A friend is someone with whom we can share our heart. Who do you think gave you that desire?

We began a study yesterday about what it means to be a person after God’s own heart. Our first question is, “What is God looking for in a person?” Because we know that obedience is important (for our own sakes), and Scripture reminds us of the blessings of obedience and the built-in consequences of disobedience, we may perceive that in Adam, God was looking for a person who was obedient–but, is that all? There was so much more to their relationship than just obedience,

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9

There are two things that we can deduce from this passage. One is that walking with the Lord God in the cool of the day was routine because the Lord God was looking for Adam who had hid. The second thing is that the Lord God and Adam had an ongoing relationship. They were accustomed to meeting together daily. Their friendship brings us to possibly the greatest verse in the whole Bible because it defines God’s heart,

¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus told His disciples, “the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:27). In fact, “when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me” (John 12:45). Therefore, if Jesus calls us “friends,” then we can know that God calls us “friends,” too. What is God looking for in a friend? We will discuss that question tomorrow (hint: it’s in 1 Corinthians 13).

Abba, You wanting to be friends with us is a game-changer. Friendship with You is now the filter through which we can view every verse in the Bible. It causes us to “pause and think differently” (the actual definition of repentance) about why Jesus came, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His Returning. We never need to “hide” from You. You “walk with us” at all times. May we ponder today the fact that You call us Your friends. Amen.

Atonement = At-One-ment, the rejoining of that which was disconnected or broken. This is what Christ did for us on the cross.

This atonement (at-one-ment) was about fixing what was broken, healing that which was diseased, and making right that which was wrong about humanity, which was sin. When we choose our own way rather than the right way, we sin. How do we know what the right way is? We ask the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. Our moral compass is wrapped up in two commands that Jesus fused together. The first one is to love the Lord our God. The second one is to love others,

³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

Luke records this dialogue that actually joins the two together,

²⁷ The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
²⁸ “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” Luke 10:27-28

Jesus exemplified this fused command by loving God supremely and by dying for us, thus demonstrating the love of God for mankind. He came to fix our sin problem. Here is a super description of what Jesus did:

…inasmuch as this Lamb of God is said to take away “sin,” John’s reference here certainly signifies the Old Testament’s “sin offering,” chatta’ah. The purpose of this sacrifice was to heal and repair the spiritual state—the inner self, the nephesh—of the offender. The “sin” (chet’) in the context of this sacrifice was not so much the act of the sinner as the moral, cultic, and/or spiritual impairment—even the ritual contagion—that resulted from his moral, physical or social failing. The chatta’ah did not attempt to satisfy a divine claim but to rectify, cleanse, and consecrate the human being.*

Jesus came to “heal, repair, rectify, cleanse, and consecrate” us in order to make us one with Him again. He achieved His goal through His death, burial and resurrection, and then by sending the Holy Spirit. This is Easter.

Abba, we are so grateful that You came to make atonement (at-one-ment) for us. We couldn’t do it by ourselves; we needed a Savior–still do as we walk through this broken world! Help us to take full advantage of our oneness with You by talking to You constantly and obeying You religiously (pun intended). Amen.

*The Lamb of God

Why did Christ have to die? The answer is: He didn’t. He CHOSE to die for us. Why?

Mankind was trapped in sin and self-destruction. Our physical bodies became entangled with death. The fear of death drives the lives of mankind, but Jesus came to break the hold that the devil had over mankind,

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15

One of my favorite passages is John 12:27-28, which tells us The Plan, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” This passage confirms that Jesus was aware of His impending death and the reason for it. The Second Person of the Trinity came to die for mankind so that mankind would not have to die. A person might point out that our bodies still die. True, but that is because the “old self” (Romans 6:6) is wrapped up in the flesh. Jesus came to take us THROUGH death to new life, the life of the spirit and eventually, to new bodies,

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling [body], so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 2 Corinthians 5:4

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24. We will look closely at this verse tomorrow, but for today, let’s rejoice in our salvation in Christ Jesus and His finished work on the cross!

Abba, You gave Your Son, Your one and only Son, for us (John 3:16). And, in a very real way, YOU were on that cross with Jesus (John 16:32). May we never take Your sacrifice for granted, but always live in gratitude. Lord, what a joy it is to know that we have new life in You. This is good news worth sharing! Amen.

Jesus Christ: The Prophet, High Priest, and King of Kings. His title: Messiah.

We are told much about the Messiah and His reign. What is interesting is that no one but Jesus ever claimed to be the Son of God, which is a prerequisite of the Messiah. In Isaiah 9, starting with verse 6, we find a prophecy that states that the Messiah will come as a child, will rule, will be God in the flesh (Immanuel from Isaiah 7:14), will bring peace to the entire earth, and will reign forever. Let’s look:

⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

This passage tells us who Messiah is and how He will reign. What does that look like in history?

• Jesus born as a child (6a);
• The establishment of His governing rule will be placed upon His shoulders (6b);
• Jesus is God the Son(6c);
• He shall rule in peace, of which there will be no end (7a);
• Jesus is the extension of David’s throne over Jews and Gentiles (7b);
• He established it with His justice and upholds it with His righteousness (7c);
• The time was Pentecost, and it will continue forever (7c);
• His zeal, His mission, His desire will see it accomplished (7d).

Did Jesus ever claim to be the Son of God? He sure did! But, that is for a future lesson.

Abba, we rejoice in Jesus Christ, our Messiah! May He reign in peace forevermore. Even as Your kingdom advances, Lord, may we sow seeds of peace wherever we go and to whomever we speak. Your kingdom is growing, Lord. Thank You for allowing us to be a part of it. Amen.

Step one is to turn away from the world; step two is to turn to Jesus. We can’t trust this world, but we can trust Him.

Continuing our theme: Christ requires us to follow Him in order to know Him and trust Him. Those who do will walk with Him into eternal life. How? The first step is to turn away from the world. The second is to embrace the Cruciform life. The third is to grow in knowledge, and the fourth is to do it daily.

The Cruciform life is based upon Luke 9:23, “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'” Taking up our cross is symbolic for putting Christ’s will before our will and living our lives for His kingdom rather than our own. St. Paul said it like this, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Another explanation is given in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

We cannot do this ourselves. We need the Helper, who is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. It is our relationship with Him and our constant conversation with Him that gives us insight and understanding, knowledge and wisdom, discernment and discretion, and prudence in every circumstance. Moreover, as we stay connected with Him, He continually imparts His life to us, which is beyond anything that we could experience on our own in this world. It is sad when people disregard the gift of life that He offers everyone and choose the ways of this world instead. It is also sad when Christians choose Christ for salvation, but then continue to live in bondage, defeat, and deception. Let’s follow Christ with open eyes and open hearts and let Him fill them!

Abba, because of Your great love for us, You want to fill us with Yourself. You have made us righteous, and now You are making us holy. As we learn what makes us unholy and learn to stay away from those things, may we fill our lives with right thinking and right living and all that transforms us into “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.“ When we follow Your lead, we learn to be holy, righteous and good–just like You. Amen.

What makes us happy? Isn’t that the goal of life?

Everybody talks about being happy. It’s even in the Declaration of Independence, “…Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” But, as Christians, we are to die to ourselves and live for Christ (Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20), yet, we are to be happy in Jesus. We even sing about it, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” How does that happen? The answer is based upon Hebrews 10:7,

⁷ “Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”

Doing God’s will is what makes us happy. This desire to please Him comes from His Spirit in us. The Spirit fills us with joy in every circumstance, and we are happy to simply be walking with Jesus. Read Philippians 2:13 from the Amplified Version,

¹³ [Not in your own strength] for it is [the Spirit of] God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the desire and power], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

The term, “satisfaction,” brings to mind a sense of completion and wholeness, but our lives are rarely so. Even so, we can be content. When life is tough, we can rest in the knowledge that Jesus has our best interests at heart and has called us to walk with Him. Through thick and thin, there is no safer, more joyful place to be than by His side! Top that off with His promise that we will be with Him forever, and we can be happy with being content until He either returns or takes us home.

Let’s take the Jesus Approach, “I have come to do Your will, my God.”

Abba, the old hymn says, “I am satisfied with Jesus…is Jesus satisfied with me?” The answer is a resounding YES! The joy and love He has for us is evident first in His sacrifice and then in His promise, “Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]—[Jude 24].” We take great comfort in this verse. Thank You, Jesus! Amen.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths”–wait, what?!

That quote is the first few words of Ephesians 4:29. The rest of it goes, “but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Let’s face it. We’ve all taken a parting shot in a “conversation,” or given our two cents’ worth when it wasn’t needed (or asked for). We’ve all said too much (or not enough), and we’ve all made comments that were better left unsaid. So, how do we master this verse? By allowing the Word of God to master us.

Earlier in the chapter, we find, “…put off your old self…be made new in the attitude of your minds…put on the new self…” (verses 22-24). It’s a deliberate choice we make in any conversation, whether with others or ourselves. In fact, all of Christianity is on a volunteer basis, from accepting Christ’s offer of redemption and relationship to our daily decisions to follow Him. We need to use the Word of God in the manner in which it was written, which is to bathe our minds in the holy ways of Jesus. Ephesians 5:25-27 says,

“…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

But, we already knew this. We know verses from VBS that we learned as kids:

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

We are to read the Word by looking for ways to apply Christ’s righteousness and holiness to our lives (the rest of Ephesians 4:24). We are to look for verses that help us to be radiant, without stain or blemish, and holy and blameless (the rest of Ephesians 5:27). Is it even possible? Not without the Holy Spirit! He is our Guide, our Companion, and our Helper. He will guide us into all truth–if we listen and obey.

There is another verse that we need to study, which is 1 John 2:27, but that’s for tomorrow. Today, let’s count to five before responding in emotion, and during those five seconds, look to the Spirit to guide us to the best answer–even if it is to say nothing at all! Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” An old adage says, “Better to have everyone think you a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” A wise friend once told me, “Think about what you’re going to say–and then, don’t say it.”

Abba, may You do unto us as King David asked You to do for him, “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Amen.

“The Word of God is living and active; sharper than a scalpel…” it demolishes all arguments against God.

Jesus was very specific when describing our enemy. Here’s what He said, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Jesus wants us to know God as He knows God. In fact, He wants us to be one with Him even as Jesus is one with God,

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me. John 17:20-23

This passage is a good example of the knowledge that the Spirit wants to share with us. The enemy would keep it from us, but we know how to combat lies and distortions of the truth. Paul described how,

³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Our knowledge of God is how we demolish arguments and pretensions. Jesus modeled this very technique by quoting Scripture when He was tempted. We read about it in Matthew 4,

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Deuteronomy 8:3)
⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Deuteronomy 6:16)
¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Deuteronomy 6:13)

In verse 5, the devil even twisted Scripture to try to persuade Jesus, but Jesus knew the truth. We must, too, whether we are being tempted by the enemy or by our own worldly passions and selfish desires. Let’s be diligent learners of God’s Word and His commands. In them is life (John 6:63).

Abba, You have given us a wonderful gift in our Bibles. In them, we read Simon Peter’s confession, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). We believe You, too, Jesus. Now, may we be willing students as You teach us according to Your Word. Amen.

What kind of people ought we to be? Ones that lead holy and godly lives (2 Peter 3:11). How is this possible???

We looked at faithfulness the other day and found the Sabbath. Today, we will look at holiness and see what we find.

Holy-dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.

When we search the Bible for examples of holy sites, we find Exodus 3:4-5 and Joshua 5:13-15,

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses! ”And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

¹³ Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” ¹⁴ “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” ¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

And, of course, we have the angels around the throne of God who called out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty,” in Isaiah 6:3. What do these accounts have in common? The presence of the LORD. Now, consider that we have the presence of the LORD inside of us,

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. John 14:23

²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6

¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12

And, if the Father, Christ, and the Spirit of Christ live in us, then we are holy “sites.” We are His church and temples of the Holy Spirit,

²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:21-22

What have we found? We have found God living in our hearts! When we begin to understand what Christ has done for us by making us His dwelling place, we will begin to understand why being holy is so important. The Spirit is such a wonderful Teacher to help us understand what has eluded us before. It’s a process. Living by the Spirit and the Word of God will become all-important to us because of His presence. Not only that, but we also will participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) of experiencing the love, joy, peace, fellowship and communion that the Trinity enjoys together. I like to think of it as being the fourth person at the table with them. We are not equal to them, but we are invited to sit at their table. This kind of thinking will change your life!

Tomorrow, we will research the word, “consecration.” Stay tuned.

Abba, to think of myself as holy does not compute. I know who I am on the inside and what I’ve done in my life, and I don’t see myself as holy. Yet, You make me holy with Your presence! May I learn from You daily how to live my life according to the holy calling You have placed on my life. May we all live holy lives for You, Abba. Amen.

More Jewish-flavored music:

In the Old Testament, God is many times referred to by an attribute associated with Him. For instance, “Jehovah Jireh,” which means, “The LORD our Provider.” This song also mentions “Jehovah Shalom”, “The LORD our Peace.” Other names include, “Jehovah Rapha,” which means, “the LORD our Healer,” and “Jehovah Nissi,” which means, “The LORD our Banner (security and protection).”

We can trust the LORD to give us what we need when we need it. The goal is not to be comfortable, but to be holy. Many times, the things of this earth get in the way of us striving to be like Jesus. Let us focus on Him, learning how to experience Him in every moment and every circumstance of our lives. It truly is “heaven on earth” when we are in fellowship with the God of the universe!

This song references three of the names of God. Enjoy! By the way, the link in the title goes to a YouTube of a Gaither group singing the song.

He Is Jehovah

He is Jehovah, God of creation.
He is Jehovah, Lord God almighty.
The Balm of Gilead, the Rock of Ages.
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee.

I am the great I Am, the God of Abraham,
Jehovah Shalom, the God peace I am.
The God of Israel, the Everlasting One.
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee.

Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah,
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah.
He is Jehovah, Lord God almighty.
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee.

I am your Provider, Jehovah Jireh;
God of salvation, God of Messiah;
My Son who came to you, and testified of him.
I am Jehovah, the God that healeth thee.

Abba, thank You for tending to us like a Shepherd with His sheep. You give us what we need rather than just what we want. May we not insist on having our way, especially when it’s not good for us! We trust You to be our Provider, our Healer, and our Peace. Come and be our Banner, LORD. Amen.

I wish there were a wonderful place…where all of my heartaches… could be dropped at the door like a dirty, old coat…

The refrain from “Land of Beginning Again” by Louisa Fletcher goes like this:

I wish that there were some wonderful place called the Land of Beginning Again,
Where all of our mistakes and all our heartaches
and all our poor, selfish grief
could be dropped like a shabby, old coat at the door
and never be put on again.

Yesterday, we looked at verses that had to do with being formed, conformed, transformed, renewed, and cleansed. Today, we look at the verse that I am going to add to my list:

¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:10

I like this verse because it tells me what I will be like when I am finished: I will be like God–not in an envious way, but my nature will be like His. Ephesians 4:24 says pretty much the same thing:

²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Our desire to be like God is evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If we want to know what God looks like, all we have to do is look at Jesus:

• Jesus is compassionate- When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36
• Jesus loves- Jesus looked at him and loved him. Mark 10:21
• Jesus is humble and gentle- Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

These are but a few of the descriptions we have of Jesus, and to be like Jesus is to be like God. Remember what He told Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” John 14:9. Our daily renewal is the eternal part of our relationship with God. When we die physically, we will be renewed for the last time, which is called, “glorification.” We WILL be like Jesus! “And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man” 1 Corinthians 15:49.

What are you doing to help the process along? We don’t do things in our own power or intellect, but we open ourselves to His Spirit even as we open up His Word. Our communion with Him is part of the transforming power. The more contact we have with Him, the more we become like Him as we reflect His glory. We CAN be righteous; we CAN be holy; we CAN be blameless and pure. He MAKES us that way! More on that tomorrow.

Abba, You just keep getting bigger and bigger to me as I learn about Your greatness and Your goodness. I’m sure glad that our salvation, sanctification, and glorification are not dependent upon us, but upon You. With Your own arm, You have saved us (Isaiah 63:5). Now, O Lord, make us to be just like You in true righteousness and holiness. Amen.

Mom and Dad have been gone from this earth six years. I miss them. Randy’s song says it all.

Tribute To Mom and Dad

 I would like to thank you
For the life you’ve given me,
For all your love,
Encouraging me to sing;

 For meeting all my needs
And blessing me even more,
But where I’m most thankful,
You introduced me to my Lord.

 And I would like to tell you
That I love you, Mother and Dad,
Sometimes it’s hard to say it,
Sometimes it’s hard to show it, but, I love you.

Time keeps rolling on,
Don’t get to see you very much,
But in this song,
It’s you with love I touch.

I pray the Lord will bless you
And keep you safe from harm,
Make your life prosper,
Your faith great and strong.

And I would like to tell you
That I love you, Mother and Dad,
Sometimes it’s hard to say it,
But I pray this song will show it that I love you.

That I love you, Mother and Dad, I love you, I love you!

The good thing is that we will see them again and be able to spend as much “time” with them as we want for all eternity. We will worship Jesus together again–in Person!

Thank You, Jesus, for such hope. With each passing soul, You draw us stronger and stronger to Your side of life. How true are the words, “Precious in Your sight is the death of Your saints” (Psalm 116:15). Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Last night was Robin’s and my final concert for the season for Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma. We play in the orchestra (guys are allowed). In the course of the evening, our director, Randy Lind, spoke of a missionary named Glen Boyd who was tasked to start a church in East Africa back in the 60’s and 70’s. He was quite successful in sharing the Gospel and was asked how he had managed so well. Glen’s response was, “We just sang the Gospel into the hearts of the people.”

Now, to understand his statement, let me tell you about Glen. He was a big, barrel-chested man with a deep, bass voice. Glen used his voice to generate interest in his message. When he came back from the Mission Field, he was Director of Music for the State of Oklahoma and led the music at Falls Creek for several years.

It reminded me that singing is part of every culture. Up until the last few hundred years, most people in the world didn’t know how to read and write, so much of their teaching, culture, and religion was put to music. Our “muscle memory” is very strong when words are put to music. Let a song from your youth come on in the elevator and we remember nearly every word and sing right along (which can be awkward in an elevator)! We have in Scripture several songs that commemorate big events:

• The Song of Moses and Miriam- Exodus 15
• The Song of Moses Deuteronomy- 32
• The Song of Deborah- Judges 5
• The Song of David (one of them)- 2 Samuel 22
• The Song of Solomon- Song of Songs (the whole book)
• The Song of the Vineyard- Isaiah 5
• A Song of Praise- Isaiah 26
• Mary’s Song (The Magnificat)- Luke 1:46-55
• Zechariah’s Song- Luke 1:67-79

Much of our theology is bound in our music. May we never stop singing the Song of the Lamb,

“Great and marvelous are your deeds,
    Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
    King of the nations.
⁴ Who will not fear you, Lord,
    and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
    and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

May it be so, Lord Jesus, may it be so. A – men.

“Which version of the Bible is the best? The one you’ll pick up and read.” Check out these versions.

¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

¹⁵ Work hard so God can say to you, “Well done.” Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what his Word says and means. 2 Timothy 2:15 Living Bible

¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker who isn’t ashamed to teach the word of truth correctly. 2 Timothy 2:15 God’s Word Bible

I read the following article from Patterns of Evidence and found it very enlightening. It has a guide to translations in it that tells where a particular translation falls on the “literal” to “functional” scale. It all comes down to this: God wants to impart His words and His Spirit to us. The best way for us to receive them is to read them, heed them, and ask Him to explain them to us, individually and collectively. Talking about His Word is good for us because we all have different perspectives. The more we share with each other, the greater our knowledge base.

I pray that you will read the article and read His Word for yourself.

Abba, “open our eyes that we may see wonderful truths in your law” (Psalm 119:18). Amen.

Two Competing Philosophies of Bible Translation

There are people who say that science and Christianity are incongruous, but history says otherwise.

“A scientific discovery is also a religious discovery. There is no conflict between science and religion. Our knowledge of God is made larger with every discovery we make about the world. —Joseph H. Taylor Jr., Nobel Prize laureate in (astro)physics.

As we continue our review of “Person of Interest” by J. Warner Wallace, we find much information concerning scientific developments in the past 2500 years on pages 179-185.

There’s a relationship between the progress of science and the appearance of Jesus in history. First, let’s look at scientific developments and significant scientists from 2022 BCE to 2022 CE. Science advanced slowly in the first two thousand years, as the ancients laid the foundation for mathematics and natural philosophy. But in the next two thousand years, scientific developments progressed at an exponential rate, with several key “bursts” of activity, including the scientific revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Where does Jesus fall in this timeline? Interestingly, he appears right before the growth curve. Was this a coincidence or was Jesus somehow a catalyst?

The first small increase in scientific activity just happens to occur after the Edict of Milan (AD 313, Christianity was no longer an outlaw religion) and Edict of Thessalonica (AD 380, Christianity became the state religion of Rome). After the Roman Empire ended its persecution of Christians and adopted Christianity as the religion of the empire, science began to advance. The next increase occurred at the same time monasteries and cathedral schools were being established.

Another increase occurred, but not because of Christianity, but because of Islam, which lasted until sometime before the scientific revolution in the 1600’s.

The next major increase in activity happened to coincide with the Christian founding of the first universities at Bologna (1088), Oxford (1096), and Paris (1170). Another major increase occurred at about the same time as a Jesus follower (Johannes Gutenberg) invented the printing press (1455). The last impressive explosion of scientific activity occurred at the scientific revolution, and this historic period of discovery happened to coincide with the Protestant Reformation (1517).

Jesus followers dominated this burst of activity in which modern science emerged and developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry changed the way humans thought about themselves and their world. Christian scientists dramatically outnumbered all other contributors combined. Why? Was it a coincidence or was there something about the worldview Jesus established that served as a catalyst for this historic Christian contribution? The latter seems to have been the case. Jesus matters to the progress of science, and scientific exploration as we know it is yet another piece of Common Era fallout pointing back to Jesus of Nazareth.

(from page 177) Christianity isn’t anti-science, but it is anti-scientism. Scientism is the belief that science is the only way to know anything. But there are many things we know without the benefit of science at all, like logical and mathematical truths, metaphysical truths, moral and ethical truths, aesthetic truths, and historical truths. Christians believe that science can tell us many important things but not all of the important things.

Tomorrow, we will look at how Jesus’s worldview ignited a scientific uprising.

Abba, everything I read about science makes me praise You all the more. From Creation to the Flood, from the ice age to the current age, You have always displayed Your glory in the heavens and in this world. We praise You, Abba! Amen.

Salvation is only a starting point. We move upward from there with the presence of God Himself in our lives.

We proclaim Him, teaching and admonishing everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. Colossians 1:28

It is true. We were sinners saved by grace. Paul’s own testimony to Timothy attests to this fact,

¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:13-14

But, the question is, is this description still accurate for those who walk with Jesus daily? Here is what Peter said about who we are now that we have His Spirit in us,

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

In Ephesians 1:1 and 4:12, Paul calls us saints (holy ones). In 2 Corinthians 5:20, he calls us ambassadors of Christ. In Romans 8:14-17, he calls us children of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ. In Revelation 5:10, John calls us “priests to serve our God.” We have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4:24). When the prodigal son came back in Luke 15:22-24, the father reinstated him as his son. Sinners are what we were; now we are righteous children of God!

We must learn to see ourselves as what we are now: Children, ambassadors, priests, chosen, God’s special possession. May we never forget that we are chosen by God “that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.” “To this end we strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in us.” Colossians 1:29

Abba, thank You for calling me out of my darkness and into Your marvelous light. May I live my life in accordance to all I am now in You. Amen.

Do you ever wish that the Bible was clear about whether or not Jesus and God are one in the same, just in different form? Keep reading!

¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. John 1:18

This verse is the culmination of the seventeen previous verses. Take the first five,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Knowing that Jesus is the Word, we know that Jesus is God from this passage. How do we know that Jesus is the Word?

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Another clue is,

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

We can go back to Genesis 1:1-3 and look at the relationship of God (Elohim, which is plural), and how God initiated creation, Jesus spoke creation into being while the Spirit did the heavy lifting. John 1:3 tells us that nothing was made that wasn’t made through Him.

Yet another clue is that we have a witness to the light, John the Baptizer. Why was he so important? Because he was the fulfillment of several prophecies, which we will look at tomorrow. We have this quote from him, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me'” (John 1:15). Yet another sign of Jesus’ Godhood.

Today, let’s rejoice in the privilege we have in becoming children of God through our acceptance of Jesus into our lives (John 1:12). Also, you may want to join me in reading John this month as I look for revelations about who God is according to Jesus.

Abba, we receive Your grace that has been poured out upon everyone (v. 16). May we receive the truth that Jesus will be revealing in the Gospel of John about You as we read through it. Amen.

Jesus told us like it is, but He quoted a lot of the Old Testament. Maybe we should go take a look…?

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Matthew 7:28-29

When reading Scripture, the thing to remember is, “keep the main thing the main thing.” But, what is the main thing? How do we find it? The best way is to look back into the Old Testament and see if there is a reference to what is going on in the New Testament. One fulfills the other, right?

Take John 2:13-22, for instance,

[13] When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [14] In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. [15] So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. [16] To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”
[17] His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
[18] Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
[19] Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
[20] The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” [21] But the temple he had spoken of was his body. [22] After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus called the temple His body and His body the temple, which is “biblical topology” (the study of how passages relate to each other). He gave us the true spiritual connection of God and mankind. It was never about a building, but about the relationship. 

Originally, when David sought to build a temple for the Lord, God answered,

[5] “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? [6] I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. [7] Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’” 2 Samuel 7:5-7

God didn’t need a building, and the disciples knew this. But, because the disciples remembered these words of Jesus to the Pharisees, they believed the Scripture—as Jesus interpreted them, as well as all the words that Jesus had spoken to them (John 14:23, for example), which leads us to:

Rules for reading the Bible:

1. Typology is a key factor; look for a correlation in the Old Testament to the New Testament.
2. We are to interpret OT according to Jesus. He IS the Word. Whatever He says, goes.
3. It’s all about relationship; let’s keep the main thing the main thing.

Abba, Your Word is deep–deeper than we can ever fathom–but it’s also straightforward. You don’t obscure truth; it’s there for us to find. I can’t help but think of Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” It’s something You do with us: We discover truth as You reveal it to us. We should never forget that we are very small children to You. Thank You for loving us as a Father. Amen.

Knowledge by itself doesn’t save us. We need the Person of Jesus Christ in our lives.

²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word [personal contact] and believes him who sent me [trusting God] has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life [by the receiving of His Spirit into our hearts]. John 5:24

Knowing the Jesus is God in the flesh and that the Holy Spirit is Jesus in the Spirit, we can trust the Holy Spirit to speak to us because we are hearing the heart and intent of first, the Father, and then the Son, who are in complete agreement. Sound complicated? Not to them. It’s our limited minds that have trouble grasping the concept of the Trinity. We either think of them as one God or three distinct gods. But, from the very beginning, we have the concept of a Triune God. In the first verse of the Bible, we are told, “In the beginning, God [Elohim-plural] created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). We must understand that Jesus was not created when He was born, but has always been with the Father. He left His throne to come to earth,

⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. ⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:4-6

There are several things to learn from this passage:

1. There was an appointed time, one that fit all the requirements of His coming:
   • Israel was a nation and positioned in just the right geographical position,
   • Rome had built roads in order for the Gospel to be spread,
   • The Romans had perfected the execution form of the cross,
   • The stars were in the right place in the heavens,
   • All the people were in place and the stage was set.
2. God sent His Son. God didn’t create Him; God didn’t assume a mortal body or appear as a human. Christ was born of water and of blood (1 John 5:6-8). Jesus was fully human and fully divine. He is King and God at the same time. He fulfilled both roles of priest and king.
3. Jesus met the requirements of the law so that He could fulfill the law. When He died, He took the penalty of breaking the law with Him into the grave for us. Then, He rose from the grave so that we could “die to that penalty” and live through Him. He has given us the privilege of being adopted as children of God! Jesus is our Brother (Romans 8:16-17)!
4. God has sent His Spirit into our hearts. What a concept! He can now cry out like Jesus, “Abba!” which means, “Daddy!”

This Triune God, the Trinity, invites us into their fellowship. Once we accept God’s offer and the Spirit comes to reside in us, we die to ourselves and live a new life in Christ. We are transformed and we are never the same! Speaking for myself, I’m glad!

Abba, thank You for coming to live in me. Your Presence is all the encouragement and confidence I need to know that I am Yours. May I continue to learn to act like a child of the King, King Jesus! Amen.

Why do you go to church? Or, why do you NOT go to church? Relationships make a big difference.

1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Article six of the Baptist Faith & Message is about:

VI. The Church

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

The two ordinances listed are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, both of which will be covered in tomorrow’s post. The biggest challenge for the local church is unity, not so much in every specific belief, but in fellowship and spirit. Christ is our center, then establishing core beliefs (dogma) as the inner ring, doctrine as the next ring, and opinion as the outer ring is essential in order to maintain fellowship and unity.

The local church is where we come together for fellowship, worship, service, Bible study, and ministry. It’s also where Christians get to practice their Christianity on each other. Verses like Romans 12:10. Philippians 2:3, and Ephesians 4:2 come to mind, and especially,

³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3

Let us not give up on each other. Relationships come first.

Abba, if our churches could reflect Your love by showing love to one another, it would change our world. I know it did in the first two and a half centuries. Guide us as we meet together in Your name. May the world take notice and say of us, “See how they love one another!” Amen.

Cartilage, the wonder of the human body.

^30:18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me,
    four that I do not understand:
¹⁹ the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a young woman.
We could certainly add the human body to this list!

Did you know that we all started out with most of our bones being comprised of cartilage? It starts in the womb… (From, “A Pocket Guide to the Human Body,” pages 52-54)

Most bones in our body began as cartilage while we were still in the womb (cartilage is a rubbery-like material that gives the flexibility to our nose and ears). The advantage of cartilage over bone in the early stages of growth is that cartilage can grow from within as well as at its surface. Bone, on the other hand, can only grow by adding to its surface, much like the way we make a snowball grow to make a snowman.
During growth, cartilage is gradually replaced with bone by a process called endochondral ossification. First, calcium infiltrates the cartilage with calcium salts, forming a very brittle calcified cartilage. Then this temporary form of cartilage serves as a framework on which bone will form, much like applying plaster to chicken wire. In time, bone replaces the cartilage except at the ends, where cartilage is retained to form joints.

Tomorrow, we look at bone-makers and bone-breakers.

Abba, as we worship You together in our respective churches and houses, may we remember every time we stand, sit or kneel that You have made us by Your great power and in Your love. We love You, too, Abba. Amen.

Why didn’t Pilate arrest Jesus when He first rode into Jerusalem? Good question…

2 He whose walk is upright fears the LORD, but he whose ways are devious despises him.

Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey probably on the first day of the week (Sunday). He spent Monday and Tuesday (and possibly Wednesday and Thursday) teaching in the temple court, probably Solomon’s colonnade, which was a covered, stepped area popular to rabbis. The Roman guard was never mentioned until the night of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. Why not? Wasn’t He claiming to be Israel’s king?

Had Jesus come riding in on a white stallion, which was the symbol of a conquering king, King Herod would have taken immediate action, as would have Pilate. Instead, the first we hear of them is when the religious leaders present Jesus to them. Here is the conversation between Pilate and Jesus:

John 18:33-38 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

“What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

Did you catch what Jesus said? His kingdom was not political. It isn’t even of this world. There was no political reason to execute Jesus, which is why Pilate tried to release Him. We would do well to look to the advancement of Jesus’s Kingdom. How do we do that in today’s political climate? By releasing the Holy Spirit to work in people’s lives regardless of what happens politically. Instead of trying to make Christianity cultural, let’s pray for opportunities to share Jesus and how to be part of His Kingdom.

Abba, have we lost sight of Your Kingdom on this earth? Remembering that it is a spiritual one and not a political one is difficult. May You give us discernment and wisdom, O God. We are trusting You no whatever happens. Amen.

I see two reasons the same people get called on to do things. Read on…

20:6 Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?

The first reason is that they are really, really good at something. People will put up with a lot in order to get quality service. We should all strive to be excellent at whatever we do, but we must understand that someone is always going to be better. It’s just the nature of things. Also, we can’t be good at everything; better to be good at a few things than fair at many.

The second reason is availability. I learned a long time ago that just being around when a person needs something creates opportunity. Also, because your face is seen often, your name has a better chance of coming to the person’s mind when he needs something.

A word of caution: be ready to do WHATEVER they ask. If we become selective, we will lose their trust. Once that trust is gone, so is the opportunity.

Here are some verses that might help us to have a willing attitude:

Mark 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Go get’em, tiger!

Abba, being a servant is not everyone’s goal—but it could be. If we accept Your attitude as our own, we will learn how to be self-giving, too. Lead us; humble us; make us like You, Jesus. You came to be the Servant of all. We pledge to follow Your example. Amen.

Put yourself in Thomas’ shoes: The other disciples say Jesus is alive and visited them. Do you believe them?

^15:30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
    and good news gives health to the bones.

Yesterday, we talked about our “sin nature” being our ability to choose, but as “children,” we are stuck in selfish mode. Jesus gives us both the desire and the power to break the cycle. The first thing we must do is make the Confession of Thomas. You’re probably going, “What’s the Confession of Thomas?” I’m glad you asked! Let’s read it,

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28

When Jesus told Thomas to feel the scars in His hands and to place his hand in Jesus’ side, Thomas changed what he believed about Jesus’ resurrection. We must do the same. Look at Thomas’ confession:

My Lord- “Lord” means, “Master,” “Chief,” “Ruler,” who has authority, power, and dominion.

My God- Thomas was confessing Jesus is God incarnate, in the flesh, and thus was above all religious rules and codes, covenants and commandments. Jesus’ New Covenant wasn’t just God-ordained, it was God-initiated.

Think about this confession in your life. Have you made the confession? What would it look like if you did? What would it mean to you? It starts with a personal word from Jesus: A basic invitation for you to walk with Him. He has you surrounded. He wants to reveal to you who God really is; up until this point, our view of God has been limited at the least and twisted at worst. He wants to correct that view upfront and personal. Can He do it? Don’t forget Thomas’ confession: Jesus IS God.

As for perceiving Him as Lord, that’s the learning part. We don’t make Him Lord; He IS Lord, in fact, He is King of the universe, but He is also a loving Father and we are His little children. He has perfect patience, kindness, love, and gentleness. He interacts with us and teaches us to have success with our ability to choose wisely. Remember, we were never meant to go it alone; we were created for interaction with Him.

Let us praise Him for who He is, our Lord and our God!

Abba, I praise You for being my God and for being my Lord. I trust You implicitly with my life. May we continue to walk side-by-side and hand-in-hand. I want to walk instep with You, Lord Jesus. May the Spirit speak to me and may I respond quickly and completely. I’m lovin’ it! Amen.

The key to understanding the book of Matthew is wrapped up in today’s passage. Let’s look:

2 Whoever fears the LORD walks uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

In yesterday’s Sunday’s Cool (Sunday School), we studied a passage of Scripture that has always fascinated me. Here it is:

⁴³ “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” Matthew 12:43-45

This passage, in my opinion, holds the key to reading the entire book of Matthew. It’s tied up in the term that Jesus used concerning Israel, “this evil generation.” Your translation may say, “wicked;” both indicate a generation that basically lives without God’s direction in their lives. In fact, that generation rejected God’s direction for their lives when they rejected God the Son, Jesus Christ.

The verses about the unclean spirit may be a parable, but it sounds more like a lesson on demonology. It certainly described what happened to Israel once Jesus ascended into heaven to His throne. Note the downward spiral:

1. The persecution of the Church
2. Several false messiahs
3. The Great Rebellion in 66 AD
4. Three major factions within Jerusalem according to Josephus
5. The corruption of the system
6. The corruption of the people
7. The fall of Israel in 68 AD
8. The fall and total dismantling of Jerusalem in 70 AD
9. The fall of Masada in 74 AD
10. The dispersion of Israel for nearly 1900 years

Later in Matthew, Jesus told His disciples that “this [same] generation will not pass away until all these things have happened” (Matthew 24:34). A generation is counted as 40 years, so everything through the fall of Jerusalem came true! They had missed Jesus!

Tomorrow, we will look at the danger of trusting in the sacrificial system both then and now. Today, let’s not miss Jesus in our lives. Let’s look to Him for everything, even the air that we breathe. He wants more than anything to have a personal, ongoing relationship with us.

Abba, do not let us miss the importance of having You lead us. Only You know the true way to life, and it comes to us through You with each step we take with You. May we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the peace that comes through a personal relationship with You, Lord Jesus. Amen.

HEARing God is not as difficult as it may seem. All we need is willing hearts and open minds.

4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
“Clean” doesn’t necessarily mean “godly.” Consider Luke 11:24-26. Let’s fill our lives with all things Jesus.

We started a new discipleship program at our church yesterday. We are breaking off into groups of 3 to 5 people and learning how to lead others in what is essentially basic training for Christians. We are using a book by Robby Gallaty called, “Growing Up,” and are treating it like a handbook.

Gallaty teaches the “why” and the “how” of basic discipleship. One of the tools he teaches is how to H.E.A.R. God. The acrostic stands for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond (see Proverbs 1-29 for details). Let’s take a passage and H.E.A.R. it together,

¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you ^[c]always, to the end of the age.”

HIGHLIGHT- This passage is the last three verses of Matthew, chapter 28.

EXPLAIN- Jesus is giving His final charge to His disciples. They have trained for three years and they will soon be ready to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus explained what would happen next in John 16,

⁷ But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 
¹³ But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you.

So, Jesus is leaving, but He promises that He will be with them. How? By the in-dwelling of His Spirit.

APPLY- This promise extends to us, as well. In Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17, He says,

²⁰ “I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

We are to help each other grow in spirit and in truth; we are to help our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, and our friends to grow, as well. We are to befriend our co-workers, our bosses, our neighbors, and anyone else that the Lord brings into our path. Then, because they are now friends, we help them grow spiritually!

The biggest application is for me to be a disciple of Christ myself. Then–and only then–will I be ready to lead others.

RESPOND- Abba, it’s a tall order that You have given. I don’t want to do it myself–I CAN’T do it myself. I need You to give me the desire and the power to do Your will. I trust You and will follow Your lead. Amen.

This widely-held view of wealth in Jesus’ day is still held today. Jesus said it was a hard view to change. He wasn’t kidding!

(12) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death, and (11) the house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

The second example of extreme story-telling has to do with the rich having a difficult time learning to trust Jesus instead of their wealth:

¹⁸ A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” ²¹ And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” ²² When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” ²³ But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. ²⁴ And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Even as far back as Job, who is thought to be a contemporary of Abraham around 2,000 B.C, people thought that wealth equaled righteousness. It certainly equaled power! Jesus set the record straight:

Righteousness is first bestowed by Him and is then wrapped up in a relationship with Him.

In Mark 10:21, it says that Jesus looked at him and loved him. Wow! Jesus knew exactly what was keeping the young man from following Jesus with his whole heart: His wealth. What if the young man had said, “Okay, Master. I’ll do it and catch up to You. Where will You be in a week’s time?” How would his life have changed? Who says it didn’t? All the Scriptures say is that he went away sad, but it doesn’t say that he didn’t change his mind. Who knows? He may have trusted Christ after the resurrection, or at Pentecost, he may have been one of the first converts.

Enough positing. Here’s what we do know: People who have riches have a very difficult time letting go of their riches and following Jesus up close and personal. In the Proverb at the beginning of this post, the rich lived in a house, but the upright lived in a tent. We would do well to set limits on ourselves and then give the rest away. Speaking of which, here is a little-known fact about Saint Nicholas:

Nicholas, born in Patara, which is now Turkey, was the son of wealthy parents who
raised him to be a devout Christian. Taking the words of Jesus literally when He told the
rich young ruler to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas did just
that. He took his entire inheritance and assisted the needy, the sick, and those who were
suffering.
After dedicating is life to serving God, in time he was made the Bishop of Myra,
becoming known as one who gave generously to people in need as well as for his love
for children and his concern for sailors. He was persecuted for his faith by the Roman
emperor Diocletian and was subsequently exiled and imprisoned. Upon release he
attended the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. “Business People Who Gave Generously” pg.10

The key to the passage is not so much Jesus’ extreme statement, but what He says right at the last, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” Jesus can save anyone, even the rich. All they have to do is turn and follow, just like us. Cool, huh?

Abba, thank You that I am not rich in worldly wealth. I don’t want anything to keep from coming between You and me. Even now, Robin and I pledge to give up any and all of our earthly wealth if You so desire. We are much more interested in knowing You more intimately and following You more closely. Whatever You want, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Knowing the purpose of our relationship with Jesus is important. It’s more than just going to heaven.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a person of understanding…

“Follow me”

Jesus wants us with Him. His call to His disciples was specific. He is still calling people to follow Him. Here are the verses where He called people to follow Him. Some did; some did not.

• Matthew 4:19 (also Mark 1:17)
• Matthew 8:22 (also Luke 9:59)
• Matthew 9:9 (also Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27)
• Matthew 19:21 (also Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22)
• John 1:43
• John 10:27
• John 21:22

The best verse is John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Based upon Jesus’ call to His disciples and His subsequent call on our lives, we can conclude that:

1. Jesus pursues us and calls us to follow Him.

The next passage that reveals God’s heart is, ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Based upon Jesus’ revelation that we can have fellowship with the Trinity,

2. We come to love Christ through relationship.

The third set of verses tell us how to love God. One of God’s love languages is SERVICE.

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. John 14:15

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. John 14:23-24

If we believe God, then we believe Jesus’ teachings and the Holy Spirit’s promptings. If we believe, then we trust Him and act on that belief. Our obedience is our belief in action. Based upon my faith and trust in Jesus’ testimony,

3. We show/reveal/display our love through obedience.

The last set of verses shows the kind of relationship that God wants to have with His children.

¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. John 14:16-17a

²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

²⁶ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. John 15:26

¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:13-15

Jesus will reveal to us what we need as we need it. He longs to reveal more and more of Himself and our fellowship in the Trinity (time is another one of God’s love languages). As we grow, He unveils more and more truth to us. Based upon our ever-growing relationship with the Father/Son/Spirit,

4. Our obedience opens the door ever wider to knowing and enjoying the Fellowship of the Trinity.

Listed together, here is what we learn from John, specifically in chapters 14-16:

1. Jesus pursues us and calls us to follow Him.
2. We come to love Christ through relationship.
3. We show/reveal/display our love through obedience.
4. Our obedience opens the door ever wider to knowing and enjoying the Fellowship of the Trinity.

May we give ourselves to Him daily as He pursues us, may we experience His love, may we love Him through our obedience, and may we enjoy the Fellowship of the Trinity on an ever-upward basis. Amen

Forgiveness…who doesn’t want it? How about feeling forgiven? How long does that take? Well, we are already forgiven in Christ!

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy [and a whole lot of other things, like unforgiveness] rots the bones.

Jesus gave us specific instructions that when we pray, we are to include forgiveness. In fact, He said that if we don’t forgive, then we will not be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). What’s that about? Let’s begin with the Model Prayer and Jesus’ instructions:

“And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12

Let’s use our model for Scripture examination:

Literal- Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray. This is not a mantra, but an example that includes several key components, one of which is forgiveness. The timing of this teaching is during His earthly ministry, so the cross was yet to come (it may even give extra weight to the phrase, “Thy kingdom come…”). The key that makes this prayer work is in verse 8, “Do not be like them (babbling pagans), for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him [implying that He will provide what we need, asked-for or not). We are simply agreeing with God for the things we want and the things we need.

Moral- Why forgive? Does the Father need for us to forgive? No. WE need us to forgive. Forgiveness releases negative emotions of anger, rage, bitterness, and malice, all of which will kill us. Jesus went first. We find Him early in His ministry forgiving sins (Mark 2:5). He also knew what He was going to do on the cross (although, no one else did, especially Satan and his horde), which was to forgive the world! This teaching was a foretaste of the forgiveness to come. It’s good for us to confess our sins. Confession is cathartic. It is not necessary for God, but it is for us. Our peace is wrapped up in forgiveness. Want to feel the forgiveness of God? Then forgive everyone everything. It empties our arms and allows us to receive His love and mercy, His grace and His peace. How long does it take? About as long as a good breath.

Spiritual- The purpose of forgiveness is to put everyone back on the same plane again. Through forgiveness, Jesus raises us back up to “accepted-son” status (in our unforgiveness, we were like the older brother in the Prodigal Son story). We can now enjoy the Presence of the Father at His throne, the Presence of the Spirit of Jesus in our lives, and the presence of our fellow Christians. What happens when we don’t forgive is that we take on a type of entitlement. It’s “you owe me” or “I deserve an apology or recompense.” Neither case is true. All that we have is from the Father’s hand. Any offense is against Him, not us. The neat part is that no matter the offense, it is already forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ!

Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them.”
The Father answered, “Done.”
Luke 23:34, John 19:30

Let’s begin our day with a clean slate by praying, “Father, I forgive my offenders; thank You for forgiving me.”

Abba, thank You for Your forgiveness. May each day bring me greater insight into Your love and what You did on the cross. I’m beginning to think that it is much greater than I ever expected! May I reflect Your love to everyone around me through forgiveness. Amen.

A word of thanks to Scott at Mammoth Baptist Church for his devotional yesterday. It was inspiring.

Being Christ to each other is not as difficult as it may seem. He works through us in very practical ways.

21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

As we continue our study of love, we find that God’s love for us is unfathomable, yet we know Him. He wants us to share His love with others by being like Him. Today, we look at one verse in a list of ways for us to be like God to each other. It is found in Romans 12:9-21; we will be looking at verse 10:

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

What does it mean to be devoted to one another? “Devoted” means to be zealous in loyalty and affection. It means that we are all about the other person. Paul was specifically talking to the church in Rome, but we know that to be this way with people who don’t know Christ makes us highly attractive to them, which makes Christ highly attractive to them. The more we practice devotion, the more Christ-like we become.

Honoring one another above ourselves means that we give preference to one another. Preference is when we give a practical advantage to others over ourselves. I look at it as if the other person is a little higher-ranking than myself, therefore I treat that person with the respect I would a VIP. Imagine that: Everyone is a Very Important Person to me! Is not that how God sees us?

Today, let’s rest in the knowledge that God loves us and treats us as VIP’s; then, we are free to treat each other as VIP’s.

Abba, thank You for Your love and for Your attention. Knowing that I am important to You gives me everything I need to treat others as VIP’s, too. Even as I am devoted to You, help me be devoted to others. May I show honor above myself to everyone today. Amen.