Tag: Christianity

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 13
NT: Mark 6:1-29
Ps: Psalm 39
Pr: Proverbs 10:10

Today´s notable verses:

When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.

Leviticus 13:40 (NIV)

Woohoo! Now that’s a motto I can live with: Bald is clean.

The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.

Mark 6:26 (NIV)

How sad; Herod recognized John the Baptist as a righteous and holy man, yet in his pride, he could not do what was right. Rather than admit publicly that righteousness and holiness are greater than himself, and refuse to give the order to behead John the Baptist, Herod acquiesced and allowed the heinous request to be fulfilled. Herod promised with an oath to give Herodias’ daughter up to half his kingdom; however, righteousness and holiness surpass Herod’s kingdom. I can’t help but to think that Herod’s sin with Herodias somehow led him into this situation, and facilitated the pride that precipitated his wrong decision. (Aside from the obvious, that had he not been sinning with Herodias, she would not have had reason to begrudge John the Baptist for pointing out their sin.)

Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

Psalm 39:4 (NIV)

David is asking here for a “glimpse of eternity” – something for which we should all pray. How beneficial is this eternal perspective: if the entirety of my life is fleeting, as but a breath, then surely my trials and hardships are even more momentary and meaningless. Likewise, any glory I seek in this life fades in comparison to my coming glory in Christ at the last day – and seeking such vaporous vain glory only serves to rob myself of the eternal glory God would otherwise have for me. Instead, I should commit my fleeting life to God – the good and the bad, the glorious and the humiliating – and trust Him to work out all things for my good and for His glory.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – Back to Psalm 39 verse 5 above – how does this verse speak to you? Do you feel like life moves fast sometimes? If so, how are you spending your time? Are you being intentional about how you invest your time? Are you being intentional about your work? Your friends? Your finances? Volunteering? Serving others? Loving others? Watching TV – or not watching TV? …Do you think life really is “but a breath”? Are you spending your breath wisely? With your breath are you constantly loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself?

We really must be careful how we live, not as unwise but as wise, and making the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15-16). I don’t so much look at this verse with respect to the speed of life, but rather with respect to the relative insignificance of life. From the eternal perspective, God’s plan will be accomplished, according to His Will; I can choose either to allow God to use me for His Will, and so take part in that plan, or else I can choose to let God’s plan happen without me – and render my life absolutely meaningless. I can choose to glorify God in everything, and receive my praise from Him alone, or else I can seek to usurp His praise from men, which will lead to God reclaiming His rightful glory at the expense of my eventual disgrace.

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 11, Leviticus 12
NT: Mark 5:21-43
Ps: Psalm 38
Pr: Proverbs 10:8-9

Today´s notable verse:

⁴⁴ I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. ⁴⁵ I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

Leviticus 11:44-45 (NIV)

I think this whole section on clean versus unclean animals (food) comes down to this point: consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Remember, the Mosaic Law was an imperfect type, shadow, and symbol of God’s Perfect Law. Now, certainly, several practical reasons for avoiding those animals regarded as unclean existed: the science of the day knew nothing of pathogens. However, I think the primary reason for the differentiation between clean and unclean was simply to demonstrate to the Israelites the principle of consecration – setting themselves apart from the uncleanliness of sin in order to pursue the cleanliness of holiness and to approach the Holy God. Christ sums up this concept:

¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ ” …¹⁷ “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰ These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’ “

Matthew 15:10-20 (NIV)

Thus, for the Israelites, the physical act of separating clean and unclean animals was intended to direct their hearts to separate between holy and sinful thoughts and attitudes.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – Related to this Proverb above, I read an article recently about how “small talk” is getting more and more prevalent in our world today… Do you think that some of our small talk is simply babbling?

Sure it is. Aside from the obvious voyeuristic appeal of “reality television” is its utter lack of anything meaningful or significant. I don’t really get into much discussion about such things. Apparently, the winter Olympics are going on, but I’ve not watched a single minute of coverage. I think there’s a time and place for diversion solely for its own sake, but it should be much more limited than it is in our culture today. I am reminded of two principles:

1) we are to be wise with the use of our time:

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV)

2) our words indicate our thoughts, and our thoughts have a higher calling:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Quite simply, we really just don’t have time for idle chatter!

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.