February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
Read Leviticus 14, Psalm 58, Galatians 1
Many people decry the idea of Hell. They ask, “Why would an all-loving God send someone to Hell?” This is a wrong-headed question to ask. God doesn’t send anyone to Hell. We are already headed there, but when we hear that Jesus stepped in and paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, we have the opportunity to accept His grace gift and pardon from Hell. The reality of Hell is a just reality. Of all the evil done in the world, would we not expect God to punish those who do evil? God is indeed a just God, who enacts his judgment on everyone justly. May I take this sober moment to remind you that we are all sinners and have broken God’s law. Let this be a humble reminder that we all need a Savior.
Psalm 58 is a cry for justice from King David. He specifically aims his cry against the rulers or leaders in Israel. “Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men?” v. 1. David says that this is not a new thing, the wicked have been wicked for their entire life. “Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies” v. 3. David uses a couple of illustrations like a snake that is full of venom and that won’t heed the snake charmer. He wishes that they would vanish like water that flows away. The last lines of the Psalm end in an uplifting hope that David has in his God. “The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Then men will say, ‘Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth’” vv. 10-11.
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 19, 2024
February 19, 2024
Read Leviticus 6, Psalm 50, Hebrews 6
What do you remember learning in your elementary school years? Shapes, colors, reading, writing, basic math? Maybe you picked up a trade like sewing, gardening, or cooking. I remember learning the basics of music like rhythm, harmony, and playing the annoying little flute like recorder and hurting everyone’s ears.
There are elementary truths we can learn about any subject; this includes the Word of God. We learn that God is Holy, compassionate, good, merciful, gracious, and forgiving. It’s always good to never lose sight of these elementary teaches from the Bible, but at the same time we do not need to stay with just these basic teachings for other deeper teachings in these areas.
In Psalm 50 God speaks boldly here. He tells Israel that He doesn’t need anything from his creation. “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, 10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills” vv. 9-10. Later God rebukes those in Israel who simply recite God’s laws but do not care anything for it. He sees right through their lip service. “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? 17 You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you” vv. 16-17. There are people in our world today that try to shame righteous Christians by using God’s own words against them. They make a play on their compassion. It’s a no-win solution. If Christians do something they don’t like they cry, “That’s too much you went too far!” Then When Christians do something for the Lord and they don’t like it they cry just the opposite, “You didn’t do enough, you should have done this too!”
In Hebrews 6 the author challenges us to “leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity” v. 1. He names some things such as repentance, faith in God, baptism, praying for others, and the resurrection and judgment that is to come. Reading that list made me wonder how many people would see those topics as elementary today. We seem to be stuck on the love of God in the culture we live in today. All the surveys tell us that people are more biblically illiterate than ever before. This is why we must stay in God’s Word and have a steady intake of it in our lives. Have you taken a spiritual inventory of your knowledge from the Word of God? No matter what you would place yourself, novice, beginner, intermediate, or advanced, we all have work to do, and we all have room to grow in our knowledge of God’s Word.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick 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 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 8, 2024
February 8, 2024
Read Exodus 23-25, Psalm 39
Justice is a word that is added to a lot of other words in our culture today. Climate justice, trans justice, reproductive justice, racial justice, and on and on. Do people think by simply adding this word it makes something right or “just?” I heard a pastor say once that “anytime you add another word in front of justice you are perverting justice in some sense.” Justice should be the right thing to do regardless of any circumstances of a particular subject or area. In Exodus 23 we see just how independent justice is from everything else. Justice is independent of; popular opinion – “do not follow the crowd” v.2, economic status – “do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.” v. 3, If you don’t like them – “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him.” v. 4, If they don’t like you – “someone who hates you” v. 5, Any personal benefits – “Do not accept a bribe” v. 8, citizenship – “Do not oppress an alien” v. 9. Justice is dependent on God and his nature.
In Exodus 24 God renews the covenant that He made with Israel (Exodus 19) but this time it is just Moses, a couple of key leaders, and the 70 elders that represent the families of Israel. God reminds them all to carefully pay attention to his law and to follow it closely. He warns them not to worship other gods, participate in their religious practices, and not to make any covenants with the other gods or nations. The people all agree and reply “we will do this!” God then calls Moses up the mountain to receive the stone tablets with the law. What I find fascinating is that Moses goes up the mountain and the Scripture says, “When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud” vv. 15-16. Moses waited for six days for God to speak. Finally on the seventh day the Lord speaks to Moses. I wonder how impatient Moses was during those six days? We live in such a microwave society today, if we were Moses, would we have turned around and walked back down after a few short hours? When God gives us instructions, we must patiently wait on him for when he will take action.
Psalm 39 is a psalm that has a lot to do with our mouth and our words. David records how hard it was to keep his mouth from speaking in a sinful manner. He knows it is the just thing to do, but he finds it hard to hold in his flesh. “But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased” v. 2. In the end of the psalm David finds that he can take his words and direct them toward the Lord. “Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping” v. 12 Instead of crying out against the wicked, David will cry out to the Lord and call for help. It was a choice that David made with his words. We have the same choice today. Which will you choose?
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 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
February 2, 2024
February 2, 2024
Read Exodus 5-7, Psalm 33
Have you ever heard a child make this exclamation before? “You’re not the boss of me!” They may have referred it to another adult, a teacher, or a person of authority over them. In Exodus 5-7 we have a similar attitude coming from Pharaoh. God tells Moses to speak to Pharaoh. You know… “Let my people go….” Naturally, Pharaoh responds “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go” v. 2. Pharaoh may not have heard of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so he consequentially had no desire to listen or obey him either. We can find the same mentality today among people. They neither know or fear the Lord and their behaviors and speech reflect this attitude. Honestly, who would blame them? When my kids were growing up, sometimes they would come home from school and talk about something that someone did to them or their friend. I would try to remind them that most likely they were not Christians or faithfully living out God’s design for their life. The phrase, “non-Christians will do what they do or just comes natural to themselves” was often repeated. We might not live in a polytheistic culture today in America but that doesn’t mean that people don’t have their gods. The gods just change from Ra, Chemosh, and Molech to the gods of self, materialism, and other things we worship and deem important. The ultimate issue of a god is who has the authority over my life and determines how I live my life. Some might have one god they worship; others might have a pantheon of gods they have amassed for themselves. Christians often use the phrase “Savior and Lord” when referring to Jesus. We have Jesus as our Savior, but is he also our Lord? Does Jesus have authority, lordship, or is he our “boss?” Not just in one or two areas of our lives, Jesus commands us to love God with our “whole heart” (Mark 12:30-31). What areas of your life do you struggle to relinquish control to the Lord?
Psalm 33 is a beautiful psalm that has many familiar phrases in it. It praises the Lord for his creation, his righteousness and just actions. Verse 12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.” The psalmist recognizes the “blessing” that comes from allowing God to lead and be our boss. When many people see the word “blessing” they might be tempted to jump to an idea of finances or material goods. That might be one way to look at it, but “blessing” is really about an attitude of happiness or joy. Some translations of the Bible capture this by says “Happy is…” rather than blessed. When we recognize God as the ultimate authority in our lives, he will bring us blessings.
What other words, themes, or phrases stand out to you as you read these chapters? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 1, 2024
February 1, 2024
Read Exodus 2-4, Psalm 32
Are you the type of person who gives excuses to others? Maybe people give you excuses about why they can’t do something or why something was not completed. What are you most likely to throw out an excuse? Is it because of a weakness, or character trait that you need improvement in? In these chapters we read a lot about Moses, the strong humble leader. He didn’t start out very strong in the beginning.
Moses grows up as a Hebrew raised in the palace by Pharoah’s daughter. He really didn’t fit in with the Israelites or the Egyptians. 40 years later he flees into the desert from Pharaoh who tried to kill him for protecting a fellow Israelite. He’s been gone another forty years and then God comes calling. These verses are all about “who.” First “who” God is, and second “who” Moses is. Moses started out looking at himself. He lacked confidence in himself even through God was calling him to a task. “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” v. 11. God’s Response – “I will be with you” v. 12. Moses wanted to dig deeper and asks, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?’ 14 God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” vv.13-14. Our confidence should be weak if it is in ourselves, but if it is in the Lord, we should have all the confidence we need.
Even with the “who” questions answered, Moses is still not satisfied and turns to the “what” and “how” questions. Exodus 4 Moses starts offering excuses. First Excuse: “What if they do not believe me or listen to me?” v. 1. God’s answer is that He will provide Moses with signs and miracles to perform to help Moses. Second Excuse: “I am slow of speech and tongue” v. 10. God’s response “who gave man his mouth?” v. 11 – God will provide a solution here also. “I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” v. 12. Moses realizes he is not getting out of this. He finally exclaims, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it” v. 13. God reaction – “the Lord’s anger burned against Moses” v. 14”. This is a dangerous place to be, to tell God “No.” This is the one thing we cannot afford to do, it is disobedience.
What has God called you to do, and you are still throwing up excuses or just outright telling God “no?” Take confidence in the God who called you to a task. Trust in Him and lean not on your own understanding.
What else do you see in these four chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
January 31, 2024
January 31, 2024
Read Genesis 49-50, Exodus 1, Psalm 31
Have you ever had someone tell you that they were going to do you a favor and it ended up not being a favor? Maybe it ended up costing you money, time, or something worse. Maybe you were called into a meeting that you assumed would be a good meeting and it turned out the exact opposite. In Genesis 49 Israel realizes he is about to die. He calls for all twelve of his sons to gather. “Gather round so that I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come” v. 1. This is usually the tie when a father would bless his children and give them some final instructions and encouragement. This is not the case with Israel here. One by one, Israel tells each son what will happen with them in the future in a prophetic manner. It starts with Rueben the oldest and sounds good until he tells him “Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it” v. 4. If you remember, from Genesis 35 Reuben slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah. Next come Simeon and Levi, they are chastised for their violence and actions they took against Shechem and the men of his village. Judah is the first to receive praise from his father. Judah acted noble toward his brothers and especially with how they treated Joseph. On it goes down the list, some good and some bad. The brothers face the consequences of their previous actions from years ago. Right or wrong, Israel remembered the things that each of them did. Let this serve as a warning to all of us that our actions carry weight, and they are not often forgotten. We may receive forgiveness and move on in life, but some things are hard to forget.
What else do you see in these chapters? What repeated words, phrases, themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
January 29, 2024
January 29, 2024
Read Genesis 43-45, Psalm 29
When’s the last time you thought that someone wanted to attack you, make you their slave and take your donkeys? Okay, okay, I know probably never. But it is possible if you had some donkeys. As you read Genesis 43-45 you will read about Joseph who has some fun with his brothers and his brother’s guilt comes back to haunt them. In chapter 43 Joseph’s brothers all return to Egypt for more food, this time they bring little brother Benjamin with them. Joseph continues to mess with them, and who would blame him after what they did to him. It’s been 26 years since they sold him into slavery and Joseph had endured so much. Joseph invites them over to his personal home for a dinner and while they are awaiting to eat his brothers are scared and feeling conviction for their actions so long ago. As a pastor I have personally witnessed many people who come to me worried that another Christian is upset with them because something that happened or because of something that was said. As I dig a little deeper I usually discover the reason. They have done or said something about the person to someone else and then they think that people talk. A guilty conscience brings up the need to reconcile with the person after a while. To their surprise, the other person did not know what was said or done and they were led to think so by their own conviction. Is there anything that you need to clear off your chest? Do you need to go to someone and have a humble conversation with them? You will sleep better knowing that you are at peace with both God and them.
Psalm 29 is a beautiful psalm of David. Repeated several times in the psalm is the phrase “The voice of the Lord.” David describes the voice of the Lord as powerful, sovereign, and quick. We need to recall the creation narrative in Genesis 1. It is here we see God creating the universe by his command. The words, “And God said, ‘Let there be…’” v. 3, 6, 9, etc. Without lifting a finger (only to create humanity) God brings into existence everything but his own voice. We should remember that the next time we are tempted to lose faith in the Lord or to give up. God has more power in his voice than all of humanity does combined.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, and themes stand out to you? What things are you tempted to lose faith in the Lord with? Is there anything you need to go make right with another person?
Add your thoughts and comments below.
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Posted by John Weldon
DId God Really Say... 