March 31 (Tuesday) -- Win by Losing Before You Die

Passover feast and other laws: Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20

I’ll take 5 loaves and 2 fishes…can you put that in 5,000 To-Go boxes? Luke 9:7-27

His enemies will like the dust: Psalm 72:1-20

A man is praised according to his wisdom: Proverbs 12:8-9


Whew! Reading today’s passage from Luke is not for the faint of heart. 

Verse 23-26 has:
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

It doesn’t get much plainer than that. People, we got to quit putting ourselves first. Only God has that position. We have to put him first and worry about ourselves later – when God will take care of us better than we can take care of ourselves anyway.

March 30

Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23

Luke 8:40-9:6

Psalm 71:1-24

Proverbs 12:5-7

Today's passages are incredibly encouraging this morning. In the often tumultuous days of establishing the land of Israel, here are some very encouraging while also specific requirements given by God for his people. It is helpful to look at Deuteronomy as the title indicates 'second law' (deutero = 2... you know like 'deuce', and 'nomy' as in law, like 'nominate'), it is basically an expansion of the ten commandments, showing the specific ways in which God desires the Israelites to be obedient. More here on not worshipping foreign gods because, obviously, this would make it as if God was not supreme and alone in his majesty. Some foods are unclean. Why is this? There are some who say this is a practical help to the Israelites, protecting them from foods that would be harmful to health in the age of no refrigerators... but I think the idea that is most compelling is that there were certain foods they wouldn't eat because it's a way to separate from the other nations... food is important. A shared meal in the OT indicates a covenant bond. It's the same now with the Lord's Supper. Finally, God provides some clear indications of how some practical matters of servants, debt relief, sacrifices. These rules and regulations would provide an outline for Hebrew life.

Skipping forward to Luke, there is the amazing story of Jesus giving life back to a girl who had died. In this story there is a family weeping because a young girl has died. Jesus rebukes this weeping and says that she is merely asleep. Now then, the people are said to laugh at Jesus. This seems a little strange. It's hard to imagine that people would laugh at a time like this. Yet, it really shows the power of Christ to do the unthinkable.  In the midst of those who are unable to imagine Jesus' power he shows his ability to do what we never thought possible.  It seems so much anticipates Jesus' death and resurrection, and here we know from our perspective what will eventually happen. Jesus will face his own death, but we know how that story ends too.  The Psalms passage give us a good hint:

²⁴ I will tell about your righteous deeds
      all day long,
   for everyone who tried to hurt me
      has been shamed and humiliated.

March 28,29

28

Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22 Luke 8:4-21 Psalm 69:19-36 Proverbs 12:2-3 29 Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32 Luke 8:22-39 Psalm 70:1-5 Proverbs 12:4 It is pretty great that the 28th's reading from Luke ties in pretty close to what Al was talking about this morning. It is important to understand that we see the spiritual growth that comes in our lives as a direct outworking of the Holy Spirit. It is directly an outworking of what comes out of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I hope that this season of lent will allow us to fully understand the great sacrifice Jesus made, but even more I hope that we will be able to see the great hope and joy we have because he has risen!

March 27, 2009

March 27

--------------------

Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20

Luke 7:36-8:3

Psalm 69:1-18

Proverbs 12:1

From the passage in Luke today we learn two very important things: (1) Jesus' compassion is so good to those who know that they need forgiveness and healing. (2) Jesus' ability to heal us of all of sickness and death is magnificent. this story of the sinful woman who annoints Jesus' feet is such an incredible and humbling image. How often is my heart in the posture of this woman, both grievous of my sin, while completely filled with joy and humility because of how much Jesus has done for me. It was very encouraging to read this story today and to reflect upon the nature of our God. We will be talking about God's holiness Sunday, which i've been reflecting on lately because of the Deuteronomy passages, but we must always be filled with this overwhelming joy to know that Jesus will never leave nor forsake us. his compassion is incredible.

March 26 (Thursday) -- Stamping the Forehead

Stamping It on Your Forehead – Moses Style: Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25

Attending a Funeral – Jesus Style: Luke 7:11-35

Singing Praises to God – David Style: Psalm 68:19-35

Fruit – Proverbs Style: Proverbs 11:29-31


Wouldn’t it be cool to write in your will that when you die, Jesus is to be invited to your funeral? :)

There simply is no end to what Jesus can do! Just when you think you grasp all that Jesus is, you realize that there’s more to Him than is humanly knowable. Aren’t you glad that Jesus isn’t limited to what you were told He’d be like?

Crazy Charles interpretation of Revelation info: You know the bit in Revelation about the believers getting a 7-7-7 stamped on their foreheads, while the others who turn away from God get a 6-6-6 stamped on their foreheads? I’ve often thought that was symbolic of what we read in Deuteronomy 6:8 today. I believe when the Bible talks about stamping the Word of God on your forehead, it’s symbolically saying to live by it like it’s your creed. In Revelation, I believe the number 7 is used symbolically to mean complete. This is what the number 7 means in ancient Hebrew, when the character for number 7 is used both as a number & as a word – with the word use having the meaning “complete”. There are many teachings from many sources, but only God’s teaching is truly complete.

March 25 (Wednesday) -- Fruiting on the Rock

Teach it to your kids and grandkids: Deuteronomy 4:1-49

Fruit and rock: Luke 6:39-7:10

The chariots of God are tens of thousands: Psalm 68:1-18

The righteous will thrive like a green leaf:Proverbs 11:28


Who of us want the people around us to recognize Jesus in our lives?

Who of us want to be able to withstand the storms of life that come our way?

I hope everybody’s answer is, “Me!” Well, the way to do that is through LILYMI: Living It Like Ya Mean It. Christianity has to be more than just talk. It has to be a way of life.

In Luke, Jesus said that each tree is recognized by its fruit. What fruit do you produce? If it’s love and righteousness, people recognize you as a loving & righteous person. If you LILYMI, you promote Christianity because that’s what people around you see in you.

Then Jesus told about how to stand rock solid when bad things happen. It’s not just by knowing that Jesus is the Son of God. He said its by hearing His words and putting them into practice. That means LILYMI again. Please read through the whole Bible with us. I’d love for every one of you to be Bible geeks on steroids. But all of that Bible knowledge ain’t worth a hill of beans if you don’t live it, especially Jesus’ commands.

March 24 (Tuesday) -- Being Made Fun of For Being a Christian

I’m publishing the Tuesday post a little early so I can give platelets during tomorrow’s lunch break. I figure if the Son of God isn’t too good to shed his blood for a little sinner like me, surely I’m not too good to shed a few platelets for folks who are probably praying to God for help with their various blood diseases.

Moses forbidden from crossing the Jordan River: Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29

Blessed are they…: Luke 6:12-38

When the praises go up, the harvest comes: Psalm 67:1-7

He who seeks good finds goodwill: Proverbs 11:27

Jesus really put it down in today’s Luke reading. When we put ourselves over our fellow man we put ourselves down & wind up lifting them up. Love your enemies. Don’t judge others. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Treating others as good or better than ourselves is the way to go.

While we’re doing it, we need to treat Jesus as way better than ourselves. In fact, we’re blessed even when people who don’t like Jesus gives us grief about Him. I’ve got to admit, it’s been a while since someone fussed at me for being too Christian. Considering the world we live in, that probably means I’m not living a Christian enough life.

I double dog dare you to take your Bibles to school and read it in your study hall or on your lunch break. I triple dare you to talk about what you read to your school mates. Worried about the response? Don’t be. Go back and read Luke 6:26!

March 22 (Sunday) -- You're Forgiven, Get Up and Walk

Cities of Refuge: Numbers 33:40-35:34

You’re Forgiven – Get Up and Walk: Luke 5:12-28

You Answer Us With Awesome Deeds of Righteousness: Psalm 65:1-13

The Desire of the Righteous: Proverbs 11:23


Jesus is the Healer!

Imagine going from being paralyzed to being able to immediately stand up and walk. And how did the paralyzed man get to Jesus? His friends took him to Jesus. No walls or crowd could get in their way. They had one thing on their mind, and that was getting their friend to Jesus – no matter what.

As cool as that is, I believe the forgiveness of sins is even better. Note that Jesus first told him that his sins were forgiven. You see, the healing helps the man for the rest of his natural life. But the forgiveness of sins helps him eternally. If any of you are taking Calculus and having to do limits when x goes to infinity, you’re beginning to get a handle on how much bigger eternity is than the few years we have here on Earth.

Now for the not-so-comfortable part: how many of us are doing whatever it takes to bring our friends to Jesus? Our friends may not have physical illnesses that need healing, but everybody needs Jesus for the eternal picture.

March 21 -- As Beautiful as Pig Jewelry

Here We Go ‘Round, the Big Desert, the Big Desert, the Big Desert: Numbers 32:1-33:39

Shut Up and Get Out! Luke 4:31-5:11

Sharpen Their Tongues Like Swords: Psalm 64:1-10

As Beautiful as Pig Jewelry: Proverbs 11:22

Here again in Psalms, David refers to the power of his enemies words. When we get to 1st Samuel we’ll see that David experienced a lot headache from a few people stirring up many against him. I think we all need to be aware of how our words stir up either love & respect or anger & mischief.

But in Luke, Jesus’ word is used to triumph over demons. Jesus didn’t do a full body slam on the demon to drive it out. He simple commanded it to shut up & get out. Jesus’ word is all it took, just like Jesus (as God) simply commanded everything into existence.

Now the question I have for you is, do our words resemble the words of love from Jesus or the words of selfishness and unrighteousness from the world?

March 20 - Throw Him Over a Cliff

No Survivors: Numbers 30:1-31:54

Throw Him Over a Cliff: Luke 4:1-30

My Soul Will Be Satisfied as With the Richest of Foods: Psalm 63:1-11

Those Who Are Righteous Will Go Free: Proverbs 11:20-21


Guess what? I’ve been slacking in keeping the blog updated. :)
Guess what else? This passage from Luke seemed awfully familiar. The men’s Bible study recently studied Luke 4. Here are the notes I already compiled for it. (And you teenage boys thought you had it bad when I taught you. :))

• Verse 18 records Jesus reading Isaiah 61:1-2.
• Jesus read in the synagogue:
o In other synagogues you’ll read of Jesus preaching, but not reading.
o In the synagogues there were seven readers every Sabbath:
 First a priest,
 Second a Levite,
 Then five Israelites of that synagogue.
o Jesus belonged to the synagogue in Nazareth – He read there.
o The text Jesus read (what we call Isaiah 61:1-2) was the scheduled text for that Sabbath.
o That text from Isaiah speaks plainly about the Messiah.
• Jesus satisfies the Isaiah prophecy:
o “The Spirit of the Lord is on me”.
 The Holy Spirit descended onto Jesus when John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
 Jesus & the Holy Spirit are both part of the Trinity.
o “Because He has anointed me to preach good news”.
 Anointing was a ritual of commission.
1. Today, we anoint with a dab of oil on the forehead & usually as part of a ceremony to get something from the Lord, like healing.
2. But usually in the Old Testament times, the Lord would tell a prophet to anoint someone if:
o that person was to become a prophet,
o that person was to become a king, or
o that person was to become a priest.
3. Jesus was definitely commissioned by the Lord to preach the gospel.
 Also, anointing was done quite liberally.
1. The prophet would poor a flask of oil over the head of the anointed.
2. Then the prophet would rub it in real good, like we do when we wash our children’s hair.
3. It symbolized the Spirit of the Lord covering you in a big way to lead you & empower you in a big way.
o “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind”.
 Think about the many times Jesus would tell someone that their sins are forgiven while healing them.
o “To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”.
 This is almost certainly an allusion to the Year of Jubilee, which occurred every 49 years.
 Every 49 years, anything borrowed would be returned to the original owner.
 Selling things like land would have a price that was weighted according to how many years it was until the next year of Jubilee, in which the land would return to the original owner.
 When we accept Jesus as our Savior we return to the Lord.

• For a while it looks like Jesus’ fellow Nazarenes accepted Him as the foretold Messiah (verse 22).
• Jesus wasn’t afraid to make waves with the Nazarenes.
o Jesus knew they’d later chastise Him for “not being able to save Himself” from the crucifixion (verse 23).
 Matthew 27:39-44
 Mark 15:29-32
 Luke 23:35,39
o “No prophet is accepted in his hometown” (verse 24).
 As we mentioned last week, Jesus led a low-key life growing up in Nazareth until He started His ministry at about 30.
 It’s easy to see how His fellow Nazarenes thought that He was just an average Joe.
o Jesus then gave a couple of Old Testament examples of prophets working miracles among non-Israelites.
 Elijah doing miracles at the widow’s house at Zarephath in Zidon (verse 26).
• “Zidon” is the Greek name for Sidon.
• Sidon is a town near the town of Tyre. In Old Testament times, Sidon was the more influential of the two cities.
• It was part of Phoenicia.
• Details of Phoenicia:
o In the northern part of Palestine.
o It was originally called “Canaan”.
o Greeks named it “Phoenicia” because the Canaanites taught the Greeks how to use an alphabet (a set of symbols – letters – that represent sounds instead of objects)
o The Phoenicians primarily worshipped Ashtoreth, a goddess who was identified by some ancient historians with the moon, and by Greek historians with Venus.
 Elisha healing Naaman the Syrian of leprosy (verse 27).
• Naaman was commander-in-chief of the army of Syria.
• Syria’s had just beaten Israel’s army, including the killing of King Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 22:34-35).
• According to tradition, it was Naaman the Syrian who drew his bow to kill Ahab, King of Israel.
• In 2 Kings 5:1-17, Naaman seeks out Elisha on the advice of a little girl Israelite slave to heal Naaman of leprosy. Naaman does as Elisha tells him, and Naaman is healed.
• After that, Naaman vows to quit worshipping Rimmon (the god of Syria) and worship only God.
• The Nazarenes took Jesus’ teachings the wrong way.
o Instead of looking introspectively and recognizing that they needed to trust in Jesus more than their Israeli ancestry,
o The Nazarenes tried to kill Jesus by throwing Him over the hill.
 According to the Smith’s Bible Dictionary:
• The town of Nazareth has several rocky ledges “over which a person could not be thrown without almost certain destruction”.
• There’s one particular precipice 40 or 50 feet high – perhaps the one the Nazarenes tried to throw Jesus over.
o Jesus escaped by simply walking through the crowd.
 Jesus could have humiliated His opponents.
 But He chose to escape without so much as putting up a fist fight.
• The Nazarenes could have had miracles performed in their midst, but they chose their pious religion over Jesus.
• Do we do the same today?
o Do we choose religion over Jesus?
o Are we at FUMCH more Methodist than Christian?

March 23, 2009

March 23

--------------------

Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy

1:46

Luke 5:29-6:11

Psalm 66:1-20

Proverbs 11:24-26

In the minds of the people of Jesus' day, the passages we read in Luke are incredibly unexpected. We continue to hear about Jesus' calling of Levi, who 'held a great banquet for Jesus'. Yet this was a taxcollector, whom the Jewish people hated for cheating them out of money.  Jesus sees this all as making perfect sense, 'it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick'. Are we sick? Do we need a doctor?

Then Jesus' disciples go against many religious traditions of the day and his critics don't understand what has happened in Jesus' coming to the world. New wineskins! The disciples are chided for basically taking food off of the vine to eat when they were hungry and Jesus for telling a man to get up when he was crippled and the miracle occurring through his word.  They don't realize that Jesus is the very one who originally rested on that 7th day of creation, establishing what it means to rest on the Sabbath. His major point is that he can set the rules because he made the rule to begin with. Jesus has come into the world and everything will change, but we must remember the Lord doesn't change and his plan to redeem the world continues as it always had. 'the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath'.  

What is 'Sabbath' anyways? The eternal rest we find in Jesus Christ. We will talk about this in detail one week.

March 19 (Thursday) -- Jesus is Kin Folk

No chance of losing weight with all of these feasts: Numbers 28:16-29:40

Jesus is kin folk: Luke 3:23-38

My mighty rock: Psalm 62:1-12

Deceptive Wages: Proverbs 11:18-19


Dr. Luke recorded Jesus’ genealogy and went all the way back to Adam to point out that everyone is related to Jesus. Jesus came for all of us, not just the descendants of Jacob (the Israelites).

Where do we relate to Jesus in the family tree? I’m going to assume that all of us in FUMCH youth are either Caucasian whites or African Americans. If that’s the case, then we relate to Jesus in Luke 3:35 as descendants of Noah. Jesus and the Israeli’s (and other races) came from Noah’s son, Shem. Black folks (and other races) came from Noah’s son Ham. And white folks (and other races) came from Noah’ son Japheth.

In Dr. Luke’s day, most people knew much of their ancestry. So whoever read Luke’s book could read what we call chapter 3 and see that they relate to Jesus in some way.

March 18 (Wednesday) -- No More Slithering

No pressure – just be Moses’ replacement: Numbers 26:52-28:15

Brood of vipers: Luke 3:1-22

Higher than I: Psalm 61:1-8

Kindhearted woman: Proverbs 11:16-17


Luke 3:7-9 is pretty heavy stuff. John the Baptist meant the part about producing fruit in keeping with repentance. He believed it so much he lived it himself, to the point of taking his message of repentance to King Herod, surely knowing the danger.

We’ve got to do more than just say we repent (which means to change our lives). We have to actually do it. In short, you have to Live It Like Ya Mean It.

This doesn’t mean that we’re perfect. But it does mean that we accept a life change when we accept Jesus.

March 17 (Tuesday) Jesus -- The Real Boy Wonder

Roll Call: Numbers 26:1-51

Home Alone – Jesus Style: Luke 2:36-52

Psalm of Warriors in Iraq: Psalm 60:1-12

Proverb – Dave Ramsey Style: Proverbs 11:15


Jesus is both fully God and fully Man. It’s fascinating to think of God in the flesh walking around down here & getting chastised by His parents for staying behind at the Temple. :) Jesus was about His father’s business because Jesus, as God, has His priorities on eternal things like our salvation.

Yet that same Jesus moved to Nazareth with his earthly parents & obeyed them (Luke 2:51). Jesus, the Son of God, obeying His earthly parents who were sinners like you & me. He did this because He was fully Man.

Jesus understands all of us because Jesus has been at our level. You don’t think Jesus’ parents told Him to do things? I’m sure Joseph & Mary were godly parents who taught Jesus to follow the many Old Testament laws we’ve been reading. And you thought you had it bad. :)

We all know that Jesus was tempted by Satan later when He was about 30. A lot of people rightly teach that Jesus, therefore, understands what it’s like for us to be tempted. But I think Jesus also understands what it’s like to be young. I don’t know if Jesus ever asked His parents, “Awww…..Do I have to?” :) But I believe Jesus understands what it’s like to have to follow someone else’s rules, live in a house they provide, and do whatever they say.

A little Bible geek info: When you read the footnotes in today’s Psalm you see that the Arameans were from Mesopotamia. That’s the old name for what we call Iraq today.

March 16 (MONDAY)

March 16

--------------------

Numbers 24:1-25:18

Luke 2:1-35

Psalm 59:1-17

Proverbs 11:14

"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,³⁵so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

During Christmas we hear someone saw fairly often that 'we should not just celebrate Christ's birth at Christmas'. Very true. Here is an opportunity to remember the miracle and glory of Christmas at a time far from December 25.  In this passage Mary is told who exactly her child is to become. Jesus came into this world to rescue from sin and to draw a sharp line between those who are with him and who are against him. The cross would be the great statement of this mission. The cross is where we find him or it is where we are judged by him. In this time of lent we can remember that Jesus came into this world to die, but not just to die but to conquer death and be resurrected!

When you read today's passage from the Psalm, also remember that there are many Psalms where God's people are crying out to be vindicated, for the enemies of God to be punished.  This also helps us to remember that there is a great dividing line. Those who follow the living saviour will have the victory over the enemies of God.

March 15 (Sunday) -- Will Somone Please Tell That Donkey to Shut Up?

I’m a parking talking donkey! Numbers 22:21-23:30

I’m a walking talking father! Luke 1:57-80

Break the teeth in their mouths, O God: Psalm 58:1-11

A man of understanding holds his tongue: Proverbs 11:12-13

Isn’t it funny how all four of today’s Bible readings have to do with either talking or the mouth? :) Note that in both Numbers and Luke you had somebody that couldn’t talk all of a sudden start talking, then in Psalm & Proverbs you had people either getting their teeth broken or holding their tongue. :)

I love the story about Balaam and his donkey! It’s a Bible story you can’t tell with a straight face. :)

If you recall from yesterday’s reading, God told Balaam that He was going to bless the Israelites instead of curse them for King Balak of Moab. But when Balak sent more messengers to Balaam to ask him again to curse the Israelites, with promises to make Balaam very rich, Balaam asked God again. God was ticked off because He already told Balaam that He was going to bless the Israelites. So God made a fool out of Balaam. :)

It’s funny to think of a prophet being made of such a fool. We think of the Old Testament prophets as being these larger-than-life people, but they had weaknesses too. In this case, the temptation of wealth was too much to pass up.

I’ve always wondered why in verse 22:29, after the donkey starts speaking to Balaam, Balaam doesn’t reply with, “Whoa, donkey. You’re not supposed to be talking!” :)

March 14 - Saturday - One of My Favorite Bible Stories

Chapter 22 is the beginning of one of my favorite Bible stories: Numbers 21:1-22:20

I hope the angel Gabriel doesn’t visit my wife like he’s visited Elisabeth and Mary:) :Luke 1:26-56

In You my soul takes refuge: Psalm 57:1-11

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted: Proverbs 11:9-11


I love the story of Balaam! When Matt said that we were going to read through the whole Bible, this was the first story that came to mind.

When Balak’s servants expected Balaam to do something strange in the name of the Lord, Balaam told them, “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.”

Later in Luke, Mary told the angel, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

Oh, if all of God’s people today lived by that motto, doing whatever the Lord says.

Friday the 13th -- Shut Up

<-- A painting by Michelangelo of Zechariah

Thirsty? Go beat a rock: Numbers 19:1-20:29

And now, a word from Dr. Luke: Luke 1:1-25

In God I trust, I will not be afraid: Psalm 56:1-13

The righteous man is rescued from trouble: Proverbs 11:8


Luke became a Christian after Jesus had died, rose from the grave, and ascended into Heaven. He was a doctor. He was well educated. He wrote in the first chapter that his purpose of writing what we call the Book of Luke was to record the things about Jesus that he had carefully researched. So as we read the Book of Luke for the next month or so, keep in mind that it was written after careful research by a well educated person.

You’d think that Zechariah, a priest, would trust the angel, Gabriel. I’m sure Zechariah had encouraged many people to trust God in all things. But even people who have been believers for years doubt God’s providence in their own lives. Because of this, Zechariah had to become a master at sign language.

It’s easy to doubt God. But in the end we’re better off trusting Him. Isn’t it weird that we can believe God created the whole world, loves us enough to send His son to die for us, and created Heaven for us to live in, but won’t come through for us?

March 12 (Thursday) -- Who Will Roll Away the Stone?

Almond Joy: Numbers 16:41-18:32

Who will roll away the stone? Mark 16:1-20

He will never let the righteous fall: Psalm 55:1-23

When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes: Proverbs 11:7


Isn’t it amazing that Jesus has dominion over even death? Death is probably the most feared thing in all of human history. It seems so final. It seems to be….the end.

But our leader is the master over death! And He’s made it so that we can ride no his coattails into eternity!

Before Jesus you had to be bound by the law. Because of the grace of Jesus, even sinners like me get to live forever!

March 11 (Wednesday) -- Eaten by the Ground

Eaten by the ground: Numbers 15:17-16:40

Surely this man was the Son of God: Mark 15:1-47

Surely God is my help: Psalm 54:1-7

Trapped by evil desires: Proverbs 11:5-6


Wow! What a way to go! Can you imagine being swallowed up by the ground? This for a bunch of folks who already had a high status in the kingdom of Israel. They were Levites – the only ones allowed to handle the sacred objects for worship. Yet, they wanted to be as high up the chain as the high priest.

Yet, in Mark we have the very Son of God becoming the lowest. He who was most righteous allowed Himself to be treated with the worst treatment.

And the curtain in the temple was torn into! (Mark 15:38) When before, only the high priest could enter the most holy of places, and only once a year, now through Jesus we all have access to an intimate relationship with God!

March 10 (TUE) scripture reading

March 10

--------------------

Numbers 14:1-15:16

Mark 14:53-72

Psalm 53:1-6

Proverbs 11:4

What is striking about this passage in Mark is how forsaken Jesus is here. The Messiah has come to rescue the world from sin and death and his own people and even his own disciples (even the most loyal) betray him.  I think we have to read this passage and realize the great pain and rejection and sacrifice Jesus made when going to that cross. On the other hand, this also shows the good news of the gospel. No matter what it took Jesus was willing to do so that we could be close to him.  He was willing to do whatever it took to see the kingdom of God triumph over the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of Satan. This season of lent is about remembering that great cost.

Sunday & Monday (the 2nd important garden of the bible)

March 8

--------------------

Numbers 10:1-11:23

Mark 14:1-21

Psalm 51:1-19

Proverbs 10:31-32

March 9

--------------------

Numbers 11:24-13:33

Mark 14:22-52

Psalm 52:1-9

Proverbs 11:1-3

Today's passages are very fascinating. The passage from Numbers and the passage from Mark show us contrasting pictures of Israel and the Messiah. As we've been talking about in Sunday school with the Senior High, the nation of Israel was called by God to bring the kingdom of God on earth. The land of Israel was given to them as a promised land whereby he would spread his kingdom throughout the whole creation. But here, we see that the Israelites doubted God and were unable to obey their Lord and take the land. This wasn't just a gift for them, but was meant to be part of God's mission to bring his kingdom on earth. In Mark instead we read about how Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, was brave on the eve of his own sacrifice. He was in agony over what was to come, but nonetheless was willing to complete the mission his Father sent him for. Also, the disciple Peter (the 12 disciples now represent the 12 tribes of Israel remember) was also afraid as the Israelites were in Numbers. this passage speaks of the 'new covenant' that was about to be enacted. The sacrifice of Jesus brings us the only path to salvation. The only way that we will be able to overcome this world. 'what can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.'

March 7 (Saturday) - Body Shave to Join the Ministry

You have to body shave before joining the ministry: Numbers 8:1-9:23

Keep your nose clean at all times – you never know when Daddy will be home: Mark 13:14-37

The Lord doesn’t need sacrifices: Psalm 50:1-23

The way of the Lord is a refuge to the righteous: Proverbs 10:29-30

It’s always neat to try to decipher the end time teaching in Mark 13. Some say that the “abomination that causes desolation” (Jesus’ quoting of Daniel) was the Roman empire destroying much of Jerusalem (which was in Judea). Others say it’s a future nuclear war destroying Israel (which is what we call part of Judea today). (Personally, I’d lean towards it being two events: one event described in verses 14-23, then another event “following that distress” in verses 24-25.) However, we need to put on our stirrups and get moving for the Lord. Jesus wants us to not so much be end time prediction experts (verses 32-34) as He wants us to live like someone who’s boss can be coming to check on us at any time (verse 35-37).

March 6 (Friday)

May the Lord bless you and keep you: Numbers 6:1-7:89

Widow’s offering: Mark 12:38-13:13

Do not be overawed when a man grows rich: Psalm 49:1-20

Fear of the Lord adds to length to life: Proverbs 10:27-28


Today’s passages from Numbers, Mark, & the Book of Psalms seem to reflect each other. Chapter 7 of Numbers seems kind of redundant. Do we really need to see the detail that each tribal leader gave during the consecration ceremony of the temple? Wouldn’t it have been easier to detail what the first leader gave, then simply say that the other 11 leaders gave exactly the same thing?

I believe what Matthew Henry wrote about it. He said that God inspired Moses to write it this way so none of the twelve offerings would seem to be greater than the others. Each offering to the Lord was good in the Lord’s eyes and not just a reflection on what someone else gave the Lord.

Likewise, in Mark Jesus pointed out that the widow’s small offering was greater than the rich man’s large offering because the widow gave all that she had. Again, the Lord doesn’t see our offerings to Him through the prism of how our offering compares to other people’s offerings.

And Psalm 49 says that we should not be overawed when a man grows rich. Yet again, it doesn’t matter how our wealth compare to the wealth of others.



Hmmm…That part in Mark 13 titled “Signs of the End of the Age” where Jesus talks about Christians being persecuted kinda grabs some attention. We live cushy lives in America. But that’s not the case everywhere. Don’t believe me? Check out some of the news articles below…if you dare!

Being a Christian in Pakistan
Being a Christian in China
Being a Christian in Eritrean
Being a Christian in Orissa

March 5 (Thursday) - Do Number Two Redeaux

Honey, I need you to go to the temple and drink a special drink from the priest :) Numbers 4:1-5:31

Rule Number One: Mark 12:18-37

For this God is our God for ever and ever: Psalm 48:1-14

Lazy folks are like vinegar to the teeth: Proverbs 10:26

In Mark one of the teachers of the law asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is. Jesus gave him both the number 1 commandment & the number 2 commandment. We talked about this a month ago back when we were reading Matthew (Feb 3 Post).

Matthew wrote the Book of Matthew mainly for the Israelites to know about Jesus. Of course, Matthew couldn’t possible write everything there is to know about Jesus in one little book. So Matthew had to trim it down & stick to what the Holy Spirit thought was important.

The same goes for Mark writing the Book of Mark to the Romans. Apparently, this teaching is important for both Israelites and us Gentiles. Also, when the teacher agreed with Jesus by saying that to love God and love your neighbor is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices (many of the worship laws we’ve been reading in the Old Testament), Jesus replied to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God”.

I believe it applies to us Christians today. Living it like we mean it both in our hearts & in the way we treat others is more important than the various methods of worship we do on Sunday morning.

March 4 (Wednesday) -- Getting Grapes From Your Vineyard

Howdy, gang. I'm posting the Wednesday post kinda early.

Camping: Numbers 2:1-3:51

Rejected the Cornerstone: Mark 11:27-12:17

Clap your hands: Psalm 47:1-9

What the wicked dreads: Proverbs 10:24-25


I don't suppose anyone can guess how the book of Numbers got its name. :) A little Bible geek information: Of the five books of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), the book of Numbers is the only one that has the title translated to English.

Jesus’ parable of the tenants probably requires a little bit of explanation. At various times during the Old Testament, different Jewish kings would kill God’s prophets because they didn’t like God’s prophets telling them to quit worshiping idols. Perhaps the most notorious of them were Ahab & Jezebel (see 1st Kings 18). In Jesus’ parable, the vineyard owner’s servants who were beaten or killed represent the Old Testament prophets who were imprisoned or killed. The tenants of the vineyard represented the Jews during Old Testament times, who, for the most part, rejected the prophets.

Of course, the vineyard owner is God the Father & the vineyard owner’s son is Jesus. In this parable, Jesus was telling the Israeli leaders, “You messed up bad by rejecting the prophets. You’re messing up even worse by rejecting & killing me.”

We have to accept Jesus as the main representative of the Master. If we reject Him, the Master will come and teach us the folly of our ways.

March 2/3, 2009

March 2

--------------------

Leviticus 25:47-27:13

Mark 10:32-52

Psalm 45:1-17

Proverbs 10:22

March 3

--------------------

Leviticus 27:14-Numbers

1:54

Mark 11:1-26

Psalm 46:1-11

Proverbs 10:23

The triumphal entry of Jesus has continued to be such an amazing picture in the life of the church for 2,000 years.  The entry is both a humble picture of Jesus taking the form of a servant while also being a dramatic foreshadowing of the day when he will return in his final, ultimate victory. Though he rides here to his death, one day the praises of this small crowd will grow to include people of every nation, all across the world! 'Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!' It is in this unexpected way that Jesus is fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies of the son of David who would come to bring peace on earth. He is showing that to be first you must first become a servant. 

The clearing of the temple and the withering of the fig tree both condemns the nation of Israel for not reaching out to the nations, as well as us when we are not willing to make our church a place where everyone feels invited and welcomed. Our faith should be shared and the good news proclaimed to everyone. 

"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"

(Psalm 46:6-7)

What an encouraging thing to hear.

March 1 (Sunday) - Child Like Faith

Yeah, us grown folks have been slacking on keeping up the blog. :)


Eye for an eye: Leviticus 24:1-25:46

Like a little child: Mark 10:13-31

Rejection stinks: Psalm 44:9-26

Silver tongue: Proverbs 10:20-21

I’ve got to confess; what Jesus said about “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child” got to me. I’ve prided myself on being a Bible geek for over 20 years. I’m even more proud that my nine-year-old son has read the New Testament 7 times! (Notice how the proud parent in me worked that into today’s blog? :) ). There’s certainly nothing wrong with pulling out the Strong’s Concordance to look up Greek & Hebrew definitions while reading the Bible. Or cross-referencing with Matthew Henry’s commentary, or reading both the NIV version & the AMP version. Don’t forget to look up places & people in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and look up places on maps. (I just gave away my trade secrets on how the men’s Bible study is prepared. :) )

But more important than all of that left-brained analysis of the Word is child-like faith in Jesus. Jesus Himself told the disciples in Matthew 10 that if we don’t have child like faith in the kingdom of God we won’t enter it. We need to let the Holy Spirit shape our very way of thinking so that we trust Jesus no-matter-what, no-matter-who.

P.S. – Can you imagine what it was like to be one of the little children whom Jesus put His arms around and blessed? I’d never want to bathe again! :)