I love how the Old and New Testaments tie together! Studying them side by side adds so much depth to our understanding of God. He is the God of both Old and New. He is the God of our day and the days to come. He is eternal. He is not limited by time or space. Hallelujah! Our God is amazing!
It is always tempting to skip over genealogies in the Bible, mostly because we don't know how to pronounce half the names. But let's take some time to refresh our memories about some of the people we have studied over the past several months. At the top of
my blog page, there is a search box. You can type in a name from the genealogy listed in Matthew 1, and if we have studied that person, a list of past blog posts will show on your screen. We did not study the people following the exile; so their names will not yield any search results. However, we did study almost all of the people listed in Matthew 1:1-11. Take some time to review your favorites.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"d]">[d]—which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:22-23) Jesus Christ was born to fulfill every prophecy we read in the Old Testament! He is Messiah, and He will return again! Hallelujah!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Malachi
It looks like I really will get to finish blogging the Old Testament before Easter! I am so excited! This journey that was supposed to take 60 days has taken me ten months instead. While I may have worn out and lost some readers along the way, I have gained a wealth of blessings from studying the Word of God. I look forward to continuing through the New Testament too!
I don't suppose I have really ever studied the book of Malachi indepth. My husband preaches from Chapter 3 at least once a year when we encourage the church to be faithful in tithing. But Malachi has so much more to say! Yesterday I read the four brief chapters of Malachi in the New Century Version. It really made a lot of sense to me. Will you read through it before we get started with our discussion?
The book of Malachi is evidence that God can handle our big questions. So many people are afraid to question God's plan, but our reading today is an example of the dialogue we can have with our heavenly Father. God invites our questioning because it gives Him opportunity to cleanse our lives of sin. The people of Israel were asking hard questions: How has God loved us? Will He accept us? Why do the bad guys always win? Where is the God of justice? How can we return to God? (Sound familiar in our day?)
Did God strike the people down for their opposition? No. But He did answer their questions with more questions: Where is the honor and respect due to Me? Would your governor put up with your poor sacrifices? Why don't you just shut the temple doors and stop your useless sacrifices? Why have you broken faith with me and with one another and with the wives of your youth?
Do you feel far away from God? Do you wonder why He does not seem to respond to your prayers for blessings? Have you taken time to ask God your hard questions? Then have you stilled your heart long enough to hear His reply?
God's major complaints against the people of Israel were (1) they were no longer giving Him their best, (2) the priests had turned from God's way and were causing others to stumble, and (3) the people were not building healthy families because they were marrying idol worshippers and divorcing the wives of their youth. Why did these things make God so upset? Because His whole purpose for choosing them was for their relationship with God to bring glory to His Name. Their actions were in direct contradiction to God's purpose. Everything they did brought dishonor to God.
God's solution to the problem? TITHE! You may say, "That makes no sense to me." Well, sister, to the human mind, bringing tithes and offerings to God does not make financial sense. Why does God ask us to tithe? Because it enables us to prove our commitment to a Holy God, and it allows Him to prove His miraculous provision for us.
Do you question the wisdom in this? Then take it before the throne of God, who waits eagerly to debate the issue with you!
I don't suppose I have really ever studied the book of Malachi indepth. My husband preaches from Chapter 3 at least once a year when we encourage the church to be faithful in tithing. But Malachi has so much more to say! Yesterday I read the four brief chapters of Malachi in the New Century Version. It really made a lot of sense to me. Will you read through it before we get started with our discussion?
The book of Malachi is evidence that God can handle our big questions. So many people are afraid to question God's plan, but our reading today is an example of the dialogue we can have with our heavenly Father. God invites our questioning because it gives Him opportunity to cleanse our lives of sin. The people of Israel were asking hard questions: How has God loved us? Will He accept us? Why do the bad guys always win? Where is the God of justice? How can we return to God? (Sound familiar in our day?)
Did God strike the people down for their opposition? No. But He did answer their questions with more questions: Where is the honor and respect due to Me? Would your governor put up with your poor sacrifices? Why don't you just shut the temple doors and stop your useless sacrifices? Why have you broken faith with me and with one another and with the wives of your youth?
Do you feel far away from God? Do you wonder why He does not seem to respond to your prayers for blessings? Have you taken time to ask God your hard questions? Then have you stilled your heart long enough to hear His reply?
God's major complaints against the people of Israel were (1) they were no longer giving Him their best, (2) the priests had turned from God's way and were causing others to stumble, and (3) the people were not building healthy families because they were marrying idol worshippers and divorcing the wives of their youth. Why did these things make God so upset? Because His whole purpose for choosing them was for their relationship with God to bring glory to His Name. Their actions were in direct contradiction to God's purpose. Everything they did brought dishonor to God.
God's solution to the problem? TITHE! You may say, "That makes no sense to me." Well, sister, to the human mind, bringing tithes and offerings to God does not make financial sense. Why does God ask us to tithe? Because it enables us to prove our commitment to a Holy God, and it allows Him to prove His miraculous provision for us.
Do you question the wisdom in this? Then take it before the throne of God, who waits eagerly to debate the issue with you!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Nehemiah 1
As I have read through the book of Nehemiah the past couple of weeks, Nehemiah’s call to action has really stood out to me. Our ladies Bible study at Patterson Avenue is studying how to discover our SHAPE, which is one of the focuses of the Purpose Driven Life. We have discussed how to find out what ministry God is calling us to. I think Nehemiah is a terrific example of a guy who was just doing his job, working for the government, when God called him out for special service. That is one of those terms we don’t use much in the church anymore—“special service.” I suppose we have gotten away from it because we encourage people to know that everyone is a minister of the gospel. We don’t want anyone to feel like they are not called to serve.
Anyway, in the first chapter we can see the progression of God at work in Nehemiah’s heart to move him to action. Boy, this is my prayer for the church—that we would move into action rather than sit in the pew! At first, Nehemiah was just curious about how things were going in Jerusalem, and he started asking questions. I think he must have been expecting a positive report about Jerusalem, and when he heard bad news, it really caught him off guard. He sat down and wept. He was heartbroken over the devastation of Jerusalem, and he fasted and prayed for days. The chapter gives us a glimpse of what Nehemiah prayed about as he asked God to listen to his prayer. He confessed the sins of his people, and he took it personally and took responsibility. Even though Nehemiah had never been to Jerusalem, he included himself when he asked God to forgive their nation. He asked God to remember His covenant to Israel, and he begged God to remain faithful.
Then he decided to get involved. At the end of chapter one, Nehemiah prayed that God would give him success by granting him favor in the presence of the king. So, sometime during Nehemiah’s prayer and fasting, he moved from being grieved by the situation to choosing to do something about it. He made up his mind that he was going to turn in his two-week notice and leave for Jerusalem.
What keeps us from getting involved? Why do we pray about it and then forget it? Why do we talk and talk about doing ministry but then never get the job done? What are we waiting for? Nehemiah did not need someone to ask him to volunteer. God told him to go, and he obeyed. Nehemiah did not take any spiritual gift inventories so he could be assured that he was equipped to lead a building project. He was a cupbearer, a food taster for the king, not a wall builder. What qualified him for this huge undertaking? He felt God moving in his heart, and he yielded himself to the Holy Spirit moving him to action.
Let’s quit making it so hard to serve Jesus! When He pricks your heart, respond immediately. Quit throwing out the fleece over and over and over again to see if God is really serious when He tells you to do anything. Stop longing for affirmation from your Sunday school teacher, the pastor, your best friend, and your mom before you will answer the call. Just get ‘er done!!!!
Anyway, in the first chapter we can see the progression of God at work in Nehemiah’s heart to move him to action. Boy, this is my prayer for the church—that we would move into action rather than sit in the pew! At first, Nehemiah was just curious about how things were going in Jerusalem, and he started asking questions. I think he must have been expecting a positive report about Jerusalem, and when he heard bad news, it really caught him off guard. He sat down and wept. He was heartbroken over the devastation of Jerusalem, and he fasted and prayed for days. The chapter gives us a glimpse of what Nehemiah prayed about as he asked God to listen to his prayer. He confessed the sins of his people, and he took it personally and took responsibility. Even though Nehemiah had never been to Jerusalem, he included himself when he asked God to forgive their nation. He asked God to remember His covenant to Israel, and he begged God to remain faithful.
Then he decided to get involved. At the end of chapter one, Nehemiah prayed that God would give him success by granting him favor in the presence of the king. So, sometime during Nehemiah’s prayer and fasting, he moved from being grieved by the situation to choosing to do something about it. He made up his mind that he was going to turn in his two-week notice and leave for Jerusalem.
What keeps us from getting involved? Why do we pray about it and then forget it? Why do we talk and talk about doing ministry but then never get the job done? What are we waiting for? Nehemiah did not need someone to ask him to volunteer. God told him to go, and he obeyed. Nehemiah did not take any spiritual gift inventories so he could be assured that he was equipped to lead a building project. He was a cupbearer, a food taster for the king, not a wall builder. What qualified him for this huge undertaking? He felt God moving in his heart, and he yielded himself to the Holy Spirit moving him to action.
Let’s quit making it so hard to serve Jesus! When He pricks your heart, respond immediately. Quit throwing out the fleece over and over and over again to see if God is really serious when He tells you to do anything. Stop longing for affirmation from your Sunday school teacher, the pastor, your best friend, and your mom before you will answer the call. Just get ‘er done!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)