“Counted Worthy”

April 14, 2024

April 14, 2024

Read Numbers 34, Psalm 119:81-120, Acts 5-6

When’s the last time you rejoiced over something? Getting a good grade in school, getting a promotion at work, or maybe you celebrated something with your family like a birthday or anniversary? Whatever it was that you rejoiced over, I bet it was something good. In Acts 5: 41 we find the disciples rejoicing over something that most people would not rejoice over. “His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” The disciples took a beating, they were flogged and questioned and ordered not to continue talking about their faith and testimony in Jesus. They rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of their Savior. Jesus reminded them of this suffering before He returned to Heaven. He told them they would have trouble in this life, but to take courage, because Jesus had overcome the world.  Let this be a reminder for all of us, that when we face persecution from the world for our faith that we too can rejoice and be a part of good company like the disciples and Jesus himself who have faced persecution.

What else do you see in these chapters? What stands out to you most?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Back to the Future”

April 9, 2024

April 9, 2024

Read Numbers 29, Psalm 110-112

Growing up, one of my favorite movie trilogies was the Back to the Future series with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. An action/comedy movie with a plot about how the past can change the future and vice versa. In Psalm 110, a psalm of David, we have a messianic prophecy that points to Jesus in the future and wording in verse one has a little of the same back to the future vibe.

Psalm 110 opens with, “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Jesus discusses this verse with the pharisees in the Synoptic Gospels asking about the identity of the Messiah. How could the son of David also be David’s Lord? The only answer that makes sense is that the Messiah is of godly origins and not just another human descendant of David.

Psalm 110 also holds a rare name of someone only mentioned twice in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek” v. 4. Melchizedek was King of Salem and a priest. Abram paid him a tenth when they rescued his nephew Lot from the other kings in Genesis. He is a mysterious king with no origin or family line known about him. He is not mentioned again until the New Testament book of Hebrews. The author of Hebrews expounds into detail about Melchizedek and compares him to that of Jesus. Many will say that Melchizedek is a preincarnate Jesus that Abram gave the tithe to.

Aside from this lesson in prophecy and history, we can know for sure that Jesus is our priest, the one who represents us before the Father. Jesus acts as the priest who makes intercession for us by his death on the cross for our sins.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Speak Not Strike”

March 31, 2024

March 31, 2024

Read Numbers 20, Psalm 90, Mark 14

Have you ever had directions to follow and you may not have followed them close or carefully enough? What happened? Did you leave an ingredient out of a recipe, miss a turn when you were driving, or maybe it was something more costly? In Numbers 20 we have what seems to be a very harsh punishment for Moses from the Lord simply because he struck the rock that God told him to speak to. “The LORD said to Moses, 8 ‘Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so that they and their livestock can drink’” vv. 7-8. There was a problem, Moses in his anger did what he had done before. He struck the rock with his staff and while water did come out, it was not how God had wanted him to do it. Why? We might find a clue in Moses’ comment to the Israelites. “He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank” vv. 10-11. Moses and Aaron had gathered the people together to give them a lecture. Moses said, “must we bring you water out of this rock?” v. 10. This could either been seen as “we” meaning Moses and Aaron or “we” meaning Moses and God. Either way Moses was equating himself with God or leaving God out of the whole process of providing water for the people. It might have been just as much about his words that he actions. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses chooses to speak about himself rather than the Lord.

We must be careful to follow God’s commands when know God is instructing us. There are plenty of examples in Scripture of people who only half-heartly obey and God was not pleased.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Dwelling Place”

March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

Read Numbers 14, Psalm 84, Mark 8

What are some of the most amazing places you have visited before? What do you love about them? Are you a beach or mountain person? We all have had places that we have gone to and wanted to go back and spend more time there. There is a difference between a visit and then dwelling. Often many people “visit” with the Lord. They pop in and out occasionally when it works with their schedules and desires. Very few will take time and “dwell” in the house of the Lord and in his presence. In Psalm 84 the author describes the “dwelling place” where the Lord is. The psalmist wants to go and be there with the Lord. “How lovely is your dwelling-place, O LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” vv. 1-2. The thought that comes is the blessing of those who get to dwell in the house of the Lord. “O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you” vv. 3-4. The psalmist has discovered the real blessings are when we make our dwelling place with the Lord. The world may look like they are having fun but the long-lasting blessings come when we stay in the relationship with the Lord. He can truly say, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” v. 10.

What are some of the blessings that you have experienced in your time spent with the Lord?
What else do you read and see in these three chapters? Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Seeing Faith”

March 19, 2024

March 19, 2024

Read Numbers 8, Psalm 78, Mark 2

What are some things that you can’t see with the naked eye, but you know they are there? The wind, microscopic organisms, or maybe even your own brain? We may not be able to see these things, but we know that they are there because we see the effects from them. In Mark 2 we find a story of 4 men who brought a paralytic man to Jesus in a most unusual way.  The house was so packed out they could not get their friend to Jesus for a chance to experience healing, so they made their own way… through the roof. “Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on” v. 4. What great faith these four took for the paralytic man to experience healing. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven’” v. 5. Faith is something meant to be seen, not just something we talk about. Real faith is accompanied by actions and not simply words alone. As James says, “faith without works is dead.”

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Change Your Clothes”

March 16, 2024

March 16, 2024”

Read Numbers 5, Psalm 75, Colossians 3

Think about a time when you got filthy or dirty. What were you doing? Working on a vehicle? Doing some yard work? Or maybe something that involved children! I remember a time when I was a kid that we had been playing outside in the woods all day and in the creek. We had gotten covered in dirt and mud. When we came back to the house we had to strip down to out skivvies on the back porch before entering the house. We went right to the shower and got cleaned up and put on a new set of clean clothes. My grandmother was a clean freak. Once when my brother and I went out to spend a week with them in Yazoo City, Mississippi we set a record of four showers in one day. If we went outside for five minutes we had to take a shower.

Colossians 3 encourages us as followers of Christ to change our clothes also. “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” vv. 9-10. Paul uses this metaphor to talk about the change a person goes through when they decide to follow Jesus. Since we have “taken off” our old practices and behavior, we “put on” the new that reflects our Savior and Lord. Paul lists out some of the things we should take off, “You must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips” v. 8. As a Christian it’s not just enough to take somethings off, unless we want to resemble the emperor’s new clothes, we must also put on godly traits that reflect Christ. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” vv. 12-14. The last “garment” Paul says to put over everything is “love.” This is what people should see in and “on” us most of all.

What else do you see in these chapters? What questions do you have? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Then I Understood”

March 14, 2024

March 14, 2024

Read Numbers 3, Psalm 73, Colossians 1

What is something that has perplexed you in the past or caused you to question something you thought was right? How did it turn out? Was it like you thought or not? Asaph, the author of Psalm 73 is perplexed by what he sees around him. Specifically, how the wicked and the godless and the arrogant seem to have the easy road. A feeling of envy had to start to settle in with him when he looked at the lives of those who did not worship the Lord. “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” vv. 2-3. We may be tempted to think along the same lines today.  We see the lives of the people around us who do not care about a walk with the Lord, and we might be envious of their lifestyles.  We see their freedom in how they live out their lives without the authority of God’s Word over them. The devil whispers in our ears, “you could have that kind of life too, if you just forget about God.” The psalmist captures their mindset, “This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth” v. 12. Again, the temptation to throw it all away returns, “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. 14 All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning” vv. 13-14.

Then, in verses 16-17, Asaph has his “ah ha” moment. “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny” vv. 16-17. It was only after Asaph had entered the temple and learned from the Lord about the ultimate fate of the wicked. Asaph realized like we all need to that nothing escapes God. People might seem to get away with things or be living “the life” but in end it all comes down to ruin. Asaph is thankful for the Lord’s guidance in his life. “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory” vv. 23-24. The temporary pleasures of the earth are nothing compared to the spender of Heaven and Asaph knows it is good to be near God. What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, and themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Think About Such Things”

March 13, 2024

March 13, 2024

Read Numbers 2, Psalm 72, Philippians 4

Have you heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” Perhaps an even better saying might be “You are what you think.” Let me first say that I’m not talking about some type of New Age manifestation thing where whatever you think you will bring it to pass in your life. That’s not possible and it’s a dangerous practice that I believe dips into the spiritual world of the occult or the prosperity gospel. I’m referring to our mental state and how we think about the things we do. Would you consider yourself more of a pessimist or optimist? Do you think in a more negative or positive manner? Most people tend to think about the negative. This is why negative political ads seem to work with us, because we can identify better with the negative side. A survey years ago said that the average adult has about 60,000 thoughts a day. And of the 60,000 thoughts 45,000 are negative ones. Three of every four thoughts we have on average are negative. We have to work harder to think in a positive light.

The apostle Paul was on to something when he wrote the last few paragraphs of his letter to the Christians at Philippi. He encourages the Christians to, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” v. 8. You might push back and say something like, “It’s easy to think positive when you are famous church letter with all the influence.” But nothing could be further from the truth. When Paul wrote this letter he was in jail. He was not the popular person we thought. The only reason people wanted to see Paul was to kill him or throw him in jail. Despite everything that Paul endured he was able to think about the good and not the bad because of his relationship with God through Jesus.

The famous verse 13 in Philippians 4, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” is the conclusion to Paul’s secret of how he was able to focus on the good and noble things. “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” vv. 11-12. Again, Paul’s secret was, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” v. 13.

What else do you see in these three chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Armor”

March 9, 2024

March 9, 2024

Read Leviticus 25, Psalm 68, Ephesians 6

How do most people protect themselves today? Some purchase a gun or other self-defense items. Some people enroll in a class and learn how to do it personally. Some may purchase a security system for their home. Physical protection is one area, but spiritual protection in spiritual warfare is much more serious. One of the best ways we can protect ourselves is found right here in Ephesians 6. Paul was in prison when he wrote the letter to the Ephesians. Scholars believe that used the image of a Roman centurion guard to craft the last part of Ephesians 6 which is affectionately referred to as the Armor of God.

Paul says to put in the “full armor” and not just a couple of pieces. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” v. 11. We want to be fully prepared to face the things that the devil will throw at us each day. Is there a piece of armor that you often neglect to put on? Which one is the piece you need to remember most of all. “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” v. 13. Notice it says “when” the day of evil comes and not “if” the day of evil comes. We will face it at some point.

Paul describes the six pieces of armor. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” vv. 14-17. It has been pointed out that the sword is the offensive weapon, which is the Word of God. It is a vital part of the armor, and we should be well versed in God’s Word if we want to engage in battle. The sword can also be a defensive weapon too. A good soldier could parry with his sword and fend off blows from the enemy. Jesus did this in the wilderness when He was tempted by Satan. Jesus quoted the Scripture to fend off the attacks from the Devil.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“The Church”

March 7, 2024

March 7, 2024

Read Leviticus 23, Psalm 66, Ephesians 4

When I say the word “church” what comes to your mind? A large building with a steeple maybe or do you think first about the people who are called Christians? When the Bible uses the word “church” it never refers to a building.” The church was the group of believers that gathered. Ephesians 4 contains great teaching on the church and what should be like and what they should be busy doing.

The first topic that Paul addresses in Ephesians 4 is unity. He urged the new believers to make every effort to live at peace with one another. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” vv. 3-6. Seven times Paul emphasizes the word “one” when he talks about the church. But we are not just to be one and the same. Clones or copies of each other. The body of Christ is filled with many unique and specific parts. Paul listed five of the occupational gifts that lead the church. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.” vv. 11-13.

When the church functions like it should in its gifts the church will thrive more than when it is not operating in them. “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” vv. 15-16. If Jesus ever fails to be the head of the church, we need to repent and put Christ back in His rightful place.

The remaining section of Ephesians 4 discusses some practical instructions from Paul on how we can live as the church together. Paul connects the way Christians live with the thoughts they hold.  “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking” v. 15. The bottom line, your thoughts, convictions, and beliefs all have an affect on your actions and behavior. Paul closes with an illustration of taking off clothes and putting new ones one. These clothes are the outer actions of the believers, the outward things seen from a new inward belief. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” vv. 22-24. The last few verses really zoom in on our words and the things we say to one another.

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

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