I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Moses reminds the Israelites that they have seen the power of God as He led them from Egypt through the wilderness. He tells them that they are about to enter a rich and bountiful land. They need to be careful to follow all of the commands that God is giving them. They must not turn away and worship or serve other Gods. Moses tells them that they have a choice between a blessing and a curse. If they obey God’s commands, they will be blessed. But if they reject God’s commands and turn away and worship other gods they will be cursed. I believe that this promise from Moses applies to any people anywhere in the world, not just the Israelites. Those who obey God’s commands will be blessed, those who reject them and turn away after other gods will be cursed.
When they entered into the new land they were to destroy all of the places where the nations who lived there before them worshiped their gods. In that new land, God would designate a place for His worship. That was the only place where the Israelites were to offer sacrifices to God. They were not to start worshiping God in any of the ways that the peoples of that land worshiped their gods. Moses pointed out to the children of Israel that God found the worship practices of the people they were about to conquer detestable.
One day Jesus told His disciples to go to the other side of the lake. They got in a boat and started across. Jesus went to sleep. While they were crossing a storm came up and started to swamp the boat. The disciples frantically woke Jesus, certain they were going to drown. Jesus got up and rebuked the storm. Immediately the lake became calm. Jesus then asked His disciples where their faith was. They were amazed that He was able to calm the storm. Do we have faith that Jesus can calm the storms of our lives?
When Jesus stepped ashore on the other side of the lake, a demon possessed man was there. Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the man. The demons begged permission from Jesus to go into a herd of pigs that were nearby. Jesus granted them that permission. The herd of pigs promptly rushed into the lake and drowned. The pig herds ran off and reported what had happened to everyone in the region. When the people from the region came to Jesus they saw the formerly demon possessed man dressed and in his right mind for the first time in years. Those who had seen what had happened told them how the man was cured. The people were terrified and asked Jesus to leave. Jesus honored their request and got in the boat to cross the lake again. The former demon possessed man begged to go with Jesus. However, Jesus told him to return to his home and tell what God had done for him. Not all of us are called to go to distant mission fields, many of us are called to return to our homes and tell those around us what God has done for us. Do we follow this man’s example and proclaim what Jesus has done for us?
I will echo the psalmist’s humble cry, “I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God.” God is my help and my deliverer, without His aid I will fail. However, I will say, along with all who wait for God’s saving ways, “The Lord is great.”
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Moses tells the people of Israel that God is not driving the people out of the promised land because the people of Israel were so good, He is doing so because the people of the land are so evil. The children of Israel needed to recognize that they had done plenty wrong and were in constant need of God’s forgiveness. Moses then tells the children of Israel what God requires of them (and of us). God requires that we fear Him and love and serve Him with all of our heart and soul. We are to follow the commands that God has given us for our own good.
Our God is the God of gods and Lord of Lords. He ensures that widows and orphans receive justice. God alone is our God and He has performed many mighty miracles.
Today we have Luke’s telling of the Parable of the Sower. In this parable Jesus tells of seed falling on four different types of soil and how the seed did on each of those soils. At the end He says, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” The disciples ask Jesus to explain the parable to them. Jesus tells them that the seed is the word of God. The footpath represents those whom when they hear the Word of God, Satan comes along and snatches it away preventing them from being saved. The rocky soil represents those who hear the Word and respond joyously, but never put down deep roots. When trouble comes they fall away. The thorny soil represents those who hear the Word, but allow the cares for wealth and material goods to crowd it out. The good soil represents those who hear God’s Word, cling to it and patiently produce a harvest for God. Which type of soil am I? All too often I feel like I am the thorny soil, although I try very hard to be good soil.
Jesus next tells a parable of a lamp on a lampstand. He tells us that we do not light a lamp and immediately hide it. Rather when we light a lamp, we set it on a lampstand so that it’s light can be seen. In the same way the light of God is being set so that it will reveal that which is concealed. If we listen to Jesus’ teaching we will be given greater understanding as time goes on. If on the other hand, we choose to ignore His teaching, as time goes by we will find even things we thought we understood become confusing. Just look at our society, we ignored Jesus advice about divorce and made divorce easy. Now, our society has lost its understanding of what marriage is. The Christian Church failed to defend marriage against easy divorce. I will not say that I know exactly what the Church should have done differently on the issue of divorce, but it has been clear to me for some time that the Church has been wrong on this issue.
The psalmist continues to recount his despair. He tells us that no one has shown him any sympathy or offered him comfort. He calls out to God for rescue in his despair. The psalmist tells us that when God rescues him (not if God rescues him, but when) he will praise God’s name. As deep as the psalmists despair is, he still has faith that God will answer his cries. He knows that God will provide him with salvation. Do we have a similar confidence? The humble will seek God and be glad. All who seek God’s help will be encouraged. God hears the cries of the needy. Those who love Him will live in safety.
God approves of those who are good and condemns those who plan wickedness (not just those who do wickedness, but those who plan it). Wicked action never leads to stability, only the righteous are able to put down firm roots.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Moses instructed the Israelites to make no treaties with the people living in the land God was bringing them into. They were to completely destroy the peoples already living there. They were not to intermarry with them, neither give their sons and daughters in marriage to them, nor take their sons and daughters in marriage. Moses warns the Israelites that if they do intermarry, they will be led away from God into idolatry. Moses told them that if they allowed that to happen, God would destroy them. Rather than allow themselves to be led aside into idolatry, the Israelites were to destroy the altars and idols of the people of the land. Moses continued by telling the Israelites that if they kept God’s commands and were faithful. God would bless them in the land. They did not need to fear the people of the land because God was with them. God was going to drive the people out of the land little by little.
Moses reminded the children of Israel to remember what God had done for them in the wilderness, where their clothing did not wear out and He provided them with manna from heaven. God taught them that people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Moses tells them that they learned to trust God through their time of privation in the wilderness, now they will need to continue to serve and trust God as they come into a land of plenty. Do I remember God when times are good? Do I remain faithful?
A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner at his house. While Jesus was there, a woman known for her sinful lifestyle learned that He was there. She brought a jar of perfume and came to where Jesus was eating. She cried over His feet, poured some of the perfume on them and wiped them with her hair, kissing His feet all the while. When the Pharisee saw what she was doing, he thought to himself that Jesus must not be much of a prophet if He was allowing this type of woman to touch Him.
Jesus noticed the thoughts that were going on in the Pharisee’s head and asked him a question. Jesus asked him who would be more grateful someone who was forgiven a small debt or someone who was forgiven a very large debt. Simon, the Pharisee, answered that he supposed that the one who had the bigger debt cancelled would be more grateful. Jesus then points out that Simon had failed to live up to the basic criteria of hospitality, but that this woman more than made up for it. Jesus goes on to say that those who are forgiven much have great love, while those who are forgiven little love little. Do I feel like I have been forgiven a lot, or just a little? I believe that part of Jesus’ message in this is that we have all been forgiven a lot by God, but some of us think that we have only sinned a little.
All too many of us know what the psalmist is experiencing in today’s psalm. He tells us that the waters have come up to his neck and that he can get no foothold. He is exhausted and his throat is sore from crying for help. He openly admits that he is in this trouble because of his own foolishness. He acknowledges before God his sins, knowing that they cannot be hid from God. He asks God to keep those who seek God from being put to shame because of his failures.
Even in the midst of his troubles that are of his own doing, the psalmist cries out to God because he knows of God’s great love. I, also, throw myself on God’s mercy in my time of trouble, knowing full well that the troubles I experience are my own doing. I have faith that God will deliver me and I pray that this time when I get out of the pit I put myself into I will continue to honor and follow God.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Moses repeats the Ten Commandments and reminds the people they heard them directly from the mouth of God. Moses went on to remind them that their leaders were afraid to hear more words directly from God and requested that God speak with Moses and then Moses tell them what God had commanded. God heard the request of the leaders and agreed that it was good. God sent the people back to their tents and spoke His commands to Moses.
Moses then tells the people that God will soon be bringing them into a land of great wealth. He told them that when they entered that land, they needed to remember and follow God’s commands. If they do that, all will go well for them in the land and they will prosper. Moses reminds them, and us, that they must love the Lord their God with all their heart, minds and souls, with all that they are. That is such a great challenge. I find it hard to devote all that I am to loving God, yet I know that I need to do this. That the answer to all of my difficulties comes from doing that. I must learn to let nothing else come between God and myself. And we must live our lives so that others ask us why we behave as we do. When we receive those questions we reply by telling people about what God has done for us. If people are not asking us, we are not being blatant enough about following God’s commands.
Jesus was going into the village of Nain when a funeral procession was coming out. It was the funeral of the only son of a widow. Jesus felt sorrow for her loss and told her not to cry. He approached and touched the bier on which they were carrying the body. The pallbearers stopped when He did so. Jesus told the young man to get up and he did so. The people who were around were filled with fearful surprise and began to praise God. They recognized that this act by Jesus was a sign that God was working among them and it both thrilled and frightened them. Am I both thrilled and frightened when I see God’s miraculous power displayed? Do I expect to witness God act in ways that will be both thrill and frighten me?
Shortly after this John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was indeed the Messiah, or if they should be looking for someone else? Jesus told them to go back to John and tell him what they had seen and heard, that “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” Can we say the same thing about our ministry today? Too many of the ministries I see today either focus on healing the sick/meeting people’s physical needs or they focus on preaching the Gospel. Jesus told John’s disciples that they should see both people’s physical needs being met and the Gospel being preached.
After John’s disciples left, Jesus began preaching to the crowd about John. He explained to them that they did not go out into the desert to see someone who was blown around by every fad that came along, nor did they go out to see someone who had acquired great wealth. Rather they went out into the desert to see someone who was a messenger preparing the way for the Word of God. Jesus goes on to compare the religious leaders of the day to children who complain because one person (John) does not join them in laughing and playing and another person (Jesus) does not join them in crying and weeping. They complained that John did not join them in eating a drinking at their feasts and said that must indicate the he is demon possessed. Then they turned around and complained that because Jesus was willing to eat and drink with tax collectors and other sinners He must be a glutton and a drunkard.
There are different ways to interpret what Jesus is saying about the comparison between Himself and John the Baptist. The lesson I take from it is that God calls some people to live an ascetic life, a simple life, where they call others to the denial of self in order to serve God. Others are called to go out among the sinners and show them how it is possible to serve God and your fellow man without being a boring, stick-in-the-mud. First and foremost we should not judge others whom God has called to a different ministry than ourselves. There is another important point here, both John the Baptist and Jesus preached a message that was well-received by the “tax-collectors and the sinners” in their society AND a message that was rejected by the “moral” and powerful. So, is our message directed at the “moral” and powerful? Or at the sinners who are ready to receive God’s forgiveness?
Another psalm which calls me to praise God. It uplifts my soul on a day when I was feeling a little down. The psalmist says that each day God bears us in His arms, that He carries our burdens. The psalmist tells us to look, that we can see God’s triumphal procession coming into view. Let us be the singers out in front, announcing the coming of the victorious King. God is summoning His might and displaying His power. Soon, the nations of the world will bow in submission to Him. Let us sing God’s praises and proclaim His power to all who will listen. God is awesome, both in the modern sense of being really cool and in the more traditional sense of being overwhelming and a bit frightening. God gives power and strength to those He has made His people.
Those who bring trouble on their own families will inherit nothing of value and those who live foolish lives will end up in servitude to those who are wise. That really frightens me because all too often I have made foolish choices in my life. Those who are righteous produce fruit which brings life to those around them, the wise save lives by giving warning. The righteous, the ungodly and the sinner will all receive their just due both on this earth and in eternity.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Moses urged the Israelites to obey the commands of God. He reminded them of what had happened at Peor, where all who worshiped Baal died, while those who remained faithful to God survived. Moses further reminded them of when they stood before the Lord at Mt Sinai and heard Him give the Ten Words (or Commandments). He continued by pointing out to them that they did not see the Lord’s form at Mt Sinai, so they should not in the future construct idols that purport to be in the form of the Lord. The Lord is God in both heaven and earth and there is no other god.
Moses tells the children of Israel that if they break God’s covenant they will not last long in the land which He is giving them. However, if later they seek God with all of their heart and soul, they will find Him. I believe this is a promise for everyone. If you seek the Lord God with all of your heart and soul, you will find Him.
Yesterday’s passage ended with Jesus’ instruction not to judge or condemn others. Today’s passage begins with clarification of what He was saying with that. Here He tells us that if the blind lead the blind, they will both stumble into a ditch that neither saw. In the same way, a student cannot end up more learned than his teacher. When you are teaching someone you cannot teach them things that you do not know. Jesus then goes on to tell us that we should concern ourselves with what we are doing wrong, not with what someone else is doing wrong. We cannot teach others to do right, if we ourselves are doing wrong. We should always consider our failures to live according to God’s will to be more important than those of others.
Jesus goes on to tell us that we can judge people (and ourselves) by the results of our actions. Those who are truly good do good for others, those who are evil cause harm to others. If someone’s actions are evil, their heart is full of evil. If someone’s acts are good, their heart is full of good. What we say also comes out of our hearts. We can be accurately judged by the words we use and what we say about others. We have a tendency to look at Jesus comments about judging a tree by its fruit as a way to judge others, but I think in this context Jesus was clearly talking about how we are to judge our own actions. Jesus gives yet another example about following Him. He tells us that listening to Him and following His instructions is a lot of work. It is not easy, but it is like building a house. If we want the house to endure we have to do a lot of work and dig down to the bedrock and start building the foundation from there. In the same way, if we want to follow Jesus we need to dig down to the bedrock of our lives and make changes there. Those changes will be hard work, but the resulting life will be worth it.
The day is coming when God will rise up and scatter those who have chosen to oppose Him. God is father to the fatherless and the defender of widows. It is inevitable that those who choose to oppose God will be crushed and on that day all others will gather to praise the name of God. When God’s enemies flee, those they thought of as weak and powerless will gather the plunder. Let us never forget that no matter how bad things now, no matter how successful those who practice evil appear to be, their destruction will come. While those who have patiently waited for God and followed His commands will reap well-being.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Moses recounts how the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for a generation, until God instructed them to turn north. God told them not to attack the Edomites because they were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. So, the Israelites went around the land of Edom. God also instructed them not to attack either the Moabites or the Ammonites. However, God told them to attack the Amorites. First, Moses offered the King Sihon that they would travel through his lands without causing disruption, paying for any food or water they consumed in their travels. King Sihon responded by mustering his armies and attacking the Israelites. The Israelites completely destroyed King Sihon and his people. Then King Og of Bashan attacked them and they turned and destroyed his people, conquering his lands.
Moses divided this land among the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh on the condition that they send their fighting men across the Jordan with the rest of the tribes to help them conquer the land there. Moses then tells the people that he appointed Joshua as his successor and had given Joshua instructions concerning leading the people. Moses told them that he had begged God to be allowed to cross the Jordan and see the land on the other side. However, God was angry with Moses for things he had done while leading the people in the wilderness. God told Moses to go up to the top of a high peak which would allow him to look out over the land on the other side of the Jordan, but that Moses would not be allowed to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land.
Jesus spent a night in prayer to God and in the morning He called all of His disciples together and chose twelve of them as His messengers (the original Greek word for apostle means “messenger”). When they came down from the mountain, Jesus stood on a large level area surrounded by crowds who had come to hear Him preach and be healed by Him. The passage does not spell it out, but it reads to me like Jesus chose a natural amphitheater to preach from. Luke tells us that in the middle of this crowd, Jesus began to teach His disciples.
Jesus tells His disciples that those who are poor and hungry are blessed by God and will be satisfied. When people hate, persecute us and reject us as evil because we follow Jesus’ teachings, we should rejoice because that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. Jesus then goes on to tell us that those who are wealthy and well-fed now will suffer deprivation later. More importantly He tells us that we should be concerned if everyone speaks well of us, because that is how their ancestors spoke of the false prophets.
We should pay attention to this, those that our society thinks highly of are not the people we should be listening to. On the other hand, we should look closely at what those our society condemns to see if they are preaching the word of God. We should remember that those who tell people what they want to hear are almost always deceivers seeking to accomplish evil goals. When everyone speaks well of someone it is a sign that their message is probably false. Unfortunately, the converse is not necessarily true. When everyone maligns someone, that does not mean that their message is true. However, society will, sooner or later, denigrate anyone who speaks God’s message truthfully.
Jesus goes on to tell His disciples (us) that they should love their enemies and do good to those who mistreat them. We get no credit for being nice to those who are nice to us, even sinners do that. We are to go beyond what sinners do and be nice to those who mistreat us. Jesus goes on to tell us not to judge or condemn others. Rather we are to forgive others so that we may be forgiven. The measure we use in giving to others, God will use in giving to us. This is not about receiving material wealth in return for our charitable giving (although there is an element of that in this teaching), rather it is about us treating others better than we think they deserve because God treats us better than we deserve.
Every day I am finding the psalms I read a blessing. I am truly blessed by the opening to today’s psalm:
May God be merciful and bless us.
May his face smile with favor on us.
However, I am challenged by the next phrase:
May your ways be known throughout the earth,
your saving power among people everywhere.
How will that happen if I am not demonstrating those ways and teaching those ways to those I meet? Yes, I want the nations and people everywhere to praise God and sing for joy in the knowledge of His governance. But that can only happen if I tell those I meet about it. As Paul writes in Romans 10:14 “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Have I done all I can to tell others about God? The answer is “No”, which means that I must find more ways to spread the word of God’s love. I know that part of my reluctance to do more is a fear that others will condemn me for it. Yet Jesus tells us that we should rejoice when others condemn us for preaching His word. I will strive to live up to that going forward.
Quilt on display at Peter Becker Flower Show
If you look for good, you will find it and people will look favorably on you. On the other hand if you look for evil, you will find that as well and will experience it. While evil is out there and we should be aware of it, we should look for good in those around us because if we do, we are likely to find it. Those who expect others to treat them well usually experience that type of treatment, while those who expect others to treat them badly almost always receive the treatment they expect (especially since they tend to interpret the treatment they do receive in the most negative light possible).
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
As the decision was being made about how to divide up the land, the heads of the clans of Gilead came to Moses with a concern. Earlier Moses had ruled that the daughters of a man in their clan who had died without sons should be allotted land in his name along with the rest of the people of Israel (this ruling was generalized that the land of a man who died without sons should pass to his daughters). These leaders were concerned that those women who received a portion of land with their tribe would marry outside of the tribe and the land would be lost to the tribe. Moses ruled that women who inherit land from a father must marry within their own tribe so that the land stays within the tribe. He then added a statement to clarify his ruling. The land granted when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land was not to pass from tribe to tribe, but rather it was to stay within the tribe to which it was granted at this time.
Today I begin Deuteronomy, which roughly translates as “Second Law”. There are many who claim that the Book of Deuteronomy was composed during the reign of King Josiah when he ordered the cleaning and restoration of the Temple. I find the reason that the text of Deuteronomy implies for its existence completely satisfying. The Book of Deuteronomy is a retelling of the laws given by God to the people of Israel. Originally, Moses wrote the laws down and gave them to the people at Mt Sinai. Here in the Book of Deuteronomy, all of the adults who were at Mt Sinai have died and there is a new generation about to enter the Promised Land. God has told Moses that he will not live to go with them. So, Moses repeats the Law for this new generation and reminds them of what God has done for them and their parents.
Moses starts by recounting how he worked with the people to find and appoint judges over them to help him resolve their disputes. Those judges were instructed to be impartial and to offer a hearing to everyone, no matter how rich or poor. He also instructed them to bring any case that was too difficult to him for resolution. Moses then tells them how they moved on from Mt Sinai until they came to Kadesh-barnea. Moses told the people of Israel to go in and occupy the land, but the people wanted to send scouts out ahead of them. Moses thought this was a good idea and sent twelve scouts into the land, one from each tribe.
The scouts reported back that it was a good land, but that the people were too powerful and mighty for them. Moses tried to convince the people that they did not need to fear the people of the land because God would fight for them. However, the people refused to trust God and resisted going into the land. God was angry with them and swore that none of them, excepting only Caleb and Joshua, would enter the land of His promise. After the Lord told them that He would not allow them to enter the land because of their rebellion, the people changed their minds and attempted to conquer the land. Moses tried to convince them not to go because God had withdrawn His blessing on the attack. The people did not listen to Moses and were badly defeated.
This passage contains two important lessons for us. The first is that we should judge all people the same. We need to treat the wealthy and the poor, the powerful and the powerless the same. They are all equal before God and we should view them the same. The second lesson is that we need to follow God’s calling when it comes, sometimes the window of opportunity for certain calls is narrow. We need to learn not to fear man when God is calling us to take action. I struggle with this one because I struggle with knowing what God is calling me to.
Another sales display at the Peter Becker Home Flower Show
After Jesus called Levi, the tax collector, to be His disciple, Levi threw a lavish dinner for Jesus at his house. Levi invited his friends and acquaintances. As you might expect these were not the “righteous and upright” members of society. They were the “wild child” people, known for their sinful lifestyles. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law asked Jesus’ disciples why they ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus answered them that the healthy do not need a doctor, rather it is the sick who need a doctor. This is a message that we cannot fulfill our mission to reach out to the lost if we never spend any time with them. Jesus spent time socializing with and going to the parties of sinners, we should do the same.
The Pharisees then confronted Jesus with the fact that His disciples did not spend time fasting. Jesus told them that they did not need to fast while He was with them. He goes on to tell them that we do not take cloth from a new garment to patch an old one because that results in a torn new garment and an ugly old one. In a similar manner, we do not put new wine in old wine skins because as the new wine ferments it will break the old wine skins. Interestingly, Jesus follows this up by saying that no one has been drinking old wine says that they want to switch to new wine because old wine is better.
One Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples were walking through some grain fields. The disciples picked a few grains and rubbed them between their hands and ate the kernels. The Pharisees confronted Jesus about His disciples doing that which was not lawful on the Sabbath. Jesus replies by telling them that David took some of the consecrated bread that only priests are allowed to eat and shared it with his men. On another Sabbath, Jesus goes into a synagogue and began to teach. There was a man in the synagogue with a crippled hand. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. Jesus had the man stand in front of the entire crowd. He then asked the crowd, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”
Having established with His rhetorical question that it is never wrong to do good for someone else, He healed the man’s hand. Jesus made it clear that it is never wrong to do good for someone.
More sales display at the Peter Becker Home Flower Show
Let all the world praise God for He has done mighty deeds. God has tested us and purified us. I will tell you what God has done for me. He has done marvelous things for me. When I have cried out to Him in frustration and gloom He has answered me. When I was at the end of my endurance He granted me change and relief. I confessed my sins of arrogance and pride (as well as many others) and He listened to me. He has listened to me and provided me with hope when I felt like there was no reason to go on. I will praise the Lord with all of my being.
Those who are generous become wealthy, while those who are stingy become poor. If you are willing to help others when times are good for you, others will help you when times are bad for you. People curse those who hoard necessities in time of trouble, but bless those who are willing to sell to others. When you are kind and generous to others, they will generally be kind and generous in return and even when they are not, generosity is still its own reward.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
The passage finishes the summary of the travels of the Israelites through the wilderness. Then while they are camped near the Jordan River, across from Jericho, God gives Moses commands regarding the boundaries of the land they will be given and how to divide it up among the tribes. Out of the land given to the other tribes a total of 48 towns and their surrounding pastureland are to be given to the Levites. Six of the Levitical towns are to be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety.
Moses gave the people specific commands from God regarding the cities of refuge. If someone accidentally kills someone they may flee to a city of refuge. The community is to gather and judge whether the person killed the victim by accident or on purpose. They must have at least two witnesses to testify that the killing was intentional, otherwise they are to escort the slayer back to the city of refuge where he must remain until the death of the high priest. If the slayer leaves the city of refuge before the death of the high priest and is killed by a relative of his victim it was not to be considered murder. However, once the high priest dies the slayer is free to return to his lands. The law specified that all murderers are to be put to death, but only on the testimony of two or more witnesses. The law also specified that they were to never accept a payment to allow someone convicted of murder to escape death, nor a payment to allow someone who accidentally killed someone to return to their lands early. The law was to apply the same to everyone.
In one of the villages where Jesus went to teach a man with an advanced case of leprosy approached Jesus and requested that Jesus heal him. The man begged Jesus for healing and said that he knew that if Jesus was willing, He could heal him. Jesus was willing and healed the man. Jesus told the man not to tell anyone about his healing. Instead Jesus told the man to follow the Laws instructions regarding being examined by a priest and the sacrifices for cleansing that the Law specified. This did not stop the spread of word about Jesus’ healing power, rather it made it spread even more rapidly. People came from all over to hear Jesus and be healed by Him. It was such that Jesus had to withdraw to lonely places to find time to be alone and to pray.
One day while Jesus was teaching in a house, some men tried to bring a paralyzed man in to the house to Jesus. Pharisees and teachers of the law from all over Galilee and even some from Judea and Jerusalem were sitting there listening to Jesus such that the men could not get in to see Him (the phrasing of the passage suggests there was more to the crowd than just the Pharisees and teachers of the law). So, the men took the paralyzed man up onto the roof and removed some of the roof tiles and lowered the man to Jesus from there. When Jesus saw the faith expressed by the man’s friends, he told the man that his sins were forgiven. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were offended that Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven, since only God can forgive sins. Jesus recognized what they were thinking and asked them which was easier, to say “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Stand up and walk”? Then to demonstrate that He had the authority to forgive sins, He told the man to get up and walk. The man immediately got up, picked up his mat and praised God as he went home.
Shortly after this Jesus saw Levi sitting in his tax collector’s booth and called him to follow Him. Levi immediately got up, left everything and followed Jesus.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad requested of Moses that they be allowed to settle the lands which the Israelites had conquered east of the Jordan River. They had large flocks and these lands were ideally suited to grazing their flocks. They agreed to send their fighting men to accompany the rest of Israel to conquer the land west of the Jordan. Moses told them that if they failed to carry out their promise to help their fellow Israelites they would be punished.
The passage then gives a summary of the Israelites journey through the wilderness. listing each of the places they camped from when they left Egypt until they reached Mt Hor, where Aaron died (tomorrow’s passage begins with the final stages of the journey through the wilderness).
Another quilt on display at Peter Becker Flower Show
After being rejected in Nazareth (in yesterday’s passage, although I did not touch on it in my blog), Jesus went to Capernaum and taught in the synagogue every Sabbath. The people were amazed by His teaching. Once while He was in the synagogue a demon possessed man began shouting at Him to leave him alone. Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man. The demon threw the man to the ground and came out of him. The people talked about how evil spirits fled at His command and spread the word about Him.
When Jesus left the synagogue that day, He went to Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law (the actual Greek is “Simon’s wife’s mother”) was sick. They asked Jesus to heal her. He did so and she got up and took up the role of hostess. People from all over the town brought those who had any sort of sickness to Jesus and He healed them. This included some who were demon-possessed. The demons caused the people to shout, “You are the Son of God.” Jesus rebuked them and would not allow them to speak any more than that.
One day when Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee the people began to crowd close to Him to listen to what He had to say. He saw the boats of fisherman who were washing their nets. He got into the one belonging to Simon and asked Simon to put out a little from shore. Jesus then sat in the boat and preached to the crowd. When He finished speaking, He told Simon to put out into deep water and put down the nets. Simon replied that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing, but he would do as Jesus asked. When Simon had let down the nets, they filled up with so many fish that they began to break. He immediately called for help from the other boat. Between them they managed to pull in the nets, but there were so many fish that the boats began to sink. Simon fell at Jesus’ feet and asked Him to leave him because he was too sinful to associate with such as Jesus. Jesus told Simon not to be afraid, that from that time forward he would be fishing for people. Simon and his partners, James and John, pulled their boats up on the shore and left everything to follow Jesus.
The accounts of the reactions of the demon-possessed to Jesus reminds me of several interviews I have seen with Penn Jillette (not that I am implying that he is demon-possessed) about Christianity. Several years ago he spoke about how if you believe that people are going to Hell if they don’t believe the Christian message, how can you possibly not proselytize? How can you fail to tell people the Gospel if you truly believe it? Recently, I saw him do a great defense of the Pope and the teaching of the Catholic Church where he explained the logic of the Catholic Church and defended the Catholic Church against an attack from Piers Morgan, who claims to be Catholic. I am not Catholic, but Penn’s argument can apply to other parts of the Christian Church with minor modification. We as Christians need to spend some time paying attention to the internal logic of what we believe.
The psalmist tells us that the wicked plot and plan. They conspire together to take advantage of the innocent. They are convinced that they are clever and no one will figure out that they are behind the evil they cause. They would be correct, except for the one thing (or perhaps I should say One Thing) they leave out of their calculations: God. The conspiracies of the wicked will fail do to unforeseeable events. Their plots and plans will be revealed, no matter how thoroughly they have covered their tracks. All people will see what happens and know that it is the work of God. People will proclaim the works of God in defeating the plots of the wicked and the righteous will rejoice.
Paintings for sale at the Peter Becker Flower Show
Here is a proverb that many in our society could learn from. A beautiful woman who has not learned to act with discretion is no more appealing than a pig with a gold ring in its nose.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
God instructed Moses that as a final act he should lead the Israelites to take revenge against the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. 1,000 men were chosen from each tribe, for a total of 12,000 men, to go into battle against the Midianites. They attacked the Midianites and killed all of the men, including the five kings of the Midianites. Among those who were killed was Balaam. The army then captured the women and children and all of the Midianites wealth as plunder. When they brought all of this back to Moses and the rest of the Israelites, Moses was furious that they had allowed the women to live. The women were the one’s who had followed Balaam’s advice and led the Israelites into idolatry. Moses instructed them to kill all of the boys and any of the women who were not virgins. Moses and Eleazar, Aaron’s son and successor as high priest, instructed the men from the army to purify themselves and the plunder before reentering the camp.
At the Lord’s instruction, Moses, Eleazar and the tribal leaders counted all of the plunder and divided it so that half went to all of the people of Israel and half went to the army. The army was to give one of every 500 of the prisoners and livestock to the Lord from their share of the plunder. One in every five of the prisoners and livestock from the share of the plunder for the rest of the people of Israel was to be given to the Lord.
After an accounting was made of all of the plunder and it was divided, the generals came to Moses and Eleazar and told them that not one of the men who went out to battle was missing. In thanks for this blessing from God, the generals gave to God all of the gold items from their share of the treasure.
After being baptized by John in the Jordan, Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and pray about His ministry and how He should go about accomplishing His mission (at least that is how it reads to me). He was in the wilderness fasting for 40 days. It is only since I started doing this Bible Study blog that I realized how significant the number 40 is in the Bible. Forty seems to be the number associated with testing and trial, as well as preparation for divine action. During the flood it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses spent 40 years in the desert tending flocks before God called him to lead the people of Israel our of Egypt. Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days receiving God’s Law for the people of Israel. These are only a few examples, there are more. Here Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness praying and fasting.
Towards the end of Jesus time in the wilderness we have an account of three temptations that He experienced. These three temptations represent the three temptations that anyone who wants to make a difference in the world faces. The first temptation of Jesus is to miraculously make bread to feed the hungry. This represents the temptation to focus strictly on meeting the needs of the poor. We see this in ministries which downplay or avoid preaching the Gospel message because if they do they are afraid that it will interfere with their ability to meet the physical needs of the poor. There may be times and places for taking this approach, but we should be very cautious about this. Jesus’ answer to this temptation is very enlightening. He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 to Satan, “People do not live by bread alone.” The rest of the verse says, “rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” I think that Jesus’ response to this temptation tells us that it is as, if not more, important to preach the Word of God as it is to meet the physical needs of those in poverty. The fact of the matter is that many times those who are suffering poverty need to be shown and taught how to change their lives in order to escape from that poverty. It is important to remember that it is only through the grace of God that we have learned the habits necessary to avoid poverty (if we have indeed learned those habits).
The second temptation is to turn to the political machinery to accomplish His mission. This also is something I see in the world today. Rather than doing the hard work of reaching people and changing hearts, too many Christians want to change the law. They want to harness the political machinery to change the world. The problem is that here is twofold, first is that the government always sets itself up as the final arbiter of what is right and wrong. The second is that when we start using the government to change people, WE put government in the place of God. Jesus’ answer is categorical, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” The government cannot save people from themselves, only God can do that. I will use abortion as an example. I think abortion is the killing of a human child. I think that abortion should be illegal, but more importantly, I believe that no one should wish to kill a human child (before or after birth). It is only by the intervention of the Holy Spirit that people can be changed so that their will matches that of God. I am sure there are places where my choices do not match God’s desire. I pray that He make those changes in me.
In the third and final of these temptations, Satan suggests that Jesus perform a mighty miracle at the center of religious authority. This is the temptation that I have the hardest time putting my understanding into words. In some ways it is the opposite of the first, rather than meet people’s physical needs it is the temptation to focus all of one’s mission on the spiritual side. It is the temptation to focus on preaching the “Gospel”, but do nothing about the physical needs of the poor. This is as wrong as those who work to meet the physical needs of the poor without sharing the Gospel message with them. But it is more than that, it is the appeal to authority. It is the temptation to say, “You should listen to me because I perform wondrous miracles and have the imprimatur of the religious leaders.” Rather than meeting people where they are and learning what their needs and troubles are, those who have succumbed to this temptation have all the answers and don’t need to listen to others. In response to this temptation, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, “You must not test the Lord your God…” Which continues, “…as you did when you complained at Massah. You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight…” It is not enough to preach the Gospel, we must also do the acts that are good and right in the Lord’s sight.
Another great psalm that touches my heart today. I strive to make the first stanza of this psalm the way I live my life:
O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
I know that the only route to true happiness is to search for God with my entire being. IF we strive to find God in the way that we would strive to find water in a hot, dry place we will find our way to happiness and contentment. AS the psalmist says, I have seen God in His sanctuary and seen His power and glory. I will praise God as long as I live. Others may belittle me for it, but I will cling to God, for His hand supports me.
This cake is not a lie
God detests those who hide their motives and mislead others as to their intentions, but He delights in those who deal with others with integrity. We know that evil people will be inevitably punished, but the children of the godly will experience freedom.
