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 324-Romans 1-3; Matthew 11 summary!]

Deuteronomy 7 offers us an explanation for why God chose the Israelites and what they needed to do to remain God’s holy people. God chose them simply because He loved them and had promised their ancestors He would form them into a great nation. They were not a great nation in and of themselves. The requisite for their continuing to receive God’s love and blessing as they entered the Promised Land was they would destroy the pagan people of the land, along with their idols. God knew if the Israelites intermingled with the pagans, they would adopt the pagan ways of those people. This happened eventually, because the Israelites failed to put God first, and to obey His instructions. The promises God made included material blessing, physical health, and a close relationship with Him. Who would not want all that? Yet, the Israelites soon traded all that for immediate moments of fun with groups of pagans. We could condemn them if it weren’t for our own propensity to turn away from the amazing promises of God, for our own “15-minute decisions.” Thank God that He is so much more faithful than we are!

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses reminds the Israelites again of the blessings God will offer them as they obey Him. He also tells them they will lose everything if they disobey. This constant challenge to remember the blessing and avoid the curse of God has been before us as God’s people from the beginning. The choice seems so clear and obvious, yet the fallen, sinful natures within us move us away from the clear choice of blessing, and toward the curse. We can never work our way into God’s blessing. We can never be “good enough” to gain God’s blessing. We have God’s blessing, because we are His people, when we trust Jesus as Lord, just as the Israelites had God’s blessing as they entered the Promised Land. The only thing left to do is to step into that blessing and live it in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Deuteronomy 9, Moses reminded the Israelites they were about to enter a land where the inhabitants were more numerous and stronger than they. The only path to victory was to accept God’s gracious leadership and let Him provide it! Moses reminded the Israelites of how they had failed to do that in the wilderness by creating and worshiping the golden calf. This was a time to remember their sinful past, learn from it, and rely totally on God.  How much each of us needs that reminder in our lives each day!

John 17 is often known as “The High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus. That’s because in it Jesus prays for God to protect His followers, and not only the disciples who were with Him at the moment, but all who would one day belong to Him, because of their efforts. That includes us! Jesus’ prayer is we will all be one as He and the heavenly Father are one.  That is an amazing prayer, especially if you have ever been part of a group of Jesus’ followers before.  What I mean by that is we have a tendency not to be “one” when we’re together. We find all kinds of reasons to divide and break unity with one another. The reasons can be as substantial as matters of theology, and as insignificant as the color of the worship center carpet. Over the years, as the lead pastor of New Life Christian Ministries, I have said many times in a new members’ class, “One of the most important reasons New Life has continued to grow is we have never divided, and the reason we haven’t divided is because we have unity in our mission.” While the statement might seem a bit simplistic, the truth is most churches never get larger, because the people divide among themselves, and never grow. They’re too busy arguing over insignificant matters. As my good friend, Pastor John Nuzzo puts it, “If people aren’t fighting over something important, they just fight.”  We don’t have uniformity or even unanimity at New Life, but we do have unity on the important matters. We don’t argue over the small stuff, and if someone wants to argue over that, they eventually find it’s a non-starter at New Life. We have had people leave, because we believe the Bible is true and not just metaphorically true, but literally true. That’s okay. Even when we believe the Bible is true, we can disagree over certain matters, but we can’t disagree over whether there is a God, who has a Son named Jesus, who lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, and to redeem us. We can’t disagree that He rose again from the dead, returned to heaven, and sent His Spirit to empower us to live together in unity until He returns. In John 17, Jesus prayed for that kind of unity, and we believe only as the Holy Spirit works among us, and as we live out the written word in the power of the Holy Spirit will that unity continue to be a reality among us. Let’s all pray, as Jesus did, that we will all be one to His glory and praise!

Day 324-Romans 1-3; Matthew 11

Today, we open the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. Biblical scholars consider this letter the most developed presentation of Paul’s theology. He had not been to the church in Rome when he wrote the letter, so he was both introducing himself to the people there and presenting a more systematic demonstration of what Jesus’ followers must believe than in any of his other letters. Much of the Protestant reformation, and its theology came from the study of Romans. In particular, Romans 3:23-24, which we will consider briefly today, helped the reformers to understand we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that alone, apart from our works is the means to salvation.

In Romans 1, Paul introduced himself to the Romans, and sets forth his boldness in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ as the power of God for the salvation of the Jews first, and then the Gentiles. In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul establishes the sinfulness of all humanity. In chapter 1, Paul demonstrates how the world as a whole has turned against God. He offers a detailed explanation of how we all have an innate knowledge of God, but because we rejected it, God permitted us to follow that rejection to its ugly conclusion.

In Romans 2, Paul reminded those of Jewish background, it was not only the pagan Gentiles who were irretrievably fallen. They, too, had rejected God’s will and purpose in their lives. Paul pointed out how the Jews often condemned the Gentiles, but their lives were demonstrations of their rejection of God as well. Paul points out that being a “Jew” is not a matter of outward expression, but of an inward change of the heart.

In Romans 3, Paul establishes God’s faithfulness in the midst of our unfaithfulness. He concludes with this powerful statement:  ²²This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-24 (NIV) God’s righteousness is available to all through Jesus! This is the amazingly good news that follows the incredibly bad news. The bad news is we are all condemned by our own sin and deserve to be separated from God forever. The good news is Jesus came to satisfy God’s wrath for our sin by dying on the cross to redeem us. Paul unfolds these two powerful truths throughout Romans, but the foundation has been laid for us here: without Jesus we are lost, but thank God Jesus came to find us!

As we return to Matthew 11, we find the disciples of John the Baptist coming to Jesus to ask whether He was the one to come, that is the Messiah, or should they look for someone else. John had been imprisoned by King Herod, and as he sat there considering what he heard of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus didn’t sound like the conquering Messiah, nearly every Jew awaited. John wondered if he had been wrong about Jesus. Jesus responded with an answer directly from the prophecy of Isaiah. It would have assured John that Jesus was, indeed the Messiah, but not the kind he awaited. Jesus affirmed John’s greatness before the people but reminded them John was the last of the “old guard.” The kingdom people who came after Jesus, all those who would be born again and demonstrate the power of God’s Kingdom would be greater. After Jesus’ affirmation of John he denounced the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. He lived and ministered among the people there and they rejected Him. Jesus pointed out that some of the condemned cities of the past would have repented if they had seen what these people saw, so their judgment would be greater. The chapter closes with Jesus praising His Heavenly Father for revealing Him to those who weren’t of much standing in the world. He also called any who were weary and burdened down to come to Him to find rest. He promised a light “yoke” for those who served 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 323-Acts 27-28; Matthew 10 summary!]

Deuteronomy 4 starts with Moses urging Israel to obey God and all His commands. Moses moves on to urge them not to worship idols. Moses reminds the Israelites God alone is the one, true, living God and therefore, He will not tolerate the worship of idols. Moses even reminds the Israelites he has been excluded from entering the Promised Land for disobedience, so they must be obedient. At the close of the chapter Moses introduces what is coming in the chapters ahead. He tells the people he is going to introduce laws they must obey.

In Deuteronomy 5, Moses restates the Ten Commandments. After doing so he urges the Israelites again to obey those commands and all the commands they will receive through him. As we read through the Ten Commandments a second time, we see again how important God considered the Sabbath, and honoring parents. These are the only commands with additional explanation. As 21st century followers of Jesus, we are not “under the Law,” and yet these commandments apply to us.  Jesus told us He didn’t come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them.  Many different interpretations of that statement have been offered, but surely it means at least this: Jesus came to show us the depth of meaning of each of God’s commands, and to fulfill them, because we could not. As those living in the Spirit, we are not to devote our time in attempting to be perfect rule followers. That has never worked for God’s people. We are to learn and understand the principles the laws offer, and then live them out in the power of the Holy Spirit. That way God will be glorified, and we will grow individually and together into all God has for us.  Honoring the Sabbath is a command Jesus addressed directly. He said the Sabbath was made for us, not us for the Sabbath. In saying that Jesus made it clear we aren’t to worry about whether there’s a lose thread on our t-shirt as we go to worship, (because that would be ‘bearing a burden,’ which is work, and thus breaks the Sabbath, according to the traditions of the Pharisees!) but we are to stop one day each week to rest, to be renewed, and to reflect on God’s glory and power. Corporate worship ought to be part of that weekly Sabbath, but it is only one part of a bigger picture of putting God first in our lives.

Deuteronomy 6 is one of the most beautiful calls for whole-hearted commitment to God offered in the entire Bible. Indeed, it includes the statement Jesus said is the greatest commandment in the Law: we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength. The Israelites were called to remember this commitment, and to share it with their children at the start and end of each day, and when they went out and came in. In other words, they were always to put God first in their lives. Moses reminded the Israelites this would be the only way their lives would be blessed and that they would live victoriously in the new land God was about to give them.

In John 16, Jesus tells the disciples of the coming of the Holy Spirit. I have always appreciated Jesus’ telling the disciples when the Holy Spirit comes, He will remind them of everything Jesus said. The reason I appreciate this, is because it tells us when we read God’s word and put it in our minds, the Holy Spirit will be able to call it out when we need it. The disciples had seen and heard Jesus perform miracles, teach, and cast out demons. Their memories were of events they had experienced personally. The Holy Spirit would bring these to mind so they could retell them to others, and one day to record them in the gospels. Once we have read these accounts, the Holy Spirit can, in the same way, bring them to our minds, so we will be able to retell them and help those who need God’s truth, encouragement, correction, and support.

Many times, over the years, when someone has asked me a question, or when I have been meeting with a hurting or questioning person, the Holy Spirit has brought to my mind a word of Scripture that has been just what was needed in the moment. John 16 acknowledges the disciples didn’t understand a great deal of what Jesus said and did while He was with them. The Holy Spirit would bring a clarity to these events after Jesus left, and He came, that they never knew even as they experienced the events as they happened!

Day 323-Acts 27-28; Matthew 10

Acts 27 and 28 record Paul’s journey to Rome. The journey included a terrible storm while they were at sea, being shipwrecked, and nearly put to death, because of the Roman law that if a prisoner escaped the guards were to bore the punishment, and finally landing on the island of Malta. While there Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake, which led the natives to declare Paul was a murderer, and the “gods” wouldn’t allow him to escape justice. Then when Paul showed no ill effects from the snake bite, the natives proclaimed him as a god. (How easily human minds are changed!) Upon his arrival in Rome, Paul was put under house arrest, but given some freedoms. He was able to present the good news of Jesus to some Jews who lived in Rome, but once again most rejected the truth, because of Paul’s inclusion of the Gentiles. The book ends with Paul still under arrest. According to church tradition, Paul was eventually executed by the Romans for treason, that is because he was unwilling to bow down and call Caesar God. Paul was faithful to Jesus to the end and offers us one of the most incredible examples ever, of what God can do to a life fully-devoted to Him.

As we return to Matthew 10, we find Jesus selecting the twelve men He wanted to be His apostles. Jesus called the men, and then sent them out into the harvest on their first mission trip. Before He sent them, Jesus told them they would face difficulty, suffering, and persecution. He told them He hadn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. This chapter flies in the face of much modern American Christianity, which promises a life of ease and plenty. It’s true that when Jesus returns or we go to Him, life’s suffering will end, and we will experience unending joy. But here on this earth, we will face challenge, and difficulty as part of the abundant life Jesus promised us in John 10. Read Matthew 10 a couple of times and remember how honest Jesus is about the cost of following Him. He is always worthy of our following, even more so, because of His telling us the cost up front.

[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 322-Acts 24-26; Matthew 9 summary!]  

Today, we turn to the fifth and final book of the Pentateuch: Deuteronomy. The name means “second Law” in Greek and signifies Moses’ second giving of the Law to the people of Israel. As we would expect, much of Deuteronomy repeats information we have already received in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, but we will also read of laws and experiences unique to the record of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 1 rehearses the forty-year history of Israel’s wilderness wanderings in one chapter. At the beginning we’re told it ought to have taken eleven days to make the journey that took forty years. We’re told of Moses appointing leaders for the tribes, and judges to help him. We’re also told of the Israelites’ rebellion against God by failing to enter the Promised Land, because the majority of the scouts who went into spy out the land reported the people were too great for them to defeat. We already know all this from the previous books of the Pentateuch, but repetition is the mother of learning.

Deuteronomy 2 rehearses more of the wanderings through the wilderness and recounts the victory over Sihon the King of Hesbon. Deuteronomy 3 retells the accounts of Israel’s victory over Og, and the division of the land east of the Jordan River. It offers us some new information regarding Moses being told he could not enter the Promised Land. Moses tells us he pleaded with God to let him enter, but God’s mind would not be changed. I have always felt bad for Moses, because he endured so much as Israel’s leader, but didn’t get to be part of entering the Promised Land. Imagine leading a group of people for forty years, when the mission ought to have taken two weeks. Imagine at the end of that lengthy and often discouraging time being told, “You have made it to the doorway of the ‘prize,’ but you can’t pass through.” I understand God’s decision to show the people how important His glory is, by not letting Moses usurp it without consequence. Even so, I feel bad for Moses, who led so long and so well, but in the end came up 50 yards short of the finish line.

In John 15, Jesus offered an analogy of how closely connected we must be to Him. He told us He is the “vine” and we are the “branches.” In the analogy, the vine is the source of all growth, health, and strength. Jesus told us as long as we abide or remain in Him we will “bear fruit.” I have always loved this analogy, because it reminds us of two vital truths: 1) It’s all about Jesus. He is the one who gets the glory for every good thing we do. We will only do good things as we stay connected to Him; and 2) Jesus expects us to bear fruit. Some have said Jesus only expects us to be “faithful” not “fruitful.” We are to do our best and that’s all that’s necessary.  Here we find Jesus not only calling us to be faithful, but to be “fruitful.” He does care about our “success.” Success can be defined in many ways by the world, but for Jesus success is defined as staying connected to Him, and by doing so to produce fruit. That fruit will include our own growth as His followers, and seeing others come to know Him through our interaction in their lives.

Jesus continued the image by adding that we are His friends, not His servants. We demonstrate that friendship by loving one another. He tells us greater love has no one than to lay down our life for our friends. In less than twenty-four hours, Jesus would be laying down His life for them, so His words ring true.

Finally, Jesus told the disciples they would be hated by the world, and they ought to understand that, because the world first hated Him. If they hated Jesus, who was perfect, they would certainly hate us for representing Him, albeit imperfectly. As we follow Jesus and represent Him in the world, we must expect times when we will be rejected. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to strengthen us for such times and in such times!

Day 322-Acts 24-26; Matthew 9

Acts 24 records Paul’s defense before the Roman Governor Felix. The Jews spoke first accusing Paul of crimes punishable by death, but Paul responded to the attack with calm assurances He had not done anything of which they accused him. He admitted to being a follower of “The Way,” which was the preferred name Christians had for themselves at the time. He appealed to Felix’s knowledge of the way, but Felix left the matter undecided for two years. He called for Paul frequently, hoping Paul would offer him a bribe, which he never did. When Felix was reassigned, he left Paul in prison as a favor to the Jews, which meant Paul’s fate would be decided by the next governor, Porcius Festus.

In Acts 25, Festus gives the Jews an opportunity to speak against Paul again. They made charges they couldn’t substantiate, and then Paul made his defense. Festus didn’t see any real issues, but as a favor to the Jews, he asked Paul whether he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial. Paul responded he was in Caesar’s court where he belonged, and he was willing to take any just punishment that would be decided, but he appealed to Caesar.  Before Festus made a decision, King Agrippa, the Jewish figure-head king, came to visit in Caesarea.  Festus told him about Paul, and also said he didn’t see anything wrong with Paul, but Paul had appealed to Caesar, so he was going to send Paul to Rome. Before doing that, Festus wanted to have a proper charge to offer the emperor. He didn’t have one. King Agrippa said he would be glad to listen to Paul, and an audience was arranged.

In Acts 26, Paul offers his defense before King Agrippa and Queen Bernice. Once again, Paul rehearses his testimony, going into greater detail, because he understood King Agrippa was of Jewish background, and knew about Jesus, and “The Way.” As Paul was talking about his Damascus road experience, Festus interrupted, shouting that Paul had gone mad, because of his extensive learning. Paul responded he was not mad and that King Agrippa was well aware of all that had happened, because it wasn’t done “in a corner.” He appealed to Agrippa’s knowledge of the prophets. Agrippa responded, “In such a short time do you think you can make me a Christian?” Paul’s response was whether it was short time or long, he wished that all people were as he was except for the chains.  After the presentation, Agrippa and Festus agreed Paul had done nothing deserving of punishment, and that he could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. Think about that. Paul could have been set if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar. Yet, the Lord had already told him he would be appearing before Caesar. Paul’s appeal was part of God’s larger plan to see the gospel preached everywhere. Sometimes, we experience challenges in our life that make no sense to us at the time, but when we put them in God’s hands, he uses them for His good. Paul’s imprisonment was nota good thing, but God used it to bring glory to Himself, because Paul submitted to His lordship even in prison. 

As we return to Matthew 9, Matthew offers us another string of miracles by Jesus. The order is somewhat different than that presented by Mark or Luke, but many of the miracles are the same. Jesus heals the paralytic, for whom He also forgives his sins. He calls Matthew as a disciple raising the ire of the religious leaders. Jesus heals the woman with the flow of blood, raises a little girl from the dead, heals a couple of blind men, and a man who couldn’t speak. The power of Jesus is so obvious, and His compassion equally obvious. As the chapter ends, Jesus points out to His followers that the “harvest” is plentiful, but the laborers are few. He then tells them to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers into the harvest.  This is such a vital and powerful prayer. We know the Lord wants everyone to be saved. We have the role of being workers in the harvest, and we’re called to work in the harvest fields ourselves. As we’ll see tomorrow, Jesus had told the apostles to prayer for workers, and then virtually immediately, He sent them into the fields to work!

[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 321-Acts 20-23; Matthew 8 summary!]

Number 35 records the distribution of property for the Levites. They didn’t get a specific area of land, but rather 48 cities with land surrounding them for pasturing their animals. These cities would be located throughout the Promised Land. Six of the cities were to be set apart as “Cities of Refuge.” Their purpose was to provide refuge for anyone who killed another person accidentally. Murder was punishable by death, but if someone killed another person accidentally, the perpetrator could flee to a city of refuge and be safe there from being punished.

Numbers 36 concludes the book with a restating of the principle that women could inherit property in tribes where there were no male heirs to receive the property. While the culture was extremely male-centered, indeed, the entire world was at that time, the laws of the Israelites gave some assurances to women, and the right to see their family’s property remain with their tribe was one of them.

John 14 contains one of Jesus’ most quoted statements, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The statement comes to us in the context of Jesus telling the disciples He was returning to heaven to prepare a place for them. After telling them that powerful truth, Jesus said, “You know the way to the place I am going.” Thomas spoke up and said, “We don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” After Jesus told them He was the way, truth, and life, Philip spoke up and said, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus responded that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father. Imagine, what it must have been like for Jesus to have been with the disciples for three years, to have invested everything into equipping them for taking over after He died, rose from the dead and returned to heaven, and then the night before His crucifixion they seemed so clueless. Most of us would have been angry or frustrated, but Jesus seems to have explained patiently the details of who He was and the significance of His coming.

John 14 also contains Jesus’ statement: Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. What an incredible statement! Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, and even raised the dead, yet He said we would do greater works than He did, if we believe in Him. All Jesus’ statements are true, and we can see the truth of this one through a few examples: 1) Billy Graham preached the gospel to millions of people. Jesus never did that.  2) Many people have preached the gospel in multiple nations. Jesus never did that. 3) Thousands of people have been saved through the ministries of many different churches and mission organizations.  Jesus never did that.  While Jesus is the source of all those actions, they are greater than anything He did personally while He walked the earth. That was His plan. He called us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every nation. As we respond to that call, we will continue to do greater things than He did–just as He promised!

Day 321-Acts 20-23; Matthew 8

Acts 20 records another amazing miracle Paul performed in Troas. The miracle was the resurrection of Eutychus from the dead. He wasn’t sick but was sitting in an open window as Paul preached. Apparently, the message didn’t hold his attention, so he fell asleep, and then fell out of the window and to the ground below. He was dead, but Paul brought him back to life in Jesus’ name! While the remainder of the chapter isn’t nearly as dramatic, it contains Paul’s last encounter with the elders of the Ephesian church. Paul made it clear to those elders that he had spoken the truth of Jesus in the love of Jesus to the extent that he was “innocent of all men’s blood.” What does that mean? It’s a reference to the prophet Ezekiel, whom the LORD told was to be the watchmen for a coming invasion. The LORD told Ezekiel if the enemy came and he cried out to the people, but they didn’t get up, their blood would be on themselves, but if the enemy came and he did not cry out, their blood would be on him. Paul was saying he had proclaimed the gospel clearly, so if anyone didn’t respond their blood was on themselves. Paul also noted he had taught them in the market place and from house to house.  This is in Acts 20:20, so some have called this Paul’s 20:20 vision: presenting the gospel in large groups (market place) and small groups (house-to-house). Paul also quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” a powerful statement that we don’t find in any of the gospels, so Jesus either spoke it directly to Paul, or one of the apostles told Paul and he spoke it to the Ephesian elders as a reminder. One final point we must take from Paul’s final words to the Ephesian elders: Paul said after he left “wolves” would come in and seek to attack the “sheep.” The wolves were false teachers, and the sheep were the people. Paul reminded the elders they were “shepherds” (which is the word from which we take our word pastor), and they must guard the sheep. If we fast-forward to Revelation 2, we find the Ephesian elders being commended for being faithful in maintaining the purity of the truth but reprimanded for losing their first love.

Acts 21 records Paul’s journey to Jerusalem. Paul had wanted to go there for Pentecost, but the trip turned out to be filled with turmoil, as the church leaders in Jerusalem realized Paul’s reputation preceded him, and many would not appreciate this “Gentile-loving” leader among them. We don’t read those words, but we see that the church leaders had Paul take some actions that would show he was a faithful “Jew.” The plan didn’t work, and Paul was attacked by some Jews, and then arrested by the Romans, because the Jews were beating him. As the chapter ends Paul is ready to make his defense to the crowds.

Acts 22 records Paul’s defense, which was Paul offering his testimony of his conversion to the crowd. They listened until Paul told them the LORD had sent Him as an apostle to the Gentiles. At that point they wanted to kill him. The Roman soldiers decided to flog him, but Paul pulled the “I’m a Roman” card, and the Roman soldiers backed off. They kept him in protective custody until the next day, at which time Paul was given the opportunity to go before the Sanhedrin to testify.

Acts 23 records Paul’s defense before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling body. Paul used the strategy of setting the Sanhedrin against itself, because he knew some of them were Pharisees (as he was) and believed in the resurrection, while some where Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection, (which is why they were sad-you-see!) Anyway, Paul said he was on trial because he believed in the resurrection of the dead. This led to such an intense argument that Paul was in danger of being torn in two. The Romans took him back to protective custody, and eventually decided to send Paul to Caesarea where he would be examined by the Roman governor. As Paul slept one night the LORD spoke to him in a vision and told him as he had spoken before the people in Jerusalem, he would speak before the leaders in Rome.

As we return to Matthew 8, Matthew records a number of healing miracles of Jesus. Jesus healed a leper, a Roman centurion’s servant, many people in Capernaum, including Peter’s mother-in-law, then He calmed a storm, and healed two men who were possessed by demons. This final account is quite similar to the account of Jesus healing the one man, who was called Legion, in Mark 5.  Most biblical scholars agree this is the same account, but Matthew lists two men and Mark 1.  This seems like a significant detail, but the point of both accounts is the same: Jesus overcame the power of Satan and cast many demons out of a man or men. This produced the “Kingdom of Heaven” on earth in that moment. That’s what Jesus came to do: to demonstrate what it’s like when the Kingdom of Heaven is in and among us! 

[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 320-Acts 17-19; Matthew 7 summary!]

In Numbers 31, we read of God’s command for the Israelites to destroy the Midianites. You might recall the Midianites had led the Israelites into idolatry. God had the priests lead the people into battle. When it was over, the Israelites had not lost a single soldier, and all the Midianites except the young women who were virgins were dead. The carnage seems extreme, especially given Moses called the Israelites to kill the women and male children who the Israelites had spared after the battle ended. Why would he do such a thing? The short answer is: God’s on-going commitment to the Israelites being a holy nation. Moses was unwilling for the Israelites to permit the women who had led the Israelites into idolatry in the first place to live. The “spoils” of the battle were divided among the Israelites. A disproportionate portion was given to the men who fought in the battle. The rest was divided among the whole people of Israel, with a portion going to the Levites. This would continue to be the process used by Israel as they moved against the people of the Promised Land.

In Numbers 32, the leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, went to Moses and asked to receive their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River. At first, Moses was angry, because he thought they were trying to get out of conquering the Promised Land, and that their unwillingness to fight would discourage the whole nation from moving forward, as the bad report of the ten spies had done a generation before them. When they explained they would go and fight with the rest of the tribes to overtake the Promised Land, and then return to live with their wives and children on the east side of the Jordan, Moses agreed. The half-tribe of Manasseh also joined in making their home on the east side of the Jordan.

Numbers 33 recounts the travels of the Israelites through the wilderness. It marks each of the places they went, where they stayed, and some of the significant events that took place. The end of the chapter tells us how the Israelites were to distribute the Promised Land among each other after they had gone in and defeated the people who lived there. Numbers 34 records God’s declaration of the geographical borders of Israel. It was within those boundaries the land was to be divided among the tribes. At the end of the chapter we also read the names of the tribal leaders who would be responsible for participating in the distribution of the land.

John 13 records details of the Lord’s Supper we don’t find in the other gospels. This has caused some to say the gospels are inaccurate, because they record differing details of various events. In my experience, it’s when two or more people offer exactly the same details of an event that I start wondering whether the story is true. My brother Kenn and I used to rehearse accounts of events for our Mom that would show us in a better light than was true. She would see through the accounts, because they were the same. John’s gospel was written much later than the rest of the gospels, and as we have noted, was written more for the purpose of showing Jesus as God, than to record a chronological history of His birth, life, teaching, death, and resurrection. First, John 13 records Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, which no other gospel records. This action shows us Jesus’ heart for serving. He carried out this menial task to show the disciples that as Jesus’ followers, even as leaders among His followers, no task was too small, unimportant, or humiliating for them to do.

John 13 also gives us more detail about how Jesus identified the one who would betray Him. We’re told Satan “entered” into Judas, when Jesus had identified him as the betrayer, by handing him a piece of bread. The rest of the disciples still didn’t understand Judas would be the betrayer. John adds Judas went out immediately after receiving the morsel of bread and states “And it was night.” If we remember back to John 3, Jesus told us people who are doing evil love the darkness. This reminder of Judas carrying out his betrayal at night, underlines the truth of evil being carried at night.

Jesus also told the disciples He was giving them a new commandment: to love one another. Jesus said everyone would know they were His disciples if they loved one another.  If we stop to think about that statement for a moment, we might think Jesus would tell us people would know we were His disciples if we loved them, but Jesus didn’t say that. The command was for us to love each other. As we love one another as Jesus’ followers, people will see the example and be aware of the difference from the world. In the world people love others who are like them, or who have done something for them, but not simply because they do. As Jesus’ followers we are commanded to love each other regardless of our backgrounds, our previous relationships or anything.

John 13 ends with a brief record of Jesus telling Peter he would deny knowing Him three times. Peter had claimed he would lay down his life for Jesus, but we know Peter didn’t do that, and he did deny Jesus three times. While that reality is so hard to handle, it reminds us we have all denied Jesus in some way.  Thankfully, we live on the resurrection side of Easter and we know Jesus forgave and restored Peter to serving Him. Peter went on to serve Jesus in great ways. That gives us comfort to know Jesus will forgive us when we fall short, as He already did by dying on the cross in our places, and He will empower us to serve Him in great ways, too, as we repent, and turn back to Him.

Day 320-Acts 17-19; Matthew 7

In Acts 17, Paul and Silas went first to Thessalonica, then to Berea. Some of the Jews and Gentiles received the message of Jesus, but many didn’t, so Paul and Silas had to leave the city and go to Berea. We’re told the Bereans were of more noble character, and they examined the Scriptures to see whether what Paul said was true. This is always the best course to take: examine the claims of Jesus to see whether they are true. They are! At the end of the chapter, Paul has some time alone in Athens, while he was waiting for some of the others to come. He took the time to speak to the philosophers there. The end result of their dialogue is a few people trusted Jesus. Paul shows us how to meet people where they are and lead them to Jesus through reasoned conversation.

In Acts 18, we read of Paul’s time in Corinth. It was a time of building up the church and mentoring individual leaders. The Lord gave Paul a personal message of encouragement while he was there, letting Paul know he had many people in the city. 

In Acts 19, Paul visits Ephesus. While in Ephesus, Paul performed many signs and wonders in Jesus’ name. As a result, seven sons of a Jewish priest decided to cast out demons in Jesus’ name. One of the men from whom they attempted to cast out a demon “in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches,” responded “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” At that point he attacked and beat the seven sons severely. The news of this caused many to respond to the gospel. As the gospel gained traction in Ephesus, a silversmith realized their business would be impacted greatly if people stopped worshiping idols and started worshiping the invisible God of the universe. He couched it in religious terms, but convinced the people to riot against the gospel, because of the implicit attack it made on their “gods.”

As we return to Matthew 7, Jesus closes out the Sermon on the Mount. In this chapter Jesus reminds us how crucial it is to always put Him first. In a number of different ways, Jesus reminds us when we pray in faith to the Lord, He responds, when we cry out, “Lord, Lord,” we better be following the Lord, and at the end of the day every “tree” is known by its “fruit.” The end result of Jesus’ message was the people were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one with authority, and not as the teachers of religious law. In every era, the teachings of Jesus carry an authority not found in any other type of speech. Jesus was and is the Son of the living God. His words arethe word of God. That means when we speak them in His love, they still compel people.  Of course, anyone can reject their truth and authority, but the truth remains they are the word of God, and when we respond to them appropriately, they change us from the inside out, and advance the cause of God’s Kingdom.

[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 319-Acts 14-16; Matthew 6 summary!]

Numbers 28-29 record an extensive list of offerings the people of Israel were to present to the LORD. The first offering listed was the “daily” offering and was to be presented 365 days a year. All the other offerings were in addition to the daily offering.  The Sabbath offering was to be presented each week. An additional offering was to be presented on the first day of each month. Then we are presented with a list of offerings for the various holy days of the Jews. These offerings include: animal sacrifices, grain, and drink offerings. The number of animals and quantity of grain and drink varied with the particular holy day or feast being celebrated, but the principle is clear: God is to be worshiped through the giving of offerings daily. While we no longer present such offerings to the LORD, the principle of daily offering or daily worship still applies to us. We speak often of presenting our time, talent, treasure and touch to the LORD as a response of gratitude for who He is and all He has done in our lives. The practice is not just for Sunday, or the weekend, but is to be carried out daily. As we become more and more generous with our time, talents, treasure and touch, we reflect the heart of God who is the most generous being in the universe. While the extent of the sacrifices God required of the Israelites, might seem significant to us, let’s remember every animal, quart of grain, or ounce of drink given and poured out as offerings to God were provided by God in the first place.  The same is true for us. God created us, and God gives us every good and perfect gift we possess. That we are here to present our time, talents, treasure and touch in offering to the LORD and in service to others is a gift God has first given to us. All we give is merely a response of gratitude to Him, and a token of His great blessing to us.

Numbers 30 offers a restatement of laws concerning vows and pledges. The principles we learned in past chapters and books are the same:  If a man made a vow, he was bound by it. If a woman made a vow and her father or husband didn’t object the day he heard of it, the vow stood. But the father or husband had the right to nullify the vow or pledge when he first heard of it. When Jesus came to earth, He would tell us not to make vows or pledges, but simply to say, “Yes,” or “No.” In Moses’ time, the vows and pledges people made demonstrated their commitment to the LORD.  The LORD called them to honor those vows and pledges or suffer consequences for it. Once Jesus came and established the new covenant and gave each of us the Holy Spirit to empower us to carry out our commitments, He removed the requirement for the external vow or pledge to keep us to our commitments. That does not mean our yes’s, or no’s are not binding. It means we don’t need an external source of confirmation to make them binding.

John 12 marks the turning point in John’s gospel. From here to the end of it, Jesus moved toward His death and resurrection. The first significant sign of that transition was Mary’s anointing of Jesus at their home in Bethany.  While some complained of the “waste” of the money, because the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor, Jesus affirmed Mary’s extravagance, and said she was preparing His body for burial. (As a side note, some religious leaders were in attendance at this event, and they decided not only to kill Jesus, but Lazarus as well, because Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. Killing Lazarus would remove some of the evidence of Jesus’ miraculous power.)

The next significant moment in John 12 was the triumphal entry. While all four gospels record this event, only John tells us they put palm branches on the path before Jesus. This is where we get the term “Palm Sunday,” in reference to the day of the triumphal entry.  In the remainder of the chapter, Jesus told the crowds of His impending death. They didn’t understand, because in their view the Christ or Messiah was to live forever. They couldn’t understand how Jesus could say He must be “lifted up” or crucified. As we remember from John 3, this method of death, was foretold by Jesus, and His cross would have the same saving effect eternally, that Moses’ bronze serpent had physically for the Israelites, when they were bitten by the poisonous snakes the LORD sent as punishment for their disobedience. The Jews continued their disbelief and unwillingness to trust Jesus as Messiah.

Day 319-Acts 14-16; Matthew 6

In Acts 14, we read of Paul and Barnabas’ continuing missionary journey. They went to places such as Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Wherever they went, the people’s response was divided. Some believed, while others didn’t. In Lystra, Paul ministered to a crippled man, who received complete healing. As a result, the townspeople tried to worship Paul and Barnabas as “gods.” When Paul and Barnabas realized what was happening, they convinced the people to worship Jesus and not them. But no sooner had they quieted the crowd than folks came from the previous towns where they had ministered and convinced the people to stone Paul. They took him outside the city and stoned him. They left thinking he was dead, but after they left Paul got up and moved on to the next town. The challenge of facing such persecution everywhere they went didn’t stop Paul and Barnabas from carrying out their mission in Jesus’ name.

In Acts 15, we read of the first “council” of Jesus’ followers. It took place in Jerusalem, and focused on the growing division among the believers over whether a Gentile had to become a “Jew” before he or she could become a Christian.  Some believed it necessary to follow all the laws of Jews, before becoming a Christian, but Paul, Barnabas and Peter, to name a few, believed Jesus had freed the Gentiles from such rules. After much discussion and debate, James, who presided over the meeting made a vital statement, 
¹⁹“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.“Acts 15:19 (NIV) What a powerful statement! With that statement, the early church made it possible for Gentiles to follow Jesus without all the encumbrances of the Jewish law. After the meeting ended, Paul and Barnabas were ready to head back to the “mission field.” They had a problem, though. John Mark wanted to go with them. Paul didn’t want him to go, because he had deserted them on a previous journey. Barnabas wanted to give him a second chance. Finally, the disagreement became so heated that Barnabas took Mark, and Paul took Silas and they went their separate ways. This shows us that disagreements happened even among the closest of Jesus’ followers. The end result, though, was the churches were strengthened.

In Acts 16, Timothy joined Paul and Silas, and Paul’s mentoring relationship with Timothy began. It would eventually become so close, that Paul called Timothy his son. As the chapter continues, Paul has a vision of a man in Macedonia calling him to come and help him, which causes Paul to travel in that direction. While they were traveling, they came to Philippi, and there Lydia became a convert, because the Lord opened her heart to hear the message. In addition, Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. During the night, while they were singing praises to the Lord, the Lord sent an earthquake, which freed Paul and Silas from their imprisonment. The jailer, thinking all the prisoners had escaped was about to kill himself, because as a Roman jailer, he would have been responsible to take the punishment for any escaped prisoners. Paul called out to him not to harm himself, because everyone was there. The jailer found this to be true. He took Paul and Silas home and cared for their wounds, and then asked the most important question ever, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas led the entire family to the Jesus, and they were all baptized that night!

As we return to Matthew 6, we come to the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus taught about giving, prayer, fasting, and living a worry-free life, through seeking first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. This chapter offers us the Lord’s Prayer, as well as Jesus’ admonition not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven. He also tells us that no one can serve two masters and boils it down to this: you cannot serve both God and money. Such a reminder is so vital for us who live in an era when many people believe money is the answer to all life’s problems. The truth is Jesus was, is, and will always be the only answer to all of life’s problems!

[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 318-Acts 12-13; Matthew 5 summary!]

In Numbers 25, the Israelites end up being cursed by the Moabites, but not because Balaam offered a curse. The Israelites managed to bring the curse upon themselves, by intermingling with the Moabites sexually and in worshiping their pagan gods. God sent a plague on the Israelites, while Moses called on any who were faithful to God to put to death those who were sinning with the Moabites. Eleazar ended matters by killing an Israelite man who was with a Midianite woman. When the carnage had been counted 24,000 Israelites had died. What a severe lesson! The people of Israel would soon repeat this sin of intermingling with the people of the Promised Land, but God was determined to have His people remain holy. As Jesus’ followers, we are called to be in the world, but not of it. The challenge to do so can be great, because the more we spend time among those who fail to follow the Lord, the greater the opportunities to be influenced in that direction ourselves.

Numbers 26 records a second “numbering” of Israel. God called Moses and Eleazar to count the fighting men aged twenty and older as had been done at the beginning of the Exodus. The people were getting ready to move into the Promised Land, and God was preparing them for this important transition. Once in the land, and having overcome their enemies, the tribes would be given allotments according to the numbers of their groups.

In Numbers 27, Zolophehad brought a complaint to Moses about her clan missing out on an inheritance, because no sons were born to her father. After consulting with God, it was determined she and her sisters would receive an inheritance. In the remainder of the chapter God directs Moses to select Joshua as his replacement. At first, God told Moses it was His time to die, but Moses asked God to appoint someone to replace Him so the people wouldn’t be like sheep without a shepherd. God granted Moses’ wish and had Moses appoint Joshua before the people, which Moses did.

In John 11, we read the record of Lazarus’ death. Jesus knew about Lazarus’ illness, because his sisters sent word to Jesus about it, but Jesus didn’t go and heal him right away. He let Lazarus die, then came four days later. Lazarus’ sisters Martha and Mary each went out to Jesus and confronted Him in their own ways. Jesus told Martha her brother would rise from the dead. Martha agreed, but thought Jesus meant the resurrection on the last day. Jesus countered by saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Those statements have comforted many believers throughout history, because we realize when we face death it is only a temporary setback. Ultimately, Jesus talked with Martha, wept with Mary, and then raised Lazarus from the dead. We would think this would have convinced the Pharisees that Jesus was the Messiah. Instead, it convinced them to plot Jesus’ death! They reasoned anyone with Jesus’ power would ultimately draw the Romans’ attention and Israel would be crushed, so better to have one die than the entire nation sacrificed. This statement was prophetic: Jesus would die not only for Israel, but for the entire world.

Day 318-Acts 12-13; Matthew 5

In Acts 12, King Herod arrested James and had him put to death. This pleased the people, so Herod arrested Peter and was going to have him put to death as well. The night before Herod was to have Peter executed, an angel appeared to Peter and the chains with which he was bound fell off him. The soldiers with him slept as Peter got dressed and left the prison, whose gates opened as he walked out. When this had all happened, Peter found himself in the street and realized it had all taken place. He had thought it was a dream. He returned to the house of John Mark, and was welcomed with great rejoicing.

At the close of the chapter, we’re told of King Herod’s death. He went to Caesarea to address some matters of dispute and gave a speech which was acclaimed by the people. They said his voice was that of a god and not a human being. As a result of his not correcting this error the LORD struck him dead. While the account sounds hard to believe. We have seen throughout the Book of Acts that powerful things for good and for harm took place as a result of the Holy Spirit’s work. When I say powerful things for “harm,” I mean the harm of those who seek to deny God’s presence and power, and the work of His Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira were examples in Acts 5, and now King Herod is the example in Acts 12.

In Acts 13, we read of Saul (Paul) and Barnabas and several others meeting in Antioch for a time of worship, prayer, and fasting. In the midst of it, the Holy Spirit selected Saul and Barnabas to go out in mission. As they travelled, they followed the same strategy wherever they went: they went to the synagogue first and shared the good news there. If and usually when it was rejected, they went to the Gentiles.  They faced challenge and persecution from the Jews.  They offered signs, wonders, and the powerful testimony of Jesus’ salvation. Their work was always challenged, and always fruitful!

As we return to Matthew 5, we return to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This collection of Jesus’ teaching covers Matthew 5-7, and is the most extensive section of teaching in the four gospels. Jesus offered the beatitudes, the image of His followers being salt and light, a number of teachings that showed His power to add to the Law of Moses, including teachings on murder, lust, divorce, and vows. He also spoke about the importance of loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. Matthew 5 ends with Jesus’ admonition for us to be “perfect” even as our Father in heaven is “perfect.” Of course, none of us can fulfill this command apart from the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. The folks who heard the message as Jesus presented it, must have been overwhelmed at the high expectations He placed on them. Only after He died and rose again from the dead, returned to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit would any be able to be consistent in fulfilling the teachings presented here.

[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 317-Acts 9-11; Matthew 4 summary!]

We could title Numbers 21 “God’s Victory Over Israel’s Enemies!” As we read the chapter, we find three external adversaries came against Israel: the Canaanites, the Amorites, and the Bashanites. In each case, God gave the Israelites victory. We also see Israel once again became their own enemy, by complaining against God and Moses. As usual, the complaints focused around the food God provided, and how much they hated it. Their lack of gratitude for God’s provision resulted in God sending poisonous snakes into the region. Many Israelites died from snake bites, and as usual they cried out for Moses to do something. As he interceded, God told him to build a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. When an Israelite was bitten by a snake, if he or she looked up at the bronze serpent he or she would be healed. While my thought was, “Wouldn’t that lead the Israelites to idol worship, because the bronze serpent was a tangible symbol?” Jesus would later refer to the serpent as a type of His own cross. He said just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so will the Son of man be lifted up (see John 3:14).

Numbers 22-24 records the interaction between King Balak of the Moabites and Balaam, son of Beer, a prophet. Balak’s goal was to get Balaam to pronounce a curse on Israel. At first, Balaam wouldn’t go to Balak. Then when Balaam did go, he had a miraculous encounter with the angel of the LORD, which included Balaam’s donkey speaking to him. When Balaam finally arrived, he told Balak he could only pronounce a blessing, or a curse based on what the LORD told him. Each time he inquired of the LORD, the result was Balaam pronounced a blessing on Israel. Each time Balak became more incensed with the result.  In reading the account, I couldn’t help but see the bigger picture: God only listens to prayers or petitions that are in keeping with His will.  When we turn to God with our requests, we do well to turn first to God’s character and nature and ask, “Is my request aligned with God’s will and purpose?”

John 10 shows us clearly Jesus is the Messiah. He refers to Himself as the “door” of the sheepfold, as the “Good Shepherd” who lays down his life for the sheep, and He tells us He and the Father are one. As we would expect, these claims incensed the Jewish leaders. In fact, they wanted to stone Him for these proclamations. Jesus challenged them by asking for which of his works it was that they wanted to stone Him to death? They answered it wasn’t for any of his works (so at least they were acknowledging His good works in a back-handed kind of way), but for claiming to be God. Jesus answered that statement by quoting Scripture, which gives us incentive to read and learn the Scriptures ourselves. That way, when folks question us about our faith in Jesus, we will have reasonable responses.

In John 10, Jesus makes a powerful statement about the difference between Himself and the devil. He said, “The thief (that is the devil) comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” When we experience threats to our well-being, we can be sure they don’t come from Jesus. It isn’t His will for us to suffer, although at times God does permit us to suffer. Jesus came to bring us life, abundant life, here and now, and forever. We do well to remember that statement when we experience challenges, difficulty, and outright evil in our lives. In those times remember Jesus is for us and is on our side.

Day 317-Acts 9-11; Matthew 4

Acts 9 offers us one of the most amazing accounts in the entire book.  Saul, who had been persecuting the church vehemently, was on the way to Damascus from Jerusalem to arrest Christians there. While He was on the way, Jesus appeared to Him in a vision. He asked, “Saul, Saul. Why are you persecuting me?” Saul responded, “Who are you, Lord?”  (Saul’s response shows he knew this was no natural experience!) Jesus answered, “It is Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Through the experience Saul became blind. The folks in his group led him to Damascus. In Damascus, Ananias, a believer in Jesus, was also visited by God in a vision. He was told to meet Paul and pray for his healing. Ananias wasn’t keen on that idea, because Saul’s reputation had preceded him. Ananias was faithful, and as a result Saul was healed, baptized and started preaching that Jesus is the Christ in the synagogue in Damascus. Talk about an amazing conversion! Saul taught in Damascus until the Jews there set their sites on him. Saul left and wanted to go to the Church leaders in Jerusalem, but they were wary lest Saul was seeking to trick them. Barnabas, a trusted leader among the believers, vouched for Saul, so the rest accepted him.  As a result of Saul’s conversion, the believers in the region experienced a time of peace.

We also read of Peter carrying out a couple of powerful miracles at the end of Acts 9. He healed a paralytic named Aeneus, and raised a woman named Dorcas from the dead!

As we move to Acts 10, it is Peter’s time to experience something amazing. We’re told at the beginning of the chapter a Roman centurion, named Cornelius, who was a devout follower of God was told in a vision to send for Simon called Peter. He sent messengers to find Peter, and when they did, they asked Peter to come to Cornelius’ house. Ordinarily, Peter, who was still following the ways of Judaism in addition to following Jesus, would not have obliged the request. But Peter had also experienced a vision, the same vision, three times. The vision was of “unclean” animals, being dropped down from heaven, and his being told, “Rise, kill and eat.” Peter argued that he had never eaten an unclean animal, but the LORD told him not to call what He called clean, unclean.  Peter understood the vision to be an affirmation of his call to visit with Cornelius. He took other Jewish believers with him, and to their amazement, when Peter was preaching to Cornelius, his family and friends they were all baptized in the Holy Spirit.  This caused a ripple through the church that continued to be discussed in Acts 11. The result of the incident is the believers glorified God for giving the Gentiles the opportunity to receive salvation, too.

Matthew 4 offers us the account of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by Satan. This occurred immediately after Jesus’ baptism and His being affirmed by His Heavenly Father. This reminds us that sometimes after a major victory or blessing in our lives, we are open to temptation. It seems counterintuitive, because such times seem to be times when we would be stronger than ever. But at such times we are also susceptible to pride. Jesus’ victory over Satan came because He remained focus on His Heavenly Father, and He didn’t seek to argue with the devil. He quoted Scripture in response to each temptation. This shows us how important it is for us to learn and live God’s word. After passing the temptation test, Jesus started His ministry in Galilee. He called people to repent because God’s Kingdom is at hand. He called the first four of the twelve disciples and offered them the opportunity to “fish” for people instead of fish. He also healed many people, showing us that the evidence of God’s Kingdom being present is our wholeness in body, soul, and spirit.

[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 316-Acts 7-8; Matthew 3 summary!]

Numbers 18 records God’s commands concerning the priests and Levites. The first part of the chapter tells Moses how they are to be disciplined, while the larger portion of the chapter tells the Levites they are to receive the majority of the people’s tithes and offerings to use for their food and livelihood. The Levites would not be given a portion of land along with the other tribes when they entered the Promised Land, but would receive a tithe of all the produce of the land from each of the other tribes. We’re not told here, but the Levites were also given cities in which to live, and land where they could keep their flocks, so God ensured they would be cared for well. An important detail in this chapter is God told Moses only the priests and the Levites could come near the Tabernacle. If anyone else came near they would die. In addition, only the priests could enter the holy places in the Tabernacle and touch the holy instruments, so a hierarchy was being established among the Israelites, which would lead to a regimented priesthood. We will see when we get to the New Testament that system was superseded in the new covenant Jesus established. In the new covenant each of us has the right to go before God personally, and as Peter would put it to be a “kingdom of priests.”

Numbers 19 records the difficult to understand command to sacrifice a red heifer, then to burn it along with scarlet thread and hyssop, and afterwards to gather the ashes and to use them in “the water of purification.” In one commentary I reviewed, the author tells us King Solomon (the wisest man to live before Jesus), was said to have stated this was the only sacrifice he did not understand! The point of the process is obvious: when someone touched a dead person, or an object was in the vicinity of a dead person the person or object had to be “purified.” This was a spiritual process, but some authors point out the hyssop was a natural antibacterial agent, so the water of purification might have had medicinal qualities, and been an early anti-bacterial agent.  Moses would not have known this, so God’s purposes could well have been both spiritual and practical. In any case, the practice was intended to ensure God’s people would regain their “cleanness,” after coming in contact with a dead person.

Numbers 20 records three specific incidents in the Israelites’ travels through the wilderness. In the first, the people ran out of water, and started complaining intensely to Moses and Aaron about the hardships they faced, and that they ought never to have left Egypt.  Moses and Aaron appealed to the Lord for water, so God told them to “speak” to a particular rock and water would come out. Moses disobeyed God, and said, “Must we produce water for you?” and “struck” the rock with his rod. This action proved to be a serious mistake–and sin. Moses took credit for God’s action. In effect, Moses “stole” God’s glory.  God will never share His glory with anyone. The result of this action was God told Moses neither he nor Aaron would enter the Promised Land.  In the second incident, the Israelites wanted to pass through the land of Edom, where the descendants of Esau lived. The Edomites denied passage. Much later in Israel’s history this action would be remembered and the Edomites would be the object of the Israelite army’s wrath. Finally, we read of Aaron’s death. The account is straightforward. God tells Moses it is time for Aaron to die, so he, Aaron, and Eleazer, Aaron’s son, go up on a mountain, and Aaron dies. The people of Israel mourned for Aaron for thirty days. This chapter shows us the consequences of our actions can be severe. God is a just and holy God. That means all our actions, whether good or evil, have consequences. While we live on the resurrection side of Jesus’ life, and our salvation and redemption are in and through Him, we need to remember the principle: actions have consequences.  God calls and expects us to live in obedience.

John 9 records another amazing miracle of Jesus, and another example of the Pharisees being more concerned about Jesus’ performing the miracle on the Sabbath than about His ability to perform miracles! In this case, Jesus healed a man who had been born blind. The disciples asked Jesus a question that reflects the beliefs of the culture in their day, and one which has held on through the ages: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” We often think bad things happen because of sin, and bad things do happen because of sin, but Jesus answered neither had sinned. In this case, the man’s blindness was going to glorify God. How? Through Jesus healing the man! Jesus helped us see not all physical ailments, and we can imply not all negative circumstances in our lives, are the result of sin. We live in a fallen world, so sometimes bad things are part of our reality. Thank God, He is there to be with us, and at times to heal the situation completely.

The Pharisees’ insistence on focusing on the miracle taking place on the Sabbath as breaking the Sabbath, rather than the man’s blindness being healed, shows us one of the problems with religion: religion sees the rules as more important than the suffering and healing of people. Jesus’ concern was for the man’s well-being. He didn’t care what day of the week it was. We see Jesus healing people on the Sabbath throughout  all four gospels, so we know  His healing of the blind man wasn’t an isolated incident. He established the principle that the welfare of people is more important than the observance of human rituals. We do well to remember this as we live out our faith in Him as well.

Day 316-Acts 7-8; Matthew 3

In Acts 7, Stephen offers his defense before his Jewish accusers by recounting much of Jewish history. They listened to Stephen until he got to the part about Jesus being the Messiah. Then they stoned Stephen to death. We’re told as this was taking place, a young man named Saul was watching over their coats and nodding with approval. This young Saul was soon to have his own encounter with Jesus as we will see tomorrow! 

Acts 8 tells us after Stephen’s death a great persecution broke out against the church. Much of it was led by Saul.  The good news in the midst of the persecution was it forced the believers to leave Jerusalem. Phillip went first to Samaria, where he led people to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. One of the new converts was a “sorcerer” name Simon. Peter came over from Jerusalem when he heard the news and when they laid hands on the Samaritans, they received the Holy Spirit! This was big news, because the Samaritans had been considered “half-breeds” by the Jews. We’re also told Phillip witnessed to an Ethiopian eunuch, who received the good news with great joy, and was baptized immediately. The Holy Spirit took Phillip away to another place after this. 

As we return to Matthew 3, we read of John the Baptist’s ministry and his baptizing Jesus. The chapter is short, but it sets the stage for Jesus’ entire ministry. John’s proclamation was, “Repent! (or turn away from your sins and back to God) The Kingdom of God is at hand. This would become Jesus’ message as well. While John and Jesus were radically different in their methods, their message was the same.  

[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 315-Acts 4-6; Matthew 2 summary!]

Numbers 14 offers us one of the best examples of what happens when people lose faith in God and make their own decisions. Hearing the report of the ten spies who said the Promised Land was impossible to overtake, the people cried all night. They decided to elect new leaders and go back to Egypt. Moses and Aaron fell face down before God and interceded for the people. God responded by telling Moses He was going to destroy the people and start a new nation from him. Can you imagine being told you and your family are going to be the source of a new nation? Moses’ response was not, “Yes!!!” He pleaded with God to spare the Israelites. He even told God the Egyptians would say God was not able to lead His people.” The LORD agreed with Moses, but the consequence of the disobedience was significant: the ten spies who gave the bad report died of a plague. The rest of the Israelites who had said they wouldn’t go into the land, were banned from ever going into it. Those twenty years and older were told they would die in the wilderness. The response was predictable: they all decided to go up and try to enter the land. They were immediately pushed back. The quick lesson here is when you don’t like what God tells you to do, don’t vote against it–do it anyway.

Numbers 15 offers us a step away from the wilderness wanderings and presents some additional commands regarding offering sacrifices to God. One significant detail in the commands is at the end we are told those who brazenly disobey God’s commands cannot offer a sacrifice to be forgiven but are to be cut off from the people. The chapter concludes with the example of a man who broke the Sabbath. The penalty was death. Wow! God was serious about having His laws obeyed. While we’re grateful Jesus died and rose again to pay the penalty for our sins, and to give us new lives, we must remember Jesus died to forgive our sins and rose to empower us to live in victory over them. Jesus isn’t simply our “get out of jail free card,” so we can sin as much as we want, but He offers us new lives, so we will live in the freedom and victory of the Holy Spirit.

Numbers 16-17 records the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. They were Levites who thought Moses and Aaron held too much power. The ensuing “battle” between these three and their clans, and Moses and Aaron gave God another opportunity to tell Moses He was going to destroy all the people. Once again, Moses, this time joined by Aaron, interceded for the people. God destroyed only Korah, Dathan, Abiram, their families and the 250 others who rebelled against God. At the conclusion of this demonstration of God’s preference for Moses and Aaron, the people continued to complain, so God sent a plague. Moses and Aaron once again interceded, but 14,700 Israelites died before God ended the plague. Finally, Moses had the leaders of each of the tribes bring a staff to him. These were placed in the Tabernacle overnight with Aaron’s staff. The next morning Aaron’s staff had budded with almond blossoms, another clear demonstration of God’s presence with Aaron and Moses and selection of them as leaders. This quieted the people for a time, and they could move on in their wilderness wanderings until this faithless generation died.

The Israelites of this era show us how difficult it is for human beings to be convinced of God’s presence and power. They saw the LORD’s work firsthand, and yet they complained, rebelled, and disobeyed. This is a short course in human history to the present day. I don’t write that statement to judge us, but rather to observe how seldom we offer God the worship and praise He deserves, how seldom we live in obedience to Him. As we go about this day, may we put God first, so others around us will see His presence and power and give Him glory!

John 8 is filled with Jesus’ proclamations of Himself as God and Messiah, and of the religious leaders arguing and debating those proclamations. It starts with an encounter between Jesus and some religious leaders who brought to Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. (While many of the earliest Greek manuscripts of the New Testament don’t have this account, the interaction is consistent with Jesus’ manner of teaching and acting.) Jesus’ response to the men, when they told Him Moses’ law required the woman to be stoned to death, was they were right, so the one who had never sinned could throw the first stone. We’re told they walked away from the oldest to the youngest. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized why the order–oldest to youngest. The older we are, the more certain we become of our imperfections. Sometimes in our youthful zeal, we can forget our flaws, but not so as we mature. When everyone had walked away, Jesus asked the woman where her accusers were. She said no one had condemned her. Jesus’ response was amazing, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin.” Jesus freed her, but He didn’t release her from the obligation of a holy life. What a reminder for us all! We are free from our sins, and the freedom is given so we can live a godly and holy life, not a life of licentiousness.

After the encounter, we read an extensive interaction between Jesus and the religious leaders.  Jesus told them He is the light of the world, that the truth will set them free, that they are of their father the devil and that “before Abraham was, I am.” Any one of those statements is the source for a long discussion and can be applied to bring transformation to us. All of them together point out Jesus was no ordinary human being. He is God. Such statements made it impossible for the religious leaders to remain neutral. They had to accept or condemn Jesus. How sad that they let their preconceptions rule rather than Jesus’ words and life. He backed up what He said through how He lived. What an important reminder to us as we continue to read these accounts each day–it is impossible to remain neutral toward Jesus. His claims won’t allow it. He is either a liar, a lunatic or Lord. We must choose, and then our choice dictates how we live. After all, as Jesus said, when we know the truth, the truth sets us free!

Day 315-Acts 4-6; Matthew 2

Acts 4 records the conclusion of Peter and John’s healing of the lame beggar. It caused such a stir that the Jewish religious leaders had them arrested and put in jail overnight. Then they brought Peter and John before them to examine them for what they had done. We’re told Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit before he responded. This is a vital point, because Jesus promised that when we are brought before the authorities for His sake, His Spirit will tell us what to say. In any case, Peter’s response is classic. He tells the Jewish leaders that if they are being brought to trial for a good deed done to a crippled man (interesting point to put on the matter!), the explanation is simple: the miracle was done in the name of Jesus. Peter went on to say there is no other name under heaven given among us by which we must be saved. The religious leaders wanted to punish Peter and John, but they couldn’t deny a great miracle had been done, so they warned them not to preach any more in Jesus’ name, and then let them go. The two went back to the rest of the believers and testified to what God had done among them. Then the cried out to God and prayed for…boldness! We might have thought they would have prayed for protection, but it was boldness for which they asked.  

In Acts 5 we read the sobering account of a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who sold some property and brought a portion of the proceeds to the apostles, but said it was everything.  As a result they DIED. Yes, they died. They didn’t die, because they didn’t bring a 100% of the proceeds of the sale to the apostles. They died for lying about what portion they brought. We’re told this brought fear to the church. The apostles continued to perform incredible miracles in Jesus’ name, and eventually they were all brought before the Jewish religious leaders again and punished for their activities. Nevertheless, they continued to live powerfully in Jesus’ name.

In Acts 6, we read of one of the first problems in the early church: the Hellenistic or Gentile widows weren’t being treating equally in the distribution of food. When the problem was brought to the apostles, they didn’t say it wasn’t a problem, but they did say they wouldn’t be solving it themselves. They weren’t going to give up their ministry of prayer and devotion to the Word of God to “wait tables.” The solution was to select what we call “deacons,” who were godly men to take care of the situation. The result was the church was strengthened, and even a number of Jewish priests became obedient to the faith.  At the close of Acts 6, Stephen, one of the deacons, is arrested by the Jews and put on trial for his faith. We’ll read the conclusion of the matter tomorrow.

As we return to Matthew 2, we read of the coming of the wise men to see Jesus, and the slaughter of the babies and toddlers who were two years of age and under in and around Bethlehem by King Herod. The slaughter was Herod’s effort to kill Jesus, and to stop Him from ever threatening his throne. Jesus escaped this attempt, because an angel appeared to Joseph and led him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Thus, Jesus spent His early years as a refugee in Egypt. When Herod died, an angel to Joseph to return to Israel, but because another Herod was ruling, Joseph moved the family to Nazareth in northern Israel.