January 27, 2014 – Matthew 19 – Childlike Faith

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

What Does this Passage Say?

• We find three separate stories in our reading today that on the surface almost feel like they have nothing in common, but on closer examination there is brilliance in their grouping. The authors of the four gospels often do not tell Jesus story in chronological order. In many regards they group stories and teachings together that follow a similar theme. That is what we have here in chapter nineteen.

• Jesus is now back in Judea, closer to the home base of many Pharisees, and closer to Jerusalem. He is still drawing larger crowds and some in the crowds are the Pharisees themselves. They are still trying to trap Jesus. They know that God values marriage, but that God allowed divorce through Moses for various reasons. They want to see what Jesus will say. Jesus takes the permissions of the Law of Moses and comes down a little stricter. Maybe Jesus was thinking it is time to get back to their original intention when God ordained the institution of marriage. Here as with many things, the people of Israel are concerned about the letter of the Law and not the heart of the Law.

• Immediately after this discussion of divorce we read about little children coming to Jesus. His disciples shoo them away. Jesus is not too busy for these children. Jesus doesn’t have any harsh teaching for these children. Jesus doesn’t rebuke these children. Jesus simply blesses these children and proclaims that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

• We finish our reading with a story about a rich young man. This man has lived a righteous life. He comes to Jesus wanting to know what he can do to inherit eternal life. Jesus suggests some things and the man confirms he has kept them all. Then Jesus advises that he sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor and follow Him. The rich man is not willing. Jesus points out that keeping the letter of the Law is not enough … that salvation is a heart issue … and then alludes to the grace issue that will be realized in the cross.

 What is this passage teaching?

• So what three things does each of these stories have in common? The heart of the Law. In the first and last episodes we see grown men concerned with the letter of the law. In the middle story we find children, who are in many regards naive to sin finding praise from Jesus. This is the type of faith Jesus wants us to have; not a faith that is reduced to keeping a bunch of rules and regulation, but a faith that believes and heart that loves. 

 How can I apply this passage to my life?

• Think about your own life. Do you put your stock of salvation in the things you do? Or is your faith more childlike? What things could you do to make the proper shift from a salvation based off of keeping a bunch of rules to a salvation trusting the grace of God? Begin examining your life and investigating where you have work to do. 

January 16, 2014 – Matthew 12 – The Heart of the Law

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

What Does this Passage Say?

• So far Jesus has been pretty mild in his dealings with the Pharisees. He has had a few run-ins with them, but nothing that has truly got their blood boiling. That is about to change. For a while they have been questioning Jesus and getting a little agitated. Now they find Him and His disciples breaking the Mosaic Law; by plucking grain off the plant.

• The Pharisees have taken the Law and imposed it upon the nation of Israel in a way God never intended. They have written thousands of rules and explanations to the Law that made it almost impossible to keep. They blame the disciples for harvesting grain. Harvesting grain is not easy work. It requires plucking grain and then the threshing of the grain. To harvest a field would require a lot of manual labor, labor that was forbidden in the Law. But what the disciples are doing is not mass harvesting, they are plucking grain, rubbing it in their hands and then eating. This hardly constitutes work.

• The problem here is not the written Law of Moses; it is the oral law and traditions of the Pharisees. They have exasperated the Law. Here Jesus corrects them. He connects what they are doing to what David and his men did when eating the consecrated bread used for the offerings to God. By connecting Himself with David Jesus is making a bold claim.

• This scene is followed by Mathew writing about the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus. Jesus responds to their questions with logic. If there was a great need they too would break the law to keep that need alive: i.e. a sheep in a well. Jesus reminds them that they have missed the heart of the law in their oral traditions. Knowing they were outsmarted Jesus is permitted to heal the man’s hand. While they may have back away and permitted Jesus without any further intrusion, their hearts are really begin to burn against Jesus, now plotting to kill Him.

• These Pharisees are not going to relent. They are looking for opportunities to entrap Jesus. They watch Him cast out a demon and claim that He must be a tool of Satan. Jesus throws there logic in front of them. It makes no sense. Why would Satan battle against himself? Families feuding, nations at war with themselves, churches with disruption will never remain united! No Jesus is not from Satan, He is greater than Satan, He has the power to hold him up and plunder him. Again this is a bold claim for Jesus to make.

• The attacks of Jesus have only begun. No matter what Jesus does, the Pharisees are going to associate with Him bad fruit, even though the evidence suggests other wise. Jesus knows this. He knows why He came. He knows this will all end in His death. He reminds them that He is God, that He is bigger than Nineveh, that He is far more powerful than the Queen of Sheba. He is greater than all these because He is God. His fruit will eventually win out, after three days and three nights in the belly of the earth as Jonah was in the belly of the fish. And then, all those who belong to God, and serve God, and live for God, will be heirs alongside Jesus with the eternal blessing of life in the presence of God.

 What is this passage teaching?

• The Law of Moses existed to teach and lead Israel as to what God defined as sin. If a person could keep the entirety of the Law they were 100% righteous, with no need for salvation. However, that is not possible. As fallible humans we have no shot at keeping the Law. There are moments in our life were anger slips in even when we do not want it to. There are moments in our life where we lust even when we try our best not to. There are moments in our life were we doubt, struggle, and try to do life on our own. We cannot keep the Law. But the Pharisees thought they could. They created their own Law, their own oral traditions that paved a way for the people of Israel. It became even harder for people living in Jesus day to keep the Law. In doing so Israel has lost the heart of the Law. They are trying to earn salvation on their own merit. Even for them looking forward to the cross they were not saved by their works, but by Jesus work. Matthew spends this entire chapter illustrating the missing of the heart of the Law. The heart of the Law is summed up in Jesus quote … “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” (Matthew 12:7b NLT).

 How can I apply this passage to my life?

• So where do you stand on keeping the Law? Are you focused on the strict observance of faith, or do you live understanding grace, understanding the heart of the Law. The Law still has importance for us today … it still shows and teaches us what God defines as sin. But we are not saved by keeping the Law. We are saved by the work of Jesus, the blood and life shed by Jesus. Jesus paid our ransom. Now that does not give us freedom to do whatever we want … by no means. Being saved by grace should make us appreciative of Jesus and what He has done for us. It should force us to live lives that honor Him in all aspects. So how are you doing at keeping the Law? Are you living it out of religious obligation, living as a Pharisee, or are you living it out of gratitude for the salvation you have?

January 9, 2014 – Matthew 7 – Establishing a Heart Built on Jesus Foundation

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

What Does this Passage Say?

• Today we conclude Jesus famous Sermon on the Mount. For my previous thoughts you can access them by clicking here for chapter five and clicking here for chapter six.
• Have you heard it said that Christians are not to judge others? What thoughts flow through your mind? Most people that I have had this discussion with center around the idea that in no way should we judge another person. That is not Jesus intention here.
• Mark Moore indicates that the Greek word used for judge here is krinō. This word can mean “to analyze” or “evaluate” or even “to condemn.”[i] With these three possible understandings we can derive what Jesus is indicating here in this discussion. Jesus is not saying we should not see others and not judge their behavior. We would be wrong if we notice a brother in sin and not offer correct teachings, discipleship, help, and mentorship. That is the analyze understanding of judgment.
• To help understand judging better we can turn to this same sermon in the Luke’s gospel and get a different word translation. The translators of the NIV chose the word condemn in Luke 6:37. Since krinō can mean analyze, evaluate, or condemn we can understand that Jesus prohibition here was condemnation. Jesus tells us it is not our place to judge a man’s soul and standing before God. To in love show a brother his faults and his sins is noble and helpful. The key to all of that is love.
• If Jesus intended for us to not judge and not help our brothers He would have never said, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your won eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5 NIV) We have a responsibility to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ. But as we care for them we must be cognoscente of our own struggles; continually working to eliminate our sins and faults.
• The final sections of this sermon by Jesus are sort of conclusions to the entire sermon. In essence they are Jesus returning to what he has already said and putting a ribbon on it like a nicely wrapped package.
• He returns to the teaching of prayer, the idea of asking God like he taught in the Lord ’s Prayer of chapter six.
• He reminds us of the Kingdom of Heaven. Before in the Beatitudes He included two that talked about the Kingdom of Heaven as an inheritance. Neither of the two elements are pleasant. Jesus reminds us that the gate of Heaven is narrow. When Jesus speaks these words He is yet to go to the cross. The time is not ready to reveal what the Kingdom of Heaven is exactly. But we know. We know that Jesus is the narrow gate, that He is the only gate to Heaven. It takes faith and belief in Him and nothing else to enter.
• Jesus spoke earlier in the Sermon about those who lived strictly according to the Law. He has already said He will take the Law to the next level, that He has come to fulfill it. But Jesus also wants to remind that there is going to be some who will come bearing fruit that is not of God. They will claim to be of God, but in reality they are pawns of Satan. The way to enter the Kingdom is to call Jesus Lord, to elevate Him to a high position of authority.
• Jesus concludes this sermon by sharing that his words are the foundation for all of life. He illustrates this with the idea of wise and foolish builders. One built on a foundation of Sand. I used to live in Easter North Carolina during college. I would visit the Outer Banks often during my four years there. I always thought it was foolish that we built so much on the Outer Banks, a barrier of nothing but sand. A few years ago a hurricane (possibly a tropical storm) came roaring in completely opening up a new water passage way between the Atlantic Ocean and Sound cutting off of any vehicular travel to all points south. Jesus would call this type of building foolish. On the other hand He praises the builder who builds upon the foundation of rock. Jesus says that building our faith and lives upon His words is like building upon the foundation of rock.

What is this passage teaching?

• Jesus has focused on the heart in previous parts of this sermon. Today’s reading is no different. He is still calling for us to examine our heart. When we judge others, with what type of heart are we doing so … a heart to condemn or a heart of love to build up and encourage? Jesus encourages us to have a heart of prayer, a heart that seeks God and the goodness He provides. Jesus asks us to have a heart that seeks Him for salvation and nothing else. Jesus warns us to protect our heart for false prophets and teachers, to seek those who bear good fruit and to bear good fruit for others to see ourselves. Jesus asks us to build our hearts upon His foundation and nothing else.

How can I apply this passage to my life?

• Let me encourage you to apply the lesson of judgment to your life. Jesus asks, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eyes and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3 NIV) There is nothing wrong looking out for your brother; in fact it is a great need in our churches today. But before we begin looking out for each other, we must check our heart, our motives, and even our own actions. What one thing can you identify that you need to remove; what beam, what log, what plank, is driving your life that you can eradicate in 2014? Begin working on that. Also learn to judge your brother without condemnation.

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[i] Moore, Mark. The Chronological Life of Christ. 1. Joplin: College Press, 1996. 210. Print.

January 6, 2014 – Matthew 4 – Overcoming Temptation

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

What Does this Passage Say?

• After Jesus is baptized by John He heads alone out into the wilderness to spend forty days and night fasting and praying. Jesus baptism marks the beginning of His ministry. But before He can do ministry He must first test His strength. Like Israel before entering the promise land, Jesus spends forty days confirming His ability to stand against Satan. If He can stand against Satan and his temptation, then nothing will overcome Him as He carries out the mission He was born for.
• Satan temps Jesus three different ways. Temptation #1 is the Lust of the Flesh. Temptation #2 is boastful pride of Life. Temptation #3 is the Lust of the Eyes. Jesus overcomes all three of these temptations by quoting scripture.
• When Jesus proves He is stronger than Satan He is ready to begin His public ministry. John has been arrested, and Jesus knows His mission is similar so He leaves the hotbed of Judea and heads home to Galilee where Nazareth, Jesus hometown, is located. It is here He bounces around the region to various towns. Again Matthew reminds his Jewish audience that Jesus is fulfilling prophecy. Jesus message is similar to John’s. It too is a message of repentance.
• Jesus knows that His time on earth will be limited. He must leave His mission and message in trustworthy hands. He does so by calling disciples. The first disciples He calls are fishermen. Jesus uses a neat play on words and tells them He will make them fishers of men. After calling Andrew and Peter He finds more fishermen, James and John, and calls them too. The first four disciples have been selected.
• Jesus ministry is not the ordinary ministry of other Rabbis. Jesus certainly teaches, but he also preforms miracles, healing disease and illnesses, casting out demons, and healing the paralyzed. This drove crowds to Jesus from all over the Jewish territories. Jesus was a popular man.

  What is this passage teaching?

• This chapter gives us some insight into the early days of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus stood strong against the temptations of Satan giving Him a firm foundation to stand against the struggles that the role of Messiah would give Him.
• The early days of any mission are often faced with both ups and downs. Jesus left Judea because of the pressure His relative John was facing. Back home He experienced the glory of the mission … calling disciples and attracting crowds.

 How can I apply this passage to my life?

• When you face temptation how do you respond? Do you give in to it believing you do not have the strength to stand strong? Do you walk away, but in your mind long for the temptation? Do you stand strong? If so how do you do it? Jesus was tempted in ways you and I are tempted … lust of the flesh, boastful pride, and lust of the eyes. Each temptation Jesus fought with Old Testament scripture. We would be wise to learn from Jesus. The first step to living that out is committing to memory the Word of God. Maybe a good action step for you is to make it a habit to learn one new verse each week. If you do so, at the end of the year you would know fifty-two more verses then you did last year and your arsenal of defense would be a little more loaded

November 20 – Acts 11 & 12

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Acts 11 & 12. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Kieran Connellan

I am in love with an Indie Rock Band Walk Off The Earth from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They are incredibly talented group of musicians and vocalist. They are well known for their YouTube videos covering some of the most popular music of today’s current artists. Their video covers often take a song to an amazing new level. I am blown away by the talent God has blessed them with. Their most recent release was one of the members of the group along with two friends covering Miley Cyrus’ newest song Wrecking Ball. I am not a Miley fan, did not even care for the song until I listened to this cover. The pain and emotion displayed in this song is just amazing from these three ladies.

Through their emotion I am reminded that there are so many people in our world whose lives have been confronted by the proverbial wrecking ball. Maybe it was their marriage. Maybe it was their finances. Maybe it is currently a relationship with family members. Maybe it is a job situation. Maybe it is legal trouble. Maybe it is some kind of consequence to sinful choices. As Christians how should we respond when people come to us in the midst of the wrecking ball experience of life?  

In our reading today we encountered a man named Barnabas. Barnabas was not his real name, only his nickname. Barnabas means Son of Encouragement (Acts 4:36). The early church has nicknamed this man by his dominate characteristic. So as the church grew, and people outside the Jewish community started becoming Christians, it is obvious to send the encourager to these new Christians.

We can be confident that these people who were coming to Christ were certainly people who knew the wrecking ball of life. They were people who more than likely worshiped the god’s of the day, not the one true God. But soon they began worshiping the one true God and accepting Jesus as Lord. Barnabas goes and is excited to see God working. It is here that he begins encouraging … “When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” (Acts 11:23 NIV) From Barnabas we can learn a valuable lesson.

When people in our church, in our lives, in our communities encounter the wrecking ball, often what they need most is a little bit of Barnabas. They need encouragement. They need to be uplifted. Let me encourage you to face the wrecking ball with encouragement to remain faithful! 

 ☻mrhappy☻ via Compfight cc

October 9 – Matthew 12, Mark 3, & Luke 6

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Matthew 12, Mark 3, & Luke 6. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

What are you concerned with, the details or the overall project? I have a friend who was a jet engine engineer. Because of confidentiality agreements, she was not allowed to discuss the parts she designed. Regardless of her agreement, she did not know much about the other parts. She only really knew about the part she was responsible for and how it affected the other parts around her. This was done on purpose in part so one person could specialize on one part. Because of this she was oblivious to the other parts of the engine. When we focus too much on one aspect of something, we loose sight of the bigger picture.

That is exactly where the Pharisees where. They were focused on the letter of the Law and not the heart of the Law. The permission for priest to work on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:5), or David getting food for his men (Matthew 12:3-4), or saving a sheep from a well (Matthew 12:11) all point to the fact that God left room for heart in the Law over strict observance to the Law.

Are we guilty of this today? Do we look at what the life of a Christian is supposed to look like and demand it forgetting our freedom and salvation in Christ? Do we forget that we are saved by grace that nothing we can do will save us, and rely and trust on God for it? I am not advocating a life filled with sin because of that freedom, just a life that has assurance regardless of the mistakes we make. 

September 13 – Daniel 1-3

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Daniel 1-3. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan. 

Photo Credit: Leslie Maxey

Our reading today takes us to two of the most well known stories in the entire Bible. It begins with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah entering King Nebuchadnezzar’s service in the Babylonian government. It concluded with the famous story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego … Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah’s Babylonian names, or maybe you know them as Veggie’s Tales Rack, Shack, and Benny … being thrown into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to the statue. Today’s reading was very timely for me.

For whatever reason I woke up in a foul mood. I was not happy. I did not want to do anything. I did not want to be nice. Little things were making me made. I simply did not want to do the things that I knew were right. And then here comes Daniel, being presented the best food that Babylon had to offer. He pleaded to not partake of the food and was granted that request. God even provided for him and his three friends through all of this.

While reading it made me wander about the battle that Daniel may have had in his own mind. Daniel and his friends were from Jerusalem. They were rising stars in the Jewish government. But when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem he took Israel’s finest. Now they are in Babylon, being treated like royalty, being introduced to new customs and culture, and I am sure temptation was there. How did Daniel fight it off? How did he put God first? How hard of a decision was it for him? Those are questions I do not have answers for. However, I do know that no matter the battle that raged in his own mind, Daniel ultimately did what honored God.

Honoring God is something we all must do no matter our moods, our attitudes, or the days we have just had. Thank you God for the timely lesson you gave me. 

September 6 – Ezekiel 31-33

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Ezekiel 31-33. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

God instructs Ezekiel to do something strange today … “Son of man, mourn for Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and give him this message,” (Ezekiel 32:2 NLT) and “I will disturb many hearts when I bring news of your downfall to distant nations you have never seen.” (Ezekiel 32:9 NLT) God is bringing judgment against Egypt. He knows it will disturb hearts, but he also instructs Ezekiel to mourn. That is an odd request for God to make of a man who possibly sees Egypt as an enemy.

This past week news broke that Ariel Castro had hung himself in his prison cell. You probably remember that Ariel Castro was the Cleveland man who kept three women hostage in his home for nearly ten years. With one of the girls, Amanda Berry he fathered a daughter. What reaction ran through your mind when you heard the news of his death? Did you celebrate because now the man was dead, he could no longer harm anyone else, and we as taxpayers do not have to pay to keep him alive? Or did you mourn for him knowing that he probably did not know Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and is now spending eternity in Hell? Or do you think his eternal punishment in Hell is perfectly fine?

God told Ezekiel to mourn for Egypt because of what He was getting ready to do to them. I believe whole heartedly that God loves every person who has ever walked this planet no matter the evil in their hearts. I think it tears God’s heart in two whenever one is sent to eternity in Hell. God told Ezekiel to mourn for Egypt. I believe we should mourn for our enemies as well. Yes, people who do wrong, who harm others should pay for their crimes. But no where, no way should we celebrate their eternal punishment in Hell. That should break our hearts. 

September 5 – Ezekiel 28-30

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Ezekiel 28-30. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

When God predicts His judgment against Tyre he begins with their pride beginning at the top level … “In your great pride you claim, ‘I am a god! I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.’” (Ezekiel 28:2b NLT)  God was angry with Tyre and its prince because he claimed to be a god. Now this was not anything new. Most kings of the ancient world believed in a plethora of gods. Many even believed as kings they were a god themselves. God saw this as pride and arrogance.

As I examine my own life I realize I am not much different than the prince of Tyre. Now I do not believe I am deity. I do not believe in any way that I am a god, but I sure do try to live like it. I try to live as if I know everything. I try to live as if the whole world revolves around me, and sadly this is often ramped up in my own home. I try to live with all the pleasures I can afford. While I may not put myself on the same playing field as some form of deity, I certainly try to live like a God.

I think my actions anger God like the prince of Tyre’s did. What about you, do you see yourself falling into the same trap as the Prince of Tyer did? For him it was incredibly easy, he was the prince of a very beautiful city and region. He had wealth. He had servants. He had material possessions. He had people bowing down to him. And for us it is easy to. As American’s God has richly blessed our nation. We in a sense do not constantly need God (We really do, but be honest, how many of us are so in need that the only option to turn to is God himself?). Because of God’s blessings, too many times we do not turn to God, but to our own self. Those actions make us like the prince of Tyre, proud and seeing ourselves as a god. Be on guard though, God does not like competition. 

August 29 – Ezekiel 9-12

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Ezekiel 9-12. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

“The word of the lord came to me: “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.” (Ezekiel 12:1-2 NLT) While this was written about those in Jerusalem and remaining in Judah before the final destruction, you could easily see those words talking about our day and culture. This past week has been filled with the news of Miley Cyrus gyrating in barely there clothing on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards show.  Also in the news is the newly constant debate about race relations in America. Constantly we are bombarded with images of sex, scantily clad women, homosexual relationships, drug abuse, and so many other grievous sin issues that we quickly connect with these words of God.

The destruction that we face today is different than what Israel faced. Israel faced the destruction of their city, their promised land, and the mass loss of life. Today we may not see the physical destruction, but those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, but refuse the message of the gospel, they face a permanent destruction in Hell. That thought should break our hearts. It should break our hearts to action.

Maybe we are Ezekiel and the people living in exile. We know something else. We know that there is life with God. We know that there is joy in Christ. It is our responsibility to creatively open up they eyes and ears so that the gospel message can reach deep and wide. So what are some ways we can open up the gospel? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below!

August 19 – 2 Kings 24-25 & 2 Chronicles 36

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 2 Kings 24-25 & 2 Chronicles 36. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Could you imagine being in a city when it came under siege? Could you imagine the famine and the sickness that would break out? Could you imagine having children not knowing the future of their safety and if they would have any quality of life? Could you imagine what the scenes would be like when the enemy finally came through those walls and began invading your home? These final days of Jerusalem were probably filled with every horrible thought that entered your mind plus many more.

It is all the result of God’s decision to no longer offer forgiveness to His chosen people. God chose not to forgive. Read these words again … “Surly these things happened to Judah according to the LORD’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was not willing to forgive.” (2 Kings 24:3-4 NLT). Those final words hit me hard today… the Lord was not willing to forgive. All the horrible images that filled your mind when Babylon came in and conquered was because God’s mercy and grace were not being poured out like they had been so many times before.

Passages and stories like today make me even more grateful for the cross and what it represents. Jesus died on that cross. God determined through Jesus that once and for all He was going to provide the ultimate forgiveness for our sins. No longer does God have to determine if He is going to forgive another time … He has done it, Jesus is our mediator! For that we can rejoice!!!

July 16 – Isaiah 13-17

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 13-17. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

We are drawing near to the end of both Israel and Judah as nations. It seems like every generation has struggled to follow God. So now God is predicting their destruction. This prediction for Judah is not an empty threat. This prediction is coming with some specifics. God calls out the nation he will use to deliver the blow … the Babylonians.

When we read chapter thirteen of Isaiah we see this prediction given through Isaiah’s words. What amazes me is that while God is going to use Babylon it does not mean he approves of their actions, their worship, or their lifestyles. Does this give you some idea at how horrible God’s so-called consecrated people had become? In the same chapter where God proclaims he is going to use Babylon to pour out his vengeance he also says he is going to one day destroy them. And again he gives indication of who will bring their end … the Medes.

God’s hand on the movements of nations is amazing. It makes me wonder what it is God is up to here in America. Sure we have free will, but I wonder if God is at work preparing and doing something that we are just not aware of. All I know is that to those faithful, to those who follow God, who continue to worship, God will honor. All I know is we can never stop sharing the love of God. Israel and Judah held off God’s wrath because they repented and worshiped; they listen to the words of God’s messengers the prophets. Maybe it is our responsibility as the faithful to be God’s messengers today. Maybe it is taking the frog in the kettle, things heating up real fast that will wake us up. I pray this is the case. 

June 21 – 2 Chronicles 10-12

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from ; 2 Chronicles 10-12. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

In our reading today we watched the division of the two kingdoms. Rehoboam would not listen to the council of his older advisors and angered the northern tribes into separation. They placed Jeroboam on the throne as their king. Jeroboam in a move to ensure complete separation from the southern kingdom erected golden calves, one at Bethel and the other at Dan. His purpose was to keep the Israelites from returning to Jerusalem to worship God. He feared that if they did, they might turn back to Judah, and begin to follow Rehoboam as their king.

What I wander is why did Jeroboam not learn from history? It may have been one thing to erect an entirely new temple, even modeled after the one in Jerusalem. It may have been one thing to keep the temple free of graven images, and simply make it a place to come and worship. Now God may have entirely rejected that and looked upon that decision as sinful. But it would have been far better than his choice. Did he not remember the reaction of Moses when seeing Aaron’s Golden calf? Did he not remember the course of action and how that angered God? Moses had to beg God not to destroy the people! So why didn’t he learn from the generations before?

It would be wise for us as Christians to learn from the mistakes of those who have come before us. Whether it was the justification many used to allow and support slavery in our country. The thought of it continuing today should sicken us. Whether it is division of churches over color of skin: we should work hard to learn from that and incorporate all people into our churches. We could even look back at the Catholic Church in the middle ages in Europe and see the sins of the Crusades and be careful to never repeat something similar. Learning from the sins of the people before is not what Jeroboam did, but it is certainly what we should do.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

June 21 – 1 Kings 10-11 & 2 Chronicles 8

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Kings 10-11 & 2 Chronicles 8. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

We have finally come to an incredibly sad time in our reading of the Bible. We began our reading looking at the beauty and majesty of all that Solomon had acquired. He had certainly made the nation of Israel unlike any before or since. It was the only nation in existence operating under the leadership of the one true God. The blessings, the riches, their importance was all the result of God’s work! Sadly though, with all his wisdom, Solomon still could not overcome it.

We quickly shift from the beauty and majesty, the parade of riches Solomon is able to take the queen of Sheba on, to the proclamation of destruction. Solomon has let false worship into the nation through his many pagan wives and concubines. With all his wisdom he still was not wise enough to follow the commands and decrees found in God’s law. His choices have now set the nation of Israel on a downward spiral ultimately to destruction.

What lessons can you learn from this? Maybe the best is to listen and accept wisdom, but always measure that wisdom against the wisdom of God found in his word. No matter how good others wisdom is if it does not jive with God’s word then the wisdom is faulty. Trust in God first and foremost!

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

June 5 – Proverbs 7 - 9

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Proverbs 7 - 9. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

In our reading today we began with more warnings about the immoral woman … the woman we are to guard against leading us men into sexual sin. This is very noble advice and wise council from God. But I want to take it to another level and discuss sin in general.

Like the immoral woman described in this chapter sin is seductive. If sin was not seductive we would not struggle with it. We struggle with sin because it is pleasurable and it gives us some sort of satisfaction in the moment. The same would be true for the brief sexual interlude that the chapter talks about. If the woman was not seductive and offering him a good time, he would not have stumbled into her bed. Friends, sin is the same way. There is pleasure in sin. That is why we do it.

We must be on guard because the pleasure of sin is often fleeting. There is pain and turmoil in giving your heart sexually to anther for what amounts to a one night stand. Whether that is the emptiness that follows or simply a sexually transmitted disease, the consequences can be devastating. Sin feels good in the moment, but the after can literally suck. So learn to not gratify the sinful desires that will only provide momentary pleasure. Find comfort and strength in the arms of God that last a lifetime. I will take the later, it sounds so much more fulfilling.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

May 15 – 2 Samuel 13-15

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 2 Samuel 13-15. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Sin has consequences. One of the greatest examples of this fact if found in the life of David. David succumbed to the lust of the flesh, committing adultery with Bathsheba, impregnating her, and killing her husband to cover it up. His sin did not remain hidden from the eyes of God. Because of his sin the child born out of the adultery died and God told him family strife would ensue. That is exactly what we see play out in his family today. Amnon, one of David’s son’s, falls in love with his half sister, the whole sister of Absalom. He tricks her and rapes her. David hears of this and essentially does nothing. So Absalom takes matters into his own hands, eventually killing his brother. After a time in personal exile, Absalom returns home, wins the favor of the people and dethrones his father, sending David on the run for the second time in his life.

In the midst of this story David is persuaded/tricked into extending grace to Absalom by a woman. Her words remind us of a very important truth about God … “All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.” (2 Samuel 14:14 NLT) I love it. God does not sweep life away, he devises ways to bring us back. Friends that is exactly what the story of Jesus is all about. God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins to die for us. In Jesus forgiveness is found.

However, in that process we also learn another thing from David. David as we learned yesterday in Psalms found forgiveness from God and the freedom from confession. But there were still consequences for David’s sin. It’s like the alcoholic, in Christ forgiveness and redemption is found, but there is still consequences for the years spent drinking; possible cirrhosis of the liver. Or think about the person who lived a promiscuous life. There is freedom and healing from sexual sin in Jesus, but the consequences of sin might still plague someone in the form of STD’s.

Freedom from confession, forgiveness of sins, and the promise of eternal life in the presence of God is possible. But like David the consequences may be long term. If that is your situation, take comfort knowing grace is sufficient and life in Christ promises life with God eternally.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

May 14 – Psalms 32, 51, 86, & 122

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Psalms 32, 51, 86, & 122. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

When David was caught in his sin with Bathsheba heavy remorse took over his life. His heart truly was tormented by what he had done in his sin. That is evident in his fasting and prayer while the child lay sick. We find his broken heart in our reading today. We see his prayer for transformation in Psalm 51.

What stood out to me was the truth found in Psalm 32. David describes what the unconfused and un-confronted sin in his life did to him … “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long” (Psalm 32:3). Have you ever been there? Ever had something turning inside your heart that you just could not get a grasp around? Learn from David, free yourself … “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All m guilt is gone” (Psalm 32:5). Want to be free, confess the sin in your life.

Confess the sin in your life first to God. There true freedom will be granted. However, you need to do the same with those you have wronged, those you have hurt, and those you have sinned against. Confession is good for the soul. Confession will open up true freedom.  

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

March 14 – Deuteronomy 8-10

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Deuteronomy 8-10. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

We have talked about fighting the sin battle and how it relates to God’s command of genocide of the people who were living in the Promised Land. We have discussed why God ordered that because he did not want their worship and their sin to infect his people. We have even examined our own lives to see what is present that we need to eradicate just like we would work to eradicate a virus from our bodies. Here is what I find awesome … God offers to lead the battle.

In our reading today we find an amazing promise from God …

“Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?” But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.” Deuteronomy 9:1-3 NIV

God basically said, even though the people you are about to go up against are bigger and stronger I am going to fight your fight, I am going to devour them, and I am going to deliver them into your hands. We have seen him do that already with the Moabites. When the pages of Deuteronomy turn to Joshua we will experience that with Jericho and then city after city. God certainly delivered on his promise.

Here’s the hope that I hold on to … God made the promise of deliverance to the Israelites as they went into the Promised Land. He asked them to do something and he helped them do what he asked. In Christ we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God has asked us to purify our lives, to remove the things that keep us from him. But he does not ask us to do it alone. Like he did for the Israelites he will do for us. Because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we have a far greater power than ourselves alone and we can conquer whatever separates us from God.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

March 9 – Numbers 33-34

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Numbers 33-34. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

I want to return to a thought I had yesterday in our reading. Today is a rather hard passage to read. Not because something so horrible or odd takes place, but simply because we are given a list of places camps were made and the geographical boundaries of the Promise Land were given. It simply is not fun to read.

However, at the end of chapter thirty-three there is a nugget that we can all hold on to. God again gives his reason for wanting all the people of the land eradicated from it … “But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thrones in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.” Numbers 33:55-56 NLT. God wanted no temptation, no false worship, not even a hint of Satan’s influence in their land and able to come into their lives.

God wants the same for us. What in your life do you need to completely eradicate? Maybe a sin issues you struggle with on the computer … even though you use it to read my blog, unplug it. Maybe it is a person in your life … maybe you need to separate yourself from them. Maybe it is vocabulary picked up by shows you watch on TV, stop watching them and cancel your cable. I don’t know what it is that drags you further away from God, but do what is necessary to eradicate it from your life. Let me word a little differently … God ordered genocide, maybe you need to do so too with the things that drag you away from him.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

March 8 – Numbers 31-32

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Numbers 31-32. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Our reading today is a little hard to wrap our head around in our modern politically correct world. We look back on what the Nazi’s of Germany did to people, especially Jews, and consider that horrible. We think of the genocide of Rwanda and we get angry at the taking of innocent lives. And then we read passages such as today’s we struggle to understand why God would order something so devastating.

God ordered vengeance to be taken on the Midianites. James E. Smith Old Testament scholar writes in his commentary on the Pentateuch … “”Vengeance” here does not mean revenge; it is the legitimate expression of divine authority when that authority is challenged, Israel here was to be the tool of God’s justice.”[1] God was seeking a holy war against this people. They had tempted and lured away his people. God knew that these Israelites were not strong enough to stand against sin, so he had to eradicate it from their lives. He could not just punish them; he had to wipe them out! I realize this is a hard pill for us to swallow … reading about death and destruction ordered by God. It’s not easy, but God knew it was the only way.

While it is hard to read, I think it is an important lesson for us to learn. Whatever may take us away from complete devotion to God must be eradicated from our lives. Jesus taught this principle as well … “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut if off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:30 NIV. Whatever keeps you from God must be removed from your life, not merely ignored, but completely removed.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

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[1] (Smith, James E. Old Testament Survey Series, The Pentateuch. Joplin: College Press Publishing Company, 1992. 466. Print.)