Yesterday in the gospel of John Jesus said, "I'm the bread of life." today we read that God is a matchmaker. Before there was internet dating there was heaven's match making service. Isaac needed a wife for the big picture of carrying out the promise. Did you notice that he obtained his wife and soon after his mother died? Rebekah brought him comfort, real needs, real answers.
When you read notice how God pulls the curtains back every now and then to see how He gets into the details. I have come to believe there are no accidents. God is mapping out our lives. There is great comfort in this truth. He even mapped out Jacob and Esau's lives.
In John we hear the "behind the scene's" conversation as they try to figure out who Jesus is. He keeps telling them He is from the Father, hard to swallow, but it is the truth.
Abraham had to believe, Isaac had to believe, and we must believe in who Christ is and let him work out the details of our lives. You can trust Him!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
009 Friday, January 9, 2009
009 Genesis 21 - 23; John 6.27 - 6.71
God did to Sarah what He had promised. Sarah had Isaac as a fulfillment of God's promise. The name Isaac means laughter. So the last laugh is on Abraham and Sarah. Why is it important to have a son? Because God had promised Abraham that he would make him into a great nation. A nation has to have people! God was beginning,in seed form,to produce the people for that nation.
What you will notice in the old testament is the way God gives promises in seed form and over time grows that seed to completion. I believe this is one of the ways God works in our lives. The Lord gives an experience, a little training, early on, and we may not think anything of it but God was planting seeds in our lives that would grow to bear fruit.
All this trouble to bring along the promise and have Isaac. Now God says to Abraham go and sacrifice him! Wow where did that come from?! God is not only developing a promise, He is also training a man named Abraham. The test was not for Isaac but it was for the father.Obedience--obedience--obedience--obedience--obedience--God accepts no substitutes. Where do you need to obey God right now? Go for it God wants to bless you.
God did to Sarah what He had promised. Sarah had Isaac as a fulfillment of God's promise. The name Isaac means laughter. So the last laugh is on Abraham and Sarah. Why is it important to have a son? Because God had promised Abraham that he would make him into a great nation. A nation has to have people! God was beginning,in seed form,to produce the people for that nation.
What you will notice in the old testament is the way God gives promises in seed form and over time grows that seed to completion. I believe this is one of the ways God works in our lives. The Lord gives an experience, a little training, early on, and we may not think anything of it but God was planting seeds in our lives that would grow to bear fruit.
All this trouble to bring along the promise and have Isaac. Now God says to Abraham go and sacrifice him! Wow where did that come from?! God is not only developing a promise, He is also training a man named Abraham. The test was not for Isaac but it was for the father.Obedience--obedience--obedience--obedience--obedience--God accepts no substitutes. Where do you need to obey God right now? Go for it God wants to bless you.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
008 January 8, 2009
Today's Reading 008 Genesis 18 - 20; John 6.1 - 6.26
For you early birds, please accept my apology for the late posting today!
I hope you all are choosing joy! As you read on the seventh day we are to reflect back on the week and think through which reading had the greatest impact on our life.
Miracles are the crumbs on the floor for beggars. Miracles are to something that we are to be experiencing not reading about second hand. Sarah is going to have a baby past childbearing age. Sodom and Gomorrah are going to be burnt to a crisp for their sins. There is a little boy here with five barely loaves and two fish and that's enough to feed five thousand. Miracle is to have an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs, according to Miriam-Webster dictionary.
Start praying for a miracle in your life and the life of this church. Pray with faith, even as little as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). Pray that God will intervene in our lives and not let us to continue to live as if He is not there. Trust God to do the impossible for us who are to stuck in the limited resources of our own mind.
May God help us to move to the rhythm of His grace, power, and righteousness. What miracle do you need?
For you early birds, please accept my apology for the late posting today!
I hope you all are choosing joy! As you read on the seventh day we are to reflect back on the week and think through which reading had the greatest impact on our life.
Miracles are the crumbs on the floor for beggars. Miracles are to something that we are to be experiencing not reading about second hand. Sarah is going to have a baby past childbearing age. Sodom and Gomorrah are going to be burnt to a crisp for their sins. There is a little boy here with five barely loaves and two fish and that's enough to feed five thousand. Miracle is to have an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs, according to Miriam-Webster dictionary.
Start praying for a miracle in your life and the life of this church. Pray with faith, even as little as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). Pray that God will intervene in our lives and not let us to continue to live as if He is not there. Trust God to do the impossible for us who are to stuck in the limited resources of our own mind.
May God help us to move to the rhythm of His grace, power, and righteousness. What miracle do you need?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
007 Wednesday, January 7, 2009
007 - Every seventh day we will pause from our reading to look back and to look ahead.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
006 Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Today’s Reading: 006 pgs.37-41 Genesis 15 – 17; John 5
God had spoken to Abram and He revealed His promises and vision to him. How would you have felt? Would you have felt dazed, confused, frustrated, or fearful? God immediately addressed the emotional issue going on within Abram’s heart. The Lord of heaven came to Abram and says, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I’m your shield. Your reward will be great!” God is taking care of the one to whom the promise had come to. The magnificent Holy God took time out to reassure Abram in the midst of a lot of transitions.
Abram also didn’t have any children and was up there in age. God says he will produce an heir. Abram believed and it was counted to him as righteousness - he was set right with God. Before Abram was circumcised, he was already right with God because he had believed.
Jesus said “Get up, take your bedroll, start walking.” The man was healed on the spot. This verse is John’s gospel. God had touched some crippled man. God touched Abram to encourage him, God touched Abram so he would believe and be set right with God. God touched a crippled man so he could be well.
God cares! God cares for you and knows your needs inside and out. Believe Him today!
God had spoken to Abram and He revealed His promises and vision to him. How would you have felt? Would you have felt dazed, confused, frustrated, or fearful? God immediately addressed the emotional issue going on within Abram’s heart. The Lord of heaven came to Abram and says, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I’m your shield. Your reward will be great!” God is taking care of the one to whom the promise had come to. The magnificent Holy God took time out to reassure Abram in the midst of a lot of transitions.
Abram also didn’t have any children and was up there in age. God says he will produce an heir. Abram believed and it was counted to him as righteousness - he was set right with God. Before Abram was circumcised, he was already right with God because he had believed.
Jesus said “Get up, take your bedroll, start walking.” The man was healed on the spot. This verse is John’s gospel. God had touched some crippled man. God touched Abram to encourage him, God touched Abram so he would believe and be set right with God. God touched a crippled man so he could be well.
God cares! God cares for you and knows your needs inside and out. Believe Him today!
Monday, January 5, 2009
005 Monday, January 5, 2009
Today’s Reading: 005 pgs.32-36 Genesis 12 – 14; John 4
You may be watching a sporting event, a concert, or a play and then the unexpected happens, which electrifies the audience. At this point someone will say, “boy that came out of nowhere.” Who is Abram?! Why give these big, hairy, audacious goals to his man? What kind of stunt is this anyway or is it truly a promise? Wow, that came out of nowhere!
God starts the salvation process way back in Gen. 12. God began this redemption drama by taking an unknown and giving him these unbelievable promises that will eventually give us the greatest of all, the Savior, Jesus Christ. Mankind was as hopeless as a hog on ice. God sent us the answer to the greatest question of all – can mankind be saved? It’s just like God to take the unknown, and make known the greatest truth of all.
The truth that God steps in – that our maker does not abandon us is revealed yet again when Jesus is talking to the woman at the well. You have to love this revealing conversation. Christ tells the woman, you have had 5 husbands and the man you are living with is not your husband. Wow! She realized that He was a prophet and wants to know where to worship. Jesus says: “Your worship must engage your spirit in pursuit of truth…Those who worship Him must do so out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” Jesus Christ is doing some personal evangelism. Jesus Christ, who was promised through Abraham, is talking to a Samaritan woman about worshiping God in Spirit and in truth.
You can count on the promise of God.
You can count on God bringing salvation not only to the world but right to the people you know.
You can count on God working in ways you never saw coming! (I personally believe our Lord delights in doing that.)
May 2009 be a year of being surprised by our wise and great God!
(Note: Abram and Abraham are the same man.)
You may be watching a sporting event, a concert, or a play and then the unexpected happens, which electrifies the audience. At this point someone will say, “boy that came out of nowhere.” Who is Abram?! Why give these big, hairy, audacious goals to his man? What kind of stunt is this anyway or is it truly a promise? Wow, that came out of nowhere!
God starts the salvation process way back in Gen. 12. God began this redemption drama by taking an unknown and giving him these unbelievable promises that will eventually give us the greatest of all, the Savior, Jesus Christ. Mankind was as hopeless as a hog on ice. God sent us the answer to the greatest question of all – can mankind be saved? It’s just like God to take the unknown, and make known the greatest truth of all.
The truth that God steps in – that our maker does not abandon us is revealed yet again when Jesus is talking to the woman at the well. You have to love this revealing conversation. Christ tells the woman, you have had 5 husbands and the man you are living with is not your husband. Wow! She realized that He was a prophet and wants to know where to worship. Jesus says: “Your worship must engage your spirit in pursuit of truth…Those who worship Him must do so out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” Jesus Christ is doing some personal evangelism. Jesus Christ, who was promised through Abraham, is talking to a Samaritan woman about worshiping God in Spirit and in truth.
You can count on the promise of God.
You can count on God bringing salvation not only to the world but right to the people you know.
You can count on God working in ways you never saw coming! (I personally believe our Lord delights in doing that.)
May 2009 be a year of being surprised by our wise and great God!
(Note: Abram and Abraham are the same man.)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
004 Sunday, January 4, 2009
Today’s Reading: 004 pgs.27-31 Genesis 9 – 11; John 3
In four days and in eleven chapters of the Bible, we have witnessed the fall of man, the flood, and now the scattering of humanity. Why did God scatter them by giving them different languages? In 11:4 the record shows that they wanted to make themselves famous--they wanted to make a name for themselves. This sin is what got the devil kicked out of heaven. It masquerades around as ambition or even as “I must make my life count”. This sin is called pride. Let there be no mistake about this hideous thing, it has destroyed many saints and has kept a lot of people out of heaven. Do you get the picture? We, as humans, have a proclivity for choosing the lie over the truth. Evil is always tempting us. We struggle with wanting to make a name for our selves--pitiful.
Fast forward to John chapter 3 where Jesus is telling Nicodemus that you must be born from above. Notice how Jesus chides the teacher by pointing out this is not a new teaching. There are churches around here that act with disdain on this point of you must be born again. Jesus would say to them this is not a new teaching. We as humans were in an absolutely hopeless situation, our feet were on a slippery rock and the flames were licking the bottom of our soles. God said no to justice, and stepped in on our behalf and had mercy on us. The human condition is hopeless, but we can be born from above and live the inside/out life by the power of His Spirit.
Today would be a good day to rejoice in your salvation. Today would be a good day to tell Jesus that you love Him. Today would be a good day to get down on your knees and thank Christ your awesome Savior. Amen! Thought--when everyone walked away, Jesus stepped in.
In four days and in eleven chapters of the Bible, we have witnessed the fall of man, the flood, and now the scattering of humanity. Why did God scatter them by giving them different languages? In 11:4 the record shows that they wanted to make themselves famous--they wanted to make a name for themselves. This sin is what got the devil kicked out of heaven. It masquerades around as ambition or even as “I must make my life count”. This sin is called pride. Let there be no mistake about this hideous thing, it has destroyed many saints and has kept a lot of people out of heaven. Do you get the picture? We, as humans, have a proclivity for choosing the lie over the truth. Evil is always tempting us. We struggle with wanting to make a name for our selves--pitiful.
Fast forward to John chapter 3 where Jesus is telling Nicodemus that you must be born from above. Notice how Jesus chides the teacher by pointing out this is not a new teaching. There are churches around here that act with disdain on this point of you must be born again. Jesus would say to them this is not a new teaching. We as humans were in an absolutely hopeless situation, our feet were on a slippery rock and the flames were licking the bottom of our soles. God said no to justice, and stepped in on our behalf and had mercy on us. The human condition is hopeless, but we can be born from above and live the inside/out life by the power of His Spirit.
Today would be a good day to rejoice in your salvation. Today would be a good day to tell Jesus that you love Him. Today would be a good day to get down on your knees and thank Christ your awesome Savior. Amen! Thought--when everyone walked away, Jesus stepped in.
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