Day 158 "How to not be hungry?"

How do we eat to be filled? What can we eat not to be hungry? Amazingly, there is a correlation between our soul and hunger. When Jesus feeds us, we have plenty. The feeding of the 5000 reminds us with Jesus there is always more than enough. If we take care of our soul (spiritual food), our other appetities will be more balanced. Jesus even says about His food..."Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." What a chapter to talk about feeding the 5000 and feeding the soul!

Day 157 How to be wise?

How does a person become wise? The Bible is full of truth in which to build a life. There are also wisdom teachings which are extremely practical to remember like..."Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." How does one become wise? Through the wisdom and insight of the Lord.

Day 156 Do you want to be made well?

Jesus asked the man who had been an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda for 38 years..."Do you want to be made well?" The man thought he meant following an unproductive superstition of 38 years. Jesus presented something new. He was encouraged to take up his mat and walk! This metaphor is true physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Jesus can not only make us well. He can make us whole. Is it not time to get up and walk!

Day 155 Do we know all the amazing birth stories in the Bible?

Do we know all the amazing birth stories in the Bible? One of them may not be known. Which amazing birth story am I talking about? How about Sampson. His mother, Manoah's wife...was told...“Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” I am fascinated by the birth stories in the Bible.

Day 154 How many barriers did Jesus cross?

Jesus crossed three barriers, when He ministered to the woman at the well. First, He was relating as a Jew to a Samaritan (unheard of in the time as they were enemies). Second, He was talking to a woman (unheard of to talk to a woman publicly...much less Noon in broad daylight). Third, He was talking to a sinner (she had five husbands). All barriers tell us Jesus is a universal Savior for all. How many barriers are we willing to cross?

Day 153 Where in the Bible are talking trees?

The Bible has a talking donkey. There are also talking trees..."When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’ But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’ Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’" Aparently Jotham was warning Abimelech to be productive and not play power politics according the notes of the Life Application Bible.

John the Baptist says "He must increase and I must decrease" He knew his role.

Day 152 "How to be born anew?"

How is one born a second time?.... Nicodemus asked. Pay attention to Jesus' answer about the Spirit and the wind. John Wesley heard it was about our spirit encountering God's Spirit. Is this not new birth? When our spirit encounters God's Spirit. In consistency, with chapter one, about spiritual creation. This story of Nicodemus gives us a real life experience of how this happens.
It is possible to be born a second time.

Day 151 How to choose our steps?

The Proverbs teach us short truths about life. One of my favorite is Proverbs chapter three. How do we choose our direction? Steps? The answer is in the words of truth..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes;fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." How do we choose our steps? The answer...."in all ways acknowledge Him."

Day 150 What was Jesus' first public miracle?

The Gospel of John begins creation, the Word, and incarnation. This is different from the other gospels. So is the first miracle. John introduces Jesus' miraculous power with the miracle of turning water into wine. In addition to the miracle, He shows great respect for His mother and her request that saved the embarassment of running out of wine. He is how John stated the actual miracle..."Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” There is one other observation...Jesus does nothing inferior. Notice the comments of the master who noticed the wine served late was as good as the first!

Day 149 Can anything good come from Nazareth?

The story of Nathaniel is less known than some of the coversion stories. His change begins with a sarcastic question..."can anything good come from Nazareth?" John reports the story this way..."Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Quite a story for the beginning of the Gospel of John. Many life changing stories are in John and I will be pointing them out.

Day 148 Which is more important?

Which is more important? The creation account of Genesis? Or the spiritual creation account in John. Both are awesome! In John's account we read of light and truth for the soul in Jesus. We can only marvel at the miracle and mystery of "the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us." Dr. Evelyn Laycock says we are "spiritual beings having a human experience" instead of "humans seeking a spiritual experience." After reading John's prologue, who can argue?

Day 147 Why the Psalmist ends with praise?

The Psalms are written expressing every emotion...elation, depression, lowest lows, anger, happy, tears, and joy. How does the Psalmist choose to end? He ends with praise. Let everything...praise the Lord! Why end with praise? My opinion is that praise transcends all emotions. Praise comes from a grateful heart. Everyday has a reason to praise the Lord. Amen!

Day 146 Notice anything about Psalm 148 and 149?

Praise the Lord is a strong theme in both Psalm 148 and 149. There is something I noticed about how each Psalm began and ended. Both Psalms begin and end with "praise the Lord." The Psalmist certainly had the praise of God on his lips. He often evoked the phrase. Should not we? Praise the Lord.

Day 145 How great is our God?

How great is our God. Big enough to name the stars and loving enough to bind our wounds. The 147 Psalm is truly inspiring in saying.

Praise the Lord!For it is good to sing praises to our God;for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting The Lord builds up Jerusalem;he gathers the outcasts of Israel He heals the brokenheartedand binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars;he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;his understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.

Day 144 Is God's mercy in the Old Testament?

Popular opinion is that God's judgment is revealed in the Old Testament and mercy in the New Testament. Is this statement true? The Psalmist offers another way God has been revealed..."The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made." We may see more evidence of judgment in the Old Testament but obviously we read about God's mercy also.

Day 143 Level ground?

We like the attribute of being "level headed" as one with common sense. How about level ground? The Psalmist explains following the Lord's Will as level ground when he says... "Teach me to do your will,for you are my God!Let your good Spirit lead meon level ground!" What a wonderful combination to compare! Level headed and level ground.

Day 142 What a way to stay out of trouble?

The Psalmist gives one bit of advice on how to stay out of trouble..."Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;keep watch over the door of my lips!" Is this guard over the mouth another way of saying..."keep our mouth shut!" People have not changed much in thousands of year have they?

Day 141 Another catch up day

Enjoy moving ahead, catching up, or taking a day off.

Day 140 Another catch up day

Another catch up day today. Read ahead, catch up, or rest.

Day 139 Catch up No reading

No scheduled reading today. Hope everyone will use the day to catch up, read ahead, or take a day off.

Day 138 Why do we teach so little about the Ascension?

Obviously, Jesus' birth, crucifixion, and resurrection are the central events to the Gospel story. We say very little about the Ascension. Why so little? Although Luke's Words are brief...consider the significance..."Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God." Think about how awesome witnessing the Ascension would have been. This is Jesus ascending into Heaven and Luke's last recorded act of Jesus. The Great Commission concludes Matthew. Mark competes his with signs and wonders. John finished with Jesus' reinstatement of Peter. Look for a message about the Ascension this year.

Day 137 Who walks with us?

The Psalmist says..."Though I walk in the midst of trouble,you preserve my life." God walks with us in trouble. Luke also records Jesus walking with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The disciples were sad from Jesus' death and did not realize He walked with them. In one of the most dramatic accounts of opening blind eyes Luke records..."When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Are our eyes open to see God walking with us?

Day 136 Where is there always hope?

Jesus resurrection reminds us there is always hope. He has defeated evil and death. When it was said at the tomb..."“Why do you seek the living among the dead?" We could also say this in the face of despair and a dismal outlook. God has already won the decisive victory of history. We, in the Church, are already a part of the ultimate victory. Our hope is truly in the Lord!

Day 135 How do we know Heaven is immediate?

People ask often if we go to Heaven immediately after we die. One answer is found in Luke's Gospel with the theif on the cross. When both were dying on the cross, they had a conversation about Heaven when the theif said...“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” The answer is reassuring in times of death.

Day 134 Have we considered the irony?

Pilate is searching for a valid reason to accuse Jesus. One of the reasons given is so ironic. The religious leaders said about Jesus...“He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” Jesus was bringing healing, salvation, and good news to the captive...He hardly was causing tr0uble. Was it not the religious people stirring things up in response to Jesus' amazing love and compassion for all people? Is this not the pot calling the kettle black!

Day 133 Why was Peter weeping?

Jesus predicted Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crows three times. When the event actually happened, Peter wept bitterly. Were the tears from denial, when Jesus was in great need? Was it a helpless feeling? Or did Peter remember Jesus teaching..."But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God" (Luke 12:9;NKJV) thinking about it the emotion must have been overwhelming for Peter. Thank God he would be reinstated following the resurrection in another moving passage..." So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah,do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah,do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep" (John 21:15-17;NKJV). What a journey of emotion for Peter!

Day 132 Who is the greatest?

The Psalmist says..."Behold, how good and pleasant it iswhen brothers dwell in unity." One of the ways we dwell in unity is through service. If we serve one another, we can dwell in unity. This is also the answer to the question..."who is the greatest?" Answer...Who is willing to serve.

Day 131 Are you glad you are reading?

The Word of God will live forever. Jesus says..."Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." When I read of Jesus speaking of persecution, the end of times, and the end of what we know...then the assurance that the WORD lives forever. Another good reason to read the Bible each day.

Day 130 How to have a culture of giving?

We have explored in our congregation what it means to have a "culture of giving." The Bible offers wonderful teaching about giving and perhaps non more moving than the widow's mite..."Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Have we such a spirit of giving to offer all?

Day 129 Whose wife? Whose Alive? In Heaven

Jesus was posed an absurd question from the Saducees (who did not believe in the resurrection) about whose wife would a series of brothers be in the resurrection. Jesus answers..."Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” For they no longer dared to ask him any question." Jesus' answer reminds that eternal life is about life. He also says..." for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels." Heaven is superior to what we have on earth. Life will be better for all.

Day 128 Happy New Year!

We begin 2008 with reading of Joshua. Joshua asked a very good question...“What does my lord say to his servant?” As we begin the new year this is a good question..."What does the LORD say to us?" In Joshua's case ..."the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so." We are also entering a special time...A NEW YEAR. Can we make this a holy moment for us? If we follow the Lord, our new year can be holy! May God bless us. Happy New Year.