Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Too Familiar



But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."
--Mark 6:4  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 30, 2013 of Psalm 81; Mark 6:1-29; Judges 9.

Jesus had been traveling about the region of Galilee, preaching and teaching and healing the masses, and had now returned to his hometown of Nazareth.  As He normally did in His travels, Jesus began teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath.  But this time a stir arose as the people slowly recognized this Man addressing them.  They were astonished, but not in a good way.  "Isn't this the carpenter", they asked, "the Son of Joseph and Mary?  Don't we know personally His brothers and sisters?"  (Please see verses 2 and 3.)  Because they knew Jesus and His family and His background, they were unable to believe He was anything more than a simple carpenter, trying perhaps to seem more than He really is.  Because of their disbelief, Jesus "could do no mighty work there" other than to heal a few that were ill (verses 5 and 6).

There's an old saying that familiarity breeds contempt.  Sadly, there is much truth in this statement.  The more familiar we become with someone or something, the more of their faults we see.  As we spend more time with someone, we can see all their warts and scars and blemishes.  If we watch them grow from childhood, we may fail to see the adult they've become.  The longer we know someone, the easier it is to think we know everything about them, having seen all their antics, all their mistakes, all their indiscretions, all their trials and tribulations.  And it just seems human nature that we are more likely to remember anything bad about a person than anything good.  This is what Jesus experienced when He returned to Nazareth, this prejudice born of familiarity.  The people described Him as just a carpenter because that was how they last knew Him, a carpenter and the Son of a carpenter, His (earthly) father Joseph.  They did not know what Jesus had become, they did not know that He had stepped into His intended profession and inheritance of His true Father in heaven.

Many preachers and lay leaders face similar situations, where they are not accepted in their home churches for what they have become.  Because they grew up there or the members knew them before they came into their calling, the congregations have trouble recognizing that they are not who they once were, that God has called them and anointed them to their new life serving Christ.  God has forgiven them any sin they may have committed before, but the people of the church seem to have a little trouble letting go of that past.  Because of this disbelief, they cannot be effective in their home church.  When the opportunity presents itself, we must put aside any prejudices we hold for a person because we knew them when, and only look at who they are now.  Amen.

Gracious Father, You can work a miracle in a person's heart and change them from what they were to what You intended for them to be.  You can take the worst of us and make us Your truest servant.  Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to look by a person's past to see what they have become through Your loving kindness and mercy.  Forgive us when we allow our personal prejudices to blind us to one You called standing before us.  Help us realize the true potential in one touched by Christ.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Monday, April 29, 2013

To God the Glory



And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'"
--Judges 7:2  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 29, 2013 of Psalm 80; Mark 5:21-43; Judges 7-8.

The Midianites, their current oppressors, encamped against the children of Israel were "as numerous as locusts, and their camels were without number" (please see verse 12).  We learn later that the combined armies of Midian and her allies the Amalekites numbered over 120,000 men, for that many fell during the battle, many to their own swords in the confusion (see verse 10 in chapter 8).  To combat this huge force, Gideon had amassed only 32,000 men of arms (verse 3), a small band by comparison, from among his tribe, the Abiezrites (chapter 6 verse 34), and from the houses of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali (chapter 6 verse 35).  Gideon had 32,000 fighters to face off against around 135,000.  Most sane commanders would not even consider going into open battle against such overwhelming odds.  But God said, "Gideon, you have too many men.  Send some home."  After whittling down his force to a mere 300 men, God said, "That will do, Gideon."  And indeed it did.  300 men, split into three companies, each armed with only a trumpet and a torch, put 135,000 veteran soldiers to rout.  That, and the hand of God.  The odds were actually 301 to 135,000, and that extra "1" made all the difference in the world.

This tale seems highly implausible, if not downright impossible.  There is simply no way for 300 men to defeat over 100,000 in open warfare.  And that is certainly true if man were left to his own devices, if it was simply a battle of man against man.  If that had been the case, Gideon's laughable band of 300 would have been cut to shreds within seconds of making their presence known.  His original force of 32,000 would have fared little better in mortal combat.  Put succinctly, Israel could not have prevailed against the vastly superior Midian army.  And this is exactly what God wanted, these are the odds He sought.  He wanted no way, after the battle, for man to look at the outcome and think his own strength won the fight.  This scene is reflected in what the Lord told an afflicted Paul, saying, "My strength is made perfect in weakness."  (Please see 2 Corinthians 12:9.)  If God had allowed Gideon to take 32,000 men into the battle and they had won (only possible with His help), they could have easily boasted and said this great victory had been accomplished by their own hand, giving God no credit and thus hurting themselves spiritually.  So God made sure they would understand whose hand won the fight.  Their weakness in numbers showed God's strength perfectly.

God asks only faith of us, and He will move mountains for us.  But we need to recognize exactly whose hand is clearing the way.  Alone, left to our own resources, we can accomplish very little, and what we do manage to make happen is too easily undone over time.  But God can accomplish great and miraculous feats for us, making that which can last for eternity.  Simply believe and trust in the Lord and be thankful, and He will overcome impossible odds for us.  Amen.

Almighty God, we stand in awe of Your great strength and power!  May our faith never waver, our trust remain true, with the sure knowledge that by Your hand we can overcome any obstacle and defeat any enemy.  Thank You, Lord, for being so very strong when we are so very weak.  In the beautiful name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Forgive and Forget



Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us!  Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low.
--Psalm 79:8  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 28, 2013 of Psalm 79; Mark 5:1-20; Judges 5-6.

Asaph opens Psalm 79 by recalling the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylonian forces that occurred almost 600 years before the birth of Christ, according to Biblical scholars (please see 2 Kings 25:8-10).  As in many times before and after this incident, God had punished the children of Israel for their arrogance, for turning their backs on Him and worshiping other gods.  This time it was the Babylonians who took them captive that the psalmist sings about.  Asaph pleads with God, asking, "How long will You be angry?  Will Your jealousy burn us like fire?"  (Please see verse 5.)  He begs God to destroy those nations that don't know Him, that don't call upon His name (verse 6), but appeals to God's mercy for Israel's sake (verses 8 and 9) and for His honor and name among the nations (verse 10).

"Do not remember former iniquities against us!", Asaph cries.  The reason the house of Jacob endured captivity so often was their repeated practice of idolatry and worshiping false gods.  The Lord warned the people many times through Moses that He is a jealous God and would not look kindly upon them for bowing down to and serving other gods, even "visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations" (please see Exodus 20:3-6).  This is what Asaph begs God to forgive, the iniquities of their forefathers.  Even if the current generation had not engaged in idolatry, God might still extend the punishment to them earned by the sins of their fathers' fathers' fathers.  So Asaph prays that God please forgive them for the sins their forefathers committed, to please forget the sins of their fathers.

But then, as if answering Asaph's plea, God had mercy on mankind and sent His only Son into the world.  Jesus shed every ounce of His precious blood for us that we might be washed clean of our sins, able to stand spotless before God.  The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah both foresaw that God would relent and have mercy, that through His goodness and grace our sins will not only be forgiven, but no longer even be remembered (please see Isaiah 43:25 and Jeremiah 31:34).  But it all begins with Jesus and His great sacrifice, as the author of the book of Hebrews reminds us, just before quoting Jeremiah (please see Hebrews 10:1-18).  Believe in Jesus, be thankful for the offering He made on our behalf, and accept His gift of eternal life with Him.  Your sins will be forgiven and forgotten, once and for all.  Amen.

God of grace and mercy, thank You for not holding the sins of our ancestors against us.  Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to redeem us from sin, to wash our sin away with His shed blood, so that we can stand spotless before You.  Thank You for forgiving us and for purposely forgetting our sins as You forgive them, as if we had never committed them.  Thank You, Lord of all.  In the wonderful name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Here Comes the Judge



Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up!  For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand.  Has not the Lord gone out before you?"  So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
--Judges 4:14  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 27, 2013 of Psalm 78:65-72; Mark 4:21-41; Judges 3-4.

The early history of the children of Israel was cyclic as regards their faith in and obedience to God.  This was especially true during what we know as the period of judges, as recorded in the Old Testament book of Judges.  The house of Jacob obeys and serves the Lord and all is good, but then it falls into sin and idol worship.  God is enraged and strengthens another nation against them that enslaves Israel.  The people cry out to God in their misery and He takes pity.  God raises up a judge, a military and civil leader during this period, who delivers Israel from its oppressor.  Then the house of Jacob obeys and serves the Lord and all is good.  And the cycle continues and repeats over and over.

Today's focus verse centers on the only duo listed as among the judges: Deborah and Barak.  They served after Shamgar (who only had a single verse recording his deed (please see Judges 3:31)) and before Gideon.  Deborah was a prophetess and the civil leader of the pair, judging the people in the mountains of Ephraim.  Barak hailed from the house of Naphtali and was the military leader, chosen to lead the ten thousand armed men from the houses of Naphtali and Zebulun against Sisera, the commander of the army of Jabin, the king of the Canaanites.  At this point, the children of Israel suffered under Jabin for twenty years.  They cried out to God, who raised up Deborah and Barak to deliver them from this captivity.  When Barak took his forces into battle, Jabin's army was defeated, Sisera was killed, and the house of Jacob was once again freed.

There are two thoughts we can take to heart from this lesson in Judges.  The first is that our Lord already has the details of our life planned out and executed.  We just have to get up and make it happen.  Notice what Deborah said to Barak:  "Get up!  This is the day that the Lord has delivered Sisera to you."  It's already happened!  In God's time frame, the battle has already been fought and won.  Barak and his men just have to go through the motions to seal the deal.  This isn't to say that they could just stand by and watch.  They had a bloody battle to fight, but the outcome was already assured.  The same holds true for us.  Jesus has already defeated Satan and his army and cast them into the lake of fire.  We just have to go through the motions of each day, fighting our own personal battles, all the while following Jesus until we are with Him at last.  Victory is already assured, a victory we will share with our Lord.

The second lesson we can learn is that we do not have to follow the same pattern Israel lived.  We don't need to keep repeating this cycle of sin and redemption.  God raised Jesus up as the ultimate Judge, to deliver us from our captivity to sin once and for all time.  All we have to do is believe and follow Him.  The time to break the cycle is now.  The battle is won.  Victory is ours.  Amen.

Mightiest God, forgive us for living cycles of belief and obedience followed by periods of doubt and denial.  Help us break this cycle by Your blessed promise of our great victory to come and by the blood of the Spotless Lamb shed for us.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Pulling Weeds



"And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop."
--Mark 4:7  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 26, 2013 of Psalm 78:56-64; Mark 4:1-20; Judges 1-2.

Jesus often taught using parables: symbolic stories that illustrate a moral or spiritual truth with everyday objects and experiences.  As He explained to His disciples (please see verse 11), while the mysteries of God were slowly being given to them to understand, this was all new to the majority of the people.  They needed some way to relate things they knew with these new things they didn't know.  Jesus used common items and daily occurrences that the people would be familiar with to teach them about the kingdom of God.  This practice of using the known to relate to the unknown, comparing the familiar with that is to be learned, is employed by savvy instructors to this day.

In this parable, Jesus explains how the word of God is scattered about but may be received differently and may have a greater, more positive impact on some than on others (verse 14).  Mark doesn't tell us whether the people in the general audience understood the lesson, implying the main throng left after hearing the parable (verse 10), but he does make it clear that the disciples and others with Jesus at that point did not quite get it (verse 10 again), so He had to explain.

Just as some of the seed fell by the wayside and was eaten by birds (verse 4), the word may be heard by some people but Satan interferes and takes away the power of the word before it can sink in (verse 15).  Likewise, where some of the seed fell on rocky ground with little soil and sprang up quickly but withered in the sun just as quickly (verses 5 and 6), the word may be heard and quickly accepted by some but because they have little or no spiritual foundation the word soon dies within them when adversity strikes (verses 16 and 17).  Of course the seed can fall on good, fertile ground and grow slowly, establishing a strong root system, sprouting into maturity and bearing much crop (verse 8).  This is the word that falls on those who will hear it and accept it fully (verse 20).  It enters their heart and takes root and grows.  They nourish the word and it matures, bearing great and wondrous fruit.

But there is one other possibility Jesus gave where the seed may not survive.  It may fall among the thorns when sown (verse 7).  As it tries to grow, the thorny weeds are growing also, and we all know how hearty weeds are.  They will choke out and kill the good plant if they are not plucked out of the ground by their roots.  This seed is the word of God that falls on those who may hear it and want to accept it, but they become distracted by the world, lured by its riches, tempted by its desires (verses 18 and 19).  The trappings of the world enter in and slowly choke the word, pushing it out of their heart.

This last example is what we must be especially careful to avoid, we who try to follow Christ.  We have heard the word and accepted it just as we accepted Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Master.  But Satan is a mighty tempter.  He uses the world and all its pleasures, the flesh and all its desires, all the thorny plants of a carnal life, to choke off the word and lure us away from Christ our Savior.  Just as weeds must be plucked from the garden if it is to prosper, we must consciously pull all the distractions, desires, and lusts from our lives so that the word can grow, mature, flourish, and bear great fruit.  So let's get busy pulling weeds.  Amen.

Great and gracious Jesus, thank You for being so patient with us and explaining the mysteries of the kingdom of God to us in a way we can understand, using both illustrations and plain words.  When studying God's word, may we not fail to understand what we read.  May we hear it, accept it, nourish it, and allow it to flourish within us so we can share it with others and expand Your kingdom.  In Your glorious name, O Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Our Family



And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."
--Mark 3:34-35  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 25, 2013 of Psalm 78:40-55; Mark 3:13-35; Joshua 22:21-24.

Yet again a large throng gathered in and around the house where Jesus was staying; so many, Mark relates, "that they could not so much as eat bread" (verse 20).  The twelve disciples had been chosen and appointed by name, those that Jesus wanted to follow Him, that He would send out to preach and heal and cast out demons (verses 13 through 19).  Jesus had just finished rebuking the scribes who came from Jerusalem with His parable of a house divided against itself because they had said He had the devil within Him (verses 22 through 30).  And now, with His disciples clustered around Him and the multitude seeking Him filling every available space in and outside the house, a message is passed to Jesus that his mother and brothers are outside calling to Him and wishing to see Him.  Rather than get up and try to force His way out to them or have them brought through the crowd to Him, Jesus sits still and poses a question that must have puzzled all who heard.  "Who is My mother and My brothers?" (verse 33b), He asks.  Spreading His arms wide and indicating everyone nearby and beyond His reach, the Lord answers His own question: "Here are My mother and My brothers!"  Jesus states that anyone and everyone who does the will of God, His Father, is indeed His mother and sister and brother.  With these words, Jesus expressed that He felt closer to those who belong to God's family than His natural, earthly family.

We love our immediate family, our close relatives.  Even if there is one we don't especially like or want to be with all that much, we still love them because, after all, they're our brother or sister or aunt or whatever.  The point is, we love our family because they are our family.  But now Jesus is saying that once we have chosen to follow Him, our true family is composed of all of those who do God's will.  He even puts this new family ahead of the one we've known and loved all our life!  This goes in keeping with the new commandment He gives us, that we love one another (please see John 13:34).  The Apostle John echoes this when he says, "if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (please see 1 John 4:11).  And the Apostle Peter puts is all together when he instructs that we, "having compassion for one another", should "love as brothers" (please see 1 Peter 3:8).

We should look at the folks around us each day.  Jesus commands us to love everyone we see just as much as we love ourselves, just as He loves us.  But He gives an ever so slightly greater emphasis to those who are doing God's will.  Those around us, whether in church or the corner store, who are striving with all their being to follow Jesus and do as God wills them, these are our true brothers and sisters, in Christ.  Love them even more.  Amen.

Loving Father, thank You for adopting us into Your great family!  Help us always remember that just as Jesus is our Brother by Your goodness and grace, all those who strive to do as You will them are also our brothers and sisters in Christ.  May we always serve them and love them more even than ourselves.  In the dearest name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Promises, Promises



So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.  The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers.  And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.  Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel.  All came to pass.
--Joshua 21:43-45  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 24, 2013 of Psalm 78:32-39; Mark 2:23-3:12; Joshua 21-22:20.

The work is done, at least for now.  Over forty years have gone by since the house of Jacob escaped captivity in Egypt by the mighty hand of God and now they have a land of their own, the inheritance promised to Abraham for his descendants (please see Genesis 17:8).  Many, if not the majority, of the children of Israel now moving into their new home never knew captivity, having been born during the exodus from Egypt and the extended sojourn in the wilderness.  Even they, though, would have been taught of the history of Israel: of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Jacob and Joseph, of all the hardships the people endured under Pharaoh, of how God led them and saw to their needs in the wilds.  Moses would have seen to that.  All the people would understand that God had kept His covenant with their forefathers and fulfilled His promise of giving them possession of this beautiful, rich land.  And for now they can rest, for now they are at peace.  None of their enemies, those that inhabited the land previously, stand against them now.  Some have been incorporated as servants to the people, most have been obliterated from the face of the earth.  Yes, there is still some land yet to be possessed, some enemies yet to be conquered, but it is God's plan that the final stages of conquest be completed little by little, for their safety's sake (please see Deuteronomy 7:22).  For now, though, the people can rest, for everything has come to pass as the Lord promised.

Just as God was true to His word and kept His end of His covenant with Abraham and provided everything He promised for the children of Israel, so will He fully honor the covenant He made to us through Jesus Christ His Son.  Our end of the deal is pretty simple.  All we have to do is believe in Jesus as the Son of God and accept Him as our Savior.  That acceptance fills us with a willingness to follow His way, to obey God's word, to love one another.  But Jesus did all the work, He paid the great price for our redemption.  Through His sacrifice we are allowed to escape the captivity of sin.  By His life we are led through the wilderness of this world and the snares of Satan's temptations.  By His resurrection and ascension to His Father's side we are given possession of a new and wondrous land in heaven.  We can be at rest, for all that He has promised us will come to pass.  Not a word will fail of any good and glorious thing which the Lord has spoken to us.  Praise the Lord!  Amen.

Glorious and almighty Father, by Your grace and power the children of Israel were led out of captivity, through the wilds, and into a wonderful land they could only have dreamed of.  By the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Savior, we can be led from captivity to sin, through the wastelands of Satan, and into the most beautiful land of heaven, a glory beyond our greatest imaginings.  Thank You, heavenly Father, for Your grace which we could never merit or deserve!  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your selfless sacrifice on our behalf!  In Your name, Christ Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Break This Circle



Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel, because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation.
--Psalm 78:21-22  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 23, 2013 of Psalm 78:17-31; Mark 2:1-22; Joshua 19:10-20.

Asaph sings a song of history in Psalm 78, the history of the Jewish people, and specifically of their disobedience to God.  The children of Israel lived cycles of unfaithfulness followed by God turning His back on them or punishing them, followed by their repentance and trusting God once again and Him smiling on them and life becomes all good.  Then they take God for granted or doubt Him and are unfaithful and the circle continues around and around.  Asaph urges his listeners to break this cycle and uses this Psalm as a warning to the younger generation and those to come.  He does not want them to continue walking blindly along this circular path, so he asks them to remember how good God was to their forefathers, how He provided for their every need and led them during significant periods in their history, how they repaid God with grumblings, ingratitude, unfaithfulness, and even open rebellion, and how God punished them.  Asaph cautions this must stop.  And he says all this with song; a pretty amazing feat.

Today's focus verses are centered in the recalling of certain events following the people's exodus from Egypt and while they lingered in the wilderness.  At this point in Asaph's musical narrative, the people grumbled that they had no water, so God provided springs from the rocks (please see verses 15 through 16 and 20).  Then they complained that they had no food to eat and would starve in the desert, so God opened His cupboard and provided manna from heaven, the food of angels (verses 20 and 23 through 25).  Still not satisfied with just bread, they groused that they had no meat, so God caused the winds to blow and carry in flocks of quail, more birds than could be counted and all falling right nearby the people's tent doors (verses 20 and 26 through 29).  Through it all the ungrateful people complained; nothing God so graciously provided was good enough for them.  Furthermore, they simply did not trust in His ability to provide for them in the wilderness.  This made God absolutely furious!  Our psalmist draws from the words of Moses when he described God's wrath saying, "So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp."  (Please see Numbers 11:1.)  The people paid a price because they did not fully believe in God.

Every now and then we come across someone whose personal history echoes that of the children of Israel.  They are unfaithful, hard times befall them, they seek God and repent, God showers them with mercy and good times return, they are unfaithful.  Over and over this cycle repeats in their lives.  An endless loop with no way out.  A life with no true hope.  God doesn't want this for us, just as He didn't want it for His chosen people.  That's why He inspired Asaph to write this Psalm, to warn us to break this vicious cycle, to snap this deadly ring.  That's why He sacrificed His own Son, to atone for our sins so we could be free of hopelessly repeating a failed history.  We need only believe in God, believe in Jesus and trust in the salvation He offers.  Believe and trust, and be saved.  Amen.

Gracious God of all creation, may we never forget all the goodness You have poured over us.  May we always remember how You provide for us in our need, how You comfort us in our grief, how You lead us through the darkest night.  And most of all, may we always cherish the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb for our sake.  We have faith in Your provision, we trust in Your salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.  In that sweetest of names, Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Jesus is Willing



Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."
--Mark 1:40  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 22, 2013 of Psalm 78:9-16; Mark 1:21-45; Joshua 17-19:9.

Jesus had begun His ministry in Galilee, going from town to town with Simon, Andrew, John, and James, teaching in synagogues, casting out demons, and healing the sick.  He spoke with such mastery that people wondered, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  (Please see verse 27.)  His name and reputation quickly spread throughout the region around Galilee.  After healing Simon's mother-in-law, Mark relates that the entire city came to the door of Simon's house, all those who were sick and demon-possessed, all came to be healed and made whole (verses 32 through 34).

The next morning as Jesus and His disciples walked along to the next town, a man with leprosy approached them.  Now lepers were considered unclean and treated as outcasts to a degree by Jewish law.  A good Jew
would go out of their way to avoid contact with a leper, lest they also become unclean, so a leper would generally stay away from others.  So the disease was as emotionally painful as physically debilitating.  But this man approached Jesus and His companions, actually "came to Him", Mark tells us.  Why did he make such an audacious move?  Perhaps he had seen Jesus in action somewhere, likely standing off to the side as Jesus healed others.  Maybe someone pointed Him out, saying, "There is the One who heals."  Or it could be that the Holy Spirit reached out to him and showed him the Lord.  We may never know the reason why this man felt compelled to break with social conformity and come face to face with Jesus.  But what we can be absolutely sure of is that this poor leper knew without a doubt, with every ounce of his being, with complete assurance, that Jesus had the power, the ability, the authority to heal him of this disease that kept him separated from his people.  "If You are willing", he declares.  It isn't a matter of whether Jesus can heal him or not, only whether He is willing to heal him or not!  The leper shows his full faith in Jesus by his absolute certainty of Jesus' power to make him clean.  Jesus recognized this faith, felt compassion, and healed him.

Just as He did for this leper, Jesus rewards our faith, if not in this life then in the next.  If we have faith in our Lord's power, He will cleanse us of our sins and make us whole.  Jesus didn't want His ministry to only be about healing the body (see verse 44), rather He offers to heal our soul.  If we have faith that He can wash us clean of our sins so that we might face God the Father in His presence, then He is willing to stand by our side on that day of judgement and claim us as His own.  Trust in Jesus, for He can make us clean.  Amen.

O great Healer, we know You are more than capable of making us clean.  You have the power and the authority to heal the ill, make the infirm whole, and free us of the evil within us.  We ask in our faith that You be willing to cleanse us of our sins that we might be reunited with God our Father.  In Your wonderful name, Lord Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Goin' Fishin'



Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men."
--Mark 1:17  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 21, 2013 of Psalm 78:1-8; Mark 1:1-20; Joshua 15:13-16.

The evangelist Mark provides us with the briefest of the Gospel records, both in the number of verses and the number of words (the actual counts vary by versions compared).  Because Mark wrote primarily to the Gentiles, and more specifically to the Romans, he did not include any of Jesus' early life or background, nor some of the references to Jewish holidays or observances.  This was likely out of concern that a recounting of Jewish childhood life and habits could detract from the message for the Gentiles at worst, or just be of no interest to them at best.  So Mark opens with Jesus as an adult, just as He goes to be baptized by his relative, John the Baptist.  Arguably one of the most beautiful declarations in the Bible is attributed to God from heaven when Jesus hears the words, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.", as He rises from the waters of the Jordan (please see verse 11).  Mark gives us our picture of Jesus as a servant, focusing more on what Christ did rather than what He said.  Of the four Gospels, Mark's is more the book of action.

After His baptism, His temptation by Satan in the wilderness, and the arrest of John the Baptist (verses 9 through  14), Jesus entered the region around Galilee and began His ministry, preaching the good news of God and the kingdom of heaven, beseeching people to believe and repent.  One day while walking along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus came upon brothers Simon and Andrew.  (We know Simon better as Peter, the new name Christ gave him a little later.)  The brothers were working fishermen, throwing their net into the sea and pulling it back in to catch fish.  We have no indication if they knew the man approaching them, or whether they'd even heard of Him yet, but when Jesus said the simple words, "Follow Me", they did so without hesitation.  Jesus added, "I will make you become fishers of men."  Now these two brothers were fishermen, they had their nets in their hands.  Back then, fishermen used nets to catch fish.  But Mark tells us that when Jesus uttered these words, Simon and Andrew "immediately left their nets and followed Him." (verse 18).  They put down the tools of their trade, abandoned their livelihood, and stopped fishing for fish to become fishers of men.  No nets required.  Just a short distance farther on, they came across brothers James and John, also fishermen, sitting in their boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets.  Jesus made them the same offer and just as Simon and Andrew, John and James also dropped everything, left their Dad sitting there by himself, and followed Jesus.

This is discipleship in the truest sense.  Simon, Andrew, John, and James gave up everything to follow Jesus.  They walked away from all that had been their entire life from birth to that very point.  As near as we can tell from Mark's account, they didn't even take the time to pack a change of clothes.  They must have felt a sense of urgency, a great compelling draw to this Jesus of Nazareth.  They left everything behind, everything they had and all the life they knew, to follow Jesus and learn from Him and participate in His ministry.  What have we given up?  Jesus summons each of us to follow Him.  Do we drop everything to do so?  Do we feel the urgency of His call?  Have we allowed Him to make us become fishers of men, drawing in a greater catch for the kingdom of God?  Follow Jesus and He will use us.  Amen.

Dearest Lord Jesus, forgive us when we just can't let go of all the pieces of our former life, when we fail to follow the example of Simon, Andrew, John, and James.  You have promised to make us fishers of men if we just follow You.  And we try, Lord, we want to, but we just can't seem to drop everything, leave it all behind.  Help us, please Lord, to acknowledge and act on the urgency of Your command to preach the Gospel to all the world.  Help us not to sit back awaiting Your second coming but to actively seek those who do not know You and teach them all about You.  Make us fishers of men, O Lord.  In Your sweet name, Christ Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

There's More To Do



Now Joshua was old, advanced in years.  And the Lord said to him, "You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed."
--Joshua 13:1  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 20, 2013 of Psalm 77:10-20; Romans 16; Joshua 13-15:12.

Joshua was very likely born in Egypt during the Israelis' captivity there, and may have even served in Pharaoh's army at one time.  He was an accomplished military commander, quite capable of leading the people's forces against the Amalekites, a fight that occurred not long after leaving Egypt (please reference Exodus 17:8-16).  Joshua would have been at least forty-five at that time, about the right age and with sufficient experience to command an army.  Around thirty-eight or so years later, Joshua  led the nation of Israel across the Jordan and into the Promised Land.  As God commanded, their fighting men, under Joshua's leadership, began cleaning house and taking the land, town by town and kingdom by kingdom.  Scripture records for us that by the time of today's focus verse, the people had conquered 31 kings and had taken control of their lands and their possessions.  At this point, Joshua would have been somewhere between ninety and a hundred years old.  Advanced in years indeed!

I'm willing to bet Joshua didn't really need for God to tell him that he was old.  He probably felt it in his bones.  Even just leading an army at that age would wear a man down (if a normal man could manage that feat).  Add the burden of seeing to the needs of an entire nation, still mostly on the move, and it's a wonder the man could stand up in the morning after his night's sleep.  And if it wasn't bad enough that God reminded him of his advanced years, He had to add in, "You've still got a lot of work to do."  From the sound of it, Joshua wouldn't be getting any rest anytime soon.  But God wasn't being cruel; kind of just the opposite.  God was assuring Joshua that although his years might be advanced, he was still very much needed and had unfinished business to tend to before his time to pass from this life would come.  Old age would not stop him - God would see to that.  He would not grow weary just yet, for God would see him through to the successful completion of his assigned task.

This is actually a comforting verse for those of us on the downhill side of life's mountain, those who have seen more years (maybe many more years) pass by than we have remaining.  Even though the years may have really piled up behind us, our Lord still has work for us to do.  We may not know exactly what that task is.  It may be as simple as keep on witnessing to Christ and spreading the Gospel, or it could be far more specific, such as being ordained and baptizing a baby that will grow into a righteous person and fervent follower of Jesus.  It doesn't matter the task.  It is important to God and He will be with us until we have successfully completed it.  And then, when He takes us home, He will welcome us as good and faithful servants.  We may be old, some of us, but we're not done yet.  Amen.

Omniscient God, You know exactly when we will take our last breath on this earth, and You give us meaning in all the days we have by giving us jobs to do, tasks to be completed.  Thank You for making our days useful and for staying at our side until our work here is done.  May all our efforts serve to further expand Your kingdom and bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ our Lord and You our Father.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Cry Out to God



I cried out to God with my voice -- to God with my voice; and He gave ear to me.
--Psalm 77:1  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 19, 2013 of Psalm 77:1-9; Romans 15:14-33; Joshua 10:29-12.

Asaph sings of felt anguish, an evocative song that paints a picture of pain and dismay.  He seeks out the Lord, reaching out his hand continually, without rest.  The agony he feels is like his eyelids being held open - think of how miserable that would be!  As his soul searches for God he questions whether the Lord still cares, whether He has turned his back, if He is withholding His grace, if He has completely shut off His mercies.  Asaph is so troubled and filled with woe he cannot speak words out loud.  So he parts his lips and screams.  He gives voice to all his agony and anger, his fear and dread, his anguish and misery.  A great primal shout erupts from the depth of his soul and explodes out his mouth...  And God hears.

If this were a television show, text would have appeared across the screen reading, "This has been a dramatization."  The above is not exactly how Asaph phrased the lyrics to his Psalm, but could quite possibly be implied.  This scenario is what the song describes was playing out in his life when Asaph composed this song.  And he wasn't just repeating himself when he doubled the phrase, "to God with my voice"; it isn't a misprint.  No, this is an indication of urgency.  It shows just how much pain he was in, how much hurt he felt to his very soul.  It had gotten to be more than Asaph could take.  He had been smacked around so much there was nothing left but to cry out to God.  And God heard his cry.  Asaph seems to calm down as he remembers how God led His people out of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the Promised Land.

We all experience a time like this, at some point in our life, when we are so troubled we can't even think straight.  We try to struggle through it, fighting and losing, standing ground as long as we can but then falling back before the onslaught.  Life just beats us down and we have nowhere left to turn.  Everything feels so utterly hopeless.  Our friends seem to abandon us; our loved ones can offer no useful help.  We question how a merciful God could allow this to happen, could let it go on for so long, wondering what we ever did to deserve such punishment!  The anguish and dismay wells up within us until it just bursts forth with a shout of, "God!  Please help me!"  And our Lord hears.  Remember His faithfulness.  Remember His promises and how He has kept them all.  Remember His love, so great that He would Himself suffer and die for us.  The pain we feel today is but a vapor in the wind.  The pleasure and joy we will have once we're with our Lord in heaven will be for eternity.  Thank You, Jesus!  Amen.

Merciful Father, blessed Jesus, thank You for hearing our cry in the dark.  Thank You for being there when we reach out to You for help.  Thank You for comforting us and calming the anguish of our soul.  Forgive us when we doubt You and Your exceeding mercy.  We know it is only by Your wonderful grace that we can be saved.  Thank You, Lord Jesus.  In Your name, Christ Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Those Old Scriptures



For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
--Romans 15:4  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 18, 2013 of Psalm 76; Romans 14:19-15:13; Joshua 8:30-10:28.

Many people feel the Old Testament to be irrelevant to the Christian, that it pertains more to the Jewish faith.  At best, they think it serves only as a history lesson, a somewhat violent back-story leading up to the real reason for the Bible: Jesus and His new covenant with mankind.  But the Old Testament is indeed relevant; it foreshadows Jesus, it predicts Jesus, it paints a picture of Jesus.  We can see our Christ described quite clearly and with much detail, as we have discussed in our previous studies.

Paul recognizes and affirms the value of what we refer to as the Old Testament.  The New Testament didn't even exist in anything close to its current form in Paul's time.  In fact, he was writing a big chunk of it right then.  So what Paul refers to as the "Scriptures" comes straight out of our Old Testament, including the Psalms and Proverbs.  After all, Paul was very fluent in the Old Testament and referred to the old scripture often in his preaching and his teaching.  Remember that as Saul, he was a Pharisee who had studied under the renowned teacher Gamaliel.  Paul knew the old Scriptures well and quoted from them all the time, as did Jesus Himself.  Even though his primary audience now was the Gentile people, Paul used the writings held sacred by the Jews to give validity to Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah, the Christ.

In this section of his writings to the church in Rome, Paul has been telling us how we should relate with other believers.  As we studied earlier, we should not judge one another, especially over minor issues or those instances where what is right and what is wrong may not be clear and easy to distinguish.  And we should not hinder one another, not place stumbling blocks in other believers' path or cause them to trip up in their walk of faith.  Those are the things we should not do when dealing with fellow Christians.  But now Paul tells us what we should do: we should imitate Christ.  He begins this discussion by providing evidence of why his ministry is focused on and to the Gentiles.  This evidence comes straight from the "things written before".  Paul cites numerous Old Testament references to confirm his God-given authority and responsibility to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.  He quotes from the Scriptures in the Psalms, the second book of Samuel, Deuteronomy, and the great prophet Isaiah.  Paul values these old writings, and here shows justification through them for his ministry to all Gentiles.  That includes me, and very likely you reading this.

Paul uses the Scriptures of the Old Testament to justify his ministry, and the example of Jesus Christ to explain why he carries out that ministry without personal restrictions, even if man's authority tries to limit his abilities to do so.  Which authority do we obey: man's, or God's as given in the Scriptures?  These Words are provided by God for our learning, to give us patience and comfort in troubling times, to fill us with hope in what often seems a hopeless world.  Take comfort, take hope.  Amen.

God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, sometimes we look at Your words from the Old Testament as little more than ancient history, not something we can readily apply to our daily lives.  Help us see and understand their true value, please Lord.  Show us how those old writings can bring renewed hope in the promise Jesus gives us.  May we learn from them of the Jesus we call Christ, the Jesus we call Brother and Friend.  In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Resolve This



So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.  Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
--Romans 14:12-13  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 17, 2013 of Psalm 75; Romans 14:1-18; Joshua 6:20-8:29.

Paul uses chapter fourteen of this letter to instruct the church in Rome, and all of us who read it, of how Christians should act toward one another in areas where proper conduct might be debatable, in those grey areas where right and wrong may not be so easily discerned.  He cautions that we should not judge one another in such matters between Christians, because God has accepted us all through Jesus Christ, both those who may be weaker in their faith and those stronger.  Because of this acceptance, we can hold differing opinions in good conscience; we can agree to disagree, but we should disagree amicably, remembering always that we are to love one another (please reference John 13:34).

Today's focus verses point out clearly why we should be careful in how we deal with and treat others, how we handle our relationships with one another.  Each of us will have to some day answer to God for our actions and for those times we failed to act.  We will answer to God Almighty, not to man.  We may at some point have to answer to man concerning the laws of man, but we will definitely answer to the Creator of all things for how we followed and obeyed Jesus Christ His Son.  Since God will be judge of us all, we should not stand in judgement of others.  This truth is also provided in another verse of today's scripture reading when Asaph relates that God declares, "When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly."  (Please see Psalm 75:2.)  Where we might judge others unequally, showing or withholding favor because of our own preferences or biases, God will judge each of us equitably, uprightly, on the merits of each individual case.  Jesus Himself tells us, "Judge not, that you not be judged."  (Please reference Matthew 7:1.)  He warns that we will be judged in the same way we judge others, that we will be held up to the same scrutiny and standards we hold others to.  Few of us could pass all the tests we give others.

Along these lines, Paul instructs that we should do nothing to cause other folks to stumble or fall as they make their way through the tangles of a faith life.  We should do nothing to block them in their journey to righteousness.  He tells us to "resolve" not to do so, to make a conscious decision not to hold other believers back in their walk of faith or do anything to keep a non-believer from coming to Jesus.  Our harsh judgement of someone else could certainly trip them up and make them falter, but so could our not allowing them the same liberties we allow ourselves.  Paul tells us in the next verse that nothing from God is unclean in and of itself unless a person truly believes it to be unclean.  A person weaker in their faith may consider something a grave sin that a person of stronger faith might not, or the other way around.  Resolve not to trip each other up for these reasons.  Instead, love one another as Jesus loves us.  Amen.

Lord of all, thank You for all You have given us, and especially for the One in whom we put our faith, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Forgive us, Father, when we judge others.  Rather than raise ourselves above them, we lower ourselves in Your eyes.  Help us make a conscious effort of not sitting in judgement of our brothers and sisters nor of holding them to a different standard than we hold ourselves.  In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray.  Amen.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

What We Bring Into Our Lives



"And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take up the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it."
--Joshua 6:18  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 16, 2013 of Psalm 74:10-23; Romans 13; Joshua 4-6:19.

God gave Joshua the plan to take Jericho, the first city the children of Israel approached after crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land.  A wall surrounded Jericho and the residents took refuge behind that wall for fear of the Israelis, as their reputation was becoming known in the land.  The men of war of Israel were to walk around the city (the entire city only covered about nine acres, making for a relatively short hike) with the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant at their head and seven priests blowing trumpets leading the procession.  They did this for six days as instructed; one lap around the city each day, not saying a word, just marching to the sound of the trumpets.  On the seventh day they made seven trips around the city, and on the last lap the trumpets blew a long blast and all the men raised up a mighty shout.  The wall crumbled and fell and the army entered the city to take and destroy it as the Lord commanded.

Normally, when the armed men defeated an enemy, they would take prizes for themselves from the possessions of their fallen foes.  But Joshua cautioned the men to be careful not to take any spoils of war for themselves and carry them back to the camp.  God commanded that everything be destroyed, including all the inhabitants and animals, everything except for the gold and silver and any vessels made of bronze and iron, which were to be consecrated to the Lord and brought into His treasury.  Only Rahab the harlot and all with her - her family and their possessions - were to be spared the destruction, because she had hidden the two spies sent out earlier from the camp of Israel.  Joshua was very concerned that the men not take any "accursed things" as loot.  The entire city was to be dedicated and devoted to God, and destroyed as a sacrifice to Him as the first fruits of Canaan.  So in a way, everything in the city could be considered as belonging to God and forbidden from being taken as booty.  Taking something dedicated to God that He did not give permission to take would be accursed.  But another concern would be taking some object as personal treasure that had been used by the Canaanites in the worship of their gods.  Such an item would be especially accursed and abominable to God.  Bringing accursed objects into the camp could cause the entire people to be cursed.

This also serves as a warning to us today.  We must be careful not to bring objects into our "camp" that would displease God, that He might deem accursed.  We should not allow into our homes any symbols of false gods or anything that non-believers worship or revere, either used today or from the past.  We should not allow pornography, hateful material, or other objectionable media into our homes or entertainment time.  We should not allow hatred or lust into our hearts.  We should not allow anything into our lives that we might worship with our time and resources more than we worship God.  By bringing any accursed thing into our lives, we open the door wide for Satan to enter, and then we are cursed.  Help us, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Father God, we thank You for all the wonderful gifts You give us and all the things You make available for us, but please forgive us when we fail to dedicate all to You, when we take the spoils of life for our own.  Lord we seek Your special forgiveness when those things we hold dear are accursed in Your eyes.  Help us, Lord, not to covet things, not to give our time and energy to anything ahead of You.  We ask Your help and forgiveness in the name of Jesus our Christ.  Amen.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Overcoming Evil



Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
--Romans 12:21  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 15, 2013 of Psalm 74:1-9; Romans 12; Joshua 1-3.

Paul is addressing his fellow believers in Rome, compelling them to make an active and purposeful decision to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ, to put their righteousness into practice in this world in relation to others.  Today's verse concludes a sequence that deals with our relationships with those who do not believe in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior.

It may be somewhat natural to think that believers should separate ourselves as much as possible from non-believers so that we do not fall prey to their influence, are not corrupted by them to where our faith withers.  Paul himself tells us we must live in the world but should not be of the world (reference verse 2, among others).  In other words, we have no choice but to reside in this world, but we must not allow it to lure us away from the path Jesus laid for us to follow.  But if we try to fully isolate and insulate ourselves from the world hoping to keep evil away, how can we fulfill our commission to go into the world and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ (please reference Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19)?

Paul responds to this question in today's verse, offering at least four possible ways of looking at how the relationship can be addressed.  At first his short statement seems to be an admonition: don't succumb to evil, do good instead.  Don't fall prey to evil, don't allow ourselves to become victims of evil and possibly turning evil ourselves, but keep our faith strong and continue to serve God.  Flipping that around, serving God and others and doing good works provides a means for us to defeat evil around us and prevent it from entering our heart.  Both of these approaches focus more on using our righteousness as a shield against evil, to keep it away, to defend ourselves from it, but do not offer a way to change it.

Paul gave his all to help people change, to show them the truth of Jesus Christ that they might come to know Him as their personal Lord and Savior and become a new person as their heart changed.  He couldn't do that by isolating himself from the world, and neither can we.  No, Paul waded right into the thick of evilness to reach out to the people where they lived, and so must we.  Paul says that if we do good, if we maintain our faith in Christ and continue to serve others in the face of wickedness, then the wicked might notice and start paying attention.  Our outwardly visible goodness may lead to the repentance and redemption of the wicked.

Finally, we can view Paul's words as a warning.  A believer can and should affect an unbeliever in a positive manner, can and should leave a positive impression on them, can and should serve as a positive example of what Christ can do in a person's life.  Many of us can relate on equal terms because we ourselves were once unbelievers but by the grace of God were reborn in Jesus Christ.  But a non-believer can also have an impact on us, and a negative one at that.  They can be a bad influence on the believer, slowly drawing us toward the pleasures of the world and into the arms of wickedness.  We must not allow ourselves to be overcome by evil, but must instead overcome evil with the goodness and righteousness given us by the indwelling Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Lord Jesus, please help us stand strong in our battle against the evil of this world.  Help us not be overcome by the enemy, but to overcome the wicked with love and kindness.  Overflow us with Your great love so that we might display such wealth to others and fill them to overflowing as well.  Through our efforts, may Your word spread and bring others back to You.  In the glorious name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

My Strength and Portion Forever



Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.  You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.  My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
--Psalm 73:23-24,26  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 14, 2013 of Psalm 73:21-28; Romans 11:17-36; Deuteronomy 32:39-34.

Asaph, the author of twelve Psalms, including Psalm 73, is recorded as being an outstanding musician during King David's reign.  He was appointed as the minister of music in the temple, and his sons, listed in the book of Ezra among the Levites (please see Ezra 2:41), were also official musicians.  Music was obviously very important to him and writing psalms would have been a natural outlet for his talent.  For most of this psalm, Asaph has been lamenting the effects of evil, how the wicked almost made him stumble, and all the harm they do on earth with shockwaves reaching even to heaven.  He admits to his own weaknesses and failings.  But then he recognizes that even in all this madness, God is right there beside him through it all, holding his hand.

We need to follow Asaph's example more often.  In the midst of life's turmoil swirling all around us, we need to stop, take a deep breath, and realize we are not alone.  Even as wicked people exercise their God given free will wreaking harm and havoc in the lives of others, the Lord is standing at our side ready to take us by the hand and uphold us.  If we purpose ourselves to continually be with God, always seeking to be with Him, to follow Him and believe in His Son, He will remain by our side.  If we listen to and heed the Holy Spirit, He will guide us; we can follow and live by His counsel.  And then, when our earthly life is finished, our heavenly Father will warmly welcome us into His many-roomed mansion, redeemed by our faith, reconciled to the Father by the blood of Jesus Christ His Son.  After the tempest of this life on earth, eternal heavenly peace awaits.

God our Father, as evidenced by the words of Asaph, knows and understands that we humans are weak, our flesh and our heart may surely fail us.  Only Jesus as the Son of Man could completely resist Satan's temptations.  We are subject to falling prey to fear and trepidation.  We too often succumb to pleasures of the flesh.  The world and its charms prove to be too great a lure.  But God is our strength.  Paul noted this in Philippians 4:13 when he declared that Christ strengthened him to where he could do anything.  All we have to do is accept that hand extended to us, accept the strength and courage and fortitude that is freely offered, accept salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, and He will give us more than just our portion, but will fill us to overflowing so we have plenty to share with others.  Praise the Lord!  Amen.

Dearest Father, thank You for always being by our side.  Thank You for blessing us with the strength and courage to face another day.  Thank You for not forsaking us when the wicked one assails us, hoping to break us down.  Please guide us, Lord, and be our only needed portion forever.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Magnified Ministry



For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
--Romans 11:13-14  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 13, 2013 of Psalm 73:12-20; Romans 11:1-16; Deuteronomy 31:9-32:38.

In the eleventh chapter of his letter to the church in Rome, Paul tells us that God has not rejected His chosen people, the children of Israel, even through it may seem so since Paul is carrying the Gospel to the Gentiles because so many Jews would not listen.  He says in effect that his sharing the Good News of Jesus with the Gentiles indeed shows God has not forgotten the Jews.  He argues that it is necessary for the Gentiles to be brought into the church, to be made fully a part of it, before the Jews will turn to Jesus as Lord.  In our focus verse for today, Paul tells the church in Rome that he speaks to them and other Gentiles because God wants him to.  He has been assigned this role by the Lord and confirmed by his brothers the disciples.  He acknowledges he is an apostle for Jesus specifically sent to the Gentiles by Christ to witness to them the risen Savior.  So because he has been dispatched by God to preach to the Gentiles and because he feels the Gentiles must be fully accepted and incorporated into the church for the Jews to turn to Christ in numbers, he strives to increase his efforts, to magnify his ministry, so that maybe the Jews will take notice and become jealous of all the attention the Gentiles are receiving and want some too, thus becoming more receptive to Jesus' offer of redemption and salvation.  Now that was a long, involved sentence just to say that Paul wanted to work harder reaching out to the Gentiles so that more of his countrymen, the Jews, might be saved.

What would happen if each person that tries to follow Jesus were to adopt Paul's method and initiative?  Most people know someone in their group of friends, acquaintances, or associates who either don't believe in Jesus, aren't sure if He is really the Son of God, or who once believed but have fallen under the sway of the world and turned from Christ's way.  Or maybe we know someone who says they believe in and acknowledge Jesus, but we wonder if they truly do know Him as their personal Lord and Savior, if they have a close and real relationship with Him.  If we took Paul's approach, we would enlarge our sphere of witnessing and try to reach more people.  The love of Jesus would flow out from us, filling others with His love.  They in return would want what we have.  As Paul put it, they would become jealous of the joy and peace and happiness we have and would desire the same for themselves.  This would make them more accessible to the Word of God, to Jesus and salvation.  So let's help Paul meet his goal by adopting his tactics.  Let's magnify our ministry.  Amen.

Wonderful Savior, thank You for blessing us with the greatest peace, joy, and happiness the world can only dream of.  Thank You for filling us to overflowing with Your beautiful love.  Help us expand our efforts and magnify our ministry so that others may be brought into the glory of Your church.  In Your sweet name, dear Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

The One Who Goes Before You



"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."
--Deuteronomy 31:8  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 12, 2013 of Psalm 73:1-11; Romans 9:30-10:21; Deuteronomy 28:58-31:8.

Back when it was time to fight Amalek, Moses appointed Joshua to lead the fighting men of Israel (please reference Exodus 17:8-13).  By all indications, Joshua was a brave leader, not faltering even when the tide of battle turned against him and his forces but stayed the fight until they finally prevailed through God's help.  A little later, Joshua served as one of the twelve spies sent to scout out the land God was giving them (please reference Numbers 13-14:9).  When the scouts returned to the camp, only Joshua and Caleb trusted the Lord enough to valiantly step into the land and conquer it.  The rest were afraid and spread their fear throughout the assemblage of Israel, inciting unrest and disobedience to God.  Joshua and Caleb stood strongly and courageously against the majority and addressed the entire congregation, exhorting them that victory would be theirs because the Lord was on their side.  But their arguments fell on deaf ears and the people were forced to wander for nearly thirty-eight more years because they did not trust God.

Both of these instances show Joshua to be a brave man, maybe fearless, because he obviously trusted fully in God and His word.  And now he is about to take over the leadership of the entire nation of Israel as their entry into the Promised Land nears.  This would be a daunting task for even the staunchest of heroes.  So Moses wants to give his protege something to hang on to when times get really tough.  "Be strong and of good courage", Moses instructs him (please see verse 7).  Had Moses let it stand right there and not said another word, Joshua probably wouldn't have gotten much out of this tidbit.  The mentor tells the student already known for being brave to be brave.  Moses might as well have not said anything at all.  But Moses doesn't stop there, he continues and in today's focus verse he tells Joshua that the reason he can be courageous is because God will be with him.  No matter what Joshua may find himself faced with, no matter what he may come up against, God will always be at his side to face it with him.  God will help him through any difficult situation to come.

Joshua already had great faith and trust in God, otherwise he would not have been ready to take on any obstacle that got in the people's way.  Moses wanted to encourage him to keep that trust in faith.  And that is the message our Lord has for us.  No matter what trouble or problem or woe might rise up against us, we can persevere and prevail and triumph over it because God is at our side.  He will be with us always, and never forsake us.  Jesus promises, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  (Please reference Matthew 28:20.)  And for this reason we need not ever be afraid again.  God, through Moses, assures us we do not need to fear or be dismayed.  Thank You, Almighty Lord!  Amen.

All powerful God, thank You for always standing by our side, for protecting us against evil, for never leaving or forsaking us.  Thank You for allowing us to be strong and courageous, to face tomorrow without fear, to not fall into despair or be dismayed when the night grows darkest.  Thank You for being our strength and our salvation.  In Jesus' glorious name we thank You and pray.  Amen.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Cursed and Blessed



"The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.  Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you."
--Deuteronomy 28:9,45  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 11, 2013 of Psalm 72:12-20; Romans 9:1-29; Deuteronomy 28:1-57.

Moses continues preparing the children of Israel for their long awaited entrance into the land promised to their fathers.  He has been going back over all the commandments the Lord has given them since their release from bondage in Egypt, and now he includes some of the curses they can expect to fall on them if they fail to observe God's commands.  Some of these curses we are familiar with because the Israelis did indeed suffer them.  These are basically the opposites of the blessings they could have received had they obeyed God fully.  Rather than be an all-conquering nation, they would be conquered and carried off by countries they've never heard of who speak languages they don't understand.  Rather than bring in an abundant harvest, the land would yield less than is planted.  But some of the curses are more dire and horrible to contemplate.  An enemy will lay siege to the people for so long that there will remain no food nor livestock, there will be nothing left to eat but the "fruit" of their own flesh: their children.  If you truly believed you would be forced to kill and eat your own child just to survive unless you obeyed God, wouldn't that be enough to make you follow the law to the letter?

The trouble is, we are human.  We are born in sin and we live in sin.  If Adam failed to obey the one command given him, how could the entire nation of Israel ever possibly obey all the commandments and statutes, all the complex instructions for sacrifices and worship, all the laws dictated by God and delivered by Moses?  The plain and simple truth is they couldn't, we can't.  Moses himself got tripped up on an instruction given him directly by God and stumbled, and received the punishment of being cursed and forbidden from entering the Promised Land himself.  History proves the people's inability to follow all the law, and the Bible supplies the record.  Their history is cyclic: when times were harsh and dire, they would turn back to God and obey and worship Him, He would relent and bless them again, but then once times were good they would forget God and take Him for granted, leading Him to curse them and punish them once more.  The thing is, it is virtually impossible for an individual, much less an entire nation, to fully and completely follow the law of Moses.  And even if we could do so, it would not be a guarantee of our redemption from our sin.  Salvation is only offered through our faith, not by anything we can do whether it be good works or full adherence to the law.  God knows this, but He loves us so much He doesn't want to see us cursed for all eternity.  So He sent us His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life (please see John 3:16).  This is God's greatest blessing; one we do not nor can we ever deserve.  It is given freely, though, by God's loving grace.  Follow God's commandments, yes.  That is pleasing to God.  But believe in Jesus Christ His Son and our Lord.  That is our only way to salvation.  Amen.

Merciful God, You know we are flawed and cannot faithfully follow all You command us, that we fail in many things You expect of us.  Please forgive us, O Lord, when our thoughts, deeds, actions, or inaction displease You.  Thank You for giving us another means of salvation.  Thank You for giving us Your Son.  Thank You for Your undeserved and unmerited grace.  In Jesus' name we thank You and pray.  Amen.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Nothing Can Compare



For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
--Romans 8:18  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 10, 2013 of Psalm 72:1-11; Romans 8:18-39; Deuteronomy 25-27.

In chapter eight of his letter to the church in Rome, Paul lays out what he perceives as the great power of sanctification through Jesus Christ our Lord.  In a true sense this is righteousness imparted to us by Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf.  In today's focus verse Paul reveals our greatest hope, a wonderful gift, the future glory that awaits.  Paul frames this hope in an eloquent and most descriptive way.  He says that what we will receive that beautiful day cannot even compare to anything we have to put up with now.  This is a promise of hope for each and every one of us as individuals, not a blanket statement for some collective of all mankind or all righteous people but for you and me!  This is personal, just like Jesus is our personal Savior who suffered and died just for your sake and for mine!  This is a hope and a promise that you and I have to look forward to.  Nothing that gets dumped on us today in the here and now of this earthly life, whether the best the world has to offer or the worst, will even come close to comparing to what we will receive from God.

The neatest part of this declaration, though, may be at the end, in the phrase, "the glory which shall be revealed in us".  God's immense glory will not only be revealed to us, but in us as well!  Try as we might, we can't even imagine what it will be like, what it will feel like, when all the glory of God and our risen Savior Jesus fills us from the inside out to overflowing.  All the majesty and wonder of creation will be poured into us.  All the mysteries of God's ways will be made known to us and evident within us.  Like Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai after receiving the Ten Commandments from God (please reference Exodus 34:29-30), we will shine brightly with the radiance of the Creator of All beaming out from within us.  God's glory will be revealed in us.  Now that is really something to look forward to!

A little further on, Paul makes a few more declarations that are often quoted today.  One is that God works all things together for the good of those who love and follow Him (please see verse 28).  Another is that if God is on our side, who or what could possibly stand against us (please see verse 31).  And a third is that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus (please see verses 38 and 39).  But this individual promise he shares with us, that all suffering today will pale and be completely forgotten when God's glory is revealed in us, this is...  well, incomparable.  Amen.

Loving Father, thank You so much for the hope of a tomorrow without comparison!  Thank You for giving us a foretaste, a little hint of what we have to look forward to.  Thank You for the sure knowledge that    Your great glory will also be reveled in us!  In Jesus' name we thank You and pray.  Amen.

When I am Old



O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.  Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.
--Psalm 71:17-18  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 9, 2013 of Psalm 71:14-24; Romans 8:1-17; Deuteronomy 23-24.

David takes a step through his life, from his youth of yesterday to his old age of tomorrow, acknowledging God's presence all the way.  He prays that the Lord not leave his side just yet, not until he has completed his song.  Some of us can emphasize.

Most of us have been blessed by being taught by God from our youth, from our earliest days, even if some of us resisted or ignored those lessons.  Our heavenly Father teaches us through our earthly father or mother, through our brothers and sisters who walk alongside us every day.  He teaches us by the words others share with us, and the examples they set for us.  Each generation teaches the one that comes after it, whether it means to or not.  If we are fortunate, the generation before us will teach us the way to righteousness rather than to ruin.

Charles Barkley, the famous NBA basketball player, once stated that he was not a role model.  Sadly, he was mistaken, for simply being in the national spotlight, for excelling in and being widely known for what he did made him a role model to a younger generation whether he wanted to be or not.  His only choice in the matter was whether to be a model of a good role to follow or a bad one.

Each of us have that same choice today.  Whether we intend it or not, whether we wish it or not, whether we even realize it or not, there will be young people watching us, seeing the things we do, mentally noting how we interact with other folk, comparing us to others of our generation.  Even if we are not actively working with the youth of today, we still serve as role models to them by the example we set for them.  God has given us free will in all things, and this is one area where we must choose very carefully, for not just the next generation will be impacted by what we show them, but also those that follow and learn from the ones we taught!

Many of us may now be reaching that gray-headed stage David refers to.  We may be looking back on our life, thinking about what we have learned and the mistakes we may have made, remembering those who made the most lasting impression on us by the examples they set.  We need to also pause for a moment and reflect on what we leave behind us.  What will our contribution to tomorrow be?  Amen.

O God, please do not forsake us, for we still have work to do.  There are youth we need to teach about Your glory, that we need to explain how to share in Your great strength, that we need to show the path to righteousness.  Help us choose wisely, Father, to be a model for good.  Amen.

Monday, April 08, 2013

The Guilt of Innocent Blood



"So you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord."
--Deuteronomy 21:9  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 8, 2013 of Psalm 71:1-13; Romans 7:7-25; Deuteronomy 21-22.

Moses spends most of the book of Deuteronomy (starting near the end of chapter four and going through chapter twenty-six) recalling the laws and commandments handed down by God and how they are to be applied and put into practice by the children of Israel after they've entered the Promised Land.  The latter part of this section deals with commands concerning human relations.  Today's focus verse specifically addresses manslaughter, using the example of a person's remains being discovered but no one is found to have witnessed their death nor is there any evidence available that could help in the assignment of guilt.  So the assumption is made that the city nearest to where the body was located is at least partly responsible for the person's death, and therefore responsible for taking measures to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.  The ritual described in verses one through eight provide the means for that city to atone itself for the person's death in the eyes of God.  Following this procedure would be doing "what is right in the sight of the Lord" and would allow the people to atone from "the guilt of innocent blood".

So many times today, with our near-instantaneous news delivery, we hear of innocent blood being spent, whether in some far off land by senseless war or tyrannical oppression, or here at home by even more senseless murder.  How can we, as a society, atone for this blood shed?  Sacrificing a young bull and washing our hands over it while intoning sacred words doesn't really fit our American culture.  Besides, Jesus came down to be man's last sacrifice, the spotless Lamb, for once and for all (please reference Hebrews 7:27 and 9:12, among others).  And since simply trying to wash his hands of Jesus' innocent blood didn't work too well for Pontius Pilate (please reference Matthew 27:24), we, corporately together as a people, need some other way to seek God's forgiveness and try to rectify the situation that caused the death.

Too often innocent blood is shed on our nation's highways.  We try to do what we feel would be right in the eyes of God by setting reasonable speed limits, making our vehicles and roads safer, and increasing penalties for those who do not heed society's laws and regulations.  The organization Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) is probably the best known for this type of activity, doing everything they can to try to prevent more innocent life from being spilled out.  Other groups and organizations work to help end wars and armed conflicts around the world, very often trying to see to the needs of those most impacted by the fighting, especially those left orphaned or widowed.  But our society as a whole seems to turn a blind eye to the spilling of the most innocent blood through abortion.  Those people and groups who try to combat the taking of this precious life are shunned and vilified.  Would God view this as right in His sight?  Would He feel abortion to be an action we need to atone ourselves of?  Would He consider our actions in this regard to be right in His sight?  We can do better.  We must do better.  Amen.

Almighty God, thank You for showing us that we, as individuals and as a society, bear and share the responsibility when innocent blood is shed.  Thank You for inspiring us with various ways we can atone for these occurrences and improve the overall environment so that the circumstances may not repeat themselves, and in that way prevent more innocents from losing their lives.  Forgive us, dearest Father, when we fail to act in a manner that would be pleasing in Your sight.  Lord Jesus, in Your merciful name we pray.  Amen.

Sunday, April 07, 2013

Who Do We Serve?



Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness.
--Romans 6:16  (NKJV)

From the daily Bible reading on April 7, 2013 of Psalm 70; Romans 6:15-7:6; Deuteronomy 18-20.

In the latter part of chapter five of his letter to the church in Rome, Paul spoke at length about how the actions of one man can affect many generations of mankind.  Specifically, he contrasted and compared the actions of Adam and Jesus.  It has been said that Jesus is the man God had originally intended Adam to be, so it can be considered quite natural to compare the two.  Paul looks at how Adam's sin of disobedience to God was passed along to all humans that came after him.  Because of Adam's sin, a great chasm opened between man and God.  From that moment on, man has been dead in sin, born into sin and in sin for life.  Until Jesus.  Mankind received a second chance with the coming of Jesus.  By His actions, His great sacrifice on the cross, mankind is given the opportunity to shed that sin and to not fear the lasting death because Jesus defeated death.  Through Him we have a bridge over that vast chasm opened by Adam's sin.

One man, Adam, condemned all humankind to the death of sin by his action of sin, by disobeying God's only command to him.  One Man, Jesus, offered all mankind a reprieve from death by His action of sacrifice, by taking all the sins from every person the whole world over onto Himself, carrying them to the grave and leaving them there when He defeated death and rose from the dead and walked away from that cold tomb.  One man's acts sentenced us to death.  One Man's acts pardoned us.  But that pardon requires a thoughtful, purposeful act on our part: we have to choose whether to accept it.

Paul says we become slaves to whoever or whatever we present ourselves to as slaves.  How do we present ourselves as slaves?  Usually by obedience, and blind obedience at that.  We can put ourselves under slavery to someone or something by putting it first in our lives, ahead of anything else.  A good example we may all be familiar with is a "wage slave" who puts their jobs ahead of their leisure time, their health, even their family.    If we don't question what it expects of us, we may be its slave.  If we stop caring about all the demands it makes of our time and resources, we may be its slave.  If we see only its face, hear only its voice, obey only its word, we may be its slave.  When we were in Adam, we were slaves to sin; sin was our master.  But if we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Master, if we present ourselves as slaves to Him, obeying Him, then we can be slaves of righteousness.  Obedience to our Master Jesus leads us to righteousness.

Jesus says we have a choice to make, that "no one can serve two masters" (please reference Matthew 6:24).  We have to willingly and sincerely accept His offer of salvation.  We have to choose Christ as our Master and no longer present ourselves as slaves to sin.  The choice is clear.  Amen.

Ever merciful God, thank You for giving us a choice of which master we wish to serve.  Thank You for making the choice easy to see, whether to be slaves to sin and reap death in the end, or to accept Jesus as our Master and find our reward with Him in heaven.  We pray that we always be faithful and obedient slaves to God our King and Jesus our Master.  In the beautiful name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.