MMLACE'S MEDITATIONS...

Economics and Snow and God's Grace

2012-02-13T22:09:00.000-06:00

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;

and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare...

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord.

'As the heavens are highter than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return to it without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpse for which I sent it.'"

--Isaiah 55:1-2, 6-11

I've recently been looking at some of the Psalms on here, and I realize that the above passage is not a Psalm...but it seemed appropriate for today. Or at least, it caught my attention for a couple of points that are are relevant to my life recently...but they are not necessarily related to each other, so forgive me for this rambling blog of mine.

The first reason is the very beginning of this passage. The invitation is to come and buy things without cost. Tonight I probably should have been in my Economics class, where my professor would say that there is no such thing. Everything has a cost. There is no such thing as free. And yet, I'm reminded of one of the opening lines of one of my new favorite movies, the 2010 re-make of "True Grit", in which the young heroine Mattie states that "there is nothing free in life...except God's grace." I think it's because of this fact that the next few lines of the above passage were written, encouraging people not to spend themselves for things that don't satisfy. Rather, "seek the Lord while He can be found...for He will freely pardon." I've had Mattie Ross's search for vengeance and her statement about God's grace on my mind this past week, as I've enjoyed listening to the soundtrack for that movie. It's got some of the most beautiful instrumental renditions of "What a Friend We Have In Jesus", "Glory-Land Way", "Hold to God's Unchaniging Hand", and of course, "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms".

The other reason this passage seemed appropriate for me today is because it talks about God's thoughts and ways being higher than ours. To make this point, it uses the analogy of God sending snow/rain for a purpose. In the same way, His words and actions will, indeed, serve His purposes. This was fitting today because we actually saw a little bit of snow here this morning. We don't see a whole terrible lot of snow down here in Arkansas...usually just a couple of times a year. Those couple of times a year are times that are looked forward to by many, as a possible chance of a snow day off work, or a chance to play in the snow. But it is already mid-February, and Arkansas had not seen snow this winter...until today. Many schools closed, simply as a precautionary measure. I was even a little hopeful that I might get some time today to get a headstart on my spring cleaning here at the apartment. But when I left for work this morning, there were just a few flurries starting to fall. Snow fell heavily for about an hour or so while I was at work. But most of it melted and was gone by the time I went to get lunch. Instead, it was just a cold, dreary, blah kinda day.

And as a result, I felt cold, dreary, and blah on the inside too. I drug myself through the hours at work, constantly thinking to myself (and occasionally expressing to my coworkers) that "I don't wanna be here..." and "I'm ready for this day to be over with..." After work, I came home, skipped my Econ class, and have been here just catching up on some reading, and trying to recover from my cold, dreary, blah day.

Now, this is gonna be weak, but I'll try to tie these two points together as best I can. My today was spent focused on what I had planned, and I spent my thoughts on what I wanted but didn't get, when instead I could have focused on seeking the Lord. After all, He's always near. And it's Him and His thoughts and His ways that truly satisfy. He's the One that offers the invitation to come and drink...to come and eat...to delight in the richest of fare.

And His invitation is free.

Regardless of what my Econ professor might say about that.

An Opinionated Birthday Post for an Opinionated Person

2012-02-02T21:17:00.000-06:00

You all may know that my dear friend Ellen is an opininated person...as evidenced by my list of blogs to the left. In fact, the title of her blog is "Ellen Has An Opinion". One of my favorite things that Ellen occasionally does over at The Opinions is writing birthday blogs, listing out 5 favorite things she loves about her family/friends on their birthdays.

What you might not know, my dear readers, is that I am also an opinionated person, and, yes, I also have an opinion. I am of the opinion that after all the time spent writing about those she cares for on their respective birthdays, Ellen deserves to have someone write about her on her big day! So...I present, for your reading pleasure (and in no particular order), five of my favorite things about Ellen!

5. As a journalism-teacher-turned-librarian with a degree in English, Ellen loves to both read and write. Obviously her love of writing is evidenced by The Opinions, where her writing is more witty or clever than anything you might find here. And her love of reading manifests itself in all different kinds of works. These are two hobbies that I also share, and although our tastes in reading material are different, I always appreciate someone who can appreciate a good book. Thanks for your love of the language, and for entertaining me at The Opinions!

4. Ellen likes to be in charge. As you can see in the vintage S-Games photograph below (please forgive the blurry-ness), Ellen is walking around with a clipboard (a sure sign of someone in-charge) and giving what are probably some very pertinent instructions in order to win whatever S-Game is about to be played. Ellen might tell you that she doesn't like being in charge...she claims she's not bossy. And I agree with that statement, as being "bossy" definitely has a negative connotation, so Ellen is not that. However, sometimes things have to get done, and decisions have to be made. And while someone like myself is likely to stand around over-thinking all the possibilities and ultimately deciding that it doesn't really matter, Ellen is quick to make a decision and share it with others. Half the time, we might not make it to dinner on Sunday night if it weren't for Ellen...so thanks for being a good decision-maker!

3. Ellen is a very crafty person. She admittedly likes to be doing stuff with her hands often (claims she even listens better when she is doing something like a Sudoku puzzle with her hands!), and this desire sometimes tends to manifest itself with craft projects. Some of her craft projects are big, HGTV-worthy projects like restoring an old dresser. Some are smaller projects like knitting or crocheting. I'll be honest and admit that I'm not sure exactly what she's making in the photo below, but it is obviously something fun for the children in the youth services department of the library, where she works. (My guess is a George Washington- or founding father-type character, but I don't remember...) Anyway, I have personally benefited from Ellen's crafting abilities as I am the complete opposite of a crafty person. I'm craft-deficient. And yet, Ellen was able to teach me how to crochet! (Nothing fancy, mind you, just a simple, single-crochet--we're talking about me, remember...) But I have been able to use those new-found crocheting skillz to participate in a ministry at our church, which will provide sleeping mats for some people in Haiti. Ellen, I bet you didn't know your craftiness could reach all the way to other countries and touch others who desperately need it. Thanks for sharing that gift!

2. Ellen loves to laugh! Beyond that, she loves to make other people laugh, too. She prides herself in being very funny, and rightfully so, as her sense of humor is part of what makes her fun to be around. She knows that there is "a time for every activity under heaven..." and that it includes "a time to laugh" (NLT). Thanks for bringing joy to others through your humor!

1. Pictured below is Ellen and her siblings. She is the 4th of four, the youngest of the family. She's got a Momma and a Butch that she loves, along with two older brothers (Shane & Josh), an older sister (Michelle), a brother-in-law (Will), a sister-in-law (Susan), and a handful of nieces & nephews, and a slew of aunts, uncles, and cousins that I'm sure she's extremely close to. I know this, because she talks about them and/or goes to see them all the time. They are about as tight-knit a family as I've ever seen; she loves them, and they love her, and it's a beautiful family. But Ellen's love doesn't end with her family. It spills over to her friendships as well, as she is about as devoted of a friend as I've seen, willing to maintain friendships throughout many years and many miles. I hope that, regardless of how many years go by, or how many miles may separate, I will be always be able to consider Ellen a friend. "Thank you for being a friend!"

Happy Birthday to You!

Happy Birthday, Dear Ellen!

Happy Birthday to You!!!

And Many More... :)

The Gift

2011-12-24T14:06:00.000-06:00

It's almost Christmas, and like it or not, one of the first things most people think of at Christmas time is presents. Gifts. Gifts for kids, gifts for spouses, gifts for parents, gifts for all kinds of friends and loved ones. (Gifts from loved ones, as well!) Gifts in big boxes. Gifts in small packages. Gifts in bags with ribbons and bows. They're all so beautifully wrapped then placed under a tree, waiting for just the right time to be opened. It's an exciting time, folks.

But it's not ALL about the gifts.

Another one of my favorite things about the holidays is the music. I can never seem to get enough of it...from Silent Night to Deck the Halls, and everything in between. But I wanted to mention one of my particularly favorite Christmas songs...

It might be surprising, given my specific religious upbringing...but I love "The Little Drummer Boy". Part of me identifies with this song simply because I'm a musician, and I play an instrument. But on a deeper level, I can identify:

With the desire to offer a gift to the King...
With the realization that I have nothing fit to offer Him...
With the attempt at offering Him the best that I can anyway...
And with the understanding that my gift, meager though it may be, is still enough to make the King smile.

Because, you see, God is pleased with a gift that is offered in sincere and loving response to the gift He's given us, one that the Apostle Paul says was given "in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Paul goes on to further explain that this gift is the gift of God's grace. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

This gift of God is better than any gift that has been wrapped in beautiful paper and ribbons and bows and put under a tree only to be opened in the next few days, in order to bring some measure of joy to the recipient.

Because instead, this Gift of God was wrapped in swaddling clothes and eventually put on a tree only to be raised in a few days, in order to bring an eternity of joy to all who would receive.

That, my friends, is what Christmas is really about. Not the gifts, but the Gift.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

Prayers of the Bible, Part14--David & the Psalms

2011-12-19T08:46:00.000-06:00

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...

Psalm 42

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love
at night his song is with me--
a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see the works of the Lord,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he burns the shields with fire.
"Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth."

The Lord almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burn offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
then there wil be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 13--David & the Psalms

2011-12-18T13:35:00.000-06:00

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...

Psalm 32

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"--
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 34

I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

A righteous man may have many troubles
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.

Blessed is the man
who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come--
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O Lord.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord;
may your love and your truth always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to save me;
O Lord, come quickly to help me.
May all who seek to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
be appalled at their own shame.
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"The Lord be exalted!"

Yet I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 12--David and the Psalms

2011-11-10T07:05:00.000-06:00

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...

It was my intention to simply share some of my favorite psalms in numerical order. But today I want to deviate from that for just a bit. A few years ago, there was a lady who was a long-time member at my church who lost a long battle with cancer one Saturday morning. Though I did not know her, many in our family did. So the next morning, our minister abandoned his pre-planned sermon, in favor of sharing some more appropriate thoughts. He began his sermon simply by reading this psalm (this one is actually not a psalm of David), which asks some hard questions. The psalmist talks about the unfairness of life and the fact that the wicked prosper. Basically, he asks, "So is it in vain, then, that we trust in the Lord?"

I like the answer to his question. And I felt like this was appropriate for today...

Psalm 73

Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet has almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from the burdens common to man,
they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"

This is what the wicked are like--
always carefree, they increase in wealth.

Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.

If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.

Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
As a dream when one awakes,
so when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.

When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 11--David and the Psalms

2011-11-09T23:49:00.000-06:00

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God his Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty--
he is the King of glory.

Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation--
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life--
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
though an army besiege me,
even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek,
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
Teach me your way, O Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 10--David and the Psalms

2011-11-07T21:47:00.001-06:00

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statues of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
the commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure
and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.
In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the .
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
"He trusts in the Lord;
let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."

Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
I am poured out like water,
and all of my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
they divide my garemnts among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

But you, O Lord, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the Lord will praise him--
may your hearts live forever!
all the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn--
for he has done it.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 9--David and the Psalms

2011-11-07T06:50:00.001-06:00

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...

Psalm 14

The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

Will evildoers never learn--
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on the Lord?
There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous,
You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 15

Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the Lord,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,
who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things
will never be shaken.

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.

I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."
As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me,
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 8--David

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

So, along with the Project Love blogs, I was also in the middle of writing a series about the prayers and pray-ers of the Bible, and what we can learn about God from them.

Yes, my poor blog has been severely neglected lately just because of a lack of time for writing.

But, I'll also admit that part of the reason that series came to a screeching halt is because I came up to the time period of David and the Psalms. And there was just so much material there that I wasn't quite sure how to handle it. What I have decided is that they are so rich that there's really nothing I can add to them. So for the next...well, however long it takes...I'll just try to share some of my favorite Psalms.

It seems odd to say that, to talk about my "favorite Psalms", as they're not typically my favorite area of scripture. And yet, sometimes I still find myself craving them...as though my soul is thirsty, and I need His Spirit to speak to me through them. Most recently, I've found myself going through them, just reading through them, during the communion times at church each Sunday. Have done that, read through a portion of Psalms, each Sunday morning for several months now.

So here I will share with you the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 11

In the Lord I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
"Flee like a bird to your mountain.
For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.
When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?"

The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes the sons of men;
his eyes examine them.
The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked and those who love violence
his soul hates.
On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.

For the Lord is righteous,
he loves justice;
upright men will see his face.

Project Love--June

2011-10-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

Yep. You read that correctly. It is October. And I am just now posting about Project Love for June.

It's been three months since I've blogged. I have no excuse for that, really...

Except for that whole grad school thing, if you count that...

Still, I had hoped for so much better for myself. Oh well...here goes...

For June, our church-wide project was actually our VBS, which was themed, "Daniel: Take the Dare!" This was a wonderful week for many at our church, and I'd love to tell you why. But, quite frankly, I don't have much time to ramble about it. And since a picture's worth a thousand words, as they say, I thought maybe I could make up for my lack of blogging over the last three months by sharing a few pics from the week.

Pictured below is Babylon, at least in the mind of Ms. Linda Smith. I actually was able to help her create her Babylon, where she spent the week teaching about Daniel and his friends' choice to abide by the Hebrew dietary laws, even while in exile, and about the Lord's blessing of their decision to obey Him. She used the likenesses of a couple of familiar PV faces for the Top Chef and King Nebuchadnezzar. (That would be Pastoral Care Minister Nick Hamilton, and Preaching Minister Chuck Monan, respectively.) Of course, over in Hebrew corner, teaching the children what was correct was a rather "righteous-looking" Linda!

One thing that really struck me as special was when Ms. Linda taught her kiddos to pray face-down, how many Hebrews did...

Here is another of the "classrooms", which appears to be King Nebuchadnezzar's bedroom, where he had his dream of the statue...

Of course, the best part of VBS is the skits! Here are some of those pics!

Daniel's friends, plus a fourth person, in the fiery furnace...

College/Involvement Minister, Stuart Cash, starring as Daniel, praying to the Lord in the lions' den...

Daniel, taken out of the lions' den after he survived. I will admit that I particularly enjoyed the last night's skit, as my Blogfather starred as King Darius! :)

And the hardworking cast of the VBS skits! These guys all did AWESOME!

A Blogfather's Birthday!

2011-07-14T06:25:00.000-05:00

Today is my blogfather's birthday, and since he's the reason I ever even started writing on here (you can blame him!) I thought it'd be fun to write something here to honor him.

My friend, Ellen, celebrates her family members' birthdays on her blog by writing heart-felt posts about the 5 things she loves most about those people on their respective birthdays. I decided to take a page from her book (blog?) and try something similar...

Now, while I won't disclose his age on here, I will present, for your reading pleasure, and in no particular order, "56 Things I Love About My Blogfather!"

1. He's been at it (blogging, that is) for over seven years!

2. He writes HeartWorship articles for our church bulletin, usually on the same theme as the Sunday morning sermon. They're usually not more than a few short sentences...but you'd be surprised sometimes by how much power can be packed into a few short sentences, when they're filled with His Spirit, teaching His Word.

3. He enjoyed helping his daughter act out a fun Bible story at bedtime.

4. He writes bad poetry. (Okay, he says it's bad. I disagree. Judge for yourself.)

5. He's a Trekkie! (Hey, I guess someone's gotta be...and it sure ain't gonna be me!)

6. Sometimes...not often, but sometimes...he does some of his best writing with a migraine.

7. Since he used to work in advertising, he can write things in such a way that I read it with a voice in my head that sounds more like Billy Mays than my blogfather...

8. He's a thespian!

9. He preached this blog at PV one Sunday night...and committed himself to following Christ's instructions contained therein.

10. He posted his own affirmation and encouraged others to do the same. (I just so happened to take him up on that challenge!)

11. He wrote one of the most beautiful prayers for mothers that I have ever read.

12. He was a househusband.

13. He wasn't afraid to teach on the second coming.

14. He's a little bit nostalgic.

15. He kneels! (This is such a blessing to me, whenever I actually see it. Which is not often anymore, since we worship at different times.)

16. He likes to build things.

17. He's a little bit of a computer guru.

18. He's well-pleased with his son.

19. Sometimes he goes the extra mile.

20. He is employed by the church I worship with!

21. He's thankful for his wife.

22. He shared an exhilarating gift with his readers one Christmas!

23. He recognizes grace...even if it takes a neon flamingo light to see it.

24. Did I mention he's a thespian? (I would've given my right arm to have heard this in person...)

25. He lives as a Mac in a PC world.

26. He shares a most interesting (and maybe even a little bit scary) story from his college days...

27. He thinks churches should be more like Cheers.

28. He shared a precious communion moment with a brother in church.

29. He sings in church..."lustily and loudly"!

30. He skips church sometimes!

31. He loves Eureka Springs.

32. For awhile, he blogged "nothing but Christ and Him crucified".

33. He offered grace to a brother who offered him only judgmentalism.

34. More bad poetry.

35. He wrote one of the most heart-rending posts I've ever read about 9/11.

36. He makes a case for sarcasm! (Not that I would ever be sarcastic with you...)

37. He took it upon himself to re-title some of our hymns.

38. He knows what the gospel is and isn't. And he shared it beautifully.

39. He answered my question about the purpose of prayer.

40. He taught me to pray like Nehemiah: "Remember us, O God; for we want what you want."

41. He wrote (and shared with our church family one Easter Sunday) a pretty good harmony of the gospel accounts of the Resurrection.

42. He's a phenomenal story-teller!

43. He says a prayer before blogging.

44. He loves his pets.

45. He knows that there is a time to be silent.

46. He keeps his promises. (I must also admit that I love this post because in the comments, he mentioned being proud of our church family, a sentiment that I share.)

47. That whole communion series, 52 Weeks at the Table. Except right now it's only about 30-something Weeks at the Table. But it's incredible.

48. Did I mention that he's a phenomenal story-teller? He started telling His story as we read through it together in Project 4:4 last year. Shame he got sick and couldn't finish it.

49. He prays for those who absolutely disagree with him.
Did I mention that he's a phenomenal story-teller?

50. He has a secret life...

51. He's told us what his favorite verse is...and why! (Isn't that a lovely tile pictured in the photo?)

52. He drives an egg.

53. He's not afraid to attempt the absurd.

54. He posted this issue of New Wineskins.

55. He didn't let a little thing like a broken finger keep him from blogging. (This was posted just 3 days after he described the incident that resulted in a broken finger and claimed he'd be "Out for the Holiday". Glad he wasn't.)

56. He knows that sometimes Reality Bites.

As a proud blogdaughter, I'd encourage you, my readers, to click on any/all of the links provided. What you'll find there is guaranteed to be more inspirational than anything you'll ever read here.

Oh yeah, and Happy Birthday, sir. Hope it's a good one!

Project Love--May--Love with ALL

2011-07-13T13:17:00.000-05:00

I’ve been really hesitant to write about Project Love for the month of May, because unfortunately, I don’t have much to share as far as a church-wide project. The reason for this is that the church-wide project for May (and really to go on for the rest of the summer) was Adopt-a-Lawn. We were encouraged to get together in small groups and adopt the lawn of an elderly/disabled person for the summertime…someone that was needing their yard taken care of and they were unable to do so themselves. Since I don’t have a lawn and can count on one hand the number of times in my life that I’ve mowed my parents’ lawn…I figured I probably wasn’t the best candidate for that project. Regardless, I’m really excited about June’s project and sharing that here! So before I can do that, I figured I should go ahead and get May out of the way.

The devotional thoughts for May did not really include any study questions to answer. But there is plenty of study material, as we look at the ways that we are required to love God: (1)with all of our heart, (2) with all of our soul, (3) with all of our mind, (4) with all of our strength, (5) and loving our neighbor as ourselves. For each of these, we look at the Hebrew and Greek words used, and what they seem to mean.

1. With all of your heart—This seems to imply the center of a man’s inward life, or that which gives a man life. We are to love God with all our hearts by nurturing the spiritual life within us that He has given us. We can do this by obedience to Him and by fellowship with His Spirit, which He has given us.

2. With all of your soul—The words used for soul throughout the Bible are used in various ways, but they literally mean “breath” or “a breathing creature.” They seem to be used most often in scripture to refer to the emotions, attitude, and will. So in order to love God with all of our soul, we must choose an attitude of love and worship and obedience to God, rather than letting our own emotions get in the way.

3. With all of your mind—This word is not used in the Old Testament commandment about loving God found in Deuteronomy, but the Greek word that Jesus uses in the New Testament refers to deep thinking exercising the mind. With this in mind, to love God with our intellect, with all of our mind, is to ensure that the thoughts we have and the decisions we make must consistently be right and true and aligned with God’s will.

4. With all of your strength—The words used here for strength mean forcefully or vehemently. This means that we must expend all the energy of our heart, soul, mind, and body in loving God and doing the things that He would have us to do.

5. Love your neighbor as yourself—As we are using all of our energy to love the Lord, we must also expend the same energy in loving others. The example Jesus gives is a stranger needing help on the side of the road. This implies that anyone that you would meet that would need help is your neighbor. You must love them and help them in order to be loving toward God.

There is only one question with this month’s devotional. It is the simple question: Does God have your all?

Prayers of the Bible, Part 7--The Judges (cont.)

2011-06-07T13:01:00.001-05:00

In continuing a look at a few of Israel's judges, a third one that is definitely interesting is Jephthah. He was a Gileadite who was driven away from his family and his home because he was not the son of his father’s wife, but of another woman. However, when the Ammonites were oppressing them, the Gileadites asked him to lead the fight against them. Before doing so, Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

This is intriguing for a couple of reasons. First of all, there’s once again an implication of bargaining with the Lord, as Jephthah’s vow begins with the word, “If”; IF the Lord will give, then Jephthah will offer. Also, there is the matter of the offering itself, and I’m not entirely sure what to make of his story. You’ll have to look into it yourself; look it up, Judges 11.

Finally, besides looking at the prayers of some of the individual judges, there is a situation that occurs in Israel, and afterwards, all of Israel petitions the Lord for guidance. After some Benjamites rape a concubine, Israel is planning to go up in battle against the Benjamites. Not once, but twice, they consult the Lord, asking Him, "Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?" and "Shall we go up again to battle with Benjamin, our brother, or not?" Each time, the Lord gives them positive confirmation, and they seem to follow His instruction. And yet...

Each time, Israel is defeated by Benjamin. When the Israelites again inquire of the Lord, He finally tells them, "Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands." And it is on the third day that the Lord does, in fact, defeat Benjamin. The only observation I have from this is not one that gives me any comfort, as I see that even when someone is following the Lord's instruction, he/she may still be defeated in battle. I guess the idea there is to not quit...to keep doing what He commands. I try to remember that success does not depend upon me, obedience does. If I do what He asks, He is the One that can make me successful.

The last judge I want to take a quick look at is Samson. Oh, Samson. I have no words to describe him...he's quite a character. One of my favorite stories about Samson, though, is actually when the Lord appears to his parents, foretelling his birth and giving his parents instructions on raising him as a Nazirite, set apart for service to the Lord. When Manoah, Samson's father, hears that the Lord has appeared to his wife, he prays, "Let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born." Wow. What a wise prayer, asking the Lord for guidance in raising children...one that I'm sure has been prayed by countless parents. Also, with Samson's parents, we again see a desire to know the Lord and to honor him, as they ask, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?"

Throughout Samson's life, we see some familiar things that he prays for. He sounds kind-of accusatory (which we've heard from others before) when he asks, "You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Also, though, is the redeeming prayer at the end of Samson's life. After he has been captured by the Philistines and blinded and is being mocked in the temple of their god Dagon, Samson prayed, "Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." It seems to me that in this passage, and with this prayer, God's mercy is evident. Although Samson seems to have led a somewhat less-than-faithful life--in my opinion, he doesn't seem to have lived up to his calling, and in fact, he's really not all that likeable of a character in scripture--the Lord hears his prayer and honors his request, and in his death, he is able to defeat some enemies of Israel and of the Most High God.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 6--The Judges

2011-06-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

I once heard one of my favorite ministers describe the book of Judges as being at least a PG-13, if not R, rated book.

He’s right. You would not believe the some of the stuff that is in there. If it were a movie, you probably wouldn’t let your kids watch it.

The reason for this can be found in a sad, sad verse that appears at least a couple of times in the book, to describe some of the goings on. In fact, the book of Judges ends with this verse:

“In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”

See, the book of Judges is what happens when no one pays any regard to God or His laws and instead does, as the NASB puts it, “what is right in his own eyes.” The period of the Judges is a dark one in Israel’s history, because it is a time in which they repeat a dreaded cycle of being faithful to God for a time, then falling away into idolatry and sin, then being oppressed by their enemies, then crying to God for deliverance. When God, in His unimaginable mercy, steps in and delivers them, they praise Him and are faithful to God for a time, then fall away……you get the picture. I confess that I don’t read this book often, simply because it’s frustrating to read the accounts of the same sinful things happening over and over again. But still, in this book, there are some prayers, and some pray-ers to take note of.

One of the first is Deborah, who stepped up to do what a man named Barak was afraid to do on his own, to go up against the king of Canaan who had been oppressing Israel for twenty years. What he didn’t realize was that he wouldn’t have been on his own; he had God on his side. But because he didn’t recognize that and Deborah did, she said to him, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” When the Israelites were successful at defeating the Canaanites, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to the Lord that ended with, “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.”

A second one of Israel’s judges to take a look at is actually my favorite of them all. His name is Gideon. I’m not sure I can do his story justice, so you’ll have to take a look at his account, which begins in chapter 6. But he says several interesting things, and I can’t help but compare him, at least a little bit, to Moses. When an angel of the Lord appears to him, he is hiding down in a winepress threshing wheat. The Israelites have been oppressed by the Midianites, and Gideon is basically hiding underground, trying to gather enough food for him and his family. Some of the first things he says are, “If the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened?...Where are all His miracles?...The Lord has abandoned us…” He’s not afraid to ask honest questions when he can’t see the hand of the Lord. Gideon knows his place and where he has come from, so he doubts his ability to perform the task he’s been assigned. He repeatedly asks the Lord for a sign, testing Him in a sense, in order to be able to know that he can rely on the Lord. Amazing to me that both times, God grants his request and meets his “test”. Also interesting is that Gideon asks, “Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” Gideon had a desire to offer a gift to the Lord.

I've got quite a bit more to write about the judges, so I'll split this into a two-parter, so that it's not too lengthy. So for now I'll just stop here and make a couple of observations:

1. The book of Judges, though one of my least favorites, might be one of the best as far as emphasizing the importance of prayer, because it highlights how terribly things can go wrong without God.

2. In scripture, there are references in which people pray against their enemies. (We'll get to them soon enough in the Psalms.) But I do notice that in Deborah and Barak's song of praise, they end by not praying against their own enemies, but against the enemies of the Lord. That may seem like a subtle difference, but I think it's an important one. I think it might be the difference in a prayer centered on me and what I want versus a prayer centered on the Lord's will.

3. As evidenced by the prayers of Gideon, there is a repeating pattern in some of the things people have prayed to God for, as he prays some of the same things that we've heard from Moses and from Abraham and even from Job. Like his forefathers, Gideon says the things that are on his heart. When he can't see the working of his God, he asks why. He is not afraid to say that "the Lord has abandoned us" because it seems like He has. And although that may not be accurate, God does not strike Gideon down for blasphemy. God seems to accept Gideon's prayer, but he doesn't validate Gideon's complaint with an answer. Rather, He just says, "Go." Perhaps that's because when it seems like the Lord isn't working, it's really because we're not doing the work he's called us to? Just a thought...

Thanks for reading.

Project Love--April--Love the World

2011-05-31T18:24:00.000-05:00

Well May is almost over, and soon it will be time to update you on what has happened with Project Love for the month of May. So before I do that, I should probably fill you in on what happened in the month of April!

Our church-wide project for April was the Nicaragua Smile Project, which our church has done before in years past. However, we did it a little bit differently this time around. The goal of this project is to create little shoebox sized gift boxes for children in Nicaragua. Usually, our church just asks a family to prepare and donate an entire box (or more!) However, this year, the project was done a little bit more as a corporate effort. There were sign-up lists for all the different types of supplies that would be needed to create these boxes, and instead of creating an entire box, we were asked to sign up for a certain supply (or more!) and bring those. Then, at the end of the month, on a Sunday afternoon, we scheduled a packing party, where we could come together as a church to pack each of the boxes with the donated supplies. I thought this was an interesting and effective way to participate in creating the boxes together as a church family. Unfortunately, I was unable to assist in the actual packing of the boxes, as there was a flood in Little Rock that weekend. Seriously. There were torrential rains that afternoon right about the time I was ready to leave my apartment to go to the church building. Thankfully, it slacked up enough for me to make it to church that evening. (But the rains continued, even to the point of several major roads being closed the next couple of days!)

The theme for the month of April was “Love the World”, which was appropriate since April is usually our missions emphasis month at PV. Our devotional guide for the month talked about the fact that missions is not the ultimate goal of the church, but rather, worship is. Missions is temporary, but worship will be forever. Worship should actually be both the fuel and the goal of missions. The goal of missions is for everyone to be able to know the Lord and worship Him in gladness. Also, worship is the fuel for missions, because it is a person’s own passion for the Lord that drives them to share His message with others. Below are a few discussion questions on this topic:

1.       Explain the sentence, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”
          Missions exists because there are some people that still don’t know of God’s greatness and worship Him.
2.       How does “Missions” begin worship?
          Missions begins worship in two ways. More people will worship Him as they are taught and come to know Him. Also, the missionary is worshiping by obeying His commands an teaching others about Him.
3.       Do you see a correlation between your passion or God and your zeal for missions? Why or why not?
          Yes, because it’s when I focus on God and His greatness that I’m less worried about myself and am more likely to focus on serving others.
4.       Do you think PV’s corporate worship in our building affects our missionaries in other countries? Explain.
         Yes. It is out of our corporate worship that we are moved to do God’s work, which includes the support and encouragement that we offer to missionaries around the world.
5.       How would you define “missions”? How does that definition apply locally and globally.
          I think of missions as joining God in his redemptive work of setting the world back to rights, to fixing everything that’s gone wrong with this creation. Globally, that can mean teaching others who have never heard of Christ. Locally, most people have at least heard of Christ, so the job is a little different at home. Mission, locally, can involve whatever it takes to serve others and bless them in the name of Christ…anything that we can do to draw them closer to Him.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 5--Joshua

2011-05-09T12:49:00.000-05:00

I think Joshua might be one of the most-easily overlooked figures in the Old Testament--especially considering the role he played in leading Israel during their conquest of the Promised Land. Sure, there's the story of Jericho, with the marching around and the horns and the walls come tumbling down. And there's also the "Choose this day whom you will serve..." speech (one of the best, in my opinion). But that's usually the most we hear of Joshua I feel like he kind-of fades in Moses' shadow. And sure, he's got his own book named after him, but let's be honest--much of that book is filled with descriptions of families with unpronounceable names taking over territories with unpronounceable names. Riveting. However, there are a couple of instances in Joshua's life, a couple of his prayers worth taking a look at.

The first is in Joshua chapter 7. Israel has just crossed over the Jordan River and begun their conquest of the Promised Land. They began, of course, in Jericho, with a victory over this great city, a victory that was so unusual and so unlikely, that it left no doubt in anyone's mind--they did not earn this victory. It was handed to them by God.

Next on the map, the Israelites moved to the city of Ai, where they expected their God to certainly give them another victory. After all, He's promised to give them this land, and they've learned enough of this God to know one thing--He keeps His promises. Beyond that, Ai is a smaller city than Jericho. The spies that came back from Ai told Joshua only a couple thousand men could go in and take Ai.

So imagine the disappointment and confusion and frustration when the Israelites do not, in fact, take Ai. Rather, the men of Ai killed some of the Israelites and pursued them for some distance! Scripture says, "the hearts of the people melted and became as water. Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. And Joshua said, 'Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?'"

There are some noteworthy elements in Joshua's prayer. First, he physically expressed his grief at what had just happened by his actions, with his torn clothes, lying facedown before the Lord with ashes on his head. Also, we see some very familiar phrases here as Joshua, like Moses, questions the Lord's actions and, once again, appeals to God's nature and His great name. I can't help but think that when people are truly concerned with His glory, He is so moved to action.

Joshua does use one phrase in here that breaks my heart a little, as he says, "If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan!" He's saying, in essence, "If only we had been willing to settle for less than God has planned for us"--indeed--"for less than God has promised us." That's just tragic, because what Joshua doesn't see is that the Lord hasn't broken that promise to them at all. Rather, it is one of Israel's own number who has sinned and brought defeat upon them. That's the main lesson I take from this prayer of Joshua's: it is okay to question the Lord's actions and to appeal to His nature and His mercy. But remember, when you do, that, like Joshua, you may not know the whole story. Regardless of what has happened, God has not broken His promise to you, and He doesn't want you to settle for anything less than what He's promised.

The other important prayer of Joshua's is found in Joshua chapter 10. The background on this is that the Israelites foolishly were tricked into making a treaty with the people of Gibeon, who live in the Promised Land. The Israelites failed to consult the Lord on this--and it was against His instructions to make treaties with those who lived there--but since the Israelites had made a covenant, they were bound by it. So when their friends the Gibeonites are under attack, the Israelites are required to go fight for them. In this battle, the Lord fights for the Israelites; in fact, scripture says He sends large hailstones, so that more of their enemies were killed by the hailstones than by the sword in battle. It's during this battle that Joshua prayed, "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon over the Valley of Aijalon." Joshua was not afraid to pray for something big, and the Lord listened. From this prayer of Joshua is a reminder that the God who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them is an unimaginably big God, and He's the One who hears our prayers. Don't be afraid to ask Him for big things. He's listening. And He may just give what you're asking.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 4--Moses (cont.)

2011-05-03T12:19:00.000-05:00

I don't watch much TV at all, but last Saturday night--Easter weekend--I caught a very short portion of a very, very long movie on television. That movie was none other than "The Ten Commandments", starring Charlton Heston. I remember as a kid watching that movie at my Nanny's house, as she, at some point, had made a VHS recording of it when it came on TV. (Besides the fact that it was Easter weekend, I also thought the timing was nice, as last week marked the 9th anniversary of my Nanny's passing.) To be honest, I have to say...I had forgotten how absolutely cheesy that movie is! It kind-of made me laugh a little bit...

However, when we take a look at the actual Biblical account of the life of Moses, the person we find within those pages was quite different than the one that Charlton Heston protrayed. Moses was a humble man who became a strong leader because he relied on His God. His task was not easy, and he even sometimes questioned what the Lord was doing. But he knew who God was, he knew that God keeps His promises, and he desired for the Lord to be near to him and his fellow Israelites. Moses was anything but cheesy.

The task that the Lord gave to Moses is not one that I would willingly sign up for, and it is abundantly clear that Moses struggled with it from time to time. Honestly, reading some of those passages, when he questions--even accuses--the Lord and the Lord's actions, makes me a little uncomfortable. Towards the beginning of Moses' task, when he first returns to Egypt, he is frustrated, because the neither the people of Israel, nor the Pharaoh of Egypt, will listen to him. In fact, after he first goes to Pharaoh, the Israelites slavery becomes even more difficult, as they are required to make their bricks without straw, and the Israelites seem to blame this on Moses. Moses, in turn, seems to blame this on God, as he accuses, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." When God answers Moses and sends him back to Pharaoh, Moses' retort is, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?"

Regardless of Moses' perceptions and accusations, the Lord did, in fact do what He said He was going to. He delivered His people from Pharaoh. But the Israelites seemed to have quickly forgotten about this, as they are wandering through the desert. They complain about everything, and when they are angry with Moses because of a lack of water to drink, Moses complains to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me!" Again, despite the fact that the Lord provides water for His people to drink and manna for His people to eat, they continue to complain, next about a lack of meat to eat. This time, Moses just seems to let the Lord have it, as he asks Him, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 'Give us meat to eat!' I cannot carry these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now--if I have found favor in your eyes--and do not let me face my own ruin." The Lord does not answer Moses harshly, but He does assure Moses that He will provide the people with meat "until they loathe it." When Moses questions God's ability to do this, I do think God's reply to him is worth remembering: "Is the Lord's arm too short?"

Really, though, Moses knew better. He knew that the Lord's arm was, indeed, mighty to accomplish His tasks. He knew what kind of God that He followed, and similarly to Abraham, he often appealed to the nature of the Lord and to His Great Name. On two separate occasions when the Israelites disobeyed God--when they worshiped a golden calf, and when they did not have faith enough to enter the promised land--Moses did exactly that. The Lord was angry with the people; He was ready to destroy them and make Moses into a nation. Each time, Moses' response was something to the effect of "O Lord, why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'" On another occasion, when a few people rebelled against the Lord, Moses asked of God, "O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?" Very important, it seems, that in each of these instances, the Lord listened to Moses, and he did not bring the great punishment that He had intended.

Through all of this, I love the fact that Moses wants to know God and have a relationship with Him. He loves his God. You might miss it, amidst all the accusing and the questioning and the pleading. But let's not miss a very important conversation that Moses has with the Lord, in Exodus 33: "Moses said to the Lord, 'You have been telling me, "Lead these people," but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, "I know you by name and you have found favor with me." If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.' The Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' Then Moses said to him, 'If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?' And the Lord said to Moses, 'I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.' Then Moses said, 'Now show me your glory.'" The most astounding part of this situation is that right after this conversation--the Lord shows him His glory!

Now, there are several things that I can take away from these passages of scripture. The first is that I can be doing exactly what God is telling me to do, and the results may not immediately be what I am expecting. That's a frustrating feeling, and based on the interactions between Moses and the Lord, I feel comfortable voicing those frustrations to Him--He already knows how I'm feeling anyway. But it would be wise of me to learn that He works on His timetable, not mine.

Secondly, I can always remember that the Lord's arm is never too short to keep His promises. Whatever He says He is going to do...I can guarantee that He will. Yet He is also willing to listen and forgive.

Finally, I get the feeling that I can't underestimate the importance of being in the Lord's Presence...and of having His Presence accompany me. Moses would've rather died than try to go forward in life without God. Moses wanted to know that the Lord was pleased with Him, and He seemed to equate that with the Lord's Presence going before him. Likewise, as Christians, the Lord is pleased with us, because God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ, and through Christ to reconcile to Himself all things. This, the apostle Paul says, is an incredible mystery, but one that has now been revealed...that is, Christ--God's Presence, in us!

Project Love--March--Love is a Verb

2011-04-30T16:41:00.000-05:00

Since April is almost over, I guess I should let you know about Project Love for the month of March. With a theme for this month of "Love is a Verb", we were encouraged to actually DO something specific to serve people in the community. I suppose I've done that, as I've taken up a project of crocheting a sleepmat to be given to someone who needs it.

Our church-wide project for this month ended up being a service project for a local elementary school that PV has partnered with and built a relationship with over the past couple of years. We were able to spruce up the school (cleaning, painting, and even pouring a new sidewalk!) while the kids were out on spring break last month. Personally, I was unable to help with that project the week it was being done, but I hear things went well. I saw some pictures of a job well done, and I couldn't be prouder to serve with the church family that I've got.

As for the devotional thoughts for this month, a couple of key verses were:

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."--I John 3:18

and

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you."--I Thes. 3:12

To answer a few of our study questions:

1.How is "love with words or tongue" different from "actions"?
Love with words or tongue is easy, as it doesn't require much effort to say that you love someone. However, to love with actions, you are challenged to do something or actually sacrifice for someone in order to help them. You are challenged to put your money where your mouth is, so to speak.

2. How do we have "actions" that are based in "truth"?
It's said that actions speak louder than words. I believe that our actions demonstrate how we truly feel about something. With that in mind, if we are going to really, TRULY love someone, our actions MUST accompany our words and demonstrate our love.

3. What is the correlation between "overflow" and "love in action"?
I interpret this to mean that we should be willing to show someone our love through our actions always, so that there is always an abundance of love for others.

4. Other than the cross, what is Jesus' greatest act of love in action?
Jesus touched people. He always showed them love by treating them with respect and giving them what they needed. He treated each person as though they had value.

5. What passage int he Bible most inspires you to put your love into action?
For me, the verse that most inspires me to put love into action is one from the book of James, where he is talking about the uselessness of faith without works. He hits the nail on the head as he writes, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go; I wish you well; keep warm and well-fed, " but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"

Prayers of the Bible, Part Three--Moses

2011-04-02T16:17:00.000-05:00

Each year, the Singles group at my church takes a retreat to some lovely place an hour or two away from Little Rock, where we can spend some time in a little more rural setting, fellowshiping with each other and worshiping God. We stay up way too late, talk way too much, eat way too much food, and drink way too much coffee! We also manage to squeeze in some time for praise & worship, and for a Bible lesson or two.

A couple of years ago, one night our evening activity, instead of listening to a speaker present a lesson, was to take a personality test. These tests were very detailed, DISC-based personality tests. What was interesting about these tests, though, was that they matched you up w/a couple (or three) people in the Bible that seemed to be of the same personality type as yourself. One of mine was the Apostle John. (Not bad, if I don't say so, myself! Who wouldn't want to be compared to the disciple that Jesus loved, the apostle that himself so often preached love!) Another, minor figure in Scripture that I was compared with was the prophetess Anna, a woman who never left the Temple, but spent all her time there, fasting and praying. However, one of my favorite people in Scripture that I was compared with, was Moses. As we look at the prayers recorded in Scripture in the rest of the Pentateuch, from Exodus through Deuteronomy, we will look mostly at the prayers that Moses prayed. I may have to break up the prayers of Moses into two separate posts, cause there's a lot of material here.

The story of Moses' calling is found in Exodus 3-4. Moses has spent the past 40 years of his life keeping sheep, when one day he goes to investigate this bush that is on fire, yet it doesn't seem to be burning up. When his name is called out from the bush, the first thing Moses says is, "Here I am." Again, three words that desperately need to find their way into my prayer vocabulary. I think it's noteworthy that when Moses was told that He was standing on holy ground, He also hid his face, "because he was afraid to look at God." You have to note that from the very beginning of this exchange, at least Moses seems to know his place. The story of Moses' calling has always been one of the more intriguing stories in Scripture, because I love the interaction we see here between God and man. It's obvious, even to a kid who's learning this story for the first time, that Moses does not want to do what God is asking him to do. He gives every reason or excuse under the sun. He says, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?" He says, "What if they ask Your name?" "What if they don't believe me or listen to me?" "I have never been eloquent...I am slow of speech and tongue." Finally, the truth comes out, as Moses says to the Lord, "Please send someone else."

You know what I'm most intrigued by? God's mercy! Even though, Moses is giving the Lord every reason under the sun as to why he can't do what God is asking him to do, God gives him an answer that he is looking for. When Moses says, "Who am I?", God says, "I will be with you." When the people ask, "What is His name?" God says, "I AM WHO I AM." If they don't listen or believe him, God gave him signs to perform, "that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob--has appeared" to him. When Moses says "I am slow of speech," God says, "Who gave human beings their mouths?...Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." It's only when the truth comes out...that Moses does not want to do God's will...that God's anger burns against him. But even then, in His anger, God is merciful, by agreeing to send Aaron, Moses' brother, to go with him and to speak for him.

After Moses has done what God has asked him to do...after he has led the Lord's people out of Egypt, both Moses and Miriam sing a song of praise to the Lord. It is a beautiful song found in Exodus 15, which speaks of the Lord, "I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation...The Lord is a warrior...Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power; Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you...Who among the gods is like You, Lord? Who is like You--majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?...In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling...You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance--the place, Lord, You made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, Your hands established."

It would be wrong of me to write a post about the prayers of Moses without mentioning the fact that God spoke to Moses in a way unlike the way that He spoke to any of His other prophets. In Numbers 12, God says, "When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord." Moses is the only one of the Lord's prophets about whom it is said that "the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." What an incredible blessing to have the Lord speak to you as a friend!!!

And yet, Jesus says to His disciples, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." As His disciples, He has made known to us the will of the Father through His life on this earth. He has given up His life for us, who are His friends, if only we do what He commands.

Prayers of the Bible, Part Two--The Patriarchs

2011-03-15T19:40:00.005-05:00

For part two of this series, I've decided to start at the beginning, so this post will take us through Genesis, from Adam to the Patriarchs. Again, I'm still not sure where this study will go or even how it will flow (or even if it will flow!) but I'll try to out into pixels some of the things that I've noticed that I believe to be noteworthy.

In my last post, it was noted that Job held nothing back in telling his Creator just how he felt about his situation. There is still an abundance of that going on in the first book of the Old Testament, as we see plenty more people expressing their feelings to God. More than anything, I notice people sharing their fears. This begins with Adam, who admits to God that they were afraid, so they hid. Jacob also expresses his fear of going to be reunited with his brother. As it turned out, Jacob had nothing to fear, because Esau readily accepted him and forgave him.

But for as much expressing of emotions/fear to God, there is also plenty of recognition of who God is, and who we are in comparison. Oddly enough, one of the first people I found that we have a record of praising God directly is Hagar, who, after having run away from Sarai, encounters the angel of the Lord in the desert, and she praises God as being "the God who sees me." Also, Abraham's servant praises God after being shown Rebekah, whom he should take back as a wife for Isaac. He praises God as being One who "has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness...He has guided me..." Jacob, after seeing the Lord in a dream, realizes, "How awesome is this place!" He sets up a pillar there to be the house of God. As Jacob is preparing to return to the land of his fathers, he realizes how the Lord has blessed him and admits that he is not worthy.

Another important interaction found in the prayers of the Genesis is that of petitioning God. I love looking at these examples because we are able to see that God does not become angry or irritated with His children asking things of Him. I think it's important to keep in mind that God knows the heart. I believe that God grants our requests when it is in our best interests for Him to do so. One of the first examples I see of this is when Abraham asks God to bless Ishmael. God hears him and promises that Ishmael will be a great nation as well, but He affirms that Isaac is the child of the Promise. Another example, mentioned above, was when Abraham's servant was sent to find a wife for Isaac. He asked for God to, "Grant me success". He also asked for God to show His will, the woman He desired for Isaac to marry.

Taking this idea of petitioning God one step further, things get even more interesting when we see people bargaining with Almighty God. And still, He seems to honor their requests. Of course there's Abraham who negotiates with God over the righteous souls (or lack thereof) in the city of Sodom. However, another I noticed this time around was Jacob. How convenient for him, seems to kind-of fit his personality, knowing about his dealings with his brother and with Laban. But before Jacob goes to Laban, he has a dream of a ladder reaching to the heavens with angels ascending and descending. When he awakens, he declares the place to be the house of God and he says that basically "If God will be with me and provide for me and keep me safe, then He will be my God." IF??? I just found that interesting. Also, Jacob is the one who, after spending all night wrestling with God, refused to let Him go until He blessed Him. I think it's interesting that Jacob so desperately wanted the Lord to bless him.

I also find it interesting that Jacob also so desperately wanted to know who He was. That's a theme that I've noticed through the book of Genesis: a desire to know the Lord and do His will. The first time Jacob is at Bethel, when he has the dream of the ladder, he says that he will give the Lord a tenth of all he has. The next time, when Jacob was wrestling with the Lord, earning his name of Israel, he actually said, "Please tell me your name." Also, a common response from both Abraham and Israel, when being spoken to by the Lord, is "Here I am." "Here I am." Three simple words. Three words that desperately need to find their way into my prayer vocabulary.

Another aspect of the prayers I noticed in Genesis is that of dealing with sin. We see people laying blame, confessing sin, and we even hear a little bit from God about handling sin. In the garden, when the Lord asks Adam if he has eaten from the tree, Adam, in one fell swoop, single-handedly passes the blame along to both Eve, and perhaps even God Himself, when he replies, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Later, we hear some of God's instruction to Cain when he is angry about the fact that the Lord did not accept his offering. I realize that this is not necessarily a prayer, not a person speaking to the Lord, but in this case, it is rather the Lord's "pep talk" to Cain about overcoming sin. I figure when the Lord is giving out advice about how to handle sin, it's wise to listen. He says, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." Unfortunately, Cain does not listen to the Lord's advice, and after he kills his brother, we see him speaking to God, asking for God's mercy, as he says, "My punishment is more than I can bear." The astonishing thing about this? God listens to him and shows mercy to him in ensuring that he will be protected.

Something else we see a little bit of is something we saw quite a bit of in the book of Job--that is, questioning God's actions. This seems most vivid to me when God has promised Abraham that his descendants will be a great nation. However, as Abraham gets older, I can't help but imagine that he has trouble understanding how God will accomplish this. He asks the Lord, "What will you give me since I remain childless?" and asks "How can I know?" He wants some way to know that the Lord's words are true. Then one of the most beautiful scenes in all of the old testament takes place, as the Lord proceeds to make a blood covenant with Abraham. God wants Abraham to know that His words are, in fact, true. God keeps His promises.

Finally, one more observation from my Genesis reading. There is example after example in scripture of people appealing to God's own nature, His own mercy and justice. It seems to me that when they do so, they always get a favorable response from Him. God is merciful to Cain, even in his punishment, simply because he asks. A common phrase used by Abraham is, "If I've found favor in your eyes..." before he asks the Lord for something. When Abraham is bargaining with God for the city of Sodom, he asks, "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?...Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the...righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the judge of all the earth do right?" Even Abimelech, when talking to the Lord after realizing that Abraham's wife was, in fact, his wife and not just his sister, defends himself to the Lord by saying that, "In the integrity of my heart I have done this," and he asks, "Will you slay a nation even though blameless?" Of course, the Lord understands Abimelech's heart in this matter.

I know there's a lot here, just from this one book, but so many things spoke to me as I read through these people's conversations with God Almighty. However, this last aspect, the idea of appealing to the nature of who God is, really struck a cord with me. I believe it's a key aspect in understanding who He is and how He relates to us as His creation.

Project Love--February--Love Because

2011-03-05T14:36:00.002-06:00

Again, it's time for me to follow up with a post recalling February, since tomorrow I will pick up my new Project Love packet for March.

As far as how I'm doing at this whole Project Love, I'm still not pleased, myself, but I am making progress. I have yet to find what I feel like is an effective way to use my Project Love cards.

However, I am being made aware of, and actually taking advantage of, more opportunities to serve with my church family. I love learning that there are so many others who also have such a desire to serve. I'm happy to report that my church met our goal for our January project, which was to raise 10 tons of food for a local ministry with which we are closely affiliated. This ministry has this food drive every January, but I believe we donated 3 times as much as we typically have in past years! Our February project was "seed packet" envelopes, which we were asked to fill with spare money as a donation to an area children's home, with a goal of $6,000. I believe they said we exceeded that goal by nearly half-again, by raising almost $9,000.

Beyond these big, church-wide projects, there are multiple efforts to reach out and love others which we are being made better aware of and in which being encouraged to participate.

Beyond that, even, for me personally, there is an ongoing struggle/effort to recognize each day that my goal is not as much to take care of me as it is to bless others, and trust in God to take care of me.

For our study this month, we were given the theme of "Love Because". God's love doesn't begin with us. Jesus loved when He was here on the earth. But it doesn't end there. His love is still alive and well. It invades us, surrounds us, and extends far beyond our greatest reach.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."--I John 3:1

To answer a few of the study questions we were given:

1. How did God first love us?

--God loved us before the creation of the world. He made us to be like Him and to be in relationship with Him. When we ruined it, He went to the greatest lengths to fix that for us, to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, regardless of what it cost Him.

2. What does it mean to you to be called a child of God?

--To be His child means that He loves me with an unconditional love. It means that He is not distant, but that I can be in a close relationship with Him.

3. What are three ways that Jesus lived out God's love for us on earth?

--One way was just in the fact that He left the perfection of God's presence to take on flesh and live in this imperfect world where there is pain and heartache. He did what we do. He felt what we feel. He came to be with us. Another way is in the fact that He spent His entire ministry teaching about God's kingdom. He proclaimed freedom for prisoners. He opened the eyes of the blind. He opened the ears of the deaf. He healed the sick and the lame. He raised the dead. He proclaimed the year of the Lord's favor. Finally, He took up our sins and was obedient to death on a cross, so that we might have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins!

4. How have you experienced God's love this month?

--This month in particular, I have been on a couple of retreats in which I have been able to share in worshiping God and fellowshipping with my brothers and sisters. Also, in my personal life, God continues to make it clear that He is directing my steps and that He longs to bless me.

5. How can you share that love with someone this month?

--I can share the love that He has shared with me by trying to be a better sister & friend to those I worship with. I can also continue to look for ways and opportunities to bless those around me.

According to Your Word...

2011-02-28T21:54:00.001-06:00

According to Your Word,
because of Your Word,
comfort can be mine.

Delightful is Your Law, and
everlasting are Your commands;
forever I'll obey them.

Glorious are Your ways,
hidden in my heart;
in them is my hope.

Just is Your Law, O God, and
knowledge of it is from You.
Learning it is my longing,
meditating on it more and more.

Night and day, I consider Your ways,
O Lord, please give me understanding;
please, Lord, grant me wisdom.

Quietly, I wait for You, O Lord;
remember me, O my God, and
speak, for Your servant is listening.

Teach me of Your decrees, O God, for
upright is everything that You say, and
virtuous is everything that You do.

Wonderful is Your Word, O Lord;
exemplary are all of Your laws.
Your Word, O Lord, is the light of my life, and
zeal for it consumes me.

Prayers of the Bible, Part One--Job

2011-02-08T07:46:00.003-06:00

A couple of years ago I read a book that spoke of the importance of using both Scripture and prayer in developing spiritually and of how powerful the two of them are together. I've decided to start a series here along those lines, by looking at prayer in Scripture. This may take awhile...in fact I anticipate it taking all year long, as my desire is to identify (to the best of my ability) places in Scripture where we have actual prayers recorded. (I foresee myself spending a lot of time in Psalms this year.). To be honest, I'm not sure what, exactly, I hope to gain from this study, and I have no idea what conclusions, if any, I'll be able to draw. But if nothing else, I think the exercise will do me some good. I'm afraid some of these posts may be lengthy, but as I've said, dear readers, this blog is primarily for me anyway, as a place for me to write out loud whatever it is that I'm learning. If you're up for it, though, feel free to join me in this walk through prayers (and pray-ers) of the Bible. First up, actually, is perhaps one of the most surprising pray-ers, with perhaps some of the most shockingly honest prayers in all of Scripture. Readers, meet Job, the man who lost literally everything. We'll look at some of his thoughts and reactions, which go on for the better part of some 40 chapters. There are many thoughts that Job expresses that could be construed as prayers, so I've tried to limit this to the places where Job addresses God directly. But first, I do think it's noteworthy that the first words we hear from Job after losing everything but his health (but it'll be soon to follow) are words of praise, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."--Job 1:21 After a few chapters worth of conversation with his friends, it is in chapter 10 that Job gives the complaint that he would give to God. It consists of Job asking: --Let me know why You contend with me. --Is it right for You to treat me this way? --God, can't you see what's happened? Job claims that the Lord knows he is not guilty. In words somewhat similar to David's Psalm 139, Job acknowledges that the Lord created him and has cared for him all these years. "Why destroy me now?" he asks. Job wonders why God even let him live at all, if only to be brought to the ruin he is in now. A few chapters later, Job claims that he has prepared his case, and he is seemingly more frustrated. He says things such as: --Remove Your hand from me. --Call to me and I'll answer--or I'll speak and You answer. --Why do You treat me like an enemy? --You are the Judge of men--You set his limits. --Give a guy a break in his few short years here. --Set a limit for me, and remember it! In chapter 17, Job is upset because no one, not even his friends, understands his plight. He says to the Lord: --Lay down a pledge for me Yourself. --Be my guarantor. --You have kept them from understanding. By the time we get to chapter 30, Job is basically done arguing his innocence with his friends, and he is just in despair with his current state, as opposed to the way things used to be. He says: --I cry, but You don't answer. --You have become cruel to me. I'll be honest about the fact that the book of Job is one of my least favorite Scriptures to read, but I gotta admit that it does have one of the awesomest scenes in all of Scripture, as Job does finally get his audience with God. However, it's important to note what he does not get, which is an answer to his questions. Though I primarily intend this study to be of people's prayers to God, I feel like in Job's exceptional case, God's response is noteworthy. In chapter 38 of the book, God shows up and asks, --Who is asking me such foolish questions? --Job, get up and get dressed. I'll ask the questions now. --'I AM' will ask the questions and you'll give the answers, understood? --Where were you when I created everything? --Do you know how anything that I made works? --Can you control the environment around you? --Job, don't you know anything?

(Questions taken from the McClanahan Paraphrase) After God shows up with His series of questions for Job, Job is eerily silent. He has nothing more to say, except, "I now repent in dust and ashes." Perhaps this is just me, but the flow of the tone of Job's thoughts that I notice as they progress is seemingly natural. At first he is questioning what is happening. Then he is frustrated and angry. Then he is just in despair. And Job is able to share every last bit of that with his Creator. And you know what? God is okay with that! That, to me, is the beauty of Job's prayers. He pours out his heart to his God and in the end, God acknowledges that Job has done nothing wrong in doing so. May we all be so willing to pour out our hearts to God in prayer.

Project Love--January--God Is Love

2011-02-07T18:36:00.003-06:00

If you read my previous post, you know that my church's goal for 2011 is to take what we've learned from Project 4:4 last year and put it into action this year by loving God and loving others. We were given a packet with some material and some ideas of practical ways to go about that. Along with those assignments, we were also given a little bit of study material to get into the Word a little bit more concerning love. I wanted to post some of that study here, so I figured I'd better go ahead and write about January's study, since I picked up my new February packet yesterday!

The theme we were given to study for January is "God is Love".

We looked as several aspects of God's love: it is self-giving; it is sacrificial; it is unconditional; it is eternal; it is holy; it is comforting; it is life-changing.

There were also several questions which we were asked to answer:

1. Put the statement "God is LOVE" into your own words.

I'm not sure if this counts or not, but rather than putting it in my words, I will borrow some words from the Apostle Paul and say that "God is LOVE" means that "God is patient. God is kind. He does not envy. He does not boast. He is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self-seeking. God is not easily angered. He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects; always trusts; always hopes; always perseveres. God never fails."

2. How would you explain the "unconditional" characteristic of God's love.

I think it was easily explained in the verse listed above, Romans 5:8, which states that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We did absolutely nothing to deserve His favor. Yet that's what He shows us. He LOVES us, just because we are His!

3. Other than Jesus, which person in the Bible best exemplifies an understanding of "God is Love"?

I'll admit right away answer to this question probably is not typical. As I thought about this one, my mind raced quickly through the Scriptures from beginning to end, but this person is the one that I couldn't seem to get out of my head. And I don't even know her name.

But in Luke 7, Jesus is eating at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. I'm not entirely sure why this Simon invited Jesus to dinner, because Jesus didn't exactly win many friends among the Pharisees. And it is apparent from the passage that Simon hasn't exactly treated Jesus with the proper courtesies of the day.

But since Simon's behavior toward Jesus was less-than-proper, it's very, shall we say, Pharisaical (?) of him to be passing judgment on what happens next, when a woman "who had lived a sinful life" comes to see Jesus. She wets his feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and pours perfume on them.

Simon can't believe what is happening. He thinks, "If Jesus knew who she was, He wouldn't let her touch Him!" Simon apparently doesn't realize his own sin, yet he can't get over the fact that this is a "sinful" woman. And, let's be honest, "sinful" is cleaning it up quite a bit. She was a prostitute. I'm certain Simon would've called her a whore.

Just when Simon is thinking this to himself, Jesus says, "I have something to tell you...Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

When Simon responds with, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled," Jesus continues speaking to Simon, but at this point He turns toward the woman and continues, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

This woman, in my mind, demonstrates an incredible understanding of "God is Love" as she realizes who Jesus is, and because of that, she loves much.

4. How have you experienced God's love this month?

There's not enough time for me to answer this question, honestly. I've experienced His love in more ways that I can even begin to list. Beyond every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms that He's blessed me with, I get to wake up every morning. I have a wonderful family and friends. I live in a beautiful city and go to work every day at a great job. More than anything, I get to have a relationship with Him.

5. How has God's love changed your life?

It has changed my life in that I try to live with an awareness of His love for me and I try to
show that love to others. It means that my life is no longer about me. It's not about what I need to do or what I want to do. It's about how I can try to bless someone else, how I can try to love them, because God has loved me.

Project Love

2011-02-02T13:28:00.002-06:00

Last year, my congregation spent all of 2010 going through the entirety of God’s Word in what we called “Project 4:4—One Year, One Bible, One Church, One Lord”. I could write a novel on how I was blessed by that project, but I won’t do that for you now. I will say that there are some wonderful leaders within my congregation. After spending so much time in His Word, they decided that there’s really only one response that is appropriate…

That’s why we’ve decided to spend all of 2011 working on “Project Love—Love God, Love People”. Because after reading every single word of the Bible…all of the wonderful passages in Hebrews (my personal favorite)…all the beauty of the Psalms (yes, that right, I said ‘Psalms’)…all the Old Law and commandments (in all of their mind-numbing detail)…all the genealogies and numbers and chronicles (in their also-mind-numbing tediousness)…all the rich history of what God has done for His people…what He did for us when He came to live on this earth Himself…what He’s promised to do for us in the future (see Revelation 22)…

After all of that, it can be said that what He wants us to learn from His Word really boils down to those two things: Love God. Love people.

Our leaders are giving us specific avenues to participate in Project Love:

(1)There will be a church-wide service project each month, that everyone will be encouraged to participate in, the first of which is a canned food drive for a local ministry with which our congregation is closely affiliated.

(2)We are being encouraged to pray more actively and more often for our elders, ministers, and missionaries. Each month, we will be given a couple of names in particular, with some information about the work that they are involved in, and a specific request or two that they've asked us to pray about.

(3)We will be given devotional material each month to help us spend some of our personal study time learning about God’s love.

(4)We were given “Project Love” business cards to leave behind when doing some act of love, random or otherwise, for someone to whom we want to show God’s love. This card directs them to this site, where they can read of God’s love for them. Along with these cards is a list of suggestions on how these might be used to bless someone else.

(5)We were given a list of challenges, specific things to do in the month of January to make love a verb.

I especially love the last two, because they are ways that I can challenge myself to personally be more about His business of loving others and trying to make a difference in the lives of those around me. I also live that we've been given practical lists of ideas, if for no other reason than the fact that I'm not a creative person and need someone to help me out with ideas. I hope we'll be given a new list of some sort each month, and I'd like to try to recap each month in a post as the year progresses. (Monthly posts have to be much easier than daily posts. Surely I can do that, right? I couldn't do the daily posts, but surely I can squeeze a Project Love post into my schedule once a month! Here's hoping!)

Now, it’s confession time. I don’t feel like I’ve done very well at this so far this month. I will say that I have participated in the church food drive, and I hope that we are able to meet our goal.

I will also say that I have prayed a few times for the church leaders that we were requested to pray for each month. It really, really helps me to have something specific to pray for someone, so that's been really good.

I will even say that I studied the material that was given us for the month of January. The theme we were given for this month was "God is love". I will try to write a separate post recapping the info from that study soon.

Beyond that, I struggled this month. On my list of challenges, I only feel like I was able to do four or five of them. And I've not yet found what I feel like is an effective way to use my Project Love cards.

So I know I need to work on things like that in the months to come. I'm trying to remind myself everyday that no matter what else I do, my main task should be to bless the lives of those around me, to love others as I have been loved by God.

God, help me to do that very thing.

New Beginnings and Fresh Starts, Part IV

2011-01-18T13:41:00.002-06:00

As the theme of new beginnings and fresh starts is easily seen throughout the Bible, it is also seen at the end of His Word. I can't help but get the feeling that really, this is the overarching theme of the Bible.

In Genesis, God created the world and everything in it, and it was good.

God created man in His own image, and it was very good.

Then sin entered the world, bringing with it only destruction and death.

But God had a plan to fix things...to make things right...to make things new. And He has promised to do just that.

But, as Peter reminds us, "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

In His Revelation to John, we can see His promise...His declaration that He will indeed make all things new.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"

Because God keeps His promises, we can be sure that He will make all things new. We can, indeed, have hope, that the future will, indeed, be much better than the present!!!

New Beginnings and Fresh Starts, Part III

2011-01-12T13:30:00.007-06:00

After recognizing the theme of new beginnings and fresh starts throughout the Old Testament, it is when we get to the New Testament that we see God begin to put this plan into action, a plan which will usher out the old and welcome in the new.

All throughout Jesus' ministry, He seems to be turning the Old Law on it's ear with His teachings. "You have heard it said...but I say to you..." is the theme of His message, as He teaches not just the letter of the Old Law, but He teaches the intent of the Law. Of the Temple which was considered to be God's dwelling place, where the Jews came to worship, Jesus said, he would tear it down and rebuild it in three days. This angered the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law, who did not understand that Jesus was not actually talking about the physical Temple, but rather, He was talking about Himself. He would give His life, be buried, and be raised to life again in three days.

It was on the night before His death that He actually proclaimed the ushering in of a new covenant that His death would bring. "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

The Hebrew writer speaks of this new covenant which Jesus established, this new covenant of which He is the mediator. "For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant."

That message is for us. With this new covenant, we have been set free! Once again, we see that with this fresh start He has given us, He has also given us hope! "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

So what does that mean for us? How is this new birth into a living hope supposed to affect the way that we live our lives?

We are a brand new creation! "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

We are to be transformed! "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will."

In that transformation, we are to become like Him! "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

New Beginnings and Fresh Starts, Part II

2011-01-07T07:41:00.005-06:00

As 2010 has been a year of new beginnings and fresh starts, and once again we are at a New Year, I am once again filled with much of the same hope and excitement that I experienced most of last year.

That's it, really...hope! Fresh starts give us hope. Hope that the future will be even better than the present.

As I read through the Bible last year, I couldn't help but notice this theme throughout. The first place I notice this is with Noah and the flood. Scripture says, "The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." So the Lord decided to wipe them all out and start over, with only one faithful man and his family. After the flood, when Noah stepped out of the ark, God made a covenant and put his rainbow in the clouds as a reminder of His promise to never again destroy the earth by flood.

The next time I notice this theme of fresh starts is when God has led the Israelites out of Egypt and is giving them the law. If you read Leviticus (your favorite, I know), God gives the Israelites many instructions on how to live their lives, and a large portion of that law is set in place to ensure that they treat each other fairly and do not take advantage of each other. One such way of doing this was commanding the people to recognize a Year of Jubilee every 50 years. If anyone had sold any property to repay a debt, in this year, the property would revert back to the original owner. Likewise, if anyone had sold himself as a slave to repay a debt, in this year, the Year of Jubilee, he would be set free! What a blessing to know that their situation would not be permanent!

As the Israelites are ruled by judges, a cycle is seen over and over again, where they fall away from God, but then they have a change of heart. They call out to God who forgives them and sends a judge to save them. They eventually ask for an earthly king to rule over them, and that turns out disastrous, for the most part, just as God had said it would. It is during that time that God reaches His point of anger with His people that He decides that punishment is imminent.

God sends prophets who warn with startlingly powerful language of the punishment to come upon them because of God's wrath. The people will be taken into exile and their land destroyed. However, in the midst of all this, we can still see God's promise of a fresh start and a second chance for His people. He promises that there will be a remnant to return to their homes. Along with that promise, God also alludes to a time when He will create a new covenant with His people, better than the one He had established with them at Sinai. Through the prophet Jeremiah, He says, "The time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel at that time. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

After God has brought about punishment upon His people...Israel and Judah have been taken captive...Jerusalem is completely destroyed...God has abandoned His temple and His altar...His prophet Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, could still pen these words:

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I hope in Him!' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord...For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies."

The Blessing of God's Word

2011-01-04T18:35:00.004-06:00

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."--Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4

I can't say what a blessing all of the Project 4:4 reading and writing has been for me.

I absolutely love my church and our leaders for guiding us in this project this past year, and I'm very excited about our new project for the upcoming year. More about that later...

For now, I wanted to share this YouTube video, which features members of my congregation, talking about the impact that Project 4:4 has had on them.

I can't tell you how proud I feel, and how blessed I am, to be a part of this family. I thank God for them every day.

New Beginnings and Fresh Starts, Part I

2011-01-03T22:18:00.002-06:00

2010 has been a year of new beginnings and fresh starts for me. Experienced some things for the first time ever!

At the end of January, my roommate moved out. This was my first time to be completely on my own, with a place all to myself.

In the middle of this year, I changed jobs. Left the place I'd been at for three and a half years, for a similar position at a larger organization. It's an absolutely wonderful environment, and it's been an incredible blessing.

Shortly thereafter, I moved, in order to be closer to said job. So I got the chance to go through all my stuff and clean house, both in a literal sense, but also in a figurative sense, in that I tried to simplify my life. If I didn't need it, I got rid of it. Cause I surely wasn't moving it across town in the 115-degree heat that we experienced this summer!

The next month, I traded vehicles, got a new (to me) car that was a little more fuel efficient. This was my first completely-solo car-buying experience, in that I didn't even consult the Dad. I didn't tell anyone I was buying until after the fact.

Thanks to my new job, I experienced my first ever airplane flight, as I went with a coworker to an accounting seminar in Indiana. Oh. My. Goodness. I was a little nervous beforehand, not knowing what to expect of the luggage and security and layovers and waiting. But whatever hassle there might have been (and there was none, really) was more than worth it after my first glance out the window from 30,000 feet up in the air. Definitely a Psalm 19:1-2 moment for me, the view was absolutely breathtaking. I'm quite certain I could never get tired of it.

Later that month, I held a new nephew, Rowdy Kyle Smith, the first child of my younger sister and her husband. (Yes, his name is really "Rowdy". I usually just call him "Roo" or "Lil Roo", short for "Rowdy Roo".). He is adorable, and I love him.

I would be remiss to leave out the fact that in 2010 I also read the Bible through, in it's entirety, for the first time ever.

This year has been incredible, and as a year that has included so much change and new beginnings and fresh starts, it has prompted me to take a look and see what the Bible has to say about all of this. As it turns out, my Father also seems to be a fan of new beginnings and fresh starts...

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Sixty-Five

2010-12-31T17:32:00.004-06:00

Day Three Hundred Sixty-Five, Revelation 19-22

In today, the final reading of John's Revelation--and the final reading of the Daily Bible--John is invited to a great wedding feast, that of the Lamb to His bride. John heard a shout of "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."

Then he says, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God...Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations...On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: 'KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.'"

Wow.

In the rest of John's vision, Satan is destroyed, and a description is given of the New Jerusalem which comes down from heaven. I'll just let these words of prophecy speak for themselves:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first erath had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!'"

The actual description of the city goes on a few paragraphs later with, "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."

Jesus Himself confirms this revelation with these words, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." Christ ends this revelation with so glorious an invitation. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."

As I complete my thoughts on this Revelation, and really on this entire inspired Word of His, which I have just read through in its entirety for the first time ever, there are so many different things that He has said that go through my mind. So many different things to learn. But of all of them, there are three thoughts that stay in my mind, really the only three things that matter. Three facts that I have heard (more than once) so simply, and yet so beautifully expressed by my beloved blogfather, and they seem appropriate to close out this blog this year.

Satan loses.

God wins.

And Jesus comes to take us home.

Amen.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Sixty-Four

2010-12-31T17:29:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Sixty-Four, Revelation 14-19

John's vision continues still, with a type of harvesting of the earth, and bowls of wrath poured out upon the earth which are described as God's final judgment. As we saw in yesterday's reading, Satan has made it his goal to accuse and wage war against the people of the earth.

However, in today's reading, we see that those who were victorious "held harps given to them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: 'Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.'"

A portion of John's vision is described as being those who "will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Sixty-Three

2010-12-31T17:15:00.004-06:00

Day Three Hundred Sixty-Three, Revelation 8-13

In today's reading John's vision continues with seven angels with seven trumpets. As each of them blows a trumpet, a type of plague is unleashed upon the earth. There is also a scroll that John is instructed to eat, being told that it will taste sweet in his mouth, buy it will turn his stomach sour.

The main thing that stands out to me from today's reading is the description of Satan and his opposition to God and those who follow Him. John says, "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, 'Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

One thing clear from this passage that Satan is the accuser, and he is depicted as raging war against "those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Sixty-Two

2010-12-31T11:34:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Sixty-Two, Revelation 4-8

In today's reading, John's vision includes four living creatures, twenty-four elders, a scroll with seven seals, a Lamb who is the only One able to open the seals on the scroll, and the saints and angels worshiping.

The first thing that I am amazed by in today's reading is all of the praise that is given to God. The four living creatures say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." The twenty-four elders say, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." The elders also praise the Lamb with, "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." The angels praise the Lamb with, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Finally, the entire universe, every creature, says, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

I do love the fact that in this reading the prayers of the saints are described as "golden bowls of incense."

Regardless of what all this symbolizes, one thing is certain: God will take care of those who belong to Him. "They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Sixty-One

2010-12-31T11:22:00.005-06:00

Day Three Hundred Sixty-One, Revelation 1-3

Today's reading begins the last week of reading, in which we cover the Revelation to John. While exiled on the isle of Patmos, John had a most thrilling and terrifying vision, and to be honest, when I read it, one of the first things I think is, "Glad it was him, and not me!" He uses much apocalyptic language to describe things that there is just probably no good earthly way to describe. Also, keep in mind that this Revelation, though it speaks of some events still yet to come, was primarily written to the churches at the time, in order to encourage them as they were facing severe persecution.

I do think the power and majesty with which we now see Christ is wonderful! He is described as "someone 'like a son of man,' dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters." Notice John keeps saying that He is "like" this or that...which means He was probably indescribable. Whatever his appearance was, my minister once, in speaking about this passage, asked us to recall that John was "the disciple that Jesus loved." Probably his best earthly friend. The one Jesus asked to look after His mother. The one who was reclining upon his chest at the Last Supper. And now, just at the very sight of Him, John was terrified and "fell at his feet as though dead."

In the first day's reading, John includes seven messages from Christ, to seven different churches. I love the descriptions of Christ in each of these letters, and the promise each of these letters contains to him that overcomes.

Christ is described as:

--"Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands."

--"Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again."

--"Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword."

--"The Son of God, whose eyes are blazing like fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze."

--"Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars"

--"Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."

--"The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation."

The promises that Christ offers are:

--"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

--"He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."

--"To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."

--"To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--'He will rule them with an iron scepter, he will dash them to pieces like pottery'--just as I have received authority from my Father, I will also give him the morning star."

-"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels."

--"Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name."

--"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne."

At the end of the last letter, to the church in Laodicea, He says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Sixty

2010-12-31T11:10:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Sixty, I and II and III John

John is one of my favorites, at least these later writings of his, because he is the apostle of love! I like how he starts out I John, it reminds me a little of Peter's comments in II Peter, as John also claims to be an eyewitness to the things of Christ. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete."

John talks about the importance of walking in the light, walking in obedience to Christ. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

He also says that we are not to love the world. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him...the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

I also appreciate John's comments in II John and III John, regarding news that his children are walking in faith. In II John he says, "It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth," and in III John, he admits that, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Following are just a few of my favorite love quotes from I John:

"If anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."

"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness."

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another."

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If any one has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

"This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us."

"If anyone says 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen."

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."

I love that John says that the reason he is writing is "so that you may know that you have eternal life."

I think the message of these three letters can best be summed up by a quote from II John, in which he says, "I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-Nine

2010-12-30T18:39:00.006-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Nine, Hebrews 10-13

After two days of reading: that Jesus is superior, that Jesus is a permanent and perfect Priest who was able to once and for all take away our sins, and that we are recipients of a better covenant, one might be left thinking, "Great, but what does all that do for me? I mean, I can come to church on Sunday morning learn all of these powerful theological principles, but how does that translate into how I live my life on Monday morning?" Glad you asked.

The Hebrew writer continues with, "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

"Therefore..." You knew Hebrews was my favorite, but you didn't know that one of my favorite words in the book of Hebrews is "Therefore."

Therefore...since Christ is superior...since He is a permanent and perfect Priest who has taken away our sin...since we are recipients of a better covenant:

--We can have access to God

--We can draw near to Him

--We can have full assurance of our faith

--We can have our consciences cleared

--We must hold unswervingly onto our hope

--We must spur one another on toward love and good deeds

--We must continue meeting together

--We must encourage one another

If that's not enough for you, the Hebrew writer also gives you some examples of faith: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the Israelites, Rahab. And after telling the stories of what these people accomplished by their faith, he continues with, "And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephtah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore..."

There's that word again..."Therefore"

After giving all of these powerful examples of people and their faith, and what their faith accomplished, the Hebrew writer encourages his readers to persevere in their own faith, with what is my absolute favorite passage in all of Scripture: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

A little later on in this letter, the Hebrew writer will tell his readers to "remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."

That's it, folks. That's the message of the Bible, as summed up by the author of Hebrews. In view of God's powerful and mysterious and wonderful way of establishing a greater covenant for us to participate in, and in view of the fact that you are not alone in this, consider what the faith and obedience of others has accomplished, and do not lose heart!!!

The Hebrew writer ends by giving a few very practical examples of what that means:

--We are to "endure hardship as sons."

--We are to "keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

--We are to maintain sexual purity. "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure."

--We are to be content, not lovers of money. "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have..."

--We are to constantly praise God. "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name."

--We are to obey our leaders. "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account."

As I've previously mentioned that I'm a lover of the humor in the Bible, I can't let go of Hebrews without pointing out that the Hebrew writer didn't consider 13 chapters a long letter! He wrote, "I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter." Short??? Compared to what, the book of Psalms?!?!?

I'll leave you with a few passages from chapter 12 of Hebrews to sum all of this up, as the Hebrew writer points out that unlike the Israelites, we did not meet God on a physical mountain on which He descended, a mountain with burning fire and darkness and storm, a mountain which no one could touch, a mountain that no one wanted to touch.

"But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel...Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-Eight

2010-12-30T18:33:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Eight, Hebrews 6-10

In yesterday's reading, we saw where the Hebrew writer explained how Jesus, the Son of God and the exact representation of His being, is superior to the Law and to any person associated with it. He explained how Jesus is a Priest, indeed a High Priest.

The Hebrew writer goes on, teaching that:

--Jesus is a permanent Priest. "Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

--Jesus is a perfect Priest. "Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself."

Because of these two facts, we are now participants in a better covenant with better promises. "But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises." The Lord had spoken of that covenant through the prophet Jeremiah, when he said, "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

The Hebrew writer seems to sum up Christ's role as both Priest and Sacrifice in this way: "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-Seven

2010-12-30T18:10:00.004-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Seven, Hebrews 1-6

Ah, Hebrews. My absolute favorite book of the Bible. I've waited all year for this! Especially after having read the Bible through in its entirety for the first time ever this year! The reason I love Hebrews so much is because, to me, it is the book that best ties the story of the Old Testament to the message of the New Testament, and I find that breathtakingly beautiful!

Hebrews starts out similarly to the book of Colossians, with the powerful message of Christ's deity. "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."

I've heard a couple of different themes that could be given to Hebrews...it contains the "Hall of Faith"...it definitely teaches the message of "Once for All"...but I believe my favorite is that it is "the Book of Better Things." The Hebrew writer, after talking about Christ's deity, goes on to declare that Christ is greater than Moses and greater than Joshua. He explains that Christ is a priest, a high priest, and even better than the Levitical priests descended from Aaron, Christ was a priest in the order of Melchizedek. You remember Melchizedek, don't you? He was a priest and a king, the first priest of God that we see mentioned in the Bible; in fact, the Hebrew writer makes the case that Melchizedek was even greater than the Jewish patriarch Abraham, because Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek. He was not of the tribe of Levi, not descended from Aaron; he was before the Law. Likewise, Christ, although not descended from Aaron, not of the tribe of Levi, is a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, as the psalmist writes, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-Six

2010-12-30T13:36:00.004-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Six, II Peter

This second letter by Peter speaks mainly about our knowledge of God, and that knowledge should prompt us to lead godly lives. He begins with, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

After speaking of knowledge, Peter then assures the people that they can know for a fact that the gospel is true. "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain."

Did you catch that? Peter's saying, "We're not making this stuff up! We saw it with our own eyes!!!"

Peter, like so many of the other New Testament writers, also spends some time warning against false teachers. But again, notice that his definition of false teachers is those who are "denying the sovereign Lord who bought them."

Finally, Peter speaks of the second coming of the Lord. He reminds the people that "with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Have I mentioned that God keeps His promises? Always.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-Five

2010-12-30T13:27:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Five, I Peter

Ah, Peter. The guy who always had something to say. Gotta love him! I love how wise his words are, though, after Christ has been raised and he has been filled with the Holy Spirit. He begins his letter by talking about the blessings of God's grace. "In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade..."

He continues by explaining what our response should be, and how we should live, in view of such mercy. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"

Peter speaks of the importance of becoming mature in our faith, as we try to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord. He says, "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."

As Peter is encouraging the people to live holy and pure lives, he reminds them that they are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Peter gives more specific instructions about holy living, as he instructs how to live in relationship with each other: slaves, citizens, husbands, wives. He talks about the necessity of treating each other with love. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

Finally, Peter ends by talking about suffering. He both warns and encourages the people, who are in the midst of facing terrible persecution, with these words: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-Four

2010-12-30T13:16:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Four, James, Jude

James is absolutely one of the most practical books in the Bible. It is a book that you can read it and walk away from it with some real ideas of things that you can actually do to be more like the kind of person that God wants you to be. It's not necessarily one of my favorites, but I do appreciate it for that reason.

James starts off talking about how trials, though they are difficult, are good for us as Christians in the long run. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

He speaks of the importance of wisdom and being willing to ask God for it. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

A few paragraphs later, he talks of being wise enough to listen to the Word and put it into action. "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James even gets specific about what it looks like to do what the Word says. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

James continues on this theme, stressing the importance of action that must go along with our faith. "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well-fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

James warns against materialism and being distracted by the things of this world. He reminds the people that "friendship with the world is hatred toward God." To help give further perspective, he reminds the people of the brevity of life. "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Finally, James ends with one of my favorite passages, which talks of the importance of praying for each other. "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

The book of Jude is another short little, one-chapter book which speaks against false teachers. It instructs to "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." But I think it's very important to pay attention to what kind of person he instructs to contend against: "godless men who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."

In warning against such false teachers, Jude gives a couple of important instructions. Regarding oneself, he says, "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

Regarding others, he says, "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-Three

2010-12-30T13:07:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Three, II Timothy

In this second letter to Timothy, Paul's dear son in the faith, it appears that Paul has once again been arrested. This letter of Paul's is perhaps the last one that he wrote. From the wording of the letter, one can tell that Paul knows his time is drawing near. This letter, and these instructions seem to read with a sense of urgency, and they can easily be viewed as Paul's final words, his dying words to his son in the faith.

Paul begins by expressing both his thankfulness and concern for Timothy. "I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also."

Paul encourages Timothy in his teaching, as he urges Timothy not to be afraid to join him in suffering for the sake of the gospel. Paul writes that although he is suffering, "I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."

I think it's important to note that again, Paul warns against false doctrine, and he warns of the importance of keeping the faith. Those were obviously strong concerns of his for his young sons in the faith as they were ministering, since he mentioned it in each of these three letters. In talking about remaining faithful, Paul reminds Timothy that, "If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

Paul reminds Timothy of the importance of the Scriptures as he tells him to "continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

He charges Timothy to "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction."

He reminds Timothy of the reward that will be waiting for him if he continues faithfully--this reward which Paul himself is near to receiving. "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-Two

2010-12-30T13:03:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Two, Titus

Today's reading contains a short letter to Titus, a young man whom Paul also refers to as his "son in the faith." Titus had been working with the church in Crete, and this letter reads similarly to I Timothy, as it contains similar instructions. Paul begins by talking about qualifications for elders and deacons in the church. He also warns against false teachers and false doctrines.

Paul goes on to talk about teaching various groups within the church, but he goes into a little more detail here than he did with the letter to Timothy. He ends the letter to Titus talking about the importance of living a righteous life. He instructs, "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." He reminds them that "when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty-One

2010-12-30T07:50:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty-One, I Timothy

Today's reading is the first letter we have from Paul to Timothy, his "son in the faith." Paul gives Timothy some instructions as he is working with the church in Ephesus. Paul begins by warning about doctrine, and he strongly encourages Timothy to hang on to his faith. He mentions that some have left the faith, but he tells Timothy to "fight the good fight."

Paul gives several instructions about working with this church. He talks about the type of men who should be elders and deacons. He gives instructions about how to treat people in the church as brothers and sister, and how to ensure that the widows are taken care of Paul ends by warning again about false teachers who teach false doctrines, people who "think godliness is a means to financial gain."He continues this thought by teaching about what one's attitude toward money should be. As we read previously in Philippians that Paul has learned to be content whatever the situation, he also teaches his son Timothy that "godliness with contentment is great gain."

Of all the instructions in this letter, though, I think my favorites are the ones directed specifically at Timothy, as he says, "Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." He also says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifty

2010-12-29T12:33:00.009-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifty, Philippians

So Philippians is my favorite of Paul's prison epistles. I know I said that II Corinthians is becoming a second favorite book of the Bible...but its rival is Philippians. I love how Paul is so devoted to Christ. He shares his struggle with the Philippians, so to speak. His own personal desire is to leave this life and be with the Lord, but he knows that while he is here on the earth, he can preach the gospel effectively. He says, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."

Did you catch that? "To live is Christ and to die is gain."

Wow.

Paul includes a passage encouraging them to live with humility toward one another, and in order to do so, he uses none other than the perfect example of Christ. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place, and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Paul reminds the people that they should not complain or argue, but rather, they should be willing to serve as examples in the world. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me."

Paul warns the Philippians, similar to the warnings found in Corinthians, against putting confidence in the flesh. He writes, "If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Based on the previous passage, and its follow-up passage, I am truly blown away just by Paul's determination! He has his eyes on one goal. He only has eyes for One and that is Christ. There is one thing he does. Paul follows up with, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

"One thing I do...." Oh that I may have such singleness of mind and heart!!!

Paul ends his letter to the Philippians by giving them some practical instructions:

--To Rejoice--"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentlenes be evident to all. The Lord is near."

--To Seek Peace--"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

--To Dwell on Things Above--"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

--To Be Content--"I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-Nine

2010-12-29T12:21:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-Nine, Ephesians

This is another of Paul's prison letters, written while he was under house arrest in Rome. That's not too difficult to believe, because there are parts of it that are structured very similarly to Colossians, but we'll get to that in a bit. I do think it's worth noting that, as opposed to Colossians which is believed to have been sent to people that have not met Paul, this letter went to Ephesus, where Paul had lived and worked for quite some time.

I love how Paul starts out this letter, as he just jumps right in, talking about God's wonderful grace. He almost bombards the people with the blessings they have received in Christ. In a Beth Moore study I did last year, she very quickly pointed out six facts just to be gained from the first few verses: as Christians we are "blessed, chosen, accepted, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven!" Indeed, Paul writes, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

Paul also tells the people that they have been given the Holy Spirit as a deposit to guarantee God's promise of redemption. "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance..." (Can I just say that God keeps His promises. Always. Amen?)

Paul explains a little bit more to the people about what this actually means for them. They have passed from death to life, and God has given them a purpose in life. "Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved...it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Paul talks to the Ephesians about the importance of unity, again with the body metaphor. Then he gets into what is kind-of a twin passage to what he wrote in the letter to the Colossians. He tells them about what kinds of sinful behavior to avoid. Then he tells them, rather, how to "be made new in the attitude of your minds" (sounds similar to "set your minds on things above") and he talks to them about the importance of walking in the light. There is one little extra in this letter, as he tells them to "be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Paul's letter to the Ephesians ends uniquely enough, however, with a warning to the people about spiritual warfare and how they should be prepared to fight with the armor of God. That passage is worth sharing here:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-Eight

2010-12-29T07:46:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-Eight, Colossians, Philemon

Today's reading covers a couple of Paul's brief "prison letters", which were likely written when he was under house arrest in Rome. I like Colossians, mainly because it is so Christ-focused. Not that Paul is not always Christ-focused in his writings, but he talks here so much about the preeminence of Christ--everything is truly about Him. It was interesting to read Colossians again, because it spoke to so much of what I read about Christ through the gospels this time around. It's all about Him. he is all I need. Regarding Christ, Paul says, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile himself to all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

A couple of paragraphs later, Paul continues with, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority...When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

(I also have to admit that I love those passages at the beginning of Colossians about Christ, because they remind me of the passages about Christ in my favorite book of the Bible, Hebrews. We'll get to it soon enough, and I can hardly wait!)

Anyway, after Paul has established that Christ is supreme and everything is by Him and for Him, and that it is He that triumphed over everything that was opposed to us, he goes on to give some practical advice. He reminds the Colossians that Christ is now to be their life. He warns them of the types of behaviors to stay away from, and then tells them how they should live their lives focused on Christ instead.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry...anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language...do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator...Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful...whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

I have to say that the book of Philemon is a neat little (only one chapter) book, in that it was written to a particular person, rather than to one of the churches. In this letter, Paul gives a fellow Christian, Philemon, instructions on how to treat and accept a slave of his that had run away from him, but in the meantime, he had become a Christian. Paul now sends this slave, Onesimus, back to Philemon and asks Philemon to receive him as a brother.

One other thing I want to point out about Philemon is this: towards the beginning of most of Paul's letters, he writes to the person/church that he is thankful for them and praying for them. This greeting of his worded a little differently in each letter, and it probably varies from one translation to another. They make for neat little verses to rip out of context and place in our own writing, to let someone know we are thinking of them or praying for them.

Since I'm mainly an NIV reader, I have to admit that the way the greeting is worded in the NIV translation of Philemon is the one that I like the best and use most often when ripping one out of context to send to someone that I know. It's my favorite verse to use to let them know that I'm thankful for them and praying for them.

"I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers."--Philemon 4

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-Seven

2010-12-28T19:47:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-Seven, Acts 27-28

In today's reading, Paul travels from Caesarea to Rome. Great story, very action packed, it includes a hurricane-type storm, a shipwreck, landing on an island, being snake-bitten by a viper, and finally, being under house-arrest in Rome. I highly encourage you to read it.

However, my favorite of this day's reading is when Paul is encouraging the people who are on the ship. "I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom i serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faithin God that it will happen just as he told me."

Can I just say, yet again, that God keeps His promises.

Always.

Can I get an amen?

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-Six

2010-12-28T19:27:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-Six, Acts 24-26

These passages in today's reading describe some of the most interesting moments in Paul's story, as he has the opportunity to speak to the Roman leaders about his faith in Christ. When God first called Saul, he sent Ananias to him to teach him, and the Lord told Ananias that Saul was His chosen instrument. He said Saul would preach to the Gentiles and their kings, and indeed, this was Saul's time to do just that.

However, it's also the most heartbreaking part of Paul's story, at least for me. Because these men are acquainted with Jewish customs and/or the Way of Christ. Because they come so close to the message of Christ...they are hearing it from perhaps the most zealous person ever to preach it. Because they are close enough to it to be convicted by it. "As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, 'Theat's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.'"

A couple of years later, when Felix is replaced by Festus, Paul has an opportunity to speak to both Festus and King Agrippa. As Paul is finishing his defense to these two officials, Festus interrupts him with, "You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane."

Paul's response is, "I am not insane, most excellent Festus. What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."

Agrippa's heartbreaking response, though, is, "Do you think that in sucha short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"

I can't help but agree with Paul. I can almost hear desperation in his voice, as he says, "Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."

Amen, Paul.

Sadly, there is no evidence that either of these men became Christians. They did, however, at least acknowledge Paul's innocence, and they would have set him free, had he not already appealed to Caesar.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-Five

2010-12-28T19:20:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-Five, Acts 21-23

In today's reading, Paul arrives in Jerusalem. Here he ends up being arrested, as he is accused of desecrating the Temple. There is such an uproar among the Jews that the Roman authorities arrest Paul and take him into custody. As they are about to flog him, basically in order to get to the bottom of things, Paul insists to them that he is a Roman citizen.

That puts an immediate stop to that plan. The next day he has opportunity to speak to the Sanhedrin. I love how Paul explains himself to them, reminding them the is one of them. He is a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. The only difference, he says, is that he is on trial for his belief in the resurrection of the dead.

This causes a violent dispute between the Pharisees and Saducees, so violent that the Romans have to step in to protect Paul. They take him back into custody, and when word of a consipiracy to murder Paul gets to the Romans that evening, they transfer him into the custody of Governor Felix in Caesarea.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-Four

2010-12-28T11:44:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-Four, Acts 20-21

In today's reading, Paul ends his time in Ephesus, as he begins to head toward Jerusalem. Just a couple of things in this reading that are a couple of my favorites, things I wanted to mention.

The first is just the humorous situation of poor Eutychus. I'm sure it was one of those moments that wasn't funny at the time, but when you look back on it...

Poor, poor Eutychus was sitting in a window of an upstairs room, and he sank into a deep sleep, "as Paul talked on and on." Believe me, Eutychus, I know the feeling...

Unfortunately, he fell from that window ledge and died! But Paul ran down, threw his arms around the young man and prayed for him, and the Lord restored his life to him!

Also in this reading, as Paul is preparing to leave Ephesus, he gives the elders there some final instructions. I just love what Paul says to them. I pray portions of this passage over my own elders from time to time, and I wanted to share some of it:

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood...be on your guard...Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."

Amen.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-Three

2010-12-28T11:35:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-Three, Romans 12-16

Back to some of my favorite passages in this final part of Romans, as Paul gets out of the weighty and theological, and back to the more real and practical.

I love that he starts off by first challenging the people to be holy. Their entire lives are now to be worship to the Creator. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

Paul again uses the body metaphor to talk to them about the use of their spiritual gifts. I won't go into that here, because we covered that sufficiently in looking at Corinthians. But he also gives some wonderful instruction--some of my favorite, really--in talking about loving your fellow man:

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: '"It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.' On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

He goes on to talk about our duty to submit to the authorities that God has placed over us. But then he continues again, saying that we are to do all that we do out of love:

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law."

Paul also talks again about mutual submission to each other as brothers and sisters. He talks about the fact that there are certain issues that are matters of conscience, and he talks about the importance of not causing a brother to stumble. Again, this was covered sufficiently in the letter to the Corinthians.

Paul ends his letter talking about his ministry, commending some of the brothers and sisters, and telling the Romans of his desire to come to them.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-Two

2010-12-28T11:30:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-Two, Romans 9-11

Today's reading form Romans is the reason I dislike Romans so much. Seriously. Sometimes I really have trouble with these passages. Paul uses a couple of examples from the Old Testament to speak about God's sovereignty. He talks about Rebekah's children, and God's choosing Jacob over Esau to fulfill God's purposes. He also talks about Pharaoh, whom God raised up and placed in the very position he was in, in order for God to display His own power and majesty.

Paul quotes God's own description of Himself that He had given to moses, as He said, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." Again, talking about Pharaoh, Paul says, "God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden."

Paul's point here is clear: God is sovereign. To me, the thought of an omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God, who is sovereign over everyone and everything, who does what He wants to when He wants to just because He wants to is chillingly frightening.

Until you remember that He's GOOD. He's SO good! That's the only way I can have any peace about this passage in Romans 9.

Paul goes on to speak about God's grace. The prophets of the Old Testament foretold of God's grace which was to come, but the Jews rejected their message. They refused to listen to the prophets and instead tried to earn their salvation. Thus, they missed God's grace when He came in human form. God's grace was then offered to the Gentiles, as Paul makes the point that the gospel is for all people everywhere. Likewise, God's grace is for all.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty-One

2010-12-25T23:37:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty-One, Romans 3-8

At the beginning of today's reading, Paul begins to explain the reason that the law was put into place. In yesterday's reading, he made the case that Jew and Gentile alike are both under sin. So why did the Jews receive the Law? Were they expected to be able to perfectly keep this law? Many of them tried to, in an effort to be justified and consider themselves righteous. But Paul teaches that no one is able to keep this law. Rather, the law was put in place to teach people of their need for a Savior. Paul says that "through the law we become conscious of sin."

Rather than by keeping the law, Paul teaches that one is justified by faith. The example that he uses to base this teaching upon is none other than the first and foremost patriarch of the Israelites, Abraham, as "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Paul reminds the people that Abraham was justified by faith before the Law was ever given. He also teaches that this promise of justification--of grace--is not only for the circumcised children of Abraham, but for the uncircumised. He teaches that Abraham "received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all hwo believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them."

Paul goes on, and honestly, this is where it begins to sound good, begins to sound a little more like 'gospel': "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God...You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Paul goes on to explain what this means for us as Christians. First and foremost, we should absolutely not use this grace He has given us as a license to sin. As the KJV says, "God forbid!" Paul explains that as we have been buried with Christ and raised with Him, so also, we have died to sin and have been risen to live by the Spirit. We should no longer continue as slaves of sin, but as slaves of righteousness. Paul even goes on to admit a little bit of what this struggle feels like, the struggle of trying to live by the Spirit, as opposed to living in the flesh, as he admits that "what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do...nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature...when I want to do good, evil is right there with me...what a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

This passage, where Paul speaks of the struggle with sin, is encompassed in chapter 7 of Romans, and I recall one of my favorite bloggers once writing something along the lines of feeling "trapped in Romans 7, when I'm called to live in Romans 8." I absolutely loved that comment of his, because I feel like I totally understood what he meant. Although, as I mentioned earlier, Romans has some of my least favorite writings, it's not all bad, and chapter 8 is probably its best chapter of all, just absolutely jam-packed with some precious and powerful promises of God. I'll just try to cover some of those here:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

"Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies withour spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we hsare in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worht comparing to the glory taht will be revealed in us."

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordane with God's will."

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of all those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

"What, then, shall we say in repsonse to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-p-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chose? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Dead to sin, slaves to righteousness

Life in Christ

Struggle with sin

Promises of God

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Forty

2010-12-25T23:19:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Forty, Romans 1-3

As I just finished the readings from II Corinthians, which contains some of my favorite NT writings, I now have the pleasure of moving into Romans. I'll just be honest and say that Romans contains some of my least favorite NT teachings, besides the book of Revelation. It's got some pretty weighty theological stuff that's just not easy. But we'll get to that soon enough.

I've heard it said by someone who's pretty knowledgable about the book of Romans, that "Romans is a better gospel than the gospels." I'm not sure I'm willing to go that far, considering my personal feelings toward that, but I'll give you this...Paul knows his stuff, and it shows more in this book than in any other of his. He starts out with, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"

Paul begins his teaching by talking about the Gentiles and how they have lived without the law of God. He talks of all the things that they have done that are unlawful, and he claims that still, even without having been given the law, they should have known better. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Paul says that even without they law, God should be evident from nature itself. However, the Gentiles refused to worship God and went off on their own way. So God let them go off on their own way.

However, just as he is finished making his case against the Gentiles and their way of life, Paul turns on the Jews and tells them that "you, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."

Paul goes on to talk about how the law cannot justify--it only condemns those tho whom it was given. Neither can circumcision justify. So Paul's conclusion is plain. "Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no on who does good, not even one.'"

That's a pretty bleak conclusion for this first day of Romans, if you ask me...doesn't sound too much like 'gospel' just yet...but it'll get better.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-Nine

2010-12-25T23:06:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Nine, II Corinthians 10-13, Acts 20

In today's reading, Paul goes on in his letter to the Corinthians, defending his apostleship. He tells the people that he writes the way he does out of love for them. He reminds them that he has seen revelations and has been able to perform miracles which confirm his apostleship. Also, he again reminds them that he had no ulterior motive for preaching to them--he did not try to take advantage of them in any way, but worked for himself while he was among them. He seems to be saying all of these things of himself, as opposed to some others who are teaching the Corinthians, as he says, "I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about."

Finally, Paul boasts about himself and what he has been through, in order to point out that the boatsing really doesn't matter. All of his strength is from Christ, not from himself. "What anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness...to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults,in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-Eight

2010-12-25T22:48:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Eight, II Corinthians 1-9

I have, for several years now, maintained that the book of Hebrews is my absolute favorite book in the Bible. II Corinthians is becoming a close second. In this letter, as Paul speaks to the Corinthians, he starts off talking about his letter-writing and his travel plans, bu tthen he seems to get sidetracked. he goes off on a tangent, talking about his ministry, and it is, in my opinion, some of his most beautiful writing.

He describes the Lord as leading them in this ministry, as their lives are a type of offering: "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."

As he said, "Who is equal to such a task?" Paul knows that it is God who is his strength and power. "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Paul then compares the glory of the old covenant, using Moses as an example, to the glory of the new covenant, of which he is a minister. The glory of the old covenant was such that Moses' face would be shining, and he would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at it. Paul says, "If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious the ministry that brings righteousness...and we, who with unveiled facces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Finally, Paul talks about all that he has faced, without forgetting the reason that he is able to persevere: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so taht his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: 'I believed, therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith we also believe adn therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit,k so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow tot he glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Paul also mentions his ministry as being one of reconciliation. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation...we are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God. God made hi who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Finally, as Paul gets back on track, he talks about the collection for the church in Judea, and he gives some good instuctions on giving: "Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-Seven

2010-12-22T17:35:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Seven, I Corinthians 15-16, Acts 19

The last portion of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians teaches them about the resurrection. Apparently there are some that are teaching that there is no actual resurrection of the dead. Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel that he preached to them, and he explains to them that "if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

Thanks be to God that Paul's message doesn't have to end there! He further affirms his gospel with these words: "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Christ's resurrection from the dead, as the firstfruits, guarantees our own resurrection from the dead!

In explaining how this will happen, and how our bodies will be changed, Paul further teaches, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will nto all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, int eh twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, adn we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Paul ends this letter by explaining to them what his plans are. He instructs them to gather a collection of funds to give to the church in Jerusalem. He plans to go through Macedonia, then to Corinth and pick up the collection from them, but before he does, he will remain in Ephesus for awhile because he is accomplishing some effective work there. He mentions to them that in the meantime, they may receive a visit from either Timothy or Apollos, and he asks them to receive them as brothers.

As the Acts narrative picks back up, we have an account of the riot that is started in Ephesus. As Paul is preaching of worshiping the One True God, rather than idols, some of the craftsmen of this idolatry-centered city, which houses the temple of the goddess Artemis, are afraid of what is going to happen to their businesses and income. One man, Demetrius, a silversmith, explains what Paul is doing, and soon all the people are in an uproar, shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" The entire town is gathered in the theater, most of them not even really knowing why they are there at this point.

Gotta love Paul's zeal he wants to go into the theater to speak to the people! But Paul's friends begged him not to go in, knowing that the crowd would absolutely destroy him. Rather, a city official goes in, reminds the people that they are in danger of being accused of a riot, and he sends them home.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-Six

2010-12-22T17:27:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Six, I Corinthians 11-14

In keeping with Paul's message to the Corinthians to treat each other with love and submission, Paul continues with some discussion over the unity that they should have. As an example of what not to do, Paul chastises them for the way the treat the Lord's Supper. When they gather, "each person goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk." Rather, the Supper is supposed to be a time of togetherness for them as a church family, as he tells them, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

As a better example of how to behave, Paul uses his body metaphor, explaining to the people that they, as different people with different gifts, are all members of the same body. As different parts of the body have different functions, yet all are important, so each of them is a member of the body of Christ. They each received the same Spirit, but they have different functions, and all are important. Each of them has different gifts, and Paul tells them to "eagerly desire the greater gifts." So what would the "greater gifts" be? I'm glad you asked. Here's how Paul explains:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith taht can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

After Paul is done explaining to them the importance of love, he continues with some more instructions about the different gifts that they have. He reminds them of the purpose for those gifts--to build up the body of Christ as a whole. Those who speak in tongues should have someone to interpret what they are saying, so that every one may benefit. Prophecy, on the other hand, is useful for teaching. He instructs them to use their gifts in a way that everyone may be encouraged and uplifted, "for God is not a God of disorder but of peace."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-Five

2010-12-22T12:52:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Five, I Corinthians 5-11

As Paul continues his letter to the Corinthians, he now begins to get into dealing with the "nitty-gritty" issues that this church is dealing with, and a major one is sexual immorality. Paul hammers them about this, so to speak, reminding them of their obligation to watch out for the lives and behavior of each other.

He reminds them that "the saints will judge the world," so they need to learn to solve disputes among themselves. I think that's an interesting segue, because as surely as they begin to watch out for each other, there will most definitely be disputes.

Paul can't be any plainer about the purity with which these Christians should live: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God...Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."

Next Paul goes into some instructions regarding being married versus being single. He talks about some advantages and disadvantages of each. Among the main points are: for married couples, fulfill your duty to each other and do not deprive each other; if you are married to an unbeliever, do not leave them if they are willing to stay with you; and for those who are single, remain single if possible.

Paul moves from this topic of marriage and singleness into another issue: food sacrificed to idols. Some in the Corinthian church knew that they belonged to God and an idol is nothing at all, so they saw no problem in eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. However, others in the church were scandalized by such, feeling as though partaking of that meat was partaking int he worship of the idol. Paul begins this section by stating that "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." His main point is that, yes, the people do have the freedom to eat of the meat if their consciences allow it. However, they should not do so, and so offend a brother, just for freedom's sake. They must be willing to submit to one another. As an example, Paul gives himself. As an apostle of the Lord, he had certain rights that he might've exercised while among them, but he chose not to, instead treating the Corinthians in love. They should treat each other in the same manner.

Although Paul seems to be touching on some unrelated issues that the Corinthian church is dealing with, it feels to me like there is an underlying theme beneath all of these issues. In each of these, Paul is preaching to them self-control, rather than self-indulgence. He ends by encouraging them with these words: "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others...So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God...Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-Four

2010-12-15T14:10:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Four, I Corinthians 1-4

t's important to remember that this letter to the Corinthian church is one that Paul wrote to a group of people that he'd spent a year and a half living among and working with, establishing, encouraging, and strengthening them. They are a people that he absolutely loves and wants to see live their lives holy and blameless, pleasing to God. It's important to remember all of this, because when Paul hears about the goings-on in Corinth, he has several harsh things to say to them, some rebukes about the way that they are living.

For a little bit of background, there was a Jew named Apollos who was very knowledgeable of the Scriptures and taught about Jesus, but he only knew the baptism of John. While Paul was on his third missionary journey, Apollos went to Ephesus (where Paul had left Aquila and Priscilla) and there Aquila and Priscilla taught Apollos the Way "more adequately." Then, while Paul was in Ephesus, Apollos went to Corinth and taught there.

Paul begins his letter, of course, as he often does, thanking God for the church and encouraging them to remain faithful. But then he begins to hammer them, so to speak. He starts off speaking to them about divisions in the church: "My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas'; still another, 'I follow Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?...For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."

This message against divisions in the church, and Paul's comment about preaching not with human wisdom, is an excellent segue into his thoughts about godly wisdom versus the wisdom of the world:

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?...Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."

Paul uses this contrast of man's wisdom and strength versus God's wisdom and power to further humble the people of the Corinthian church. Rather than boasting in their factions about whom they choose to follow, Paul reminds them that it is God who chose them:

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things...It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"

As Paul seems to finish up his diatribe against divisions in the church, he does so by talking about himself and his fellow workers in the gospel, reminding the Corinthian church that they also are mere men, who are only teaching what God would have them to. Of himself he says, "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

So of the different men working together, he says, "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

Finally, Paul tells the people that as the church, God's Spirit dwells within them, and they are His temple. Continuing on in divisions will destroy the temple of the Lord. "So then, no more boasting about men!...You are of Christ, and Christ is of God."

This portion of the letter ends with Paul speaking to the people as dear children, telling them he is sending Timothy to them to teach them and remind them of how they should live, and telling them that he himself will visit them soon. Though Paul is writing harshly to this group of people, he so desires to be able to come to them in gentleness and in love.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-Three

2010-12-15T14:02:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Three, II Thessalonians, Acts 18-19

Today's reading contains Paul's second letter to the church at Thessalonica, along with the account of his third missionary journey.

The second Thessalonian letter seems to have been written to clear up some issues/misunderstandings with Paul's first letter to that church. Paul reminds them that God is just. He will punish the disobedient, but he will reward those who do what is right. Paul clears up some misconceptions about the second coming of the Lord. When Paul said that Jesus was coming soon, the Thessalonians apparently thought Paul meant, like, tomorrow or next week. Paul sets them straight on that, encouraging them not to give up what they are doing. He warns against idleness with these words: "We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right."

When Paul leaves Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla go with him to Ephesus, stopping first at Cenchrea, where Paul cuts his hair off, because of a vow he had taken. (Makes oe wonder exactly what kind of a vow he took?) He leaves them there and goes to the synagogue himself to speak with the Jews. They ask him to stay, but he refuses, instead saying that he will try to return. He then sails from Ephesus to Caesarea, where he greets the church, and then he goes back to Antioch.

After spending some time in Antioch, he leaves again to travel throughout Phrygia and Galatia, visiting some of those same churches again. Paul does eventually make it back to Ephesus, where he spends three months teaching the Jews in the synagogue. But still, some of them oppose him and refuse to believe.

While Paul is doing many miraculous signs as he is preaching the gospel, there is also an account of some Jews who tried to drive out some demons in the name of Jesus. They walked away wishing they hadn't tried that, and when word of this reached everyone in Ephesus, many of them were afraid. Many who practiced sorcery burned their scrolls and gave up that practice.

Some time after all of this, Paul decides to go to Jerusalem, and he also sets his mind to go to Rome.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-Two

2010-12-15T13:41:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Two, I Thessalonians

It is believed that it is sometime during Paul's year-and-a-half long stay in Corinth that he writes to the church in Thessalonica. We had just a short paragraph about his journey through that city on his second journey, and in this letter, Paul just seems to be following up with them to see how they are doing and give them further instruction. I'll try to give you the general flow of this letter as well, but again, will be unable to do so without including some of Paul's own words...

Paul starts out his letter as he often does many of his letters, thanking God and praising Him for the faith of those to whom he is writing. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his time with them, and how he lived among them. He reminds them that he was not trying to burden them or make anything difficult for them, but rather he tried to live as an example for them.

Paul talks about wanting to visit them numerous times since, but he had been unable to do so. Finally, he sent Timothy to them to strengthen and encourage them, and Paul says that he was comforted by a good report that Timothy brought back to him about them.

Next Paul goes into the teaching portion of the letter, if you will, reminding htem of how they've been taught to live, and he encourages them to do so even more. "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him."

Paul says he knows that he does not need to write to them about brotherly love, for he knows they are practicing it. But he continues his teachings with, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent upon anybody."

Paul follows up these instructions with some specific information about the resurrection and the coming of the Lord. Kind of makes one wonder if they specifically asked about this subject, or why else Paul might've chosen to write to them about it. Regardless, he says, "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words...But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness...But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

Paul ends his letter with some final instructions about how they should live: "Respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord...Live in peace with each other...warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."

Some really good advice there, among which is one of my favorites: Pray continually.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty-One

2010-12-14T19:31:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty-One, Acts 15-18

Today we pick back up with Pauls' second missionary journey, which has one of my favorite stories about Paul, which I'll get to eventually. But in an effort, once again, to refresh my memory, I'll try to recount a little fo the details of each stop on this trip.

You may recall that on the first journey, Paul and Barnabas were accompanied by John Mark for a time, but when they reached Pamphylia, Mark decided to go back to Jerusalem. So when Paul and Barnabas were preparing to go ona second journey, Barnabas wanted to take along Mark, but Paul disagreed strongly, since Mark had left them previously.

Paul and Barnabas disagreed so strongly about this that they couldn't come to any sort of a compromise, so they decided to go their separate ways. Barnabas took Mark (who was his cousin) and sailed for Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas to accompany him as he went throughout Syria and Cilicia.

Paul goes back through many of the cities he went to on his first journey. He goes through Derbe and Lystra, where he had previously been stoned and left for dead. This time in Lystra, he meets a young man named Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer. Timothy had been taught by his mother and grandmother, and the believers in that area spoke well of Timothy. Paul took him along with them on their journey, and Paul would affectionately refer to Timothy as his son in the faith. (There are a few others that Paul refers to in this way, but one would believe that none of htem had quite the relationship with Paul that Timothy did. The last words we have of Paul's--his dying words, so to speak--are in the form of a letter to Timothy.)

While Paul is traveling in this region, he receives a vision one night from a man in Macedonia asking him to "Come to Macedonia and help us." So Paul goes there, and while in Philippi, he is imprisoned. At about midnight, he and Silas are in jail, singing hymns and praying, when there is such a violent earthquake that the prison is shaken, the doors are opened, and their chains fall off. Paul and Silas keep the guard from harming himself; in fact, they teach him about Jesus, adn he and his whole househodl believe and are baptized. I do love the fact that the next day when Paul is released, he causes a little bit of a scene, refusing to leave quietly after being mistreated, despite his Roman citizenship.

Next Paul and Silas go to the city of Thessalonica, where they stay at the home of a man named Jason. They teach and have some success, as some Jews believe, along with some of the Gentiles. But of course, same old story, some of hte Jews become jealous and they stir up trouble. There is a riot, and Jason is dragged out before the city officials being accused for housing Paul and Silas.

So Paul and Silas leave Thessalonica and go on toward Berea. I love what Luke says about the Bereans, that they "were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." May God give me a heart to search the Scriptures in the same way!

However, the Jews from Tehssalonica hear about Paul's work in Berea, so they go there to cause trouble for him tehre too. At this point, Paul leaves Silas adn Timothy in Berea, and he goes on by himself to Athens. This is my favorite of all Paul's stops on his journeys, because he is in such a great city of learning, and has such an incredible opportunity to speak with the philosophers of that day, who are intrigued by his message.

Paul is greatly distressed by all of the idol worship in this city. But he notices one altar with the inscription, "To an unknown god." Paul preaches my favorite sermon of his, as he says to them, "What you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

Such power-packed theology in that short, little message...He gives us life and breath and everything else...we are His offspring...He wants us to seek Him and reach out for Him...He isnot far from any one of us...it is in Him that we live and move and have our being!

The story of Paul's time in Athens is a little anticlimactic, as he has a little success...a few converts...that is all that is really said. He leaves from Athens and goes on to Corinth, where he will eventually be rejoined by Timothy and Silas. Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla, who are Jews and believers, and they are tentmakers by trade, as is Paul. So Paul stays with them and works with them. The Lord gives Paul success in Corinth, so he stays there, establishing a church, for quite some time.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirty

2010-12-14T18:58:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirty, Galatians

Paul's letter to the Galatians further addresses the problem that was addressed at the Jerusalem conference, that of Judaizers trying to teach Gentiles that they must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved. It is definitely one of paul's harsher letters, as he is distressed that the people in the Galatian churches are still buying into this, so he reminds them once again of what their faith in Christ means.

I will try not to be too lengthy in posting the general flow of his letter to the Galatians, but I'll go ahead and forewarn you that I'll have to include portions of the letter, quotes from Paul himself, just because they're too good to leave out. So we'll see how this goes...

Paul starts off expresing his disbelief that these Christians would be deceived by the teaching of the Judaizers. "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all." He condemns them, and anyone else who might preach anything other than Jesus, with, "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned."

Paul then proceeds toe stablish himself and his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ. he says, "I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. i did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." Not only did Paul not get his teaching from the other apostles, in fact, he points out that really, he's had limited contact with most of the other apostles. However, when he did meet with them, they approved of his work among the Gentiles, because they saw that God was working through Paul in preaching to the Gentiles.

Paul begins to explain the problem that is being cause by these Judaizers, who are insisting on people following the law. He says that even Peter and Barnabas were led astray, as they began acting hypocritically, separating themselves from the Gentile Christians. He even says, "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong."

Then Paul gets into the theological explanation of why what the Judaizers are teaching is so incredibly wrong! He starts by proclaiming that, "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ...I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! you foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?" He reminds them that hey received the Spirit of God because of their faith. "Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?...Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe teh law, or because you believe what you heard?"

He then gives them the example of Abraham. He reminds them that God's promise of blessing to Abraham's seed came before the Law. And in the same way that Abraham was counted righteous because of belief, so will his children be considered righteous. "Consider Abraham: 'He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Understand then, that those who believe are Abraham's children." Paul even quotes from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, "The righteous will live by faith."

So then, one would question, if God's promises came before the Law, what was the purpose of the law? Paul anticipates some of those types of questions and addresses them in his letter. "Is the law, therefore, oppossed to the promises fo God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe...The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

Because of this faith, Paul explains, we are children of Abraham, we are justified by our faith in Christ, and we are made heirs of God, with Christ. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with christ. There is neihter Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise...Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out 'Abba, Father.'"

Paul then gives the Galatians a type of metaphor, in talking about Abraham's seed. Students of the Old Testament will recall that Abraham had two sons. he had a son naturally, by his wife's slave woman Hagar. But the son that he had with his wife Sarah was the son that God had promised to him. Paul makes the case that as Abraham's children, children of the promise, we are children of the free woman. As such, we also have freedom in Christ. "Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey they whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?...As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!"

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm one who appreciates the humor in Scripture, adn this right here is one of the best. Did you catch that? Paul's saying that he wishes that those who are insisting on circumcision would go the whole way themselves adn cut the whole thing off! Youch! And yes, although the thought and the irony is humorous, at the same time, that's some incredibly strong language from someone who feels so strongly about the fact that what these people are doing and teaching is wrong!

Seems to me that the tone of Paul's letter now changes, as he winds down. I feel like if he were actually preaching this letter as a sermon, this is the point where he would stop to catch his breath, he'd probably have to wipe some sweat, and calm down a little before continuing with some more instruction about how the members of the church should live: "Live by the Spirit...the acts of the sinful nature are obvious...but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

He gives them instructions on how they should treat each other, watching out for each other's well-being, and doing good to each other. "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ...Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not beome weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

However, Paul ends his letter with one last reminder that circumcision and law-keeping do not mean anything in Christ. "Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they wanted you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty-Nine

2010-12-14T18:33:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Nine, Acts 13-15

Today's reading covers Barnabas and Saul's first missionary journey, as they set sail from Atioch in Syria. They go first to the island of Cyprus, stopping in Salamis and Paphos. They leave from there and land in Pamphylia where John Mark (who had been accompanying them) decides to go back to Jerusalem.

They go on to establish several churches int he cities int he region of Galatia, stopping at Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. At that point, they basically turna round and go back the way they came, back through Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. From Pisidian Antioch, they set sail from the prot city of Attalia, going back to the church in Antioch of Syria, from which they had been commissioned. At the end of this journey is also included the account of the conference in Jerusalem.

I'm sorry, I know that's a bunch of names of cities that don't make a whole lot of sense, especially without a map in front of you. But I've always said from the get-go that this blog was for me, not you, so to aid in my own learning, I'm trying to refresh my memory of the details of each of these trips.

Barnabas and Saul had been working together for some time with the church in Syrian Antioch when teh Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for this mission. So after fasting, praying, and laying on of hands, this church sends those men off, apparently accompanied by Joh n Mark.

They set sail and land first ont he island of Cyprus, in the city of Salamis, on teh east coast of the island. they work their way through the island, teaching in all the Jewish synagogues. When they arrive in Paphos, which is on the west coast of the island, the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, sends for them. However, one of the proconsul's attendants is a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet, Elymas, who opposses Barnabas and Saul. Ironically, Saul, filled with the Holy Spirit, causes this sorcerer to be blinded. The proconsul, on the other hand, when he sees what has happened, becomes a believer. Scripture says he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

From Paphos, Saul and his companions set sail and land in Pamphylia, at which point John Mark goes back to Jerusalem. Saul and Barnabas continue on to Pisidian Antioch. Here we have the first record of a sermon fo Paul's, when he and Barnabas are int he synagogue on teh Sabbath. They are encouraged to speak, so Paul uses the Old Testament scriptures of Psalms, Isaiah, and Habakkuk to explain that Jesus is the Christ. The people invite him to speak again the following Sabbath, and next week, nearly the whol town shows up to hear him. However, there is opposition from many of the Jews the next week, who are jealous of Paul and his message. At this point, Paul preaches his message tot he Gentiles there, who believe and are saved. However, those jealous Jews are still causing trouble, stirring up persecution for Saul and Barnabas.

So Paul and Barnabas go on to Iconium. At Iconium, as usual, they go to the synagogue to preach. As usual, there is a mixed response. Some believe. Luke says they stayed in Iconium for "considerable time." But there are still many Jewswho do not believe and are jealous and are still trying to cause trouble.

So Paul and Barnabas leave Iconium and go to Lystra. When Paul heals a crippled man inLystra, the crowd that sees this believes Paul and Barnabas are gods, and they begin to worship them! Paul and Barnabas are greatly distressed at this and try to use this opportunity to teach them about the One True God, but it's not easy with this crowd. Then some of the Jews from the cities they'd just left--from Antioch and Iconium--follow him there and stir up trouble at Lystra. They stone Paul and leave him for dead. But after the believers gather around him, he gets up and goes back into the city.

Next day, they head to Derbe, where Luke says they "won a large number of disciples." After that, they turn around and travel back through the cities where the people had just tried to kill Paul. That, my friends, is nerve. But they go back to strengthen and encourage these new churches. Interestingly enough, with prayer and fasting, they appoint elders in each church. (I just can't help but wonder what church would be like if the evangelist appointed the elders...) Then they head back to Syrian Antioch, where they report all that has happened, and how God has allowed them to teach to the Gentiles. Scripture says they stay at Antioch for a long time.

After awhile, there is trouble at the church in Antioch, as somemen from Judea come down adn begin teaching the Gentiles of that church that they must be circumcised and keep the Jewish law in order to be saved. This causes a great dispute, so Paul and Barnabas go up to Jerusalem to meet with the church leaders in order to work through this situation. Interesting to me is not the instructions that the leaders end up giving, but the wording of their letter ot the church in Antioch, as they say it "seemed" good to the Holy Spirit. I can't help but wonder how certain they were about those instructions. What exactly does that mean? It's not exactly a "thus saith the Lord" kind of answer, ya know?

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty-Eight

2010-12-14T13:45:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Eight, Acts 9-12

Today's reading contains the story of Peter and a Gentile by the name of Cornelius. This has always been an intriguing story, at least in my tribe, because of our generally-held-to beliefs about the Holy Spirit, when He is given, what gifts He gives, and why He gives them. Members of my tribe generally believe that the Holy Spirit is given to believers at baptism, but in this case, the Holy Spirit came upon the household of Cornelius, in order to convince Peter that God's promise is for Jew and Gentile alike. Though I'd love to learn more about the Holy Spirit and how He works, I don't really have the time, knowledge, experience, or energy to do so here on this blog. But I will take this moment to refer you to my beloved blogfather, who is currently posting a series on the Holy Spirit, if you're interested in reading/studying further about that.

I will say that I love Peter's statement, when he realizes why God has sent him to Cornelius. "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."

And just as a side note, later in the reading, Peter is imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa I, who has already had the apostle James killed. Many believers are probably terrified that Peter faces the same fate as James, and they are gathered at the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark (of the Book of Mark fame), praying. When Peter is miraculously released from prison in the middle of the night, he goes to Mary's house, and the Scripture says the servant girl who goes to answer the door, when she recognizes Peter's voice, is so excited that she goes to tell everyone, "Hey, it's Peter!" without opening the door for him!

I enjoy the Bible's humorous moments probably more so than most, and this is one of them. I laugh every time I read it. I can just see Peter standing out there, thinking, "Seriously?!?!? Let me in!!!"

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty-Seven

2010-12-14T13:41:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Seven, Acts 8-9

Contrary to what some might think, my favorite part of today's reading is NOT the story of Saul's conversion...though I do confess to an increasing appreciation for that story, thanks to a friend I met a few years ago who has, in just these few years, become one of my favorite Bible teachers.

My favorite portion of today's reading is that of Philip teaching the Ethiopian eunuch. The Spirit tells Philip to stay near a chariot, where the eunuch happens to be reading from the best chapter in all the book of Isaiah:

"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."

From this very passage of Scripture, Philip is able to teach the eunuch about Jesus. As a person who just absolutely loves to learn, I admire the eunuch's teachability. When Philip asks him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" he openly responds, "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?" and he invites Philip to teach him.

May I always be so willing.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty-Six

2010-12-14T13:39:00.001-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Six, Acts 6-7

Today's reading contains the account of Stephen--the sermon he preached to the Sanhedrin, and the death he died because of it.

I just love how Stephen is able to start at the beginning, with Abraham, and explain from there forward about God's plan for the Messiah, who was Jesus of Nazareth.

Also noteworthy is Stephen's Christ-like comment while he is being stoned to death, as he prays for his persecutors, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty-Five

2010-12-14T13:33:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Five, Acts 3-6

Today we have some history of the very beginnings of the church. After Peter and John have been arrested and released, we have a record of a powerful prayer of the church. As they know the threats of persecution that they are going to face, they pray, not for deliverance from persecution, but they pray, "Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." How was that prayer answered? "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

We have a beautiful description of how the disciples lived and treated each other, as "all the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."

We also have some wonderful advice that comes, not from a follower of Christ, but form a Pharisee who is very well-respected and honored. As the members of the Sanhedrin are furious with Peter and John and are ready to kill them, Gamaliel offers this advice: "Consider carefully what you intend to do to these men...I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

If only he knew how right he was.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty Three (cont.) and Day three Hundred Twenty Four

2010-12-14T13:24:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Three, Day Three Hundred Twenty-Four

Matt. 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, Acts 1-2, John 20-21

Yep, you read that right, after a most glorious and refreshing and renewing walk through the gospels, we're headed into Acts. Acts of the apostles...acts of the early church...I love acts, because it's the beginning of a story that I feel like I'm a part of! Plus, I just enjoy Luke's detail-oriented style.

So fasten your seatbelts, it'll be quite a ride through Acts, as the gospels end with Jesus' instructions to His apostles to go to Jerusalem and wait. Yes, they are to preach the gospel to the world, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that He has commanded them. But first they must wait for Power to descend upon them from heaven.

So that's where the gospel stories leave us. I do love how John ends his gospel, though, by pointing out that what we have written here about Jesus is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written...Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

The apostles followed Jesus' instructions, waiting in Jerusalem for His Spirit to descend upon them in power. When this happens, the apostles are able to speak in the languages of all the people present, as Peter is the first to proclaim the good news that "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Wait a second, that doesn't sound good, if you're the one who crucified Him! Indeed, the people were cut to the heart by this message. "What shall we do?" they asked. Peter's response?

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

Ah...there's the good news!

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty-Three

2010-12-09T13:16:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Three, Matt. 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!"

"My Lord and my God!"

I think those two statements from today's reading speak for themselves.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty-Two

2010-12-08T14:30:00.004-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Two, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19, Matt. 27

Once again, I'm gonna use material from my brother Chuck's sermon covering today's reading. He preached a lesson entitled, "Seven Thoughts From the Cross," of course covering the seven different things that Jesus said while suspended in mid-air, hanging by some nails to a couple of bars of wood. See what our Lord considered important enough to say while in that position, and what we can learn from them:

1. Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they're doing."

This is an incredible example that Jesus sets for us. As One who had previously taught, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you," Christ was doing that very thing. He was offering a prayer of love and forgiveness for the very people who were killing Him.

2. Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."

If you read Mark's gospel, he tells us that along with everyone else, both of the criminals hanging with Jesus hurled insults at Him. However, something changes in the heart of one of the men, as he begins to rebuke the other criminal, and then asks Jesus to remember him when He comes in His kingdom. Jesus' words speak not only of His marvelous love and grace, but also of the power of HIs life to transform the hearts of men.

3. Jesus said, "Woman, behold thy son; son, behold thy mother."

One of the most important commandments in the Law of Moses was to "Honor thy father and mother." Paul quotes it to the church at Ephesus as being "the first commandment with promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." In fact, Paul teaches of the importance of taking care of one's family, saying that "anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Jesus, in the moment of His death, is doing this very thing, honoring His mother by ensuring that she will be cared for when He is gone.

4. Jesus said "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

This is probably my favorite of all seven of Jesus' statements from the cross. One has to wonder if Jesus, carrying the weight of all the sin of the world was, for the first time ever, forsaken by God? That's certainly a possibility, one that I wouldn't even want to imagine. But if one is familiar enough with the Old TEstament, they would also recognize this statement as the beginning of a psalm of David, which starts out expressing feelings of hopelessness. But it ends with, "You who fear the Lord, praise Him; all you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, all descendants of Israel. For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard." Rather than a cry of helplessness, Jesus might have been crying out hope and victory through this statement of His.

5. Jesus said, "I thirst."

First of all, I love the reminder that although Jesus was fully God, He was also fully human. He experienced everything we do, including hunger and thirst. There are so many things that I could say here, because there were so many times that Jesus has offered Himself to those who were "thirsty", claiming to be the Living Water, claiming that whoever drinks the water He gives them will never thirst. In fact, in His revelation to the apostle John, He issues the glorious invitation: "Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." In the same way that Jesus was thirsty, may we always be thirsty for Him.

6. Jesus said, "It is finished."

This statement can be viewed as yet another cry of victory. Satan thinks that his battle with God is finished, as he manages to have God's own Son killed. Rather, Jesus' is able to claim that the redemptive work that He came to do--giving Himself as a sacrifice for all our sins--is finished.

7. Jesus said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."

All throughout Christ's life, we see a willingness to submit to the Father. He claims that He did nothing of His own accord, but only did and said what the Father wanted Him to. Even as Jesus begged for His own life the night that He was betrayed, He ended His prayers with the submission of "Not my will, but Thine be done." As Jesus is taking His last breaths, He is submitting His life into the hands of His loving Father.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty-One

2010-12-08T14:22:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty-One, Matt. 27, John 18-19, Luke 23, Mark 15

Today we finish up Jesus' trials, as the Jewish leaders are ready to kill Jesus, but they don't have the power to do so themselves. So they send Him to Pilate, the Roman governor...who's not really sure what to do with Him. So he sends Him to Herod, the king of Judea. Herod was curious and welcomed the opportunity to question Jesus, but when Jesus gave him no answer, he sent him back to Pilate.

Jesus' words with Pilate strike me as the most interesting of all that went on in His trial. Perhaps it's because Pilate is not as familiar with the Jewish law? Perhaps it's because he's not a believer in Yahweh, and as such, he sees that this man has honestly done nothing wrong? I get the feeling Pilate is just trying to figure out what all the fuss is about.

Pilate asks if Jesus is a king, because that seems to be the main uproar. (At least that's what the Jewish folks are saying.) Jesus asks him, "Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?" Jesus tells him, "My kingdom is not of this world...my kingdom is from another place."

"So you are a king, then!" says Pilate.

Jesus answered him with, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Jesus is making even Pilate aware that He is who He claims to be. Later when Pilate is questioning Jesus and Jesus does not answer, Pilate seems to threaten Him with, "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

Again Jesus doesn't hesitate to tell him how it is: "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above."

In the middle of all this going on, the strangest thing happens. Pilate receives a message form his wife, saying, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."

That statement right there raises all the questions in the world to me. What kind of a dream did she have? How did she suffer in the dream? How vivid must this dream have been for her to act upon it and send a message to Pilate? What happened in the dream to convince her that He was innocent?

Regardless of Jesus' authoritative answers and Pilate's wife's request not to have anything to do with Jesus, Pilate can't seem to satisfy the crowd without Jesus' death. So he gives into the crowd and has Jesus led out to be crucified.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twenty

2010-12-08T14:18:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twenty, Mark 14, John 18, Matt. 26-27, Luke 22

Today's reading includes the events from Jesus' time in the garden of Gethsemane, through His trials before the Jewish leaders. After Jesus has finished praying, He wakes His disciples as a detachment of soldiers and officials carrying torches and weapons enter the garden to arrest Him. Jesus asks them who they are looking for. They answer that they are looking for Jesus of Nazareth. When Jesus answers, "I am he," they all of a sudden draw back and fall to the ground. I just wonder what kind of power those words were spoken with, the same words with which Jesus had previously declared Himself as THE "I Am", that it caused all of these arresting soldiers to fall back.

When Jesus is before Caiaphas and the council, He does not actively answer the false accusations made against Him. However, when He is plainly asked, "Are you the Christ?" He doesn't hesitate to respond.

"I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Nineteen

2010-12-04T14:11:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Nineteen, John 15-17

As Jesus and His disciples head out toward the Mount of Olives, Jesus gives them yet another metaphor, as He tells them, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener...Remain in me and I will remain in you...I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

More of how much I need Him. Apart from Him, I can do nothing.

Jesus also gives His disciples more instruction about love. "Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

Jesus again promises that although He is going away, He will send the Holy Spirit to teach them and to guide them. Jesus then prays for Himself, He prays for His disciples, and then...the awesomest thing...Jesus prays for me! And for you! He prays for those who would believe in Him through His apostles message:

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believein me through their message, that all of themmay be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not knowyou, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

Amen.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Eighteen

2010-12-04T14:01:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Eighteen, Luke 22, John 13-14, Matt. 26

Today's reading contains some of my absolute favorite of Jesus' teachings.

On Jesus' last night on this earth, He is preparing to eat the Passover with His disciples. He tells them something that I never noticed until one of our youth ministers pointed it out in a sermon of his about 3 1/2 years ago...

Jesus says, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."

Jesus was truly excited, looking forward to sharing that meal with His friends. In the same way, He eagerly desires to commune with us. Just love that thought!

As Jesus was so looking forward to dining with His friends, imagine His disappointment when he realizes they are in an argument over who is the greatest! After all this time, they still don't get it...

So He gives them one more object lesson. He gets up from the table, wraps a towel around His waist, and begins to wash their feet. THIS, He tells them, is how the greatest among them should act.

No one says anything...until He gets ot Peter. Oh, Simon Peter, always got something to say. He's hesitant to let Jesus wash his feet. But when Jesus tells him itis necessary in order for Peter to have a part with Jesus, Peter says wash, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" You do at least have to respect that enthusiasm! Jesus has to remind him, "But Peter, only your feet are dirty!"

Jesus' main point to His disciples is that they are to love one another. "By this, all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

He tells His disciples not to be troubled. He is going to prepare a place for them. They cannot come with Him, but He will come back for them. When Thomas asks to know the way to the place where He is going, Jesus replies, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

Then Philip chimes in, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

I can almost hear a little exasperation and desperation in Jesus' voice as He answers, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father...Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?"

This little discourse with Thomas and Philip and Jesus screams to me what I've been seeing jump off the pages of the New Testament these past few weeks. He is the Way. He is the Truth. He is the Life. He is the Gate. He is the Good Shepherd. He is the Light of the world. He is the Bread of Life. He is the True Vine. He is the Resurrection and the Life.

He is all I need.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Seventeen

2010-12-04T13:57:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Seventeen--Matt. 26, Mark 14, Luke 21-22, John 12

As we go through today's reading, we are nearing the time for Jesus' crucifixion.

Judas goes to the chief priests and officials, and he agrees to betray Jesus for the measly price of thirty silver coins.

We see Jesus again teaching at the Temple, adn again we see more fulfillment of prophecy, as the people do not believe in Him, according ot the word of the prophet Isaiah, "Lord who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" And as he also says, "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so that they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."

It is on this day that Jesus makes His final appeal to the people, as He cries out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but int he one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Sixteen

2010-12-04T13:42:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Sixteen, Matt. 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21

Today's reading contains some of the most difficult teaching in the New Testament. I will not even pretend that I enjoy reading/studying it. I knew that some of it had to do with Jesus predicting the destruction of the Temple and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. But some of it seemed to do with the end of the world. And it can sometimes be difficult to sort the two out.

But a couple of weeks ago, my awesome minister preached a sermon covering this material, entitled, "It's the End of the World as We Know it." I will try to lift some of his teaching from my notes and explain a little of what I learned about this passage.

First off, notice the occasion--Jesus and His disciples are in Jerusalem, and one of His disciples comments on the beauty and splendor of the Temple. Jesus then tells them that there is coming a day when "not one stone will be left on another." They then asked Him two questions:

When will this happen?
What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?

Interesting to me that they associated the destruction of the Temple with the end of the world. Jesus proceeds to teach them about the signs of the coming destruction of the Temple, but then He contrasts that with His coming. The two will not necessarily go hand-in-hand. One will be predictable. The other, not so much.

Jesus begins by telling them the signs of the destruction of the Temple. He teaches them that there will be misleading signs--wars and rumors of wars--but that they are not to be alarmed. He said there will be famines and earthquakes--these will be the beginning of birth pains. They will be handed over to be persecuted. False teachers will deceive many people. There will be an increase in wickedness and a decrease in love. These are all preliminary signs. But the real sign--the one spoken of by Daniel--will be when you see "the abomination that causes desolation." When this happens, GET OUT. Don't look back, don't go back for anything, GET OUT of Jerusalem as quickly as possible. His advice turned out to be good, considering that history tells us that, as Jesus predicted, in Jerusalem there was "great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again."

Next Jesus talks about some events that will follow immediately after the destruction of the Temple. He says, "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken." That's apocalyptic language for "God is going to do something BIG!" Jesus follows that up with a description of the coming of the Son of Man.

So one might think that immediately after the destruction of the Temple, Jesus is coming back. However, we all know that with the Lord, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years are as a day. He is not bound by time.

Jesus continues by saying, of the coming of the Son of Man, that "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." The day of the coming of our Lord stands in stark contrast to the destruction of hte Temple, which could be predicted by coming signs. There are no signs of the coming of the Son of Man. In fact, Jesus gives them three examples:

The Flood in the days of Noah
A thief in the night
A master who returns unexpectedly, demanding an account from his servants

If the people in Noah's day had known of the impending flood, they would've changed their ways. If a person knows a thief is coming, he will be prepared. If a servant knows his master is returning, he is ready to give an account.

The contrast of these two events makes even more perfect sense to me, as it is followed up by Jesus' parable of the Ten Virgins, about the importance of being prepared. Jesus' message to His disciples here is clear: kep watch and be prepared, because you do not know when He will return.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fifteen

2010-12-04T13:36:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Fifiteen, Matt. 21-23, Mark 11-12, Luke 20

Today is the day of questions! Everyone seems to be coming to Him with a question, most of them trying to test Him or trap Him. But the Lord, genius as He is, always responds to their questions with yet another question.

The leaders question Jesus' authority, wanting to know, "By what authority are you doing these things?"

Jesus says He will answer that question if they will answer one for Him: "John's baptism--was it from God or from men?"

Of course they don't have an answer, so neither does Jesus.

Next some ask Him, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?"

Jesus responds, "Whose inscription is on the coin?"

Finally, someone who seems to be a little more sincere, asks Jesus, "What is the most important commandment?"

Jesus responds with, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself."

But then He asks them a question: "Whose son is the Christ?" When they respond that the Christ is to be a son of David, he continues, "How then is it that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.'"

Of course, they are stumped by this one. Scripture says the crowd continued listening to Jesus with delight. Also says no one else dared to ask Him any more questions.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Fourteen

2010-12-02T14:03:00.003-06:00

Day One Hundred Fourteen, John 12, Matt. 21, Mark 11, Luke 19

Several interesting things in today's reading:

We start with Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Can't you just imagine the scene! Jesus is riding in on a donkey, people are spreading their cloaks and/or palm branches in his path, and they're shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

When the Pharisees hear this, they are indignant. They tell Jesus to make the people stop shouting. I love Jesus' response! He says, "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Love the children's song based on this passage, "Ain't No Rock." As it says, "Ain't no rock gonna cry in my place! As long as I'm alive, I'll glorify His holy name!"

The next day, we see Jesus at the Temple, healing the blind and lame, and there are children shouting praise to Him. Again the Pharisees are indignant. But Jesus reminds them of the scripture from Psalms, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise." I love this example of how He is the One who is the fulfillment of Scripture. He is the One who was to come.

Finally, Jesus is predicting His own crucifixion, and He says, "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"

Suddenly a voice from heaven, sounding like thunder, replies to Him! "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." This is now the third time a voice has spoken from heaven, a Voice that affirms the fact that Jesus is who He claims to be.

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Thirteen

2010-12-01T13:22:00.003-06:00

Day Three Hundred Thirteen, Matt. 19-20, Matt. 26, Mark 10, Luke 18-19, John 11-12

Today's reading contains yet another example of the need to be willing to sacrifice in order to be a disciple of Jesus. We have the story of a rich, young ruler who comes to Jesus, asking Him what one must do to be saved. The man seems to be sincere in his questioning and in his willingness to do what Jesus asks of him.

Until Jesus tells him he only lacks one thing: to sell all his possessions and give to the poor, then come and follow Him.

At this, the young man goes away sad, because he had great wealth that he was not willing to part with in order to follow Jesus.

This sparks some question/concern from Peter, who exclaims, "We have left everything to follow you!" Jesus' response is reassuring, both to Peter, and to anyone else who would be His disciple, "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."

Brothers and sisters, He's worth it!

Project 4:4--Day Three Hundred Twelve

2010-12-01T13:16:00.002-06:00

Day Three Hundred Twelve, John 11

As I've been blogging through the New Testament thus far, I've really noticed the theme of Jesus being sufficient. He is the One that we need, indeed He is the only One who can meet our needs. I can't think of any passage of scripture that portrays that more than the passage in today's reading.

Today we see the story of when Jesus' friend Lazarus becomes ill. But when He receives word that Lazarus is sick, Jesus doesn't immediately go to heal Lazarus. Instead, He seems to purposely wait a few days before heading to Bethany.

By the time Jesus gets there, it seems to be too late. Lazarus has been dead four days. All hope seems to be gone, as each of Lazarus' sisters, when given the opportunity to talk to the Lord, says to Him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Indeed, the entire scene moves even Jesus to tears.

However, we can discern a tiny bit of hope and faith in Martha's words to the Lord. She says, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." When Jesus tells her Lazarus will rise again, she says, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

But Jesus has something else in mind as He boldly declares, "I am the resurrection and the life."

And then He proves it, by raising Lazarus from the dead.

Praise God that He is the reason we are living, and that whoever lives and believes in Him will never die!