May 3, 2013

Friday: May 3, 2013

READ: Job 31

THINK:  This chapter is a part of Job’s defense. His so-called friends have surrounded him in his darkest hour of need and informed him confidently that he is suffering so many horrible things because of his rebellion against God. Job is pretty convincing in his defense of his life and the righteous way in which he lived it. He cared for the poor, he treated people with respect, he never cheated on his wife, and he was honest in all of his business dealings. And while that list leaves Job in a more righteous place than a lot of people out there, it may well be one that you look at and think, “Yeah, me too…at least for the most part.” But Job also makes a pretty cool statement in this chapter about the way he lived his life that stands out as kind of radical – He says, “I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a woman.”

When Job says that he’s making a bold declaration about what it means to live a godly life. He is saying that it isn’t just about the outside. It isn’t just about the stuff that people can see and that people can clearly realize in your interactions with them. It’s about the heart and the mind as well. Being who God calls us to be means not just living for him when somebody is looking. It means taking our thoughts captive and not letting sin reign in our minds. Because the harsh reality of life is that whatever fills up our minds eventually fills up our actions. As the old adage goes: our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, our actions become our habits, our habits become our character, our character becomes our destiny.

And I think that one of the most difficult areas for people in 21st Century America to turn over completely to God in their minds is the exact one that Job addressed in this chapter – lust and sexuality. We are bombarded with sexual imagery in advertisements, shown consequence-free sexual encounters more than 3 times per hour on network television, inundated with innuendo in popular music, movies, and magazines, and we exist in a world where we are never more than a few clicks away from internet pornography. There are a number of people who think this is no big deal and not a problem at all. There are others who know their lust is wrong but don’t believe it really hurts anybody. Still more understand the devastating personal and relational consequences – confirmed by Christian and secular biologists, psychologists and more – but just think they can dabble in lust from time to time without those thoughts ultimately taking them captive.

The statistics about pornography use and addiction in the United States today are absolutely overwhelming. I wont post them in detail here but you can look them up – and get great resources for overcoming online struggles – at xxxchurch.com. The average age of first exposure to pornography for American kids is now around 11 years old. Here’s what all of this means: This problem is real and prevalent and inescapable in our culture. You will be tempted to let lust consume you. And my heart breaks for a generation of young men – and to a lesser but quickly growing extent young women – who have let it take root deep within them and who have already seen thoughts become habits that affect their character and destiny.

If you get only one thing out of Job 31 today, let it be this (whether as a young person who hasn’t encountered this yet, as one who is struggling, or as a parent, mentor, or leader others) lust has the power to destroy your life and relationships and keep you from being the person God created you to be and making the difference he calls you to make. There are few decisions you can make in 21st century America that are more important and critical than making a covenant with your eyes not to look lustfully at another person. I had a friend in college who taped those words “I have made a covenant with my eyes…” to his computer screen. Make the covenant! Get accountability! Rely on God! Rely on community! It is not easy in this day and age, but we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

PRAY: Make a covenant with God that you will take lustful thoughts captive and ask him to help you be pure. Also, in the broader spirit of Job 31, take some time to confess the times when you’ve let your faith be skin deep – trying to look good for others but not giving God your thoughts and your whole heart. Ask for forgiveness and tell God he can have all of you – not just the parts that other people see.

Posted by on May 3, 2013 in Poetry.

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May 2, 2013

Thursday: May 2, 2013

READ: 2 Kings 1-2

THINK: It is not wrong to depend upon Elijah as long as God gives him to you, but remember the time will come when he will have to go; when he stands no more to you as your guide and leader, because God does not intend he should. You say – “I cannot go on without Elijah.” God says you must.

Alone at your Jordan. v.14. Jordan is the type of separation where there is no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one can take the responsibility for you. You have to put to the test now what you learned when you were with your Elijah. You have been to Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are up against it alone. It is no use saying you cannot go; this experience has come, and you must go. If you want to know whether God is the God you have faith to believe Him to be, then go through your Jordan alone.

Alone at your Jericho. v.15. Jericho is the place where you have seen your Elijah do great things. When you come to your Jericho you have a strong disinclination to take the initiative and trust in God, you want someone else to take it for you. If you remain true to what you learned with Elijah, you will get the sign that God is with you.

Alone at your Bethel. v.23. At your Bethel you will find yourself at your wits’ end and at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you get to your wits’ end and feel inclined to succumb to panic, don’t; stand true to God and He will bring His truth out in a way that will make your life a sacrament. Put into practice what you learned with your Elijah, use his cloak and pray. Determine to trust in God and do not look for Elijah any more.

By: Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest

PRAY: Thank God for those people he has put in your life who have helped you grow in your relationship with him – those who have been trusted mentors in your life. Then thank him for being constantly present and reliable at all times and put your trust in him.

Posted by on May 2, 2013 in History.

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May 1, 2013

Wednesday: May 1, 2013

READ: Ezekiel 37

THINK: In late 2009 two Italian archaeologists, Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni discovered the remains of the 50,000 man Persian army, sent by Cambyses the son of Cyrus to attack Siwa in 525 BC. According to the Greek historian Herodutus, they were swallowed up by a cataclysmic sandstorm never to be seen again. The bones that the Castiglionis discovered were spread out all across the sand of the desert. They were not only dry but they were sun-bleached to a bright white. There were piles and piles of them. Here’s a picture of a part of their find:

Reread verses 1-10, slowly, and try to put yourself in Ezekiel’s shoes. Picture these events actually happening as you read. Try to imagine what it would be like to witness these bleached, dry bones growing sinew and tendons and skin and coming to life. How crazy and incredible would that be!?! This is one of the coolest chapters in the whole Bible. I realize that I’ve probably said that a lot over the last year+ of Through in 2, but I feel like it’s true every time – the Bible is so cool when you actually read it!

I cannot help but see myself in that picture of the dry, bleached bones dead in the desert. In my sin I know that that’s exactly where I was – along with every other human who ever lived. And reading this passage gives me such a powerful sense of hope and gratitude. Because I know that by God’s grace he delivered me out of death and into life. He breathed the Spirit of life into me and make me whole. He is the living God and he is the only source of life for humans in this land of death. All glory and power and life are his!

If he is not your source of life, if you have never accepted his invitation through Jesus’ sacrifice upon the cross, you can today. Invite God to breathe life into to your dead, bleached bones. If you have, I pray that reading this passage gives you a sense of awe, wonder, and gratitude anew. That it reminds you, powerfully, of just what you were without the cross of Jesus – that you were dead! And that it equips you today, to worship God with all that you have because of the depth and power of what he has done for you.

PRAY: Listen to this song and let it be your prayer of worship today. Thank God for the life that is found in him!

Posted by on May 1, 2013 in Prophecy.

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April 30, 2013

Tuesday: April 30, 2013

READ: Philippians 2

THINK: In the age of social media, psychologists and sociologists find themselves trying to understand what led our society to the narcissism that so defines it today.

Narcissistic: egotistic: characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance. (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn)

Has social media caused people to be obsessed with themselves or is social media a result of a culture of individuals trained to look out for their own best interests and gain recognition for their accomplishments? Either way, the narcissism that defines Generation X (also sometimes referred to as Generation Me) stands in stark contrast to the challenges of Paul in Philippians 2:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (verses 3-4)

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition.” Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Reflect on the activities you have participated in, dollars you have spent, thoughts you have pondered, time you have wasted, conversations you have had, statuses you have posted, tweets you have tweeted over the past week. Then consider the motivation behind each one. Is it to inflate others’ views of you or to make much of your Heavenly Father by honoring him and loving others?

Thanks for the punch in the gut, Paul. I stand convicted.

Paul reminds us in verses 5-11 that we have a perfect example of a life of humility in Jesus Christ. Jesus, “who being in very nature God,” made himself nothing because we were his priority. Are people our priority? Do we pour out our lives on behalf of others, recognizing that we are nothing without the gift of Jesus? Or do we put ourselves on a pedestal and refuse to relate to or invest in those who may not have as much or know as much as we do?

What will it look like for you to consider others better than yourself? How do your priorities need to change? How can you spend your money differently? Ask God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to help you each day and in every moment to think of others as more important than yourself. There is tremendous joy and reward in walking as Jesus walked, no matter what challenges you face for living counter-culturally.

Written by: Cari Widdel

Posted by on April 30, 2013 in Epistles.

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April 29, 2013

Monday: April 29, 2013

READ: 1 Kings 21-22

THINK: Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. – Proverbs 27:5

I like people and want people to like me. So to tell them that their conduct is dishonest or immoral isn’t easy for me. On several occasions, men have told me how they got out of a speeding ticket by making up a touching story, or how they got even with some rascal in a shady business deal. I’ve responded by asking, “That was clever, but was it honest?”

When I get acquainted with people and they tell me they are living immorally, I may ask, “Do you believe in God and that you must answer to Him? Or do you think we are accidents of nature with no more meaning than an insect, and that it doesn’t matter how we live?” When they express some belief in God (and almost everyone does), I’ll gently share with them what He has said about their conduct. Many times this opens the door to present the good news of salvation.

Ahab called Elijah an enemy. But he was wrong. The prophet was really his best earthly friend. If only he would have listened to God’s servant, he could have been a good king and a child of God.

Lord, help us to be loving as we confront people with their sin. And help us to see that those who point out our sins are not our enemies but our true friends.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” – Proverbs 27:6

By: Herbert Vander Lught in Our Daily Bread

PRAY: Ask God to help you balance truth and grace well in your relationships with other people. And ask him to help you accept the truth from those who love you without treating them as enemies.

Posted by on April 29, 2013 in History.

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April 28, 2013

Sunday: April 28, 2013

READ: Psalm 118

THINK: A story is told about a vendor who sold bagels for 50 cents each at a street corner food stand. A jogger ran past and threw a couple of quarters into the bucket but didn’t take a bagel. He did the same thing every day for months. One day, as the jogger was passing by, the vendor stopped him. The jogger asked, “You probably want to know why I always put money in but never take a bagel, don’t you?” “No,” said the vendor. “I just wanted to tell you that the bagels have gone up to 60 cents.”

Too often, as believers, we treat God with that same kind of attitude. Not only are we ungrateful for what He’s given us—but we want more. Somehow we feel that God owes us good health, a comfortable life, material blessings. Of course, God doesn’t owe us anything, yet He gives us everything.

G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Here dies another day, during which I have had eyes, ears, hands, and the great world round me. And with tomorrow begins another. Why am I allowed two?” The psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24).

Each day, whether good or bad, is one more gift from our God. Our grateful response should be to live to please Him. Life is a gift from God to be lived for God.

PRAY: Thank God for giving you today!

Posted by on April 28, 2013 in Psalms.

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April 27, 2013

Saturday: April 27, 2013

READ:  Luke 7

THINK: Okay, so here we have Jesus and he is dining at Simon’s house. Now, it’s important to understand that the custom – when you invited a person into your house – was to offer them water to wash their feet (or have a servant do it) immediately when they arrived. And also to greet them with a kiss (on the cheek). And to offer them a small bit of oil to consecrate themselves. We learn from this passage that Simon did none of those things for Jesus. Which is not just an oversight. It wasn’t by accident that Simon did this. He didn’t simply forget – that’s just not a cultural possibility. He intentionally didn’t offer Jesus these things because he wanted to be in a position of power – he viewed Jesus as less than himself. He invited Jesus to eat with him so that he could learn some more information about Jesus but made it very clear that he was not really interested in really knowing or following Jesus. But then something happens: this woman – who is a prostitute – totally interrupts the dinner! And it wouldn’t have been weird for her to be standing there in his house – the houses were open and people often gathered to listen to Pharisees and rabbis talk over dinner – but it was incredibly shocking that this woman interrupted to conversation and that she touched Jesus. Women were not allowed to touch men in that society.

But here she is, at Jesus feet, and she is crying and then her tears land on his feet so she wipes them off with her hair and then pours oil on them. And Jesus just lets her. So at this point Simon is thinking: “Hey, alright, my question is totally answered. I wanted to see if this guy was a legit prophet but now I know. He is obviously not.” And Simon decides this because he’s made some serious assumptions: 1. Jesus must not know that he’s being touched by a prostitute. Being touched by a prostitute would make him “unclean” and so he is clearly oblivious to the truth about this woman’s past. & 2. If Jesus did know, he certainly wouldn’t allow this. He’d tell her to get away from him immediately. And that’s not a surprising conclusion for Simon to make. He is a Pharisee. A really super religious guy who is careful to check all the boxes of faith and not do bad stuff and be better than those around him. So his entire context and his entire understanding of faith lead to the assumption that if Jesus was really connected to the heart of God then he would avoid “sinners” just like Simon and the rest of the Pharisees did. But then Jesus – in his brilliant way – totally turns the tables on Simon. And completely shatters Simon’s assumptions in the process.  He reads Simon’s thoughts and poses a question to him:

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, (1 denaruis was 1 days wages for the average laborer) and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” And at this point, Simon pretty much has to give the answer that he gives. Jesus pretty much only leaves that option open. And I can imagine that Simon answered somewhat reluctantly. He probably had some idea, in the moment, that Jesus was going somewhere with this that would not be super comfortable for him. And so Simon says, “the one with the bigger debt.”

And Jesus says, “Yeah. Check this out: When I showed up you dishonored me and made it really clear that you don’t think you need me. You wanted to know about me but you don’t wanna know me. And now this woman, this broken, hurting, sinful prostitute honors me and shows me a huge amount of love. See, Simon, you’re a Pharisee so you are super good at going through the motions of religiosity and not doing bad stuff and she is a prostitute. The person who has been forgiven much loves much but the person who has been forgiven little loves little.” But there is something critically important for us to understand here about what Jesus is saying: What he is not saying is that Simon needs less forgiveness than the woman. He isn’t saying: “Hey, Simon, you’re so good at doing the right thing that you pretty much are earning your own salvation. You don’t need me as much as her.” No, what Jesus is saying is, “You don’t think you need me. You’re so proud of your church attendance record and of all the boxes you can check to show how good you are that you don’t think you need much forgiveness. But she gets it. She knows what a sinner she is. She knows that there is nothing she can do to earn it. She is passionate and excited about really knowing me because she sees how desperately she needs me.”

One of the crazy things about this passage is that Jesus doesn’t disagree with Simon about the status of this woman. He doesn’t say “Simon, she’s fine.” He totally agrees that she is a jacked up sinner. But he says she’s forgiven because she knows it – and she trusts him to save her instead of trusting herself. I think it’s really tempting for all of us to approach Jesus more like Simon did than like the woman did. It’s tempting to try to earn our salvation by being good enough, to put our trust in ourselves instead of admitting that we are helpless and in need. And I think that temptation is complicated even further by the feel-good relativism of American culture in the 21st century. Everybody wants to do whatever they feel like – whatever they personally decide is good enough to earn themselves a spot in Heaven – and then say, “Well, Jesus loves me just the way I am.” Yeah right! We say that to justify the sins we wanna keep doing. Jesus loves you just the way you are. Tell that to a meth addict – face wrinkled from malnutrition, sores covering their entire body, maybe ½ their teeth left…maybe. Jesus loves you just the way you are? Broken and addicted? No, Jesus wants so much more and so much better for you than that! Here is the truth: Jesus loves us even though we’re the way we are! He loves us enough to DIE for us even though we’re messed up and sinful. That’s way more profound and meaningful. And it opens up the door to real relationship and intimacy. Faith becomes so much more than just a list of rules that we follow to try to earn our way into Heaven. It becomes an incredible journey of responding to God’s awesome love by entering into a relationship with him. Simon wanted to know about Jesus, the woman responded to his invitation to really know him.

What does your faith look like – do you want to know about God or are you really pursuing a relationship with him?

PRAY: Acknowledge the incredibly deep need that you have for God’s forgiveness. Thank him for it. Confess the times when you’ve minimized your faith and allowed it to become about checking boxes instead of pursuing God. Commit to seeking him.

Posted by on April 27, 2013 in Gospels.

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April 26, 2013

Friday: April 26, 2013

READ: 1 Kings 19-20

THINK: It has always amazed me how quickly Elijah went from the incredibly spiritual high of seeing God reveal himself by fire in front of all of Israel and defeating the evil prophets of Baal to a total depression and asking God to just take his life. It seems crazy, right? After an experience like that he should never have come crashing back down and felt dejected and hopeless, right?

But he did…and I find that incredibly encouraging! Why? Because the same thing happens to me. I can recall so many spiritual highs – after camps, retreats, worship nights, mission trips, great moments in my life, et cetera. But so many times I’ve felt like I came crashing back to reality. Not always, but more than once those great moments have been followed by low ones. And I’m not the only one. Elijah had the same thing happen to him. So did Moses and David and Peter and…you?

I love what Oswald Chambers writes about feeling depressed and the way that God cares for and relates to us in those times:

“‘Arise and eat.’ The angel did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable; he told Elijah to do the most ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed we should not be alive; it is the nature of a crystal never to be depressed. A human being is capable of depression, otherwise there would be no capacity for exaltation. There are things that are calculated to depress, things that are of the nature of death; and in taking an estimate of yourself, always take into account the capacity for depression.

When the Spirit of God comes He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable. Depression is apt to turn us away from the ordinary commonplace things of God’s creation, but whenever God comes, the inspiration is to do the most natural simple thing – the things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there. The inspiration which comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression; we have to do the next thing and do it in the inspiration of God. If we do a thing in order to overcome depression, we deepen the depression; but if the Spirit of God makes us feel intuitively that we must do the thing, and we do it, the depression is gone. Immediately we arise and obey, we enter on a higher plane of life.”

PRAY: Thank God for the incredible moments in life when he reveals himself and we experience him most powerfully. Then thank him for caring about us and being present in the lowest moments when we are broken and depressed.

Posted by on April 26, 2013 in History.

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April 25, 2013

Thursday: April 25, 2013

READ: Psalm 116 & 117

THINK: Both of these psalms end with the expression “Praise the LORD!” In the original Hebrew, that phrase is actually just one word and it’s a word we are all familiar with: hallelujah!

Hallelujah. It’s one of the only words that you could speak almost anywhere in the world – in any language or any culture – and be understood, and it’s etymology is pretty interesting. It is actually a compound word. The first part is the 2nd person, plural, imperative of the verb hallel – which means that is a command to a group of people…basically “you guys all hallel.” Hallel means praise. But it’s way deeper than that, or way bigger. It isn’t just a faint praise or a halfhearted praise – like the kind I give my 3 year old when he’s really proud that he helped me clean up because he picked up a grand total of 3 of the 213 Crayons that he dumped all over the floor. Instead it is this huge, overwhelmed, boastful, outrageous, overflowing sense of worshipful praise. Hallel = All of you guys totally give yourselves to crazy praise.

The second part is Yah. This is the object of the praise. In Hebrew, the name for God – translated LORD in all-caps throughout the Old Testament – is Yahweh. Because of their immense respect for God’s holiness and their love for him, the Hebrews refused to ever speak his name. They simply represented it with the 4 Hebrew letters that made it up – yod, he, waw, he – and said Adonai  or Hashem (Lord or The Name) whenever they were reading and came across it. So, to honor God by not speaking his full name, they shortened it to Yah when making the word hallelujah.

The emphasis is clear – both in these Psalms and everywhere else that we hear the word hallelujah. Whenever there is something so incredible, so amazing, so unbelievable that it must be celebrated with effusive praise and excitement then there can be but one singular object of that praise: God. Every good and perfect gift comes from he. He is the source of our joy and our hope. He is the one worth boasting in and worshipfully praising with all that we’ve got! Hallelujah! Everybody praise the one, true God!

PRAY: Join with believers all over the world in echoing this one simple phrase of worship and praise for the God who is worthy of it all: Hallelujah! If you have a few minutes, listen to your favorite song with the word hallelujah in it and use that song to worship. This one is my favorite.*

*Alleluia is the Greek transliteration – sounding out and spelling a foreign word without translating it – of Hallelujah. Greek doesn’t have a letter that makes an “H” sound.

Posted by on April 25, 2013 in Psalms.

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April 24, 2013

Wednesday: April 24, 2013

READ: 1 Kings 18

THINK: I think this is one of the coolest stories in the entire Bible. Just a quick refresher on the situation: Ahab and his wife Jezebel are the most wicked rulers in the history of Israel and they have killed off a bunch of God’s prophets and turned the people away from God and towards Baal, a pagan god. In response to their wickedness, God has Elijah go and tell them that he will no longer send rain on Israel. Ahab is really mad at Elijah for this – because obviously it’s Elijah’s fault and not his – so he tries to kill Elijah and Elijah has to hide out. It has been over 3 ½ years since the last rainfall and Israel is suffering the devastating effects. There are no crops, no fruit, and the livestock are struggling to survive. And then God tells Elijah to go to Ahab and the story in this chapter goes down.

There are so many incredible things in this passage, but there are three in particular that jump out to me: 1. The ultimatum – “If Yahweh is God follow him, but if Baal is God follow him,” 2. The taunting – “Maybe Baal is sleeping,” &  3. The drenching – “The water ran down the altar and filled the trench.” All of these aspects and the thrust of the entire story are ultimately about knowing the one true God who desires to be known.

When Elijah asked the people to dump water on the altar the people must have thought that he was crazy. It hadn’t rained in over 3 years. Plant life was non-existent, animals were dying, and people were suffering. To come up with enough water to drench that offering was a major sacrifice. In the midst of that drought, water was more valuable than gold. Understand that their lives were on the line and water was the most precious thing they had. And then Elijah had them drench it again. And again until it was soaked. This made sure that nobody could accuse Elijah of starting the fire in any way that was less than a miracle from God. But it also communicated a powerful message: that knowing God is more valuable than anything else that we have. Anything. Water was precious, but it was useless and meaningless compared to the value of knowing God.

When Elijah taunted the prophets of Baal it was…hilarious. I can’t imagine that he ever had more fun in his entire life of ministry than he did when he was making fun of those guys and their nobody of a false god. Maybe it’s the jerk in me, but I really hope someday that God calls upon me to heckle idiots for the sake of name. On a serious note though, besides being pretty stinking funny, Elijah’s taunts communicated something incredible about the one true God and how he can be known. He made sure that everyone knew that a real God doesn’t go on vacation or take naps or need a hearing aid. God is present and he is available to be known. Knowing God isn’t about weird rituals or cutting yourself or yelling loud enough. It’s about simply responding to him because he is already there and he sought us first.

At the end of the day, we will all follow something. Something will take the top spot in our lives and we will dedicate ourselves to pursuing it. For many in our world it will be money or power or fame or sex. The gods of 21st century American culture have different names than the gods of the Ancient Near East. But our gods have just as deep a hold on our lives as Baal did on the Israelites thousands of years ago. And they are just as destructive and poisonous. And they are just as fake. There is one God. We can waste our lives away on a path to destruction by following our modern Baals if we want, but if God is God then we should follow him instead.

We have the incredible privilege of knowing the God of the universe. And though we don’t deserve it and we ought to have been left in our sinful state cut off from our Creator, he loves us enough that he has crossed over the divide caused by our sin and made himself available to be known by his creation. My prayer to God is the same as Elijah’s for Israel, that “[all] people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you would turn their hearts back again.”

PRAY: Thank God for his grace in letting us know him. Worship him for his presence in your life. Commit yourself to pursuing and following him instead of wasting your life away pursuing false the false gods that our culture says we should pursue.

Posted by on April 24, 2013 in History.

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