Goodbye 2009

Wow, 2009 was quite a year, don't ya think? It was certainly a roller coaster ride for me and my family. We enjoyed some real high points: Zach promoted to high school and received his driving permit; we purchased 40 acres, built a house, and moved in before Thanksgiving; I started teaching at the high school; I had the thrilling experience of praying with several children who received Christ at Vacation Bible School.

We have also faced several obstacles, and as you can imagine, the high points I listed above bring a fair amount of stress with them. My personal area of sin is fear and worry. Lately, I have been waking up before my alarm clock with my mind swirling with worries. Panic usually sets in before I think to pray.

This morning, a word picture came to mind. I was 10 years old again and learning how to snow ski. I came around an icy corner and fell down because I felt out of control. As I tried to scramble to my feet, my skis slid toward the edge of what seemed a steep cliff to a beginner. I whimpered and begged my daddy to help me. He stood about 10 feet away on flat ground, telling me I could stand. Yet, every time I tried to get my skis under me, I would slide closer to the drop off. My tears brought my daddy to my side, and his strong arms steadied me as I righted myself.

That is the situation I find myself in currently. I can feel myself sliding toward the precipice of fear and despair. I am calling out to my Father to bring me peace. I know he is standing only a few feet away, but I long to have him scoop me up in his arms and carry me to safety. I don't want to wade through the tough circumstances anymore. I just want life to be easy.

For now, I am grateful for the glimpses of heaven and God's goodness to me.
Thank you for your friendship and love in 2009. You are what keeps me moving forward!

Jesus' Death and Resurrection

Without a doubt, the chapters we will discuss here are the climax of God's love story with mankind. It makes me nervous because I know my writing will not do it justice. I have spent the past two weeks reading of the death and resurrection of Jesus in all four gospels: Matthew 26-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 22-24, and John 19-21. It is tough to put into words all the emotions involved as I read through the torture my Lord endured on my behalf. The amount of material we need to cover is very overwhelming to me as well. So, I just want to point out some things that stood out to me.

Matthew
26:31--Jesus exposed one of the greatest tactics of the enemy: he strikes the shepherd in order to scatter the sheep. This should cause us to be on our knees for anyone in authority over us. Without strong, godly leaders, we are doomed to self-destruct.

26:50--Jesus called Judas "Friend." Could I do that, knowing that Judas was there to stab me in the back?

27:41-44--The Pharisees mocked Jesus for being able to save others, but not himself. They were totally oblivious to the ultimate truth that Jesus' purpose was solely to save others. He had no intention of saving himself from death. By His death, we are saved! Hallelujah and Amen!!!

27:51-53--When Jesus gave up his spirit, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, and the graves were opened. That is the supreme climax to God's love story. There is no more separation between God and man. Jesus tore away the veil and granted us entrance into the throne room of heaven. If you don't read another thing I write, please understand this! Jesus Christ has made a way for you to speak directly to your heavenly Father. Don't miss it!

27:54--The centurion recognized the deity of Christ. "Surely he was the son of God!" Do you recognize it?

28:1-7--Jesus was already gone when the angel rolled the stone away. Cool!

28:18-20--These verses are the Great Commission. They are our marching orders. Go. Make disciples. Baptize. Teach. Are you obeying the command of God?

Mark
15:5, 10, 15--Pilate was amazed at the silence of Jesus during the trial, and he knew that the whole situation centered around the envy the Jews had toward Jesus. Yet, Pilate chose to satisfy the bloodthirsty crowd. Sad, sad. Girls, let's choose to be people of integrity who do the right thing, not the people-pleasing thing.

15:32--Do you think the Jewish leaders really wanted Jesus to prove himself to them and "come down that we may see and believe"? I doubt it.

16:11, 13, 14--The unbelief of the disciples astounds me! I have to think it frustrated the Lord as well. God, help me believe you!!!

16:16--"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I have been baptized as a believer. Have you? What's your story?

Luke
22:42--"Not my will, but yours be done." This, my friend, is true obedience, to give up our own desires to fulfill the desires of God.

22:33, 34, 54-62--Peter swore he would NEVER deny Christ, yet he did it 3 times before the day was over. Never say never. . . . I believe Jesus allowed Peter this humbling experience to teach him not to judge others who grow weak in their faith. I, like Peter, often grow over-confident in my self-righteousness. I've been in Peter's shoes more times than I want to admit. How about you?

24:13-35--I love the Walk to Emmaus story. Do you? Have you ever been on a Walk to Emmaus retreat? Email me your story!!

John
19:35, 20:31, 21:24--John wrote his story with one purpose--so we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that we may have life in his name. Sounds like a wonderful life-purpose to me! My purpose is to glorify the Lord and to invite others to join me. What's yours?

19:38--Joseph was a secret disciple. Is there such a thing? Can you follow God and not have anyone find out? What do you think?

20:16--Mary recognized Jesus when he called her by name! Do you recognize his voice calling you?

21:7--I love that Peter was never afraid to jump out of the boat. Let's join him!

21:19--Peter would glorify God in death. I pray that I will too.

21:25--John admitted that he could have written bucket loads more stories of the life of Jesus, but the world would not be able to contain all the books. I bet you are thinking the same thing about my lengthy blog post!

I asked a bunch of questions this time, ladies. I hope you will choose one or two to answer. Click on the comment link on my blog site, and let's discuss what you think!

John 15-17

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Jesus is the faithful one in our relationship. He remains in me no matter the circumstance. I am the one who finds myself in and out of Christ. Remaining in relationship with Jesus takes effort on my part. It requires that I read my Bible, memorize it, talk about it with others, live by it. Staying connected to God is directly related to my consistency in prayer and quiet time with Him. And my fruit bearing is directly related to my consistency in remaining in direct contact with Jesus, the living vine. Have you born any fruit lately?

Jesus chose us for the purpose of bringing glory to the Father. We do that by loving Him, obeying Him, and bearing fruit in Him. We bear fruit for Christ when we produce things in our lives that are like Christ. A pear tree bears pears. A pecan tree bears pecans. A Christian bears Christians. I know the joy of holding someone's hand as they receive Christ into their lives. Do you? It is a thrill I cannot describe to you unless you have been there! If you are unsure about your own salvation, will you please ask me about how to know for certain you will spend eternity with Jesus? If it has been awhile since you shared your faith with someone to receive Christ, will you let me know so I can help and encourage and pray with you?

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other." (John 15:16-17) [I just had a wonderful flashback to when my children were ages 3 and 1. They would wrap one another in a bear hug, and Zach would say, "Cuz we love you-ch other!"] Obey Christ's command to love your fellow Christians. Then you will be able to walk together in unity as you bear the fruit of bringing others into relationship with God. My friends, it doesn't get any better than that!!!

My daughter was really moved this week by Jesus' words in John 15:18 through 16:4. In this life, we should expect persecution, even anticipate it. Enduring persecution for the Name of Jesus is another identifying mark of a true disciple. Are you following in the footsteps of Jesus? Are you doing exactly what He whispers in your ear? Then do not be shocked when the enemy attacks. Stand firm. Stand proud to be a spokesman for your Lord.

John 16:5-16 should bring warmth and comfort to your soul. Jesus has not left us without a Counselor. He has given us His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth to convict us yes, but also to guide us, to speak God's Word to us, to reveal the very presence of God to us, and to give us the spiritual eyes to see God's activity. Do you see God at work daily? Are you looking for Him in anticipation? Then He will show up to you!

Remain in the vine. Stay connected to God. Be filled with the Spirit. We are gonna see my Jesus face to face, soon and very soon!

Will you complete today's reading with John 17:20-26? This is Jesus' prayer for you and for me, dear sister. He wants us to be in Him. He wants you and me to walk together in unity. I wanna see His GLORY!!! Will you join me?

John 14

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me." (v. 1) These words of Jesus are certainly appropriate for our lives today. Whenever I ask people how they are doing, more often than not, their answers are filled with the worries crowding their minds. Does stress have you buried? Trust in God. Trust in Jesus.

In the remainder of John 14, Jesus gives us a list of things of which we can be assured.

(v. 2) Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for his followers.

(v. 6) Jesus is the only way to heaven. He is the only truth. He is the only life. There is no other way to the Father except through his son Jesus.

(v. 10) Jesus and the Father are one.

(v. 13) Jesus will do what we ask in his name and for his glory.

(v. 16) Jesus will send the Comforter in the form of the Holy Spirit, who will live within us.

(v. 28) Jesus is coming again!

Our responsibility in God's grand scheme: Trust. Love. Obey.

When all around you is a sea of trouble, rest in these promises, my friend. Pass them along to someone else who is plagued by worry today.

John 13:34-35

First we will finish the last few verses of John 13, and then we will move forward into chapter 14 in our next blog post.

John 13:34-35—“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” A new command? Was it not already a Jewish cultural mandate to love God first and your neighbor second? (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27). What was new about Jesus’ words, “Love one another?”

Remember that Jesus was giving his last instructions before leaving earth. He knew for a fact that the enemy’s first attack on this band of believers would cause them to turn on one another and to scatter them and break their bond of love for one another. Imagine if you were a wife to one of the disciples, and a Roman soldier came to your door the week after the crucifixion. Say the soldier asked you if your husband Thomas had been with Jesus. Wouldn’t you be tempted to say, “No, he wasn’t with Jesus, but I’m pretty sure Simon Peter was.” Jesus strongly warned his disciples to cement their bond of love for one another because he knew they were going to need the support. United we stand. Divided we fall.

The enemy’s first line of attack on the church in our day is division. As I look back over my 30 year history as a member of six different Baptist churches, I can recall divisive attitudes in almost every one of them. Lord Jesus, if it is me, please remove my lamp stand!

Take a look at the following verses from Leviticus 19. Ask God to bring you to your knees in prayer and confession as you recognize any of these divisive actions in your own life and in the life of your church family. May God heal our broken bonds of unity.

¹¹" 'Do not steal.
" 'Do not lie.
" 'Do not deceive one another.

¹² " 'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

¹³ " 'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him.
" 'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.

¹⁴ " 'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.

¹⁵ " 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

¹⁶ " 'Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
" 'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.

¹⁷ " 'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.

¹⁸ " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

John 13

You know the feeling you have when you are helping your children prepare for a major milestone such as their first day of Kindergarten, their driver's test, or their first time to go away to college? You are worried and stressed and proud of them all at the same time. Most of all you wonder if you have done a thorough job as a parent to teach them all the necessities. As you drive them to their destination, you give them a crash course in what you may have left out of their training, and you quiz them over all the things you pray they will remember. That is what is happening at the last supper Jesus shared with His disciples.

John 13:1--"Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father." It was time to remind the disciples of all the critical information Jesus had poured into them over the previous three years. So these last few hours Jesus spent with his brood should grab our attention. This is the important stuff. The stuff that will help us pass the test of this Christian life. The stuff that will transport us from earth to heaven when we pass on. Pay attention, girls. Don't miss it!

John 13:2--"Jesus showed them the full extent of his love." Now, you and I would think that Jesus' death on the cross would be the full extent of his love; so why did John use those words concerning a footwashing? Some churches today have footwashing ceremonies, and they are very moving indeed. A very humbling experience. But in Jesus' day footwashing was a very common daily practice. The lowest servant of the household took care of this nasty task for weary travelers.

Why did Jesus choose this action to demonstrate his passion for his closest friends? May it have been because his friends fully expected Jesus to challenge the Roman army at any moment? They had all placed their bets that Jesus the Messiah was ready to stake his claim and be King of all the earth. Jesus' act of humility as he bowed low to wash their feet was in stark contrast to the picture they had painted of him in their dreams. In fact, Jesus' actions that evening would bring their dreams crashing down around them. As Jesus bent over Peter's feet, Peter lashed out in anger. In taking on the form of a lowly servant, Jesus risked becoming a huge disappointment to the men in the room. Ever the master teacher, Jesus used this event as an illustration of servant leadership. This was a major lesson that would be critical for the success of his followers. You and I included. John 13:17--"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

John 13:19--"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He." Jesus wanted his disciples to be absolutely certain of their faith in Him. The enemy wants us to be disillusioned when Christ doesn't do things the way we envision.

John 13:31--"When he [Judas] was gone...." Jesus wanted Judas to hear the lesson on being a servant and on being sure of who Christ was. However, before Jesus discussed more intimate details about the Father, he dismissed Judas to carry out Satan's plan. That is interesting to me. The application I hear the Spirit making in my life is, "Don't be absent and miss the good stuff!" I want to be so close to Jesus that I cannot possibly miss what he wants me to hear. That's one of the reasons I never want to miss church. (Okay, being married to the preacher is the other reason. ha.) I also like to tell people that I sit on the front row so that I can soak up more of the Holy Spirit! Application: be very present in your relationship with Jesus. Do not miss a single word.

One of my favorite words is "glory." So, let's take a look at what Jesus meant in vs. 31-32 when he said the Son of Man and God are glorified. First of all, he was referring to himself when he used the term Son of Man. (Daniel 7:13). But what did he mean when he said he was now glorified? Many people think of glory as honor and praise, but in John 13, Jesus is hours away from a brutal death. My favorite definition is that glory represents the very presence of God. I believe that in these verses Jesus is saying that, in his suffering, the world will now fully see the presence of God. Through Jesus' sacrificial death, his deity would be made fully known. So, when you and I glorify God, we are not simply giving him praise and honor; we are making him fully known to the world. What are your thoughts on this idea?

Next time I will write about some of Jesus' directions to his disciples. I will start with John 13:34 and continue through chapter 14. God's Word is so good to the very last drop!

Matthew 17-18

It’s been said “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” I read this quote on Greg Laurie's blog. What do you think about it?

Matthew 17:1-13--Describe your most recent mountain top experience for us. Mine was seeing 12 children pray to choose Jesus as their Savior at Bible school!

Matthew 17:14-23--Two things I never want to hear Jesus say to me, "How long shall I put up with you?" and "You have so little faith." Jesus, I want to please you! Help me not to frustrate you!

Matthew 17:24-27--What a fun reminder that God is able to supply my every need!!! (You are reading the Scriptures and not just my lame commentary, right??)

Matthew 18:1-14--"Who is the greatest among us?" Who cares!!!!!!!!! That's not what it is all about! Forgive me just a moment while I rant. Why do we wear our feelings on our sleeves at church? Why do we get our feathers ruffled when someone snubs us? Why in the world do we even care if someone does or doesn't notice us at worship service? Who are we there to worship anyway? Church is NOT about us!!!! I am preaching at myself as much as anybody else. I too feel sorry for myself if so-and-so didn't welcome me with open arms at Sunday school. How frustrating we must be to our heavenly Father! (Sorry for all the exclamation points. AT LEAST I DIDN'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS!!!!)

Matthew 18:15-35--Wow! Jesus is getting nosy here, don't ya think? Have you ever been offended by someone at church? [giggle] Who hasn't been, right? How did you handle it? Did you follow the steps Jesus gives?
1. Go privately to the person.
2. Take one or two other believers with you.
3. Take it before the church.
My guess is that it is much easier to follow the steps that Satan gives.
1. Get mad.
2. Gossip.
3. Brag about how much better I am than the other person who obviously isn't even a Christian because how could she dare say anything negative about me because I am so holier than thou? Ouch.

Again, I am just as guilty as the next person in this area. I think that is why I am so frustrated when I see people at odds with one another. Satan is so sneaky, and it doesn't take much prodding from him to get us stirred up against one another. Will you covenant with me to pray that God will cultivate forgiveness in the hearts of His people? Let's promise to be forgiving toward one another. Be like a duck and let hurtful words roll off your back. When your feelings are hurt, in love, speak directly to the one who hurt you. Do not make it a church-wide issue. Nip it in the bud!!!

I love you girls! Please forgive me when I am selfish and unkind. And talk directly to me about it rather than stab me in the back.

Luke 10-12

My church recently finished studying Your Church Experiencing God Together by Henry and Mel Blackaby. It was terrific! As I reviewed what God had taught me over the last ten weeks, I noticed that I view myself somewhat as a “spiritual recruiter.” My philosophy is that being a part of the Body of Christ is way more fun if you are in over your head doing your part. So, I keep my eyes open for pew sitters, and I do what I can to encourage people (okay, maybe even twist their arms) to get involved in ministry. Unfortunately, I probably scare the wits out of some people when I get them in my sights.

My recruiting for Team Jesus is more likely to end on a positive note when I take the time to mentor the person I enlist. As I read the teaching of Jesus in Luke 10-12, I realized that it provides a remarkable outline for training others to follow Christ.

Go and tell others the good news. (10:1-24)
Love God. Love people. (10:25-37)
Sit at the feet of Jesus and worship him. (10:38-42)
Pray. (11:1-13)
Fill your life with godly thoughts, not evil. (11:14-36)
Faith is built on grace, not on self-righteousness. (11:37-54)
Speak up for your faith in Christ. (12:1-12)
Be generous rather than selfish. (12:13-21)
Trust God and do not worry. (12:22-34)
Be prepared and anticipate Christ’s return. (12:35-59)

We may be tempted to rearrange the outline a bit and move the Go and Tell portion to the end when our pupil is more mature in her faith. Never squelch the fire of a new believer! Allow her to tell her story and bring others to faith in her excitement. Then if you are faithful to your task, God will enable you to disciple your recruit, plus the people she wins to Christ. One of my greatest joys this summer was to pray with children who wanted to follow Jesus at Vacation Bible School. One night we celebrated the salvation of a little girl, and the next evening, the very first thing she asked me was, “Do you know Jesus as your Savior?” I was thrilled to be asked! After responding with an enthusiastic, “Yes, I do!” I encouraged her to keep asking all her friends and family that same question.

I am asking you, "Do you know Jesus as your Savior?" Whom will you ask today?

Luke 8-10

8:1—“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.”—Have you traveled any this summer? Have you proclaimed the good news to anyone? Tell us about it!

8:3b—“These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”—Have you helped support any Christian mission projects? Tell us about it!

8:9—“His disciples asked him what this parable meant.”—One of our deacon’s wives in Colorado told me that she always prays before she does her Bible reading and asks God to make His Word clear to her as she reads. When you do not comprehend God’s Word, who better to ask for clarification than the author himself?

Read and compare these two verses—
8:39—“'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” & 8:56—“Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.”—Why was it okay to spread the good news that the demon-possessed were healed, but not okay to tell that the dead were raised?

9:23—“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”—Are you choosing to follow Jesus no matter the cost today? (Luke 9:57-62) Share your story with us!

Read the fabulous story in Luke 10 about Jesus sending out 72 missionaries. My favorite verses are 16-21. The missionaries returned with joy, and Jesus was full of joy because of their stories! Can you just picture the exciting celebration their group had? Do you realize that Jesus gets excited when you and I go on mission too? When was the last time that your Lord rejoiced over your story?

Let’s finish reading Luke 10 through 12 tomorrow, okay; because I really want you to take the time today to post a comment on the blog or to send me an email to answer some of the questions I asked you today. Pretty please, with sugar on it???

Mark 10

Okay, I sat down to read Mark 10 one more time before writing my blog, and I fully intended to write a comparison of the rich young man and blind Bartimaeus. I still may, but this morning one verse jumped off the page at me, and my friend Cindy says we should always pay attention when a particular word leaps at us from God’s Word.

“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. (Mark 10:5) Is my heart so hard against God that I ask Him to let me get by with breaking a commandment? The Pharisees were asking Jesus about divorce, but you and I may ask God about any one of the commands. Is it lawful for me to tell this “little white lie”? Is it okay for me to leave this item out of my tax report? Isn’t it my right to take the life of my unborn child if I choose? Shouldn’t I leave my husband so I can be happy with another man? God, I want her house, her car, and her family, pretty please? Okay. . . just to be clear, I personally am NOT asking these questions of God, but you and I know people who have.

Let me attempt to paint a word picture. I have taught high school business in three different schools since I graduated from the University of North Texas in 1991. During those years a great number of my students have excelled in my classes, making terrific grades, creating fabulous products, and earning awards at contests. At the same time, some of my students did just enough work to get by. Same teacher, same classroom, same expectations. The students who followed the rules, performed the work, and met the expectations were the outstanding students, not only in my classes, but throughout their high school careers and beyond. The students who did not put forth the effort, and who did not turn in their work, were usually the students who asked me to bend the rules for them. “Please, Mrs. Young, give me one more day.” “Do I have to answer all the problems?” “Can’t I skip this one because I don’t understand it? or don’t like it? or don’t agree with it? or don’t want to put forth the effort it will take to finish it well????”

My students earn their grades in my classes. I don’t give grades. Excellent work earns excellent marks. Poor work and poor attitudes earn poor marks. What type of student am I in God’s classroom? Do I strive to please Him and to meet His expectations? Or do I whine, complain, and forget to do my homework? I do not believe a teacher should have to hound a student about completing a project, and I do not believe God will force us to obey His law. He will allow us to choose just to get by in life.

The rich young man in Mark 10 was not willing to put God first in his life, and Jesus allowed him to walk away sad. The rich man was not willing to submit his finances to God. He chose to excel in worldly wealth rather than in godly riches. Blind Bartimaeus was willing to place his trust in Jesus, and he found healing through his faith. He chose to follow Jesus rather than continue to sit by the roadside begging. Which of these students would you have voted as most likely to succeed? Which one is more likely to graduate at the top of God’s faith class?

I don’t know about you, but I want to finish this race as a medal winner, not as the guy who had to hitch a ride on the golf cart. Let’s not cut corners and wimp out on the hard assignments. Let’s rise to meet God’s expectations rather than ask Him to make an exception to the rules for us. I want to graduate with honors. How about you?

Matthew 5-7, The Sermon on the Mount

Detailed person that I am, it will be very difficult for me to blog the entire Sermon on the Mount in one post, but I will make a valiant effort. Matthew 5-7 is packed full of fabulous material! Did Jesus really sit down on a single afternoon and preach this sermon to His disciples alone? Maybe.... I am much more inclined to believe that the truth in these chapters were the things Jesus shared with anyone who would listen. Throughout Jesus' three years of ministry, these were the important words He wanted everyone to hear and to follow with their lives. You and I would do well to find someone to mentor, and we could use these three short chapters to teach a new believer to be like Christ.



Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect," is the theme of the entire passage. Jesus has high expectations for His followers: have a godly attitude; be salt and light; be righteous; do not murder or commit adultery; do not divorce; be a person of integrity; love all people. We must admit we cannot possibly score perfectly in each of these categories, but we should be encouraged rather than discouraged to strive to reach the goal God has set for us. Because of my perfectionism, I sometimes do not attempt projects I know I will not execute well. That has not proven to be a helpful philosophy in life. Just because I cannot possibly be perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect, does not mean I should not put forth my best effort. Actually, in my own strength I cannot do it anyway. "But nothing is impossible with God!" Luke 1:37.



Did you notice in Matthew 6 that Jesus said to do these three things secretly: giving, praying, and fasting. Regarding each of those things, He cautioned against hypocrisy. My NIV Study Bible defines a hypocrite as a "play-actor." You and I would call a hypocrite a "faker." When I give, do I fake a cheerful spirit? When I pray, do I play-act in front of the congregation? When I fast, do I seek as much sympathy as I can find by whining about my grumbling stomach or bragging about my self-denial?



The remainder of the Sermon on the Mount teaches these principles: store up treasure in heaven by following God, not money; do not worry; do not judge others unfairly; ask God for what you need; and follow God's way, not the easy path of the world. Wow! If every person who claims to be a Christian would simply follow these instructions, wouldn't life be fun? Then if we would tell all our unbelieving friends and family members what a positive difference it makes in our lives to follow the straight and narrow path, couldn't their lives be changed as well?



The first parable at the end of the Sermon tells us that people will recognize our righteous living by what we do for Christ. The second parable tells us to be wise, not foolish, as we put Jesus' words into practice. If the Sermon on the Mount really was a one-time sermon, it packs a powerful punch, don't you think? Just like the crowds, I am amazed at Jesus' teaching, and I want to put it into practice today. I think I will invite someone else to join me in striving to reach God's goal of living perfect according to His standards. Will you join us too?

Mark 2-4

Chapters 2 & 3 of Mark tell the same stories we read yesterday in Luke 4-6. So, unless somebody has questions about either of those chapters, I am going to focus on Mark 4 today. The theme of this chapter is Seed: the farmer and his seed, the growing seed, the mustard seed. I grew up as a farmer's daughter; so I hope you will indulge me as I explore some of the metaphors relating to seed and the Word of God.

Seed must be planted to produce a crop. Seed left too long in the grainery turns to rot. What good is a packet of wildflower seeds left in the garage? You and I attend Sunday school most every week. What are we doing with the Word of God we study? Is it rotting within us, or are we sowing it into the lives of others?

I searched the word germination and found the following wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germination. A couple of things stood out to me as I read this page while thinking about sowing the Word of God. First of all, there are certain conditions that must be present for a seed to germinate: water, oxygen, temperature, light or darkness. When you and I talk to our friends and family about coming to know Jesus, the conditions must be right for the Word to sprout in their lives. God must be drawing them, and their hearts must be soft to accept His love. The wiki page even mentions that love is one of the conditions for germination. And I quote,

"You need love to make a plant grow too. If you abandon the plant and don't water it, it will die. If you take care of it and really want it to survive, it will live. Love is a big element you need to contribute to your plant. If the plant has water, oxygen, right temperature, and light/darkness it still won't survive without love. Love would motivate you to give it all of the things such as water, oxygen, right temperature, and light/darkness."

I hope you understand the spiritual application here. Are you and I taking care of the souls God has given us to grow for His Kingdom?

The second thing that stood out to me in the article was that there are several types of germination. Every seed has its own way of sprouting. Each person we meet has his own special needs. Don't think that one method of evangelism works every time. Build a relationship with the person God gives to you. Take the time to love them as Jesus loves them.

I also followed this link to read about sowing seeds: http://theseedsite.co.uk/seedsowing.html.
I liked this list from the page. As you read it, think about how it relates to sharing the Word of God with others.

Always use fresh compost
Always use clean pots
Always label the seeds
Don't let them dry out
Don't keep them wet
Watch out for predators - snails and slugs can get anywhere!
Improvise - use whatever you have that will give the seeds the conditions they need to germinate.
Don't be afraid to experiment - often, one 'expert' will tell you a particular type of seed needs to be stratified, and another 'expert' will tell you it needs to be sown in heat. Your guess is as good as theirs.
Finally - they won't grow if you don't sow them!

I also came across another blogger's page on the topic of the seed metaphor. I hope he won't mind if I send you to his page to read the collection of Bible passages he discovered where the sowing of seed is mentioned. I especially like the title of his page, don't you?

After Jesus told parables, then He would tell His disciples the true meaning. Mark 4:34b, "But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything." It made me wonder if you and I spend enough uninterrupted time with Jesus to allow Him to explain everything to us?

I sure hope you will ask a question or make a comment on today's reading. But if you don't, I would be totally thrilled if you would, "Come, glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His Name together!" (Ps. 34:3)

Luke 4-6

This passage begins with the temptation of Jesus. Notice that Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit." He was also full of the Word of God, which is evident from the way Jesus handled each temptation. Likewise, you and I are able to face opposition from the enemy only when we are filled with God's Holy Spirit and with God's Holy Word.

"When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time." (v. 13) We are wrong to think that the wilderness temptation was the only time satan attacked Jesus. Evidently, every day of Jesus' earthly life presented "opportune" times for confrontation. Take a look at each of these examples in Luke 4-6.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth--Do you remember what it was like to come home from college? You left town as a top-dog senior, and you drove home with expectations that everyone would be thrilled to see you. When you arrived, everyone had moved on with their lives, and their focus was on the new senior class. They had already forgotten you, and since you were a lowly college freshman, all they focused on was your incompetence.

Jesus had just won a major victory over the enemy in the desert. He had fasted and prayed for 40 days, and He was ready to conquer the world. The first obstacle he faced was his home town. Do you see how that was an opportune time for an enemy attack? You and I face it any time we come home from a spiritual retreat. The people we encounter at home have not been on the spiritual high, and it only takes one or two negative words to shoot us down. Jesus chose to move on and to stay focused on His mission.

Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit--Jesus was amazing the people with His teaching! Then right in the middle of his sermon, the demons tried to expose His deity. The time was not right, and Jesus told them to zip it! The enemy will always try to spoil our godly works by distracting our listeners.

Jesus Heals Many--What a temptation! The people were hanging on His every word, and they tried to convince Jesus to stay with them. However, He knew that God had called Him to spread the gospel to all people, not just one village. Flattery and ego-boosting are very effective tools for ruining the mission of Christians who are called to spread the good news.

The Calling of the First Disciples--"Don't be afraid!" I wonder if Jesus ever grew weary of telling His disciples to have more faith?

The Man with Leprosy--"Don't tell anyone." Jesus wanted this to be the man's own private miracle, yet the tale was told anyway. "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." I wonder if He ever vented His frustration to the Father? I know I would be tempted to ask God if I could just smack somebody!

Jesus Heals a Paralytic--First of all, do you know how discouraging it is to have your Bible teaching interrupted? The enemy uses this tactic quite often. Just when the preacher is getting to the invitation, somebody's cell phone goes off, a baby cries, or someone sneezes. Secondly, do you know how tempting it is to fire back when someone questions your authority? "Forgive sins? You don't think I have the authority? Well, just watch this . . . ." I stand amazed at the emotional control Jesus possessed.

The Calling of Levi--The Pharisees continually questioned Jesus, trying to frustrate His plans. In this case, they questioned His choice of followers. Why did they care? Were they jealous that Jesus did not choose them instead? I am certain they were not worried about protecting Jesus' reputation.

Jesus Questioned about Fasting--Legalism. The enemy is very convincing when it comes to making people feel guilty for not following all the rules. Let's be very careful when we are tempted to cling to old traditions and rules rather than yielding to what we hear the Spirit calling us to do.

Lord of the Sabbath--More rule following issues. . . . People, not laws, were priority for Jesus. Love God. Love people. Do those two things, and you will lead a God-pleasing life.

Hebrews 4:15--"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."

The remainder of Luke 6 gives a list of the 12 Apostles as well as several teachings of Jesus. While I would love to write more, all of these teachings speak for themselves. Please take time to read them, and then feel free to post a comment about which ones speak to you the most today.

John 4--Jesus is the Real Thing!

John 4:1-3--What impresses me most about these verses is that Jesus was not interested in trying to win a popularity contest against his cousin John the Baptist. Rather than stirring up trouble, he decided to move on. We should follow that example, especially when the focus draws attention to ourselves rather than drawing people closer to Christ.

v. 4--Why did Jesus have to go through Samaria when all the religious Jews traveled around the despised country? Because He had an unannounced appointment with a woman who was lost as a goose without Him. Why should you and I listen to the Holy Spirit when He tells us to pay a visit to someone? Because He has scheduled a divine appointment that we must not ignore.

v. 7--"Will you give me a drink?" Now, that's the oldest pick-up line in the book! [grin] Was Jesus really tired, hungry, and thirsty? In His godly form, probably not, but in His human form, yes, absolutely. Jesus invited this woman to help meet His physical needs. That opened the door for communication and relationship. People need us to be vulnerable in relationship. When we appear self-sufficient, it seems that we have no need for relationship. (I am preaching to myself because this is a lesson God has recently brought to my attention.)

v. 9--Jesus never let social taboos prevent Him from ministering to a person's soul. He spoke to women, touched the lepers, ate with sinners, never worrying about tarnishing His reputation. What petty fears do I use as an excuse for not reaching out to people in need?

v. 14--Are you drinking daily from the spring of water welling up to eternal life? I pray that Jesus will so fill you that you cannot possibly contain it! Makes me wanna shout!!!

v. 16-19--Jesus touched a tender nerve with this woman, and she quickly tried to change the subject. When Jesus wants to deal with the sin in your life, please don't change the subject. Let Him pry into your business. Be open and honest. Let Him cleanse your heart.

v. 23--God is seeking true worshipers, those who worship in spirit and in truth. Do you connect your spirit daily with the Holy Spirit? Do you meditate on the truth of God's Word daily? Are you letting worship of the One True God change your life from the inside out? Girls, I don't want to be a fake worshiper. I want to be an all-out, sold-out, true worshiper, welling up with the Spirit of the Living God!!! Will you join me? "Come, glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His Name together!" (Ps. 34:3)

v. 29--Has Jesus so changed your life that you are compelled to invite others to come see Him? What has happened to our zeal?

v. 31-34--Doing the will of the Father is energizing! Are you feeling burned out? Maybe your energy is zapped because you are doing your will, not the Father's.

v. 39--"He told me everything I ever did." That's all there was to the woman's testimony, yet many people believed. So many people will not witness because they are afraid they won't know what to say. What a cop-out!

v. 41--"Because of His words, many more became believers." Jesus will do the convincing. You and I just need to make the introductions. "Friend, meet my best friend Jesus."

v. 48--Are you waiting on a miraculous sign before you will believe in the Messiah? Not me. I've seen all the proof I need. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only life, the only path to heaven. Will you join me in following Him?

John 3

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 sums up everything I know about the Bible. I believe in Jesus! Have you become a Believer yet? How many people have you told?

Jump over to my friend Kenny's blog. He has posted a Penn Says video in which a Las Vegas magician/atheist talks about proselytizing. He is more impressed with Christians who are honest enough to share their beliefs than he is with those who are afraid to offend him.

It made me think of Nicodemus in John 3. He came to see Jesus at night, probably because he didn't want any of his Pharisee friends to see him. Too often, we stop reading this chapter at verse 16. Yet, in verses 19-21, Jesus calls Nicodemus evil because of his fear of having his deeds exposed. Jesus said in verse 21, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Girls, I'm tired of being a Nicodemus. I want everyone to know that I believe in Jesus. Sometimes it's tempting to think that they will understand that since I am a preacher's wife. Well, being a preacher's family member, just like being a church member, does NOT make you saved! Having a conversation with someone about the weather does not move them any closer to God either. Let's make it a point to ask people today if they believe that God sent Jesus to the earth to pay for their sins. We don't get any points for assuming they've heard the Gospel.

Let's go live as children of the true Light!

Mark 1

We discussed what a prolific writer Luke was and how his gospel provides us with so much detail. Mark’s gospel stands in stark contrast to Luke’s. Using the phrases “at once” and “immediately” throughout, Mark’s gospel is short, sweet, and to the point. He packed seven stories into half as many verses as Luke used to write the birth stories of John and Jesus.

As a high school business teacher, I required my students to write summaries of articles related to the topics we discussed in class. Invariably, at least one of my students would try to select the shortest article in the magazine. I tried to emphasize that it is very difficult to write a full page summary of a five-sentence article. Well, that’s sort of how I feel about writing commentary on Mark Chapter 1. Mark gave us the facts, and I hesitate to expound.

So, as I read this chapter for the tenth time this week, I asked God to pick out the items on which He wanted me to focus. The first thing I noticed was verse 18, “At once they left their nets and followed him.” Does this characterize how you and I respond when we hear Jesus calling us to, “Come, follow me”? Oh, you and I are much more likely to be like Gideon and throw out the fleece to test God’s patience. Are you really serious, God? Do you really want me to follow You blindly by faith? Uh. . . yeah. . . .

My favorite verse in this passage is Mark 1:22, “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” Jesus, we beg You to amaze us with your teaching today! We long for Your authority to rule in our lives. May we follow Your teaching far more readily than we follow the teaching of any other author. Amaze me today, LORD!

The final point I feel led to discuss comes from verses 35-38, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

“Everyone is looking for you!” In other words, how dare you be so selfish as to spend time alone with God? Don’t you know you are a celebrity and the people deserve to control your every waking moment?

I am reluctant to write about this topic because I do not want anyone to think of me as a selfish preacher’s wife. However, in the last month I have read two books that point out this topic. The focus of Jesus’ ministry was prayer and preaching. Yes, He took care of the physical needs of people, but only when it gave Him the opportunity to meet their spiritual needs. As church members, you and I need to encourage our pastors to spend the bulk of their time in prayer and preaching the Word of God. We need to stop demanding that our spiritual leaders are present for every committee meeting and every broken arm. While most pastors want to be informed of the goings on in their church body, they should not feel guilty about protecting their study time.

Please do not take this to the extreme. My intention is not to offend any of my readers. I trust that the Holy Spirit will speak individually to you about how you can be an encourager to your pastor. I know your pastor loves and appreciates you. Will you support him by letting him know how much you love and appreciate him?

I love you too!
Dana

John 1

The thing that stands out the most in this chapter is the word testimony. It should make us stop to think about our own testimony about Jesus. Do I make a conscious effort to tell other people about the difference Christ makes in my life? Do my words and actions point others toward knowledge of eternal salvation?

John the Baptist was very adamant about leading others to follow the Messiah. He did not want any glory for himself, and he did not worry about losing his own followers when they chose to follow Christ. John's entire life was a testimony that said, "Look! The Lamb of God!" (v. 35)

The first thing Andrew did after discovering the Messiah was to go tell his brother. (v. 41) Philip also immediately told a friend about Jesus. (v. 45) Have you and I lost the urgency in telling our friends and relatives about Christ?

Just in case I haven't told you, Jesus Christ is the real thing! He came from the Father to be the Savior of the world, and He wants to be your personal Savior. Will you invite Him to cleanse you of your sin today?

John 1:1-5

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning. ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:1-5

This is one of my favorite descriptions of who Jesus is. He is the Word of God, and He is God. He is eternal, and He is the agent of creation. Genesis 1 tells us that God spoke things into being. John 1 tells us Jesus is the Word of God. This concept is so huge that it is tough to wrap your mind around it, but I believe it is crucial to our Christianity. Do you believe that God spoke the world into being and that Jesus was the Word that made it happen? I hope you will respond to this blog post with your thoughts and beliefs.

As I am writing, I am listening to Matthew West's song, "The Motions." I agree with his statement, " I don't want to go through the motions." At the end of my life, I don't want to be asking the question, "What if I had given God everything?" I want to worship Him with everything I have! How about you?

Luke 2

I think I will title this blog post--Don't Miss the Opportunity.

Luke 2 is a very familiar chapter to churchgoers, and it is full of stories we have heard since childhood. The birth of Jesus. No room in the inn. The shepherds. The angels. Simeon and Anna. Even the story of Jesus being left at the temple as a twelve-year-old is found in Luke 2. Will you take some time with me today to look at these stories from a new angle? Put yourself in the shoes of the players in this story. Would you have been an eager participant, or would you have let these opportunities go by?

First of all, think of the people who missed the blessing of hosting the Holy Family in their homes. When we read the story of Jesus' birth, we tend to focus on the innkeeper (who is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, by the way). Well, what about Joseph and Mary's family members? Did you notice that they missed the birth of their grandson, nephew, cousin, Savior of the world?? Even the great-aunts and uncles who may have been still living in the Bethlehem area did not open their homes to the young couple in need. You and I have lots of long-lost relatives, and we meet people every day who have needs. Do we welcome them with open arms, or do we turn them away in shame?

I am so proud of the shepherds! Typically, these guys would not strike me as opportunity seekers. However, they grabbed this one by the horns! You and I might have been tempted to doubt our angelic vision, but the shepherds said, "Let's go check it out!" They hurried to find the Holy Family, and then they wasted no time spreading the news. I'm afraid you and I don't always follow through on telling people the good news. We didn't hear the message of Jesus through heavenly messengers, but we have heard the message of salvation, nonetheless. Are you hurrying to find the Christ child? Are you sharing His story with everyone you meet? This is one opportunity we should eagerly seek.

I want to play the parts of Simeon and Anna. Both were filled with the Spirit. Both were actively worshipping the One True God. Both of them had their eyes open looking for the Promise of God. Neither one of them were hesitant about sharing a word of prophecy with the new parents. Now, that is the opportunity where you and I would stumble. We might think we have a word from God, but we have a tough time gathering our courage to share it with anyone. I know from experience that God still speaks to His people today. I also know that preachers aren't the only ones who can get a word from God. Next time God gives you a word to share with someone who needs a little encouragement, don't miss the opportunity.

Finally, let's think about all the people who missed the opportunity of sitting at the feet of the 12-year-old Messiah. Without a doubt, Jesus' parents missed it. I wonder if they ever asked Jesus about the Heavenly Father who shared His one and only Son with them? Later in His ministry, the gospel writers tell the story of Jesus' mother and brothers waiting outside to speak to Him. I wonder if they missed the opportunity to go inside and sit under His teaching? Girls, I don't want to miss the things Jesus has for me to learn. Let's agree to sit at His feet daily!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Prov. 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Prov. 9:10

Luke 1--Part 2

In this second post for Luke 1, I want us to take a look at the songs of Mary and Zechariah.

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. (v. 38) Wow! Is that how you would respond if your world had just been turned upside down? I agree with another commentator who was amazed at Mary's understanding of her role in God's story. I work with teenagers, and I have two of my own. I'm afraid none of them would be able to sing the song of Mary.

Here is an example: Our family Bible reading this morning was I Timothy 1:12, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service." I asked my children if they knew what God had appointed them to do for Him. All I got was, "Huh??" Where was the, "my soul glorifies the Lord," or the, "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior"? It made me feel like a miserable failure. :-(

Actually, it just really makes me mindful of what an important job we have as parents. Our children do not naturally seek God on their own. Without our prayers and encouragement, they will follow selfish desires, not godly ones. They need constant reminding (maybe even nagging) that God has created them for fellowship. As Christians, they are God's chosen servants.

Zechariah's prayer for his newborn son is beautiful! He and Elizabeth had prayed for a child, and they knew without a doubt that he was a gift from heaven. Zechariah gave praise to the Lord because the angel promised him John would fulfill an important role as God's prophet. All papas are proud of their firstborn sons, and you can bet Zechariah was one proud papa!!! Zechariah had nine months of silence due to unbelief. I hope he spent that time praying for his child and researching the books of the prophets to discover all this child of promise would fulfill. This makes me mindful that we should continually pray for our children. We may not know what God has in store for them, but we can beg Him to make it glorious!

Here is your homework assignment (you like homework, right?). Since Mother's Day is next Sunday, will you write a song to the LORD thanking Him for your children? Perhaps as you write, God will even grant you a prophetic insight for your offspring. Above all, be sure to tell your children how much you love them and that you see them as a blessing from Jesus. They need to hear from you that God has created them for a special purpose.

Luke 1--Part 1

Luke is probably my favorite gospel writer because he is such a detail man. After 20 years of marriage, my husband has come to realize that my love language is details. When he shares details of his day with me, I feel totally connected and completely loved. Drives him nuts! ha! Anyway, Luke was a medical doctor by profession, and he knew how to research the facts. In chapter 1 Luke admits that others had already written accounts of the life of Jesus, but Luke thought it worth his time to interview eyewitnesses and draw up a detailed, orderly account. Why? So that we "may know the certainty of the things we have been taught." (v. 4) I am so glad he did, aren't you?

Since we have begun our chronological study of the New Testament, I have been really struck by how all the puzzle pieces fit together. The story of Zechariah in Luke 1 is just one more example of God planning ahead to cause things to come together at just the right time. Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a son for years. God chose to answer their prayer according to His time table. He arranged to share the news with Zechariah during his once-in-a-lifetime duty of offering incense to God in the temple. That is terrific!

Luke is very careful to point out that Zechariah and Elizabeth both were upright and blameless in God's sight. This is critical information because in their day, infertility was seen as a sign of God's judgment for sin. Do you think we still look at it like that today as well? We have ministered to several families dealing with infertility. In fact, I had two miscarriages myself. It is very typical for people to question God when they feel He is withholding the blessing of a child for their family. It is not unusual for people to ask what they have done wrong. Unfortunately, others are not very helpful or supportive of families longing for a child either. I can imagine that Elizabeth felt very ostracized from her community. After all, she was a preacher's wife and a barren wife--what a double whammy! We can be assured she was ecstatic when she found out she would have a son, because God had "shown his favor and taken away her disgrace among the people!" (v. 25)

I really like the words of encouragement the angel gave Zechariah when he told him about John. "He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord." (v. 14-15) I don't think I had ever noticed the end of verse 15, "and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth." That had never happened before! In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would fill people from time to time, but not continually, and never from birth. Way cool! And then in verse 40, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit when she greeted Mary. A woman filled with the Holy Spirit? That never happened before either!

I am so glad that God promised John would be a joy to his parents, because verse 80 says he lived in the desert. We also know that John suffered imprisonment and a tragic death. I pray he was a joy to raise, because his parents would have endured much heartache because of their son as well. Luke leaves out the details of whether or not John's parents were still living when he moved to the desert. However, if they were alive, you know they experienced judgment from the community for having a "wayward" son. Oh girls, let's be very cautious when we are tempted to judge people when we do not know their circumstances.

There are so many more things I want to write about this first chapter of Luke. I think I will save it for another post. You can blame it on Dr. Luke. He's the one who wrote 80 verses in one chapter!!!

Matthew 2

I am a puzzle lover. I love to analyze things and make connections and figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. That’s why I have gained so much from this chronological Bible study. The pieces of God’s story of mankind are all fitting together in my brain. It has caused me to become thoroughly convinced that we should study the Bible as a whole and not look at it in bits and pieces only. While we may enjoy digging deep into a short passage, it only makes complete sense when we read verses in context. Read the whole chapter. Read the chapter before and after.

Read Matthew 2; Read the end of Matthew 1; Read Malachi 4. It all fits together!!! What nation was in power when Malachi was writing in Jerusalem? (Persia) Where were the Magi traveling from? (Persia) Who was the chief of the Magi in the Old Testament? (Daniel) Where did Daniel live? (Babylon, which was ruled by Persia) Who did Daniel and Malachi predict would come as King of the Jews? (Jesus) Whom did the Magi seek? (The King of the Jews—Jesus!!!!)

The remainder of the chapter illustrates that the life of Jesus would fulfill the prophecies of Hosea and Jeremiah as well. Can you see that nothing in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus caught God unprepared? From the beginning of time, God was placing the pieces of the puzzle in perfect order. His plan to redeem mankind from the wages of sin would be accomplished.

The lesson I need to learn here is that nothing in my own life catches God by surprise either. His plan for all mankind has been in place since Creation. Why in heaven’s name would I think God needs my help and suggestions for how to work out my situations? Hmmm.

Matthew 1

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!

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!

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!!!!

I Am Proud of You

My friend Melissa from Colorado sent me this YouTube video. Please take the time to watch the full 5 and a half minutes. While you do, please pray for our service men and women and their families who are sacrificing for the sake of my freedom and yours. My brother-in-law is on active duty in the Navy, and I am so grateful for his faithfulness and commitment to our country. He makes me proud to be an American! Love you, Mike!

Esther 1-4, 7-8

The story of Esther is very familiar to many of you. It was even more interesting to me as I read through it this week, however, in light of the chronological study we are doing. It was interesting to think that Esther and Mordecai's struggles in the Persian city of Susa were going on about the same time Ezra and Nehemiah were trying to motivate the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

The other item that jumped off the page at me is in reference to what we have learned about the laws of the Persian kings. Our recent discussions about the reasons King Darius did not repeal the law about throwing Daniel into the lions den make me totally amazed at the courage of Esther in today's reading. Every other time I have read this story, I looked at Esther as someone who had to work up enough courage to invite the king to a banquet. Like you and I have trouble deciding if we should invite our boss to dinner or not because we don't want to look like we want to be the class favorite. Now I understand that Esther was putting her very life on the line! To ask the king to change an edict was to ask him to impale you on a tree!

I am so impressed with Mordecai's support and encouragement to his niece. Esther needed reassurance that she was called by God "for such a time as this." Can you imagine the torment they all went through as they fasted and prayed those three days? I like Esther's attitude, "If I perish, I perish." We have to come to that place in our faith walk. We have to realize that nothing else in this world matters except fulfilling the calling God has placed on our lives.

So, do you know what that calling is for you? Have you fasted and prayed until God showed you His vision for how you fit into His Kingdom?

My God-given calling is to Glorify the LORD! And the second part is to invite others to join me! Will you come and glorify the LORD with me? Can we exalt His Name together?? I am willing to do this no matter the cost. I would be so grateful if you would join me!!!

Zechariah 1-2

"Return to me," declares the LORD Almighty, "and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "Do not be like your fathers. . . they would not listen or pay attention to me," declares the LORD. (Zechariah 1:3, 4)

"And I myself will be a wall of fire around [Jerusalem]," declares the LORD, "and I will be its glory within." (Zechariah 2:5)

"Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD." (Zechariah 2:10)

"Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling." (Zechariah 2:13)

Everything taking place in our world today points to the return of Jesus to this earth. Am I ready to take a stand for Christ? Are you ready? Are your friends and relatives ready?

Haggai 1-2

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." (Haggai 1:5-6)

Wow! I can certainly identify with that! Never enough. Is that how your life feels sometimes? I just received our income tax bill; so we are feeling like our wages are in a purse with holes in it. Don't even ask us about our retirement accounts. Wish we could count those losses as expenses on our tax return!

"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away." (Haggai 1:9a) This is the story of my financial life. Is it yours? I must confess I am a hoarder by nature. I want to save as much money as possible, and I never feel like I have enough in the savings account. I'm not always sure what I am saving it for, but it makes me feel secure to have money in the bank for emergencies. I know some people who never feel like they have enough money in the checking account. They are not always certain what they plan to spend it on, but they can always think of something. We expect much, but it turns out to be little. Why? Let's read on.

"Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house." (Haggai 1:9b) Haggai was speaking to the people who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. The king had granted them permission to return so that they could rebuild the temple. However, they were instead "busy with their own houses." This describes our lives, doesn't it? I am certainly guilty of spending all my time making sure my own house is in order to the neglect of God's Kingdom business.

God goes on to describe all the blessings He withheld from the land due to the disobedience of the people. What blessings am I missing in my life because of disobedience to God's calling?

In Chapter 2, God asked the people to remember the former splendor of the temple and compare it to the ruins before them. Then He told them to get to work because He would be with them. (v. 4) Then God reminded the people, "The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." (v. 8, 9) Everything I need belongs to the LORD Almighty. All He asks of me is to be about His business.

"From this day on I will bless you." (Haggai 2:19c)

Ezra 3, 6-7

"Despite their fear of the peoples around them. . . ." (Ezra 3:3a) I'm impressed. Even though the Israelites were being persecuted, they persisted in worshipping God. Last week I visited a friend in the hospital, and I was impressed with one of the hospital staff who came to check on my friend. Before leaving the room, the staff member said, "God bless you. I'll be praying for you today." This staff member did not know any of the three people who were standing around visiting the patient. Yet the person spoke up and did not shy away from expressing a firm faith in God. Would you do that if you didn't know anybody in the room? Would I do that? As Americans we are very weak in our faith, and it takes very little persecution to dissuade us. In fact, many of us won't speak up at work because "they" might not like it. Who are "they" anyway?


"When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, . . . No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away." (Ezra 3:10a, 13) That's the kind of worship service I want to be a part of!!!!


Okay, Ezra 6 will help us answer the questions we had when we read Daniel 6. (Why didn't Darius just change his decree so that Daniel wouldn't have to be thrown to the lions?) You see, Persian kings were looked to as gods, and whatever they decreed was law, and there was no changing that law. They even attached death penalties to the decrees stating no one could change the law without extreme punishment. In Ezra 6 Darius, in the second year of his reign, decreed that the temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt. "Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for this crime his house is to be made a pile of rubble." (Ezra 6:11) He was serious! If I have my dates right, the Daniel 6 story took place after the Ezra 6 story. If Darius made such a big deal about a decree in Jerusalem, he sure couldn't go back on his word concerning a decree in Babylon.

Another interesting thing I learned about the kings of Persia was that they were known for rebuilding temples in the lands they had conquered. They were polytheistic and wanted to appease any gods who lived in the lands. They would ask the people of the land to "pray for the well-being of the king and his sons." (Ezra 6:10b) This is a good reminder to us in our day that God can use pagan rulers to advance His kingdom. God is still in control.

Ezra was a living testimony of the power of God. He was sent on a mission by God, and God paved the way for him. Take a look at these verses from Ezra 7, "The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. For the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Praise be to the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king's heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king's powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me." (v. 6b, 9b, 10, 23, 27-28)

Do you know any pastors or missionaries for whom you could pray these verses? In place of Ezra, insert the name of the pastor or missionary. Pray that God would encourage them to gather leaders to help in the ministry to which God has called them.

I'm Confused

Now we have come to the books of the Bible written during the time of the restoration of Jerusalem. The timeline of these books is confusing to me, which is one of the reasons I started this chronological study of the Bible in the first place. So I hope you will bear with me as I try to sort it all out in my mind. I also pray you will correct me if I am wrong and that you will post a comment if you discover something different in your own research.

Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. This is where the story of Daniel begins. The book of Ezekiel was also written during the Babylonian exile. In 539 B.C. (remember year numbers get smaller until the time of Christ) Babylon fell to Persia under the rule of Cyrus. The book of Ezra begins this way, “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing.” Cyrus proclaimed that the temple of the God of heaven would be rebuilt in Jerusalem and that any one of his people who wanted to go would be allowed to return to Jerusalem. This initiated the restoration of Israel.

Jewish tradition accredits Ezra as the author of the books of I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. I have always wondered why we have the books of I & II Kings and I & II Chronicles. The notes in my NIV Study Bible state that the Chronicler utilized the writings of Samuel, Kings, the Pentateuch, Judges, Ruth, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Zechariah to compile a history of Israel and Judah. Ezra was preserving the history of the Hebrew people even during the exile! Did you know that Ezra and Nehemiah were originally written as one book? Later it was broken into I Ezra and II Ezra.

Ezra 4:6 mentions the reign of Xerxes, the king who married Esther. Ezra 5:1 mentions the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.

So, if I understand correctly, the actual chronological order of these books would be as follows:

I & II Chronicles (these books were written later, but the events happened before the exile)
Daniel
Ezekiel
Ezra
Esther
Haggai
Zechariah
Nehemiah

These people were all alive at the same time! My confusion over the timing occurs because of the order in which these books appear in our modern day Bibles. The books of I & II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are listed with the books of Old Testament History. Ezekiel and Daniel are listed with the Major Prophets (the long books of prophecy), and Haggai and Zechariah are listed with the Minor Prophets (the short books of prophecy).

You may read this and wonder, “What was the point?” I am just trying to fit the puzzle pieces together in my brain. Thanks for being patient with me.

Daniel 6

Daniel in the Lions Den--I love this story, don't you?! Okay, so I love the whole book of Daniel . . . because good triumphs over evil again and again. Please take the time to click the link at the beginning of this paragraph and re-read this story for yourself. Take time to notice details you have not paid attention to before.

One thing that really jumps off the page at me is the jealousy the other administrators had toward Daniel. As far as we know, Daniel had been a man of integrity, and he had worked his way to the top through much patience. He had endured the reign of about six different kings. (See timeline)

He had earned his position. Yet the other guys were green with envy. It makes me reflect on times when I have viewed the success of others with a jealous heart. Was I mean, bitter, and caniving toward these people? I can also think of times when I have been the victim of jealous gossip. It should make us stop and think about our words, thoughts, and actions. Don't you think?

Verse 10 is priceless. "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." The government's actions did not affect Daniel's commitment to worship God one little bit!

Can you imagine the predicament in which King Darius found himself? The king planned to give Daniel a great deal of authority. He did not want to have Daniel killed. Yet, the king had signed a law, and he could not set the precedent of repealing decrees to show favoritism. He would have been inundated with future requests. (More on this topic when we study the book of Ezra.)

Instead, both King Darius and Daniel were given the opportunity to demonstrate great faith in the living God. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." (vs. 26-27) Can you imagine the celebration Daniel and the other Hebrews had? I imagine King Darius threw a huge party in their honor. We know the lions feasted heartily on the administrators and their families.

I love it when the good guys win! Now, let's just make sure we are on the right side of justice.

Our next set of readings covers Ezra 3, 6-7, Haggai, and Zechariah 1-2. Do you think you could push me to finish the Old Testament before Easter?? I wish!

Daniel 5

Please read the story in Daniel 5 before reading the blog.

Wake up, Belshazzar! Did you not pay attention to the stories of your ancestor Nebuchadnezzar? His life was a living testimony to the fact that God is able to humble “those who walk in pride.” (Daniel 4:37) As I read Belshazzar’s story, I was reminded how crucial it is to be intentional as we hand down our faith to our children and to our children’s children. In Daniel 5:18-21, Daniel recounts Nebuchadnezzar’s story of being humbled by God, and in verse 22, he says that Belshazzar already “knew all this.” Yet, Belshazzar “set himself up against the Lord of heaven.” (v. 23)

Where was the disconnect? If Belshazzar actually knew of the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s fall from glory, why did he choose to disregard it? Why did the queen mother have to tell Belshazzar to “call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means?” (v. 12) Unfortunately, Belshazzar “knew about” this all-powerful God, but his family had not helped Belshazzar “know” this God personally. It cost him his life.

What am I doing to help my children meet God face-to-face? When my family encounters the God of the universe, I do not want them to react as Belshazzar did in verse 6. “His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.” I must train my children to “honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.” (v. 23) I want my family to be very familiar with the truth of the Bible because they have read it for themselves. I want my family to be very comfortable talking to Jesus because they pray to Him daily. I want my family to be filled with the Holy Spirit’s power because they worship Him regularly.

Lord God, you do hold my life in your hand. Help me be a living example of your truth to my children.