Deborah

Scripture

Judges 4-5, Psalms 107:23-43, Romans 9-11

Observation

So after Ehud died Israel did evil in the site of the Lord. So He SOLD them into slavery. What God sold His people? First of all to sell something you must poses it. So even though Israel was not following God they were still His people. Now verse 4 of chapter 4 tells us that Deborah was a prophetess and that she was judging Israel at that time. So even though the people had turned away from God He still was active. Sending His judge and Prophetess to the people. Obviously they were hearing from God before they were sold into slaver.

Side Note:

It was Jael that killed Sisera the commander of Jabin king of Canaan army, by driving a tent peg into his head.

Application

God is God even if we don’t acknowledge Him as God and he sill loves us even when we do crazy thing. The scriptures never tell us that God was mad just that Israel did evil His site. He probably was mad but His wrath is justified because He is God. Remember He cannot sin. He sold Israel to Jabin so he could save them. So He could get their attention. Where is God trying to get my attention?

Prayer

Father God, I love You! Thank You for Your live and kindness to me when I don’t deserve it. Open my eyes today to the areas in my life were You are trying to get my attention. Thank You.

 

Time to Loss Some Weight

Scripture

Judges 2-3, Psalms 107:1-22, Romans 8

Observation

I love the story of Ehud and Eglon the king of the Moabites. God uses something that is disgraceful (a left handed person) to save Israel. If you have not read this story READ IT.

 

Sin and a Sinfull World

Scripture

Judges 1, Psalms 106:24-48, Romans 7

Observation / Application

I found two things in the first chapter of Judges. I never really focused on the fact that the Israelites had to tike the city of Jerusalem from someone I always pictured that the Israelites were the founders of the city. Second, it is crazy how many people and people groups that the Israelites did not drive out of the land of Judah. Just a few weeks earlier they had sworn to do all that God commanded them to do. They messed up again! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!Romans 7 is extremely heavy. When I was in high school I remember finding this passage and having several problem with it. Check it out.

Romans 7:15-18 ESV

15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.

17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

We I first found this passage in did not get what is meant. I saw this verse as saying that we are not responsible for our sins because sin dwells in us. I thought that the passage was using the brokenness of the world as a scapegoat. I was very young and idealistic at the time thinking that I could do good deeds and that I could not sin if I had chosen not to. This is a very hard concepts for people to get but it is at the core of the gospel. See Paul is saying that we are broken. WE ARE BROKEN AND THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT!!!! This is so hard to get. We all want to think that we are good. That we can get to heaven on our own good works but this is the opposite of the truth. We have no good in us and the only way we can get in is though Jesus. I am not saying that people who are not Christian can’t do good acts. We were all created in the image of God so we all have the desire to do good but it is only the fact that we were created in His image that we have the ability to do good act. But at the core of who we are we are broken and full of sin. See if we are apart form Christ our good act are not going towards the right thing. Even if we help someone out of love we are not helping them to bring glory to God. If it is not for the glory of God then it is for the glory of something else; ourselves, or our families name or our society, or a million other things.

Even when we become Christians there is still sin in us. Paul says that he does what he does not want to do. Even though we are Christians we are still in this world. Yes we are covered by the blood of Christ and are in right standing with God but we still sin. WHY? It is because when we are born we are born into a broken world full of sin. When we are reborn into Christ, He does not pull is out of this world. He desires for us to live in the world but not of it. He desires for us to spread His Kingdom. One day this world will be completely fixed but that time is not yet. God has allowed the world to remain broken for a time. Still to this day I do not fully under stand why God has allowed this world to remain broken. But I know that God id good and He has a plan. I think that it is wrapped up in 2^nd Peter 3:9

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

(9) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Prayer

Father God, I love You! Thank You for Your salvation. Thank You for redeeming me. I know that even today I don’t have everything right open you eyes to your truth. Open you eyes to the fullness of your Kingdom. Give me sympathy fro the lost. Give me the courage and conviction to fulfill what you have for me to do here in this broken world. That you again for delivering me from my broken state and help me to do the thing that wish to do.

 

Two Views

Scripture

Joshua 23-24, Psalms 106:1-23, Romans 5-6

Observation

Ok.  So today I finished up Joshua. The book ends with Joshua’s death. Butt before he died God speaks through Joshua one last time. God reminds the people all that He has done for them and tells them they have two choices they can turn for Him or follow Him and of course them Israelites say that they will follow God. (When let’s see what happens in the book of Judges.) Then in psalms David recounts the story of Israel. Theses two stories are the same but are drastically different. In the first when God tells the story there is no mention of the sins of Israel but in Psalms David recounts all of theirs sins.This is how God verse us verses how we view ourselves. Through the cross God does not see our sin but for some reason we keep bringing them up.

In Romans 5 Paul lays down what exactly Christ has done for us. I have read this passage many times before but never seen verse 10.

Romans 5:10 ESV

(10) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

It is by the death of Christ that we are reconciled to God but it is through His resurrection or His life that we are saved. This is a powerful distinction that I had never seen before. If Christ had not concord death then there would have been no point in His death because we would still be in slavery to death.

Application

We must life in a way that is in view of the cross. If God does not see our sin because of the cross of Christ then we should live in manner worthy of that sacrifice.

Prayer

Father God, I love You! Thank you so much for what you have done on the cross. Thank You for conquering my death and saving me though your life. I LOVE YOU!

 

Worship

Scripture

Joshua 21-22, Psalms 105:26-45, Romans 3-4

Observation / Application

So today I am going to stick to the passage in Joshua. For the past three-day we have been reading about how the land of Cannon was divided amount eh Israelites. When the bible begins to do list so often I just zone out. However I want to reiterate how important these passages are. They show the fulfillment of God 700 year old promise. Joshua 21 ends with such a powerfully verse.

Joshua 21:43-45 ESV

(43) Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there.

(44) And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands.

(45) Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

Now lets look at Joshua 22:10-34. The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben build an altar and the sons of Israel get pissed and prepare to go to war with them. It is only after the sons of Israel talk to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben that the whole mess gets resolved. Ok it sound like today. Other Christians start to worship differently than us and we jump to conclusions. Today I think that Christian get to caught up in their denominations and lose sight of what is really important THE WORSHIP OF THE MOST HIGH GOD; JESUS. I am not saying that every denomination is right. We must filter everything through scripture! It is our universal standard. This is what the sons of Israel we doing but they did not ask why the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben has created the alter. They jumped to conclusions. We must communicate with our brother in Christ, we can’t jump to conclusion when we see others worshiping differently than us. Open lines of communication are invaluable.

Prayer

Father God, I love You! Open my eyes today to see how I have judged my brother for worshiping you differently than me. Give me the courage and conviction to keep my eyes on you and let me see other denomination of their faith as pleasing to you.

 

Worship

Scripture

Joshua 16-17, Psalms 104, Romans 1

Observation

In Romans 1 and Psalms 104 we have two different views; a world view and a godly view. In Romans 1 Paul has some pretty harsh things to say. He tells us how God has given man over to the impure desires of their heart due to the condition of our heart. He describes man’s worldly view, exchanging the worship of the Creator for the worship of the creation.

Romans 1:24-25 ESV

(24) Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

(25) because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

In Psalms 104 David’s view is drastically different. His focus is on God. He tells us how God has not only created the world but provides for it. God gave man wine, and oil and food, He gave the birds of the air trees for nesting in, he gave all the creatures of the see food to collect, and He gave the lions food to eat.

Application

I must daily ask myself one question “In my life have I exchanges the worship of the creation for the worship of the creation if that be food, or job, or TV, or my computer?”

Prayer

Father God, I love You! You are the creation of the heavens and the earth. You hold every thing together. You are worthy of all of my love, praise and worship. I repent. I have put so many things before You. I have worshiped Your creation and not You. Please help me today to see Your glory in everything around me and open my eyes to Your provision and Your glory. I love You and worship You.

 

Thanks God He is Unfair

Scripture

Joshua 14-15, Psalms 103, Acts 28

Observation

Starting in Joshua, chapters 14 –15 were pretty boring at fist glance. Describing how the land of Cannon was divided among the twelve tribes.

Joshua 15:6-8 ESV

(6) And the boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah and passes along north of Beth-arabah. And the boundary goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

(7) And the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. And the boundary passes along to the waters of En-shemesh and ends at En-rogel.

(8) Then the boundary goes up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem). And the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the Valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.

Even though Joshua is describing boundaries and cities that no longer exist. This part of the story is so beautiful. See Joshua is describing all that God had promised to give to Abraham. This was the fulfillment of a 700-year-old promise. God delivered it in His timing.

Psalms 103 is just RAD. So many songs have been written form this passage. What really truck me was:

Psalms 103:10-12 ESV

(10) He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

(11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

(12) as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Our God is a just God! However He deals with us unjustly. THANK GOD!!

Act 28 is one of my favorite stories about Paul. The guy has just been shipwrecked on an island called Malta. He is in chains and is on his way to Rome because the Jews wanted to kill him. The people of Malta great him and Luke well and build a fire for them to warm up around after being the cold sea. Than it happens. Paul is getting for some wood and gets bite by a viper. It doesn’t bite him a slither away, it latches on to his hand! Pumping venom into him. I am sorry I would be flipping out. Paul is cool and collect. He shakes the viper off his hand and it lands in the fire. The scriptures tell us that he suffered no harm.

Application

God is good and He has a sovereign plan, even if we can’t see it. Some time He is low to act. He can take 700 years to fulfill a promise. Other times He moves immediately and protects us in way that we can understand. Overall He loves us and treats us unfairly. THANK GOD!

Prayer

Father God I love You! Thank you for fulfilling Your promises. Thank You for being in control. Thank You for forgiving my sin. And, Thank You for not giving me what I deserve.

 

400 Years of Silence

So it has been a while since I have posted. I was doing will for the first part of January. About the 16^th I stopped posting online. I started a paper blog and did pretty well for a few weeks. I have now decided to start bloging again. So keep visiting the site and if I slip up please give me a call.

Thanks,

Neil

 

Scripture

Matthew 13; Genesis 22-23; Psalms 11  

Observation

Mat 13:44  “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. This verse reminds me of what Paul said, Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”  

Application

Do I live this way?  Would I forsake my life, my family, my house, my car, or my iPod to know more about the kingdom of God?  I think often not.  When I first became a Christian id did live this way.  I left my friends, my family and my life of sin behind to follow Christ. Now that I have this great Christian life I don’t live in the same way.  I have sunk into the routine of day-to-day Christian life.  What would my life look like if I were completely sold out for Jesus?  What would our church look like if we were completely sold out for the Kingdom of God?  

Prayer

Father God you are the source of my life! You are the King of all things under heaven and Earth.  I do not always live a life sold out to you.  Please forgive me!  Direct me in the path that you have chosen for my life and steer me away for the life of sin.  I love and worship you!

 

Scripture

Matthew 16-17; Genesis 27; Psalms 14 

Observation

Mat 16:2  He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3  And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Sound familiar? “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning”Just like today, the people in Jesus’ time were mare in-tune with the creation that the Creator.

Mat 16:5  When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6  Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7  And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8  But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9  Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10  Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11  How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12  Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Even the Disciples were quick to forget were that focus was to be.  The focused on there needs in this world and missed to whole point for Jesus’ story.  

Application

So often in my life I am life the Disciples.  I miss the point of what God id trying to teach me.  I focus on my needs and if every thing in my lie is not just right in get frustrated and call out to God, “Why?”  God desires me to focus on that is going on in His Kingdom not what is going on around me.  He wants me to be in-tune with the Kingdom and not with the world. 

Prayer

Lord God, You are King!  You are good and righteous.  Thank You for Your Kingdom.  May You reign on Earth as you do in Heaven.  Open my eyes today to Your plan, to Your kingdom and to Your will.  I love You and adore You. My Rock and My Savior.  I love You!