Day 31

Ex 12:14-13:17; Matt 20:29-21:22; PS 25:12-22; PR 6:12-15


PR - I found these verses really interesting.  A worthless person...kinda makes it pretty plain what kind of person we're talking about it doesn't it?  "A perverse mouth" is someone who lies all the time.  The have "fraud" in their heart all the time.  They are constantly trying to do wrong, they always are creating disunity among the people around them.  Does this sound like anyone you know? More importantly, does it sound like you?  I'm really finding as I read through the bible, the most important thing I can do is not to assume everything I read is about someone else. We have a tendency to want to believe all the blessings are for us, but all this "wicked" stuff is about someone else. I'm finding myself asking some really honest questions.  Why?  Because of verse 15..."his calamity will come suddenly."  We can get so blinded by the wickedness in our hearts that we'll never see our destruction coming.  I believe this doesn't only speak of physical destruction but also spiritual.  Be honest with yourself because God is being honest with you.

MT 20:29-34     I love this short little story tucked in at the end of this chapter.  These two blind men hear that Jesus is walking by and they call out to Him. Everyone tells them to shut up, but they continue to call out to Him. He comes to them and heals their eyes.  What I love about this story is the fact that these men wouldn't let others get in the way of their miracle.  Sometimes we have a tendency to let others distract us from what we believe God can do in our lives.  We truly believe that God could do miracles but as we call out to Him it seems like doubters pop up around us to tell us that we just need to sit down and shut up and quit wasting our time.  NEVER let anyone tell you to stop asking God for a miracle.  He is able and He is willing to act.  I heard someone say this today; "If you have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to act."  Love it!

MT 21:21-22  I just thought this kind of tied into the thought I wrote about above.  "If you have faith and do not doubt..."  Prayer without doubt has the power to move mountains.  You may not ever need to move a physical mountain, but I'm betting there are some pretty big things in your life that you feel like are hindering you from going where you are trying to go in life.  Speak to that mountain in faith and believe that God will remove it.  AMEN!

Day 30

Ex 10:1-12:13; Matt 20:1-28; PS 25:1-11; PR 6:6-11

The whole reading today in Matthew was powerful. The first story Jesus tells reminds me of a message I heard at a conference last year. It was about the danger of comparison.  In this story those who started working earlier in the day felt like they deserved more money than the ones who started working later in the day even though they had agreed to those wages.  How often do we look at what others have and think to ourselves, I deserve what they have?  Why do they keep getting placed ahead of me? Why are they so blessed and not me?  Why can't our church be like that church? Why can't my family be like that family?  We question God and if we are not careful we will allow bitterness to rise up within us and take root deep within our core. As you read down through this story we see again where the mother of James and John (the sons of Zebedee) came to Jesus and asked that her boys be seated on His right and left in the Kingdom.  She wanted them elevated.  Again, we see Jesus correct the situation.  Comparison can be deadly to our souls.  Comparison can tear lives apart.  Comparison is dangerous because you are basing your desires on perception and not reality.  The grass always looks greener but how often have you thought that only to realize it's not?  I'm telling you the last words of Jesus in this section are the greatest words to live by..."the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." 
To truly be a servant means to never seek the glory of your actions.  It means never being offended if you are not recognized for your efforts.  It means being confident in who you are and what God has called you to do. There will always come a time when you don't think how you're treated is fair, but that's when you have to find your confidence in what God has called you to do.  Stop looking at the people around you and worrying about what they are doing or saying. Thank God that He can use you and me to do what only you and me can do.

Day 29

Ex 7:25-9:35; Matt 19:13-30; PS 24:1-10; PR 6:1-5

MT 19:21-22     Jesus has a way of getting straight to the heart of the matter. He always has and always will. We can try to give off that everything in our life is great but He knows better because He knows our heart.  This man asked what he needed to do to have eternal life and when Jesus mentioned some of the commandments the man thought, "I got this thing covered."  But again, Jesus knew better.  So He asked the man to give up the one thing that would be the hardest.
Understand, Jesus wasn't teaching salvation by works and we are not required to give away everything we have.  What He was doing was proving the error in this man's thinking that he had fulfilled all of these commandments. If he truly loved his neighbor as himself, then he would have no problem in giving away all he had to the poor.  But the man walked away sad because that was an awful lot to ask for.  It was not that the man had to give everything away, but he needed to be willing.
What are you willing to give up?  As much as I do right for God, is there something that I'm holding back? Is there that one thing that if He asked me to give it up, I would find myself walking away sorrowful? 

vs 26 is a very familiar verse but it's kind of interesting to see it in it's original context.  In this setting what Jesus is really referring to is the fact that it is impossible in our selfish, human flesh to give up anything in this world BUT it is possible with God to overcome this world's strongholds. 
How did we answer those questions above?  What are you willing to give up? Is there something you are struggling with that God is asking you to release to Him?  Understand you won't be able to let it go on your own, but it is possible to let it go with God's help.

Day 28

Ex 5:22-7:24; Matt 18:23-19:12; PS 23:1-6; PR 5:22-23

MT 18:23-35     Such a simple illustration about forgiveness.  The biggest problem I think we have sometimes with forgiveness is that we lose sight of who we really are.  We see ourselves as the victim in life.  That everything has been done to us.  I know that a lot of us have had horrible things happen in our lives and I'm not trying to trivialize that.  I'm saying that Jesus Christ died on a cross so that we could overcome EVERYTHING in our life. We did not just gain eternal life but life more abundantly on this earth.  The way that was accomplished was through the forgiveness of our sins and through the healing of not only our physical pain but also our emotional pain. 
When I read this it strikes me that forgiveness must have been a problem back then as well. Jesus talked about it quite a bit. Not only that, but it is one sin that Jesus put a lot of attention on and went overboard explaining the importance and consequences for.  If you don't forgive you won't be forgiven. His thought on how to get to that point of forgiveness. Don't ever forget how much you have been forgiven for.  What I see is that it is almost impossible to truly forgive without the understanding of the full grace of God's love for us.  He forgave us of so much, in return we are asked to forgive others.  In comparison no amount of pain or hurt can come close to our eternal souls.

PS 23      Probably the most quoted Psalm in the bible.  My favorite part is verse 4.  There is no false hopes here. It says very plainly "though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death."  There are going to be scary times in our lives but it continues on to say "I will fear no evil." Why? "For you are with me."  We have nothing in life to fear because God is with us no matter where we go.  Praise the Lord! 

Day 27

Ex 4:1-5:21; Matt 18:1-22; PS 22:19-31; PR 5:15-21

Let me pick up where I left off yesterday. Even after all the great things God has said to encourage Moses, he is still struggling with His calling.  So God gives him signs and wonders to perform.  Finally Moses says, "O my Lod, I am not eloquent of speech." In today's terms he said, God I can't talk good. Moses had a stuttering problem.  Here comes the greatest answer ever for all of us.  God speaks to Moses and says to Him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?"  In other words, God asks Moses this, "You don't think I know you have a stuttering problem? Did you forget who you're talking to?"  Guys let's try to remember that when God asks you to do something, He already knows you can do it because He made you to do it.

PR - I really shouldn't have to explain this one but I couldn't help myself.  Men, don't get sidetracked by the next pretty woman who walks past you. Fall in love everyday with your wife. Don't become sidetracked by women trying to lead you away. Proverbs is a book about wisdom.  Don't be stupid, love your wife with all your heart and remember...God is watching...Always.

Day 26

Ex 2:11-3:22; Matt 17:10-27; PS 22:1-18; PR 5:7-14

EX 2:23-25 - The significance of the King of Egypt dying is that now Moses could return and not be afraid of the death penalty.  At that time when the King died the authorities would drop all pending cases.
Now the king's death did not make anything easier for the Israelites.  They began to cry out to God because of the bondage they were under in Egypt.  What was the covenant that God had made to Abraham, Issac and Jacob? To bring their families to a land flowing with milk and honey. It was time for God to carry out His promise.

EX 3 - Have you ever wondered, "Why a burning bush?" What would God have done if Moses just tucked tail and ran away from that bush on fire?  I like how God knows how to get our attention.

From verse 11 on, this part of Moses' story becomes very personal to me. When I first started in ministry I had a lot of insecurities.  I didn't feel like I was prepared to do what God was asking me to do.  Then I read this story and a lot of the questions Moses had were the same as the ones I had.  Starting with "who am I" to go do what you want me to do.  I can't tell you the number of times I've thought that.  Who am I God? Why would you choose me?  Then suddenly the tone of the question changed for me.  It suddenly went from insecurity to wonder.  Who am I?  And yet you still chose me...Thank you.  His answer to Moses became His answer to me as well. God said, "I will certainly be with you."  How awesome is that?  It's very awesome.
Secondly, Moses says I'm a nobody.  What if they won't listen to me?  God's answer...Tell them I AM has sent you.  Greatest revelation I ever got came right here.  God's name is I AM!  For everything I am not, God says, "I AM."  I don't care who you are, that's just awesome.  I don't have to be great because God is great.  Take that and run with it...I did.

Day 25

Gen 50:1-Ex 2:10; Matt 16:13-17:9; PS 21:1-13; PR 5:1-6

MT 17:1-9     Transfiguration (Joy asked me to explain this)
I've never really put this together until tonight.  What happened on this mountain was that Jesus allowed Peter, James and John to see Himself in His true glory. Remember when Moses went up the mountain in the OT? While there he met with God and when he came down the people said his face shone with the glory of God.  Well that's what happens here.  Jesus came to earth as a man, but He was still God. What the disciples were seeing at this moment was Jesus revealing the glory of His Father in Him.  What I've never put together was these two chapters...16 and 17.  As most of you know, when the bible was originally written it wasn't broke down into chapter and verse. That was something translators did later to help the translation process. What that means is that they should be read with no break or separation. Near the end of Chapter 16 Jesus asks these same men, "Who do you say that I am?"  Peter's response was that He was "the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Holy Spirit had revealed to Peter that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the one talked about in the prophesies.  And now that they had this understanding, Jesus was able to reveal His true glory to them. I think that speaks true in our lives as well.  It is only after we come to the understanding of who Jesus is that He can reveal Himself to us.
The significance of Moses and Elijah being there was this:
Moses represented the old law, he was the one that God had passed down His law through.
Elijah is referred as the chief prophet.  These prophets were the ones that gave the prophesies of who the Messiah would be.
What this meeting represents is the passing of the old law (Ten Commandments) to the new law (Jesus as the new covenant.)  Also, the fulfillment of the prophesies about the Messiah. 

GE 50:19-21     This is a realization we all need to come to in our own lives. Here his brothers are begging for forgiveness because they are afraid now that their father is dead Joseph is going to "take them out" for all they did to him. His response though is wonderful and such an incredible example.  "Am I in the place of God?" In other words, it's not my place to judge you and certainly not my place to condemn you.  You meant to harm me, but God took me and protected me and still got me to where He wanted me to be.  We all need to step back when people try to harm us in anyway and realize that we are not God and it's not our place to be prosecutor or judge and jury.  Leave it to God and believe that He can take all situations meant to harm us and turn them to good when we depend on Him.

EX 1 - Isn't it amazing what fear can make you do?  The children of Israel are minding their own business, not causing any harm at all. Then this Pharaoh comes along and sees how many of them there are and says; "I need to wipe these people, just in case they decide to rise up against us."  That is fear in a nutshell. It will make us destroy people because we are scared of what MIGHT happen.  Ultimately this fear becomes Pharaoh's downfall. Don't let fear destroy you.

Day 24

GE 48-49; MT 15:29-16:12; PS 20; PR 4:20-27

GE 48 - There was so much emphasis place on the rights given to the first born child back then.  Joseph became so upset when his father gave the greater blessing to his younger son.  I was thinking about that and what struck me is that in today's society we'd probably think, "what's the big deal?" The crazy old man probably just got confused, it's not that important anyway.  We have lost the understanding of how much power there is in our words.  We have the power to speak blessings and curses. Remember that the next time you pray for your kids or anyone else for that matter.   It made me think of my own dad. I talk to him from time to time and he tells me how he prays for me, Joy and our kids. He talks to me about the prayers he prays for my sister and brother-in-law and their kids.  Each person has something specific he is praying and speaking over them.  It just reminded me of how blessed I am to have the parents I have.

GE 49 - Could you imagine standing in that room as your father tells you what kind of future he sees for you?  Just a side note that may be of interest. Jesus lineage is traced back to Judah. Go back and see what his dad said about him.

PS 20:7 - Some people try to find strength in themselves. They try to force their way through life. Just as in that day a kingdom was as great as it's army. But when we trust in the Lord, He will raise us up.

PR 4:23-27        These are some challenging verses.
23 - "Keep your heart...for out of it springs the issues of life."  What am I allowing to be in my heart? What's closest to my heart will determine what happens in my life. 
24 - What am I saying? Am I honest...about everything?  Do I commit sin with my mouth?  Beyond cussing and dirty jokes. Do I gossip, attack people with my words, or speak negativity?
25 - What am I looking at? Do I see things, people, or tasks through God's eyes?
26/27 - Am I thinking about where I am going?  Am I letting God lead me?
Really...Honestly...How do we answer these questions?

Day 23

Gen 46:1-47:31; Matt 15:1-28; PS 19:1-14; PR 4:14-19

PS 19:1-3     I love the imagery these verses create.  I'm sitting in my living room and as a read this I couldn't help but stop and look out the window.  God's glory is revealed through His creation. So often we just think about God being revealed through us because we are created in His image but according to this passage God speaks to us through the world around us as well. I love the fact that no matter what language you speak or where you live you can learn about God through the sights and scenes of glorious creation. As you look into the way our universe operates it is impossible not to realize the greatness of God.

PR - The last two days of Proverbs really shows the contrasting effects of good versus evil.  The path of the wise is straight, unobstructed, and safe. The path of the wicked hazardous and dangerous.  One is filled with light and the other with darkness.  Wisdom leads to a promise and wickedness leads to destruction.  I think taking a good honest look at our lives can answer the question for us as to whether we are on the path of wisdom or wickedness.

MT - As usual the Pharisees are trying to corner Jesus into incriminating Himself because He didn't do what their laws instructed.  The problem with the Pharisees is that they built a whole religion based on interpretation of God's commands instead of just following God's commands.  They created a system of traditions thereby demeaning God's commands. That's why He calls them hypocrites, because they were acting so holy and yet they were manipulating the system for their own gain. In this particular case you have to understand the customs of that day based on God's command to "honor your father and mother." It meant not only to respect them but also to take care of them as they had needs.  What people in the church were doing was saying that they had dedicated their finances to the Lord and therefore could not give anything to their parents.  God's command was to take care of our families, not to use the money for our own gain by "saying" it was for God. If it was really for God, you'd use it to obey Him by keeping His command to "honor" your parents. 

That's why He goes on to quote the prophecy of Isaiah where it said that they would teach doctrine or "interpretation" as law or "absolute."  

Vs 10-11   This whole discussion had started because the disciples didn't wash their hands before eating as the law stated they should.  Unsanitary? Yes.  Would it defile your very soul? Uhhh...no.  Jesus made the point, it's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you, but what comes out.  Why? Because that is what exposes what is in your heart. Remember we read a few days ago..."out of the abundance of the heart a man speaketh.

Vs 12-14     I think it's funny how the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him if He realized that He just offended the Pharisees. His response is a great lesson for us as well. We can't worry about offending those that believe differently than us. We also can't get caught up in arguing with them. If their doctrine is not true (not planted by God) then it will be exposed on it's own.  All we can do is preach His gospel, sharing the truth without shame.

Vs 21-28    At first glance some might think Jesus was a little harsh on this woman.  She was a Gentile (non-Jew).  Jesus would always give the Jews the first chance to respond to Him.  They were God's chosen people. The Gentiles weren't looking for a Messiah, that was only in the Jewish teaching. This is why Jesus was so excited by her faith. (did you notice the exclamation mark? NKJV)  She believed in Him even though she had presumably never been taught about who He could be.

 

Day 22

Gen 44:1-45:28; Matt 14:14-36; PS 18:35-50; PR 4:11-13

GE 45:5 - "God sent me before you to preserve life."  This is the OT version of the principle that God can take what our enemies meant for evil and use it for good.  When you live your life for God and you strive to serve Him in all situations, it doesn't matter what people try to do to keep you down because God will always be sure you fulfill the dreams He put in your heart.  I'm constantly reminded of what we read a few days ago..."The Lord was with Joseph."  Those are some mighty powerful words and they keep resonating in my spirit.

MT 14:16-21       Have you ever really thought about this story.  It says Jesus took the loaves, blessed them and then gave them to the disciples and they passed them out.  That means the disciples started walking through the crowd breaking of chunks of bread and it never ran out. Stop for a second and picture that, cause when you do it kinda blows your mind.

MT 14:28-31        This is a very often quoted story. We all tell each other to "step out of the boat."  I'm reading this story today and something really jumps out to me for the first time.  Peter stepped out of the boat in the midst of a storm because Jesus said "come."  Then when Peter starts to sink Jesus reaches out His hand, helps Peter back up and then says to him; "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  Can you imagine that? You've just stepped out of a boat to walk on water and you're not the Son of God and when you start to sink after a few steps, you're told you are lacking faith.  I think though I can relate to this story.  I have to say, when God leads me to do something outside my comfort zone I'm a little nervous and a little excited and it doesn't take a whole lot of convincing for me to "step out of the boat." However, once past the initial excitement the shine wears off and suddenly I'm very aware of the fact that I'm out of the comfort zone.  Once that awareness kicks in I become very nervous and I start to doubt whether I really belong where I am out there "on the water."  When that happens I begin to sink spiritually, I panic and try to get myself out of it of course with no success.  It takes faith to "step out of the boat." But it doesn't stop there. Do you have enough faith to see it through when the situation God calls you into starts getting rougher than you expected? Faith isn't a one time decision, it's a daily one.

Day 21

Gen 42:18-43:34; Matt 13:47-14:13;  PS 18:16-34; PR 4:7-10

GE 42:21-22    I just found it interesting how they automatically assumed they were being punished or judged by God for what they did for Joseph. Can anyone say; "guilty conscience?"  It's been 20 years and that's their reaction. I guess this is an example of "beware, your sins will find you out."

PS 18:29 just became my new favorite verse.  Me and my youth pastor from McEwen used to talk about "running through walls." It was what we said when we got really passionate about something. This verse reminded me of Scott.
"For by You I can run against a troop.
By my God I can leap over a wall."

PR 4:7-9       "Wisdom is the principal thing."  That word "principal" is translated to mean "the first in order or importance."  In other words, wisdom is the most important thing we can obtain in this life. The wisdom that God gives us. Then it goes on to say that if you place this wisdom first in your life, you in return will be exalted for it.  Isn't it amazing that if we will just listen to God, He will raise so far above where we could ever get on our own.

MT 13:47-50       Parable of the dragnet
The type of dragnet used in this parable was used to drag a wide sweep of water along the bottom of the sea.  It would then pull up all types of fish which would then need to be separated. Remember Jesus is giving His disciples instructions here and in this particular parable they are being instructed to go out and gather all types of people. To not discriminate race, economical stature, age or anything else. In the end those brought in will be judged and those found to be false conversions will be cast into the fiery furnace or hell.

57-58       It's sad sometimes to see people who have changed their lives through Jesus Christ not taken seriously because of their past.  Sometimes it is because they have had a horribly sinful past and people just can't get past that. Other times it is because people knew them before they began to preach or teach and won't take them seriously because of familiarity.  Remember Jesus grew up in a town just like the rest of us. He went to school and to church. He had parents and siblings.  He had a normal childhood. And so when He shows up back in town and starts trying to preach this new gospel message they look at Him like; "who does little Jesus think he is now?"  Sadly I've seen people do that in our own culture and society. They see someone that grew up with them and they refuse to take them seriously in ministry.  I've seen people discouraged to pursue their dreams and callings because the ones they discussed it with couldn't see past the familiarity of that person. They couldn't see them accomplishing anything great because they had never done anything great before. It says in verse 58 that Jesus couldn't do many miracles in that place because of their unbelief.  How many miracles and moves of God have we missed out on because we won't let people rise to their full potential. Never let anyone hold you back from who God has called you to be!! 

Day 20

GE 41:17-42:17; MT 13:24-46: PS 18:1-15; PR 4:1-6

GE 37:2 tells us that Joseph was just 17 years old when he had his dream about his brothers bowing down to him. GE 41:46 says he was 30 years old when he was made second in command over Egypt. After that was seven years of plenty and then came the famine, and along came Joseph's brothers. What does all that mean? 20 years went by before Joseph saw his dream come true. A lot of bad stuff happened along the way, but he remained faithful. How long are you willing to wait to see your dreams come true? Can you stand through the trials? What God promised He will see through.

PS 18:1-2 - We all see God in terms we understand. If your a sports fan, He may be your quarterback in this game of life. If you are into comic books, He may be your Superman. If you're a nerd, He may be the greatest Jedi ever. Just kidding Jason. David was a military man, so when he talked about God he used terms that related to the battles he fought.
Rock - when they needed to find rest from the fight David and his men would to the rocks and find shelter within the caves and crevices. No one could attack when they were hidden there.
Fortress - they would find a place surrounded on three sides by rock so there was only one way in. It was easier to defend one gate then many. When we surround ourselves with God, they have to go through Him to get to us. Which leads us to...
Shield - this refers to a type of shield that would cover a man almost from head to toe. It designed in such a way that it could link together with other shields and form an impenetrable wall. Protection against arrows, swords, and spears. Hide behind God and let Him protect every area of your life.
Horn of salvation - this was a helmet worn by the general in the army. When they returned from battle, if he was wearing this helmet with the horn turned up it meant they had won the battle. We have victory in God.
Stronghold or High Tower (KJV) - the last line of defense. If the walls were breached to the fortress there was a high tower within those walls that the people could run into. Inside those walls was food, weapons and other supplies. Enough to wait out any attack. When everything else in life fails you, find shelter in God's high tower. Run to Him as David did and He will give you victory.

MT - Parable of wheat and tares
Why doesn't God destroy evil people? Because in the process innocent people may be hurt that could be saved. So we are allowed to live together for now but in the end God's perfect judgement will be passed down and no wickedness will be spared.

Parable of the treasure
Heaven and therefore our salvation is worth giving up everything we have and are in order to obtain that promise. Hold nothing back from God and He will hold nothing back from you.

Parable of the pearl - basically the same principle as the treasure.

Parable of the mustard seed
A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds in nature but it produces one of the largest trees. A tree large enough for birds to nest in was considered a sign of prosperity in the OT. So what this is saying is that even though the number of people who will inherit the earth may have started small in Jesus day, that number will grow larger.

Parable of Yeast
Yeast grows dough from within. The kingdom of heaven does not grow from an external force. In other words, God doesn't use an army to force people to believe in Him but rather He uses the power of the Holy Spirit to help us to grow from the inside.

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Day 19

Gen 39:1-41:16; Matt 12:46-13:23; PS 17:1-15; PR 3:33-35

GE 39 - One thing I notice about this chapter is that it begins and ends with these words; "The Lord was with Joseph."  Verse 2 and verse 23 are bookends on this chapter of Joseph's life.  In between we see a man trying his hardest to live his life honorable before God and yet he gets thrown in prison. Sometimes the road to our dreams are paved with hardships but I think it's important to note that no matter how bad our situation seems at times, it doesn't mean that the Lord is not with us. Everything Joseph touched turned to gold, he was highly blessed.  We don't always understand why bad things happen to good people but we lived in a sinful world and the devil doesn't want us to prosper.  Hold onto your faith and know that the Lord is always with you.

Day 18

Gen 37:1-38:30; Matt 12:22-45; PS 16:1-11; PR 3:27-32

MT 12:31-32 - The unforgivable sin...This is and has always been a big question on the heart of believers new and old.  What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? If you will allow me to, I'm going to get a little teachy here for a moment. 
Blasphemy is a Greek word literally defined as "to speak harm."  In the biblical context it is a disrespect toward the character of God.   The sin of blasphemy is a forgivable sin. In fact Paul himself says that he was forgiven of that sin in 1 Timothy 1:13.  However, the sin of blasphemy AGAINST the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. I think one very important thing to remember here is that it is the Holy Spirit that draws us to God and fills us with conviction when we sin.  To commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to willinglyy and consciously reject God's saving grace despite being presented with all the proof of Jesus as our savior. It is not simply to say I don't believe but rather to say I believe but I refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit's convictions.  As I say to people who worry about having committed this "unpardonable sin," it is impossible to have committed it and still be worried about it.  It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin and so if you are wanting to repent of the this sin, you have not committed it.

vs 33-37  We can sometimes have a misconception about ourselves.  Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought "I look pretty good." But then you see a photo or video of yourself and the truth is revealed. I have, it's not fun. I'm going back to the gym soon.  The same can be said for what we think of what our heart is really like. Have you ever thought you were a pretty good person but someone told you somethings you needed to work on in your life? It can hurt and be confusing sometimes.  But what Jesus is saying here is a lesson we ALL need to take and apply to our lives, probably everyday. If you want to know what is in your heart, start listening to the words that come out of your mouth.  Does it seem like problems follow you everywhere you go?  What are you saying? Are you creating chaos? Are you creating discord among your friends, family and church family?  Verse 36 tells us that we will be judged by God for EVERY idle word that comes out of our mouths.  It also says that we will be justified or condemned by the words that we speak.  Gives new meaning to the phrase "watch what you say" doesn't it?

That's it for today...

Day 17

GE 35-36; MT 12:1-21; PS 14; PR 3:19-20

MT 12:9-14 showed me several things.  The Pharisees are out to get Jesus and they are doing everything they can to trap Him in disobeying their rules.  I know, it sounds dumb to us now but I'm sure it made perfect sense to them back then.  But hey, we can all be guilty of wanting God to play by our rules every now and then right?  Well it didn't work out for them any better than it works for us now. Jesus makes it perfectly clear that the little box they want Him to fit in isn't really going to work for Him.  His point was this...If there is somebody that is hurting and I can help them, I'm going to help them.  I don't really care what you think about it or if it steps on your toes or you don't think I should be associating with those folks.  I think we  can learn so much from that example.  To not get caught up in the rules of society but rather see people the way that He does.  It's great to plan great acts of kindness  but He also wants us to react to the needs as they present themselves. I think, if we are not careful we can get so distracted by serving Jesus in our planned and scheduled ministries that we fail to see the opportunities arise around us.

vs 13- I've always liked the image of this miracle. Here was a man with a withered hand.  The description leads us to believe that it had been that way for some time, probably from birth. But when Jesus spoke to him he reached out his hand and it was made "as whole as the other."  There was no rehab, no special treatments, an no follow-up visits.  When Jesus speaks healing it is immediate, complete and whole.  That's just awesome, I don't care who you are.

PR - When you read something like this I think you just need to take hope in that God knows...everything.  We are surrounded by conspiracy theories and doomsday prophecies that can cause a lot of worry. But they don't mean anything when you realize that God created this world and nothing will destroy until He says it's time.  Nothing happens without His knowledge.  Take comfort and peace in that knowledge.

Day 16

Gen 32:13-34:31; Matt 11:7-30; PS14:1-7; PR3:19-20

Jacob had to fight his whole life. He struggled with Esau coming out of the womb. He fought with Laban for his wife. Now he finds himself face to face wrestling with God Himself.  Now this is one of those stories that is not clearly defined in the bible. Some think this "man" was God in human form. Some think it was Jesus and others that it was an angel. Regardless of who exactly there is no question that it was at the very least a representative of God.  With that said it would have been easy for this "man" to defeat Jacob. However, he wrestled all night with Jacob.  When you read about Jacob's life it's easy to see a life of deception in his youth, but then as he gets older you see God's blessing on his life. It makes you wonder what this "fight" is all about.  I think Jacob was being forced to make a decision.  Was he going to continue to take the easy way out or was he going to see this fight through to the end?  In the middle of the night this "man" touches his hip and knocks it out of its socket but Jacob fights on. When morning comes the "man" begs to be let go but Jacob demands a blessing before he'll do it.  The "man" asks Jacob's name. I think this was because names have such significance in the bible. Remember Jacob's name has a terrible meaning. He was a "supplanter or deceiver."  Now he is given the name Israel or "Prince of God."  At the end of it all Jacob comes out of this struggle with a new name and a limp.  Here's what I get out of this.  When God wants to change our lives a struggle ensues.  Here's the deal, He could dominate this fight if He wanted to, but He chooses not to do that. In the end it's our choice to let God bless us.  I think the name thing carries a lot of meaning because I think God wants us to be completely aware of who we are before he changes us. He may not change our names today, but He does want to change our identity. When you let God bless you and make you His own (prince or princess) you are no longer who you used to be but are a new person.  Whatever you used to be called doesn't matter anymore because God has called you son or daughter. Finally, the limp.  When God changes you, everyone should notice something different about you. Something should change in your physical presence. That doesn't mean we as Christians should walk around with canes and or develop a swagger. For some it means they lose the attitude they use to have. For others it's a habit or way of life. For some it's the language they use.  The point is we walk away different.

GE 34 - Big brother payback OT style.

Day 15

GE 31:17-32:12, MT 10:27-11:6, PS 13, PR 3:16-18

Short and not very sweet today guys. God is burning it in my heart for us to draw closer to Him than ever before.  These were the instructions to the disciples (us) as Jesus sent them out to minister. This is what is required of us.  Read it carefully.
MT is a powerful passage of scripture. We have to take all that God has told us and let people know. God uses everything in our lives for the good of His message if we will allow Him to. Don't fear people or the devil, we've already established the devil has absolutly no power over us. He goes on to say the sparrows have almost no monetary value and yet nothing happens to them that God doesn't know about. Believe me God cares more about you than a bird...trust Him. VS 32-33 tells us that if we deny Him before man He will deny us as well. We can't be ashamed of Jesus and expect to sneak in the back door of heaven. You think that's a strong statement? Keep reading. It tells us that if we put anyone, even family, before what God is telling us in our lives...we are not worthy of Him. Life is not what YOU make of it. Life is what you allow GOD to make of it. If we are not willing to give up everything for Him why bother pretending to be a follower at all. Yes, it means denying ourselves...He told you that! So you're either in or your out, it's up to you!

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Day 14

GE 30-31:16; MT 10:1-26; PS 12; PR 3:13-15

GE 30:1-2: How often do we get upset with other or with ourselves over things in our lives that don't go the way we want them to.  We really need to get to a place in our lives where we stop looking around at ourselves and others to place blame and instead begin to look up to God.  It is Him that has answers to so many of life's questions.  I can remember a few years ago, when Joy and I were trying to have another baby. We went months and nothing happened. I don't think we said too much to each other but I know we were both wondering what was wrong with us.  Worry, discouragement, fear and any number of other emotions began to creep into my heart and then I read this verse. No I wasn't angry, but it served as a reminder that God is in control and He knows what he is doing.  It's amazing how often we need to be reminded of that.  I think God is trying to remind me to get my eyes off the things, people, situations around me and look to Him in everything.

This whole passage really shows that when you live your life for God, as Jacob was doing, there is nothing anyone can do to hurt you. Laban was trying everything possible to come out on the better end of their agreement but no matter what He did Jacob got blessed. We would be so much wiser to let God fight our battles for us. Again, just put your trust in Him and let Him be your provider and protector.

MT 10:16-20: This is another passage that shows the same point as above. This shows us again that we must simply do what God asks us to do and to be faithful in that. When we do that we can trust that He will take care of us.  It says that He will send out and there will be those (wolves) out to harm us. So we must be smart to not put ourselves into bad situations (wise as serpents) but at the same time we must keep our integrity and not be sneaky and deceptive (harmless as doves.)  As we follow these directions He tells us that we will be persecuted for our faith but not to worry about what to say because the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say. He truly is our advocate. We spend so much time defending and fighting for ourselves and we really don't win anything.

PS 12 - Let's just continue with the theme shall we? I love how this starts..."Help."  That's what we are required to do. Ask God for help and do our best to live with integrity and righteousness.  As we've been learning in Proverbs to ask for help and then ignore His counsel.  This is what is known as a Psalm of Lament.  That is a Psalm that cries out to God and follows a certain format. I thought I'd explain this because you will see a few of these as you read through Psalms.  Here's what they normally look like:

1. An initial cry out to God

2. The lament itself

"I am hurting"

"You do not care"

"The enemy is winning"

3. A confession of trust

4. Reasons for God to act

5. Requests

"Hear me"

"Save me"

"Punish them"

6. A vow to praise God

The reason I wanted to show this is because this is a model of a godly response to suffering. The Lord does not expect us to remain passive when we face suffering. We can pour out our souls to the Lord. However in the middle of our cry, we must remember God’s loving care for us in the past so we can willingly trust Him with the future. As we remember, it gives us cause to praise Him not only for what has happened but for what will happen. 

Day 13

I just wanted to say that I'm so excited about how God is speaking to different people through His word. I know there are many who don't want to comment and that's okay. I do want to encourage you to click on the "FOLLOW" to the right of the screen though. This will allow everyone to see who is with them on this journey through the bible.  You don't have to talk and I won't send you crazy messages, I just really want people to know they aren't alone on this trip.  So press the button...come on.....click it. Thanks everyone.

GE 28-29; MT 9:18-38; PS 11; PR 3:11-12

GE 29 - Talk about your love at first sight stories. The first time Jacob sees Rachel he kisses her and then starts to cry.  That's quite a first impression he must have made on her.  But really, you have to remember how his mom and dad met. Remember when Abraham's servant went out and prayed and as soon as he arrived he found the right woman.  Well I'm sure Jacob had heard that story a couple times and now here he is looking for a wife in a certain town at a certain time from a certain family and BOOM there she is. So with that said I believe the weeping was out of thankfulness to God.  But it really is quite a love story. He is so taken by her that he agrees to work for 7 years to earn her hand in marriage. Then it says that he was so in love with her it was like only a few days. Finally the 7 years is up and he asks for her hand in marriage and Laban pulls a fast one on Jacob and switches daughters.  The custom at the time was for them to head into the bridal chamber that night, so it was presumably dark and the bride wore a veil until it was time to consummate the marriage so Jacob had no idea what was going on until the light of day showed that he had just married the wrong girl.  He is understandably upset and still in love with Rachel so he agrees to work another 7 years for his true love but out of obligation he stays married to Leah as well.  In case your wondering what the whole "give Leah her week" thing is about. The marriage celebration lasted for a whole week not just one day. So Laban was saying let the people celebrate Leah's marriage and then I'll let you marry my other daughter. This chapter and chapters to come are the very definition of "what goes around, comes around." Jacob deceived his brother, Laban deceives Jacob, and in just a minute you are going to see Laban get his.  What you sow, you shall surely reap.

PS 11 - You kind of have to read the first verse and the last verse of this Psalm to really see what David is saying. "(1) In the Lord I put my trust...(7) For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright."  No matter what happens in between, He is going to trust God because God is righteous.

PR - Don't get mad at God when He corrects you. He is only doing it because He loves you.  I really believe it hurts Him more than it hurts you.

MT - Great stories of faith in these verses today:
1. The man with a dead daughter. - Amazing faith just to ask Jesus to come. How many things have you ever given up on because it looked dead and gone to you?
2. Woman with the issue of blood. - All she wanted was to touch his clothes. Her faith didn't need a big dramatic encounter with Jesus.  She just needed to be close enough to touch Him. I think sometimes we get distracted and discouraged when we don't see the "mighty" moves of God. We want to hear God with some big booming voice. But sometimes I think we need to take comfort and have faith in those times when we don't necessarily hear Him talking but we can feel him close enough to touch.
3. The two blind men. - "do you believe I can do this?" Jesus was like a polygraph machine.  It wasn't enough for the two men to ask Jesus to heal them, He wanted to know if they really believed that He could.  See it wasn't simply His touch that healed them. Jesus made it very clear, it was their faith in Him that healed them.  A lack of faith is like spiritual kryptonite.  God won't move where there is a lack of faith in our lives.

vs. 35 - He healed EVERY sickness and EVERY disease.

vs 36 - He was moved with compassion not because of their physical state but with their spiritual state.  They were ready, hungry but no one was there to lead them.  They were ripe for the picking but no one there to harvest.  How often  are we surrounded by people who are ready to be lead to Christ and we are not available to help?  We are the laborers Jesus was praying for.

Day 12

GE 26:17-27:46; MT 9:1-7; PS 10:6-18; PR 3:9-10

I always find it interesting how they name everything when something happens. In Genesis they dig a well get in fight and name the place "Esek" = Quarrel.  Dig another well, get in a dispute and call it "Sitnah" = Enmity. Dig another well, everything goes good so they call it "Rehoboth" = Spaciousness.  I don't know why, I just find the names interesting.

vs 26-31: This is a great passage of scripture that truly demonstrates the idea that if God be for us than who can stand against us. Here these guys are causing all these problems then one day they show up and want to make peace. Why? Verse 28 "We have certainly seen that the LORD is with you..." They realized they better make peace because if anything were to really go down they were going to be on the wrong side of the fight.  Be patient and loving and peaceful in all that you do and let God work on the hearts of your enemies.

vs. 34-35: It wasn't just the fact that Esau took two wives but it was the women themselves that caused the grief.  Every parent wants the best for their kids right?  Well these women weren't the best.  They came from a tribe of people who were idol worshippers and Isaac and Rebekah knew that they would be a bad influence on their already straying son.

Ch. 27 just made me think about what we are capable and willing to do to get ahead in life. Are we willing to lie, cheat and steal? What about pretending to be something or someone we aren't? We see it spelled out on the pages and think what a horrible person this guy is, but really how often have we done the same thing. Could you imagine reading your life in a book?  There are probably some chapters and stories we would rather didn't get told. Yet one day they will.  And all these things are done for temporary gain.  God help us!

PR - I like the way this is worded. "Honor the Lord with your possessions." We always talk about the command to give and tithe.  Which it has been said that we are to tithe from our 1st fruits but what if we stopped looking at the "command" and started looking at what it really is...giving honor to God.  I can give because I'm told I have to or I can give because I want to honor my God.  When we do this, we will have all we ever need.

MT vs 12-13: Jesus spent time with those who needed Him the most.  This is why we have to take the church outside of our walls and go to where the people are hurting and most in need. 

vs 14-17:  I'm still studying these but it may be later tonight before I get to them.

Day 11

Good afternoon everyone.  I'd like to welcome my dad as the newest follower to our little discussion group.

Gen. 24:52-26:16; Matt. 8:18-34; Ps.10:1-5; Prov. 3:7-8

Psalm: You get the distinction impression that the bottom is going to fall out for this "wicked man." You can see where David sincerely believes these people are so blind to their wrongs. It sometimes looks as though they are prospering in their wickedness, and for a season they are, but in reality their judgement will come in God's time.

Proverbs: Stop wanting to be right all the time. There is a word for that...PRIDE!  For some reason we think we can outsmart God don't we. Come on, be honest.  We find perfectly logical reasons to act the way we want to so we feel better about ourselves. Heck, sometimes we can even find a verse or two we can take out of context to sound really spiritual. Give Him the honor and respect due Him as your Lord and leave your sinful ways completely behind you.

Matt. 8:18-23: Have you fully counted the cost to follow Jesus?  He is asking for everything. What are you willing to give up? It's not always going to be comfortable. You won't always be able to do what you want. Notice Jesus doesn't promise fame or fortune in return for their sacrifice? Just the sacrifice, just what it's going to cost them. We don't follow Christ for the reward, but rather for our own lives.

Matt 8:28-34: This is an amazing story. Jesus comes down the road and two demon possessed men jump out and won't let them pass.  That is until they see Jesus. Then they start backing up a little bit. "Uh...hey Jesus. Listen we don't have a problem here with you."  They immediately resign themselves to the fact that they are going to be cast out of these men. That's cool enough right there. There is no fight in the demon when they see Jesus, they already know it's over.  All they have left to do is negotiate an agreement for their release. Instead of being cast away completely the ask for permission to enter the nearby herd of pigs.  The folks there watching run to town and tell everyone what just happened.  Now look at the reaction in the last verse.  Were they excited Jesus had set these men free? Nope, they begged Him to leave town. Those pigs were someone's way of life.  Their career. He was upsetting their way of life.  How many times do we do the same thing. Jesus comes to do something miraculous in our lives and we ask Him to leave because that might disrupt our lives too much. God open our eyes to what you want to do and help us not to turn you away.

Day 10

Genesis 23:1-24:51, Matthew 8:1-17, Psalm 9:13-20, Proverbs 3:1-6

Snow is on the ground, it's day ten of our journey through the bible and day one of a 21 day fast at FWO. God isn't just good...He's awesome.  Let's go!!

Matthew 8:1 - To me this speaks of what faith should look like in all of us. The leper comes to Jesus and says, "Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean." The wording of this statement is so important.  He didn't just come to Jesus and say, "you can make me clean." See many of us come to Jesus with an expectation of great things and then lose our faith if it doesn't work out the way we had planned or hoped. The fact that he preceded this statement with, "Lord if you are willing" implies that even if Jesus didn't heal him he was still going to believe in Him as Lord.  We all need to get to that place in our lives where we can say "Lord this is what I am believing for, but in your greater wisdom, discernment and timing I yield myself to your will and no matter what happens You are still my Lord."

Vs 12 - "the sons of the kingdom" refers to those Jewish people who would not believe that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah.  In the preceding verse Jesus is amazed by the faith of this centurion. A man born outside of the Jewish race. A Gentile. In essence a heathen, and yet he has this great faith in Jesus.  The point that Jesus is making is that the Jewish people looked down on this man and thought of him as lost because he was born a Gentile. But in reality, those that were born Jews, God's chosen people, would also be destined for an eternity in hell if they did not put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Even as "sons of the kingdom" they needed to have a personal relationship with Jesus. It's the same today, your mom or dad being a Christian is not a get into heaven free card. We all need to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 3:1-6
What jumped out to me today was how everything we are instructed to do, we are told to do it with our hearts not our heads.
vs 1 - "let your heart keep my commands"
vs 3 - "tablet of your heart"
vs 5 - "Trust...with all your heart"
We have to get out of our minds for God. Notice in verse 1 it says "do not forget my law."  Where do we forget things? In our minds.  It's so easy for us to be shallow with God and think everything is okay. We can get into the routine of keeping a surface relationship with Him where we just simply go to church, read occasionally, etc. but nothing ever moves past our minds and penetrates our hearts.  How do we combat this? Verse one continues "let your heart" not your minds "keep my commands."  Same in verse 5. We are to trust God with our heart, and not lean on our own understanding when we look at the situations around us. It doesn't matter what we see with our eyes and process with our minds, we must allow the truth of God in our hearts to steer us through everything in life.

Psalm 9:20 - loved verse 20 and how the cry goes out that "the nations would know themselves to be but men."  When we realize that we are "but men" we will realize our need for God.

Genesis - This is the end of Abraham's life and the beginning of the story of Isaac finding a wife. It also marks one of the craziest oaths I've ever seen in the bible.  There are a lot of odd things done to make an oath in the bible but this one takes the cake. I don't know why I've never seen it before but Abraham calls in his servant and says; "Please, put your hand under my thigh..."  Now that's an oath!!
Thought it was kind of interesting so I looked into it a little more and thought I'd share my findings with you. Basically, it goes back to the covenant made with God through circumcision. They would place their hand on the mark of circumcision and the basic meaning of the oath was like saying: "As the Lord God is unchangeable in all His ways and in His promises, so also will I be in the task which I have sworn to you."  Thankfully, in the NT we have "let your 'yes' be yes and your 'no' be no."

Day 9

Gen. 20-22, Matt. 7:15-29, Psalm 9:1-12, Prov. 2:16-22

Remember how I said Abraham didn't always display that faith that made him the "father of our faith?" Well, here we are again and he's telling someone else that his wife is his sister because he is afraid of what might happen if he doesn't. By doing so, once again he put someone else (Abimelech) at risk of sinning greatly.  God spares the king because of his innocence and when confronted about it, Abraham goes to justifying his actions. I have a little saying I use when people start justifying their actions to me. "If you have to justify it, you already know it's wrong."  All you are doing when you try to justify your actions is convince everyone around you that you aren't nearly as bad as it seems. "There is a reason I don't like that person." "Here's why I think it's okay to act this way."  "It's okay for me to get divorced because...."  Hang with me in reading through the bible and we are going to see God sees through our excuses and into our hearts.  Scary!

By the way Sarah was believed to be Abraham's half-sister which at the time was a some what common practice to marry in order to keep the family lineage close. It wasn't until later that those types of close relational marriages were prohibited.

Sarah concieves and has a son. They name him Isaac.  Why? His name means "he laughs." Which is what Abraham and Sarah both did when God said they would have a son at such a late age. 
Side note for you here. This is where I got the name for my son. I was reading this one day while Joy was pregnant. I'm not even sure if we knew we were having a boy yet. But I read this and thought, "what a great name." If any of you know my son, you know he lives up to this name. He is one of the goofiest kids I've ever met and he loves to laugh and make me laugh. There really is something to a name.

Chapter 22 - Now we see the true faith of Abraham come out. All you parents out there, read this again. Could you do this?  Talk about a last minute intervention.  Abraham has his son tied laying on the altar and the knife over his head before God intervenes.  We are all willing to be tested by God...to a point.  But where is the line that you cross before you say, "that's it God, no more?"  Abraham traveled for three days just to get to where God was leading them to build the altar. He had three days to think about this.  What conversation do you have with your son while you are traveling?  What do you think about?  Are you looking behind every rock and bush for some sort of deliverance?  Yet, nothing came. They just kept walking.  All the way to the place, all the way up the hill, all the way to the point of near death. THEN, God shows his provision. This is what it takes to have the faith of Abraham.  Being willing to go...until God shows Himself. We give up too soon sometimes I believe.  We have great faith in the beginning but when things start to get rough we start taking back control of the situation. Soon we have completly strayed from the path and never arrive at the point of God's salvation.  Stay with God's plan, see it all the way through.  There will be provision at the place of His choosing.

Matthew - We need to not get caught up in the carisma of man.  We can't become followers of someone's teaching just because they have a great delivery, they look good and it sounds good to our ears. Jesus is telling us in this passage you need to look at the whole package and to weigh it against the word of God.  Fruits here includes their actions and their words. Do they practice what they preach? Are they living a godly lifestyle?  What is their language like outside the pulpit? Do they become a different person on stage then they are off stage?  Don't get caught up in the public character but dig into their private character. 

21-23 - We all know about God, but do you really know Him. I coined a phrase a couple years ago in a message I preached on this passage.  "God-stalkers"  If we are not careful that's what we become. We read His word, we go to His house, we talk about Him a lot to other people, but we never really know Him. Just like people can talk about their favorite celebrity. They feel like they know them becuase they have observed them on screen, through magazines, etc... Let's be honest though, if they went up to them on the street, that celebrity will look at them and say, "I don't know you."  The same will be said of us if we never persue a true relationship with God. He is not some far off being that is unaccessible. He's right there waiting for us to truely get to know Him.

24-27 - Notice both men heard the words of Jesus?  The only difference was the wise man acted on them and foolish man did not.  The foundation of our lives is not simply hearing the word of God, but rather doing the word of God.  Act out your faith.

Proverbs 2:16 - This kind of goes along with the passage from Matthew. Notice what the "seductress" uses? She "flatters with her words."  Again, we have to start looking past the words of man and look into their hearts. This is why Proverbs encourages us to pray for wisdom and discernment.  We need that discernment in our lives everyday.

Day 8

Genesis 18:20-19:38, Matthew 6:25-7:14, Psalm 8, Proverbs 2:6-15

I love Psalm 8.  When you look at all the wonders of God's creation. How big He has created this universe to be. Who am I that I would even be a blip on His radar?  In comparison to everything else, I seem so insignificant and yet, He knows me.  He thinks about me. He has given me dominion over HIS creation. 

I love how Proverbs paints the picture of what allowing wisdom and knowledge into our lives can do for us. Why do we fight God?  Why do we fight just listening to Him and allowing Him to lead us and guide us?  Look at what comes from wisdom and knowledge. Verses 10-15 describes what it means to have God's shield around us. It is an all-encompassing protection. 

Again in Matthew 6 we get a picture of what leaning on God will do. Why do you worry, God wants to care for you. I mean I can go into the detail of describing each of these verses but really, God is just asking us; "why do you worry?"  It's so simple, yet we struggle with getting it through our minds. We have a God who cares for us more than we could possibly imagine and He knows what we need more than we could even begin to imagine.
Chapter 7 - "hypocrite" = stage actor
In other words, quit acting like you're so much better than everyone else. You'd better be honest about who you are and what you are doing.  Quit wasting so much time looking at everyone else's life and begin to let God search your heart to help you become who you need to be. 
There is really so much packed into these verses it's hard to know where to start and stop.
"Ask", "Seek", "Knock"   Again we see that God is there waiting to provide, waiting to lead, waiting to take care, waiting love, waiting for us to come to Him.  These are all words that denote that all that is required of us is to come to Him.  We sit back and wait for God to show up in our lives but in reality He is waiting on us to come to where He is.  Is it just me or do you notice a really common theme throughout everything we are reading?  God has been calling man since the beginning of time.  I'm feeling really loved and am noticing an extremely large light bulb coming on.

Genesis 18:27-32 - I've always found this passage of scripture fascinating. Abraham continues to question God and basically negotiating the terms of God's judgment.  I've often wondered why he stopped at 10.  Why not one. Let's fact it, he was trying to save Lot so why stop at 10 and leave it to chance?  I guess he figured he'd pushed far enough.  Amazingly, we see in chapter 19 that indeed there was not even 10 righteous in the entire city.
I think we find in Sodom the very first "Sin City." The men of the city hear that there are strangers in town and their first reaction is to surround Lot's house and demand he let them out so they can have homosexual sex with them. As a side note, this is where we get the term "sodomy" from. 
Some people look to the OT and can't understand how God can be loving and destroy an entire city. But notice the extent these angels of God go through to rescue Lot and his family.  There doesn't seem to be any rush to leave on the part of Lot or his family but the angels remain persistent to get them away before they enact God's judgement.  Finally Lot, his wife and daughters leave but even his sons-in-law are still blind to the danger.  His wife looks back and is killed.  Then even after they are lead to safety and spared, his daughters commit the unbelievable act of getting their father drunk and then having sex with him so they can become pregnant. Notice the bible says twice that he didn't know. God is emphasizing the fact that Lot is innocent in this act.
All of this tells shows me something. The danger of putting yourself in a place surrounded in sin.  Remember when Lot chose to live in Sodom because it looked good. By doing so, he placed himself and his family in the center of ungodly influences and now just a few chapters later I think we see the results. We need to protect our families, our children and that begins with the environment they live in.

Day 7

Guys I'm running a little late today but I will be posting when I get home tonight. Feel free to beat me to it.

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Alright I'm a little late but I'm going to get this in before midnight, so technically I didn't miss a day.

Genesis 16-18:19; Matthew 6:1-24; Psalm 7; Proverbs 2:1-5

Proverbs

How laid back are we about really truly seeking out God's word and knowledge?  Listen to the words in this passage of scripture: "recieve", "treasure", "incline your ear", "apply your heart", "cry out", "lift up your voice", "seek", "search"..."Then you will understand the fear of the Lord."  Those words imply really setting your entire mind, spirit, soul and body to seeking after God. Remember that word "fear" means to have reverence for God.  We can say we depend on God. We can say we ask Him for direction. But can you really honestly say that on a daily basis those words can describe your relationship with God in the everyday aspects of your life?  I can honestly say, it doesn't sound like me all the time but it really convicts me. I want to be able to speak with that kind of conviction.  We can't continue to say we reverence God and not "incline our ear to wisdom."

Genesis 16:5 - Notice in the verses leading up to this that it was Sarai's idea for Abram to go sleep with her servant. And it was her idea for Hagar to go in there with Abram.  Then all of a sudden when they go through with it, she turns to Abram and says; "my wrong be upon you."  How is it that we blame other people for our decisions?  Yes, Abram should have said no to his wife's request and Yes he and Hagar had a choice in the matter.  But she started them down that path. I don't know, I just found that interesting.

Day 6

Genesis 13:5-15:21; Matthew 5:27-48; Psalm 6; Proverbs 1:29-33

Genesis 13:10-13 - We can't always trust what we see with our naked eye.  Lot was looking for a good place to live. On the surface, everything about this land around Sodom was great. Green fields, lots of water, a perfect place to pitch a tent and raise some livestock.  So he chooses that land but never took into consideration who his neighbors would be.  How often do we do that in our own everyday lives as well. We look at a situation and think everything looks great and so we jump in and fail to look at the whole picture. What is pleasing to the eye is not always pleasing for the spirit. Can I get an amen?!?! 
Verse 13 reads like a cliff hanger..."The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord." And then it moves onto a different subject...talk about foreshadowing.  This great looking land of opportunity was about to be Lot's downfall in life.  Don't judge a book by it's cover. Be sure to consult God about every decision in your life. Already that is my message for 2011.  We need to let God back into our EVERYday lives.

Psalm 6 - Just for me. Just for today. Thank you God for your words.
I had a great night at church last night. (Love my Dickson Family)  When I got home I recieved some news that took my breath away  like a punch to the gut. I'm not/can't go into the details right now, but those words David wrote about "I drench my couch with my tears"... that was me last night.  Joy came down a really bad flu bug or something last night (pray for her) so I let her have the whole bed and I stayed out on the couch. But the news that I recieved late last night wouldn't let me rest. I tossed and turned and wept into the cushions.  My eyes this morning feel as though they are about to give out, just as David wrote. BUT praise God for His word, because not only did it describe how I was feeling, it also gave me the encouragement that I needed today. Because I know, just as David wrote, that God hears the voices of the weeping, and He does hear my prayers. Amen

Word of the day - "Supplication" - you'll read it alot, especially in Psalms so I figure you should have a really good grasp of it's meaning.  Look it up and share with the class.  Congrats to Mama V and Jason for the definitions of "jot and tittle." Still just fun to say, especially with a british accent.

Proverbs had one big point that stood out to me among everything else.  Complacency Destroys. Never forget that and never become complacent in your walk with God.

I wanted to point out something in Matthew and you'll have to read back a little to see the whole picture of what I'm talking about.  There has been two repeated phrases in chapter 5. 
1. "You have heard it said" - Jesus would start off with this statement and then tell them something they had already heard.  The people were probably standing there going, "Yeah, so what. We already knew that." But then comes the second phrase that is repeated.
2. "But I say to you"  - Now Jesus brings in the new revelation. 
The law that these religious people were trying to enforce was a shallow, just enough kind of religion.  You know they kind.  I'll do just enough good to make sure I get to heaven.  I'm not gonna kill myself for other people, but I'll help if I have time. Hey as long as I don't go too far, it's not really sin.  Jesus was laying the ground rules and making it clear. This is what I expect from you.  Never be satisfied with man's standard of living.  Instead, listen for what God says and strive for the standard that Jesus  Christ Himself has called us to live.

Day 5

Gen. 11-13:4; Matt. 5:1-26; Ps. 5; Prov. 1:24-28

Have you ever wondered where the word "babel" came from? Well now you know.  Just to point something out...Did you notice in the last chapter it talked about Noah's boys being spread out and part of the division was made "according to their language."  That division took place after these events at the tower of babel.  The people were driven by pride and arrogance. They wanted to make a name for themselves and so God saw where this was going and stepped in to intervene.  You might think God's judgement's can seem extreme at times, but let's not forget He can see beyond the immediate.  He saw their hearts were again turning to selfish things and so He stepped in and confused the languages so that they could no longer work together to acheive this incredible prideful act.  It wasn't neccesarily the temple it was the heart behind the temple.  It's the same in our lives. When God corrects, it may seem over small and insignificant things, but He knows the heart behind it and can where we are headed. Everytime He steps in it is for our own well-being.

In this geneology we see that Abram (soon to become Abraham) came from the line of Noah through his son Shem.

12:2 "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you."
In other words God was saying I want you to leave everything you know, everything that is comfortable to you and everything that feels safe and go to an unknown location that I will tell you about later. vs 4 "So Abram departed.  There's that faith of Noah, just do what you're told. But I want you to pay attention to the next few chapters of his story.  His faith isn't always so strong.  Even at the end of this chapter he is scared for his own life so lies to Pharoh about his wife and basically sells her. God shows His protection regardless and curses Pharoh's household with plauges til the figure out what is happening. 
We have to be willing to show our faith no matter what it looks like MIGHT happen.  God is our protector!

Ps 5:12 - There is protection in a godly life.  The righteous are protected as with a shield.  It is only when we try to live life outside of God's shield that true harm will come to us.

Vs 28 - It seems so harsh and unforgiving but I think the lesson to learn here is that we are all going to have to deal with the consequences of our choices. We can't live our whole lives completly ignoring the instruction of God and then when we're standing before Him on judgement day expect Him to say "don't worry about it, I was only making suggestions." 

Matthew - So much that could be said here. I'm thinking about doing a Wednesday night series on this chapter.  I'm just going to pick a couple points to comment on.

First of all I'm adopting the phrase "jot or tittle." Can anyone tell me what that means? I already know but I'm going to make you look it up, it's kind of interesting.

vs 14-16 - We are the light of the world.  That's powerful!  Light is an amazing thing. Have you ever been in a pitch black room trying to feel around for furniture so you don't smash a toe?  What is it that you look for...Light!  If you can just find one beam of light somewhere, suddenly your confidence increases. It's amazing how the smallest light can change everything and brighten up and entire room.  You find yourself drawn to that light and suddenly the obstacles in your way become clear to you.  That's what we are called to be to this world.  That light for people who are lost and searching in this dark world. They are lost and bumping around falling all over the pathway of life.  We need to let our light shine so they can find their way out of the darkness. God's light must shine out of us everyday, everywhere. Not just at church and around other christians but everywhere there is darkness, we need to be light.

Day 4

Genesis 8-10; Matthew 4:12-25; Ps. 4; Prov. 1:20-23

Proverbs
God doesn't hide himself from us. That's a constant theme throughout the bible. I love how honest this writer is, he just calls them like he sees them. Like in verse 22 when he calls people "simple." How many love to be called simple?  It's really a powerful point he's making though and let's face it, sometimes we need to be slapped in the face every now and then. He's saying these naive people who think they don't need the wisdom and knowledge God gives are just fools.  They try to find peace and comfort in thier ignorance or innocence but it is temporary. Don't complain about your life and lack of direction and then not listen or seek out the knowledge of God. He is shouting in the streets to give you knowledge.
Verse 23 - "Turn"...When God corrects or points out something in your life, Turn. Don't run or cower in shame. It's not a rebuke, it is a correction. There is no condemnation in Christ. To many times, when God points out correction in our lives we are so ashamed of it that we can run away from Him instead of turning to Him.  That's what he's trying to do...He's seeing you walking away and He's asking us to TURN back to Him. When we do, He will pour out His spirit on you, will give you knowledge and His words will be made plain.

Psalm
David is writing the heart of God in this passage.  Doesn't it just cut to your heart?  How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?  Why do we waste our time looking in the wrong places for everything? God will set apart those of us that live godly lives. That's who He hears when they call to Him. This is what hit me as I was reading it this morning.  God hears our heart before He hears our words.  That was a convicting thought to me.  It doesn't matter what I say, if I haven't been living a godly life, the bible says God doesn't hear me.  He's listening to my heart before He ever hears the words come off my lips.

Matthew verses 20 & 22 - one word "Immediatly"
How often has Jesus asked you to do something and you put it off until you're ready to do it. Jesus called these men and IMMEDIATLY they dropped everything they were doing and left their jobs, family and homes to follow him.

Genesis 9:19 - "whole earth was populated."
Why does the bible list so many geneologies?  Why is this important? Take this one listed in chapter nine.  The whole earth was populated through this geneology.  That means all of us can trace our family tree to one of these roots.  One of these boys was your greaaaaaaat Grandpa.
What's really interesting as you read these geneologies is to watch the blessing and the cursing that takes place.  In verse 25 Canaan is cursed.  From now on keep an eye on his family line.  It's not going to be pretty.
Blessing and cursing is a real thing.  Keep reading the OT and you'll see what happens.  Be sure to always speak blessing and positive things over your family. Just cause you did bad at school don't tell your kids they're going to be stupid too.

This is exciting guys. Keep telling people about the blog and keep talking.  I also want to encourage you that if you miss a day or two. Pick up on the current day and catch up on missed days later. Don't get discouraged, God's saying something to all of us.  See ya tomorrow.

Day 3

Genesis 5-7; Matt. 3:7-4:11; Psalm 3; Prov. 1:10-19

Good Morning!!
Day 3 and I started off in Genesis today and I'm reading the line from Adam to Noah. I come up to Methuselah (how many didn't know he was a guy from the bible?) and I'm trying to imagine what it would have been like to live for almost an entire millenium.  No big spiritual thought here, just what would that have been like?

But in chapter 5 it says that God was sorry He ever created man because the thoughts of his heart were just evil all the time.  So in verse 7 He says he is going to destroy man...and beast. I just thought that was such an example of how our sin affects the world around us.  God wasn't just going to destroy the creation of man but also everything that had ever stepped foot on the face of His earth.  We can't continue to sin and delude ourselves into thinking that it doesn't affect the people and things around us.  If man's evil thoughts affected the creatures around them, what must our actions do the the people around us everyday?  We need to live life realizing the magnitude of our actions, thoughts, and heart.

I've always loved Genesis 6 because it spends most of the chapter with God giving Noah blueprints for the first cruiseliner. A detailed blueprint. Then it ends in verse 22 with "Thus Noah did. All that God commanded, so he did."  No questions asked. Just...."thus Noah did." Love it!

Matthew just spoke to me today about how we can all experience those moments in our lives when we know God is with us.  Jesus gets baptised and a dove comes down and a voice is heard. Pretty clear picture that God is there. But then comes the desert.  Temptation. Weariness.  As great as the dove moments are, we need to realize that many times the desert comes right after.  We need to learn to carry those dove moments into the desert with us so that we to can overcome the temptations we face. We are never alone, especially when we hide God's word in our hearts and minds.

Psalm 3 - David is on the run. This time from his own son.  He cries out to God.  The number of people against is increasing, he is getting no encouragment from anyone. But then he remembers who He can hide behind. God is his shield. I love verse 5. "I lay down and slept. I awoke, for the Lord sustained me."
No matter how bad life seems, no matter how many people tell you there's no hope, and no matter who's out to get you...I pray you sleep.  How many nights have I laid awake worrying and stressing about something. How many times have I woke up every hour thinking about what was coming the next day.  God help me to find rest in you, knowing you are in control and you will sustain me. That no matter how bad it may seem I'm still going to wake up tomorrow BECAUSE GOD IS IN CONTROL! Amen

Day 2

Genesis 3-4; Matthew 2:13-3:6; Psalm 2; Proverbs 1:7-9

Isn't it interesting that what the serpent tempted Eve with was "to be like God?" That's really what we all struggle with whether we realize it or not.  When you try to call the shots in your own life and live the way you think is best instead of depending on God to be your guide, you are really trying to assume His role in your life.  I know I struggle in this area. I think I know best, I think I can do a better job with my family, ministry, job, finances, and the list goes on and on.  In reality the devil is trying to tempt me to be "God" in my life. Sadly, I give in way too much.  There is nothing but pain, sorrow, shame and loneliness on the other side of temptation.  God help me to listen this year!  To look away from what seems "pleasent" and "good." To trust and obey You in all areas of my life.  Amen.

Teaching note for today...(you won't get these everyday).  The tree of life was not destroyed but merely guarded so that man could not live forever here where sin had entered.  But read Rev. 22:2...we will see it again when we are in that place of eternal life and we have been made clean.

Proverbs 1:7 (NLT) "Fear (reverance) of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."      'Nuff Said!

Matthew
Can I just say, I don't think enough is said about Joeseph.  He was an amazing guy.  Show me one time where he questioned God thoughout the whole rasing of Jesus. From the moment he found out his bride-to-be was pregnant (not by him) to the times where angels are telling him someone is out to kill his child, he just does what he is told to do.  Amazing man of God.

Day 1

Sorry this is late, I've been driving all day coming back from North Carolina. 


Genesis 1-2; Psalm 1; Proverbs 1:1-6; Matthew 1:1-2:12


Okay, so this is a really good example of what I'm talking about when I say let's read the bible with new eyes allowing God to show us new things. 
I'm reading Genesis chapter one...which I've read more times than I can count.  I'm tempted to gloss over it a little because it is so familiar, (I know that's bad, it's only the first day) then suddenly I come to verse 14; "Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;"  Do you know what that is saying? It's not just about creating stars and constellations, "signs and seasons, and for days and years."  HE WAS CREATING TIME! Think about it, everything we know about time is based on the sun and moon. Our calendar year, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes...all based on the movement and phases of the sun and moon which God created. Why do we worry about God's timing again?  He made time, He probably has a pretty good idea of how to use it. I don't know...that's just really cool to me.


As an interesting teaching note.  Wherever you see the name God used during the story of creation, it is from the Hebrew word "elohim."  What is interesting about this word is that it is plural.  In other words the name God or Elohim speaks of the plural nature of the Trinity as God and all their involvment in creation.


Psalms 1 & Proverbs just confirms why we're doing what we're doing here. 
Psalm 1 talks about the results of meditating on the "law of the Lord." This is refering specifically to the first 5 books of the bible, since that what was written at this point in time. We can take it to mean meditating on the whole bible.  And as we do our life will be blessed.
Proverbs speaks of gaining wisdom, knowledge and so on.  This is why we are reading the bible, to gain all these things.


Matthew starts off with a geneology of Jesus. His earthly family tree.  As we read through the OT you'll see a lot of these.  What you'll notice is that they rarely if ever mention the women that "begat" all these boys.  But here in the line Jesus we see four women besides Mary mentioned. What I've always found cool about who is mentioned is that each one of these women were involved in some sort of scandal back in their day.  Matthew takes the time to show readers that it doesn't matter where ya come from, you can still have a royal lineage.  Kind of like us...it doesn't matter what we've done in the past, we can still be sons and daughters of the King.


I want to encourage you again to comment as you read.  It doesn't have to be long or what you consider profound, just talk.  Some days I'll have a lot to say, other days my just be a sentence or two about one of the scriptures.  Don't be shy, we're family.