Dave's Bible Journal

The blog is moving...

2010-01-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

Starting tomorrow, I will be posting at http://davesbiblejournal.wordpress.com It's going to be a lot easier for me in terms of posting on the go. Thanks for checking in!

Dave

Matthew 5:13

2010-01-05T06:29:00.002-08:00

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost it's taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."

I was thinking about the implicatons of being referred to as "salt". There are concepts of flavor and preservation, but what it comes down to for me is having distinct positive qualities that are brought into a situation that needs them. I only add seasoning to food because that seasoning brings a flavor to the dish that is lacking. If the food already tastes like paprika, why would I add more paprika?

I need to make sure I am mindful of how much I "taste" like the world. Just yesterday I struggled with a difficult day and had to wrestle with grumbling and complaining or having a joyful disposition. Those closest to me know how I fared. If I cannot be distinguished from the rest of the world, God will have no use for me and throw me out to be trampled. It's a hard task (impossible, really), but thankfully our Lord has given us His Word and His Spirit to provide the means and the strength to be "salty".

Lord, thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Help me to submit to Him and to bring Your "flavor" to those around me. Amen.

Matthew 4:5,6

2010-01-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

"Then the devil took Him... and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "He will command His angels concerning you," ' "

I found this to be a scary reminder of how resourceful the enemy can be. We've heard of the many tactics of the devil, but here he's using scripture, which is frightening. I've encountered many people who have misinterpreted God's Word, but I've never really looked at it as a scheme of Satan.

I am extremely blessed to have spent the last 18 years in a church that puts the study of Scripture of foremost importance. Even so, I need to guard against lazy reading and falling victim to Satan using the Bible against me. Many evil purposes in history have been predicated on supposed adherence to the Word of God (Joseph Smith comes to mind...)

Lord, thank You for Your holy Word. Help me to approach it with respect and submission to Your Spirit guiding me into truth.

Genesis 6,7,8

2010-01-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

8:20 "Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar"

After Noah and company unload from the Ark, Noah presents a burnt offering to God and it is described as a "pleasing aroma" to the Lord. My whole life, I've been mildly puzzled about why God told Noah to bring seven pairs of every clean animal on the ark, but only two of the unclean animals. Then today, when I was reading, it struck me for the first time: "If Noah sacrificed animals right when he got off the boat, wouldn't they be extinct?" Give time for the hamster to turn the wheel in my brain... I get it now! Once again, God proves that He knows what He's doing.

I don't know if I'm just dense or if I never took the time figure out what was going on here, but I never saw this here before. The Word of God truly is living and active. This is so cool! God provided the sacrifice! Just like the ram in the thicket with Abraham and Isaac, just like Christ in a manger, God provides the sacrifice. Pastor was preaching on thankfulness this morning and it's fitting to what I found in the Word today. Whether it's my paycheck to allow me to give back to the Lord, or Jesus being sent to pay for my sins, I can be thankful that God provides the sacrifices he desires and requires. Hallelujah!

Lord, thank You for providing the sacrifices you require! Thank You for your lovingkindness and your faithfulness!

Matthew 2

2010-01-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

2:16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under..."

The reason this caught my eye was that I found it interesting that this "ruler" of Israel had just ordered the same heinous act of Israel's most notorious oppressor, the Pharaoh of Egypt from Exodus 1. Granted, Herod was an evil and depraved impostor (so expectations were pretty low), but it's still quite ironic that God's people fled this kind of horror only to have it now come on them again.

I was thinking about if I have ever been blinded by my own ambition only to become that which I despise. One thing that I know I struggle with is my attitude towards parenting. Sometimes I get so focused on teaching conformity to rules that I forget that parenting is about cultivating hearts towards Christ. When you lose sight of that, voices get louder, tempers flare, and learning is replaced with bitterness. I won't compare myself to Herod, but there's a warning here to watch what you are striving for. Herod had an opportunity to fulfill his charge as a leader and protector by presenting Christ to the nation as their true salvation and deliverance. It's pretty obvious... he blew it.

Lord, help me to make my desires conform to Yours. Help me to shepherd my kid's hearts towards You. Please draw my family closer to You.

Matthew 1

2010-01-01T13:27:00.001-08:00

1:1 "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

It would be easy to read this first verse as part of the physical lineage of Christ, but it's significant that Jesus is first and foremost identified with David and Abraham. David and Abraham are symbolic of the promises God has made to Israel. Abraham was promised to have a family line that would bring blessing to the entire world (Gen 22:18), and David was promised to have a family line that would have an enduring kingdom (2 Sam 7:16). Matthew begins his book by presenting Jesus as the culmination of these promises.

I would do well to remember that our God makes and, more importantly, keeps promises. "I will never leave you or forsake you"; "and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ"; "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you". If I spent more time thinking about the promises God has made, I will be more aware of how he is keeping those promises and will in turn be able to more effectively praise Him.

Lord, thank You for Your promises and Your faithfulness. Help me to be less consumed with what I am doing in this world and more consumed with what You are doing in this world

2 Timothy 1-2

2009-12-29T06:39:00.001-08:00

2:22 "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

What stood out to me is the "along with" in the verse. The Christian pursuits that Paul is encouraging are not to be sought in seclusion. Our growth and sanctification is a process within the body of Christ. Trying to do these things on our own might be compared to mountain climbing without any rope... precarious at best.

This post was meant as a test run to see how running my blog as my journal would work with my current schedule and resources. I just picked the part of scripture I was already reading and this is what came up. The main reason I like the idea of using the blog to journal is that if I fall of the horse, everyone reading will know about it. I need that kind of accountability. If you take the time to check here over the coming year and you see that it's been a couple days since my last post, please email, call or talk to me and tell me to get with the program. Thanks.

By the way, this starts Jan 1, so chill out until then ;^)

Lord help me to pursue You and Your purposes. Help me to do this with transparency among my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.

State of the Blog

2008-06-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for the lack of new content on the blog. I primarily started this blog out of convenience for my endeavor to journal my Bible reading. I was surprised, however, to find that I somehow developed a small but regular following among some friends and family. After some re-evaluation of how much time and energy I devote to the things in my life, I have decided to cease posting to this blog and accept an invitation from Ryan to be a contributor on his blog, Out of the Miry Clay. I appreciate your willingness to listen to my point of view on scripture, and invite you keep up with Ryan, Chris and I as we tackle all things Christian and try to relate them to the world. Thank you (all six or so of you!), and God bless.

Dave

John 14

2008-06-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way , and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' "

Jesus gives this famous response to Thomas' comment about not knowing how to get to where Jesus was going.

And who says guys don't ask for directions?

I read this passage (which I have read many times before), and a light bulb went off. I went back and read over what Jesus said a couple times and realized something amazing! Jesus says that the way to Him is Him! In this account is the spirit and thought behind Colossians 1:19 and the whole book of Hebrews. Christ is everything! Think about how Jesus describes Himself in this chapter:

- The Preparer of a place for His children
- The Redeemer who will come back for us
- The Destination we are bound for
- The Path to the destination
- The Truth
- The Life
- The One who introduces us to God the Father
- The Knowledge of God
- The Presence of God
- The Revelation of God
- The Glory of God
- The Agent of God's power
- The Mediator of God and man
- The Sustainer of His children

Good grief! Jesus is everything we need and (should) want! I feel like I'm using too many exclamation points, but I can't help it! I read this and I wonder why I ever have feelings of wanting more out of areas of my life. I have the ultimate source of all that is good dwelling inside me. I would do well to go to Christ and try to draw on the depths of what He is offering me. If I would just fill up more of my life with Him instead of other things, I would never feel wanting.

Lord, You are all I need. You are the fullness. Fill me with that fullness and help me seek the depths of the good gifts you have given me.

John 7:32-53

2008-05-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

7:52a "They replied, 'Are you from Galilee too?'..."

The Pharisees rebuke Nicodemus for defending Jesus.

Prior to this outburst at Nicodemus, the Pharisees scold the men they sent to arrest Jesus by asking them if they have "also been deceived?" It struck me as comical in a sense that they hate Jesus so much that they regard anyone moved by the obvious power in His message as dolts. It really seems that the implication of their two statements is to ask "are you stupid?" Galileans unfortunately had a stereotype of being uneducated manual labor-types.

This points to a problem I have with sharing my faith. Among like minded brethren, I love discussing my faith and God's holy Word. Among unbelievers, however, I'm not as comfortable because I expect the same reaction as with the Pharisees. Mind you, I don't doubt the truth of the Bible, but I expect scoffing from those who do doubt, and in all truthfulness, I don't want a reputation of idiocy. To avoid beating around the bush, I have a pride issue. I wholeheartedly believe my faith is true saving faith, but I still care about spiritually blind people calling me stupid.

Boy, when you write it out like that... I actually do sound stupid.

So, to rectify my problem (after I repent to God), I'm going to meditate on 1 Cor. 1:18 tonight and for however long it takes to drive out this preoccupation with what my unsaved acquaintances think of me.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Who cares what they think!? They think it's stupid because they can't understand it because they don't have the Holy Spirit because they're lost! I should react to derision with pity and prayer, not shame.

Lord, help me to be quick to boast about You and Your salvation. Help me to be bold in proclaiming You and Your gospel. Draw in the hearts of the mockers and open their eyes to Your truth and glory.

2 Kings 20, 21, 22

2008-05-18T23:21:00.000-07:00

Today's reading was done from my brand new ESV Bible. Thanks Ryan!

2 Kings 22:11 "When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes"

King Josiah hears the words of God for the first time and reacts with fear and penitence.

I did the math and found out that Josiah was 26 when this happened... the same age as me. That got me thinking; what if the Bible I was just given today was my first Bible? Well, first of all, I'll go out on a limb and assume I wouldn't be a believer. My family would probably be a mess (and might not even exist altogether!). Many areas of my life would be disgusting junk heaps. I probably wouldn't know many of the dear people I count as friends today. Yet I know I take this book for granted sometimes.

I'm not at all suggesting we do this, but I wonder how many people would have a greater appreciation for the Bible if they had to live without it for a couple months or years. Josiah instantly knew what he had been missing and reacted just as God wanted him to. With humility and a penitent heart. I'm trying to think of the last time I felt cut to the quick after reading a passage or hearing a convicting sermon... ok, it was actually quite recently.

If you're a fundamentalist like me (and I don't mean in the "suicide bomber" sense of the word), you probably struggle with the balance of making truth come before experience and emotion, yet not pushing emotions out of the picture completely. We need to come to the word completely and allow it to perform it's convicting work in us. We should use proper study and exegesis to mine truth, but when the truth slaps you in the face, take a second to stop studying and talk to God about it.

If you were "slapped" by James 1:20, pray for forgiveness for a temper that stunts your spiritual growth. If you were "slapped" by Psalm 65:1-4, praise your God for choosing you and saving you. This should be a conversation, God talks through His word, we respond through prayer and application. Don't be afraid to show some emotion!

Lord, thank You for Your Word! Let me be consumed with Your words and let them convict me and lift me up. Let me meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. Let me delight in Your statutes and not forget Your word.

John 5:1-24

2008-05-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

Jesus summarizes the gospel, emphasizing the power He yields to save.

I was thinking about passing from death into life. This isn't a reference to hell vs. heaven as much as it is a statement of the difference in the earthly life of a believer vs. an unbeliever. We have "passed" (past-tense) from death into life. What is "death" and what is "life"?

"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world...in the lusts of our flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath" - Eph 2:1-3

"Death" is the slavery to our own sin nature. Like zombies we walk around not even hardly aware of our spiritually dilapidated state. We sin and think nothing of it, we deceive ourselves with good works that are themselves sins of pride and arrogance.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." - Eph 2:4-6

"Life" is the freedom from sin and the exultation with Christ. Despite deserving destruction, we are exalted with Christ by being joined to Him in His resurrection. The miracle of the "third day" when Christ showed His power over death is ours as we pass from "death" to "life". We are rejoined to our Creator as we had never been, but always should have been. We are given a desire to do good works for God's pleasure, not our own. We are given the Holy Spirit, God dwelling inside us to guide and mold us. We are grafted into the body of Christ, the church which gives us direction, purpose, and support. Now that's what I call life!

Don't get me wrong... heaven will be great! But when you read this passage, don't skip past it with fleeting images of pearly gates and gold pavement. Realize that Jesus is talking about the power to punch the bully of sin a deathblow and lead you to the life that God always dreamed for you.

Lord, help me to appreciate the LIFE I have now! Thank You for Your Word, the good works You prepared for me, Your Holy Spirit, Your body, and most of all for the ability to commune with You as I was made to do. Help me to ever grow closer to You.

1 Kings 10,11

2008-05-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

11:2 "...the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, 'You shall not associate with [foreign women], nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.' Solomon held fast to these in love."

The writer summarizes the downfall of Solomon.

Chapter 10 is the pinnacle of Solomon's success. He is blessed with fullness of wisdom and riches. Everyone wants to meet him to get a piece of wisdom to treasure for themselves. The Queen of Sheba is amazed at all he possesses and gives glory to God. He made "silver as common as stones in Jerusalem" for crying out loud! It reminds me of Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof" singing "If I were a rich man..."

But how quickly it all comes crashing down.

God punishes Solomon by giving him headaches in the form of enemies all around Israel, including one from his own ranks. This former servant of Solomon, Jeroboam, is also revealed to be the one who will rule over the majority of Israel after Solomon's passing, leaving only Judah under the reign of David's lineage. Stress and shame galore which is traced back to a heart led astray from God. Solomon's downfall was in diverting his affections from God to the fancies of his many wives. While this may be enough application for those of you currently hanging out with worshippers of Ashtoreth, the rest of us should dig deeper into the story for our lesson.

How did Solomon get to that position of turning from God? One would argue that he did not stand up to the machinations of his foreign wives for what he knew to be right... and that one would be correct. Another would argue he should never have taken the foreign wives in the first place... and that one would be correct too. I think the answer is in 11:2. I put forth that the beginning of the end for Solomon began before all that - Solomon's doom was that he didn't take God's word seriously. Instead of hungering for God's messages of truth, he was hungry for Hittites.

So what do I put before God's word? While my journaling has been lacking recently, I have been reading my Bible, but certainly not as often or as intensely as I (or more importantly, God) would like. I know there were times when I could have better spent my time this last week, but I didn't do what I was supposed to do... most of the time out of laziness.

I just celebrated my 26th birthday recently and was reflecting on the blessings I have that many people don't reach by 26. Five years of marriage to a wonderful wife, two awesome kids and a third on the way, a degree from the UW, and our first house. I look at all that and I see 1 Kings chapter 10, a la Dave. I don't want a chapter 11, and I don't mean in the legal sense (although that would stink, too).

Lord, help me to take Your word seriously. Help me to hunger for Your truth and to be bored with worthless pastimes. Give me the maturity to crave Your teaching like the air I breathe.

Luke 20:1-26

2008-04-23T23:06:00.000-07:00

20:24,25 " 'Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?' They said, 'Caesar's.' And He said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's' "

Jesus deftly answer's the question of those trying to trip Him up.

The thing that stood out to me that I hadn't noticed before was the word "likeness." I'm in a theology class and last week we talked about it a lot as the lesson that week was "The Image Bearers of God" and what it means to be made in the likeness of God. God said in speaking of our invention:

"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." (Gen. 1:26a)

So when I read the verse in Luke, the thought occurred to me that Jesus is saying that the denarii belong to Caesar, evidenced by the fact that his likeness is on the coin, thus his listeners shouldn't be too broken up when he wants them back. In the same way, God wants what is His. And what bears His likeness? All mankind!

I'm not sure what I really thought "render to God what is God's" before I thought about it, but this never occurred to me. I think maybe I assumed it was good works or something. But it makes more sense that Jesus is saying God wants our lives, our souls, our hearts. We should not be astonished when God wants to reclaim what was always His in the first place. This helps me to remember just who I really belong to.

Lord, help me to remember I am Your possession. Let me surrender all of myself to Your holy will. Help squash my pride from convincing me I am my own man.

Luke 18:18-43

2008-04-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

18:27 "But He said, 'The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.' "

Prior to this verse, Jesus made an observation about the innate difficulty for rich persons to become saved. His disciples ask with desperation "who can be saved?", to which Jesus gives this response.

I think this verse is often misused to apply to ministry, healing, or whatever the reader is wanting God to accomplish, but it should be noted Jesus is specifically talking about salvation.

I just recently watched a special on CNN talking about sexual issues and how they played out in religious circles. One of the segments focused on homosexuality and ministries that aim to "cure" homosexuals. While I appreciated the presence of evangelicals devoted to ministering to gays in love, I was bothered by the whole mindset of the approach. One of the key groups involved in this segment was the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). Their position is that homosexuality is mainly a result of "psychological (family, peer and social) influences" (this is a quote from their site http://www.narth.com/menus/positionstatements.html).

This framed the whole discussion on this show and everyone spoke about the "mental illness" and administrating a "cure". Only at the very end of the show when they interviewed Ken Hutcherson from Antioch Bible Church was there a mention of sin. The problem with treating gay people as victims of mental illness is that it sidesteps the real danger. These people need salvation! While the Bible does hold homosexual acts in higher contempt and shows a record on God's part of harsher punishment, from a punitive standpoint the sin is no better or worse than any other sin. Any impurity creates a rift between man and God and all have sinned. We all need Christ.

The reason this came to mind when contemplating this verse relates to my work experience at Dick's Drive-In in Seattle. I worked alongside a gay man (we'll pretend his name is Rick) and to my astonishment he asked me one day "Dave, what does the Bible say about being gay?" Talk about an open door! I told him in as clear yet loving words as I could find that the Bible teaches homosexuality is a sin. Rick told me he knew that, but that he really didn't think he could change. I told him that he was right. He couldn't. I also told Rick that I wasn't able to change my sinful self either.

But Christ was able to change me.

I assured Rick that if he gave his life to the Lord, that God would begin a work in him to rid him of all sin including being gay. It wouldn't be easy or instant, but God is always faithful to complete the good work He begins in us. I told Rick that nothing was impossible for God and that Christ could save even a gay man.

He lost his job soon after that discussion, but I frequently pray that I will meet him in heaven and find out that God used that interaction to lead Rick to the Lord. And for those reading this, if you are aware of sin in your life, be it homosexuality, lies, lust, greed, or whatever, don't despair. It is impossible for you to save yourself, but with God, it is possible. Run to him.

Lord, thank You for Your power over sin. Thank You for saving me. Wherever Rick is right now, remind him of this truth and if he hasn't already, draw his heart to Yourself.

Luke 15:11-32

2008-04-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

15:21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "

Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son in response to the Pharisees' disdain towards sinners.

The point of this parable is the father's reaction in that Jesus is trying to show God's desire for the return of His wayward children. But in this story, we see a picture of what our attitude should be when we are the wayward child in question.

When we repent at the moment of salvation, and the subsequent times after being saved, we are to lower ourselves and beg forgiveness. I don't think people have a problem with this with the initial repentance since the impetus of true salvation is the Holy Spirit weighing our guilt on us to drive us to God. But for someone like me who is already saved, do I humble myself as I first did to the point the prodigal son does? Do I merely say "I messed up, I'm sorry. I'll try not to do it again" or do I cry "Father, I have sinned against heaven and and in Your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called Your son." ?

There is comfort in knowing that God will never forsake me and will always take me back, but the feeling should still be there that I don't deserve it. I need to repent more promptly and with more humility and disgust of what I've done.

Lord, forgive me my sins. Every stumble is one more weight on Your Son at the cross, and I don't want any part of it. Take me back and cleanse me. Thank you for Your forgiveness.

Judges 20,21

2008-04-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

21:3 "They said, 'Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?' "

The tribes of Israel mourn over the their recent divinely endorsed decimation of the tribe of Benjamin.

I hate death. I recognize I have not had much exposure to it compare to a lot of people, but last month I lost my cousin and today a good friend from church went to be with the Lord. His name is Gerwin; he was a faithful brother in Christ who, despite his health issues, was always smiling and offering encouragement and good humor. As I contemplated his passing today, it occurred to me that he is fine right now bumping elbows with his Creator and the prophets. It also occurred to me that Gerwin didn't suffer death, but those of us still here do.

Death is separation. I suffer Gerwin's death because I am separated from him and I hate that. I'm happy for Gerwin, sad for myself, and especially sad for his wife. And as I thought about how I hate that separation, I turned my disdain towards sin. Sin caused Gerwin's death. I don't mean Gerwin sinned and God struck him down, I mean this:

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Cor 15:22)

The Israelites were ordered by God to strike down Benjamin, so why were they sad? They mourned because death is not the way it is supposed to be. Because of sin, death prevails and creates divides we cannot cross. Thank goodness Christ showed his mastery over death on the third day!

But for now, I miss Gerwin. I hate death. Most of all I hate sin for introducing us to death. I do take great comfort that I will get to shake Gerwin's hand again and see him walk without pain or limping. The best thing I have taken from this experience is a deeper hatred for sin and I hope I can apply that to pushing it further and further away from me. I have a better understanding of Paul's cry:

"Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Rom 7:24)

Lord, help me to hate sin. Help me to abhor it for what it did to me, my fellow men, and most of all You. Have fun with Gerwin, he's a real character.

Joshua 6,7

2008-04-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

7:2 "The LORD said to Gideon, 'The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, "My own power has delivered me." ' "

God expresses His motivation in sending a small group to the battle site to ensure credit is given where it is due.

I really appreciated the juxtaposition of Gideon's attitude and God's attitude. Gideon was completely consumed with the question of how the Midianites would be defeated. He was concerned about logistics, manpower, and strategy as it related to ensuring victory. And he was quite stressed out about it.

God, on the other hand was completely consumed with the question of how He would be glorified. He was concerned about logistics, manpower, and strategy as it related to ensuring the greatest glory to His name. And He was quite confident about it.

The lesson I derive from this is not to focus on how God is going to solve a problem, but how God is going to be glorified. God is going to do what He wills to do, and nothing can stop Him. To worry about the physical outcome of a scenario is fruitless. We should, however, be concerned about God's glory. The way we approach our crises will have an impact on the magnification of our Lord's name. We need to guard our thoughts, speech, and even body language to ensure that as others see us doing our part of God's will, their reaction will be to praise God.

Personally, I'm worried about a lot of stuff right now and I need to get down to business confession my anxiety and focusing on what I'm doing to lift up the name of Jesus.

Lord, help me to be more concerned about Your glory and less concerned about my welfare. Help me to trust in Your absolute power and control over circumstances so I can be free to magnify Your name.

Luke 7:31-50

2008-03-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

7:35 "Yet widsom is vindicated by all her children"

Jesus is displaying the foolishness of the Pharisees in their judging of John the Baptist and Jesus by meaningless standards.

I asked myself, "what are the children of wisdom?"

-Good behavior and gentle deeds (James 3:13)
-Obedience to God (Deut. 4:5-6)
-Prudence, knowledge, discretion (Prov. 8:12)
-Productivity/stability (Prov. 24:3)
-Hope (Prov. 24:14)
-Reputation for being wise (Daniel 5:14)
-Salvation (2 Tim. 3:15)

Hmm... I have some of those things, but not enough. Especially the productivity and reputation ones. But how can I get more wisdom?

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom ; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever." Psalm 111:10

Oh... Thanks, David. I knew I was named after you for a reason.

Lord, help me to fear You and only You. Help me not to fear others or social conventions. Help that fear to drive me to prayer and Your word and greater wisdom and righteousness.

Luke 7:1-30

2008-03-30T23:31:00.000-07:00

7:8 "For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me..."

Jesus makes note of the man who understands that Jesus's power is not limited to close proximity, but that His authority allows Him to perform His works anywhere and anytime.

I was thinking here that if Jesus said "I say to you not even in Israel have I found such great faith.", I should probably look at what Jesus was looking at and try to exemplify it. So what did Jesus see?

Jesus saw:
-a man with a need
-a man who knew who to ask to meet that need
-a man who recognized the authority that sent Jesus
-a man who recognized the authority Jesus had
-a man who understood the power that came with that kind of authority

So let's see how I compare:
-I have needs
-I don't always ask the right person to meet those needs
-I recognize the authority that sent Jesus
-I understand the authority that Jesus has, but I don't always submit to it
-I don't always understand the power that comes with Jesus' authority

Two out of five... yikes. Many times some issue comes up and I ponder it for a bit, search scriptures for help, then ask one of my five or so good friends or family members that I consider excellent sources of wisdom for their input. I don't know how many times they've asked me, "have you prayed about it?" I get so wrapped up in trying to deal with my issues biblically, I completely miss the point that I'm supposed to entreat God to solve the issues Himself. I should first and foremost praying and asking for guidance and support, then going to the Word and wise, godly friends to glean the plan God has for tackling the issue.

My problem is that I haven't yet been able to beat the idea out of my head that if I mature enough, I'll be able to handle life's problems on my own. If I mature enough, eventually I figure out that I can't handle ANY of life's problems on my own and submit to God's authority over the problems right from the get-go.

Lord, help me to recognize Your authority. Help me to submit to that authority in seeking Your support and allowing You to work Your plan in my life. Please give me this great faith.

Luke 5:17-39

2008-03-27T01:21:00.000-07:00

5:38 "But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins"

Jesus reflects on how the change he brought to the contemporary Jewish thought would require the shedding of the old systems.

I wondered as I read this if I still have any "old wineskins" or if I'm trying to sew patches onto old clothing. What would constitute old wineskins in our lives? Anything that is a remnant of the sin nature, for starters. Materialism, pride, jealousy, impatience, cynicism... but enough about me. Our regeneration can't be half-hearted. It takes major changes and daily sacrifice of self to accomplish what God desires for our lives.

Lord, help me to shed my old ways and don "new wineskins." Help me to not hold on to relics of the flesh, but to run to the new treasures of Your righteousness. Thank You for fixing what was wrong in me, continue Your work.

Joshua 1,2,3

2008-03-20T23:53:00.000-07:00

1:5 "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you."

God charges Joshua with leading Israel into the promised land.

I read this passage as Joshua prepares to conquer Canaan and wondered how this could apply to me. There are some that question God's goodness to lead such a total and all-inclusive assault on a geographic location, but that ignores God's plan and the wretchedness of the inhabitants. Still, that isn't a direct application to me, since God didn't promise to my ancestors that I would own 57th street in Tacoma, and it isn't inhabited with Philistines (not completely, anyway).

Then I realized that I have been given a charge to clear out a land infested with evil that God has promised for me to find peace in. Furthermore, my conquest is to be ruthless and complete, underwritten and strengthened by God Himself. The land is my soul and the evil is my flesh. I see in the manner with which Joshua approached the land west of the Jordan a model for how we should look at our own righteousness. He was to have confidence based on the Lord's presence (1:5), to be "strong and courageous" (1:6), and to undertake the mission with obedience to God's word (1:7). This charge was not optional, but was the will of the Lord his God (1:9)!

Paul's image of the armor of God in Ephesians shows that this analogy of an all-out war is appropriate. We should have the mentality that this is a dramatic battle of good vs. evil and that there is no room for diplomacy or negotiation. So do we ever negotiate with our sin? Do we ever enter battle against sin in our lives, and come out having not wiped it out completely? The Israelites failed in this regard and remnants of a wicked population became a cancer in their community leading them astray. Is it not so with sin left unchecked in our lives?

We will never enter the "Promised Land" of a soul free from the presence of sin until we are taken home to the Lord, but we can faithfully continue the task of decimating sin and getting closer and closer to Christ-likeness. But we first need to take the mission as seriously as Joshua.

Lord, help me to be a Joshua. Help me to wipe out sin in my life. Help me to be brave, ruthless, and wholly dependant on You.

Luke 1:1-23

2008-03-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

1:22 "But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them..."

Zacharias is punished for not believing Gabriel's message of the impending conception of John.

First of all, I apologize to anyone who reads this blog for not posting recently. I've been doing the reading, but not the journaling. I can offer no excuse except laziness, but I appreciate your prayers.

Anyway, I was thinking, "what would it be like to not be able to talk for nine months?" That would be rough, especially considering I make my living in a call center. Aside from my livelihood, I don't think I would very much enjoy not being able to talk. I couldn't react to comments, offer my opinion, or argue my thoughts to others. And that's probably the point of Zacharias' punishment. I would be surprised if Zacharias, while mute for those nine months, did not come across Proverbs 10:19 and chuckle (silently):

"When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise."

It would probably do us good to shut our mouths more often and like James tells us, be quick to hear and slow to speak. This would be especially wise when it is God who is speaking. When the Word tells us what to do, instead of being quick to make excuses or cast doubt on our ability to obey, we should listen and trust God to work it out.

Lord, help me to stop talking when I should be listening. Help me to accept that what I have to say is never as important as what You have to say. When I do speak, let them be Your words.

Mark 14:1-25

2008-03-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

14:9,10 " 'Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.' Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them."

Jesus proclaims the legacy of the loving servant followed in the narrative by the legacy of the evil betrayer.

Nichole Nordeman's song "Legacy" is a favorite of mine (here's the music video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0S0ep-QsNI). We should be mindful of what kind of legacy we leave behind. Before you think I'm talking about focusing on immortality rather than service, hear me out. What would you want people to say about you at your funeral service? "Dave was an entrepreneur... a gifted artist... exceedingly intelligent... devoted to his family... These are all good things, but do they matter most? How about "Dave was dedicated to the Lord. The evidence of God's mercy, grace, and strength were made apparent in Dave's life." That is what we should strive for. It's OK to want people to remember you, just make sure that what they remember is Christ.

Lord, help me to leave a legacy of Your love. Help me to be a memorial for You and Your plan.

Mark 13:14-37

2008-03-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

13:37 "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!' "

Jesus describes the life as servants in the house of the travelling master, uncertain of the time of his return.

This brought back memories of growing up. Being at home, doing something I shouldn't, being constantly anxious that Mom or Dad might open the door at any second. Whether it was stuffing my face with the Pringles I was supposed to leave alone, or watching "Jerry Springer", which I knew wouldn't make my parents happy, the sin was not enjoyed as it was joined with immense stress.

I love my parents, and it seems sad that I would put myself in a position to not want their return. They have always loved and supported me, and life is good when they're around. Yet, I sometimes found myself hoping they wouldn't come home just yet. I wonder now, what if I instead folded the laundry in the dryer? What if I cleaned my room? What if I took all the trash out in the house? I would have been anxiously wishing them to get home earlier! I would be eager to show the good things I had done and be able to enjoy their presence even more!

It is not unlike the situation we have with our Lord. When we sin (and I know you can relate), we operate in stress, hoping no one will find out. Stupidly, we think God won't find out. If we were to honestly stop in the middle of that sin and ask ourselves "do you want Jesus to return right now?" we would say: "maybe in a couple minutes/hours/weeks". If we are in the middle of serving God, however, we would be ecstatic for His return! We would be eager to report our work and enjoy His presence. It seems so obvious, yet we often don't think of it.

Lord, help me to look to Your return by serving You now. Help me to reject sin in fear of harming Your name and being shamed at Your return. Please come soon.

Mark 13:1-13

2008-03-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

13:2 "And Jesus said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.' "

Jesus reacts to a disciple's reflection on the beauty and grandeur of the temple.

I am a Husky and I'm proud of it. I don't care about collegiate sports, mind you, I am proud to be a graduate of the University of Washington. I would frequently walk from my bus stop off of Campus Drive NW, and cross the footbridge over 15th Street to get to school. I would pass the towering statue of George Washington, pass Odegaard Library, into Red Square, glance at Kane Hall, and walk around Suzzalo Library. If you have not had the privilege to tour the campus of the UW, let my explain to you that these are huge buildings that cause one to pause at their stature. I would often walk through campus and reflect on how amazing it was that so many people over the years had conspired together to coordinate efforts, time, and funds to create such a magnificent institution as the UW dedicated to educating it's guests. And I was proud to now be a part of that history.

I have to remind myself, however, that it will all burn one day, and that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I shouldn't get too attached or proud of earthly things. My citizenship is in heaven, and I should be proud to be a part of that. I still maintain that human achievement brings glory to God by virtue of the fact that He created those able to accomplish such feats. Have we ever created anything that could in turn create? But no matter what, glory must always be turned to God because without Him, nothing would exist.

Lord, help me to reserve my deepest affections for You and Your plan. Help me to appreciate the beauties of this world, but only as a picture of Your grace and mercy. Thank You for Your many blessings.

Mark 12:1-27

2008-03-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

12:1 "And He began to speak to them in parables: 'A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.' "

Jesus uses a parable to show how God's children have mistreated His messengers and His Son in the midst of His kindness and the punishment they will receive for it.

What struck me was the "rented it out" part. I probably need a little more exegetical help to properly define just what the vineyard is in this parable, but I generally take it as the blessings of God. Of the top of my head, it could very well be the kingdom of heaven, christian ministry, or our earthly lives. As I said, I view it as the blessings of God (which pretty much encompasses all that other stuff). My point is that it is "rented" to us, we don't own it.

I know a few believers that have this idea that they deserve or they've earned the blessings of God. That is not so. This is our Father's world, and everything in it is His to give... or take away. I came away from this passage reminded not to get boastful of myself and my standing with God, but to be boastful of God Himself and how He has spent inordinate grace on a dirtbag like me.

Lord, help me to remember You are the source of every good gift. Help me to be thankful for Your blessings. Help me to use the blessings You give me to magnify Your name around me.

Mark 10:1-31

2008-03-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

10:27 "Looking at them, Jesus said, 'With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.' "

Jesus responds to the question of "who can be saved?"

This is another verse that will frequently be taken out of context. While it is true that God can cure any sickness, or raise any amount of funds for a need, or place any political leader in office, this verse is speaking about leading a lost soul to salvation.

I needed to read this verse. I have been praying ardently for the salvation of two people I know. I have been praying daily for a couple of years now and both of them seem to be on a crash course for doom. Both have been fully exposed to the gospel, but neither seem to have the saving light within them. One may not have very long to make the decision.

It's hard, because since it's not a matter of better explaining the facts to them, there is nothing I can do but pray for a turning of the heart. Many times I have a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. "What if they don't get saved, God? Where's the glory for Your name in that?" It's an honest question that I may not get the answer to until I get to that point. Although I sincerely hope I don't have to ask that question.

But hope springs eternal in this verse. It is impossible for these two people, of their own accord, to be saved. But nothing is impossible for God! No matter how entrenched they are in their own self-focus, God can break through, shine the light of His grace and mercy on them and claim them as His own! Hallelujah, what a thought! I daydream of letting all those around me know about how God broke the heart these people and saved their lives. I really hope I see it happen; if not I know there will still be a lesson there. Whatever the case, I will continue to pray to the only one who can even do anything about it.

Lord, save these two people who weigh on my heart so much. Break the crust around their hearts and lead them to Your comfort. Reveal to them their need for a savior change their lives. Above all, let Your name be glorified.

Numbers 32,33

2008-03-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

33:55 "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in you eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live."

The Israelites are warned to obey God's command fully or they will bear the consequences later.

What is of concern here is complete submission to God's plan for our lives. I see in this a metaphor for the life of the Christian and command to continually drive sin out of our lives. While we won't achieve perfection on this side of glory, we are to be making headway continuously in the battle against sin.

Sometimes we harbor a little corner of our heart and pretend God won't mind if we hang on to that sin. Most of the time these are bad habits that we know will take work to weed out. Rather than beseech the Lord for the strength and resources to carry out His will, we decide we'll focus on other areas and leave the bad habit alone. Maybe we'll try to fool ourselves with some rationalization that the sin isn't that bad, or isn't really sin at all!

We should heed the warning that if left unattended, that sin will become "pricks in our eyes and thorns in our sides."

Lord, help me to seek out sin in my life, repent of it, and seek Your help in preventing it from coming back. Help me to detest sin as You do. Help me to submit to Your will fully and not half-heartedly.

Mark 9:30-50

2008-03-02T23:06:00.000-08:00

9:37 "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me."

Jesus uses a child who, as a member of society, has the humblest estate of all to make a point. We must humble ourselves by serving even the humblest people to be considered great in the kingdom of God.

I was reflecting on this passage and started thinking about my Sunday School class. I teach the 2 & 3 year old class at my church. It has been an educational and sometimes frustrating experience for me as I many times struggle to bring my thought processes down to a 2 year old level so I don't leave my kids in the dust. The undeniably best part about teaching this class, however, has been bonding with the kids.

At the beginning of the year, there was one boy in particular (we'll call him "Henry") who hated being dropped off for Sunday School. He would protest, cling to his dad, and cry well after his father had left before he would calm down. As time went by, the length of time crying after being dropped off got shorter and shorter. Now Henry seems happy to come to class and has a good time from the start. The coolest thing of all is that they all recognize me and seem to like me on some level (which makes teaching them a lot easier!). I feel like they're all my nieces and nephews which has made teaching them about God so much more exciting and significant.

I feel a responsibility to make some kind of impact on their lives and minds that will help prepare them to accept Christ as their savior later. It's such an exciting prospect! I daydream about getting to heaven and talking to these kids and their Creator and being able to see how my small contribution in their lives became a part of the puzzle resulting in salvation.

So I hope any of you who have kids or interact with kids on a regular basis remember Jesus' attitude towards children. Don't brush them off as insignificant. Don't forget about them while you look for "bigger fish to fry". Take the time to teach a child about God's grace. Sit down with a kid and share how Jesus made the heavens and the earth. You'll find a renewed excitement for the Lord as you observe their wonder, and as you minister to them, you glorify Jesus, and not only Him, but the One who sent Him.

Lord, thank You for the children. Thank You for my two boys as well as the class of children You have assigned me to teach recently. Help me to take my ward seriously, and help me to minister to them faithfully. Most of all Lord, I pray that You work in the hearts of all "my kids" today to prepare them to receive salvation tomorrow.

Mark 7:14-37

2008-02-28T23:36:00.000-08:00

7:21-22 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.

Jesus expounds on how it is the sinful root of man that defiles man, not dirty hands.

Well, this would give most unbelievers fits (if they could perceive what Jesus is saying here). Let me summarize: All the bad things that happen in the world, happen because man is inherently evil. Jesus didn't say "for from within the family, out of the influences of one's parents, proceed evil thoughts, etc..." or "out of the pressures of the world..." or "out of the faulty school system..." Nope. The source is you, me, that guy you're thinking of right now, everybody.

I took a class in college entitled "The Holocaust: History and Memory". Talk about a depressing 10 weeks. One of the books we read that has caused quite a stir in the realm of Holocaust studies is "Ordinary Men" by Christopher R. Browning (HarperPerennial, 1993) . It details the exploits of Reserve Police Battalion 101, a sort of "national guard" type group brought up out of Germany to assist the Nazi SS. What makes this book so disturbing is that the men of this group were middle-class, middle-aged, and came from a variety of blue and white collar jobs. They were, for all intents and purposes, ordinary. They also murdered thousands of Jews during WWII.

There are many historians that had tried to paint the Jewish genocide as being perpetrated by a group of mentally imbalanced individuals (the Nazi party), or well-meaning pawns, forced to do the unthinkable by said imbalanced individuals. This book, however, shows no abnormal imbalance prior to the war, and no coercion to commit murder. They just did it on their own. In many cases, they seemed to enjoy it.

My problem with the book was that Browning fell short on his conclusion. He writes

"What, then, is one to conclude? Most of all, one comes away from the story of Reserve Police Battalion 101 with great unease. This story of ordinary men is not the story of all men. The reserve policemen faced choices, and most of them committed terrible deeds. But those who killed cannot be absolved by the notion that anyone in the same situation would have done as they did. For even among them, some refused to kill and others stopped killing. Human responsibility is ultimately an individual matter." (p 188)

He later goes on to state that these men acted out of an assumption of what would be best for their careers and the good of the collective. I came away with a different perspective.

I would propose that these men were put in a situation stripped of the blessing of God's law and the power of the collective conscience (which is also a gift from God). Essentially, they were put in a moral vacuum; no looming judgment, no consequences. And in a moral vacuum, they resorted to what man is inherently prone to do - evil. I do hold that anyone in the same situation (without the Holy Spirit and a regenerated heart) could and probably would start killing innocent people. This was a crystal clear case for sin nature when I read this book. Unfortunately, Browning never got that far; and when I made this point in class, I got quite a few funny looks. No one wanted to consider that these kind of evils were lurking inside them.

I hope this gives you an idea of what is in the heart of those that don't know Christ. It is as ugly as it can get, and it only filtered by centuries of moral tradition formed by God's law and his gift of conscience upon man. Take that idea and turn it into a passion to deliver the only thing that can cleanse and transform such wretchedness into pure, glorious, regenerated light... the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lord, help me to be aware of the leftover resonance of my old sin nature. Help me to reject those evils and cling to what is good. Help me to recognize just how much the hearts of the lost are mired in evil. Let that drive me to share the gospel that frees us from our own evil.

Mark 7:1-13

2008-02-27T23:43:00.000-08:00

7:7 "But in vain do they worship Me; teaching as doctrines the precepts of men."

Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for perverting and twisting the Law of God to their whim.

So I was trying to think of a common day example of this idea. What is one way that I or someone I have come in contact with have taught a "precept of man" as doctrine?

....

Ok, I got one. I don't often hear this thought verbalized, but it seems to be a common sentiment among church-goers. There are many people who decide what church to go to (or whether to attend at all) based on what they will get out of it. In other words, they ask "how will this church meet my needs?" A friend of mine actually asked us once if "our church was meeting our needs". That statement rubbed my fur the wrong way, so to speak.

The local church is a collection of believers that meet regularly to worship God and study His word. The members of that church have a responsibility to step up and meet the needs of the body, but should not have the attitude that they are attending to have their own needs met. It's like marriage, I am responsible for meeting my wife's needs and vice versa. When we start thinking about ourselves, it all goes wrong.

"Do not merely look out for you own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who... emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant" (Phil. 2:4,5,7a)

When you go to church, are you thinking "gee, I wish someone would do this or that for me", or are you thinking "what can I do for someone here?" Think about it.

Lord, help me to cling to Your word and not the pervasive thoughts and attitudes of the world. In that, help me to seek to build up and support the church as you will without concern for my own needs. Help me to trust You to take care of all my needs.

Numbers18,19,20

2008-02-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

20:12 "But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.' "

God punishes Moses and Aaron for not taking His instruction seriously and coming up with their own plan.

How often do I try to get things done my own way? I almost blew it when we bought our first house. My wife and I found a really cute house that we really like and that we could afford. It was in really good shape, so we wouldn't have to do a whole lot of work on it.... but it was tiny. Very small. Keep in mind, we had one boy and another in utero. We felt we could make it work, but everyone we knew kept saying "that's a bad idea".

Well, we decided against it, not because we changed our minds on whether we could make it work, but because I read Proverbs 23:9 and it freaked me out. So we eventually found the house we bought and it was much bigger than the tiny house, but needed a lot more work. By the grace of God, we had the money, time and help to get it ready to live in before we moved in. It was two months of maddening work at break-neck speed, but now it's awesome. We love the house, everyone else loves the house, and without planning it, we live about 3 minutes from our best friends.

I'm not sure I want to think what it would be like living in a house 2/3 the size of this one, but I'm glad that God gives us guidelines for a reason. Just like with Moses and Aaron, God doesn't just make up rules so He can laugh at us when we fail. Had the Levite brothers obeyed God, there would have been one more foreshadowing of the coming dispensation of grace. There is an element of gracy and mercy in every instruction from the Lord. We would all do well to accept them as such.

Lord, help me to love Your law, and let nothing cause me to stumble. Help me to be freed by obedience, not enslaved by rebelliousness.

Mark 5:21-43

2008-02-25T00:39:00.000-08:00

5:28 "For she thought, 'If I just touch His garments, I will get well.' "

The woman with the chronic bleeding problem expresses her faith in the supreme power of Jesus Christ.

This woman contrasts the other healing taking place during this passage of the dead girl. Her father asked Jesus to come to the girl to heal her, and people scoffed when Jesus nonchalantly suggested bringing her back from the dead. Do we pray to Jesus with the same conviction of the sick woman?

When we petition our God, we know cerebrally that He created the universe and can do anything, but are we really expecting the full onslaught of God's power when we ask for tall orders? Speaking of wisdom from God, James says in 1:6,7 that we need to pray with conviction or expect nothing at all. Understanding that God calls His own shots, we shouldn't be shy about praying for the Lord to heal the sick, save the lost, deliver us from perilous situations, repair broken relationships, etc... Even if it seem impossible, nothing is too much for God.

But be ready to spend time in prayer. God isn't some cosmic "suggestion box" that you can shoot a memo to and figure it will be taken care of in 7-10 business days. I've been praying for reconciliation of a person with God earnestly for the last year and a half or so. There have been a couple of nights when my heart has been so broken for this person that I have come as close as I probably will ever be to wrestling with God as Jacob did. It was intense, and I believe it was as it should be when we are driven by faith to petition the only one who can fix what ails us. And in case you're wondering, I continue to pray for this person and patiently wait to see God's plan for her.

Lord, help me to trust in Your power. I know You are above all, but I need You to be above all my fears and assumptions. Help me to contend with You earnestly when the need arises. Thank You for the privilege of prayer.

Numbers 11,12,13

2008-02-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

13:30 "Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, 'We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.' "

Caleb shows confidence in the midst of pessimism surrounding the bad report given by the rest of the spies.

I'm not a violent person. I've never really been in a fight, and if the opportunity to participate in one came up, I would probably excuse myself post haste. That being said, I can identify with the Israelites not wanting to mix it up with the heathen giants occupying the land promised to them. The key here, however, is who promised the land to them.

God promised the land. God is the landlord and the Canaanites are the delinquent tenants that need to be evicted. The people didn't realize that when they doubted their ability to take the land, they were doubting God's ability to make good on His promises. A pretty dumb thing to doubt, indeed. Are there any promises God has made to us that we are doubting?

How about Philippians 1:6:

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

God has promised to keep perfecting us until our death or rapture. Have you ever struggled with sin and said "you know, I can't change that in me... it's not that bad anyway... I'll just live with it". Maybe it's impatience, gossip, pride, hostility towards a particular person. Whatever it may be, we need to be like Caleb and not throw up the white flag because we are weak (which is true), but advance with confidence because we know God will keep His promises and is more powerful than anything.

Lord, help me to be like Caleb. Help me to draw my confidence from Your strength. Help me to be bold in the ventures You call me to.

Mark 5:1-20

2008-02-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

5:6 "Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him"

The demon(s) inside the man from the Gerasenes is compelled to beg mercy of Jesus upon seeing Him approach.

This scene brought me back to the temptation in the wilderness. In Jesus' first interaction with an unclean spirit (Satan), He was tormented and tempted to usurp God's plan in the first two propositions made by the devil, now we see the unclean spirit tormented by Jesus' very presence. Satan presented the whole earth to Jesus and said "all these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me", now we see the unclean spirit asking permission if he could be cast into a herd of pigs. Who's got the power?

It was exciting to see this interaction play out in the middle of a ministry marked by the refusal of man to recognize Christ's true position and authority. The evilest of beings saw Christ from a distance, and immediately knew the implications. He knew who he was talking to. If only we had as much respect for Christ. Whenever we ignore the leadings of the Holy Spirit, we are telling Christ "You do not have authority over my life". How stupid is that?

Lord, help me to recognize You for who You are. You are I AM. You created me. You saved me. Help me to put You and You only on the throne of my heart.

Mark 4:1-20

2008-02-21T23:48:00.000-08:00

4:14 "The sower sows the word"

Jesus explains the parable of the sower and the fertile and infertile ground.

What I need to remember from this passage is that we always need to sow the word. There will be all kinds of situations where the truth is not received well, or it is received and other circumstances affect the work of the truth in the listener's life. Whatever the case, the sower is to sow the word.

Sometimes I start to try to maximize my ministry by focusing on "fertile ground", but that's not my call to make. I am to sow fertile ground, rocky ground, everywhere!

Lord, help me to be indiscriminate in sharing the truth. Help me not to look for opportunities to convert, but for opportunities to share Your Word.

Mark 3:22-35

2008-02-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

3:24 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."

Jesus is showing the fault in the scribe's logic that one must be of Satan to cast out Satan.

Raise your hand if you've ever heard someone use this verse (or a variation of it) before. The most memorable is when George from Seinfeld yelled out "a George divided against itself cannot stand!" My observation today isn't as much about the verse itself, but how people misuse scripture. It bothers me when people deal so flippantly with something so sacred. Most people use this verse as an inspiration to unity. If you read the context, do you honestly think that's what Jesus was driving at? He is claiming His righteousness, and in a sense, His deity. It has nothing to do with unity!

The one that always burns my biscuits is the Clinton's obsession with 1 Corinthians 13:12. Bill and Hillary always use that verse to imply we can't know absolute truth. The conclusion they generally make is that there is no point debating absolute truth since we can't know it. To "see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face" speaks to knowing God dimly, but in glory knowing Him face to face. Read 1 Cor. 13, then read this: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/151/story_15194_1.html

There are so many problems in that "sermon", I don't know where to start.

Anyway, we need to be diligent to be studying our Bibles so that we can accurately handle the word of truth. This is serious stuff, and we shouldn't take it lightly

Lord, thank You for Your Word. Help me to always respect it for what it is, and to love it for the blessings it brings. Help me to crave Your Word and to use it effectively for Your purpose.

Mark 3:1-21

2008-02-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

3:16a "And He appointed the twelve..."

Jesus chooses the famous twelve disciples to prepare for preaching and casting out of demons.

The thing my mind lingered on here was that Jesus chose who he wanted for specific purposes. Our God is deliberate. Our God is purposeful. The twelve did not choose themselves, nor did a committee vote on the appointments. They were not designated by genealogy or stature, nor were they recognized as the best suited for the job. They were appointed because Jesus chose them. That's it. We can't read anything more into it, but that Jesus had and has a plan and He follows it.

And aren't you glad? I've had plans for important things cancelled enough times to appreciate something you can count on. God made up His mind a long time ago and is just in the course of working it out. "Que sera, sera" as Doris Day would say. Our attitude, however, shouldn't be melancholy apathy, but reassuring confidence. Whatever will be, will be because God chose to do so and it is the best possible plan for the outcome of glorifying God's name. Ah... maybe that's the problem. Maybe we can't be satisfied with God's plan because it works to God's glory and not our own. There are some things in my life that I am waiting to be resolved or fixed; I know that I need to continuously ask myself if I'm impatiently waiting for a resolution that will make me happy or if I'm patiently waiting for the resolution that will happen that glorifies God.

Lord, thank You for choosing me. I didn't deserve it, but here I am. Thank You for being a God with a plan and a purpose. Please help me to serve You and play the part in Your plan that You have chosen for me.

Matthew 27:32-66

2008-02-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

27:51 "And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split."

Climactic events marking the death of Christ. The symbolism in the tearing of the veil is immense.

This is cool because we just got done reading in Leviticus about the specifications for the elements of Jewish worship, including the veil. The priests of the Jews were the liaisons to God. They presented the sacrifices and petitions of the people to God in the place where He dwelt. But even in this mediator role, there was great care taken in not going past the veil. There was separation between us and God. Now there is no more separation (or at least there doesn't need to be).

The veil was torn in two! Access to God has been granted! God came and dwelt on earth amongst us! His Spirit will indwell us if we will trust in Him! How awesome is it that God who is above all and supersedes all cares enough to transcend to us on the most intimate level? God longs to be near us. Thanks to the veil, we can understand better just how much a trip it is for God to come as close to us as he has. Let's not take it for granted.

Lord, thank You for tearing the veil. Thank You for the sacrifice that brings You to me. Let me never take for granted the unhindered access I have to You. Help me to take advantage of that access more often.

Leviticus 18,19

2008-02-14T22:54:00.000-08:00

18:24 "Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled."

God condemns the nations of Canaan. The context is the ordinances against sexual immorality, so it seems that the land was inhabited with Sodom and Gomorrah wannabes.

I have heard some people argue against the Bible or God in general because of the conquest of the promised land. They posit that there is an inherent evil in arbitrarily choosing one particular tribe of man and giving that tribe land at the expense of the wholesale slaughter of other tribes. There is a tacit misunderstanding of the situation in this argument.

First of all, there's a problem with casting doubt on the decision making abilities of the Creator of all (including the one doubting), but we won't go into that here. There were two sides to the giving of Canaan to Israel. One was the promise of the land to Abraham. God chose Abraham's line, promised the land to his children, and that's that. We all know that the Israelites weren't perfect, so it wasn't based on their merit. It was based on God's merit. God chose to show His faithfulness by choosing a line of people for a special purpose and seeing it through.

The other side of the conquest is expressed in this verse. The people being expunged were downright evil. What the "make love, not war" crowd need to see in this chapter of the Bible is that peace is great, but God desires righteousness. And God knows that true peace will only come in righteousness. If you read chapter 18 of Leviticus and imagine a community that "by all these... have become defiled", there cannot be any peace there. As long as that type of lifestyle is permitted to exist, families will be broken, the weak will be exploited, and those that excel in an imagination rooted in evil will rule the day. Thank God He does not tolerate this kind of stuff.

It's too bad the world thinks there's nothing wrong with it. But I can keep the conquest going by spreading the gospel and letting the Holy Spirit wage war in the hearts of sinners. Let's just pray those we witness to submit rather than resist. We all know the eventual fate of the Canaanites.

Lord, thank You for Your righteousness. Help me to take Your standard of holiness much more seriously. Help me to clearly explain to those around me the truth of the blessings of Your righteousness and the curses of sin.

Matthew 27:1-31

2008-02-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

27:29 "And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' "

Roman guards have some fun with Jesus before He is given over to the crowd for crucifixion.

The thought I had when I read this is the picture of men, kneeling to their Maker, mocking and slapping Him around, then fast-forwarding to the day of judgment when they will bow again. That second time there will be no laughing. There will be no mockery. The same One they slapped and beat will eject them into the pit of fire (assuming none of them got saved after this event... if so, I'd like to talk to that guy in heaven).

It just reminded me of 2 Peter 3 which talks about the patience of God. Here's verse 7:

"But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."

I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't want to slap around the only Being between me and the fires of hell. Yet so many people play around with God thinking that the absence of judgment mean He is a God of complacency or weakness. If you are one of these people, do not doubt God's righteousness and power. You will account for your choices in this life. Reading this verse made me feel like I was watching a horror movie and just waiting for the slaughter to begin. Even though I knew Jesus didn't touch a soul on His way to the cross, I cringed for when His army would swoop down and massacre these evil people. It makes me want to get down on my knees and thank God for His mercy and pray for more.

Lord, thank You for having mercy on me. I know that Your slowness to anger is an indication of Your love, not apathy. I know You could erase the whole world in fire and be justified in doing so. Thank You for sparing me.

Leviticus 15,16,17

2008-02-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement."

God gives a foreshadow of Romans 6:23

Imagine if there were two dispensations of grace. One before Christ, and one after. What would be different? Well, for one, I don't think we in the current age would appreciate the freedom from legalistic requirements as much if they never existed. But let's consider what the Law taught the world about Christ's death.

By having centuries of temple butchery, it was pounded into the children of Israel that the atonement of their sins came from the death of something. The substitutionary aspect of sacrifices was evident. Now I don't know exactly how much they understood what the real sacrifice was to be (Christ), but I'm sure that they understood that God was absolving them of their guilt through their faith and was commemorated in the death of an animal.

After all these years of marching bulls and lambs to death day after day, year after year, imagine what (should have been) the reaction would be to see Jesus, completely pure and blameless, marched up to die! The sacrifice to end all sacrifices! This is it! This is why God has been having us slaughter our cattle! To understand just how magnificent this sacrifice would be!

Unfortunately, they didn't notice right away. Let's read Hebrews 10:11,12:

"Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God."

How about that! I hope I don't take the sacrifice lightly.

Lord, thank You for Your love at the cross. Thank You for the sacrifice that took my place. Thank You for the blood that took away the penalty of my sin, takes away the power of my sin, and will some day take away the presence of my sin. You are a great and wise God.

Matthew 26:54-75

2008-02-13T00:31:00.000-08:00

26:63a "But Jesus kept silent."

In the face of a mock trial intent on finding the slightest reason to kill Him, Jesus offered no defense.

There is a time for all things. Jesus certainly knew how to raise His voice. When He cleared the temple, you can bet people heard Him. And yet here, He remains silent. What is the difference? In the temple, Jesus was filled with zeal for the honor of His Father. He was clearing the rubbish from God's house. In His trial, however, He Himself was under attack. That is where we draw the line.

So much of the time, we get it backwards. We scream and shout when we feel we are threatened, but when we hear the Lord's name taken in vain, we pretend we didn't hear it. I won't shy away from a discussion about God and what His standards are, but I know I could use more work on shying away from defending my own rights. It's interesting to note, that when pressed, the only Christ did utter was scripture. There's a lesson for us.

Lord, help me to be zealous for Your name and meek for my own. Help me to be so absorbed in You that I won't be bothered when people attack Dave Allen.

Matthew 26:20-54

2008-02-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

26:30 "After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."

Jesus concludes the first Lord's Supper by joining His disciples in a song.

Here we have the answer to the debate! It doesn't say "after singing a chorus..."

Just kidding.

This got me thinking, I wonder what Jesus' singing voice sounded like? This is significant to me since I take my singing seriously when I am involved with the church's music ministry. Well there's no way to know, but it's entirely possible... that Jesus wasn't a good singer! If he was wholly human, his voice had to crack at least once!

The point is that this wasn't some awesome musical performance ("GodChild and the Twelve Man Band!"), it was worship. Christ would have know that you don't need to sing in tune to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Worship is an attitude, not a song. When you submit to the Lord and glorify His name, you're worshipping Him. So when I'm singing, I could think less about harmonies and rhythm, and more about God.

Lord, help me to worship You in a worthy manner. Help me to focus on You and not myself. Help me to help other praise Your name in the ministries You've given me.

Matthew 26:1-19

2008-02-10T23:25:00.000-08:00

26:13 "Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

Jesus rebukes His disciples for calling a woman's ministry to Him a "waste".

We should all have humility. If I feel I've accomplished something spectacular, I should always err on the side of keeping it to myself. Otherwise, I'll be tempted to glorify Dave instead of God.

But...

We should celebrate the great accomplishments of others. Or should I say the great accomplishments that God has done through others. In the last year or so, I've been to some events that highlighted the ministry of some great soldiers in the faith I know. It's so refreshing after being subjected to the global media constantly celebrating immorality, materialism, and plain ol' evil. So with that in mind, here are a couple of my personal spiritual heroes (in no particular order):

Roy and Elvia Sprague
My grandparents; these people are so consumed with God and so detached from the world (in the fleshly sense, not like hermits or something)! I really hope I can get to the kind of world view they have where everything is seen through the gospel.

Pastor Frank
I've now lived in Washington for about 15 years. One of the biggest constants in that time has been the preaching of Frank Emrich. And it doesn't really matter that he's been in one place that long (plenty of people do that), but it's the fact that throughout those 15 years he's remained whole-heartedly dedicated to the Word. He is one of the best resources for biblical wisdom I have.

Bob and Judi Allen
My parents; our family has been through more logistical changes than most. Houses, ministries, jobs, the size of the family... something always seems to be changing. And if you know my mom, you know she doesn't especially like change. Nevertheless, they are always a constant source of Jesus-like love and support.

Ryan Wood
I've been around Ryan pretty much since he decided to enter ministry. I've borne witness to a lot of his successes and failures. He has been instrumental in my own spiritual walk and is always on hand to encourage and challenge me.

There are plenty of other great spiritual giants I've known in my life, but you probably wouldn't keep reading if I went on. But if you know any of these people, please say a prayer and thank God for blessing you with their acquaintance. And then get to know them a little more.

Lord, thank You for the body of Your church. Thank You for the gems that are the faithful servants to Your glory. Let me look to those who effectively serve You to be my heroes instead of the heroes of the world. Please watch over these heroes of mine and continue to support them and use them for Your great purpose.

Leviticus 10,11,12

2008-02-10T23:03:00.000-08:00

10:3 "Then Moses said to Aaron, 'It is what the LORD spoke, saying, "By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored." ' "

Aaron's sons learn to take God seriously... the hard way.

I was trying to think of a contemporary example of this situation. There's the situation surrounding Annanias and Sapphira, but I thought the Lord's Supper might be easier to relate to. I Corinthians 11:27-32 warns of what happens when we take the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner.

Before every communion, I make sure to examine my heart and see if there is any unconfessed sin and deal with it prior to taking the wine and bread (or in my church's case, the grape juice and soup cracker). Now that's easy enough, because God is always available to talk to, but what if you have unconfessed sin towards another person?

There was a time when I examined myself and realized an unconfessed sin. I asked God for forgiveness but realized I need to seek forgiveness of the other person involved. I really fought with myself, and the I Corinthians verses flashed through my brain, as did this one in Leviticus and the account of the lying real estate brokers in Acts. I finally succumbed and did not take the communion elements. I was afraid of embarrassment, but I'll tell you what... I was more afraid of God. It's actually reassuring in retrospect, because I know that in a moment where the only one who would know what was going on was God, I submitted. I actually feared I might be struck dead! If you're laughing at that last sentence, read the passage in question again.

So the point is, if you ever find yourself in that position, obey God, put off the communion elements, find your brother or sister, and make it right. Then take communion. As for application for me, I'm going to try to keep growing in my respect and fear of the LORD.

Lord, help me to never forget who You are. You are I AM. You are the Creator. You are the standard for all things. I am dust. Thank You for Your grace and mercy towards we "dust-people".

Exodus 39,40

2008-02-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

40:34 "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."

The era of the tribe of Israel being physically led by the presense of God begins.

I would be surprised if anyone journaling didn't write about this verse. To have the very presense of God in your midst! Imagine you wake up, get breakfast, lumber about your front room, look outside, see the glory of God in your front yard, wake the kids, get dressed. Yet I'm already thinking ahead to all the examples of weak faith they displayed. How could people live never more than a short walk from God's transcendent glory and get scared, complacent, or unfaithful?

But before we start exalting ourselves over these Israelites (see the last post on Matthew), let's remember the last time we demonstrated fear, apathy, or unfaithfulness. Now consider that you don't have a tabernacle with God's glory indwelling, but you know what you do have (if you're a believer)? The Holy Spirit.

Consider this: the Holy Spirit is a person of the trinity. Equal in importance in every way to God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is fully God. And the Holy Spirit is inside you and me. That's closer than the Jews had! We are the tabernacle! Let that sink in for a minute! So we have no excuse for our shortcomings. Let's make sure that we are cognizant of the indwelling deity that we are answerable to. Let that guide our thoughts, actions, and words.

Lord, help me to always remember You are nearer to me than I am to myself. Help me to be a worthy tabernacle to the cause of Your glory.

Matthew 23:23-39

2008-02-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

23:30 "and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' "

The prophets bear judgment on their ancestors and proclaim their righteousness in claiming they would have acted differently in the same situation.

I was trying to think of examples of historical Christianity that we might look on with disdain. The Crusades or the Inquisition (although that was Catholic, if memory serves) came to mind. There's the church at Corinth (sleeping with your dad's wife!), or the Galatians reverting to works-based faith. It's easy to say "I would never..."

Or would we? People love to trash those who failed because it makes themselves look better and leaves little room to discuss their own failures. And whose to say that in 10 or 15 years, abortion will be completely marginalized and that generation will look at those of us who lived during abortion's rampage and say "we would never have allowed that to go on!" Let's pull the logs our of our own eyes before we start looking at the specks in others. Would I have stood up to the guy in Corinth messing around with his stepmom? Would I have gone to him and said "knock it off!" Or would I have just told myself "I'll pray for him"? I'm thinking of an example right now, and I'm now questioning if I've been bold enough...

Lord, help me to not assume my own righteousness, but to look to Your standard to measure myself. Help me to continue to grow in all righteousness and to be bold in confronting sin.

Matthew 23:1-22

2008-02-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

23:5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments."

The Pharisees were emphasizing the things about them that conveyed their religious prowess to garner attention and respect.

I was trying to think if I've even done something like this and I have! I broadened my phylactery! When you say it that way, it sounds like a misdemeanor...

I took my "Bible Doctrine" textbook to work one day, and I was passing by a guy I've heard is a believer, but I don't have opportunity to talk to much. I (almost subconsciously) turned my book so that the title was on the outside and clearly visible. I realize that I was trying to invoke a reaction in his thoughts like "Wow! That guy studies Bible doctrine!" Taking biblical materials to work isn't wrong. Letting people see your desire to study the Lord isn't wrong. Having an attitude that people should be impressed with me for all that is wrong.

Lord, help me to be pure in my study of You. Help me to desire to know You, not to gain stature among men. Help me to humble myself whenever possible for Your glory.

Exodus 34,35,36

2008-02-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

36:2 "Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the Lord had put skill, everyone whoe heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it."

Here we see a practical example of James 1:17. Even skills and talents are from God.

I like to mess around in Photoshop fixing (or sometimes doctoring) images. I take great pleasure in it, and I'm good at it. I take pride in what I can do. I don't think that I attibute that talent to God enough however. I need to remember that every good thing given and every perfect gift is from God.

Lord, help me to remember You are the source of all things good. Help me to not take pride in myself, but in You. You are the only one deserving of praise.

Matthew 21:1-22

2008-02-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

21:19 "Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, '...No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.' And at once the tree withered"

Jesus shows contempt towards scoundrels profiting off of worshipers, priests being jealous for earthly power, and a plant appearing to be healthy but bearing no fruit. Do you sense a metaphor?

I think a lot of times we Christians thinks we can get away with murder (figuratively speaking). We know we're bound for glory and that all our sins are forgiven so we get lax in working to root out sin in our lives. Well this story is a reminder that Jesus isn't just the "holy child, meek and mild", He has a fire in His belly! If you get His ire up, your life can be miserable. That's not to say that Jesus is an unbalanced pugilist with a short fuse. He just hates sin. And He might even hate sin more when it dwells in His children. Consider this:

- We know exactly what sin did to our Savior
- We know exactly what sin does to us
- We have been called to be holy as He is holy
- We have been given the freedom to not sin
- We have been given the power to not sin

Yet we do it anyway. And like a tree with pretty leaves but no fruit, Jesus is disgusted. Thank goodness our Lord is longsuffering! And praise God for Philippians 1:6!

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Hallelujah!

Lord, keep working on me. Help me to not be a white washed tomb. Help me to first be filled with Your Spirit and holiness, then to produce good fruit to the glory of Your name.

Exodus 25,26

2008-02-01T00:49:00.000-08:00

25:2 "Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution."

In this verse is the fundamental rule of giving. It should be motivated from within the heart.

When I was in high school, I had a really messed up idea of what it meant to give to the Lord. I used to not give anything, then every once in a while I would cut a big check and figure that would "cover" the last couple of months. If anyone reading this does that, knock it off! The flaw in that logic is the thought that God needs your money. God doesn't need anything from us! He can work His holy will without any help from anyone. The purpose of giving is to deepen the relationship between God and I by showing God that I understand all my blessings are from Him. It also shows God that I depend on Him. My budget wouldn't be nearly as tight if I didn't give (in theory), but giving to God first puts my dependence on Him.

But I do need to guard against giving automatically. Now that my giving is regular instead of sporadic, I can tend to give without thinking. I need to make sure I am moved from the heart.

Lord, thank You for all Your blessings. Help me to give with a grateful and worshipful attitude. Thank You for the privilege of being able to take part in Your plans on earth.

Matthew 20:17-34

2008-01-31T00:24:00.000-08:00

20:23 "He said to them, 'My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.' "

Ok, so I was thinking about this verse, started breaking it down and I think I found something pretty cool. Bear with me.

So Jesus asks the Zebedees if they are "able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" Matthew 26:39 shows this same language, and I think any commentary would agree "drink this cup" is a euphemism for "experience this suffering". Agreed? Good.

My first thought was that Jesus was saying that to sit at His right and left, the Zebedee boys would need to drink His cup, or suffer. I was confused, however when Jesus said that the seating arrangement was decided by His Father, not by Christ Himself. So what gives?

In verse 23, Jesus apparently answers two questions:

Answer 1 - "My cup you shall drink"
Answer 2 - "but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give"

Wait a minute, there was only one question, right? Verse 21 shows the mother asking "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left". Where's the second question? Jesus is answering the very assumption that they would even be in His kingdom! This is cool because Jesus takes that a lot more seriously than the Zebedee's concern of the seating in heaven. I will attempt a paraphrase here: Jesus basically said "Well, whoever is sitting to the right or left of Me isn't My call. But let's talk about you even coming to my Kingdom in the first place. If you think you're going to join Me, you better be ready to pay the price."

I found this very exciting because it makes it so much more applicable to me! I'm not going to Christ to request VIP seating, but I do want to be with Him in glory! And to that request, Jesus is telling me, "are you ready to suffer?" I better be ready to answer.

I love the Bible. No matter how much I think I've "figured out" a passage or verse, something new jumps out. Living and active, indeed.

P.S. Ryan or anyone, feel free to pick apart my logic.

Lord, help me to be ready to suffer for you. Help me to be willing to join You not only in Your glory and Your resurrection, but also in Your sufferings and trials.

Exodus 22,23,24

2008-01-30T23:58:00.000-08:00

23:4 "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him"

When I read over this the first time, I didn't think much of it. But when I went over it again I realized I missed the word "enemy". I was just thinking "neighbor". It seems weird that the Pharisees were able to mess this up and come up with love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

This and the next verse go beyond the seemingly obvious notion of not harming your enemy, but actually going out of your way to help them. If you consider that your enemy is someone who in some way is opposed to your progress, success, pride, or the like, to help your enemy is almost like working against yourself. That's why it's so hard! To help your enemy is to put your own interest in last place... now where have I heard that idea before?

Lord, help me to consider the needs of others as more important than my own, even if I don't like them. And after I'm done helping them, help me to stop not liking them.

Matthew 20:1-16

2008-01-29T23:16:00.000-08:00

20:15 "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?"

What came to mind when you read the story of the laborers in the vineyard? You know what I thought of? Mormons. Yeah, those tricky Mormons. Mormons always vex me partially because I know they're so wrong, but they act so right. Sometimes better than some Christians I know. But I had a revealing conversation with one that shows just how the Mormon faith fits them in with the rest of the sinful world.

I used to work with a devout Mormon and during one of our spirited conversations, the doctrine of who will get to heaven came up. He asked me "do you believe that if a serial rapist and murderer got saved just before being executed, he would go to heaven?" I answered "if he truly repented of his sins, called on God for forgiveness, accepted Christ as his savior and devoted his life (as short as it may be) to his new Lord... then yes!" His response was something along the lines of "I cannot fathom being a part of a religion that believes that."

It is a difficult pill to swallow! That God would allow such "scum" into His presence! But what am I? I'm the same scum! (now please don't go calling the cops, I haven't raped or murdered anyone) All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. We know these verses, but have hard time putting ourselves in the same boat as those who commit the "really bad" sins. Why is that?

Pride.

Even in the gutters of a sin-soaked world, we create a class system. And we carry that prideful sense of echelons of sin into our Christian lives, and it burns us to think that us "good" folk will have to share residence in glory with the "bad" folk. When in sin, we all look dirty to God. But here's the amazing part... when redeemed, we all look clean to God!! We are justified in His sight and scrubbed clean not by our own efforts, but by the blood of Christ. And since the cleansing power is dependant on God's immeasurable love, no sin is too big. Thank God for that!

So to my Mormon friends, I understand why you don't understand how Jesus can tell the condemned criminal "truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise". You don't understand because your faith is built on your own efforts, not the Lord's. Feel free to ask me if you want to know how your sins can be washed away by the only love that can wash away anything.

As for me, I could do well to remember those that are unsaved are not just "scum", but are lost souls and if drawn to the Lord, could likely share a room with me in glory. Maybe I should start talking to them now...

Lord, help me to remember where I came from. Thank you for saving me and help me to not take pride in my own salvation or the good works you have prepared for me.

Exodus 19,20,21

2008-01-29T22:40:00.000-08:00

21:22,23 "If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life"

I'm not Hebrew scholar, but when I read this passage, it seems to very clearly place the value of an unborn's life at the same level as everyone else's. I don' t know that I remember someone using these verses in the abortion discussion, but it really stood out to me. Notice that it refers to a "woman with child"... Not a "woman in her third trimester", or "a woman in the process of giving birth", but a woman with child. When does a woman become "with child"? I suppose some would debater semantics, but it seems obvious that "with child" is a synonym for pregnant. And I'm pretty sure a woman is physiologically pregnant when a sperm breaks through the egg wall.

Whatever. I probably don't need to waste breath belaboring this point, I really believe that anyone who has spent even a couple of minutes thinking about this knows that life begins at conception. Furthermore, I believe they know that ending life is murder. All are born with a sin nature and are responsible for their sin. If murder is a sin (which is in today's reading as well), those that perpetuate, encourage, commit, and condone abortion are sinning and thus responsible for it.

Proving through scripture and science that unborn babies are alive shouldn't be given up on, but they're not going to get it until they have the Holy Spirit in them to tell them otherwise. Sinners will sin, it's just really sad and infuriating when it results in the death of innocents. Ryan gave a rousing sermon on this recently; I'll see if it's on our church's site and post a link to it in the comments if so.

Lord, help me to stand up in whatever capacity You give me for the lives of children. If it only be in water cooler talk, still give me boldness. Please watch over the little ones and help bring an end to the rampant murder that plagues my country.

Exodus 16,17,18

2008-01-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

18:18 "You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone."

Moses is advised to delegate. It's interesting that the advice does not just warn against Moses getting burnt out, but the Israelites as well.

Sometimes we (I) feel the need to do some hard task by ourselves. If we are able to complete it, we get big pats on the back and lots of attention. If the thing falls apart, we "martyr" ourselves, get big loads of pity and lots of attention. We would rather choose the path of more work and risk of failure over asking for help and admitting we can't do it on our own. It sounds like pride is the central issue.

I think I went through one of these deals last night. My wife and eldest son both got a nasty flu at the same time. Because of this, I had to watch the kids by myself (one of whom was sick) as well as be ready to help my wife at any given moment. On top of this, we had already told some friends of ours that we would make dinner for them since the mommy is pregnant and on limited bedrest (i.e. not having a lot of fun). I took it upon myself to do it all. Chaos ensued. At the end of the evening, the local news was knocking at the door to investigate a reported war zone that had taken over my living room and kitchen.

Well, the dinner got made, everyone survived, stomachs were emptied repeatedly, and Dave is the hero. That was the point, right? I'll be honest, I probably could have called our friends and asked if they would mind ordering pizza for themselves and they wouldn't have been the least bit disappointed, but I was determined to prove I could do it. In the end, everything was ok, but when you read this passage, you see what I was putting at risk:

"You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you"

I need to keep my pride in check even (and especially) when I'm trying to serve others. And I need to get better at asking for help. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my own personal Sarajevo.

Lord, help me to have the maturity to recognize times when I need help and to ask for it. Help me to bury my pride

Exodus 9,10,11,12

2008-01-26T17:35:00.000-08:00

12:13 "The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

God promises to offer an escape from the impending doom through the death of an innocent.

My mind started wandering over all the foreshadows of Christ in the Bible. For the ancient Jew, examples of God's love and grace portrayed in ways that seemed to mean more than just their immediate context. Examples that, to the modern day believer scream "JESUS IS COMING!" Christ's ministry is the exclamation point of the Bible. All the attributes of God are visible in the Old Testament, but Jesus makes them visceral, tangible, understandable.

If one were to read the Bible for the first time beginning to end twice, imagine the difference in reading this passage the second time. God could easily have just said "stay in your houses, and I will protect all the sons of Israel", but in this image, we see Christ proclaimed as the salvation from impending doom, being the intercessor between us and God's wrath. How wise is our God!

Is Christ the theme of my life? Does everything I do scream "JESUS CAME!"? Not really. Sometimes it does, but other times it's whispering, or it's just plain saying something else.

Lord, help me to make Christ the theme of my life. Help me to proclaim Christ in everything I do. Let Your message come out load, clear, and unadulterated.

Matthew 17

2008-01-25T00:49:00.000-08:00

17:27 "However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me."

Personal liberty takes a backseat to the testimony of God's plan of salvation. Jesus clearly explained that He and His disciples were not required (in God's eyes) to pay the temple tax, but out of concern for the observing unbelievers, Jesus found a way to pay for His whole group of disciples.

I thought this was an interesting comparison to the recent reading in chapter 15 where the disciples were concerned with offending the Pharisees (v. 12). In the example from chapter 15, Jesus was more concerned with preaching the truth to unbelievers than with the potential for them being offended. In this example, Jesus is more concerned with the unbelievers being offended than His right to not pay the tax. Why the difference? It's all about salvation.

In the first example, Jesus cared more about people's eternal souls than their emotions and needed to preach truth to save them. In the second example, Jesus knew that exerting His rights might create an obstacle to an unbeliever and hinder their path to salvation. Jesus always put the gospel as priority over everything, including Himself.

How quickly will I shed my "rights" for the sake of the proclamation of the gospel? One of my favorite pastimes is fantasy football. Fantasy football has had a stigma of being a gambling enterprise and I have met some people who didn't know you can play it for free and with no betting pool involved. Now, if I met a person who, for some reason, was convinced that I was gamblin' pagan because I played fantasy football, and there was absolutely no way of convincing him otherwise, what would I do? Do I keep beating my head against a wall trying to convince him he's ignorant and wrong? Or do I at some point consider that in order to reach out to that person with the gospel, I might need to quit my cherished game? I REALLY hope that never happens, because I really enjoy the game, but I need to make sure that my attitude towards such earthly things are tempered and that my highest admiration and aspiration are for the things above.

Lord, help me to make Your priorities my priorities. Help me to put the furtherance of the gospel ahead of all else and that whatever I do is for Your glory.

Exodus 7,8

2008-01-25T00:21:00.000-08:00

7:5 "The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst."

God will make His name known among men by working out His great power.

This reminds me of the idea that every creature will, at one point in time give God full acknowledgement of His sovereignty. The question is under what terms. You can submit to His holy will and He will reveal Himself to You through the ministry of His son and communion with Him in heaven. Or you can rebel against Him and He will reveal Himself in His wrath in the day of judgement. Either way, you're going to find yourself saying "great is the Lord!"

I can take this lesson to heart by making sure that I am seeking God to reveal Himself to me through my service to Him and not through Him needing to discipline me. In either case God will be glorified, but there is a greater reward for me in service.

Lord, reveal Yourself to me. I want to know You through submission to Your will. And when You have to discipline me, help me to learn more about You in those encounters as well.

Matthew 16

2008-01-24T00:14:00.000-08:00

16:16, 17 "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.' "

Peter's confession comes as a relief as Jesus has been trying to explain to these disciples the magnitude of what was going on. But more interesting is the source of Peter's confession. Peter didn't figure this out because he was a really smart guy, it was revealed to him by God the Father.

I find this encouraging from the standpoint of us who believe in Christ having never met Him face to face. I've heard people say something like "well, it would be so much easier to have faith if I were living in Jesus' time". Really? Because it didn't come easy to a lot of people who had followed Christ almost His entire time here on earth. And what is shown in this passage is that it didn't matter anyway. Peter didn't believe Jesus was the Christ because he was looking Jesus in the face, Peter believe because God revealed it to him! That is so exciting because while we don't have Jesus in the flesh to "strengthen" our faith, we do have the same God the Father revealing the same truth in His word! So no more excuses! Peter didn't have any advantage over us, because he was a regular ol' sinner just like us, and had the same revelation that we had resulting in a drawing near to the savior. He just got to hear the words that we read today; which is fine with me... I'm a visual learner anyway.

Lord, thank You for revealing Yourself in Your Son. You are a wise and gracious God. Help me to never lose appreciation for the gift of Jesus Christ.

Exodus 4,5,6

2008-01-23T23:47:00.000-08:00

4:13 "But Moses said, 'O Lord, please send someone else to do it.' "

The smokescreen is lifted. Prior to this statement, Moses volleyed every excuse he could think of to God to get him out of the task at hand. After God has countered every excuse, Moses gets to his real heart condition. He just plain doesn't want to go.

Do I ever make up reasons to not do God's will? "I'm busy... it's not my strength... I'm doing enough already... I've already tried it and failed..." In retrospect, it's very obvious that caroling this last year was God's will (http://outofthemiryclay.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/joy-to-the-neighborhood/). It was good for those who went and good for our neighbors. Most importantly, God's name was glorified all around. But I almost didn't do it. I was physically able, I had the time off from work, my (awesome) mom made up the caroling books. Here was the problem: I initiated this now yearly tradition of caroling and am very excited about it. Last year, when there wasn't enough of a turnout to allow us to go out, I was a bit... offended. I hope that doesn't bother people to read, but this is my personal journal, so I have to be honest.

So when this last Christmas came around, I considered all the positives that I mentioned above including a neighborhood that we hadn't been to yet, but what dominated my thoughts was "I don't want to." I was still offended that no one thought this was as important as I did and I almost didn't organize the caroling in spite.

Thankfully, Ryan convinced me to go ahead, we had plenty of folks and it was a great time. At the time that I changed my mind, I knew I was wrong, but I hadn't really reflected on the sinful attitude of bitterness I was harboring. Looks like I have something to talk to God about.

Lord, please forgive me for putting my sinful attitudes before Your will. Help me to submit myself fully to Your desires. Help me to not take pride in things that are ultimately worked out through Your power and will.

Matthew 15:21-39

2008-01-22T22:43:00.000-08:00

15:33 "The disciples said to Him, 'Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?' "

As quickly as Jesus states His plan, the disciples put their earthly limitations at the forefront. Despite seeing Jesus do many miraculous things (including feeding more people than those before them on this day!), they doubted.

God reveals His will, we start listing obstacles. If we know what God is capable of through biblical and ecclesiastical history and through our own christian walk, why do we doubt His power sometimes? My church has a long term goal of upgrading our facilities. Whether this be by building a new structure or buying a new building, it will be a monumental task. When I even begin to think about those options, I just think "that would cost way more money than we could scrounge up!" How dumb is that? If it turns out to be God's will that we get a new building, God could make it suddenly appear next Sunday morning! Do I really think that a contractor could give us a bill that would stagger God?

My goal should be to seek out God's will. And when He is gracious enough to show it, I should act and act with conviction. There will be obstacles, but God loves them. God loves to show guys like me just how He can overcome anything the world throws at His plans. Instead of being worried about how it will all work out, I should be excited to see how God is going to glorify His name next.

Lord, help me not to doubt Your eternal power. You can do all things and I want to be a part of it. Help me to get excited about Your will and do whatever You ask to accomplish it.

Exodus 1,2,3

2008-01-22T22:41:00.000-08:00

3:11,14a "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' "

"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM' "

The verses I picked out bracket the beginning and the end of Moses replying to God speaking through the burning bush. When first charged with returning to Egypt, Moses' focus was on himself - "who am I?". At the end of the discussion God reveals immeasurable truth in a small package that directs the focus back to Himself - "I AM WHO I AM".

I recently was studying the attributes of God. It's funny how focusing more on God can make you feel so weak, yet so safe at the same time. Moses was right to acknowledge his own deficiencies, but he was wrong to despair over them. Our strength is in the Lord, and the effectiveness of our ministries depend on how much we submit them to His control. God can do anything and we have the privilege of being a part of His plan. We just have to remember who's plan it is and who's power is being wielded.

Lord, Help me to focus less on myself and more on You. Help me to be less worried about my problems and more worried about Your name's glory.

Matthew 15:1-20

2008-01-22T00:25:00.000-08:00

15:12 "Then the disciples came and said to Him, 'Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?' "

This verse cracked me up! I find this especially amusing in light of those who distort Jesus to be some kind of hippie preaching "make love, not war!" Jesus preached truth. Truth in love, of course, but always the truth. And if the truth offends, then so be it.

Now, I will be the first to admit that I personally can get carried away with this idea of preaching truth no matter what and step on some toes unnecessarily, but it is important to see Jesus' priority here. In matters of fundamental doctrine, preaching truth is what matters most. What was Jesus confronting in this scene? Faulty understanding of sin propagated by false teaching! The Pharisees were indoctrinating their congregations with the idea that outward obedience constituted righteousness. This false teaching was creating in them a stumbling block because it completely ignored and covered up the reality of sin harbored in their hearts!

Jesus could have done the considerate thing. He could have ordered up a "how to eat bread" debate and convention, implemented some focus groups to see what the people thought, and hired some public relations professionals to figure out how to roll out suggestions for improving the current traditions. All the while, though, people would be dying not understanding that they are sinful and need a savior. In light of that fact, does that second option really sound considerate?

Jesus was considerate. He was concerned about people's sin! People have to know that they are sinful before they can understand they need a savior! That is what is most important, and faced with offending someone or lovingly telling them the truth, I hope I choose the truth. Many times, I do opt to dance around the harsh truth or continually "wait for a better opportunity." I need to tell the truth.

*"Tell the Truth" is a great book, by the way, by Will Metzger*

Lord, help me to tell the truth. Help me to tell the truth in love, and always with a goal to glorify Your name and make Your plan of salvation known to all. Help me to be more bold in this matter.

Genesis 49,50

2008-01-22T00:10:00.000-08:00

49:33 "When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people."

The new testament more fully develops the truths of the afterlife, but there was an understanding these concepts in the old testament. The same verbiage was used of Abraham when he died (Gen. 25:8). This doesn't mean simply being buried in a family plot, because the narrative doesn't skip a beat into chapter 50 where Joseph plans the trip to bury Jacob in Canaan.

I immediately thought of Philippians 3:20

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ"

The greatest joy in heaven, to be sure, will be the amazing communion with our Savior. Communion with the rest of the universal body of Christ, however, will also be very sweet. When I read this passage, I was thinking about when I die, being "gathered to my people." Who are "my people"? My friends at work? Business contacts? Fantasy football buddies? No, my people are the church. It boggles my mind to think that I have an unbreakable bond with believers as far away as Africa, but it will be so amazing to visit with them in glory; no language barriers, no cultural awkwardness, just me, my Lord, and my people. How awesome will that be!

Lord, help me to never forget who "my people" are. Thank You for Your body, the church. Help me to minister to the church and seek Your help through the church. May Your name be glorified in all these things.

Matthew 14:22-36

2008-01-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

14:31 "Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him and said to him, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?' "

A couple of observations: God can and will do amazing things. God can and will ask us to participate in these amazing things. The moment we begin remove our trust in God's power, we will begin to fail. God will be fast to pull us back up.

I think a lot of Christians are scared of jumping into a new ministry. When ministry needs arise, I have developed an attitude of "say yes first, ask questions later" (thanks in part to Al Kessler). This is akin to Peter walking out on the water. Now lest you begin to mock me for comparing myself to Peter, consider that I will compare myself to Peter in respect to his actions throughout this story. I have put trust elsewhere than where it belongs and began to sink.

Case in point, I teach a Sunday school class to two and three year old kids. I jumped in without thinking about whether I was the best suited person for the job, and gave it a shot. I have no qualms about this as the need was there, I was available, and God can do anything with anyone. I have, however, on occasion put my trust in my own ability to recite Bible stories and not prepared sufficiently prior to a class. And while the kids might not notice (there is a lot of lee-way with two and three year olds), I notice a difference in how I feel in my responsibility towards God to be a part of the these children's training. It feels empty and haphazard. While I have been learning that my strengths probably lie in teaching older individuals, I have learned much this year about teaching in general, and God has been quick to pick me back up.

Lord, help me to be quick to jump into Your ministry. Help me to fix my trust on You continually. Help me back up when I fail. Help me minister to Your body and for Your glory.

Genesis 46,47,48

2008-01-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

46:34 "You shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians."

I always love how God uses some seemingly unimportant detail to work His wonderful plans. By orchestrating Israel to become a nation in the midst of Egypt, He assured political protection as well as genealogical integrity. Just by nature of the the Egyptian culture, there would be little chance of intermarriage since the occupation of Jacob's line was in itself loathsome to the Egyptians.

It reminds me of the Twila Paris song, "God is in Control". He really is! I would do well to remember that when I pray for help on some issue in my life, I'm praying to the same God who created the heavens and the earth, delivered Israel countless times, and died for the sins of the world. I should never doubt Him. I should never be worried because that same God I described loves me with an immeasurable love, so I know I'm taken care of.

Lord, help me to never doubt Your power and love. Help me to rest assured that You are in control of all things and that You will accomplish Your will no matter what happens.

Matthew 14:1-21

2008-01-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

14:13 "Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities."

Jesus hears about John's tragic beheading and takes some "alone time". After this comes the famous feeding of the 5,000.

After reading this, I immediately thought of Hebrews 4:15:

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin."

Don't follow? Well, I was thinking what would Dave do if he were in Jesus' position right then? I've got a big following that loves me. John the baptist has just been killed. John had a big following of people who loved him. Herod was afraid of killing John for fear of a mob retaliating. In my mind... this is the time to rise up against the man! Just a couple fiery speeches and I can get an army to topple this Herod guy and implement some real changes! And that's not even taking into account that Jesus (unlike Dave) has the same power that turned the Sodomites into crispy critters at His disposal.

But Jesus retires to meditate on the situation, then goes out and feeds hungry people. He never says a word about John, knowing it might incite rather than unite. People always point to the temptations in the wilderness, but Jesus faced temptations every step of the way... and never faltered. Jesus could have carried out what I described above, but where would it have gotten His children? Even if successful, does the Bible show a good track record of long-term human governments? No! They just keeping messing up again and again! Jesus continued in His ministry to bring His children real freedom. Freedom from sin, freedom to commune with God. I'm so glad Jesus resisted temptation and kept pointing to the cross.

Lord, You are perfect. Help me to grow more like You and to keep my focus on the things above. Help me to resist temptation to make change through strife, and to seek to make change through Your gospel.

Genesis 44-45

2008-01-19T22:19:00.000-08:00

45:7 "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance."

God shows His wisdom and power in using the brother's evil plan to work His plan of deliverance and sustain His promise to Abraham. Without the friend in high places (Joseph), Jacob's family might well have died in the famine. But God, as always, remained in control and patiently continued with His blueprint of grace.

So I was thinking, if God can use evil plans to His glory and good, He most certainly can use stupid plans. This is significant to me as I can normally think of more stupid things that I do than overtly evil things (although those are in no short order, either). And while some of these plans don't have long-term ramifications (like trying to carry a huge dresser from my backyard to the front by myself), some do. My kids come to mind. Now, I've been to the classes at church, entreated wise people for guidance, sought God's wisdom, and prayed a lot for my kids, but I know me and me is stupid. I mess up sometimes. And what gets me down is the feeling that I'm not just messing up one of my responsibilities, but I'm messing up my kids. I love my kids and I want the best for them... unfortunately, I'm not the best.

But....

God is! And just like in Joseph's day, God can and will overcome. I'm still trying to learn this one, but God has a plan for my sons, and I'm just blessed to have a part in it. It doesn't go the other way around! I will continue to do my best, but I need to continually follow Hannah's model and offer my kids to God's will. I hope the best for them, only God can deliver just that.

Lord, help me to submit to Your will. Your will is the only perfect will. Help me to surrender my family to Your perfect will. Help me to show my sons that I am just their earthly steward and that their true father is so much greater than I.

Matthew 13:33-58

2008-01-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

13:37,38 "And He said, 'The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;' "

What caught my attention here is that God sows the seeds, not us. It's not that we are the soil (as in the previous parable) and the seed is the gospel. In this parable we actually are the seeds. This is clear teaching of predestination.

As such, we cannot take any pride in our salvation. It is of the Lord, by the Lord, and for the Lord. But sometimes we get haughty and look down our noses at the "heathens". How dare we? We once were in that same state, and God in His wisdom and mercy, plucked us from doom. We have nothing to brag about except the name of Jesus. We can brag about how great Jesus is all day long. Too bad we spend way more time bragging about ourselves!

Lord, help me to see that I am owed no praise for the salvation I have. All the glory is due to You. Thank You for Your love shown towards me, and help me to reflect that love to the world around me.

Genesis 42-43

2008-01-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

42:21 "Then they said to one another, 'Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.' "

What hit me about this was that when things went bad on the trip to Egypt, the first thing that popped in the brother's head was what they did to Joseph. I have to believe this means that it was already on the forefront of their minds for it to have so easily come up as the reason for their trouble. And I went back and did some math, and Joseph would have been 17 or 18 when they sold him off and lied to their father, and he would have been 37 or 38 when they made this comment. That's 20 years! That's long time to be walking around with something weighing on your soul so much that when trouble hits, it's the first thing that you think of!

If you consider the fact that Jacob still believed at this time that Joseph was dead, that means that none of the brothers ever confessed to their father. If they didn't confess to their father, it's very likely that they never confessed to God and repented. I see, in that moment that they despaired over retribution for their sin, a lesson about seeking forgiveness. How terrible it must have been to bear that sin for 20 years! There's also a lesson in just plain not sinning to begin with. Even if God forgave them, that doesn't mean God wouldn't punish them on earth for it.

When we sin, we should immediately run to God and ask forgiveness. Sin creates a rift between man and God... even in the lives of believers. The longer you hold onto that sin, the longer you'll be apart from an intimate relationship with your true Father.

Lord, help me to avoid sin. But when I do sin, draw me to my knees in forgiveness so that I may draw near to You again. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, and renew a clean spirit within me.

Matthew 13:1-32

2008-01-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

13:11 "Jesus answered them, 'To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.' "

*Note to Ryan or anyone else reading this: Please let me know if I'm off base on this one.

How exciting! Imagine you're one of these poor fisherman who has come along for this wild ride known as Jesus' earthly ministry. The incarnate Son of God is speaking to His creation, takes you aside (that's amazing enough!) and tells you that it has been granted to you, Joe Schmoe, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven!!! That would be kind of cool if my Pastor Frank came up to me and said that, but when Jesus tells you that, it's earth-shattering! Now, I know I've read this verse before, but I'll tell you, it has never smacked me in the face like it did this time. The Son of God! The mysteries of heaven! Delivered to me!

The reason for my opening note for feedback is because it could be the case that the passage I'm so excited over was originally spoken to different men and could have been just intended for them. But (for right now) I'm convinced that we all today can take part in that amazing statement, because we get to read what Jesus told them in verses 18-23! Other references also help me to think that this verse relates to me such as Rom 11:25, 1 Cor 15:51, and especially Eph 1:9 and Col 1:26.

So why aren't I always this excited about the Word? I will say reading and journaling has gotten me more excited. While in the middle of writing this, I had to go share this with my wife! I just can't get over the image of God parting the clouds and saying "Hey! Dave! It has been granted to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven!" Praise God for His generosity and grace!

Lord, You are awesome! Thank You for giving us Your Word! Thank You for seeing fit to show us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven! Help me to sustain this excitement and to love Your Word as the only true nourishment in my life.

Genesis 41

2008-01-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

41:16 " 'I cannot do it,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.' "

Joseph gives credit where credit is due. Joseph understands his talent for interpreting dreams is from God and accredits it accordingly. Joseph's explanation of where this gift comes from is revealed in Pharaoh's reaction when he says "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you". The condition for Joseph's wisdom is the Spirit of God.
When people ask for our help, or if we are praised for our talents, do we direct the glory to God? I'm trying to think of the last time someone said I did a good job on something...

give me a second...

Got it! I'm working on some materials for my mom for the 2008 IFCA Convention, and she frequently tells me that I'm doing a great job! Now, did I say something like, "thanks Mom, but I wouldn't be anything without God!" Well, no I didn't. I'll try to work on that.

Lord, help me to look for ways to glorify You. Help me to not bask in my own glory. Help me to use every moment as an opportunity to turn people's heads in Your direction.

Matthew 12:22-50

2008-01-17T00:10:00.000-08:00

12:33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit."

This verse reminds me of 1 John speaking of the seed of God abiding in us (3:9). And in the next verse, 1 John 3:10, we see that the comparison is between the children of God and the children of the devil. "The tree is known by its fruit" could be paraphrased "one's master is known by his actions". For the unbeliever, sinning is as natural as breathing. Conversely, doing righteousness should be just as natural for the believer.

We've heard the cliche many times about how we shouldn't be "fruit inspectors". Well, we should, but we should only inspect our own fruit. Do we, being children of God, having His seed of righteousness in us, try to graft in a little fruit of worldliness into our lives? We'll buy that album, watch that movie, tell that joke, entertain some gossip... and like that banana that's been sitting on the counter for a couple months, it leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Now if anyone else is reading this, can you admit when you do those things, don't you feel uncomfortable? It really should hit you like a brick and drive you to your knees before God, but most times we let it go. But even then, don't you feel a little... off? I know I do. That's trying to put rotten fruit on a healthy tree. It's just wrong, people. And I know I need to take the next step more often when I feel that uncomfortable "wrongness" and seek repentance and drive whatever it is out of my life.

Lord, help me to be a healthy tree with no bad fruit on it. Help me to continue in growing towards total disgust of all things unrighteous. Help me to show your mercy and grace to all those around me.

Genesis 38,39,40

2008-01-17T00:07:00.000-08:00

39:9 "No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"

What struck me about this passage was the insertion of the Judah/Tamar drama in the middle of the Joseph story. It struck me that the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law deals with sexual impropriety which is the same crux of the next chapter in Joseph's saga. It seemed pretty clear to me (knowing the outcome of Joseph's story) that the author is making a clear juxtaposition of the outcome of disobeying or obeying God's moral law. Judah was publicly humiliated, Joseph would eventually be publicly honored.

Joseph had the right attitude when confronted with sin. While he acknowledged that it would be a sin against Potiphar, he says "how then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" Now I certainly don't want to sin against Michelle, but I should understand that if I sin against her, I'm primarily sinning against God. The God who sent His Son to die for those same sins! I know this is nothing new, but the lesson I'm taking from this passage is that I need to learn to hate sin like God hates sin. If I can do that, I know I will sin much less.

Lord, help me to understand who is hurt when I sin. Help me to hate sin the way you do. Help me to abhor what is evil and cling to what is good.

Matthew 12:1-21

2008-01-15T21:26:00.000-08:00

12:11-12 "He said to them, 'If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.' "

Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees whose ministry and traditions created such a feeling of piety that they couldn't see the good works that God intended them to perform in His name. This is the second time Christ reminded them of God's intention for our hearts in the verse "I desire mercy, no sacrifice". Knee-jerk obedience means nothing if the heart is not involved.

I was trying to think of a current day example of how I might commit this same sin. Do I ever become so wrapped up in ministry that I don't see the good works God has prepared for me in eternity past? When I took over (was volunteered to take over) the Christmas choir, I had been involved in it for quite some time. I had a feeling that there was an air of professionalism that, while useful to spur on the quality of the program, it was discouraging brothers and sisters who wanted to worship God in song, but didn't feel like they were good enough. It's taken me a while to get the hang of choir director (and I'm still not anywhere near perfect), but each year, I try to convey that we need people willing to serve, not professional singers. Understanding that some people will never come forward just because of the professional stigma surrounding the idea of a choir, I started the caroling program to hopefully give an outlet to those who felt they weren't "good enough" for the choir. In either case, how well we sing is not the real issue. We glorify God in sacrificing our time and talents to His will.

Lord, help me to keep seeking Your will, even when I think I'm already in it. Help me to not supplant Your will with my own. Help me to serve where you want me to serve.

Genesis 36,37

2008-01-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

37:7,8 " 'We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.' His brothers said to him, 'Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?' And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said."

This passage reminded me of I Corinthians 13. I'll paraphrase a bit here: If Joseph relates a dream from God, but does not have love, he has become a clanging cymbal. If his brothers hear him relate this truth, but do not have love, they become a hateful mob. Joseph had a remarkable gift to both have prophetic dreams and to correctly interpret dreams, but his brothers couldn't see past their own pride. It isn't as obvious, but it would seem Joseph was more excited to flaunt his gifts than to share the blessings of his gifts with his brothers.

Where is my love? Do I have love for those around me at the forefront when interacting with them? If I correct a brother, is it in love? If I'm receiving correction, do I take it in love? Or am I more concerned with how the interaction affects me? Does my own pride keep me from the blessing God has prepared in love-filled interactions?

Lord, help me to keep love infused in all my interactions with my fellow man. Help subside my pride and keep the interests of others as more important than my own. Help me to love others as You love me.

Matthew 11

2008-01-15T00:40:00.000-08:00

11:27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

The source of all wisdom and truth is immeasurably deep. But how wretched are humans that we cannot have any of it? Our sin separates us from the wisdom and truth that sets us free, blesses us, causes us to walk in the way that is in our truest best interest. How sad. BUT... Jesus is the tap to the Father's vat of wisdom and truth. How wonderful is that! He has revealed God, made visible the invisible. How often do we take that for granted?!

I'm a pretty smart guy, or so I think. I've been in Bible studies, Sunday school classes, had very deep, spiritual discussions with deep, spiritual people. I even own a Greek New Testament! But I don't let that get to my head, right? I wish I didn't. More often than not, I find I have to work to keep myself from trying to think of the perfect sentence to spit out that will impress someone within earshot. That's why, after reading this passage, I'm going to write this verse down in a couple places in my Bible study tools, and underline "to whom the Son wills". What makes me think that I'm so special? I'll tell you that I've met enough smart people to have realized I'm not that smart. Humility is not my strong suit, but I'm confident that it's on God's mind and that He's going to keep working on me and complete the work He started until I'm complete.

Lord, help me to remember that You are the source of all good things and that You distribute all good things. Help me to have humility in my search to know You more. Help me not to lord over others the blessings You have granted me. Help me to use those blessings to bless others.

Genesis 33,34,35

2008-01-15T00:18:00.000-08:00

34:15 "Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you be circumcised"

Holy means to be "set apart." God chose Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob to be "set apart" for His glory's sake. As a symbol of this assigned holiness, God instituted circumcision as an outward reminder of the inward holiness God desired. It is evident by the New Testament how important this practice was to the Jewish people. And here we have the very fathers of the tribes of Israel using God's institution to trick, harm, and slaughter people. Now these weren't innocent lambs that they killed, but as Gen 49:5-7 tells us, it was over the top and uncalled for.

Do I take lightly or misrepresent God's institutions? I was trying to think as to how I might do this. God instituted the church body as his tool on earth to further His name and blessings. I think that sometimes if I'm talking to someone that doesn't attend church regularly (or at all), I might focus too much on just "going to church". I know that the church is more than the building; that it is the blessed coming together of brothers and sisters in Christ all ministering to each other's needs and worshipping God! But it's a lot easier to guilt someone into coming by just saying "you know, you really need to go to church".

If you know a couple that is living together outside of marriage, do you take the time to explain to them the beauty of God's plan of a once-and-for-all union with a purpose to glorify His name? Or do you flippantly joke "you know, you really ought to get married"? If we aren't careful, our flesh can and will pervert the very institutions that God put in place to bless us with and use them against each other. It would do us (and me) well to remember just who invented things like the church body, marriage, baptism, and communion, and what their real purposes are. To glorify God.

Lord, help me to not hurt and deceive others. Especially help me to bring honor to the institutions You have put in place and not use them in way that bring shame to Your name.

In case anyone is wondering

2008-01-13T23:42:00.000-08:00

The logistics of when and where I can access this site have changed dramatically, thus derailing my routine of posting. I am still doing the daily reading (for those of you holding me accountable), but the journaling has suffered. I am going to figure out a new routine for myself as soon as possible and start getting them up again poste haste. For those of you I've spoken to as to why I am having trouble using the site, please continue to pray for the "change in circumstances" I so desperately desire. Many thanks.

Genesis 27,28

2008-01-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

27:19 "Jacob said to his father, 'I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me.' "

Wow. I had a hard time finding something encouraging in this passage. Isaac shows preference for Esau, Rebekah for Jacob. Both parents and children seem to be working against each other. This blessing seems to be pretty important, yet Isaac makes Esau wait until he can catch his father some food, Rebekah eavesdrops and plots deception, Jacob carries it out and falsifies the Lord's support to back his story, and Esau vows to kill his brother when things don't go his way. Who's the hero here?!? Who do I look up to?!?

In every culture, history is viewed as an important part of life. "If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it." And an integral part of history are the heroes. Students of history like heroes because it gives the learner a character to help summarize an era or event and, more importantly, gives them values and strengths to emulate. Greece has their Alexander, India has Gandhi, Native Americans have Chief Sitting Bull, America has George Washington, France has Napoleon. Yet a careful study of all these people will find them to have a common trait - they are all human. Being human, they all were far from perfect. We must be careful who we put on a pedestal, because if we truly want to emulate them, we find ourselves falling into the same sins that our heroes struggled with.

Who do I put on my pedestal? I greatly respect my grandfather. I named my first son after him solely because I hoped it would give my child reason to learn about him. And if my son becomes half the man my grandfather is, I will count it a blessing. But should my grandfather by my hero? I will not detract from the great life of ministry and devotion that my grandfather has lived, but he is still just a man. I know he's not perfect. If I put my entire focus on Christ, I will find no fault. Christ and Christ alone should be the hero we worship and seek to emulate.

While this passage was a bit discouraging, reflecting on it brought to mind the joy of knowing Christ and that he never pulled stunts like Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, or Esau. He lived a perfect life so we can have a perfect model. And as for my grandpa, if I need help, I will always consider him one of my best sources for wisdom and encouragement, but he still falls second place to the Word of God. My grandfather has earned this kind of respect in me and most everyone else he knows because... he has made Christ his hero. And I hope that I, my wife, and my two sons follow in that example.

Lord, help me not to put my trust in earthly heroes. Help me to look to you for all guidance. Let me make you the hero of my life.

Matthew 9:1-17

2008-01-10T19:45:00.000-08:00

9:13 "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners"

A famous scene of Jesus reaching out the the rejected dregs of society. Now, there are those who would be quick to point to this as an example of the modern-day idea of "tolerance". The key here, though is that Jesus says He came to call sinners. That isn't to say that the Pharisees questioning Him were righteous; they were far from it! But they were not at all aware of their need for a savior. Matthew dropped what he was doing and followed Jesus because he reacted internally to Jesus' call. But the Pharisees couldn't see past the outside works of themselves and everyone around them to see the inward need of salvation.

Do I ever pick and choose who I will talk to about the Lord? Last time I checked, God is the one who chooses the elect, so I better be careful that I'm not elevating myself to that position. God alone knows who He will draw to Himself, so my responsibility is to see all people in the same light. Everyone around me needs the Lord, and they are to be reached out to.

Lord, help me to see people as You see them, fallen sinners who need Your Son. Help me not to discriminate who I witness to, but to spread Your gospel to anyone who will listen.

Genesis 25,26

2008-01-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

26:10 "Then Abimelech said, 'What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.' "

I read this and was amazed that the son had walked in the exact same sin as his father. And in the land of the same man, Abimelech! My first thought went back to God's promise to Abraham - 22:18 "and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." That is an amazing thing to think about, that the entire world will be blessed and say "blessed be this seed of Abraham!"

But then I think of poor Abimelech. Twice in his life, he had been deceived by this family line. Abraham lied about Sarah, and now Isaac lied about Rebekah. In fear for their own hides, these chosen men of God lied, and made their wives lie as well (how's that for washing them through the Word to present them spotless?). What do you suppose was Abimelech's impression of Abraham and his seed? "Like father, like son", he probably said. He did not feel blessed by this family line, rather he probably felt quite annoyed.

Jesus said "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Mat. 5:16) God has plans for us to be conduits of His blessing. We can proclaim His name and be a part of His great work of salvation; and while all the glory is to God, how many times have you heard someone say: "I am so grateful God brought this person into my life..."

Am I being a conduit of blessing to those around me, or am I pursuing my own ends and thus bring shame to God's name? Abraham and Isaac weren't very good witnesses to Abimelech... am I being a good enough witness to those I know?

I had a pretty good idea once, but unfortunately, I don't use it enough. I put up a diagram on my cubicle wall that says "Which side are you on today?" On one side are the "Deeds of the Flesh" and on the other are the "Fruit of the Spirit" (drawn from Galatians 5:19-23). I can tell you right now that yesterday my conversation was filled with more enmities, strife, disputes, and dissensions, when there should have been more love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control. It was a pretty rough day, but God's holiness doesn't come with a list of exceptions. Let's make sure we're blessing those around us with God's love and goodness.

Lord, help me to be a blessing to those You've put into my life. Help me to guard my speech and my actions to make sure that when others see me, they see a picture of Christ that glorifies Your name.

Matthew 8

2008-01-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

8:34 "Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region."

Jesus is in the middle of working His wonders on earth, healing anyone who would come near Him, and a city asks Him to leave. This seems puzzling, but Luke gives us more insight; he says they asked Him to leave "because they were overcome with fear". Does fear ever get in the way of letting Jesus do His cleansing work in our lives? What might they have been afraid of?

Afraid of loss of things important to us
It's probably most likely they were disturbed by the loss of currency in the form of a herd of pigs. I don't know what a herd of pigs adjusted for inflation costs, but it's probably not cheap. When Jesus takes priority, our material possessions can suffer for it. God knows that money, things, or friends can never bridge the gap of the real need in our lives.

Afraid of disruption of the status quo
The people might have been content with the fact that some demon possessed men were causing trouble in the outskirts and didn't welcome all this attention. Many times, letting Jesus take control of your life will result in major disruptions to our comfortable way of life.

Afraid of conviction
Jesus was healing people and preaching repentance. It is possible that the people were not ready to feel convicted of their sins. It's amazing how sin can cause so much pain and loss in our lives, but we'll still cling to it. We hold on to it claiming "privilege" and scoff at anyone that will make us feel guilty about it.

Are any of these fears keeping me from letting Jesus work in the village of my heart? Am I "pleading him to leave the region". This might happen if I push conviction to the side by taking part in a conversation that doesn't glorify the Lord or putting my personal wants ahead of my family's needs. I need to recognize the great work Jesus is trying to do in my life and LET HIM IN!

Lord, help me to let you do Your sanctifying work in my life. Break my pride and my will so that I will not have any cause to ask You to "leave the room". Guard me from engaging in things that I know would make You ashamed. Never leave me.

Genesis 23,24

2008-01-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

24:67 "...and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her..."

Throughout this story we see God orchestrating and controlling events to assure Isaac is given the right companion in marriage. I was touched not only by Abraham's concern that his son have the right wife, but especially the servant who cared to fulfill his master's wish and sought earnestly for God's guidance to and provision of that wife. If only everyone took this care in choosing a mate, giving control of the situation to God. I know our civil courts would be a lot less active for one thing...

So this reminds me of how I came to be joined to my wife, Michelle. Unfortunately, I wasn't as fervent to seek God's guidance on this matter, and so God had to wait until I would stop bumbling around to do His work. In my last year of high school, I pursued and was rejected by the fairer sex for what was probably a record amount of times in a one year span. After much heartbreak, I resolved to stop concerning myself with finding a girlfriend. It was at this point when I removed my faulty decision making skills from the situation that God was able to bring in Michelle.

After getting over my confusion over a girl actually being interested in me, we became an item and the heartbreaks never came back. I now consider what life had been if God had allowed me to continue in the shallow relationships I strived for and I shudder. I reflect on the beautiful family I have and my heart jumps for joy. Michelle matches me perfectly and I love everything that is her and rejoice in the growth I have seen in her and that she has spurred in me. God is so good!

Lord, thank You for Michelle. Help me to never take her for granted and to persevere in serving You by taking care of her. Thank You for Your eternal wisdom.

Matthew 7

2008-01-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

7:12,28,29 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the Prophets... When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law"

What struck me here is the wonder of Christ as the Word of God, explaining God and His Word. Can you imagine if your pastor made some short comment and followed it up with "this sums up the whole Bible", I'm sure snickers would ensue. Who can sum up the Word of God? It is a vast, immeasurable well of wisdom and truth! But Jesus was able to do this! And not only was He able to explain and summarize the Word of God, but He did so with authority! That is significant in distinguishing Him from just being a great teacher, but being the source of wisdom and truth itself.

I wonder after reflecting on this, where do I go for wisdom? There are a lot of voices vying for my attention; friends, family, talk show hosts, bloggers, etc... And there is wisdom to be found among these sources, but you have to work to discern and weed out the nuggets of truth. Why not first go to the source of all wisdom and all truth? Glory be to God that He showed grace in sending His Son to explain the unfathomable and reveal the invisible! I know I understand the Word in this way, but I think sometimes I take it for granted. This journaling exercise has shown me how the Word is living and active, and certainly sharper than any two-edged sword.

Lord, help me to run to Your Word for all comfort, joy, wisdom, and direction. Thank You for sending Your Son to explain Yourself to us. Help me to never forget that great gift and to share it with others.

Response to Rob's comment on Genesis 22

2008-01-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

I was going to respond in the comment section, but it got kind of long...

I found the entry online:

http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php?month=01&day=08&year=08

I'm not sure is this is the whole thing, but from what I read, I'm not sure I agree with him. Now, far be it from me to argue with THE Oswald Chambers, but I'll just go to the Word and we'll see what it says.

Gen 22:2 says God told Abraham to "Sacrifice [Isaac] there as a burnt offering". That sounds like God was pretty clear about what He wanted Abraham to do. Furthermore, Abraham is commended for His obedience and faithfulness in verse 16-18.

As far as Chambers' quote of "It is of no value to God to give Him your life for death", I don't know if that is completely biblically valid. I offer the following references for consideration:

John 15:13
Psalm 116:15
John 21:19
Philippians 1:20,21

It seems to me that death itself is perversion of God's creation that was introduced with sin, but in God's wisdom, he can use the death of a person to His own glory. Furthermore, while the continuation of life is to be pursued, it should not overshadow the pursuit of holiness. In other words, if you have to choose between cursing God or dying, the martyr's way is the right way.

Genesis 20,21,22

2008-01-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

22:8 "Abraham answered, 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together."

Within the context of when Abraham said this, it's quite sad. Abraham knows the "lamb" to be provided is his own son. Knowing the end of the story, it's kind of neat because we know about the ram in the thicket. But... knowing the REAL end of the story, it's amazing! Imagine when you first understood your depraved state. You may ask yourself in that instant "when and how is God going to exact His judgment for my sins?" The answer is "don't worry, God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering!"

Do I realize often enough that I was a victim of my own demise, rescued to safety? I wonder how long survivors of tragic events (floods, eathquakes, etc...) remember their rescue and dwell on it? Does it affect their lives every day and inspire them to live life to their fullest? I would assume that these type of survivors appreciate their rescue more than the typical christian. Yet they were only saved from the destruction of their finite earthly bodies while we have been rescued from eternal punishment and pain! Not to mention our salvation from the control of sin in this life! I'm going to try to reflect on that today and consider where I could be right now to then rejoice in where I am.

Lord, help me to never forget Your provided the Lamb in place of me. Help me to remember that my salvation was Your sacrifice, not mine. Help this truth to have its effect on me in my attitude and in sharing Your truth with others.

Matthew 6

2008-01-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

6:3 "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing"

Does God need our money? Why do we give financially to ministries? Is God feeling the crunch of the winter time energy bills and needs our help to make ends meet? I really think sometimes people's attitudes on giving derives from some twisted idea that God needs our money. He doesn't need anything from us! So why are we supposed to give? It's all part of God's wisdom and grace. Giving results in blessings for all those involved. God could literally rain provisions from heaven if He felt like it (He's done it before!), but He has seen fit to pass blessing on to us by allowing us to give of our possessions (which came from Him anyway). By giving we show God the order of priority funds take in comparison to Him, and we get to see Him working in the lives of others. He doesn't need to do that, but how awesome is it that he does. But... as is the case... we mess it up. We get some idea that we are really going out of our way to help God out. We're pretty hot stuff because we're doing God's work. That's stupid! God doesn't need anything from us! So Jesus then has to correct this errant view by saying that we should not tell anyone what we are giving. When we keep giving to ourselves, then we will better understand why God instituted the whole concept of sacrifices in the first place.

When I was in high school, before I got my act together in the area of giving, I used to give sporadically and say to myself "Ok, that should cover the last couple of weeks/months that I didn't give anything." How messed up is that attitude! I was essentially boasting to myself that I had "payed my part". God didn't need me to "pay my part", He wanted me to have an attitude of submission, dependency on Him, and a desire to obey Him. Through great teaching at my church, my wife and I have grown in our understanding and obedience concerning this truth and have reaped many blessings through it. There's always room for growth, however, and I know that there have been times when the giving seems somewhat "automatic". I need to guard against mindlessly going through the motions. God doesn't want my money, He wants my heart.

Lord, help me to reap the blessings of giving to You by guarding my heart from pride and laziness. How wonderful are You in providing your children with opportunity to be a part of Your wonderful plans. You are amazing.

Genesis 18,19

2008-01-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

19:15,16a "When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, 'Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.' But he hesitated."

God is merciful. He assured Abram He would spare the lives of a multitude of unrepentant, vile sinners for the sake of 10 righteous ones, but even that couldn't be found in Sodom and Gomorrah. Despite that, there was one righteous man, and God's mercy compelled Him to send a rescue party to save Lot and his family. Yet Lot hesitates. We can only speculate what was tying him to the wicked city. Let's brainstorm:

It could have been:
-His possessions
-Friends (obviously not believers)
-Good business
-A reluctance to leave the familiar

When God comes to rescue us from temptation or sin, do any of these reasons make us hesitate? Or do we "abhor what is evil [and] cling to what is good"?

If you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. If you are a human, you sin. And if both of these are true for you, the Holy Spirit will convict you, warn you, and send flashing lights and sirens in the back of your mind when you come close to sin. I know I've come face to face with an opportunity to sin and I know I should, like Monty Python, "run away! run away!". Yet, I hesitate. Then I stumble. Then I feel like trash. Then I come crawling back to God in a pathetic heap. I am thankful God keeps taking me back, but WHY DO I HESITATE? I think I need to change my view of sin from a sad venture into doing wrong things to a view of total detestation. God loves righteousness and hates sin, so I need to view these things the same way. If I can get to that point of absolutely abhorring and hating sin, I'll be less likely to hesitate.

Lord, help me to recognize when You are leading me to safety and help me not to hesitate. Help me to hate sin and love Your holy ways.

Matthew 5:27-48

2008-01-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"

One of many more examples of internalizing the moral law of God. It's one thing to refrain from slapping your enemy in the chops, but it's a whole other deal to love them and pray for them. This relates back to my last entry in Matthew - we are to love others because God loves them as his prized creation. All men are made in the image of God. Who might our enemies be? I'm not in the armed services, so my enemies don't stand out as easily. Pastor preached on this over a year ago, and it still comes to mind very vividly. I couldn't think of an enemy until I remembered a coworker who had blown up at me for no rational reason. It hit me then that I was harboring bitterness for this woman and she was my enemy. Anyone we are holding bitterness, animosity, or disdain towards can be considered our enemy, so keep that in mind when you're praying.

As for application to myself, I continue to deal with the "love your enemy" part, but the thought that hit me tonight when I read this was the "pray for those who persecute you" part. I thought "who persecutes me?" Well, there's the guy at work who beat me during the year in fantasy football. He relentlessly persecuted me about that (until I exacted revenge in our league's Superbowl!), so I guess I should pray for him. Wait a second, was Jesus talking about people harassing us for things as silly as fantasy sports? Let's check out 5:11 - "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me" So then I get to thinking, when was the last time that someone persecuted me because of my belief in Jesus? It's been a while....... well, I must just be blessed to live in a sphere of people who tolerate my beliefs. Lucky me!

2 Tim. 3:12 - "Indeed all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

Well that doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy. So apparently the fact that no one has hassled me regarding my faith recently is a bad thing? Jesus doesn't say "if you happen to be persecuted, bless the persecutors", He assumes we will be persecuted. It sounds to me like I need to make a little more noise about what I believe in... let's go make some enemies!
...In a manner of speaking.

Lord, help me to regard those that deride me not as my enemies, but as your enemies that you long to reconcile. And help me to always reflect Your nature so that when I am persecuted, it is only for Your name's sake, and ultimately Your glory.

Genesis 15,16,17

2008-01-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

16:2 "So Sarai said to Abram, 'Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.' And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai."

So the moral is... don't listen to your wife. Just kidding.

Abram had a real problem; all his inheritance, his namesake, everthing crucial to his culture was headed into the hands of someone else's kid who happened to have been born in his home. Abram's merciful, gracious God loved him, however, and promised him a son by his wife. God even went to great lengths (for Abram's sake) to prove that He was serious and would follow through with His promise. The years tick by, though, and Abram and Sarai figure the only way they'll get a son is through adultery. God had this great plan to answer His children's prayer and show His omnipotence and wisdom, and they jump the gun. How sad is that? Moses and the rock, Saul and the sacrifice, Peter in the garden... why do we think we know better than the Creator?

The birth of Isaac was about 14 years away when Abram and Sarai gave up on God's promise. 14 years is a long time when you're already 85, but shouldn't we know God is the one who created the heavens and the earth in six days? He can act in an instant, but He'll act on His schedule. I have told many people that I enjoy reflecting on the early years of my marriage because they were very tight financially and it made it easier to lean on God because there was nowhere else to go! I have also reflected that when the paychecks got bigger, there was a challenge there to continue to rely on God now that he was meeting our needs through a steady job. I wanted to think that whenever the hard times came again that I would welcome them as the opportunity for God to again show His grace in spectacular ways. I'm not as excited as I thought I would be. Abram and Sarai gave up and paid the consequences through complicated and painful relationships, strife, and remorse. And all those consequences affect the seed of Abraham to this day! I don't want to give up and do something stupid. It's going to take divine support and a full dose of humility... can I swallow that pill?

Lord, help me to rely on You and You alone for everything. Help me to not give up on Your plan and to not pursue my own solutions. I know You are faithful from Your Word and what You have done in my life in the past, help me to lean on those (in that order) for my assurance.

Matthew 5:1-26

2008-01-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

5:22 "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell."

Jesus begins his examples of how the people have been observing God's laws externally while the idea all along has been that we would follow them internally. He begins with the concept of murder. God loves all mankind; aside from the fact that He has told us this, it is evident in His actions towards all man (He is long-suffering towards evil people, He sent His Son to die for us, etc...). For one to murder another is to view that person with such contempt as to destroy them in the most extreme way that we are able. To have that contempt for a loved, precious creation of God is what is the problem here. So Jesus gets to the point when He says that it doesn't matter if you don't actually follow the hatred through to it's end, but that very contempt offends God because you are hating His possession.

So how far are we willing to obey here? Are we willing to change our vernacular? Can I expunge the words "dummy", "idiot", "dolt", and any other word that shows contempt for fellow man from my vocabulary? That's going to be tough, because those slip off my tongue quite easily. And let's say I was even able to carry out that tall order, can I refrain from even thinking those things? That seems pretty insurmountable, but the Word gives us help, as always. Colossians 3 shows us that we can't just focus on the things to "put off" (in this case, ill will towards others), but we need to "put on." If I can change my view of all men as the much-loved possessions of my heavenly Father, it will be harder for me to hate them. I need to learn to view others as God views them.

Lord, help to have Your eyes. Help me to learn the love You have for mankind. Help not to focus on how other are wronging me, but how I can help them come closer to You and glorify Your name.

Genesis 12,13,14

2008-01-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

12:13 "Say you are my sister so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."

It's always a little encouraging to see the human weaknesses in the lives of the great pillars of faith. It helps to remind us that the only perfect person to walk the earth was Jesus. Abram put his own livelihood over the holiness expected of him as a follower of the Most-High God.

How do I view my role towards my wife and what is most important between us. Does she exist to react to my needs and wants, or is she a gift and responsibility from God. How often to I concern myself with her own spiritual growth and care. Am I working to wash her with the word to present her to Christ radiant?

Lord, help me to view Michelle as a gift and blessing in my life, not an object to use at my wish. Help me to be always in tune to her walk with You so as to help her as You will.

Matthew 4

2008-01-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

4:3,6,9 "...command these stones become bread... throw yourself down... fall down and worship me"

These are the "propositions" Satan gives Jesus while they are in the desert in this famous scene. I've read this many times, but today it another came to mind as I read it: Heb 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." I had never considered the temptations put before Jesus might be similar ones put before me. The first deals with focusing on earthly needs and wants above all else and Jesus' reply points us back to God "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." The second deals with reversing the role of God and man to the point that we might expect God to bow to our every whim. Jesus reminds us who is in charge: "you shall not put the Lord your God to the test." Lastly, we may be presented with the opportunity to turn our back on God for the sake of personal advancement. Maybe a little cheating will score a better grade on the exam. Maybe a little gossip and slander will clear the way for a promotion. Maybe a little relaxing of our moral code will win us those cool friends. Jesus again points the attention where it should be: "you shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."

Have I recently focuses on earthly things rather than heavenly things? This plan has helped me to see how last year my daily Bible reading was minuscule compared to everything else I did. Have I prayed to God with an attitude of delivering projects to be completed in a timely manner, or with an attitude of humble petition? I'll go on a limb and say I think I'm alright in this area. Have I compromised God's law for material growth or human approval? I can think of a few times recently that I have failed on that one.

Lord, help me to follow the example of your perfect Son and rebut temptation with your Holy Word. I know it will protect and sustain me, but I know I don't consume enough of it. Thank you for this exercise Pastor has presented us with and help me to be faithful in it so I can walk in your will and good pleasure.

Genesis 9,10,11

2008-01-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

11:4 "They said, 'Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.' "

I wonder how history would have been different if the residents of soon-to-be Babel had said "Come, let us build for the Lord a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for the Lord a name." It might have been a precursor to Jerusalem, a place where the world could look to learn about and worship God. Instead it was to become the first World's Fair of human achievement, a celebration of man's greatness.

Do I ever say "Come, let us make for Dave a name"? Do I take greater pleasure in the things that praise God's name or my own? I have a friend with his own blog who posted about our recent evangelistic caroling event (http://outofthemiryclay.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/joy-to-the-neighborhood/). Was I happier to read "Kudos to Dave for organizing caroling with a purpose" or "I took great delight in being able to sing loudly and in public about the greatness of my Savior". I don't know if I like the answer.

I don't know if God likes the answer.

Lord, help me to humble myself and glorify you. Help me to look for opportunities to proclaim your name. Help me to not dwell on opportunities to proclaim my own.

Matthew 3

2008-01-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

3:9 "And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham."

John here chastises the Pharisees and Sadducees for putting their faith in genealogy, tradition, works or anything other than the saving grace of God. In Ephesians, Paul list things that people could put their faith in besides God and calls them "a loss" and "rubbish." It makes you wonder if you are ever putting your faith in something undeserving. Have I ever thought I'm a better christian than brother A because I've just completed a rigorous Bible study? Have I ever thought I'm a better christian than sister B because I've conquered a particular sin she is still struggling with?

With my family history, I can (and have) run into the trap of leaning on the "faith of my fathers." I can be thankful for the solid saints in my family, but I can never think that their spiritual maturity (which is the work of God in their lives) automatically translates to myself. I have to constantly watch for any level of pride and humble myself before the God whose chose me, not the other way around.

Lord, help me to remember I am nothing without You, and that nothing I do or anyone I'm related to can save me from the hell I deserve. Help me to run to you and you alone for my salvation.

Genesis 6,7,8

2008-01-03T13:32:00.001-08:00

8:20-21a "Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma..."

This sent me back to chapter 4 and the account of Abel's offering. I have also been studying the attributes of God which leaves you with a sense of the awesomeness of God and all those qualities that make Him so great. Then here and in chapter 4, we find that this great God has transcended and given opportunity to His lowly, sinful creation to please Him. That's a pretty amazing thing considering everything that we can (and will) do to displease Him.

This is the answer to feeling of despair and misery when I dwell on my own sin and weakness. While it is appropriate to recognize those things, I can rise from the pit knowing God wants to lift me up for His glory and gives me opportunities to do just that. I take pleasure in the ministries I have and I know they please God, but I also know that they are gifts from God. Just like God provided the birds for Abraham's offering, He will provide my sacrifice.

Lord, help me to remember you want me to glorify you and will help me to do so. Help me to remember that the offerings I give you came from you in the first place and are not to be boasted about.