Category: Religion

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 9:7-24, Leviticus 10
NT: Mark 4:26-41, Mark 5:1-20
Ps: Psalm 37:30-40
Pr: Proverbs 10:6-7

Today´s notable verse:

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.
³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

Psalm 37:30-31 (NIV)

Wow, what a testament that would be – that everything I utter with my tongue would be wise and just! I am also reminded of Ephesians 4:29: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. The key to applying this principle in our lives is found in the second verse: “The law of his God is in his heart, and also James 1:19: …Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry… I think, in light of these verses, I will be more cognizant of what I think to say, and weigh it more carefully before I actually say it.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – What do you think of my farming analogies in the NT reflections above? Has our modern world forgotten about some of the ways of farming the land? Have we forgotten that we reap what we sow? Have we lost our patience, to the point where we will not even wait for the harvest to come in at its appointed time? Are we trying to control things in our modern day life that aren’t controllable? Such as the “pace” at which a seed grows into a plant and a plant into a full harvest? In losing some of our knowledge of farming and growing, are we at risk of losing ourselves?

I have never been a farmer, but I grew up in a farming community, my house was surrounded by corn and soy fields, and I had family members who were farmers. Farming really applies many of God’s principles in very practical ways: reaping what we sow, patience, the concept of seasons, storing up in times of plenty to be ready for lean times, “if a man will not work he should not eat”, the harvest concept, etc.

Farmers are some of the best people I know; they epitomize “salt of the earth.” The American farmer represents “rugged individualism”, yet with an absolute dependence upon and acknowledgement of God’s grace providence in everything.

We all too often have left behind the farming mindset, and in so doing we retain the “rugged individualism” yet lose its context. Self-reliance replaces dependence upon God’s grace, and self-recognition and pride replace our acknowledgement of God’s providence. Devoid of our understanding that life progresses in seasons and that everything has a time and place appointed, we lose our virtue of patience and the discipline of waiting on God – instead worshipping the gods of convenience and instant gratification.

In many ways I’ve gotten soft since leaving home for college. It used to be nothing to get up at 5:00 AM – actually, it was my favorite time of the day. Now, 6:15 is a struggle.

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 7:28-38, Leviticus 8, Leviticus 9:1-6
NT: Mark 3:31-35, Mark 4:1-25
Ps: Psalm 37:12-29
Pr: Proverbs 10:5

Today´s notable verse:

³³ Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. ³4 What has been done today was commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you. ³⁵ You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the LORD requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.

Leviticus 8:33-35 (NIV)

Out of curiosity, what of the observance of the Sabbath during this seven-day ordination period?

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – I realize that my reflections above in the OT section on clergy at churches receiving compensation might be controversial in some ways. What are your thoughts on your clergy receiving compensation? What are your thoughts on others in other types of ministry receiving compensation? Where do we draw the line of when ministry should be done with compensation or without compensation?

Absolutely, ministers of the Word should be compensated and supported by those to whom they minister. See the words of Paul in I Corinthians chapter 9:

⁷ Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? ⁸ Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b] Is it about oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. ¹¹ If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? ¹² If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³ Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

I Corinthians 9:7-14

That pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?

Further, I think ministers should be well-compensated. Financial issues should not be an inherent burden for our ministers (though, of course, they have the same responsibility of financial stewardship that the rest of us have). At the same time, I think ministers outwardly should display the utmost in humility with respect to materialism. Within those bounds, I think the Spirit will direct in such matters.

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 6, Leviticus 7:1-27
NT: Mark 3:7-30
Ps: Psalm 37:1-11
Pr: Proverbs 10:3-4

Today´s notable verse:

Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

Comments from you & Question of the Day – …[D]o you have any other Holy Spirit book or other resources recommendations?

Not really. I’m still working through everything the Bible itself has to say about the Holy Spirit. I’d rather rely on God’s revelation of His Word to me directly through the Spirit, before spending too much time reading what others have to say. In other words, why read a biography of George W. Bush, when I could instead talk directly to the man? The same is true for the Holy Spirit. He is always faithful to reveal Himself to us when we ask – to guide and direct us, and to minister to us.

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 4-5
NT: Mark 2:13-28, Mark 3:1-6
Ps: Psalm 36
Pr: Proverbs 10:1-2

Today´s notable verse:

⁵ Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

Psalm 36:5-6 (NIV)

One of my favorite bands of all time is Third Day. While they were originally known for their rock/southern-rock style, they have some powerful worship – both in their recordings and in concert. Much of their worship songs come straight from Psalms such as this one. It’s pretty amazing worshipping alone with psalms like these – and much more so, when thousands are all singing together in concert! As soon as I read these two verses, I heard the music in my mind; and the song will likely be stuck in my head all afternoon. (Not that I’m complaining!)

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from you and Question of the Day – Psalm 36 verse 1 is a sobering verse – “Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God to restrain them.” This reminds me of an old U2 lyric from their song Acrobat – “If you just close your eyes, you can feel the enemy.” Have you ever felt sin whispering to you? Do you think that sin can indeed whisper to our hearts? Can it whisper from within our hearts? Do we need more that just fear of God to restrain us from sin? Has Jesus freed you from the whisper of sin within your heart?

The imagery of sin whispering to the heart reminds me of this passage:

¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

James 1:13-15 (NIV)

Yes, sin can “whisper to our hearts” – but only because we let it! When we allow the Holy Spirit within us to take control of our own inherent, evil desires, then those desires never have an opportunity to conceive or to give birth to temptation and sin. The evil desires exist within us, and Satan tempts us with/according to those desires. But when we “take captive every thought, and make it obedient to Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5), we short-circuit the entire process that leads to sin. When we choose not to “conform…to the patterns of this world”, but rather allow ourselves, through the Spirit, to “be transformed, by the renewing of [our] minds” (Romans 12:2), we silence the whisper of sin in our hearts.

Mike’s One Year Bible Blog has been added to the OYB blogroll. Welcome!

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 1-3
NT: Mark 1:29-45, Mark 2:1-28
Ps: Psalm 35:17-28
Pr: Proverbs 9:13-18

Today´s notable verses:

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Mark 1:35 (NIV)

The Secret Place: here Jesus demonstrates for us the secret-place lifestyle. How much more focused and better grounded would we be if we followed this example?

My tongue will speak of your righteousness
and of your praises all day long.

Psalm 35:28 (NIV)

With respect to controlling the tongue, this verse reminds me of the holiness versus not-sinning mentality. Rather than focus on what he should avoid (the line between sin and righteousness), David pursues instead holiness: proclaiming God’s righteousness and praises. If we pursue the same thing in how we use our own tongues, would we really even have to worry about “slips” of the tongue?

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

Comments from you & Question of the Day – The image of the boy crying that I posted up in the Psalms section made me wonder this – are you comfortable crying before God? Have you ever cried before God? Do you think it’s okay for us to cry before / to God? I just wonder if sometimes we hold back our emotions from God or try to prove to Him (and others?) that we really have it all together – when really we don’t? Why do you think that we sometimes try to hide our emotions or hide things from God?

I am absolutely comfortable crying before God. I’ve probably cried more before Him than anyone else. Why would it not be okay for us to cry before God? One of the most foolish things we can do is to think that we can hide anything from God. He searches and knows our hearts. He reveals what is hidden. He wants us to reveal to Him the innermost parts of our thoughts and emotions.

Of course, I’m one of those people with no ability whatsoever to have a “poker face”. I just can’t put on a facade. To some, it would be a curse; to me, it’s a blessing. People who know me know that what they see is what they get; what they see is who I am. While I reserve sharing certain intimate details with close friends with whom I have established deep levels of trust in the relationship, I never hide my emotions.

Corollary to that transparency is that, by personality and by choice, I am not driven by emotion – mine or others. Recognizing my emotions is an important part of analyzing them and their impact on a given circumstance or decision. In other words, being transparent with my emotions enables me not to allow them to control me; instead, I can recognize and understand what I am feeling, but choose to think and to act independent of those feelings.

Such separation is important when striving to live a life emulating Christ. (Remember Christ in Gethsemane: “Lord if you are willing, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” Christ’s emotions compelled him NOT to go through with it, but He chose contrary to his emotions, instead choosing according to God’s will.) And the first step in mastering our emotions – and our response to them – is transparency with respect to those emotions. We must be transparent to ourselves first, and we must be transparent to God and to others as well.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 39-40
NT: Mark 1:1-28
Ps: Psalm 35:1-16
Pr: Proverbs 9:11-12

Today´s notable verse:

¹⁰ As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Mark 1:10-11 (NIV)

Father, Son, and Spirit, uniquely manifest and present together – the Godhead, Three in One, the Trinity – beautifully portrayed at Christ’s baptism.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from you & Question of the Day – What are some things about the book of Exodus, which we are wrapping up today, or the Gospel of Matthew that we wrapped up yesterday, that stood out to you this year? What new thing did you learn about God and his people in Exodus this year? What new thing did you learn about Jesus and his teachings in Matthew this year?

I’d have to think about this one… both of these books are ones that I have studied extensively (in fact, memorized) in the past, so I’ll have to go back over my thoughts posted on them, to see what new insight or revelation this study has brought.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 37, Exodus 38
NT: Matthew 28
Ps: Psalm 34:11-22
Pr: Proverbs 9:9-10

Today´s notable verse:

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Matthew 20:5-10 (NIV)

For some reason, as I read this passage today, I was struck with the thought of just how controversial – or, at least, unorthodox – it must have been for Christ to give the honor of his first appearance after His resurrection, not to mention, the honor of announcing His resurrection, to women. Such a stark contrast to other cultures or religions, in Christianity women are held to be equal in worth, value, and merit to men. Women have an equal place and calling in the work of the body of Christ. Now, we can debate the nature of leadership and Spiritual appointments – and that debate is a valid one – but even thse few verses demonstrate just how radical Christianity was (and continues to be) compared to contemporary culture and opinion.

⁹ Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
¹⁰ “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:9-10 (NIV)

Just a thought reminding me of yesterday’s notes on Proverbs, that humility, rather than pride, is the root of the wise receiving instruction and the righteous receiving learning to their benefit.

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

Comments from you & Question of the Day – How are you participating in Jesus’ Great Commission today in your life? Are you in some way helping make disciples? Are you in some way helping to baptize? Are you teaching people to obey Jesus’ commands?

I have known since middle school that I have a calling to missions. God has not yet released me to full-time mission work, but I have had the opportunity to participate in several short-term mission projects. Lord willing, I will be going to Mexico this summer for the fourth time (I have also been to Canada and England, but have always had a heart for central/South America – especially Mexico). I think my calling is less as an evangelist, and more as a teacher. I love teaching children, and would (I think) enjoy teaching and sending out local pastors to start or shepherd churches in their own country. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me when he releases me from the temporary position into which He has led me.