Verse of the Day 4/30

Through the Bible - 1 Kings 2-3, Luke 23:1-25

 

Good morning,

As you read through the New Testament accounts of the life of Jesus you see how he maintained control in a wide variety of circumstances.  You can think of his feeding of the thousands, healing people while thronged by curiosity seekers, facing questions from lawyers, Pharisees and Sadducees and even dealing with storms while accompanying frightened disciples.

 

In yesterday's passage Jesus told His listeners to love, do good, and lend .... to our enemies.

 

For today's verse we'll go to Luke's account of Jesus' arrest.  The population in Jerusalem swelled during the Passover festivities.  Jesus had retreated to the Mount of Olives, but as opposed to other times of solitude it was probably being occupied by some of the overflow crowd.  If you've ever been to one of the "taste of Chicago" or similar event, the parks are full of people.  Those seeking to arrest Jesus needed the help of Judas to track Him down.

 

For today's verse we see Jesus putting yesterday's verses into action.

 

 Luke 22:49  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
⁵¹ But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched his ear and healed him. NKJV

Far from Jesus losing control in the situation, He took control.  Wansbrough writes, "Jesus, even now continues his mission of healing, as indeed he will continue it right up to the end by his forgiveness of the "good thief".  Secondly, Jesus continues his mission for forgiveness.  While Judas is still approaching, Jesus offers him a last chance, asking him whether he really intends what he is about to do, and again, with the juxtaposition of "betray" and "kiss", stressing the treachery of the deed."

 

The next time you face opposition, an enemy, perhaps in the work environment, competitive sports, or a combative relationship how will you respond?  Will you bring peace, forgiveness, perhaps healing to a relationship when someone is out to get you?  It is a tall order.

 

Instead of posting the passage from Luke, I thought I'd share a passage from Ephesians 1 from Moody's "Today in the Word" devotional.

 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 3:14-21 (New King James Version)Appreciation of the Mystery  ¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen

Verse of the Day 4/29

Through the Bible - 2 Samuel 23- 2 Kings 1, Luke 22:39-71

 

Good morning,

Most of us are familiar with Jesus' response to the question "what is the greatest commandment" which is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.

 

For today's verse we'll go back to Luke 6 where Jesus gives a glimpse of how this is to be lived out.  It cannot be worked out, in a calculated manner but must flow from a heart of love and compassion.  It's not about "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours", keeping track of good deeds.  Luke records that Jesus expands the principle to our enemies, something that seems to go beyond human reason.

Luke 6:35-36 (New Living Translation)  Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. ³⁶ You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

The Amplified Bible brings it home, makes it easier to grasp what is being said.

Luke 6:35-36 (Amplified Bible)   But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked.

³⁶So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these]. 

Read the passage below, you will see that in verses 32 to 34 Luke that the "parity of bargaining" (Wansbrough) scratching each other's back,  is not the way of Christ, of the Christian.  He addresses love, doing good, and lending individually before bringing them together in today's verse culminating it in verse ^36"So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these]. "

 

To live this way, to "put on Christ" should be our goal in life, but we must realize that it is not something done in a calculated way, but down through a heart that is grounded in Christ being in submission to and led by His Spirit.

 

Our challenge as we go out today is to be willing to be love, do good, and to lend not only to others in general, but specifically to our enemies.  Will you try to "live generously" as The Message describes below?

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 6:27-38 (The Message)

 ^27-30"To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

 ^31-34"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

 ^35-36"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

 ^37-38"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."

Verse of the Day 4/27

Through the Bible - 2 Samuel 17-19, Luke 22;1-23

 

Good morning,

Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stone's early hits was "Satisfaction", over and over you heard the phrase "I can't get no - satisfaction".  The picture was following all the advertisements, getting all the stuff, trying every pleasure could not bring the satisfaction that they were looking for.

 

For today's verse we'll go to Matthew 14 where we have Matthew's account of the feeding of the 5000.  Reading it this morning I was struck by the words "they were satisfied".

 

Matthew 14:19-20 (Amplified Bible) Then He ordered the crowds to recline on the grass; and He took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and blessed and broke the loaves and handed the pieces to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰And they all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve [small hand] baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

 

We can take a lot of different things from this event, even from these words.  The meal wasn't extravagant but it satisfied.  You can probably relate after a long day of working outside or even playing golf and a simple meal and a coke can bring temporary satisfaction.

 

John MacArthur writes, "Because God through His Son created the multiplied bread and fish, the crowd's eating satisfaction must have  been the best the people ever experienced.  Here Matthew uses the same word for satisfaction as Jesus used in the Beatitudes when He promised those who hunger and thirst for righteousness "shall be satisfied" (Matt. 5:6).  All those who in faith partake of God's provision will never ultimately be dissatisfied."

 

Do you find yourself in a position of being satified or more like Mick Jagger, where it feels like you can't get no satisfaction, standing at a crossroad?

Consider these words from the prophet Jeremiah.  Which path will you take?  The "rest for your souls" speaks of this satisfaction.

Jeremiah 6:16  This is what the LORD says:
       "Stand at the crossroads and look;
       ask for the ancient paths,
       ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
       and you will find rest for your souls.
       But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'  NIV

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

 ¹³When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

 ¹⁵As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

 ¹⁶Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

 ¹⁷"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

 ¹⁸"Bring them here to me," he said. ¹⁹And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.  NIV

Verse of the Day 4/26

Through the Bible - 2 Samuel 14-16, Luke 21:20-38

 

Good morning,

Sometimes we tend to think that all of the concern, debate, and angst over taxes is something that is primarily related to today's modern society.  But paying tribute to the government in the form of taxes has been part of civilization as long as there has been organized government.

In Jesus day, the Roman government imposed taxes over their realm including the areas surrounding Jerusalem.  The Pharisee's thought they had the perfect solution to discredit Jesus.  You could almost imagine the same kind of thing today, trying to trap someone over their stance on "separation of church and state."  They asked Jesus "is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

We go to today's verse for Jesus' response.

^{Luke 20:24} Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?"
They answered and said, "Caesar's."
²⁵ And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 

 The Pharisee's tried to trick Jesus into a response that would turn one faction or another against Him.  Jesus respone left them befuddled and embarrassed.

Wansbrough comments, "the very use of the coinage could itself be regarded as an act of recognition of false gods.  Luke lets the hypocrisy of the opponents of Jesus stand out all the more by making them produce the coin, so to speak, out of their pockets...  It is attractive to picture that He uses the coin for His answer, pointing to the two prominent words inscribed on the coin itself: 'Pay to Caesar' (pointing to the inscription CAES) what belongs to Caesar and God (pointing to the inscription DIV) what belongs to God."

The coins themselves weren't the problem, they were part of society and were used by everyone in commerce.  What was important was the attitude of the heart towards Christ, and being willing to pay "tribute" to Him with our lives in the form of love, devotion, and obedience..

What are you rendering to Jesus?

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

²⁰ So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
²¹ Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: ²² Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
²³ But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me? ²⁴ Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?"
They answered and said, "Caesar's."
²⁵ And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
²⁶ But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

Verse of the Day - weekend 4/25

Good morning,

I mentioned earlier this week that our grandson Tyler came into the world this week and this weekend is the first opportunity to see him and hold him in my arms.

Today's verse is from Proverbs 17 one that we can relate to as grandparents and all of us as Christians as being children of our heavenly Father.

Proverbs 17:6  Children's children are the crown of old men,
      And the glory of children is their father.  NIV
I don't feel like an old man (at least not most of the time), but being called gramps or papa probably puts me into that category.  The birth of a child or a grandchild comes with great expectation.  What will they look like, who will they resemble, what will they enjoy, what will they come to be?

I'm reminded of a song by Steven Curtis Chapman, "With Great Expectation" that tells us that we should approach God with the same attitude.  He sees beyond our wildest expectations, we need to believe.

 

Believe the unbelievable
Receive the inconceivable
And see beyond my wildest imagination
Lord I come with great expectations

So wake the hope that slumbers in my soul
Stir the fire inside and make it glow
I'm trusting in a love that has no end
The savior of this world has called me friend
And I I've been invited with the son
We've been invited with the son
And we've been invited to come and

Believe the unbelievable
Receive the inconceivable
And see beyond our wildest imagination
Lord we come with great expectations

Read the passage below which tells us that we are a "new creation" in Christ.  Think of what it means to you today.

Blessings,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

2 Corintians 5: ¹⁷Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

    ¹⁸But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].

    ¹⁹It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).

    ²⁰So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.

Verse of the Day 4/23

Through the Bible - 2 Samuel 6-8, Luke 20:1-26

 

Good morning,

For today's verse we'll go to Luke chapter 19 where we read of Zachaeus,  Many of us will remember singing of this "wee little man" as a child.  The story brings us again to the contrast between the sinners and the Pharisees.  We recently read of the parable of the prayer of the Pharisee and the sinner.  Earlier the Pharisees, when confronted by John the Baptist claimed that they were children of God based on their being descendants of Abraham, to which John responded that God could raise descendants from "these very stones".

 

The Pharisees were always concerned about rituals, procedures and dignity.  They wouldn't be caught running in public (contrast the father in the prodigal son parable) let alone be caught climbing a tree in public. 

Zachaeus was concerned about seeing Jesus not his dignity.

 

The Pharisees didn't think that they needed to repent of anything.  Zachaeus shows that he is willing to in thought and in deed as we see in today's verses.

Luke 19:8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"

 

9 Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."   NLT

John MacArthur writes, "Zachaeus judged his own crime severely; acknowledging that he was as guilty as the lowest common robber.  Since most of his wealth had probably been acquired fraudulently, this was a costly commitment.  On top of that he gave half of his goods to the poor.  But Zachaeus had just found incomprehensible spiritual riches and did not mind the loss of material wealth.  He stands in stark contrast to the rich young ruler in 18:18-24" and to the Pharisees, as Jesus says in verse 9, he showed himself to be a "true son of Abraham."

Read through the passage.  See how Luke brings together many of the themes from the parables.  The passage ends with the key to this passage and the key attitude of the heart.

 

Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."

The passages from the last few days reminded me how Jesus met people out in the highways and byways of life, and blessed, healed and inspired them to be a blessing.  Read the first few lines to the hymn Make Me a Blessing.

May we relate to and exemplify the words.

 

Out in the highways and byways of life,
many are weary and sad;
are weary and sad
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife
making the sorrowing glad.

Refrain:
Make me a blessing,
Make me a blessing,
Out of my life
out of my life
May Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O savior, I pray,
I pray Thee, my Savior,
Make me a blessing to someone today.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Luke 19:1-11

 

Zacchaeus

 

19 Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way — he was a short man and couldn't see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.

 

When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home."

 

Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?"

 

Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master, I give away half my income to the poor — and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four times the damages."

 

Jesus said, "Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost."    - The Message

Verse of the Day 4/22

Through the Bible - 2 Samuel 4-5, Luke 19:28-48   

 

Good morning,

For today's verse we'll continue in Luke 18 where Jesus is making his final approach to Jerusalem through Jericho.  As often was the case He met someone along the road, someone who needed Him.  This time it was "blind Bartimaeus who called out to Jesus "Son of David", have mercy on me.  This is the first time in Luke that Jesus is hailed as the Son of David.  Way back, Mary had been told that Jesus would inherit the throne of His father David.  Now Jesus is headed towards the city of David to accomplish what He had come for.  He still had time to stop and give sight to a blind man.

 

Luke 18:41 "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Lord, I want to see," he replied.

42 Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."   NIV

Henry Wansbrough writes that the miracle "symbolizes the opening of the eyes of understanding which is about to take place with the revelation of the suffering Messiah at Jerusalem.  It also somehow has the air of a special celebration, summing up Jesus' miracles of healing.  So many features have occurred in previous miracles are present here too.  There is persistence in prayer shown by Bartimaeus' repeated cry, despite scolding of those who heard him.  Luke also stressed his helplessness.  The only contribution which he makes himself is faith, the acknowledgement that Jesus has the power to save him (and save is again used in an unrestricted sense, suggesting not merely the restoration of sight, but the saving of the whole person)."

 

The Light of the World had just come to this man and gave him sight, physical and spiritual.  We also must come to Him by faith and not by sight.

 

May He open the eyes of our hearts daily, that we might see Him, that He might light our way.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Luke 18:35-19:1

 

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

 

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.   NLT

Verse of the Day 4/21

Through the Bible - 2 Samuel 1-3, Luke 19:11-27

 

Good morning,

For today's verse we'll go back to Luke 18 to the second parable on prayer.  The previous parable from Monday spoke of the widow giving the unjust judge a black eye.  Reading today's verse may hit us right between the eyes.

 

Luke 18:11The Pharisee took his stand ostentatiously and began to pray thus before and with himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men--extortioners (robbers), swindlers [unrighteous in heart and life], adulterers--or even like this tax collector here.

¹²I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I gain.

¹³But the tax collector, [merely] standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, O God, be favorable (be gracious, be merciful) to me, the especially wicked sinner that I am!  - Amplified Bible

 

The Amplified Bible uses the word "ostentatiously" to describe the Pharisee's stance,.  Read Merriam's dictionary definition for the word, " marked by or fond of conspicuous or vainglorious and sometimes pretentious display".

The prayer was all for show.  Not only that, John MacArthur points out that "by exalting his own works, the Pharisee revealed that his entire hope lay in his not being as bad as someone else.   He utterly lacked any sense of his own unworthiness and sin." 

 

Contrast the "sinner", a man who was willing to face the reality of his sin, whose only response could be coming to Christ in humility and repentance.

Most of us will probably admit saying prayers in one form or another that resemble the pharisaical attitude, thinking that our prayers deserve to be heard over someone else's because in our judgment we are not like "the rest of men".

 

Rabbi Nichonias' prayer (about 70 AD) highlights the attitude, "I thank you, Lord my God, that you have set my lot among those who frequent the synagogue rather than those who sit on the street corners.  I run my cause for the life of the world to come, while they are heading for the abyss."

 

We may change the statement to the golf course or ball field instead of the street corner, but the attitude of the heart is still the same.

 

What should we be doing, how should we be praying instead?

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Luke 18:9-14

 

The Story of the Tax Man and the Pharisee

 

He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people: "Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: 'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.'

 

"Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'"

 

Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

 

(from THE MESSAGE)

Verse of the Day 4/20

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 29-31, Luke 18:35-19:10

 

Good morning,

On Sunday evening at 6:59 eastern time Jean and I became grandparents for the second time.  Little Tyler Jeffrey Lutsch came into the world, the child of my daughter Laurie and her husband Jeff.  He was loved immediately.  What a blessing.

For today's verse we'll go to Luke 18 which was yesterday's New Testament reading.

Luke 18:15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.    NIV
When little Tyler came into the world, he didn't do anything on his own to earn the love of his parents, grandparents and many others.  He was loved first.

This story is one that is told in each of the gospels.  In Mark it is a picture of Jesus' humility, gentleness, and open welcome to children as they are.  In Matthew it is a message of conversion, where He says 'whoever does not change and become like little children.'

Henry Wansbrough writes, "Luke has yet another lesson.  There is no interest in the spiritual qualities of the candidate for the kingdom, for he says the 'even brought babies to him', using a word which indicates a new born babe.  His interest, therefore, is in the helplessness of the candidate; the candidate can contribute nothing at all.  No one can earn entry into the kingdom.  This passage, then, joins those which surround it: in the previous passage the tax collector in prayer can only plead his lack of qualities and his guilt.  In the following passage we are told that no human being can earn entry into the kingdom."

The Message, below, says that these children, those who come to Him in childlike faith are the kingdom's pride and joy.

My prayer for Tyler is that some day that he would approach the Saviour in simple childlike faith.  May God bring him His faith, hope and love in his life at an early age.  May we not put obstacles in the way.

Thank you Lord for your wonderful gift.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Luke 18:15-18

 

People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."    (from THE MESSAGE)

Verse of the Day 4/19

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 27-28, Luke 18:15-34

 

Good morning,

Yesterday's New Testament reading in Luke 18 brought us two parables on prayer.  For today's verse we'll go to the first parable in the chapter on the unjust judge.

The widow in the parable was relentless in her requests to the unjust judge. The judge finally approved  her requests with the following reasoning.

 

Luke 18:4 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man,  5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  NKJV

The word used for "weary me" literally means "hit under the eye".  You might say that the judge finally did the right thing to avoid a "black eye" in public opinion.  Can't you see politicians and judges today doing the same thing?  They won't grant a request based on it's merit's but for fear of public opinion. 

 

Luke 18:7And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf?

⁸I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth?  - Amplified Bible

Some compare God to the unjust judge, that is not the point of the parable.  The Amplified Bible does a good job a assessing the situation.  If even an unjust judge will grant a positive response to a persistent petitioner,  how much more will God do for His people?

 

Read the passage below from  The Message.  Can you see the point in relation to today?  How many people are demanding their rights from the political arena but don't fear God or make their requests to Him?

The parable ends with a question, will Jesus see such persistence in prayer when He returns during the time of the church as it faces persecution?

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 18:1-9

The Story of the Persistent Widow

18 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'

"He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice — otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.'"

Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"    (from THE MESSAGE)

Verse of the Day - weekend 4/18

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 22-26, Luke 17:1- 18:14

 

Good morning,

As we've been going through the gospels we've considered many parables and will continue to do so in the coming months.  For this weekend's verse we'll go to Matthew where we see that in speaking in parables Jesus is actually fulfilling prophecies.

 

Matt 13:34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

 

"I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."    NKJV

These parables Jesus uses common, mundane, everyday experiences to reveal profound truths that go beyond our common reasoning.  Someone has said that a parable is an "earthly story with a heavenly message."

 

Scott Anderson writes, "parables withdraw the light from the rebellious at heart who hate the truth, and give light to those who believe and love the truth.......... The parables of Jesus are actually designed to help us see whether illuminating grace is  on the move in our lives...... Parables function as little tests of faith, beckoning us to see and believe and obey the truth of the Storyteller."

 

The parables should stir us to as questions such as: am I open to His teaching?  Am I happy to follow His instructions?  Am I really interested in His truth?  Will I allow it to have an impact on my life, my actions? Do I have the eyes that want to see and ears that want to hear His words of life?  Am I embracing Christ as the ultimate good of the gospel today?  These are questions that should be going through our minds as we read the Bible every day, perhaps especially in the parables.

As we go through the gospels and read the parables of Jesus, may we slow down and consider some of these questions.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Matt 13:34-36

 

Prophecy and the Parables

 

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

 

"I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."    NKJV

Verse of the Day 3/16

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 10-21, Luke 16:14-31

 

Good morning,

I'm sure that you are aware that yesterday was tax day.  A fitting verse for the day and the tax season is Rom 13:6,  "Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority."  NLT

 

There has been a lot of talk and debate in the news and in politics lately regarding taxes and the rich and the poor, this concerns all of us.  But what is important for us as Christians is how we look at "our money" and the accompanying traps that often come along with excess.

 

Luke deals with the subject of riches in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in today's reading.  It's another parable that you can ponder from several different perspectives.  Luke masterfully describes the situation and allow us to "read between the lines", to see below the surface.

Commentator Henry Wansbrough writes, "The story is the perfect illustration of the reversal proclaimed in Luke's beatitudes and woes: ' Alas, for you who are rich; you are having your consolation now.'  This is made explicit in verse 25, when Lazarus' has the consolation promised in the beatitudes.

For today's verses we'll go to the heart of the parable.

 

Luke 16:24 "The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.'

 

25 "But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.'    NLT

Even now, "on the other side", the rich man reveals his heart.  He still sees Lazarus as a servant, not a "co-heir" or brother in Christ.

 

Wansbrough continues, "When both men get to the far side - note; the poor man's name means 'God is my help' - the rich man is splendidly unrepentant.  He still claims to be part of the 'Chosen People' by calling out, 'Father Abraham', forgetting that John the Baptist has told us that it is not enough to claim Abraham as father (Luke 3:8 yesterday).  He still treats Lazarus as a servant who can be summarily sent as a messenger to render small services."

 

Lazarus had God as his help in life and after.  The rich man had his wealth as his help.  As is often said, you can't take it with you, it will not help you on the day of judgment.

 

Read the rest of the parable.  There is much to consider starting with "wasting our days" versus "redeeming the time".  What speaks to you?

 

The attitude and the heart of the rich man can be seen all around us today, hopefully not in ours.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Luke 16:19-17:1

 

The Rich Man and Lazarus

 

"There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man's table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores.

 

"Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, 'Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I'm in agony in this fire.'

 

"But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It's not like that here. Here he's consoled and you're tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.'

 

"The rich man said, 'Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won't end up here in this place of torment.'

 

"Abraham answered, 'They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.'

 

"'I know, Father Abraham,' he said, 'but they're not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.'

 

"Abraham replied, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the Prophets, they're not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.'"    (from THE MESSAGE)

Verse of the Day 4/15

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 18-19, Luke 16:1-13

 

Good morning,

In Luke's gospel there is a continuing theme which is described in more detail in the gospel of Mark.  Luke often uses a warning to repent, a warning about the use of money, and pointing to Jesus.  We saw this in yesterday's parable of the prodigal son, where instead of pointing directly to Jesus, the son was shown the love of the Father.

 

For today's verse we'll go back to Luke chapter 3 where John the Baptist, the forerunner, preaches the same message.  Read the passage and look for the same points.

 Luke 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."   NKJV

Wansbrough writes that "John's warning is that it is not enough simply to be members of that people, children of Abraham.  Some of the trees may be dead wood which needs to be cut out.  In the final harvest there will be chaff fit only for burning, as well as good fruit.  For the chaff it will be a day of disaster.  This warning against complacency is still relevant for Christians today."

 

The same applies today.  Complacency in our faith should not be an option for us.  We are not saved to take our inheritance, to go off and live our lives, for ourselves.  It's not a matter of what church we belong to as much as it is a matter of our relationship to Christ or the Father as depicted in yesterday's parable.  If we've wandered, the Father is waiting for us to return with the same type of heart as the prodigal son.

 

Another thing that you see in Luke and in the gospels in general, is that of serving in humble obedience.  It's turning to Christ with the attitude of the son yesterday who turned back to the father willing to be considered as a servant but received back as a son.  From that point on his desire would be to bring glory to the father.

John shows the proper attitude of the heart in John 3:30 " He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less."  NLT
It should be the attitude of any Christian preacher, teacher, parent or mentor.

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 3:7-17

When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God's judgment? It's your life that must change, not your skin. And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as 'father.' Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there — children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire."

The crowd asked him, "Then what are we supposed to do?"

"If you have two coats, give one away," he said. "Do the same with your food."

Tax men also came to be baptized and said, "Teacher, what should we do?"

He told them, "No more extortion — collect only what is required by law."

Soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"

He told them, "No shakedowns, no blackmail — and be content with your rations."

The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, "Could this John be the Messiah?"

But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house — make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."
(from THE MESSAGE)

Verse of the Day 8/14

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 15-17, Luke 15:11-32

 

Good morning,

Yesterday we considered what it should mean to us  that the Lord is "your" God, and how amazing it is that He should die for us.

For today's verse we go to today's Bible reading and one of the most read, quoted, and studied "short stories" of all time, The Prodigal Son.  The story is told with a fine balance of contrasts away and back, the breaking and mending of relationships, and the son losing everything then receiving everything.  All of this is centered around the son's repentance.

The son represents us and the father represents God.  Today's verse is the background for the song "When God Ran".

Luke 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.    NKJV
As the son dejectedly and apprehensively walked along the dusty road his father saw him on the horizon.  What does he do for this son who had rejected him and wasted all that he had given him?  He runs to him, not worrying about the lack of dignity in that culture, of  running.  When he catches up with his son, he interrupts the prepared speech and hugs and kisses him.  He shows him that he still loves him and restores the relationship with forgiveness and assurance by giving him a ring.

The older son is jealous and objects.  But as the celebration begins without the older son the father leaves his place at the head of the table in to go out and to try to reassure his older son, to take away his resentment. 

Henry Wansbrough writes, "To the hurtful jibe of "this son of yours" he replies gently with "your brother".  A less generous story would have finished with a sharp contrast in the father's attitude to the two brothers and would have left the self righteous brother to swelter in his own resentment.  But this Father's affection is so limitless that even such behavior must be drawn back into love."

Consider your emotions and how you have fit into this story.  May you realize how the Father has loved, has run to you.

Blessings,

Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net

mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Luke 15:11-25

 

The Parable of the Lost Son

 

11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.  12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood.  13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,  19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'

20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

22 "But the father said to his servants,'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;  24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. NKJV

Verse of the Day 4/13

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 13-14, Luke 14:25 - 15:10

 

Good morning,

If you were to ask the members of your small group, Bible study, or even people on the street to name the 10 Commandments you'd probably get most of them.  We asked the 7th grade junior high boys the question in crossings the other night.  The terminology may not have been as it is written, but they had a pretty good grasp of what is required, such as one response of "you shouldn't cuss".

The group didn't name the first one, which is often overlooked, or at least comes towards the end as all of the "easy" ones are checked off.

For today's verse we'll go to Exodus 20 where we find the 10 Commandments.

Ex 20:2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.    NKJV
Any time you lay down the ground rules for something, you normally start out with what is most important.  Such is the case here.  All of the others hinge upon the acknowledgment of God, putting Him first and having no other gods before Him.

 

Notice that the verse does not say "a god" or even "the God", but He is your God.  This fact doesn't hinge upon what we think of Him or how we react, whether we accept or reject Him.  The fact still remains, He Is, the LORD your God.

 

If we live with this thought first and foremost in our minds how would it change how we live?  Consider these words from "You are My King" (Amazing Love).

 

Amazing love, how can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor You
In all I do, I honor You

 

Tomorrow's New Testament reading will be in Luke 15, the passage on the prodigal son.  Today's thoughts should be kept in mind if you decide to read that passage.  I'd encourage you to do so.

 

2 Cor 5: 14 Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.  NLT
 

Blessings,
Mike

Ex 20:1-18

20 And God spoke all these words, saying:

2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

13 "You shall not murder.

14 "You shall not commit adultery.

15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."   NKJV

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Verse of the Day 4/12

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 9-12, Luke 14:7-24

 

Good morning,

Many of us ( if not most) have asked God for a sign at some point in our lives, most often when seeking direction on making an important decision in our lives.  The pharisees in Luke chapter 11 asked for a sign as well.  They asked it to test Jesus and His authority.

Luke 11:16 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.    NKJV

 

Today's verse comes a little further on in the chapter where Jesus spoke out against the pharisees and the crowd for questioning His authority and ignoring His message.

 

Luke 11:31 "The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. 32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.   NLT

Henry Wansbrough writes," the sign of Jonah is understood as His preaching of repentance.  Jesus' own preaching of repentance is compared to that of Jonah.  The difference lies in the response: the men of Ninevah responded to the preaching of Jonah, by contrast to the present generation.  Similarly, the Queen of Sheba responded with her admiration to the wisdom of Solomon.  Both will come forward at the judgement in witness against those who failed to respond to the one who was greater than the wisdom of Solomon and more forcefull than the preaching of Jonah."

 

The Pharisees fussed about ritual cleansing rather than generosity. They were more concerned about the minute details of tithing than sharing God's love,  They sought recognition and important, high visibility seats in the synagogue and functions instead of reaching out and lifting up those in need.

.

The Pharisees were indifferent to the words of Jesus unless he would give them a sign.  Jesus was trying to correct the viewpoint or world view of the  Pharisees,the listeners of that day and readers today.  Instead of questioning His authority in your life, take Him at His Word and He will reveal Himself to you.

 

Luke 11:28 Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice."   NLT.
 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 11:29-33

The Sign of Jonah

 

29 As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, "This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. 30 What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.

 

31 "The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. 32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.

NLT

Verse of the Day - weekend 4/10

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 3-8, Luke 13:22- 14:6

 

Good morning,

In yesterday's verse, part of Jesus' prayer to the Father we saw that eternal life is about knowing God.

The thoughts from that verse brought a song to mind "I Want to Know Christ" by Larnell Harris, which brought me to Philippians 3:10 which is today's verse.

Phil 3:10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!  NLT
The verses are powerful and sobering.  Paul exemplified the words in these verses as did many of the other apostles who were martyred for their faith in Christ.

John MacArthur writes, "To know Christ is not simply to have intellectual knowledge about Him; Paul used the Greek verb that means to know experientially or personally.  It is equivalent to a shared life with Christ.  It also corresponds to a Hebrew word used of God's knowledge of His people (Amos 3;2) and their knowledge o Him in love and obedience."

I'll post the words to "I Want to Know Christ".  How do you relate to them personally and experientially?  Think about them for a time, sing the song if you know it in preparation for worship this weekend.

I know that I know that my life is redeemed
I know I have found what some only have dreamed
I hold in my heart the pearl of great price
Dear God, hear my cry
I want to know Christ

I want to know Christ
I keep Him before me
I lift up my eyes
I drink in His glory
I press toward the goal
His goodness unfolds
March on , oh my soul
I want to know
I want to know Christ

I know that my path is the way of the cross
So I count what I gain and forget what I've lost
In pain there is joy
In death there is life
Dear God, hear my cry
I want to know Christ

And the things that entangle me
I lay them down
All the treasures and trophies of life
Let them be lost
Only let me be found in Christ
For I want to know
Yes I want to know

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Phil 3:7-17

 

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

 

Pressing toward the Goal

 

12 I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

 

15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.  NLT

Verse of the Day 4/9

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 1-2, Luke 13:1-21

 

Good morning,

Our Pastor Bob's sermon last week was "Make Jesus Famous".  It's not that He is not already famous or that He needs us to make Him famous, but it should be foremost in our hearts that we make an effort to tell others about our Saviour, to praise Him and make His work in our lives known to others.  In the sermon Bob gave the definition of a fan, "an enthusiastic follower".  Having seen the NCAA championship game last week, the stands were full of fans wearing the school colors with painted faces and colored hair making it known to those around them who it was that inspired them.

 

A true fan also knows a lot about his team.  I've always been a big Cubs fan.  As a kid I knew their line up and the batting averages. ERA's , and all the important information about the players.  I would use that information to stick up for, defend, and root for the team.

 

For today's verse we'll go to John chapter 17 where Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples, and for all believers.  In today's verse He gives us a definition of what eternal life is, and is all about.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.  - Amplified Bible

 

Reading the Amplified Bible makes it easy to draw the correlation to "being a fan".  A  fan of Jesus wants to know, perceive, recognize, become more acquainted with, and gain more understanding of His Saviour.  He won't grow tired or become bored with it.  His heart will not crave or miss the things of this world, he will be too busy finding our more, rooting for, and praising the Three in One - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 

John MacArthur gives this definition of eternal life as it applies to this verse and John 3:15-16, "It means literally "life of the age to come" and refers, therefore, to resurrection and heavenly existence in perfect glory and holiness.  This life for believers in the Lord Jesus is experienced before heaven is reached.  This "eternal life" is in essence nothing less than participation in the eternal life of the Living Word, Jesus Christ.  It is the life of God in every believer, yet not fully manifest until the resurrection." (Rom. 8:19-23, Philippians 3:20-21).

 

Have you become a "fan" of Jesus?  I'm not talking about something on Facebook, rather in your heart.  Are you learning more about Him and "Making Him Famous" to others in your life?

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
John 17:1-6

 

Jesus Prays for Himself

 

17 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,  2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.  3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.  5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.    NKJV

Verse of the Day 4/8

Through the Bible - Ruth 3-4, Luke 12:35-59

 

Good morning,

I would say that most, if not all of us,think of ourselves as amateur weather forecasters.  How many times have you said or thought """it feels or even smells like rain today" and grabbed a jacket or umbrella as we headed out the door?  We may see the cumulus clouds building on a summer afternoon, feel the humidity in the air, and predict that we'll have thunderstorms later in the afternoon.

For today's verse we go to today's New Testament reading in Luke 12 where Jesus has something to say about this to His listeners then and now.

 Luke 12:54 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.   NLT
We started the week looking at what God said to Solomon about turning to Him that the land might be healed.  When we look at the social landscape in our country today, we can't help but see what is going on but how much are we doing to turn our hearts and those of our families, friends and relatives towards Him?

We have the history of the last, bloodiest century, we have the biblical records of the attitude of societies in the Old and New Testaments and still do little change the course of our lives and those of our families, friends, and relatives.  Where are we to begin?

John Calvin wrote, "This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father."

As we get to know Christ better, He may work through us as He did through the Apostle Paul:

Acts 26:17-19  "'I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.'   (from THE MESSAGE.)

What will you put on as you head out the door today?

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 12:54-13:1

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.

57 "Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right? 58 When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. 59 And if that happens, you won't be free again until you have paid the very last penny."   NLT

Verse of the Day 4/7

Through the Bible - Ruth 1-2, Luke 12:4-34

 

Good morning,

In yesterday's devotional Solomon had been involved with and paid attention to all the details as the temple was being constructed.  But God spoke to him after it's completion about what was really important for His people, paying attention with their hearts humbling themselves,  praying and seeking His face, and turn from their own ways.

For today's verse we'll go to Luke 10 to the account where Jesus visits Martha's home.  Martha had been caught up in the details of preparing a meal for her special guest while her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet, listening and learning.

Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."   NKJV
How many of us are the same way?  So focused on the task at hand that we lose sight of what is truly important, those opportunities to learn from Jesus in close settings.

In his commentary Henry Wansbrough writes, "In Christian tradition the two sisters have become the symbols of the contemplative and active life, the lives centered respectively on prayer and translating prayer into action.  This builds on the assumption that the parable is contrasting two ways of prayer, it would be more accurate to see it as contrasting two ways of attentiveness.   Luke does not suggest that Martha's service is wrong.  To begin with he uses the same for service that used for the service of the seven who are appointed to serve the poor of the faithful in the early community ideally described in Acts.  Furthermore,  when the Greek literally has 'Mary has chosen the good part', this does not imply that Martha's part is bad.  It is simply that comparatives (better, worse, etc.) are rare in the Gospel Greek.  Jesus language was stark and uncompromising."

 

You can apply this thought of attentiveness also to the parable of the Good Samaritan earlier in the chapter.  The priest in that parable was on his way to the temple for service, so focused on that and the need to keep clean that  he passed by on the other side of the road, avoiding the possibility of becoming "unclean" but being inattentive to the things of the heart, mercy and compassion.  The despised Samaritan chose the better option, turning aside from his own way, and in that case helped the man in need.

 

What kind of attentiveness to we show in our lives?  Is there a balance?s

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 10:38-11:1

Mary and Martha Worship and Serve

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."   NKJV

Verse of the Day 4/6

Through the Bible - Judges 20-21, Luke 11:37-12:3

 

Good morning,

If you followed yesterday's reading you would have read the following verse:

Luke 11:7  So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.  - Amplified Bible

 What is it that keeps us away from asking, seeking, on knocking on God's door?  Too many times it's endless activity.  We get so caught up in the business of the day that we don't find, have, or take the time to communicate with God, many times even during activities that we would consider serving Him.

 

For today's verse we'll go to 2 Chronicles 7 where Solomon had been busy with the construction of the Lord's temple, a noble, an important task.  But the most important thing for Solomon and for us was what God said to him at night after all the activities of the day(s)  had settled down.

 

2 Chronicles 7:14  If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

    ¹⁵Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.   - Amplified Bible

 

We've just come off of a great holiday, Easter, with it's celebration of what the Lord has done for us.  But now that the busy-ness is over what is it that we seek?

Is it to come before the Lord in humility, in prayer, longing for Him, repenting from being caught up in ourselves and turning towards and seeking, following Him?  The same things required of us are required of a nation that is to follow God.  If His people won't do it, surely the nation won't.

 

John MacArthur writes, "on the other hand, if the church is fit to receive God's blessing, the whole nation will be the beneficiary of that, because the Word of God will be proclaimed with power, God will add to His church, and spiritual blessings of all kinds will result.  And those are the truest blessings of all."

 

May we pray and live with open eyes, attentive ears and with such a heart.

 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

2 Chron 7:12-21

God's Second Appearance to Solomon
(1 Kings 9:1-9)

12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying,'You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.'

19 "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, 20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.  NKJV