Below is the daily Bible reading I am doing for the West Side Church of Christ. Please feel free to follow along.
Jesus knew that there had to be a process in which he revealed himself. There was one verse in today’s reading (Mark 1) that made this very evident. This verse said … “He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.” The demons knew who Jesus was. They had seem him before. Jesus was the creator of the heavens. Jesus was the one who threw Lucifer (Satan) and his demons out of heaven. They understood who he was and why he was there.
However, Jesus knew there was a process. At this early stage, he knew that if people had an inclination he was the messiah, then the whole process could be thwarted. So he squelched the voice of them who knew the truth. He did all of this so that the time would be right to reveal who he was. He needed to build a following, and he needed to be rejected by that following so that he could go to the cross and save our sins.
When you read scripture do you see the subtleties of how God is working through the lives of his servants? What are some one line passages, passages you have read over many times with no thought, that suddenly you read it and they scream out to you God’s plan in a new way?
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
You Want Me to do What?
Below is the daily Bible reading I am doing for the West Side Church. Please feel free to follow along.
Today’s reading (2 Peter 3) paints a gloomy picture of what is to happen after the judgment of the world. The world is going to be destroyed and purified by fire. People are going to come and make a mockery out of those waiting on Christ. Now that is something I do not desire to live through. But the great thing is it does not even scare me. Why? Because I know that I am saved by grace through faith, for a new life in Christ.
When you are in Christ you have the promise of eternal life. The horrors of the end times, the horrors of Hell should not even be something that fazes you. You have been justified by Christ, and have a promise in an eternal life that is truly grand. However, this outlook should also spur us to action.
Many of us know people who are far from God. If you are not a Christian, baptized into his wonderful grace, then you are far from God. The purification of earth and the heavens, as well as the punishment of an eternity in Hell should cause us concern for the ones we love who are far from God. Could you imagine your mom, the uncle you dearly love, and the neighbor who makes the wonderful cookies spending eternity in Hell because they are far from God? Their need of salvation should make us spring into action so that we can introduce them to the wonderful grace of Jesus. So with what kind of vigor do we attack evangelism? Is it a top priority or something you hope you will do? I pray it is a top priority.
Today’s reading (2 Peter 3) paints a gloomy picture of what is to happen after the judgment of the world. The world is going to be destroyed and purified by fire. People are going to come and make a mockery out of those waiting on Christ. Now that is something I do not desire to live through. But the great thing is it does not even scare me. Why? Because I know that I am saved by grace through faith, for a new life in Christ.
When you are in Christ you have the promise of eternal life. The horrors of the end times, the horrors of Hell should not even be something that fazes you. You have been justified by Christ, and have a promise in an eternal life that is truly grand. However, this outlook should also spur us to action.
Many of us know people who are far from God. If you are not a Christian, baptized into his wonderful grace, then you are far from God. The purification of earth and the heavens, as well as the punishment of an eternity in Hell should cause us concern for the ones we love who are far from God. Could you imagine your mom, the uncle you dearly love, and the neighbor who makes the wonderful cookies spending eternity in Hell because they are far from God? Their need of salvation should make us spring into action so that we can introduce them to the wonderful grace of Jesus. So with what kind of vigor do we attack evangelism? Is it a top priority or something you hope you will do? I pray it is a top priority.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
It Blew Me Away
Below is the daily Bible reading plan I am doing for the West Side Church of Christ. Please feel free to follow along.
I do not get to the book of 2 Peter much. For some reason I tend to be a Pauline man (The writings of the Apostle Paul). So today’s reading (2 Peter 2) was an amazing refresher for me. It has been a long time since I read that in its entirety, and it blew me away.
Peter’s sets a good case for those who have draw near to God, only to draw further away from him at some point. He concludes the chapter by saying …
… Over the course of time I have heard many different arguments on what that passage is talking about. Instead of going through each one, I want to give you my interpretation. The promise of Heaven and having the privilege of spending eternity with God is just amazing. When you come to faith in Christ and you learn the way of the Lord, then you are given that privilege of spending eternity in Heaven in the presence of God. If you were to turn away from God, deny him as master, and then yourself become a slave to sin, you are removed from the book of life … Jesus is no longer your intercessor. To have a glimpse of Heaven and then have it removed makes your eternity in Hell that much worse. Eternity in Hell without the knowledge of God would be better than eternity in Hell with the knowledge of God. That is my interpretation of that passage.
Even though we live in a world ruled by sin, there is hope. Earlier in the reading Peter discusses what will happen to the righteous … “if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment.” Friends, if we are in Christ, considered justified by God (100% righteous) then we will be rescued by God and not have to worry about an eternity in Hell. What an amazing God we serve.
I do not get to the book of 2 Peter much. For some reason I tend to be a Pauline man (The writings of the Apostle Paul). So today’s reading (2 Peter 2) was an amazing refresher for me. It has been a long time since I read that in its entirety, and it blew me away.
Peter’s sets a good case for those who have draw near to God, only to draw further away from him at some point. He concludes the chapter by saying …
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at
the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not
to have known the way of the righteousness, than to turn their backs on the
sacred command that was passed on to them.”
… Over the course of time I have heard many different arguments on what that passage is talking about. Instead of going through each one, I want to give you my interpretation. The promise of Heaven and having the privilege of spending eternity with God is just amazing. When you come to faith in Christ and you learn the way of the Lord, then you are given that privilege of spending eternity in Heaven in the presence of God. If you were to turn away from God, deny him as master, and then yourself become a slave to sin, you are removed from the book of life … Jesus is no longer your intercessor. To have a glimpse of Heaven and then have it removed makes your eternity in Hell that much worse. Eternity in Hell without the knowledge of God would be better than eternity in Hell with the knowledge of God. That is my interpretation of that passage.
Even though we live in a world ruled by sin, there is hope. Earlier in the reading Peter discusses what will happen to the righteous … “if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment.” Friends, if we are in Christ, considered justified by God (100% righteous) then we will be rescued by God and not have to worry about an eternity in Hell. What an amazing God we serve.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Effective & Productive vs. Ineffective & Unproductive
Below is the daily Bible reading I am doing for the West Side Church. Please feel free to follow along.
Today’s reading (2 Peter 1) gives a list of things that we as Christians should exhibit.
Faith
Goodness
Knowledge
Self-control
Perseverance
Godliness
Brotherly kindness
Love
Now while this is not the passage we normally look to for the fruits of the spirit, they are almost identical. In this rendition of the fruits, Peter encourages us to implement these things so that we will be kept from being unproductive and ineffective. So my questions for you are:
Do you live by faith?
Do you practices goodness in all you do and say?
Do you seek knowledge?
Do you have self-control when temptation is knocking on the door?
Do you strive to preserver through challenges, heartaches, and setbacks?
Do you practice godliness in all situations?
Do you show brotherly kindness to even your worst enemies?
Do you show love to people from all walks of life no matter how different?
You see if we live by these principles we will in return become very effective and productive witness for the kingdom of God. In essence we become living stones crying out Jesus is KING!
Today’s reading (2 Peter 1) gives a list of things that we as Christians should exhibit.
Faith
Goodness
Knowledge
Self-control
Perseverance
Godliness
Brotherly kindness
Love
Now while this is not the passage we normally look to for the fruits of the spirit, they are almost identical. In this rendition of the fruits, Peter encourages us to implement these things so that we will be kept from being unproductive and ineffective. So my questions for you are:
Do you live by faith?
Do you practices goodness in all you do and say?
Do you seek knowledge?
Do you have self-control when temptation is knocking on the door?
Do you strive to preserver through challenges, heartaches, and setbacks?
Do you practice godliness in all situations?
Do you show brotherly kindness to even your worst enemies?
Do you show love to people from all walks of life no matter how different?
You see if we live by these principles we will in return become very effective and productive witness for the kingdom of God. In essence we become living stones crying out Jesus is KING!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Righteous Style
Below is the daily Bible reading I am doing for the West Side Church. Please feel free to follow along.
I did not manage my time well yesterday, and failed to do the Bible reading. Please forgive me for my negligence.
There is an interesting theme in today’s reading. (Proverbs 10). The theme that I saw was the difference between the righteous and the wicked. Some of the characteristics of the righteous are: a hard worker, a wise son, speak nourishing words, integrity, joy, and wisdom. Some of the characteristics of the wicked are: ill gotten treasures, lazy, chattering fool, violence, poverty, and slanderous.
I love what Solomon writes when he says “What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desires will be granted” … “The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.” These are some powerful verses of God’s holy word. What side would place yourself on? Do you live by these powerful words?
I did not manage my time well yesterday, and failed to do the Bible reading. Please forgive me for my negligence.
There is an interesting theme in today’s reading. (Proverbs 10). The theme that I saw was the difference between the righteous and the wicked. Some of the characteristics of the righteous are: a hard worker, a wise son, speak nourishing words, integrity, joy, and wisdom. Some of the characteristics of the wicked are: ill gotten treasures, lazy, chattering fool, violence, poverty, and slanderous.
I love what Solomon writes when he says “What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desires will be granted” … “The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.” These are some powerful verses of God’s holy word. What side would place yourself on? Do you live by these powerful words?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Speaking Righteous Words
Below is the daily Bible reading I am doing for the West Side Church. Please feel free to follow along.
I remember the morning well. It was November 1, 2003 and I was a freshman in college. A group of us were going from Mid-Atlantic Christian University to Roanoke Christian Service Camp to spend the day helping the camp. Several of us rode down to the camp with our class sponsor and professor Dr. Bob. Before we got started on our journey that morning we did what many Christian groups do before traveling, we prayed. Dr. Bob had the privilege to talk to God on our behalf and while he was praying he said something that really made an impact on my life. Now I do not remember the words exactly but what he said was close to this … “Lord today we ask that you be the guider of our words, and that our words praise you.” Man that changed my whole outlook on how we interact with each other.
Today’s reading (1 Peter 4) reminded me of that life changing day (By the way, I do not remember the date of the day because of that event; I just remember going there on my mom’s birthday which happens to be Nov. 1st.). Peter writes … “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
So my question to you is, when you speak do you speak as if you are speaking the words of God? Is your language filled with words God would never use? Is your vocabulary one that changes depending on the group you are with? What about the way you serve? Do you grumble and complain your do you tap into the strength God gives you? You see, according to Peter, we do this so that we can praise God through Jesus Christ. Looking at the way we speak, looking at the way we serve, and seeing that it is a tool we praise God through, may just change the way you live your life. I know that day Dr. Bob helped shape my life.
I remember the morning well. It was November 1, 2003 and I was a freshman in college. A group of us were going from Mid-Atlantic Christian University to Roanoke Christian Service Camp to spend the day helping the camp. Several of us rode down to the camp with our class sponsor and professor Dr. Bob. Before we got started on our journey that morning we did what many Christian groups do before traveling, we prayed. Dr. Bob had the privilege to talk to God on our behalf and while he was praying he said something that really made an impact on my life. Now I do not remember the words exactly but what he said was close to this … “Lord today we ask that you be the guider of our words, and that our words praise you.” Man that changed my whole outlook on how we interact with each other.
Today’s reading (1 Peter 4) reminded me of that life changing day (By the way, I do not remember the date of the day because of that event; I just remember going there on my mom’s birthday which happens to be Nov. 1st.). Peter writes … “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
So my question to you is, when you speak do you speak as if you are speaking the words of God? Is your language filled with words God would never use? Is your vocabulary one that changes depending on the group you are with? What about the way you serve? Do you grumble and complain your do you tap into the strength God gives you? You see, according to Peter, we do this so that we can praise God through Jesus Christ. Looking at the way we speak, looking at the way we serve, and seeing that it is a tool we praise God through, may just change the way you live your life. I know that day Dr. Bob helped shape my life.
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