February 16, 2024
February 16, 2024
Read Leviticus 3, Psalm 47, Hebrews 3
When I was a student pastor or when I was coaching a rec league soccer team, I knew I could always get the students talking by asking some opinion questions. Who is the greatest basketball player of all time… Who is the greatest soccer player of all time, who is the greatest superhero of all time…. This would always kick start a debate between everyone. As a cello player the debate was between Lenard Rose or Yo Yo Ma and Pablo Casals. You probably have people that you consider the greatest (fill in the blank) as well.
When it comes to the greatest person to have ever lived You must go to Jesus of Nazareth. He was a real historical person who lived in the first century AD. (In fact, He is the reason we split time BC/AD). There has been no other person on the planet that has ever had the influence and power to change people’s lives that Jesus the Christ. He did not amass an army, try to conquer any land or territory and yet He alone has changed the world. How many other religions want to claim a piece of Jesus because of his influence? To Buddhist Jesus was one of the 28 Buddhas that have come, To Muslims Jesus was a mighty prophet, and there are many other religions that will try to connect him to their own worldview.
The author of Hebrews is writing to a Jewish audience. His main point in Hebrews 3 is that Jesus is greater than Moses. “For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house.” vv. 4-6a. The author of Hebrews was using an analogy that Moses was a servant in God’s house, but Jesus, the Son was the owner of the house.
The rest of Hebrews 3 is the first of four warnings in Hebrews. These warnings are to encourage the believers not to “fall away” in disbelief. “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” vv. 12-13. These verses point out the danger of sin. If we persist in sin or allow it to take hold in our lives it can pull us away from our relationship with the Lord. The good news is that any one of us can turn back to God in one moment. Repentance is a positive word.
If you are searching and really looking for what’s true. If you are trying to decide what is the right worldview, what is the correct religion, let me encourage you to start with Christianity with the original Jesus and his own teachings about himself and reality.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 15, 2024
February 15, 2024
Read Leviticus 2, Psalm 46, Hebrews 2
Have you heard the phrase, “the measure of a man” before? It has been used in book titles, Movie titles, and apparently in Star Trek episodes too. The phrase means, “That which shows the value of a person’s life; one’s non-monetary worth.” Hebrews 2 asks the question, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” v. 6. This is the deep mystery that I think all those who believe in the Christian God of the Bible wrestle with? Why would an infinite God with the power to create and destroy and who is limitless be mindful and consider us His creation? There are many reasons that people assign worthiness to a person. Their education, their wealth, their power or influence, their relationship with others, have all been used to determine someone’s worthy. The Bible teaches that simply because we are made in the image of God, we contain value to God. None of the reasons above determine our value with God.
Maybe one of the reasons that God is mindful of us and holds compassion for us is because Jesus became one of us. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” v. 9. We can take comfort knowing that we have a Savior who can identify with us. When we face trouble, we can turn to Jesus who also took the form of a man and endured the life of a human and ultimately the cross.
What else do you see in these verses? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 14, 2024
February 14, 2024
Read Leviticus 1, Psalm 45, Hebrews 1
How many words or companies do you know that have the word superior connected to them? There’s Lake Superior, Superior HVAC, Superior Tire, Superior Credit Union, and we could go on forever. Superior as an adjective means greater in quality, quantity, etc. of high or extraordinary worth, merit, etc. The Bible teaches that God is superior. Jesus as God is equally superior to anything else in the world.
As you read Leviticus 1 you will read about the instructions from God to Moses on how to bring a proper offering to God and offer it as a sacrifice. It must be “without defect” v. 3 and meet other specifications. Why? Because God is superior and worthy of our praise and worship. Following the guidelines and doing it as God described makes it into “an aroma pleasing to the Lord” v. 17. The temptation in our times is to minimize God’s character and authority for something else, either ourselves or something created rather than the creator. How do you view God? Is He superior in every way or just some cosmic creator we must “deal” with?
Psalm 45 is a psalm credited to the Sons of Korah. The description calls it a wedding psalm which was sung during royal weddings. It praises the King who is to be married and paints him in a good light. The psalm starts by praising this king of the Jews. The psalm hints at a Jewish king who is more than just an ordinary person. “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy” v. 7. There were 40 kings of Israel and Judah between the northern kingdom and southern. All the kings in the northern kingdom were wicked and described as doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. Only eight of the 20 kings in the southern kingdom of Judah were described as good and that they followed the ways of David and the Lord. This psalm may point to a future king of Israel that loves righteousness and hates wickedness.
The book of Hebrews is a book that compares Jesus to the Old Covenant and how that Jesus is superior to angels, Moses, the priests, and many other Old Testament things. We do not know who the author of Hebrews is. Hebrews 1 tells us that Jesus is superior to the angels because He is the Son of God. Jesus “the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” v. 4. Jesus as the Son is superior because the angels are just servants of God, and they worship Jesus. There is also a quote from Psalm 45 in Hebrews 1. This is confirmation that the psalmist indeed was referring to Jesus as a future righteous king. “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the sceptre of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy’” vv. 8-9.
Take a moment to recognize the superiority of Jesus in your life. Do you view and worship the Lord as you should? Have you slipped away from your view of how superior the Lord is to you and how his greatness affects your life and how you live it for the Lord.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 13, 2024
February 13, 2024
Read Exodus 38-40, Psalm 44
Where do you think of when it comes to experiencing the presence of God? Is it in a church service? Do you find the presence of God being out in nature? The beach or mountains? Maybe you find the presence of God in the expression of other believers as they minster and serve. In Psalm 139 David asks, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” vv. 7-8. Truthfully, we know that God’s presence can be with us anywhere.
In the last chapters of Exodus, we read about the finishing of the Tabernacle, the clothing for the priests, and the instruments that would be used in the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was the portable temple in which God instructed Moses and the Israelites to build in order that they might make sacrifices to the Lord and for God’s presence to dwell. “Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” vv.34-35. The very last verses of Exodus describe how God would lead them and how they were to travel and stop. “In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels” vv. 36-38. The big question is, are we running from God’s presence or are we running toward God’s presence?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 12, 2024
February 12, 2024
Read Exodus 35-37, Psalm 43
What topic or area of life seems to get you downcast more than any other? Is it an injustice that you see often? Is it a person or group of people that can easily bring you down? Several years ago, I made the conscience decision to stop watching the 24/7 news programs. I catch 5-7 minutes of news each day and then I move on to other things. I saw the difference this change in my habits made to my own good after several months had past.
The author of psalm 43 seems to struggle with the ungodly nature of the men and nations around him. “Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men” v. 1. His response is to ask God to direct and guide him, “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me;” v. 3. He knows he needs to be near God and in His presence, “let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell” v. 3. If something frequently causes us to struggle in our walk with God, not only do we need to distance ourselves from it, but we also should replace it with a stronger relationship with the Lord. The psalmist writes, “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God” v. 4. Finally like the psalmist does, we need to remind ourselves, to trust in the Lord and not on the temporary earthly things that we see around us. “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” v. 5.
How can you remind yourself to trust God in the day to day when you are tempted to lose hope and despair? Do you memorize and quote Scripture? Do you start each day reading God’s Word? Do you spend time in prayer each day for yourself and your situation?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, themes, or phrases stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 11, 2024
February 11, 2024
Read Exodus 32-34, Psalm 42
Today is the super bowl. I read a story last week about three men who have made it to all 57 Super Bowls. The men will sit together and cheer on their teams. Thousands of other people will gather around the stadium and millions more will watch the super bowl on TV tonight. Sports fans are devoted to a game they love. So are the “Swifties” who enjoy Taylor Swift. The things that most people care about or are devoted to can change over time. Sometimes rather quickly.
In Exodus 32-34 we read a little about devotion. Moses was at the top of the mountain talking with God and receiving the 10 Commandments on stone tablets. During the forty days he was up on the mountain the rest of Israel got bored and worried that something might have happened to him. Their solution, they go to Aaron and ask him “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him” v.1. Aaron without question decides to collect gold from the people and then he fashions a gold calf image that they will worship. “Then they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt’” v. 4. Moses and God had become silent for a short time and the people had to find something to worship. God informs Moses of what they have done and tells Moses to go down and take care of the incident. God calls them, “stiff-necked people” v. 9. In other words, they are stubborn or slow to learn. We might be tempted to scoff at their actions. “What! Don’t the Israelites know who God is? Don’t they realize what He just did to help them escape from Egypt?” But remember to us, it is just a few short pages in the Bible, but much more time had passed. And if we are honest, we might see a little bit of ourselves in this passage. We are all “prone to wander, prone to leave the God I love” as the great hymn describes it. It is very easy to get out of the habit of spending time with God. There are always distractions and temptations that want to steal away our devotion to the Lord.
Psalm 42 is one of my favorite psalms. The popular song in the late twentieth century “As the Deer” comes from this psalm. The author desires to be in the house of the Lord and cannot go. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” vv. 1-2. Here you have the opposite effect occurring. Being cut off from God’s people, being alone and away from the Lord. If brings a strong desire for the authors to desire to back at a place where they were before. “These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng” v. 5.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your comments below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 10, 2024
February 10, 2024
Read Exodus 29-31, Psalm 41
Do you understand what it means to consecrate yourself before God? To consecrate something or someone means to dedicate them as sacred or set apart for formal purpose to serve. In Exodus 29-31 you will read about the priest who were consecrated for service to God and the objects that would be used in the sacrificial offerings. “This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests” v. 1. Exodus 29 describes the special garments (the tunic, robe, ephod, and breastplate) that the priests would wear as they served. Exodus 30 describes the altar, basin for washing, the oil and incense, that was to be used in the sacrifices by the priests. If describes how specifically to make them. There is a warning in Exodus 30:37-38 for Israel not to make them for their own personal use. “Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD. 38 Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people.” Exodus 31 describes the two craftsmen that God has selected to do the work with their skills.
Even though we might not be a priest, especially in the Old Testament time, we do need to think about the idea of consecration before the Lord. I believe we are set apart to serve God as his disciples. It might not been in a role of a pastor or church leader, but I do believe that God has a purpose and plan for all of us to fulfill. Do you know what calling or purpose that God has for your life? It might be something as simple as to be a godly influence on your family and children or grandchildren. It might be to serve God as a faithful member in a church where you teach or serve along side others. It might be to be a faithful witness of your faith to others at work or in your routine daily life. If you are not sure what God has consecrated, you to do my encouragement is to pray that God will show you this and for God to prepare you for what ever task he has called you to.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 9, 2024
February 9, 2024
Read Exodus 26-28, Psalm 40
When has there been a time when you have been on shaky ground? I’m not referring to an earthquake but rather a time when things in your life were not as solid as you would have liked them to be. Maybe it was a time of transition in your life when things were changing around you. Maybe your shaky ground was centered around a relationship with someone that brought turmoil into your life. None of us like to be in these places in our lives, but being human means having times in our lives when things are shaky.
Psalm 40 is a psalm of David where we could identify with him being on some shaky ground. David starts the psalm with, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” vv. 1-2. David knew that the only firm place for him was with the Lord. This is true for us today. There might be things that temporarily seem like sure ground, but they will not last and give us the rock on which to stand. How many people think by achieving financial success, the right job, power or fame, or the right relationship will solve all their problems. All we have to do is look to those that have reached these goals to see that they are still living in turmoil and struggling with circumstances just like we all do.
David saw that his relationship with God brought him the ultimate joy in his life. “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” vv. 3-4. I read a survey not to long ago that said the “nones” are growing. The “nones” are those who do not identify with any religious group. They typically are atheistic or agnostic about many things in life. 29 percent of America claims to be a “none” according to this 2023 survey. Along with the beliefs of this worldview comes a natural order of events. Our beliefs dictate our actions. If I believe there is no God, I am forced to take the view that I am a cosmic accident, created with no purpose. The only purpose that I can grab hold of is the one I create for myself. It’s no wonder so many in the two youngest generations say that struggle with mental illnesses and according to a 2023 Barna survey 75 percent of Gen Z say that they have no purpose in life.
I just want to highly encourage you to hold on to the rock of faith in Christ in your life. If you are checking into who Jesus is and what he taught I hope that you know that you can reach out to me and ask any questions.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 7, 2024
February 7, 2024
Read Exodus 20-22, Psalm 38
Everyone has a top ten list. David Letterman, YouTubers, every blogger or writer known to man has probably composed a top ten list about something in their lifetime. God has a top ten list too. In Exodus 20 we read the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses on Mount Horeb. They are often broken down between Commandments toward God (1-4) and then Commandments toward other people (5-10). God gave these basic ten commandments to Israel for them to live by. It is for the good of themselves and for those around them. Because these might be familiar to you, I encourage you to read them slowly and notice things that maybe you thought were something else. For example, many people say “you should not lie” but the command is actually “you shall not bear a false witness” which involves lying but is slightly different. Others will say “The Bible says not to kill” but it is really more accurate to say, “You shall not murder.” All but one (the Sabbath) of the ten commandments are repeated and emphasized in the New Testament.
Exodus 21-22 are other laws that flow out of the ten above. I will warn you. Several of these laws in Exodus 21-22 can sound harsh and cause many questions to even the most learned pastors. My advice is to read slowly, read more than just one verse when you come across a sentence that you might struggle with. Many time the Bible will iron out the rough spots for you if you keep on reading. The subjects of servants, injuring a pregnant woman, selling your daughter as a servant are in these passages. It’s easy for the world to grab a verse and make it into something that the Bible doesn’t intent. My suggestion, talk to someone who has spend time looking at this or find a book on these passages and they will help you understand them without calling into question the character of God or His Law.
One factor in reading God’s law is that it brings conviction to us. It helps us know when we need to seek forgiveness and when we need to change our behavior or speech. That’s what we find when we read Psalm 38. David has a humble attitude asking God not to rebuke him in his anger. David has a keen awareness of his sin and just how much it affects his own life. Do we avoid God’s Word because it convicts us or do we have a attitude of running toward God’s Word so that we can be conformed to what God desires for us to be?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes, stand out to you? What questions do you have about some of the hard verses that are in these chapters? Add your thoughts or questions below. I will be glad to give you some thoughts if you have questions.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 5, 2024
February 5, 2024
Read Exodus 14-16, Psalm 36
When you are trying to do your best to be obedient to the Lord sometimes it requires us to make a choice, take an action, or start down a path. Other times we only need to be still. We must be careful to not take one situation in Scripture as a prescription for how we respond to everything we face in life. Just because God commanded someone in the Bible to do or not do something does not mean that it is the right means for us to follow. I think our natural tendency is to want to take action and put ourselves in the drivers seat. This doesn’t mean that it is always the right thing we should do. We find this to be the case here in Exodus 14. Moses led the Israelites out to the Red sea, and then they look behind them to see the Egyptian army flanking them from the rear. They cry out to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?” v. 11. Moses’ response was this, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” vv. 13-14. God was about to do the one of the most miraculous works in the entire Old Testament by parting the Sea for Israel to walk through. Being still or waiting is not a neutral gear. Just like acting, it requires trusting in the Lord to not move. Waiting does not mean we are inactive either. When we wait on the Lord to act, we can be busy doing what he has already called us to do. What is God calling you to do… or not do right now? How can you exercise faith and confidence in the Lord while you wait or stand still.
It’s hard to imagine eating the same thing every day, even if it was one of your favorite foods. Exodus 16 is the narrative of God providing manna and quail to the Israelites daily. They were to collect it everyday but the Sabbath. The day before the Sabbath they could collect a double portion to sustain them for two days. These strict rules about how much they could take were not for nothing. They were to teach Israel to rely on the Lord daily for their needs. This is where Jesus connects himself to the Old Testament. He calls himself the bread of life (John 6:35) and when he teaches the disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9-15) he prayed “give us today our daily bread.”
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
DId God Really Say... 