Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 2:11-25, Exodus 3
NT: Matthew 17:10-27
Ps: Psalm 22:1-18
Pr: Proverbs 5:7-14

Today´s notable verse:

God said to Moses, "I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

Exodus 3:14 (NIV)

"I AM" - YHWH - Yahweh: The Name of God! Reading here that God names Himself "I AM" reminds me of several instances where Jesus uses "I AM" or similar: Mark 14:61-63, John 4:25-27, John 8:57-59, John 18:5-9, Revelation 22:7-20.

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

Comments from you & Question of the Day - I realize that reading Psalm 22 and seeing some of the images I posted up can evoke a lot of emotions. I am wondering, how often do you meditate upon Jesus' passion and death? Do you do this just around Good Friday each year? Or more often? How do you meditate upon the Lord's passion and death? Are movies like "The Passion of the Christ" helpful for you to do this? Or are their other things you read or watch or do? Do you think we should or should not meditate upon Jesus' passion and death more often than once a year? Why or why not?

Wow, talk about a heavy discussion topic! I never did see The Passion in the theater, though I did finally buy it on DVD to watch it at home. What stuck out to me about the movie - and what I think is the very reason it was so impactful - was how vividly the movie depicted Jesus' demonstration of true, perfect, complete, God-like love. The longer I live, and the more experiences I have, the more I meditate on the passion and death of Christ - for it is the humility and perspective gained from such meditation that enables me to emulate that love more and more. As "die to self" becomes a more daily principle, the more I am keenly aware of Christ's death - for it is in comparison to His ultimate sacrifice that I realize that any sacrifice I could make not only pales in comparison, but also that any such sacrifice - impossible on my own - is entirely possible when I allow the power of identification of Christ's death to work through me.

Today´s reading:
OT: Genesis 50, Exodus 1, Exodus 2:1-10
NT: Matthew 16:13-28, Matthew 17:1-9
Ps: Psalm 21
Pr: Proverbs 5:1-6

Today´s notable verse:

²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)

A thought occurs to me: what, exactly, does Jesus mean here by "cross"? What is it that we must take up in order to follow Him? I understand the denial of self, but what of the cross? The cross is a burden, a punishment, a symbol of sin; but do these things represent what Jesus calls us to "take up" in order to follow Him? Aren't these the very things we give up to Him - the things He took upon Himself for us? So, if not these things, then what?

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

In Exodus chapter 1 verse 12 is awesome - "But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more quickly the Israelites multiplied!" It's amazing how when God wants people to flourish, they flourish! Even in the midst of oppression. This verse kind of reminds me of the flourishing of churches over the centuries and even today where the body of Christ is still often oppressed. It flourishes!

I would even suggest that opposition is beneficial to flourishing. This principle is true in nature (predators improve the health and strength of their prey, who otherwise become weak and even less healthy in their absence), it was true in the early Christian church (which saw exponential growth in the face of severe persecution), and it is true in the world today (see this study).

In verse 18 we read - "Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." Praise God for Jesus instituting the church! And all of the powers of hell will not conquer Jesus' church!

I think it is important to understand what Jesus is saying here, if we are to know how the church He instituted is to withstand the powers of hell. I believe that when Jesus says, "this rock", He is referring to Peter's previous statement:

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Matthew 13:16 (NIV)

I believe that Jesus here is instituting His church on the faith contained in Peter's statement about Jesus' identity, for it is our faith that is our bedrock. Even a "little pebble" (Peter) can withstand the gates of hell when founded on the "immovable stone" (rock) of faith in Jesus. Here is a very involved study of Matthew 16:18.

Comments from you & Question of the Day - In our Matthew readings today Jesus institutes the church. I'm curious what your thoughts are on the church today? And I'm not talking about any one denomination - I mean church as the overall "body of Christ" Christian churches worldwide. Do you personally go to church regularly? Why or why not? Have there been periods of your life where you have not gone to church regularly? Have these been good or not so good periods of your life? What would you say to someone now who might be reading this blog who does not go to church about church? How might you encourage someone to go to church? Why does it matter if they go to church or not?

My thoughts on the church today? I think the church isn't doing such a good job of "keep[ing] the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). I think the church has given up to worldly means many of the ministries for which it was instituted, such as caring for the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, and the imprisoned. But I also think that the church is still the single greatest agent for good in the world! I do go to church regularly. We are called not to "give up meeting together", but to "encourage one another" and to consider how we may "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24-25). To me, a local church provides many things vital to the life of a Christian: an opportunity to serve, fellowship with other believers for encouragement, teaching, and admonishment, corporate worship of our Lord, and many others. Our salvation does not depend on the existence or regularity of our church attendance; however, the prosperity of our lives as Christians certainly does!

Martha's Distraction has been added to the OYB blogroll. Welcome!

What If I Stumble? has been added to the OYB Blogroll. Welcome!

Today´s reading:
OT: Genesis 48-49
NT: Matthew 15:29-39, Matthew 16:1-12
Ps: Psalm 20
Pr: Proverbs 4:20-27

Today´s notable verse:

²He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' ³and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Matthew 16:2-3 (NIV)

This passage reminds me of the old sailor's adage, Red sky by night, sailor's delight; red sky by morn, sailor be warned. Interesting, isn't it, that even before men had the scientific knowledge of meteorology to understand why such an adage is true, God demonstrated that our universe operates according to rules that have been set in place? As our reading yesterday in Psalm 19 also stated, God reveals to us that He exists in the very order by which our universe exists. The existence of "laws" of nature belie the existence of a Lawgiver. The thought may not seem to be related to Jesus' point here, but wasn't He saying much the same thing? The Pharisees understood the signs of the creation, yet they were blind to the signs of the Creator. How true is this dichotomy in our world today - and how sad! The more we learn about our world and our universe, the more we realize that it is not the result of random chance. With everything we know today, more faith is required to believe in random chance than to believe that we are the result of intentional, intelligent design.

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

Comments from you & Question of the Day - Proverbs verses 25 & 26 are powerful and bring up a question I'd love feedback on - "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe." One thing that jumped out at me in these verses is the ideas of setting goals. Are you a goal setter? ...This Proverb verse kind of makes me wonder if setting goals helps us keep looking straight ahead? If goals help us mark out a straight path for our feet? And to stay on it? So, let me know in the Comments section below if you are a goal-setter? And to the extent you can share how you set goals? How often? In writing? How often do you check back in on your goals? Do they make a difference in your life? In your spiritual life?

I am definitely a goal-setter. Of course, I was that kid who was carrying around a 7-Habits planner in Junior High, and actually using it. 🙂 Remember the words of Paul:

¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

Paul clearly had goals - spiritual goals, and devoted his life to pursuing them. What better example, other than Christ Himself, could we emulate? I've used several methods to make, pursue, and meet goals in my life; however, if our aim is to have a "straight path" for our feet:

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Today´s reading:
OT: Genesis 46-47
NT: Matthew 15:1-28
Ps: Psalm 19
Pr: Proverbs 4:14-19

Today´s notable verse:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

This verse is one I try to pray and meditate on whenever I need to take control of my words and my thoughts. So simple, yet so powerful, this verse really does impart power to take control of both whenever I meditate on it.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

In Genesis chapter 47 I find it very interesting that Jacob blesses Pharaoh - twice. I haven't studied why this happens. My thought is that Jacob is indeed very appreciative of this current Pharaoh - for literally saving the Israelites by allowing God to move mightily through Joseph. We will see soon that there are future Pharaoh's who are not so kind to the Israelites. So, perhaps Jacob realized that this Pharaoh was deserving of two blessings. Let me know your thoughts on these blessings...?

Well, looking at the footnotes for these two uses of the word "blessed", the first indicates a greeting, and the second a farewell. The Hebrew word - barak - for both uses of "blessed" means "to kneel, bless", which leads me to believe that a blessing of greeting, and one of farewell, was Hebrew (or perhaps, Egyptian) custom of the time.

Comments from you & Question of the Day - Today I thought I'd post up a One Year Bible "roll-call." Basically this is just an opportunity for you to click on the "Comments" link below and let us know a few things about yourself (all optional to answer of course) - 1. name 2. where you live (country, etc. - no actual addresses please! 🙂 3. When do you read your One Year Bible readings each day? (morning, evening, etc.) 4. Where and how do you read them typically? (home, office, using actual Bible, reading online, etc.) 5. How has the One Year Bible experience been for you so far? 6. Do you have a blog or website link you want to share with everyone?

1. Name: Chip Bennett
2. Location: St. Louis, MO
3. OYB Reading: Usually, mornings, though I sometimes don't get to comment/blog until later
4. I use a hard-copy One Year Bible, NIV - though occasionally I will use my PDA (Laridian's PocketBible) or online (BibleGateway)
5. Experience: This has been a great experience thus far! The community, and turning the reading into a devotional, rather than just a "to-do", really helps the persistence!
6. Blog: cb.blog

I'll add, too, that I'm really taking to heart the desire to keep the One Year Bible blogging focused first and foremost on the Word itself. I always make sure I complete the scripture reading before reading anyone else's commentary. I have been trying to form the habit not just to post a "key verse" from each day's reading, but also my thoughts on the verse, and why it is meaningful to me. I have been amazed by how often a verse that is meaningful to me is also one that Mike brings up in his commentary. God is good, isn't He? He gives us so much depth from which to learn in even a single verse, yet He can use several means to bring home a point He wants us to understand more deeply at any given time. Also, though I post/trackback at some point in the day, I do try to go back to the day's OYB blog post at the end of the day, to read everyone's comments and trackbacks.

Today´s reading:
OT: Genesis 44-45
NT: Matthew 14:13-36
Ps: Psalm 18:37-50
Pr: Proverbs 4:11-13

Today´s notable verse:

When Jesus heard what happened, he withdrew privately to a solitary place. Hearing this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:13-14 (NIV)

A couple points stand out to me in these verses. First, in a time of great tragedy - Jesus had just lost a relative, someone dear to him - his first reaction was to seek the Father in the Secret Place. How often do we fail to make this action our primary reaction to such times? We turn everywhere but to the One who can truly help us in such times of need. Secondly, Jesus here provides such a great example of selflessness. Even though he needed alone time with the Father, he saw the crowds and had compassion on them; laying aside his own needs, out of his compassion for the people, he tended to their needs before his own. This example is the selfless love and compassion of Christ that we must strive to emulate.

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

Comments from you & Question of the Day - Based on our readings in Matthew today where we see that Jesus slipped away from the crowds to pray by himself, do you model this behavior of Jesus' in your life and slip away from the crowds to pray by yourself? How often? Where and How? Also, do you take spiritual retreats? Do you take the retreats alone or with others? Is prayer a central part of the retreats?

Interesting, that we should touch on the same theme, from two different parts of the same passage. I do try to model this behavior, though I'm nowhere nearly as consistent as I would like. Living alone, it is generally much easier for me, than for others, to find a solitary place and time. The concept of "spiritual retreats" is an interesting one, and one that, in my opinion, can manifest itself in myriad forms. My mission trips are, for me, a form of spiritual retreat; I spend more time in the Word and in prayer, in personal devotional time and in corporate teaching and worship, and I spend the entire time practicing attitudes of selflessness, patience, and hard work. The men's prayer breakfasts at my church are another form of spiritual retreat, as are the men's retreats. Sometimes, the young men from the church will spend a weekend camping, as another form of spiritual retreat - fellowship with each other, worship around the campfire, and spending time with the Creator in the spendor of His creation.

If you've not heard of it, allow me to introduce you to Secrets of the Secret Place, by Bob Sorge - a great book on developing a "Secret Place" relationship with the Father. This book is amazing, especially for anyone who wants to develop a passion for a "secret place" attitude and lifestyle.

Today´s reading:
OT: Genesis 42:18-38, Genesis 43
NT: Matthew 13:47-58, Matthew 14:1-12
Ps: Psalm 18:16-36
Pr: Proverbs 4:7-10

Today´s notable verse:

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

The One Year Bible Blog notes:

Great verses today for us to meditate upon in Psalm 18 verses 25 through 27 - "To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. You rescue those who are humble, but you humiliate the proud." [ED: Psalm 18:25-27 (NLT)] I really love verse 28 - "LORD, you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness." Has Jesus brought light into your life? Does God light up your darkness?

Without a doubt; I don't know how I would wake up each morning and get out of bed without Jesus in my life. I don't know how I would find motivation to give my best effort at work; I don't know how I would find the love and compassion to give selflessly in any relationship. I certainly wouldn't have survived my most recent relationship - during, or after - without Him. But, with Him in my life, what could possibly come against me, and yet prevail? I've already given up my life for Christ (ultimately, in the spiritual sense; but also daily, in the decisions I make, "dying to self" to try to live according to the will of the Father) so the very thing that the world at its worst could take from me - my life - is not my own, and even then, I have something even greater to look forward to.

I'm not strong; I just try to humble myself enough to admit my weakness, and through it seek refuge in God - for it is my weakness that I am made strong.

I put together a blogroll for OYB bloggers. Here's the output:

Here's the code:
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://rpc.blogrolling.com/display.php?r=75f77f001c6e68ae7cb71e9a6eebb8e9"></script>

And, thanks to the From Knowledge to Wisdom blog, for putting together the original blogroll list!

Today´s reading:
OT: Genesis 41:17-57, Genesis 42:1-17
NT: Matthew 13:24-46
Ps: Psalm 18:1-15
Pr: Proverbs 4:1-6

Today´s notable verse:

The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2 (NIV)

What an amazing, beautiful, and powerful declaration of God at work in our lives! My Rock: my immovable and unchanging foundation, upon which everything else is built. My Fortress: my mighty protection from evil - and the Evil One - of this world that sets itself against me. My Deliverer: the One and Only capable of redeeming me from my own sinful nature, and restoring His relationship with me. Into where or whom else could I consider turning to take refuge? This verse is worthy of more meditation; if nothing else, my life the past several months has revealed the truth of these words in such a new and deeper understanding.

Some notes on the parable of the wheat and the weeds: First, note the point at which Jesus says the wheat and weeds can be distinguished and separated - the harvest. It is at this point that the wheat has matured, and bows over under the weight of the wheat grains. The weeds, having no such heavy grain heads, remain upright. Thus, the wheat and weeds are distinguished. Perhaps this analogy represents a distinction between those who bow before the Father in humility, and those who continue to stand upright in their own arrogance and pride? Second, I love this imagery: "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 42:43a) Have you ever seen a wheat field shining in the reflection of the sun?

 
Photograph by Pher Photography.

What a beautiful image of the righteous reflecting the glory of the Father!

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from you & Question of the Day - Okay, back to all of my fretting above about if I was given all that Joseph was given by the Pharaoh in today's readings... 🙂 What are your thoughts on this - if you were given all of these things, would it inflate your ego possibly? Would you possibly forget about God?

I truly believe that God does not allow us more than we can handle - and I think that principle applies not only to hardship and temptation, but to blessing as well. Remember, Joseph received this blessing after remaining righteous and humble through his previous life experiences: being betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, being tempted day after day by the seduction of the wife of a powerful man, then being falsely accused by her after rejecting her advances, then spending years in prison for that false accusation. Joseph in humility and wisdom beyond years allowed God to work through all these circumstances, and developed an amazing relationship with Him. (Just think of the relationship Joseph must have had already early in his life, to have received such a blessing, not only of God revealing his future plans through dreams, but that God revealed a future of such glory to Joseph. This revelation alone would be more than most of us could handle without having to deal with major issues of pride.)

No matter how much God chooses to prosper and bless us - and to be sure, to do so is His plan! - we can be sure of two things: one, the blessing will not be greater than our ability to give in to the temptation of pride, and two, that temptation will not be greater than our ability to overcome it humbly through God. As we demonstrate our faithfulness in remaining humble through small blessings, God will continue to bless us increasingly greater and greater. (A concept we will discuss when we reach the parable of the talents!)