Month: February 2019

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 334 – 1 Corinthians 15-16; Matthew 21 summary!]

In Joshua 4 and into the beginning of Joshua 5, we read of God’s command for the people of Israel to take twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes, from the middle of the Jordan River and establish a memorial on the Promised Land side of the Jordan. It would remind the Israelites of God’s faithfulness and power in their coming to the land via a flooded river, which God stopped from flowing.  They were also to put twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, which no one would see again, as an additional reminder. This great crossing of the Jordan put Joshua in the category of being revered as much as the people had revered Moses. We’re told at the beginning of chapter 5, the Kings of the Amorites and all the Canaanite kings heard of the Israelites crossing of the Jordan with the LORD’s help and they “lost heart and were paralyzed with fear.” Through the remainder of chapter 5, Joshua had the Israelites reestablish Covenant ceremonies, including circumcision, because they hadn’t followed these commands while they were in the wilderness.

As chapter 5 closes, the angel of the Lord confronted Joshua. When Joshua asked, “Are you friend or foe?” The angel responded, “Neither one.” When he told Joshua who he was, Joshua fell on his face in reverence and promised to do whatever he commanded. The angel told Joshua to remove his sandals, because the ground where he stood was holy. This reminds us of God’s call to Moses in Exodus 3-4, when God told Moses to remove his sandals as he stood in the presence of the burning bush.

Chapter 6 records the Israelites’ defeat of Jericho. To say the “battle” was unorthodox is an understatement. Rather than send the Israelite troops into battle immediately, the LORD told him to gather the people and march around the city daily for seven days. Most of us have read about this unusual plan, or if we were ever in children’s ministry when we were small have acted it out. The result of the Israelites marching around the city and blowing trumpets was on the seventh day the walls fell, and God delivered the people of Jericho into the Israelites hands. The Israelites honored their commitment to save Rahab and her family, and then they burned the town and everything in it. The only thing they kept were items made of silver, gold, bronze, and iron. They were kept to place in the Lord’s treasury.  All looked to be well, but as we’ll see tomorrow when we read chapters 7-9 the Israelites never remained wholly faithful to God for long.

As we return to John 6, the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000, I’m reminded of how difficult it was for the people to accept Jesus’ claim to be the “Bread of Life,” and to follow Him fully. I wasn’t there, and I imagine if someone told me I needed to “eat his flesh and drink his blood” (John 6:53) to have eternal life, I would have struggled with the idea. But the evidence of Jesus’ power was clear. He had fed 5,000 men, plus the women and children with a few loaves of bread and fish. Who but God could do that? The majority of the crowd left Jesus at that point. The majority of Jesus “disciples” left Him at that point. Only the twelve remained with Him. We have the benefit of being able to look back over 2,000 years, of knowing Jesus died and rose again, of knowing Jesus wasn’t speaking literally about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. What would we have done were we there? Thankfully, we will never have to find out, because we live on the resurrection side of Easter. We have the assurance Jesus is the Son of God, the Bread of Life, and the source of salvation for all who believe in Him!

Day 334 – 1 Corinthians 15-16; Matthew 21

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul offers one of the longest and most helpful accounts of Jesus’ resurrection and its implications for us as His followers. Paul reminds us that it is the resurrection on which our faith stands. If Jesus has been raised then He is the Son of God, and our true Savior and Lord. If He has not risen, as Paul puts it, “We are of all people the most to be pitied.  As the chapter continues, Paul talks about how important it is for us to understand the power of the resurrection, and to live our lives in purity before the Lord. He also tells us about the new bodies we will receive when we rise from the dead.  1 Corinthians 15 is a chapter worth reading again and again, because of the rich information, and the rich promises it provides. 

1 Corinthians 16 closes Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian believers, and it Paul commends certain leaders to the Corinthians for their acceptance and for them to follow. Paul was never a “one-man-band.” He constantly and consistently equipped other leaders and gave the both the authority and responsibility to carry out their ministries in ways that would best advance the Kingdom of Heaven.  It is vital for us as Jesus’ followers to follow this model of equipping leaders who will share the good news of Jesus and continue to equip leaders for the following generations. In this way the church will grow stronger, and the Kingdom will advance.

As we return to Matthew 21, we find Jesus’ ministry is coming to a climax. He enters triumphantly into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, and the crowds praise Him. He drives the money changers out of the Temple for making it a “den of thieves.” Then, the religious leaders press Him wanting to know where He derives the authority to do the kinds of things He does. Jesus turns the tables on them and asks them where John the Baptist derived His authority? They realized if they said it was from heaven, Jesus would ask why they didn’t believe him, but if they said it was human authority the crowds would turn on them, because they thought John was a prophet. As a result they said, “We don’t know.” Jesus then responded, “Neither will I tell you where I derive my authority.”

The chapter closes with Jesus telling two parables, each of which points out flaws in the religious leaders. The first was the Parable of the Two Sons. In the parable a man had two sons, each of whom he asked to go work in the fields. The first said he would, but then he didn’t, while the second said he wouldn’t be then he did. Jesus asked which of the sons did their father’s will? The reasonable answer was the second, the one who said, “No,” but then went and worked in the field. Jesus compared the first son to the religious leaders and the second son to the tax collectors and other sinners. In the second parable, the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus told of a landowner who rented his vineyard out to tenants. When it came time for the harvest, the landowner sent servants to get his share of the revenues, but the tenants mistreated them, and even killed some of them. Finally, the landowner sent his only son, thinking they would treat him well. Instead, they killed him, thinking they would keep the proceeds for themselves with the son out of the way.  The religious leaders realized this parable was about them, they were the tenants, and Jesus was the son. This caused them to be more eager to be rid of Him. 

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 333 – 1 Corinthians 12-14; Matthew 20 summary!]

As we turn to the Book of Joshua, the theme of the first chapter is courage. Joshua finds himself in the unenviable position of taking over the leadership of the Israelites from Moses. Moses had held the position for forty years. Time and again, Moses found himself taking the brunt of the people’s rebellion against God, and occasionally pleading for God to show mercy to his rebellious followers. Moses had suffered with his people through a forty-year wilderness journey, when the trip ought to have taken six weeks at most. Their disobedience had caused God to sentence every adult who was 20 and older at the time of their rejecting His offer to go into the Promised Land, to die in the wilderness. Now, Moses has died, and Joshua takes over the reins. On the positive side of the ledger, Joshua had served as Moses’ right-hand man for decades. He had also inherited Moses’ mantel from God. God now spoke directly with Joshua as He had with Moses.

In Joshua 1, God promises Joshua He will be with him, as He was with Moses. He charges Joshua to be courageous, to read and keep the Law, and to know God will give him and the Israelites every bit of land where they walk. Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful and to obey the LORD.  The response they give would not have encouraged to me: ¹⁶And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! ¹⁸Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.” Joshua 1:16-18 (ESV) The oath is in the strongest form: Whoever rebels against you…shall be put to death.  That sounds like a great pledge of obedience to Joshua.  The part that would have scared me is what they promised: “…Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you.” We have read of all the ways the Israelites disobeyed Moses. As we will see in the pages of Joshua, the Israelites also disobeyed Joshua at key points in their taking of the Promised Land.

The Israelites did start with a short burst of obedience as we see in Joshua 2 and 3.  In chapter 2, Joshua sent two spies into the land to scout out Jericho, which would be one of the first walled cities the Israelites would need to battle and overcome. The spies found the people were frightened of the Israelites and had heard of God’s deliverance through mighty works of power. The spies would have been caught except Rahab, a prostitute, gave them shelter in exchange for the promise of being spared, along with her family, when the Israelites eventually overtook the city. The spies agreed. In chapter 3, the Israelites march across the Jordan River. Just as God had provided safe passage through the Red Sea when the Israelites escaped from Egypt, so He gave them safe passage through the Jordan River. I have always found it significant that the waters of the Jordan didn’t part until the priests stepped into the water with the Ark of the Covenant. The river was at flood stage, so to obey God the priests had to step into a raging river. As soon as they did so, the waters stopped flowing, and the Israelites were able to pass on dry ground.

As we return to John 5, let’s remember the question Jesus asked the man who was lying beside the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to get well?” While the answer seemed obvious, after all the man had been paralyzed for decades, the question begs an answer. The man made an excuse, but Jesus provided the healing anyway. In our lives, we often come to points where God wants to work in our lives, but we get in our own way. One specific example in my life is the many times I have lacked the discipline to eat healthy foods and to exercise effectively.  You might think, “That is nothing like being paralyzed.” In degree, that’s true, but in principle it is the same: The man had the means to be healed standing in front of him, and he offered Jesus an excuse.  I have had the means to be healthier, and more effective as Jesus’ follower in front of me over and over again, and have said, “Yes,” for periods of time, and then I make excuses. Or I have simply started with an excuse.  Let’s not follow the paralytic’s example and make excuses when Jesus asks us if we want to be well. Let’s say, “Yes!” and then let Him work His healing power in our lives, whether the healing we need is physical, emotional or spiritual!

Day 333 – 1 Corinthians 12-14; Matthew 20

As we turn to 1 Corinthians 12-14 we read a unit the covers many matters regarding the Holy Spirit. First in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul tells us about spiritual gifts. He tells us each person who is part of the body of Jesus Christ (One of Paul’s favorite images for the Church!) has been given a spiritual gift or gifts for the common good. He reminds us as a part of the body we can’t say we don’t belong because we aren’t the part we want to be. Nor can we exclude someone else, because they aren’t the parts we want them to be. Paul reminds us that as a body, when one member suffers, we all suffer. He also reminds us when one part is honored, the whole body rejoices. This illustration is so powerful. While as Americans, we tend to focus on the individual, as the body of Jesus Christ, we are to focus on how we work together. At the end of the chapter Paul tells us to seek the “greater” gifts, but then tells us he will show us a more excellent way.

That way is revealed in 1 Corinthians 13. That way is the way of love. Paul reminds us no matter what spiritual gifts we might display in our lives, without love we are nothing. Paul offers a beautiful description of what the love of God in Jesus Christ is and isn’t. He closes the chapter by reminding us we don’t have the full picture now, but we must not act as children. We must live in love as fully as we can, and when Jesus returns, we will understand the fullness of His love.

1 Corinthians 14 starts with Paul’s explanation of the importance of tongues. Many have misunderstood the importance of tongues, some overemphasizing their use as a sign that a person is a “true” believer, while others say tongues was only for the apostolic age. Paul makes a powerful statement by saying he wished that everyone spoke in tongues as he did, and then adding, but that in worship he would rather offer five intelligible words than a thousand words in tongues. This is crucial: tongues are for the building up of the individual in his or her relationship with God, unless the message offered is interpreted and can be used to benefit the body. As Paul concludes the chapter he talks about propriety in worship. He offers an example of how worship ought to look. One aspect of His explanation has been misinterpreted down through the centuries. In quoting what had been sent to him by the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “As in all the congregations of the saints, ³⁴women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. ³⁵If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.1 Corinthians 14:33a-35 (NIV) Only the King James Version offers an accurate translation of the next verse. It starts, “What?” As in “Are you kidding.” As we read the remainder of the passage, Paul makes it clear that what he has taught about women in worship is what needs to happen. Back in chapter 11, Paul said women must have their heads covered in worship when they pray or prophesy. That certainly means they were permitted to speak, so it makes no sense that most English translations leave out the “What?” that starts verse 36. When we add it, it becomes clear that Paul was no prohibiting women from speaking in worship, but clearing up the Corinthians misunderstanding.

As we return to Matthew 20, Jesus tells the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. In the parable, a vineyard owner hirers workers at various time throughout a day, telling the first ones he would pay them a denarius, and those whom he hired later he would pay them what was fair. At the end of the day, he paid the workers, starting with the ones who only worked an hour. He gave them a denarius. When he got to the workers who had worked all day, he also paid them a denarius. They were upset, because he was “unfair.” The vineyard owner pointed out he was giving them what they agreed as their wage at the beginning of the day. He added if he wanted to be generous to those who worked less, what was that to them?  The story points out that some will only serve in the Kingdom of heaven a short time, and yet will receive eternal rewards. That is because of the generosity of our Master.

Jesus then told the disciples a third time he was going to be crucified. This time the mother of James and John came and asked Jesus if her sons could sit at his right and left in His kingdom? What a question! When the rest of the disciples heard about it, they were furious. Most likely their fury came because they hadn’t thought of asking, and because they wanted a better position. Jesus ended the conversation by reminding them all that the greatest in God’s Kingdom are those who serve the most.

The chapter ends with Jesus healing two blind men. Jesus told the men it was their faith that healed them. As we have noted before, sometimes Jesus heals based on the faith of those being healed, sometimes based on the faith of others, and sometimes as a gift and demonstration of His Kingdom power and authority. Whatever the reason, His miraculous works demonstrate the reality of God’s Kingdom coming to the earth.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 332 – 1 Corinthians 10-11; Matthew 19 summary!]

Deuteronomy 33 records Moses’ blessing for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Much as Jacob had blessed his sons before he died (which we read at the end of Genesis), Moses blessed each of the twelve tribes before he died (which we are reading at the end of Deuteronomy). As we read through the blessings, we see Moses didn’t offer the same blessing for each of the tribes, and as we might expect his longest blessing was offered to the tribe of his own origin: Levi. Throughout the Bible we find blessings are never “equal.” Often the firstborn is not given as great a blessing as the second-born. Jesus treated three of His disciples to greater opportunities than the other nine. We find out God isn’t “fair” in His distribution of gifts, blessing, land, and other aspects of life. How is this possible? It’s possible, because God makes the rules, and the only place we find “all men” are created equal is in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. I put “all men” in quotes, because when the document was written, women weren’t equal, and only men who were white property owners were part of the “all” who were created equal.  Even they weren’t created equal, as each was endowed by God with different natural aptitudes and skills, and each who belonged to Jesus Christ was given different spiritual gifts by God as well.

My purpose is not to denigrate our founding fathers, nor to say I think God is wrong not to treat us the same.  My purpose is to show equality is a great standard to follow in living out our roles as citizens of the United States of America, and that equality is for all people.  When it comes to how we treat each other as Jesus’ followers, we are to treat each other with love and respect. But we can’t treat each other the same or equally, nor is there any place in the Bible that tells us we ought to do so.  As Moses offered varying blessings to each of Israel’s tribes, we will live with differing relationships toward all the people in our spheres of influence. We will be closer to some than others. We will show preference to some over others. So long as we do that in love and in the power of the Holy Spirit, that is good.

Deuteronomy 34 records the final acts of Moses and his death. Some seeking to criticize the idea Moses authored the first five books of the Bible, have asked, “Did he write Deuteronomy 34, too?  Of course not! He could have written a portion of it, but Joshua or someone else would have written the account of his death, would have recorded that no one knew exactly where he was buried and these comments:  “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew fact to face. The Lord sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land. With mighty power, Moses performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel.” Indeed, Moses was an incredible servant of the Lord, yet, because of a couple acts of disobedience, he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land.  Was that fair? As the first couple paragraphs remind us, fairness is not God’s first standard. God’s decisions are beyond our standards of fairness. He decided Moses would not enter the Promised Land, so Moses didn’t.  Moses carried out many amazing tasks and accomplishments in his life, and is remembered as a prophet like no other.

As we reread John 4, let’s turn to the end of the chapter, where we read about the “official” in Cana who asked Jesus to heal his son. Jesus’ response doesn’t seem “fair.” (Because we’re on that topic today!) Jesus’ response when the man asked for Him to heal his son was, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” Jesus didn’t ask what the son’s problem was. He didn’t seem to show compassion. He cut right to the point: Only signs and wonders bring faith to you people. The father didn’t care about Jesus’ bluntness. His son was dying. That’s what he pointed out to Jesus. If Jesus didn’t come down to the man’s house, his son was going to die. Jesus took the opportunity to show He didn’t need to be present physically to perform a miracle. He dismissed the man by saying, “Go. Your son will live.” The man went home and found out his son was fine. When he asked when the son got better, the man realized it was the exact moment Jesus had said, “Go. Your son will live.” The man became a believer that instant, as did his household.

Interesting: Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe,” and then He performed a sign, and a whole family believed. Jesus hadn’t told the man about the demand for signs, because He wasn’t going to perform one.  Jesus knew human nature. He still does.  When He does signs and wonders these days, often through His followers, some believe, and others don’t. It was the same in Jesus’ day. Some who saw the amazing signs Jesus performed, decided to go out and determine how to kill Him.  Others, such as this official, saw a sign and believed. Our task is to be faithful to Jesus, whether we see signs or not, whether He uses us to perform signs or not. It’s easier for some when they see signs, but even then, some continue in disbelief.  That’s why following Jesus requires belief or faith, and it was so even for those who saw Him perform signs and wonders in person!

Day 332 – 1 Corinthians 10-11; Matthew 19

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul starts by “reminding” the people from Israel’s history the great detriment of sexual immorality. I put “reminding” in quotes, because the Corinthian believers were mainly from a pagan background. Paul was incorporating Jewish history into their collective memories and pointing out that as in the past when God’s people had turned to sexual immorality and it ended badly, so would it in the present day. He concluded this discussion with a reminder that God always provides a way out for us when we are tempted. Next, Paul moved on to comment on the importance of not indulging in idolatry. He related his comments to the importance of maintaining the purity of the Lord’s Supper, and to be certain we don’t combine it with elements of idolatrous or demonic worship. Finally Paul reminded us that our freedoms in Jesus ought never be used to cause another believer to stumble. Paul reminded us consistently to think of the response of our brothers and sisters to our actions. Not that we ought to base our actions on what they think, but our actions ought not lead them away from Jesus.

As 1 Corinthians 11 begins, Paul offers a conclusion to his words in chapter 10: Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ. What a powerful truth. When we watch other Jesus followers, it is crucial for us to examine whether they are, indeed, following Jesus’ example. If they are, then we are to follow them. If they are not, the we must not follow their example. As the chapter continues, Paul speaks about propriety in worship. While his comments might seem strange to us, because he tells women they need to have their heads covered in worship, and when they pray and prophesy in worship. He tells men not to cover their heads. He then relates all that to the order of creation, and the roles of men and women. While the details are for the culture of that time, the principle remains: When we lead in worship, we are to be prepared to honor God in what we do and how we do it. The chapter closes with Paul’s correction of the Corinthian’s behavior in participating in the Lord’s Supper. Their practices had been shameful. Because the Lord’s Supper was combined with their eating a meal together, and this took place in meetings in their homes after work, some were arriving early and eating all the food and drinking all the wine, leaving the latecomers without anything. Paul reminded the Corinthian believers their practices were dishonoring God, and when we dishonor God by eating the bread and drinking the cup in an unworthy manner, the result can be illness and even death. 

As we return to Matthew 19, the religious leaders come to Jesus and ask Him about divorce. Jesus makes it clear that divorce was not part of God’s original plan but was permitted because of human hardness of heart. He went on to say, the only legitimate reason for divorce is adultery.  He also added, “What the Lord has joined let no one separate. Next, Jesus had to admonish the disciples for trying to keep parents from bringing children to Him to bless them. Finally, a rich young man comes to Jesus seeking His answer for how one obtains eternal life. Jesus tells the man to obey the Law of Moses. The man tells Jesus he has done that since his youth. Jesus then tells the man he lacked only one thing–he needed to go and sell everything he owned, give it to the poor, and he would have riches in heaven. Then he could come and follow Jesus. The man wouldn’t do it. He went away sad, because he was extremely wealthy. As the chapter closes Jesus uses this experience to remind the disciples that the Kingdom works on different economics than the world. When we give up worldly goods, we multiple our blessings in the Kingdom of heaven. Only when we put God first does that happen, so the best place for us to be is in the will of God, because when we are He promises to care for our ultimate needs. 

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 330 – 1 Corinthians 4-6; Matthew 17 summary!]

Deuteronomy 27-29 offers us a long sequence of curses and blessings that would come to the Israelites depending on whether they obeyed God or disobeyed Him. Moses summarizes the covenant between God and the people of Israel again, and calls them to obey it. We cannot miss the significance of the connection God made between our actions and the consequences. Obedience would bring blessing, and disobedience curses. As we have stated in summarizing previous times when such content was the basis of previous chapters, we know we don’t always receive blessings for obeying God. Much of the New Testament tells us we will suffer for obeying God. Jesus is the greatest example of one who was absolutely obedient to God yet was crucified as a result. The principle remains true: Obeying God leads to blessing. The difference between the Old Testament understanding of that principle and the New Testament understanding is in the Old Testament God told the people they would receive a “one-for-one” correspondence between obedience and blessing. Obedience would bring blessing every time. In the New Testament we see obedience to God might bring pain in this life but will always bring blessing or reward in the next life.  We don’t always, or often have to wait for the blessings of obedience, because the greatest reward of our obedience to God is a closer relationship with Him.  Every time we obey Him regardless of the immediate consequence physically or materially, we will become closer to Him relationally. That relationship will be made perfect only after this life, when we meet Him face to face, but every step of obedience here-and-now, draws us closer in relationship with Him right now.

As we reread John 2, let’s focus on His cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem. John records this event happening at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, while the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) record the event as taking place after Jesus’ Triumphant entry, which means it took place in the last week of Jesus’ life. Does that mean John is wrong, or that the other three are wrong? What if Jesus cleansed the Temple twice? There’s no reason to think He wouldn’t have done it twice. After all, one of Jesus’ purposes in coming, was to show the lack of power religion has to save us. The Jewish religious leaders saw their rituals and traditions as the means of pleasing God. They also twisted those rituals and traditions for their own benefit. Jesus told them they had made the Temple “a house of trade.” God’s places and God’s purposes must never be reduced to opportunities to earn a buck. We are not to “use” God. We belong to Him. We are stewards of all He has given us, and therefore, He gets to use us however He pleases. The good news is God will never “use” us in the sense of taking advantage of us. He will always use us in ways that bring Him glory, but also bring us good. That’s why we must seek Him and His Kingdom first in our lives. As we see from Jesus’ interaction in the Temple, when we misuse God’s places and purposes, Jesus will always stand against that. He will do it at the start of His ministry and at the end. We must, too!

Day 330 – 1 Corinthians 4-6; Matthew 17

In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul makes a case for his authority as an apostle, and for the Corinthian believers not to think so highly of themselves.  They have elevated themselves above their original leaders–Paul and Apollos. He reminded them they might have “10,000 guardians, but not many fathers.” That is such a key point for all us to remember: we need leaders whose investment in us is more than as teachers or preachers, but who care about us as sons and daughters.

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul takes a strong stance against those in the church who are practicing sin as a way of life. He gives the example of a man who was committing sexual sin. He then reminded the Corinthians not to associate with those who are sexually immoral. Then he makes sure they understand he means those inside the church. Those outside the church aren’t subject to the same standards. As I’ve said so often, “I don’t expect non-believers to act like believers.” I got that from Jesus and Paul. They didn’t either. But when we are believers, our actions must change, because we now have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul speaks about the absurdity of believers suing one another in secular courts. He points out that we will judge angels, so why would we need a secular authority to judge each other. He points out it would be better to be wronged than to go to court. How much that has to say to our modern litigious world, which undoubtedly includes Christians suing each other. Paul then goes on to underline who important it is to avoid sexual sin. He points out we are the “temple” of the Holy Spirit, and therefore we must be holy. To commit sexual sin is to stain the temple. He reminds us we are not our own, and we have been bought with a price.  He doesn’t mention the price, but we all know it is the price of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. That’s the highest imaginable price, which is why we must never forget it.

As we return to Matthew 17, we read of Jesus being transfigured with Moses and Elijah. The experience was overwhelming to Peter, James, and John who were with Jesus. When the experience ended and they went down the mountain to rejoin the crowds, a man had brought his son to be healed by the disciples.  They were unable to cast a demon out of the boy, and Jesus demonstrated some frustration. When the father said he had faith, but needed Jesus to increase his faith, Jesus healed the boy. 

At the end of the chapter, Jesus sends Peter to catch a fish, in which is a coin that enabled Peter to pay the Temple tax for him and Jesus. That’s as close as Jesus ever came to performing a miracle for Himself, but He didn’t overpower nature to do that. Peter just had to catch the right fish!

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 329 – 1 Corinthians 1-3; Matthew 16 summary!]

Deuteronomy 23-25 offers a long list of miscellaneous commands. They cover the range of who was permitted to worship in the Tabernacle and who wasn’t, how runaway slaves were to be treated (they were to be given refuge!), that children weren’t to be punished for the sins of their parents, or parents for the sins of their children, and many other commands. As one who doesn’t like rules in general, these precise rules concerning so many matters make my head spin. We must keep reminding ourselves their purpose was to empower the Israelites to serve a holy God, and to become a holy people in the process. God’s holiness is always a matter for our imitation. While we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus, we are still called to be holy as the Lord our God is holy. Our freedom from the Law is not a license to sin, but rather a source of strength for living according to God’s will and purposes in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 26 offers another restatement of how tithes and offerings were to be presented, as well as a call to obey all of God’s commands. By now we are surely getting the point: God expects obedience from His people! Again, we live under grace, not law, but Jesus told His disciples, “By this will all know you love Me: you obey My commands!” The Great Commission includes the instruction: “…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” As my friend Dale Milligan always said, “To love God is to trust Him enough to obey Him.”

Today, we start reading through the Gospel of John a second time. As I have reminded us, the goal in our reading, then re-reading each gospel is to gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and all He has done for us. We read from the Gospels every day in our New Life’s 1 Year Prayer and Bible Reading Plan, because the entire Bible points to Jesus as the Messiah, and as Lord and Savior of us all. While we want to read through the entire Bible each year, so over time we will have an understanding of who God is and how God has operated from creation, until now, and what will happen ultimately for those who love Him in the future, we must know Jesus as Savior and Lord, and live in the power of His Spirit. Reading from the gospels daily, helps us to gain the information we need to apply Jesus’ salvation in our lives.

As we recall, John 1 starts quite differently from the other three gospels. John’s goal was not to tell us about Jesus’ birth, or the preparation John the Baptist made for Jesus’ coming–at least not first. First, John wanted to establish Jesus is God. He was with God in the beginning, and He is the one who gives us the right to become children of God through His grace and truth.  As we read through John 1 again, let’s focus on the different names John gives Jesus, and what they mean in our lives as we apply them to our daily living.

Day 329 – 1 Corinthians 1-3; Matthew 16

Today, we turn to the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. Corinth was Paul’s “problem child.” The city of Corinth was a pagan as any city could be. Idol worship and sexual immorality ran rampant in Corinth. As we will see through both 1^stand 2^ndCorinthians, Paul often responded to questions and problems among the people, and with the people of the church challenging his authority.  How difficult it must have been for Paul when someone for Corinth came with a letter filled with questions and challenges to which he had to respond. That’s what each of these letters are: responses to questions from a church Paul had planted but had then left to move on to plant other churches. Remember, in Paul’s day information had to be transmitted from person to person. While both the Corinthian Church and Paul could write letters to each other, they couldn’t “drop them in the mail,” and expect them to be received in a few days. Someone had to hand deliver the letters. With Paul traveling all over the known world, and without any means of updating where he was, the process of sending letters back and forth was difficult at best. In fact, most biblical scholars believe Paul probably received and wrote an additional letter between his writing of 1^stCorinthians and 2^ndCorinthians, but it didn’t survive to be included in the Bible. As we turn to 1^stCorinthians, let’s thank God for the amazing process that was undertaken to ensure it was included for us!

1 Corinthians 1 includes a brief greeting, which includes Paul’s gratitude for the church, but it is shorter than many of his letters. He gets to the point fairly quickly: He has heard about divisions in the church. Some are claiming to follow Paul, others Apollos, others Christ.  Paul points out he didn’t save them it was Jesus Christ. No one can be part of any “party” in the church except the Jesus party! Paul goes on to remind them his message was that of Jesus and Him crucified. He reminds them they weren’t all that impressive as a group of people, when Jesus called them to Himself. Paul exhorted them to follow Jesus and Him alone.

In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul reminds the believers there when he came among them, he didn’t teach or preach with convincing words, but with the Spirit’s power. In other words, Paul’s message about Jesus was backed up with signs and wonders. This has often been the case when new ground was (or is) being broken for the Lord. Signs and wonders accompany the message, because Jesus isthe power of God, and in His name mighty signs and wonders can be done. Paul wanted the Corinthian believers to understand that the mysteries of God had been revealed in Jesus Christ through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This is the heart of our lives as Jesus’ followers: We must live in obedience to Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Anything less than that is merely religion.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses the matter of divisions in the church once again. He reminds his readers that when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another “I follow Apollos,” they are already severely off track. After all Paul and Apollos were simply instruments used by Jesus.  Paul, “planted,” and Apollos “watered,” but it was God who gave the growth. We must always remember that. We may be in the debt of the person who first told us about Jesus. We may have been influenced greatly by a pastor or teacher along the way, but it is Jesus Himself who gives us growth.

In verses 10-15, Paul offers us an important reminder about the purpose of our lives after we are saved. He tells us Jesus is the “foundation,” of our lives. Using the image of our lives as a “house,” he tells us once the foundation is laid, we build on it using gold, silver, and precious stones, or we use wood, hay, and straw.  The former are solid building blocks that will survive the test of time and fire, but the latter are not.  The gold, silver, and precious stones are faithful, righteous works done in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The wood, hay, and straw are sins, actions that won’t stand the tests of time and fire. When we face Jesus, the judgment will come, the fire will be applied. The good news is even if we built our houses with nothing but wood, hay, and straw, which will be burned away, we will be saved–as one escaping through the fire, but our “house” will be gone. On the other hand, if we live according to Jesus’ plan and purpose, if we live faithfully and righteously in the power of the Holy Spirit, then we will not only survive the flame, but we will receive a reward.  This passage helps us to see it isn’t about our efforts when it comes to salvation, but our efforts domatter, because they bring us a reward or reduce our reward.  My thought has always been, “When I stand in front of Jesus, I don’t want to have to apologize, or blush, or be ashamed. I want to show Him love, honor and praise through what I have done.”

Paul closes the chapter by reminding us that we don’t belong to Paul, or Apollos, but to Christ and to God.  That reminder helps us to keep our focus clear and lives headed in the right direction.

As we return to Matthew 16, the religious leaders demand a sign. How strange given Jesus has just fed 4,000 men along with women and children with a few loaves of bread and fish and healed multiple people. In any case, Jesus tells them they won’t be given a sign.  As Jesus and His disciples travel, Jesus tells them to beware of the “leaven,” of the Pharisees.  This was a metaphor, but the disciples missed it.  They thought Jesus was reprimanding them for forgetting to bring bread. Jesus reminded them how small a challenge that would be, given that He had already healed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and fish. They finally realized Jesus was talking about their teaching.

After this, Jesus asked the disciples who the crowds said He was, and who they said He was. Jesus was wanting them to consider His identity, because He was moving toward His crucifixion and they needed to understand what was ahead. God gave Peter the correct answer:  Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God.  Jesus affirmed Peter and told Him it would be upon this truth that Jesus would build His Church.  Shortly after that, Jesus told the disciples He was going to be crucified. Peter rebuked Jesus for saying this. Then Jesus rebuked Peter in the strongest possible terms calling him “Satan,” for having a worldly attitude instead of a godly one.

Jesus then turned to the crowds and reminded them if anyone wanted to follow Him, they would need to deny themselves “take up their crosses” and follow Him. Jesus reminded them, and us, if we lose our lives for His sake and the sake of the Kingdom, we will find them, but if we keep them, we will lose them.  This is 180º the opposite of the world’s way of thinking, and that’s precisely the point: Following Jesus will bring us in opposition with the world, but will gain us eternal life.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 328-Romans 15-16; Matthew 15 summary!]

Deuteronomy 19 restates the law concerning the establishment of cities of refuge and how they will be used. The basic concept was to limit the “eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth” justice that was to be meted out by the family member of one who had been killed, when the death was an accident. No mercy was to be extended to those who committed intentional murder, but accidental death was to be treated with mercy. At the end of the chapter, we also find some admonitions concerning justice with regard to boundary markers, and witnesses and their ability to make accusations. The legal system was intended to provide justice for the nation, and to reflect God’s justice andmercy toward His people.

Deuteronomy 20 established conduct for war against Israel’s enemies. The key point was the Israelites weren’t to be afraid, because God was fighting for them. The priests were to head up the battle, and they were to dismiss any who had recently built a house, planted a vineyard, or been married, so they wouldn’t miss out on enjoying these new experiences in their lives. In addition, any who were afraid were to be dismissed, so their fear wouldn’t incite others to fear. Enemies in distant lands were to be given the option to serve Israel rather than to be destroyed, but the immediate inhabitants of the Promised Land were to be utterly destroyed. We’ve seen this theme over and over again. The reason is the same: God did not want the Israelites to be seduced by the idol worship of the inhabitants, or their immorality. He was establishing a holy nation, and that started with a “clean slate” when it came to their land of habitation. One additional command God gave was for the Israelites not to destroy the trees in any land they went to conquer. His reasoning was the trees had done nothing against the people. This act of conservation demonstrates God’s purpose in having people “subdue the earth and have dominion over it,” as found in Genesis 1, does not include destroying nature for the sake of that dominion.

Deuteronomy 21 restates some random rules we have seen before. They include: how an unsolved murder was to be addressed, so the people would not be held guilty for it; the process for marrying a woman who had been part of a people defeated by Israel; the rights of firstborn sons; dealing with a rebellious son; and the responsibility not to let anyone who had been hung on a tree (as a form of execution) hang there overnight.  These regulations continue into chapter 22 and conclude with a “laundry list” of prohibitions against sexual immorality. As we read through the lists, and see the death penalty for rebellious sons, the treatment of a foreign captive as having no rights, and various other rules that seem to have extreme punishments for the level of the crime, our 21st century sensibilities will undoubtedly be offended once again. Remember, we are dealing with a nation where justice was a new concept, and where holiness was the goal. This won’t make it easier for us to accept the concepts, perhaps, but it will make it easier to understand.

John 21 offers us one of the most poignant scenes in the Bible. Jesus has already shown Himself to the apostles after His resurrection. Nevertheless, Peter decides to go fishing, and takes most of the apostles with him. Perhaps, seeing Jesus alive only reminded Peter of his failure when Jesus was being tried and sentenced to death. In any case, they fished all night and caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus appeared to them on the beach. He asked whether they had caught any fish. Then He told them to cast their nets on the other side. The result was an amazing catch of fish. At that, John told Peter, “It is the Lord.” Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. When the rest arrived in the boat, Jesus had already cooked breakfast for them.

After the meal, Jesus took Peter aside and asked him three times, “Do you love me?” Jesus’ question contained the Greek word “agape” for love the first two times. Peter responded the first two times with, “Yes, I love (Greek word: philios) you. The two words have significantly different meanings. Agape is the selfless love of God, whereas philios is human friendship. The third time Jesus asked the question, He too, used the word philios.  Jesus recognized at that moment Peter could muster no more than philios, but that was enough. Jesus commanded Peter to care for His “sheep,” each time he responded he loved Jesus. Jesus was reinstating Peter to his work. Jesus was forgiving Peter and telling him to focus forward rather than backward. He even told Peter that one day he would stand up for Jesus at the cost of his own life!

What a powerful lesson for each of us. We have all denied Jesus. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, even after trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord. Jesus’ words to Peter remind us He loves us–agapes us–regardless of what we have done. That gives us the hope to look forward no matter what we have done in the past, or what detours we are taking right now. The next time we have failed Jesus in some way, let’s remember John 21 and the powerful love Jesus showed Peter. Then remember that same love is ours, because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Day 328-Romans 15-16; Matthew 15

Romans 15 closes out Paul’s letter, while Romans 16 offers a long list of personal greetings to specific believers, as well as Paul’s reminder not to have anything to do with those who cause trouble, and that God will soon crush Satan under His feet. In Romans 15 Paul reminds us to be watchful of our weaker brothers and sisters, and to help them grow in their faith. He reminds the Roman believers that he has been sent by God as the minister to the Gentiles. While we take that for granted, the reality of God giving salvation to the Gentiles nearly split the early church (See Acts 15), and was an incredible task for a man who had been a Pharisee, and still considered himself to be one.

As we return to Matthew 15, we find Jesus again at odds with the religious leaders. They started the discussion this time by condemning Jesus’ disciples for not following the handwashing rituals. Jesus responded by condemning them for breaking the Law of God so they could keep their traditions. Jesus went on to say it isn’t what goes into the body that makes a person unclean, meaning no food or lack of washing our hands can cause sin in our lives, but it is what comes out of a person that makes the difference. He meant it is the attitudes and desires of our hearts that determine whether we are “clean” or “unclean.  In the chapter, Jesus also performs a number of miracles. The first one might be the most significant, because he healed the child of a Gentile woman. Remember, Jesus came only to the “lost sheep of Israel.” His stepping across the ethnic boundary to heal the woman reminds us that His commission to the apostles would be to take the Gospel to the entire world. This was a foreshadowing of that moment. Matthew tells us Jesus healed “many” people after the healing of the one child. The chapter ends with Jesus feeding four thousand men along with women and children. Again, Jesus shows us the Kingdom of God offers the fulfillment of all our needs whether spiritual, emotional, or physical. As we minister to people in Jesus’ name, we must always remember He cares about the whole person, and not only the spiritual aspect.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 327-Romans 12-14; Matthew 14 summary!]

Deuteronomy 16 restates the need to celebrate the Festivals of Passover, Harvest, and Shelters each year. The conclusion of the chapter and the first part of chapter 17, remind the people to appoint fair judges to meet the peoples’ needs for settling disputes. It also tells them no one can be convicted on the testimony of a single witness. The chapter concludes with instructions for the time when a king might be chosen for the people. The requirements include being a native Israelite and reading and recording the Law daily. Moses wanted to ensure any leader of God’s people would know God’s ways. Chapter 18 reminds the Israelites of the offerings to be given to the Levites. It then offers another reminder to live holy lives. In specific, the Israelites are reminded never to offer a child in sacrifice to any god. Finally, the people are reminded how they will know the difference between true and false prophets. Basically, a true prophet serves only God and his or her prophecies always come true.

John 20 records Jesus’ resurrection as well as a statement of the purpose for which John wrote His gospel. In John’s resurrection account, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. She went to the tomb and found it empty. She went back and told the disciples about this. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. When they entered the tomb, they found only the grave clothes lying there, with the head cloth in a different place than that of the rest. This was enough to convince John that Jesus had risen.

Next, Jesus appeared to Mary, and they had a conversation. Afterwards, Mary returned to the disciples and told them she had seen the Lord. That night Jesus appeared to all the disciples with the exception of Thomas, who wasn’t with the group. Jesus offered peace to them, breathed on them and gave them the Holy Spirit, and told them they had the power to forgive or retain sins!

When Thomas heard about Jesus’ appearance to the other ten disciples, he didn’t believe it. He wanted hard evidence Jesus was alive. He got it: Jesus appeared to him, too. Without needing to touch Jesus, as he said he would need to do to believe Jesus had risen, Thomas fell down and proclaimed, “My Lord, and my God!” Jesus responded to Thomas that he only believed, because he had seen. Then He said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” That includes us!

John concluded the chapter by telling us Jesus did many other signs and wonders not written in his book, but he had written the book so those who read it might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and believing might have life in His name. What a powerful statement! We have not seen Jesus with our own eyes yet. Even so, as we believe in Him, we have life–eternal life–in His name. No greater gift has ever been given, and at such a great cost: the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Day 327-Romans 12-14; Matthew 14

In Romans 12, the Paul starts with the word “Therefore.” Pastor Arthur Pace, the pastor I served under in my first year in the ministry, used to say, “When you come to the word ‘therefore’ in a biblical text, you need to stop and see what it’s ‘there for.” Paul was summing up the entire first half of Romans.  He was saying, “Therefore, because we’re all sinners who are redeemed by the incredible love of God, and because He has empowered us to live new lives in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to offer God our bodies as living sacrifices. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Finally, we are to live as members of the body of Jesus Christ by going all in for Him. Whatever our gifts and skills, we are to use them for Him, and invest our lives in serving God’s Kingdom.

Romans 13 offers us Paul’s command to obey the governing authorities. As I have often written regarding this passage, Paul tells us to obey the governing authorities, and yet church tradition tells us he was executed for disobeying the governing authorities. The conclusion we draw from that is: We must obey the governing authorities except when to do so is to go against the clear word of God. The rest of the chapter focuses on our responsibility to love one another.

Romans 14 focuses on how we are to respond to those around us who are “weaker” in the faith than we are. Following Jesus was a new matter in Paul’s day, and some believed you had to follow the Jewish law to follow Jesus. Others believed you couldn’t eat anything that had anything to do with idols, if you were following Jesus. Paul simplified it: Nothing we eat is a problem. However, if what we eat causes a brother or sister for whom Jesus died to sin, then we ought to be more concerned about the brother or sister’s well-being than our own comfort. I have used these words of Paul to take a position of not drinking alcohol. The Bible doesn’t say a believer can’t drink alcohol, but if someone who is “weaker” than I am sees me drinking alcohol, then they might assume, “If it’s okay for Pastor Chris, then it is for me, too.” That person might end up addicted to alcohol. That might seem an extreme position to you, but having worked with 100’s of people recovering from addiction, one of the questions I’ve asked is, “How many people do you know who don’t drink any alcohol?” The answer is always the same, “None. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t drink or do drugs.”  I raise my hand and say, “Now, you know one.”  I want people to know no one has to smoke or drink alcohol, and I never want to be the one who causes a person who is “weaker” in the faith to stumble, because of me. 

As we return to Matthew 14, we read of King Herod’s execution of John the Baptist. As we know he did it because of his wife’s cruel request, and because He didn’t want to appear to go back on his words in front of his dinner guests. After this, Matthew records the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus walking on water, and Jesus healing people in Gennesaret. Each of these events was powerful and in its own way impacted the lives of many people. John’s death shows us those who are righteous don’t always receive justice in this life. Jesus feeding the 5,000 shows us He is not limited in any way by “limited” resources. His walking on water shows us He was not limited by the laws of nature. His healing people in Gennesaret shows us, He was concerned for more people than the local Jews with who He grew up. He was concerned for everyone. While Jesus never ventured beyond Israel during His time on the earth, He did help people who weren’t Jews. The world-wide mission to offer salvation to everyone was left to His disciples and to us, but Jesus’ love for the world knows no limits.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 326-Romans 8-11; Matthew 13 summary!]

Deuteronomy 13 records the vital importance of not worshiping false gods. Moses tells us even if a prophet or visionary offers miracles or visions as “proof” of the power of other gods, we are not to be tricked by this test. Moses said even if one’s closest loved ones offered the temptation to worship other gods, not to do it. In fact, in such situations, the response was to stone that relative to death. That’s how important it was not to worship false gods! The consequences seem so extreme to us, but once again we see how vital it was for the Israelites to remain faithful to the LORD and to follow only Him. This principle remains true for us. When we turn away from the LORD the consequence is always death–either spiritual or physical death, or both. That’s why it is vital for us to love and serve Him alone.

Deuteronomy 14 starts by reminding the Israelites of which animals were clean and unclean. Moses wanted them to keep their holiness in every area of their lives as of first and foremost importance. The second half of the chapter is devoted to instructions concerning the peoples’ tithes. They were instructed to bring their tithes to the place the LORD directed every third year. As we read the account, we find the people were told to celebrate and eat the tithes of grain and animals together, and to “remember” the Levites. Because the Levites were set apart to serve God, and weren’t given their own land, the rest of the tribes were to provide for them. This principle carries over throughout the history of God’s people and into the development of the early church as we read in the New Testament. While the Apostle Paul, tells us he served as a tentmaker, to pay his own way as he shared the gospel in various places, he also tells us existing churches supported him. He tells us Peter and the other apostles received support for their ministries from those they served. The principle is vital, because even though there is no group of “Levites” in our day, those who invest their lives full-time in serving Jesus, rely on those who don’t for support. This frees up full-time workers to advance the Kingdom of God in ways that would not be possible without that full-time focus.

Deuteronomy 15 restates the laws of canceling debts, releasing slaves, and the sacrifice of firstborn male animals. One of the statements that catches our eye is there ought to be no poor people among the Israelites. Moses tells the people as they obey God they will be blessed abundantly. Then they ought to show kindness to the poor. This principle carried throughout Israel’s history, although it was often abused. For example, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for making a public show of helping the poor. Yet, in Acts 3-4, we find Peter and John healed a lame beggar, giving the man something far better than “alms,” or financial offerings. In James 1, we’re told true religion before the Lord is found in helping widows and orphans in their distress. As Jesus’ followers, we are called to follow in the long line of God’s people who alleviate the poverty of others. We do this both by sharing the good news of Jesus, so people will not be spiritually poor, and by meeting the physical needs of those struggling with poverty. To share Jesus without meeting physical needs makes our “good news” seem shallow. To meet the physical needs of others, without telling them about Jesus is merely social welfare, and while helpful, leaves the people we “help” still condemned to an eternity without Jesus.

John 19 records the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus. We read again of Pilate’s desire to release Jesus, but the Jews called for His death. They even said they had no king but Caesar. As Jesus endured the cross, John tells us, He made three statements from the cross. In all, the four gospels record seven “last words” of Jesus from the cross. John’s statements include: 1) Jesus telling John that Mary was his mother, and he her son. In this way Jesus ensured His mother would be cared for after He rose from the dead and returned to heaven. 2) Jesus said, “I thirst.” This is a statement any human being in Jesus’ situation would have made. We can scarcely imagine the pain Jesus must have gone through. The blood loss He experienced from being whipped, would have caused severe dehydration and thirst. Hanging on the cross would only have added to that thirst.  3) Jesus said, “It is finished.” The Greek word John used to record the statement does not mean, “It is over,” but rather “It is completed,” or “It is fulfilled.”  Jesus’ death fulfilled or completed the purpose for which He came: to pay the penalty for human sin, and therefore to free us from sin and death! When Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning, the affirmation of that completed work was accomplished. As Jesus’ followers, we can be sure our sin is forgiven and our hope for our future life with Him is real, because Jesus completed His work on the cross for us.

Day 326-Romans 8-11; Matthew 13

Romans 8 starts with some of the most reassuring words every written, “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!”  No condemnation. So many around us condemn us. Often, we condemn ourselves. The devil is certainly ready to condemn us at any moment. But Paul wrote there is nocondemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. When we sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us of that sin, but the condemnation is gone, because Jesus bore it for us on the cross. Romans 8 goes on to offer the Holy Spirit’s presence, comfort and power, as well as to remind us that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Verse after verse Paul reminds and reassures us that because God is for us, no one can stand against us.

Romans 9-11 needs to be read as a unit. As we have mentioned before the chapter and verse divisions in the Bible were added long after the books were written. Paul reminds us in Romans 9-11 that God hasn’t given up on Israel. Israel is still God’s chosen people, but now God has added the Gentiles making it possible for all His children to be saved. Paul makes it clear that the Gentiles are not to gloat, because God has included them, and at the time the Jews are rejecting Jesus. Paul’s point is vital for us, because most who read this were Gentiles when we were saved. We must never forget God included us out of His great love for us, not because we deserved it. Paul made it clear early on that none are righteous not even one, and that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and salvation. From start to finish, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, the only reason we have any hope of salvation is Jesus. Jesus is the solution to the human problem of sin. He is both Savior and Lord, and calls us to live faithfully in that salvation, and obediently under His Lordship.

As we return to Matthew 13, we find Jesus telling parables to the crowds. He starts with the Parable of the Sower, or the Parable of the Soils.  Matthew tells us why Jesus told parables: So the people wouldn’t understand.  Jesus wanted people to come and receive Him with the right heart, and if their hearts were hard they wouldn’t understand.  After telling a handful of parables, and explaining two of them, Jesus was rejected by the people in His hometown. Jesus told us that had always been the case: a prophet is not without honor except in his own country and among his own people. As we read and reflect on the parables, all of which are about the Kingdom of Heaven, we see Jesus was eager for people to be part of God’s Kingdom, but He also wanted them to know something of such great value comes only when we are willing to give up everything to receive it.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 325-Romans 4-7; Matthew 12 summary!]

Deuteronomy 10 starts with Moses telling of receiving two new stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. These were the same as the first ones God had written. Moses placed them in the Ark of the covenant as God commanded. The remainder of chapter 10 and all of chapter 11 offers Moses’ admonition to the Israelites to love and obey God, because of His great love for them. He tells them the consequences for obedience and disobedience, and then tells them to choose “life,” which means to choose obedience, rather than choosing “death,” which would be the result of disobedience.  These chapters offer us a strong reminder that in every era we receive consequences for our actions. While we typically think of the word “consequence” as negative, consequences are simply the logical outcomes of previous actions. The logical outcome of loving and obeying the God of the universe is “life.” While we know people, including ourselves, who have loved and obeyed God and still experienced challenge and difficulty, the principle remains: loving and obeying God leads to life. Because of Jesus’ coming, because of His perfect life, sacrificial death and resurrection, we who trust God, and love and obey Him in the power of the Holy Spirit will experience life in all its abundance. We might experience bumps on the road in the short-term, but in eternal terms, our lives will be blessed.

Deuteronomy 12 offers us a crucial truth for God’s people in any era of history: Do not worship as the pagans worship. Worship only as God decrees. The Israelites were about to enter a land filled with idol worshipers. God told them to destroy every idol and every “high place” where the idols were worshiped. The analogy for us is not to indulge ourselves in pagan worship practices, whether witchcraft or Satanism, eastern religions or any practice that doesn’t originate from our desire to worship the one, true living God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We live in relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The world over, people practice religion–the pursuit of “God” or a deity through actions designed to please or appease the god of that religion. Religion is as old as humanity, but only through the one, true God do we gain a relationship that brings lives of meaning and purpose here and now and forever.

John 18 records the betrayal, arrest, and trial of Jesus. It also records Peter’s denial of Jesus. As we move through the chapter, we might easily miss a couple of amazing responses to Jesus in it. First, when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, and He told them He was Jesus they “fell back.” 400 trained soldiers faced one man, Jesus, and at the mere admission from Jesus that He was the one they were seeking, they fell back. We might think of Jesus as a “nice” man, as a “pleasant” man, and to be sure, Jesus must have been kind and caring as we see through His interactions with so many. But John shows us in the situation when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, a military or at least police action, Jesus’ mere presence was enough to frighten 400 soldiers! 

During Jesus’ interaction with Pilate, Jesus told Pilate His Kingdom was not of this world. Pilate responded, “So you are a king then?”  Jesus neither confirmed nor denied the position, but told Pilate, He came to reveal the truth.  Pilate asked, “What is truth?” but didn’t wait for Jesus’ response. Pilate had the truth standing in front of him and could have learned the deep truths of God and reality. Instead, he walked away, returning to the crowd and telling them he found no guilt in Jesus. Despite finding Jesus not guilty, he condemned Jesus, because he was afraid of the crowd. We could say the crowd was more guilty than Pilate, because they called for Jesus’ crucifixion, but Pilate had both the power and authority to free Jesus. Instead, because of his fear of the crowd, and his fear he might lose his position, he succumbed to the crowd. Lest we be too hard on Pilate, think of how often we have been in a position to stand up for Jesus, but let the opportunity go, because we either didn’t want to start an argument, or didn’t want to be seen as a fanatic. We always find it easier to condemn others’ actions, than to hold ourselves accountable for our own.  But as Jesus reminded the Pharisees back in John 8, we can only condemn others if we have no sin ourselves.

Day 325-Romans 4-7; Matthew 12

In Romans 4, Paul offers Abraham as an example of a man who lived by faith. He even tells us Abraham “never” wavered in his faith. We know Abraham did, at times, waver in his faith. He didn’t trust God’s promise to give him and Sarah a son. He lied to protect himself when he told leaders of other places Sarah was his “sister.” But Paul’s words are true, so how can that be? Max Lucado offers the explanation that Paul’s words about Abraham are an example of “the editing of grace.” Abraham was not perfect, but Paul presents him that way, because through grace he was. We see this happen in our own lives, when one we love dies. Over time, the bad memories seem to fade, and the good ones become more vivid. Through this editing of grace, our memories of the loved one grow fonder, and our own faith increases.

In Romans 5, Paul offers one of the most amazing truths in all of Scripture: Jesus died for us while we were still sinners.  Throughout the chapter, Paul shows us how different Jesus, who he refers to as the “second” Adam, was from the first Adam. Adam introduced sin into the world, but Jesus redeemed us from sin and death. His love for us didn’t come because we were good, or after we demonstrated improvement in our lives. Jesus loved us while we were still sinners. What amazingly good news.

In Romans 6, Paul raised a vital question, “If we are saved by grace, should we go on sinning so God’s grace may abound?” It sounds reasonable. If we love to sin, and God loves to forgive sin, why not sin more so God’s grace can come to us in even greater measure.  Paul’s response is as strong as it gets. In the Greek, he wrote “Me genoito!” We could translate it “God forbid.” It’s the strongest, possible way to say, “No!” in the Greek language.  Paul’s point is clear:  Jesus died to free us from sin. Why would we continue to live in it.  Paul goes on to point out we are “slaves” to whatever masters us. We can either be slaves to sin or to Jesus, but not both.  Jesus reminded us no one can serve two masters. It isn’t possible.  Jesus bottom-lined out to no one can serve both God and money. Paul bottom-lines out to we can serve sin or righteousness.  Both remind us how crucial it is to put God first, and to live in His ways!

In Romans 7, Paul offers an illustration of how we overcome sin in our lives: we die. While that sounds extreme, and it is, Paul meant we die to sin and the law.  He offers an illustration from everyday life, of a woman who is married to a stern husband. Until the husband dies, the woman is obligated to her husband. But if the husband dies, she is free to remarry. In the illustration, we are the wife, the Mosaic Law is the husband, and Jesus is the new husband.  The Law instructed us in the ways of righteousness, but we could never live up to its standard. In the second half of Romans 7, in which Paul tells us how he struggled with sin, not doing what he ought and doing what he didn’t want to do. Some biblical scholars assume this was Paul’s pre-conversion testimony. In other words, he lived this way before trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord. But I find Paul’s words ring true in my life now. When I attempt to follow the rules, I fail. Paul concludes by telling us the solution, “Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!” It is Jesus, and what He did on the cross that frees us from sin, and it is His empowering Spirit that frees us to live new lives. We’ll see that tomorrow as we turn to Romans 8.

As we return to Matthew 12, Jesus tells the religious leaders He is “Lord of the Sabbath” as a result of His disciples “working” on the Sabbath, by picking some heads of grain to eat. Jesus was attacking the religious leaders’ trivialization of the Sabbath, through their efforts to make it attainable through human efforts. Jesus further demonstrated His power over the Sabbath, by healing a man on the Sabbath. This only caused the religious leaders to go out and plot how they could kill Jesus. Jesus withdrew from that place as a result. The religious leaders accused Jesus of performing miracles by the power of the devil, to which Jesus responded, “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.” Jesus condemned the religious leaders for their unwillingness to see the power of God at work. Jesus went on to tell them He would offer them no sign of His authority, but the sign of “Jonah,” which was a reference to His death and burial.  The chapter closes with Jesus being sought by His mother and brothers. He reminds the people that anyone who does the will of His Heavenly Father is His mother, sister, and brother. What a powerful reminder to us that we who trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, are a family, who is called to love and serve one another, and offer Jesus’ salvation to the world.