Friday, November 30th: Zechariah 12-14; Revelation 4 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 12-14; Revelation 4

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord —his name alone will be worshiped.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭14:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

No more feeling like outcasts because of our faith, no more homesick feelings as we await His return, no more government issues, no more tears or pain, and no more waiting. 

One day He will return and take away all of these trials we are enduring now on this earth. His name will be the only name that is worshipped, and we will be home at last, eternally joyful with our Father and our family in Him.

Keep pressing on for this day, friends. Jesus is coming soon. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Esther 1-3, Revelation 5

Thursday, November 29th: Zechariah 9-11, Revelation 3:14-22 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 9-11, Revelation 3:14-22

Zechariah 9: 9
Rejoice, O people of Zion
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet He is humble, riding on a donkey -
riding on a donkey's colt.

This verse stood out to me because it predicts what Jesus would be like, and is correct. Jesus is our ultimate king, yet was humble and wanting to serve. At the end of the day, Jesus wanted all to turn to Him and live for Him.

He offers all of us an unbelievable deal, give our lives to Him and we get to join Him in heaven forever! When you stop and think about this, it's unbelievable that people would turn away from Him.


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Zechariah 12-14, Revelation 4

Saturday, December 30th: Zechariah 13-14; Revelation 21 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 13-14; Revelation 21

Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bridebeautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
What a beautiful glimpse of eternity we get in this passage.

There will be a new heaven and a new earth - PERFECT versions!

God will be with us.  We got a glimpse of this when Jesus walked the earth, but now we will all be able to experience it, and as complete redeemed, sinless people.

There will be no more sorrow or mourning or death or tears - what a hope, what a promise!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Malachi 1-4; Revelation 22

Friday, December 29, 2017: Zechariah 9-12; Revelation 20-by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 9-12; Revelation 20

This stood out for me from today's readings:

Zechariah 10:2b Therefore the people wander like sheep;
    they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

I think we all can identify with the wandering like a sheep. We get so wrapped up in our own busy lives that we don't even know where we are going sometimes. Without a shepherd, we are lost. As society shifts away from God and the line between truth and lie becomes blurred. Truth has become individual where nothing is true unless you choose to believe it. Morals, values, and family are corrupted. We see that Satan is succeeding at blinding people from truth and the analogy that we are sheep really fits. 

I found this piece:

Do a little bit of reading about sheep and you’ll soon see they are not survivors. They are not strong and independent creatures, not proud hunters or fierce predators. They’re actually kind of pathetic, entirely dependent upon a shepherd for at least three reasons. Two of these reasons are related to the brain of a sheep and the other is related to its body.

This is a real news story that aptly tells us the first reason sheep need a shepherd: because sheep are dumb.

Hundreds of sheep followed their leader off a cliff in eastern Turkey, plunging to their deaths this week while shepherds looked on in dismay. Four hundred sheep fell 15 metres to their deaths in a ravine in Van province near Iran but broke the fall of another 1,100 animals who survived. Shepherds from a nearby village neglected the flock while eating breakfast, leaving the sheep to roam free. The loss to local farmers was estimated at $74,000.

One sheep wandered off a cliff and 1,499 others just followed along. Can you picture it? 1,500 sheep, each walking off a cliff, one after the other. Soon they were piled so deep that the ones at the bottom were crushed to death and the ones on top were lying on a big downy-soft pillow. It is completely absurd and tells us one important fact about sheep and the first reason sheep absolutely need a shepherd: they are not the smartest animals in the world. In fact, they may well be just about the dumbest animals in the world.

And here’s a second reason sheep need a shepherd: they are directionless. Sheep are prone to wander. Even if you put them in an absolutely perfect environment with everything they need (things like green pastures and still waters), sooner or later they will just wander off. If a shepherd doesn’t manage them, if he doesn’t micromanage them and keep them under constant surveillance, they’ll wander off and be lost.

Sheep are dumb and directionless. They are also defenseless. Left to themselves, sheep will not and cannot last very long. Just about any other domesticated animal can be returned to the wild and will stand a fighting chance of survival. But not sheep. Put a sheep in the wild and you’ve just given nature a snack.

Sheep are dumb and directionless and defenseless. So I guess when God says that we are sheep who need a shepherd, he doesn’t mean it as a compliment to us. It is just a very realistic assessment of who we are and what we need. We are sheep who are completely dependent upon a shepherd. Sheep can’t fight, they can’t run away, and they can’t scare away. So what does a sheep do when danger comes? It flocks. When a bear approaches, the sheep will gather with others in a pack and run in circles in complete panic, just hoping that the bear will choose someone else. Without a shepherd to protect them, they’ll be picked off and eaten one by one.

To say that God is our shepherd and we are sheep, is to humble ourselves, admitting what is true about us, and to elevate God, declaring what is true of him. When you say, “The Lord is my shepherd,” you are saying something that ought to move your heart in praise and gratitude. To declare that God if your shepherd is to praise and glorify him because God the shepherd stoops down to care for poor, lost, not-so-smart sheep like you and me.

The good thing is that we need a shepherd and we do have one. If we submit to God, he will prevent us from following the flock over the cliff. He will lead us to the places we should be going. He will be our wisdom, our guide, and protector. We need a shepherd. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Zechariah 13-14; Revelation 21

Thursday, December 28th: Zechariah 5-8; Revelation 19 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 5-8; Revelation 19

Ray Stedman....

Chapters 7 and 8 link together in a plea of God to the people to be honest and open before him. It is again a rehearsal of their failures in his sight and then a reminder that while he is unfailing in his mercy and grace, he is unchanging in his standards. He always supplies what is necessary but he never lowers the standards. The people react as people often do, in these three ways; first (chapter 7, verse 11):

But they refused to hearken, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears that they might not hear. (Zechariah 7:11 RSV)

That is always the first step. They pretend not to hear. And then (verse 12):

They made their hearts like adamant led they should hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. (Zechariah 7:12a RSV)

They deliberately disobeyed, and then finally, they began to play the hypocrite. The chapter opens with a question of the people, "Shall we keep on with these feasts that we began in Babylon?" And God's word to them is, "Why are you doing it? Are you celebrating these feasts because you mean to worship, or simply for a religious show?"

These are some of the very ways that we avoid the will of God today. I remember years ago, one of my daughters was told by her mother to put on a green dress. It was interesting to watch her. She pretended at first not to hear. Then after her mother repeated the request several times, she openly rebelled and just said, "No. I don't want to wear that dress." And then, when it looked as though she would have to wear it, she came up to her mother and said, "Mother, I want to wear the green dress, but it is just too dirty," which was not true at all. In other words, she followed exactly the program that is outlined here. She pretended not to hear, she directly disobeyed, and then she played the hypocrite, and pretended that it was right and proper that she should disobey in this way. How accurately this catches up the inherent deceitful tendencies of the human heart!
Thankful God's message to us is that if we will return to Him, He will return to us.  He will never turn away a repentant sinner!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Zechariah 9-12; Revelation 20

Wednesday, December 27th: Zechariah 1-4, Revelation 18 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Zechariah 1-4; Revelation 18

Our reading today from Revelation reminded me of parts of our current society here in North America.

Revelation 18:3
For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries .”

Many have fallen for earthly rewards and wanted them before anything God offers, they've put them as higher priority then what God wants of us.

Revelation 18:4-5
Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “ ‘Come out of her, my people ,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;  for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.

Here we are encouraged to separate ourselves from earthly rewards, again putting God first. Do I want earthly fame and fortune ahead of what God wants from me?

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Zechariah 5-8; Revelation 19

Sunay, September 25th: Zechariah 12-14, Ezra 6:15-22, Ezra 4:6 ~ Jay

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is:Zechariah 12-14, Ezra 6:15-22, Ezra 4:6 

As I was reading through today's passages I tried to picture myself listening to the prophet back when this was written. Prophets, including Zechariah were tasked with communicating God's message that could apply to current aspects of their intended audience's faith that needed to be corrected or encouraged, descriptions of near term future events (Temple being re-built), medium term events (Christ's coming), and long term promises that even today have not yet been fulfilled.  We have the ability to look back at the Bible and history to see the fulfillment of the short and medium term promises, which provides assurance of the promises yet to be fulfilled.  We can be assured that just as God delivered on His short and medium term promises...there are many yet to come and He is faithful to His commitments.

Zechariah 14:1-   "A day of the Lord is coming," This is one of the key long term promises that we must keep in mind every day.  Do we truly believe this? There are many references in scripture to the day of Christ's return...."Thief in the Night...", "No man knows the hour or the day..." I challenge myself to bear this in mind and if I began each day with this thought around Christ's return (today could be the day)....how differently would I prioritize and conduct myself?

The other key thought I took away from today's reading was around the fact that God can change the hearts and thoughts of even His fiercest enemies to fulfill His promises. In Ezra 6:22- "For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread,because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel."   We cannot fully comprehend the power of God's Spirit, and we must remain faithful even in the midst of fierce opposition ...as God is faithful to His promises and demands that same faithfulness from us. Strong individuals who oppose us are no match for a God who has the ability to change people's hearts, to accomplish His will.

Prayer- Thank you Lord for your faithfulness and commitment to fulfill your promises in spite of our inconsistency. May we be reminded every day, that this could be the day of Your return and live accordingly.    

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:

Saturday, September 24th: Ezra 5:3-17, Ezra 6:1-14, Zechariah 7-11 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Ezra 5:3-17, Ezra 6:1-14, Zechariah 7-11

The portion of our passage that stood out to me today was Zechariah 11, the section about the good and evil shepherds.

Zechariah acting out the role of shepherd demonstrated how God would reject His people because they rejected him, and how God would let them fall into the clutches of evil shepherds.   The shepherd staff named "Favor" was broken to show that God's covenant with His people was broken, and the staff named "Union" was broken to show that the unity between Judah and Israel was broken. It wasn't long after this that the Jews began to divide into many different groups - Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Herodians, and Zealots - a broken union indeed!

I appreciated the prophetic significance of v12-13.

v12 speaks about paying the shepherd 30 pieces of silver - which was insulting.  It's the same price paid to an owner for a slave gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32), but it's also the same amount of money Judas received for betraying Jesus (Matthew 27:3-10).  As my Life Application Bible says: The priceless Messiah was sold for the price of a slave.   

In v13 the 30 coins are thrown to the potter in the Temple of the Lord. In Matthew 27, Judas' 30 coins were returned to the temple and used to buy a potter's field.

And, of course, this passage reminds us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and that He is the one we should follow.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Zechariah 12-14, Ezra 6:15-22, Ezra 4:6

Friday, September 23rd: Ezra 5:2, Haggai 2:20-23, Zechariah 1:7-6:15 ~ Conrad

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Ezra 5:2, Haggai 2:20-23, Zechariah 1:7-6:15

"The angel said to those who were standing before him, 'Take off his filthy clothes.'  Then he said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken away your sin, and I put fine garments on you.'"  Zechariah 3:4

How often do we judge someone by the way they are dressed and the clothes they are wearing?  I remember when I first started to work in retail sales, I was encouraged to try to see what kind of vehicle the customer drives and to take note of the clothes and jewellery they wear, and to just overall take note of how well they took care of themselves.

I can also recall a time when I was in junior high and someone in my class would tuck in their shirt only in the place that exposed the expensive brand name of the jeans they were wearing.

Quite often the clothes we wear can change how we psychologically feel about ourselves.  For us, clothing is something we wear and typically provides a perception for which social status group we belong to.

Clothing in the Bible is often more than something to wear.  For example, Joseph's coat of many colours was pictured as a "favoured" place in the family.  Even priests would wear special garments to perform their duties.  Kings would wear purple robes to display their wealth and power.  People even tore their robes and sometimes put on sackcloth to express grief.

Clothing in the bible is symbolic.  One of the most important pictures for God's forgiveness and salvation is that of putting on new, clean clothes.  To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and receiving Him, is like putting Him on as a garment.

We like to dress to impress, but who are we impressing?  Are we dressing with brand names so we can impress friends, family or strangers?  Or are we dressed with the Holy Spirit so we can impress our God and Saviour?


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Ezra 5:3-17, Ezra 6:1-14, Zechariah 7-11

Thursday, September 22: Daniel 12, Ezra 4:24-5:1, Haggai 1:1-2:9, Zechariah 1:1-6, Haggai 2:10-19 ~Cameron

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Daniel 12, Ezra 4:24-5:1, Haggai 1:1-2:9, Zechariah 1:1-6, Haggai 2:10-19

A smattering of versus with a scattering of thoughts:

"Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to sham and everlasting disgrace." Daniel 12:2

A note in my commentary caught my eye. The specific Hebrew phrase "everlasting life" only occurs here in the Old Testament. The concept of eternal rewards is a fascinating study, especially as it is alluded to on the Old Testament. It is an item on my bucket list of things to study deeply.


"But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end..." Daniel 12:4a

I love a good story and here is a plot idea that I'm sure has already been made into a novel. Reading these early verses, Daniel does what he is told and writes what he is supposed to write. That could mean Daniel wrote another book, one that has been sealed and hidden to be found when it is needed most. Sounds like a best seller to me.


"...when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase." Daniel 12:4b

I don't subscribe to the end times are imminent paradigm. Verses like this have been referenced through history as a sign the end is near with no fulfillment. But it is an alluring idea that soon things will be complete, and we will see the Almighty return in Power and Glory. For all the wonders we can see with physical eyes, nothing will prepare us for that moment if we are blest to experience it.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Ezra 5:2, Haggai 2:20-23, Zechariah 7-11

Wednesday, December 30th: Zechariah 13-14, Luke 24:1-35 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 13-14; Luke 24:1-35

Zechariah 13:7 “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
Jesus quoted from this verse just before His arrest (Matthew 26:31-32).  He knew His disciples would desert Him when He was arrested.  Are we ready to stand up for Jesus when to do so may cost us something?

The righteous remnant, those that do follow Jesus no matter the cost, are who v9 refers to....
And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.
The first coming of Jesus, that we celebrate at Christmas time, was not the time for judgment, but rather for mercy.  He was not ruler or warrior, but rather He came as a sacrifice for us.  But the second coming will be different. He will return to judge and reign over the whole earth.  We must be sure to live in obedience and spiritual readiness as we await His return.  He is coming!


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Malachi 1-4; Luke 24:36-53

Tuesday, December 29th: Zechariah 9-12, Luke 23: 26-56 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 9-12; Luke 23:26-56

The first verse in our reading from Zechariah that stood out to me was

9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey

Jesus,  who was righteous,  came humbly to save us. He came to offer forgiveness to all of us. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. 

This ties into the other verse I highlighted later in chapter 10,

10:6 I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.

Just as God forgave and restored Judah, His son offers to forgive and restore us. Once forgiven,  our sins are forgotten and we can be free. This is true freedom that satisfies,  which is unlike the freedom we think we have in Canada where we can do what we want under the law. Freedom found after  forgiveness is what we should crave,  not the ability to do what we want with our material items, which only temporarily satisfies.

In our reading from Luke, we see in verse 28 how Jesus was focused on saving souls,  even at one of His most painful times, 

28: Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children

Jesus could have focused on Himself,  He was in extreme pain and stress,  and knew the worst was yet to come. But He loved those around enough to warn them that the real tragedy is not what He was going through,  but those that don't accept Him as their Lord and Saviour.

Another thing that I took note of was how the one criminal that hung beside Jesus was wise enough to recognize that Jesus was righteous and able to save. This man made a last minute conversion and will therefore be waiting for us in Heaven. Goes to show it's never to late as long as a person is still breathing.

Again,  the story of Jesus being crucified is extremely humbling, and an amazing display of His love for us. We can never repay this,  but we can ask for forgiveness and give our lives to Him, then join Him one day in Heaven!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage:  Zechariah 13-14; Luke 24:1-35

Monday, December 28th: Zechariah 5-8, Luke 23:1-25 ~Conrad

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 5-8, Luke 23:1-25 

9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another."  Zechariah 7:9

Reading this verse painted a picture of peace to me.  On Christmas Eve we attended the church service at the church that a brother of mine and his girlfriend attend.  As I was reading this passage, it made me think of one of the verses that their pastor spoke about; Luke 2:14.  It reads, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." KJV

Peace does not happen on its own.  A good example is the world we live in.  There is a lack of trust amongst people.  If we don't get the upper hand in a deal, it means we've lost - there is no "fair deal" concept.  Society says that if it feels right, to do it; even if it means taking advantage of someone else.   

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, justice means the process or result of using laws to fairly judge and punish crimes and criminals.  To fairly judge someone is difficult for someone in a fallen, sinful world.  I'll get back to this one a little later on……...  

When was the last time I showed mercy to someone?   I think of Neil from our church who had the right to enforce punishment towards the person who put him in the state that his is in.  But he did not.  He demonstrated true mercy to that individual!  Do I have the heart to do that?  Can I show mercy like the verse says we ought to?

Do I have compassion of others?  Compassion is not just having the feelings of sympathy or sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, but having a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.  

This is a hard verse for me to implement in my own life which is why it stood out to me.  In order to implement these commands, we are required to put our own selfish desires to the side and to put others first.  In other words, to do goodwill toward men.  Maybe the world needs a little more of that!   

In our NT reading, Pilate discovers that Jesus is from Galilee and he sees a possible opportunity to pass this problem off to Herod, who was the governor of that region, and he just so happens to be in Jerusalem at the this time.  Well, his plan doesn't work, as Herod and his people simply mock and torment Jesus before they send Him back to Pilate.  Luke tells us that Pilate explained to the Jewish leadership that neither he nor Herod could find a capital offence regarding Jesus.

Even though Pilate found Jesus not guilty, he was still willing to have Him illegally beaten in order to satisfy the chief priests and the people (vs 16).  

We do live in a fallen and sinful world.  We cave in to what others want, and Pilate was no different.  He told the people in the crowds "no" three times, but it was their relentless shouting that prompted Pilate to grant the people their desires.  Jesus was not judged fairly.  He was not shown true justice.

Because of God's plan and Jesus' obedience, we will all experience true justice one day.  Jesus has shown us mercy by following his Father's plan and paying for our sins.  We will witness His compassion when we are with Him in Heaven, and all our pains with be gone; He will have alleviated our sufferings by dying on the cross for us!

Jesus lived out this verse, and I pray that I will have the desire to do the same.   


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Zechariah 9-12; Luke 23:26-56

Sunday, December 27th: Zechariah 1-4, Luke 22:47-71 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Zechariah 1-4; Luke 22:47-71

Zechariah was written during the time the exiles had returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple, but the work had stalled.  Zechariah and Haggai confronted and encouraged the people to continue the work.  But Zechariah's message went further than that, and gave hope to God's people by telling them of the Messiah to come, whose birth we celebrate during this Christmas season.

My Life Application bible says this about the visions Zechariah recorded in the first 4 chapters...

(1:7-17) Zechariah sees messengers reporting to God that the surrounding nations that have oppressed Judah are living in careless and sinful ease. Israel was asking, "Why isn't God punishing the wicked?" Wicked nations may prosper, but not forever. God will bring upon them the judgment they deserve.

(1:18-21) Zechariah sees four horns, representing the four world powers that oppressed and scattered the people of Judah and Israel. Then he sees four craftsmen who will throw down the horns. God will do what he promised. After the evil nations have carried out his will in punishing his people, God will destroy these nations for their sin.

(2:1-13) Zechariah sees a man measuring the city of Jerusalem. The city will one day be full of people, and God himself will be a wall around the city.  The city will be restored in God's future kingdom. God will keep his promise to protect his people.

(3:1-10) Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before God. Joshua's filthy clothes are exchanged for clean garments; Satan's accusations against him are rejected by God. The story of Joshua the high priest pictures how the filthy clothes of sin are replaced with the pure linen of God's righteousness. Christ has taken our clothes of sin and replaced them with God's righteousness.

(4:1-14) Zechariah sees a lampstand that is continually kept burning by an unlimited reservoir of oil. This picture reminds the people that it is only through God's Spirit that they will succeed, not by their own might and resources.  The Spirit of God is given without measure. Human effort does not make a difference. The work of God is not accomplished in human strength.

Perhaps this is why Peter denied Jesus three times in our NT passage.  He was sure of himself and his own ability to follow God, but his inability to stand in tough times proved that his own strength was not enough.  Thankfully, Peter turned to Jesus for forgiveness, and his story turned out far differently than Judas'.

May we remember not to trust in our own strength, but to rely on God's power.  It is the only way we can live faithful lives in service to Him.



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Zechariah 5-8; Luke 23:1-25

Monday, Dec. 12 - Jody

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is: Zechariah 13-14, Revelation 3-4

Happy Monday Everyone!

Scripture
¹ “To the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits^[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
⁴ Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. ⁶ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Observation
By all ourward appearances, the believers in Sardis seemed to be believers. But they were dead in spirit. In this commentary, I found:
The believers in Sardis, however, do not have the Spirit of God. They had obviously received the
Spirit before, since their names were written in the book of life. But they do not enjoy the fullness of the Spirit. Their clothes are soiled and thus the Spirit had departed from them. They had fallen asleep and they departed from the grace they had originally received. We could use this epistle and tell Calvin that, obviously, not all saints persevere. God is faithful and eternally immutable, but if we receive the pardon of our sins and then fall asleep, our life is endangered. It is as dangerous as falling asleep with fire in our hands.There is a step we must make after conversion by which we burn our bridges behind us and make our relationship with God irrevocable. The church in Sardis had the reputation of being alive, but they were dead. The fact that Jesus mentions the seven starts in this context suggests a relationship between the condition of the leader of the church and the state of the church. Spiritual death had entered the church via its leader.

Application
The leaders of the church were looking around at other churches and judging their "spiritual success" based on what other pastors and churches were doing. By doing this, the leaders allowed spiritual death into the church by not using God's standards to measure spiritual health.

There are a couple of specific action steps I see coming out of this passage and commentary:
1) Pray for our church leaders. Pray wisdom, clarity to hear the voice of God and that God's will is the only measuring stick used for church success.
2) Ask questions, seek answers for yourself on the messages and studies done in your church. Not out of doubt, but out of truth seeking and to avoid putting your faith in church leadership.
3) Stop comparing your church to others. Worry about your own state of affairs and make sure that God is at the right place in your heart and your church. Don't put your "church success" above others. This is not the accurate measure of success. Pray for other churches in the same way you pray for your own. That the spirit of God is present throughout each and every heart!!

Prayer
Father God, make us aware. Open our eyes and hearts to YOUR spirit and be alive in us. Help us to avoid comparing our spiritual walk with other people and other churches. Be alive in each one of us by your standards, none other. Thank you for your grace that you extend each and every day. Amen.


Tomorrow's passage:   Psalm 74-76, Revelation 5

Saturday, December 10-guest post by Pamela

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Zechariah 9-10; Revelation 1

Scripture: Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Observation: God is beyond our human capacity to understand.

Application: As I read this portion of today's reading, this single verse stood out for me. Perhaps it is because I am doing the Jesse Tree devotions with my family (and also with my students at school) that I am again reminded about how God is, was, and yet to be. As we examine the stories that make up the fabric of the Christmas story, the way it all fits together is breathtaking. Only God, the maker and creator of it all, could possibly be able to orchestrate such an amazingly complex tapestry.

Many of my Grade 1 students, despite being in a Christian school, do not attend church. These stories from the bible that I have heard my entire life take on new meaning as I share them with children that are hearing them for the first time. As I read through the devotion about God creating everything out of nothing, I relived the story through their eyes and we imagined how there was nothing...and then God spoke it and it was so. How amazing!

As we've journeyed through the 9 stories so far, we can see God's hand leading and guiding each story to the need for a Saviour. How the world he created and saw as good, became full of sin. And yet, God already knew that it would and he already had a plan to bring us back to him. He let everything happen--in His time-according to His purpose. Our limited human capacity for understanding tries to make sense of circumstances and situations that do not make sense but it is impossible. Only God, who sees it all, can make it clear.

The Alpha and Omega-the beginning and the end. t=This seems impossible to understand because it sounds so completely opposite. As we approach Christmas, this theme is echoed in the Christmas story as the World's most powerful king is born in a stable. It seems so completely opposite and yet it makes perfect sense as a part of God's plan right from the start.

Prayer: Dear Lord. You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. You are the Almighty Saviour. We come before you as imperfect and undeserving humans who often fall short of understanding just what it means for You to be all-knowing and all powerful and forever. Thank you for knowing exactly what we need, when we need it, and how to give it to us. Thank you for sending Jesus as a part of Your plan right from the beginning as a way to bring us back to You. Be with us and increase our understanding so that we might catch a glimpse of how You have everything all worked out already. Amen.

Tomorrow's passage: Zechariah 11-12 - Revelation 2

Friday, December 9 ~ tammi

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Zechariah 5-8; Jude 1.

I really don't want to spend much time in Zechariah today, though, of course, there is much that could be said.  Mostly, we see a series of prophesies that move in succession from God's judgement of sinful people and of evil itself, to the restoration once again of the Holy City and God's chosen people.  Zechariah's prophesies came during the time the temple was being rebuilt after the exile and these reminders and promises from God were to keep the people's hearts mindful of their mistakes in the past and dedicated to steadfastly, whole-heartedly serving God in the future.

It being the Christmas season, one can't go without pointing out the obvious allusion to the coming Messiah in 6:9-15, where Zechariah makes it known that He will be both high priest AND king, which, of course, since the time of the Israelites' deliverance, had been two very separate positions of rulership.  Christ is already our Great High Priest, ruling in the hearts of believers, but will someday return as King of Kings to rule the physical world as well.  We see and hear "separation of Church and State!!" everywhere, but someday under Christ, they will be united again.  I find that extremely encouraging!

Okay, now that I've already said more about Zechariah than I originally intended, let's move on to Jude!

Jude is an interesting little book, warning believers against false teaching and apostasy and this time I tunred to John Piper, who makes a couple of very good points about this letter in his message on just the first few verses, which he feels contain the central theme ~ contending for the faith.

But before Jude really gets to the "meat" of his letter, he opens with very comforting words to Christians. He describes us as called, loved, and kept by God. All three verbs are passive  ~ they have nothing to do with OUR accomplishments. They stress the action of God. Jude stresses the security of the believer in God's electing and preserving love.  He ends his letter in similar encouraging fashion, but sandwiched in between these two comforting, empowering bookends is a call to be vigilant, to take up arms and FIGHT.

Piper makes a good point about how we're to understand all this encouraging stuff in light of the "call to arms" that makes up the main purpose of the letter:  Just because the brilliant Commander in Chief promises victory on the beaches doesn't mean the troops can throw their weapons overboard. The promise of victory assumes valor in battle. When God promises that his church will be kept from defeat, his purpose is not that we lay down our sword and go to lunch, but that we pick up the sword of the Spirit and look confidently to God for the strength to fight and win. Wherever the promised security of God is used to justify going AWOL, we may suspect there is a traitor in the ranks. (all emphasis mine)

Which brings us to the main point of this little book of Jude:  the duty of every genuine believer to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Piper draws four conclusions from these verses, namely:

1. There is a faith ~ ONE faith ~ ONCE for ALL, DELIVERED to the Saints.  Sometimes it is necessary to stress that Christianity is primarily a relationship with Jesus rather than a set of ideas about Jesus, because orthodoxy doesn't save.  But if our stress on the personal relationship with Jesus leads us to deny that there is a set of truths essential to Christianity, we make a grave mistake. There are truths about God and Christ and man and the church and the world which are essential to the life of Christianity. If they are lost or distorted, the result will not be merely wrong ideas but misplaced trust. The inner life of faith is not independent from the doctrinal statement of faith. When doctrine goes bad, so do hearts. There is a body of doctrine which must be preserved.

2. This faith is WORTH contending for, but we must be careful to discern between the body of doctrine itself and its applications in our lives.  Application of doctrine should NOT be an area of contention among believers (though it SO OFTEN IS!) because the Holy Spirit moves and convicts us all differently and independently as a rule.

It's tough to imagine contending, to the point of martyrdom, for a simple statement.  For loved ones, yes.  In nobler moments, even other people in general.  But for a statement of faith?  Tough to imagine.  The blood of the martyrs is a powerful testimony that the faith once for all delivered to the saints is worth contending for, because when the faith is at stake, salvation is at stake. If the truth is lost, salvation is lost. The apostles and reformers were willing to die for the sake of the faith because they cared about whether the message of salvation would be preserved—they cared about people and about the glory of God.

We need to gain a whole new sense of the preciousness of biblical doctrine.

3. This faith is repeatedly threatened from WITHIN THE CHURCH.  Piper cited numerous examples of Christians martyred at the command of Queen Mary of England, who lost their lives simply because they didn't agree Christ's body was literally present in the communion sacrements.  However, he reminds us that "Bloody Mary" wasn't a pagan barbarian.  She was a professing Christian. "The worst enemies of Christian doctrine are professing Christians who do not hold to the faith once for all delivered to the saints." (emphasis mine)

New Testament teachings repeatedly show us that the greatest threats will continuously come from within the Church.  From those who wouldn't outrightly say "Jesus' teachings don't matter," but rather something more subtle, like: "If we are saved by grace, then it doesn't matter what we do morally. In fact when a Christian sins, it only serves to magnify the grace of God."  "They turn the grace of God against the commandments of Christ and in effect deny the lordship of Jesus."

4. Every genuine believer should contend for the faith.  This letter of Jude is not written to a pastor but to all believers everywhere.  The duty to contend for the faith is, therefore, not just the duty of the ordained ministers of the Word, though they do have a special responsibility. It is the duty of every genuine believer.

The best thing we can do to become a church that is effective in contending for the faith is to become a church well built on the faith. "Build yourselves up on your most holy faith." Study! Meditate! Build! Grow! There is so much wonderful truth about God to learn. And the best defense of the faith is to know it and love it, which is why this blog was started!  Piper also maintains that prayer is an indispensable part of contending for the faith.

Piper concludes by saying we need to remember that contending for the faith can be done in two ways: by intellectual effort or by moral reclamation. Sometimes only one approach is necessary or will work, sometimes a combination will be required. In reality these things always go together: an effort to change the mind and an effort to change the morals. Contending for the faith is never merely an academic exercise. It is never merely mental. "Because the source of all false doctrine is not the weakness of man's mind, but the pride of his heart."

This is why Jude tells us to grow and pray and stay in the love of God and depend on His mercy before anything is said about contending for the faith. The best argument for the faith is when the saints live it. The way you contend is as important as the content of your arguments.

Don't win with your logic and lose with your life.





Tomorrow's readings: Zechariah 9-10; Revelation 1

* As an aside, Jude presents some of the greatest ammunition for those who argue the Scripture is incomplete and/or infallible because he quotes or makes reference to two separate written works that are not included in the Orthodox Canon of Scripture ~ The Assumption of Moses (referred to in v9) and the Apocryphal book, 1 Enoch (ref. v14).

I think what's most interesting to me about all the fuss is that we seem to accept it when Paul quotes pagan poets and philosophers or when the inspired Scriptures record that Gamaliel spoke to the Sanhedrin in somewhat prophetic words, or Caiaphas prophesied about Jesus' death being a "once and for all" sacrifice, and yet here in Jude, including "uninspired" texts/authors/speakers is a problem.  Doesn't that seem a little inconsistent?  Anyway, if you're interested in reading a little more about the controversy and a good, not-too-lengthy look at the three main reasons it shouldn't really be a problem, click here.

I am SO SORRY for the WICKED LONG post!!!! I just couldn't bring myself to cut anything else out!

Thursday, December 8 ~ Miriam

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Zechariah 1-4; 3 John 1.

So.  Zechariah's job is, at least in part, to encourage the people.  According to a study by Hampton Keathley IV on bible.org, the purpose of Zechariah's writings was as follows:

Zechariah was written to comfort and encourage the returned remnant to repent of their evil ways, to return to the Lord and to rebuild the temple. The people who had just returned from exile felt like their efforts were insignificant and the future was uncertain. They weren’t even an independent nation - just a client state of a mighty empire. Zechariah’s message focuses on the future and proclaims that God would send the Messiah to establish His Kingdom through the destruction of the Gentile empires and the salvation of His people Israel.


...the way Zechariah motivates the depressed remnant is by focusing on the future and God’s fulfillment of His promises. He begins by recording a series of visions which portray God’s plans for Israel’s future. 


I'm just going to take a portion of Mr. Keathley's discussion on the first few verses of chapter 1 and what they have to say about repentance.  There is a lot of great information on the rest of the book in the study, so if you have the time and the desire I would encourage you to read it.


Repentance and return are always the means by which the blessing of God may be experienced by Israel. The repentance Zechariah is referring to is from Jer 42:10-19. Repentance for Jeremiah’s audience meant recognizing that what God was doing in discipline was what was deserved. Jeremiah warned the people that they needed to stay and face the discipline from God (i.e. go into exile to Babylon). What is the message of Habakkuk? The just shall live by faith and faithfulness. Habakkuk said he would wait on the Lord. So the right response of the people to Jeremiah was to recognize that this was the discipline of the Lord and go submissively into exile. To resist the discipline of God would cause you to end up in a discipline that was far worse and would ultimately cost you your life. Those that went into exile were told how to live in exile (Daniel? ) making the best of it and actually experiencing some of the blessing of God. Many fled to Egypt thinking that would save them, but they died there. So, repentance meant recognizing that God did to them what they deserved. When was the last time you thanked God for discipline? We should, because it is an assurance that He is actively involved in your life and will also bless you for obedience. This is a common theme in Zechariah because they are just coming out of a time of discipline. (emphasis mine)


Whooooo-ee, when are we ever thankful for discipline?  Usually not until WAY after the fact (if at all), when we can see the results that came from it.  I remember after I'd been living on my own for a few months writing a letter or card or something to my parents and thanking them for some of the things they'd taught me that were hard lessons at the time, but helped to prepare me for being on my own.  I sure didn't appreciate some of those lessons while they were going on, but what if I hadn't learned them?  Any lessons you can think of that you hated to learn, but realized later their value?


Mr. Keathley goes on to say that too often we try to escape situations or circumstances instead of going through them - of course we do!  Who wants to go every day to a job where someone is giving them a hard time, or come home every day to a spouse who seems to have forgotten all the reasons why he or she loved them, or live every day feeling worthless, useless, lethargic and depressed?  But he says - [We] want to escape hard times through suicide, quitting, divorce, etc.  What we are doing is demanding that God bring us relief now and if he won’t, then we will take care of it ourselves.  Ouch.  Did that stamp on anyone else's toes?  I've obviously not committed suicide, nor have I gotten divorced, but how many things have I quit something without seeking God's will?  There are times where God will say "Yes, quit.  I have something else for you."  But there will be times where He will say "No, this is something you have to go through."


If you are in the middle of a bad marriage, or a bad job situation, or a struggle with drugs, alcohol, depression, eating disorder, etc. and you trust God through it, you are a testimony to God’s faithfulness because most people bail out when the going gets tough.


Happy Thursday!

 Tomorrow's passage:  Zechariah 5-8, Jude 1.

September 13th

Today's reading from the One Year Bible Chronological Reading Plan is Zechariah 9-14

This passage is filled with amazing prophecies of both Jesus first and second comings to earth.

The question that struck me is - would there have been any way for the Jews of that time to realize that these prophecies spoke of Christ's first and second coming?

We have the benefit of seeing this from hindsight. We know that Jesus was born, grew up, ministered to people for 3 years and then was crucified and rose from the dead again, returning to heaven until the unknown but certain day of His second return.

But they didn't.

And I wonder. Who would I have believed Jesus to be if I had lived when He came the first time?

Because His coming did not fulfill all of the prophecies - some are yet to be fulfilled.

Consider Zechariah 9:9 and 10

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Verse 9 was obviously fulfilled with the triumphal entry of Jesus riding into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11). But Verse 10 has yet to be fulfilled.

Were those who didn't believe that Jesus was the Christ skeptical/unbelieving because they were expecting all the prophecies to be fulfilled at once? A possibility that's for sure.

We have the gift of the Holy Spirit (promised in Zechariah 12:10 and fulfilled at Pentecost), we have the benefit of both the Old Testament and New Testament.

We are without excuse.

What will we do with these blessings? Give the Word a cursory glance now and again, or worse yet, leave it on the shelf collecting dust? Ignore the Spirit's nudges in our hearts?

With greater knowledge comes greater responsibility. Let us not abuse the amazing priviledge we have been given.

One thing is certain, just as the prophesies of Christ's birth have been fulfilled, so will the prophecies of His second coming be fulfilled. We do not know the timing, and so we need to be prepared - in obedience and spiritual readiness.

Come Lord Jesus!

Tomorrow's passage: Ezra 6:14-22, Ezra 4:6, Esther 1-4

Sunday

Today's reading from the One Year Bible Chronological Reading Plan is Zechariah 6, Ezra 5:3-6:14, Zechariah 7-8
I am unable to do a post today. Could everyone please share there thoughts or helpful links for the passage? Thank you.



Tomorrow's passage:
Zechariah 9-14:21