Category: believing

Making Splashes

Old Testament: Nehemiah 7 & 8

Poetry: Psalm 22

*New Testament: John 2

First impressions are important. What someone thinks of you or what you think of them the first time you meet can set a trajectory for the future of the relationship. After watching the pilot episode of a show, you should come away with some kind of clue as to what direction it will take. Are you going to continue watching the show, or have they not gripped your attention enough?

In John 2, we are given the first impressions or the pilot episode of Jesus’ public ministry, at least according to John’s gospel. Jesus breaks out onto the public scene with the wedding at Cana miracle and the temple cleansing showdown. What is the significance of these events, and how do they foreshadow or help establish a rhythm for the rest of Jesus’ ministry?

The wedding at Cana is only mentioned in John’s gospel. That is not to say that the author made it up. The other gospel writers may not have heard the story or for whatever reason didn’t include it. On the surface, it does seem odd that the first of Jesus’ miracles appears to do nothing more than enable some celebratory characters to get even more drunk than they were before. I’ve never been quite sure how to make sense of that (but hey, welcome to the bible). 

What is being accomplished or communicated with this event? For one, Jesus is providing a clear sign for his disciples that he is the real deal. After seeing the miracle, the disciples have no doubt that Jesus is who he says he is, and that he has the authority from God he claims to have. Another thing being shown is that God is a God of abundance, generosity, and quality. Jesus not only provided very good wine for the party, but provided way more than was needed. Also, by not letting the celebration stop short, Jesus affirms that the good things in life are worth celebrating. That is not a green light on abuse of alcohol, though. Celebration can happen without the aid of recreational substances.

Perhaps most significantly, Jesus is using this miracle to symbolize and foreshadow the transformative work that is about to happen through his ministry, death, and resurrection. Those giant old jars that were used to hold water for purification rites were now going to hold the good stuff. Something was happening that was going to blow the doors off their old, dusty religion. There was a new order, a new reign of God rising up among them. God was really up to something! For some, it was just an epic party (if they even remembered), but for others, it was the night they realized that Jesus was going to change the course of history.

The next event we hear about is the cleansing of the temple. The observant may note that this event happens later in other gospels, much closer to his crucifixion. There are a couple of ways to deal with this. One opinion is that there were two temple cleansing events. John happened to tell us about the earlier one and not the later one, while the other gospel writers told us about the later one and not the earlier one. Another way to deal with it is to say there was really just one event, but John decided to chronologically place it near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the other gospel writers placed it near the end. Don’t lose any sleep over it. Whether it was one or two events, there is significance in John’s choice to share an early account of the temple cleansing.

To understand the context, we should try to make sense of why Jesus was so upset about the money changers. It appears they were providing a legitimate and needed service for those visiting the temple. What could be the harm in that? There is a strong possibility that their businesses had started to exploit people. When you have a corner on the market, what’s to stop you from jacking up prices or treating your customers unfairly? The customers have nowhere else to go. Another reason Jesus may have been upset is that the temple is supposed to be a sacred place. When you turn a sacred place into a marketplace, you are distorting its purpose. It appears that Jesus was taking a stand for the purity and integrity of the temple and worship practices.

This event helps set the stage for the tension Jesus will have with the religious leaders throughout his ministry. This tension will spawn many conflicts that will eventually cost Jesus his life. Late spoiler alert. Another thing being communicated is that Jesus is asserting his authority as the true temple. He says in verse 19, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He said this in reference to his own death and resurrection, but like so many other times in John’s gospel, his words were misunderstood.

Jesus made his first public impressions by powerfully establishing his identity, authority, and mission, and by giving everyone a taste of the transformation that was about to take place. There is something captivating about the character of Jesus. I’m biased when saying that, but I like to think if I had known nothing about Jesus and only read this chapter of John, I would be wanting to see what he did next and where this whole thing was going. In other words, I would totally binge this show.

-Jay Laurent

Reflection Questions:

1. What kinds of transformative work has Jesus done in your life?

2. Jesus caused a scene in the temple over concerns about the integrity of worship practices. What should worship look like?

3. In verse 4, it appears that Jesus is a little reluctant to begin his ministry. Why might that be? Is there something you feel called to do, but don’t feel quite ready for?

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Peter and Cornelius

THEME WEEK- Peter: Acts 10

Old Testament: Nehemiah Intro – found below

Poetry: Psalm 18

This devotion comes from Acts chapter ten. The Centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort was a devout Christian man named Cornelius. Being known for the faith of all his house and his charitable actions toward the Jews, Cornelius is definitely the kind of guy you want around when change needs to be made. Now Cornelius has a vision, and in this vision he is instructed to seek out Simon Peter, afterwards he listens whole heartedly and dispatches a group to go find Peter and bring him to meet Cornelius. While the group is going to find Peter, Peter goes to a housetop to pray. On the housetop he becomes hungry and he is shown a vision. In this vision, a large sheet descends from the sky and in it are a multitude of unclean animals; birds, reptiles and all kinds of four footed animals. A voice instructs Peter to get up, kill and eat. But Peter is hesitant. He doesn’t want to, for he follows the tradition of the time and won’t eat anything considered unclean by tradition. The voice tells Peter “What GOD cleansed, no longer consider unholy” three times and the sheet is taken back up into the sky.

 At this time, while Peter is thinking over what he witnessed, the men sent by Cornelius arrive at the house of Peter. The Spirit tells Peter to receive the men without misgivings and after they greet one another Peter invites them in to stay.

So finally the stage is set. These men have come to take Peter to meet a Gentile, as Peter is starting to rethink what GOD considers holy and unholy. Breaking down traditions.

The group takes Peter and some others from Joppa to Caesarea to meet Cornelius and as he enters the house Cornelius bows to worship Peter. “Stand up” Peter says “for I too am just a man.” There with Cornelius were multiple other gentiles. Peter says “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”

Cornelius gives the account of the vision he received and how he was instructed to reach out to Peter, and to hear the preaching of Peter. 

So Peter begins to preach. Starting with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and his anointing. Then to the death and resurrection of Jesus, ending with the fact that Jesus appeared to those who ate and drank with him before his crucifixion. And while Peter was still preaching to those gathered the Holy Spirit descended upon all those that were in the room, Jew and Gentile alike. 

The believers that came with Peter were amazed that the gentiles also could understand the speaking of tongues. 

Acts 10:47-48 reads “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.”

So that’s the story of Acts chapter ten, but what do we learn? Our preconceived notions of what “GOD wants” may not always be true, just because our traditions teach us something doesn’t mean it’s right. Even though everyone is doing something doesn’t make it right.

But this passage is beautiful in its own way. Just because we may not belong to the house of Israel, doesn’t mean GOD’s love isn’t for us. While it seems like a surface level idea, this passage plainly shows our adoption into the family of GOD.

-John Evans

Reflection Questions

  1. Peter described to Cornelius who Jesus was. How would you describe Jesus?
  2. Are there any areas in which perhaps your ideas of what “God wants” is actually different than what God truly wants? Explain.
  3. What does it mean to you to be a part of the family of God?

Nehemiah Introduction

The book of Nehemiah was written by Nehemiah, the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.  This is the exciting sequel to the book of Ezra.  Ezra oversaw the rebuilding of the temple.  Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in an amazing 52 days.

The two important themes of the book are:
1. The amazing way God protected and provided as the returned exiles rebuild the wall around Jerusalem with amazing speed
2. The importance of being loyal to God.

I particularly appreciate chapters 8 and 9 where Ezra read the law of Moses to all the people; the people listened attentively and worshiped God.

May we be able to say, like Nehemiah in 13:31, “… Remember me with favor, O my God.”

-Steve Mattison

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On the Water

THEME WEEK – PETER: Matthew 14

Old Testament: Ezra 1-3

Poetry: Psalm 14

Today’s passage of Matthew 14 has a lot to unpack. There is much to learn from each story there, but my focus for this passage has always been the last portion: walking on water. Because while John’s death was tragic, and the feeding of the 5,000 is wondrous, the story of Peter stepping out of the boat has always been one of mixed emotions for me. 

Starting in verse 22 we read:

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus has performed miracles before this story. It should be no surprise that he could walk on water, but it truly must have been a sight to see. Coming through wind and darkness and waves, it was enough to make the disciples proclaim him to be a ghost. But Jesus calls through the wind and the lapping of the waves and over the creaking of the boat to reassure his followers. And Peter’s immediate response is one that I’ve always found commendable. He asked Jesus to call him out. 

He wants Jesus to call him out on to dark water to do something terrifying that he knows he’s completely incapable of doing on his own. He is fully aware that only Jesus, using the power and authority given to him by God alone, can help him do this great thing. 

So he asks him to call him out. How often do we ask to be called out into dangerous waters? Usually my request is, “Lord, keep me safe. Keep my family safe. Keep my life simple.” It’s not “Lord, send me out into water well over my head.” 

Peter asked to be called out because he knew that Jesus would help him. And I feel like he should get credit for this. And yet as we read further we see Jesus tell him he has little faith. 

But Jesus! He was the only disciple who stepped out of the boat! 

Poor Peter. He boldly trusts Jesus and goes out on the water but he loses focus. Rather than keeping his eyes on Christ he starts seeing the waves and winds and realizes just the sort of situation he’s in. He’s standing over deep water and the sea is not calm. This is no peaceful frolic. This is scarier and bigger than he expected, and suddenly the danger and the risk is all he can see. Christ is forgotten. 

If we are called to do big things for Christ, we cannot expect it to be simple and peaceful. We live in a world of sin, full of wind and waves, and he is calling us into it to do his work. But he’s right there. He is giving us the authority and the power to do great things. Unfortunately, sometimes all we can see is the danger. 

It takes great faith to step out onto the water, but having faith for a moment isn’t enough. Continuing on in faith despite obstacles and fear is what we are actually called to do. We cannot just step out of the boat. We must go forth as we are called. Keep your eyes on Jesus. 

Some things to think about:

What waters do you feel called on to? 

What do your winds and waves look like? 

What are some practical things that can help you focus less on your obstacles, and more on Jesus? (Maybe it’s deepening your prayer life. Maybe it’s getting a fellow Christian to go alongside you.)

How can you pray bigger prayers and in what areas of your life can you ask Jesus to call you out over deeper water?

My prayer for you today is that you are bold in your faith. I pray that you are able to see Jesus in areas in your life and that you hear his calling. I pray that you not only step out of the boat but that you also continue on toward him, trusting him to keep you above the water. 

-Jenn Haynes

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Changed by Jesus

Old Testament: Judges 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 107

* New Testament: Luke 7

God had given Jesus the ability to perform miracles and the capability to be the “one Teacher” (Matt.23:8) who revealed important messages from Him. In his teachings, we learn the Great Commandment of loving God with all that we are, among other truths of loving our neighbor as ourselves, going into the world to preach the gospel, and so much more. And he didn’t just want us to be aware of these commands, he wanted us to put them into practice. His teachings were to be the foundation on which we build our lives.

The miracles and teaching were attracting a crowd. In Luke 7, we see that people were seeking out Jesus. Each person was very different from the other, but they shared a common need that Jesus could fill. A centurion is seeking healing for his servant, a widow needs resurrection power for her son, a prophet needs reassurance that Jesus is the one, and a sinful woman needs to be assured that her sins are forgiven. But even beyond the glaring needs presented to Jesus, we can see how those in Christ’s presence are being changed.  Just think about all the lives that are influenced and thus transformed because of interactions with those who have interacted with Jesus.

 I imagine that the elders of the Jews were praising God when their plea for healing was granted along with the centurion’s friends and the crowd that followed Jesus. The crowd along with a large funeral procession are awestruck and praised God for resurrecting the widow’s son. What a scene that was! Going from mourning to praise. And of course, I imagine the disciples of John would never forget the message they were given. “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” We can only guess at the large amount of people that were strengthened in the faith because of the imprisonment and execution of John. This event still impacts followers today. Encouraging us to show others our love for Christ even in the middle of some of life’s dismal circumstances.  

And last, we look at Simon the Pharisee. I would imagine that he was forever changed by having dinner with Jesus and by the interruption of the sinful woman. He learned that those who are aware of their great need for forgiveness have a great appreciation for the forgiveness they have received. Being truly forgiven, makes us want to express our thankfulness and love.

When these people entered into his presence, their minds, hearts, and lives are ultimately changed to reflect him more fully. When we enter into the presence of Jesus, we can expect that our lives will be changed, too. Sometimes our desires may be fulfilled, but even more than that, we will have our hearts changed to desire what God has for us.

Enter into his presence today and experience the change that comes from spending time with Jesus. May this change create a ripple effect that will transform your family, friends, coworkers, and community. 

-Rebecca Dauksas and Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. Has your life been changed by Jesus? If so, how? If not, why?
  2. Of the people Jesus interacted with in Luke 7, which one are you most like? What do you share in common? What do you think this person would have told their friends, family, coworkers, community about Jesus following the events of Luke 7? What do you have to tell about Jesus?
  3. What does God reveal about Himself and about His Son in our Bible reading today?
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Who do You Say Jesus Is?

Theme Week – 1 God, 1 Messiah: Matthew 16

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 9 & 10

Psalms Reading: Psalm 81

In Matthew 16 Jesus asked for the public’s opinions of him and the answer was a range of prophets: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or someone else. Considering that John and Jesus had careers that overlapped, spent time together in public, and notably behaved differently, that made little sense. Elijah had been taken up by a whirlwind before his death, leaving people to question if he had died, and a return for him was predicted in Malachi 4:5-6. But Elijah provides the special case of Elisha who had asked to serve in Elijah’s “spirit”, or rather a double-portion of it, so the return of Elijah may well suggest a return of Elijah’s “spirit” or attitude/ministry. And Jesus said that John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah, implying that was the case (Matthew 11:14). As for Jeremiah, who we associate with grief, perhaps Jesus gave a more solemn impression than we might guess, maybe with his attacks on religious leaders. It has also been pointed out that because of God’s instructions Jeremiah was unmarried, which could be a way for Jesus to remind people of him in a culture where almost all men married. There was even a tradition that said Jeremiah had hidden the Ark of the Covenant before Jerusalem fell to Babylon, and which expected him to return and reveal where he had put it.

     Have you noticed what these expectations tell us about the capacity for some in the public to believe nonsense? Jesus had made no claim to be any of these people. His origins were known, or should have been – and here were people wanting to think he was someone else. No wonder Jesus’ death and resurrection needed many witnesses, and so much evidence. It would be too easy otherwise for people to suppose that any claims of him being alive were just the result of fools accepting a story that the wise should ignore.

     But when Jesus asked who his disciples believed he was, Peter declared “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16). This was new. ‘Christ’ is a title meaning anointed one (some versions use the Hebrew equivalent Messiah in place of the word Christ). Jesus was anointed, and not meaning with oil, but with what oil symbolized, the Holy Spirit Jesus had received at his baptism. And Jesus was the son of God, not normally a part of the discussions about the Christ.

     Peter was blessed because he was not told this by flesh and blood (a person), but was told by God. I think Jesus meant Peter is the starting point for this awareness, which could then be spread by word of mouth, but it started by revelation. Jesus uses a play on words from Peter’s name, that sounds like the word for “stone,” and says he will build his church (his gathering of believers) on the stone of the truth Peter was given. Also the gates of “hades” will not stand against the church. That is, the believers will be able to leave hades/the realm of the grave at the resurrection. Jesus’ attention is drawn back to his death in this chapter, and to the effect it will have. The keys promised to Peter seem to involve a role for Peter’s future. If you look at Isaiah 22:22 it suggests being a steward in the household of the king.

     We don’t know all of the things people thought then about the Christ, but we recognize that the Old Testament had three anointed roles which linked with roles for Christ: prophet, high priest, and king. (This idea may have been recognized very quickly in New Testament times, but we don’t find it written about until by Justin Martyr in the second century.)

     Prophet – Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Acts 3:22 – God promised the nation a special prophet “like Moses” who would speak for God.

     High Priest – Hebrews 2:17, etc; Psalm 110 – the High Priest had a special role of sacrifice and ministry on behalf of God’s people, which Jesus took on.

     King – 2 Samuel 7, Matthew 21:5, etc. – The expectation of Christ as a king was the most well established in the people’s minds, reflected in many places. People did not expect the kind of king Jesus turned out to be, or the delay in his earthly rule. Many people in Israel expected that the Christ-King would free God’s people from their mistreatment by the nations. Not many looked for the child of David to die to accomplish salvation. Certainly none looked for God’s child to do so.

     The events of Matthew 16 were a dividing point in Jesus’ ministry. Earlier the disciples may have had private guesses about Jesus’ role, but now Jesus asked the question they wanted the answer to and things came into the open. But when Jesus made other matters about his plans more plain for the disciples, things that did not seem to put glory onto his name in Peter’s eyes, Peter objected. Peter did so because his idea of the Christ didn’t match God’s idea of the Christ. It really was a revelation that had opened his mind, not his own wisdom. He still didn’t understand all that God had planned. In his reply, among other things, Jesus says that the Son of Man will come in the Father’s glory – not his own – and repay each man according to his deeds. Unless a man give up his life for Jesus’ sake, how can he get a new one? Peter didn’t get this at first, but he would get there.

Lord, help me to set my mind on your interests. Help me not to be a stumbling block to anyone around me by the way that I speak, or how I act, or how I respond to their choices. Please help me not to be held back from what I should be doing for you by hesitancy I gain from seeing the responses of others around me, either. Let me be prepared each day to lift my cross again, if I find I have set it down, and to follow Jesus. In his name, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Questions:

  1. Have you ever thought before about the risks of some people in the first century being too willing to believe in someone coming back from the dead? When God plans He plans for the details needed by every culture – what does that mean for believers’ efforts in writing about the scriptures, and translating them?
  2. Do you think it hurt Jesus for Peter to oppose him as he did? Do you think it hurt Peter for Jesus to speak to Peter as he did?
  3. With a really difficult lesson to learn, what are some advantages to having as good a teacher as Jesus?
  4. What is Scripture teaching you regarding who God is? What is Scripture teaching you regarding who Jesus is?
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Promise Keeper

Old Testament Reading: Numbers 34-36

Psalms Reading: Psalm 75

New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 12

Looking here at the last three chapters of the book of Numbers, it can often be easy to gloss over it, and miss the bigger picture of what is happening. It is easy to look at this as just some boring passages about land being divided between the tribes of Israel. But when we look at the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) we are supposed to look at it all together as a whole. Really we are supposed to look at the whole Bible that way, as one continuous story that leads to Jesus, and the work that God did through him on the cross.

When we look at the Pentateuch we see that the land of Canaan is referred to as the Promised Land. The reason for that is because way back in Genesis, God promised Abraham that this land would belong to his descendants: “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:8) And so as we look at the end of Numbers what we are seeing is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. This passage even goes so far as to show that God is providing a place in the land of Canaan for those who are guilty of accidental murder, and for a family of sisters, whose dad had died without any male heirs.

Nowadays we look at that last chapter and say, “Well of course those ladies should inherit their father’s land,” but in those days that was unheard of. In the days of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, the only people who could legally inherit land from their fathers were men. But God had promised to Abraham that all of his descendants would be part of that inheritance. And God keeps His promises.

I think that is a big takeaway for us out of this passage. We can be sure that God keeps His promises no matter what. In II Corinthians (which we will also finish tomorrow) Paul wrote “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (1:20) Just like it was surely difficult for God’s people when they were trapped in slavery for a few hundred years to hold on to the promise of freedom and a land of their own. And like it was most likely hard for the Israelites who were exiled in Babylon for seventy years to hold onto the promise of being returned to their home in Israel. In the same way it may have been difficult for Simeon to hold onto the promise that his eyes would see the Messiah before he died. In the same way, it is difficult for us today to hold onto the promises that God may have given us. But just like in all these stories and so many others in the Bible, God fulfilled all of His promises.

When we read passages like this, we shouldn’t just gloss over them, but instead celebrate with the people that God’s promises were fulfilled in their lives. And we should also remember that just as He fulfilled his promises for them, He will do the same for us. So if you are struggling with fear and doubt about whether something God promised you will happen and take place, take heart because God will never ever ever break a single promise that He makes.

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. What promises of God have already been fulfilled, both in Scripture and in your own life?
  2. What promises of God are you still expecting to be fulfilled? How sure are you that they will indeed happen? What should we do while waiting for them?
  3. Using what you have read in His Scriptures, how would you describe God?
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Are you Zealous for God?

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 22 & 23
Psalms Reading: Psalm 40
* New Testament Reading: Romans 10

Paul starts Romans 10 like he started Romans 9, wishing that Israelites would be saved.  He lamented in verses 2-4, “For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.  Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”

Are you zealous for God?  If so, great!  But as Paul pointed out, zeal is not enough.  Do you try to establish your own righteousness (through rigidly following a bunch of rules or making up your own rules)?  That didn’t work out too well for the Israelites, and won’t work out well for you either.

Fortunately, Paul revealed what *is* needed in Romans 10:9-10, “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

This sounds too simple to be true, but it is.  We need to publicly proclaim “Jesus is Lord” – and live it, not just say it.  And we need to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead – not just head knowledge, but knowledge that will transform our lives.  If we do this, we will indeed be saved!  Praise God!

Since this is true, evangelism is critical!  Paul points out in Romans 10:14-15, “How then can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

If we have the right relationship with God, we will have the love of God in our hearts.  And just as God doesn’t want anyone to perish, we too won’t want anyone to perish.  But how can people be saved if they don’t know about God and Jesus?  And how can they know unless someone tells them?  In the “Steve Mattison” translation, this passage pretty clearly says that you and I have a responsibility to tell others about the good news of the gospel, and you and I have a responsibility to send missionaries to tell even more people.  How are you doing with that?

A lot of people who dabble at Christianity need to get serious about going all in with God or quit pretending.  In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

You may be wondering how does this apply to you?  I’m glad you asked.

Have you made a public confession that Jesus is your Lord?  If so, does your life reinforce or contradict that confession?

Do you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead?  If so, does your life bolster or refute that head knowledge?

Are you actively spreading the gospel and/or funding missionaries so they can spread the gospel?

-Steve Mattison

Reflection Questions

  1. See Above!
  2. What has God revealed about Himself today?
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God Makes Holy Ground

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 3 & 4
Psalms Reading: Psalm 30
New Testament Reading: Romans Introduction Below

These words in Exodus 3:5 always give me pause:

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (NIV)

In this situation, Moses saw a burning bush that was not being consumed by the fire and walked over to investigate it. He hears God’s voice from within the bush and approaches it, but God reminds Him of some important boundaries and guidelines (don’t come any closer, take off your sandals, remember this is holy ground). In verse 6 we read, 

6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. (NIV)

If you stop here, you would think Moses gets it. He recognizes he is hearing from God Almighty. Yet, somehow, it doesn’t seem to completely sink in for him. I say that because Moses proceeds to pepper his conversation with God with all kinds of doubt and questioning.

God acknowledges that he has seen the suffering of His people and shares His plan with Moses in verse 10:

10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (NIV)

Moses has the audacity to question God. 

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (NIV).

As we read on, we see many instances of “But God, what about this or what about that.” 

I would like to contrast this dialogue between Moses and God with David’s words of praise in  Psalm 30.

1 I will exalt you, Lord,

    for you lifted me out of the depths

    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2  Lord my God, I called to you for help,

    and you healed me.

3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;

    you spared me from going down to the pit. (NIV)

David gives God the praise he is due. 

-Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions:

  1. In reflecting on today’s reading, are you more like Moses or David?  
  2. If you find that you fall into a Moses mode more often than you would like, what steps could you take to be more like David?
  3. There have been many different human responses to God – some good, some bad – but what do we learn about God Himself in these passages? How does having a better understanding of who God is and how He works help us have a proper response. Is there perhaps something Moses didn’t understand at the time about God?

For our New Testament reading, we will be spreading out the gospels throughout the year, and reading Acts after we read Luke, so tomorrow we will jump ahead and begin reading the book of Romans, one chapter a day. In preparation, enjoy this

Romans Introduction

I’ll start by saying that I love the book of Romans.  It’s among my relatively few favorites.  

Similar to the book of Exodus, the book of Romans talks about slavery.  Slavery to sin, and deliverance from that slavery.  The book of Exodus records God’s laws for his people; but the book of Romans shows that no-one is able to obey that law completely.  And because nobody is able to follow God’s laws completely, all of us deserve to die.  Fortunately, the book of Romans also gives the antidote.

In the Book of Romans, we find what some call the “Roman Road to Salvation”.  There are a few variations, but it goes something like this…

  1. Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD.”
    • Do you recognize you are a sinner and have disappointed GOD?
  1. Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”
    • Do you recognize the punishment for sin is eternal death?
      • Do you want this gift of eternal life that GOD wants to give you?
  1. Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
    • Do you believe Jesus died to pay the punishment for your sins?
  1. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
    • Do you believe God raised Jesus from the dead?
      • Do you agree to make Jesus Lord of your life?  This means living a life like he lived.
  1. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
    • Do you have peace with God?  If not, go back to step 4.
  1. Romans 12:1-2 describes the metamorphosis that takes place in all true believers, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
    • Does this accurately describe you?  If not, go back to step 4.

-Steve Mattison

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Good Question

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 19 & 20

Psalm Reading: Psalm 12

New Testament Reading: Matthew 11

Where is the darkest place you have been? So dark, you were scared to take a step? The most difficult place you’ve been? So difficult, you doubted? When have your dark, difficult, trying circumstances caused you to doubt what you previously knew to be true?

You are not alone. John has been there, too. Sometimes referred to as John the Baptist or the Baptizer for his message of repentance and baptism, John had faithfully worked for years. Known for his simple lifestyle, his ministry was not about him – but about the one who was to come – the Messiah. He had prepared the way for Jesus’ entrance. He had not taken the easy road. He had not backed down from authority. He continually stood for what was right and true – even when it landed him in prison. The ruling Herod and his wife didn’t appreciate John speaking out against their unlawful marriage.

With his ministry and freedom taken from him, and his future in question, John had a lot of time to think in the darkness of his circumstances. Why? What if…? Was it worth it? Was this supposed to happen? Had he been right? Or wrong? We don’t know all the questions John asked in his prison cell. But, we do know the most important one. The one he needed an answer to. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3)

And Jesus answered. Restating the truth that John needed to hear again. Pulling up Old Testament scripture from Isaiah and giving evidence of how his own ministry lined up with what had been foretold: the blind see, the lame walk, the leper is cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the GOOD NEWS is preached to the poor (Matthew 11:5).

In our dark days and when we question what we knew to be true, we would do well to return to Jesus. Tell me again, Jesus. Give me proof of who you are. Read again who he is, what he has done, what he taught, what he did for me. The story of Jesus never gets old, but we do need to be reminded of what we know. And then we have the beautiful opportunity and mandate to tell others of what we have seen and heard.

In the rest of this chapter (as well as the previous one) Jesus demonstrates that following him can be hard. People will criticize everything – our job is not to make people happy. There will be many unrepentant people (and cities) who do not accept the work that Jesus has done for them or the path that Jesus has laid out. Don’t be swayed, know that judgement will come and make sure you are on the right side. Stay close to the one who knows and reveals the Father. Jesus, the Son of God, is the only way. Work with him. Stay attached to Jesus. Take his yoke upon you (Matthew 11:29).

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. Who is Jesus? Do you know that he is the one who was to come? How do you know this? What is the value in reading the Old Testament? What is the value in reading the New Testament?
  2. What is repentance? Why is it important? Without it, what will happen? (Matthew 11:20-24)
  3. What do you learn about God in today’s reading? What do you learn of His Son?
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He Sees and Examines

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 17 & 18

Psalm Reading: Psalm 11

New Testament Reading: Matthew 10

Yes, indeed. You can be guaranteed, God sees (you can review yesterday’s devotion if you missed it). For many people in innumerable situations across the centuries, the fact that God sees has given reassuring peace and comfort. The oppressed, the grief-striken, the helpless, the victim, and the fatherless have all been introduced to the God who sees and His Son who changes lives.

In today’s Psalm 11 it even records, “He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine the sons of men. The LORD examines the righteous.” (Psalm 11:4b, 5a NIV). He examines the righteous – that’s much more than a casual “see” and walk on. It gives me a picture of a kind, thorough, knowledgeable doctor. He has listened to your list of ailments and what you hypothesize might be needed but his careful examination will reveal the true issues and in wisdom he will prescribe and deliver what you really need at just the right time. “The LORD examines the righteous.”

It is a comforting first half of Psalm 11:5. The verse doesn’t end there. We are reminded that it is not ONLY the righteous God sees. And when he sees the unrighteous – he also takes action. “…but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur, a scorching wind will be their lot. For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face” (Psalm 11:5b-7 NIV).

God sees.

God examines.

God acts.

God loves justice.

In our Genesis passage we see God seeing Sarai and Abraham. He has been promising that Abraham will be the father of many descendants, a great nation and kings. But they are old – with no child of their own. Sometimes it’s hard to keep believing that God sees. God reminds them, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14 NIV). Sarai tries to get away with a little lie – saying she didn’t laugh at the crazy idea that within the year she, an old woman, would have a baby. But God sees even the little laugh. He examines the righteous (not the perfect – but the righteous). Don’t try to fool the all-seeing God.

Then the story turns…to God preparing to visit Sodom, a city full of sin . He has heard of their wickedness. Is it time for Him to act? Is it time for justice? We will have to see tomorrow when we read Genesis 19. But, if you want a little hint, recall what the Psalmist said regarding what God will do to the wicked: he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur. Even in our Matthew passage, where Jesus is preparing his disciples to go out into the towns of Israel, knowing full well that many will not accept them or the message they bring, he references Sodom and judgment.

God does see.

It is reassuring to the righteous.

It is judgment for the wicked.

What does He see in you?

He isn’t fooled. He sees. He examines. He loves justice.

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. What does God see in you? What might His examination reveal are your true ‘health needs’ to be addressed, and the remedies He is offering? Are there any areas where you have been trying to lie to God?
  2. Matthew 10 is one of those chapters you could read every day for a week or more and still find new insight. Jesus is preparing his disciples to share the good news of the kingdom in a world that sometimes/often rejects it. What is helpful for you to hear from Jesus? Are we to just give up and keep silent if the world rejects the message?
  3. In today’s Scripture reading you see God is ________.
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