April 8, 2012

Easter Sunday: April 8, 2012

Week 4, Day 7 – HE IS RISEN! Happy Easter!

READ: John 10

BACKGROUND: This is an odd passage for us to fully grasp because we’re not entirely familiar with shepherding culture in the United States. But it is incredibly powerful nonetheless, and an awesome Easter passage.

By verse:
3 – The watchman would watch a pen that housed multiple flocks. Each sheep knew the voice of its shepherd well enough to come when the shepherd called. (This is still true of sheep & shepherds today).
4 – Shepherds in this culture led their sheep; they didn’t drive them.
9 – There was only 1 entrance into a sheep pen, never more. And though it was known as “the gate” it wasn’t a gate in the way the we think. It was just an opening. And the shepherd slept in the opening so that anything or anyone who wanted to get to the sheep had to come through him.
11 – Jesus is claiming something significant here! Even though shepherds risked danger and fought off wild animals for their sheep, in this culture they were not expected to die for their sheep.
16 – The “other sheep” are Gentiles. Those outside Judaism who would be united under Christ.
18 – Christ is omnipotent. Nobody could kill him unless he allowed it (as evidenced later in this chapter.
22 – Commemoration of the dedication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 165 BC.
25 – Though he hadn’t specifically said it, Jesus says it is very clear from his life and teaching that he is the Messiah.
28 – Eternal life! For sheep, their security is found in the shepherd, and Jesus is saying he will never allow his sheep to perish.
33 – The accusation of blasphemy means the Jewish leaders correctly understand that Jesus is claiming to be God. Their unbelief prevents them from seeing that it’s true.
34 – Jesus is quoting Psalm 82:6 in its reference to judges, kings, & others whose tasks were appointed by God.
39 – Who knows why or how they tried to seize Jesus, but they failed. Proving his claim in verse 18 true: no one takes his life from him except if he laid it down.

THINK: Today is Easter. And the resurrection of Jesus is the most incredible event in human history. It changes everything! And it stands as an amazing example of the outrageous love that the Good Shepherd has for his sheep. But how? How is the resurrection a picture of Jesus’ love for us? John 10:18 is the key:

“No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”

Anyone who has the audacity to say something like that is either totally deranged and crazy, a liar, or God. Those are the only three options for someone making a claim like that. “I have authority from inside death, as a dead man, to take life back again, when I please.” Wow. What is Jesus trying to communicate here? What is he really saying? Well, which is harder: to control when you die, or to give yourself life again once you are dead? Which is harder: to say, “I lay my life down on my own initiative”? Or to say, “I will take my life back again after I am dead”?

The answer is obvious. And that’s the point. If Jesus could take his life back again from the dead, then he was completely free. He had the power to do whatever he wanted and he wasn’t bound by anything. That means that whatever happened to him happened because he wanted it to. And if he could control when he came out of the grave then he certainly determined when he went into it.

So here’s the big idea: the resurrection of Jesus is given to us as evidence that he was completely free in laying down his life. And so the resurrection is Christ’s testimony to the freedom of his love, the incredible greatness of his love for you and me.

So, of all the great things that Easter means, it also means this: it is an incredible statement of “I did it on purpose because I LOVE you!” behind his death. “I meant it! I was free. You see how free I am? You see how much power and authority I have? I was able to avoid it. I have power to take up my life out of the grave. And I had the power to avoid the cross but I didn’t because of my passion for you! My resurrection is a cry of love for my sheep: I did it freely! I chose to do it. Nobody forced my hand or coerced me into it! I went willingly. Nothing and no one can make me do anything I don’t choose to do. I had the power to take my life back from death and so I certainly had the power to save it in the first place. But I gave it up for you because I love you with an indescribable love. I am alive so that you might know my love. And I am inviting you into my flock. I died and rose again so that you could be free to spend eternity with me. So you could be forgiven and restored and experience the fulness of my love forever.”

ASK: What does it mean for me that Jesus is my Good Shepherd? How does it change my life to know that he went willingly to the cross for me?

Posted by on April 8, 2012 in Gospels.

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April 7, 2012

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Week 4, Day 7

READ: Job 4

BACKGROUND: This is the first of the speeches from Job’s friends in the book and there will be more to follow. His friends are well-intentioned and their words always have some elements of truth to them, but in the end they are misguided because none of them truly understand what God is doing in Job’s life.

By verse:
2 – Eliphaz is genuinely concerned for Job, and he begins by encouraging him.
6-7 – Eliphaz tells Job that, though he is now obviously being punished for some sin, his good works beforehand count for something with God. The idea is that his good deeds earned him some points with God or something.
17 – All humans are sinful, so God has a right to punish them.
19 – The reference to clay symbolizes the fragile nature of our existence.
20 – “Between dawn & dusk” provides another word picture of the shortness and transient nature of life.

THINK: My elementary school was located on a very busy street, and, in order to keep kids safe, the city built a crosswalk so that nobody had to walk in the street and risk getting hit by a car in order to get to the other side. And the rule at our school was that you had to use the crosswalk in order to get to the other side. Crossing on the street was against the rules. But one day my friend Jason suggested that we just run across the street to get to the parking lot where his mom was waiting for us instead of walking all the way up the crosswalk. Being the total moron that I am sometimes, I said, “Okay!” and we ran across.

We didn’t get hit by any cars, but we did get caught by a teacher who was standing watch. By the time I got home only a few minutes later, my mom had already received a phone call from the school and I could tell by the look on her face that I was in huge trouble. I got punished at home, and I got punished at school. There were certainly consequences that I had to pay because of my stupid choice.

The overall thrust of Eliphaz’s words to Job is that he’s being made to suffer the consequences of his own stupid choice – which is clearly not the case in the book of Job. However it really is the case so often in our lives. We suffer and go through hard times as a result of the choices we’ve made to disobey God, to turn from his path, and to settle for less than his best. And then we get frustrated with the suffering and the fact that we have to pay the price for our actions. But if Eliphaz is right about anything it’s this: we can’t be more righteous or pure than God and so he is absolutely justified when he punishes our sins or allows us to suffer their natural consequences.

And when I think about that, I’m just overwhelmed on this Easter weekend. I’ve done so many dumb things and I have suffered consequences for many of them. But the ultimate consequence is death. And I know I’ve earned it. And God in his righteousness and purity would be totally justified in giving it to me. But instead he sent Jesus to die on the cross to take the punishment for me. And for you. For all of us. I pray that you’d be overwhelmed this Easter by the massive weight of what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross.

ASK: How comforting is it to know that, though life is short and fleeting, we don’t have to fear death because of the cross and resurrection? How do I need to respond to God in view of his great mercy and love shown to me through the sacrifice of Jesus?

Posted by on April 7, 2012 in Poetry.

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April 6, 2012

Friday: April 6, 2012

Week 4, Day 6 – Good Friday!

READ: Isaiah 52-53

BACKGROUND: This is a special passage chosen for Good Friday because it contains an amazing vision of God’s salvation and an incredible prophecy about the death of Jesus (700 years before Jesus was born).

By verse:
52:3 – Sold for nothing = Enemies were just allowed to take over. Without money you’ll be redeemed = a really cool foreshadowing and picture of what redemption is all about.
7 – In Isaiah’s day, messengers ran from the scene of a battle to bring news to the king and/or the city. Fun historical fact: The word marathon comes from a battle fought in Marathon, Greece which is 26.2 miles from Athens. The messenger who brought news of victory to Athens ran the whole way, delivered the victory message and then collapsed and died. Why anyone now things it’s a good idea to repeat that feat is beyond me. 🙂
10 – God’s arm is often associated with redemption & salvation in the Old Testament.
52:13-53:12 – This section is quoted more times in the New Testament than any other passage of the entire Old Testament.
14 – Appalled at his beaten and bruised and disfigured body on the cross.
15 – “Sprinkle many nations” refers to the cleansing act of sprinkling in the Temple (Leviticus 14:7, Numbers 8:7, 19:18-19)
53:5 – “Peace” = Shalom. A holistic concept that means peace but also fullness and forgiveness, completeness & joy.
11 – “Light of life” = Resurrection!

THINK: I was in the middle of writing something when it struck me that I really wanted to include something different here. This is a bit longer than usual but I really encourage you to read it. It is a section of a book that has very much shaped my journey and my faith. And this section, in particular, is a powerful challenge to all of us as we live out our faith and experience God’s grace. I think it has something to say to all of us on Good Friday as we reflect upon what the cross means for us:

Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing….

Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian ‘conception’ of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins…. In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the living Word of God, in fact, a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God.

Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. ‘All for sin could not atone.’ Well, then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world’s standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin…Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man’ will gladly go and self all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Costly grace is the sanctuary of God; it has to be protected from the world, and not thrown to the dogs. It is therefore the living word, the Word of God, which he speaks as it pleases him. Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus. It comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

On two separate occasions Peter received the call, “Follow me.” It was the first and last word Jesus spoke to his disciple (Mark 1.17; John 21.22). A whole life lies between these two calls. The first occasion was by the lake of Gennesareth, when Peter left his nets and his craft and followed Jesus at his word. The second occasion is when the Risen Lord finds him back again at his old trade. Once again it is by the lake of Gennesareth, and once again the call is: “Follow me.” Between the two calls lay a whole life of discipleship in the following of Christ. Half-way between them comes Peter’s confession, when he acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God….

This grace was certainly not self-bestowed. It was the grace of Christ himself, now prevailing upon the disciple to leave all and follow him, now working in him that confession which to the world must sound like the ultimate blasphemy, now inviting Peter to the supreme fellowship of martyrdom for the Lord he had denied, and thereby forgiving him all his sins. In the life of Peter grace and discipleship are inseparable. He had received the grace which costs.

– From The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (pp 45-49)

Posted by on April 6, 2012 in Prophecy.

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April 5, 2012

Thursday: April 5, 2012

Week 4, Day 5

READ: Genesis 7-9:17

BACKGROUND: This is the incredible story of Noah’s Ark and the worldwide flood. What is crazy is that modern science proves that at one point the entire earth was under water. This is almost universally accepted. The Bible isn’t just full of mythological stories. It’s full of truth!

By Verse:
7:1 – Noah had warned people, but they didn’t listen. Now, it was too late.
2 – Why 7 of all the “clean” animals and only 2 of the “unclean.” Unclean animals needed only 2 to propagate the species after the flood. Clean animals were the ones acceptable for eating and for sacrifice. Noah brought more of them for food and offering purposes.
16 – It is fascinating here that 2 different names for God are used – Elohim and Yahweh. Notice in English translations it says “as God has commanded” & then “the LORD (all-caps) shut him in.” Why? There are different opinions. It could be to emphasize the holiness and justice of God (which necessitated the flood), and then the personal, redemptive mission of Yahweh, the personal name of the God of Israel (which led him to shut the door and save Noah).
22 – “The breath of life” was God’s gift to creation in Genesis 1. Now it has been taken away.
8:1 – We’ve seen judgment up to this point, but from here on out it is a story of redemption. God remembered Noah!
11 – The olive branch meant the that the waters had receded significantly since olives only grow at low altitude.
17 – This reflects the words of Genesis 1:22 at creation
21 – That God “smelled the pleasing aroma” illustrates the joy he takes when we worship him. He makes an important promise here: that he will never again bring this destruction even though humans deserve it.
9:1 – Again this reflects the language at creation where God provides for his people.
8 – God made a covenant with Noah. Covenants were incredibly important in that culture and they are incredibly important in the Bible. And Biblical covenants always had a symbol. In this case: the rainbow.

THINK: Rainbows are among the most incredible and beautiful things that occur in nature. And it’s always exciting to see one. Maybe it’s just because we don’t see them every day, but I think there is something more to it than that. There is something incredible and transcendent about them. Something divine. Rainbows signify a promise. They symbolize a covenant. They draw our eyes heavenward toward the Creator and remind us that in his great love he has promised to spare us from the destruction we deserve.

And one of the cool things about the covenant that God made with Noah is that it’s a Royal Grant Covenant and not a Suzerain-Vassal Covenant which was the more typical type in the Ancient Near East. So what in the world does that mean? Put simply, a Suzerain-Vassal covenant was an agreement between two unequal parties or kings – the great king (suzerain) and the lesser king (vassal) – whereby each party would perform a set of obligations or duties to the other. And the covenant was dependent on the work and performance of both members. If either failed, the covenant was broken and there were serious penalties to be paid for its violation. A Royal Grant Covenant, though, is totally different. It is a declaration by a king that something will be granted to an individual unconditionally. The king simply declares that he will give (usually in response to faithful service) and the gift is not dependent upon the ongoing performance or service of the recipient.

This is such an amazing thing for us to think about during Easter week! God made a covenant with Noah that he would spare humanity the punishment we deserved, and the rainbow symbolizes that. And it continues to appear in the sky despite our failures because it’s about God’s character and promise and not our performance. That covenant and the beauty of its symbol pale in comparison to the New Covenant (Luke 22:20) and its symbol, the cross. This covenant, too, is not dependent upon our performance or our good works. It is a promise that all people, no matter how messed up and unworthy, can be forgiven and restored, healed and made new because of the incredible, indescribable love of God – a love that was made manifest when Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. The new covenant in Christ’s blood is a covenant based upon the character and the amazing love of the God who created us, and it is his free gift to us by grace through faith!

ASK: Have I ever felt like I needed to earn God’s love or earn my salvation – like I wasn’t good enough to receive it? How does it change my perspective to know that I’m not worthy, but God has covenanted to save me anyway?

Posted by on April 5, 2012 in Law.

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April 4, 2012

Wednesday: April 4, 2012

Week 4, Day 4

READ: Joshua 8-9

BACKGROUND: By verse
8:1 – This is right after Achan’s sin had caused Israel to be defeated by Ai. God tells Joshua that this is no reason to fear, though.
2 – God sets up different rules. Now the warriors can take the spoils of war.
30-35 – Here Israel takes time to remember and renew their covenant with God. That he would be their God and they would be his servant people.
9:4 – Motivated by fear, they result to trickery
15 – This was expressly against God’s orders to destroy the people of Canaan and not make covenants with them.
21 – “Woodcutters & water carriers” is a traditional term for household servants.

THINK: According to lie-detection experts, “Our natural tendency is to trust people.” However, not everyone is trustworthy all the time. Signs that someone may be lying include fidgeting, lack of eye contact, and noticeable pauses in speaking. Even with these clues, experts warn that it is still quite tough to tell deceivers from honest people.

Joshua needed to know if he could trust the Gibeonites. When they discovered that God wanted him to get rid of some neighboring nations (Josh. 9:24), they pretended to be from a faraway land. They arrived in worn-out tunics and patched sandals, claiming, “Our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey” (v.13). The Israelites were suspicious (v.7), but they “did not ask counsel of the Lord” (v.14); and Joshua unwisely made a peace treaty with the deceivers.

Many want to gain our trust: salespeople, financial advisors, or estranged family members. If we wonder: “Can I trust you?” we shouldn’t decide quickly, based only on what seems right to us. It’s better to seek counsel from God’s Word (Ps. 119:105), godly people (Prov. 11:14), and God Himself (James 1:5). Wisdom from above will help us decide who to trust.

Written by Jennifer Benson Schuldt in Our Daily Bread on March 1, 2012

Protect us from deceivers, Lord,
Who lie and plot to take
Advantage of us and confuse
Decisions we must make. —Sper

ASK: Have I ever been burned by someone I thought I could trust? What would it look like for me to always seek God’s counsel in situations where trusting others is at stake?

Posted by on April 4, 2012 in History.

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April 3, 2012

Tuesday: April 3, 2012

Week 4, Day 3

READ: Romans 4

BACKGROUND: Romans 4 is a really awesome explanation of the way in which we are justified (set right & counted righteous) before God. Paul writes that it is not by birth (into the right family or nationality), by our own good works, or by participation in the right religious rituals. Instead, it is through faith! Through faith we are all spiritual heirs to Abraham who, in faith, received the promise of the Messiah. And that Messiah died and rose again so that we could have life – so that we could be justified by grace through faith.

By Verse:
1 – Many Jews held up Abraham as an example of justification through good works. Paul is deconstructing that argument.
3 – Referring to Genesis 15:6. Not a direct quote, but Paul notes that Abraham hadn’t done anything here. His faith was credited to him as righteousness.
6-8 – God forgives those who, in faith, repent. Quoting Psalm 32:1-2.
9 – Paul goes into a lengthy discussion of circumcision. This isn’t because he has an odd obsession with it or because he’s just talking to men. Circumcision was the covenant mark of the Israelite people. He is saying that this justification by faith is available to everyone, not just Jews. And his is further saying that being circumcised (being a Jew and going through the right rituals) does not save or justify.
13 – The Law and being a good person doesn’t save us. Because we all fall short of it.
15 – Knowing God’s law doesn’t make us perfect. It makes us even more aware of our sin.
18 – I love this verse! When human hope failed, Abraham hoped in God.
20 – When we try to earn salvation through works we attempt to manipulate God and force his hand. When we accept that we can’t earn it and it’s his free, gracious gift through faith it brings glory to God!

THINK: Have you ever had one of those dreams where you’re trying to run away from something but you just can’t move – the ones where for some reason, no matter how fast you try to go and how quickly you move your legs you’re just stuck and you feel terrified and unable to move? I don’t have them often, but I really hate it when I do. They’re horrible. It’s frustrating a to try really hard to make something happen and then ultimately fail at it. And this is true in our daily lives even more than it is in our dreams. Sometimes we work our tails off trying to accomplish something only to see our efforts fall short. And it’s painful. And discouraging, and disappointing, and even heartbreaking sometimes. Failure is inevitable in this life. Because of our limited capabilities as humans and the brokenness of our world we will all experience those situations from time to time.

Unfortunately, this is what Christianity – or religion in general – feels like to so many people. They check off all the right boxes and they go through all the rituals and they say the right words and they work and work and work and try the hardest that they can to be good people all in an effort to earn their way into heaven. They live in constant fear that they haven’t been good enough or done quite enough to be saved and they are motivated by the idea that somehow they can achieve enough in this life to compel God to save them. And what really breaks my heart about this is that it is not only unnecessary but also it flows out of a fundamental misunderstanding of who God is! So much of the superstition and the achievement and the self-righteousness and the empty religiosity of going through the motions of church flows out of the mistaken belief that somehow we want to be saved more than God wants to save us. And so faith becomes an exercise in trying really hard to run and putting in a ton of effort but going nowhere fast – because we’re sinful and we can’t earn our way to heaven. We need to understand that God wants us so much more than we want him and he reaches into our history as humans – and into each of our individual stories – to save and restore us.

Romans 4 liberates us from works-righteousness. It sets us free from the idea that we must – or even that we can – earn our way into heaven by being good enough or doing enough good things. It reminds us that God sent his son to die on a cross for our sins and rise again so that through his great sacrifice we could be justified and counted righteous. And salvation comes not from works, but by God’s grace through faith in that sacrifice!

ASK: Do I sometimes just go through the motions of faith & church because I’m trying to be good enough? Do I ever act self-righteously – as if I’m better than others and have room to boast – because of how good I am? How can I set others free from the idea that salvation is earned rather than freely accepted?

Posted by on April 3, 2012 in Epistles.

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April 2, 2012

Monday: April 2, 2012

Week 4, Day 2

READ: Matthew 4

BACKGROUND:
4:1 – This is right after Jesus was baptized. “Led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted (or tested)” indicates that this is appointed by God on purpose. God did the same with the nation of Israel after the exodus (see Deuteronomy 8:1-5).
2 – 40 days  & 40 nights, again, parallels Israel’s desert experience as they were there for 40 years. I cannot imagine how hungry he was!
3 – “If” doesn’t mean that the Devil has any doubt, it basically means “since.”
4 – Jesus quoting Deuteronomy 8:3
6 – The Devil quoting Psalm 91:11-12
7 – Jesus, in response, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16
9 – “I will give you” reminds us that the Devil has some real power and influence in our world here and now.
10 – Jesus quoting Deuteronomy 6:13
15-16 – This is fulfilling the prophecy we just read in Isaiah 9.
17 – The phrase “the kingdom of heaven” is found 33 times in the book of Matthew. Matthew uses it to describe the already & not-yet rule of God. That is, the rule of God in the present time & the ultimate eternal rule that will one day be established.
19 – Note that sharing faith or evangelizing was Jesus chief call to his 1st disciples – they were to become fishers of men.
23 – The 3 verbs here, are the 3 chief methods of Jesus’ earthly ministry (and, by extension I think, ought to define our life and ministry in the church): Teaching. Preaching. Healing. And the central message? The “good news.” The word here is euangelion. It’s where we get the word “evangelism.” The good news is the gospel message of the Messiah, the Christ, come to save the world, forgive our sins, restore our brokenness and make all things new!
24 – So often, Jesus took care of the physical needs of the people around him and used that as a springboard or a catalyst for his preaching and teaching ministry.

THINK: One weekend during my freshmen year of college I was in a rush to get back to my hometown to see my girlfriend who was still in high school. I didn’t have at school, but my aunt lived only a few miles away so I borrowed her car for the weekend. I had a paper due in my 8:00am history class on Friday morning and I planned to leave immediately after that class was over. There was only one catch: my particular brand of study habits in college meant that I didn’t actually start typing the paper until about 1:00am – a mere 7 hours before it was due.* It wasn’t a long paper, but I didn’t get to bed then, until about 5:00 and I woke up at 7:00 to get ready for class, get my paper printed off, and get the car packed. Then, at 9:00, after the class was over, I hopped in the car and began my two and a half hour drive across the glorious heavenscape of Iowa. I was pretty tired though. And about an hour and a half into the drive something happened to me that I’ll never forget. I fell asleep while driving and the car veered off of Interstate-80 into the grass in the middle of the highway. Needless to say, it would probably have been bumpy in a Land Rover, but in a tiny, beat up Mercury Mystique is was super bumpy. I woke up quickly, and I was able to recover and get back onto the interstate just in time to pass the Eastern Iowa State Patrol Headquarters. Thankfully they were all busy eating donuts or something and that was the end of the ordeal. I was so terrified that I stayed wide awake the rest of the way home.

It occurs to me, as I reflect on that incident in light of Matthew 4, that we tend to do the stupidest things when we are at our most vulnerable. It is when we’re tired, hungry, frustrated, annoyed, and most at the end of our rope that we are most susceptible to temptation. This is when Satan tempted Jesus. When he’d been fasting for 40 days. He was weak and exhausted, and Satan tempted him, in that vulnerable moment, with things that seemed like a really quick and easy fix, things that seemed like simple solutions to the issues he was facing. He uses that same trick with us. In our lowest moments he offers us seductive solutions based on our selfishness rather than our faithfulness.

It is important when we are tempted, not only to be conscious of the ways in which the evil forces of this world attempt to fool us, but also to follow the example of Jesus. Jesus was tempted too, but he avoided sinning by quoting Scripture. He responded to each individual temptation with words of God that he had internalized for just such a moment. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s word is a lamp for our feet and a light for out path. If we spend time reading, studying, and memorizing it then we will be able to do what Jesus did. We’ll be able to resist sin and temptation, even in our most vulnerable moments, because we have truth governing our hearts. Do what Jesus did the next time Satan tempts you – beat him with the Bible!

Posted by on April 2, 2012 in Gospels.

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April 1, 2012

Sunday: April 1, 2012

Week 4, Day 1

READ: Psalm 5 & Psalm 6

BACKGROUND: Psalm 5 is one where imprecatory prayers are offered – that is, prayers and curses against enemies or the wicked for their downfall. These imprecatory Psalms sometimes make people uncomfortable, especially those of us who have a real sense of the incredible mercy of God that sent Jesus to the cross. Praying against someone just seems wrong. But, these Psalms can take on a whole new meaning for us if we understand them correctly. Imprecatory Psalms are not prayed out of anger or bitterness. They aren’t prayers of hatred or malice, and they are not self-centered. When King David, or other writers of the Psalms, pray these things they are praying for justice to be accomplished. God very clearly told his people (Deuteronomy 25:1-3) that he was in charge of making sure that justice was done and that he was in charge of punishing and handing out consequences for wrongs. So, these imprecations are holy prayers seeking God’s justice. They are prayers where the one who has been offended is yielding his or her right to seek revenge and allowing God to take control. And they are, ultimately, prayers that God would bring about the consequences the Law demands for the particular sins. This understanding not only allows us to be more comfortable as we read these things in the Psalms, but it also gives us an amazing example to follow when someone hurts us. We ought not seek revenge on our own. We need not dole out justice as we see fit. Justice is the job of a just and holy God. We can simply relinquish control to him – which is a very liberating thing to do – and trust that he works all things out for our good (Romans 8:28) and that, in the end, his justice rolls on like a mighty river and his righteousness like a never-ending stream (Amos 5:24).

THINK: When you think about the way that God relates to us and the attitude he has towards his people what is the first word that comes to mind? Is it loving-kindness? Maybe it should be. 🙂 Hesed or chesed is a Hebrew word that doesn’t have an exact equivalent in English. It’s often translated as loving-kindness, faithfulness, mercy, or love in our Bibles. It is all of those things and more! Ultimately, hesed is God’s incredible, merciful, unbreakable, saving, covenant love for his people. Isn’t that amazing! It sounds too good to be true – like this is an April Fools joke or something. But it isn’t a joke. That’s the kind of love God has for us. And this is the love that King David is calling upon in Psalm 6:4. “Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me according to your hesed.”  And David has confidence that God will do so because his hesed never fails.

For the nation of Israel in Old Testament times, understanding God’s hesed was a source of strength and hope, freedom and identity. They knew that they weren’t deserving of it. Nothing about who they were or what they had accomplished earned this outrageous and unbreakable merciful love. But, instead, they received it because hesed is an integral part of the character of God, and he chose to extend it to them. Despite all of their faults and failings, God was never going to let them go because he had made a covenant with them.

We are participants in the New Covenant, ushered in for all people by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross. Putting our faith in Christ, then, means that we receive and participate in the hesed of God. He loves us with an incredible and abiding love. He extends mercy and grace to us despite our constant failings. In every situation, we can be confident that he is present and he is working on our behalf. He is faithful to us and he will never forsake us or let us go. We belong to him and his banner over us is love. We are his children and we are covered by his hesed!

ASK: How does God’s hesed give me hope in the storms and brokenness of life? How does being loved unconditionally and incredibly by God define my identity?

Posted by on April 1, 2012 in Psalms.

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March 31, 2012

Saturday: March 31, 2012

Week 3, Day 7

READ: Isaiah 7-9:7

BACKGROUND: This section of Isaiah is a prophecy specifically directed toward the nation of Judah (the Southern Kingdom after Israel & Judah split) and its king, Ahaz. It also kicks off a larger section of prophecy about the Messiah (the anointed one) who would one day come to save the world. The events that Isaiah prophecied in chapters 7 & 8 all took place. Most took place within a few years with the exception of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:8, which specifically said it would happen within 65 years (which it did, in 670 BC). The actual unfolding of these events is chronicled in 2 Kings 16:5-18 & 2 Chronicles 28:5-21. Isaiah 9:1-7 is a very specific Messianic prophecy foretelling the coming of Jesus and the kingdom he would one day set up. This was written 7 centuries before Jesus was born!

By verse:
7:3 – Shear-jashub means “A remnant shall return.”
4 – “Two smoldering stubs” = Aram/Damascus, crushed by Tiglath-Pileser III in 732 BC & Israel, defeated in the same year.
11-12 – This is an interesting exchange. God offers a sign because he wants to strengthen the faith of Ahaz. Ahaz, though, very piously and righteously responds that he will not test God (not testing God was part of the Law – Deuteronomy 6:16). However, this response is hypocritical because Ahaz is trying to appear righteous when, all along, he has put his trust in an alliance with Assyria rather than putting his trust in God. This is worse than asking for a sign! Also, it didn’t work out well.  In verses 17-25 Isaiah basically tells Ahaz that the alliance with Assyria is going to prove very costly.
14-16 – This is a foreshadowing of the Mary and the birth of Jesus. This prophecy, though, was intended to come true within a couple of years, and it did – through the birth of Isaiah’s 2nd son who was nicknamed Immanuel (which means “God with us”). The word “virgin”, here, as in other places in the Old Testament, just means that the woman is currently a virgin and this prophecy doesn’t say that the conception will be supernatural. Although, this story is a type that foretells the story we find in Matthew where the virgin becomes pregnant supernaturally.
20 – “The LORD will shave with a razor”? Forcible shaving of a man’s head or beard was humiliating. God will humble the nation and bring it to its knees.
22 – Curds & honey were the food of nomadic peoples who had no land of their own to settle. Isaiah is saying Judah will be totally destroyed.
8:1 – Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz roughly translates “Quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil.”
6 – Shiloam was a healing pool which signified God’s help and his healing hand. The irony, here, is that he is offering it and Judah is unwilling to accept it.
8 – Sennacherib invaded Judah in 701 BC and only Jerusalem was spared.
11 – Isaiah lived counter-culturally.
12 – Those who thought the best political plan was alliance with Assyria accused Isaiah of being a conspirator for speaking out against the alliance and calling on the nation to trust God.
9:1-7 – This is specifically about Jesus. It is predicting the coming of the Messiah.
1 – The land allotted to the tribes of Zebulun & Naphtali was conquered by the Assyrians, but it was “made glorious” when Jesus did ministry there. Their land was roughly the region known in the New Testament as Galilee.
1 – For the Gentiles. This Messiah is for the whole world.

THINK: I want to do something just a little bit different today. I think that Isaiah 9:1-7 is one of the most incredible, inspiring, and important passages in the entire Bible. It predicts the coming of Jesus 700 years before he came. And it gives us an amazing portrait of who God is and what he is doing to heal and restore this world. So, I want you start by rereading Isaiah 9:1-7. Then, read the following statements and, as you read each one ask: What does this tell me about who God is, what does this tell me about what he is doing in the world, & how does this give me hope?

  • Jesus is a light shining to illuminate every dark place in this world.
  • Being in God’s presence ultimately brings gladness.
  • God can break our brokenness.
  • Jesus came as a child.
  • The government will rest upon his shoulders.
  • In the Hebrew language, “wonderful” indicates something supernatural and “counselor” indicates kingship. Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor.
  • “Mighty” indicates all-powerful and “God” indicates divinity & perfection. Jesus is the Mighty God.
  • “Eternal” indicates permanent existence and a role as Creator and “father” indicates guarding, loving, providing, & protecting. Jesus is the Eternal Father.
  • “Prince” indicates ruling and “peace” or shalom indicates something far more than just the absence of war – it indicates complete satisfaction and wholeness and fullness and health and safety and prosperity and perfection. Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
  • When he returns, there will be no end to his shalom.

Posted by on March 31, 2012 in Prophecy.

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March 30, 2012

Friday: March 30, 2012

Week 3, Day 6

READ: Joshua 5:13-7:26

BACKGROUND: This is an interesting section to read because it includes both a great victory and a great defeat. The battle of Jericho was one of the most famous and most incredible military victories for the nation of Israel in their entire history, but the subsequent defeat at Ai was one of their most humiliating moments. These battles, though, give us an incredible window into who God is and how he works in our lives and in our world.

By Verse:
5:13 – This individual was definitely a heavenly being of some sort. It may well have been a Theophany or a Christophany (God himself, or Jesus appearing in human form) or it may have been an angel God put in charge of his armies.
14 – “Neither” What a crazy response to Joshua’s question. If Israel was the chosen people and God was about to deliver Jericho into their hands, shouldn’t the answer have been “You guys?” No. It was important to convey that God doesn’t serve Israel, Israel serves God. The accomplishment of God’s plan, through Israel, was for God’s glory not Israel’s. Thus, “neither.”
6:1 – As we learned from Rahab in Chapter 2, Jericho was very afraid of the Israelites.
2-5 – What a silly way to conquer a city. Why this way, without even fighting? To demonstrate that it is God who conquers and accomplishes victory. That it is his power and might at work and not those of the Israelites (hence the centrality of the Ark of the Covenant in the following verses).
17 – “The ban” or “The devoted things.” This comes from Leviticus 27:28-29. All of the spoils of war were to be devoted to God and not kept by individuals (God was the conqueror after all). All the people of Canaan were to be destroyed. And destroying all the people of Canaan wasn’t just bloodlust on God’s part – it was an active work of destroying idolatry. They had chances to repent, but they continued to be wicked.
20 – The walls may originally have been about 30 feet high.
7:1 – “Acting unfaithfully” literally means violating God’s law directly by taking for themselves the “devoted things” or “things under the ban.”
3 – By “few” they meant about 12,000. It’s amazing how confident they were about their chances for victory after watching what God did at Jericho. With God, they knew they could easily defeat 12,000 at Ai with only 2,000 Israelites.
5 – Basically, they got whupped.
11 – Achan’s sinned is imputed to the whole nation of Israel.
19 – Notice Joshua’s tender heart towards Achan. Joshua reflects God here. Sin is serious and it must be punished, but God still loves the sinner. God loves the sinner as a child even though the punishment for the sin is death.
21 – Notice the 3 verbs in Achan’s confession (in order): I saw, I coveted, I took. So often, this is the exact same path that sin takes in our lives!
24 – Sin is serious! God hates it! Sin earns death! Too often, we minimize it.
24 – I think this is a huge verse because it helps us understand sin in a way we often overlook. We tend to think of sin as personal. Or secret. And we like to think that it only affects us or pass it off by saying “Well, it didn’t really hurt anybody.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The thing about sin is: Even when we can’t see how, it profoundly affects us but it also affects our families (Achan’s family suffered for his sin) and it affects our entire communities (all of Israel suffered for Achan’s sin – 36 people lost their lives in battle.) Sin isn’t just personal. It is relational and communal as well.

THINK: What About Bob? is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant and hilarious movies ever made. I think that many of us can see at least a little bit of ourselves and our own insecurities in the neurotic character of Bob Wiley. In one of my absolute favorite scenes from the movie, Bob has just tracked down Dr. Leo Marvin, his psychiatrist, at his vacation home and he’s begging for a session – just a little bit of therapy. When Dr. Marvin rebuffs his efforts and refers him back to the book, Baby Steps, that he gave him, Bob starts to freak out and he yells, “I’m doing the work, I’m baby steppin’, I’m not a slacker…Gimme, gimme, I need, I need, I neeeeeeeed!”

I’m especially drawn to this interaction because I feel like it paints a pretty accurate picture of the dynamic between God and me. In fact, I pray that sentence from Bob (to God, not Leo Marvin) every single day as I drive across Bunker Lake Blvd headed north to church. “I’m doing the work, I’m not a slacker! Gimme, I need!” Most of the time this prayer simply serves as a humbling reminder of my utter and complete reliance upon God to accomplish anything worth accomplishing – in ministry and in life. But, I have noticed that on certain occasions those words take on a different flavor. When things aren’t going well and when I’m not seeing the results that I so desperately desire, I get frustrated. When success seems fleeting and my vision for what God can accomplish isn’t playing out the way I had hoped and expected, it gets discouraging. And then the prayer becomes not a prayer of humility but a prayer of entitlement. It’s as if I’m saying, “Hey God, I’m doing what you told me to do. How come you’re not holding up your end of the bargain? Come on man!”

I think we’re all prone to do this – to think and pray this way and even to become angry with God – when things don’t work out the way we want. Especially when we feel like God isn’t delivering on his promises. We act as if, somehow, our relationship with God is one of quid pro quo. That if we do something good for him (like say “hi” to the weird kid in the lunchroom) then he owes us something good in return (like the new car we really want). This is really dangerous for a couple of reasons. The first is that God simply doesn’t work like that. If he worked on a quid pro quo system then the only thing he would owe all of us is death! That’s the only thing we earn. He is holy and sovereign and that simply isn’t how he works. The second reason, I think, is harder for us to see – and harder for us to really put into practice. It is this: often, we don’t experience what God desires for us because of the sin in our own lives.

Joshua faced into this in Joshua chapter 7. Right after the defeat at Ai, he got mad and prayed, “God, why did you even bring us here if we’re not going to win? Seriously, I thought you were fighting for us, but now we just lost and everybody is gonna hear and they’re gonna kill us! What’s up with that?” And God let him know, “It’s sin. It’s not that I don’t want to give you the land. I promised you that land. It’s not that I am not going to conquer Ai – and everyone else too – it’s that the sin in Israel (Achan’s sin) preventing you from experiencing what I want for you.”  I think this happens in our lives. We make poor choices and we sin and then we just expect God to deliver us from the consequences. And we get mad at him if he doesn’t – as though it’s a failure on his part and not ours. There are times in all of our lives where we want to just pray ourselves out of situations we’ve behaved ourselves into.* It’s important for us to humbly confess our sins before God, to trust that he is working all things for our good, and to understand that experiencing his best for us and experiencing the fullness of relationship with him means repenting and getting rid of the sin in our lives.

ASK: Do I get frustrated or mad at God when he doesn’t do things the way that I think is best? Do I have sin in my life that is keeping me from being who God is calling me to be and preventing me from fullness of relationship with him.

* One of my all-time favorite Randy Discher-isms.

Posted by on March 30, 2012 in History.

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