Monday, February 20th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 22-23

Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 11:7

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

From MacArthur's sermon Noah and the Obedience of Faith...(emphasis mine)
 No man comes to God by works but all men who truly come to God will give evidence of the faith that they have by the things that they do. And that's the distinction. No man reaches God by good works, nobody is good enough. But works will always be a result of having come to God....


the new covenant is not teaching something new, faith has always been the only way to God. The people in the Old Testa­ment believed God, it says of Abraham he believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. All the Old Testament people listed in chapter 1.1, it says by faith Abel, by faith Enoch, by faith Noah, by faith Abraham, by faith, by faith, by faith, and He is just saying this is always the way it's always been. And so it's nothing new. It's nothing new. But it needs to be redefined because they have long ago forgotten it and drifted into a works system...


The record of Abel shows us the worship of God. The record of Enoch shows us the worship and the walk with God. And in Noah we see one who worshiped God, walked with God, and worked for God. So it just takes us another step. Progressive steps in the relationship of faith.....


Now the choice is the same for every man, you may live as if the message of God was of little value or else you may live as if the message of God was of absolute importance, the most important thing in the world.

When warned about things not yet seen
When God told Noah to build an ark, Noah didn't see any water - he didn't live near an ocean, he didn't see it rain (it had never rained on the earth before!).  He had no physical reason to believe God.  But he still believed, by faith, and moved by fear.
in holy fear
The word fear may give you an erroneous impression that Noah acted under the influence of fright, but the Greek word means to reverence. He did it because he reverenced God's word. And God told him to do it.
By his faith he condemned the world
Noah preached judgment - for 120 years, every time he chopped down a tree, sawed a plant, drove a spike he preached that judgement was coming, find refuge in God.  For 120 years!  With NO response!  Can you even imagine that?  That kind of faith?!  It's incredible.  I doubt after a week of seemingly unanswered prayer - nevermind 120 years!

Here is a very cool quote from MacArthur's sermon...

Watch this, this is a point that just thrills me. Look at verse 21 of chapter 5. "And Enoch lived sixty and five years," just a kid, "and he begot Methuselah," he had a son. That's great. Now you say - What's the significance of Methuselah? Well, his name is significant. Listen to this, his name means - when he is dead, it shall be sent - hang on to that one, that's worth at least a quarter, when he is dead it shall be sent. Isn't that an interesting thing to name your son? When he is dead it shall be sent ... in -that name is divine revelation. It was as though God said to Enoch, - You see that baby, Enoch, that baby you just had? The world will last as long as he lives. Are you with me? The world will last as long as he lives. For when he is dead, then it shall be sent. What shall? The great deluge in destruction that came. So the world was to last as long as the son of Enoch lived.

First Peter 3:10 says this; 3:20 says; "The long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah." What was God waiting for? He was waiting for Methusaleh to die. And God said - I'm not going to send judgment, by, the very name of Methusaleh, until he dies. How long did Methusaleh live? Longer than any man in the history of the world ever lived. Does that tell you a little bit about God's grace? Does it? Nine-hundred and sixty-nine years. So, before you impugn the justice of God, look again. He was so merciful. It should impress us to know that His grace is that way. What an exhibition of mercy. He waited almost 1,000 years for men to change. They only went further and further and further away. 

Isn't that incredible?!

and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

The only way to receive righteousness is by faith.

Do you want to be like Noah?  I do!

We're living in a world that's awaiting judgment, just like Noah.

I want to have a faith that obeys no matter how inconceivable or incomprehensible God's commands are.  I want to have a faith that rebukes wickedness.  I want to have a faith that established me, in the sight of God, as righteous.

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 11:8-10

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Leviticus 24-25

Sunday, February 19th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 19-21

Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 11:5-6

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Enoch pleased God, he lived by faith, he believed God, he sought God.  MacArthur has a very interesting sermon on Enoch - I didn't know we knew so much about Enoch from the few verses about him in Genesis, Hebrews and Jude!

To please God, we must believe that He is, and that He is the God that He claims to be.  Like Enoch did.

We must seek Him with our whole heart, believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  Like Enoch did.

We need to walk with God - in reconciliation, as a new creation, cleansed of our sin and dedicated to living in holiness, surrendering to Him as Lord of our lives, enjoying spiritual fellowship with God, by faith.  Like Enoch did.

We need to speak the truth as well.  Enoch preached (see Jude 1:14-15) judgment of God on sinners because God told him to and he believed Him (he never saw the judgment, he never saw the flood, he certainly never saw the final judgment still to come, but God told him and he believed Him).  He didn't just keep his faith in his heart, he put it on his lips.  We need to speak the truth, like Enoch did.

And what happened as a result?

By faith he was taken into the very presence of God.

May we live like Enoch!

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 11:7

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Leviticus 22-23

Saturday, February 18th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 16-18

Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 11:4

4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

God has always intended works to be the result of salvation, not the way of salvation.

From MacArthur,

he wants to show the Jewish reader particu­larly and all men for that matter, but particularly the Jewish reader, the Hebrews that they have always been related to God on the basis of faith, that they never had a works system. That faith has always been that which pleased God, and of course the statement, "The just shall live by faith," is a quote from Habakkuk, one of their own prophets who said that. And so he wants to re-establish in their minds the character of faith and the absolute nature of faith by which a man comes to God. So he does it by defining it and then by giving illustrations from the history of Israel of men of faith.

Now the first example of faith was Abel....

In Abel we see a man worshiping, bringing a sacrifice, beginning the life of faith. And you never begin the life of faith until you come on the basis of sacrifice, right? Even today we don't come to God and just say, God I'm deciding to walk with You. Like the song says, I'll walk with God da- da, da- da, da- da. Well that's a nice sentiment. The only way you'll ever walk with God is when you come to God to begin with on the basis of a sacrifice, and the only sacrifice that opens up the way to God is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Abel illustrates that, he came to God and worshiped through sacrifice. 

From his previous sermon...
 You know there's nothing at all in the text to indicate that Abel was any better than Cain? They were both sinners. The only thing that obtained righteousness for Abel was he did what God told him, Cain didn't. That's the only difference. That's the only thing that changes any man's relationship to God, it's not how good you are, it's not that you're better or worse than anybody else, it's that you came to God on the terms that God set down, that's all He asks. Abel was as much a sinner as Cain but he believed God and he obeyed and because of that faith was counted to him for righteousness and God accepted him. You see it's that kind of faith that enables God to move in on our behalf and make us righteous. Do you know that true faith is always obedient, do you know that? Always....


what is Abel saying to us? Three point sermon. Number one, man comes to God by faith not works, did you hear him say that? Point number two, man cannot follow reason and ignore revelation, he must abide by God's standard and obey it. Point number three, sin is severely punished for the one who doesn't obey. So Abel is the preacher, and he preaches a timeless sermon, and it says in effect just what the Holy Spirit wanted the reader's of Hebrews to hear, "The just shall live (what?) by faith."

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 11:5-6

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Leviticus 19-21

Friday, February 17th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 14-15

Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 11:3

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

The physical universe was created by God, at His command.  It was not made out of anything visible, but rather out of the invisible - God's power.  Believers accept this by faith.  We did not see it.  But we know it because God said in His Word that it is true.

According to MacArthur,
we've seen a definition of faith, it gives a present reality to a future fact, it furnishes enough conviction so that you bet your life on it, it secures the blessing and the approval of God and it enables you to understand what the philosophers and scientists of the world cannot understand, it enables you to perceive the things that are not open to the senses.

Creation truly is above the logic of man to understand.  We simply can't understand or explain it logically beyond a shadow of a doubt.

It takes faith to accept evolution, it takes faith to accept creation.  But creation is God's account and therefore, I believe what He said, and accept it by faith.

Tomorrow's scripture focus:  Hebrews 11:4

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Leviticus 16-18

Thursday, February 16 ~ Miriam

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 11-13.

Today's scripture focus is  Hebrews 11:1-2.

 ¹ Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ² This is what the ancients were commended for.


Verse 1 has to be one of my most favourite verses.  


Some people refuse to believe in God because they can't see Him and they feel that putting their faith in Someone they can't see or hear or touch is ridiculous,  and therefore they refuse to believe that the world was created by Him... but because they have to find some explanation of how the world came to be without God, they choose instead to believe an unprovable theory that requires every bit as much blind faith as belief in creation and God does.  Does anyone else find that strange?  It comes down to choosing where you place your faith, not whether or not to have faith.  


I don't pretend for a second to understand the science involved in attempting to prove or disprove evolution.  Truthfully, I'm actually not that interested in it.  I do know, however, that nothing has ever been conclusively proven to uphold evolution.  Therefore, it must be admitted that belief in the "big bang" or any other theory of how the world and everything in it came to be is based as much on faith as is special creation by a Supreme Being.  


Hebrews 11:1 tells us that not only is faith being certain of what we do not see, but also being sure of what we hope for.  What do those who put their faith in science have to hope for?  


Do we, as Christians, keep in mind what we hope for?  Or do we allow ourselves to become so immersed in the present world that we forget about that we have to look forward to?

Tomorrow's scripture focus:  Hebrews 11:3.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage:  Leviticus 14-15.

Wednesday, February 15th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 8-10

Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 10:35-39

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Yesterday we wrote that the first deterrent to apostasy was to remember.

The second deterrent to apostasy is the promise of a reward.  Don't get trapped into looking at the present with all it's problems and get stuck there.  Look back and remember how wonderful the stirrings of the Spirit were, and look ahead to how wonderful it will be for all eternity.  Have patience, and go on to full belief and live by faith.

Christ offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice and only left us with two choices - accept Him or reject Him.

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 11:1-2

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Leviticus 11-13

Tuesday, February 14th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 5-7

Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 10:32-34

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

These verses are a deterrent to the apostasy we wrote of yesterday.   The first deterrent is to remember.  Remember when they first heard the gospel and considered it, when they were even willing to be insulted and persecuted along with the true believers, when they sympathized with those in prison.

Most people interpret these verses to be encouraging Christians to remain strong in the faith, but MacArthur interprets them to be encouraging those on the verge of apostasy not to reject Jesus, but rather to remember when the Spirit was drawing them to Jesus.  I think MacArthur's interpretation is correct - based on what we've been learning in our study of Hebrews so far.

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 10:35-39

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Leviticus 8-10

Monday, February 13th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Leviticus 1-4

Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 10:26-31

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Yesterday we saw the choice of faith, hope and love.

Today the choice is to walk away from Jesus, despite knowing the truth.  According to MacArthur (emphasis mine)....
the unforgivable sin of knowing the truth, having full revelation, professing to believe, then getting over it and walking away. And the Bible calls this kind of a person an apostate. It's the sin that becomes worthy of the severest Hell. To know everything there is to know about the gospel and to identify as a part of it, manifestly or visibly, and then to walk away, never having really been saved, that is to become an apostate. And for the sin of apostasy, there is no forgiveness. You say, well, how do you know when somebody's done that? You don't. Only God knows. And ours is not to speculate as to who's an apostate and brand them thus and leave them alone. Ours is to pray diligently and faithfully for every individual as far as we know and allow God to determine who the apostates are. That's not for us to determine. Only God knows. Don't you ever make the judgment, either that the individual knew everything in the first place, and thus reacted against full knowledge, or secondly, that his rejection is final. Only God knows that.

Ours is to pray.  Diligently and faithfully.

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 10:32-34

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Leviticus 5-7

Sunday, February 12th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Exodus 39-40

Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 10:19-25

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

After about 10 chapters of doctrine about the identity of Jesus Christ, the writer of Hebrews wants a response. Let us draw near through faith, let us hold fast through hope, and let us consider each other in love.  Faith, hope and love are the three features, or evidence, of the salvation response to the gospel message.

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 10:26-31

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Leviticus 1-4

Saturday, February 11

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Exodus 36-38
Today's scripture focus: Hebrews 10:15-18

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

I. Will. Remember. No. More.

Wow. What would it be like to "remember no more"?

My son has been struggling with lying. It's hard as a parent to try and discourage lying as a habit when it seems to happen a bit too often. Last week, we caught Kaden in a lie and it was impossible for me to bring up previous offences. I don't want lying to be a habit, I don't want lying to become easy, and I don't want to be in a constant place of mistrust with Kaden. However, does reminding Kaden of all his previous failures in this area make him more likely to lie again because he believes that we consider him a liar anyway??

Years ago, Conrad and I took a parenting course and it told us to proclaim in words what we wanted to be true and that saying it can make it happen...a self-proclaiming prophecy if you want to call it that. Instead of the negative association with this label, the parenting course said to use it in a positive way such as "wow! we have such a great family" , "You play so well with your brother and sister" , "You are so great at cleaning up" , "You share so well" etc. etc. etc. I believe that the opposite happens far too often and it becomes true...such as "Kaden, you are always lying", "I can't trust you", "Can I believe what you are saying?".

As this verse says, I want to forgive in a way that "remembers no more" to give Kaden a clean slate and a fresh start just like my Father has given me for the times I have failed. The many, many, many times I have failed. I am thankful for the times that God has revealed Kaden's untruthfulness and how it has allowed a swift response to the offense. I need to remember to allow the punishment to cancel to debt and let it go. I need to start training myself to send messages that "I believe you Kaden", "I know you are telling me the truth", "I am so glad that I can trust you" and truly begin to "remember no more".

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 10:19-25

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Ex 39-40