Week 5
The Lords day, week 5!
Thoughts on Romans 9&10:
- Romans 9 is one of the most debated chapters in scripture, but unfortunately when debated there are only two options. Deal with the actual text or don’t deal with it and go elsewhere. If we are to truly love God as He has revealed Himself then we deal with the actual text.
- here’s a summary, Paul would do anything to save his fellow Jews but salvation isn’t up to him, it’s up to God. It’s a sovereign act of election on Gods part. What, we don’t like that? Well his response to that is, who do you think you are to question God? We belong to Him and He has the right to do with us as He will. That’s it pretty much, just read it straight through it’s all about Gods will in election and His rights over creation.
-Romans 10-Though Hod is Sovereign we condemn ourselves. The Jews condemned themselves by seeking to earn their salvation. But salvation is only by faith in the gospel, and the gospel is a message that must be preached! We can’t make ourselves right with God, He does it all we believe and live by faith!
This morning I’m preaching at CICC, please keep me in prayer and I hope to see some of you there! God bless.
Monday, week 5!
Thoughts on Genesis 16-19:
· In Chapter 15, Abraham believed and it was credited as righteousness, but then in 16 he and Sarah decide they need to help God along. This raises the question, what does it mean to believe? We see in the New Testament also this struggle to believe, yet being declared righteous because of belief. There is an ultimate sense in which the Christian turns to Christ in belief. We see our sin for what it is and we trust in Him for what He has done, or in Abrahams circumstance, what He will do. But though we believe, we struggle to live out that belief. Yesterday I taught on 2 Timothy 3:16&17, and this is where being trained in righteousness comes in. We are developing a righteousness of our own, that is done be living out our faith, or belief. As we mature we trust or have greater faith and live more obediently than we once did. This is the pattern we also see in Abraham's life.
· Chapter 17 - the covenant of circumcision, this was the mark that was given the Israelites as a sign that they belonged to the people of God. Today we have the marks of Baptism and the Lord's supper as signs that we belong to the people of God. Unlike circumcision, there is no timeline for when a believer is to get baptized, though we want to do so when given the first opportunity. New York makes this a bit more difficult since we don't always have access to water... but this mark is also able to be given to all, men and women. There is also that section in 17 where Abraham in an attempt to bargain asks for the promise to be given to Ishmael, but God answers directly, NO! God chooses whom He will establish His covenant with.. He, not us.
· Chapter 18 - The angel of the Lord visits Abraham, again we see the struggle to believe. Yes Abraham, God is able to do anything even open your wife's womb! Most believe that the Angel of the Lord in this scene is Jesus, the pre-incarnate Christ. I tend to agree with that view.
· Chapter 19 - The destruction of Sodom, the wickedness of the people was so great that there were none found righteous, not even Lot was a righteous man. Shown by his willingness to prostitute his own virgin daughters in order that they'd leave his guests alone. This was a sick thing for him to do, and it shows that to a point the depravity of the town had corrupted him. This is shown further by his own daughters actions at the end of 19 where they get their dad drunk and sleep with him. An important lesson from this is be weary of how the culture can in still corrupt even when you attempt to protect yourself. Lot had remained an outsider, as the people saw him as a sojourner, not a citizen, but he was still susceptible to their influence. We are sojourners here in this land in one sense, there will be a new heavens and a new earth for us to inhabit. So let's protect ourselves from corruption, but we must also go forth and take dominion for our conquering king.
Tuesday, week 5!
Thoughts on Joshua 21-24:
· When reading chapters 21 and 22 it's easy to get bored reading about further land distribution and allotments being made for the priests. But don't get lost, because the greater message then is easily missed. The greater message is Gods faithfulness to all His people. Notice throughout these chapters that is the emphasis, the Lord's land, the Lord has given, and so on. He is faithful, and does whatever He promises.
· There is almost a war within the nation of Israel over this altar built by the Eastern tribes. Because of the water separating them from the other tribes their desire was to have a constant reminder that they serve the same God. It shows that at least at this point there was a genuine desire to continue in His service by all the people of Israel.
· Chapter 23 - Joshua calls on the people to continue in obedience to the Law and we see that if they continue then the Lord will bless them and if they don't He will curse them. Part of this obedience requires that they do not mix with the remaining tribes, that they stay pure and only marry within the nation. The reason isn't because God is a racist! But because these other tribes don't worship the same god, and by intermarrying they will only be led astray... Side note, this is the same principle that we should be following as the church today, why marry a Christian, because non-christians don't worship and love the same god as you, therefore you will only bring further difficulty and trouble into your life by doing so. If you don't believe it, just watch and see what happens to Israel!
· Chapter 24 - Joshua is at the end of his life, and God speaks through Joshua to the people of Israel, choose whom you will serve? Notice that the question flows out of the blessing. God has already done all this for them as a people, and says in light of this grace, now you obey! Joshua, knows that the people are still incapable of obedience and yet the people insist! We will obey! It's important that we recognize that they had good motives, their desire was to actually obey, but they also didn't understand their own sinful. condition as of yet. Even with Joshua's warning, they go against him and declare that they will serve the Lord. With that Joshua announces that they are witnesses against themselves, he gives some final instructions and then dies. We are left with sort of a cliffhanger here... Next week we pick it up with what takes place once this generation passes away... It's not good!
God bless you all, I hope that you are all off to a good week and that you continue in your reading and time with the Lord. Let me know how I can be praying for you! God bless.
Wednesday, week 5!
Thoughts on Psalms 12-14:
· Psalm 12 - The faithful have vanished! This is the state of the world, those who belong to God are few and we live in a world that is wicked and vile to the core. If it was up to us to remain pure we'd be hopeless! But Gods words purify us, the Lord Himself protects and guards us! We are safe because we are His and He is always with us. It is important that we never confuse what true righteousness is with worldly righteousness. That we seek first the kingdom of God.
· Psalm 13 - Who hasn't felt this? Lord, where are you? Are you even listening anymore? We are weak creatures and so easily given to despair, though God has proven Himself faithful for generations. David in this Psalm cries out the way many of Gods children do, but in the end he remembers, God owes me nothing. His love and grace are enough and all that He has given me is more than I deserve. We all put be willing to say, if the Lord calls me home today, He is good, if He let me suffer tomorrow, He is good, if I should never feel Him close again, I know Him and He is still good!
· Psalm 14 - The fool says in his heart, there is no God! I spoke with an atheist for a long time recently. Towards the end of our conversation here's what I told him. "Your issue isn't that you don't believe God exists, it's that you just think you are better at being God than He is..." Every sentence he spoke was inconsistent with what he claimed to believe and the foolishness of his own worldview was evident. I pray for this man, and all Atheists out there, that they would bow the knee to the Lord of salvation!
I hope you all have a wonderful day today! God bless!
Thursday, week 5!
Thoughts on Job 9 & 10:
· Job is wrestling with some things... on the one hand he seems to understand that God shows no partiality. That the sun and rain fall on the just and unjust alike. On the other hand he wants to continue to look to his own righteousness as justification for why this shouldn't be happening to him. I laugh... this is me too... On the one hand I know that God allows everything into my life for the purpose of conforming me into the image of His Son. Good and bad, suffering and celebrating, on the other hand, I can fall into the trap of thinking I deserve the celebration or don't deserve the suffering!
· As Job describes some of the characteristics of God and what God has done he also recognizes how he is nothing before God. But he begins to turn this realization into a plea for mercy, if he is nothing, then leave him alone. But it doesn't work that way, God is everything but everything God does has purpose and He is always doing something. We are not insignificant, but we aren't God. We must have humility, which is right thinking of ourselves. God does love us, if we are His, and is doing something in us, and through us for His glory.
I hope you are reading and finding this plan enjoyable. Personally I get a bit confused sometimes and have to look at the Bible plan every morning... lol but I do like the different genres and think that in a few more weeks it should be easier... God bless and hope you have a wonderful day!
Friday, week 5!
Thoughts on Isaiah 23-28:
· Two themes, Judgement and restoration seem to woven throughout. God has judged and he will judge again in a final sense. But God also redeems those that are His.
· In Chapters 24 and 25 we see this picture clearly where we have a judgement that is declared upon the whole earth. It all wastes away, it's all destroyed. At the center of it is the Righteous One, to whom all are singing sons of praise. How can there be songs of praise during times of judgement and destruction? God is glorified in the judgement of the wicked! We must get out minds around that. If you are His child you will be among those singing songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One! We see that in 25 thought there is one who will swallow up death forever, the Lord of hosts, who I would argue is the Righteous one from 24 which I believe is also Jesus. Look at verse 9, Behold, this is our God... Jesus is our God, He is the one who has saved us! Just awesome.
· Chapters 26 and 27 - I believe these are looking towards the resurrection, but without a commentary I wouldn't want to speak to boldly on that. But we do see sin completely atoned for, for those who who are part of Israel. This is a whole other conversation, but Israel is not only a nation, it's a person... See Romans 11 for starters...
· Chapter 28 - Judgement on the wicked... But in verse 14 we see that God has done something, there has been a foundation laid with a precious cornerstone... Sound familiar? See Ephesians 2...
That's enough, again I don't know it all when it comes to the prophets, but in many places scripture is clear and where it is we shouldn't be afraid to speak. In other places we seek to study more. I hope to one day preach through Isaiah as that will ensure I get plenty of time to study it. God bless and have a great day!
Saturday, week 5!
Thoughts on Matthew 12-14:
· Up until this point, there's been little resistance to Jesus and He is seen mostly as a great miracle worker. The message He brings has not been understood even by His own disciples really. We have yet to hear really any objection even by the Pharisees, but then Jesus has to go and mess everything up... (joke)
· Chapter 12 - The issues begin with Jesus pushing against the legalism of the religious leaders. The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus is the something greater that has come, but the popularity He now has, and the authority with which He speaks is to much for them. In verse 14 we see the plot to destroy Him begins to form. But Jesus is aware of this, and continues teaching and healing. Two other observations, first, a tree is known by its fruit, that's holiness and obedience, not results, note what the illustration is, every careless word spoken. Today some will look at the effect your words have and use that to determine good from bad fruit. I'm sorry but we are not the standard, Gods word is. You know good fruit when it lines us with His standard! Secondly, Jesus foretells of His coming death and resurrection and is the greater Jonah, and Solomon!
· Chapter 13 - Jesus begins speaking in Parables, and let's understand the reason why... Jesus is speaking in parables because there are some that He intends not to understand. Listen to that, "but to them it has NOT been given" His words in verse 11. There are some, whom you and I can't identify, which is why we preach to all, but there are some who are not meant to hear the message, who are not meant to understand it. Therefore sometimes it does feel like you are preaching to rocks...
· Chapter 14 - John the Baptist is beheaded... No read that again, the one who was a forerunner to Christ, chosen by God and set apart from before the foundation of the world to be a prophet and prepare the way for the Messiah, who was obedient and did all that He was supposed to do. The guy who ate locusts and wore camels hair and never drank any alcoholic beverage. Who was just zealous for the kingdom of God, while Jesus was on earth, was beheaded at the request of a little girl!!! Now just dwell on that the rest of the day... think of what the implications of this are for us. I'm not John the Baptist, so why should I ever be expected to be treated any better, or think that I deserve any better? how about you?
My mind and heart have been rocked from my reading and time meditating and considering these chapters this morning. I hope and pray the same for you... Our God is an awesome and loving God... May we praise Him with our lives today as we go out into the world to tell of His good news! May the Lord bless you and keep you.