Week 15
Easter Sunday, Week 15!
Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 13 & 14:
· These would be the chapters that land on Easter Sunday! lol Sorry but I'm not going to get into a huge discussion on tongues and prophecy in my thoughts this morning, so if you are hoping for that, just thought I'd let you know now!
· 1 Cor. 13. - The LOVE chapter! Well at least that's what we often refer to it as. Rightfully so to, I mean Love is the focus of the chapter. But it's funny how many Christians don't look beyond verse 5, and for those that do, there isn't much thought given to the application of the rest of this chapter. First, God has given us the perfect example of love in action through Jesus and the cross. That's what 1 John 4:9-10 tells us, "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God. sent His only. Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be. the propitiation for our sins." So before we can even talk about love, we have to recognize that there is no meaningful discussion about it. apart from Christ. Hear me, the unbeliever is incapable of love, incapable of love as defined by God, true love. Does that sound harsh? I know, but it's true, there can be no love apart from its source. Love is not something that lives in the sinful human heart. "whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 Jn 4:7 Why have I gone there? because I want us to think biblical, whenever an unbeliever uses the word love, they do not mean by it what the Bible means... But, unfortunately, neither do most Christians. The world has destroyed the meaning of love, and many Christians have substituted the worlds meaning for the biblical one. Love is a defining mark of a Christian. It should set us apart, but it's love as defined by God. It's love that does not insist on its own way, who's way then does it insist on? Gods way, this isn't meant to tell us to give in to the worlds way, but rather that even Christians have hearts that constantly. pull us away from Christ, and we are not to insist on our own way, but submit to Gods, love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, so we don't look at any sinful actions and think, good, I'm glad. That means any sinful action and I see many Christians rejoicing in wrongdoing, as long as that wrongdoing doesn't effect them. No, love does not rejoice in wrongdoing. It rejoices with Truth, oh man, that's an entire sermon right there... The world will tell you if the truth is offensive, it's not loving. Well, why would we expect the world to think anything else, they don't know what love is in the first place, of course they'll be offended! Love is eternal, why? because our hope and faith are in Jesus who we only know in part but will one day be in His presence. In that day there is no longer a need for faith and hope for the object of our faith and hope will be completely realized, but love... Well we will be with Him for eternity! Today we remember this truth! That the embodiment of love, rose today forever conquering sin and death, that all who would repent and believe in the Gospel would be saved, that all who would repent and believe the Gospel would truly know love. He is Risen!
· 1 Cor. 14 - Sorry... this will take more space than I have and probably spark more controversy than I care to start on Resurrection Sunday! lol There must be order when believers gather, and no one should be speaking in languages that no one understands, I hope on that we can agree. God bless and I hope you all enjoy this Lords Day!
My grandmother is likely not going to make it very much longer, continue to pray, below I've attached the hymn that I wanted to sing to her, and it's all the more appropriate given what we celebrate today. Eva had a better day yesterday, I'm hoping and praying for an even better one today!
**Update at 215am my Grandmother went home to be with the Lord. Appreciate your prayers for comfort at this time.
Monday, Week 15!
Thoughts on Exodus 5-8:
· Exodus 5 & 6 - We pick it up with Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh. This is significant because one should wonder, how did they get this audience with Pharaoh. Moses was a murderer who had fled Egypt and Aaron was a slave, yet here they are. The Bible doesn't tell us how, it only tells us they did. The obvious answer is God made this happen, but we aren't told how He made it happen. Immediately though we see that their proposal is met with great resistance from Pharaoh, the fact that the Israelites want time to go worship their God must mean that they don't have enough work to do! At least that's how Pharaoh sees it, and so he increases their workload greatly. From this point on notice that they people of Israel turn away from Moses and Aaron, they now see them as the cause of this extra work and mistreatment. The ones who cried out for help, no longer acknowledge that God is helping them. Even Moses goes to God and says, "why have YOU done evil to this people?" can you believe that? After this God gives us an explanation as to why things are like this, at least I think I see it... Read 6:2-9 closely... Here's what I hope you see, "I am, I appeared, I established, I have heard, I have remembered, I am, I will bring you out, I will deliver, I will redeem, I will take you, I will be your God, I am, I will bring you, I will give it to you, I am the Lord." Do you get it? The Israelites, and Moses needed to learn this lesson, they needed to see clearly that not even their prayers were the cause of this, but God is the cause, God is the reason, God gets all the glory! Yes He heard, but He is the one that chooses, acts, completes, He alone is God, and does as He pleases. He allows His people to undergo even greater punishment at the hands of their human masters that they would learn His power and greatness, that their redemption can only come from Him, they had no power or say in it. Sometimes things get worse before they ever get better, but for those who belong to God, even when they get worse it is only that God may receive greater glory. It doesn't always result in our physical circumstances getting better, how many slaves do you think died because of the harshness of Pharaoh's commands? But God gets the glory in the ultimate redemption of His people. Same today, for many of us, our circumstances have gotten worse over the last few weeks, but we have a much better picture of God than the Israelites. They had an excuse for turning away, they didn't know of the redemption that awaited them, but we do know. We do know what God has already completed and because of this we can trust Him even if things get worse, because He has delivered, He has redeemed, He has taken us to be His people, it was all Him and we are completely undeserving of it all.
· Exodus 7-8 - That was a lot longer than I intended, so I'm going to do a more complete excursus on the plagues next week... For now let's just note that the plagues have begun in Egypt, these plagues lead to the redemption of Gods people.
I hope and pray that you had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday! Looking at the gloomy weather today, makes me all the more appreciative of the weather yesterday. Continue to pray for Eva, we had a rough day yesterday and had to take a trip to the ER. We are grateful that they didn't have to admit her, but it was getting very difficult to breathe. This morning she said it's a bit better than yesterday, let's hope it continues in that manner. Also pray for Juliette Murray and Donnie Lamon, they to are sick with the virus and I know many of you know them also. We pray for physical healing, but we cling to the hope we have in Jesus, nothing else. Yesterday morning I found myself hoping in my wife feeling better, only to have that crash on me when she told me she needed to go the ER. Don't get distracted by any physical or circumstantial hope, focus on Jesus only. He is our sure and steady anchor! God bless.
Tuesday, Week 15!
Thoughts on 1 Samuel 21-25:
· 1 Samuel 21 - Jesus makes reference to this chapter in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 12. Here is what stands out to me in this exchange David is dishonest multiple times in just this chapter. He outright lies to get the sword, he lies to get the bread for his men, then he lies again about being mad to escape the king of Gath. So, if David is lying, why does Jesus use him as an example is Matthew 12? Does this mean it's o.k. to lie in certain situations? I don't think it's that simple anyway. In both of these situations it was a matter of life and death, that's the first thing. When Jesus references this later that's His main point, "I desire mercy not sacrifice..." They needed to eat, and David needed to live. But here's what it should remind us, that no one is righteous based on their obedience. Jesus never lied, not even to save His own life. David is a type of Christ, but he is still a very blurry picture of him. More righteous than me, yes, but still as unrighteous in his own deeds as any other sinner. Yet Jesus Himself referred to Him when He walked the earth. Passages like this are hard, because we see this hero of the faith, acting in ways that are not very heroic, but that's why they should remind us that there is only one true Hero of our faith.
· 1 Samuel 22-24 - There are two things I want to touch on within these passages. First is the difference between Saul and David when it comes to their relationship with God. Saul is presumptuous about his relationship, he never seeks the Lord, and he doesn't inquire of the Lord, he only assumes that the Lord is with him. But David seeks the Lord, David inquires of the Lord before acting, before doing. It was this way of being that got Saul in trouble in the first place, and it appears his ways have not changed. But Davids ways keep him from hurting Saul when he has the opportunity, it lured him away from fighting. David was not afraid of battle, we know this, but yet when Saul gets close and God tells him, he moves. He isn't quick to shed blood. This leads me to the second observation, "do not touch the Lords anointed". This has to be one of the most abused passages in all of scripture. First of all, the context is physical, when David says the Lord forbid that put out his hand against him, he literally means that he kill him. The Lord forbid him to kill Saul. Secondly, in the context he was proving his loyalty to Saul that Saul wouldn't kill him. So the context is life and death, do not touch the Lords anointed, means do not kill him and instead of killing him, be reconciled to him. Now, let's consider how this verse is often ripped from context and used today. Do not touch the Lords anointed, becomes don't challenge, don't questions, don't speak harshly against or rebuke anyone who is in leadership...because after all, "do not touch the Lords anointed". This goes completely against the regular teaching of scripture. As a matter of fact, just look at the exchange right there in chapter 24 between David and Saul, in verses 11 - 15 David is calling out Saul. He is saying to him, look, I could have killed you but God won't let me do that. Instead I want you to see that you are wrong about me. I want you to see that I have not sinned against you, the way Saul claimed he had. That's a direct challenge, Saul is saying David needs to die, he has betrayed me, and David is saying no I have not betrayed you! Then he tells him, God is going to be the ultimate judge of this, he will prove me right, God will plead Davids cause and deliver him from the hand of Saul. This coupled with the regular teaching of scripture which tells us repeatedly to challenge false doctrine, to ask questions, to search the scriptures and makes sure that everything we are being taught is in alignment with the scriptures. I will give a hearty amen to the command not to touch the Lords anointed, yes, don't raise your hand against another child of God in any way. But if we want to honor God and be obedient to His word, we had better be willing to rebuke, correct, and hold each other accountable at every level.
· 1 Samuel 25 - Samuel dies, crazy that this only gets a verse! Then there's the whole situation with Nabal and Abigail... yeah it's a mess, and David is already a polygamist! But I think I've spoken enough for today.
Thank you all for your prayers, yesterday was better than the day before, may today be better than yesterday! God bless!
Wednesday, Week 15!
Thoughts on Psalms 42-44:
· Psalms 42 & 43 go together, notice the common refrain, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God." Throughout the Psalm, the psalmist is experience great sorrow and pain, he remembers God but feels abandoned by Him, forgotten by Him. There are many who feel this way today, whether it be sickness, financial troubles, people are losing their jobs, losing loved ones without being able to say good bye. Not only is there all this pain and headache but many have to go through it apart from their support systems. Say want you want, but virtual support is no substitute for a physical shoulder to cry on. But none of what we are experiencing is new in the greater sense. Saints have always experienced trouble, even a sense of abandonment when God seemed silent. The Israelites were in Egypt 400 years before God sent Moses. But here is the encouragement, Hope in God; for you shall again praise Him, your salvation and your God! We are never suffering alone, we are never alone. Our Hope is secure, and we must cling to Him in even the darkest of times.
· Psalm 44 - The psalmist here acknowledges two things, all victory comes from the Lord, all loss and hardship also comes from the Lord. He has made them like sheep for the slaughter and scattered them among the nations. I think it's important to note that the failure to accept Gods sovereignty is something difficult perhaps for us today, because human beings have never had it so good. But in ancient times it was understood, God is in control of all. God is the one who needs too act in order for their pain to come to an end, and so the psalmist from their pain continue to call out to God, Awake!!! It's not that God is sleeping, it's that they want Him to act on their behalf, the want the affliction and the pain to come to an end. All that's happening in our world today is from God, and God intends it all for a greater purpose than we may ever understand. But from the midst of it we should still be crying out, rise up, come to our help! redeem us Lord, for the sake of your steadfast love!
Yesterday Eva had a breakthrough, day 1 with no fever! Your prayers are so greatly appreciated... This Friday my grandmother is being laid to rest, the difficulty there is that our family is so big, there is just no way that everyone will be able to pay their respects. So pray for us there as well as we try to navigate it. God bless you all and I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thursday, Week 15!
Thoughts on Job 29 & 30:
· This is one section and so I won't comment on them separately, Job here is now recalling the life he had before this great calamity. He took comfort in God, he loved his family and they loved him, he was respected by all people, he took care of the poor and powerless, he was as righteous as a man could be. People respected him, they trusted him and even those who had power listened to him and wouldn't challenge him. All of this is true of Job, he isn't here speaking pridefully, he's actually calling it like it was. It's because of who he was, that makes this book all the more important. That there is none who is more righteous than Job, but even Job was subject to immense suffering. He transitions to his current circumstances, now those same people who respected him, who feared him, they laugh at him. He's a curse to them, and they spit at the sight of him. But in verse 11 he makes a very profound statement, "because God has loosed my cord and humbled me..." Job sees knows God is the only one who has the power to get him into his current mess, and He is the only one who has the power to get him out. Chapter 30 finishes in a bit of a dark place, with his inward parts in turmoil, his skin turning black and falling from him... What do we learn from all of this? I think one of the most important lessons here and in the book of Job, is that our works don't determine our status in the world. People don't become rich because God favors them more than one who is poor. People don't get respect because they have pleased God, any more than a person being mocked and laughed at because they have displeased God. God seeks the obedience of His children in every circumstance, and He even gets to set those circumstances! Yes we should work hard, yes we should seek to honor God in everything, and often that leads to prosperity, but even when it doesn't, that doesn't mean we get to stop. You are a child of God by His grace alone... Our obedience is because of His grace, not to earn it, and so the results of our obedience can be prosperity but it can also mean death... Only God decides! Be prepared to receive either, and to sing His praises on the way.
2 Days without a fever! Eva is still not feeling great physically, but we are on our way there. Tomorrow is the funeral for my grandmother, pray that I can find a way there. Thank you all so much, for I know that we have been riding on the waves of your prayers during this season, and God has been so gracious with us because of you. Let me know how to pray for you! God bless.
Friday, Week 15!
Thoughts on Jeremiah 12-16:
· Jeremiah 12 - Jeremiah is worried about the prospering of the wicked and about his own integrity being called into question. He makes a request, that God would bring an end to their prospering. Gods people are under judgement, and God is using people who are even more wicked than they to judge them. But the Lord has His plan, and He rebukes Jeremiah. Saying to him to stop listening to the people, those who are trying to win you over are wicked and treacherous! Yes, the Lord has forsaken His own people and given them into the hands of their enemies, but He will deal with their enemies also in due time. But for now, "the sword of the Lord devours from one end of the land to the other; no flesh has peace." Then he says, that in due time though, if even the enemies of the people turn to Him and learn His ways, they can have peace with Him, but if they will not listen, they to will be destroyed.
· Jeremiah 13 - Israel and Judah have become worthless to God, and because of this they will be punished, the kings, the prophets, the priests and all the people will be destroyed, God will have no compassion or pity on them because of their wickedness. The only hope is for them to truly repent and humble themselves or The Lord will put them out of the land, because they have forgotten Him, because of their abominations, adulteries, He will make their shame seen. Their wickedness is so much a part of them that they can only do evil, it is for all of this that they must be punished.
· Jeremiah 14 - verses 7 -9 we have Jeremiah lamenting and praying on behalf of the people, and it's the only glimmer of hope in todays reading. In his plea it is only for Gods namesake that he seeks forgiveness of the people, they are completely undeserving. They carry His name. The greatest harm is not the punishment, but the rather the departure of Gods Spirit from them. But the Lord will not accept them, notice how then Jeremiah tries to make excuses for the people, it's the prophets Lord, they come prophesying lies in your name, saying all that you said your going to do isn't really going to happen. The Lord does hear the prophets too, and by sword and famine they too will be consumed. then in verse 17 Jeremiah laments the state of the people of God, everywhere is judgement and destruction... Again he breaks out into a prayer on behalf of the people... But...
· Jeremiah 15 & 16 - The Lord will not relent... for thus says the Lord, "Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword, those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity." God has planned their judgement at every level, giving His people over, and even appointing those who will cause their destruction, and there will be none to have pity on them. Then Jeremiah complains, in essence he is saying, "but what about me God?" and Gods response is hard, Yes God will deliver him from the hand of the wicked, He will redeem him, but he will also go through all of this alone, he is not to marry, not to have children, but only be Gods messenger to the people. In all of this, Jeremiah is not to mourn or grieve for them, for "behold, I will silence in this place before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride..." But this ends all with a promise. That one day God will once again restore His people, after they have been dealt with for their iniquity they will return and again know Him, and that His name is the Lord.
· Did your stomach turn while reading these chapters? It should have! Did it make you see what God is capable of and how absolutely insane it is that He would save anyone! Reading these chapters has to increase your appreciation for Jesus, because you and I are just as deserving as everything the people of Judah and Israel received, and worse. God may very well be bringing pestilence to our land right now, but for those who are His, we face this with hope, knowing that there is nothing that can ever separate us from the love of God. For Israel their hope was but a shadow, and most of them were far from God, much like most of the culture around us today. Jeremiah's job wasn't an easy one, no wonder he was called the weeping prophet. But our job today is to be that same kind of voice, pointing to what's going on around us and saying this is nothing, you don't want to know what God is really capable of... go read Jeremiah! Please repent and believe the gospel today!
Thank you all for your prayers, yesterday Eva hit day 3 without a fever, and today she comes out of isolation and for that I rejoice. But today I also bury my grandmother, and for that I mourn, but even in my mourning I do not mourn as one who has no hope... For Jesus has defeated sin and death, and because He lives I can and will face tomorrow! God bless.
Saturday, Week 15!
Thoughts on Mark 9 & 10:
· One of the issues with reading this Gospel is that Mark gives you a whole lot in just a few verses. Jumping from miracle to miracle, to teaching and so in 2 chapters a lot takes place. I am only going to hit on a couple of things that stuck out to me.
· Mark 9 - First we see the transfiguration, I believe I already touched a little bit on that in Matthew's gospel, but here is this scene of greatness of the glory of Jesus and then they come down the mountain and immediately are hit with the reality of this world. All that sin has brought upon us, and in this case it has taken hold of a little boy. When Jesus enters the scene, it would appear that the other disciples had already tried healing him and have had no such. The scribes were arguing with them over the situation and then in the words of this helpless father we get one of the greatest looks into the heart of the Christian, "I believe, help my unbelief." I said it before, I'll say it again, this should be our prayer every single day. Did you sin today? the answer is yes, and therefore you and I still struggle with unbelief and it is only the Holy Spirit that can help us. So pray, cry out. In verses 42 - 50 we see Jesus directly addressing the seriousness of sin. Why don't we hear it addressed this way in our churches anymore? If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! your foot, cut it off, your eye, rip it out! If we understood the gravity of our sin, we would not be so quick to enter into it. One of the reasons the church is impotent today is because our churches are full of Christians who think of their sin as only "mistakes" or a part of their "brokenness". We have made sin an addiction and taken the secular view of addiction, which says it's a disease and you can't help yourself, and then applied it to ourselves. So, what we often have is pastors who coddle their members in their sin, instead of being willing to rip off an arm or leg while attempting to get them out of the fire. This has to stop! If you are a Christian, you can help it, you must stop it! Yes there is grace, but grace is the power not to sin, not the excuse for us to! (this is just as much for me, as it is for anyone else.)
· Mark 10 - The other day someone asked me about polygamy and a person who uses David as an excuse for it. Well, Jesus here answers that question as clear as day. 2 become 1, not 3 or 4 becoming 1, only 2 and those 2 are male and female. This settles all the confusion today around human sexuality and marriage. Let's then jump to the rich young ruler, in verse 17, after Jesus putting the law before him, this man says, I'm good, what else. Then look at verse 21, it says "and Jesus, looking at him, LOVED HIM, and said to him..." stop there, we are commanded to love our neighbor, right? it's the second greatest commandment, so don't miss this because here Jesus is going to give us a picture of what loving our neighbor looks like. His loving this man, was to tell him what he lacks... knowing that in telling him this the young man would turn away. Hmmm... I think Jesus missed the seminar on church growth! I think he forgot the part where we have to tell people what they want to hear so that they don't walk away and then we sort of, you know, lay a little bit of truth on them until we've sucked them in and have a tight grip on them! Obviously I'm being facetious. But this is what we see today isn't it. A failure to speak truth boldly and tell people exactly what they lack, tell them that they are sinners and that they need to repent, instead of telling them that Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life! Jesus loved Him by telling Him what He lacked, hitting Him right where it would hurt him most. There are so many lessons to be learned here. We must not be afraid to confront people with the truth, right where it's going to hurt. You and I, don't have the power to convert, only the Holy Spirit does. Share, be bold and speak truth in love, and trust the Spirit to do what He alone can do. Sometimes they will walk away, you and I pray, and leave the rest in Gods hands.
There was so much more in there that I wanted to touch on, but again, I've gone long enough. Thank you all for your prayers these last few weeks. I know that the Holy Spirit has been using those prayers to carry us through and help us weather this storm. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I hope you are all staying safe and that during this time, the Lord is working in you to conform you to the image of Jesus that in due time the world around us would see Him as His bride rises up to take her rightful place. God bless.