Saturday, January 14th: Genesis 33-35; Matthew 10:1-20 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Genesis 33-35; Matthew 10:1-20

In our OT we see a partial reconciliation between the brothers, but clearly Jacob doesn't quite trust Esau's forgiveness and was still afraid of him, because even though he said he would follow him to Seir, instead Jacob settled near Succoth - which turned out to have disastrous consequences.

Jacob also demonstrated severely lacking parenting skills with the way he handled not only the situation with Dinah, but also his sons retaliation, and later, Rueben's act of complete disrespect (which possibly stemmed from the way Jacob mishandled the prior situation).

Thankfully God does not give up on us!

In our NT passage we see Jesus instructing His disciples to live and minister in such a way as to demonstrate that God's gift of grace is free! But He also warns that even when we live out that message of grace, there will always be those that reject it, sometimes violently.  But our job is to share the gospel, no matter people's response.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Genesis 36-38, Matthew 10: 21-42

Friday, April 25th

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Judges 17-18, Psalm 83, John 15

Today's scripture focus is Ephesians 5:22-24

Ephesians 5:22-24

English Standard Version (ESV)

Wives and Husbands

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

So, I get the controversial one :)

Accompanying John MacArthur sermon: God's Pattern for Wives Part 1 and Part 2, The Willful Submission of a Christian Wife
Accompanying David Legge sermon: The Christian Wife

Both Legge and MacArthur tie this passage in to yesterday's passage.

MacArthur: we draw our attention to chapter 5 verse 18 because here is the foundation. “Be filled with the Spirit.” Be being kept with the Holy Spirit. We’ve already talked about that. We know what that means, it means to be under the control of the Holy Spirit, to be moved along by the Holy Spirit. It’s not a glass-filled, because that’s a static kind of filling. It’s a sail filled because that’s in motion and that’s this kind of filling. Be born along, moved along, carried along by the Holy Spirit. That is essential to Christian living.

And then we see what Spirit-filled people do. They speak to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. In other words, they worship. Spirit-filled people worship. Verse 20, they give thanks. Their lives are marked by thankfulness.

And then in verse 21, and this is what triggers the rest of the section, they submit…they submit. You could break these things down - singing is a personal expression of joy for what’s going on in one’s own life by the working of the Holy Spirit, “saying thanks” is directed at God and “submitting” is directed at others....

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others.” That is the soul of submission. It is humility. It is being unselfish, having no conceit but with humility of mind, considering others as more important than yourselves. Not looking out for your own interests, but the interests of others. That is a spiritual grace that is produced by the Holy Spirit. If there is any fellowship of the Spirit, any real fellowship of the Spirit, this then will appear. And—by the way—the greatest illustration of this is Christ Himself. You are to have this attitude of humble submission in yourselves, verse 5, which was also in Christ Jesus who although He existed in the form of God didn’t regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, held onto, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave and being made in the likeness of man, found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.”...

 a Spirit-filled person will be humbly submissive....

It is this submissive attitude that makes a marriage work. I don’t have any question about the fact that I’m supposed to be the head of Patricia, my wife. She doesn’t have any restraints placed upon her by that, that in and of itself are abusive or harsh, because I understand that while I have authority over her given to me from God, I am also commanded to be submissive to her in every area of her needs. Sometimes when people say to me, “What’s the key to a good marriage? What’s the key to a marriage full of joy and blessing?” And I’ll tell you what it is in a very simple sentence. And this is my objective in dealing with the wife that I adore; it is simply this, “Whatever will bring her joy and be to her benefit, I will submit to do, happily, because all I want is her joy and spiritual benefit.” It’s that simple. 

We are all to live in an attitude of submission towards each other.

Then, Paul goes on to give examples of this submission.  And the first example is of the wife being submissive to her husband (not to other men) as to the Lord, as it fits the created order of God.

The wife submits to her husband not in the sense that he’s a dictator, not in the sense that he’s domineering, not in the sense that he’s authoritarian, but in the sense that he is the protector, the provider, the preserver, the Savior. I’ll save you from want…the husband says. I’ll save you from need. I’ll save you from danger. I’ll save you from illness. I’ll save you from disaster. I’m here to be your rescuer, your protector, your preserver, your savior.

So the Apostle Paul is saying that the wife must recognize that in the husband’s capacity as head, he is closely united to her in one flesh and he is deeply concerned about her needs, her relationship to him is as a believer’s relationship to Christ. She views him as her spiritual guardian, her spiritual protector, her source of safety and blessing and provision.

To extend it even more, Jesus is our Savior because He sacrificed Himself for us, right? And a woman should look at her husband and see one who would make any sacrifice for her well-being. That is what women are looking for and that is what men must offer....

Now all of this goes back to the principle of chapter 5 verse 18 where we started, right? You say, “How can a husband be all that?” Be being…what?...filled with the Spirit. How can a wife be all that? By being filled with the Spirit. This is what overthrows the curse.

Monday's scripture focus: Ephesians 5:25-33

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Judges 19-20
Sunday's passage: Judges 21
Monday's passage: Ruth 1-2, Psalm 84, John 16

Tuesday, December 31st ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: Malachi 3-4
Today's scripture focus passage: Psalm 3 ~ A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

O LORD, how my adversaries have increased!

Many are rising up against me.

Many are saying of my soul,

"There is no deliverance for him in God."     Selah

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me

my glory, and the One who lifts my head.

I was crying to the LORD with my voice,

and He answered me from His holy mountain.     Selah

I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people

who have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God!

for you have smitten all my enemies on the cheek;

You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

Salvation belongs to the LORD;

Your blessing be upon your people!     Selah

I love how David's very normal, human emotions come out in so many of his Psalms.  He isn't too proud to admit he's scared or sad or overwhelmed.  Most of all, I love how virtually all his Psalms ~ no matter how desperate he sounds in the beginning ~ conclude with statements of praise and adoration.  This one is no different.

And we find him in a position that many Christians find themselves in: the world trying to convince us in some way, shape, or form, that belief in God isn't actually good for anything.  And as we all know, either from personal experience or from watching the lives of others, faith in God doesn't immunize us against trouble, pain, poverty, illness, stress... the bad things in life.  In fact, God very seldom plucks us out of the circumstances that cause suffering.

Without realizing it, I think a lot of us Western Christians have fallen for a more insidious version of the "health & wealth gospel" because we tend to believe OUR suffering is outside of God's will.  We forget that suffering isn't just the starving masses in poor countries.  It isn't just mistreated, imprisoned Christians in Communist or Islamic countries.  We forget suffering for His sake includes ALL forms of suffering, whether being tortured for a faith in Him in a filthy prison cell, or dealing with the stress of a precarious relationship with a co-worker.  Whether struggling to stay alive in the poorest conditions imaginable, or struggling to handle a defiant, rebellious teenager.  Suffering for His sake isn't a certain type of suffering, it's a certain attitude in suffering.

Most often, we seek the shortest, quickest, easiest way out.  Whenever it is humanly possible to alleviate our physical, marital, fiscal, emotional, relational, or legal discomfort ~ whatever the cause(s) may be ~ we assume God never intended for us to suffer through that particular experience.

But David rallies his mental faculties and reminds himself that even though he might have nothing else going for him, he has God, who keeps his soul secure.  We need to remind ourselves of this, too.  And like David, we need to make this apparent to those around us.  Yes, David prays for his many difficult circumstances to be lifted, but in each and every Psalm where the tone suddenly changes, there's a tacit statement that is articulated so well by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Book of Daniel: If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (3:17-18)

Of course those three young captives prayed for deliverance.  And they knew their God most certainly could deliver.  They also knew He might be calling them to this suffering.  But whether He removed them from the situation or had them go through it, their opinions and beliefs about who and what He is were going to remain unshaken.

Without knowing the Messiah or how, exactly, His suffering would be for mankind's eternal joy, these men ~ David and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as well ~ knew their willingness to endure suffering was the best option for displaying the glory of God.

Do we face the challenges, struggles, hardships ~ even minor annoyances ~ with a view of the Gospel in mind?  Is the quickest way out of hardship the best way for us to display His glory to the world?  Let's not forget that struggles generally present a much better opportunity than our times of ease do to demonstrate why faith in God IS beneficial. What if praising Him and remaining steadfast in our belief in Him and His Word despite our circumstances is the best possible way for those around us to see and get to know Him?  Can we, like David, counsel our hearts so that we come to the point where we can endure and even persevere with peace, joy, and contentment because that's how others will best see the greatness of God even though right now, it seems impossible?

God says He knows the plans He has for us.  He never promises those plans will be for our comfort and ease.  They are for our holiness and sanctification; they are for others to see and hear Him through our lives, the good parts and the bad.  But He promises His plans for us in eternity will exceed any expectations or dreams our minds can conceive.

And that is why David could sleep at night and wake refreshed though his life seemed to be falling apart around him.  That is why he could rejoice in God, his Deliverer, even though the situation wasn't resolved.  He knew struggles are temporary; salvation is eternal.

What a comforting, uplifting thought as we reflect on 2013 and look ahead to 2014.  Happy New Year, my friends!  May it be a year of continued growth, and deeper understanding and appreciation of God, our Rock and our Redeemer, through whatever the coming seasons bring.





 



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: 

Tuesday, December 24th ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: Revelation 18; Zechariah 3-4
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 24:50-53 - The Ascension

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.

Okay, so here we are at the last paragraph in the Book of Luke.  After only eight months!  ;)

MacArthur delivered the final sermon in his ten-year study of the Gospel of Luke four days before Christmas, and makes an interesting observation about traditional celebrations:  At our time of birth, when the big celebrations are generally thrown, nothing has been accomplished yet.  It makes far more sense to throw the celebration at the time of death, because that's when we know what that person has accomplished.  There is nothing notable or of any lasting value worth celebrating at the time of someone's birth, and yet we make a pretty big deal of it.  Jesus' birth is the ONLY birth in human history where the lifetime achievements were already recorded BEFORE He was born and so it was highly appropriate that His arrival in the stable, His actual birth, was celebrated.

But His ascension is generally passed over.  Despite a life that fulfilled ancient prophecy and displayed the heart of God for mankind to plainly see, we don't throw the celebration at the end of His life, despite the fact that even His "end" is completely extraordinary.  Interestingly, Luke is the only writer who records the ascension, and maybe it's because it doesn't get the attention and detail that His birth and death do, that we tend to think of it as an aside.  MacArthur argues it should get every bit the celebration Christmas and Easter offer.

The significance of the ascension, he says, is eleven-fold:

1. It marked the completion of Jesus' salvation work.
2. It is the end of His limitations. Over 30 years earlier, He had set aside the independent use of His divine authority and power to become a slave to the Father.  That was now over.  He returned to His preincarnate glory, though He remains in His God-man form.
3. It marked His exaltation and coronation.  It was then that God gave Him the "Name above all names" that would cause every knee to bow, either in worship or in judgment.
4. It signaled the sending of the Holy Spirit.
5. It marked the beginning of His preparations for our heavenly home.
6. It marked the passing of the baton of evangelism to believers.  The work of redemption was His and His alone to begin and complete; He began the work of evangelism, but it is the on-going duty of believers.
7. It signaled His headship over The Church. The Church is left behind to embody His person and presence here on earth, though as a man, He is no longer with us.
8. It marks His triumph over Satan.  His resurrection was the death-blow, but His ascension confirms the destruction was complete.
9. It signaled the giving the gift of ministry to gifted men.  In His earthly ministry, Jesus never seemed to "pass the mantle" to any of His disciples, but according to Ephesians 4, upon His ascension, He "led captive a host of captives and gave gifts to men."  Because of the work He had accomplished on earth, when He ascended into heaven, He had provided a salvation that would capture souls who would be given back as gifts to men...some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastor/teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry.
10. It marked the beginning of His work as our Great High Priest.
11. The ascension guarantees and secures His return! In the Acts account of the event, the angels tell Jesus followers they will see Him return the same way they saw Him go.

He is exalted by His ascension, crowned as Lord. He sends the Holy Spirit. He begins to prepare our eternal home. He takes the headship of the church. He defeats Satan. He passes evangelism and ministry to His followers. He begins the blessed work of intercession on behalf of His people and stands ready to return in God's perfect time.

Yes, in the words of Paul to the Corinthians, “He who is rich became poor, divesting Himself of all heaven's riches that we through His poverty might be made rich.” So as we come to Christmas this year, maybe we could go on to the end of the story, get pass the beginning and reflect on everything that He accomplished.

And thus we conclude Luke's Gospel, and take a short break for the holiday.  Have a very merry Christmas, everyone, and we'll see you back here on Friday!!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: Revelation 19; Zechariah 5-6
Friday's scripture focus passage: Psalm 1

Tuesday, December 17 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: Revelation 13; Micah 3-4
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 23:50-56 - Jesus is Buried

And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.

And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Not surprisingly, I don't really have any of my own thoughts on this passage.
Even less surprisingly, John MacArthur has many, most of which I've never considered before!  :)

I think of the many "new" things about this passage in his message, the one that stands out most for me is his illustration of how "the divine, pre-planned, prophesied, and powerfully executed features of the burial of the body of Jesus provide for us some very strong evidence for some very important realities:  the divine purpose of history, the sovereignty of God in all things, the authenticity of Scripture, and the veracity of the claims about the Christ."  That's pretty huge!

It's pretty phenomenal, really, how Joseph of Arimathea fits in here.  It's incredible enough that he ~ a member of the Jewish ruling elite, the Sanhedrin, the 71-member Supreme Court as it were (including the High Priest) ~ was obviously a follower of Christ.  He had been a secret follower until now, but now he screws up his courage and asks Pilate for the body of his King.

A cross-reference of all four Gospels places this event immediately after the rest of the Council has asked for the breaking of the legs of the crucified criminals.  They want these guys to hurry up and die already.  They desperately need those bodies removed before the Passover High Sabbath day begins.  We'd hate to defile our traditional celebration with their dead bodies hanging there.  It's fine to kill the Messiah on the Passover; but His body hanging there still on the High Sabbath will soil their pristine religiosity.  Such incredible blindness.

Anyway, they are leaving Pilate's presence virtually at the same time Joseph is entering.  Perhaps he was actually with the group and just stayed back to talk privately with Pilate.  We don't know.  But we can infer that he could remain no longer a "closet Christian" after this.

Now any common crucified criminal would carelessly be thrown in a burial pit once death was confirmed.  And this would have happened to Jesus as well.  Isaiah 53, the chapter that prophesies how the Messiah will die to save His people, says in the opening line of verse 9: "His grave was assigned with wicked men..."  Jesus was seemingly destined for the mass grave outside the city.

But a wealthy secret believer reveals himself and offers an unused burial tomb, fitting for a king.  The second half of that phrase in Isa. 53:9 says, "...yet he was with a rich man in his death."  Joseph, a virtual unknown on the pages of Scripture, fulfills this prophecy, hundreds of years old.  And though Luke's Gospel doesn't mention it, Nicodemus ~ whom we've met before yet for all intents and purposes has remained a secret follower as well ~ joins him there.  Together, the two wealthy Jewish leaders carefully wash all the sweat, the caked-on dust, and the dry blood from Jesus' battered body and gently, reverently wrap it for burial.

It isn't Jesus' close followers or even His family who ask for His body and bury it.  It is two unknown believers.  While all Jesus' known disciples and followers fled and hid for fear of suffering the same fate as their Master, Teacher, Brother, Son, and only followed at a safe distance to see where He'd be laid to rest, quickly sneaking in a few spices and lotions of their own just before the sun set and the Sabbath began... these two unknowns come forward to not only do what needed to be done, but to fulfill the Word of God.

What an incredible glimpse of God's providence ~ that mind-blowing, on-going, moment-by-moment miracle that allows God to weave together any and all thoughts and actions the world over to fulfill His purpose and tell HIS story.




 


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: Revelation 14; Micah 5-7
Monday's scripture focus passage: Luke 24:1-12

Tuesday, December 10 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: Revelation 8; Amos 3-4
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 23:26-33 - 

When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

We meet four groups of people on Jesus' way to Golgotha, according to John MacArthur.  We meet the people who hate Him ~ the "mixed murderers," the Jewish religious leaders, the Romans.  They are the "they's" in the first sentence:  "...they led Him away, they seized a man..."  They are either murderous in their hearts or in their actions.  Or both.

We meet the curious and somewhat indifferent "large crowd of the people" ~ those who've heard of Jesus, but never really listened to Him or been affected by His ministry.  They're following along, but aren't really involved in the unfolding drama; they're basically just spectators who needed something to do that morning and clearly, here was something pretty big going on.

Then we have the paid mourners, who were likely compassionate, sympathetic women, some of whom were likely truly grieving the impending death of a Man they knew to be great.  Undoubtedly, there were men who would have fallen into this camp, too ~ men who recognized His unmatched power and knew He was different from the prophets of old and the religious leaders of the present day.  Their culture would have prevented them from mourning openly, however, but these women were very obviously expressing grief for Jesus' sake.  They knew there was something unique about Him.  They recognized His incredible wisdom, understanding, and His supernatural power.  Some might have believed He would be their new political leader and deliver them from Roman rule.  But they weren't true followers. And Jesus tells them, don't weep for me; weep for yourselves because a day is coming when you will wish you'd never been born.

Interestingly, all three of these categories are on equal ground as far as God is concerned.  The pity of an unbeliever is no better than the hatred of another.  They are both still unbelievers and will be judged accordingly.

But then we meet the committed few.  Here we meet two of them ~ Simon the Jew from North Africa, and the one criminal who was crucified with Christ and asked to be remembered in the next life.  There is one more that we know of for sure: the Roman centurion who acknowledged Jesus' Lordship as He committed His spirit into His Father's hands and breathed His last human breath.  But from this passage, we can't really recognize them as the faithful few, because none of them have become true followers of Christ yet.  We only know from further along in the account or other books of the Bible.  I enjoy how MacArthur follows Simon the Cyrene's story and his miraculous inclusion in the birth of the early Church:

Here’s a stranger plucked out of nowhere to help Jesus carry the cross. We are unfamiliar with him, he’s unfamiliar with Jesus, but believe me, he goes all the way to the cross and nobody having done that and arrived at the cross would leave. And so he experiences the full reality of the crucifixion. And somewhere in the process he follows the story until he embraces the gospel of the Christ whose cross he carried. And his wife becomes a believer and for sure his sons become believers and are known to the church. And one of them, Rufus, becomes an outstanding choice servant of the Lord. And this family becomes critical to the unfolding of the Kingdom so that they actually have a ministry in the life of the Apostle Paul and Simon’s wife is like a mother to him. (You can read or hear all the details and references here as MacArthur traces this path through the New Testament)

Ultimately, this passages forces us to examine which group we belong to, and the two thieves and their crosses on either side of Jesus summarize our choices very succinctly: we are either for Him or we're against Him, regardless of which of the four sub-categories we might fall under.






 




Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: Revelation 9; Amos 5-6
Monday's scripture focus passage: Luke 22:63-71

Tuesday, December 3 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: Revelation 2; Hosea 3-4
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 22:54-62 - Jesus' Arrest

Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

How crushing must Jesus' gaze have been at that moment!  I cannot imagine the weight of guilt on Peter's shoulders.

I have always felt that Peter's betrayal hurt Jesus so much more than Judas' ever did.  Somehow, it's just on a whole different level.  But I think this is why Peter's story give us such hope and encouragement.  That he could mess up on such a grand scale, yet be completely forgiven and have Jesus essentially name him the cornerstone for the future Church, is absolutely mind-blowing!  MacArthur offers us this hope while looking back and tracing Peter's steps down the path towards spiritual overconfidence:

Peter’s footprints are left in the sand for us. Self-confidence, warm feelings of affections toward Jesus, Peter thought were enough for him to be able to handle any temptation. It was his self-confidence that led to his insubordination. He refused to accept and yield to the warning words of Christ. He didn’t take the word of His Lord seriously. He rejected reproof. He ignored the voice of God and that led to prayerlessness. He slept because he didn’t need to pray. He omitted spiritual duty and that led to independence. He reacted by taking out a sword and charting his own course without ever considering the Word of the Lord and that led to compromise. He wound up far off, sitting with the enemies of the Lord. A compromising course that led him to mingle with the enemy and brought him all the way down to defeat.

Sure, this was the darkest hour in human history. This was hell’s hour. This was Satan’s hour. And Peter fell victim to it. He was no match. He underestimated the power of evil in his own flesh. He had reached the top. He had been called by Christ, loved by Christ, received the keys to the Kingdom, sharing in miracle power, leader of the Twelve, privileged preacher of the Good News, fallen to the pit of falsehood and profanity, denying his Lord.

And we really shudder at this. It’s just an unbelievable thing. And we wouldn't be surprised if Peter was another Judas and went out and hanged himself. But this is no Judas and his faith will not fail. The true Peter is seen not in his fall but in his recovery, for this is not a story of final failure, like Judas. This is a story of restoration. It was his love for Christ that broke his heart. It was his love for Christ that made him weep bitterly. It was his love for Christ that made him contrite, penitent, broken. The coward is conquered by love for Christ. And so that’s not the end of the story, that’s the end of Luke’s record in verse 62, but that is not the end of the story. The way down is not the end of the story.

Satan would want to bring a soul to the point of despair so that he plunges himself into hell as Judas did without repentance. But our Lord seeks to bring a soul to the point of despair so that he cries for forgiveness and mercy and by repentance, finds heaven. This is true repentance.

It’s not really our sins that makes us weep. Oh, they have a part in it. But for Peter it wasn’t just his sin that made him weep, it is when we see the kind of Savior we have sinned against that really makes us weep. (emphasis added)

We know this isn't the end of this particular story.  If we only had the first three Gospels, we'd never know that, but thankfully, the Holy Spirit prompted John to include its conclusion: Peter's restoration and re-commissioning by Jesus after the resurrection.  And look at Peter's own last recorded words in the Bible:

“Be on your guard lest being carried away by the error of unprincipled men you fall from your own steadfastness.”

Peter had learned the lesson.  He knew firsthand we have a faith that cannot fail, but he knew our steadfastness still can ~ and so often does ~ and so he warns us to be on our guard.  Don't sleep when you should be praying.  Don't be spiritually overconfident.  None of us is immune to weakness.

But praise God, thanks to Peter's story ~ the one he'd probably rather not have had recorded for all time in the Scriptures ~ we have FULL assurance of grace, forgiveness, and complete restoration when we repent.





 


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: Revelation 3; Hosea 5-6
Monday's scripture focus passage: Luke 22:63-71

Tuesday, November 26 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: 2 John; Daniel 3-4
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 22:21-30 -

But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.

And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

“You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Today we are in the Upper Room, the secretive place Jesus had prepared for Himself and His disciples to celebrate the last Passover.  I mention that it was secretive because His disciples knew how dangerous a position Jesus was in.  They knew the tension was mounting and the rumours were swirling and physical danger was at hand and so Jesus' statement that His betrayer was at the table with them will have shocked them.  Here all these precautions had been taken to keep this place a secret ~ even most of them hadn't known where the feast would be until it was ready for them; Jesus had made Himself somewhat scarce and appeared after they were already assembled in the room.  And despite all the attention to secrecy, His betrayer is eating with them!  And He knows it!!

Luke doesn't mention it, but all the other Gospels include the exchange whereby the disciples quiz Jesus and ask Him which of them is the betrayer.  I find that interesting.  Each of them obviously recognized his weaknesses, the very real possibility that it could be him, even though at that moment he couldn't imagine betraying the Teacher.

Anyway, it almost appears, here in Luke, that many still don't know.  Maybe this little exchange happened before Jesus singled out Judas.  Maybe he'd already left and the disciples were expressing their disdain at how hypocritical Judas had been and how they would never have turned on Jesus.  We don't really know, but their conversation takes a turn for the worse and they begin comparing themselves to each other ~ maybe even pointing out and bringing up each others' past failures.  And Jesus has to reign them in and get them to refocus, reminding them that His Kingdom isn't about who APPEARS the greatest, but about being a true servant.  He points to Himself as their best example and of course, as we know from the other Gospels, this is the point where Jesus literally places Himself at the lowest possible position and washes their feet.

But then He makes an absolutely amazing statement: "In my Kingdom, you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel"!!  These eleven men, with the addition of Matthias after Jesus' resurrection, will be the foundation of The Church.  Though they are weak, human, and still uncomprehending at this time, they will become the fathers of Christianity!

There will be special honour in Heaven for these men specifically, but we have the promise of ruling with Jesus as well ~ those of us who persevere and finish strong in the faith.  We will reign with Him forever!!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: 3 John; Daniel 5-6
Monday's scripture focus passage: Luke 22:31-34

Tuesday, November 19 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: 1 John 1; Ezekiel 37-38
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 21:34-36 -

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighted down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus is still answering the disciples' question of when His second coming will transpire.  This is, in fact, Jesus' longest, most-detailed answer to any question.  Surely, it is of great importance to believers!  Here we come to a section where it seems like Jesus is giving them (and us) encouragement to "be strong and take heart" and yet it also contains a very distinct "don't be caught off guard" warning.

Essentially, there are four take-away commands for believers in this section, says Macarthur in his Christmas sermon about what believers can present to Christ upon his second coming ~ appropriate gifts like the Magi brought at His first.  Those gifts were material and were fitting for a human king, but when our King returns, there is nothing material or physical we can present Him that will compare with the less-tangible "soul gifts" hidden here in this passage.

Firstly, He wants our vigilant anticipation.  He opens with "Be careful" and ends with "Be always on the watch."  Three short verses containing two definite calls to be on our guard.  Matthew's Gospel record of this dissertation reminds us of the people in Noah's day and how, for the 120 years it took him to build the ark, he preached the coming rains, but people laughed at him and carried on with life without a care in the world.  Only one family in the whole world at that time was vigilant and ready for God's judgment.  He warns us not to be like the people in Noah's day, carrying on like life will go on forever, but to be like Noah, in constant preparation for what's coming.

Cultivating that state of constant readiness leads to the second gift:  spiritual separation.  Vigilance leads to virtue, MacArthur says.  Verse 34 has a result clause: "Be on guard SO THAT you are not weighted down with worldliness and my return catches you underneath a load of sin."  This is a call to holy living.  True believers won't lose their salvation, but they can lose their reward if living a life separated to Christ and from the world isn't their goal.  2 John 1:8 warns us this is a possibility.

Thirdly, verse 35 implies a gift of evangelistic occupation.  God's judgment is coming on ALL the world, the whole earth, the entire human race, even the universe itself.  This knowledge should, necessarily, intensify our obligation and responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission.  MacArthur asks the haunting question, "What are we doing in this world other than being the means by which God gathers sinners to Himself?"

Lastly, He asks for our faithful continuation. Verse 36 is a call towards spiritual vitality and growth.  Getting better at anything takes practice and hard work, and it's hard to want to make time for spiritual disciplines, but there is no such thing as staying in one place spiritually.  If we're not making forward progress, we're sliding backwards.  D. A. Carson puts it like this:

“People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”  

Vigilant anticipation, spiritual separation (or holiness), fulfilling the Great Commission, faithfulness in all we do... they're hard things!  But that's what gives these gifts their high value.  It is a constant struggle to grow them so they are ready to present to our returning Savior, but He promises the rewards will be worth the effort.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: 1 John 2; Ezekiel 39-40
Monday's scripture focus passage: Luke 21:37-22:2

Tuesday, November 12 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: 1 Peter 4; Ezekiel 23-24
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 21:9-11 -

"When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.” 

Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven."

I will confess: I forgot about this post until late yesterday afternoon and just didn't have the time to spend on it like I usually do.

I am always a little conflicted by passages like this.  On the one hand, it's reassuring.  God is in control and the bad things that happen?  Part of the plan.  But on the other hand, it scares me to know that it will get worse before it gets better.  I can't help but fear for my children and grandchildren and their futures; realizing how much more depraved society will be and become over their lifetimes.  It's already deteriorated so much during my own life to this point.

And yet Jesus tells us here, "DO NOT BE TERRIFIED"!

It's hard not to be fearful when you read the newspaper or watch news on TV.  It's never good news.   Atrocities that were only in the far reaches of a few wild and twisted imaginations back when I was a child now actually happen, and with frightening regularity.  The moral fabric of our society is unraveling at lightning speed.  Reports of strange and devastating weather phenomena and natural disasters seem to be multiplying and indeed, insurance company reports testify to the reality of exponential increases in "act of God" claims over the last two decades.

How can we not fear the future?!

But we know who holds it.  He created the heavens and earth out of nothing.  He spoke, and solar systems took their places.  He breathed life into dust and mankind was born.  He healed the sick, made the lame to walk and the blind to see; He calmed the storm with just a word, and brought the dead back to life.  And that same power holds our lives secure, no matter what happens to us in this physical life.

That's how we can face the future with joy instead of anxiety.  We know how the story ends, where WE will end up.  Yes, there's dreadful stuff coming first ~ and we may even experience some of it first-hand ~ but Heaven awaits, and no matter how much we suffer in this life, it amounts to nothing against eternity there.








 



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: 1 Peter 5; Ezekiel 25-26
Monday's scripture focus passage: Luke 21:12-19

Tuesday, November 5 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: James 4; Song of Solomon 7; Ezekiel 9-10
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 20:41-44 -

Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?  For David himself says in the book of Psalms,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’

Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”

I think the thing I found most interesting about MacArthur's sermon on this passage is that the Pharisees didn't have a problem with Jesus being the Messiah.  They couldn't refute the reality that He had superior knowledge and understanding.  They couldn't argue His power over injury, disease, demons, and even death.  He was undoubtedly qualified to fill that role.  The could understandably foresee His political future and His ability to rule the world from Jerusalem.  They had no problem with the man, Jesus, claiming to be their Messiah.  They had a problem with Him claiming to be God.

You see, they were expecting the Messiah to be a man.  Yes, he would be gifted spiritually, physically, politically, supernaturally, etc., but he would still be a mere mortal.  They could not or would not grasp and embrace the concept of their promised Messiah being the same God who had chosen them through Abram, who had delivered them from Egypt ~ whom they claimed to worship.  They simply couldn't conceive or believe their long-awaited Messiah was actually God come down, living among them, preaching and teaching in human form.

Here, just a couple of days before His crucifixion, Jesus tries one last time to prove, using the Scriptures of the Old Testament, that the Messiah HAD to be both God and man.

Everyone knew the Messiah would come from David's lineage and the phrase "Son of David" was universally understood to mean this promised Deliverer.  So Jesus recites a passage where David clearly implies that his Savior-yet-to-come is in the presence of God and being addressed by God, receiving a promise of future glory.  And Jesus asks, indirectly, how can this "Lord" David mentions be just a man if He exists with God before He is even born?

This was the Pharisees' last chance to hear His voice, to acknowledge Him as the Messiah.  He didn't speak to them again after the crucifixion and resurrection.  Some Pharisees did respond and become His followers during His three-year ministry.  We don't know for certain if any more were convinced at this particular time, but apparently, the messianic nature of Psalm 110 ~ unquestioned until this point ~ suddenly became, and still is, the focus of frenzied efforts to find alternative meanings.

Even today, few have problems with Jesus being a real person, a prophet, a miracle-worker, a great teacher.  It's once we maintain His claim that He is God, that He has a right to be worshipped as Lord of our lives that the fight begins.  But following His example, let us persevere; let us continue engaging the world and proving His claim till the very end of our lives.

 



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: James 5; Song of Solomon 8; Ezekiel 11-12
Monday's scripture focus passage: Luke 20:45-47

Tuesday, October 29 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: Hebrews 12; Song of Solomon 2; Lamentations 1-2
Today's scripture focus passage: Luke 19:45-48 -

Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, saying to them, “It is written, ‘And My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a robbers' den.”

And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.

Something weird happened here on the blog when I was working on my post yesterday morning and the entire thing was over-written by the standard stuff that appears when you begin a new post.  My stuff was just... *poof* ...gone.  But thankfully for you guys, that means this post will probably be quite a bit shorter now than the original!!

We have Jesus wreaking havoc in the temple again today. He begins His ministry with a temple-cleansing and He ends it the same way.

What intrigues about this passage is if you look up the size of the Court of the Gentiles (the outermost courtyard in the temple where these merchants and money-changers would have been set up) and if you read about the number of sacrifices made at the temple for the Passover, chasing all these people out was likely no small task!!  It will have taken some time.  The account of this event in Mark's Gospel includes the tidbit that no one fled with any of their merchandise or money either, so thorough was Jesus in ridding His Father's House of these people.  That no one ventured to band together to stop Him from ruining everyone's day speaks volumes of the authority He commanded.  Several times, the Gospels mention that people marveled at Jesus' authority when He spoke.  I think they "marveled" at it here, too, but in a very different way!

It's interesting that while people were expecting the Messiah to come and overthrow the Roman government, He cleanses the temple instead.  His concern was not who happened to be in control politically, but who the spiritual leaders were and what they were teaching.  It's popular to "live like Jesus" and want to initiate, promote, and institute all sorts of social reform, but Jesus never did that.  He cleansed the temple.  It's popular to criticize our governments because they aren't doing enough to please and/or protect their citizens, but Jesus wasn't concerned with that.  He cleansed the temple.

I tend to think that's where the judgment will begin when He returns, too.  This passage and line of thinking brings to mind the horrific vision of Ezekiel where angels cleanse first the temple, then the city, killing anyone who doesn't bear the mark of one who grieves and laments the sorry state of God's people.  They are specifically instructed to start in the temple.

The beginning of all reform and revival must take place in the Church.  In MY heart and in yours.  In the hearts of our church leaders.  That's where the cleansing needs to begin.  That's where God is most concerned about it.  May we humble ourselves before the Lord voluntarily and ask for His cleansing now.

 


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: Hebrews 13; Song of Solomon 3; Lamentations 3-4
Monday's scripture focus passage: Luke 20:1-8

Thursday, October 24 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading:  Hebrews 9; Ecclesiastes 11; Jeremiah 43-44
Today's scripture focus passage:  Luke 19:11-27 ~ The Parable of Money Usage

Luke 19:11-27

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Parable of the Ten Minas

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

So today we have Jesus telling a rather strange parable.  At least, it seems a little strange at first glance.  To me it always does, anyway.  But man, there are SO MANY AMAZING THINGS crammed into these verses!!  Short of copying and pasting MacArthur's entire sermon, I'm not sure it will be possible to touch on each bit of significance without making this post far too long.

What is compelling about this story, reminds MacArthur, is that we're in it.  Every single one of us.  "There are only three possibilities. You are either a true servant of the nobleman. You are a false servant of the nobleman. Or you are his enemy. There are no other categories. It is again one of those amazing illustrations that Jesus invents that is comprehensive and embraces all of humanity."

Basically, Jesus begins with the story of Archelaus, who was the current ruler of Judea at that time, but carries it into analogy after a point.  Archelaus, a son of Herod the Great, in keeping with Roman custom, had to travel to Rome to be officially named king of a region or territory, even if it was inherited from a relative, as was the case here. But when he went, a delegation of Jews also went and protested his coronation because he was a horrible, hated ruler.  They were ineffective in their petition, and he became their Caesar-sanctioned king anyway, but it fortuitously serves Jesus' purpose in His illustration.

Jesus is, of course, referring to Himself as the nobleman here.  And there are those who are His enemies, who don't want Him to rule.  He rules anyway, as we know.  God is sovereign over non-believers just as He is over believers.  All humanity is under His rule whether we like it, know it, acknowledge it, or not.  By creation, God OWNS us.  But as we know, there are many who hate Him and deny His right to rule. This is precisely why so many are desperately attempting to prove creation is merely mythology.

I just have to insert an interesting aside here. (at least, I found it really interesting!!)  In talking about these citizens who hated the ruler, MacArthur makes this observation:

And by the way, nothing in the [parable] indicates that they had any reason to hate the nobleman. This is where the story departs from [Jewish] history. So they hated the nobleman in the story for no reason.  This is reminiscent of John 15:25, "They hated Me without a cause," Jesus said. They hated Me for no reason. Their attitude toward Archelaus was reasonable. Their attitude toward Jesus was blasphemous... 

The Jews of an earlier generation did not want Archelaus to reign over them, he slaughtered them, three thousand of them [in an initial, inaugural display of power]. The Jews of Jesus' generation didn't want him to reign over them, though on the first day of the church when He sent His Holy Spirit He gave three thousand of them eternal life. They hated Him without a cause. They hated Him without a reason."

What a stark contrast between Jesus and Archelaus!  Didja catch the numbers?  I found that kind of cool.

Anyway, movin' right along here...  Next we are introduced to the faithful servants, the ones who loved their master, the ones who cared about the responsibilities he'd given them.  Devotion motivated these servants.  And they were quite lavishly rewarded for their efforts. 

Then we see those who claim to serve Him, but don't honour Him with their lives or what He's entrusted them with.  Even the most foolish of Jesus' listeners would have known that if the third servant had cared at all about at least protecting the money he was given, he would have buried it to keep it safe.  This guy in the parable didn't even do that.  He wrapped it in a handkerchief and left it in a corner somewhere.  It could easily have been stolen.  Pure indifference is what motivated this servant.  He couldn't have cared less about his responsibility while his master was gone.  And he was justly stripped of any fellowship with his master.  He becomes an eternal waste, worthless in the kingdom.

When the master in the story gives the unfaithful servant's gift to the first servant, the onlookers ~ possibly the other servants who aren't really talked about other than in the beginning of the story when the master is equally dividing up his money ~ kind of protest and say, "He already has ten!"  MacArthur points out this is a picture of what our response often is to grace. Isn't it so characteristic of human nature to protest when someone else gets more than we think is necessary or deserved?  We so often forget that we didn't deserve the initial "mina" we all got in the beginning of the story either.  But that's exactly how grace works.

Lastly, the dissenting citizens from earlier in the story re-enter.  Not much is said.  Not much really needs to be said.  The master has them brought into his presence and executed.  Where Archelaus was hated because he unjustly, randomly slaughtered thousands of Jews, the returning King of Kings, Jesus Christ, will dispose of those who blasphemed against Him, hating Him simply because He claimed a right to their love, worship, and service, as His creation.

So there you have it ~ a story illustrating the three categories in which all of humanity fits:  the faithful, the false, and the foes.  And a sovereign God who owns them all and who is returning one day to sort them all out.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading:  Hebrews 10; Ecclesiastes 12; Jeremiah 45-46
Tomorrow's scripture focus passage:  Luke 19:28-40