Week 22
The Lords Day, Week 22!
Thoughts on Galatians 1-3:
· Summary - This is one of my favorite books in scripture, the message couldn't be any clearer than in Galatians, we are justified by faith alone. There is only condemnation and curses under the law. Two groups of people, this has been the case since Abraham. There have been Gods people, and those who belong to the world. When Paul begins this letter, he starts with the gospel, chapter 1 verses 3-5. Jesus gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age... That's Pauls summary of the gospel, you cannot find salvation, escape from judgement anywhere else, or by any other means other than Jesus. His seriousness and the importance of this message is made known by the rebuke that starts in the very next verse, there are those abandoning this message, and seeking to be made right with God apart from Christ. Then starting with verse 11 through chapter 2 verse 14 Paul uses his own testimony as an example. If anyone could have been made right with God through the law, through works, it would have been Paul. His apostleship Paul says, is not rooted in man either, this message wasn't one he received by way of other men, it was given by special revelation from God. In other words, the law, which he was a master of, and mans direction isn't going to save anyone. This is really important, because the bottom line here is that even the words alone of the Apostles themselves will not save apart from God opening the ears giving sight to the blind. In Pauls case it was direct revelation, there was absolutely no human medium. But now he is the medium, so he speaks the gospel to the people, but it is God who opens the ears to hear. The situation in Galatia was that of false teachers, relying on human wisdom attempting to show by reason why the law was still necessary, and in doing so, they were attempting to make void the special revelation of God, which is present in the scriptures but made alive by His Spirit. Paul points out, that not even Peter was above correction when it comes to the Gospel of Jesus. Which shows the danger of the flesh and how we can become tempted to depart from the truth. If it can happen to Peter, you bet it can happen to all of us, and it does. You and I are constantly battling between living by faith, and trusting in works. Every time we think we've been dealt a hand we don't deserve, it shows how we still lack understanding in the gospel.
· Sidebar - That's what's happening right now in our world and it's why the Gospel is the only answer in making things right but it's being replaced with a message of works and self-justification. This whole narrative of racism being the greatest evil, and we have to stop the evil of racism and that everything is about racism and the evils of the white man. This is absolute utter nonsense, and I say that as a non-white man. What's happened here is that the world needs another gospel, it wants another way of self-justification, one that it can point to and say once we get rid of this, all will be right with man. But in order to do this, it has to somehow say that all evil is racism and if you can't see the racism it's only because it is so engrained in you that you are blind to it... Sound familiar??? Is racism evil? Of course it is. But is that the problem with our world and society, of course not. The problem is the evil of the human heart, and racism is only one of the symptoms. It's like saying to someone who has cancer, and the cancer is causing them to be exhausted so you tell them, just, take this energy drink and start exercising get up, move around, stop laying in bed all day stop being so lazy... You are addressing a symptom of the problem, and it's a symptom that quite frankly the individual with the disease can do nothing about. What they need is the cancer removed and until that cancer is treated, their symptoms will only grow worse. We have a society that is so focused on a symptom, that it is ignoring all the other symptoms, the current rioting and looting, the hatred of those who protect and serve, the hatred that is now being shown against those who happen to be born with fairer skin, all of these too are symptoms of the greater disease, and until we address the disease itself, we will only continue dying of it. The human heart is the problem, and the Gospel of Jesus is the cure, this is Pauls point, and it needs to be the way the Church leads in the middle of anarchy and chaos, with the gospel of Jesus.
· Gal. 3 - O foolish Galatians, Christians, do we think that having begun by the Spirit we can now be perfected by our own works??? The rest of chapter 3 is arguing against the foolishness of this. Do you know what the answer is to finishing well as a Christian? The Gospel. It's the answer when it comes to initial justification before God, being made right with God. But it's also the answer to our sanctification, to our being made like Christ. In Romans 1 Paul is anxious to go and preach the gospel to the church, why, if they were already Christians? Because it's only in the gospel that there is power. It's only in the gospel that we are transformed, if we are looking to doing anything apart from clinging to the gospel we are just as foolish as the Galatians. If you are doing this bible reading without first considering what Christ has done for you to reconcile you to God and recognizing that only because of that are you being conformed to the image of Jesus, then you are doing it wrong. If you come to your reading or your prayer time, thinking, ok, here I go, I can't wait to see what I am going to get from this today to put into practice today and look more like Jesus, I can't wait to see what Gods word will teach me so I can apply it in my life and receive His blessing. You are doing it wrong, you can't apply it, you can't do it, read all day long and go out and try, you will fail, and where you succeed in your own power, you are failing in living by faith. I am not saying we aren't supposed to be living according to His word, I am saying we do so only through dependence on His Spirit, this means that there is no "I" in this. That's the problem with that attitude, it's the focus is on me, and what I am going to do, as if I can do anything at all. It's either all of Him and our submission to Him and our clinging to Him and trusting in Him, or nothing. We don't get to take any of the credit, none of it. I am what I am in Christ because of Christ and apart from Christ I am a vile wretch worthy of full condemnation, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. There's no room for pride, because there is absolutely nothing in me to be proud of... This is me speaking... But it's my prayer also for you. Are you willing to decrease that Christ in you would increase? Or do you still want some of the credit, do you still want to attempt to do some of the work?
Brothers and sisters our nation is falling apart before our eyes, and I say that being completely heartbroken knowing what the answer is but unable to proclaim it loud enough. Don't fall into the trap of looking elsewhere for hope. Use your voice to proclaim the only hope that there is, Jesus. Speak His name, preach His Gospel, He is the solution to the problem of the human heart and apart from Him we will only continue to destroy ourselves. I pray that on this Lords Day, where we celebrate pentecost, and the falling of the Holy Spirit on the people of God, that His Spirit would fall afresh and we would be emboldened to preach and spread the cure that some would be saved. God bless you all.
Monday, Week 22!
Thoughts on Exodus 33-36:
· Summary - The covenant has already been broken and the Lord is prepared to depart from the people and leave them to themselves. These stiff-necked people are not worthy of the presence of God, the people mourn over the loss of the presence of God, but this mourning is not true repentance, for they will continue in their ways for many generations. Moses returns to the mountain and intercedes on behalf of the people. The Lord renews His covenant with Moses and the people and promises to be with them while also restoring His commandments. There are only two things that I want to look at, first is Moses and his request to see the glory of God. Consider this request, Moses has already bared witness to so much of who God is, from the burning bush, to the plagues, to the Red Sea and the leading by cloud and fire, and now having time with the Lord at the top of the mountain, and yet he desires more, he has not had enough, let me see your glory! Contrast this with the people, who fear the Lord, but do not desire to see more of Him, who instead demand that Moses be the only one to see Him, the people who even when Moses comes down the mountain with his face a reflection of the glory of God, the people respond in fear. Here is a test of a true convert, do you desire to see more of the glory of God? Or have you had enough? When you hear truths from scripture about God, do you wish you had never heard them, do they make you want to turn away and go back to the fact that God is love, and is that all you can handle. A person who has had a genuine conversion cannot get enough of God, they seek more and more of His glory, and though that often means also seeing more and more of our own wicked hearts, it also means we see more and more of His grace and mercy. The people mourned the loss of the presence of God, but they did not know God, their rebellion showed that, and that they continue to rebel in such ways continues to show that. But Moses desired more, show me everything even if it kills me. It's possible to be a part of the gathered people of God and still be a stiff-necked people. This is what makes the covenant so powerful, is that it is all of God, the people can't keep it, and they will fail until Jesus fulfills. It will only be those who trust in Him that will come close to Him, that will seek more of Him. May all of us seek to have our faces shine as a reflection of the glory of God, even to the anger and hatred of the rest of the world!
· Secondly - the seriousness of Gods commands... in Chapter 35 we are told that the penalty for breaking the sabbath is, death! Immediately some read that and gasp... But that just shows how little we believe the scriptures and how little we understand the holiness of God. The punishment for all sin is death! That God in His mercy has overlooked sin for a time in order that some would be led to repent and believe to be reconciled, does not make sin any less worthy of death. Here the Lord is teaching the importance of His commandments, and reminding the people that all they have is owed to Him. If you fail to depend on God for this and set it apart to Him then you aren't worthy of continuing as the people of God. He's set you free from the bondage of slavery and destroyed your enemies in front of your face and now says to you to set one day apart to Him. If you cannot do this, then you cannot be part of His set apart people! Where the miracle is here, is that God has allowed any of them to live up to this point. Do not take the work of Jesus for granted, our sin deserves death, for this reason Jesus died, and because of sin, these mortal bodies still die, but because of Jesus ultimate payment for sin, physical death is not the end but instead becomes the door to eternal life for all who repent and trust in Him. Because of sin, for those who don't repent, physical death becomes the door to eternal torment, a death much worse than the one this life brings, it is a death that brings all of those who hate God and His commandments under the wrath of God for all eternity. Don't gasp when God simply reinstates what He said at the beginning, instead we should be turned to recognize how much mercy He has shown since the beginning.
I am seeking ways to help those who have been affected by the rioting and the looting across our nation. If anyone has any links to gospel centered organizations that may have boots on the ground, please let me know. They must be gospel centered, because simply throwing money at a problem serves no purpose, true healing can only come through the gospel of Jesus! God bless.
Tuesday, Week 22!
Thoughts on 1 Kings 1-4:
· 1 Kings 1 - Solomon is made king. David is older in age, now in his 70's, but worn from battle and the stress of life he is no longer able to function as king. His oldest son expects the throne to be his. This isn't necessarily a wrong assumption being that David had not spoken publicly about who would be his successor, but the fact that Adonijah does not have some very key individuals including Nathan and Solomon, at his celebration clues us in to the probability that he knew David had other plans. We then see the plot between Bathsheba and Nathan, to confront David and reveal the urgency of the situation. While David was alive, he was still king, but Adonijah was planning ahead of time. Essentially saying, I'm ready, so get behind me, support me and declare your loyalty now. The only thing that could possibly stop him, is a word from the king. Once again we see that Adonijah's outward appearance was one of the focal points that brought people around him. The Lord however doesn't look at the outward appearance, and the Lord had not chosen Adonijah. David declares Solomon king, blesses him and sends him out to be anointed. Solomon's return as king is shown by His riding on Davids mule. Consider the start of the passion, and Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a mule, reestablishing the reign of David, and instating His throne forever as the last King and King of kings. Upon hearing of what's taken place, immediately those supporting Adonijah recognize the gravity of the situation and they flee.
· 1 Kings 2 - Solomons reign is established, and David gives further instruction regarding dealing with certain individuals. It's important here that we recognize, that this is historical literature, and that just because we are told what takes place, doesn't mean that all that takes place is necessarily approved of by God. Solomon, was a man, fallible and sinful, as was his father David. That God used them to bring about His purpose is a blessing, but we don't seek to be like them, we seek to be like Christ. When observing Solomon's actions then, it's important to recognize that several of them, from a human standpoint were probably necessary and others may have been committed more out of anger or even jealousy. Either way, we don't know much about what is taking place in his heart at this point so I won't go much further than that. We do know, that Solomon does seek the Lord...
· 1 Kings 3 and 4 - Somolon we are told marries an Egyptian woman, the daughter of Pharaoh, this was a strategic move, again wise in the eyes of human beings, but not necessarily what God told him to do. Nevertheless, we see that Solomon then receives a vision, and in this vision the Lords asks him what we can do, and it is here that Solomon asks for wisdom, not power, wealth, health, but for wisdom. The rest of the chapter and the following chapter is the continued establishment of Solomons throne and an example of his great wisdom.
· What is wisdom? Wisdom is not knowledge, they are not the same thing, knowledge is what takes place in the head, wisdom is what takes place in the heart and is lived out. Consider James 3:13 "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom." Read the remainder of the chapter and you get a fuller picture. But this is what makes Solomons request so powerful, it's that his request wasn't for just knowledge but for a heart that applies that knowledge in a way that honors God. Now, yes he will eventually fail, but not before he accomplishes some of the greatest feats of any king of Israel, even that of his father. James tells us, if any lacks wisdom, let Him ask, we all lack wisdom, because we all still sin. Sin is the result of failed wisdom, we know we are not supposed to lie, but yet we make excuses for it and in so doing we see ourselves as wise in our own eyes. We know that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and yet we fail and don't give it much consideration, there is much that Christians know, but there is often very little wisdom produced by that knowledge, the gap from head to heart is very great for us indeed. Therefore, we should all be praying every day, Lord grant us wisdom. As I look at our world today, and especially the church, there is so much knowledge, and yet so little wisdom. We know the Gospel is the answer, but yet continue to look for answers elsewhere, we again make ourselves wise in our own eyes, showing the gap from head to heart. If we believed with our heart that it was the answer, it would be all anyone could do to stop us from proclaiming it. But how often have you seen the Gospel shared with those who are hurting right now? How often have you seen the Gospel proclaimed with those who are hurting others? Pray brothers and sisters for further wisdom. That God would make that connection in every area of our lives, for His glory, the good of His Church, and ultimately the safety and well being of the entire world.
I continue to mourn today... the last few days have brought me to tears multiple times and in conversations with people I've seen the divide get bigger and bigger. But I can only do that which I know will help, preach the gospel. It's so tempting to offer other advice, to seek wisdom elsewhere, people accuse me of not being loving, not really caring, of not really wanting to help at all, of not believing God, and all of that hurts, but what hurts me most, is that they aren't believing God. Please continue to pray, and send me your thoughts as well as information on gospel centered organizations. I've received a few that I am looking into. God bless.
Wednesday, Week 22!
Thoughts on Psalms 63 - 65:
· Psalm 63 - Have you ever been truly thirsty? The psalmist likely has, he knew what it was to be so thirsty that your body faints because the blood in your veins begins to get thicker and isn't able to circulate properly, in describing a dry and weary land, he is again speaking from experience. Most of us in the US have never been really thirsty. So thirsty that you are frantic for just a drop of water... The closest I've been is after a really hard workout, or probably during my time in Iraq after what was supposed to be an 8 hour patrol went 16 hours, and I only brought enough water for 6... I know, it wasn't to bright of me. But in those moments its all we can do to get that drink, we are desperate and will get it from wherever we can. This is the description we are given when it comes to seeking God, our souls thirst for Him. Does your soul thirst for Him? How often are you pondering His power and glory? Our condition apart from God is that of a person inflected with Hydrophobia, a fear of water, there's water everywhere but we are so afraid of it, we refuse to drink and are dying because of it. But by the grace of God, that fear has been conquered, and we now have all this access to water, and yet many of us think we still don't really need it. The psalmists response to this thirst is to look upon Him in the sanctuary, beholding His power and glory. He didn't have to go all that far to find Him, to have His thirst satisfied. You and I don't have to go that far to have our souls satisfied. Look up, the heavens declare His glory! There is nothing else in the world that will satisfy that thirst, only Him. Money won't do it, your relationships won't do it, your job won't do it, your health won't do it, nothing will accomplish what only He can. To give a man who is dying of thirst a bunch of rocks would be cruel... Yet many of us do that to ourselves, and even worse, we do it to others. Only He can satisfy, so praise Him with joyful lips, meditate on Him in the watches of the night and cling to Him while He upholds you with His right hand...
· Psalm 64 - The schemes of the wicked are great, and eventually all of Gods children are afflicted by wickedness. We will all suffer injustice in this world at the hands of wicked people. At times we ourselves are the cause of injustice... But it's our response to being wronged that is revealed for us here, a trust in the Lord to be the one to execute vengeance. A trust in the Lord to be our protector, to be our refuge. The deeds of the wicked will be their own downfall and eventually when those deeds are laid out before the world, they will not be able to deny it. At times I get very angry at injustice in the world, and I just want to go do something. When we are able to do something, of course we should, it honors God to do so. But there's also much that we can't do anything about, there's much that we look upon and can only cry out to God about. (which is doing something) Here's the point, don't feel helpless, don't be fooled into thinking because you can't go and fight, that justice won't be served. The Christians posture in the face of injustice is the same in the face of all of life. Trusting in God we continue go forward, rejoicing in the Lord. I know, but look how evil, yes look, pray, act (if you are able) but through all of it, rejoice. Because God will make right that wrong, God will bring about ultimate justice, and all sin will be paid for, either in Christ, or in Hell. Either way, justice is guaranteed.
· Psalm 65 - Consider where the Psalmist looks to have his Hopes assured... Natural revelation. He looks at the seas, the mountains, the earth and its abundant produce and sustenance, and this is enough to be satisfied with Gods goodness and His holiness. We must ponder the beauty and magnitude of Gods creation to help us get a better grasp on who God is and who awesome He is. Feel the gentle breeze against your skin, the gentle breeze, the rays of the sun, green grass, beautiful flowers, in my neighborhood we have all these wild rabbits, that I can't help but think, wow, God you created those tiny rabbits... The earth is His, and it points to Him, and if He cares so much about it, which isn't made in His image, how much do you think He cares about you, who is, and you whom He called into His family and saved by His blood. Look around, be satisfied by the goodness of His house brothers and sisters, our God is good.
Thursday, Week 22!
Thoughts on Proverbs 1:
· Proverbs 1 - It's important that we understand this genre of biblical literature before we get to far into what's going on. Proverbs are given for the purpose of application, they are not promises. In the very beginning we see that the book itself is given an introduction as being the proverbs of Solomon. This is not that Solomon was necessarily the author of the entire book, though undoubtedly he was the author of much of it. But instead is meant to identify itself with the wisest man that ever lived. Throughout the book we are given two characters, Wisdom and Folly, the reader is to make their choice, will you live embracing wisdom, or embracing folly. The personification of these two ways of life, are not to be taken literally but instead as a metaphor for the two paths. Jesus is wisdom incarnate, Colossians 1 reminds us that in Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. So, where here wisdom is spoken of as a person, in Jesus wisdom is shown in His person. Wisdom, remember is that which is lived out, it's not merely knowledge, though that's part of it, it's knowledge that has made it to the heart and is now visible in how live. Thus, the emphasis on application and not promise. This is also not to say that we don't experience blessing when we live out these proverbs, of course we do, but we shouldn't look to apply these for the blessing...
· This is where we get into the actual text, to seek to apply in order to receive misses the fact that part of wisdom is understanding itself. Meaning that you see the value in this way of living itself, that's part of the beginning of knowledge. There should be a desire to live according to Gods wisdom, this comes from a heart that knows God, the heart of the fool will have no part of it. First we are introduced to the way of the fool, the sinner and given warnings not to follow them into sin. As I read this I couldn't help but think of those in the church who are supporting the looting and the rioting. These warnings are for them and of course for us, but right now we have those in the street who are waiting for blood, who are ambushing the innocent, plundering homes and stores, their feet run to evil, and are greedy for unjust gain. Of course, they aren't the only ones, we see this in many places, anyone who would support the police officers responsible for the the death of Mr. Floyd are also guilty of chasing after folly. But all this to show, that there is a lack of wisdom even in the body of Christ... Wisdom has cried aloud inn the street, here is the personification we discussed, but as you read this how can you not think of Christ? Has He not called, and most still refuse to listen? haven't we ignored His counsel, was it not Jesus and the Father who sent His Spirit to be poured out on us, the Church? Don't be the fool, waiting till there is complete calamity to call on Him. Call on Him today, look to Him today, live like Him today! That is wisdom and without that, there is absolutely no wisdom available to you.
I promised this a week ago, here is the list of books we've read so far! Genesis, next week we finish Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, Job, Isaiah, and tomorrow we finish Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians and Sunday we finish Galatians and of course we have gone through the first 65 Psalms! That's 16 books of the Bible in 5 months. In the upcoming weeks it's going to feel like the pace is picking up, but that's because the books start to get shorter, so please stick with it, don't bow out, and if you stopped for a period of time, jump right back in. Man cannot live on bread alone, if you aren't eating (reading) daily then you are slowly dying and you don't even realize it.
I heard a great illustration the other day on reading our bible daily, a lot of people complain that when they read they feel like they forget everything immediately... A father gives his son a dirty bucket with holes in it and tells him to go down to the pond fill it with water and bring it back. The son goes down, does as his father says and returns. When he gives it to his father, the dad notices the son is upset, and he says what's wrong son? The son responds, "I did what you said, but look the buckets empty, all the water dripped out of the holes..." The dad looks at the bucket, looks at his son, and says I know son, the bucket is empty, but at least it's clean! Brothers and sisters, you and I are nothing more than a dirty bucket with holes in it, and we need to get filled daily with fresh water! Yes, much of the water ends up spilling out, but that's not the point, the Word alone will cleanse you, it will renew your mind and have a greater effect in what you can't see, than what you can. So pleas... Keep reading!!!! Love you, and God bless!
Friday, Week 22!
Thoughts on Jeremiah 47-52
· Summary - Though judgement begins with the house of God, it doesn't end there. All the enemies of Judah and Israel will be judged, and Babylon will be the sword in most cases... Until judgement itself comes to Babylon. The Lord shows no partiality, Israel was given the most knowledge. To them went the Law, and so their judgement came relatively quickly and from our perspective seems harsh. However, the reality is they knew better than anyone, and so they deserved the greatest punishment. But notice, next came their neighbors, those nations that were in closest proximity, who had access to that revelation but instead often warred with Israel and Judah. One of our greatest fears as Christians should be for those whom we have relationships with, yet don't profess Christ. For those who hear the word and do not respond will bare a stricter judgement, it is through the law that the knowledge of sin takes place. Those without special revelation are still condemned but by their conscience which also bares witness to the law, though fallibly. This isn't meant as a detractor, but as a motivator, so go out and proclaim the gospel to your neighbors! To your friends, and even your enemies. The judgment for the neighbors Israel was also because of their hatred of Israel, but their hatred of Israel shouldn't be seen as a personal hatred, it was a hatred of everything they stood for, they were the chosen people of God. You and I are the chosen people of God, and so often will also be the subject of hatred, but we are to trust God for the final judgement, and preach the Gospel that even our enemies might be saved. The last judgement here is saved for Babylon, their wickedness was by far the greatest of all the nations. They practiced child sacrifice and had other horrific practices, and yet God allows them to rise to such a great position of power. Even using them as His sword to bring justice against other wicked nations. This is why we can never judge Gods blessing by power, size, or influence but by Holiness and Obedience alone. Brothers and sisters, this is part of the American myth and is dangerous for us. I love our country, I do, I have fought for our country but I also know, that though our nation was founded on Christian principles, we have never truly been a Holy or Obedient nation. It's been assumed, that because we were bigger, stronger, and had more influence that we were therefore blessed by God. But that's a false conclusion, just look at Babylon. There has been good, but today we have more innocent blood on our hands, than probably Babylon at the time of their destruction! If you don't believe it, let's just look at Abortion; since 1976, over 57 million babies have been murdered and there's hardly been an eyebrow raised, and not that it should matter, but the majority of those babies were of color. Today we have more sympathy over the death of a criminal than we do an innocent life that is unable to defend itself and yet we think ourselves great and powerful. This is who we are: "every man is stupid and without knowledge" this is the best description of us in scripture. The only hope for our nation is repentance, the only hope for future generations is repentance... Jesus is sitting on His throne, and He is making all His enemies a footstool, we can either be destroyed an enemy, and that means yes, the faithful too living in this nation, God will not show partiality. We will still enjoy eternity with Him, we will remain His bride, but we will not escape this judgement. Or we can be that prophetic voice, and become a part of how God makes every enemy a footstool by being light in the midst of darkness. I don't think its to late. Until we hit our own chapter 52, and someone is writing about our own destruction it is not to late. But we must be willing to stand up now, and proclaim the gospel now, disciple this nation now... Later, will be too late. I've learned so much reading through this book, I hope you have to, and I hope you've been encouraged at Gods mercy and patience... But also that you've been woken up, that it won't last forever.
May the Lord bless you and keep you... Have a blessed day!
Saturday, Week 22!
Thoughts on Luke 7 & 8:
· Summary - Jesus heals the sick, He raises the dead, He frees the captives, He commands the demons, He controls nature, He forgives the sinner, He has compassion on the poor and needy, He speaks prophecy, He condemns the self-righteous, and I'm sure I am still missing something from these chapters in this list. Yet with all of this, there are still many who deny He is God. Normally, the Gospel of John is where we like to go to prove most clearly the deity of Christ. But in these two chapters Luke has made HIs case. All of these are only done by God or through the power of God. But to do all of them in one man, is the clearest sign of who Jesus is. To all of us reading these words today, there is only one question to answer... Do you believe? Do we have faith like the Centurion? or faith like the demon possessed man who wanted desperately to follow Jesus and was told to instead go and tell the people what God has done for Him? Do we have the faith of the unclean woman, who knew if she could just touch Him she could be healed? Or the faith of the sinful woman who poured out a year of wages in perfume upon the feet of the one who loved her when everyone else despised her for her sin? Are we His family? living in obedience to His word, while being led by His Spirit? Or... Are we the faithless disciples, in the boat with Him, knowing all that He is capable of but yet still afraid of the storms because though we know... though we've seen... we are yet to really believe??? Who are we??? Brothers and sisters, repent and believe the gospel today, not just for your salvation, but that you may live in the light of your salvation, that you would live by faith and not by sight, trusting in the one who is able to do all this and so much more and who has promised us that He is at work in this world today and that His will is being done, on earth, as in heaven.
Another week... Our nation is so broken, pray for the people, pray for our leaders, pray for the church to become the beacon of light we were meant to be, that the Lord would not remove our lamp stand but instead that He we stoke the flame and the Gospel would bring the change that only can come through it. Love you.