Saturday, January 31, 2009

January 31

Exodus 32-34 Do you need a revival in your life?

There are 16 revivals mentioned in scripture. This is the second one found in the Bible.
Revivals are always born out of times of darkness. Here is the nation of Israel, who has seen some of the greatest acts of God in history. But Moses is up on top of a mountain for a month and the insanity of sin creeps back in. The people make a calf and decide this is the god who has delivered them from Egypt. This stuff is too amazing to even make up. So is the excuse of Aaron. So they start bowing down to the golden calf and break out into a sexual orgy. You talk about the wheels of the wagon falling off quickly. Well thousands died because of the disobedience and the nation is now aware of their failing before a holy God. This awareness of sin is necessary for revival to occur. There also has to be a longing for God and Moses shows us how to do it.
God had said he was not going with the nation any more but that he would send his angel with the nation. But Moses responds with these words...

Exodus 33:13-15 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."
14The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

Some observations...

1. Moses wants to know God more than anything on earth. He wants God to teach him his ways. He wants to know God’s intentions and plans.
2. He also wants God’s presence. God has already said he is not going with them. He was going to send an angel with them. But Moses says... no way, if you don’t go with us, I am not taking one more step.

Here is the question for us.... how much do we want God and his presence in our lives?
Do we want God more than money, a solid retirement plan, a promotion, a position, a career, a relationship, sex, entertainment... to have revival take place in our lives we have to want God more than anything on earth. When that is our desire you know the revival has begun.

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

God will not be a friend to those who seek after him with 50% heart.. 75% ... even 90%.
We need to seek Him with our whole heart.

The very reason you are alive is to have a relationship with Jesus. Enjoy your God today.

Friday, January 30, 2009

January 30

Read Exodus 29-31 The most segregated hour of the week is Sunday morning at 11:00.

Exodus 30:15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives.

Is this a bribe to God to atone for our sins? You put the money in the offering plate and you can get a free “Out of Hell” card? What is going on?

From the Life Application Bible: The atonement money was like a census tax. It continued the principle that all the people belonged to God and therefore needed to be redeemed by a sacrifice. Whenever a census took place, everyone, both rich and poor, was required to pay a ransom. God does not discriminate between people (see Acts 10:34; Galatians 3:28). All of us need mercy and forgiveness because of our sinful thoughts and actions. There is no way the rich person can buy off God, and no way the poor can avoid paying. God’s demand is that all of us come humbly before him to be forgiven and brought into his family.

We will see in future readings that when it comes to sacrifices and offerings God does have a sliding scale for rich and poor. Yet on this tax, the ground is equal among all peoples.

Here are the thoughts of F.L. Smith ... It is clear that when it comes to this tax everyone is to pay precisely the same half shekel. This tax was associated with the census and made the point that everyone counts. Rich or poor, male or female, priest or servant – everyone of sufficient age to bear spiritual responsibility has an equal relationship with Israel’s God. The rich can’t buy God’s special favor, nor will the poor be robbed of any blessing. Even today the threshold question of who is numbered among God’s people does not have multiple answers depending on one’s economic, racial or social status. Whether then or now, praise God, salvation is for all, on equal terms.

In these days of political class welfare, the church is the one place where race, social status, and economic differences should not matter. Yet sadly, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said 40 years ago, Sunday morning at 11:00 is still the most segregated hour of the week. Only 8% of churches in the USA are mixed.

If God regards each and every person as equal, how can we make class, race or social distinctions? There is no place for prejudice or discrimination in the family of God.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

January 29

Read Exodus 25-28 God's Moving to the Hood.

We all need a home to live in. In a special way God has a home in heaven and he wanted an exact copy of that built on earth. There are differing views if there is a temple in heaven ... Rev 11:19 seems to indicate that there is. But what is agreed on is that everything in this plan for the earthly temple has a purpose. Everything in the temple would point to the sacrifice that Messiah would make 1400 years later. That is why we have the words ... “according to the pattern I showed you on the mountain.”

The amazing truth about this home for God is that it is to be built on real estate on earth. God wanted to move to the hood. He wants to be close to his people.

Here is the problem I have as I read these verses... I am not a detail person. I do not do wallpaper anymore, I detestation 1000 piece puzzles, and I dislike reading instructions yet God has given highly detailed blueprints for his house. How many times does God tell Moses to build his sanctuary exactly as instructed? There is no independent contracting on this job.

Syncretism is not allowed in this relationship with God. Syncretism is the combination or fusion of differing beliefs. We can’t say to God, I want to have this part of the temple, but I also want a video room or a game parlor for my entertainment. They had to follow God’s precise detail in this construction of this home.

The same is true today .... believe in the God who is revealed not in the God you feel.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

January 28

Read Exodus 19-24 The Law

The purpose of the Law is to Provide and Protect. It provides us with a glimpse of the nature of God. We cannot know the heart of God unless he reveals it to us. We see his holiness, his character and his will. The law shows us what sin is and that we can never be holy enough to make it to heaven on our good works. It teaches us that we need a Savior. It is like a medical thermometer, it shows us that we are sick and in need of a doctor.

The laws provides the best life possible. When we live by the principles of the law we will find that life makes sense. The 10 commandments give us the best possible life in a fallen world.

The law protects us from the dead ends of life. If you want to ship wreck your life, disobey the law of God. I can fill Boyle stadium in Stamford, with people who have crashed their lives by disobeying the 10 Commandments but I have never, ever heard someone say, “I lived by the 10 Commandments and God has ruined my life.”

An illustration from the Book The Country of the Pointed Firs.
Sara Jewett describes a woman writer on the pathway leading to the home of a retired sea captain named Elijah Tilley. On the way, the woman notes a number of wooden stakes randomly scattered about the property, with no discernible order. Each is painted white and trimmed in yellow, like the captains house. Curious, she asks Captain Tilley what they mean. When he first plowed the ground, he says, his plow snagged on many large rocks just beneath the surface. So he set out the stakes where the rocks lay in order to avoid them in the future. In a sense, this is what God has done with the 10 commandments. He said “These are the trouble spots in life. Avoid them and you won’t snag your plow.”

Let me make it very clear.. people were never saved by keeping the 620 laws in the OT. God will never say, “Wow, you really tried hard to live a good life and keep my commandments, so when you die I will invite you into heaven.” Because God is holy we have to be perfect to make it to heaven. There cannot be any sin in heaven, so if you are banking on “The Good Life” plan to make it to heaven, it’s time to abandon that plan.

Is the Law still in effect today? There are three levels to the Law: Moral law, Civil law and Ceremonial law.


Moral Law
10 Commandments
Still in effect today but the day of rest has been changed to Sunday for the church because of Jesus’ resurrection.


Civil Law
Not in effect today. These laws were part of the Theocracy. A Theocracy is a government in which God is the head. We live in a democracy where people argue their position and the voters decide.
The principles of the civil law have been the foundation of 2000 years of the development of Western civilization.



Ceremonial Law
Not in effect today. God told Peter he was changing the rules of the game in the New Testament for the church. You can eat shrimp and pork tonight for dinner.

Enjoy the snow storm today... we are almost finished with January!!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

January 27, 2008

Here are my thoughts on today's reading:

It's such an easy thing today "follow directions and you'll be fine" yet it is so hard to actually do.  The bible often relates to us as sheep.  I don't know how many of you have actually seen or been around sheep in your life, but they are STUBBORN.  They do not listen and it is very hard to manipulate them to your ways.  I have learned to have the upmost respect for shepherds.

These passages show us exactly how we are sheep minded.  God helps the people of Israel and they are happy.  Although because they do not physically see the hand of God moving in front of them they quickly become discontent.  Much like us today, we are so happy when things are going good that we forget about God.  When things are going bad we quickly curse God and sometimes go as far as rejecting him.  Why is it that we hold on to the bad things and not the good things?  Why is it that if you complement a person 10 times and tell them one bad thing, the only thing that sticks out is the negative?  God helps us more than we can ever imagine.  

Unlike the Israelites we don't see a pillar of fire going ahead of us through our everyday life, if that was the case people wouldn't want to hand around you.  That doesn't mean that God isn't there and he doesn't listen to our prayers.  

Prayer, Faith, and patience ... simple words ... hard to obey.   This text is not in there for us to read to improve on our reading skills.  It's there as an example, for us to see and learn from the mistakes that Israel made.  Focus on the good, always focus on God and realize that he's there for us all the time.  It's one of the hardest things to do at times, but if done it always pays off.

I hope my thoughts make sense and are grammatically correct.  I write them down as i'm reading and sometimes they can be a little hard to understand.  Thanks for your patience.  

Monday, January 26, 2009

January 26

Today is accountability day. Email me and let me know what chapter you are on. Even if you are behind in the reading I want to hear from you.

Read Exodus 13-15 Don’t just do something, stand there!!!

Exodus 14:13-14 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Being still is so difficult for me. I am an action person. I like to cross things off my “Do List.” I like to see projects finished and work accomplished. The idea of deliverance through standing still grates against my nature. Well on this day the nation of Israel was facing a hopeless predicament. On the one side was the Egyptian army; on the other side was the Red Sea. This is what I would call a desperate situation.

So what is a person suppose to do in desperate situations? Our natural reaction is to fix the problem ourselves. To come up with a solution by our own resources. Well, there are times when there are no good alternatives, nowhere to turn – except God. This was one of those situations.

It is possible you are in a desperate situation today...
- it could be your health
- it could be your job
- it could be your spouse
- it could be your children
- it could be a mistake you made in your past

But no matter what your desperate situation is, there is a way of escape. And the way to find that escape route is to be still before God and watch his rescue. I am not encouraging negligence and apathy here, I am advocating waiting in stillness before God and asking him what the next step is. There are no hopeless situations with our God.

The question for today: Am I thinking it’s solely up to me to fight the battle that only God can fight?
Be still and know that God is God.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

January 25: Exodus 12-13:16

Dear Grace Bible Readers,

After nine substantial and damaging plagues -- over an indeterminate amount of time, but the context would suggest a period of months, not days -- Pharaoh has yet to relent and to release the Israelites to worship God. Moses's persistence and the people's plight have not changed Pharaoh's heart. Indeed, Pharaoh's heart has become even more hardened through the process. Indeed, this hardening of heart ultimately points to God's sovereign plan; by Pharaoh's stubborn rebellion against God, God demonstrated His power and glory.

As the passage opens, God instructs the Israelite people on how to prepare for the Passover, but the mechanism by which the Israelites will be saved is only revealed later in Chapter 12. The passage is rich with symbolism, and the Israelites will look back to the Passover as their great encounter with God. The Lord's grant of freedom from the Egyptian captivity will establish the new nation and bring them into a land of milk and honey.

The Lord indicates that the painting of the lamb's blood on the doorframes of the Israelite houses will cause the "destroyer" to pass over the firstborn of the Israelites. The Egyptians do not have this measure of protection, and both livestock and firstborn children perish in every home. After this event, the Israelites are called to offer their firstborn children in dedication to the Lord and the firstborn livestock as a sacrifice, remembering His faithfulness during the Passover. Please note that the blood over the doorframe did not "earn" the Lord's forgiveness for the Israelites; instead, He offered them the opportunity to participate in His grace ("unmerited favor").

The passage also clearly points ahead to the eternal Passover Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ:

1. Christ's death came at the time of Passover, around the time that the ceremonial Passover lamb would have been slain.

2. This first Passover initiated the sacrificial system of the Hebrew people, while Christ's death brought the system to a conclusion.

3. By His blood painted over the doorframes of our heart, we have forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.

Please take a look at the following Scriptures that highlight Jesus's role as our Passover Lamb. May we worship Him fully today!

1. Isaiah 53:5,7:

"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

"He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth."

2. John 1:29: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

3. 1 Corinthians 5:7: "Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."

4. 1 Peter 1:18-21: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for our sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God."

5. Revelation 5:6: "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth."

6. Revelation 5:12: "In a loud voice they [the saints] sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"

7. Revelation 7:9,10: "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."


In Christ,
Steve Edwards

Saturday, January 24, 2009

January 24

Read Exodus 9-11

If you have fallen off schedule use this Saturday to catch up. Go to a quiet spot, grab your Bible, and catch up. You don’t want to fall behind this early. You can do this!!! Which brings us to a very important question: What is the purpose of this Saturday?

Exodus 9:16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Is it by sheer accident that you have arrived on this Saturday? Was it because of the evolutionary principles that the 5000 bodily activities are functioning in you right now? Or does God have a purpose for your life and for this Saturday.

God told Moses that he was raised up to play a crucial role in the deliverance of the Israelites. I believe there is a purpose for every one of our lives. We are not accidents. Every one of us has a unique mission and purpose in life. And our very first priority is to know and love Jesus.

George MacDonald (1824-1905) Scottish preacher and writer, once began a sermon by saying, "If I cannot persuade you to understand a little more of Jesus Christ, my labor is lost in coming to you. If I cannot help any human heart to draw closer to the living one, my labor is lost. Did the fact ever cross your mind that you are here in this world just to understand the Lord Jesus Christ, and for no other reason?

This is our mission today.

Friday, January 23, 2009

January 23

Read Exodus 5-8 Will you let God be God?

Here we have a classic struggle between man and God. There is something in the human heart that just doesn’t want to yield to God. Our hearts no more want to find God than a robber wants to find a cop. Pharaoh is a picture of every one of our hearts. The last thing we want to do is to give up control of them to God. Because of pride we are convinced we know how to run our lives better than God. A great insight is found in the introductory notes, “Pharaoh will try to avoid God through procrastination, compromise, and insincere repentance. With each attempt at resisting God, Pharaoh’s heart gets harder, until he is unmoved by even the threat of death to his people.”

Religion in ancient Egypt was characterized by a complex polytheism system. They had thousands of gods and many of these gods were associated with agriculture. The 10 plagues were direct challenge to the worship of the Egyptian deities who were thought to protect life and property. In many ways this was the “Show Down” at OK Corral. Who is going to win? God or these Egyptian gods?

The Power of Satan is really behind this show-down 7:11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts.

God is not trying to be a bully and force people to follow him. God is trying to win our hearts. He knows that there is an eternal destiny apart from him for all that rejects his free offer of salvation. There is also a life of misery and despair for all who do not obey the manual he has given to us on life (The Bible.)

There is only one way to find peace and satisfaction in life. It is found in an old hymn we sing, “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Fight God from being God in your life and you will lose in this life and the life to come.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

January 20, 2009

WARNING: You’re about to read the thoughts of a 22 year old as he reads the bible. I tell you that because my journals have always been something I’ve used to record not only what goes on through my mind as I read, but also how it has been or currently is applying to my life. This might not agree with your thoughts and to be honest, that’s just ok. I hope you might benefit from this, and that you realize that not everyone who reads the bible will have the insight of a scholar and vise versa.

Now, I’m 22 so I have yet to experience a lot of things in life. I do however remember all the videos that they showed me in school about the war. Some of the videos were fictional, biographies and some were real footage. These videos were neat because they always broke my heart in like any other way. You might be sitting there asking yourself: “what videos is he referring to?” I’m referring to the videos of the families that received the news that their loved ones have become P.O.W.’s, they aren’t sure of their circumstances and worst of all they are not sure if they are alive or not. At that moment the housewife, the mother, the father and/or the siblings’ life changes dramatically. It is one thing to tell someone that their loved ones are dead, but it is another thing to tell a loved one that they have no idea what has happened to their loved ones.

Time goes by and the mourning continues; yet they still hold on to hope, for some it is in vain. Days, Months and years go by and you still have no clue on the status of your loved one. Your life has changed and you have accustomed yourself to the lifestyle of one less in the family. Kids have grown, memories have been made, and things have changed, but your loved one had no part of those things because due to their absence. You have endured struggles and heartaches yet regardless you still check the mail, answer the phone and the door with hopes that news will arrive about your loved one. You do not want to think like a pessimist but you sure start to feel like one.

Then comes that day, that one day that you gave up on long ago. The day where you received a representative of Uncle Sam at your front door step to tell you “your husband/brother/son was found and he is safe and is on his way back to the U.S. You can meet him at this airport” Your heart sinks and you want to weep bitterly in joy, but it feels like you are out of tears from the endless nights of crying. You manage to get some out and you jump for joy. You rush to get ready to go meet your loved one. – This is the part where your eyes become watery as your watching this on video—You make it to the airport and you see anywhere between 100 to 500 soldiers. It has been so long that you’re not even sure what this person may look like by now, but you have this image in your mind, a crystal clear one.

Out of nowhere your heart sinks and you realize that you have just locked your eyes on the individual you have been looking for. There is no mistake in this and no one can ruin this moment. You run and embrace this individual. A squeal is heard from across the room from the tears of excitement. Time freezes and suddenly you feel complete.

Those are the memories that came into my mind as I read this story. I have read the story of Joseph several times, but it never seems to get old. Every time I read it my imagination allows me to see it a little more vividly than the last time. However, no matter how many times I read it I’m never going to be able to understand what it must have been like to go through all those struggles. To be separated from your family due to the hatred of your brother, to see your brothers and over look the anger you have toward them, and to realize that God had a hand in it and admit that it had nothing to do with you. That’s a beautiful thing.

Lesson:
What is too big for God? None. I can’t deny the fact that there have been tons of times where I sit there and believe that God ignores my prayers, overlooks my pain and kicks dirty in my face. I’m others have felt this way too. I’m going to guess that Joseph felt this way certain days.
Looking back at all those times I realize that God loves me. That he did not forget about me, overlook me or kick anything in my face. Instead, he waited and made me learn patience and now has shown me that his time is always perfect (though at times I feel like it’s not). Nothing is too distant from the reach of God and my problems will never be anything new to God. He has seen it all and understands all.

Above all, out some a bad situation something good can always come out of it. We must learn to realize that like Joseph we must always hold on to God and trust him. He has a purpose behind everything he does.

I hope this was helpful and somewhat grammatically correct. My thoughts are hard to write down so this was the best I could do.

Monday, January 19, 2009

January 19

Genesis 42-45 Can People Change?

Tomorrow is the historic inauguration of Barak Obama as our next President and I image in his speech he will focus on the theme of his campaign, “A Time for Change in America.” The pressing question for everyone to ask tomorrow is the great question of the ages, "Can a person change?"

This question can be asked in a variety of situations:
Can a D student become a B student?
Can the distant, uninvolved person become a loving and caring spouse?
Can the newest diet really take off those holiday pounds?
Can the alcoholic become sober?
Can the spendthrift become prudent?
Can the clumsy play a good round of golf?
Can the sad person become happy?

Now you can add your own question here, but the question is the same: Can people change?

There is hope in this passage.

Genesis 44:33 "Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.” This is Judah speaking!! The brother who suggested the selling of Joseph into slavery. Wow, what a change!!

But how did this change occur? Did he read a book, go to a seminar, go for counseling? Real change occurs when our hearts go through deep repentance and we come to the end of our resources and begin to trust in God’s plan for our lives. There is no change without the heart being at the center of that change.

Do you want to change? Don’t look for an outward, superficial pathway for change. Look inside your own heart and ask Jesus to change you from the inside out.

Prayer for Today: Forgive us Lord for trying the change our lives without you. Forgive us for working on all the externals and not taking care of the matters of the heart. Today we turn to you with longing, thirsty souls for real change. We ask that you would cleanse us and renew us from the inside out. Take away our sin, our guilt, our rebellion and help us to experience the change that Judah went through. Send your Holy Spirit to live in us and guide and direct our steps. Change us into the image of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

written by Scott Taylor, posted by Juan.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Genesis 39-42:5

Dear Grace Bible Readers,

These chapters are some of my favorite in the Scriptures. The chief themes appear to be God's sovereignty and Joseph's consistency in his stewardship. At the start of the passage, Joseph has just arrived in Egypt, after being sold into slavery by his brothers. The irony is that the brothers' mistreatment of Joseph would ultimately lead to the blessing of Jacob (Israel)'s entire family -- and to the Egyptian people as well. Joseph is gifted with abilities for administration, and he rises to take a prominent role in running three different franchises: Potiphar's house (as a slave); the Egyptian jail (as a prisoner); and all of Egypt (as Pharaoh's second-in-command). In each case, Joseph takes no credit for himself but instead points to God's sovereignty and his ultimate servanthood to God, not men.

Furthermore, in the person of Joseph, we see many Christological symbols:

1. He was called to Egypt, as Jesus was during Herod's reign of terror on the young boys of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).

2. Jesus too was rejected by his brothers (Mark 6:4).

3. He spoke to the cupbearer and the baker, promising restoration for the cupbearer. In the same manner, Jesus proclaimed forgiveness for the thief who asked Jesus to remember him when Christ's kingdom had come (Luke 23:43).

4. Both Joseph and Jesus gave glory to God for His work (Genesis 41:16; John 8:28).

5. The Holy Spirit worked powerfully through both to reveal truth to needy people (Genesis 41:38,39; John 14:16,17; John 16:13-15)


As the passage ends, Joseph's brothers are set for a quite unexpected reunion with their "lost" brother.

Questions:
1. What are responsibilities that God has given you? How can He use you to bless others?
2. Are there examples of God's using challenging circumstances in your life for His ultimate glory? Based on these remembrances and Joseph's story, how might you approach some of your present difficulties?

In Christ,
Steve Edwards

Saturday, January 17, 2009

January 17

January 17, 2009

Genesis 37-38

Again we run into a story that doesn’t seem to fit in the HOLY Bible. If we were a bunch of religious people editing a book to become the HOLY BIBLE why would we put in a story that borders on pornographic? This story has sex, more sex, prostitution, incest and illegitimate children in it. What is going on?

First the story; Judah is one of the eleven brothers that sold their brother into slavery. We see how far the Promise to Abraham has deteriorated over the generations. Judah was the one who suggested selling his own brother for a profit in chapter 37. Now it is 20 years later and he has done nothing to find his brother or come clean with his evil scheme. So this guy is living far from God and God’s plan for his life and his family.

He marries a Canaanite woman, bad move because we saw yesterday that this is one of the fastest ways to lose your faith. He has 3 children and his eldest son is married off to a woman called Tamar. His eldest son was an evil person and so God kills him. His second son marries his brother’s widow as is in accordance with an ancient law known as the levirate law. Briefly, the law is meant to protect the line of the deceased brother. But his second son was selfish .. he wanted the pleasure of sex with Tamar but not the responsibility. So his life is taken. So what does Judah do? He doesn’t stop to think and ask WHY two of his three sons turned out evil.Rather, he puts the blame on Tamar. It’s all her fault - she must be cursed or is evil! So he weasels out of the situation by sending Tamar home to her parents with a promise he never intends to fulfill. In the ancient world Judah is responsible for Tamar not her parents. And for her to not be married is to condemn her to a life of poverty and alienation.
To cut a long story short.... Tamar tricks Judah into an affair. The scandal is soon discovered because Tamar does nothing to hide her pregnancy.
Now we add hypocrisy into the stew. Judah brings her out for a public trial and we can imagine how pleased he is to be able to finally be rid of this woman. This is perfect, now I don’t have to give away my third son. So the crowd gathers, big crowds always show up for public lynching but Tamar brings out her secret weapon. Tamar has the credit card of the man who is responsible for her pregnancy.
Now this is the turning point of the story. At this critical moment Judah’s response is astounding. He says, “She is more righteous than I, since I would not give her to my son Shelah.” And, the Bible records for us, he did not sleep with her again.”
Something happened to Judah that day that changed his life. He admitted his guilt; he forgave Tamar, took her back and treated her with a new sense of respect and care. He could have accused her of stealing his credit card and killed her for being a thief too. But he came clean that day.
He finally learned the meaning of the word “repentance.” Judah had learned what Jesus would teach us in the Lord’s Prayer... “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
God honored that change in Judah’s life and what a surprise we have when we read the New Testament and discover in Matthew 1:3 that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World, the Holy One came down through the child that was born to Tamar. No matter how messy and scandalous your life, your family, your world.... there is forgiveness, hope and grace found in Jesus Christ. He can make something beautiful come out of every mess we create.

Friday, January 16, 2009

January 16

Read Genesis 35-36 Marrying Mr. and Mrs. Wrong.

Singer Roberta Flack said, “Getting married is easy. Staying married is more difficult. Staying happily married for a lifetime should rank among the fine arts.”
Dr. James Peterson, professor of Sociology USC has studied couples for over 20 years. According to his findings only 5% could be classified as being truly happy. Sociologist and marriage Counselor Dr. J.A. Fritz said his findings boost that number up to about 15%. So if we take the higher of the two studies... only about 15% said their marriages were good or excellent. The truth is that many marriages in today fizzle rather than sizzle.

The story of Esau and his Canaanite wives is a reminder that there are no inferior people in marriages just inferior plans. God’s plan has that people of the same passion driving their hearts should marry. For the people of faith, their highest passion is to live to please God. For people without faith there can be many passions that rank high but most of them are self focused. This is a deadly combination when you unite them in marriage.

Marriage can overcome differences in nationality, race, culture, language, political parties, tax brackets and even religion. But of great concern is whether marriage can survive fundamental differences in the area of faith. From my own personal contact with situations like this, it is the person of faith that always loses or compromises after a period of time.

Esau’s marriage to pagan wives lead him to compromise his faith and this in turn affected countless generations. Little wonder that God warns repeatedly against such dangerous marriages.

The crucial question is: What can you do to ensure that the next generation doesn’t make the mistake of thinking that faith differences within a marriage pose no serious risk?

(Credit to F. LaGard Smith for some of these insights)

Steve Edwards one of our team members will be writing the Sunday blog. Thank you, Steve.

Be sure to go to the blog and register. http://gracebiblereaders.blogspot.com/
We will be switching to an all blog method soon. Monday is accountability day!!!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

January 15

Read Genesis 34-35 The Danger of Bravado

When we see something wrong that needs to be corrected, do we wisely consider all the potential strategies or do we quickly bring out the guns and fire. The motto of Simeon and Levi .... Fire, Ready, Aim!!
A great wrong was done to Dinah, she was raped by Hamor. This is a wrong that needs to be addressed. But the killing of the other men in the town of Shechem was not justifiable. Choose your battles wisely.
Jacob had the wisdom to know that a small victory here could turn into a disaster for his entire family later on. F. Laguard Smith says of the actions of Simeon and Levi, “Jacob might has also have suspected that his sons acted more out of hot-blooded anger or swashbuckling bravado than any pure sense of justice. Even righteous battles can be tainted by mixed motives.”

It is entire possible that today or sometime this week you will be faced with injustice. At that critical juncture carefully consider your reactions. As the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Be careful, lest fighting the dragon you become the dragon.”

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

January 15

Genesis 31-33 Jake the Snake

Jacob was a deceiver. That is what his name means, “He deceives.” If he was a wrestler in WWE he would be known as Jake the Snake. Well here we have Jake the snake wrestling God. He was a dirty wrestler when he started out the match but by the morning he was changed. When it says he wrestled God it means he wrestled with Jesus. And because of the Lord’s special touch on his life he would walk everyday with a limp. Sometimes the Lord hurts us to help us. Jacob became a weaker man physically, but he was a stronger man spiritually He was given a new name. Israel which means… "one who struggles with God." How can I wrestle with God this very cold January day? I wrestle God through prayer. It starts out with wrestling but it ends up with clinging. I need to get hold of God today and not let go until I know that he has touched me, forgiven me, changed me and blessed me.

It takes 24 seconds to pray the Lord’s Prayer. A way to wrestle with God today is talk with Him throughout the day.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

January 13

Genesis 29-30 The Original Desperate Housewives.

What a mess!! Rachel and Leah are locked in a cruel contest. In their jealousy and competition they end up using Jacob as a pawn in this game of marital chess. This is not what God designed for marriage. I will buy a night of pleasure with you because I bought you for three Big Mac’s. Come on!!! There is a serious departure from the original plan of God for marriage to be a place of intimacy. These are the words that describe this marriage: Suspicion, jealousy, competition, misery, tears, fighting… where is the LOVE? We can learn from Jacob’s experience that when we don’t follow God’s plan for marriage, we shouldn’t expect happiness. Obedience brings reward and disobedience brings pain… all the time, every time. In our world today… we have most couples living together before marriage… even the non-Christian sociologists will tell you that couples that live together before marriage are five times as likely to have their marriage end in divorce. But people still think they know better than God. Or if marriage seems unbearable right now, the culture tells you … find a new partner, someone who is more compatible with you. What the world doesn’t tell you though is that your new partner won’t be perfect either. Marriage only works when we do it God’s way.

If you haven’t emailed me with your reading status, do it today.

It is only with accountability that we will finish this journey together.

Monday, January 12, 2009

January 12

Read Genesis 27-28 Family Grudges

Over the years I have seen families torn apart by grudges. Siblings who despise each other many times have the origin of that hatred in parents who had favorites. Anyone who has been in a family relationship with parents who had favorites knows how difficult and damaging this can be. Imagine knowing your father loves your brother more than you. Imagine the insecurities and exaggerated need for love and acceptance that would emerge. Well we see a text book case of a dysfunctional family in our reading today. The Bible does not hide the mess that people make of their lives and their families.

What should we carry out of this passage?

1. Parents should never have favorites. If it is possible every child should feel they were the favorite.

2. When we have dysfunctional families it takes the love of God to bring healing. Nothing less than a heart filled with the love of God will overcome the bitterness.

3. Forgiveness is always the first step on the journey towards reconciliation. Is there someone you hurt you that needs your forgiveness? It is a tragedy to allow any bitterness to remain in your heart more than 24 hours.

MONDAY is accountability day.

Hit reply and let me know what chapter you are on.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

January 10

Genesis 24-26 God Sightings

When was the last time you saw God working in your world? We live in a secular world where most people don’t even expect God to act anymore. We must understand the impact of secularism on our lives. Secularism means that the supernatural can be removed from life as irrelevant. When secularism has characterized a people for a long period of time, it creates a great blindness to the acts of God.

What we want to develop is our ability to see God acting in our world today. Begin to look for His answers to prayer. Learn to recognize the help He provides to accomplish His work in your world. Delight in the unexpected evidences of His care and thank Him when there is unusual linkage or timing that works to your benefit.

We see a huge God sighting in our text today. Abraham’s servant prays for success in his mission and specifically asks for a young lady to draw water as a sign. This servant was so overwhelmed by the answer to prayer that he bowed down and worshiped on the spot.

As we continue our journey through the year start to keep a list of when you see God working. Here are four specific areas that can be used to distinguish the activity of God.

1. Any obvious answer to prayer.
2. Any unexpected evidence of God's care.
3. Any unusual linkage of timing.
4. Any help to do God's work in the world.

When practicing the discipline of God Sightings, these "sightings" will be recognized for what they truly are ‑ the actions of Christ on your behalf. As believers we choose to give Jesus the credit for what others might see as mere coincidence. This awareness of our Lord's presence is what we want to rediscover in our lives. A characteristic of all spiritual awakenings or times of genuine revival is an overwhelming sense of the presence of the Lord. Such a movement is sorely needed in our lives today.

Your homework for next week: Ask God to open your eyes to see a God Sighting.
Please share your God sightings with our group. They will be an encouragement to everyone.

Be sure to go to the blog and register. http://gracebiblereaders.blogspot.com/
We will be switching to an all blog method soon. Monday is accountability day!!!

Friday, January 9, 2009

January 9

Read Genesis 22-23

A snow storm is coming on Saturday. Use that time to catch up on your reading.

Be sure to go to the blog and register. http://gracebiblereaders.blogspot.com/
We will be switching to an all blog method soon. Monday is accountability day!!!

Genesis 22, one of the most dramatic chapters in the Bible. The drama started when Abraham was 75 and God told him to pack-um up, move em out – “I'll let you know when you arrive at the spot I have in mind for you.” So Abraham believed God and moved out of town.
Then when he was 90, God promises a son. Abraham believed a second time.
When Abraham was 99 the promise was reconfirmed. Abraham believed a third time. Isaac is born when Abraham was 100 years old. Isaac’s name means “He laughs” and Abraham knew that God is a promise keeper.

As we pick up story in Chapter 22 it is several years later, perhaps as many as 20 yrs later. So picture in your mind a young man, who can bench press 250 pounds and run the 40 in less than 5 seconds and a father who is 120 years old and barely able to push the remote control buttons.
I can only imagine the delight that Isaac was to Abraham and Sarah during those years. After the long wait, the child of promise arrives. And everything he does fills their hearts with joy.
But a problem started to develop. This miracle son was slowly invading the center of Abraham's heart. How could a child like this NOT move deeply into his heart? Isaac was starting to take the place where God should be. This would create huge problems if it wasn’t corrected. Not a problem for God but a problem for Abraham. So God stepped in to save both Abraham and Isaac from the consequences of a misguided love. God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son.

This testing is not a testing that is designed to cause someone to fail. It is a testing like that of metal, the purpose is refining and purifying. This testing would remove the imperfections and leave the metal genuine. Just as the metal is heated to molten temperatures, impurities rise to the top and then they are skimmed off, so God uses difficult circumstances to purify our faith. He wants us to be more than fair weather believers. And the only way to toughen us up is to turn on the heat. Abraham did not complain to God. He believed God a fourth time, he knew that God was working all things out for good. He believed that God's plan was to prosper him and not harm him. God's plan would give him hope and a future.

We will all be tested in the coming days. With our country going through tough economic times we will find out what is at the center of our hearts. Is it the dollar or God?

What is your greatest treasure? You son, your daughter, your possessions, your financial portfolio, your career ... or is your greatest possession God?

Tests are actually opportunities to show what is at the center of our lives. Put Jesus at the center.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

January 8

Who are you in your heart of hearts? Who are you when no one is looking? That is what is revealed today in Abraham’s life. Here is a guy who has heard the voice of God on several occasions, seen the work of God, and yet when he gets into a difficult situation, his default mode of operations is lying.

Abraham had a serious character flaw. He was a liar. In our culture lying isn’t even seen as a character flaw these days.

One of the famous quotes at Grace Church is from Eric V.... he worked in NYC for years. He said, “To distinguish yourself in the city you only have to do one thing.... tell the truth.”

People lie all the time. Here are some of our most popular lies:

The check is in the mail.
I’ll give you a call
You get this one, I’ll pay next time
No, I’m not angry
No, that doesn’t bother me
I’ll pray for you
My wife doesn’t understand me
Trust me, I’ll take care of everything
Son, I promise we will go fishing soon
Of course, I love you
It’s not the money, it’s the principle of the thing
She means nothing to me
I’ve never done this before

It is so easy to lie. It is so dangerous to lie. Tell the truth at all times.

This devotional is found on http://gracebiblereaders.blogspot.com/
Go the site and register. We will be switching to an all blog method soon.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

January 7

Genesis 18-19

The first question that comes to mind after reading Genesis 18 is “Can we change the mind of God?” The short answer is no. It is most likely that God changed Abraham’s mind.

Here are some notes from the Life Application Bible:

“Abraham knew that God is just and that he punishes sin, but he may have wondered about God’s mercy. Abraham seemed to be probing God’s mind to see how merciful he really was. He left his conversation with God convinced that God was both kind and fair. Our prayers won’t change God’s mind, but they may change ours just as Abraham’s prayer changed his. Prayer helps us better understand the mind of God.”

“Was God being unfair to the people of Sodom? Did he really plan to destroy the righteous with the wicked? On the contrary, God’s fairness stood out.
(1) He agreed to spare the entire city if only ten righteous people lived there.
(2) He showed great mercy toward Lot, apparently the only man in the city who had any kind of relationship with him (and even that was questionable).
(3) He showed great patience toward Lot, almost forcing him to leave Sodom before it was destroyed.

Remember God’s patience when you are tempted to think he is unfair. Don’t ask God for justice, ask for his mercy. God doesn’t owe us anything, we owe God everything.

Here is the question for us as we live in Fairfield County? Why does God hold off his judgment on us?
We have Bibles in all of our homes. We can turn on our TV and radios and hear the gospel message everyday. Yet we have turned our backs on God. We have kicked him out of our schools, courts, work places graduation ceremonies, Christmas, and even our families. People today have a higher commitment to taking their kids to soccer practice on Sunday morning than worshiping God.

We should all say thank you to God for not treating us with justice at this time. Every day of life we are experiencing the mercy and grace of God.

Take time right now and offer your thanks to God for treating us with mercy and grace.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

January 6

January 6, 2009

Read Genesis 15-17 Believing the promises of God.

When Abraham was 100 years old and his wife Sarah was 90, God promised them a son. Abraham believed God, and God counted Abraham's faith as righteousness. The words "it was credited to him as righteousness" show us the foundation of salvation throughout the Bible. Many people believe that the Jews were saved by keeping the law. No one can keep the law; we all fall short of God’s standard. The Bible makes it clear that we are not saved by being “Good People.” The words, it was credited to him were not written for him alone, but also for us. When we believe the promises of God he also credits us with a righteousness. Faith simply believes the promises of God.

The covenant that God made was unconditional. That means it was depending solely upon God who was making the promise. God obligates Himself in grace to bring about what He has promised.
The word “covenant” means to cut. 15:18-21 When a covenant was cut it was literally cut. Animals were cut in half and placed in a line, and then the parties making a covenant would walk between them. When they did this they were saying .... If I don’t keep this covenant let me become like these hunks of meat.
Maybe this was the origin of the phrase... “I’m dead meat” that is a joke..

The question is who passed through the pieces? Only God, this is a unilateral covenant.

The application to our lives in CT in 2009 is .... are you living by the promises of God? How many promises do you know that God has made to you and are you living by them?

There are over 7000 promises given in the Bible. There is a huge difference between people who live by these promises and those who don’t.

Be a person who believes God and his promises.

This devotional is found on http://gracebiblereaders.blogspot.com/
Go the site and register.

Bibles that are falling apart usually belong to people who aren’t.

Keep turning those pages!!

Monday, January 5, 2009

January 5

January 5, 2009

Genesis 12-14

This is a very important part of the story. All of history will be impacted by the truths found in these verses. Even the fighting in Gaza today ties in with these passages.

When God told Abram to leave Ur and take his family on a journey, he was walking by faith. God then established a an unconditional covenant with him, there are 3 parts to this covenant.
1. He would be a great nation. This promise is given when Abram is childless and old.
2. God would bless him.
3. He would be a blessing to the whole world. This blessing would come from a child born 2000 years later named Jesus. Through Jesus everyone on the planet can be blessed. God is a global God.

In this story Abram is both a failure and a hero. He fails with the lies about Sarah being his sister. In this event he is a coward and a deceiver.
But he is a hero with nephew Lot three times.... He gives him the better land, rescues the guy when he is taken captive and then refuses the reward. He is also a hero by believing God and living by faith.
Now how can both of these incidents be found in the same guy? Very easily, because we are all failures and heroes at the same time. With our old sin nature in our hearts it pulls us down and leads us to compromise with sin. But we also have the choice to invite Christ to live in our heart and to live a life of faith.
In the end we get to choose .... will we live today by faith or will we live by the pull of our old nature?

Be a hero today... ask God for strength and faith to do what is right. Believe God and be a blessing to yourself, your family and your world.

One additional note... In 13:14-17 God repeated the promise and gave the land to Abram and his offspring. The very land Israel is defending today.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

January 4

January 4, 2009

Reading Genesis 10-11

It seems like God is a downer to mankind’s party. Is God against our success as people?

Look at the motivation of these builders. The tower of Babel was a monument to man’s great achievement. It would be built to give man self worth. It would become an idol that would keep people from a relationship with God.

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

The idea was to name a name for ourselves…. It was a selfish motivation that refused to live according to God’s agenda. This is when we get into our greatest difficulties… when we live according to our agenda. The best thing I can do every morning is to bow my knees before God, thank him for a new day, give my agenda to him, ask for his guidance during the day and have the courage to live for his kingdom.

Our hearts only find their true meaning in a relationship with God. Anything that replaces God in the center of our lives is a tower. Do you have any towers in your life?

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Catch up

Since our blog spot was created a little late here are the readings for the last couple of days:
January 1 - Genesis 1 - Genesis 3
January 2 - Genesis 4 - Genesis 5
January 3 - Genesis 6 - 9:29

If you're just finding out about this and/or need a book, this is the book which we are reading out of:
The Daily Bible: In Chronological Order 365 Daily Reading.  New International Version.

If you need to order the book just search it on:
www.amazon.com



Introduction

This blog was created as a tool that we can use to communicate our thoughts, comments and/or feelings about the daily reading.  Through this not only can we expand our thoughts on what we've read but we can also keep each other accountable to the reading.  Most people that begin this journey end up quitting before January is over.  I hope and pray that using methods such as this can keep us on target and motivated.  If you have any questions or comments feel free to post.