March 31, 2010 (Matthew 20-21, Luke 18:15-19:48, Mark 11, John 12)

The following is one of those stories that is hard to believe. It's not hard to believe that Jesus could do something like this, but it's hard to believe what Jesus says we can do:

^{Matthew 21:18} In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, ¹⁹ and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.

²⁰ The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

²¹ Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. ²² You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

I'm reading a book by George Muller - a man who started orphanages with a simple faith in God. He purposed that he would ask only God for things, and never man. When funds were extremely low and it was time for the 'annual report', he delayed it, because he didn't want 'man' to feel compelled to give because they learned of the need. He wanted God to always be the only One to get glory and he wanted to make sure the needs were met because of God's faithfulness. His total motivation was God's glory. I think this is what Jesus is pertaining to in the above verses.

I think the story below shows that Jesus does want us to pray specifically.

^{Luke 18:35} As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. ³⁶ When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. ³⁸ So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

³⁹ “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁰ When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

⁴² And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” ⁴³ Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.

When God does 'miracles' for us, it causes us to praise Him. And it causes not only us, but all who are aware of it. I was at a luncheon on Sunday and while waiting for the 'guests of honor' (friends who had moved to Oregon but were now in town), I struck up a conversation while waiting. In the course of that conversation, I told the story of how Chris and I 'came to be'. It was definately a 'God thing', and it caused us both to praise God. One of the soldiers from the Squadron we support was injured, seriously. We are praying for a miracle for him. Jesus, please heal him. We know you are able.

Although we don't know the hour when Jesus will come back for His own, again, we are told to be ready, and we are again told to die to ourselves:

^{John 12:23} Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. ²⁴ I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. ²⁵ Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. ²⁶ Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

²⁷ “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! ²⁸ Father, bring glory to your name.”

Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” ²⁹ When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰ Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹ The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. ³² And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” ³³ He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

³⁴ The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

³⁵ Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. ³⁶ Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

March 30, 2010 (John 11, Luke 17:11-18:14, Mark 10, Matthew 19)

The words of God keep reverberating in my ears...."This is my Beloved Son.....listen to Him." Here is what Jesus said in Luke 17:

²⁶ “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. ²⁷ In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building—²⁹ until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. ³² Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! ³³ If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.

A couple of days ago I may have 'misspoken'. I do believe Jesus teaches us to continually pray for things, specifically, even when they don't deal with 'spiritual growth'. I think that should be our primary focus, that we might truly know Him, but I think He wants to get glory from answering other specific prayers as well. And He wants us to continue to ask, even if we don't see the answer right away.

^{Luke 18:1} One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ² “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. ³ A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ ⁴ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, ⁵ but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. ⁷ Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

And here is another encouragement to not give up, even if the request seems impossible:

^{Mark 10:27} Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

March 29, 2010 (Luke 12-17:10)

Jesus talked a lot about money in these chapters, and about how it 'wars' against our relationship with Him. He also spoke a lot about discipleship and what that entails. Here are some of His teachings:

^{Luke 12:21} “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

²⁹ “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. ³⁰ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. ³¹ He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

³² “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

³³ “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. ³⁴ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

³⁵ “Be dressed for service and well prepared, ³⁶ as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. ³⁷ There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for his return. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! ³⁸ He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, there will be special favor for his servants who are ready."

⁴⁷ “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. ⁴⁸ But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required."

⁵⁴ Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right. ⁵⁵ When the south wind blows, you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is. ⁵⁶ You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.

^{Luke 14:25} A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, ²⁶ “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

³³ So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything for me.

^{Luke 16:10} “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. ¹¹ And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? ¹² And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

^{Luke 17:5} The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

⁶ The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you!

⁷ “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? ⁸ No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ ⁹ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. ¹⁰ In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

I think Jesus is trying to get the people's attention regarding their priorities. He wants us to be faithful with what He has entrusted to us. He wants 'the Kingdom of God' to be our primary concern. He wants us to deny ourselves, our desires for worldly pleasures and seek Him and His kingdom. He wants us to be living each day as if He could return at any moment. I remember a few days ago, the story was God speaking from heaven and saying to listen to His Son. And Jesus Himself said in Luke 14:35b..."Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand". We are accountible for what we know....for what He has shown us. In some ways it's easier to just go 'our merry way' and not read or listen to His words. As I typed that, it's actually easier in ALL ways, not just SOME ways, to live like that. Maybe that is why Jesus said somewhere else that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. Following God 'costs' us, but the rewards are eternal and not temporal.

March 28, 2010 (John 7-10, Luke 10-11)

I read this morning, but it's now late and I'm tired. Today's blog will be short and sweet. I am a 'morning person' - brain dead at night. This makes me realize I need to blog in the morning as soon as I finish reading.

Jesus today tells us how we can be His disciples:

^{John 8:31} Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

No wonder they wanted Jesus dead when He said things such as the words following:

⁵² The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!’ ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴ Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ ⁵⁵ but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷ The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?”

⁵⁸ Jesus answered, “The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!

This next story is the one of the man who was born blind, and his disciples wondered if it was because of his own sins or the sins of his parents. Here was Jesus response, as well as the rest of the story. And again, we can see how things are "heating up" with Jesus and His teachings:

³ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ⁴ All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, because here is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end. ⁵ But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. ⁷ He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

⁸ His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”

But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”

¹⁰ They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”

¹¹ He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”

¹² “Where is he now?” they asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

¹³ Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, ¹⁴ because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. ¹⁵ The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.

¹⁷ Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”

The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”

¹⁸ The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. ¹⁹ They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”

²⁰ His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, ²¹ but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. ²³ That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”

²⁴ So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”

²⁵ “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

²⁶ “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”

²⁷ “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

²⁸ Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! ²⁹ We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”

³⁰ “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? ³¹ We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. ³² Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”

³⁴ “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

³⁵ When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶ The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”

³⁷ “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”

³⁸ “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

³⁹ Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”

⁴¹ “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

Lots of stuff in these few verses, one of them being that sometimes God works in unusual ways. Who would have thought that spitting on the ground and making mud out of the dirt and his saliva, and then smearing that on the man's eyes would bring sight to them. So after God did his mysterious work, he asked the blind man to do something. At that point he had the option of doing what he was told, or telling God that He was nuts - that there was no way that rubbing his eyes with mud would heal him. But he took God at his word and did what he said, and he could see. Sometimes God may ask us to do things that don't make sense. He doesn't want us to rationalize with Him, but to obey.

Sometimes things happen so that the power of God can be revealed. Not because of sin, but because God wants to do a miracle. And then the mandate to "work" while we can. Soon 'the night will fall and all work will come to an end'. I think at the end of Matthew, Jesus will again tell us to look at the 'signs of the times', and to take heed.

Guess this ended up not being as short and sweet as I thought...

March 27, 2010 (Mark 9, Luke 9:28-62, Matthew 17-18)

Today's reading covered the "Mount of Transfiguration" and the story was told in all three of the gospels listed above. Perhaps it is cases like this that give some people the claim that the Bible has contradictions. The account that I am using below is only listed in Luke. Matthew and Mark don't list this as happening. Which made me wonder "why"? The people involved in this story were Peter, James, John and Jesus. Which means there were four people that had the possibility of telling others what happened. First of all, read Luke's account of what happened below:

^{Luke 9:28} About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³⁰ Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. ³¹ They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

³² Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. ³³ As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ³⁴ But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.

³⁵ Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” ³⁶ When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

This is the only version that tells 'why' He took them up on that mountain top. As I read this, I was struck by the fact that the disciples slept while Jesus prayed. I can't imagine such a thing. To hear the Son talking with the Father - to see how they communicated. Boy, I wish I could have been there. But maybe Jesus prayed silently? Who knows. But what we DO know, is that this was not the disciples finest hour. If I was retelling the story, maybe I would have left out this one little part too. The important part is what happened up there on the mountain, right? Not the fact that we 'failed' in our spiritual disciplines. Perhaps that is why Peter had the response that he did. Mark said it this way:

⁶ He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.

I wonder what the response would have been had he been praying, instead of sleeping. We'll never know. But if we apply that to our lives, what are we missing out on because we are 'sleeping instead of praying'?

And then, to spring off that last 'bolded' statement, God said to listen to what Jesus had to say. Here is what He had to say later in this chapter:

⁵⁹ He said to another person, “Come, be my disciple.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

⁶² But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

We all have excuses for not being Jesus' disciple, but if we will heed these verses, we truly have no excuse.

March 26, 2010 (Matthew 15-16, Mark 7-8, Luke 9:18-27)

I guess because God says that without faith it's impossible to please Him, He will continue to stress that point through His word. That continues to jump out to me, as well as the Spirit's role in our life and prayer.

Matthew 15 tells the story of the Gentile woman who came to Jesus wanting Him to send the demon out of her daughter. Jesus gave her no reply - not a word. Then his disciples told Him to send her away because they were tired of her begging. Jesus told her He had come to help the Jews, not the Gentiles. Here' the rest of the exchange:

²⁵ But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶ Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷ She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

²⁸ “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Not long after this we see another time when the crowds following Jesus were large and it was time to send them away. Here is what Jesus said to his disciples:

³² Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

Don't you think at this point, they would have remembered what happened before? I think Jesus was waiting for one of them to say, "Hey, let's see how many loaves and fish we have, and you can bless it and feed the people like you did before!" But here's what they said instead:

³³ The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”

I think at this point, Jesus was probably wondering if they would ever get it. But He graciously, without any condemnation, asks them how many loaves and fish there were, and does the same thing as before. He fed the crowds and there were baskets of leftovers. So after this incident, as they were crossing the lake, the disciples realized they had forgotten to bring any food with them. Here's what happened next:

^{Matthew 6:6} “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

⁷ At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. ⁸ Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? ⁹ Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? ¹⁰ Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? ¹¹ Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

¹² Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Again, He points out their lack of faith.

Then Jesus tell them some other truths, one of which I think pertains to prayer. The footnote in my Bible says nothing about it, but that's what I think this verse is talking about:

¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be open in heaven.”

And then, in rebuke to what Peter told Him, Jesus made this reply:

23 "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Right after this, Jesus gave them another 'speech' about following Him and the cost it would entail:

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. ²⁵ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. ²⁶ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds."

And then finally, one section from Mark 7:

²⁰ And then he added, “It is the thought life that defiles you. ²¹ For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. ²³ All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God.”

March 25, 2010 (Mark 6, Luke 9:1-17, Matthew 14, John 6)

I have a feeling I'm going to 'gravitate' to the book of John for my musings, but I guess I'll have to wait and see.

The stories covered today were some of the 'major miracles' that Jesus performed. The feeding of the 5,000 (really 5,000 men, plus women and children) from the five loaves and two fish and Jesus walking on the water. Even though He didn't always spell it out, the underlying theme is again 'faith'.

Matthew's account is the one that tells us about Peter walking on the water with Jesus. Instead of just the 'faith' part, I've put in more verses for context:

^{Matthew 14:24} Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. ²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

³² When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Besides faith, the thing that struck me with today's reading is the fact that God is not limited by physical limitations. And not only is God not limited, I guess we aren't as well. How else could Peter have walked on the water? But he was only able to overcome by the direct word of Jesus.

One of the accounts of Jesus walking on the water says that as soon as Jesus got in the boat, they immediately arrived at their destination. He was not bound by the physical properties of 'walking on the water' and he was not bound by 'time travel' laws. He also defied physical laws by stretching the loaves and the fish to feed thousands. As I think of our lives and the stresses that I feel coming because of the economy, He is not bound by them. He wants us to trust Him. That reminds me of when one of his disciples needed money to pay the tax and Jesus told him to catch a fish, and in the fish's mouth was a gold coin. God is able to provide in ways we cannot even imagine if we will just trust in Him.

And now to John, and Jesus' teaching right after the miracles of the food and walking on water:

^{John 6:26} Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. ²⁷ But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

²⁸ They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

²⁹ Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

What is the only work God wants us to do? Believe! Faith!

³⁰ They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? ³¹ After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

When I read that, I thought of Jesus' patience. Instead of saying "What do you mean, "Show us a sign. I've just shown you two!" and then leaving them, He continues to speak to them about who He is.

³² Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. ³³ The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. ³⁷ However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. ³⁹ And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

What security is in those verses! God's will is that not one of us who is a Christian shall be 'lost', but that we will have eternal life and be raised up with Him at the last day.

And then some more words of Jesus, again telling us of the importance of our relationship with Him.

⁵⁷ I live by the power of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, those who partake of me will live because of me.

⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

March 24, 2010 (Mark 4-5, Matthew 8:14-10)

"Faith" is what stuck out to me in my reading today, and I have a feeling that will be a recurring theme. I am also reading a book about George Mueller - a man who took God at His word, so it seems 'faith' is what God is speaking into my heart.

The first account is about when a big storm blew up while Jesus and some of his disciples were in a boat. Jesus was asleep, but his disciples were frantic and woke Him up asking Him to save them because they were going to drown. How in the world could Jesus have been sleeping through a storm that was obviously so powerful that His disciples thought they were going to drown? What peace governed His life? Obviously the knowledge that He had power over all things. Perhaps this was even sent by Him to be a teaching lesson for His disciples. What storms are in our life to focus us on the saving power of God? This story was in both Matthew and Mark, but I liked the wording of the Mark account better:

^{Mark 4:39} When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Quiet down!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?”

Not only is it important to have faith, it's important that our faith is in Him.

Next we see where some people brought him a paralyzed man. His response:

^{Matthew 9:2} Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”

Next there are three instances, back to back:

First a leader came to Him because his daughter had just died. Then as Jesus was on His way to his house, we see the story of the woman who had been sick for twelve years. Then after Jesus left the little girl's home, two blind men followed behind. Boom, boom, boom....back to back teachings on faith:

^{Matthew 9:18} As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”

¹⁹ So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. ²⁰ Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, ²¹ for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

²³ When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. ²⁴ “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! ²⁶ The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

²⁷ After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

²⁸ They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?”

“Yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.”

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” ³⁰ Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” ³¹ But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.

The next thing that struck me was Jesus' compassion for the people. He is the same today. He still has compassion for the lost. And because of what He has given us, He expects us to give to others:

^{Matthew 9:36} When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. ³⁸ So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Matthew 10:8b "Give as freely as you have received!"

And then, finally, words of encouragement as to how much He loves us:

^{Matthew 10:28} “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. ³⁰ And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."

March 23, 2010 (Matthew 11-13, Luke 8, 11)

Again, I was struck with the 'fact' that Jesus is our only hope, both in this life and the life to come. In the following verses spoken by Jesus, especially the ending ones, is something that I have read so many times and yet wondered of the possibility of the 'reality' of them:

^{Matthew 11:27} “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”

In looking up the word "yoke" here are a couple of meanings:

"any device that bears the weight of another thing" or "a connection between two things so they move together"

I think Jesus wants to 'bear the weight of this life for us" and He gives us the Holy Spirit as the connection that allows 'us' to move together. This is one of those things that He will continue to have to reveal, because although I know it is true with my 'head', I am not quite sure of the reality in my 'heart'.

A couple of other things. As I read the following, I thought of our country:

^{Matthew 12:25} Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart."

If we take Jesus at His word, if our country continues along the path we are taking, it is doomed. If only we could be at the place we were after 9/11 - when the country was united against a common enemy that was "outside" ourselves. Now it seems as if we are united against each other.

And now some verses with no commentary:

^{Jesus - Matthew 12:30} “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."

^{Matthew 13:10} His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. ¹² To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. ¹³ That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

^{Matthew 13:40} “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Hell is a reality, and that is the destination of all who don't "know" Jesus. Not just know about Him, but truly have a relationship with Him. I think all too often we forget that fact and live in our own blind little world. Those without Christ will spend eternity in hell. He wants us to work with Him to warn them of the danger to come and of His love for them to spare them.

March 22, 2010 (Matthew 5-8:1-13, Luke 6-7)

In today's reading I'll highlight 4 points - prayer, secrets, worry and judging. Because today's reading entailed 'The Sermon on the Mount' there are so many other things I learned, but will limit it to those four.

Jesus addresses prayer first in His sermon, but then I caught two other facets from His actions:

^{Matthew 7:7} “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? ¹⁰ Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! ¹¹ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

And then in Matthew 8, here is how that chapter opened:

¹ Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. ² Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Jesus. He knelt before him, worshipping. “Lord,” the man said, “if you want to, you can make me well again.” ³ Jesus touched him. “I want to,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

I was struck by the fact, that first he knelt before Him and worshipped. And he didn't ask for healing. He was concerned with Jesus' will and not his own. "If you want to" could be translated "If it's your will". He didn't come with his 'wish list' - he worshipped and wanted Jesus' will.

⁵ When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, ⁶ “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

⁷ Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸ But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
¹³ Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

Two things struck me about this passage. Obviously, the officer's faith and his respect for Jesus' authority. I think his faith was born out of respect for Jesus' authority. He knew what came from his own authority, and from the authority of those over him, but I think this shows that he knew that Jesus was God and as such, had ultimate authority.

But the first thing that I saw was that this man didn't 'ask' for anything either. He just stated the facts to Jesus. Told Him the situation and Jesus then took control. I think too often I think I know what is best and ask for specific things, instead of just trusting God to do what is best. But there is a 'happy medium' because in the first section Jesus tells us to ask and keep on asking. But perhaps in that section His emphasis is on asking, knocking and seeking for an 'awareness of Him', instead of for 'things'. As I typed that, I just remembered there is a parallel passage of this section.

^{Luke 11:12} Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! ¹³ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

I think that's it! We are to beg, seek and continue to ask God specifically for spiritual things, a filling of His Spirit, an awareness of Him, etc., and to pray for the other issues of life, trusting Him that He knows what is best for us.

Secrets - there are none with God. But there ARE 'secrets' that He likes:

^{Matthew 6:3} But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

^{Matthew 6:6} But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

^{Matther 6:16} “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. ¹⁷ But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

And now to worry. As God's children, we bring glory to Him when we don't worry. He wants us to live differently from the unbelievers around us. But from the verses below, we see His provision is conditional:

³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Judging. There is only One who can judge because there is only One who is Holy. And it ain't us!

Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

³ “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? ⁴ How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

I think every day as I blog, I say to myself "If I could just get a handle on these things, and do just this". If I could just beg God for His filling and trust Him with the other issues of life, if I could quit judging others, etc., etc. And over and over He says, "YOU can't do any of those things, only I can". And it's only as day by day that I relinquish my life and my will to Him, that I can see Him moving and working in my life. But even then, there is nothing to take pride in or glory in, as it all comes from Him.

^{Matthew 5:16} In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

March 21, 2010 (John 2-5, Mark 2-3, Matthew 12:1-21)

Today is my 'spiritual birthday' - 28 years ago today, I gave my life to Jesus. Twenty eight years is a long time. I feel like I have just recently been able to understand more of this 'spiritual life'. After 28 years, I should truly know Him better. But I am on the trek....

I found it interesting that today's reading would encompass John chapter 3. The "famous" chapter - the one that contains John 3:16. As Jesus explained the 'new birth' to Nicodemus, I've bolded some verses that I have seen in a new way:

^{John 3:1} There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

³ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

⁴ “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

⁵ Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. ⁷ So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? ¹¹ I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. ¹² But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.

How was I 'born again'? I can't explain it. But I know it happened. God 'turned on the lights' spiritually speaking. I understood that Jesus died and rose for me, and by faith said "I accept that gift of new life." And instantly I was 'born of the Spirit'. My life changed, instantly. Inside, I knew it. God came to dwell on earth IN me. Who can understand that? Certainly not me. It's not ours to 'figure out' - it's only ours to believe. I liked verses 12 and 13 as well. We just have to take Jesus at His word. He knows what He is talking about. He is One with the Father. God in the flesh.

Chapter 3 ends with John the Baptist telling his followers what he knows about Jesus. His followers were concerned that Jesus was getting more followers than John. What he said was pretty clear - cut and dry:

29...Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. ³⁰ He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

³¹ “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. ³² He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! ³³ Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. ³⁴ For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. ³⁶ And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

John knew who Jesus was, and he knew that our knowledge was limited to earthly things. Jesus was from heaven and spoke of heavenly things.

I don't understand a lot of this, humanly speaking. But I am so thankful that 'my name is written in heaven' and that someday I will see my Savior 'face to face'. Thank you Jesus, for revealing Yourself to me.

March 20, 2010 (Matthew 1-4, Mark 1, Luke 1-5, John 1)

And now to begin the New Testament. I read quite a bit this am because I've fallen behind as of late. I won't list them all, but these chapters are LOADED with fulfilled prophecies, from the virgin birth of Christ, to Him being sent to Egypt and then called from there, etc., etc., etc. I won't list them all, but I was struck with the prophets predictions and then fulfillment. The other thing that I was struck with again, is the lineage of Jesus. Matthew describes the lineage from Mary. Instead of listing all the people in between, here are the first and the last:

^{Matthew 1:1} This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: ² Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.

¹⁵ Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
¹⁶ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

¹⁷ All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

At first I just copied verse 16, but that was confusing because 'Jacob' was listed there as well...it was a different 'Jacob'. I included verse 17 because I was struck by the 'plan' of God - three sets of fourteen generations listed. God has a plan, and it is all according to His time.

And then the lineage of Jesus through Joseph:

^{Luke 3:23} Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.
Joseph was the son of Heli.

³⁸ Kenan was the son of Enosh.
Enosh was the son of Seth.
Seth was the son of Adam.
Adam was the son of God.

Pretty fascinating, actually. Joseph was a descendant of Adam, Mary was a descendant of Abraham.

I think my favorite part today was from John. Just one little chapter from John, but so rich in content:

John 1

Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

¹ In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
² He existed in the beginning with God.
³ God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

¹⁰ He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. ¹¹ He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. ¹² But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. ¹³ They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

¹⁵ John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

¹⁶ From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

These words are enough. To really grasp their meaning is the truth of the 'gospel' - the good news of Jesus Christ.

March 18, 2010 (Malachi 1-4)

Malachi - the last book of the Old Testament, and the last prophetic words before the coming of Christ. Here's what the introduction of my Bible says about the book of Malachi: So sinful has the nation become that God's words to the people no longer have any impact. For four hundred years after Malachi's ringing condemnations, God remains silent. Only with the coming of John the Baptist does God again communicate to the people through a prophet's voice.

Malachi is a short book, and written to the people who were under the sacrificial system of Jewish law. As I read this section on their offerings, I was trying to picture what God is saying to us. First, here is what He said to them:

⁶ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!

“But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’

⁷ “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.

“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’

“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. ⁸ When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

⁹ “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

¹⁰ “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings. ¹¹ But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

¹² “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. ¹³ You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

¹⁴ “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!

How do these verses relate to today? I know our church is really struggling financially. Is it because we 'tip' God instead of 'tithe' to God? We think everything we have is ours - we earned it. But He is the one that gives us health and strength. Apart from that gift from Him, we would have no earnings. That has been made all to clear to me of late with my back issues and now my lingering cold. I think our finances are an indication of our hearts.

God wants obedience. He stresses it over and over and over. Obedience shows love and respect. There's no other way around that. If we love and honor God, we will obey Him. In Malachi 2:10-17 God asks some pertinent questions:

¹⁰ Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why do we betray each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors?

¹¹ Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols. ¹² May the Lord cut off from the nation of Israel every last man who has done this and yet brings an offering to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

¹³ Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. ¹⁴ You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.

¹⁵ Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

¹⁷ You have wearied the Lord with your words.

“How have we wearied him?” you ask.

You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

These are harsh words. So for those who are unmarried, marry no one except one who also worships and fears God. For that that are married, stay married. The above is not 'pleasant' for our society. Take a look at our country. There is no 'fear of God'. How do we think we will escape judgment?

I'll end with a couple of promises. God promises blessings from obedience.

^{Malachi 3:6} “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. ⁷ Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’

⁸ “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!

“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’

“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. ⁹ You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. ¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! ¹¹ Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ¹² “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

And then, when I talk of the Lord and of His goodness with others, this is what happens:

^{Malachi 3:16} Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.

¹⁷ “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. ¹⁸ Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

I want to be one of God's 'treasures'.

Update: We have a snow day today, and yesterday afternoon I made a special trip to the bank to make a deposit for the Boy Scouts based upon weather predictions. (I had already procrastinated for a couple of days). I just said "I'm so thankful I did that trip yesterday", and in my spirit I felt the Lord say, "You do things based upon weather predictions, how much more important is it to act based upon My predictions". Reassures me that I am on the right path...