Day # 77: Prove Yourself

Today’s Reading

Numbers 20-22 & Mark 15:26-47

The 20th chapter of Numbers begins with one of the most memorable complaints of the children of Isreal. Why did you bring us out here to die? “No water, no grain, no visible hope for survival” was the words use to taunt Moses and Aaron. As I read the 21st chapter of Numbers around the fifth verse, the children of Isreal started complaining about food and drink again. This demand they put on Moses and God would result in deadly consequences.

In response to their complaining God made a choice to send poisonous snakes that attacked and killed many of the Israelites. As soon as the the children cried out for God to remove his wrath, God provides a plan of redemption.

I thought it was amazing how a people could see the hand of God work on their behalf and still complain. I am glad to know God’s love provides a way of escape even when we make unfair demands and acts of doubt.

When I transitioned to our New Testament text, I fell in love with Jesus all over again.

I thank God that Jesus is not like many of us. I can remember a time when I had the opportunity to show how strong I was without saying a word. But my flesh wanted to prove something to those whose attention was captivated by my presence. After it was all said and done, I asked myself what did I prove? I am now convinced that I should have taken the higher road, and resisted the peer pressure around me.

As I think about the choices Jesus had in that moment, I thank God that he stayed committed to the His plan of redemption.

What would have happened if He would have met the desires of those who mocked him?

We would be still responsible for offering blood sacrifices for ours sin.

By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:7-10 ASV)

If Jesus gave in to his flesh, there would be no hope for mankind.

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15 NLT)

The law would not be fulfilled and God’s word would return to Him void!

“Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures-either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. (Matthew 5:17 MSG)

Today’s Takeaways:

1. How many times does God have to prove himself to satisfy our fleshly desires?
2. We should pray and ask for direction before we make choices that could ultimately impact the rest of our life.
3. We need to be cautious of what we require of others. It is so important that we cover others in prayer instead of pressuring them to make choices.
4. When we ask God to prove himself, is it an act of faith or an act of doubt?

Stay Blessed!!!!

The TKCBLOGGER

Needing a Good Set of Wheels

Today’s reading is Leviticus 11-12 and Mark 7:1-13.

My wife had an unusual childhood. You see her dad was born with several heart defects of which only a couple were known about while he was alive. Her father shouldn’t have lived past age six, but by the grace of God, he was able to grow up and start a family. The defects got the best of him and even a heart transplant couldn’t remedy the situation. Thus, at the age of eleven my wife had to figure out how to live in a family without dad. Finances were obviously a major issue in a new single parent household that had outrageous amounts of hospital bills. My mother-in-law worked three jobs just to keep food on the table and keep the lights on in the house. As a preteen and teenager, there are certain articles that are needed to maintain a “cool” status in high school. One needs to have clothes, the right shoes for track and cross-country, and a hair crimper (did I mention that she was in high school during the nineties). Obviously, these things were not going to be obtained by begging mom. I mean come on. With three jobs mom did good to make it home to sleep a couple of hours. So the natural choice for my wife was to march straight into a government building and demand her fair share of welfare to get what she needed, right? No. Sorry. My wife’s family is no stranger to hard work (need I cite once again that her mom worked around the clock at numerous jobs). What does one need to get a minimum wage job when you live in a rural community? Well, politeness, smarts, and transportation.

Here’s where the path is blocked. You see the death of my wife’s father allowed the household to attain a small amount of survivor’s benefits. However, if she were to get a car to get work, she would need a job, and if she got a job, the survivor’s benefits would cease (don’t ask me why I still don’t understand it all). Consequently, this left the family in a catch 22 situation. There was no way that a vehicle would benefit the family when the government monies were being used to sustain life. The job my wife would have gotten would have given her the resources needed to get her things that the other teens had in her class. Clothes. accessories. extracurriculars.

I know that many of us can look at that situation and think that life is full of disappointments and you need to simply be happy with your health and family. I still find a sadness that someone with the energy and committment to work was not allowed to pursue their dreams. It seems as though that the rules that were setup were working against her.

Looking at Leviticus 11 & 12 you may be overwhelmed with the laws and details there within. I know I was. There was something that caught my eye though. When a mother gave birth to a child they were to make two sacrifices. A sin sacrifice and a burned offering. Generally speaking the sin sacrifice was made to pay the price of the sins of an individual for a whole year. Aren’t you glad that we simply have to believe on Jesus instead of slaughtering a bull every year? Now the sin sacrifice for this situation called for either a dove or a pigeon. This was something that had to be done by everyone across the board. If you had a baby, you had to produce one of these feathered friends. Now the other sacrifice was the burned offering and according to the commentary I read this was the “Thank You God” offering. It was the joyful offering because you were given the gift of a child. Even though this offering was giving thanks to God, it was still a command that it MUST be offered after the birth of a child. A year old lamb was the normal requirement for this sacrifice. However, as we read later in chapter 12, we see that provisions are made for a dove or pigeon to be used in the lambs place should the parents not be able to afford a lamb. In fact I was interested to see in the gospel of Luke that Mary and Joseph had to offer a pigeon as the burned sacrifice when Jesus was born because they were a poor family.

What does this say to me? God is a God that wants all to be involved in his loving plan of salvation. He cares and desires relationship with all of us. When God setup this command of the burned offering He knew that there would be families like my wife’s that would not be able to afford finer things. He still wanted them involved in the process of worship and relationship with Him. God allowed cheaper animals to be used in the process. This story also tells me that all have sinned because all need an atonement sacrifice when they were born. This sacrifice was the same for everyone in the world. It cost the parents little but their faith had to be their to put it into practice. God wants all in a loving relationship with Him.

An interesting thought that I’ll leave you with is this. If God has given you much or done much in your life, are you worshipping and serving him with the higher cost of a year old lamb or are y ou still giving him a pigeon?

Day 35: I Don’t Look The Same!

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 43-45& Matthew 22: 23-46

As I approach the end of this winter season, I am reminded of the Christmas season. It is during this time that I am able to spend time with my family, while enjoying the food selections that are unique to this season. My favorite dessert has to be my mother’s homemade carmel cake. The ingredients include: cake flour, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, sugar and butter. I remember watching my mother mix these ingredients, although the ingredients individually don’t taste good, combined they become a sweet tasting dessert. The beating that these items endure is necessary in order for cake to be made. The folding of the batter and whipping of the eggs, makes the final product much better than they would be without this process. Once the cake was finished I notice that the finish product contained all the original ingredients but did not look the same.

One of the things that stood out to me in today’s text was the fact that none of Joseph brothers recognized him. Joseph’s look may have changed, but the components of his character remained the same. His faith, integrity, and dreams never shifted. Often times, people who are abused by life’s challenges usually experience a change in their character. I also found that when people gain success they sometimes forget where they came from and sometimes will transition into the person they despised in their past. I am encouraged when I noticed that Joseph’s success did not cause him to become bitter.

In this story of comfort, Joseph forgiving his brothers, and also telling them that the pain and betrayal that he endured had a purpose is good news to me. Now that his dream had manifested, Joseph cried in excitement that his family will be restored and his journey was worth it.

Today’s Takeaways:

1. Hold on to your dreams; they will come to past.
2. Don’t allow the trials of this life to make you bitter. They have a purpose for you.
3. Forgiveness should be the only option for those who wrong you. Their actions in most cases will cause you to be stretched and strengthened.

Day 28: Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Promise to Repeat

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 27-28 & Matthew 18:21-35

Growing up, we used to play a game in which we would sit in a circle and give one another a chance to tell a truth, complete a dare or a really courageous double dare, or make a promise to repeat a phrase that you may not want to repeat.

Our text resembles a similar situation in my imagination. Jacob and Rebecah are outside the house and Jacob is faced with the options of telling the truth to his father, taking the dare of retreiveing the meat before his brother could return, or the doubledare of “costuming” as his brother to fool his father. Jacob agreeing to do all the previous acts caused him to also have to “promise to repeat” one lie after another.

Have you ever been in a situation where a close family member has hurt you in a manner you only perceived an enemy would? Have you ever been promised something, to find out that what you were expecting was stolen or given away? We find Esau on the brink of receiving his fathers blessing, but his brother Jacob had a different plan.

Jacob and Esau are no longer boys. They are 77 years old. Their father Isaac is very aged. He is 137 years old and he could not see. Rebekah knew God’s promise but she tried a carnal scheme to try to bring it to pass (sounds familiar right?). Jacob was old enough to know better but went along with this scheme and fully participated in the deception. Usually our evil plans and plots do not work out as well as we had hoped.

Jacob was probably hoping that he would not have to lie with his mouth, but his sin of deception led to the next sin: lying. Not only does he lie but he brings God’s name into it!

So in accrodance to our reading for today, below are some quick trivia questions to spark your understanding of the passage. Enjoy, and good luck!!!

Should parents always be obeyed?

Should Jacob have obeyed Rebekah in this case?

In Genesis 27:12 what word describes what Jacob actually was?

What was the first question Isaac asked?

Why did Isaac in verse 20 ask; “How did you kill the animals and prepare the meat so quickly’?

Today Takeaway’s:

1. LET US NOT DO EVIL THAT GOOD MAY COME – Rebekah and Jacob had a good goal in mind: to get God’s promised blessing. If God has promised us blessing, then we should let Him bring the blessing in His time and in His way.
2. BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT – Rebekah and Jacob were totally exposed and their deception was brought to light. Jacob’s sin was going to catch up with him! Instead of being the DECEIVER he is going to be the one DECEIVED!

Day 21: How Does It Impact Your Faith?

Today’s Reading: Job 32-33 & Matthew 14:1-21

Righteous But Found Guilty

Bad things happen to good people.  Have you ever been in a situation where you know you’ve made good decisions, but nothing around you reflects your efforts? This is an interesting dilemma.  Today we have three examples of what happens to righteous people.

Example 1:  Job is being tested by God. He has lost his family, his health is failing, and now he is being criticized by his friends. Can you imagine three of your friends coming to your home and spending countless hours trying to convince you to confess to sins you never committed? And although you explained to them that you didn’t do anything wrong; your friends become even more angry. How would this impact your faith?

Example 2:  Herod heard about what Jesus was doing, and used this as an excuse to arrest John. Because John was viewed as a prophet, Herod had to find a valid reason to arrest John to avoid a riot. Herod was excited to incarcerate the man who said it was unlawful in God’s sight for him to marry the wife of his fallen brother. Have you ever been in a position when you knew that an individual disliked you and was always looking for an opportunity to assassinate your character?  It’s even worse when they try to recruit others to assist them in the attack against you. How would this impact your faith?

Example 3: Finally, as I read these two accounts; I am reminded about Jesus who experienced similar accusations. He was tried and found guilty, although he never committed one crime. His character was questioned, he was whipped, spat on, and sentenced to death by hanging on the cross. While hanging on the cross, Jesus said a prayer that should impact our faith when facing these types of situations: “Lord, Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing”. How does this impact your faith?

Today’s Takeaways

1. Bad things happen to good people.
2. Don’t let others discourage you, and don’t allow them to plant seeds that will cause you to question your faith.
3. Remember that living for Christ comes with a cost, and sometimes death is the price. But God says in Matthew 5:11 (KJV) “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake”.
4. Continue living a righteous life despite what you experience around you. Romans 6:5-6 (KJV) says: “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin”.

Day 20 “I’m Just a Bird on a Branch”

My Grandpa Bird, Age 96

Friday Job 30-31 Matthew 13:31-58

Matthew 13:31-32

³¹ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³² Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

If you went to school, work, or rode public transportation  with people of other races today, you’re just a bird on a branch.  That’s right.  Stuff you don’t even think about started with acts so small you wouldn’t even connect the dots if history didn’t do it for you.  Think about it.   A woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the back of the bus which ultimately produced Sequoia trees of equality.  We simply get to sit in the branches and enjoy it.

Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like this.  It’s a bunch of little things that end of making a huge difference.  It’s my Great Grandma Gripe refusing to give up on God and give up on her family when her husband walked out on her.  I know there are thousands of people who were positively influenced by that small act with nobody cheering.  I say thousands because many on the branches of her family tree follow Christ and have influenced hundreds of others to follow Christ.  It’s a Sunday school teacher like Edward Kimball who leads evangelist D.L. Moody to Christ or for that matter the Methodist Sunday School teacher who led John Nordstrom (my dad) to Christ.  I’m just a bird on a branch baby!  Sounds like a country music song doesn’t it?

Seriously though, what small act might you do today that could make a huge difference?  It could be a simple as being kind to somebody at work and they conclude that following Christ really might make a difference in their life.  They may not fall to their knees at the water cooler, but I think conversions happen because of lots of little “mustard seeds” dropped in cubicles at work or in the hallways at school that end up being a big deal.

I have a facebook friend named Amy Accord Smith.  I knew her when I was a youth leader in Kentucky.  She came to church and credits me with helping her get her spiritual start.  Her dad was agnostic and her mom was not supportive of her coming to church.  I didn’t even remember it, but she told me I baptized her. She said I shared a Psalm, “When your mother and father forsake you, the Lord will take you up.”  Her mother became so resistant she kicked Amy out of the house at age 14.  She lived with catholic neighbors for quite a while.   Her mother finally allowed her to move back in. The the next day, Amy’s mother came to church and was filled with the Holy Spirit.     I’ve baptized hundreds of people, but Amy’s baptism took.  She became a power house for God.   Amy has an incredibly anointed singing voice and has made a couple of albums.  She is married to a pastor and they are influencing thousands through their ministry.  I had so little to do with all that has transpired in her life, but it is my privilege to plant mustard seeds, and  to sit in the branches of great trees and watch the kingdom grow.

If you are a Christ follower, you’re just a bird on a branch.  Thousands of little acts came together to lead you to that decision.  If you haven’t yet accepted God’s free gift of salvation, do it today.  It’s so simple it’s almost embarrassing to explain it.  You just admit, you are sinner, believe that Jesus died and rose again to pay the price for our sins, and invite him to be the boss of your life.  It’s one small thing that will make a huge difference in your life now and guarantee you a spot in heaven.   From that vantage point will look back with wonder to know that we get to experience an eternity of joy from one small act.  Incidentally, my Great Grandma Gripe had a daughter named Ina who was my grandmother who married my grandfather Robert Bird who is still going strong at 96.  So it’s literally  true for me.  I’m just a Bird on a branch.

http://seg.sharethis.com/getSegment.php?purl=http%3A%2F%2Fcccmurphysboro.wordpress.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D553%26action%3Dedit&jsref=&rnd=1326813084006

Day # 14: Life’s Trials

Today’s reading Job 14-16 & Matthew 10:1-20

So in accrodance to our reading for today, below are some quick trivia questions to spark your understanding of the passage. Enjoy, and good luck!!!

How does Job compare himself with a tree? (14:7-12)

What request does Job make of God again? (14:13)

What does Eliphaz think of Job’s attempts to justify himself? (15:2-3)

What does Eliphaz ask of Job wile rebuking him? (15:9)

What is meant by the term “drinks iniquity like water”? (15:16)

How does Eliphaz describe his belief of why people suffer? (15:17-35)

As Job responds to Eliphaz, how does he describe his three friends? (16:2)

What does Job say he would do if they were in his place? (16:4-5)

How does Job feel God has treated him? (16:7-14)

What does Job cry out for? (16:21)

Today’s reflection looks at Job and his perspective of what has just transpired in his life. We observe Job as he endures the criticism and judgment cast by his friends. I must say, as I read the passages for today, I was challenged to remember times when I’ve questioned if I was in God’s will. Life’s trials left me feeling like God changed his mind about me and opted to bail out on me. I can remember when I called a fellow Christian, and was told that my situation was the result of some type of sinful act-that I was reaping what I’d sown. You know, If we take a moment and remember, God asked Satan “have you considered Job”? God called Job righteous. He was a worshiper – the bible tells us that he worshiped and gave burnt offerings, for himself and his children. Yet we find him in a bad predicament. Causing me to ask the following questions: Will you help by sharing your opinion?

1. Why is it difficult to accept that some trials are sent by God?

2. Does questioning God in the midst of my trials make me less of a Christian?

Day 13 “Are There Any Righteous People? The Answer May Surprise You”

Todays Reading:    Job 11-13Matthew 9:18-38

In Job 11 we are introduced to Job’s friend Zophar.  This guy is a piece of work.  He challenges Job’s righteousness.  In verse 6 of chapter 11, he suggests that Job may even be underpaid for some of his sins.  He makes the Calvinistic argument-Total Depravity.  This means that we are all so depraved that any good thing that happens is a gift because we deserve nothing.  I agree with this to a point.   If we really got what we deserved, we would all be toast.  Is this true?  I would argue Yes….and No.

The question of our righteousness seems to be argued both ways in scripture.  The Bible is clear that in one sense there is nobody righteous.  We all fall short. This is true.  The sense in which this is true is that in comparison to a holy God none of us measure up.

There is another sense, however, in which people can accurately be described as righteous.  There was something in the righteousness of Noah that caused God to decide against the utter destruction of the world.  There was something in the righteousness of Job that caused God to talk smack with the devil and challenge Satan to put Job to the test.  Hebrews says that there is a great cloud of people around us that are righteous people who have been made perfect.  That is a fascinating phrase, “righteous people made perfect.”  This suggests that it is possible to be righteous without being perfect.  So while there is a sense in which none of us are righteous when we use God as our measuring stick, there is another sense in which we are called to live righteous lives in an unrighteous world.  If you use our  , we can stand out like “stars in the universe” by living righteously.   I know a lot of people like this.  They aren’t perfect, but they are righteous.  I preached the funeral for one of our dear saints the other day named Linda West.  She wasn’t perfect, but I would describe her as righteous in this generation.

I don’t know about you, but a lack of righteousness is not a satisfactory answer for me to the problem of evil.  Zophar seems to indicate to Job that he deserves what he was getting and more.  Isn’t it fun being lectured by people whose speak with confidence because their lives are going well at the moment.  I have had people equate difficulties in my own life to a lack of righteousness.  If the truth was known, sometimes I have experienced the favor of God when I least deserved it and at other times when I was walking close to the Lord, it seems like all hell broke loose.  One of the lessons of Job is that good times in our lives aren’t necessarily a sign of God’s blessing, just as hardships aren’t a sign of the curse that is on him.

As the readers of the story, we know what Job doesn’t know.  There is a back story to this story and Job is being tested.  Whatever you may be facing in life, understand that there is a back story going on.  We don’t know what is going on in the grand scheme of things.  We are simply called to be faithful.  I feel sad for those who have no theology for tough times.  If you know of somebody today who is suffering, don’t be like Zophar.  They don’t need your lectures, they need your presence.  Remind them that God loves them and that He is somehow mysteriously working His plan.   Read as many books as you like about how belonging to God will insulate you from trouble and turmoil, but Job’s story flies in the face of many of the popular Christians books of our day.  For Job, his suffering was only part of the test.  Surviving the lecturing of so-called friends and enduring the bitterness of his wife were equally daunting.  Anybody who can do that qualifies as righteous in an unrighteous world.