Day 197

Monday, July 16, 2012

Welcome to Day 197 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Isaiah 25; Isaiah 26; Isaiah 27; Isaiah 28; Hebrews 13 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Chapters 24-27, Israel’s redemption through world judgment. Chapter 25 is a song of thanksgiving!

Isaiah 25:1, “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.”

25:9, “In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.'”

Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.”

9, “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.”

Isaiah 27:2, “In that day—“Sing about a fruitful vineyard: 3 I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. 4

I am not angry.”

Isaiah 28:16, “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone

for a sure foundation;

the one who trusts will never be dismayed.”

Hebrews 13:5, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?””

O bservation

Interesting… the scripture, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” is directly related to contentment and being free from the love of money.

The theme of Jesus being our rock continues… (I touched on this over the past weekend, that we are like “living stones” being built into a spiritual house, 1 Peter 2:4-5.)

A pplication

1 Timothy 6:6 states, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (One of my favorite verses.) Paul passing on his wisdom from personal experience to young Timothy…

Today’s passage from Hebrews echoes that simple-yet-weighty verse, “Be content with what you have…”

Being content with what you have does two things… First, it frees me from trying to keep up with the Joneses. Secondly, it removes a lot of pressure, both socially and financially.

There is nothing wrong with wanting a bigger house or new car, or even clothes with a certain label.

Our first family van was just like this one!

It really comes down to motivation. Why?

We are in the process of selling our house. Just down-sizing… Trying to down-size our mortgage payment. (It’s expensive when you have a family of six!) Now we are officially “empty nesters.” All our kids are grown and have moved out. We just don’t need the home we have…

I have never been much into houses and cars. (I do love my technology, though.)

Bonnie and I lived in a two-room apartment in Manhattan when we were first married. Two rooms, 10 x 14, a kitchen with no cupboards and a nasty bathroom. Oh, and a 35′ hallway… on the 5th floor. (No elevator.)

Then, we moved to the booming metropolis of downtown Eaton, Ohio. My hometown. We lived above a Whirlpool Appliance Center. We had only one car, and I commuted to Dayton every day.

As our family grew, our housing needs grew. I had started a business that was fairly successful, so we were able to purchase our first house after nearly 10 years of marriage. (We had been renting a three bedroom “Cape Cod” in Tipp City, just prior the purchase of our first house.)

I shut down my business in 1996 and went on staff at the Vineyard full time. We sold our house and moved to Beavercreek and purchased our current house… a downsize from our beautiful new home in which we had been living.

But it’s all a matter of perspective… To some, our current house could be their dream house. To others, it’s “just a tri-level.”

It has never much mattered to me where I lived. In college I shared a studio (one room) apartment. Then again in New York. I slept on the floor, on top of three large pillows, with my head propped up by my skateboard!

Contentment has never been much of a struggle for me. Bonnie and I have seen desperate financial times and other times of great financial blessing.

Either way, I have been content.

I have always worked hard, but trusted God every step of the way. We have steadily (for the most part) tithed since the day we were married. At one point, we were able to give an offering of $15,000.00 over and above our tithe. That was fun!

And there were times that when Bonnie did a party and the $55.00 she earned enabled us to put gas in our tanks and food on the table for a few days.

Paul also wrote in Philippians 4:11-12, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances… I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

I’m not saying this is easy. Like most things in the Bible, at times, they are easier said than done.

But again, it comes down to trust. Can I, do I trust in Him. Or do I trust in my own ability, strength, talent, personality, skills? Obviously, those traits can impact our earning potential, along with education and hard work… but one can be poor and just as materialistic, striving to have more.

The issue is never what we have, it always comes down to our heart.

(I know many of you can relate to our story… financial struggle, blessing and God’s faithfulness through it all!)

P rayer

Thank you Lord for providing for me and my family over the years. You are so faithful!

Day 196

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Welcome to Day 196 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Isaiah 22; Isaiah 23; Isaiah 24; Hebrews 12 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Isaiah 22, a prophecy against “the Valley of Vision,” Jerusalem. Interesting it’s stuck in the middle of all the other oracles against foreign nations. Most likely due to it’s association with Babylon and Assyria (or Mesopotamia, parts of modern-day Turkey, Iran and Iraq, basically the area along the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers.)

v 22, “what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”

Isaiah 23, “an oracle of judgment concerning Tyre, concerning commercial systems that do not take God into consideration.” The language is symbolic, not historically specific as some of Isaiah’s other prophecies. RSB Commentary.

Jesus also referred to Tyre (and Sidon) in Matthew 11 when he was speaking out against Bethsaida. Knowing that if he had done the same miracles in Tyre and Sidon that he had done in Bethsaida, those cities would have repented.

It’s never good when God compares your city to a prostitute.

Isaiah 24 (through 26) is often called an “apocalypse.” The prophet holds before sinner and godly the clear teaching that the day of the Lord brings judgment on creation and the fullness of salvation for the saints. God’s plan of redemption includes restoration from exile, the blessings of Christ in the church, and the establishment of God’s kingdom in all nations. Ch. 24 focuses on God’s overthrow of the corrupted earth; ch. 25, on the praise that comes to Him in response. RSB Commentary.

Doesn’t get much gloomier or doomier than Isaiah 24…

Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

O bservation

Throw off everything that hinders… sin that easily entangles… grow weary and lose heart.

Or…

Run the race. Fix our eyes on Jesus… NOT grow weary and lose heart.

A pplication

Because we have this great history, recorded in chapter 11’s “Hall of Faith,” we can look forward (As Mark Long mentioned in his comment to yesterday’s blog) and run this race to win.

(The imagery of running a race is also used in 1 Corinthians and Galatians… doesn’t prove that Paul wrote Hebrews… Many of the others this book’s authorship could be attributed to (Silas, Apollos, Philip, Priscilla, Aquilla, Clement) all most likely would have had access to Paul’s other letters and could have easily picked up on that imagery.)

It’s also worth mentioning that Paul always identified himself in his writings. Timothy is mentioned in chapter 13 as “our brother.” So it was certainly someone close to Paul, who also knew Timothy.

But I digress…

I love this imagery of running a race.

I was a runner back in the day. Not a great runner, but a solid one. I was fourth in the county. (Behind three other guys on my team!)

That whole thing about “endorphins” escaped me. “Runner’s high?” Huh?

I ran to win. Not for fun. Not because it made me feel great. Not for the love of the road.

Our team went to state three years in a row, finishing 7th, 11th and 4th respectively. I loved that.

I ran cross country because I nearly got killed as a tight end and safety in football. (I was 5’4″ and 90 lbs. in the 7th grade.) I played football through 8th grade and then got recruited by the high school coach.

I grew 8″ and added 50 lbs. in two years. By my sophomore year I was 6’/140, wearing 29 x 36 jeans. (Long stride.)

I can so relate to the imagery about running the race to win. I only won one race in my career… when I had to run a JV race, because I was ill the day we ran the trial race to determine the varsity team…

But again, I digress…

Point being, you mention “running the race to win” and I get plugged in.

I also understand pace. Any runner does.

Running is all about pacing oneself… Not burning out too soon. (Especially marathoners who are running 26.2 miles!)

But I can relate that to running my race as a believer, too. I get that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Life is lived one day at a time.

Pace.

And I get the idea of “spurring one another on to love and good works.” If you stop along the way, I can encourage you as I catch up to you, or vice-versa! We encourage one another.

I always enjoyed the road runs… as long as I had a companion to run with me. Otherwise, it was a lonely six miles…

So glad to be running this race with all of you!

P rayer

Lord, strengthen all my brothers and sisters who read this blog… that are also running this race!

Day 195

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Welcome to Day 195 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Isaiah 19; Isaiah 20; Isaiah 21; Hebrews 11 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Isaiah 19, an oracle of judgment against Egypt, symbolic in nature.

19:20b, “When they (Egypt) cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them.”

Isaiah 20, the oracle of judgment against Egypt continued, more historical in nature.

20:3, “Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame.”

Isaiah 21, a prophecy against Babylon, “the desert by the sea.” Also against Edom and Arabia…

Hebrews 11:1, “Now, faith is…”

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” NIV

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” NASB

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” KJV

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” NLT

11:6, “And it is impossible to please God without faith.”

33 “By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.

But…

… others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith…”

O bservation

I like verses 33-35a much more than 35b-38!

A pplication

A while back, I quoted an ad that I had worked on years ago for Huntington Bank. “Wealth, like a good reputation, is more easily made, than kept.”

Relate it to this verse, 39 “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith…”

Seems there is more than one way to earn a good reputation.

By being victorious… and by being humiliated or even killed for what we believe.

I certainly like the victorious path much more! Overthrowing kingdoms, ruling with justice, and receiving what God has promised, shutting the mouths of lions, quenching the flames of fire, escaping death by the edge of the sword. My weakness turned to strength. Becoming strong in battle, putting whole armies to flight!

That’s the good stuff right there!

That makes me want to jump up and down and shout!

The other part… not so much.

But I’m not sure I get to choose… I seriously doubt I’ll ever have to shut the mouth of a lion, or have the opportunity to route foreign armies… or even be in a place where I would possibly ever have to die for my faith.

But no matter, we are all still building our reputation… We are all known for something.

And a reputation is built over the long haul. Not in a day.

The difficulty is faith is not seen. What is seen is the evidence of our faith. The works that we do. How we live it out.

I’m convinced that walking day by day, in humility, trusting in him every step (as much as is humanly possible) along the way, making a difference, steady as she goes, is a great strategy.

P rayer

Help me to walk it out as did all those mentioned in Heb 11. They didn’t receive the promise…

But we have!

Day 194

Friday, July 13, 2012

Welcome to Day 194 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Isaiah 15; Isaiah 16; Isaiah 17; Isaiah 18; Hebrews 10 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Isaiah 15 and 16, an oracle against Moab…

Isaiah 17, an oracle against Damascus…

10 “You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.”

Isaiah 18, pruning and dead carcasses being preyed upon… judgment is never fun.

Hebrews 10:14, “by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 17, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

31 “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

O bservation

I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about that… (“falling into the hands of the living God.”)

A pplication

I am resting in the hands of the living God.

We now have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place, by the blood of Jesus…

How about THIS for a verse; v 35 “Do not throw away your confidence…”

It’s so easy to do that. To forget all that Christ has done for us, or to think because we have stumbled that somehow we get deleted from his “A” list and moved to the “B” list, where we have to work a little harder, beg for forgiveness and earn our way.

“Do not throw away your confidence…”

Confidence.

Remember Hebrews 4? “Let us then approach the throne of grace with (you guessed it) confidence.”

The King James Version translates that, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace…”

I prefer the word “confidence.”

Boldly sounds… arrogant? to me. Or that I may be taking for granted the work he has done. But confidence means that I don’t have to be sheepish or afraid. I can be confident… because of what HE has done.

I never, ever, depends on what I have or haven’t done. I trust him. I’m in.

Be confident…

Don’t throw it away.

P rayer

… and so, so thankful… for all you have done for me.

Day 193

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Welcome to Day 193 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Isaiah 11; Isaiah 12; Isaiah 13; Isaiah 14; Hebrews 9 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Isaiah 11:1, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” (Jesus)

Isaiah 12:2, “The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

“Great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” (Jesus)

Isaiah 13:19, [Prophecy against] Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians,
will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Isaiah 14, Babylon had become the crown jewel of the Assyrian Empire. Babylon represents the kingdoms of this world… Both Peter (1 Peter 5) and John (Revelation 14, 16-18) used Babylon as a symbol of ungodly nations.

Hebrews 9:13, “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,

so that we may serve the living God!”

27 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

O bservation

Once again, Hebrews delivers the goods! Amazing, deep scripture regarding Jesus’ sacrifice.

A pplication

Yet again we are reminded of the amazing sacrifice of Jesus. He offered himself, unblemished, to take away our sins.

Period.

(Remember back to Leviticus and all the sacrifices and their requirements? A lamb without spot or wrinkle?)

Jesus.

No need for ongoing sacrifices, offered by men, through men. Jesus did it. Once for all.

How does that apply? (This is the “Application” portion of my SOAP…)

I don’t have to strive. I don’t have to earn anything. I don’t have to be good enough. He paid my debt. In full.

It’s not about my serving, my giving, or even this Life Journal…

“So I… stand… in awe… of you…”

P rayer

All I can say, over and over and over, is thank you.

Day 192

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Welcome to Day 192 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Isaiah 8; Isaiah 9; Isaiah 10; Hebrews 8 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Isaiah 8, oracles of judgment and hope.

14, “and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” (!)

Isaiah 10:20, “In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

Hebrews 8:10, “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

O bservation

I am beginning to feel like a broken record. (Does that analogy still work? Do you remember when a record would skip and get stuck in the same place, over and over and over?)

All God ever wanted was to love his people, and for them to love him. And what did they do? They turned to false gods and worthless idols and appointed kings to rule over them.

A pplication

This passage from Hebrews 8 quotes from Exodus, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah. Deep stuff, yet so simple! Such a great promise that if/when we turn to him, he not only forgives our sins, but remembers them no more!

His laws go from tablets of stone to being written on our hearts. (An interesting literary twist… “he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”) Jesus is the stone the builders rejected. The chief cornerstone…

We are, according to 1 Peter 2, “living stones!”

4 “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

(I’ll pass on the obvious, “Dr. Living Stone, I presume?” joke reference…)

This all makes so much sense to me. It’s so simple. Trust him…

Trust him.

Come to him, ask for forgiveness, and trust in him.

That’s all he wants! That’s all he has ever wanted from his people!

P rayer

Lord I put my trust in you… Thank you for writing your law on my heart!

Day 191

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Welcome to Day 191 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Micah 5; Micah 6; Micah 7; Hebrews 7 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Micah 5, this prophecy goes from present distress to one concerning the coming messiah!

5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Israel’s guilt and punishment continues…

Micah 7, misery to victory!

18, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” (Portions of this chapter are reminiscent of Psalm 103).

Hebrews 7:22, “Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 28 The law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”

O bservation

I love how today’s passages from Micah pointed to the messiah… then Hebrews, about Jesus being our great high priest.

A pplication

Amazing thought that Jesus is our great high priest, making intercession for us after having made the perfect sacrifice of himself.

That’s deep stuff.

Before Jesus, all the priests were imperfect men who had to make sacrifices first for themselves, then for those for whom they were offering the sacrifice. Jesus, however, did not have to offer a sacrifice for himself. He had no need! He was already perfect. The spotless lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

In our staff training earlier today, Caleb got up and exhorted our staff to do our work out of love for Jesus, not duty or a paycheck. But to allow the scales to tip in the direction of our love for him, not for any other reason.

I had a picture while Caleb was talking…

I saw scales with bricks of gold being moved from one side to the other until the scale tipped in the opposite direction.

What I think that means is that God sees all that we do. (Hopefully) It comes from a place of sincerity and pure desire to serve him. Our works should be a bi-product of our faith. A natural outflow as it were… Our works are golden to him… when they come from a place of not trying to earn something.

Every drawing I do for him goes on the fridge.

When we serve from a place of love… from sonship, the equation changes. We serve because all he has is already ours. We can’t earn it. Our inheritance is already certain! I don’t need to earn anything. I cease from striving.

How amazing…

And when I mess up, this great high priest, Jesus, goes to the father on my behalf and pleads my case.

He is my (our) advocate [paraklētos] with the father. That literally means he comes to our defense. He is our defense attorney, our intercessor. He comes to our defense and intercedes for us along the way. The same word is translated “comforter.”

(Chew on that for a while and you won’t be able to sleep!)

P rayer

Thank you Jesus!

Day 190

Monday, July 9, 2012

Welcome to Day 190 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Micah 1; Micah 2; Micah 3; Micah 4; Hebrews 6 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

After a couple of long days of travel, I’m back on track. Spent all day Saturday and Sunday traveling. Saturday was a waste as our flight ultimately got cancelled. Finally got home Sunday at 6:00 PM.

S cripture

FYI: Micah is quoted in Isaiah and Jeremiah, by the chief priests in Matthew 2 and by Jesus in Matthew 10.

Micah 1, “For Samaria’s plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah.”

Micah 2:11, “If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!”

(Ouch!) Followed up by another great promise!

2:12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. 13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.”

Micah 3, The three prophecies of this chapter announce the rejection and punishment of Israel’s incompetent, corrupt leadership.

Micah 4, What a great promise, again!

1 “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

Hebrews 6:1, “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.”

O bservation

I touched on this idea in yesterday’s blog… Micah 4 and Hebrews 6 both echo the same theme… “He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” He does the work, then we walk in it.

A pplication

The deeper revelation, the deeper teaching, the meat of the word is love. Not digging into the Greek or Hebrew so as to gain deeper knowledge. Not revisiting the basics of the faith, but growing in our love for one another. Growing in our knowledge of Him. Drawing closer to him. Going deeper in him.

If you follow this blog, you know I love word studies. I love the word in general. I am very practical.

But when someone claims they are “not being fed” I wonder, do they pick up the fork for themselves?

Once you have done all the Beth Moore studies. Once you have read all of Bill Johnson’s, Rick Warren’s and Max Lucado’s books… then what?

It’s walking it out.

Day in. Day out. Day after day after day…

Loving each other and the people around us. Worshiping him… Living our lives as a sacrifice.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 8:1, “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” If we know everything and yet don’t apply it to our lives, it’s only data stored in our head. Once we apply it to our lives and walk it out, then it is stored in our heart.

He teaches us his ways, then we walk in his paths.

That’s how it works.

He teaches us. He speaks to us, then we walk it out.

(Did you note that it says walk “in” his paths, not “on” his path? That’s curious to me…)

As we do that, his promise is to never leave us or forsake us.

He is Immanuel, God with us. (Immanuel is Hebrew, Emmanuel is Greek.)

That’s all he ever wanted… was to be with his people.

P rayer

Lord, make my heart your home… a resting place for you.

Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Day 189

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Welcome to Day 189 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Hosea 13; Hosea 14; Psalm 100; Psalm 101; Psalm 102; Hebrews 5 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Hosea 13:9, “You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your helper.”

Hosea 14:4, “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.”

14:9, “Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

Psalm 100:5, “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 101:6, “the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.”

Psalm 102:19, “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, 20 to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.”

Hebrews 5:12, “You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

O bservation

Peter wrote about desiring the pure milk of the word. That’s not what this is referring to… God’s desire is for us to go deeper.

A pplicaton

God’s expectation is that we grow. That we change. That we become holy, pure, righteous.

And it’s a funny thing… because we can’t do it on our own.

There is the work that God did through Jesus. That’s what this is referring to in Hebrews 5. This passage is about Jesus being our great high priest. Becoming “righteous” by not giving in to the works of the flesh (Galatians 5).

This is a slippery slope though. If we begin to think that we are righteous on our own merits, that’s a problem.

The righteousness he provides through his work on the cross gets us into heaven.

That’s his part.

Our part is walking it out. Making good decisions. Choosing to do good. To serve others. To worship him. To abstain from evil works…

Jesus said, “I have meat to eat that you know not of.” We can always go deeper. We can always press into his presence.

Paul said “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11.

Paul also wrote in Ephesians 4:15, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

Here’s the tricky part… we can never make it about what we do, are doing or have done. It always, always, always has to go back to what he has done.

It’s not about us… yet, we still have to walk it out.

Romans talks about “should we continue in sin that grace may abound? No!” So grace is not a license to sin.

Grace gives us the strength to walk it out. To walk through. To persevere. To overcome!

P rayer

Strengthen me to walk this out with you. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that never leaves me or forsakes me!

Day 188

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Welcome to Day 188 of our Life Journal!

Click here for today’s reading: Hosea 10; Hosea 11; Hosea 12; Psalm 73; Hebrews 4 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

Hosea 10:12, “Break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes…”

Hosea 11: 8 “My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. 9 I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man—the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities. 10 They will follow the Lord…”

Hoseea 12:6, “You must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.”

Psalm 73:28, “But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge…”

Hebrews 4:3, “Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said… Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…”

O bservation

Rest.

A pplication

This passage in Hebrews speaks to us on many levels… Resting from working for our salvation, and, finding a place of rest in this world. Not striving. Free from performance. Letting God work through us…

Easier said than done, but I can tell you I’m making progress in this area.

I am more at rest than ever. Finding a place of rest, internally, in this world.

Rest.

It’s not speaking of taking a nap, or sleeping well at night. This is about resting in the salvation God has provided. To cease from striving. Not being wound up internally.

It’s like saying, “peace is not the absence of war.” We can be at peace regardless of our circumstances. We can know God’s rest.

No matter what Israel did, God’s unfailing love was there waiting for them. His heart was and is always to restore them to himself. All he ever wanted was for them to want Him as their king. He wanted a people he could care for.

He rested from his work after creation. He took a day off. But this speaks more toward my attitude every day. If I am not at rest six days a week, then take a day off, that’s not rest.

It’s being a rest day in and day out. Regardless of my circumstances. Having a certainty that God is with me, that he is for me. That he is good to me. All the time. Resting in that. In spite of what I see. In spite of the chaos of life. In spite of a negative diagnosis that the doctor could give, or the condition of my finances.

Rest.

It takes work to enter that rest… How ironic.

“Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…” Rest doesn’t come easily. It takes turning down the volume in our lives. Tuning into him. Hearing his voice. Listening to what he has to say about us.

P rayer

Lord, I thank you for the rest you provide. Help me to enter into that rest.