Word Traveler Daily Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dave Scriven
(NOTE: This is the last in the two-year Word Traveler series of podcasts. The producers of Word Traveler sincerly hope you have enjoyed the teaching from the Bible. Please go back and listen to any one of the 313 podcasts any time you wish.)
Do you believe “the road to hell is paved with good intentions?” I don’t. It’s not a Bible saying. Nobody knows how this phrase evolved into popular language.[1] Many people dislike the idea of “good intentions” especially if they’re linked to inaction. But I think good intentions matter.
The problem of undocumented immigrants has been around for a long time. King Solomon dealt decisively with foreigners in Israel about three thousand years ago. He counted and documented them, legalized them, and gave them jobs. He found 153,600 aliens in the land so he made 70,000 of them common laborers. 80,000 became stone cutters, and 3,600 worked as foremen over the other 150,000 at the Temple construction project in Jerusalem.
This world is not my permanent home or possession. I will not forever keep my house, my clothes, or even my family. All of these precious things and people will be stripped away from me one day. I cannot stop the shadow of my life from shifting me towards its final destination. I have “no hope or expectation of remaining” here.
Hushai the Arkite fulfilled a unique role in King David’s life. He remained loyal to David at great risk of personal harm. Hushai earned the title “friend”and was the only person so named in the final days of the king’s reign.
Has God made a promise to you? Then He will fulfill His promise through you! Without Him you can’t. Without you He won’t.
You are an essential part of the equation. He boxed the ingredients of your destiny. You have all you need to fulfill His will. “Just Add [the] Water” of passion, hard work, and decisive action.
“Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you!” (1st Chronicles 22.16).
This podcast is an overview of week 24 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Chronicles 22 – 29; 2nd Chronicles 1 – 8; Acts 27 – 28; Romans 1 – 3.
This week is the completes the two-year Word Traveler series having commenced on June 20, 2021. The final episode will be Friday, June 16, 2023, which will be the 313th Word Traveler podcast. The producers of Word Traveler sincerely hope you have enjoyed these Bible podcasts. Go back and listen anytime! Thank you for your support.
Joab and Abishai would have made good Marines. They exemplified the Marine Corps motto: Semper Fidelis. Joab and Abishai were “always faithful” to protect and defend each other in battle.
Not all ideas, even good ones, are in sync with God’s plans. Your good ideas may be right for someone, just not you. They may be right for a future time, just not now. Good ideas are exactly that... good ideas and nothing more.
God has ideas of His own.
I cannot succeed in marriage, parenting, business, ministry, or any other noble endeavor without facing the possibility of my own death... death of my income, image, reputation, or friendships. I must quit running, take a stand, and defend some ground.
Running away is slow death. Death of the spirit. It would be better to die valiantly attempting something great than to wither up and die from the shame of knowing I never had the guts to face my nemesis.
What is smaller than a fleeting thought? Not much. The number of thoughts passing daily through a person’s mind ranges from 12,000 to 65,000. That’s a lot of thinking; a new thought every single waking second! If “a penny for your thoughts” came true, it’s an easy $500.00 per day or over $180,000 per year. Plenty for most folks to retire on.
Unfortunately most of our thoughts aren’t even worth “a penny.”
Letting go of our children as they grow to adulthood is risky. They can be forever lost. Left on their own, they might take chances you and I would certainly discourage. They could even hurt themselves and cause us serious suffering and grief. Letting go of our children is hard to do... and right to do.
This podcast is an overview of week 23 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Chronicles 6 – 21; Acts 22 - 26.
There are two things we know about Jabez from the Bible... “Jabez was honorable”and “Jabez cried.”
He had integrity and he had passion. I suspect life was not always easy for Jabez. That’s probably why he went to God in the first place. He treated God with respect by telling the truth. Jabez refused to gloss over his needs. He wept before the Lord from a soul filled with the anguish. Jabez struggled in prayer. God honored that.
According to the Genesis account, Nimrod was also an amazing leader who built huge empires and cities like Babylon, Shinar, Babel, and Nineveh. Assyria was known as “the land of Nimrod” according to the prophets (Micah 5.6). This remarkable man literally established the governments and controlled the politics of ancient Mesopotamia. Who was this man whose greatness surpassed Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, and Caesar?
For reasons known only to God, Nimrod was divinely empowered with abilities far transcending the human norm. This man not only moved nations, he created them.
You and I may never achieve the influence and greatness of Nimrod. But like Nimrod, we have been divinely empowered to lead someone... a family, a company, a committee, a church, or a community. To that end, we must apply ourselves diligently…
“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,each of us is to exercise them accordingly:… he who leads, with diligence.”
Romans 12.6, 8
Lead “with diligence” those few precious souls who will bear your legacy to the end that on some future day they will say of you, “He was ‘a mighty warrior’ for his faith in Christ.”
God is patient with the human race.
“The Lord is… patient toward you, not wishing for anyto perish but for all to come to repentance.”
2nd Peter 3:9 NASU
However, there is an end-point. Because Manasseh “killed innocent people... the Lord was unwilling to forgive.”
Divine un-forgiveness is an un-common occurrence in the scriptures, but it happens. Thankfully, the Lord is “patient,” “merciful and gracious,” “longsuffering,” and “forgiving.” But there appears to be a limit to His willingness to overlook sin.
King Hezekiah “was sick and near death.” The prophet Isaiah announced the gravity of his condition: “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.” Facing the reality of his imminent demise, “Hezekiah wept bitterly.”
No matter what our condition, it’s terminal. Have you checked the statistics on death lately? It’s 100%. No one gets out of this world alive. We will all meet our Maker. Sooner or later our time on earth ends. I “shall die, and not live.” It’s inevitable.
The real question is… what will we make of our lives until then? I may have another thirty years or another thirty seconds. How will I use these precious moments?
We cannot hide and keep secrets from God. Adam and Eve tried and failed. No secret you try to keep will be kept that way.
“The sons of Israel did things secretly” forming unholy alliances and creating a spiritual chasm between themselves and “the Lord their God.” They never got away with the secret plans they hoped to pull off.
Don’t go halve-sies. Finish the job. Gather some passion and perseverance. Show some stick-to-it-ive-ness. Go all the way. Invest yourself with total abandon.
It takes faith to work, pray, study, prepare, give, practice, and invest your life but Jesus will give you the strength.
Trust Him and don’t give up. Do whatever it takes to get the job He’s called you to do... done!
Many modern Christians are more concerned with making a good impression than with making a real difference. ‘Being nice’ ranks right up there with serving Christ. The common church-goer may be more dedicated to etiquette than ethics. Doing things the right way has superseded doing the right things. Being liked is often more important than being Christ-like.
Getting man’s approval at any cost is the modern form of Baal worship... and it must be eradicated.
Seeing with eyes of faith enables me to “walk by faith.” What do I see in faith? I see “the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around.” It is an amazing angelic vision, imparting the assurance of ultimate victory for me and the people I love. I can overcome my small problems because Jesus daily comforts my troubled heart.
When Moses stood before the God of Israel at the burning bush in the wilderness of Horeb, the Lord commanded him, “...remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3.5).
Anywhere God displays Himself is “holy ground.”
This podcast is an overview of week 21 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Kings 4 – 17; Acts 12 – 16 .
The boy inside a man’s body doesn’t care about consequences. He just wants what he wants and convinces himself he won’t be happy without it.
The difference between a man and a boy is this a man’s ability to delay gratification. A boy cannot do that. and falls apart when he can’t get what he wants.
A real man fully understands and graciously accepts that “you can’t always get what you want.” He is learning to become free from the bondage of childish desires.
A man of God places his faith in Christ and believes “you get what you need” when you need it.
Don’t trust everyone who calls himself a “brother.”
Ben-Hadad was not a brother to Ahab. He was an enemy of Israel who pretended to be part of the family to save his life. Ahab was just stupid enough to believe him. Eight years later Ahab lost his life in a battle against “brother Ben-Hadad.”
That’s how the king of Israel was repaid for showing mercy to a so-called “brother.”
I was a salesman for most of my later career. I used to wake up unemployed every single morning. I trusted then, and still trust, the same Jesus who multiplied the fish and loaves and fed thousands of hungry followers in the first century A.D. He will feed my family and me today.
I choose to approach this day with confident expectation: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6.11). I know the God who owns “the cattle on a thousand hills”(Psalm 50.10) can give me another sale. I believe in the miracle of divine multiplication.
A young prophet from Judah failed to trust the word of the Lord in his heart. Paul warned us against false reliance and blind faith one thousand years later:
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel otherthan the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”Galatians 1.8 NIV
Don’t let anyone talk you out of what Jesus told you is true.
This podcast is an overview of week 20 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Kings 12 – 22; 2nd Kings 1 – 3; Acts 7 - 11 .
Like Solomon, God now pays you a second visit. In this visitation , He reminds you that your life is not over. You’ve done a good job so far but there’s so far to go. Your latter years count for something more significant than you imagine. Don’t quit. Jesus expects you to finish well.
It was always in my heart to give my dear wife tokens of my love and appreciation. I would have spent all our money on her, if she let me, which she emphatically did not. I assume, though, she secretly thought, “…you did well to have this in your heart.” That my heart wantedto honor her was good enough. She knew I loved her. Apparently in Adonica’s mind, it was always “the thought that counts,” and that was good enough.
This coming Sunday would have been her special day. Happy Mother's Day, honey! I shall always love you.
My life (and yours) is a rock quarry. It’s noisy there. Sometimes I am broken and crushed and grinded. The shaping process is painful, but always with a redemptive purpose. Jesus is shaping me into a stone designed to fit perfectly in the house He is building.
“…you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house…” (1st Peter 2.5).
“AndGod gave Solomonwisdom and exceedingly great understanding, andlargeness of heartlike the sand on the seashore,” (1st Kings 4.29).
Apparently Solomon’s “heart” was the totality of his inner nature. It described “virtually every immaterial function” of the man whom we have come to know as the wisest of all men (1st Kings 4.31). Solomon’s emotions, intellect, will, conscience, character, and personality; his 'who-I-am-ness,' were all wrapped up in this concept called “heart.”
Everybody has an inner person, but Solomon was unique. His inner person was really, REALLY BIG. God gave him “largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.”
“There is a time for war” and “there is a time to kill.”But there is also “a time to heal” and “a time for peace.” A wise person knows the difference. “Blessed are the peacemakers” Jesus claimed, “for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5.9).
It appears that Jesus leaned toward peace, not war. He would prefer to heal than to kill.
This podcast is an overview of week 19 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Kings 1 – 11; Acts 2 – 6 .
God has placed good people in our lives to advise us. We must listen to them. Even when we think we hear from the Lord about a particular course of action, it’s always best to run it by trusted advisers… our family, work associates, close friends, and fellow believers.
The Bible teaches: “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety,” (Proverbs 11.14).
Counselors keep us safe from the foolish decisions we're prone to make.
Do you have faith that He can do it? It doesn’t take much. “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you”(Matthew 17.20).
Absalom knew he was ‘all that.’ He had an inflated self-view. His pride led him to the false notion that he would make a better king than his father. “Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel” (2nd Samuel 15.6) and he eventually conspired to overthrow David and usurp the throne.
He almost got away with it. Absalom should have cut his hair before going into battle. Helplessly dangling by his mane caught in a branches of a giant oak tree made him an easy target. The precariousness of the moment may have given Absalom pause to consider how he might have done things differently. I’m sure he would have gladly traded his beauty for his freedom. Can you imagine his terror as David’s army commander cocked his arm to thrust a spear through Absalom’s proud heart?
Well, that was the end of Absalom.
Most decisions are easy, if you don’t over-think them. You will never have enough facts, counsel, or evidence. You may create a spread sheet, carefully weigh the pros and cons, draw plus and minus columns on a legal pad... and still make a bad decision. You will make a few mistakes during your decision-making career, but remember this... the perfectly logical choice is not always the right one.
WARNING: The following podcast contains plenty of biblical sex and violence. This is an “R-rated” Bible story. Reader beware...
When we act hastily without consulting the Lord, people get hurt. When they do, like King David, we may become angry and blame others including God. Our indignation turns to fear. We’re afraid to risk another serious consequence for what we thought was a trivial oversight or minor error. For a time, we may even refuse to serve God altogether.
“Mephibosheth”
Verse 1:
Once there was a certain nurse who had a little boy;
She cared for him as if he was her own.
She helped him learn to read and write, and taught him how to love.
They played and sang and laughed and had some fun.
Chorus:
Mephibosheth, can you ever forgive me?
Mephibosheth, patron saint of all hurt children,
I’m so sad I caused you all this pain;
Please come and heal the broken heart in me.
“...David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God,” (1st Samuel 30.6).
God inspired David to chase down and defeat the Amalekites. He went from villain to hero because he was able to ‘strengthen himself in the Lord.’
David’s response to tough times gives me hope. I too can ‘strengthen myself in the Lord’ and be the hero my family and loved ones deserve.
Imagine the loss of all things, no attachments at all. No family, no home, no income, no friends, no status. Would you truly believe in your own value? Would you believe yourself to be lovable by God and others? Jesus loves even the stripped down version of you. He lived and preached that “life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot”(Luke 12.15 “The Message”).
I have more than my fair share of emotional and physical attachments. I hope they never get stripped away. But if they did, would I believe I still had value?
This podcast is an overview of week 17 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Samuel 26 – 31; 2nd Samuel 1 – 12; John 13 – 17.
The problem with problems is they always require a decision of me. That’s the real problem! I don’t like to make decisions. Decision-making scares me. My decisions will positively or adversely affect my future and that of my loved ones.
That’s where Jesus comes in. It would be wise for me to seek His guidance in every important decision before I make it.
There’s only one way to keep from being 'picked off' by the enemy of my soul. Remain near Jesus and His people. If I’m close to the edge, I’m an easy target.
I must vigilantly remain of my own vulnerability and stay far removed from the outer limits of barely permissible, unwise, or isolated activities.
David rocketed to the highest limits of political power in Israel about a thousand years before Christ. What was his secret? How did he achieve so much with so little? It was the Lord. God was the secret of David’s rise to super-stardom. He was successful because “the LORD was with him.”
In the quiet admission of utter failure, Jesus offers me another chance. This time I am expected to do more than change my mind. I must exchange my mind.
My mind can easily play tricks on me. I can’t trust it. It will often justify and rationalize almost anything, if it is to my advantage to do so. Not so with the mind of Christ. Thankfully I can exchange mine for His.
Samuel was a real leader. He was a prophet, priest, and judge in Israel about a thousand years before the birth of Christ. He was a father of the faith for his countrymen. Samuel was called to pray for his nation and teach truth to his people. For Samuel, to fall short of his divine mandate was to commit gross sin.
You and I too are called to shepherd flockd. Out's may be smaller than Samuel’s, but no less significant.
The people of Israel wanted a king so they could be “just like all the other nations.” Then they would relax and enjoy the good life. “Our king will rule us and lead us and fight our battles.”
Oh, how much I want a king like that; my very own hero, father, president, mentor, leader, mommy, shepherd, personal trainer, personal consultant, personal valet, personal savior, etc.
...someone who would make life better for me without any investment from me.
I’m intrigued with the account of Jesus’ miraculous feeding of five thousand people.
The disciples prodded Jesus to send the crowds away after a long day of healing and preaching so that “they could buy themselves something to eat” (Mark 6.36 RSV). The Master’s matter-of-fact response recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels surprised his followers then just as it does me now… “You give them something to eat,” (Matthew 14.16; Mark 6.37; Luke 9.13).
It was no accident that Ruth found herself gleaning in the field of Boaz and it was not accidental that Boaz noticed Ruth. We romanticize the text but the book of Ruth is not primarily a love story between an rich man and a lovely Moabitess virgin.
It is the story of the providential care of God.
Sin is very tricky business. It’s impossible to sin just a little, especially for any length of time. The devil’s strategy includes plans for your complete destruction. Don’t be fooled. You can be easily lulled into tolerating an acceptable level of sin only to discover there is no such thing. You are quickly swept into the power of your enemy, engulfed by the flames of fire you meant only to touch.
Sin management does not work!
I attended a dance at my high school somewhere around 1968. A couple of long haired guys from another school cornered me and I felt threatened. Ned noticed my plight. He quietly strolled over and asked if everything was all right. Ned was a big guy. He was a lineman for the Ingraham High School football team and best of all, Ned was my friend. The bullies quickly got the picture and vanished. Thank you Ned.
Do you have such a friend. There will come a time when you wish you did.
This podcast is an overview of week 15 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Judges 17 – 21; Ruth 1 – 4; 1st Samuel 1 – 9; John 3 – 7.
In his best seller No: Why Kids - of All Ages - Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It, author David Walsh writes a chapter on “Self-Esteem: Kids Need the Real Thing.” He describe three self-esteem myths…
Myth 1: Self-Esteem Comes First and Leads to Success
Myth 2: Self-Esteem = Feeling Good
Myth 3: Stress, Challenge, and Disappointment Damage Self-Esteem.
Jephthah asked for help in his war against the Ammonites, but when help was not forthcoming, he refused to whine or blame others. The judge of Israel simply took charge: “When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands… and the Lord gave me the victory,” (Judges 12.2-3).
It may be time to grow up. You don’t need to depend on anyone else for your safety, happiness, or success. Stop pointing the finger of blame and, taking full control of your life, affirm with Jephthah:“I took my life in my hands... and the Lord gave me the victory.”
Gideon and his band of three hundred were done, but they would not quit. They were “weary yet pursuing” and could rest later. But for now they had a job to do, a mission to complete.
You can rest later. Embody the spirit of Gideon. Capture his motivation… “weary yet pursuing.”
I found a little secret in the text of Deborah’s victory song: “O my soul, march on with strength,” (Judges 5.21c).
Sometimes you must simply command your soul to “march on.” There are no other answers. Refuse despair. Hang on to hope. Eventually, personal resolve weighs “heavier and heavier” than the oppression you face.
Trust Jesus and make yourself… “march on!”
There is one thing every believer must learn… war.
The Lord did not drive the nations of Canaan from the land of promise until inexperienced “sons of Israel might be taught war.” War was a reality for Jews over a millennium before the birth of Christ. It is still a reality for every believer.
Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10.34). We have dragons to slay, demons to crush, battles to win, ground to gain, and wars to learn. We must face the enemy, engage in conflict, and learn to fight for our inheritance.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness,against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens,” (Ephesians 6.12).
This podcast is an overview of week 14 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Judges 1 – 16; Luke 22 – 24; John 1 – 2.
Jesus made a decision to lay down His life. He didn’t have to do it. He made the conscious choiceto love. It was His decision to make.
“…I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again,” (John 10.17-18).
I am faced with a decision to love others in His name. If I am called to love, I must become a decision-maker and make the decision to do so.
A privileged station in life or a larger portion by way of inheritance, status, or citizenship does not automatically entitle one to the biggest and best of everything. Lucky and blessed people, organizations, churches, communities, and countries have no excuse for behaving like little piggies.
“Dad, I need some money and I am too young to get a job. I can't get a work permit until I'm sixteen.” Dad expanded on some arlier advise. “Figure it out son. Get a job.”
My dad didn’t listen very well. Primarily to prove him wrong I went door-knocking again. When I inquired at Art Lee’s Chinese Restaurant, owner Art Woo handed me an apron and pointed at a stack of unwashed dishes. I asked to borrow the phone first.
“Dad, I got a job. I’ll be earning $1.25 an hour!” I could not have been happier to prove Dad right.
Meeting opposition? Facing resistance? Suffering rejection? Don’t stop. Do what Jesus has shown you to do. Iron chariots and dense forests make no difference. Your excuses won’t work here. Get the job done.
Perhaps it’s a mindset. Not a pop-psychology mindset; rather it's a “mind set on the Spirit” of God (Romans 8.6).
At the age of eighty-five, Caleb focused his mind squarely on a forty-five year old promise of God. Caleb had a mindset of faith. He forgot about his age and limitations. He remembered only the faithfulness of the Lord.
I live under a curse. Since the sin of my original father Adam, I am under the curse of sweat and hard labor. Nothing on earth comes to me free-for-the-taking. This life is no “Garden of Eden.” I must work, and work hard, to make a decent living.
Regardless of how I feel about my vocation, the fact remains that I will only eat “by the sweat of my brow.”If I choose hard work over laziness and, instead of sloth or excuse-making, choose to trust God who gave me the capacity to work hard, my family and I will be taken care of.
Achan may have wondered “What harm could it do?”
Where was the logic in his self-serving question? What would he do with the beautiful garment from Shinar? Where would he wear it? When friends and family inquired, “Where did you get that beautiful coat?,” what would he say?
Why did Achan need “two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold?”Where would he spend it?
The priests had faith, real faith. They had guts!
The men who carried the Ark of the Covenant into the water of the Jordan trusted God for a miracle. They believed He would give a repeat performance of the astonishing Red Sea event which took place forty years earlier. The waters divided and “rose up like a dam” when the priests “came to the edge of the Jordan River and set foot in the water” (Joshua 3.15-16).
If the waters rose up, they could also come crashing down. The priests grasped the precarious nature of their situation. Death by drowning was a real possibility with the slightest shift in the wind or will of God. But these leaders valiantly faced danger and “remained standing in the middle of the Jordan” until “everyone had crossed” to the other side.
We all need a little “nurse-time.” You and I get emotional ‘owies’ and need a spiritual Band-Aid periodically. It’s quite okay to visit Jesus even if your hurt is a bit exaggerated. Here’s a little secret… Jesus enjoys the visit as much as you do.
“I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today:I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse.Choose life so that you and your children will live,” (Deuteronomy 30.19).
Choices are usually simple. In the case of Moses and the people of God, the choices were very simple... Life or Death.
In the abortion debate there are only two choices really… Life or Death. This is not a debate between Pro-Choice and Pro-Life. To support or oppose a woman’s right to choose is not the pertinent issue. Life or Death are the real issues, not Life or Choice.
In the abortion debate, there is a high cost for every choice you make. Choose Life and you will have another hard choice to make... raise the child or relinquish your child to adoptive parents. There is nothing cheap or easy in the choice for Life. Choose Death and you will eventually and deeply ponder your decision to terminate your child’s life. That too is a weighty choice with profound and lasting consequences.
Choose Life “and your children will live.”Choose Death and they will not live. It’s a simple decision, but it’s not an easy one. In the long run, a choice for Life may cost you a whole lot less.
Undoubtedly, many will claim that, while they have doubts about Jesus, they do not suffer “day and night” with worry about their future with God. They have no assurance of eternal life and yet, they do not seem to care. The hereafter is of no present concern. Skeptics admit no need of Christianity. Their lives may appear full and happy. They presume heaven, if there is such a place, will take care of itself.
But the end of life, as with most other things in life, does not usually go as planned. Ultimately unbelievers “shall be worried.” Their eternal lives will “hang in doubt before” them. Lost souls will finally wish for but “have no assurance of… life.”As Moses claime, and recorded in Deuteronomy 28.66, “Your life shall hang in doubt before you; day and night you shall be worried, and have no assurance of your life.”
This podcast is an overview of week 12 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Deuteronomy 27 – 34; Joshua 1 – 8; Luke 12 – 16.
“For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages,’” (1st Timothy 5.17-18).
Paul quoted Deuteronomy 25.4 verbatim. He made an application that helped Timothy financially support his preaching and staff of teaching elders. “Muzzle the ox” was an early church idiom indicating a monetary limitation on those called to the pastoral ministry. Paul said a limitation of this kind should not be imposed.
About 2,000 years later, I am still apparently commanded not to “muzzle the ox.” I don’t own livestock nor do I have direct responsibility for the wages of preachers. May I, then, toss out this verse as inapplicable or irrelevant, filing it away as nothing more than an interesting piece of Bible trivia? Or, does the same God who inspired Moses to write the these words and Paul to apply these words, prompt me to find fresh meaning from the mandate: “Do not muzzle the ox?”
This Scripture serves as a reminder that I will be called upon to interact with working men and women, harnessed to the threshing wheels of their vocational calling. I will be given ample opportunities to support or restrict my brother or sister in their work. They could use my spiritual, emotional, and sometimes financial support without which I become guilty of “muzzling the ox.”
There is place of child-like innocence somewhere inside of you and me. We must protect this sacred place at all costs. Jesus resides with you there. It is a wonderful place where purity and cleanness reside. You may have given your innocence away by your own free will, but no one should ever be allowed to forcibly take it from you. If anyone tries, blow the whistle, even after the incident. Scream out from your soul. Make some noise. You have “done nothing deserving” of this treatment.
God designed a way to keep leaders humble… “he must read it [the Torah] as long as he lives, … then he will not exalt himself above his fellow citizens.”A Hebrew king’s first royal duty was to transcribe the entire law of Moses on a his own scroll. Every good leader knows how to delegate but this was one job the king had to do for himself and by himself.
“When he sits down on the throne of his kingdom, the first thing he must do is make himself a copy of this Revelation on a scroll,” (Deuteronomy 17.18).
My private lust is a wild beast within me. Only the power of Christ can kill my animal instincts. I call it the “sticky beast.” If I dare to touch that which is not mine, I give the beast its power. He oozes through the pores of my hands and sticks to the object of my sinful desires. It’s hard to shake it off. Like the slime of a slug, the sticky beast does not easily wash away from my graspy fingers. If I refuse to touch what I cannot have, the sticky beast cannot harm me or anyone else I touch.
“Nothing… under the ban shall cling to your hand,” (Deuterononmy 13.17).
Have you ever faced a brick wall or a seemingly insurmountable challenge? Did you wonder, like the Israelites, “How I ever conquer [this thing] which is so much more powerful than I am?” If so, then take heart...
“Don’t be afraid! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt,” (Deuteronomy 7.17-18).
This podcast is an overview of week 11 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Deuteronomy 6 – 26; Luke 7 – 11.
For participation in the community of believers… ASSEMBLY IS REQUIRED. The Lord commanded Moses:- “Assemble the people” to hear the word of God, learn reverence for God, and teach their children His words. Do you “remember the day you stood before the Lord” to receive Christ? In that day He issued you a command…
“Assemble the people to Me,” (Deuteronomy 4.10).
A crippled guy needed his stretcher until he didn’t need it any more. But he did not leave his stretcher behind. Rather, the paralytic “picked up what he had been lying on.”
Why would a former cripple pick up the stretcher he no longer needed? Perhaps he did need it... to carry other cripples.
There is a time to be carried and a time to carry.
It’s easy to bow to idealism’s pressure and make glorious and unrealistic projections. With a spirit of defiance we begin at a pace we cannot possibly sustain and virtually assure our future collapse. When the inevitable occurs we act surprised, but we shouldn’t be surprised at all. If we had started small we could have built toward a bigger and better finish.
Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh would not claim their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan until “every one of the children of Israel… received his inheritance” on the west side of the river.
They could not go home until the work was done. Neither can you. Your work on earth is not finished. You have an eternity to rest in the loving arms of Jesus. Until then, stay busy in the work of advancing the kingdom of God on earth. Your sisters and brothers need you.
Every good leader must first be a good example. Today I will try to be more concerned about exampleship than leadership.
This podcast is an overview of week 10 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Numbers 27 – 36; Deuteronomy 1 – 5; Luke 2 - 6.
Hatred and peace are closely related. There can be no peace without hatred of that which disrupts the peace. Tolerance of sin creates an environment that guarantees conflict.
I thank God for Jesus Christ who saves me from “the wages of sin.” May God grant me the spirit of Phinehas and the courage to drive a spear through the heart of my own fallen desires.
Balaam was stuck for a reason. God wanted a word with him. I’ve been similarly stuck, crammed into a tight, dark space and rendered motionless by people and circumstances beyond my control. I’ve lashed out at the those I perceived stood between me and the destination of my choosing.
Have you ever kicked the dog, cursed your neighbor, yelled at the kids, or nagged your wife? You knew they didn’t deserve this treatment, but (you thought) you couldn’t help it. You were angry and didn’t care who knew it. You had problems at work. Traffic was horrible. Nothing went your way. It was a very bad day and at the end of that day your friends and family would suffer the fallout.
In the face of opposition, Moses reaffirmed two simple truths:
- God’s calling of Moses was not from his “own mind.” It was God’s idea.
- God would do a “new thing” to confirm Moses’ leadership role.
Self-appraisal is easily transmitted. You cannot hide it. Somehow what you believe about yourself seeps out to those around you. Your belief about self eventually becomes the belief others hold about you. People take their cue from you.
If you believe you are a grasshopper, so will they.
This podcast is an overview of week 9 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Numbers 12 – 26; Mark 13 – 16; Luke 1.
God called Moses to perform a task, then He made it impossible for Moses to succeed.
Moses cried out, “I can’t do this myself.” He was stuck between the absolute awareness of God’s calling and utter impossibility of its fulfillment.
That’s a rough place to be. It’s the place of pain, hopelessness, despair. It’s worse than death. In fact, some reasonable people might opt, as Moses wished, to die rather than to suffer more pain. Unfortunately, God’s plan of redemptive suffering does not include an ‘easy way out.’ Moses was stuck. He felt betrayed by the very God he was called to trust.
With advancing years comes the growing suspicion that my effectiveness will be measured less by how well I served my church, family, community, and nation, and more by how well I assisted others to serve their church, family, community, and nation.
We are to "put on" the name of the Lord...
“So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them,” (Numbers 6.27).
The Gershonites were responsible to carry the furnishings of the Tabernacle from place to place during the Israelite’s forty years of wilderness wandering. These furnishings included tent coverings, courtyard curtains, framework, ropes, pegs, utensils, and equipment of various kinds.
It was a big task to take down the Tabernacle, move it, and set it up again. It took seven thousand, five hundred Gershonites to complete the work (Numbers 3.22). I assume there was more to the job than the brief details found in the biblical account, so God issued a broad command... The Gershonites were to “do all that needs to be done.”
In His first post-resurrection conversation, Jesus looked intently into the eyes of His most faithful follower and uttered only one word... “Mary” (John 20.16).
Memorize this verse. It won’t be hard to remember. “Mary.” Say it out loud. Now exchange her name for yours.
Close your eyes. Imagine to Jesus peering into your soul. He is full of love. He mentions you by name.
This podcast is an overview of week 8 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Numbers 1 – 11; Mark 8 – 12.
The popular notion that all ‘spiritual paths’ lead to God is an example of options overload. We have no idea which path to take. In desperation, we adopt the hope that each of them is equally as good as any other. We are so overwhelmed by religious choices we don’t know where to begin. We are crushed under the weight of options and miss the simple and easy truth altogether.
Jesus alone can set us free.
Judgment is a premature action of the heart. When I want to pre-judge another person, I should, instead, try to capture that thought and place it in temporary custody “until the will of the LORD should be made clear,” (Leviticus 24.12). The matter will be handled. God will bring justice to pass. Hasty and reactionary decisions based on hostile instincts will inevitably lead to regrettable actions that are hard to undo.
I would like to be a force for positive change and leave the world a better place than I found it. But the world’s a big place. Understanding the limits of my influence may equip me to do a better job of loving those closest to me. They certainly deserve that.
Scapegoating is a useful and incredibly powerful tool for shifting blame and advancing a mission. While unethical and destructive, the practice provides solidarity when a group is struggling for survival. The scapegoat is seen as the reason for everyone’s misfortune and sacrificed at the altar of the greater good by those in a position of power who think they know best.
It becomes generally accepted that scapegoats deserve what they get no matter how horrible the punishment. The collective campaign to eliminate a rival, oust a co-worker, or crush a competitor breaths new, although negative, life into the organization. Impassioned by a sense of righteous indignation, witch-hunters are blinded by their own propaganda and will rest only after someone burns at the stake.
Loneliness is emotional leprosy. Somewhere in the past, lonely people came to believe they did not have what it takes to attract and keep friends. The erroneous belief evolved into a sturdier reality with each lost relationship opportunity. Another layer of confidence was eroded with each passing day of solitude. Their attire, expressions, and posture adapted to an inner conviction of their own un-lovable-ness.
The chronically lonesome learned to scream in silence, “Unclean! Unclean!” and unwittingly, though consistently, repelled the people they could have loved.
This podcast is an overview of week 7 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Leviticus 13 – 27; Mark 3 – 7.
When, on occasion, God chooses you through whom to demonstrate His mighty power, try not to gather credit or stage a repeat performance. Remain one of the gang marveling at what He did. That you were central to the amazing event is immaterial. He could have used anyone.
Stand back and gaze upon the miraculous event as an onlooker. After God uses you, blend back into the crowd.
Some sacrificial offerings of the Israelites were placed on the altar, cooked with fire, and eaten by the priests. Not so with the priestly grain offering. It was completely reduced to ash, “entirely offered up in smoke,”and “burned entirely.” Nothing left. Just smoke and ash disappearing in the wind.
This is a picture of all of humanity. We are all grain offerings before the Lord. I hope my eulogy reads something like this:
He burned with desire to serve Jesus Christ. He burned brightly and he burned hot. When his life on earth was done, he burned out. God used him up and brought him home. He “burned entirely” until the end and that was the end of Dave on earth.
The Bible nailed me. I remembered my recently forgotten promise, and “guilty” when it dawned on me I forgot to pay my children for a chore they did. I instantly located four quarters. At breakfast I announced to my children, “I have something for you.” My eight year old son quickly responded: “I know. You’re going to pay us our fifty cents!” I may have forgotten, but he certainly did not!
The guilt vanished the moment I handed over the money. It felt good to pay my debt. It was definitely worth a buck. Freedom from guilt is priceless... worth any amount of money.
The Tabernacle was a mobile worship center for God’s people during the wilderness journey following their mass exodus from Egypt. Moses built the Tabernacle according to the pattern God gave him on Mount Sinai. It covered a space of ground rectangular in shape and approximately ½ the size of a football field. The open air boundaries were established by a heavy linen fence nearly 8 feet high. Only priests from the tribe of Levi were allowed to enter behind the first veil through “the gateway of the court.”
The second veil was set up at “the doorway of the tabernacle,” also called the Tent of Meeting. This was a covered structure erected inside the courtyard and further divided into two spaces: The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies which were separated by a third veil through which only the High Priest could pass once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement described in the sixteenth chapter of the book of Leviticus. In this most holy place a special golden box was kept. It was called the Ark of the Covenant and contained the Ten Commandments.
Why God chose to triple barricade Himself from His creation, I may never fully comprehend or appreciate. But when Jesus died, all barricades came down:
“Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom,” (Matthew 27.50).
The 80-20 rule was named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who, in 1906, noted that 80% of Italy’s income was collected by 20% of Italy’s population. The 80-20 ratio also held true for the distribution of Italy’s property. Pareto found that 20% of the population owned 80% of the country’s land.
That 80% of the consequences stem from 20% of the causes may be demonstrated in almost every people group… families, companies, government, churches, and countries.
This podcast is an overview of week 6 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Exodus 35 – 40; Leviticus 1 – 12; Matthew 26 – 28; Mark 1 – 2.
Aaron did not trust his own instincts. He over-thought the situation and carefully made the wrong decision. By contrast, Moses’ snap decision was the right one:
“And [Moses] took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it,” (Exodus 32.20).
The problem with hard hearts, stiff necks, and rigid people is… they’re fragile. They break too easily. Like the Ten Commandments inscribed on tablets of stone, they are easily shattered. Paul referred to this problem as “the ministry of death”…
“Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory… will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?” (2nd Corinthians 3.7a, 8).
The High Priest Aaron wore an ephod vest of precious jewels in his ritualistic devotional practice at the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai over fourteen hundred years before the birth of Christ.
The names of the tribes of Israel were engraved on two onyx stones which were embedded in settings of gold and attached to the shoulder straps of Aaron’s ephod. Aaron bore “their names before the LORD on his two shoulders” whenever he came into the presence of God, (Exodus 28.9-12).
“You… know how it feels” to be one because you were one (Exodus 23.9). Therefore, don’t oppress the alien or stranger.
You know what it’s like to be on the outside looking in. This experience should compel you to be compassionate, inclusive, invitational, warm, friendly, and welcoming toward outsiders. Your membership in the community of faith is a gift. If you can belong, anyone can. The Church of Jesus Christ is not an exclusive club. You’re no more or less deserving than anyone else. We are ambassadors of love in Jesus’ name. Authentic concern for the welfare of everyone (in or out of the body of Christ) is a hallmark of every true believer.
The life of a wolf may seem glamorous and sexy. But a leash in the hands of a trustworthy master is the good life. I’ll take a dog’s life.
This podcast is an overview of week 4 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Exodus 18 – 34; Matthew 21 – 25.
“Give us this day”...our daily portion of Bread who is Jesus. That’s how the Lord taught his followers to pray. This morning I am allowed an omer-ful of Jesus. He’s everything I need. Jesus gives me enough strength, peace, love, purpose, joy, patience, and courage to live victoriously for the next twenty-four hours. I am fed with the bread from heaven.
The children of Israel, about two million of them, were hemmed in on every side. They felt the ‘squeeze’ of God. The army of Egypt in pursuit behind, monstrous walls of water on either side, and an unknown future in the wilderness ahead.
Some decisions are irreversible. The Israelites could not un-ring this bell. They made their choice and were now committed. Hemmed in between giant walls of tenuous circumstances threatening collapse whenever the winds of fate changed their direction. They could never return to Egypt. There was only one, singular option now… go forward!
Pharaoh lived in that darkness. He had a dark, cold, hard heart. He should have relented when Moses first said, “Let my people go” (Exodus 5.1). After eight serious plagues Pharaoh should have known better. But pride kept him from bowing before his Maker and his Maker’s spokesman. The leader of Egypt would rather have destroyed the land of Egypt than submit to the God of Moses. Even his closest advisors warned him…
“Let the people go… Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”
God expects me to recognize His mighty hand before it’s too late. He will require of me exactly what He required of Pharaoh...
“...humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…” (1st Peter 5.6).
Like the staff of Moses, the word of God imparts living insights when you share with others. God’s truth in you will take on a life of its own with the potential to transform all who hear its life-giving message. You will be surprised, perhaps even a little frightened by the intensity and rawness of its power.
Moses was the greatest leader who ever lived, second only to Jesus Christ. I am inspired by the character of this man who, when encountered by people in need, “stood up and helped them.”
But, how inspired am I? Am I inspired enough to take risks like Moses did to help others in need? Or, am I content to admire this great leader without exerting myself to assist the plight of downtrodden people in my own community?
I should get a rubber wristband that reads: “What would Moses do?” and snap it every time I feel complacent.
This podcast is an overview of week 4 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 50; Exodus 1 – 17; Matthew 16 – 20.
According to Biblical record, Joseph "held steady under fire" when enemy "archers with malice attacked shooting their hat-tippe arrows," (Genesis 49.23f The Message)
Does your soul occasionally and silently scream surrender when adversity threatens to crush your spirit and diminish and darken your hope.
“Hold steady under fire.”
Are you ever tempted to hurry to your own defense before others can vindicate you?
“Hold steady under fire.”
Have you suffered lonlieness when no one seems to care? Are you afraid, hurt, wounded, and bleeding?
“Hold steady under fire.”
Who is God? The answer is simple. God is God. No one else is God. God alone qualifies to be God. In His words: "I am God."
This truth of who God is has serious implications for the rest of us who aren’t God and reminds us of two life-altering truths...
- There is a God, and…
- You're not it!
There was something unnatural about Jacob’s relationship with Joseph. It was unfair for a father to love a child that intensely. Killing Joseph would finally achieve the equality that every child in the family deserved. Equality was a noble virtue. If Jacob couldn’t treat all the boys equally, Judah and his brothers would force him to. In this case, the end clearly justified the means, or so the brothers thought...
Who has blessed, supported, defended, encouraged, or befriended me in the past? Have I forgotten all about them? An old acquaintance? My aging aunt and uncle? A professor from college? My fourth grade Sunday School teacher? A co-worker?
It’s time to be a real friend and return the favor.
Anah was tending his father, Zibeon’s donkeys in the region of Seir south of the Dead Sea nearly 2,000 years before Christ. He was minding his father’s business when he stumbled upon an undiscovered hot springs. His accidental discovery earned him the name “Beeri” (Genesis 26.34) meaning ‘my well’ or ‘water man.’ On the day he discovered water in the wilderness, Beeri the Hittite (alias Anah, son of Zibeon) was not planning to make an important discovery you and I would read about 4,000 years later in a book called Genesis. He was just going about his father’s business.
You and I are called to take care of our Father’s business. Maybe today, we will stumble upon water in the wilderness. It could happen at an unexpected time when we are preoccupied with the activities God has called us to perform. Our accidental discoveries may benefit humankind in unimaginable ways.
This podcast is an overview of week 3 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 35 – 49; Matthew 11 - 15.
Who is the most important person in a career-focused man’s life?
Is it himself? Does he put his wife and kids through hell to get where he’s going, bluffing along the way with, “But Honey, I’m doing this for you and the kids”?
As recorded in Genesis 29, Jacob discovered there was an abundance of water behind a certain rock in Paddan Aram for every shepherd and sheep who needed it.
There’s still plenty of water for thirsty sheep. The rock was rolled away... permanently!
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water,’” (John 7.37-38).
According to the Gospel writer, Matthew, Jesus caused a minor riot among herdsmen near the city of Gedara by sending demons into a herd of pigs. The animals stampeded their way over a cliff to their death in the Sea of Galilee. The Gedarenes “implored [Jesus] to leave their region.” The townsmen could have quoted Genesis 26 with the words of king Abimelech words to Isaac: “Go away… for you are too powerful for us.”
“Possess the gate” is a military term referring to the conquest of a city with walls. Rebekah was the bride of Isaac. Her descendants would “possess the gate of those who hate them.”
I am a spiritual descendant of Rebekah and, together with other members of the Body of Christ, I, too, will “possess the gate” of my enemies.
The writers of the New Testament and commentators throughout history extolled the faith of Abraham “who believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (James 2.23; Galatians 3.6; Romans 4.3; Hebrews 11.17-19; Genesis 15.6).
Abraham was a man of great faith. But what about Isaac? It took more than a little faith for Isaac to hold still for an untimely death.
This podcast is an overview of week 1 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 20 – 34; Matthew 6 – 10.
We sometimes back ourselves into a situational corner and choose to believe our own propaganda. We defend our point of view at all costs, even when we suspect we’re wrong. It becomes less about the issues and more about fear. The fear of being known as one who makes mistakes, fear of disclosing the uncomfortable truth... I could be wrong!
Strength of character does not come from being right 100% of the time, but from the regular practice of saying three little words to self and others... I was wrong.
Question: Why am I blessed?
“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and... I will bless you; I will make your name great,... and you will be a blessing’” (Genesis 12.1-2).
Answer: I am blessed to bless!
I used to believe the traditional interpretation of “a tower that reaches to the heavens;” that is, the people were taking advantage of their unity to compete with the Lord. They planned to build a structure that would literally reach the habitation of God. Their intention was to co-exist with Him. To avoid that possibility, the Lord was forced to confuse their language to protect His realm from human invasion.
This concept seems ridiculous to me now. Could anyone reach God with a physical structure of any size? Such an architectural feat could reach beyond Pluto, the Milky Way, the farthest galaxy, the edge of the Universe and still not locate heaven’s throne of God. These ancient tower builders knew better than that. Their intentions were straight-forward and certainly achievable:
“…so that we may make a name for ourselves…” (Genesis 11.4).
Did Cain know where his brother was? Maybe not. To allow himself such knowledge would have meant taking responsibility for his brother’s condition. The answer to the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4.9) depends entirely upon my choice of realities. If I invent my own reality, as did Cain, then I may honestly reply, “I don’t know.” If I make it my business not to know where my brother is, how then can I be required to become his “keeper?”
This self-serving logic lays the groundwork for a life of denial. Denial is an alluring and powerful form of self-deception, and hurts everyone in its path.
The LORD God knows all our best hiding spots. He created them. Adam and Eve could not hide from God. Neither can we. His question is purely rhetorical and posed for our benefit.
“Where are you?” (Genesis 3.9).
This podcast is an overview of week 1 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 1 – 19; Matthew 1 – 5.
In the Garden of Eden there were two noteworthy trees: “the tree of life… and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2.9). Of the first tree and its fruit, Adam and Eve were free to partake. “But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” they were commanded, “you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Genesis 2.17). However, from that tree, the first man and woman did eat and were expelled from Eden. They robbed themselves of their own innocence with “the knowledge of good and evil,” and were forever banned from “the tree of life.”
1,186 chapters, 31,153 verses, and about 6,000 years later, the Lord again offers His entire creation “the tree of life.” Instead of earth’s “garden of Eden,” we may enter an even better place… heaven’s “holy city, the new Jerusalem,” (Revelation 22.14).
In the “new Jerusalem” there will be no need for a church building. “The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb [Jesus] are its temple,” (Revelation 21.2, 22f).
Going to church can easily become doing church, or even playing church. Religious activities can actually move us away from the original design of church.
In “the new Jerusalem” there will be no church building. Jesus is the temple. If you don’t want Jesus, you don’t get church. Going to church in “the Holy City” of heaven will mean an actual encounter with “the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.”
There’ll be no playing church there.
Apparently Satan gets what he deserves in the end... chained up, “dumped... into the Abyss,” (Revelation 20.1-3) and locked up for a very, very long time.
Until then I assume the devil will continue his dirty work, freely “roaming about on the earth” (Job 1.7) looking for folks to hurt and deceive. I must refuse to be his victim; that is, another casualty in the war of the flesh (Mark 14.38) or one of his pre-Armageddon body counts.
Christ's return to earth will be nothing like His first appearance. The first Christmas was gentle and quiet. Jesus will come again, this time with “a sharp sword” treading “the wine press of the fierce wrath of God.” The first Christmas occurred in an obscure location and witnessed by almost no one.
No one will miss the second Advent. Alluding to the great apocalyptic writers, Daniel and Zechariah, John described the return of Christ as a dramatic event seen all around the world:
“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him,” (Revelation 1.7 from Daniel 7.13; Zechariah 12.10-14).
What is your personal Babylon? Have you “drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality”? Of course you have...
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3.23
“For all have sinned” and all “have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” Our “sins have piled up as high as heaven” and also stinks to high heaven. Like the tower of Babel, our misdeeds are a city of filth with “a tower whose top will reach into heaven” (Genesis 11.4). If it were not for the gracious intervention of a loving God who could have left us to our own devices, we might have succeeded. Thankfully, our mountainous pile of sins was destroyed before it reached the heavenn’s entrance, before it toppled us from the high places in our imaginations, flinging us permanently into the “dwelling place of demons.”
Who destroyed my lofty edifice and saved me from myself? It was Jesus, my Savior.
This podcast is an overview of week 52 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Zephaniah 1 – 3; Haggai 1 – 2; Zechariah 1 – 14; Malachi 1 – 4; Revelation 18 – 22.
Jesus said, “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse,” (Matthew 12.30 The Message).
Whose side am I on? Am I in or out? Am I hot or cold? Am I with Him or not?
When I was a little boy waking up in the middle of the night and afraid of the dark, I would crawl into my parent’s bed. There was no place safer than between Mom and Dad. I could sleep with the absolute assurance that they would protect me from any possibility of harm.
Today I am at rest between the “the Alpha and the Omega – the Beginning and the End.” There is no safer place to be. I will never need to suffer the wrath of God for my past sins. Jesus took care of that two millenniums ago.
The doubting disciple previously boasted, “Unless… I put my finger in the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe,”(John 20.25). It took far less than he thought to believe. There is no textual evidence that Thomas actually touched Christ’s wounds. Rather, upon seeing the risen Lord, Thomas spontaneously blurted a statement of faith and erased all his doubt...
“My Lord and my God!”
Thomas, John 20.28
“…the one hundred and forty-four thousand… These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes,” (Revelation 14.3b, 4b).
I may not be one of the 144,000, but like Matthew, I am learning to obey His command to “Follow Me..”
“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him,” (Matthew 9.9).
God’s “only begotten Son” did not die for the world in general, but for you and me in particular. He always knew who would respond in faith to Christ. Those of us who have received God’s gracious offer made a surprising discovery… our names have always existed on the pages of the Lamb’s eternal book.
This podcast is an overview of week 51 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Amos 5 – 9; Obadiah; Jonah 1 – 4; Micah 1 – 7; Nahum 1 – 3; Habakkuk 1 – 3; Revelation 13 - 17.
The devil’s strategy is to accuse you “before our God day and night,” (Revelation 12.10-11). You are without defense, of course. Every terrible thing Satan tells God about you is true and yet his words contain nothing of the truth. His strategy ignores the infinite gulf between what is true (you are sinful) and the truth (you are forgiven).
You are forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus who paid the price for your sins making you fully acceptable to the heavenly Father in spite of the devil’s constant accusations against you.
That’s your testimony. That’s your story. It’s really His story in you. You are making His-story each time you utter this testimony. His-story makes you fearless in the face of your enemy’s ultimate weapon… death itself.
“…the accuser of our brethren… accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death,” (Revelation 12.10b-11).
How do you get up after Satan knocks your wind of confidence, strength, or life out? How can you stand again after the death of a loved one, the death of a vision, or the death of hope? It is sometimes impossible to rise to the occasion, even when you know you must.
Going through religious motions of the walking dead will only drive you more deeply into the abyss of despair, which is where the god of discouragement wants to take you. Go instead with “the Lord of the earth” who is also “the God of heaven” (Revelation 11.4, 13). He alone can breathe life back into your battered soul and re-ignite the fire of your lost passion.
Jesus can raise you up from death, drudgery, defeat, and disappointment.
The people of prophecy must give. They must share. They must tell. Or, they will perish with the pain of God’s word tearing at their guts. Speaking God’s word is the prophet’s only relief.
“I took the little book from the Angel's hand and it was sweet honey in my mouth, but when I swallowed, my stomach curdled. Then I was told, ‘You must go back and prophesy again over many peoples and nations and languages and kings.’ ”
Revelation 10.10-11 “The Message”
The 9th chapter of the book of Revelation describes in horrific detail what the Bible calls “the first woe” (v.12). While this portion of scripture does not make for pleasant family devotional fare or popular elementary Sunday School curriculum, I assume there is a message here for me and all Christians.
Who is this “angel of the Abyss” (v.11)? From this fallen star’s eternal hole will rise mist “like the smoke of a gigantic furnace” that will darken “the sun and sky” (v.2). Nasty hairy flying locusts resembling “horses” (v.7) with “lion’s teeth” (v.8) will stream from their dark home stinging those those who do not bear “the seal of God on their foreheads” (v.4). Their sting will be “like that of a scorpion” (v.3). Victims will yearn for death yet destined to suffer their agony for five months (vv.5-6).
Is the awful imagery of Revelation 9 to be understood literally? Will stinging locusts actually appear in the future to torture all unbelievers who inhabit the earth? Or, is this the writer’s symbolic and creative description of 1st century political upheaval, the natural consequences of an addictive lifestyle, or a future without Christ? Regardless of the precise meaning, the text reminds me I must be ready. I want the protective “mark of God on my forehead,” whatever that means.
Don’t spiritualize your prayers turning them into ash which dissipate in the wind of nothingness. Rather, simplify your prayers. Make them actual, child-like. Say them aloud and say them daily. Set aside special time to tell God exactly what’s on your heart and your prayers will rise with the smoke of your angel’s incense before the throne of God in heaven.
This podcast is an overview of week 50 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Hosea 1 – 14; Joel 1 – 3; Amos 1 – 4; Revelation 8 – 12.
Anyone can get into heaven. It’s not difficult. A simple prayer of faith will do... “Jesus, wash me with your blood. Cleanse me from my sins. I believe in You.”
“…you who believe in the name of the Son of God… may know that you have eternal life,” (1st John 5.13).
My demons are many, but my God is great, and “I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me,” (Romans 8.37). I am a conqueror so I should act like one. Life is not perfect; but life is good and the future is bright. There are battles to fight, but I can win the day. I am a warrior in Christ’s army and “can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4.13 NASB).
“Read the Bible” can be cheap advice. Offering this solution to a suffering soul is almost shameful. It’s easy to say and costs the say-er nothing. Counsel of this kind offers no enduring hope and effectively drives a wedge between the seeker and giver of advice, which, of course, may be the latter’s un-admitted intention, insofar as he really cares little for the plight of his suffering brother.
“Read the Bible” may really mean “Don’t come to me with your petty problems. I’m far too busy right now for you. Go figure out life on your own and leave me alone.” But, of course, “Read the Bible” gets the advice-giver off the hook without feeling badly about a failed counseling session. Besides, it sounds much more polite and spiritual.
Here’s more effective advice… “Get to know Jesus”! He is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.”He alone can “open the scroll” and “rip through the… seals,” (Revelation 5.4-5). Jesus is able and willing to open the book and reveal its meaning to you and everyone you know.
At every point on the journey of faith there stands an open door beckoning me to step into the realm of Heaven. I must not wait until I die. Jesus calls me to join Him now.
“Come up here,” (Revelation 4.1).
There’s only one thing worse than ignorance and that’s being ignorant of one’s ignorance. It’s one thing to be ignorant. That’s forgivable, even fixable. But the ignorant man who thinks he’s not, well, that’s a problem. That guy may be a danger to himself and to all within his misguided realm of influence. Avoid him.
This podcast is an overview of week 49 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Daniel 1 – 12; Revelation 3 – 7.
Today I will take great comfort from the words of the angel at the church in Smyrna:
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer,” (Revelation 2.8).
“Smyrna” refers to suffering and death. Of one thing we may all be certain… we will die. Likely there will be some suffering attached to the event. “Smyrna” reminds us to prepare for the inevitable. We may suffer and will all certainly die, and yet, we have nothing to fear.
I can read the Bible superficially. A quick run-through a chapter or two. A check mark by an interesting verse, a minute of meditation, and call it good. The Christian company I keep remains sufficiently impressed with my basic, and somewhat superficial, knowledge and application of Scripture.
I want more.
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near,” (Revelation 1.3).
I don’t want to leave my soft, overstuffed recliner. No feeling could surpass this moment of quiet tranquility. I deeply appreciate the gift of reprieve and the respite God allows me during my daily ritual of getting centered and prepared for the day.
But it would be selfish to remain here. A couple hours in the morning is all I get. There’s a war out there. I have battles to fight. I must make a difference in the world. Christ calls me to “contend earnestly for the faith,”(Jude 3). I’m not clear, in this moment, what it means for me to “fight with everything you have” today or “contend earnestly for the faith,” but whatever else it may mean, I am quite sure it will require me to leave my beloved Lazy Boy.
A couple of millenniums ago a man named John shared his ideas and feelings with friends in several letters. He had many more things to say and, unable to express all his thoughts in writing, John made plans to see them “face to face,” (3rd John 13-14). The anticipation of a reunion with old friends made him feel warm inside. He visualized greeting each one “by name.” They would spend many hours just talking. What joy this brought to John’s heart.
We may subscribe to a system of truth grounded in a personal relationship with a Supreme Being who existed before the beginning of time and within whom dwells the perfect combination of love and truth. Through Him we can actually “love in the truth,” (2nd John 1).
Before I can even hope to love anyone I must know and subscribe to the truth. I cannot simply love and hope for harmony. Love as an idea or ideal is meaningless. I must truly love; that is “love in the truth,”or my love matters not at all.
This podcast is an overview of week 48 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Ezekiel 33 – 48; 2nd John; 3rd John; Jude; Revelation 1 - 2.
I am daily inundated with spiritual copies of the real thing. Countless nearly perfect duplicates of the original Gospel message compete for my allegiance. Counterfeit options to Biblical truth abound. I am routinely assaulted with reams of meaningless religious facsimiles vying for my full devotion. I mustn’t be fooled. Jesus alone is the real thing.
“This Jesus is both True God and Real Life. Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles,” (1st John 5.20c-21 “The Message”).
As Christ comes more into focus, God’s plan of salvation emerges and we embrace truth with ever-increasing confidence. Somewhere along the line “we have come to know,” (1st John 4.16). It isn’t clear exactly how or when it happened, but it did happen. There are many things we do not comprehend but, like the blind-from-birth man who encountered Jesus, this “one thing” is certain...
“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see,” (John 9.25).
Every day I wear socks. I open my sock drawer and there they are! It’s magic. I never run out. There’s always enough. Like Elisha and the widow’s oil (2nd Kings 4.1-7) or Jesus and the loaves and fishes (Matthew 15.32-38), they just keep multiplying. The socks are always there… clean, folded, in a variety of colors, and ready to wear.
Actually, I know how this trick works. It’s not really magic, but it is miraculous. It’s the miracle of love. Love puts clean socks in my drawer when I’m not looking so they appear when I need them. Somebody loves me. That’s the miracle. Love picks up, washes, dries, folds, and puts away my socks every day… it’s a miracle! Someone chooses not to “love in word, neither in tongue.” Instead, she loves “in deed and in truth,” just like the Bible says in 1st John 3.18.I am Elisha’s widow. I am one of five thousand whom Jesus fed. I am my wife’s clean sock recipient. I am the beneficiary of the miracle of love.
I wish I got along with everyone and, for the most part, I do. I have great relationships with family, clients, and neighbors. But there are those few who, like ‘flies in the ointment,’ ruin my otherwise flawless compatibility record. These detractors prove I do not qualify for the “World’s Most Congenial Guy” award.
Oddly many of them, like me, are professing believers and active church goers. I don’t get it. When I am around these people I receive no ‘warm fuzzies,’ only ‘cold pricklies.’ Why won’t Jesus wipe away all differences and help us achieve the unity between believers He promised and commanded? Am I doing something wrong, or are they the bad guys? Or, is there an explanation that, for the moment, eludes me?
Only one thing consistently gives me the warm fuzzy feeling; and that is “the original message” of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When I “let it sink into my life” I feel better, more confident of His calling and love. When I press into Jesus and the truths of the Bible, I experience the personal benefits of living “deeply in both the Son and the Father.”To “live deeply in what I was taught” when I first met the Lord over fifty years ago brings an inner joy and peace that cannot be shaken, (1st John 2.24, 27d “The Message”).
Living deeply for Christ is the only response that makes sense of the cold prickly people I know.
Sin. What an ugly, unpopular, dirty little word. Except for many Roman Catholics (who privately discuss their personal sins with a priest on Saturday night) or certain Protestants (who willingly hear of their sins from the pulpit on Sunday morning), people will not tolerate the idea. The concept of “sin” is offensive to progressive thinkers and never used in polite conversation. The very word is nearly unspeakable and banned to the ‘island of forbidden subject matter’ along with other very bad words like “guilt,” “holy,” “Jesus,” and “discipline.”
Sin, however, is a reality, a dark one, whether we accept it or not. All of us have some of it residing in the inky and gloomy crevices of our souls. John said if we deny it we are self-deceived. He also assured Christ-followers that “the blood of Jesus… cleanses us from all sin” (1st John 1.7), a reality which may be ours through the regular practice of humble confession.
This podcast is an overview of week 47 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Ezekiel 20 – 32; 1st John 1 - 5.
I size up situations in a flash, quickly gather my findings, and rapidly compartmentalize persons I meet. I’m a ‘pigeon hole’ specialist!
God is not like that. I’m more likely to come to a conclusion than contemplate a condition. But God is in no hurry to bring any matter to conclusion. He could unleash His power upon the earth and usher in Christ’s return right now. Apparently He does not wish to do so. According to the Bible, God is actually “restraining himself” and “holding back the End.” He loves His creation and wants to allow as much “space and time” as possible for His precious, rebellious children to repent.
“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live,” (Ezekiel 18.32).
“He’s giving everyone space and time to change,” (2nd Peter 3.8-9 “The Message”).
If God gives “everyone space and time to change,” then so should I. If I intend to be godly, as He commands, I must incorporate some of His attributes in my interaction with fellow humans. Apparently, like patience, self-restraint is a virtue. “Space and time” may be the kindest gift I offer.
A man is enslaved to that which he cannot stop himself from doing or thinking. He is a slave to his addictions.
“…for if they are addicted to corruption – and they are – they’re enslaved,” (2nd Peter 2.19b “The Message”).
There are many varieties of addictions. All of them are insidious and seem harmless at first. Even when the addict is fully overcome by his drug of choice, he may not recognize his sorry plight. The impact of his condition is gradual, relentless, and very real. Others see it but he denies it. He is deceived by the lure of sin and his fascination with its false promise of happiness.
There’s a hole in the addict’s heart and he is desperate to find enough meaning to plug it. He escapes often into an artificial, fleeting comfort offered by his cruel master. His vision is clouded by temporary relief from the pain of his sad existence. His judgment is impaired and yet he remains resourceful enough to develop an intricate system of lies and cover-ups. His excuses and self-validations do not work. Everyone who matters soon learns the truth. Even the sinner becomes aware of his imminent demise.
Besides preaching the word, Peter had the foresight to write the word. He knew the message of Christ he proclaimed was timeless. Peter’s written record endures for the benefit of future generations of believers...
“And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind,” (1st Peter 1.15).
Peter knew nothing of blogs, web sites, the internet, email, social networks, texting, virtual communities, Zoom calls, or podcasts. Yet, right in this moment, approximately one thousand, nine hundred and fifty-two years later, you and I are benefiting from Peter’s words... exactly as he imagined.
Redundancy is a systems precautionary measure. Modern gas valves, scuba tanks, and parachutes all use redundant systems. No one wants to blow up, run out of air, or fall to their death. Redundancies are introduced to insure the user’s safety in the event of an early first system failure.
Perhaps God is redundant on the “humility” theme for a good reason. He knows how cocky we can be after a little success. Often, and for no good reason, I fail to be humble. I must take extra precautions and make special note of the redundant instructions found throughout the Divine User’s Manual…
“Pride goes before… a fall.”
“Clothe yourselves with humility.”
“Humble yourselves… under God’s mighty hand.”
“God gives grace to the humble.”
About thirty-six years ago Ken Blanchard wrote a popular book entitled The One-Minute Manager and coined the phrase “Keep your ‘I love you’s’ up to date.” I shall never forgot that. Life is too short not to keep your “I love you’s” up to date...
“The end of all things is near. Therefore… love each other deeply...” (1st Peter 4.7-8).
This podcast is an overview of week 46 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Ezekiel 1 – 19; 1st Peter 4 – 5; 2nd Peter 1 - 3.
It is not the sacramental act that saves you. That “baptism now saves you” means so much more than the outward “removal of dirt,” (1st Peter 3.20-21). A sacrament does not carry magical powers to create inward change. It has meaning only because of the operative power of God’s grace through the sacrament on behalf of the true believer. Getting baptized, saying confession, choosing celibacy, or any other sincere sacrifice or good deed at all… none of that guarantees a home for me in heaven. Only the death and resurrection of Jesus makes eternal salvation and Christ-like behavior a possibility for me.
When I walk into the waters of baptism (as I did over fifty years ago) or take the communion bread and cup (as I do weekly), I receive an impartation of the grace of God to do the work of God through faith in the Son of God.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast,” (Ephesians 2.8-9).
“But if you’re treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God,” (1st Peter 2.20).
Our service to God is ultimately for God alone. We play to an audience of One. It’s Him we must please. Him alone. Those who make it their ambition to please men fall into a trap.
“The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe,” (Proverbs 29.25).
People pleasers can never perform to the level of people’s expectations and are left disappointed and bitter. Your service to God stands alone without regard for human approval.
There’s a beginning and an end to “the time of your stay on earth.” I knew nothing of the first half of eternity. I wasn’t there. I only existed as a thought in the mind of Christ. However, I will enjoy the second half with Jesus forever and ever. He asks very little of me…
“…you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence (on the earth, whether long or short).”
1st Peter 1.7 The Amplified Bible
In the light of eternity and with the power and presence of Jesus living within me… how hard can that be?
Am I current on what I owe? Or, have I withheld what is rightly deserved? The Bible says, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other” (Romans 13.8 ESV). In the name of Jesus and His love, do I owe someone an act of love?
Did I send them away when they tried to “collect?” The Bible makes a personal guarantee…
“…the pay… which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry… has reached the ears of the Lord…” (James 5.4).
There’s only way to silence their outcry and put a smile back on God’s face. In the name of Jesus and for the love of God... pay what you owe.
Waiting is a matter of humility. Like a demanding child, I want what I want... and I want it now. But when Jesus says “Wait,” bowing to His will and forsaking my own is painful. “Waiting” demands humbleness of heart and inner resolve not to take matters into my own hands. Trusting Him to fulfill His promise in His way and in His time is the essence of the humility to which I am called. I suspect learning humility may be more important than all the other things I think I want.
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up,” (James 4.10).
This podcast is an overview of week 45 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Jeremiah 49 – 52; Lamentations 1 – 5; James 4 – 5; 1st Peter 1 – 3.
In a 1956 interview, then President Dwight Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles said:
“The ability to get to the verge without getting into war is the necessary art. If you try to run away from it, if you are scared to go to the brink, you are lost.”
I am not afraid to “get to the verge” however I suspect I fight some battles I don’t need to. Perhaps a good dose of “the gentleness of wisdom” (James 3.13)will keep me from plummeting over the edge when I am on the brink of my next personal war.
Mercy is expensive and requires sacrifice. Judgment is cheap and easy to give. Like most things of value, mercy is rare. You can find judgment everywhere. Merciful people set themselves apart from the crowd. Any fool can pass judgment. Cowards judge. It takes courage to show mercy.
“So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment,” (James 2.12-13).
Politicians ‘spin’ the truth. Photographers enhance the truth. Salespeople embellish the truth. Fishermen exaggerate the truth. Addicts ignore the truth. But mirrors tell the truth.
“But prove yourselves doers of the word, not merely hearers who delude themselves... like a man who looks... in a mirror;... and gone away,[and] has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was,” (James 1.21-24).
“Outside the camp” is probably NOT one of the top 10 places to visit on your next trip to the Holy Land. Yet, that is exactly where we are commanded to go.
“So let us go out to him [Jesus] outside the camp and bear the disgrace he bore,” (Hebrews 13.11-13).
I don’t know the exact location of “outside the camp,”but I hear Him calling me there. I doubt it’s a comfortable, easy place to be. It probably does not smell nice there. I’ll bet the social outcasts of Calcutta were glad Mother Teresa willingly followed Jesus “outside the camp.”
Jesus, deliver me from clean, safe, nice, sterile, pleasant, antiseptic Christianity.
The author of the book of Hebrews commands us to... “‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame [broken nose] may not be [permanently] disabled, but rather healed,” (Hebrews 12.13). When I get my ‘nose out of joint’, I need to push it back into place where it belongs. To avoid becoming permanently “disabled.” I must learn to forgive and forget.
Life goes on. So must I.
This podcast is an overview of week 44 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Jeremiah 32 – 48; Hebrews 12 – 13; James 1 - 3.
On his long trek from Ur to Haran and then to Canaan, Abraham remained focused on the call of God.
If he had lamented the loss of his former life and thought too long about ‘the good old days,’ Abraham might have given up and gone home. Was the “promised land” really the fulfillment of a glorious “inheritance” or would he be just another “stranger in a foreign country” (Hebrews 11.9)? Would Abraham trust the word God gave him?
“The law… can never… make perfect,” (Hebrew 10.1). I can never achieve perfection by sincere dedication or strict obedience to a set of moral standards. It cannot be done. That’s bad news for the legalist.
Exegesis literally means “to draw the meaning out of” a given text. Eisegesis, by contrast, is the practice of reading one's own interpretation into a text. An exegete makes every attempt to view the text objectively, while an eisegete replaces the clear and most obvious meaning of a passage with subjective opinion.
Moses sprinkled blood on “both the book itself and all the people” (Hebrews 9.19-20) in an ancient ritual symbolically sealing the terms of the relationship between the book’s Author (God) and the book’s audience (Moses and the ancient Hebrews). Moses “took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people” (Exodus 24.7). He did not interpret the words through the filter of his own limited understanding. He simply read God’s word publicly and let it speak for itself.
The only constant is change. Change is inevitable. Nothing you take in with your senses will exist tomorrow as it did today. Living things grow old. People age. They change. Times change and time changes all things. We cannot depend on what is for long. What is becomes what was in the literal blink of an eye or a single beat of your heart. Flexibility becomes your only ally against the opposing forces of change.
“In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away,” (Hebrews 8.13).
I am intrigued by the character Melchizedek, named only in Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and the letter to the Hebrews, chapters 5, 6, and 7. Melchizedek is a type of Jesus. Jesus is his anti-type.
Typology is the study of person, events, or symbols that foreshadow things to come. In the Bible, a “type” often refers to an Old Testament figure who “typifies” or finds its fulfillment in Christ. For example, in Romans 5.14 NAS Paul called Adam a “type of Him [Jesus] who was to come.” In this example Adam is the “type” and Jesus is the “antitype.”
To further illustrate, Noah’s ark and the flood is a “type” for which baptism is the “antitype.” See 1st Peter 3.20-21.
This podcast is an overview of week 43 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Jeremiah 17 – 31; Hebrews 7 – 11.
God gives dreams. You have one. Don’t be lazy. Open your eyes. Who is living your dream? Do what they did. Practice the art of imitation.
Persevere. No successful performer on the stage of life got and stayed there by accident. It started with a dream. Then there was practice, practice, and more practice. Faithful dedication to the pursuit of excellence and patient repetition of your craft is mandatory to achieve your goal to stand before the great audiences of the world stage.
“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised,” (Hebrews 6.12).
Young adults can sidestep the pitfalls of the ‘hard life’ if they listen to the wisdom of loving parents and their “word of righteousness.”
Similarly, we must train our senses to hear and apply “the word of righteousness” found in the pages of Scripture. We are designed to grow up and partake of solid spiritual food. We learn by “practice” to “discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5.13-14) so we can make right decisions and stay away from the alluring voice of demonic strangers.
The “word,” when “united by faith,”earns a return on investment from time spent in reading, listening to, and learning from the Bible. Pending followers of Jesus (who read the Bible) must get sold (that is, believe the Bible).
“…but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard,” (Hebrews 4.2).
'Down' is a temporary condition. Positive inspiration, godly desires, good feelings, and holy ambition, like Jesus Christ Himself, will soon return. Until that moment, I “...hold on to our courage and the hope,” (Hebrews 3.5-6). I must have faith and remain faithful!
Over fifty years ago I strapped Jesus Christ to my back and together we made a tandem leap of faith. I am still hurling toward heaven at an incredible speed. I have one goal… to land safely on heaven’s ground.
Things sometimes go very wrong. I feel afraid. Will I make it to heaven? Will my chute open on time? I am comforted by my belief that Jesus is infinitely qualified to take full control of my free fall through life. On my own I will fall to certain death. Separation from my Heavenly Dive Master is unthinkable. How could I possibly “escape” death if I “neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2.3)?
I’m not about to un-strap myself from my tandem partner. Jesus is my Savior.
This podcast is an overview of week 42 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Jeremiah 3 – 16; Hebrews 2 – 6.
The original purpose of the book of Hebrews was to demonstrate the supremacy of Christ in all things for 1st century Jewish converts to Christianity. The book is filled with quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures all of which point to the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who “upholds all things by the word of His power,” (Hebrews 1.2b, 3b).
Paul wrote to his close brother in Christ, Philemon, to appeal for leniency on behalf of a runaway slave. Onesimus became a follower of Jesus under the ministry of Paul and the two became such close friends that Paul referred to Onesimus as “my very heart,” (Philemon 12-13a). With great personal anguish, Paul determined to send Onesimus back to Philemon. In so doing, Paul voluntarily broke his own heart to facilitate a reconciliation between two brothers of opposing social strata.
Love is risky because it demands that we open our hearts to others around us. Relationships develop and enduring bonds of friendship are established. At some future point, God may call us to break our hearts and send away the precious objects of our love and devotion. This is exactly what Father God did with His own Son (John 3.16).
“Concerning these things”…
- the things of which Paul wrote
- the great truths of the Bible
- the Lordship of Jesus Christ
- the decision to obey God
- the love of God for you and me
- following Jesus
- being led by the Holy Spirit
… of these things I am commanded to put my foot down and stand firm, to stress and affirm their importance, to insist strenuously, and communicate with absolute confidence. Before I can stand I must place each foot on the ground. Before I can take a stand, I must put my foot down. As for me and my foot,we will take our stand on Christ.
“I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone," (Titus 3.8 “The Message”).
I know what I believe and am convicted by its truth. About this truth, I am commanded to speak with authority and become impossible to ignore.
“These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you,” (Titus 2.15).
What is purity? Purity happens when profession and performance match up. A person consistent in word and action is pure, without inner conflict. He says what he believes and acts accordingly. A pure man is transparent, authentic, real, and fully disclosed. With the pure, what you see is what you get.
“To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him,…” (Titus 1.15-16).
This podcast is an overview of week 41 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Isaiah 51 – 66; Jeremiah 1 – 2; Titus 1 – 3; Philemon; Hebrews 1.
By the time Timothy received read his mentor’s request, “do your best to come to me quickly” (2nd Timothy 4.9), it might have been too late. Paul may have died as he predicted: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure,” (2nd Timothy 4.6).
Why did Paul call for Timothy? That is the question for today's podcast.
“There’s nothing like the written word of God,” (2nd Timothy 3.15 The Message).How true! The Bible can “give you the wisdom that leads to salvation” and secure an eternity for you in heaven with Jesus. It’s a treasure. It’s pure gold. It’s the most precious thing in the universe. Nothing compares to Scripture. Absolutely nothing! It’s spiritual food for a starving man. It’s living water for a parched soul. I could not survive without the Bible.
I can’t bluff God and His approval isn’t cheap. My salvation was a free gift paid for by Jesus. But my development, growth, maturity, and sanctification must be earned by diligent application of Bible truths.
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth,” (2nd Timothy 2.15).
According to the McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, (“Onesiphorus”, John McClintock and James Strong, Harper and Brothers, New York, 1867-1887), Paul was “in custody of a soldier, to whose arm his own was chained.” Who was the real captive? The apostle or his military audience of one? Can you imagine the conversations between Paul and the guard to whom he was chained? Paul and Onesiphorus may have planned their visitation schedule around a strategic plan for the evangelization of the soldiers who pulled ‘chain duty’ with Paul.
Onesiphorus was an active member and major contributor of the church Paul founded in Ephesus (modern day Turkey) where Paul appointed Timothy as pastor. This man assited Paul in the early years of his work in the church at Ephesus and later by often visiting Paul in his Roman prison cell just prior to the apostle’s execution.
“May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus,” (2nd Timothy 1.16-18).
Do you want to get ahead in life? Are you ambitious and goal oriented? Have you put a plan in place to retire early after achieving monetary success and professional notoriety?
Here’s a formula for advancement that virtually guarantees the “great gain” you’re looking for: GODLINESS + CONTENTMENT = GREAT GAIN
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content,” (1st Timothy 6.6-8).
This podcast is an overview of week 40 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Isaiah 37 – 50; 1st Timothy 6; 2nd Timothy 1 - 4.
Try as hard as we might, we cannot hide, ignore, or cover our good deeds or mis-deeds. They will one day soon become fully exposed. In truth, even now we are more transparent to those around us than we think we are.
“Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed., (1st Timothy 5.25).
Jesus asked, “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7.3). I have enough eye debris to cause a log jam. Paul’s advice to the young pastor Timothy applies to me:
“Pay close attention to yourself” (Paul, 1st Timothy 4.16).
Jesus “gave Himself.” He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50.10 NLT). He could have given me a cow! Or a car, a bunch of money, special influence, power, fame, or wealth. Instead, Jesus gave me something far better and more costly. He gave me Himself! What a guy! What a man! What a God!
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people,” (1st Timothy 2.5-6a).
We have an enemy. We must be prepared to fight and do battle against him. Christianity is not for softies. Wimps need not apply. We are commanded to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6.11) and... GET READY TO RUMBLE!
Our battle is not “against flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6.12). The best way to keep a “good conscience” is to remember people aren’t the enemy. “The spiritual forces of evil” are our ultimate enemy.
“…fight the good fight, holding on the faith and a good conscience,” (1st Timothy 1.18c-19a NIV).
This podcast is an overview of week 39 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Isaiah 18 – 36; 1st Timothy 1 – 5.
Money is a powerful tool to accomplish your dreams, fulfill your desires, and fix whatever ails you. There is no particular virtue in poverty. Money can be a great blessing but “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1st Timothy 6.10 KJV).
Money represents the things you can buy. Your level of devotion to those things and your motivation to own them reveal the condition of your heart.
“If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat,” (2nd Thessalonians 3.8-10).
Ministries of excellence are accompanied by periods of discouragement. If you are a giver, prepare to suffer. In the midst of your suffering, be strong and keep giving. Jesus promised to “comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word,” (2nd Thessalonians 2.16-17).
When you die and go to heaven, you may be surprised to discover that some people are there for only one reason... they “believed [your] testimony,” (2nd Thessalonians 1.7b, 10).
None of my faculties remain immune or hidden from the bleaching action of Christ's cleansing work... my spirit, soul, heart, mind, will, emotions, conscience, intuition, and body. God is sanctifying all of me “through and through.” One day, by God’s grace, I will be “blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1st Thessalonians 5.23-24).
Jesus is my Teacher but He’s so much more. He is also my Savior having redeemed me by His blood. Now I am saved but still there’s more. Complacency is an ever-present enemy. It is too easy to stall in the comfort of my theological position or the recollection of past exploits. That would be a mistake. Instead, I must choose to... “excel still more,” (1st Thessalonians 4.1).
This podcast is an overview of week 38 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Isaiah 1 – 17; 1st Thessalonians 4 – 5; 2nd Thessalonians 1 – 3.
My acceptance of what and where I am in life is the first step in making the most of what’s left. Time is running out. I am “just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4.14b). Tomorrow, I could be gone; I could be with Jesus and my dearly departed wife, Adonica. I better get on with the acceptance of my lot and station in life. I spent the first half of my existence dreaming of how big I would be. I suspect the second half will be devoted to learning to accept how small I really am.
I can have an impact and effect some change, but I cannot force-fulfill a destiny. Mine is what it is. What I thought would be... matters little. What matters much is right in front of me. I was “destined for this.” My “this” is the destiny I actually have. I must accept, settle into, make the most of, and learn to love “this.”
“…we have been destined for this,” (1st Thessalonians 3.3c-4).
The Bible tells m am destined for. My destiny is “this.”
“…we have been destined for this.”
“Seek to please Me, and Me alone. Do not look for the approval of others. Their approval is not necessary to fulfill My purpose in your life. Only My approval matters. Say everything I have placed on your heart. Proclaim it without fear. Be bold. I will do what I have told you I will do.”
“...we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts,” (1st Thessalonians 2.4).
A good preacher knows how to stand up, speak up, and shut up! Abe Lincoln reportedly said, “It is better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!” Solomon observed, “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise” (Proverbs 17.27). There is most certainly “a time to be silent” (Ecclesiastes 3.7b).
A door is a two-way mechanism. It both grants an entrance and ushers an exit. Doors provide a way to new, next experiences and offer an escape when those experiences become unpleasant.
Locked doors offer security but may also imprison the soul. Sometimes doors are tightly bolted for way too long and opportunities on both sides of the entrance-exit portal are forever lost.
Paul asked his friends to pray that God would “open up… a door for the word,” (Colossians 4.3). He was speaking of political doors and spiritual doors and all doors in between. He had every intention of speaking the word of the gospel at all opportune moments. Paul was ready, willing, and able. All he needed was the open door. When the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send?,” like the prophet Isaiah, Paul was eager to perform:
“Here am I. Send me.”
Isaiah 6.8
Where Jesus Christ? The popular evangelical Sunday School answer claims “Jesus lives in my heart.” However, the Bible teaches Jesus is somewhere else. He is “above” and “seated at the right hand of God.” According to the letter of Paul to the church at Colossae, it may be more biblically correct to get my heart to where Jesus is than to try to get Him in my heart!
“...set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God,” (Colossians 3.1).
This podcast is an overview of week 37 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Proverbs 29 – 31; Ecclesiastes 1 – 12; Song of Songs 1 – 8; Colossians 3 – 4; 1st Thessalonians 1 - 3.
It’s good to know we’re not alone, isn’t it? We who profess Christ by faith belong to a family, the family of God. I am “surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12.1). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all the angelic hosts, departed saints including St. Paul himself, my dear wife, as well as every living believer… this entire “great cloud of witnesses,” while “absent in body” is nevertheless together “in spirit.” Amazing!
“I believe in the communion of saints.” I am never alone.
“For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ,” (Colossians 2.5).
“…giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light,” (Colossians 1.12).
Believe me, if I qualify for such an eternal inheritance and home in heaven, so would you!
Paul’s secret was not about how to achieve success, survive loss, or endure suffering. His secret was about learning to be content in any and every circumstance. I desperately need God’s grace to learn that little secret.
“…I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4.11-13).
I bobble the ball on occasion... say the wrong thing, regret a decision, irritate a friend, jump to conclusions, lack sensitivity, act without grace, behave selfishly, choose self over others, etc., etc. It’s hard to make a comeback after an error. But Christ commands me to forever forget “what lies behind and reaching forward” go for the big win “ahead.” Until then I must “keep living by the same standard” of faith and performance to which I have already “attained,” (Philippians 3.13b; 16).
It doesn’t help the team if I quit or throw my glove down early. The game’s not over yet. There are still crucial innings left to play. I must keep my head in the game. It’s not yet time for me to hang up my glove.
Missionaries risk their lives (their comfort, ambitions, financial well-being, and physical welfare) for the sake of the gospel. But that's not all. They go on behalf of others who cannot. Paul’s words regarding Epaphroditus imply that individual missionaries represent larger groups of Christians who remain home. They possess a special calling to forsake personal happiness for the joy that comes from higher level service.
“But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.”
“Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me,” (Philippians 2.25, 29-30 NIV ).
This podcast is an overview of week 36 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 135 - 150; Proverbs 1 – 11; Ephesians 3 – 6; Philippians 1.
Life or death? Tough choice. Or, is it? Not for me. I’d rather live. I have a fabulous family, a profitable career, wonderful neighbors, and good friends. I am happy. I’d rather live.
Life or death? For the apostle Paul it was a tough choice. It tore him up. “I am torn between the two,” Paul lamented. He truly desired to “depart and be with Christ.” This was Paul’s obvious best choice. If it were not for the people he loved and led to Christ, the apostle would rather die. Check out Philippians 1.21, 23:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
“I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”
I am assaulted by the “flaming arrows of the evil one” every single day (Ephesians 6.11). Thoughts of failure, disappointment, and resignation crowd my mind. I sometimes question myself… my calling, my abilities, my resources, my resolve. “Do I have what it takes? Will I make it?”
In short, "Yes," I have everything it takes when I “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6.16).
Here are some of my thoughts about time management based on practical advice found in Ephesians 5.15-16: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
1. Develop a Personal Mission Statement
2. Do the Hardest Thing First
3. Don’t Do What You Don’t Have To Do
The Bible teaches “…do not give the devil an opportunity.... Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” (Ephesians 4.27, 30).
When we fail to perform the above we “give the devil an opportunity” and “grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” In both cases the writer Paul says, “Do not” do that.
We know what not to do. Flipping the passage to say the same thing from a positive angle, we learn exactly whatto do. Reverse the structure of both commands and convert the negative to achieve the same message positively. By substituting “the devil” with “the Holy Spirit of God” and removing “not,” we get…
‘Do grieve the devil and dogive the Holy Spirit of God an opportunity!’
I’d like you to meet my “inner man.” My “inner man” is the core of who I am. He dwells in the place where significant decisions ae made and promises are kept. This is where resolve begins enabling me to stand when the temptation to run, sin, or waver threatens to overpower me. My “inner man” is the real me, the me worth knowing, the me with whom Christ dwells.
“...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;” (Ephesians 3.14-17a).
This podcast is an overview of week 35 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 135 - 150; Proverbs 1 – 11; Ephesians 3 – 6; Philippians 1.
Lord, cultivate in me an attitude of openness to all people, especially those who feel excluded, unattached, and alienated. May the joy I have for the blessing of citizenship in this great kingdom cause me to get outside and beyond myself on behalf of those who need a spiritual place to call home.
Enlarge my capacity to love others into a relationship with Jesus.
“For You will enlarge my heart,” (Psalm 119.32).
In the beginning there was me and there was you! The first verse in the Bible claims, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” (Genesis 1.1). Even before then; that is, “before the foundation of the world,” according to Ephesians 1.4-5, He chose us.
What an incredible thought! We pre-date creation! We pre-existed as a thought in the mind of God.
I saw and heard a woman speak in a church once nearly fifty years ago. Her name was Corrie ten Boom. She carried the “brand-marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6.17) on her body. While at the notorious Ravensbruck “death camp,” Corrie and her sister Betsie conducted Bible studies with fellow women prisoners in a flea infested barracks. “The guards never came in to stop them, because of the fleas. So Corrie and Betsie thanked God for the fleas!” Flea bites were Corrie’s “brand-marks.”
Until I suffer like Paul or Corrie, I will never compare my plight with theirs. There is no comparison between me and saints like that.
Passionate arguments abound on all sides of every issue. Conversations about religion, politics, health care, the military, environment, or government spending have the power to transform reasonable people into militant crazies hellbent on advancing their treasured point of view at the cost of creating long-term relational rifts.
These issues, sacred positions, theological stands, political dogma may mean less than we think. What if nothing really mattered except “faith working through love” (Galatians 5.6)?
Both Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul became like the people they came to serve and, in so doing, became my example of real empathy in the face of human brokenness. Paul extended an invitation to those he paid the price to serve. Maybe someday I too can say...
“Become like me, for I became like you,” (Galatians 4.12).
This podcast is an overview of week 34 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 105 - 134; Galatians 4 – 6; Ephesians 1 - 2.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” (Galatians 3.28).
I love this verse. It awakens in me a beautiful image of countless multitudes of people in a bright and sunny place happily gazing skyward, enjoying the light of God’s approval, in harmony with each other and sharing this understanding in common... all humans are created equal in the sight of God.
What is the root cause of hypocrisy? According to this verse the culprit is fear. Paul claimed fear of the Judaizers made Peter act in a way that was inconsistent with his personal beliefs. This behavior is called hypocrisy and is common in the church. As one church visitor told its minister, “I will not join your church because it’s full of hypocrites.” The pastor replied, “Why not? There’s always room for one more.”
This sin has serious consequences for leaders. As a result of Peter's hypocritical behavior, “other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray,” (Galatians 2.11a, 12b-13).
Apparently, hypocrisy is contagious.
That’s a gutsy claim, almost audacious. Paul attributed the worship of God by believers in new churches around Syria and Cilicia to himself! The elevation of self goes against popular teaching in Reformed and Evangelical circles. Paul’s claim does not sit well with “such a worm as I” [1] or “a wretch like me” [2]. Would the Apostle gain acceptance in our modern churches? Or, would he be tossed out on his unbiblical, egotistical, and self-elevating ear?
“And they were glorifying God because of me,” (Galatians 1.24).
Paul’s words fly in the face of the popular little mantra “It’s not about me.” Apparently Paul thought (on this particular point) that it certainly was about him.
Jesus Christ is the starting point. He is the center of all human history and the cornerstone of all right theology. He is the reason for my existence and my confidence in the hope of eternal life. If this same Jesus is in me then I pass the basic entrance exam… I am “solid in the faith.” That’s good, but not good enough. I need “regular checkups.”Am I focused today on my walk with Christ? Or, do I occasionally “drift along taking everything for granted?” (2nd Corinthians 13.5 "The Message").
“Drift” is a real phenomenon. It quietly drags us downstream before we know we are moving. We tend toward the path of less resistance, allowing random circumstances to direct the course of our lives. This is the power of “drift” in action. We think we’re ‘going with the flow’ (e.g.; a good thing) when in fact we’ve become aimless, falsely trusting our past experiences with Jesus to carry us through our present ordeals of faith (e.g.; not a good thing).
I want nothing material or monetary from my kids. “…I do not seek what is yours, but you” (2nd Corinthians 12.14b-15). That I could not sell my daughter’s preschool art on E-Bay for a good price is irrelevant. I wouldn’t sell it if I could. Her artwork is priceless to me and clearly says in her own way, “I love you, Daddy.” My child’s colorful scribbled offerings on crumpled scraps of construction paper represent all I need from my little girl. If I had to (and I don’t because it’s freely given), I would gladly spend my last penny of income and expend my last drop of energy for the love and affection of the children God has given me.
This podcast is an overview of week 33 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 77 – 104; 2nd Corinthians 12 – 13; Galatians 1 – 3.
The task of shepherding involves more than feeding the flock. True men and women of God take responsibility for the on-going spiritual welfare of their disciples. If leaders do not “face daily [and feel deeply] the pressure of [their] concerns” and "inwardly burn" (2nd Corinthians 11.28-29) for the people they lead, then they are not the leaders Jesus called them to be.
Paul’s strategy for advancing the Kingdom of God was simple… go deep! His relationship with the Corinthian church involved multiple visitations and ample correspondence. He expected measurable spiritual growth to accompany dramatic conversions to Christ. Shallow professions of faith were not part of the Apostle’s evangelistic strategy. Paul’s advise to younger pastors like Timothy or Titus may be paraphrased, “Go deep young man.”
Timothy and Titus followed up Paul’s ministry by nurturing the churches he planted in Ephesus and Crete. Converts developed spiritually before he moved to the next place of ministry. Their stability in the faith was required before Paul could “preach the gospel in the regions beyond”...
“Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you,” (2nd Corinthians 10.15b – 16a).
It all starts with a little... ENTHUSIASM!
“...your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action,” (2nd Corinthians 9.2).
I am here to give. I must give. I receive that I may give. Nothing I have is my own. I am blessed to be a blessing.
How do people “give beyond their ability,” (2nd Corinthians 8.3-4)?I understand how the generous give “according to their ability,” but how do they give more than they have? Brian Buffini credits his mother with this saying: “Give it out in slices and it’ll come back in loaves.” One must give to get to give to get to give.... If this repeating cycle of generosity works, then I cannot afford not to give. If I want more, I must first give more. It’s not a formula to apply. It’s a principle to live by.
We affect one another. Your attitude impacts mine. My emotional state can alter yours. As human beings, we are involved with other humans who influence the way we think and feel. We cannot escape this interplay. Nor should we try. I am who I am today because of the input of others from my past.
“And then, when we saw how Titus felt – his exuberance over your response – our joy was doubled. It was wonderful to see how revived and refreshed he was by everything you did,” (2nd Corinthians 7.13 The Message).
This podcast is an overview of week 32 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 47 – 76; 2nd Corinthians 7 - 11.
I live for human connection. So do you. Paul also longed for depth in his relationships with those he loved. His life was an open book. He gave the gift of himself. “Withholding... affection” was not a part of Paul’s missionary game plan. He “opened wide” his heart to the people Jesus called him to serve.
“We... opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you... open wide your hearts also,” (2nd Corinthians 6.11-13).
Believers are ambitious, ambitious to please God. Our life’s aim, our sole purpose, our eternal calling, the goal of all that we do is to seek to discover what pleases God that we may possibly fulfill our holy ambition.
“Therefore we also have as our ambition,… to be pleasing to Him,” (2nd Corinthians 5.9).
We trust Jesus in every ambitious endeavor because trusting God’s Son is the only way we can please God. That’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“And without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God,” (Hebrews 11.6 CJB).
There are days when my energy is spent and I can’t shake a low level sense of dread attached to the weight of my responsibilities. I retire at night with a vague and oppressive thought that I have not accomplished all that I should.
On those days I take hope in God's word: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;…” (2nd Corinthians 4.7-9).
Laws are mostly good. They impose standards and exert force to insure a safe and secure environment free from the chaos of anarchy. But laws alone, even good laws, cannot produce a community that functions well. The real glue that holds society together is God Himself. He created us and placed in our souls a desire for healthy relationships with Himself and others. We all want, at our core, to live in harmony with the Creator and His creation.
But there’s a problem... ‘self’ creeps in and the needs of ‘self’ become more important than the needs of others. We can easily disguise self-centeredness by establishing highly defined personal boundaries and misapplying concepts like:
- self-actualization
- self-confidence
- self-awareness
- self-esteem
- self-love
‘Self’ remains at the center of all these pursuits and the common good plays second fiddle to ‘W I I F M ?’ (What’s In It For Me?).
The solution is 2nd Corinthians 3.5b-6... “our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
“Reaffirm your love,” (2nd Corinthians 2.8). There are countless occasions to practice this rule for happy human interaction. The reaffirmation of love is always appropriate and almost always needed.
This podcast is an overview of week 31 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 21 – 46; 2nd Corinthians 2 - 6.
Jesus is not always the easy, neutral, accepting sort of personality I wish to envision. He is not nice, warm, and fuzzy. The man is strong and decisive. Jesus has opinions and is unafraid to express them. Christ offers no support for those who wish to play it safe in the gray zone between right and wrong, black and white, yes and no. An ambivalent attitude or undeclared position on matters of life and death, makes Jesus sick to His stomach, forcing an involuntary, visceral reaction...
“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot — far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit,” (Revelation 3.15).
“Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time?
“But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus,… was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes;...” (2nd Corinthians 1.17-20).
Paul accepted the reality of adversarial pressure. He did not pray or wish it away. He acknowledged persecution like a fact of life in service to the Lord. For Paul, “a great door for effective work” was worth the opposition. Not every promise of God is pleasant or comfortable.
“But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me,” (1st Corinthians 16.8-9).
“I am what I am” is a personal statement of fact pointing to the gracious intent of God for my life. Yes, “I am what I am,” but I am not therefore free to remain as “I am.” There is no virtue in stubbornness, nor may I falsely spiritualize my resistance to change with “I am what I am” which may be code for “I refuse to listen, remain, open, or change in any way.”
Paul’s five-word declaration is not an excuse for bad behavior. “What I am” must evolve with my grasp of God’s grace as the apostle explained...
“But by the grace of God I am what I am,” (1st Corinthians 15.10).
Here are some words almost never used in modern American speech...
- edify
- tongues
- prophesy
What do they mean?
“He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified,” (1st Corinthians 14.4-5).
Paul begins his treatment of the “the greatest” (ist Corinthians 13.13) of all human qualities in his letter to the Corinthian church with a promise to show us “a still more excellent way” (1st Corinthians 12.31)… the way of love.
This podcast is an overview of week 30 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Job 34 – 42; Psalms 1 – 20; 1st Corinthians 13 – 16; 2nd Corinthians 1.
In chapter 12 of 1st Corinthians, Paul concludes his remarks on how to properly express spiritual gifts in the church. These gifts are called 'manifestations of the Spirit' (v.7) and include the demonstration of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. The Apostle further clarifies that these gifts are imparted by God for the benefit of the whole body. “Greater gifts,” then, would be those which more greatly benefit the greater portion of the body of Christ.
“But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I will show you a more excellent way,” (1st Corinthians 12.31 NASU).
Death is the single, inevitable fact of life. Life will end. All good things stop, sometimes suddenly. People die and so will I. My mortality and weakening body hovers as a dark reminder of my sentence of death. I will soon no longer exist as I now do. You couls say I was born to die.
Jesus commands us to “proclaim... death,” shifting my focus on life’s end from mine to His. I am called to herald Christ’s death until His return, which may take a while. I could, and probably will,die before His 2nd coming. I have a job to do until He comes again or until I die, whichever comes first; that is, “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes,” (1st Corinthians 11.26).
1st Corinthians 10.32a, 33 NASU
“Give no offense… just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.”
Paul’s remark to “give no offense” (1st Corinthians 10.32) flies in the face of conventional wisdom. It appears to accomplish exactly the opposite of its intent. The expectation to “give no offense” is itself offensive! Paul appears to violate several principles of popular thought in his mandate to the Corinthians.
Preachers can’t help themselves. They have to preach, just as the Apostle Paul claimed, “…for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” They have no choice! Moved by an inner voice urging them forward, preachers must tell others about the saving power of Jesus Christ. That's what preachers do. They preach!
What is “knowledge?” Paul argued “the man who thinks he knows something does not yet know,” (1st Corinthians 8.1b-3). Apparently, if I think I know something, then I don’t.
But even if I did possess a little knowledge, what good would it do? According to the Bible, knowledge makes me arrogant, proud, and ‘puffed up.’ What use is that? A ‘puffed up’ guy becomes a target for anyone with a sharp witted pin. He is quickly deflated to nothing more than limp and colorful latex with a gaping hole, thus fulfilling the biblical adage... “Pride goeth before... a fall” (Proverbs 16.18 KJV).
This podcast is an overview of week 29 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Job 11 – 33; 1st Corinthians 8 – 12.
As many of my listeners know, I lost my wonderful wife, Adonica, to Acute Myeloid Leukemia nearly seven years ago. I could not have then imagined my life without her, and now all I have left are nice pictures and pleasant memories. I miss her and still occasionally shed bitter tears, but I have our two beautiful children who remind me every day of the woman I cherished for twenty years. God has been gracious to me. Many people never find true love. I did once in my life.
“But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided…. This I say... to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord,” (1st Corinthians 7.32-34a, 35).
But my life is not over. Maybe I will love and be loved again. I hope so. Until then, today is my new opportunity overcome my natural selfishness and learn “to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”
“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
“And that is what some of you were.
“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God,” (1st Corinthians 6.9b-11).
It’s embarrassing to admit, but I was “that.” I cannot deny that the “that” to which Paul referred included me! I did not do everything on the “that” list:
- sexually immoral
- idolaters
- adulterers
- male prostitutes
- homosexual offenders
- thieves
- greedy
- drunkards
- slanderers
- swindlers
But it would be fair to say I committed (or thought about and wanted to commit) at least eight on the list of ten. I was batting 800 on Satan’s baseball team. Thank God for His undeserved grace and mercy. I was cleansed, “washed… in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Besides regularly overestimating our own innate goodness, we also often think more highly of the goodness of others than we should. Or, we mistakenly overvalue our ability to positively influence those we deem as less good than ourselves.
Unfortunately, moral influence normally follows the path of lower, not higher, values. We who thought of ourselves as good people move imperceptibly toward the lesser standards of those with whom we associate. It happens slowly and unintentionally.
Paul offered good advice on this:
“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.
“...I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler...” (1st Corinthians 5.6-7, 11).
Can personal effectiveness be swallowed up by too much introspection? Could one’s destiny be sadly altered and negatively determined by his own limited (but finely-tuned) low opinion of self? Is it possible to be too self-aware?
The Apostle Paul claimed, “...I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time,…” (1st Corinthians 4:3b-5a).
Is it possible that by recucing self-consciousness in my behavior toward others I become more the most self-less and Christ-centered?
To be “conscious of nothing against myself” is not an excuse for sin. Like Paul, “I am not by this acquitted.”But its practice does direct my attention away from relentless introspection which is all about me and, while appearing spiritual on the surface, masks an unhealthy fear of others driving me toward the false and futile goal of perfectionism.
A true ‘man or woman of God’ must prepare to suffer. They will remain ‘an infant in Christ’ if they consistently choose the easy path, harbor secret sin, or nurse on the milk of self-centeredness. No matter how established a person may appear, he or she is only as ‘grown up’ as the depth of their relationship with Jesus who said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me,” (Luke 9.23).
“But I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ,” (1st Corinthians 3.1).
This podcast is an overview of week 2 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Nehemiah 12 – 13; Esther 1 – 10; Job 1 – 10; 1st Corinthians 3 - 7.
There’s only one thing harder than acquiring knowledge and that’s learning to put it aside once we have it when it is not needed. It takes serious determination and true humility, also a revelation from God, to clear our minds and make room for truth.
“For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1st Corinthians 2.1-2).
I am the opposite of God. I value strength and wisdom, power and intelligence, beauty, brains and brawn. He, on the other hand, elevates the simple, foolish, weak things of this world to demonstrate His character and convey His message.
If I were God, I would do my divine thing differently. I would select smart, good-looking, super-fit, and successful people to prove my point. To achieve my objective to inspire the masses and win a following, I would utilize individuals who already command universal respect… movie stars, political leaders, war heroes, famous artists, beautiful models, rock icons, the filthy rich, and big name authors.
By contrast, God chose me and people like me. He chose complete unknowns to promote the most important message in the universe. This strategy seems questionable to me, but God has a purpose:
“God deliberately chose men and women that the culture over-looks and exploits and abuses, chose these ‘nobodies’ to expose the hollow pretensions of the ‘somebodies,’” (1st Corinthians 1.27).
I have an enemy. He hates me and has a plan for the destruction of my life. His name is Satan. He is older, smarter, and stronger than me. Like me, he knows and believes in God (James 2.19). Unlike me, God does not dwell with him. Fortunately, the power of God within me has the power to crush the evil one:
“And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you,” (Romans 16.20).
Many nine-to-fivers live for the weekend in hope of filling the space of forty-eight hours with enough television, recreation, sex, food, sleep, and alcohol to sustain them for another five days of drudgery at meaningless jobs. The overachiever falls into exactly the same trap. As a 'successful professional,' he gropes for significance and he trades his family and faith for a career promising status, peer approval, and the finer things only high salaries can provide. But hope is not a commodity. It cannot be bought even with hyper-dedication toward a temporal goal.
Hope begins at a particular point… the point of truth. It’s more than theological truth. It’s the truth about you… your calling, your important responsibilities, your God-given design, purpose, and dreams, your right standing before God.
Once you get this hope, never lose it. Keep hope alive...
“...through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures,” (Romans 15.4).
Someday, I will “stand before God’s judgment seat.” There I will be required to “give an account” of myself to Heaven’s Judge.
This is a sobering thought. What will I say on the day I face my Creator? I deserve the eternal death penalty for the sins I have committed. I am indescribably grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which covers the price of my offenses. His blood pays the debt for my sin.
But I cannot avoid a personal appearance at the “judgment seat.” I will stand before God and “give an account” of me. What will I say? How will it go?
This text offers a small clue that may help things go a little better for me on the Last Day…
“Let us stop passing judgment on one another,” (Romans 14.10-13).
This podcast is an overview of week 27 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments:Ezra 7 – 10; Nehemiah 1 – 11; Romans 14 – 16; 1st Corinthians 1 – 2.
Sometime in my very near future, I will go outside and face cruel and wild forces of adversity, cold winds of failure, sub-zero temptations of the flesh, and the freezing power of fear. I should listen to my parent Paul, and like a warm coat in the middle of winter, “Put on Jesus” (Romans 13.14).
Without empathy, I am a lesser man. So, what ‘pathy’ am I on? Apathy, smypathy, or empathy? Am I empathetic, sympathetic, apathetic, or just plain pathetic?
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep,” (Romans 12.15).
Are we endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights? Or, are we bestowed upon by our Creator with undeserved mercy?
“For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all,” (Romans 11.32 NIV).
Moses. Isaiah. Paul. They all preached the Universal Love of God (Romans 10.12, 19, 20). No one is beneath God’s dignity. No one is beyond His reach. No one is lost for good… unless they want to be. But why would they want to be? Why would anyone want to remain untouched by the All-Encompassing Love of an almighty and compassionate God?
Was Paul crazy? He claimed he would sacrifice his eternal future with Christ “for the sake of his brothers.”The Living Bible paraphrases the apostle: “I would be willing to be forever damned if that would save you” (Romans 9.3). What possessed a leader to offer this level of commitment to the people he loved?
This podcast is an overview of week 26 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Chronicles 28 – 36; Ezra 1 – 6; Romans 9 – 13.
“Absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love,” (Romans 8.37-39).
Thanks to Him, Jesus and me are forever inseparable.
“We serve.” Members of the church of Jesus Christ “serve.” Why? Because we have to? No. Rather, because we get to. I don’t have to serve.
“But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter,” (Romans 7.6).
I get serve in this amazing new reality.
The bad news is I have to die before I can be free from sin. The good news is I don’t have to wait! I can die anytime I want to.
“…our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin,” (Romans 6.6-7).
One vote. One percent. One decision. One person. Any one can make all the difference.
Nowhere is the power of one demonstrated with greater force than in this one chapter of the Bible. One dozen times in the span of only eight verses (Romans 5.12-19), author Paul describes the enormous impact of a tiny word.
There are many possibilities in life. Dare to trust. There are just as many im-possibilities. Dare to trust.
“Abraham was first named ‘father’ and then became father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do,” (Romans 4.17-18 "The Message").
This podcast is an overview of week 25 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Chronicles 9 – 27; Romans 4 – 8.
Sometimes I’m right. Sometimes I’m wrong but I think I’m right. Sometimes I am partly wrong and know it, but obstinate enough to cling to the shreds of truth in my position. Others may see, more clearly than I, the glaring hole in my argument. Sometimes I see light shining through that hole and find the grace to apologize. Sometimes I have to compromise for the greater good. Sometimes I act stubborn longer than I should.
I have no debate with God. I may try, but He’s right, not me. If I disagree with Him, I’m wrong. There’s no compromise, no change, no negotiation, no meeting of the minds or middle ground. God is true, right, and just. I am a liar.
“May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar,” (Romans 3.4).
Look inside. What do you see? That’s who you are. Jesus was a Jew... on the inside. I claim to be a follower of Christ. I am either Jesus-follower on the inside or I am not one at all.
“No, a man is a Jew [or anything at all] if he is one inwardly...” (Romans 2.29a).
God is Creator God. By His creative impulse we were made to exist. We are not our own “Creator.” We were “created.” We are “creature” (Romans 1.25).
The Creator is not His creation. There is between us an un-span-able gulf; an un-cross-able expanse; an im-measure-able distance. No earthly power can bridge the gap between God and humanity. Only God can do that. We are creatures who exist at the pleasure and for the purpose of Creator God.
Fellowship. What a wonderful thing it is. The magic of connection. The bonds of friendship. The comraderie. The sense of unity and single-mindedness. We are a family and the love is flowing. It’s fun. There’s joy. It’s automatic. I see a brother and I am compelled, as if by some God-empowered magnetic pull, to be near him. I have to be with my sisters and brothers to celebrate our common experience in Christ. It’s measurable and instantaneous. I tingle all over. The original ‘God’s love at first sight.’ When my friends appear, a smile erupts. I can’t help it. Nor would I want to. I’m there. We’re there… together.
“And so we came to Rome. The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged,” (Acts 28.14-15).
When the wind of circumstance blows mightily in opposing directions, resistance is futile. We have no option but to ‘give way to it.’ Submitting to its force and power, we simply let go of the wheel of control and our ship of life is “driven along” to destinations unknown. Like Paul on his journey to Rome…
“They lost all control of the ship. It was a cork in the storm,” (Acts 27.14-15).
This podcast is an overview of week 24 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Chronicles 22 – 29; 2nd Chronicles 1 – 8; Acts 27 – 28; Romans 1 – 3.
Anger is an effective drug. Uncontrolled negative emotion creates massive surge of energy and the addict is consumed by its power. He feels no pain as he presses deeper and deeper into his false reality. With a dark sense of fulfillment, he masks guilt with the pleasure derived from his unrestrained expression of anger. He is dimly aware of the havoc his rage causes but easily justifies himself.
Rage is destructive but the ‘rage-oholic’ can’t stop himself, especially when he claims divine authority. He is driven by a force greater than himself to coerce others by the strength of his personality. Nothing can stop him. Nothing; that is, except the Lord.
Paul, at the height of his fury, met Christ and everything changed. He was driven by a self-righteous anger and described in the Luke's account of the early church as “being furiously enraged.” For Paul, it took an extraordinary encounter with Jesus Christ before he could see himself for what he was… out of control.
“So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth… And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities,” (Acts 26.9, 11).
Many people think Jesus was a good man who lived a long time ago. To say He lived is to imply He died which, of course, He did. Their concept of Jesus leaves out an essential element of the story, namely, the resurrection. Without the resurrection, Jesus is nothing more than “a dead man.”This common view presents Jesus as a good “dead man,” and forms the foundation of a system of “religion;” that is, the teachings of a good man who once lived, or more aptly, the teachings of “a dead man.”
Christianity is not a “religion” about “a dead man named Jesus.”It’s a personal relationship with the living Christ. Christianity is not just the teachings of “a dead man.” Jesus was a dead man, but is no longer.
“The accusers came at him [Paul] from all sides, but their accusations turned out to be nothing more than arguments about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who the prisoner claimed was alive,” (Acts 25.19).
Marcus Antonius Felix, the governor of Judea around 52-60 AD, was known as “a master of cruelty and lust.” He had three wives and believed himself “capable of committing any crime and avoiding punishment because of his influence.” Felix considered himself above the law and so defined the meaning of corruption. He maneuvered for political advantage at the expense of those less powerful than himself.
“Still playing up to the Jews and ignoring justice, Felix left Paul in prison,” (Acts 24.27).
Have I been infected by the spirit of Felix?
- ...maneuvered for personal gain without regard for my affect on others?
- ...befriended powerful people at the expense of weaker, less influential individuals?
- ...catered to the controlling interests of those I deem advantageous to my cause?
- ...ignored justice due to one without the ability to stand up for him/herself?
Courage. Where do you get it? In his last act of courage, Todd Beamer led a band of Flight 93 passengers to their heroic end and successfully thwarted an evil plan on September 11th, 2001. This kind of leadership takes guts, nerve, courage.
Prayer and action precede courage. Todd Beamer informed his fellow passengers, “We’re going to do something.” The “something” they did earned the courage they got. Courage came when a leader prayed and took action.
Jesus required of Paul: “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome,” (Acts 23.11).
Paul testified of Jesus in exchange for his life in Rome. Todd Beamer of Flight 93 prayed and took action to do the right thing. I want to be a little more like Paul and Todd.
Paul’s traveling companions “saw the light, but did not hear the voice,” (Acts 22.6-9). The men with Paul followed the action but not the plot. They were captivated by the light and may have heard an indistinguishable sound. Perhaps the voice of Jesus revealed itself like angelic thunder, as in the case of the bystanders who witnessed the thunderous sound of God speaking to His Son from heaven (John 12.29). Paul’s friends probably heard something, but it was garbled and incomprehensible.
I want the full revelation of God’s will in all its Technicolor glory and digitally mastered Dolby sound. I am not satisfied to preview the move of God from the comfort of a padded chair in a silent movie. Give me the “talkies” so I can hear and comprehend the voice of God on the big screen of life.
This podcast is an overview of week 23 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Chronicles 6 – 21; Acts 22 - 26.
High emotion and an argumentative spirit, mixed with strong opinions and uncontrolled passion, serve to cloud the facts and overshadow the truth. Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem after his third missionary journey created a stir. Jealous “Jews from Asia” (Acts 21.27) incited the Temple crowd with lies about the apostle. Writer Luke records, “Then all the city was provoked.”Due process was discarded and the frenzied mob rushed upon Paul. They drug him from the Temple intending to beat him to death.
The author of the book of Acts further states that “all of Jerusalem was in confusion.” The local military Commander, whose authority included oversight of a thousand troops, temporarily disbursed the crowd and apprehended Paul in the midst of his beating. His attempt to gather an explanation from the unruly throng was futile:
“...the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar” (Acts 21.31-34).
In the outrageous book Brain Droppings, comedian George Carlin observed, “Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit!” According to Carlin “most people” know nothing about the honor of work.
The late General Colin Powell once said, “All work is honorable, so always do your best. Someone is watching.” How true.
The apostle Paul claimed, “…these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak,” (Acts 20.34-35).
The seven sons of Sceva were in over their heads. They earned their beating. They thought they knew what they were doing but, when faced with the reality of pure evil, these boys were forced to understand... they knew nothing at all.
“And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19.13-17).
Paul made a vocational shift when former traveling companions Silas and Timothy arrived to assist him with the church in Corinth. The strength of their friendship formed an unshakable bond. The apostle had invested in the lives of these men for years and could now depend on their support. Until then, Paul had remained fully dedicated to his profession as a “tentmaker” and preached “every Sabbath” in his spare time (Acts 18.3-5).
Consistently and over time, Paul earned a reputation as a consummate tent-making professional and a dedicated synagogue volunteer. He also proved his love for those who would eventually underwrite his full-time ministry. Paul earned the right to make a vocational shift “devoted... exclusively to preaching.”
When under the control of the Holy Spirit, the longing for order may be the gift of discernment in operation. The voice of discernment presents immediate solutions to future problems when others are only vaguely aware of impending trouble. Quick attention to disturbing inner feelings may help avert small issues before they become big ones. I am learning to trust my instincts and respect unsettling thoughts when they arise. It could be a warning by the Holy Spirit.
I am inspired by Paul who, when “his spirit was provoked within him” (Acts 17.16), instantly engaged a plan to right a wrong.
This podcast is an overview of week 22 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Kings 18 – 25; 1st Chronicles 1 – 5; Acts 17 – 21.
Ultimately, it is he Lord who helps people to hear, really hear, the message of hope in Christ. Paul knew that. His role was to speak at every opportunity. God’s role was to open hearts. The combination worked perfectly in the case of Lydia for whom “the Lord opened her heart to respond to the message spoken by Paul,” (Acts 16.14).
God designed it that way for Paul and for every ambassador for Christ. I must do my part and He will do His. Without God I can’t. Without me He won’t.
It’s commonplace to identify differences with other people and maintain emotional distance. This behavior is a form of pre-judgementalism or ‘prejudice.’ I do not like to make the admission of prejudice. I take pride in possessing (what I think is) an open mind and a loving spirit toward all people. Is this self-perception really self-deception? I wonder how others perceive my approach-ability? Would they say I am inclusive, generally open and loving toward them? Some may not. That would be the true test of my prejudicial leanings... not what I wish to think about myself, but what others actually observe about me.
“He made no distinction between us and them,… No!”
“We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Acts 15:9a, 11
They stoneed Paul and left him for (what they thought was) dead. His executioners dragged Paul out of Lystra (in modern day southwestern Turkey) and quickly departed. The disciples appeared and surrounded the apostle’s lifeless body, quietly planning his burial and mostly wondering what to do next.
Slowly, with or without the disciples, in serious pain, against all logic, not waiting for the counsel of those whose primary interest was his welfare, but with only the interest of God at heart, Paul miracously “got up and went back into the city,” (Acts 14.19-20).
I used to have the audacity to pray “Lord, make me like Paul.” Today I would be satisfied if He gave me the courage to follow a leader like Paul, if I could find one.
When compared to execution on a cross, my problems seem (and truly are) quite small. God’s resurrection power dwarfed the impact of the cross by rendering death absolutely impotent. Like everyone else, I face my share of sorrow and suffering in life. Sometimes it seems overwhelming, BUT… “God raised Him from the dead,” (Acts 13.30) and that makes all the difference.
After Peter’s miraculous escape from Herod’s prison with the help of an angel of God, his first stop was Mary’s house, where “many people had gathered and were praying” (Acts 12.12). Peter knocked at Mary’s door but was unable to make an entrance (Acts 12.16).
I wonder how often I am guilty of debating the peripheral issues while ignoring the most important task at hand… opening the door! How many good people stand outside looking in, just waiting for insiders to ‘get their act together’ and extend an invitation? Am I waiting to perfect my theology of the Bible or practice of ministry before I open my doors to those in need? Could I and other good church-goers be too busy debating politics or theology and sitting in endless strategic committee meetings to bother with the needs of those outside our community of faith?
Open the door and let them in!
This podcast is an overview of week 21 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Kings 4 – 17; Acts 12 – 16.
I must obey God and shake a few trees. Fruit will fall. There are people who need what I have to offer. Ripe fruit is everywhere. It’s ready to fall. Trees just need a little shaking. When presented with an opportunity to share my faith, I should start “talking.” My audience may be thinking: “He’ll tell you something that will save your life” (Acts 11.14-15).
I mustn’t disappoint them.
With an attentive and ready-to-buy audience, Peter launched into his full gospel presentation. Luke’s record states, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all those who heard the message,” (Acts 10.44). Peter wisely recognized the signals, stopped preaching, and closed the sale with the water of baptism.
Lord, make me wise enough to shut up long enough for You to work in the lives of those you want me to reach with the message of Christ.
Aeneas was “bed-ridden” for eight years. He was very acquainted with and dependent upon his bed. It was his home for almost a decade. Aeneas’ bed was his crutch. Sleep was his drug of choice. Bed was a magical place of retreat and isolation from the harsh reality of his crippled condition. Bed eventually became indistinguishable from the disease that kept him there.
Peter crashed through the pitiful relationship between a man and his bed. He made the killing of that unnatural affinity a condition of healing… “Get up and make your bed,” (Acts 9.33-34).
An Ethiopian official with a fascination for the prophet Isaiah invited Philip to “come up and sit” (Acts 8.31) in his chariot and explain the Scriptures. How did Philip get an invitation from a complete stranger?
Philip was an inclusive and invitational Christ-follower. He warmly received those who sought truth. A good evangelist is friendly and easy to talk to. Philip was so welcoming, he inspired an invitation. The Ethiopian was compelled to ask Philip to join his entourage. The Holy Spirit arranged the circumstances and Philip made the invitation happen.
Just prior to his death by stoning, the first Christian martyr preached with passion to his accusers. Stephen recounted Jewish history highlighting the lives of patriar22chs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon. He concluded with a stirring portrayal of Jesus as the persecuted Messiah whose “betrayers and murderers” (v. 52) now stood before him, rocks in hand.
Like Stephan, you are a receptacle for the “living oracles” (Acts 7.38) of God, qualifying you to speak on behalf of God. You are a leader. So,... be one!
This podcast is an overview of week 20 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Kings 12 – 22; 2nd Kings 1 – 3; Acts 7 - 11.
The early apostles were extremely aware of the limitations imposed by their calling. They resolved to ‘stick to their assignment’ of prayer and preaching. The church leaders argued, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables” (Acts 6.2). The congregation would select deacons to ensure fair treatment of widows among the Hellenistic Jewish converts in the daily rationing of food. As for the apostles, they would limit themselves to their “assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.”
Should every follower of Christ strive for an apostolic expression of faith and focus exclusively on prayer and preaching? Not at all. Each person of faith is charged with the responsibility of discovering God’s specific will and must stick to the “assigned tasks,” whatever those may be.
What do you do when there’s nothing else left to do? When you have no hope and all is lost? When the obstacles appear insurmountable and no one cares? Your heart is heavy with discouragement and a sense of dread overtakes you with a rush of panic and the certainty of failure?
Do what Peter and the apostles did… “they kept right on” (Acts 5.40-42) doing what they knew they must. Do that! Let nothing deter you from performing what you know is right and good. Do that in the face of failure, discouragement, persecution, fear of rejection, unfair treatment, reprisal, loss of reputation, prison, or even a foreboding sense of despair. “Keep right on!” Stay the course. Don’t give up. Make a commitment. Place one foot in front of the next, push forward with determination and focus.
Peter and John were recognized “as having been with Jesus,” (Acts 4.13). Am I so recognized? Do I cause others “take note”; that is, stop and make even a casual observation... “Oh, another one of those Jesus followers!”? Am I only a professed follower of Christ, or one who actually spends time with Jesus? Do others recognize me as a real believer? If I look at myself through the eyes of others, will I detect evidence of Jesus’ influence? Am I recognizable “as having been with Jesus?”
Where did Peter place the emphasis in his charge to the crippled beggar: “Look at US” or “LOOK at us”? Which was it? There is a difference.
“And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb… began asking to receive alms. But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, ‘Look at us!’” (Acts 3.2a, 3b-4).
Confidence is a tricky thing. We can act confident, but even a good act is still an act. You cannot ‘fake it until you make it.’ If you pump yourself up with positive thinking and self-talk, you, like a balloon, are only a negative pin prick away from deflation. When it comes to confidence, you either have it, or you don’t.
“When the day of Pentecost came… Peter... addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently... God raised this Jesus to life...’” (Acts 2.1a, 14a, 29a, 32a).
This podcast is an overview of week 19 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Kings 1 – 11; Acts 2 – 6.
The book of the Acts of the Apostles, written by physician and historian Luke, forces an issue, asking a tough, penetrating, hard-hitting question: “Why do you just stand there looking up at an empty sky?” (Acts 1.11).
Am I guilty of spiritual loitering... observing “an empty sky,” directing my energy and focus toward activities of little significance? Do I have an upward gaze, that is the appearance of spirituality without passion in my heart and fire in my soul? Have I become a comfortable bystander, an impotent pew warmer?
It's a fair question.
I sometimes wonder why people who don’t deserve the good life, getone. It’s an interesting question, but here’s a better one: Why do I care?
John was fond of referring to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved,” implying a special and exclusive relationship. This term of endearment appears to have irritated Peter. He seemed bothered that John might not suffer the martyr’s fate Jesus predicted for Peter. His inquiry about John, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?” revealed a spirit of jealousy lurking inside Peter. It was hardly innocent curiosity that prompted his question.
Christ’s plans for other people are none of my business. He has a particular plan for me. It’s my divine obligation, my joyful duty to find out what it is and then, do it. When I am tempted to compare my plight with those whom (I deem) are less deserving or begrudge those whose life (I assume) is easier and softer than mine, it’s time to apply the words of Jesus:
“What’s that to you? You — follow Me,” (John 21.18-22).
“Guess you had to be there.” Is that true? Or, is it a joke-teller’s excuse for an unfunny story or a funny one fallen flat? In reality, you didn’t have to “be there.” If the story is told well, you’ll get the point and respond with appropriate emotion. In fact, sometimes the story is better than ‘being there’ because it is seasoned with time for reflection. The passing of days, decades, and centuries allow perspective to develop and fuller truth to emerge.
So it is with the story of Jesus and His storyteller John, the son of Zebedee, and the natural question arising from a critical reading of the New Testament: Why did John write the last gospel when three perfectly good ones were already in circulation? The author anticipated and answered the question before we thought to inquire:
“…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name,” (John 20.30-31).
Read the gospel of John. It will inspire faith, and I think you will agree... you didn’t have to be there.
Pontius Pilate tried and failed to rescue the Lord. He “made efforts to release Him” but his “efforts” weren’t good enough (John 19.12). Pilate left a piece of his soul at the feet of an innocent man he put to death. I imagine the governor never fully recovered from his encounter with Jesus. A memory like that would haunt anyone. He probably walked away from the incident humbled and broken.
My dad always told me my best was good enough. My experience in life told me something different. When my best is not enough, I find strength for my battered soul from the advise of my Father in heaven:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding,” (Proverbs 3.5-6).
I wonder how many concepts I assume to be true because “others” (so-called authority figures) told me they were true? Do I buy America’s politics of correctness? Have I subscribed to the media’s version of the perfect body type? Am I reluctant to discipline my child because someone told me it would hurt his self-esteem? Do I believe the commonly held notion that the First Amendment of the Constitution teaches “the separation of church and state” and for that reason the church should not be involved in politics? Have I adopted the popular philosophy claiming tolerance equals love? Do I applaud rampant spirit of entitlement and appeasement fostered by our government and society? Have I been influenced by culture think “live and let live” is equal to “love my neighbor”?
Implied in Pilate’s question to Jeses was a bit of foreknowledge. Did he recognize on his own initiative that Jesus was quite possibly “the king of the Jews”? Was it an honest question from personal evaluation? Was Pilate a for-real seeker of truth? Or, did someone else tip him off? Jesus wanted to know.
“Is this your question, or did others tell you about me?” (John 18.33-34).
This podcast is an overview of week 18 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Samuel 13 – 24; John 18 – 21; Acts 1.
I felt self-conscious. Out of place. It was hard for me to enter a crowd of twenty-something’s as the only senior citizen in sight. “Why is he here?,” I thought they must be thinking. I had been invited by Phil Comer, the pastor of A Jesus Church, then called Solid Rock, to attend their weekly gathering of college-aged kids called “The Way.” I had heard over a thousand young people attended each Friday night for worship, teaching, and fellowship. That sounded more like a move of God than a church service. I could hardly believe that many young people would forsake their traditional party night, travel from all over two states, and converge in remodeled warehouse to connect with God.
In some miraculous and mysterious way, in spite of my self-consciousness due to the obvious generational gap, I huddled as “one” with over a thousand kids under the umbrella of Christ’s love. For a brief moment on a Friday night in April, 2008, I was transported to heaven and “perfected in unity” together with saints of every age who proclaim with conviction…
“I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way,” (Acts 24.14).
How “many more things” has Jesus kept from me because I “cannot bear them now” (John 16.12, 18, 25)?
I wonder how truly ignorant I am. Probably more than I think I am. There is so very much I do not (and may never) know. When it comes to “the unfathomable riches of Christ”, (Ephesians 3.8), I can’t even begin to know what I don’t know. But one thing I do know…
“I know Jesus, the One in whom I have believed,” (2nd Timothy 1.12.
In the end it only matters who you know, not what you know.
According to Jesus Christ, there are two kinds of branches. One produces fruit and the other does not. The Master Gardener, Father God, “cuts off every branch… that bears no fruit.” The good branch that bears fruit, He “prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” Either way you get cut and cutting hurts.
Redemptive suffering is God’s plan for disciples of Christ to become “even more fruitful,” (John 15.1-2, 8).
Excellent leaders eventually quit, leave, or die, but somehow their work carries on. No one thought it would. They worried about the anticipated departure. They invested in key man insurance but forgot the key man principle… no one is indispensable, not even (by His own admission) Jesus. Jesus had to go so the Holy Spirit could come and the Church of Jesus Christ would rise to “do even greater things” than He did (John 14.12).
Nagging works. A nagging husband or wife usually get their way. A nagging thought often comes to pass. A persistent, nagging cough can last for months. Many parents eventually cave to the wishes of a nagging child.
The devil discovered this secret eons ago. He nags and nags, and nags some more, until the weak-willed give serious consideration to his request. Once he has a mental foothold, the devil will leverage his position and ultimately take charge of a person’s behavior. This same devil “prompted Judas… to betray Jesus” and eventually “Satan entered into him.” What began as a nasty little prompting, ended with full-fledged demonic possession. By then, it was too late for Judas.
Learn to recognize the quiet prompting of an evil thought somewhere in the back of your mind. When you do, just say “no!” The Evil One has no power against a determined Christ-follower who refuses to surrender to a nagging impulse which inevitably leads to serious temptation.
“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James 4.7 NAS
This podcast is an overview of week 17 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Samuel 26 – 31; 2nd Samuel 1 – 12; John 13 – 17.
A follower of Jesus Christ must be strong to resist conformity and stand up for what’s right. He or she may be required to endure a little disapproval or even some rejection…
“many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God,” (John 12.42-43).
Jesus was fully human. The gospel record proves that. Jesus Christ experienced the full spectrum of emotions common to all mortals and, for that reason alone, is qualified to “sympathize” with our human condition.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin,” (Hebrews 4.15).
Two little words comprise the shortest verse in the entire Bible. They pretty much say it all… “Jesus wept”, (John 11.35).
The church of Jesus Christ is broad and far-reaching. It spans all limitations of time and space. Christians appear in every generation and nation on earth. They come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. Not every follower of Christ looks like you. Don’t worry about how they look, sound, smell, or think. Do not trust your initial impressions.
Accept one who acknowledges Jesus as your brother or sister without judgment. You are not the entry point for salvation. Jesus is. He is the gatekeeper, the one-and-only “door of the sheep,” (John 10.7).
Sometimes we just need a little help. What we really need is someone to help us help ourselves. Jesus had no intention of living the blind man’s life for him. The afflicted man was expected to participate in the healing Jesus offered. Jesus did not carry him to “the Pool of Siloam.” The blind guy had to get up and “go… wash” all by himself.
But Jesus knew the man was stuck in the mud of his own dilemma. He could not help himself. He needed a jump start. Jesus took some of the mud that had defined the blind man’s condition since birth, added divine spit, and applied it to the man’s biggest problem. Then Jesus required the guy to do something to help himself. “Go… wash in the Pool of Siloam,” (John 9.1-7),
Do all paths lead to God? Will I get to heaven as long as I am a good person? Can I trust my heart to know the right thing to do? Is it enough that I am sincere in my beliefs? Was Jesus just another great spiritual leader like Mohammed, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Teresa?
No, no, no, no, and no.
Jesus is often glamorized by those who do not know Him. They place Him on a pedestal with other enlightened and inspirational historical figures while disregarding His highly controversial statements that made Him hated by many of His generation.
Here is just one of many such statements in which Jesus claimed His own pre-existence: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am,” (John 8.58).
This podcast is an overview of week 16 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Samuel 10 – 25; John 8 – 12.
Jesus was the only pure and authentic “man of truth” yet, He did not possess an inflated self-view. Christ willingly placed Himself under the authority of His Father: “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me” (John 7.16). Jesus claimed no ownership for His teaching which He delivered purely for the benefit of others. He had nothing to gain and, of course, paid a high price for His message. Jesus lost everything including His own life. Jesus proved He “is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him,” (John 7.18).
What’s not to trust?
Life is a journey and not always an easy one. Most of us can look back with some regrets admitting “the sea became rough” on more than a few occasions. It got “dark” out there when “Jesus had not yet come” in our time of need. “Strong wind” made progress slow and the “miles” long.
We “were frightened” by our first encounter with Christ. But “coming near” He whispered to our anxious souls, “do not be afraid” and fear vanished. We became “glad to take Him into the boat” and “immediately” we arrived at the place we “were going.”
(Based on John 6.16-21 ESV)
Jesus Christ rose from the dead and so did “many holy people” in Jerusalem about 2,000 years ago. This may be the only event in history that qualifies as truly unforgettable. The resurrections of Christ and other departed saints who heard “the voice of the son of God” (John 5.25, 28-29a) were observed by hundreds of people twenty centuries ago (1st Corinthians 15.6). These eyewitnesses knew what they saw and refused to deny the fact of the resurrection even upon penalty of martyrdom. The resurrection was, and remains to be, permanently seared into civilization’s memory.
Even thoughtful skeptics would agree... the church of Jesus Christ is never going away.
I was never very good at basketball, but I still remember an important concept from my 5th grade hoops coach. I could not shoot or dribble with any degree of proficiency, but I could steal. Coach would say, “I’m glad you can force the turnover, but it is not a valid possession until you have enough control to pass the ball to a teammate.”
The Samaritan woman heard the gospel. She testified of its impact and “many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of what the woman said.” But that was not enough. The impact of this woman’s experience was not fully realized until she was removed from the equation. At some point, those who heard were compelled to say, “We have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior,” (John 4.39, 41-42).
Until those I tell of Christ can say, “We have heard for ourselves,” I have not yet passed the ball. It’s not enough to tell them. They must hear for themselves.
I am memerized by the words of Tozer. They fee my soul. I was still contemplating Tozer’s message this morning when I read my Bible. Tozer inspired me to meditate that day on three small words from John, chapter 3: “God is true.” I did not begin to make even the slightest scratch in the surface of their meaning, but I may have moved incrementally and imperceptibly in the direction of “The Knowledge of the Holy” by the practice of this simple discipline of meditation. According John 3.33, I “set my seal of approval to [the fact that] God is true”* by simply believing the words of His Son, which I do.
*The Knowledge of the Holy ~ The Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life, A. W. Tozer, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1961, pp. 26f.
This podcast is an overview of week 15 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Judges 17 – 21; Ruth 1 – 4; 1st Samuel 1 – 9; John 3 – 7.
Miracles happen when the decision to “do whatever Jesus tells you to do” (John 2.5) is made. The water of common experience becomes the wine of new opportunity. Options open, fears subside, money appears, issues resolve, hope springs forth, ideas flourish, people cooperate, minds change, insights emerge, and new paths become visible in the dark landscape of misunderstanding, conflict, and despair. Miracles happen. They happen beforeyou “do whatever Jesus tells you to do.” They happen as soon as you decide to obey Jesus, which is a miracle in itself.
Miracles beget miracles when someone decides to… “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do.”
The Jews could have accused the Baptist of avoiding the question. They asked John, “Who are you?,” not “Who aren’t you?” John answered, "I am not the Christ," (John 1.19-21). He told them who he wasn’t.
You and I are also “not the Christ.” We cannot save ourselves or others. If we think ultimate control of our destiny is our God-given option, we are deluded. At our best, we are nothing more (or less) than “a voice” of hope in a world of hurt. Like John, we may give voice to the truth about Jesus, then step aside and watch Jesus do His work.
There's an interesting conversation recorded in Luke 24.17-19, between Jesus and a couple of guys on the road to Emmaus.
Jesus: “What are you talking about…?”
Cleopas: “Are you the only man living in Jerusalem who has not had news of the things which have taken place there at this time?”
Jesus: “What things?”
Jesus wants to engage you. “What are you talking about?” is a question designed to get you into a conversation with Jesus. Don’t dismiss prayer because you know He already knows anything you’d have to say.
Prayer does not provide new intelligence to God. He has all the information He will ever need. Prayer is for you. When you need someone to talk to, Christ offers a willing ear.
Imagine Jesus speaking with you right now, in this very moment, as He did the criminal on the cross. “Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise,’” (Luke 23.33, 42-43).
What would He say to you? Fill in the blanks:
“(Your Name) , I tell you the truth, today you will .”
What do you think Jesus is telling you? How would He fill in the blanks for you?
Simon Peter made a promise he could not keep…
“Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death,” (Luke 22.33).
Simon had more confidence than he deserved. As Jesus predicted, the disciple denied his master three times before the rooster crowed that day. The real test for Peter was not in the moment of his denial of Christ. That was expected.
The real test came later when Simon faced the crushing weight of his own remorse. It began the moment “a rooster crowed” and “Peter remembered the word of the Lord.” Knowing deeply, perhaps for the first time, the depravity of his tortured and empty soul, Simon “went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22.60-62).
Once confronted by his own weak and sinful nature, it is difficult for a man not to quit. Hence, Christ prays that our “faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren,” (Luke 22.31-32 NKJV).
Out of a man’s own brokenness and profound sense of failure, there is still hope and redemption. He must dig deep deep within himself for courage and humility to ‘return to Jesus and strengthen the brethren.’
This podcast is an overview of week 14 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Judges 1 – 16; Luke 22 – 24; John 1 – 2.
The people who stood around “talking about the Temple, remarking how beautiful it was” were surprised when when Jesus said…
“The time is coming when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of rubble.”
They were jolted into reality when it happened during the seige of Jeruasalem in 70 AD led by future Roman Emperor, Titus.
Set things in order. Place priorities where they belong. Pay special attention to your spiritual condition because... “All this you’re admiring so much” in self, or things, or others, will not last. Someday all of it “will end up in a heap of rubble,” (Luke 21.5-6).
Learn to trust your instincts. That’s what Jesus did. Christ was not a superhero endowed with x-ray vision and extrasensory perception. Mental telepathy was not His way of discerning truth. Jesus prayed often and carefully observed the world around Him. He studied the people He met. He did not read minds, but He read people and He knew when they were pretending. He discerned the false smile and the dishonest compliment, the disingenuous offer and the two-faced personality.
“So they watched him [Jesus] and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor,” (Luke 20.20).
Not everyone who pays you a compliment is sincere. Some are pretending for reasons more sinister than you may wish to believe.
Trust your instincts.
Jesus believes in me and offers me an eternity with Him. He apparently considers His relationship with me (and the rest of humanity) to be an excellent investment. The Lord trusts me to multiply my “pounds of silver.” I can literally make Jesus Christ happy with His choice and someday “enter into the joy of [my] master” (Matthew 25.21).
Jesus will return, maybe sooner than I think. In the meantime His expectation is clear:
“...ten pounds of silver... Invest this for me while I am gone,” (Luke 19.13).
If you depend on people to make you happy, you will not be happy. It is possible to achieve happiness regardless of how others act toward you. If you are chronically unhappy due to the behavior of others, you have elevated people to the place of God. Only God can provide you with the inner joy necessary for the happiness you seek.
People can’t make you happy. You can’t even make you happy. But God can!
“There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything,” (Luke 18.27).
There’s more to the account of the ten lepers, recorded in Luke 17.12-16, than the typical “moral of the story” which commends one in ten who actually stops to say “thank you.” The fact that the one who turned back was a Samaritan despised by first century Jews offers drama and contrast, but there’s even more to the story than that.
Christ’s healing of the ten lepers offers a glimpse into the meaning of faith and faith’s inter-relationship with obedience.
This podcast is an overview of week 13 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Joshua 9 – 24; Luke 17 – 21.
How does “a very little thing” become “a great chasm?”It happens all the time in relationships.
It can be subtle… the way someone turns their head or moves their eyes, a particular choice of words or a tone of voice in conversation, the nuances of meaning we attach to the behavior of others, what we hear in passing about the friends we keep, the way we feel but cannot describe after a personal interaction, expectations left unstated and unmet, etc. This is the small stuff that undermines and destroys relationships. It seems like such “a very little thing,” and it is... but it’s not.
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”
“And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.”
Luke 16.10, 26
I recently read the story of the prodigal son recorded in the 15th chapter of Luke’s gospel. I have examined the passage dozens of times through the years but that day was different. I heard my wife say, “Oh, that was such a sad story about a former NBA player who lost all his money and got hooked on drugs.” It was John Conzano’s piece on Freeman Williams. Suddenly, the words of Christ had even more meaning:
“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate,” (Luke 15.24).
“I cannot come” is almost never true. If I decline an invitation, unless I am in a coma or dead, it is not because “I cannot come.” It’s almost always because there’s something else I would rather do.
Anyone can accept Christ’s gracious invitation, but most will not. Jesus predicted, “For many are invited, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22.14); that is, all are invited, but few will come. Check out the Scripture below:
“…there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’
“Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses.
“The first said, ‘I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’ “Another said, ‘I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.’ “And yet another said, ‘I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’”
Luke 14.16-20 The Message
Jesus Christ described the first Easter as “the third day.” On that historic, singular event, Jesus fulfilled His promise: “I will reach my goal.” Nothing deterred the Son of God from His mission. No amount of resistance, persecution, or suffering could stop this man. Not even death prevented Christ from attaining His “goal” on “the third day,” when Jesus rose from the dead, (Luke 13.32).
This temporal life is only a dress rehearsal for the real performance scheduled for “the third day.” My personal Easter debut may happen sooner than I think. Like Jesus, I must die to get there.
When the curtain rises on my “the third day,” will I be ready?
Is my understanding of God too large? Could He be just as small as He is big? I normally think of God as infinite and heaven as a place where countless of Christians eventually gather to sing never-ending worship choruses for billions of years in the general direction of His giganticness. My vision of eternal life sounds boring, even to me.
What if God surprises me when I get to heaven? What if He is my size (or just a little bigger) and, condescending to my level, invites me to join His realm with the kindness of any other gracious host? Could this scripture, unique to Luke’s gospel, actually be true?
“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them,” (Luke 12.37).
Might God be as finite as He is infinite, as small as He is big, as touchable as He is vast? Would the Creator of the universe throw a private dinner party for me and some of my friends? Would He ask us to “recline at the table” and actually “wait on” us?
This podcast is an overview of week 12 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Deuteronomy 27 – 34; Joshua 1 – 8; Luke 12 – 16.
Jesus said, “the lamp of your body is your eye,” (Luke 11.34). Parents should limit what goes through their children’s visual portal. Kids need parental protection from unsupervised screen time, excessive television watching, and indiscriminate Internet browsing. Most intelligent parents know that.
Consider a new household rule: All television, computer games, and Internet use happens at specified times in public places like the family room or a shared den. Monitor your children’s use of the TV and computer. Install filters and accountability software on your family computers.
Limit the scope of their vision. A clear eye, according to Christ, produces a body “full of light.” If you want your child to develop a strong body and good mind, remove the TV and computer from his or her bedroom.
“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ (Luke 10.40-42).
God cares, even when He is silent and appears not to. In the midst of my sorrows, the best question I can answer for myself is not, “How do I overcome or get past my suffering and grief?,” but rather, “What can I learn from my it?”
I wonder what Jesus thinks when He hears “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first…” blah, blah, blah. Probably nothing I have to say next will hold much meaning for Christ. I assume anything I plan in place of following Him will be less essential to my spiritual welfare than actually following Him.
“Another said, ‘Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God,’”(Luke 9.61-62).
My “family” can become my nifty reason not to offer full devotion to Jesus. “But first let me say good-bye to my family” is a cop-out. When I elevate “my family” above the Lord I do a disservice to the people I cherish the most. It is not necessary to “say good-bye to my family” before I choose to follow Christ.
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck describes the plight of a peasant farmer, Wang Lung, and his family somewhere around the turn of the century in China. After enduring unspeakable poverty, Wang Lung finally achieves a measure of success and wealth. He becomes arrogant and loses his moral bearings. Driven by lower instincts he pursues his lust for a young prostitute.
What makes smart people do stupid things? Perhaps it is the demonic influence driving them into isolation and away from God.
“…and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places,” (Luke 8.29 NIV).
“When Jesus came near the town gate, he saw some people carrying a dead body. It was the only son of a woman who was a widow. When the Lord saw the woman, he felt very sorry for her and said, ‘Don't cry.’ Jesus spoke to the dead son: ‘Young man, I tell you, get up!’ Then the boy sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother,” (Luke 7.12-15 Easy-to-Read Version).
Many years ago, Jesus “felt very sorry for” a grieving mother of an only son. Fourteen years ago, the same Lord heard a similar cry from another mother. Once again He chose to spare a life of my little girl. Now, at twenty, Rachel has developed into a beautiful young woman. Her mom, who went to heaven six and a half years ago, would be so proud.
Thank you Jesus.
This podcast is an overview of week 11 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Deuteronomy 6 – 26; Luke 7 – 11.
If my thoughts could be read by anyone who cared to know, I might be surprised by how few really care to know. But for those who did care, I would most certainly think before I thought. I would try to allow only the highest and best thoughts into my brain. I have some control over this. It’s easy to let my mind wander or even run amok. If my thoughts were publicly broadcast for widescreen viewers, I would rein them in more tightly. Some I’d tie up and dispose of permanently. I might even follow the Bible’s advise…
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise,” (Philippians 4.8).
Jesus knows what you’re thinking. Think about it!
If you’re a commercial fisherman, there’s nothing worse than a ‘water haul.’ It’s easy but not fun. You make the set and pull in the gear. Nothing. No fish. Just water. It’s disheartening. Peter “worked hard all night” and caught nothing. Maybe he wasn’t cut out to be a fisherman. He might as well hang up his gear, turn in his license, and sell the boat.
Have you ever feel unproductive like Peter? Jesus offered Peter a solution... go into “deep water.” Get in over your head. Go to the place where you must depend upon Him to succeed. Take a risk. Have some faith. There’s no fish in the shallow end of the lake. Go deep.
“When he had finished speaking, he [Jesus] said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ “Simon answered, ‘Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink,” (Luke 5.4-7).
Demons have the power to influence and control human lives: “The demonic spirit threw the man down.”But the power of Jesus is even greater. In the presence of Christ, the demon knocked a man down but it “didn’t hurt him.” Jesus made the angel of darkness be “quiet” and “get out,” (Luke 4.35 The Message).
Thankfully, demonic impact is minimal for those who remain in reguler contact with Jesus. Jesus is greater than all the demons I will ever face. They cannot hurt me.
Where am I? That’s a good question. Here’s a better one… Where do I belong?
In answer to question number one, I find myself wedged in a highly predictable routine... get up, brush teeth, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, and repeat as necessary for the next few decades.
Where do I belong? In “a state of expectation.”
“Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, John answered and said to them all, ‘As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I , and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire,’” (Luke 3.15-16).
Mary and Joseph had not planned on becoming pregnant before the wedding. That might pass in some societies but not in their small Palestinian community 2,000 years ago. Joseph was good man with integrity flowing from his broken heart. When he discovered his fiancée was “with child,” Joseph would not “disgrace her” and instead “planned to send her away secretly” (Matthew 1.19). However, God had different plans which He made clear in a dream to Mary’s betrothed.
Joseph was more than just a good man. He verged on greatness when he chose to risk shame and public humiliation for marriage plans with “his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant” (Luke 2.4-5) in his home town of Bethlehem.
This podcast is an overview of week 10 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Numbers 27 – 36; Deuteronomy 1 – 5; Luke 2 - 6.
I am fascinated in the similarities and differences between Zacharias the Jewish priest and his young cousin-in-law Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus.
Both received an angelic visitation by God’s messenger. Mary was the mother of Jesus. Zacharias fathered John the Baptist who was Christ’s forerunner. Both experienced the miraculous. Both were considered good people of the highest moral character.
However, one had simple faith in the words of Gabriel and the other needed proof. One trusted and the other over-intellectualized. One was moved by the sincere stirrings of the heart and the other by the limited power of the mind. One was childlike and the other was cerebral.
Which one am I?
Check out Luke 1.18, 34.
Most of us are afraid to talk.
The risk of repercussions is too high. Acknowledging our reality may have undesirable consequences. We observe the world, gather experiences, form opinions and, keep them to ourselves. We dare not jeopardize our hard earned reputations, strategic alliances, or social networks by becoming transparent with beliefs that may offend others.
Who suffers by our silence? Those who may need to know. In the end, everyone suffers from undisclosed truth. Your story of healing, redemption, and hope must be told.
“Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid,” (Mark 16.8).
Awareness does not always translate to action. Pontius Pilate had acute awareness of the situation regarding the chief priests and Jesus. The Bible says, “he was aware that it was [because they were prompted] by envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up,” (Mark 15.10 AMP). Apparently the governor’s awareness made no difference at all to the outcome of the trial. The priest-incited crowd shouted, “Crucify Him!” and Pilate “wishing to satisfy the crowd… handed Him over to be crucified” (Mark 15.14-15)... in spite of his awareness.
Does my awareness impact my behavior? Will I take action when I become aware of a situation that demands my response? Or, will I, like Pontius Pilate, choose to ignore a wrong I could make right?
“Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
With out-of-control bravado, Peter speaks “vehemently,” displaying more self-confidence than he actually possesses. Is Peter is trying to convince himself?
“If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Mark 14.27-31).
Jesus offered no rebuttal and Peter got the last word. Peter refused to listen to reason and the Master simply let it go. Peter thought he won the ‘denial of denial’ argument. The silence of Jesus in the face of Peter’s defiance is notable. The Lord already said what needed to be said. Jesus won the argument before Peter opened his mouth for the final time.
Jesus promised, “You will be hated... because of My name,” (Mark 13.13).Christians are “hated,” but not always for the right reasons. Religious hypocrites, insensitive Bible-thumpers, and wacky Jesus cults earn the hatred they get.
But not all Christ-followers miss the mark. Some sincerely “desire to live godly in Christ Jesus” but, according to the Bible, these believers too “will be hated” and “persecuted” (2nd Timothy 3.12). Hatred is a form of persecution.
This podcast is an overview of week 9 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Numbers 12 – 26; Mark 13 – 16; Luke 1.
There are two things you must understand as a leader in the body of Christ… “the Scriptures” and “the power of God.” Jesus’ condemned the cherished beliefs of a popular aristocratic sect of Jewish leadership when He claimed they knew nothing of “the Scriptures or the power of God,” (Mark 12.24).
The Sadducees ridiculed the notion of a bodily resurrection and denied the existence of angels. They were religious skeptics, the deists of Christ’s day. They understood neither “the Scriptures” which taught life after death nor “the power of God” which made possible life after death.
“Find a colt” and “untie it.” The disciples did what they were told. They “found a colt tied at the door” and “they untied it.” That’s the nature of the world in which we live. It’s all tied up. Our job is to “untie it.”The “untying” ministry starts with me. I must “untie” my tongue and speak with conviction when bold talk is called for. I must “untie” my hands when there’s work to do.I must “untie” my feet and go to the places I am called, even when I prefer to relax at home. I must help “untie” those who suffer the bondage of sin and shame. Sometimes I must “untie” the people I love and let them go their own way.
“Go into the village opposite you, and immed- iately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.”
“They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it,” (Mark 11.2, 4).
Bartimaeus had nothing to lose. He knew what he was... a blind beggar ostracized by his community. Bart was a social outcast. He could have no lesser status. Compliance with the local ‘noise ordinance’ meant nothing to a blind beggar. Bartimaeus was desperate, and with Jesus nearby, he fully recognized the chance of his pathetic lifetime.
Bartimaeus would make Jesus notice him. He shouted unashamedly and repeatedly…
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10.46-48).
Jesus demands “salt” and “peace.” He has no plan to meld all believers into one indistinct, collective, anonymous mass. The restaurant that put all its selections in a blender and served only nutritious, unsalted protein slurpies would quickly go out of business. Jesus enjoys the variety. He created it. Jesus understands that some members of His body don’t mix well, but each menu option has salt, and that is enough.
Retain uniqueness and learn to get along. Salt and peace. If that’s good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for you and me.
“Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another,” (Mark 9.50).
Most misunderstandings begin innocently. What one party meant is not what the other heard. Both leave confused. They fume and friendships end with the silent ritual of avoidance. Time passes and hurt festers. When confrontation does occur, each erupts defensively spilling their pain like bags of marbles on a hardwood floor. Personalities collide, conflicts escalate, and relationships come to a permanent end.
Peter had a misunderstanding with Jesus:
“And He [Jesus] was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, ‘Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man’s,’” (Mark 8.32-33).
This podcast is an overview of week 8 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Numbers 1 – 11; Mark 8 – 12.
Jesus taught His followers to say less, not more, about their experience with Him. Jesus clearly understated Himself and His identity. In Mark’s account, Jesus prefers the title “Son of Man” to “Son of God.”Some scholars have accused Jesus of keeping a “Messianic Secret.” According to Mark 7, verses 24 and 36, He warned devils, disciples, and those He healed not to tell others who He was. Why?
“Jesus…entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.”
“Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.”
The woman I married lovingly removed stumbling blocks and helped me remain true to my convictions. To me, she was the most beautiful woman on planet earth. Now she’s in heaven and she’s still beautiful. I still love herand, in a sense, I still have her. By God’s grace, I will not dishonor Adonica’s memory. I will keepfollowing Jesus and be the man she always wanted and deserved and expected and helped me to be.
“Then He [Jesus] went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him,” (Mark 6.1).
Tell Jesus and trusted confidants the “whole truth” and that’s exactly how you will leave your encounter with Him… whole.
“But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your affliction,’” (Mark 5.33-34).
Jesus knew how to relax. He took a nap at the back of a boat threatened by “a fierce gale of wind” with waves “breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up” with water (Mark 4.37). In this very moment Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3.1). He is not on His feet peering over the edge of His heavenly cloud, shaking a fist at those crazy humans. Things are under control. Jesus knows how to relax a little.
The man in Christ’s parable casts the seed and “then goes to bed and forgets about it.” The seed sower “has no idea how it happens,”but somehow the garden flourishes. “The earth does it all without his help.” Amazing! Good things happen without my persistent oversight. I may as well learn to trust and relax a little.
“Then Jesus said, ‘God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it,’ ” (Mark 4.26-29).
Jesus had expectations of His disciples. He sent them out to “proclaim the message” and “cast out demons.”They were to perform in the arena of faith and crush the demonic competition for the souls of men and women. But it was not all about winning with Jesus and it’s not all about winning with our Father God. Jesus called “those whom he wanted.” We are “wanted” whether we win or not.
He “appointed twelve… to be with him.” We are called by Jesus “to be with him.” You and I are among “those whom he wanted… to be with.” It’s about relationship, not performance. A loving and caring relationship is more important to a good father than breaking records or winning notoriety, (Mark 3.13-15).
This podcast is an overview of week 7 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Leviticus 13 – 27; Mark 3 – 7.
Rules, covenants, vows, policies, contracts, and laws are good. Without them relationships falter, societies crumble, and people get hurt. We need rules until... the rules take on a life of their own. Sometimes members of organizations blindly comply for reasons they cannot recall. The purpose of a law can actually become secondary to the law itself. Policies may evolve to define, rather than enhance membership. “We’ve always done it that way” might be the only truthful explanation for outdated and stupid regulations. That’s when courageous people must take action to make a change.
Jesus stood for this kind of radical change when he proclaimed Himself ... “Lord, even over the Sabbath!” (Mark 2.28).
There is a sense of urgency in the Gospel of Mark. The Greek adverb ευθύς (yoo-thoos’) normally translated “immediately” is found forty-two of its eighty-seven New Testament occurrences in the book of Mark and twelve times in Mark’s chapter 1 alone.
Certain doors of opportunity almost never open. When they do, one must act and, according to the Gospel of Mark, act now! Chances of a lifetime must be seized before they disappear. About two thousand years ago, four commercial fishermen recognized just such an opportunity. They “immediately… left their nets and followed Him” (Mark 1.17-18).
According to Matthew 28.16-17, “...the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed and made appointment with them. And when they saw Him, they fell down and worshiped Him; but some doubted.”
These are curious verses. Some among the original “eleven disciples” actually doubted. Why would these men doubt when the risen Christ was standing before them? Could it be…
- The doubting disciples concluded that Jesus never actually died if He was alive and now speaking to them (e.g., the doubters questioned the reality of Christ’s death)?
- The risen Jesus was not the pre-crucified Jesus they remembered (e.g., they doubted the resurrection assuming the man before them was not really Jesus)?
The soldiers did not believe Jesus was a king even though “they bowed the knee before Him” and proclaimed, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They were being sarcastic. Their ritual of mock worship was purely cheap entertainment for weak-minded prison guards who had nothing better to do than kick a Savior when He’s down. Their shameful display was intended to get a few crumby laughs at Jesus’ horrible expense. After scourging the Lord to a shredded and unrecognizable mass of blood and flesh, they jammed thorns into His scalp, spit on Him, and beat His head with a stick. Pilate’s thugs not only tortured Jesus physically with spit, whips, thorns, and sticks, they also added insult to injury with sarcasm, (Matthew 27.27-31).
Like so many of us, Peter was fooling himself. He thought he was a fully devoted follower of Christ, yet he “followed” the Lord at a safe “distance.” Peter tried to make himself indistinguishable from the crowd when he entered “the courtyard of the high priest” and “sat down with the guards.” He had an sincere interest in Jesus, but that was all, (Matthew 26.58).
This podcast is an overview of week 6 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Exodus 35 – 40; Leviticus 1 – 12; Matthew 26 – 28; Mark 1 – 2.
Are you a devil? Of course not. Therefore, hell is not your destiny. Hell was created by God for a specific purpose. The “everlasting fire” was “prepared for the Devil and his angels,” not you.
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels…”
But Jesus, some argue, condemned people to hell... “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,” (Matthew 25.41). Perhaps so, but He alone has the power to send them there and He alone knows who belongs there. Damning people was never a part of God’s original plan, nor is it your prerogative. You cannot help God decide who belongs there. You have no firsthand knowledge of this awful and eternal destination. Unlike Jesus Christ, you have ever been there. Jesus paid a visit to the place of damnation on the day He died. He smashed the gates of hell and released the hostages from that cruel place. Some of them were actually seen around Jerusalem after Christ’s resurrection.
“Love... [can] grow cold” for many lesser reasons than those which will characterize the “tribulation” of which Jesus spoke in Matthew 24.9-14. Pain can harden even the noblest of hearts and freeze the ready flow of love. Most of us have occasionally suffered the pain of misunderstanding and the loss of meaningful relationships. Our “tribulation” may be minuscule by comparison to real political persecution, but it still hurts. Sometimes we are seriously “offended” and shockingly ‘betrayed’ by people we thought were friends. You and I may know how it feels to be ‘hated’ for our beliefs. Perhaps we've had close associations with people who were eventually exposed as “false prophets,” or become the the victim of ‘deceit’ by those who claimed to be Christians.
The natural tendency when experiencing relationship brokenness is withdrawal and isolation. When our feelings are hurt, we are tempted to hide safely behind emotional walls and keep our distance from people who are bound to hurt us again. We may even decide that intimacy is not worth the risk of the inevitable pain it causes. The “lawlessness” of others can make our “love… grow cold.”
It’s easy to confuse the item we call a gift for the real gift. The gift is not the gift. You are the gift. The tangible gift item is nothing more than a legitimate excuse to make contact with another human being. Alone it means nothing. You are indispensable in the act of gift-giving. Without you, there is no gift, just the exchange of money or commodities.
You make the gift you give “sacred” and “sacred” gifts are the only gifts worth giving.
“Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?”
“Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?”
Matthew 23.17b, 19b
The Pharisees were falsely defferential to Jesus: ‘Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Tell us then, what do You think?...’
For their miscalculation, Jesus had strong words: “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?”
How nice these people were to pay such kind tribute to Jesus. The Son of God must have appreciated their attention to etiquette and enjoyed the comments they lavished upon Him. The Pharisees and their “disciples… along with the Herodians” prefaced their conversation with the customary praise due a man of Jesus’ caliber. They bowed. They smiled. They deferred to the Master. These men were leaders. They were role-models. They were intelligent. They were respectable. They were sweet and proper.
They were liars.
I am like an old mother donkey with a few colts to my name. I helped carry the Gospel message to a generation past. New younger Christian men and women will bring Christ to the next generation. These believers still need their older mentors in Christ. We are not forgotten. We may join in the celebration and walk along beside the foals. But old donkeys must pass the mantle of supernatural gifting to the backs of young colts who will bear the burden of Christ from this time forward. These are the ones who will make a new and triumphal entry into the culture of our day.
Check out Matthew 21.4-7...
“This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”’
This podcast is an overview of week 5 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Exodus 18 – 34; Matthew 21 – 25.
Like “the Son of Man [who] did not come to be served, but to serve”(Matthew 20.26-28), parents are sent by God to serve their children and help them become successful in every area of their lives.
In Carlos Castaneda's A Separate Peace, his protagonist, Don Juan, states, "The difference between a warrior and an ordinary man is that a warrior see everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man ees everything as either a blessing or a curse."
Castaneda’s “warrior” is an individual who accepts the challenge to make a difference. An “ordinary man,” on the other hand, accepts his station in life with passive neutrality. He may expertly clarify and define his circumstances, but he receives them as fated and without complaint.
Jesus offered the rich, young ruler the “warrior” challenge in Matthew 19.21...
“...if you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and com, follow Me.”
How do I trade in all remnants of my smug and “ordinary” existence for the faith-based life of a “warrior” for Christ?
Recruit me, Jesus! I want to transcend ordinary life and be a warrior for You.
There are multitudes of un-adorable and ‘not-so-cute’ characters out there who are absolutely NOT easy to love. Jesus loves them all the same. He loves the stinking, unshaven, elderly, homeless, overweight drunk men and women looking for a handout as much as He loves my pure and innocent, precious little children and grandchildren.
I cannot imagine holding a down-and-outer tightly, kissing his dirty cheek, peering into his eyes, and saying with sincerity the way I do with my own kids, “You are my brother. I love you.” Nevertheless, the words of Jesus are clear:
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost,” (Matthew 18.10-11).
I need to stretch my imagination.
Many voices compete for my attention. To whom will I listen?
The voice of despair, bitterness, fear, resignation, confusion, religion, jealously, impatience, contention, or... the voice of God?
“While he [Peter] was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!’” (Matthew 17.5-7).
“Who do yousay I am?” It's a fair question. Jesus wants to know. See Matthew 16.13-16.
“Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone asks you to account for the hope that is in you...” (1st Peter 3.15).
Are you ready to give an answer?
This podcast is an overview of week 4 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 50; Exodus 1 – 17; Matthew 16 – 20.
Peter is the patron saint of the dense. He’s my kind of guy. Most of us “don’t get it”... quietly. But Peter blurts out his ignorance for all to hear, “I’m lost. Can you explain what you’re talking about?” Peter validates and encourages me. I now know it’s okay to admit, “I don’t get it,”(Matthew 15.15). If Peter needed an explanation, why am I surprised when I do?
Who fed the “five thousand men” plus their “women and children... with “only five loaves and two fish” (Matthew 14.16-20)? Be careful. It’s a trick question and the answer is not ‘Jesus.’
Jesus did not feed the crowd. His disciples did. The followers of Jesus fed the horde of hungry people! Jesus multiplied their efforts. He made it possible. He performed the miracle. But it was the followers of Christ who took the loaves of bread from Jesus and “gave them to the crowds.”
Have you ever thought of yourself as dirty, worthless, and without value? Jesus thinks otherwise. He discovered “treasure hidden” inside of you. His Father in Heaven placed it there before you were even conceived. In fact, God “knew you” and chose you long before He “formed you in the womb” (Jeremiah 1.5).
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field,” (Matthew 13.44 NIV).
The Son of God found you, an undeveloped bare lot. He stopped to investigate, dug beneath the surface, and unearthed the treasure God placed there. Jesus loved what He saw in you. He found His fortune there. It’s the “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17.21). Like the man in His parable, with “joy” Jesus “sold all he had” to purchase the field. He shed His own blood and gave His life for you.
What does Jesus see in a dirty, useless piece of dirt like me?” He sees plenty. I am not worthy on my own merit, but I am worthwhile to my Maker. I am worth His while. Jesus gave His everything for me. He sold Himself to procure me. Jesus “bought [me] with his own blood” (Acts 20.28).
Matthew 12.42 NAS
“The Queen of the South… came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”
I need “something greater” than myself. I am driving toward destruction, fast. Without divine intervention, I am doomed. On the brink of disaster and desperate for someone to rescue me, I routinely cry out for help from “something greater” than me. In my souls I instinctively knew who that is...
Jesus is my personal “something greater.”
Jesus threw proper etiquette and political correctness to the wind with His unpopular denunciation: “You will go down to hell!” (Matthew 11.23a).
Nothing about the text implies a softness in voice or manner as He passed decisive judgment on the “people of Capernaum.” Jesus loved the people of this small town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Clearly our Lord was worried for their eternal future and delivered His indictment with grave concern over the fate of the people He cared for.
This podcast is an overview of week 3 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 35 – 49; Matthew 11 - 15.
We must not be afraid of the consequences of truth. Ultimately, what we work hard to conceal will “be disclosed” and what we try to hide will “be made known.” What Jesus tells you “in the dark”–ness of your prayer closet, “speak in the daylight.” What He whispers “in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”
“Do not be afraid.” Trust Christ. Take a risk. Tell the truth. See Matthew 10.26-27 NIV.
There are a few holes in my profession of faith. I do not always act in accordance with my belief system. The way I live does not perfectly match up to the standards I set for myself and others. To this reality Jesus offers a simple solution…
“Become what you believe,” (Matthew 9.27-30 The Message).
A decision to follow Jesus does not come with a safe passage warranty, especially when you follow Him into your boat. Storms happen. They happen to followers of Christ and everyone else. The disciples were in trouble. Jesus was near but inactive. Overcome by slumber, He expected His disciples to weather the storm on their own. The Lord chastised them for waking Him: “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8.23-27 NIV).
The tempest was of no concern to Jesus. Followers of Christ must face death alone, without Christ’s direct and obvious intervention.
I am in dangerously close proximity to an instrument of my own death. It’s not a gun. I do not own a gun. Neither is it the kitchen knife, poisonous pills, or a lethal injection. Yet, the actual cause of my death may be closer than I think. According to Trice Whitefield, senior analyst for the Center for Consumer Freedom in Washington, D.C., I am actually sitting on the apparatus that could kill me… my couch!
“The growing epidemic of physical inactivity and its related disease are such a significant problem that U.S. doctors have coined a new term: Sedentary Death Syndrome. As the third leading cause of death, it claims the lives of 250,000 Americans each year. Basically, your couch is more likely to kill you than either a stroke or an accident.”[1]
I couldn’t say I wasn’t warned. Even my sofa’s label sounds perilous to my health… Lazy Boy®. No false advertising there!
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter,” (Matthew 7.21 NLT).
Maybe I better get up and "do" something!
We use language to communicate the meaning of words. Words are the primary vehicle of language and convey different meanings to different people. Both the words (their tone, inflection, volume, context, nuances, etc.) and the audience (its background, culture, mood, age, beliefs, etc.) must converge in order for communication to occur. Words alone, especially lots of them, do not guarantee good communication.
This translation objective is not a new effort. “America’s Schoolmaster,” Noah Webster, published many books widely used in schools across our nation including spelling, history, and grammar texts. Upon the completion of his famous An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), Mr. Webster embarked on a project to update the King James Version of the Bible with an aim to make it more readable to 19th century Americans. He believed this common version of 1611 contained obsolete phrases, incorrect grammar, and offensive expressions. “His purpose was to clear away these obstacles to the use of the Bible as a model of correct and decent English usage in American schools and homes.”[1] Webster completed his revision of the King James Bible in 1833 [2].
Interestingly, it is Noah Webster's version of Matthew 6.9-13 which is mostly quoted still today when reciting The Lord's Prayer.
This podcast is an overview of week 2 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 20 – 34; Matthew 6 – 10.
I try to be fair. You might say I’m an “eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” guy. I am courteous when treated courteously. That seems right to me. I (assume I) am entitled because I give others what (I assume) they are entitled to. I possess a finely tuned and acute sense of justice, especially where my (human, civil, legal, ethical, constitutional, or personal) rights are concerned. I take pride in my self-bestowed role as judge and arbiter.
The Bible, however, confronts my belief system: “There is only one Lawgiver and judge... but who are you who judge your neighbor?” Apparently, Dave’s Rule and the Golden Rule do not quite match up.
“Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets,” (Matthew 7.12 Complete Jewish Bible).
History shows that humans are adept at finding scriptural support for any behavior they choose to engage. Investigate the history of slavery in America or the Middle Ages practice of selling religious relics for profit. The devil can quote Scripture. So can any self-absorbed society or individual looking for an excuse to sin.
The Bible is not enough. It takes right understanding and honest application of truths contained in Scripture in order to avoid temptation and live the way Christ expects.
“Jesus said to him, ‘On the other hand, it is written also, “You shall not tempt… the Lord your God.” ’ ” (Matthew 4.7a AMP).
The devil will entice me with plentiful Scriptural references to support my sin. “On the other hand” Jesus can show me where “it is written also” so that I may successfully combat temptations just like He did.
It sometimes boggles my mind how little I know about the nature of Christ. Jesus announces, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him…” (Revelation 3.20). My immediate thought is, “Jesus, the door is open. Please come in anytime. You don’t need my permission.”
But my ‘permission’ is apparently exactly what Jesus needs to “fulfill all righteousness” in me.
“Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ “Then he permitted Him.”
Matthew 3.13-15 NAS
God led me to a happy place and moment on New Year's Eve 2007, and there I found Jesus among family and friends. I “could hardly contain” myself. I was in exactly “the right place” at precisely “the right time.” Circumstances will change, new friends will appear, children will grow up, and my family will change, but I will continue to follow the star and find Jesus until I enter heaven and reunite with beloved Adonica and meet Jesus face to face.
“Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!” (Matthew 2.9b-10 “The Message”)
More things are conceived by the Holy Spirit than one might guess. Not every imagination, new thought, dream, or insight is inspired by the 3rd member of the Trinity, but many are. Immaculate conceptions are commonplace with an uncommonly intimate deity like the Most High God.
“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit,’” (Matthew 1.20 NIV).
Conception happens when two (or more) parties come together to form something new. Together, Paul McCartney and John Lennon conceived of some of the greatest new music of the past century. My wife and I came together and conceived some of the greatest new kids on planet earth.
Conceptions like these may be miraculous, but not necessarily immaculate. Conception happens when two or more parties come together to form something new. Immaculate conception occurs when God is one of those parties.
This podcast is an overview of week 52 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 1 – 19; Matthew 1 – 5.
Malachi is a book about denial. The leaders of Israel questioned God’s analysis of their condition, recorded by the prophet ten times in his short treatise. They argued with their Creator. They were in denial.
“God says, ‘You have spoken hard, rude words to me.’ You ask, ‘When did we ever do that?’”
Malachi 3.13 “The Message”
One future day all God’s people will come to a place with even more drawing power than Starbucks, Disneyland, or even Build-a-Bear Workshop. The Lord will gather His church and we’ll all show up. He will “whistle” and we’ll “come running.” Jesus stuffed us with His Holy Spirit, kissed our little hearts, and wished for our eternal salvation. He paid the price to call us His own and we were each issued an eternal new-birth certificate. Of every believer on that day, Jesus Christ will confidently announce…
“My little friend is special. I brought him to life.
I chose her. I stuffed him. I made her My own.
I promise to love him and give her a home.”
“When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them. From the few who are left, they will grow as numerous as they were before,” (Zechariah 10.8 NLT).
The Apostle Paul instructed believers to “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20.35). Giving makes us feel good. It is part of our God-given nature to share what we have with others. I have so I can give. I am blessed to bless, just as the Bible says...
“It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so... “I will save you that you may become a blessing. “Do not fear; let your hands be strong,” (Zechariah 8.13 NASU).
A minor prophet made a major pronouncement: “I am with you, says the Lord.” His words seared the conscience, kindled action, and fueled a movement. Haggai’s hearers refused to dawdle. Governor Zerubbabel and Reverend Joshua’s hearts were tender and quick to heed “the Lord’s messenger.” “The Lord stirred up the spirit” of the leaders and “all the remnant of the people.” Under the inspired preaching of prophets Haggai and Zechariah an entire community of faith rose to the sacred occasion about five hundred years before the birth of Christ and rebuilt a testament to God’s glory… the Holy Temple of God.
“Then Haggai...spoke the Lord’s message... ‘I am with you, says the Lord.’”
“So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.... The Temple was finally finished.”
Haggai 1.13-14 NKJV; Ezra 6:14-15 NLT
Zephaniah 1.12 NASB
“And it will come about at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And I will punish the men
Who are stagnant in spirit,
Who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good or evil!’”
This text evokes an image of a soft man whose middle section is thickened by too little activity and too much television, beer, and fattening foods. He is unable to move quickly when decisive action is called for. He became undisciplined in his habits, “stagnant in spirit,” and ineffective in his calling. The man lost touch with the power of a dynamic God whom he has determined will do neither “good or evil.” His god has become like him… soft, weak, impotent, ineffectual, and predictable.
Jesus made His distaste for easy, soft-in-the-middle, middle-of-the-road Christianity abundantly clear…
“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot — far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit.”
Jesus Christ, Revelation 3.15-16 “The Message”
This podcast is an overview of week 52 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Zephaniah 1 – 3; Haggai 1 – 2; Zechariah 1 – 14; Malachi 1 – 4; Revelation 18 – 22.
I’ve caught myself praying to idols in direct, just like the people of prophet Habakkuk's time:
“What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside. But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him,” (Habakkuk 2.19-20 NLT).
I’m often in a hurry and crowd too much activity into my day. I have tried to haul a heavy briefcase in one hand and balance a coffee cup in the other, while attempting to open an uncooperative door with my elbow. The cell phone seems to ring in moments like these. I grope in the general direction of the ring tone, drop my briefcase, spill my coffee, scrape my shoes on the door frame, and, of course, miss the call.
Then, of course, I curse at my phone. Who am I talking to? When I say “damn it,” who is the “it” I am damning? In younger years, I would actually yell at, kick, throw, or break an inanimate object. I played the role of God, directing my unholy wrath at a material thing. I decided the object of my anger was out to get me and thereby empowered it with personality and purpose. I declared war on a “lifeless” piece of “gold and silver” or plastic, wood, and iron. What was I thinking? Was I thinking?
God uses empires, people, and circumstances to comfort and afflict the people He created and loves.
“Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer. So now, I will break [Assyria’s] yoke bar from upon you, and I will tear off your shackles,” (Nahum 1.12-13 NAS).
I must never make the pursuit of comfort my primary objective. The comfort I create for myself is an illusion that disappears before I can fully enjoy it. It never satisfies the way I imagine it will. When I chase and apprehend the comfortable and easy life, I am disappointed. It leaves me feeling cold, empty, and unfulfilled. The pursuit of comfort is an idol, a false god.
The popular notion that no one can make you feel anything, that each person is entirely responsible for his or her own feelings, is not necessarily biblical, nor is it always true. If a crazy man waves a loaded gun in my face, he has made me afraid. He is responsible for my feelings, not me. His action made me feel fear. Micah the prophet describes a fear-less future where “no one will make [us] afraid.” He promised,
“And it will come about in the last days that... every man will sit… under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid,” (Micah 4.1a, 3b-4 NIV).
Jonah was angry because God did not keep His promise. God told the prophet He would overthrow Nineveh and instead He forgave the inhabitants of this godless city:
“God saw what they had done, that they had turned away from their evil lives. He did change his mind about them. What he said he would do to them he didn’t do. Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at God…” (Jonah 3.10 - 4.2a The Message).
When the God Jonah served did not perform in the way the Jonah expected, he got steamed. In fact, Jonah was so mad he “yelled at God.”Luckily for Jonah, God is secure in Himself and did not retaliate by blasting the little, stubborn prophet to smithereens. (I yelled at God once. I was so angry I threw my Bible at the wall across the room. No lightning bolts from heaven. I’m still alive.)
In forty-eight verses the author of this short book describes a redemptive process that transcends the rational mind and leaves some readers (like me) with more questions than answers.
The practice of best practices is simple, but not easy. The concept is not hard to grasp but the execution takes effort. It’s called work. But, of course, that’s what you get paid for and, in the end, you will get no more, or less, than you deserve. Don't cheat your employer, employees, customers, family, or friends. Instead, heed the words of the prophet Amos:
“When will the New Moon festival be over so we can sell grain? When will the Sabbath be over so we can bring out wheat to sell? We can charge them more and give them less,...” (Amos 8.5-6).
This podcast is an overview of week 51 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Amos 5 – 9; Obadiah; Jonah 1 – 4; Micah 1 – 7; Nahum 1 – 3; Habakkuk 1 – 3; Revelation 13 - 17.
The minor prophet, Amos, commanded his audience to“remember the covenant of brotherhood.” We cannot allow ourselves to forget that we are here for each other. We must give when we can and receive when we must. We are "our brother's keeper" (Genesis 4.9) and divinely appointed to take care of each other. Without “the covenant of brotherhood” our community of faith, our network of business, our culture of connection, our bonds of friendship, they all simply fail. Our society and humanity depend upon “the covenant of brotherhood.”We need each other.
“Remember the covenant of brotherhood,” (Amos 1.9).
There’s hope from the pages of Joel this morning... a bright “Garden of Eden” may be found at the end of your long, dark tunnel of “desolation;” a silver lining “as beautiful as the Garden of Eden” lies behind your temporary cloud of “desolation” (Joel 2.3). Jesus will “prepare a table before” you and your “cup overflows” (Psalm 23.5) with “rivers of living water” (John 7.38) in the “beautiful” land of “Eden.”
God loves you. Forget the nothingness of “desolation” all too visible in the “behind” part of your life. Ignore the rear view mirror of loss and barrenness. Look instead to “the land” which “lies ahead as beautiful as the Garden of Eden.”
Today, have hope.
I need Jesus to bend down and pick me up…
...when I fall and hurt myself
...when I’m lonely
...when I miss my wife
...when I wonder if I’m-loved
...when I want some affection
...when I need a little attention
...when I’m looking for direction
...when I want a better view of things
...when I feel unworthy
...when I need to feel His warmth
...when I’m lost
...when I hurt deep inside
Call it a ‘divine pick-me-up.’ It’s better than caffeine, vitamins, alcohol, or sugar. I am unable to jump into His strong arms. He’s too big for me. Jesus “bent down” to pick me up. When I’m in His arms, I feel warm and secure; I never want to get down.
“I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them,” (Hosea 11.4 NIV).
In Hosea 9.10, the Amplified Version, the Bible says, “…they became detestable and loathsome like that which they loved.”
I first heard about the horrors of human trafficking In the holiday edition of the World Vision 2007 “Gift Catalog” in a story entitled “Sold. Trafficked. Abused.”
It’s hard to imagine there are people so “detestable and loathsome” they would make a business of forcibly taking little girls and boys of their virginity by catering to those who want to satisfy their twisted idea of sexual fulfillment. I would hate to be them when they stand before Jesus on Judgment Day and He reminds them of this little Bible verse...
“And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea,” (Matthew 18.5-6 NASU).
All of us have sinned (Romans 3.23), and apart from the mercy of a loving God, we also deserve His wrath.Jesus paid the price for our sins and secured our eternal home. All we have to do is accept Him by faith. While all sin is forgivable, I’m pretty sure robbing children of their innocence ranks near the top of the list of worst sins. According to Jesus, the wrath of God will be difficult to avoid for the person who willfully abuses a child.
The Complete Jewish Version of the Bible provides excellent plain English clarity for Hosea 2.16-17. Adonai (the Lord) offers us a term of endearment… Ishi (my husband). It’s a relational word inviting closeness and communion with someone you trust. Ishi is pure love and acceptance. It is the whisper of lovers and the proud announcement of a woman who knows deeply and believes fully in her man. Nothing’s held back. There are no secrets between Ishi and the object of his love. Above all else, Ishi means friendship. Pure, lasting, fully devoted, intimate, and mutual friendship.
Ba’ali, on the other hand, is a legal term meaning “my master.” It implies ownership and effectively reduces its subject to slavery. Besides being the name of the fertility god Baal, the word was used by ancient Hebrews to show respect for a husband. It would be like a princess calling her prince “My Lord,” or Beaver’s mom referring to her husband as “Mr. Cleaver,” or my wife and kids calling me “Sir” (perish the thought!).
“On that day,” says Adonai “you will call me Ishi [My Husband]; you will no longer call me Ba‘ali [My Master]. For I will remove the names of the ba‘alim from her mouth; they will never again be mentioned by name,” (Hosea 2:16-17 (18-19) CJB).
This podcast is an overview of week 50 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Hosea 1 – 14; Joel 1 – 3; Amos 1 – 4; Revelation 8 – 12.
“…a despicable person will arise,” (Daniel 11.21a, 29-30, 45c NASB).
When things do “not turn out the way” I hope and plan, it’s natural to become “disheartened” and “take [undesirable] action.” In the end, however, “no one will help” me except Jesus. His answer is generally more weighted on the side of repentance than on the side of excessive sympathy. Jesus is gracious and forgiving, but “Repent” (Matthew 4.17) is probably His message and the best advice I give myself when I discover the “despicable person” within me.
According to the prophet's apocalyptic vision found in Daniel 8.12b, the horn of the goat “hurled truth to the ground and enjoyed success.”
When a three-year-old snarls “ggrrrr” and claims to be a tiger, should I correct her? “No, actually you're a little girl pretending to be a tiger,” may be left unsaid. We both understand she is not a real tiger. It’s a game the child has invited me to play to convey a greater truth, namely her underlying quest for recognition, love, and approval. I should feel honored to participate.
Lesser truths eventually disappear. We outgrow or move past the story, but hopefully retain the meaning. We learn to trust the greater truth contained in the lesser one.
Jesus is the Truth above, and distinctively beyond, all other truths.
Daniel was not for sale. He had integrity and could not be bought.
“Dani’el answered the king, ‘Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else. However, I will read the inscription to the king and tell him what it means’” (Daniel 5.17 CJB).
Can I be bought? It’s an important question. Are my ethics for sale? At the right price, will I falter in my resolve to do the right thing? Do I cower before the god of public opinion? Would I trade my values for a chance at fortune and fame? Will I forsake what I know to be true so people will think well of me?
Who do I serve? Money, approval, comfort, things, self or... God?
Stories of martyrs inspire me. Courageous survivors of near-martyr experiences, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, also inspire me.
“…the God we serve is able to save us from it [the blazing furnace], and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king,... we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up,” (Daniel 3.16-18).
Have you ever wondered where the phrase “feet of clay” came from? Check out Daniel 2.34-35. Yep, that's right! This saying originated from the prophet Daniel.
Every nation and every person has “feet of... clay,” and with one blow from the Rock of Ages, they fall helplessly to their knees. Wouldn’t it be far wiser for all of us to voluntarily kneel before the Lord so that we don’t badly wound our fragile feet?
This podcast is an overview of week 49 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Daniel 1 – 12; Revelation 3 – 7.
Prepare to leave your house of worship different than the way you arrived. If you are determined to remain unchanged by the worship event, Jesus will regretfully grant your wish. Stubborn pew-warmers leave church the same way they came. Let the Divine-human encounter affect you. Be a true worshiper who…
“…shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate,” (Ezekiel 46.9 NKJV).
I am holding in my hand a copy of the Muśhü Limalicuy. It’s a miracle. My friends Rick and Melanie Floyd gave it to me. They lived most of their adult lives, twenty-six years, in Peru. Much of that time was spent in San Pedro de Pihuas, a village of about a thousand Wanca speaking people in the Andes Mountains of central Peru. An estimated two hundred and fifty thousand people speak Wanca Quechua, one of many dialects within the Quechua language family. The Quechua people, descendants of the Inca Empire, are mostly potato farmers and shepherds.
Prior to the arrival of the Floyd’s in 1981, there was no written form of the Wanca dialect. Rick, who holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and fluent in both English, Spanish, and now Wanca, embarked on the task of learning the language and culture of these amazing people. Rick and Melanie’s home had dirt floors and no running water. In that home they raised three very fine sons. The Floyd’s are missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Rick created a Wanca alphabet and lexicon of words. Together with the help of a small team of nationals, they translated the entire New Testament into Wanca Quechua. It took two and a half decades but today the Muśhü Limalicuy is available to all Wanca speakers who want to read the God’s Word for themselves.
With this backdrop, check out the words of the prophet in Ezekiel 43.10-11 NIV...
“Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple — its arrangement, its exits and entrances — its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.”
The Floyd’s were called to do exactly what Ezekiel did. They ‘wrote down’ the words of God. Rick and Melanie and their supporters fulfilled the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28.19). Another two hundred and fifty thousand souls now have access to the Word of God. Armed with the Muśhü Limalicuy (New Testament), Quechua followers of Jesus will inspire Wanca speakers everywhere to pick up their very own Bible, to “be faithful to its design and follow” its Author into everlasting life.
Some days my mind is a battlefield. I am embroiled in a personal Armageddon where the Word of God collides with my sense of reality. Old and decaying bodies of thought litter my mental landscape like the rotting corpses in Ezekiel’s vision. On days like that, I need my brain “cleansed.”
“After seven months, teams of men will be appointed to search the land for skeletons to bury, so the land will be made clean again. Whenever bones are found, a marker will be set up so the burial crews will take them to be buried… And so the land will finally be cleansed,” (Ezekiel 39.14-16 NLT).
These prophetic verses inspire me to take action. I will ask Jesus to dispatch angelic “burial crews” charged with the task of disposing the decomposing remains of ugly thoughts. “Whenever bones [of unhelpful patterns of thinking] are found,” I will set up “a marker” so they may “be buried” and my mind may “be cleansed.”Some memories, images, and notions need to be buried and forgotten so I can make space for the good thoughts of God.
“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).
“For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown,” (Ezekiel 36.9 NASU).
In truth, God has been ‘for me’ for a long time. He has ‘turned to me’ many, many times in the past. I have been “cultivated and sown” by the Lord for years. I am blessed for a reason. It isn’t magic nor is it fate; it’s not an accident. I have a reason to be grateful and to express my thanksgiving. There is Divine intentionality behind the events I benefit from. I am blessed because God makes and keeps His promises. Jesus has “cultivated and sown” my family, my home, my finances, my career, and my ministry. All that is good is good for a reason. God did that. The magic wind of fate did not happen to blow in my favor. I didn’t get lucky. The Lord planned it and made it happen.
I must never allow the fact of God’s providential care escape my notice.
The Jews living in Jerusalem during the time of Ezekiel faced opposition from an enemy intent on destroying Jewish culture and possessing the land of Israel. Those who survived deportation were barely able to withstand the assault of Babylon and tried to encourage themselves with motivational pep talks...
“Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land, but we are many; surely the land has been given to us for a possession,” (Ezekiel 33.24-26 NET).
The rationale went like this: “There are no secrets of success here. If Abraham could do it, so can we.” However, Israel’s inhabitants failed to correctly discern what they saw in the mirror. No matter what they said to the contrary, the nation was anything but “successful, powerful, handsome, happy.” It takes more than saying the right kind of things. It takes beingthe right kind of person. Circumstances, even negative ones, may be God-ordained to help us become that person.
This podcast is an overview of week 48 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Ezekiel 33 – 48; 2nd John; 3rd John, Jude, Revelation 1 - 2.
“The strong among the mighty ones shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol, ‘They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword,’” (Ezekiel 32.21 NAS).
When our youngest child was a baby, she exhibited involuntary tongue tremors. Our family doctor sent us to a specialist who said these tremors were known as “fasciculations” and diagnosed Rachel with SMA (spinal muscular atrophy).[1] We were told she would soon be unable to lift her head or even swallow. She would eat by use of feeding tubes and, if we were lucky, she could live to her early teens. Her mother and I were crushed. We wept and prayed hard. So did many others.
After three months of learning to accept our baby’s condition, we obtained an appointment with a nationally recognized authority on SMA who was visiting the Pacific Northwest. He quickly analyzed her tongue and reversed the earlier diagnosis with words I shall never forget: “I’m not sure what it is, but its not SMA.” My wife and I wept again, hard.
Today, at nineteen, Rachel is a whirlwind of activity. She’s always on the go. Her every moving part is in constant locomotion. The tremor disappeared long ago and her tongue works well and often. Rachel has talked unceasingly for nearly two decades. If no one was listening, when she was a little girl, Rachel would speak to herself or the dogs and cats or her stuffed animals.
I LOVE this girl! She is just like her mother (whom I adored before she went to be with Jesus.)
“Worldly fame” is nothing without Christ and His Word. A man who gets a jolt out of “acting like a god” will eventually fall from his “self-made pedestal.” God promises to “puncture the balloon of [his] god-pretensions.”
“Therefore, God, the Master, says: ‘Because you’re acting like a god, pretending to be a god, I’m giving fair warning: I’m bringing strangers down on you, the most vicious of all nations. They’ll pull their swords and make hash of your reputation for knowing it all. They’ll puncture the balloon of your god-pretensions. They’ll bring you down from your self-made pedestal and bury you in the deep blue sea.’ ‘Your beauty went to your head. You corrupted wisdom by using it to get worldly fame,’” (Ezekiel 28.6-8, 17).
“Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put were warriors in your navy and hung their shields and helmets on your sides. They made you look beautiful. Men of Arvad and Cilicia guarded your city walls all around. Men of Gammad were in your watchtowers and hung their shields around your walls. They made your beauty perfect,” (Ezekiel 27.10-11 NCV).
I am somewhat self-conscious, and therefore conscientious, about my appearance. I try to make myself “look beautiful” to others. I decorate the walls of my soul with “shields and helmets” of past success, which I recall often and display readily. Today’s reading in Ezekiel prompts me to get real and stay grounded. Stripped of the makeup of past accomplishments, I probably appear very plain. Yet, that’s how God made me; that’s how He sees me and that’s how He loves me... naked, plain, unaccomplished, and destined to become the dirt from which I came, and yet mysteriously, live for eternity with Him.
Hardship has a way of making us better people with a more impactful message, if we care enough to accept it. There is little doubt that the loss of my wife years ago has made me a better man. In truth, I would gladly trade any shred of personal character development created by the dark pit of grief to have my wife back. However, I do not have that choice, so I must make the best of the life God has given me.
Something similar happened to the prophet Ezekiel about 2,500 years ago:
“Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure... So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died,” (Ezekiel 24.16-18 NLT).
Your gamut of experiences shape your message to the world. It could be said, "You are your message." Isn't that exactly what Paul tried to convey in 2nd Corinthians 3.2-3? “Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it...”
I am living proof of Ezekiel 2.9. “I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.” How do I KNOW God is real? I know because He delivered me. You could say I am Ebenezer Scrooge... I woke up from a very bad dream and Jesus gave me a second chance at life.
If you wish to read "My Story," you can find it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3a0ZG3o0VuEVFJ6eWVlUkx2cVU/view?resourcekey=0-Cz7OY4Z-5QFokDPoiYUtjg.
This podcast is an overview of week 47 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Ezekiel 20 – 32; 1st John 1 - 5.
It’s better to be blessed than good. I can only be so good. There’s a ceiling on my goodness. No matter how hard I try to learn, practice, and apply myself, I only achieve a level of personal and professional goodness that falls within the limits of my God-given capacity. I need something more.
A blessing is unearned. It supersedes my abilities and picks up where my best leaves off. God’s blessing is a gift. He chooses to bless me for no reason other than… He loves me and chooses to bless me. I could never be good enough to deserve His freely bestowed favor. That’s what makes it a blessing. It’s the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It’s there and it’s free. I just have to find it, as Ezekiel the prophet commanded: “Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit,” (Ezekiel 18.31 NLT).
Have you ever slammed a door after an argument? I have.
Did you ever say something you regretted? Me too.
Has your thought life ever offended God? Mine has.
Ever break a promise to your kids? Guilty!
Have you procrastinated when you should have taken action? Yes.
Did you use your time very unwisely on more than one occasion? Of course I have.
What do all these behaviors have in common? Each one produces inner turmoil. The “languishing” heart is God’s gift to sinners.
“How languishing is your heart,” declares the Lord God, “while you do all these things, the actions of a bold-faced harlot,” (Ezekiel 16.30 NAS).
Whenever I make a wrong choice, my insides ‘droop’ with despair. I suffer with a “languishing… heart.” The biblical solution for this spiritual condition is called repentance. Repentance, of course, requires humility, something I’m not fully familiar with. Yet humility is the path of healing for the “languishing… heart.”It’s the path Jesus embarked upon when He “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”(Philippians 2.8). It’s the path He chooses for you and me.
When the “wall” of my existence, defined by a lifetime of decisions, comes to an end and all my personal “whitewash” rubs off and the ‘plaster’ of my frail body crumbles to dust and when I “fall to the ground” and my “foundation is laid bare” before Jesus, what will He see?
“So I shall tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am the Lord,” (Ezekiel 13.14 NAS).
I would be mortified if others knew exactly what I was thinking. If the images of my mind were projected on the wide-screen for all to see, I would be more than just a little embarrassed. If I imagine myself as an ancient city, the wall around the city is what I project to the outside world. I welcome friends through the proper gate into the town square where I present entertaining shows and engage in inspirational conversation. Only trusted friends receive an invitation to my personal residence where they may observe how I actually live.
There is a room in my imaginary home no one is invited to enter. I call it the “dark” room and I try never to go in there myself. In this “chamber of… idolatrous images” hangs pictures of lust and greed. It is decorated with idols of jealousy and selfish ambition. People I despise are imprisoned there. I am ashamed of this room and tightly lock the door. Though it beckons me relentlessly, I try to forget its existence. I’m afraid of this room. It’s very dark in there.
Reminds me of Ezekiel 8.7-10a, 12... “He said to me, ‘Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images?
Ezekiel 2.1 NIV
“Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.”
Over the next three weeks I will read the book of Ezekiel and, Lord willing, publish fifteen podcasts from its forty-eight chapters. I hope to discover the personality of the man behind the book, who at about the age of twenty-five, was forcibly uprooted from his home in Palestine and exiled to Babylon along with ten thousand other Jewish captives approximately six hundred years before the birth of Christ. His prophetic calling began five years later and was characterized by apocalyptic visions and powerful images of God’s glory.
Ezekiel related well to the common man. He found himself in the exactly same circumstance as his Hebrew brothers and sisters. He may be called the ‘blue collar’ prophet or even the prophet of the Babylonian captivity. It could be said that Ezekiel became his message in his willingness to suffer for its cause.
This podcast is an overview of week 46 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Ezekiel 1 – 19; 1st Peter 4 – 5; 2nd Peter 1 - 3.
Lamentations 4.17 NET
“Our eyes continually failed us as we looked in vain for help. From our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us.”
Have “our eyes continually failed us?” We climbed to the top of “our watchtowers [and] we watched.” From our high perch we thought we could see farther and discover more. Somewhere out there was a solution to our troubles. But what we found “could not rescue us.” Did “our eyes” fail us? No. Our eyes were fine. We were just looking in all the wrong places.
To see farther, I must go higher. Like the short man Zaccheus who wished to see Jesus (Luke 19.3), I might climb a tree for a better view. The Jews built taller watchtowers to expand their vision of the horizon. From Seattle’s Space Needle observation deck, Queen Anne Hill and Lake Union unfold before me. If I were an astronaut, my perspective would expand to the entire world. But my vision would be pointless if, like country star Waylon Jennings admitted, “I was looking for love [or help] in all the wrong places”.
When you travel in England by way of the London Underground, you will hear pre-recorded warnings to “Mind the Gap” over the loudspeakers. Notice is posted on the trains and terminal walls. Travelers are cautioned to take care when stepping over the sometimes significant gap between train door and station platform. You must watch your step and “mind the gap” each time you board or exit. You might even assist a child, the elderly, or a person with handicaps or large sacks of groceries to “mind the gap.”
God calls you to “mind the gap” on behalf people who need help. He’s on the lookout for men and women who will manage the gap for others, but there are few candidates as Ezekiel pointed out…
“I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one,” (Ezekiel 22.30 NLT).
“Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him for the life of your little ones,” (Lamentations 2.19 NAS).
Contrary to what you may have told your kids, monsters are real. They’re big and scary with sharp teeth ready to crush and devour you.
Speaking for exiled Jews 2,600 years ago, Jeremiah the prophet acknowledged, “Nebuchadrez’zar… swallowed me like a monster,” (Jeremiah 51.34 RSV). Satan is a ravenous “monster” eager to chew you up and gobble you down. As the apostle Peter cautioned, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1st Peter 5.8). Don’t be his next meal!
Sometimes I think I am more aware of my sin than God is. I can easily dredge up old memories of past failures and willful offenses. I am conscious of my imperfections but apparently God is less so. He cannot even remember the sins He forgives…
“I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more,” (Jeremiah 31.34 NAS).
“In those days and at that time” — God’s Decree — “they’ll look high and low for a sign of Israel’s guilt — nothing; Search nook and cranny for a trace of Judah’s sin — nothing. These people that I’ve saved will start out with a clean slate,” (Jeremiah 50.20 The Message).
Hazor was an easy target as described in Jeremiah 49.30-31. It was considered a “wealthy [Bedouin] nation that dwells securely.” Hazor’s villages of tents had “neither gates nor bars” and inhabitants kept to themselves, living “alone” in the desert areas of upper Canaan. Hazor was easy pickings for the mighty Babylonian army for three critical reasons... complacency, defenselessness, and isolation.
This podcast is an overview of week 45 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Jeremiah 49 – 52; Lamentations 1 – 5; James 4 – 5; 1st Peter 1 – 3.
Occasionally, “the Lord’s work” may require that I disagree with a friend, give unwelcome advice, or discipline a child. If harmony is the highest goal, then I diminish “the Lord’s work” in the name of peace.Resolution is always the goal, so I must be loving, tactful, and gracious, while remaining resolved to face critical issues at any cost. Nothing good comes from hiding my head in the sand. I must use finesse, but still make the point.
“Cursed be the one who does the Lord’s work negligently, and cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood,” (Jeremiah 48.10 NAS).
“The Lord’s work” may sometimes require a little conflict. I must be ready to engage in the battle or accept the cursed consequence of conducting His work “negligently.”
The literal rendition of the term “hands will hang limp” in Jeremiah 47.3 is “sinking of hands.” It is a Hebrew idiom, a figure of speech meaning “helpless terror.” “Fathers will not turn to help their children.”They are unable to perform with limp hands and a timid spirit. A child needs a father’s strong hands of love, support, and discipline. A fearful man, with “sinking hands” is no good to his family or himself. He must be bold and take strong action when strong action is required.
Is the grass greener on the other side of the fence? According to Ed Weller of Software Technology Transition, “While the grass may be greener, often it’s AstroTurf ®, and all you get is rug burn.” Like many business consultants, Mr. Weller believes that searching for greener pastures is a waste of energy. “You just need to learn how to… create an environment that will harbor your ideas” and thus make your own brown grass a little greener.
This advice on the 'Greener Grass Syndrome' reminds me of Jeremiah 42.13-14 in The Message version of the Bible:
“But do not say, ‘We’re not staying around this place,’ refusing to obey the command of your God and saying instead, ‘No! We’re off to Egypt, where things are peaceful — no wars, no attacking armies, plenty of food. We’re going to live there.’”
While you and I are at our cushy jobs, Carlos Barrios is at work performing what is arguably the worst occupation on earth. He’ll be submerged in a disgusting brew of garbage, toxic waste, bacteria, human excrement, dead animals, and even the occasional rotting corpse of a forgotten murder victim. Carlos is a Sewer Diver in one of the world’s largest and most polluted metropolises… Mexico City. His job is to clear blockages in sewer lines to ensure contaminated waters do not back up into city streets, subway tunnels, or people’s homes. Carlos is an expert at his job. He even likes what he does.
“Don’t fool yourself into thinking that the Babylonians [your oppressive problems] are gone for good. They aren’t!” (Jeremiah 37.9-10 NLT).
When a problem gets out of hand, it may be time to send in heaven’s Sewer Diver. There’s an obstruction and it needs removing. Jesus is an expert at that and He likes His job.
For actual film footage of Carlos Barrios at work in the bowels of Mexico City check out this nearly un-watchable video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlRjbV-rT-E.
Jeremiah 32.36, 41 ESV
“Now therefore, thus says the Lord,… ‘I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.’”
Have you ever fully committed yourself to a project, being single-minded and totally focused on the goal? You blanked out the pain, rolled up your sleeves, and got to work. When the job was done, you wiped your brow and thought with satisfaction, “It’s amazing what I can accomplish if I just get after it;” that is, “with all my heart and all my soul”.
This podcast is an overview of week 44 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Jeremiah 32 – 48; Hebrews 12 – 13; James 1 - 3.
I recently woke up to a beautiful full moon in a black morning sky. Our family room, normally dark at that early hour during this time of year, was evenly lit by “the moon and the stars for light by night,” (Jeremiah 31.35).
I was struck by the thought of God’s power. If the Creator blinked and abolished the sun, we would cease to exist in a nanosecond. Our existence depends entirely on God’s power to create “the fixed order” and His love to maintain it.
“If the fixed order departs from before Me,” declared the Lord, “then the offspring of Israel also shall cease from being…” (Jeremiah 31.35-36 NASB).
God commanded the prophet, “Say everything I tell you to say to them. Don’t hold anything back. Just maybe they’ll listen and turn back from their bad lives,” (Jeremiah 26.2-3, 8, 12 The Message).
God is an optimist. His vision of the future is unlimited. If He has reason to be optimistic, then so do I, no matter what the circumstance. Do things always appear perfectly bright and cheery? No. But God sees the future differently. There is, apparently, a redemptive purpose behind every horrific event. He has proven to be a God who deeply loves the people He made. He is a God of second (and third, fourth, ad infinitum) chances. He has given me more second chances than I can count or deserve.
Be careful who you admire. You can misplace your trust and mis-spend your loyalty. The Lord has even “found their wickedness” in the church of Jesus Christ. Degrees, certificates, ordinations, diplomas, credentials, permits, endorsements, licenses, or other official imprimaturs do not necessarily qualify a man or a woman to speak for the Lord or his people. Even widespread public acclaim does not always equate to Divine approval.
The prophet warned, “Their course of life is evil, And their might is not right. For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness,” (Jeremiah 23.10b-11 NKJV).
Jeremiah 22.24 NLT
“As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “…if you were the signet ring on my right hand…”
Then what?
Jeremiah 18.11-12 NIV
“But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”
In George Lucas’ classic Star Wars episode VI, Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker is determined to rekindle the spirit of the Jedi within his father Darth Vader. But Darth, believing he could never return from his hopeless fate, conspired with the evil Emperor to turn young Luke to the dark side. In the ultimate showdown, Darth Vader saves his own soul and Luke Skywalker’s life by repenting in his final moment. It was never too late for Darth Vader.
Trust Christ. It’s not too late for you. It’s never “hopeless.”
This podcast is an overview of week 43 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Jeremiah 17 – 31; Hebrews 7 – 11.
It’s better to be caring than clever. I don’t have to be a masked hero. I just need to take out the “Dave part,” then thoughtfully and lovingly convey God’s message as I understand it.
“And if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman,” (Jeremiah 15.19b NAS).
As a child, my mother would remind me, “Be home before it gets dark.” It was not hard to comply with her mandate, if I wanted to. I didn’t need a watch or a sundial. I just kept my eyes open. The day grew dim. Dusk reminded me of mom’s expectation and I made my way home before dark. If I waited too long and got lost in the night, I might never come home. I could be hit by a car, lost in the woods, or snatched by a stranger. I was as dense as most boys my age, but this one thing I well understood… I should not make my mother cry. I could endure My dad’s wrath, but not my mother’s tears.
Mom was the prophet Jeremiah to me:
“Give glory to the Lord your God before He causes darkness, and before your feet stumble 0n the dark mountains, and while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it dense darkness.
But if you will not hear it, My soul will weep in secret for your pride; My eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive,” (Jeremiah 13.16-17 NKJV).
Jeremiah 10.8 NAS
“But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion — their idol is wood!”
Jeremiah is not a dusty book buried in a forgotten Bible. The spirit of Jeremiah is alive. He transcends time, pierces my heart, and delivers a directive... challenge your phantom reality. Don’t be a fool. If your “idol is wood,” burn it.
I don’t know how to heal the wounded. I can’t even heal my own woundedness. But I know Someone who can. He’s a real doctor, a physician who refuses to treat my “brokenness superficially claiming: Peace, peace,” when there is none (Jeremiah 6.14). He’s the Great Physician and I need Him.
“It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance,” (Jesus, Luke 5.31-32 NAS).
Jesus came for people like me.
Jeremiah 4.25-26
“I looked, and all the people were gone. All the birds of the sky had flown away. I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness.”
Only those who have lost something very precious can take comfort in Christ’s words...
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5. 4
This podcast is an overview of week 41 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Jeremiah 3 – 16; Hebrews 2 – 6.
Jeremiah 2.5-6 CJB
“Here is what Adonai says: ‘What did your ancestors find wrong with me to make them go so far away from me, to make them go after nothings and become themselves nothings?’”
I am not nothing. Nor am I good for nothing. I’m better than nothing, much better. The Bible says I am something. I have significance by virtue of God’s design for me which He had in mind long before I was conceived. Of me He says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you," (Jeremiah 1.5a NAS).
Isaiah 65.2-3a, 5a KJV
“I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face;...
Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.”
I’ve always wondered where the term “holier than thou” came from. Now I know. It’s found in the King James Version of Isaiah 65.5. There, in bold-faced print, are the words unbelievers have quoted for centuries in their critical assessment of high-minded church folks who seem “Holier than thou.”
On this point, the pagans have it right. They and God agree. Self-righteous Christians offend both God and everyone else. The church should be the one place in the world free of the cliques that plague and vertically divide society.
Of all the blessings He bestows, the gift of children is the best. The Lord compares children to arrows and commends the man “whose quiver is full of them” (Psalm 127.5). The only thing better than having and raising kids is watching them succeed. When Isaiah 61.9 becomes true for me, I might as well die and go to heaven. It could never get better than this...
“Their descendants will be known throughout the earth, and everyone will know their children. Whoever sees them will know that the Lord has blessed them,” (Isaiah 61.9 ERV).
Isaiah 57.14 NIV
“Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
I can easily become an obstacle to progress and should occasionally remove myself from the process. When I am the impediment, I must find the humility to admit this truth and step aside. Sometimes I can best “prepare the road” and “remove the obstacles” by getting myself out of the way.
Jesus relates to everybody, not only those who look dumb or feel ashamed after saying something embarrassing, but also those whose physical appearance would astonish you… burn victims, deformed people with facial disfigurements, the scarred, ugly, and overweight, folks with disabilities, hunchbacks, the elderly, the overly freckled, pimpled, blemished, or birth-marked, the disproportioned, and anyone who avoids a mirror at all costs.
However horrible we think we appear, at some point in His life, Jesus looked worse, as we learn from Isaiah 52.14 NAS:
“His appearance was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men.”
This podcast is an overview of week 41 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Isaiah 51 – 66; Jeremiah 1 – 2; Titus 1 – 3; Philemon; Hebrews 1.
Isaiah 50.4
“The Sovereign Lord has taught me what to say, so that I can strengthen the weary.
Every morning he makes me eager to hear what he is going to teach me.”
This past Wednesday was my birthday. I turned sixty-nine years old in forty-eight hours ago. At my age, birthday parties are no big deal but they serve as a wonderful excuse to gather together with the people I love the most.
My re-birthday, however, is a very big deal. I was born again in August, 1971. That makes me fifty years old in Christ! I celebrate the reality which is still true for me today, five decades later...
“Every morning he makes me eager to hear what he is going to teach me.”
God called Cyrus of Persia, a pagan king, to set the Jews free from Babylonian captivity. The prophet Isaiah referred to him as “The man of My purpose from a far country,” (Isaiah 46.11). Who is your Cyrus? Do you recognize the individual called by God to do or say something helpful in your life? He or she may be the last person you would expect help from. Yet, their wisdom is undeniable and their words are timely. They bring deliverance to you in a time of crisis. This is your Persian king redeemer.
I re-read Isaiah 43.18-19 this morning and smiled as I thought of old prophet Dick Mills. Forty years ago, this great man prophesied over me with words from Isaiah. I’ve made many transitions since that time, some of them difficult, but I always knew God would “do something new.” I did not need to “ponder things of the past.” I could always hold my head high and walk confidently on “a roadway in the wilderness” and drink life-giving water from “rivers in the desert.”
Thank you Jesus, and thank you Dick.
Paul commanded his young disciple Timothy “to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you” (2nd Timothy 1.6 NIV) and he reminded his followers in Corinth, “your zeal hath stirred up very many” (2nd Corinthians 9.2 ASV). Obviously, zeal is contagious. So is apathy. A lethargic, indifferent, or lackluster attitude will turn anyone off to whatever I offer. That’s why zeal is so crucial.
“The Lord will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies,” (Isaiah 42.13 NIV).
Isaiah 37.32 NIV
“For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
Have you ‘hit the wall’ more than once? Hit it again and break through to achieve Jesus’ plan for your life. Trust His word... “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
This podcast is an overview of week 40 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Isaiah 37 – 50; 1st Timothy 6; 2nd Timothy 1 - 4.
In our wind-tossed, temporary, and unpredictable existence, it’s comforting to know our permanent heavenly residence will be “a peaceful settlement, a tent that stays put,”an eternal campsite. The stakes of our shelter “will never be pulled up” and “none of its ropes will snap in two,” (Isaiah 33.20).
We will have lasting peace, secure under the watchful eye of our capable Wilderness Guide Jesus camped along the “river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming down from the throne of God” (Revelation 22.1).
Isaiah 29.11-12 NKJV
“The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, ‘Read this, please.’ And he says, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’
Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, ‘Read this, please.’ And he says, ‘I am not literate.’”
Everyone had an excuse. The literate could not crack the Book because the Book was “sealed.” Others could not read Isaiah’s vision because they were “not literate.” Their excuses didn’t work. The illiterate must learn to read and the literate must break the seal.
Nothing should stop me from fulfilling God’s will for me. The same God who helps the illiterate to read and the literate to break the seal can help me perform His purpose. It will not be easy, but “I can’t” is no excuse.
Isaiah 28.28 NLT
“Grain for bread is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it. He threshes it under the wheels of a cart, but he doesn’t pulverize it.”
The crushing weight of life’s hardships is a painful. Dedicated Jesus followers must prepare to suffer.
Harvested wheat is threshed, or crushed, until the outer crust, called chaff or straw, is torn away. Jesus knows me on the inside. The grain of my essence is apparently valuable to Him. The threshed pile of useless matter called “Dave’s way” is thrown to the sky. The process of ‘winnowing’ separates the grains of wheat from the lighter, worthless straw shell which is blown away by the force of a gentle wind.
The farmer is not yet making flour. At this stage, he works only to separate the grains of wheat from the chaff. The process requires beating or crushing. Ancient farmers strapped oxen to carts with heavy wheels and rolled over the wheat on hard threshing surfaces until the separation was complete. The farmer was careful to crush the shell, but not pulverize the grain.
We are crushed, but not pulverized.
“In that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down,” (Isaiah 22.23-25).
The world is full of wounded people whose trust was violated. They innocently hung garments of desire on the broken pegs of false promises. When the peg came loose, so did their dreams. All that was left were old rags on a dirty floor. How do we find hope and move on?
Isaiah’s message was unusual not because he promised God would send a “Savior and a Champion.” That God would “deliver” was no great surprise to Israel. It was who He would deliver that shocked the prophet’s audience. Isaiah prophesied that enemies like Egypt and Assyria “will return to the Lord, and He will respond to them and heal them” (Isaiah 19.22). How could this be? When Isaiah first uttered these words, Egypt and Assyria were considered historic enemies of Israel. How could God do accept the heathen? Egypt did not deserve the mercy of God.
This podcast is an overview of week 39 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Isaiah 18 – 36; 1st Timothy 1 – 5.
The Bible promotes a system of living that involves some marital absolutes like…
- God hates divorce (see Malachi 2.16)
- Except for sexual infidelity, divorce is not an option (Matthew 19.6, 9)
- Sex outside of marriage is against God’s law (Hebrew 13.4)
- It’s wrong to secretly desire another man’s wife (Exodus 20.17)
- Do not have sex with a person married to another (Luke 18.20)
- Stay away from pornography (Matthew 5.27-28)
- A woman should respect her husband (Ephesians 5.33)
- A man must love his wife and lay his life down for her (Colossians 3.19)
Some counselors appear to know how to kindly listen intently and then say with ease, “Thank you for sharing” or inquire, “How does that make you feel?” It's hard to imagine a modern therapist, pastor, or even a friend taking sides or making a stand with words like these: “That’s just wrong. Stop it.”
The Moabites rightly asked of God, “Give us advice, make a decision...” (Isaiah 16.3). God gave Moses Ten Commandments, not Ten Suggestions. Occasionally, He expects us to remind ourselves of His standards. Offenders need straight talk. Victims need validation and vindication. Shepherds, pastors, Christian counselors or leaders, may even have to “give.. advice” and “make a decision.” When this is called for, anything less is a cop-out.
Isaiah 10.24-25, 27
“My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear Assyria, though he strikes you with a rod and raises his staff over you as the Egyptians did. In just a little while My wrath will be spent and My anger will turn to their destruction."
“On that day his burden will fall from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken…”
Perhaps you are in a relationship with a bully. Like Israel and Assyria, “he strikes you with a rod [of violence] and raises his staff [of intimidation] over you.” You are not alone. Jesus is with you. He was bullied to death and rose from the grave. Jesus can, and sooner or later will, take the bully’s “yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken.”
Bullies can be stopped when their purpose is used up. Until then, become bully-proof by seeking the virtue of Christ from deep inside yourself. Find the humility to suffer a little longer and the courage to stand up to the bully yourself.
You could say... bullies bring out the best in us.
Isaiah 9.6
“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Our Father God loves to play leap frog with us. The message of Jesus is leaping from one generation to the next starting over seven hundred years before His actual birth with Isaiah's proclamation, and continuing a couple of thousand years since. I am touched by the same message God gave Isaiah twenty-seven centuries ago.
My wife, Adonica, was an ardent believer in Jesus. Six years ago, she 'leap frogged' her way into eternity. I miss her but still feel the connection. She was my wife “til death do us part,” but she will be my sister forever. Together with the entire host of heaven and “a great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12.1), Adonica and I are still united in spirit with the intention of expanding the Kingdom of God on earth.
The church of God is strong. The message of “Immanuel... God with us” cannot be stopped. The truth is advancing. Nothing will deter it. Jesus is alive and with us. This reality will leap frog forward for all eternity.
Isaiah 3.24
“Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume
there will be putrefaction;
Instead of a belt,
a rope;
Instead of well-set hair,
a plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes,
a donning of sackcloth;
And branding
instead of beauty. ”
Imagine a beauty pageant. Gorgeous young women dressed and made up to perfection. Immerse the winner in dead, rotting flesh. Yank large patches of hair from her scalp. Cover her in a burlap bag and brand her cheeks with a cattle iron. This horrible, cringe-reflex imagery is Isaiah.
What does the visualization of stinking, bloodied, branded young women have to do with me? I assume this is a graphic symbolization of my life under the influence and control of supernatural forces of darkness who care nothing for my well-being.
Isaiah 1.13, 15 NKJV
“I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.”
Human beings can endure much more than they should.
Not so with God. He has limits. He cannot endure things that don’t go together. The prophet claimed God “cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.” God’s greatest desire is to have a “sacred meeting” with His people. He wants to deeply connect with you and me so He sent Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts...
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him,” (Revelation 3.20).
If God cannot endure things that aren’t supposed to go together, like “iniquity and the sacred meeting,” then neither should I.
This podcast is an overview of week 38 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Isaiah 1 – 17; 1st Thessalonians 4 – 5; 2nd Thessalonians 1 – 3.
The Song of Solomon describes with vivid sensuality and sexual imagery the love between young king Solomon and his exceedingly beautiful Shulammite bride. This “R” rated tale of romance is found near the middle of the Bible... Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. It’s historical poetry depicting two real people unleashed in their passion and love for each other.
But, as is often true with ancient biblical literature, there is more meaning to be found. Hidden behind each one of its 117 verses is a message for you. You are the bride and Jesus is the groom and you may rest securely in His never-ending, unbounded, and limitless love. As “the king is captivated by the tresses” (Song of Solomon 7:5) of his beloved, so Jesus is smitten with you. When He looks at you, His eyes hold the wonder and desire far transcending that of a young man in love. You are the object of Christ’s singular and eternal affection. As far as He’s concerned, there is no other. You’re it and you’re enough.
The miracle is not that you and I are loved to this degree. The miraculous happens when we accept this fact for ourselves. Heaven rejoices when we become confidently aware of the Shulammite’s truth:
“I am my beloved’s, and His desire is for me” (Song of Solomon 7:5, 10).
How does a person choose a good church? Involvement in a church is an important part of spiritual growth. But which one? There are so many to choose from. It’s good to know that Jesus has an answer…
“Tell me, O You whom my heart loves, where do You pasture Your sheep?”
“If you do not know,... simply follow the tracks of My flock” (Song of Solomon 1.7-8).
The text suggests I may ‘Follow those who follow Him.’ If finding a good church eludes me, there is another way. I need only to find good sheep who follow their Shepherd Jesus, and then follow their “tracks” to the church they attend. That should get me to a “pasture” worth grazing in.
Once I am part of a excellent community of faith, I must endeavor to faithfully follow Jesus each day so others who “follow the tracks” I make, may also happily join us.
Ecclesiastes 9.10 NIV
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”
There is nothing worse than a guy without passion for what he does. A lackadaisical approach to work is uninspiring and does nothing to advance one’s station in life. There will be plenty of time to do nothing after you die. Until then make your life count. Your boss, clients, wife, kids, neighbors, church, community, and country are depending on you. Show some fire. Get with the program. Have some zest. Go for the gusto. Risk a little controversy. Stand up for what you believe. Be someone. Be a man or woman of God. Make a difference. Do something… anything!
“Whatever you hand finds to do, do it with all your might”.
The author of Ecclesiastes claimed, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven… a time to search and a time to give up” (Ecclesiastes 3.1, 6). There is a time to quit trying to ‘get’ everything, including the meaning of things you don’t (and probably never will) understand. Perhaps godly people know how to let go of that stuff and relax a little. They’re far too busy enjoying the life the Lord gave them to waste time figuring out its meaning. Too much introspection can kill a guy.
Quite possibly, the true Jesus follower “seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart” (Ecclesiastes 5.20 NIV).
How can a man smart enough to author a chapter in the book of Proverbs call himself-“stupid”? This word is banned in our house. If I slip with my tongue and say the “S” word, my kids instantly pipe up, “You said stupid!” I’m busted! None of the people living in our home may call anyone (including themselves) “stupid.”The word is bad for self-esteem and besides, it doesn’t sound very nice. But there it is in Biblical black-and-white:
“Surely I am more stupid than any man” (Proverbs 30.2-3; 29.19 NKJV).
This podcast is an overview of week 37 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Proverbs 29 – 31; Ecclesiastes 1 – 12; Song of Songs 1 – 8; Colossians 3 – 4; 1st Thessalonians 1 - 3
Evangelism is not the core mission of the church. Its founder did not call followers to make converts. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28.19). Converts fall away. Disciples make more disciples. If leaders in the church want to reach the world, they must concentrate their ministry-wide efforts toward making true disciples. That form of "leadership and authority will be credible and God-honoring," according to Proverbs 25.4-5.
Proverbs 22.4 describes “true humility” as a condition for “riches, honor, and a long life.” I want nothing to do with the self-deprecating false humility that masks insecurity in a relationship with Christ. Nor do I want to pretend I am humble when clearly, I still am not. I long for the real thing, the genuine article. I hope to fully clothe myself in the “true humility” of Christ so that I may enjoy “riches, honor, and a long life”God has promised.
“A wise man scales the city walls of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust,” (Proverbs 21.22).
Tearing down the strongholds of your rigid theories and prized positions may be the toughest battle you’ll ever fight. Go there with Jesus. ‘Scale the city walls of your mighty’ points of view. ‘Bring down the strongholds’ of your precious dogma. Tip over a few of your favorite sacred cows.
I may not be the master of my destiny but I can help create it. I am obligated to make “plans” and get myself headed in the right direction. The Lord expects me to think ahead, be strategic, and set and meet goals. “The mind of man plans his way,” (Proverbs 16.9).
As much as I hate the chaos almost always associated with real work, I must be productive. My family depends on it. Today, I am enjoying a labor-free Labor Day. But tomorrow, I must jump back into my productive chaos. Check out Proverbs 14.4... “An empty stable stays clean – but there is no income from an empty stable.”
This podcast is an overview of week 36 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Proverbs 12 – 28; Philippians 2 – 4; Colossians 1 - 2.
According to the Bible, “He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,” (Proverbs 11.19a).I will remain as “steadfast” as a pit bull to this truth… Jesus spilled His blood for my sins. He is my ticket to heaven. If I am righteous, I am so because He is. I am only righteous if He made me that way. I am righteous because He said so. I am righteous by faith in Him, not of my own accord or by my own doing. My “righteousness” is not about me. It’s all about Him!
This is a truth I must clamp my jaws on and never let go of.
Proverbs 5.8-10
“Keep your way far from her. Don't go near the door of her house.
Otherwise, you will give up your vitality to others...”
Jesus is the only person who can receive the full brunt of my passion, hostility, anger, gossip, hurt, unpleasant opinions, and deepest negative emotions. He’s got the biggest heart and the broadest shoulders of anyone in the whole universe. He’s the reason prayer, even those containing words I am not proud of, is so effective. He can hear what I have to say without flinching. Jesus is utterly shock-proof. I cannot surprise or offend Him by telling it exactly like it is, or should I say, like I think it is.
Do you find these words from Proverbs 4.7 somewhat circular or even contradictory, as I do? "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom." Huh? Apparently, in its own counter-intuitive way, wisdom, like all forms of learning, is the reward you get for sincerely trying to find it.
Psalm 147.10-11
“He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness.”
There are times when everything that can be done has been done and no amount of additional effort will matter. My “horse” and my “legs” will carry me so far, but no further. I come to the end of myself and have no other option but to remain still and hope that “the Lord favors” me; and, “…having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6.13). Sometimes I just have to be still and stand still.
A multitude of pressures routinely come to bear on me… fear, stress, worry, boredom, unforgiveness, apathy, temptation, bitterness, selfishness, anxiety, judgmental-ism, exhaustion, pettiness, impatience, anger, greed, prejudice, self-indulgence, entitlement, etc., etc. As I descend the murky depths of life, these pressures often seem too much to bear. I cry out to Jesus and He fills me with a supernatural force of boldness that is amazingly and exactly equal to the external pressure I am facing. He pours “strength in my soul” and I am spiritually equalized.
*“In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.”*
Psalm 138.3
This podcast is an overview of week 34 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 135 - 150; Proverbs 1 – 11; Ephesians 3 – 6; Philippians 1.
Psalm 127.3-5 states, “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them...”
There is no virtue or lasting spiritual benefit from the simple act of procreation. Virtually anyone past the age of puberty can make love and make babies. That’s not hard to do. There are plenty of emotionally deadbeat moms and dads who do not qualify for God’s promise of parental blessing even if their “quiver is full” of kids. Having children is one thing. Raising “them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6.4) is quite another.
According to Psalm 119.160, “The sum of Your word is truth.” What does that mean?
The concept of "truth" has always been the subject of debate and study among those who search for deeper meaning. Humankind has preoccupied itself with the pursuit of truth for millenniums, long before early Greek philosophers sat at city gates pondering the subject. In his parting remark to Jesus on the eve of His crucifixion, Pontius Pilate posed the question of the ages: “What is truth?” (John 18.38).
The Psalmist knew he had a job to accomplish before he died: “I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done. The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die,” (Psalm 118.17-18). You too have a job complete before your life's end so... be encouraged. Your Father takes care of the birds and the bees, and you and me. You are never alone...
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13.5 NIV
“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28.20 NASU
I once suffered through a turbulent flight during a Level IV storm. Like the seafarers of twenty-five hundred years ago, I watched God raise “the windy storm.” My ‘soul melted’ and I ‘cried out to the Lord.’ Thankfully, He ‘calmed the storms’ that raged in the sky and in my heart. He stilled the gale and I was “glad” when the winds became “quiet.” God successfully ‘brought me out of my distress’ and safely home again. Jesus loves all travelers and “guides them to their desired haven,” (Psalm 107.25, 26c, 28-30).
A covenant is a promise made on the strength of the covenant-maker’s word. A covenant is only as strong as the character of the one who made it. A promise is only as good as the one who gave it.
My father used to say, “A man is only as good as his word.” God has never forgotten His covenant to love and deliver His people. He has always kept His promises, and He is certainly “as good as His word.”
“He remembers His covenant forever,” (Psalm 105.8).
This podcast is an overview of week 34 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 105 - 134; Galatians 4 – 6; Ephesians 1 - 2.
King David once said, “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil,” (Psalm 101.3-4).
I am confronted with a variety of "worthless" opportunities almost every day... conversations guaranteed to go nowhere, business opportunities sounding 'too good to be true,' so-called friends who want to 'invest' my money or waste my time, relationships I instinctively know will lead to sin, most political discussions, almost every television show, a provocative trail of web links and click-bait, one more Oreo cookie, and a whole host of other distractions.
Some of these relationships and activities seem harmless enough... at first. But experience tells me many are homes for creepy things that will “fasten their grip on me.” I must exercise wisdom and avoid them at all costs.
I love the mystery of the “inconceivable” nature of God. He is “the Rock of our salvation,” (Psalm 95.1). He is both irresistible and immovable. Within Himself is contained the power of the unanswerable. He imagined and caused to happen many “inconceivable events” like the Creation of the world from nothingness, the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Incarnation of the God-Man Jesus, and the Resurrection of the crucified Christ. None of these events are plausible, fully imaginable, or humanly possible. However, “the things that are impossible with people are possible with God” (Luke 18.27).
Are you “reluctant” to step into a leadership role? If so, you’re not alone; but if you are called to lead, then lead and lead well. Ask God to bestow His “favor” upon you and “confirm the work of [your] hands.” When He does, you will know you’re on the right leadership track.
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands,” (Psalm 90.17).
Crashing through the steady roar of yesterday’s voices comes another one, “an unfamiliar voice,” a voice almost unrecognizable by its nearly unbelievable claim…
“I heard an unfamiliar voice say, ‘I took the burdens off your backs; I let you put down your loads of bricks.’”
Psalm 81.5c (CJB), 6 (TEV)
Psalm 78 tells of abundant provision from the hand of God:
“Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat,” (vv23-25).
God’s provision is as much a matter of faith as it is a matter of fact. I have never unwillingly missed a meal. It would be safe to say that God commanded “the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens” and “rained down manna” for me to eat each and every day of my entire life. He has literally sent my loved ones and me “all the food they could eat” just like the Bible promised. So why do I still worry about God’s provision?
This podcast is an overview of week 33 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 77 – 104; 2nd Corinthians 12 – 13; Galatians 1 – 3.
It is not always easy to tell the truth. Truth-telling can be “painful” and hazardous to one’s sense of well-being. But still, it’s the truth. If you cave and say something different than truth, avoid telling important elements of the truth, or find creative ways to ‘spin’ the truth, you’ve “betrayed” those who are depending on your integrity.
“If I had said, ‘I will speak thus;’
Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
Psalm 73.15-17
Psalm 71.9, 18-19a “The Message”
“But don’t turn me out to pasture when I’m old or put me on the shelf when I can’t pull my weight.”
When we think about our own mortality, most of us become just a little apprehensive. We have no problem going to heaven sooner than later. we just don’t want to go there before we finish what we’ve been placed on earth to do.
We are not deluded. We are generally aware that can accomplish no lasting good in our own power. The time of our departures and even the impact of our lives are solely in the hands of God, not our own. However, we can become dull to the opportunities and diminish our own influence by becoming complacent or apathetic.
I want my life to count. I hope for significance and to leave this world a better place than I found it.
Like the earth, I look good (smooth, beautiful, etc.) from a distance. Up close, you are sure to discover bumpy spots, areas difficult to navigate, some dangerous places, and maybe even features that may cause you to wonder, “What was God thinking?”
Thankfully Jesus routinely visits me to ‘smooth out my rough spots,’ ‘soften my hard edges,’ and ‘bless my growth.’
“You visit the earth...
You settle its ridges,
You soften it with showers,
You bless its growth.”
Psalm 65.9-10
“I will awaken the dawn,” (Psalm 57.8).I love those words. Nothing compares to morning. It’s the best time of the day. There’s no one (except God) to talk to. It’s quiet and peaceful and the ideal time to refresh your soul.
Perhaps I can “awaken the dawn” throughout the day. Whenever it ‘dawns’ on me to do so, I may talk to Jesus.
God informed Asaph, the author of Psalm 50, “These things you have done and I kept silence; you thought I was just like you” (verse 21).
I used to be into “spirituality.” I gathered elements from a variety of sacred tradition sources and formed a quasi-religious framework upon which I hung my cherished ideals. The system of theology that evolved was a hodgepodge collection of ever-changing notions about the divine nature of Higher Power and His (or Her) participation in human affairs.
When the Lord peered from heaven to observe my jumbled collection of pious thoughts and “spiritual” pursuits, He must have said, “You thought that I was just like you.”
That was then. Something (or should I say Someone) happened. His name is Jesus. I no longer believe God is “just like me.”
This podcast is an overview of week 32 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 47 – 76; 2nd Corinthians 7 - 11.
It's nice to know God is deeply desires you and me. You are the bride of Christ and He's crazy about you. If you don't believe me, read Psalm 45.10-11 in Eugene Peterson's “The Message” version of the Bible!
A great find must be shared. It is not possible to keep it a secret. A child cannot not tell of the best hiding place ever. Nor can a child of God keep their faith a secret. People don’t talk when there’s nothing to talk about. But when there is, they do.
Religion may be a private matter, but a vibrant relationship with Jesus is not. Like a cool new hiding spot or great discovery, life in Christ was meant to be shared.
“I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.”
Psalm 40.9-10
God said, “light”and, by the sheer force of His word, light “came into existence.” He also made it personal by shining the light of His Son “in our hearts.” Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”
(John 8.12 NIV). In a gracious act of loving condescension God sent His Son and said, ‘Let the light of Jesus shine in you and me’ ...and it did!
“He spoke and it was,” (Psalm 33.9).
The Psalmist claimed to be "...forgotten, like a dead man... regarded as worthless, like a broken jar," (Psalm 31.12).
Perhaps that was God's plan all along. Jesus Christ alone defines my internal and eternal essence. He is the “very costly perfume” inside the “alabaster vial” of my being. I carry “this treasure in [an] earthen vessel” (2nd Corinthians 7.7). My essence is the content of the jar. But my jar must be broken to allow the perfumed oil and its aroma to spill out into the world. Lasting significance comes only through transparency and brokenness.
Imagine young Jesus learning Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) and memorizing large portions of the Hebrew scriptures, including Psalm 22.1, 14, 16b-18: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Jesus must have known this entire psalm by heart and probably called upon it in His time of most dire need… while suffering on the cross. If it were not for the direct encounter with His Father maintained by Jesus through the repetition and meditation of God’s word, perhaps He could not have “endured the cross, disregarding its shame,”(Hebrews 12.2. )
The Hebrew Scriptures were indispensable in the success of Christ’s mission to save the world.
This podcast is an overview of week 31 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Psalms 21 – 46; 2nd Corinthians 2 - 6.
There is an infinite universe of difference between the Creator and His creation. It is impossible for the creation to make contact with the Creator unless the Creator wills it to be. You and I are His creation and can do nothing to inspire, force, earn, or persuade a Divine-human encounter. That we have even the tiniest hope of making a connection with heaven’s realm is a gift from the Creator... the gift of condescension.
Condescension goes only one way, from the greater to the lesser, from the All-Powerful to the helpless, from the Creator to His creation. True condescension is an incarnational act of love and starts from the top down. God created us and then condescended to our level because He loved His creation. You and I were loved into existence and made in the image of God. HIs “...condescension has made me great,” Psalm 18.35b AMP.
I am frequently haunted by my own high standards. I understand that telling the truth and keeping my promises are crucial to my reputation as a Christian and, while I certainly do not wish to minimize the message of Psalm 15.4 which states, “Keep your word even when it costs you,” there must be a deeper meaning here. I occasionally fail to keep my word for a very legitimate and human reason... I simply forgot about the promise I made. That rarely happens but when it does, I am mortified. I literally hate making excuses, even honest ones.
Perhaps Jesus has a sense of humor. Sometimes I take myself too seriously. Forgetting an appointment, for example, reminds me of a secondary truth as important as keeping my word... nobody’s perfect, including (and especially) me.
According to Psalm 1.2-3, “...his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night... and in whatever he does, he prospers.”
God is a promise-maker and a promise-keeper. He made a promise in the first chapter of Psalms. I’m told I will prosper in “whatever” I do.
The promise is, of course, conditional. The text presumes I “delight in the law of the LORD” and meditate in it “day and night.” I love the scriptures and I think about them frequently throughout my day and evening. Do I qualify for the prosperity God promised? I assume any believer who reads and meditates on God’s Word will be so blessed. There’s nothing magic or hidden in the passage. It’s a simple, fully disclosed, straight-forward, and transparent promise made clear from the pages of a loving Creator’s Holy Book. I accept His gift of prosperity as an act of faith.
Job 39.24-25 NIV “In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.”
‘Kiai’ (pronounced key-eye) is a Japanese compound term combining the oriental word for mind, will, or spirit with the verb ‘to unite.’ It literally means to concentrate your spirit, unite your mind, and focus all your will on the action you are taking. A loud and unique, or sometimes silent but powerful ‘kiai’ (karate scream) often accompanies a well executed kick, punch, strike, or blow. Some say ‘kiai’ is a secret esoteric Samurai fighting skill. Others believe the sound itself is enough to kill small animals and render an opponent helpless.
I am equally intrigued by a similar sound of the horse preparing for war in the above scripture verse from the book of Job. The stallion “cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds... In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground” as he charges the front line of battle. At the blast of a bugle, the animal snorts its primal ‘kiai’ and gathers all its energy for combat.
Opportunities for greatness are thrust upon me when I least want them. I may choose to run from afflictions or embrace them. I might think I’m made of wax, afraid of melting under the heat lamp of troubles and persistent character defects. I probably won’t melt but I certainly will discover the truth about myself.
According to Job, “But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity,” (Job 36.15).
Personal adversity will answer the all-important question for me: “What am I made of?” What I am lovingly called to embrace, the truth I am destined to learn is this: I have what it takes to do what I must!
This podcast is an overview of week 30 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Job 34 – 42; Psalms 1 – 20; 1st Corinthians 13 – 16; 2nd Corinthians 1.
Jesus once warned, “The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.”
The human brain functions like a camera, and our eyes are viewfinders. Once we’ve selected subject matter of interest, we fix our gaze and take a mental snapshot. It’s easy. Just point and shoot. The image makes an impression on our brain and we can pull it up anytime we choose. The photographic capacity of the human mind is amazing. If we direct our eyes toward that which uplifts and benefits us, we capture a cerebral image that will motivate us to achieve God’s best for our lives.
Perhaps this is why the Patriarch Job vowed, “I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl,” Job 31.1.
Most business owners I know are not single-mindedly committed to the pursuit of financial success. The “almighty dollar” is not the God they serve. The majority of people would rather “make a difference” than “make a buck.” Men and women solely committed to the pursuit of money are unhappy human beings. They sold his soul for a cheap replica of personal fulfillment. Check out Job 29.2-6 for an insight into what motivated Job.
Married, born-again, Bible-believing Christians can have great sex and great sex can get even better. Ready for some ‘R-rated’ Bible instruction? Then listen to this podcast based on Job 20.20.
Sometimes you have to talk things out. Other times it’s best to say nothing. Each situation demands a unique response. Poor Job. Neither talk nor silence worked for him. “When I speak up, I feel no better; if I say nothing, that doesn't help either,” Job 16.6.
Job 12.16 reminds me of our human tendency to perpetuate a notion of Jesus who approves of the lifestyle we choose to adopt and wish to maintain. We can easily deafen ourselves to the true voice of Him who once said, “Follow Me.” It’s called “Totemism,” the human temptation to form a conception of God in our own image, and it’s as old as civilization itself.
This podcast is an overview of week 29 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Job 11 – 33; 1st Corinthians 8 – 12.
What we know about Job, is that while he may have wished himself dead, Job did not choose to end his life. He waited patiently for the mercy and compassion of God to alleviate his suffering and, ultimately, that’s exactly what God did.
Nobody ever asked to be born. It was not our choice. The decision to head directly “from womb to tomb” (Job 10.18-22)was never ours to make. In times of suffering, we can only acknowledge our pain, then pray and wait for the mercy and compassion of Jesus. It came for Job. It will come for you and me.
Somewhere around two thousand years before the birth of Christ there lived a very influential man. He was “the greatest of all men of the east” (Job 1.3) and his name was Job. Job was a good man “fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1.1).
Tragedy befell this good man. He lost all his money and possessions. His seven children died in a hurricane. Then he was stricken with “boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2.7). If this was not bad fortune enough, his wife urged Job, “Curse God and die” (Job 2.9). He sat in a pile of ashes scraping the oozing sores of his diseased body with the fragment of a broken clay pot (Job 1.8). Job was a broken man. Yet, according to Job 1.22, “through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”
“I was wrong.” These are undoubtedly the three hardest-to-declare words in the English language. Try them on for size and you’ll see what I mean. Haman would soon learn this lesson in Esther 7.5 - 6, the hard way.
“Then called Esther for Hatach,... and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was,” (Esther 4.5).
The “what” was easy... the Jews would be destroyed. The “why” was not so evident. If Esther could understand why her people faced extinction, maybe she could put a stop to the terrible event.
Leaders necessarily risk offending those who disagree. That’s the price you pay for having an opinion and sharing it. Nehemiah was a great example of a leaders as seen in Nehemiah 13.7-9.
This podcast is an overview of week 28 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Nehemiah 12 – 13; Esther 1 – 10; Job 1 – 10; 1st Corinthians 3 - 7.
Nehemiah 9.26-27a "Your Law... and.. Your Prophets"
We encounter truth in two dimensions. The quiet, hidden and passive dimension is truth that must be sought and discovered. First dimension truth is contained in the Bible and embodied in the person of Jesus Christ who said, “I am... the truth” (John 14.6).
Our second dimension experience of what is true is blatant and demands an immediate attention. It contains the truth (whether you believe it or not) and delivers the truth (whether you want it or not). It’s a fully avoidable, last resort, prophetic truth designed to help us to our knees in humble admission of personal limitations.
In Nehemiah 8.10b, 12, we read, "The joy of the LORD is our strength!" Life tends to beat us up a little. We are (hopefully) a little wiser and (certainly) a little less idealistic. But the joy is still there. It’s deep and abiding. We can trust it. It gives us strength.
In Nehemiah 4.40 it says, “In whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” We are not alone. “God will fight for us.”Sometimes all we have to do is… show up!
Did you ever make a promise to a kid then try to renege? It’s almost impossible. “BUT YOU SAID” he’ll scream. He’s got you. You either fulfill your promise and demonstrate yourself to be a person of honor or… you don’t. The decision is simple but not easy. Becoming known as a liar in the mind of a child is a far worse consequence than simply doing what you said you’d do. This podcast is inspired by Nehemiah 1.8-9.
Ezra the priest made a decision to seek, do, and teach “the Law of the Lord” (see Ezra 7.10). The man was determined. He made up his mind and “prepared his heart.” He was resolved to seek, do and teach the will of God.
This podcast is an overview of week 27 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Ezra 7-10; Nehemiah 1-11; Romans 14-16; 1st Corinthians 1-2.
In Ezra 3.12b-13a we read, “...the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes." Apparently, the new building project wasn't what they remembered or had hoped for. Don't dwell on the past. God has something new and better for you!
Ezra 1.1b-3 inspires me. About 40,000 people believed they could rebuild Solomon’s Temple after seventy years of Babylonian Captivity and... so they did.
Listen to Karl Barth’s century old indictment of complacent church and Josiah’s robe-tearing discovery of “the book of the law in the house of the LORD” in 2nd Chronicles 34.14-16a.
Saint Paul, an ambassador of Jesus Christ, wrote powerfully to the church in Rome... “If God is for us, who can be against us?”(Romans 8.31). These are words you can rely on. For a faith-booster, read 2nd Chronicles 32.7-8.
It is impossible to rightly represent God or act in the best interest of others while angry or “in a rage” for one simple reason; and that is, “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God,” (James 1.20). See also 2nd Chronicles 28.8-9, 11.
This podcast is an overview of week 26 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers 2nd Chronicles 28-36; Ezra 1-6; and Romans 9-13.
I work in “the soil” of people's hearts. A good farmer of souls will get his hands dirty. Am I willing? Do I “love the soil” enough to get dirty and persevere in my decision to serve others? There once was a king who "loved the soil," (see 2nd Chronicles 26.10).
Today I will endeavor to “set the gatekeepers at the gates” of my mind so nothing “unclean should enter.” It may be a struggle. It often is. I must prepare to battle pessimism, resentment, fear, self-pity, entitlement, selfishness, prejudice, and impurity. With His help we can keep our minds whole and filled with joy. See 2nd Chronicles 23.1, 19.
I have short-comings and occasionally miss the mark. Like the skins of an onion, I am becoming more and more cognizant of my depravity one layer at a time. Nevertheless, Jesus speaks reassuringly to my heart, “Even so, there is some good you.” It's wonderful to know that God recognizes the "good" in you and me. Check out 2nd Chronicles 19.2b-3.
Good choices are often hard ones. Good leaders make hard decisions. When a fork appears in the road, take the right path, not necessarily the easy one. Check out 2nd Chronicles 15.16 for a Biblical example of a leader who made a hard and right decision.
You won't always be there for your kids. Consistent recognition of your son or daughter’s small achievements through the years will prepare them to make good decisions for themselves when you’re no longer there to help. Inspiration for this podcast comes from 2nd Chronicles 10.7-9a.
This podcast is an overview of week 25 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers 2nd Chronicles chapters 9-27 and Romans chapters 4-8.
Welcome to Word Traveler, a daily podcast that aims to transform lives by a daily encounter with God through His word. Word Traveler is a Bible reading initiative, and today Dave Scriven introduces the content of his daily podcast which will post Sunday through Friday of each week. He also discusses the devotional practice of "PB&J" (Prayer, Bible, and Journaling).
There are two hundred and sixty (260) weekdays (Monday through Friday) in any given year (52 weeks X 5 weekdays = 260).
Coincidentally, there are also two hundred and sixty (260) chapters in the New Testament. By reading just one chapter of the New Testament every Monday through Friday, starting with Matthew, chapter 1 on the first Monday of the year, you will finish the entire New Testament, concluding with Revelation 22 on the final Friday of that same year!
If you are a little more ambitious, you may wish to read the whole Old Testament in a year on this five day a week reading plan which you can find at www.wordtravler.org. Avid Bible students may wish to accomplish the entire Bible each year by simply reading both Old and New Testament columns in the Word Traveler reading plan.
There is nothing magical about reading the whole Bible in a year. The study of God’s Word should not be viewed as a competition or legal requirement for believers. You don’t HAVE to read the Bible. You GET to. Enjoy your time in the Scriptures. Anticipate an encounter with Jesus.
Very special thanks to the amazing and talented comic book artist, Paul Gulacy, who gave Dave permission to make copies of his print "The Spoken Law" as seen here in the Word Traveler podcast artwork. Thank you Paul!
By the way, feel free to contact Dave anytime at dave@davescriven.com.
Happy Reading!