in front of him, and he finds himself wondering.
That might be where John the Baptist was...have you ever thought about that?
John clearly knew that Jesus is the Messiah. He says as much when he calls attention to him. He sees heaven opened when he baptizes him, and he must have heard reports back about how Jesus was performing miracles. So why would he send several disciples to ask "are you the one we have been expecting, or is there someone else?" Maybe it was because the devil was whispering in Johns ear, telling him "Jesus is your cousin, he can't be God...how can your cousin be God?" Maybe John expected Jesus to behave in a different way. All the Jews thought the Messiah would be a conquerer...John didn't see Jesus advancing to power. Maybe John didn't consider himself to be the manifestation of Elijah...who knows. We will probably never know exactly why John was curious. What's important to realize is that honest, intent, serious Christians can sometimes get caught up in a wave of doubt. It doesn't mean you aren't genuine...it means you are human. We can't stop the devil from whispering lies, and every once in a while we hear one too clearly. John does the right thing. He doesn't let his doubt simmer and grow. He goes right to Jesus and gets an answer. Jesus answers in a way that will completely put John's mind at ease. John knows the sort of things that the Messiah is going to do...and Jesus simply says "I'm doing those things". That's enough for John, he has his answer.
Jesus goes on to say that there isn't anyone born of man who is greater than John, so being tempted to doubt isn't a disqualifier in your spiritual life. And think of this...anyone who goes to heaven will be even greater than John. What must we be in heaven? It certainly is going to be incredible!
I've read the passage many times about the kids singing a song in the city square and wasn't quite sure what it meant. But the New Living Translation words it differently enough that I derive this meaning: The people of Jesus' day who opposed Him (the ones He refers to when He says that 'forceful people oppose the Gospel') weren't going to be happy no matter what the messenger did. They didn't like the message, so they immediately criticized the messenger. They said John was demon possessed, and Jesus was a drunk and a glutton. No matter what Jesus did, they weren't going to be happy.
Sometimes we encounter those types of people in our lives. They oppose the message (even if it isn't openly) and that manifests itself by criticizing the messenger. No matter what you do, you aren't going to make them happy. What should we do then? I suggest that we treat them with love, not compromise the message at all and continue on our journey. After all, we aren't taking this path to please men anyway....right?
Blessings,
PR
That might be where John the Baptist was...have you ever thought about that?
John clearly knew that Jesus is the Messiah. He says as much when he calls attention to him. He sees heaven opened when he baptizes him, and he must have heard reports back about how Jesus was performing miracles. So why would he send several disciples to ask "are you the one we have been expecting, or is there someone else?" Maybe it was because the devil was whispering in Johns ear, telling him "Jesus is your cousin, he can't be God...how can your cousin be God?" Maybe John expected Jesus to behave in a different way. All the Jews thought the Messiah would be a conquerer...John didn't see Jesus advancing to power. Maybe John didn't consider himself to be the manifestation of Elijah...who knows. We will probably never know exactly why John was curious. What's important to realize is that honest, intent, serious Christians can sometimes get caught up in a wave of doubt. It doesn't mean you aren't genuine...it means you are human. We can't stop the devil from whispering lies, and every once in a while we hear one too clearly. John does the right thing. He doesn't let his doubt simmer and grow. He goes right to Jesus and gets an answer. Jesus answers in a way that will completely put John's mind at ease. John knows the sort of things that the Messiah is going to do...and Jesus simply says "I'm doing those things". That's enough for John, he has his answer.
Jesus goes on to say that there isn't anyone born of man who is greater than John, so being tempted to doubt isn't a disqualifier in your spiritual life. And think of this...anyone who goes to heaven will be even greater than John. What must we be in heaven? It certainly is going to be incredible!
I've read the passage many times about the kids singing a song in the city square and wasn't quite sure what it meant. But the New Living Translation words it differently enough that I derive this meaning: The people of Jesus' day who opposed Him (the ones He refers to when He says that 'forceful people oppose the Gospel') weren't going to be happy no matter what the messenger did. They didn't like the message, so they immediately criticized the messenger. They said John was demon possessed, and Jesus was a drunk and a glutton. No matter what Jesus did, they weren't going to be happy.
Sometimes we encounter those types of people in our lives. They oppose the message (even if it isn't openly) and that manifests itself by criticizing the messenger. No matter what you do, you aren't going to make them happy. What should we do then? I suggest that we treat them with love, not compromise the message at all and continue on our journey. After all, we aren't taking this path to please men anyway....right?
Blessings,
PR
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Luke 7
The faith of the Roman Centurion is sought after by most Christians. But today as I put myself in his place, I find that I would want Jesus to come to the house. It's not that I don't believe Jesus could heal from a distance, I know He can. I would be curious to see Jesus, and watch the miracle unfold in front of my eyes.
I can't help but imagine that the soldier was curious in the same way, but he denied himself the pleasure of even Christ's visit. Every time you read your Bible you see new things...and today the new thing I see is the humility of this Centurion. He was willing to forego his meeting with Jesus because he realized how unworthy he truly was.
Would I be disappointed if a very famous or powerful person were on their way to see me, and then had to cancel? Sure, I'd probably be frustrated by that. It would be a real let down to think you were going to see someone really special and then at the last minute miss seeing them. Think of this: the Centurion willingly set aside the opportunity to see Jesus. That's true humility and self denial. And combine that with the faith he has already shown...no wonder Jesus was impressed with him.
Jesus did so many miracles that we couldn't possibly have a record of them all. This miracle with the Centurion was even more special. Here's another thought: The Centurion willingly made himself "invisible" to Jesus in humility; and Jesus in return made him famous for all time by inspiring the writers of the Gospel to include his story. In being humble, he became more famous than he ever would have had he indulged himself. (There's a powerful life lesson in there).
John the Baptist's encounter will come up again tomorrow, and the interaction with the sinful woman will be mentioned again later, so I'll reserve comment on them until later.
The other thing mentioned in this chapter is the raising of the widows son. The message is clear: Jesus has power over life and death. Only God has power over life and death. Jesus is God.
Jesus certainly must have seen funerals before this. Why bring back this young man? I guess it was compassion for his mother that motivated Jesus to action. We forget sometimes that when we lose a loved one, Jesus is sad too. He isn't grieving because he has lost something...Jesus never loses anything. He knows where our loved ones are, and can be in contact with them any time He wants. No, he grieves because He feels compassion for us, and we are grieving.
I'm glad to be serving a God who not only is powerful, but who cares for me, and is capable of feeling the same way that I feel.
On the narrow path,
PR
I can't help but imagine that the soldier was curious in the same way, but he denied himself the pleasure of even Christ's visit. Every time you read your Bible you see new things...and today the new thing I see is the humility of this Centurion. He was willing to forego his meeting with Jesus because he realized how unworthy he truly was.
Would I be disappointed if a very famous or powerful person were on their way to see me, and then had to cancel? Sure, I'd probably be frustrated by that. It would be a real let down to think you were going to see someone really special and then at the last minute miss seeing them. Think of this: the Centurion willingly set aside the opportunity to see Jesus. That's true humility and self denial. And combine that with the faith he has already shown...no wonder Jesus was impressed with him.
Jesus did so many miracles that we couldn't possibly have a record of them all. This miracle with the Centurion was even more special. Here's another thought: The Centurion willingly made himself "invisible" to Jesus in humility; and Jesus in return made him famous for all time by inspiring the writers of the Gospel to include his story. In being humble, he became more famous than he ever would have had he indulged himself. (There's a powerful life lesson in there).
John the Baptist's encounter will come up again tomorrow, and the interaction with the sinful woman will be mentioned again later, so I'll reserve comment on them until later.
The other thing mentioned in this chapter is the raising of the widows son. The message is clear: Jesus has power over life and death. Only God has power over life and death. Jesus is God.
Jesus certainly must have seen funerals before this. Why bring back this young man? I guess it was compassion for his mother that motivated Jesus to action. We forget sometimes that when we lose a loved one, Jesus is sad too. He isn't grieving because he has lost something...Jesus never loses anything. He knows where our loved ones are, and can be in contact with them any time He wants. No, he grieves because He feels compassion for us, and we are grieving.
I'm glad to be serving a God who not only is powerful, but who cares for me, and is capable of feeling the same way that I feel.
On the narrow path,
PR
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Matthew 9
A few weeks ago when we read Matthew 8 Jesus was on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. As He traveled there via boat with several of His disciples, a severe storm blew in, and almost capsized the boat. Jesus calmed the waves (and His disciples). Once on the other side, He healed a demon possessed man, commanding the demons to enter into pigs. After spending some time sharing in that area, He is now returning back to the west side of the Sea. In Jesus' day, the east side was occupied by non-Jews. It was referred to as the "Decapolis" (10 cities), and although the Jews were familiar with them, they didn't accept them as religious equals. The west side of the Sea is where the Jews lived (mostly). The northwest region of the Sea is where the majority of Jesus' miracles take place. Capernaum is located on the sea in this area.
In Luke 5 the parable of the wineskins is shared, just like it is here...except there is one more verse. In Mark and Matthew they don't add the last line that is found in Luke 5:39 "and no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, "the old is better".
In my Bible the study notes explain that Jesus was telling the disciples that people are reluctant to change...that's why they prefer the old wine.
Bear with me a second here....this passage really gets under my skin..
I don't think that's what Jesus was implying at all. In order for that to be true, Jesus would be saying that "fasting is the old way and I am doing things a new way" But He isn't saying that. He's saying "it isn't the right time for fasting now". There will be a time for it, and then it will be the exact right thing to be doing. I don't think Jesus was saying "I am doing something new and wonderful that you can't possibly ever be a part of, because you are an old wineskin and you can't handle what I'm up to." No way. None of the disciples had a clue at this point... and these were godly men who followed John the Baptist. They weren't heathens, they were interested, intent practicing Jewish men who knew what John said about Jesus and were simply curious as to why His practice didn't match their own.
What bothers me is when we use this passage in the church to imply that the new thing we are doing is better than the old and cannot be embraced or received by those who are older (or anyone who isn't on board with the new idea). I'm not implying that every new idea is good, or that good ideas aren't ever rejected unfairly...I'm just saying that this passage won't support the premise. Here's why:
Old wine is better than new wine. Anyone who knows anything knows that wine becomes better with age. New wine needs to ferment, and release some gas before it's any good, so we put it in a new wineskin that can move with it. It isn't better...it's just in a different stage of the process. Someday the very same wine in the very same wineskins will be sought after and valued. But not so much today...because it's new.
It's easy to be confused, because the new garment is better than the old garment (as a general rule). If Jesus hadn't mentioned the wineskins, we could conclude that new is better. But since the wineskins are mentioned...it cancels out that thought.
So what about the garments? Jesus is saying that there is a time and process for everything, and all things will be done in order, at the right time. Don't ruin what is going on now by trying to add what should happen later to it. It's too early for fasting. Fasting will come, and it will be right...but it isn't right at the moment.
There are seasons in the church. There are times to celebrate, times to be sad, times to learn and times to hang out and fellowship. There are times to build and times to tear down..(hey, isn't this in Ecclesiastes..?) The important thing is to understand that it's a process.
We wouldn't be gloomy and sad at a wedding, but it might be appropriate at a funeral, or on good Friday. In the same way, we shouldn't demand that new Christians do everything that more seasoned mature Christians do.
When we are young in the faith we haven't "fermented" yet. We still need to let off a little "gas" and we need a family that understands that. I think this passage could tie into the passage about "a bruised reed I will not break" without disrupting the original thought.
Enjoying the journey, letting off some gas....
PR
In Luke 5 the parable of the wineskins is shared, just like it is here...except there is one more verse. In Mark and Matthew they don't add the last line that is found in Luke 5:39 "and no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, "the old is better".
In my Bible the study notes explain that Jesus was telling the disciples that people are reluctant to change...that's why they prefer the old wine.
Bear with me a second here....this passage really gets under my skin..
I don't think that's what Jesus was implying at all. In order for that to be true, Jesus would be saying that "fasting is the old way and I am doing things a new way" But He isn't saying that. He's saying "it isn't the right time for fasting now". There will be a time for it, and then it will be the exact right thing to be doing. I don't think Jesus was saying "I am doing something new and wonderful that you can't possibly ever be a part of, because you are an old wineskin and you can't handle what I'm up to." No way. None of the disciples had a clue at this point... and these were godly men who followed John the Baptist. They weren't heathens, they were interested, intent practicing Jewish men who knew what John said about Jesus and were simply curious as to why His practice didn't match their own.
What bothers me is when we use this passage in the church to imply that the new thing we are doing is better than the old and cannot be embraced or received by those who are older (or anyone who isn't on board with the new idea). I'm not implying that every new idea is good, or that good ideas aren't ever rejected unfairly...I'm just saying that this passage won't support the premise. Here's why:
Old wine is better than new wine. Anyone who knows anything knows that wine becomes better with age. New wine needs to ferment, and release some gas before it's any good, so we put it in a new wineskin that can move with it. It isn't better...it's just in a different stage of the process. Someday the very same wine in the very same wineskins will be sought after and valued. But not so much today...because it's new.
It's easy to be confused, because the new garment is better than the old garment (as a general rule). If Jesus hadn't mentioned the wineskins, we could conclude that new is better. But since the wineskins are mentioned...it cancels out that thought.
So what about the garments? Jesus is saying that there is a time and process for everything, and all things will be done in order, at the right time. Don't ruin what is going on now by trying to add what should happen later to it. It's too early for fasting. Fasting will come, and it will be right...but it isn't right at the moment.
There are seasons in the church. There are times to celebrate, times to be sad, times to learn and times to hang out and fellowship. There are times to build and times to tear down..(hey, isn't this in Ecclesiastes..?) The important thing is to understand that it's a process.
We wouldn't be gloomy and sad at a wedding, but it might be appropriate at a funeral, or on good Friday. In the same way, we shouldn't demand that new Christians do everything that more seasoned mature Christians do.
When we are young in the faith we haven't "fermented" yet. We still need to let off a little "gas" and we need a family that understands that. I think this passage could tie into the passage about "a bruised reed I will not break" without disrupting the original thought.
Enjoying the journey, letting off some gas....
PR
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Matthew 7
We are told not to judge others, but in verse 15 we are also encouraged to identify those who aren't really disciples, but say they are. (false teachers). What's the difference? One obvious difference is WHO you are making a judgment about. In the beginning of the chapter we are cautioned not to make judgments about sins in the lives of other believers. In the second passage Jesus is talking about unbelievers who are pretending to be leaders and teachers.
Since we are also told not to use what is holy on those who are unholy, we understand that there is a precedent to decide who is really a Christian and who isn't. Given that, we need to know how to make that judgment. Again an obvious way is by what they say (if they confess Jesus as Lord, that's a good indication). And a second way is by their fruit. Every Christian will display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) in some way. So, don't sit in judgment of other Christians just because they aren't doing what you are doing. But if someone who is leading or teaching comes to the church, they should absolutely be evaluated.
Because of what we are teaching on in the church right now, verses 21 and 24 leap off the page at me. God isn't going to accept everyone who says they are a Christian into heaven...only those who obey Him. And we cannot obey Jesus without the constant help of the Holy Spirit. If you could, then Christ wouldn't have sent Him. We need day to day help to remain obedient. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are powerful and can remain steadfast. There is no reason to believe that at person who is operating under the Holy Spirit's power will ever remain in sin.
Praise the Lord!
PR
Since we are also told not to use what is holy on those who are unholy, we understand that there is a precedent to decide who is really a Christian and who isn't. Given that, we need to know how to make that judgment. Again an obvious way is by what they say (if they confess Jesus as Lord, that's a good indication). And a second way is by their fruit. Every Christian will display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) in some way. So, don't sit in judgment of other Christians just because they aren't doing what you are doing. But if someone who is leading or teaching comes to the church, they should absolutely be evaluated.
Because of what we are teaching on in the church right now, verses 21 and 24 leap off the page at me. God isn't going to accept everyone who says they are a Christian into heaven...only those who obey Him. And we cannot obey Jesus without the constant help of the Holy Spirit. If you could, then Christ wouldn't have sent Him. We need day to day help to remain obedient. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are powerful and can remain steadfast. There is no reason to believe that at person who is operating under the Holy Spirit's power will ever remain in sin.
Praise the Lord!
PR
Monday, February 1, 2016
Matthew 6
Notes to my children from Matthew 6
6:1-8 Remember, the focus here is on not bragging about what you do. If someone finds out that you were kind or you were praying, fine. But don't make a big production out of it, trying to gain some recognition. Be content to know that Jesus sees what you do, that's enough.
6:9-13 The Lord's prayer. It's not an incantation that you should repeat verbatim so that you receive things. It's a model of the spirit in which we should pray. Make God first in your life, desire to do His will, trust in Him for daily needs and treat others in the same way that God has treated you. Specifically, you have been forgiven a great deal. Imitate that forgiveness for others.
6:14 tells us how important forgiveness is. If you don't forgive, then you aren't forgiven. Think about this: what would the world look like if we forgave each other when we did something wrong? How many wars would never be fought? Without war there is a greater likelihood of prosperity...how many countries would have clean water, food and medication if we simply learned to forgive one another, and not hold onto offenses? Children have a better chance of becoming normal healthy adults when their parents are together. What if we learned to forgive each other in our families? How much different would our society be? Our prisons might be half full, and our police departments fully funded. This isn't rocket science, but it has more potential to change the world than rocket science does.
6:19-34 Greed is the foundation for all kinds of evil. I was talking about war a moment ago...many wars are fought based on greed. Robberies, Auto theft, workplace theft, etc. all based on greed. Everyone of us pays the price for greed. Our insurance rates are higher, our gasoline prices are higher. It's possible that our whole system of commerce is based on greed. It's not based on what the product is intrinsically worth, it's based on "how much can I get out of it"? Greed from the top or the bottom of the social order translates into higher prices, and we have them both.
Why is our first thought to spend everything we have on ourselves? That's greedy. and it's out of focus. The passage about "your eye is a lamp" seems to me to be talking about how we process what we see. If every time we see something new we say "I want that" our lamp is bad. We could be greedy and not even know it! It would be wise for us to pray that God would take any hint of greed out of our lives.
Think of this: when we greedily hoard away money, resources....whatever.. we are in effect saying that we cannot trust God to provide for us in the future. I don't want to go overboard here....it is possible that God is providing NOW for future events, so you need to prepare wisely. (I'm thinking of how Joseph was told about 7 years of plenty, to be followed by 7 years of famine in Genesis) There is such a thing as godly planning ahead for your future. But I also think we have to balance that thought against what our expectations and plans for the future are. Here's what I mean: planning for the future is fine, but are you planning to live more luxuriously in the future than you do now? Have you talked to God about that? Maybe if we asked God what He wanted us to put away for the future it would look a little different than what we are currently planning.
For some it would be a call to save more and spend less now. For others it would be to give more generously now and save less for later.
Don't let greed and desire for things get it's teeth into you. It is a hard and unpleasant process to break the hold that greed has on us. Better not to be caught up in it in the first place.
thinking aloud,
PR
6:1-8 Remember, the focus here is on not bragging about what you do. If someone finds out that you were kind or you were praying, fine. But don't make a big production out of it, trying to gain some recognition. Be content to know that Jesus sees what you do, that's enough.
6:9-13 The Lord's prayer. It's not an incantation that you should repeat verbatim so that you receive things. It's a model of the spirit in which we should pray. Make God first in your life, desire to do His will, trust in Him for daily needs and treat others in the same way that God has treated you. Specifically, you have been forgiven a great deal. Imitate that forgiveness for others.
6:14 tells us how important forgiveness is. If you don't forgive, then you aren't forgiven. Think about this: what would the world look like if we forgave each other when we did something wrong? How many wars would never be fought? Without war there is a greater likelihood of prosperity...how many countries would have clean water, food and medication if we simply learned to forgive one another, and not hold onto offenses? Children have a better chance of becoming normal healthy adults when their parents are together. What if we learned to forgive each other in our families? How much different would our society be? Our prisons might be half full, and our police departments fully funded. This isn't rocket science, but it has more potential to change the world than rocket science does.
6:19-34 Greed is the foundation for all kinds of evil. I was talking about war a moment ago...many wars are fought based on greed. Robberies, Auto theft, workplace theft, etc. all based on greed. Everyone of us pays the price for greed. Our insurance rates are higher, our gasoline prices are higher. It's possible that our whole system of commerce is based on greed. It's not based on what the product is intrinsically worth, it's based on "how much can I get out of it"? Greed from the top or the bottom of the social order translates into higher prices, and we have them both.
Why is our first thought to spend everything we have on ourselves? That's greedy. and it's out of focus. The passage about "your eye is a lamp" seems to me to be talking about how we process what we see. If every time we see something new we say "I want that" our lamp is bad. We could be greedy and not even know it! It would be wise for us to pray that God would take any hint of greed out of our lives.
Think of this: when we greedily hoard away money, resources....whatever.. we are in effect saying that we cannot trust God to provide for us in the future. I don't want to go overboard here....it is possible that God is providing NOW for future events, so you need to prepare wisely. (I'm thinking of how Joseph was told about 7 years of plenty, to be followed by 7 years of famine in Genesis) There is such a thing as godly planning ahead for your future. But I also think we have to balance that thought against what our expectations and plans for the future are. Here's what I mean: planning for the future is fine, but are you planning to live more luxuriously in the future than you do now? Have you talked to God about that? Maybe if we asked God what He wanted us to put away for the future it would look a little different than what we are currently planning.
For some it would be a call to save more and spend less now. For others it would be to give more generously now and save less for later.
Don't let greed and desire for things get it's teeth into you. It is a hard and unpleasant process to break the hold that greed has on us. Better not to be caught up in it in the first place.
thinking aloud,
PR
Friday, January 29, 2016
Matthew 5
I suppose that an entire year of sermons could be preached from the material contained in Matthew 5. Simply talking about the attitudes in the Sermon on the Mount would be daunting, let alone the commandments that follow. It all brings to mind one great question: "Who can possibly do all of this?" I mean, I might be able to walk the second mile and lend to those who are in need...but I'm not so sure about loving enemies, turning the other cheek and never having any impure thoughts. That's a tall order. Is the Bible really saying that I have to live like this all the time in order to go to heaven? Because if that's the case...I think I'm coming up short.
Well, if that's your thought today let me reassure you that God knows you are incapable of remaining obedient in your own strength. That's why He provided the Holy Spirit to come alongside us and help with this enormous task. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are able to redeem our thought life, be kind to people who oppose us..etc. What is impossible for man is possible for God.
As you read Chapter 5 today, don't be discouraged that you don't measure up. Be encouraged that God has just shared with you the type of person that He wants you to be. And since God wants it, He will provide for it. That doesn't mean that you won't have to apply yourself, because you will. It may be quite difficult to shed some of the sins that beset you, but I remind you that you are fully equipped to be victorious in the battle. Therefore, since Jesus has painted for us a picture of what he wants our life to be like, let's boldly charge forward with this prayer on our lips "Heavenly Father, I cannot do this on my own, but I know it's what you want for me, so I am turning myself over to you today and asking that you through your Holy Spirit would enable me to be obedient to you in every way."
Excitedly,
PR
Well, if that's your thought today let me reassure you that God knows you are incapable of remaining obedient in your own strength. That's why He provided the Holy Spirit to come alongside us and help with this enormous task. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are able to redeem our thought life, be kind to people who oppose us..etc. What is impossible for man is possible for God.
As you read Chapter 5 today, don't be discouraged that you don't measure up. Be encouraged that God has just shared with you the type of person that He wants you to be. And since God wants it, He will provide for it. That doesn't mean that you won't have to apply yourself, because you will. It may be quite difficult to shed some of the sins that beset you, but I remind you that you are fully equipped to be victorious in the battle. Therefore, since Jesus has painted for us a picture of what he wants our life to be like, let's boldly charge forward with this prayer on our lips "Heavenly Father, I cannot do this on my own, but I know it's what you want for me, so I am turning myself over to you today and asking that you through your Holy Spirit would enable me to be obedient to you in every way."
Excitedly,
PR
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Luke 6
I notice today that before Jesus selected the 12 he prayed all night. I didn't remember seeing that in the last passage. Whenever we have a big decision to make we need to spend some time praying about it. I wonder why it was "all night"? Is that how long it took to get an answer? Why wasn't it two days, or a week of praying? Why not an hour? Maybe we'll never know. But if the Son of God can spend a whole night talking to His Father about what to do next, then we should be able to imitate that for our big decisions as well.
This chapter is littered with commands on how to behave...I'm sure there will be time to blog about that in future readings. What grabs me this morning is the last passage.
In the NLT is says "46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?"
and then in verse 49 it says "anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation...." Obedience isn't just a good idea, it's a command. We MUST obey if we want to end up in heaven with Jesus.
Of course, obedience isn't easy, or painless. If you are like me, you don't become obedient in every area all at once. God takes you through different "rooms" of your life and tells you what He wants to happen there. You and I will likely spend our lifetime learning to become more and more obedient. I think Jesus says this to make sure we BEGIN the process. Once you know what you should do, you should begin obeying. The more you know, the more like Christ you should become. That thought takes us back to verse 43 and following where it says "good trees bear good fruit". If you are a Christian, your interest will be in obeying Jesus. If you would rather do what you want, and ignore what Jesus has to say on the subject, then you should consider carefully what foundation you are building on. It would be a shame to work at something your whole life only to arrive at judgment day and find out that you had no foundation, and can't enter into heaven.
Obedience to Jesus above all else!
PR
This chapter is littered with commands on how to behave...I'm sure there will be time to blog about that in future readings. What grabs me this morning is the last passage.
In the NLT is says "46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?"
and then in verse 49 it says "anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation...." Obedience isn't just a good idea, it's a command. We MUST obey if we want to end up in heaven with Jesus.
Of course, obedience isn't easy, or painless. If you are like me, you don't become obedient in every area all at once. God takes you through different "rooms" of your life and tells you what He wants to happen there. You and I will likely spend our lifetime learning to become more and more obedient. I think Jesus says this to make sure we BEGIN the process. Once you know what you should do, you should begin obeying. The more you know, the more like Christ you should become. That thought takes us back to verse 43 and following where it says "good trees bear good fruit". If you are a Christian, your interest will be in obeying Jesus. If you would rather do what you want, and ignore what Jesus has to say on the subject, then you should consider carefully what foundation you are building on. It would be a shame to work at something your whole life only to arrive at judgment day and find out that you had no foundation, and can't enter into heaven.
Obedience to Jesus above all else!
PR
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Mark 3
Whenever we read in the Bible that Jesus' disciples were with him, we think of the 12. However, it is far more likely that there were many more than 12 that followed him throughout his ministry. We know this because when the apostles decided to replace Judas one of the criteria was that you had to have been with Jesus during His ministry. As we see in this passage, it was the 12 who were selected for a higher honor. What strikes me this morning is this: The Son of God comes to earth and identifies 12 men as special among all the people of the earth...and there are some names on that list that I never hear about on the pages of Scripture. How can that be? Clearly these men had some significant ministry or mission to perform and yet it's not mentioned.
We know from other sources what happened to most of the disciples. I guess the point is that sometimes we may do our most significant work in obscurity. Jesus didn't promise that we would be famous if we were obedient. Sure, some will be famous...but many others will not. I think the reason that we don't know what happened to the disciples is because the book isn't about them. This is the account of how humans can reconnect with their Creator, and the consequences that decision brings.
What are you willing to do for Jesus even if you never get credit for it? Are you willing to work without recognition? I guess it could be pretty difficult to be commissioned by God for a special task and then go unrecognized on the pages of history. It's probably just as difficult to work hard at your local church and not be recognized. But remember, God never promises recognition, and that shouldn't be our motivation. When we begin to feel unappreciated, maybe that's a warning sign that we are losing sight of the real reason we are serving.
I should really memorize the names of the 12. I don't want to run into Thaddeus in heaven and not know he was a disciple. That would be embarrassing.
PR
We know from other sources what happened to most of the disciples. I guess the point is that sometimes we may do our most significant work in obscurity. Jesus didn't promise that we would be famous if we were obedient. Sure, some will be famous...but many others will not. I think the reason that we don't know what happened to the disciples is because the book isn't about them. This is the account of how humans can reconnect with their Creator, and the consequences that decision brings.
What are you willing to do for Jesus even if you never get credit for it? Are you willing to work without recognition? I guess it could be pretty difficult to be commissioned by God for a special task and then go unrecognized on the pages of history. It's probably just as difficult to work hard at your local church and not be recognized. But remember, God never promises recognition, and that shouldn't be our motivation. When we begin to feel unappreciated, maybe that's a warning sign that we are losing sight of the real reason we are serving.
I should really memorize the names of the 12. I don't want to run into Thaddeus in heaven and not know he was a disciple. That would be embarrassing.
PR
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Matthew 12
Tuesday, Jan 26, 2016
Yesterday's reading focused on Sabbath activities, so I won't belabor the point today, except to call attention to one thing: Legalism. Legalism creeps into our practice and worship so innocently that you almost don't realize it's there. Legalism is the mindset that says "the letter of the law must be obeyed in order to be right with God." It turns our relationship with Jesus into a list of "do's and don'ts". True relationship with Christ has the spirit of the law at it's heart, not the letter of the law. Should we obey the law? Sure, all the parts that are still applicable today should be obeyed. But as we see with the Sabbath law, there are times when the letter of the law is less important than the people who are being affected by it. A legalist is far more likely to condemn you, even if you are trying your best. The Pharisees are great examples of this. They knew the religious law inside and out, but they missed the point. In fact, they not only missed Jesus as the Son of God, they were willing to kill Him because He "broke the law". Good grief. It would be almost laughable if it weren't so serious....and if it didn't still go on today.
There are times when we insist on something that God is likely not as concerned about. For instance, I don't drink alcoholic beverages. If I see someone having a beer, and I say to myself "that person isn't going to heaven" I have become a legalist, because the Bible doesn't specifically say that. And, even if it did (as in the case of the Sabbath) there are situations in which it would be permissible. Anyway...I feel like I'm rambling...so I will stop.
On to another great passage. Beginning in verse 18 Matthew quotes a prophecy from Isaiah. Now, Isaiah lived 700 years before Christ. He made some declarations about what Jesus would look like, how He would act, where He would come from, etc. Everyone knew these prophecies, and Isaiah was a proven truthful, genuine prophet. So Matthew is simply saying here "Isaiah said he would do THIS, and that's what Jesus is doing". Of course, that doesn't prove that Jesus is God, because others could do the same thing. However, Isaiah isn't the only one to prophecy, there are others...many others. There are over 48 clear prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah (God becoming man) and guess what? Jesus fulfills every single one. Is Jesus the Messiah? Duh.
I like Isaiah's prophecy because in the NIV translation it says "a bruised reed I will not break and a smoldering wick I will not snuff out " This is a reference to the gentleness of Christ. It uses the imagery of a candle wick, which in Jesus' day was a thin straw, or reed. If the reed was bruised, it would produce a flickering, smoky light. The solution was to cut the reed off at the bruised part so it would be whole again. Jesus doesn't cut off the people who aren't performing at peak levels. He doesn't discard us when we don't measure up. He loves us too much for that.
The Indians who lived in my area in years past had a name for this valley. It was identified by the large plants that grew along the river. They grew so tall and so spindly that they often bent over and broke, so they called this place "Brokenstraw". I love it. Every time I hear it I remember Isaiah's prophecy about how God won't eliminate the Brokenstraw valley.
I don't see the sign of Jonah coming up again in the near future so let me comment on that quickly: it's obvious that Jesus is talking about the crucifixion and resurrection here. That's the definitive sign that He is the Messiah. I often come back to the passage about the demon leaving a person and then coming back with seven others even more wicked. I take several things away from this: 1. some demons are worse than others. 2. demons talk to each other, and plot together 3. Demons would rather be in people than in inanimate objects 4. once a demon is cast out, it doesn't mean you are safe forever. Knowing this, it is vitally important that when God removes the demons from our lives, that we immediately fill the space with the Holy Spirit. That way, when the demons return (and they will) they will not find the house empty, but occupied. When that occurs, the demons cannot re-enter. I have nothing to fear from demons as long as the Holy Spirit has complete control over my life. They can have no hold on me, because I belong to another.
Hopefully I will have a chance to comment of some of the rest of the material in Matt 12 when it comes back up in Luke 6 or Mark 3
blessings,
PR
Yesterday's reading focused on Sabbath activities, so I won't belabor the point today, except to call attention to one thing: Legalism. Legalism creeps into our practice and worship so innocently that you almost don't realize it's there. Legalism is the mindset that says "the letter of the law must be obeyed in order to be right with God." It turns our relationship with Jesus into a list of "do's and don'ts". True relationship with Christ has the spirit of the law at it's heart, not the letter of the law. Should we obey the law? Sure, all the parts that are still applicable today should be obeyed. But as we see with the Sabbath law, there are times when the letter of the law is less important than the people who are being affected by it. A legalist is far more likely to condemn you, even if you are trying your best. The Pharisees are great examples of this. They knew the religious law inside and out, but they missed the point. In fact, they not only missed Jesus as the Son of God, they were willing to kill Him because He "broke the law". Good grief. It would be almost laughable if it weren't so serious....and if it didn't still go on today.
There are times when we insist on something that God is likely not as concerned about. For instance, I don't drink alcoholic beverages. If I see someone having a beer, and I say to myself "that person isn't going to heaven" I have become a legalist, because the Bible doesn't specifically say that. And, even if it did (as in the case of the Sabbath) there are situations in which it would be permissible. Anyway...I feel like I'm rambling...so I will stop.
On to another great passage. Beginning in verse 18 Matthew quotes a prophecy from Isaiah. Now, Isaiah lived 700 years before Christ. He made some declarations about what Jesus would look like, how He would act, where He would come from, etc. Everyone knew these prophecies, and Isaiah was a proven truthful, genuine prophet. So Matthew is simply saying here "Isaiah said he would do THIS, and that's what Jesus is doing". Of course, that doesn't prove that Jesus is God, because others could do the same thing. However, Isaiah isn't the only one to prophecy, there are others...many others. There are over 48 clear prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah (God becoming man) and guess what? Jesus fulfills every single one. Is Jesus the Messiah? Duh.
I like Isaiah's prophecy because in the NIV translation it says "a bruised reed I will not break and a smoldering wick I will not snuff out " This is a reference to the gentleness of Christ. It uses the imagery of a candle wick, which in Jesus' day was a thin straw, or reed. If the reed was bruised, it would produce a flickering, smoky light. The solution was to cut the reed off at the bruised part so it would be whole again. Jesus doesn't cut off the people who aren't performing at peak levels. He doesn't discard us when we don't measure up. He loves us too much for that.
The Indians who lived in my area in years past had a name for this valley. It was identified by the large plants that grew along the river. They grew so tall and so spindly that they often bent over and broke, so they called this place "Brokenstraw". I love it. Every time I hear it I remember Isaiah's prophecy about how God won't eliminate the Brokenstraw valley.
I don't see the sign of Jonah coming up again in the near future so let me comment on that quickly: it's obvious that Jesus is talking about the crucifixion and resurrection here. That's the definitive sign that He is the Messiah. I often come back to the passage about the demon leaving a person and then coming back with seven others even more wicked. I take several things away from this: 1. some demons are worse than others. 2. demons talk to each other, and plot together 3. Demons would rather be in people than in inanimate objects 4. once a demon is cast out, it doesn't mean you are safe forever. Knowing this, it is vitally important that when God removes the demons from our lives, that we immediately fill the space with the Holy Spirit. That way, when the demons return (and they will) they will not find the house empty, but occupied. When that occurs, the demons cannot re-enter. I have nothing to fear from demons as long as the Holy Spirit has complete control over my life. They can have no hold on me, because I belong to another.
Hopefully I will have a chance to comment of some of the rest of the material in Matt 12 when it comes back up in Luke 6 or Mark 3
blessings,
PR
Monday, January 25, 2016
John 5
Monday, Jan 24, 2016
I was in Jerusalem a while ago, and stopped by the sheep gate to see the pool of Bethesda. It's about 30 or 40 feet underground today (because every time they tore down the city they rebuilt on the ruins). It seems like the real significance of this passage is in the fact that Jesus has to power to heal. However, we also learn from His response to the injured man. He said "do you want to get well?" I wonder why Jesus said that. Of course the man wanted to get well, right? But come on...38 years and you haven't had the chance to be the one who gets into the water first? Maybe the man had become comfortable with his handicap. That happens sometimes...we become comfortable in our dysfunction and don't care if we get better or not. After a while, it seems like it takes too much effort to try and heal. Or maybe we don't think we can handle the disappoint of saying we want to get better, and then it never happens. Either way, Jesus made him restate his desire...it must be important.
By the way....does your Bible have John 5:4? some bibles don't. That's because it was in the earliest texts we had when the Bible was translated, but then in later years we discovered other manuscripts that appear to be earlier, and they don't have it. The general rule of thumb is: whatever is the earliest publication is considered to be most accurate. It's verse 4 that tells us the water would move, and people believed that an angel had "stirred the water"....so the first person into the water would be healed.
It's in this story that Jesus tells the man who was healed from lameness to "stop sinning or something even worse may happen to you" As I have said in church many times, Jesus doesn't ever want us to sin. In fact, he expects us to stop sinning...just as He told the crippled man. Of course, that's not possible in our own strength...but Jesus isn't asking us to do it in our own strength. That's why the Holy Spirit is here..to help us.
A quick word about working on Sunday... Jesus didn't have any problem doing good deeds on Sunday. In fact, He said "my Father is ALWAYS working..and so am I." If that's the case, then why does Genesis say that on the seventh day God rested? I don't think God rested because He was tired, but rather because He was setting precedent. He wanted us to take a break. I think He knew that when He designed us He knew that we would need rest, so He built that right into the covenant agreement. We weren't created so that we could follow rules and laws....the rules and laws were made to help us. People are the priority, not the law. Having said that, we honor the Lord when we observe the law. Jesus said that He would know we love Him when we obey. That's why we rest...to obey, and because we need it. So if there is an occasional good deed that needs to be accomplished and it happens to fall on Sunday, I don't think it violates the spirit of the law to participate...but we shouldn't make a habit of working every Sunday.
Pushing forward,
PR
I was in Jerusalem a while ago, and stopped by the sheep gate to see the pool of Bethesda. It's about 30 or 40 feet underground today (because every time they tore down the city they rebuilt on the ruins). It seems like the real significance of this passage is in the fact that Jesus has to power to heal. However, we also learn from His response to the injured man. He said "do you want to get well?" I wonder why Jesus said that. Of course the man wanted to get well, right? But come on...38 years and you haven't had the chance to be the one who gets into the water first? Maybe the man had become comfortable with his handicap. That happens sometimes...we become comfortable in our dysfunction and don't care if we get better or not. After a while, it seems like it takes too much effort to try and heal. Or maybe we don't think we can handle the disappoint of saying we want to get better, and then it never happens. Either way, Jesus made him restate his desire...it must be important.
By the way....does your Bible have John 5:4? some bibles don't. That's because it was in the earliest texts we had when the Bible was translated, but then in later years we discovered other manuscripts that appear to be earlier, and they don't have it. The general rule of thumb is: whatever is the earliest publication is considered to be most accurate. It's verse 4 that tells us the water would move, and people believed that an angel had "stirred the water"....so the first person into the water would be healed.
It's in this story that Jesus tells the man who was healed from lameness to "stop sinning or something even worse may happen to you" As I have said in church many times, Jesus doesn't ever want us to sin. In fact, he expects us to stop sinning...just as He told the crippled man. Of course, that's not possible in our own strength...but Jesus isn't asking us to do it in our own strength. That's why the Holy Spirit is here..to help us.
A quick word about working on Sunday... Jesus didn't have any problem doing good deeds on Sunday. In fact, He said "my Father is ALWAYS working..and so am I." If that's the case, then why does Genesis say that on the seventh day God rested? I don't think God rested because He was tired, but rather because He was setting precedent. He wanted us to take a break. I think He knew that when He designed us He knew that we would need rest, so He built that right into the covenant agreement. We weren't created so that we could follow rules and laws....the rules and laws were made to help us. People are the priority, not the law. Having said that, we honor the Lord when we observe the law. Jesus said that He would know we love Him when we obey. That's why we rest...to obey, and because we need it. So if there is an occasional good deed that needs to be accomplished and it happens to fall on Sunday, I don't think it violates the spirit of the law to participate...but we shouldn't make a habit of working every Sunday.
Pushing forward,
PR
Friday, January 22, 2016
Mark 2
Friday, Jan 22, 2016
I notice once again today that Jesus forgives the sins of the crippled man because He say "their" faith. Does that mean it was the faith of the 4 men, or was it the 4 men and the crippled guy? I ask because if the crippled man didn't have any faith and was healed anyway, then it doesn't require faith to be healed...or forgiven. We don't know the whole story, so we can only speculate. Let's say that the crippled man was simply hoping Jesus could heal him physically. He permitted his friends to carry him to Jesus for that reason, but he received far more than what he asked for. He left Jesus walking (just like he was hoping) but he also left a free man. Free from the penalty of sin.
You and I come to Jesus with our own expectations and brokenness. We have an idea of what we want Jesus to do for us. We think we know what would make us happy and functional again. Thankfully, Jesus repairs us in ways that we didn't even know we needed.
Jesus and Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector, and as such would have been detested by the
"righteous" Jews. The people who would associate with him were all out of favor with polite society. The Pharisees refer to Matthew's friends as "scum".
What makes a person "scum"? It is their job? Their lack of education? Perhaps the way they dress, or their personal hygiene habits? Maybe it's a combination of things, when combined together equal a non-productive part of society. If you don't "produce" are you scum? What if you can't work anymore, and you depend on the government to provide for you? Does that make you scum?
I am happy to report that Jesus doesn't see any of us as scum. When Jesus looks at us He sees His creation, people that He loves and wants to help. It wasn't any problem for Jesus to sit and eat with the tax collectors because they needed help and they knew it. That kind of attitude is refreshing to Jesus. Labels are something that we come up with. We create borders and nations and different time zones. Jesus sees beyond them, and loves us in spite of them.
One other thought....since Christ isn't "name calling" and "branding" people, maybe we shouldn't either.
PR
I notice once again today that Jesus forgives the sins of the crippled man because He say "their" faith. Does that mean it was the faith of the 4 men, or was it the 4 men and the crippled guy? I ask because if the crippled man didn't have any faith and was healed anyway, then it doesn't require faith to be healed...or forgiven. We don't know the whole story, so we can only speculate. Let's say that the crippled man was simply hoping Jesus could heal him physically. He permitted his friends to carry him to Jesus for that reason, but he received far more than what he asked for. He left Jesus walking (just like he was hoping) but he also left a free man. Free from the penalty of sin.
You and I come to Jesus with our own expectations and brokenness. We have an idea of what we want Jesus to do for us. We think we know what would make us happy and functional again. Thankfully, Jesus repairs us in ways that we didn't even know we needed.
Jesus and Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector, and as such would have been detested by the
"righteous" Jews. The people who would associate with him were all out of favor with polite society. The Pharisees refer to Matthew's friends as "scum".
What makes a person "scum"? It is their job? Their lack of education? Perhaps the way they dress, or their personal hygiene habits? Maybe it's a combination of things, when combined together equal a non-productive part of society. If you don't "produce" are you scum? What if you can't work anymore, and you depend on the government to provide for you? Does that make you scum?
I am happy to report that Jesus doesn't see any of us as scum. When Jesus looks at us He sees His creation, people that He loves and wants to help. It wasn't any problem for Jesus to sit and eat with the tax collectors because they needed help and they knew it. That kind of attitude is refreshing to Jesus. Labels are something that we come up with. We create borders and nations and different time zones. Jesus sees beyond them, and loves us in spite of them.
One other thought....since Christ isn't "name calling" and "branding" people, maybe we shouldn't either.
PR
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Matthew 8 !
Thursday, Jan 21, 2015
Soooo, we're reading through the New Testament chronologically, and my "reading guide" tells me that today we are reading Matthew 8...which is the end of the sermon on the mount. I'm pretty sure that isn't chronologically correct, since I haven't read the beginning of the sermon on the mount. I'm not sure why Matt 8 is suggested for today, but I guess it isn't terribly important anyway. I only mention it so you would know I caught it too!
The big picture in Matthew 8 is "Jesus has power". He heals leprosy with a touch, then he heals from a distance, he heals small things like fever, and large things like demon possession and every other kind of sickness. Towards the end of the chapter he calms the seas with a word. I think He calmed the seas to continue teaching the disciples about who He was. A short time after the sea had been calmed he faced down two men who were raging with demon possession. Again, with a word he calmed the human heart. As I think about it, the one thing that all of these situations have in common is that "Jesus spoke". The same voice that uttered "let dry ground appear" was calming the sea. The same voice that said to Moses "take off your shoes, because the ground on which you are walking is holy" spoke to the Roman officer. These were the hands that originally shaped man from the dust of the ground. Now they touched the leper and made him whole again.
Simply put, there isn't anything that Jesus cannot do. Anything broken He can fix. Anything that is dysfunctional or inoperative he can repair. He makes all things "new". And He isn't just fixing the visible, human things...but the spiritual ones as well. He is forgiving sin, and repairing our relationship with the Father. He is Jehovah Rapha (the Lord our healer). He is the Great Physician. (Exodus 15).
Those who put their faith in Him will see their oceans calmed, their loved ones healed and their communities restored. At the same time, we should remember that there is a cost involved. In return for taking us on this amazing journey, and restoring our relationship with the Father, Jesus asks that we follow Him (immediately) and leave behind whatever He chooses to separate us from.
What do we have to lose? the comfort of a home that we could never keep anyway, and the financial security of a "large herd of pigs"?
That's a good deal without question. It's worth it.
PR
Soooo, we're reading through the New Testament chronologically, and my "reading guide" tells me that today we are reading Matthew 8...which is the end of the sermon on the mount. I'm pretty sure that isn't chronologically correct, since I haven't read the beginning of the sermon on the mount. I'm not sure why Matt 8 is suggested for today, but I guess it isn't terribly important anyway. I only mention it so you would know I caught it too!
The big picture in Matthew 8 is "Jesus has power". He heals leprosy with a touch, then he heals from a distance, he heals small things like fever, and large things like demon possession and every other kind of sickness. Towards the end of the chapter he calms the seas with a word. I think He calmed the seas to continue teaching the disciples about who He was. A short time after the sea had been calmed he faced down two men who were raging with demon possession. Again, with a word he calmed the human heart. As I think about it, the one thing that all of these situations have in common is that "Jesus spoke". The same voice that uttered "let dry ground appear" was calming the sea. The same voice that said to Moses "take off your shoes, because the ground on which you are walking is holy" spoke to the Roman officer. These were the hands that originally shaped man from the dust of the ground. Now they touched the leper and made him whole again.
Simply put, there isn't anything that Jesus cannot do. Anything broken He can fix. Anything that is dysfunctional or inoperative he can repair. He makes all things "new". And He isn't just fixing the visible, human things...but the spiritual ones as well. He is forgiving sin, and repairing our relationship with the Father. He is Jehovah Rapha (the Lord our healer). He is the Great Physician. (Exodus 15).
Those who put their faith in Him will see their oceans calmed, their loved ones healed and their communities restored. At the same time, we should remember that there is a cost involved. In return for taking us on this amazing journey, and restoring our relationship with the Father, Jesus asks that we follow Him (immediately) and leave behind whatever He chooses to separate us from.
What do we have to lose? the comfort of a home that we could never keep anyway, and the financial security of a "large herd of pigs"?
That's a good deal without question. It's worth it.
PR
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
John 4
Wednesday, Jan 20, 2016
Let's assume that you are already familiar with the account of the woman at the well. That allows me to discuss some of the peripheral events. For instance, have you ever wondered where the Samaritans came from? For instance: God gave the whole area to Israel, and they moved through it conquering it (beginning with Jericho, etc.) and then many years later David became king over the whole area, and his son Solomon subdued an even greater area. There wasn't any "Samaria" then...where did it come from? The Samaritans were created by a series of events that began when Israel turned to idol worship. It goes like this: Israel begins to worship idols, God becomes angry and punishes them by allowing the country to be conquered by the Babylonians. After several campaigns they finally conquer the entire area, and march the people off into captivity. However, they leave a few folks behind to work the land, and they move new people into the area to populate it. These Jews who were left in the land gradually compromised their religious identity, and adopted some of the pagan practices of the people around them. They considered themselves Jewish, but they didn't practice pure Judaism. 70 years later the captives are released from Babylon by Cyrus the Persian, and they return home to rebuild the temple, etc. They find their "lost brothers" have intermarried with the surrounding people, and have begun to worship idols, and other false gods. Of course, they immediately reject them. The Samaritans react by building their own temple on Mount Gerazim, and they begin revising the religious history by saying that they are the true remnant, not the exiles, and that their temple is the correct one in which to worship Yahweh, not the temple in Jerusalem. This is heresy to the Jews, but what can they do? they are no longer a sovereign nation who can field an army and rout the infidels. They have to put up with them. So they do the next best thing...they shun them. No self respecting Jew will set foot in Samaria, they consider even the ground it tainted there. Samaritans are godless people, bound for hell because they have twisted and distorted God's Word.
While all of this is true, it doesn't seem to bother Jesus! Samaria is about 50 miles north of Jerusalem, and when Jesus leaves Jerusalem and heads toward Galilee he plots a course right through Samaria. The disciples are flabbergasted, they would prefer to walk the long way around, and avoid the area... after all, that's what we have done for years.
Worse yet, Jesus approaches a woman while He is in the middle of this detestable country, and on top of that...she's a woman of poor reputation. This seems to be going from bad to worse. Had the disciples been there, they certainly would have done whatever they could to prevent this from happening. As it turns out, it's a good thing they were gone!
Prejudice has long been the enemy of true evangelism. In fact, overcoming our own prejudices may well be the most important part of preparing us to share the Gospel. I think we are better prepared to tell others about Christ's love once we realize that God loves everyone equally...even those we have a problem with. God even loves the people who are distorting and manipulating His Word. While we allow our anger and indignation to carry us into acts of violence, Jesus is working to reach out to the very same people so that they may be rescued from eternal damnation.
I pray that I will always be open and sensitive enough to God's leading that I don't have to be sent on a "chow run" so that God can get something done.
PR
Let's assume that you are already familiar with the account of the woman at the well. That allows me to discuss some of the peripheral events. For instance, have you ever wondered where the Samaritans came from? For instance: God gave the whole area to Israel, and they moved through it conquering it (beginning with Jericho, etc.) and then many years later David became king over the whole area, and his son Solomon subdued an even greater area. There wasn't any "Samaria" then...where did it come from? The Samaritans were created by a series of events that began when Israel turned to idol worship. It goes like this: Israel begins to worship idols, God becomes angry and punishes them by allowing the country to be conquered by the Babylonians. After several campaigns they finally conquer the entire area, and march the people off into captivity. However, they leave a few folks behind to work the land, and they move new people into the area to populate it. These Jews who were left in the land gradually compromised their religious identity, and adopted some of the pagan practices of the people around them. They considered themselves Jewish, but they didn't practice pure Judaism. 70 years later the captives are released from Babylon by Cyrus the Persian, and they return home to rebuild the temple, etc. They find their "lost brothers" have intermarried with the surrounding people, and have begun to worship idols, and other false gods. Of course, they immediately reject them. The Samaritans react by building their own temple on Mount Gerazim, and they begin revising the religious history by saying that they are the true remnant, not the exiles, and that their temple is the correct one in which to worship Yahweh, not the temple in Jerusalem. This is heresy to the Jews, but what can they do? they are no longer a sovereign nation who can field an army and rout the infidels. They have to put up with them. So they do the next best thing...they shun them. No self respecting Jew will set foot in Samaria, they consider even the ground it tainted there. Samaritans are godless people, bound for hell because they have twisted and distorted God's Word.
While all of this is true, it doesn't seem to bother Jesus! Samaria is about 50 miles north of Jerusalem, and when Jesus leaves Jerusalem and heads toward Galilee he plots a course right through Samaria. The disciples are flabbergasted, they would prefer to walk the long way around, and avoid the area... after all, that's what we have done for years.
Worse yet, Jesus approaches a woman while He is in the middle of this detestable country, and on top of that...she's a woman of poor reputation. This seems to be going from bad to worse. Had the disciples been there, they certainly would have done whatever they could to prevent this from happening. As it turns out, it's a good thing they were gone!
Prejudice has long been the enemy of true evangelism. In fact, overcoming our own prejudices may well be the most important part of preparing us to share the Gospel. I think we are better prepared to tell others about Christ's love once we realize that God loves everyone equally...even those we have a problem with. God even loves the people who are distorting and manipulating His Word. While we allow our anger and indignation to carry us into acts of violence, Jesus is working to reach out to the very same people so that they may be rescued from eternal damnation.
I pray that I will always be open and sensitive enough to God's leading that I don't have to be sent on a "chow run" so that God can get something done.
PR
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
John 3
Tuesday, Jan 19, 2016
Nicodemus is one of my favorite accounts. Did you notice that he comes at night? probably to protect his reputation with the others. He calls Jesus "Rabbi" which means "teacher"...but not "Lord" in the sense that He has already made up his mind about who Jesus is. So Nicodemus is a seeker. In his day, the Holy Spirit hadn't been given freely to everyone as He is now, so Nicodemus couldn't understand the concept of being "born again". The idea that God would cleanse our very soul from any blemish of sin, taking away all the evil consequences that it had in mind for us...was beyond his ability. Some days, I struggle to imagine it myself. Why would God, all powerful creator of the universe care about someone like me? Why not just start over? That would seem to be easier. There are several theories floating around out there, but I guess we won't ever know for sure until we get to heaven. One thing we can be sure about: Jesus loves us.
In John 3:16 it says "this is how God loved the world..." You probably have heard it phrased "for God so loved the world.." I recently heard a professor say that this phase isn't meant to say "God loved us so much..." but rather "God demonstrated His love in this manner...." It's discussing the way He showed His love, not measuring quantity. It's an interesting thought...worth meditating on.
Beginning in verse 22 I see that Jesus was baptizing people. If you're reading the Kings James version you could believe that it was the disciples baptizing, and Jesus watching. Somehow it seems strange to me that the disciples would be comfortable with that. I would rather be baptized by the one who is greater...that is if Jesus would permit it. When you read John 4, you discover that He had the disciples do it. Probably to avoid anyone ever bragging that they were baptized by Jesus.
On the topic of baptism, a very significant event occurs here. A "discussion" ensues between a disciple and one of the Jews. It sounds to me like the devil was trying to derail the good work that was happening. I say that, because that's often how the devil works. He gets one person offended (generally they aren't even the one involved) and they begin grumbling and it spreads to another (generally that person has more influence) and from there it becomes a battle. Of course, it doesn't evolve that quickly...it could take months or years. John heads it off expertly. His humility and insight are worth emulating. He doesn't blink an eye at the report that others are baptizing, and his "congregation" is shrinking. John recognizes his place in the ministry, and is comfortable with it. They tell me it's hard to surrender the spotlight to someone else, and that once you have been in power it's difficult to let go of it. John was the "go to" guy for a year or more, and now his ministry is beginning to wane, but he doesn't complain or try and grab attention. No wonder Jesus says of John the Baptist "among men born of women there isn't anyone greater than John". High praise.
One last quick thought: in verse 36 it says that you not only have to believe in God's Son, but also obey. Belief and obedience go hand in hand. Without obedience (motivated by belief) we won't inherit eternal life.
PR
Nicodemus is one of my favorite accounts. Did you notice that he comes at night? probably to protect his reputation with the others. He calls Jesus "Rabbi" which means "teacher"...but not "Lord" in the sense that He has already made up his mind about who Jesus is. So Nicodemus is a seeker. In his day, the Holy Spirit hadn't been given freely to everyone as He is now, so Nicodemus couldn't understand the concept of being "born again". The idea that God would cleanse our very soul from any blemish of sin, taking away all the evil consequences that it had in mind for us...was beyond his ability. Some days, I struggle to imagine it myself. Why would God, all powerful creator of the universe care about someone like me? Why not just start over? That would seem to be easier. There are several theories floating around out there, but I guess we won't ever know for sure until we get to heaven. One thing we can be sure about: Jesus loves us.
In John 3:16 it says "this is how God loved the world..." You probably have heard it phrased "for God so loved the world.." I recently heard a professor say that this phase isn't meant to say "God loved us so much..." but rather "God demonstrated His love in this manner...." It's discussing the way He showed His love, not measuring quantity. It's an interesting thought...worth meditating on.
Beginning in verse 22 I see that Jesus was baptizing people. If you're reading the Kings James version you could believe that it was the disciples baptizing, and Jesus watching. Somehow it seems strange to me that the disciples would be comfortable with that. I would rather be baptized by the one who is greater...that is if Jesus would permit it. When you read John 4, you discover that He had the disciples do it. Probably to avoid anyone ever bragging that they were baptized by Jesus.
On the topic of baptism, a very significant event occurs here. A "discussion" ensues between a disciple and one of the Jews. It sounds to me like the devil was trying to derail the good work that was happening. I say that, because that's often how the devil works. He gets one person offended (generally they aren't even the one involved) and they begin grumbling and it spreads to another (generally that person has more influence) and from there it becomes a battle. Of course, it doesn't evolve that quickly...it could take months or years. John heads it off expertly. His humility and insight are worth emulating. He doesn't blink an eye at the report that others are baptizing, and his "congregation" is shrinking. John recognizes his place in the ministry, and is comfortable with it. They tell me it's hard to surrender the spotlight to someone else, and that once you have been in power it's difficult to let go of it. John was the "go to" guy for a year or more, and now his ministry is beginning to wane, but he doesn't complain or try and grab attention. No wonder Jesus says of John the Baptist "among men born of women there isn't anyone greater than John". High praise.
One last quick thought: in verse 36 it says that you not only have to believe in God's Son, but also obey. Belief and obedience go hand in hand. Without obedience (motivated by belief) we won't inherit eternal life.
PR
Monday, January 18, 2016
John 2
Monday, January 18, 2015
Two of the most well known, and most controversial things that Jesus ever did are mentioned in this chapter. 1. He turned water into wine 2. He chased everyone out of the temple using a whip
It's kind of funny that Jesus walking on water, or claiming to be God isn't that controversial...but when he turns water into wine....well, that seems to be a bridge too far.
For those among us who have completely sworn off the use of alcoholic beverages (myself included) it challenges our beliefs to see Jesus making wine. So, we sometimes hear arguments like "it didn't have alcohol in it". But the master of the feast would surely have recognized that. He says differently. He identifies that this is "the good stuff". In the long view, Jesus didn't see drinking wine to be a problem, as long as it didn't violate the rest of scripture. That means not becoming addicted to drinking, and not becoming drunk. Proverbs 23:31 is very clear that we shouldn't allow our desire for alcoholic beverages to gain control over us. In my case, the best way to accomplish that is to not have any. I know some Christians who drink occasionally. Some seem not to be affected by it...but I think it holds others back.
It wasn't so long ago that I felt that Diet Coke had too much of a hold on me, so I swore off of it completely. That's because the Bible says "don't be addicted". It doesn't matter how much alcohol content it has...you can be addicted to many things that don't have any inherent addictive properties.
It all comes down to control. Who's going to be in charge of you? Who will have the final say? Is it going to be you, or is it going to be Scripture?
I may add more to this thought tomorrow....but right now it's time to go skiing.
PR
Well, skiing was great, but I realized I am getting older. Too bad. The good news is that soon I will be able to sit around with the other old guys and tell stories about my exploits as a "young man".
Back to business: Jesus cleared the temple with a whip. Was He angry? Yes. Anger isn't a sin. There are times when we should be angry. Be angry about the things that cause people to sin. Be angry about the trash they put on TV, and government that promotes immoral behavior. But in your anger, don't sin. Be angry, and turn it over to God to deal with. The battle belongs to Him, not you. When Jesus cleared the temple, it was righteous anger for His Father's house. He was angry on behalf of God's House, and what the people were doing there. (they were making it hard to worship and offer sacrifices, taking advantage of others). Most often, our anger is motivated by circumstances that have caused US grief or discomfort. We can see Christianity persecuted, but if you persecute US, well, we are going to respond in anger. That isn't what Jesus was doing. Jesus never responded in anger when He was personally persecuted...and He was God.
If we were to follow this example, I suspect that we would be angry far less often.
PR
Two of the most well known, and most controversial things that Jesus ever did are mentioned in this chapter. 1. He turned water into wine 2. He chased everyone out of the temple using a whip
It's kind of funny that Jesus walking on water, or claiming to be God isn't that controversial...but when he turns water into wine....well, that seems to be a bridge too far.
For those among us who have completely sworn off the use of alcoholic beverages (myself included) it challenges our beliefs to see Jesus making wine. So, we sometimes hear arguments like "it didn't have alcohol in it". But the master of the feast would surely have recognized that. He says differently. He identifies that this is "the good stuff". In the long view, Jesus didn't see drinking wine to be a problem, as long as it didn't violate the rest of scripture. That means not becoming addicted to drinking, and not becoming drunk. Proverbs 23:31 is very clear that we shouldn't allow our desire for alcoholic beverages to gain control over us. In my case, the best way to accomplish that is to not have any. I know some Christians who drink occasionally. Some seem not to be affected by it...but I think it holds others back.
It wasn't so long ago that I felt that Diet Coke had too much of a hold on me, so I swore off of it completely. That's because the Bible says "don't be addicted". It doesn't matter how much alcohol content it has...you can be addicted to many things that don't have any inherent addictive properties.
It all comes down to control. Who's going to be in charge of you? Who will have the final say? Is it going to be you, or is it going to be Scripture?
I may add more to this thought tomorrow....but right now it's time to go skiing.
PR
Well, skiing was great, but I realized I am getting older. Too bad. The good news is that soon I will be able to sit around with the other old guys and tell stories about my exploits as a "young man".
Back to business: Jesus cleared the temple with a whip. Was He angry? Yes. Anger isn't a sin. There are times when we should be angry. Be angry about the things that cause people to sin. Be angry about the trash they put on TV, and government that promotes immoral behavior. But in your anger, don't sin. Be angry, and turn it over to God to deal with. The battle belongs to Him, not you. When Jesus cleared the temple, it was righteous anger for His Father's house. He was angry on behalf of God's House, and what the people were doing there. (they were making it hard to worship and offer sacrifices, taking advantage of others). Most often, our anger is motivated by circumstances that have caused US grief or discomfort. We can see Christianity persecuted, but if you persecute US, well, we are going to respond in anger. That isn't what Jesus was doing. Jesus never responded in anger when He was personally persecuted...and He was God.
If we were to follow this example, I suspect that we would be angry far less often.
PR
Friday, January 15, 2016
Luke 5
Friday, Jan 15, 2015
The thing I marvel at the most in the account of the calling of the disciples is the speed at which they made their decision to follow Jesus. The way it's written it appears as if they made immediate decisions to leave everything and follow Him. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen...today they were unsuccessful fishermen. I would imagine that they were wondering how they would pay the bills if they didn't bring in some fish. If any case, cleaning out the nets is hard work, because you have to pick out every single piece of sea weed and sticks and whatever else was in the net. Of course, the net is slightly tangled, because the sticks are catching in two or three places, making it more difficult. They were probably ready for some rest. I don't know if they were listening to Jesus while they were cleaning nets, or if they had finished cleaning, or left the cleaning until later...either way, they weren't looking to go back out right now.
Jesus was a rabbi (as far as they knew). Not a fisherman. Fishermen fish, Rabbis teach. If you want to catch fish, you don't ask the Rabbi...you ask the fishermen. Peter demonstrates the most important character trait that you can have when he responds to Jesus.
He says "I don't understand...but because it's YOU asking, I will do it." I don't think that we can do any better than that, no matter how far we come in life. Just be obedient.
Interestingly enough, the catch is enormous, too much for him to handle. And he leaves it all on the shore and follows Jesus.
What was important 6 hours ago has become unimportant. What was impossible has become possible, and what was unknown..or even unimagined...has become reality. Peter has a new vision and hope for the future, one that causes him to leave everything that used be important behind, and pursue a new way of life, and a new way of thinking.
Maybe I will blog about the rest of the things that happen in this account when they are mentioned in another reading.
PR
The thing I marvel at the most in the account of the calling of the disciples is the speed at which they made their decision to follow Jesus. The way it's written it appears as if they made immediate decisions to leave everything and follow Him. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen...today they were unsuccessful fishermen. I would imagine that they were wondering how they would pay the bills if they didn't bring in some fish. If any case, cleaning out the nets is hard work, because you have to pick out every single piece of sea weed and sticks and whatever else was in the net. Of course, the net is slightly tangled, because the sticks are catching in two or three places, making it more difficult. They were probably ready for some rest. I don't know if they were listening to Jesus while they were cleaning nets, or if they had finished cleaning, or left the cleaning until later...either way, they weren't looking to go back out right now.
Jesus was a rabbi (as far as they knew). Not a fisherman. Fishermen fish, Rabbis teach. If you want to catch fish, you don't ask the Rabbi...you ask the fishermen. Peter demonstrates the most important character trait that you can have when he responds to Jesus.
He says "I don't understand...but because it's YOU asking, I will do it." I don't think that we can do any better than that, no matter how far we come in life. Just be obedient.
Interestingly enough, the catch is enormous, too much for him to handle. And he leaves it all on the shore and follows Jesus.
What was important 6 hours ago has become unimportant. What was impossible has become possible, and what was unknown..or even unimagined...has become reality. Peter has a new vision and hope for the future, one that causes him to leave everything that used be important behind, and pursue a new way of life, and a new way of thinking.
Maybe I will blog about the rest of the things that happen in this account when they are mentioned in another reading.
PR
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Luke 4
Thursday, Jan 14, 2016
No need to blog about the temptation of Jesus, that's familiar from yesterday.
Beginning in verse 14, 2 things happen when Jesus "goes home". First, He shows up at the synagogue and reads a passage from Isaiah 61. The backstory on that is interesting: every time the men gathered to worship, one person was selected to read. The person who read would move to the front of the room and sit in a large chair called "Moses seat". A second person would go to the cabinet in the room and take out a scroll (most places had only one, or a part of one) and carry it to the reader. Generally, the reader didn't pick his own passage to read...they began where the last person left off, and made their way through the scroll that way. I don't know if Jesus changed that, or if He knew that what they chose to read would be applicable to Him. "What a coincidence" that Jesus just happened to be the reader on a day that they "just happened" to be reading from Isaiah, and it was a prophecy that he was fulfilling as He read it.
Second, he tells the crowd that He isn't going to do any miracles in His hometown. Of course, that makes them furious. Intellectually, I know that Jesus doesn't need me to believe in Him in order to work. There are several instances in Scripture when Jesus healed people who didn't even know who He was. However, there is something to be said about Jesus preferring to work in areas where He is going to get the credit. We learn in Exodus 20 that "I the Lord your God am a jealous God"...meaning that He isn't willing to share His glory with anyone. Bottom line: if you want to see God working around you, believe that He can and will, and be sure to give Him credit for anything that is already happening.
There are lots of other things to comment on in Luke 4, but let me leave today's blog with one last comment. In the last paragraph the crowds are begging Jesus not to leave them. I can understand that. Jesus has healed their people, shared good news with them....things are good. It would be nice if He would just settle down and get comfortable and live right here. That way, any time we had a problem in the future He could take care of it. But Jesus reminds the crowd (and us) that He didn't come to make us comfortable. There are many towns out there where help is needed. There are hundreds of thousands of people who hurting and desperate, and aren't aware that help is available. Jesus wants to reach them too.
Since we are His children, and pattern our lives after Him, and desire to think and act like Him....we should be just as concerned about sharing the Gospel with others. We should be developing a pattern of "going out" rather than "keeping to ourselves". We act like Jesus when we share with others, help others and remind others that there is a hope and a future for all who believe in Him.
Serving Him,
PR
No need to blog about the temptation of Jesus, that's familiar from yesterday.
Beginning in verse 14, 2 things happen when Jesus "goes home". First, He shows up at the synagogue and reads a passage from Isaiah 61. The backstory on that is interesting: every time the men gathered to worship, one person was selected to read. The person who read would move to the front of the room and sit in a large chair called "Moses seat". A second person would go to the cabinet in the room and take out a scroll (most places had only one, or a part of one) and carry it to the reader. Generally, the reader didn't pick his own passage to read...they began where the last person left off, and made their way through the scroll that way. I don't know if Jesus changed that, or if He knew that what they chose to read would be applicable to Him. "What a coincidence" that Jesus just happened to be the reader on a day that they "just happened" to be reading from Isaiah, and it was a prophecy that he was fulfilling as He read it.
Second, he tells the crowd that He isn't going to do any miracles in His hometown. Of course, that makes them furious. Intellectually, I know that Jesus doesn't need me to believe in Him in order to work. There are several instances in Scripture when Jesus healed people who didn't even know who He was. However, there is something to be said about Jesus preferring to work in areas where He is going to get the credit. We learn in Exodus 20 that "I the Lord your God am a jealous God"...meaning that He isn't willing to share His glory with anyone. Bottom line: if you want to see God working around you, believe that He can and will, and be sure to give Him credit for anything that is already happening.
There are lots of other things to comment on in Luke 4, but let me leave today's blog with one last comment. In the last paragraph the crowds are begging Jesus not to leave them. I can understand that. Jesus has healed their people, shared good news with them....things are good. It would be nice if He would just settle down and get comfortable and live right here. That way, any time we had a problem in the future He could take care of it. But Jesus reminds the crowd (and us) that He didn't come to make us comfortable. There are many towns out there where help is needed. There are hundreds of thousands of people who hurting and desperate, and aren't aware that help is available. Jesus wants to reach them too.
Since we are His children, and pattern our lives after Him, and desire to think and act like Him....we should be just as concerned about sharing the Gospel with others. We should be developing a pattern of "going out" rather than "keeping to ourselves". We act like Jesus when we share with others, help others and remind others that there is a hope and a future for all who believe in Him.
Serving Him,
PR
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Matthew 4
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Who led Jesus into the wilderness (desert)? The Holy Spirit. Why did He lead Him out there? To be tempted by the devil.
It must have taken 40 days of training and preparation for what was about to happen next. The evil one would come and try to convince God the Son to worship him. Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance. I used to think satan was especially sneaky and crafty, given that he used bread to tempt a man who had not eaten in 40 days. I haven't fasted for that length of time, but I have fasted... and I can tell you that day one and two are the hardest days. After that, your will seems to win the battle over your desires. You still want to eat, but it isn't quite as tempting. I wonder if by the end of 40 days of saying "no" to food, and knowing that this "all important day" was coming, Jesus didn't find this to be the easiest of the temptations. I'm sure none of the temptations were easy...but you get my point. Looking back at it, the Holy Spirit set Jesus up for success. He does the same thing today for you and me.
Fasting and self denial are an integral part of the Christian life. In fact, I would say that without denying self you cannot be a Christian. I would also add to that: the more that you indulge yourself the less you will grow. I think that's because our "self" is in rebellion against God. When you read the Lord's Prayer, it expresses a desire to have what God wants, not what we want. "Your will be done" is the heart cry of the Christian.
I found myself wondering how these events were ever recorded in the Bible. Have you ever thought of that? There weren't any disciples yet...no one knew anything about Jesus being divine, He hadn't done any miracles yet. Matthew, who wrote this, wouldn't join him for weeks yet...maybe months.
There's only one explanation. Jesus must have told them. I imagine Jesus sitting around a small campfire at night, or perhaps leaning back against a stone, sitting in the grass looking out over the sea of Galilee, and sharing these stories with His disciples. We can all agree that we don't know everything that Jesus said and did. There are stories of healing, and miracles that we don't know anything about. We only have enough to help us draw the right conclusion: Jesus is God the Son, who came to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins, so that anyone who believes in Him can be free from sin and inherit eternal life.
I look forward to hearing the rest of the story in heaven..
PR
Who led Jesus into the wilderness (desert)? The Holy Spirit. Why did He lead Him out there? To be tempted by the devil.
It must have taken 40 days of training and preparation for what was about to happen next. The evil one would come and try to convince God the Son to worship him. Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance. I used to think satan was especially sneaky and crafty, given that he used bread to tempt a man who had not eaten in 40 days. I haven't fasted for that length of time, but I have fasted... and I can tell you that day one and two are the hardest days. After that, your will seems to win the battle over your desires. You still want to eat, but it isn't quite as tempting. I wonder if by the end of 40 days of saying "no" to food, and knowing that this "all important day" was coming, Jesus didn't find this to be the easiest of the temptations. I'm sure none of the temptations were easy...but you get my point. Looking back at it, the Holy Spirit set Jesus up for success. He does the same thing today for you and me.
Fasting and self denial are an integral part of the Christian life. In fact, I would say that without denying self you cannot be a Christian. I would also add to that: the more that you indulge yourself the less you will grow. I think that's because our "self" is in rebellion against God. When you read the Lord's Prayer, it expresses a desire to have what God wants, not what we want. "Your will be done" is the heart cry of the Christian.
I found myself wondering how these events were ever recorded in the Bible. Have you ever thought of that? There weren't any disciples yet...no one knew anything about Jesus being divine, He hadn't done any miracles yet. Matthew, who wrote this, wouldn't join him for weeks yet...maybe months.
There's only one explanation. Jesus must have told them. I imagine Jesus sitting around a small campfire at night, or perhaps leaning back against a stone, sitting in the grass looking out over the sea of Galilee, and sharing these stories with His disciples. We can all agree that we don't know everything that Jesus said and did. There are stories of healing, and miracles that we don't know anything about. We only have enough to help us draw the right conclusion: Jesus is God the Son, who came to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins, so that anyone who believes in Him can be free from sin and inherit eternal life.
I look forward to hearing the rest of the story in heaven..
PR
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Luke 3
Tuesday, January 12, 2015
Thinking of baptism, it isn't just "getting into the water" that cleanses you, it's the idea that you make a decision to change. John called it "produce fruit in keeping with repentance". Baptism implies that you are turning over control of your life to God, so that you will change. (there is no permanent change without His involvement) The Holy Spirit changes the way you act, the way you think, what you support and who your friends are.
Isaiah's prophecy says that the earth will be leveled. But he isn't referring to a literal leveling of the earth. He's talking about relationship. It used to be difficult to be forgiven and to be obedient. There were countless rules to follow, and very specific sacrifices that had to be made. They could only be made at certain times, and by certain people. It was really an "uphill battle" to stay pure before God. But now the time was coming when the roadblocks would be removed. In a short time, none of the sacrifices would be necessary. Priests would be outdated, and the trek to the temple would be history. On top of all this, no more listening to someone else read the Bible as your only exposure to it. Now, the Holy Spirit would begin to teach each and every believer directly from God. Truly, the road is becoming "smooth"!
I have always admired John. I mean, Jesus said of him "among women born of men there isn't anyone greater than John" (my translation). What's not to love? But after reading through the chapter this time I find myself thinking that being a prophet must have been a lonely job at times. God had a special calling on John's life, but it came at a price. I wonder how many friends John had? I don't see a wife mentioned, either. His message would have been difficult to hear, which doesn't bode well for the number of people who "hung out" with him. I wonder if he even had a home...it sounds like he lived very simply. I take away from this passage that God doesn't call us to a life of luxury or indulgence. John had next to nothing, but is considered great by God. He did what he was supposed to do...that's what made him great. You and I can do the same thing!
On a completely different note: I counted 75 generations from Adam to Jesus. If each generation was 40 years, that would be 3,000 years. However, we would be mistaken if we thought that the earth was 3,000 years old...because there were several hundred years between some of the earliest generations. In fact Bishop James Ussher (17th century Irish priest) did extensive research and set the date of creation at 4,004 BC. That would make the earth around 6,000 years old. The genealogy that Mark provides simply helps make the case for a young earth, instead of one that is millions of years old.
praying that you have a great day,
PR
Thinking of baptism, it isn't just "getting into the water" that cleanses you, it's the idea that you make a decision to change. John called it "produce fruit in keeping with repentance". Baptism implies that you are turning over control of your life to God, so that you will change. (there is no permanent change without His involvement) The Holy Spirit changes the way you act, the way you think, what you support and who your friends are.
Isaiah's prophecy says that the earth will be leveled. But he isn't referring to a literal leveling of the earth. He's talking about relationship. It used to be difficult to be forgiven and to be obedient. There were countless rules to follow, and very specific sacrifices that had to be made. They could only be made at certain times, and by certain people. It was really an "uphill battle" to stay pure before God. But now the time was coming when the roadblocks would be removed. In a short time, none of the sacrifices would be necessary. Priests would be outdated, and the trek to the temple would be history. On top of all this, no more listening to someone else read the Bible as your only exposure to it. Now, the Holy Spirit would begin to teach each and every believer directly from God. Truly, the road is becoming "smooth"!
I have always admired John. I mean, Jesus said of him "among women born of men there isn't anyone greater than John" (my translation). What's not to love? But after reading through the chapter this time I find myself thinking that being a prophet must have been a lonely job at times. God had a special calling on John's life, but it came at a price. I wonder how many friends John had? I don't see a wife mentioned, either. His message would have been difficult to hear, which doesn't bode well for the number of people who "hung out" with him. I wonder if he even had a home...it sounds like he lived very simply. I take away from this passage that God doesn't call us to a life of luxury or indulgence. John had next to nothing, but is considered great by God. He did what he was supposed to do...that's what made him great. You and I can do the same thing!
On a completely different note: I counted 75 generations from Adam to Jesus. If each generation was 40 years, that would be 3,000 years. However, we would be mistaken if we thought that the earth was 3,000 years old...because there were several hundred years between some of the earliest generations. In fact Bishop James Ussher (17th century Irish priest) did extensive research and set the date of creation at 4,004 BC. That would make the earth around 6,000 years old. The genealogy that Mark provides simply helps make the case for a young earth, instead of one that is millions of years old.
praying that you have a great day,
PR
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