Scripture to read today:
Job 28; Job 29; Galatians 1; Galatians 2
Scripture that spoke to me:
Galatians 1:6-7
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ.You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
Observation:
There is a lot of misunderstanding, and a lot of truth-twisting, by those who profess to know Christ. I’m sure some of it is unintentional- misinterpretation on the part of the teacher- but some is meant to make you take your eyes from Jesus. Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders have an important job that should be taken seriously. God is found in the Bible, and the truths that are included in the Bible should be the ones that come through in teachings.
Application:
I was speaking with a friend last night who is hesitant to return to a Bible study because of some things the leader was saying. Things that were her own opinion of God and heaven, not anything that she learned by reading the Bible. This teacher needs to recognize that she is twisting the truth, perhaps leading people away from the Good News instead of to it.
Prayer:
Lord, please help me to not be like this teacher. I know there are things that I don’t understand, but let me acknowledge these as unknowns instead of making up my own explanations for these hard concepts. Let me lead no one astray from Your Word. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38-39; Psalm 75; 1 Peter 2
Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Peter 2:11-12
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, thought they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Observation:
We are aliens in the world, for we are not meant to live on earth for long. We are only visiting here for our lifetime and will move on to the heavens above. Therefore, we should try to stay away from the worldly desires. Show the people of this world what it means to live a good life, no matter what they may say about you, so that they may decide that God is almighty in the end.
Application:
I’ve enjoyed reading an interesting blog from my new friend Patrick, who recently found out some online friends were Wiccan. He has had a problem with this, and so have they, as they have tried to understand each other’s point of view. The Wiccans have tried to defend their position with things that are not Biblical (of course) and Patrick has tried to stay grounded in the scripture. He may not win anyone over to Christ, especially in an argumentative blog, but hopefully they will all remain friends and see that he is a good man who follows an awesome God. Then maybe one day they’ll want what he has! That is what I hope happens with these journal posts every day, too.
Prayer:
Lord, let me know the right things to say so that people see Your greatness. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3
Scripture that spoke to me:
James 2:1-2a
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways.
Observation:
Those who teach, who instruct, will be looked up to, and others will try to imitate them in their way to life. Therefore, they will be held to a higher accountability.
Application:
Mark 9:42 says “if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone around his neck.” If you are a teacher- a leader- then people look up to you and look at you for the right things to do. That doesn’t mean you’re going to be perfect, but it does mean you have to try pretty hard not to let them down, to show them the right way.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me be a good example to those who look up to me. Amen
Scripture to read today:
Amos 1-3; Psalm 80; 2 Timothy 4
Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Timothy 4:2-3
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Observation:
This is Paul’s final charge to Timothy- preach always- stay above the the world- keep your head.
Application:
This is good advice- don’t let the ways of the world change who you are. But, it isn’t easy to do. We have pride- we want to fit in and have people like us. So we try to mold ourselves to others. Instead, we should try to mold ourselves to God and work to please him.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, forgive me for trying to please others more than You. Help me to keep you in the forefront.
Scripture to read today:
2 Kings 6; 2 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3
Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Timothy 3:2-7
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
Observation:
This is Paul’s description of what a preacher should be. Someone who has managed his own life well, so that the church may be managed well, too.
Application:
I work with two preachers and also know the three at my church very well. I think they all fit this description. Not that they never make a mistake, or have flaws, but that their inner being, their character, is that of someone that people can look up to. I think of Scott, who is on track to be a minister, and see how he fits this description. I also see how God uses these fallible people to teach others about Him.
Prayer:
Lord, I pray for our ministers- that their lives are not only an example, but their hearts are, too. Be with them and their families as they set about to do Your work. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
2 Kings 1; 2 Kings 2; 2 Kings 3; Psalm 82; 1 Timothy 1
Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Timothy 1:5-7
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
Observation:
Those who don’t understand can’t teach. Paul is telling Timothy to command these men to stop talking. They are not promoting Jesus, but themselves.
Application:
Bible teachers have to stop and take stock every now and then. The stories are good, the insights that a knowledgeable person has are good, but sometimes it becomes more about the knowledge of the facts than the knowledge of the Lord. Don’t get me wrong, the scriptures are where we find God. We learn who He is. But all the stories are just that- stories- if we can’t see God in them.
Prayer:
Lord, help me not to lose sight of You as I read the Bible, but come to know You better. Let me see Your hand at work, not only in the ancient histories, but in my world today. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18; 2 Chronicles 19; Colossians 4
Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Chronicles 18:7
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.
Observation:
The King of Israel (Ahab) wants to go to war against Ramoth Gilead. He wants the prophets to tell him to do it and that he will be successful. But Macaiah, the Lord’s prophet, will only tell him the truth from the Lord. Ahab doesn’t like to ask him things because he tells the truth, and sometimes the truth isn’t good.
Application:
“Yes Men” seem to make it pretty far in this world. We all want people around us to support us and tell us we’re doing a good job. But when we are not, who will tell us we are not? Only true friends. A true friend isn’t worried about losing the friendship, but is worried about us doing the wrong thing. It isn’t easy to tell a friend the truth. (Even Macaiah finds this out!) It takes strength and love to be honest, especially when you know the truth is going to hurt.
Prayer:
Lord, help me approach people with honesty and integrity. And help me realize that honesty given to me is a sign of love, not condemnation. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 10; 2 Chronicles 11; Philippians 2
Scripture that spoke to me:
Philippians 2:5-8
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Observation:
Jesus came to earth to show us the way- to give us an example of the way we should be living. He didn’t come as God’s equal. He didn’t come as a king to be served, but as a servant to all.
Application:
A lot of people run around with WWJD on their keyrings, or bracelets, but really, what would Jesus do? He would love; He would show compassion; He would invite people to dinner that no one else would invite to dinner! Is that really what we would do? Oh, I think I have compassion for others, but I still view them from some lofty pedestal, glad that their problems aren’t touching me. I am nice to everyone I meet, but I don’t know about having dinner with some of them. WWJD? A lot better than I’m doing. I just need to keep the example of Jesus in my mind each day and strive to imitate Him a little better.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to us so that we would know how to live forever. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
2 Samuel 19; 2 Samuel 20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28
Scripture that spoke to me:
Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Observation:
This is the Great Commission- where Jesus is sending His disciples out to tell the world about all they have learned from and about Him. It is what Christians are still called to do to this day. Spread the word that Jesus lives, and He is the Son of God.
Application:
I don’t think we do a very good job of this most of the time. It is hard to stand out there and say “I’m a Christian” in a room full of unbelievers. But maybe that isn’t exactly what Jesus intended for me. I don’t have the gift of making pretty speeches. I’m a happy person- kind, content, accepting- and when people meet me they want to know what makes me so peaceful. Then I tell them about Jesus and the love I get from Him. In other words, they want what I have. Now don’t misunderstand me- I’m way not perfect, and this doesn’t always happen. I lose my temper now and then, or speak ill of someone or pass along gossip, and all that will blow my chance at speaking of Jesus. We have enough hypocrits in the world, and I really don’t want to be one of them. I’m just doing the best I can. If we all try to pass along the love of Jesus, that is the best we can do in most cases. We’re not going to win people to Jesus by preaching or moralizing at them, although some people may always know the right things to say. (I usually know the right thing to say a day late!)
Prayer:
Lord, help me to keep my love during those trying times, and to remember that everything I do reflects You to someone else. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
1 Samuel 14; 1 Chronicles 4; 2 Corinthians 13
Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Corinthians 13:7
Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
Observation:
Paul was willing to seem weak- to be a failure- if it meant that others might come to know Christ. He wasn’t concerned with his status, but with the hearts of others. He knew that failure (by man’s standards) could be victory in God’s eyes.
Application:
How many times does it seem that we do the right thing but it all turns out wrong? Just coming off Easter, it seems that Jesus should have stood up for himself- spoken a word in his own defense and not suffered the fate he did. But even though it seems that it all went wrong, we know, from Easter, that it all really went just according to plan.
Prayer:
Lord, You do not see things the way we see them. Help us to get a small glimmer of Your understanding when things go wrong. Amen.
