Romans 1

This chapter contrasts the righteous v. the unrighteous, and the difference is faith. Our faith allows us to look at the creation (visible) and have faith in the Creator and his attributes (invisible). Those lacking faith use a variety of explanations to explain the complexity of nature. Reading this passage reminds me of Hebrews 11:1-3. I love the word choice used by the ESV in verse 1: "...the conviction of things not seen." Without faith to convict us that God is behind everything, we would be like those in Romans 1:21. Hebrews 11:3 says that through faith we can understand that what we see was not made out of things that are visible.

Those without faith suppress the truth (1:18) and exchange the truth about God for a lie (1:25). In this world we are constantly in contact with those who do not honor God or give any value to His word. One way that we can be on guard and not be influenced by unrighteousness is to know His word. The more of His word that we have in our hearts, the stronger our faith will grow and we will have a defense against the unrighteousness that is around us.

Fresh Start 2k12

Hey friends,

With a new year it's time to start another daily Bible reading. We started the blog last year to help us share our thoughts & to hold one another accountable to making God's scripture a part of our daily lives. Even though posts tapered off about halfway through the year we thought we'd give it another go & do better to encourage one another in 2012.

Excited about the books in this year's plan. Most days are only a chapter so take advantage of the shorter reading to reread & really meditate on His word.

You will find the plan just to the right side of this page. Let me know if you have trouble accessing the blog...some of you will need me to resend the invite so you can post. Just send me your email!

:) Kendra & Candace

Daily Bible Reading

I would encourage everyone to keep up the daily bible reading. It only takes a few minutes a day and we only have a couple of months left. If you haven't been reading, I would suggest just picking up with today's reading and going from there if you are too far behind to catch up. Reading about the good decision and (mostly) mistakes made by the kings of Israel and Judah has been very interesting and beneficial.

Turn to God...FIRST

When I hear the name David, "man after God's own heart" pops into my head. It's a connection that I make, but not necessarily something that I really think about. However, in our recent readings, David's attitude and reliance on God have jumped out at me.

Back in 1 Sam 30 David's wives are taken captive and verses 6-7 show us his response "...David strengthened himself in the Lord his God...And David inquired of the Lord, 'Shall I pursue after this band?'..."

First he drew strength from God in a tough situation. Then he asked God what to do. It's a great example that we should follow.

We see David turning to God over and over again. It's a little different today, because we can't have the same direct conversations that David did, but we should still pray to God for direction when we have decisions to make and praise Him for all that He does for us.

And although we generally aren't hiding out in caves, having family members taken captive, or going into battle, God should be our source of strength and the person we turn to first.

Make me a servant

What really struck me about Ruth is her great attitude of service. She stays with Naomi after her husband dies and is clearly devoted to her. Then you see the providence of God as Ruth gleans in Boaz's fields and events unfold. Ruth goes from being a Moabite, who I'm guessing did not serve God, to giving birth to a son in the lineage of Christ and having her story recorded in the Bible! She wasn't looking out for herself when she left Moab with Naomi, but God was clearly looking out for her.

Where is the love?

In Judges we see the people go back and forth and back and forth between God and evil. I wonder if the problem was that one generation would witness the power of God and turn to Him, but fail to instill the faith and obedience into their children who would then turn away. Surely the people all knew of God and heard the stories of His miracles, but knowledge wasn't enough.

This can still happen and it makes me think about the importance of imparting a real love for God into children and anyone else who we may have the opportunity to teach. We also need to remember this for ourselves - you can attend services and even know your Bible, but if you don't love God with all your heart, soul, and might you aren't serving Him as you should.

Favorites from Deuteronomy

Since it's been a while for a post, Candace & I thought we'd review Deuteronomy by sharing some verses we liked.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 10:12
¹² “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 31:6
⁶Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Words of wisdom from a donkey

I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to write about a talking donkey. The record of a donkey speaking to Balaam is amazing. Balaam is riding on his donkey and the Lord is angry because Balaam is not doing what the Lord told him to do. Three times the angel of the Lord Is put in the path of the donkey, and each time the donkey turns aside, even injuring Balaam. We are told that the angel of the Lord had a sword and would have killed Balaam if the donkey had not turned aside 3 times. The donkey could see the angel of the Lord, but Balaam couldn’t. Balaam was annoyed and struck her 3 times. The Lord then opened the donkey’s mouth and the donkey said “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Balaam doesn’t seem to be fazed by the fact that the donkey spoke, as he continues the conversation with the donkey telling the donkey he would kill her if he had a sword. Before Balaam’s eyes are opened to see the angel of the Lord, the donkey makes a good point to Balaam saying “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” Balaam agrees that the donkey had always been trustworthy and had never strayed from the path before. What can we learn from this? One thing that jumps out to me is that when we are in the wrong we often don’t want to listen to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our true friends who have always been loyal and faithful to us are disregarded when they are simply trying to keep us away from the sin and the evil one by pointing out or error in love. I know people that have left the Lord’s body because they want to live in an adulterous relationship or because, for whatever reason, they don’t want to follow God’s commandments. Unfortunately, I have seen folks leave the Lord and then they refuse to speak with their dear friends who are pointing out their error in love. They label the folks trying help them as being narrow minded and not loving. However, this type of behavior isn’t limited to people that have completely abandoned the Lord. Christians from time to time have issues with their own pride that cause them to not want to hear even their loyal friend’s advice to get back on the straight and narrow path. We need to guard against this in our lives. The donkey made the point to Balaam that she had been loyal and should be trusted, not abused. When people say to us “Haven’t I always been a loyal friend who wants the best for you” we should not refuse their correction. The point can also be made that we should work to have good relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ so, if the time comes that we need to rebuke them, they will trust us. Along those same lines when we are refused the first time by an erring Christian, we know we are to take with us another individual to help turn that person from their sin. The person we choose should be a person they love and respect, we should not simply just pick someone that is one of our best friends. Proverbs 15:5 - A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Things I've Learned

As I've been reading the Old Testament stories I am constantly thinking how before I only knew the "kid friendly" versions. For instance, back in Exodus 32 after Moses came down from Mt Sinai and found the Golden Calf he told the sons of Levi to, "go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor"(Ex. 32:27). I don't think I had ever read that before. I just remember being taught that Moses was mad and broke the tablets, they melted the calf, and he went back up for a new pair of tablets. Not that 3,000 men also died because of it.

I also am amazed by the amount of detail that went into the building of the Tabernacle and how God put the skills into the different men so they could actually build everything as God wanted it. I can only imagine Moses hearing about how to make all these things and thinking he had probably never seen or heard of anything like them, let alone try to find someone to build them.

I also didn't realize how slow of a process the movement of the Isrealites was. They were camped in the same place for quite some time while the Tabernacle was being built and then at the end of chapter 9 in Numbers it says how sometimes they camped for days, sometimes months, or even years. I guess I always thought they moved every day. Here's my question though, were they still at Mt Sinai while the Tabernacle was being built? I also hadn't realized the cloud pillar and fire pillar hovered over the Tabernacle until it was time to move on. I knew they guided the people but I didn't know that part.

**I read the next chapter tonight and answered my own question. Yes they were still at Mt Sinai. I didn't realize they stayed there over two years. I guess it makes sense though. It would have taken awhile to build everything for the Tabernacle.

How Long?

Anyone know how long it took them to make, build, sew all of the stuff for the tabernacle?

2 thoughts...

1. 'We' seem to be hard on the Jews and apostles for not believing in the signs of Jesus. Those signs were mostly localized, with few people in attendance. Jesus even tried to prevent people from sharing the wonders they had seen. So, it is not totally surprising that many did not believe His works and accused Him of evil. The Jews heard the stories of the plagues they knew several of the early plagues were copied by the magicians of Egypt. However, the magicians could not produce the plagues on the scale that God did. I am astounded that it took 8 plagues for the Egyptians to believe in God's power. Ex 10:7 Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, "How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?"

I mean seriously, the ENTIRE COUNTRY is covered in frogs, gnats, flies, boils, hail, livestock dies and they don't believe. We only have it recorded that Pharaoh's heart was hard, what was the deal with everyone else? God's power is demonstrated on such a grand scale, yet there were unbelievers. Let's cut the apostles some slack. More importantly, let's not be discouraged when someone doesn't respond to the Word. Our job is to spread the seed. God gives growth. There are some hearts that won't believe. Keep shining!

2. I had always assumed that in the 10th plague the only firstborn to die were children and baby livestock. (Not sure why, probably a picture from a long ago childrens' book or something...) When reading this time I noticed Ex. 12:30 ...for there was not a house where someone was not dead. There can't have been children in every house, right? So "the firstborn" must have meant anyone who was a firstborn, including adults? I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

God's Good Purposes

I meant to post this a while back, but didn't get around to it. A friend of mine shared this verse with me a few years ago when we were involved in a daily Bible reading. When I came across it a few weeks ago I remembered just how much I enjoy this verse. I think it is so comforting that even though we as humans may deliberately try to do evil to one another God can use that evil for good.
Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

The hardening of Pharaoh's heart

That the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart has been a struggle for Christians for a long time.  I'm not the first person to wonder whether Pharaoh's free will was violated by God hardening his heart.  And, if that's the case, then Pharaoh isn't really responsible for all of his refusals to let the people of Israel go.  I think a lot of Christians struggle with this, and they have struggled with it from the beginning of the church.

In Romans Paul addresses this problem directly:

Romans 9:17-24

7For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24even us whom he has called,not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

The first response that Paul has to the "Pharaoh question" is that you shouldn't really question it.  If we have faith in God, then we trust that He obeys His own rules and is consistent in His application of them.  I think the second answer that Paul gives, if we read between the lines a little, centers on the eternal nature of God.  If God is all-powerful, then he has the power to direct history without violating people's free will.  And, since He's all-knowing and exists outside of time, he has the ability to know what people will choose without interfering with their ability to make the choice.  

God knew beforehand exactly how the Jews would treat Jesus and that Jesus would be crucified.  And, you could say that God's providence placed the Jews of Jesus' time in the right place at the right time with the right attitude for causing His death.  Did that make them less responsible for their choice?  Absolutely not.  

God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart is the same thing.  God's providential role in shaping Israel's history is undeniable.  Pharaoh is simply one of the devices that God uses to bring about that providence.  Does that make Pharaoh less accountable for his decisions?  No, it just makes God more magnificent that he can control historical outcomes while still allowing people to make their own choices.

There is at least one practical question that arises when we think about God hardening Pharaoh's heart in the context of Romans.  That is, does God know who is going to be saved and who is going to be lost?  If we apply the same principle that we learned from Pharaoh, I think the answer must be "yes".  But, he knows this without violating our ability to choose salvation.  That is the key distinction from those who believe in Predestination.  In Predestination God's sovereign will controls exactly who is saved and who is lost.  Pharaoh teaches us, however, that while God might know how something is going to turn out and that human history invariably follows God's providence, it is still left up to the individual to choose good or evil.  After all, God might know who will be saved and who will be lost, but we don't.  So, make choices that lead to salvation.

God's Grace

I am going to go back a few chapters here because I can't get Jacob off my mind. I know that I am in no position to judge, yet Jacob strikes me as very imperfect. The Israelites prided themselves on being the sons of Abraham. God is referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The promise was repeated to Jacob. Jacob did not act righteously all the time. He cheated Esau from his birthright and blessing. He made sure the flock produced whatever Laban promised. He snuck off with Laban's kids and grandkids without saying goodbye. He let his sons kill an entire village of people for the actions of one man. I know that Abraham and Isaac weren't perfect either, but Abraham was known to be faithful in God's sight. Yet, God blesses Jacob over and over. He causes the flock to reproduce in Jacob's favor, He warns Laban, He appears to Jacob, and He blesses Jacob.

People often compare themselves to the apostles and early Christians. They say, "I could never be so wise, content, faithful..." This is the advantage the Jews had (Romans 3); they understood the nature of God. They assumed that since God blessed their imperfect ancestors they had it made. (Despite years of exile...) What a blessing we all have that God will bless imperfect people! What a blessing we have that God will bless everyone through Christ! There is no need for me to worry about how I stack up against Paul or Peter. God will bless me despite my sin, on one condition - I am faithful. Yes acts show our faith, but faith itself is also an act. Don't worry about how your acts of service or your shortcomings compare to those of others. Be thankful that God loves you, shows mercy, and blesses you. Just focus on being the most faithful you can be each day.

Pit, Slavery and Prisons

Isn't it amazing when situations in our lives appear like God is kicking back and ignoring us, is actually when He's working a lot to provide for us and His will. Joseph's story is such a good reminder of this.

Throughout Joseph's mistreatment from family, slavery and imprisonment, "The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man...." (Gen 39:2 and similar in v.21). How many many times I need to be reminded of that when I'm having a bad day, week, month, etc. God is working in my life. Even though I don't see the full end result, I need to have faith and trust Him.

Another good lesson to remember from this is not only was God with Joseph, but Joseph was with God. Clearly, we can see from his response to Potiphar's wife and the cup bearer and baker in the next chapter that Joseph had set His focus, attention and heart on God and His will for him. Do I have my affections set in the same place Joseph's were?

Replay what happened to Joseph... God gave him two dreams, which lead his brothers to sell him into slavery just so those dreams that the brothers didn't want to come true would, and because of it Joseph's family survived a famine, and we would have this stories and other from Israel to learn from. What strange things are happening in your life? Trust the LORD! :)

Walking in their shoes...communicating with God

I have been reading along with you all but this is my first post. Each time I read Genesis (or any part of the Bible for that matter), I feel like I can see things in a new light. There is always so much more to learn and think about. While reading up to chapter 31 I see how much information there is on family dynamics and I can't help but think about what it would feel like to be Sarah, Rebekkah, Leah, Dinah, or any one. I think it would have been tough.
There are some people that one could consider role models (i.e. Abraham with regards to his faith). But there is also so much sin (jealousy within families) and it registers that they are all human just like us.

One major difference that strikes me and you may say "duh" to is the way communicating with God is described. For example, 31:10-13 Jacob described his dream where God spoke to him...31:29 God says to Laban, 'Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.' I know that this continues throughout the Old Testament. I can't help thinking about how it must have felt to hear God's voice or have dreams directing specific messages. Wow! Frightening and exciting at the same, I imagine. The Bible, prayer, and praise are our communication tools now. Are these means of communicating with God that much different? Does it matter?

One more thought on this: Our method of communicating with God now requires actions from us. He doesn't appear in dreams or have an audible voice. We open the Bible and read it. We go to Church. We sing aloud. Actually the list can go on and on when you think about it. Actions displaying our faith facilitate communication. I love the passage, "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." James 4:8 If I were living back in that day, cultural differences aside, or if all else was the same except for how I communicated with God, would I live my life differently? I guess what I'm saying is, 1) is God less tangible now? 2) If so, how does that influence how I live my life as a Christian? 3) Is He really less tangible or is that just a silly excuse?

Thanks. Please let me know if I said anything incorrectly. I'm new to this format of Bible study and don't want to say anything in error or with the wrong tone.

Seeking God's Counsel

Today's sermon made me think of our reading this week when Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. Before the servant entered the city (Genesis 24:10-21) he spoke to the Lord and asked for him to show love to his master, Abraham so he might choose the right wife. Before he finished speaking Rebekah was approaching the spring and the events following allowed the servant to find a wife for Isaac.

Verse 21 tells us that the servant gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not. Even though all of the events that had just happened were identical to his request, he still waited to confirm that this was the wife for Isaac.

Today we learned that the Israelites took the Gibeonites at face value and did not seek counsel from the Lord (Joshua 9:14). As a result, the Israelites were tricked into a covenant that God did not want and they had to live with the consequences.

Abraham's servant sought out God's counsel and he answered his request. Let's remember to include God in our daily decisions.

Abraham and Issac

I'm struck by the fact that God can ask people to do things that are difficult, seemingly without purpose, and, from our perspective, wrong.  God asking Abraham to sacrifice Issac was all of those things. Would I be willing to do to my son what Abraham was willing to do to Issac? I certainly get choked up even thinking about it.  But then I say to myself, "What choice would I have?"  I cannot accept rejecting God completely.  So, the only alternative is to do what He says and trust Him.

While we may not have to sacrifice our sons, there are plenty of things that God requires of us that are hard.  There are plenty of unanswered question in our lives.  There are plenty of things that don't make sense to me.  In all these things, though, the truth remains that God is real. He loves us.  He has told us what he expects through His Word.  And, as long as those truths stand, we just have to press forward often into the unknown, trusting in Him.  There isn't an alternative. Perhaps that a grim perspective, but it may be the only one when you're asked to do something as hard as sacrificing your son.

Abraham's Assumptions

Abraham seemed to be pushing his luck when he kept requesting the Lord to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. This is a good reminder that God’s ways are higher than our ways and that he knows infinitely more than we do. The Lord said “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” Abraham then made an assumption that there were 50 righteous people in those cities and based on that assumption he thought the Lord should and would spare those cities because they had at least 50 righteous people.

His assumption was obviously wrong as there were not 50 righteous people, there were not even 10 righteous. This fact had to surprise Abraham. Abraham's assumptions got him nowhere and didn’t change the outcome of what happened. He should have simply left the decision up to the Lord. The Lord knew exactly how many righteous folks there were in Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham didn’t need to bring his questions to the Lord.

There is a lot we can learn from Abraham’s encounter with the Lord. The main point is that we should not make assumptions when it comes to what the Lord says. For example, if Jesus Christ says the only way to the Father is through him then that is the only way. We don’t need to think to ourselves or ask others or the Lord “what about this” or “yes, but what if that happened.” The secret things belong to God and he says what he means and means what he says. We must trust in him. Our prayer lives should not be composed of telling God what he needs to do and when.

Trust and Obey

When God told Noah to build the ark He gave specific instructions. “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood...This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits...Make it with lower, second, and third decks.” Gen 6:14-16

In v22 we see that Noah followed the instructions, “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” That must have taken a tremendous amount of faith and trust in the Lord, because building an ark isn't something you can do in a week or even a month. I'm sure the people around him thought he was crazy and they probably let him know it. Of course Noah was right to trust God as he and his family were the only people saved when the flood came.

As we're living our lives we have the freedom to do anything, but we need to make sure we're paying attention to God's commands for us in the Bible and following His instructions so we, like Noah, can be saved.

Cush?

Does anyone know if Ham's son Cush (Genesis 10:6) is the link to the Cushite family mentioned that Moses (Numbers 12:1) marries into?

Troy - I'm thinking this would be a perfect Bible Trivia question for you! It could read something like this..."Which of Noah's sons did Moses later marry into?"

Read a good biography?

Since we have been blessed with Todd's job it has been so tempting to rejoice by boasting. It made me think about the autobiography genre; many people enjoy sharing in someone else's triumphs and failures by reading about them. What does it say about the person who writes one? Often famous people or people we would consider important, how do we decide who that is? The Bible is God's biography. The only opportunity He took in writing to share His miracles and His plan. God destroyed the earth and provided for its rebirth through one family in just over a year! Certainly something to boast about! What strikes me is that He choose over the span of eternity to produce only one book. John talks about the many miracles not recorded for us. We can really learn something from God about self-importance! My faith increases by reading about the miracles that God has worked and reflecting on the blessings He has given me.

Wisely, God has other ways to share His biography - through us, through ME. I am inspired to think and pray much more about how people are reading my life. Am I the living biography I should/could be?

Land of Nod?

In Genesis 4 Cain kills his brother Abel and becomes a wanderer and a fugitive. "Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the Land of Nod, east of Eden" (v16) where he apparently got married.

Any thoughts on who these people in Nod were?

Before the world began, God had a great plan!

A few years back I had the opportunity to teach the baby class with Jennifer at church. For nine weeks our curriculum repeated Genesis 1. We would begin each class singing "Before the world began, God had a great plan...Jesus was the plan for man." From there we would lead into the story of creation and all of the wonderful things God created for man to enjoy. Finishing up with our responsibility to God. I'm not saying that the 1's & 2's comprehended how the story all fits together, but the beauty of seeing young ones making connections to the world around them and God (the creator) was extremely rewarding. This was a good reminder to take the time and appreciate every little thing...even the creepy crawly things...that come from God. God is so good!

New Year

I am excited about the oppurtunity to read the Old Testement all the way through this year. The new year is a great time to commit to bible reading, prayer, and thinking about spirtual things.

Amazing

The creation account is pretty straight forward. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Gen 1:3

It almost sounds simple. I've heard/read the story of creation many times and sometimes I think I gloss over it without appreciating the magnitude. When I stop to think about the complexity of His creation (a gazillion species of wildlife, mountains, oceans, sun, moon, the human body, etc) it's mind boggling. God created everything from nothing in six days and today - thousands of years later - people are still learning new things about His design. Amazing.

Starting the year off right

We got our yearly Bible reading schedule at church today and this year's theme is Old Testament history - definitely something I could learn more about. Kendra and I decided that we'd like to make the reading more interactive and share it with friends both locally and around the world. I can now say that since Tracey is in South Africa and Vanessa and Chris are in Guam. :)

The reading schedule is on the right sidebar. You're invited to read along with us and post your thoughts. We look forward to studying with y'all!