“Right or Left”

January 13, 2024

January 13, 2024

Read Genesis 13, Psalm 13, John 13

In Genesis 13 we find a choice of right or left. The Scripture says that Abram had become very wealthy. His herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen started to argue, likely over who was occupying which pastureland for their own livestock. Being the eldest, Lot had the right to select which area he wanted but in a show of  kindness allows his nephew Lot to pick first. Lot looked around and the Scripture says, “Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD” v. 10. This must have allured his eye to choose this side over the other. The Scripture hints at what will come in the next chapter by mentioning Sodom and that “the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD” v. 13. Is this not the perfect illustration of sin. It looks appealing to the eye at first, at a distance, all seems fine, but sooner or later we find ourselves in a place and situation we did not foresee with consequences we did not want to face.

Psalm 13 is a smaller psalm of David. If this psalm seems familiar, it is because David again is crying out to the Lord as he wrestles with his thoughts and wonders, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me?” v. 1. As David writes this psalm out it appears that God has not resolved his situation yet, but David leans on the promises of God. He writes, “But I will trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” v. 5. David took comfort knowing that God would save him, even if he didn’t know how. Where do you think David had gotten a trust like this? Chances are it was not automatic, it was build by many times in his past when God rescued him. We can do the same when we look back and see how the Lord has brought us through in times past.

John 13 might be the most challenging image of Jesus that followers of Christ look at. Jesus is God, He is Savior and LORD, miracle worker, teacher, but here hours before Jesus would go to the cross and pay the debt of the world’s sins, Jesus humbles himself and serves his disciples by washing their feet. Jesus had already humbled himself as Paul describes in Philippians 2:4-11, but this act of foot washing was something that would leave a mark on his disciples. The chapter begins with his intention, “he now showed them the full extent of his love” v. 1. So many people are caught up in being served today. America has become a nation of service. How many carwashes have popped up over the last few years or businesses that will do anything you want them to… for a price. The meal delivery business like Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Grub Hub show us we are willing to pay anyone just about anything to be served. Jesus was a leader who was willing to serve those he loved. If you pull comments from the disciples early in Jesus’ ministry its clear they think He was going to come in and rule as Messiah. The Jews were looking for someone to free them from the Romans and they would return to their glory days. When Jesus washed their feet he set an example for them to follow. “You should do as I have done for you” v. 15. This message of Jesus was taken to heart by the early Christians, it’s all in the writings of Paul and the other Epistles. How do you follow Jesus’ example and serve others around you? What can you do to show the love of Christ to others in your circle of influence?

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

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Posted by John Weldon

“I Will Make Your Name Great”

January 12, 2024

January 12, 2024

Read Genesis 12, Psalm 12, John 12

In Genesis 11 we find the people trying to make a name for themselves. Their attempt is without God and full of pride. In Genesis 12 we find the Narrative of Abram beginning with a call from the Lord. God tells Abram, if he will obey and follow His leading “I will make your name great” v. 2. What a contrast we find in these two chapters. God not only promises to make a great name for Abram, but he also promises that He will become a great nation that will be a blessing to all the other nations. Are there things in our life we attempt to do on our own and in our own power? If God is our creator, He knows us best, why do we fight Him and following his ways for our lives?

After Abram moves with his family to the land of the Canaanites, God also makes another promise to Abram. “To your offspring I will give this land” v. 7. Think about this promise, it was not one that Abram would enjoy himself, but one his “offspring” would see down the future. Hundred of years later, God would keep his promise and the Israelites would come to inherit the land. The idea of “paying it forward” comes to mind here. Abram’s obedience would not benefit anything to him personally in this promise but He was wise enough to follow through for the sake of his family far into the future.

 The last part of Genesis 12 we find Abram being not so concerned with others, especially his wife Sarai, and he tells Sarai to lie about his relationship with him in order to save his own life. God acts to protect the promise and strikes the Egyptians with serious diseases. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. We may be strong in a particular area of life but weak in another. When are you tempted to not trust the Lord most often? If you can identify your weaknesses this will go a long way in guarding against them and learning to lean more on the Lord.

Speaking of lying, Psalm 12 is a psalm of David. He speaks about those who lie to each other. “Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception” v. 2. David desires people to not be taking advantage of by a lying tongue. He asks for God to act and stop those who would lie. The Lord responds, “’I will now arise’, says the Lord. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them’” v. 5.  David speaks about how the vile act of lying is “honored among men.” Lying is often seen as the smallest of sins committed by people. Humanity makes little of it. “Who does it hurt if someone lies?” many will ask. A great many people have been put in jail for lying and many honest people imprisoned for the lies of others. We must learn to love the truth and speak it to others. Truth honors God.

In John 12 we have two stories of honoring Jesus. First Mary takes some “pure nard, an expensive perfume” v. 3 and pours it on Jesus’ feet to anoint Him. Going further she takes her hair, which was considered a woman’s glory and wipes Jesus’ feet with it to clean them. What can you and I give, our best, to worship and honor Jesus with? This act is so moving Jesus proclaims, “’Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me’” vv. 7-8. We should seek to honor Jesus when we can with what we have.  

The second story in John 12 of honor Jesus comes with his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus rides the donkey as prophecy tells us into the city and the people shout  “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes I the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” v. 13. But not everyone there was pleased to see Jesus come into the city like that. The last part of John 12 is a commentary of the rejection of Jesus by many of the Jews. John quotes Isaiah 6:10 which speaks of those in Israel that would reject the message. Why would the Jews, specifically the religious leaders who knew the Scripture reject Jesus as the Christ. The answer is found in verse 43, John writes, “for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” We can either seek to elevate ourselves or have God be the one to make us into who He wants. We can either honor and worship the Lord or we can honor and praise ourselves.

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

“So We May Make a Name for Ourselves”

January 11, 2024

January 11, 2024

Read Genesis 11, Psalm 11, John 11

Every day that we live we can do one of two things. We can point people toward God with our words and actions or we can point people to ourselves and other people. It’s either the creator or the creation. The story of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 is an example of the latter. Men got together and decided that they wanted “make a name” v. 4 for themselves by building a tower that “reaches to the heavens” v. 4. The question may cross your mind? Why would God scatter and divide people? Doesn’t God want peace and unity in the human race? I think the answer lies in the actions God took. By staying together in a large city, it would be a protective measure for all that lived there. God wanted his creation to reach out to Him in times of need and to call on Him to provide for us. Another important part of this is the command that God gave men to “fill the earth” (1:28, 9:1,7) both before and after the flood. How can you live today and make God known? John the Baptist has great advice for all of us; “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).

The rest of Genesis 11 gives the godly genealogy of Shem. As you can see from the ages of his descendants, there is a gradual decline in the life span of the sons. The final verses of Genesis 11 lead us up to the next chapter about Abram. It has been said by some scholars that more time may have passed in Genesis 1-11 than has passed from Genesis 12 – Revelation 22 even to the present day.

We can see a similar theme in Psalm 11. David exclaims “In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: Flee like a bird to your mountain” v. 1. David would rather be in the presence of the Lord in the temple than away from Him. David became short-sighted and forgot that there is no place that God cannot be. In one of the later psalms David would write; “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” (Psalm 139:7-8). God is always present with His people. David is confident and knows that “For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face” v. 7.

The narrative of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11 is one the greatest miracles we have recorded in the Gospels. Again, much like Jesus’ statement a couple of chapters earlier Jesus proclaims that “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” v. 4. Jesus was ready to point people to the works of God, through Himself as God. The disciples remind Jesus of the danger they faced in Judea. The slow and dimwitted disciples do not yet understand what Jesus will do, but they are ready with obedience to follow Jesus as Thomas exclaims, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” v. 16. Let this be a lesson for all of us, we must obey when we know God is leading us, even if we do not understand.

Mary and Martha and the disciples wonder why Jesus would delay and not act sooner. “’Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died’” v. 21. Sometimes we have hope and trust in Jesus, we just misunderstand the method or measure of time that God’s chooses to work in our life. Jesus answers her with one of the seven “I am…” sayings in John. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” vv. 25-26. It’s not so much about how Jesus will work, it is more about who He is to do the work of God.

What other words, phrases, or themes do you see in these passages? What are some things you have seen God work in your life in the past that were not answered like you thought they would be? What are some things that you trust in the Lord in life now? Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

Sons and the Son

January 10, 2024

 January 10, 2024

Genesis 10 is the genealogy of Noah and his three sons. There are seventy sons listed from the three sons of Noah. Seventy is a number in Jewish culture of completeness. There were seventy that were listed traveling to Egypt from Jacob’s family during the famine (Genesis 46). Many have speculated that this genealogy is not a direct father to son list. It may only list the predominant sons in the family lines. These names only account for the men in the family and very few women are named in many of the genealogies in the Bible. Japheth (vv. 2-5) descendants are said to have settled near the seas (likely the black, Caspian, and Mediterranean seas). Next the sons of Ham (vv. 6-20) are named and many of the names are actually groups of people rather than names. This cursed line of sons connects with the nation of Babylon. Last the sons of Shem (vv. 21-32) are listed briefly but they will take a more prominent role in Genesis 11 with the godly line that is listed. One final thing to note, In Genesis 10 verses 5, 20, and 31 talk about “individual languages” this is not a contradiction with Genesis 11:1.  We must remember the author of Genesis is writing looking back at the 70 people groups as they are today.

Psalm 10 is a psalm where the author seems to wonder about the hiddenness of God. “Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” v. 1. The wicked seem to get the upper hand and the psalmist seems to think he is prosperous over the righteous people. There are probably times in our lives when we feel the same way. People that cheat or cut corners, to get ahead at work or school seem to never get caught. One of the characteristics of the psalms is their personal nature and the raw emotions that the authors record. It can help us identify with others and know that we are not alone in our thoughts. In the middle section of the psalm the author cries out to the Lord to do something, “Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless” v. 12. At the end of the psalm the author reminds himself of the promises of God. “The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” vv. 16-17. There are two promises here. First, God will judge the nations, those who do evil will be perish. Second, God hears their cry for help and he will encourage them.

In John 10, Jesus is the good shepherd who looks after the flock. Jesus is contrasted against the devil who comes in personified as the wolf. One of the most used examples and illustrations in the Bible is that of sheep and the shepherd. That is what the nation of Israel knew best. They were nomadic shepherds for the most part. Jesus was throwing some shade toward the religious leaders of the day, calling them “thieves and robbers” v. 8. Jesus knew they didn’t care for the sheep like He did. Verse 10 has always been a special verse to me. It shows the black and white motivations between the devil and Jesus. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

The last part of John 10 is a continued conversation between Jesus and the religious leaders. Jesus boldly claims to be the one that gives eternal life. The religious leaders question him and try to get him to profess that He is the Christ. Jesus tells them they would know if they were really His sheep. Jesus boldly claims to be “one” with the father and this incites the Jews to pick up stones again to stone Jesus. Many contemporaries who deny that Jesus claimed to be God have looked at John 10:28-30 and sold it short. They try to say Jesus meant “one in spirit” or some other less than full meaning. The key is the response of the Jews in verse 33. “’We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’” They knew exactly what Jesus meant when he said it and if they misunderstood what Jesus meant, why then would Jesus not correct them and deny he meant that? The answer can only be, because that’s exactly what Jesus meant to say and imply.  All the other contemporary religions and cults that branch off of Christianity will all differ here with who Jesus is.

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

Mindful

January 9, 2024

January 8, 2024

Read Genesis 8, Psalm 8, John 8

What are some things that you will never forget? Depending on how old you are, you might recall some of the details surrounding; the moon landing, when JFK died, when Elvis died, where you were when the challenger space shuttle exploded, the 9/11 attack, when Michael Jackson passed away, when a family member got married and on and on. These were big events in your life that made an impact on your mind.  On a side note, many skeptics will balk at the idea of the gospels being written down years or decades after Jesus had died and risen from the dead, but we must remember that Jesus’ resurrection was a huge event like many of the ones listed above. You might not remember what you had for breakfast 20 years ago, but you will remember the significant events that impacted your life.

Genesis 8 starts out, “But God remembered Noah” (and all the animals too). We are not talking about a God with amnesia here. This phrase is an anthropomorphic (places a human-like character trait on an object or something not human) phrase that shows that God cares and has compassion for Noah and the animals. God is the creator of the universe and everything in it. He could have hit the reset button, but he didn’t. He chooses to save that which He has compassion for. Over a year passes and the ark finally comes to rest on the mountains. The Lord dries up the waters and tells Noah he can leave the ark safely. The first thing Noah does is to offer and sacrifice to God for His protection. When we come to appreciate and love God for what He has done for us, we should desire to thank Him or give Him praise.

In Psalm 8 we have a similar theme. David gives praise to God, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” v. 1, David is in awe of who God is and for His interest in His creation. He acknowledges that God is the creator of the “moon and stars” v. 3. Yet in verses 4-5 he sees the personal nature of God, “what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”

In John 8 we read the story of the woman caught in adultery. Most bibles have a note in them telling you that the earliest manuscripts do not contain John 7:53-8:11. My opinion is that it was not in the original manuscripts but was likely a scribal addition later when documents were being copied. I personal believe this interaction between Jesus and the women took place and was later added in from other sources or the oral tradition. Nothing in the 12 verses seems out of place or “unlike Jesus” from the other Scriptures. Jesus craftily keep the Law of Moses and single handedly dismissed the woman’s accusers. Jesus was mindful of this sinful woman and showed her compassion in her time of need.

The majority of John 8 is a dialog between Jesus and the Pharisees. It is started by Jesus’ statement, “I am the light of the world.” There are seven “I am” statements in the gospel of John. Jesus and the Pharisees hold a discussion over the authority to do and say the things that Jesus does. Then the conversation turns over to fathers. Jesus claims that God is His Father, the Pharisees want to name Abraham as their father, but Jesus disagrees. “’If you were Abraham’s children, said Jesus, ‘then you would do the things Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things’” vv.39-40. The Pharisees object that they are not illegitimate children and Jesus agrees with them here, but plot twist, Jesus tells them “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire” v. 44.

 In the final section of John 8, the pharisees get mad and start name-calling Jesus. That’s usually what happens in an argument when one side is losing or they don’t have their facts straight, they resort to ad-hominem attacks (a.k.a. name calling). Christians are not exempt from this either. We need to study and know what and why we believe least we get embarrassed and start it too. In John 8:58 Jesus makes one of the most pivotable statements in all the Gospels. The confused pharisees think Jesus claims to be alive during the time of Abraham, He was just not like they think. They question Him on this and Jesus replies with a quote from Exodus 3. When Moses asks God in the burning bush what His name is, God responds with “I AM WHO I AM” v. 14.  Jesus tells the pharisees, “before Abraham was born, I am!” v. 58. You might say, well that’s not really saying He is God, but to the pharisees of the day they knew exactly what Jesus meant.  We can tell by their reaction, they picked up stones to stone him. If someone were to commit the sin of blasphemy the punishment was death by stoning. We will see even more clearing from another interaction with Jesus and the pharisees in John 10 that this is what was going on.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you? Do you understand just have mindful that God is toward you just like he was with Noah, David, and the woman caught in adultery? Add your thoughts and comments below.  

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Posted by John Weldon

Lifeboat

January 6, 2024

January 6, 2024

Read Genesis 6, Psalm 6, John 6

I’m not sure if you have been on a cruise before or not but if you have not, they have a mandatory muster drill that everyone must take part in. A muster drill is a mandatory safety exercise with the objective to familiarize all guests and crew with the location (muster station) where they are to assemble in the unlikely event of an emergency, as well as additional safety information. You usually assemble at your assigned lifeboat where if need be, you can safely board and leave your cruise ship. In Genesis 6 we see a different type of lifeboat that God has created for Noah and his family. The Bible says Noah was “a righteous man” and had “found favor with God.” The rest of the earth, had become wicked and corrupted in the ways. The chief verse that gives us a hint at how bad it got says, “every inclination of the thoughts was only evil all the time” v.  5 What percent of thoughts in our culture would we guess is focused on evil? With the exception of Noah, it appears to be close to 100 percent in the days of Noah. How important it is to guard our thoughts? Out of our thoughts come our beliefs, our words, and our actions.

God gives Noah the plans to build an ark. This rather large boat took years to build and tells him that he will establish “my covenant with you” v. 18. A covenant was a promise and agreement made between two parties (Gen. 9: 8-11). This was the first time this word is used in the Bible. This past summer my wife and I made it up to Williamstown, Kentucky to see the life-size ark that was built by Ken Hamm and the Answers in Genesis organization. I highly recommend a visit. The people are amazing friendly and the information you will gain will no doubt help you as you think about all the how’s that came with the Ark.

Psalm 6 is a psalm of David. He is crying out to God for deliverance. David questions, “How long, O Lord, how long?” v. 3. David speaks of a flood, a different type of one, “all night long O flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” v. 6. The circumstances that David is going through have brought him to a place where he felt like God had abandoned him or forgotten him. I know we all have times like that when it comes to God moving and acting in our lives and situations. Like the flood in Genesis 6 we do not know when God may choose to act in our lives as well. We do not know what He is doing in preparation for us in the background. The last few verses of Psalm 6 we see the resolution, apparently God has moved, acted, and delivered David. He writes, “the Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” v.9. While we are in difficult circumstances it is harder to keep our faith and trust in the Lord. It is always easier to see when we look back and see the complete picture.

In John 6 we read about one of the larger miracles that Jesus did by feeding 5,000 plus people a meal from five loaves of bread and two fish. What faith Peter had to suggest this could be used by Jesus. Author and apologist, Lee Strobel points out about faith in his book The Case for Faith;

“You can have very little faith in thick ice and it will hold you up just fine; you can have enormous faith in thin ice and you can drown. It’s not the amount of faith you can muster that matters up front. It may be tiny, like a mustard seed. But your faith must be invested in something solid.”

Equally great, Jesus next step is to walk on the water to the boat in which the disciples are miles away from shore. Not much is made of the disciples and their reaction to this, but rather the Gospel of John intentionally focuses on the crowd that is following Jesus. Aware of their motives, Jesus calls them out, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill” v. 26. The crowds were following Jesus for their own personal benefit and not for who He was as Messiah and God in the flesh. This leads Jesus to teach on what really matters, having eternal life and finding life in Him.  At the end of John 6 Jesus tells his listeners that he is the bread of life, there is a comparison with the bread (Mana) that the Israelites ate in the wilderness in Exodus, but Jesus teaches a “hard teaching” v. 60 that many of his followers could not grasp, in response they turn away and leave him. What was this hard teaching, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” v. 53. Of course, Jesus was not talking about some cannibalistic ritual, but rather speaking metaphorically about his future journey to the cross. Jesus explained this more at the last supper with his disciples the week that he would go to the cross. Why do you seek the Lord? Is it for some benefit that he gives you? He feeds your stomach, and you are satisfied. I’m afraid there is a movement by many contemporary Christians today to claim a part of Christianity, but really for selfish reasons. It has been given the name “Therapeutic Moralistic Deism.” There is no real interest in seeking the God of the Scriptures, rather people try to take on Christian morals for their own personal benefit. They want the happy marriage, the best-behaved kids, to live at peace with people, or to live out the American dream in their lives. Following Christ is hard, it will not win you friends with the world, but it will win you eternal life and favor with the God of creation. I hope you will trust in the lifeboat that is Jesus Christ. He is the thick ice that we can place our weak faith in.

What else do you see in these three chapters? What words or phrases or themes stick out to you? There is so much to pull from these passages. Share you thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

Sacrifices and Worship

January 4, 2024

January 4, 2024

Read Genesis 4, Psalm 4, John 4

I forget who said it, but someone once told me a great definition of a sacrifice; “Sacrifice is giving up something you love for something you love more.” In Genesis 4 is the first recorded sacrifices given to God. Cain who worked the soil brought “some of the fruits of the soil” v. 3. Abel “brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” v. 4. The passage tells us that God looked with favor on Abel’s but not with Cain’s. What’s the difference? Was it the type of sacrifice brought, crops vs. animal sacrifice? From the wording and some help from the New Testament we can see it was not the type it was the quality of the sacrifice that caused the Lord to not look in favor of Cain’s sacrifice. The words “fat portions” and “firstborn” lead us to think that these were the choice animals of Abel. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Abel “offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.”

Then we have Cain’s reaction. He kills his brother in anger, not for anything his brother did to him but for what he failed to do himself. Do we ever lash out at others for something that we did or did not do? Is our reaction based on jealousy or covetousness when we were the ones who did not offer our best? It was not a competition between Cain and Abel, God’s response tells us this, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” v. 7. Then God says “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Sin is personified as a wild beast ready to attack us. God tells us we must “master it.” This phrase relates to discipline. We can master certain talents, skills, or wisdom. Here we are encouraged to master the choice to give in to sin and fight off the temptation to do something that is not right.

Cain is driven from the area in which he killed Abel. He contests that those who find him will kill him. You might ask, “who is going kill Cain, his parents?” Genesis 5:4 tells us that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters. What many do not understand about the Scriptures is that many times they only highlight certain people or stories. They do not tell the whole story especially related to the genealogies.

Psalm 4 has some words of advice that Cain as well as we could learn from. Verse 4 tells us a similar thing that James does, “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” Our first responsibility is to master our response to our anger.  It’s okay to be angry, especially when we are wronged. Even Jesus got angry when people treated him or his father’s house wrong. David encourages us to “search your heart and be silent.” The next verse he tells us, “offer right sacrifices and trust the Lord” v. 5. My previous pastor used to tell me, “You can’t stop the birds from flying around in the air, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.” Simply put, we cannot control what other people do but we can control what is related to ourselves.

John 4 is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Jesus asks for a drink from the well and a conversation begins. Jesus tells the woman that she could have “living water” from him if she only knew “gift of God” v. 10 and who he was. Then Jesus tells her “I who speak to you am he” v. 26. The woman wants to divide with Jesus about the proper place to worship. The Samaritans claimed it was in Samaria while the Jews said it was in Jerusalem. Jesus reminds her that the right place is Jerusalem but that one day it won’t matter where the Father will not be worshiped in either place. Worship is closely related to sacrifice. Who or what do you worship? Is it a job? Family? A Celebrity? A Musician? Hopefully the Lord comes first on that list.

What words and phrases and themes do you see in these verses? What speaks to you in the time and circumstances that you are in now? What things get you angry enough to tempt you to do something you should not? Is the Lord what you worship and what you love more than anything else?

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Posted by John Weldon

“Beginning”

January 1, 2024

January 1, 2024

Read Genesis 1, Psalm 1, John 1

Everything has a beginning. Well, almost everything. God has no beginning. Genesis 1 and John 1:3 tell us that God was before the beginning and created everything. Apologist William Lane Craig has championed the Kalam Cosmological Argument in our time. In short, the argument goes like the following: 1.) Whatever begins to exist has a cause of its beginning. 2.) The universe began to exist. 3.) Therefore, the universe has a cause of its beginning. Apologist Frank Turek expands and explains it in depth like this.

“The bottom line is this: Since there was an absolute beginning to space, time and matter, it’s reasonable to conclude that the cause of the universe must be spaceless, timeless and immaterial. This cause must also be personal in order to choose to create, intelligent to create such a fine-tuned universe, and powerful to create out of nothing. A spaceless, timeless, immaterial, personal, intelligent, powerful Being is exactly what theists call “God.”

God created everything. The Hebrew word “bara” (created) implies “out of nothing.” Have you ever asked yourself, “why is there something rather than nothing?” or “Why are we all here?” I don’t mean why were you born, this is not a birds and bees talk. Go back further to the beginning of time. Why did God create the universe and everything in it? This is known in apologetics as the ontological argument.

Everything that God created was “good” vv. 9, 12, 18, 21, etc.. It was good for God to create. It was better for God to create than for God not to create. Second, we see that one thing was “very good” – People are created in God’s image, male and female was not just good, it was “very good” v. 31.

God had a purpose for creating the universe. Jesus had a purpose for his mission and ministry on earth. I believe God has a purpose for you as well. When you are living in your purpose, how God designed (created) you to live I believe that you will find your greatest fulfillment in life. This is not to say you will have a perfect life, free of trouble, but with a pan or cell phone you are best when you are working as you are designed to work. Think about it, Can you use a cooking pan like a hammer or a smart phone as a drink coaster? Sure you can, but that is not what they were designed to do. One thing you were created to do is to worship God. Psalm 1:2 says “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” You can start right there today. Psalm 1:1 tells us “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” This is not what we are designed or created to do.

John 1 tells us that God also began his plan of salvation. True it was planned and foreseen much more long ago. But John 1 (the prologue) tells us that God’s plan “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” v. 14. Jesus began his earthly ministry. He was baptized, called his disciples, and did the miraculous.   

January 1 Is the start of a new year. As you start a new year, it requires a “beginning” for you as well. Maybe you are beginning to read God’s Word all the way through in a year’s time. Maybe you are beginning to work on your relationship with God this year. You may have intentions or resolutions that you want to accomplish; lose weight, exercise more, read more books, climb a mountain. It all starts with day 1, it all starts with a beginning. We must “flesh out” our plans and put them into action, just as God did.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words or phrases stick out to you? What themes repeat? What things contrast? Want more? Look into the Cosmological or Ontological arguments on your own. Leave your comments or thoughts down below.

 [JW1]https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/popular-writings/existence-nature-of-god/the-kalam-cosmological-argument

 [JW2]https://crossexamined.org/the-universe-had-a-beginning/

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Posted by John Weldon

Liar, Lunatic, or Lord

April 6, 2012

It’s Good Friday, and I figured it would be good to pull out a little C.S. Lewis.  The Liar, Lunatic, or Lord proof is one of C.S. Lewis’ most famous use of reason and the law of excluded middle.  The law of excluded middle is often called the either/or law.  I will borrow an example from Ravi Zacharias to explain the law of either/or.  Imagine my wife and I are taking a walk down the street together and another couple that knows us walks up to us and makes the statement “Congratulations, I hear you are pregnant.”  At the same time my wife says “yes” and I say “no.”  The other couple stares in confusion and shock, wondering what is going on.  My wife cannot be both pregnant and not pregnant at the same time.   There is an explanation for the different answers.  Perhaps my wife hasn’t told me yet, perhaps we agreed not to tell anyone until after a certain time has passed, perhaps there might be new trouble in our marriage!!  But we know that she cannot be both pregnant and not pregnant at the same time.  One of us is wrong.

Jesus is the center of Christianity, even many other religions claim some part of Jesus either calling him a prophet, a good moral person.  Jesus made some bold claims as he taught the people, the biggest Jesus made was the claim that He was God.   Several places in the scriptures Jesus claimed to be God some of the more popular scriptures are. John 8:58, John 10:30-33, John 1:1,14.  There are many other statements and examples that we can pull from scripture, but not at this time. Jesus forgave sins, allowed Himself to be worshiped, among many other clues from other people.

Using the Law of excluded middle we can see how Jesus claim to be God was really the only one that makes sense.  You can see from the chart below of how it flows. out with the either/or law.

If He was a liar consider the following results:

1. He deceived people on purpose
2. He was a terrible blasphemer (Claim of God)
3. He was a hypocrite (Told others to tell truth & He lied)
4. He evil because He claimed to forgive sins
5. His followers trusted Him for eternal destiny
6. He was a fool, for He died for His lies.
7. He is not a great moral teacher because of this list.

Of all the results above, I find the hardest to believe that Jesus was lying and He went to His own dead on a painful cross for nothing.  I don’t know anyone who will die for a lie THAT THEY KNOW is false.  It doesn’t make sense.  However, what if Jesus just thought He was God, He believed it, and perhaps was crazy or a lunatic.

If He was a lunatic consider the following:

1. There is no evidence of Jesus being abnormal or imbalanced.  A lunatic is typically only into themselves and doesn’t care about others around themselves.
2. Unlike a madman, Jesus always demonstrated the greatest composure under pressure.  For example when religious leaders questioned Him, when crowds tried to stone Him, even when He was on trail for His life He was calm and in control.
3. Jesus was too wise, loving, and creative to be crazy.  If he was crazy we should all hope to be crazy also.
4. Mad or Insane the miracles and resurrection stand on their own.
5. The disciples would have obviously recognized a crazy man after spending 3 years with Him side-by-side in ministry.

Those two possibilities don’t seem to make a lot of sense, that leaves us with the third possibility which is Lord.  Jesus is who He says He was and it is either our choice to choose to reject Him or accept Him.

Originally in C.S. Lewis’ explanation there was a 4th category of Legend.  But since his writings in the mid-19th century a great amount of external evidence to Jesus outside the Bible has been discovered through other Christian and even non-Christian historians that make Jesus a historically a real person.

One other objection I have heard over the last year was that perhaps Jesus was a real person, but never claimed to be God, and after His death the early followers and church made up Jesus to be something greater, like God.  The problem with that argument is that many of the early Christians, even most of Jesus disciples died a martyrs death faking a story, creating a lie, and trying to keep it going.  The idea that the early church in the 3rd and 4th centuries changed the writings of the Early apostles doesn’t fit either because of the sheer amounts of manuscripts that were created as Christianity was being spread.  It would be very illogical to think that the church could get hold of every single manuscript and change them.

As always, questions, comments, and discussions are welcome.  Have a great Good Friday and remember it’s Good for us that Jesus died for our sins.

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Posted by John Weldon

Misconceptions

October 10, 2011

A  few days ago a question was posed to students in a secular student alliance club  at a local high school in my area.   The question was “What will it take for you to believe in the existence of a god?”  Answers begin to come it and last I checked there was 230 comments on the question.  As I read through the answers and discussion that followed I noticed how misconceptions about God, the Bible, and Church can keep many people from having a theistic worldview and from trusting in the Christian worldview.  Here’s what  I mean.

One student answered, “To believe in the existence of an all-powerful god with the general well-being of humans in mind as most universalizing religions do, I would have to see evidence of a world with less… ‘bad’…”  I believe this student has a misunderstanding of why the world is bad.  Perhaps he thinks God is not great enough to create people who are perfect, or that perhaps God is to blame for the bad in the world.  This is clearly a misunderstanding of the free will that God gives us as humans and the sinful nature that we are born with.  God doesn’t create evil, he only makes it possible.  This is a misunderstanding of human nature.

I have already covered the misconception about faith, it you missed it you can click here to read about it.

Another student says “For me to worship that entity in addition to believing it exists, I’d also need evidence of the power of prayer, heaven, or hell”  Among other things, this student is looking at the power of prayer as a possible proof.  What do most people think about prayer?  Is it like a magic genie where God grants you whatever you want?  Do we as Christians push this thought by our words and actions?  We know God answers prayer, but we know that He doesn’t always answer them how we want.  We also know what the Bible says that we pray we must pray in Jesus name and that we must align our requests with the holy scriptures.

A student that I have been talking with recently made this comment, “The holy scriptures that people study today are translations of the originals (which we don’t have) and as we all know, things are always lost in translation.”  he went on to add “the original documents were written centuries after the stories that they depict took place. Doesn’t this make you wonder about the validity of the words that you’re studying?”  This student has received some faulty information that I have seen before.  Unfortunately there are people who want to misrepresent the truth, on both sides of the debate I might add.

There were some great questions and comments made by the students, some of them I could see are genuinely searching God and welcomed any thoughts by the Christians that interacted with them.

So what do you do to clean up the misconceptions?  Here are a few suggestions.  Know what the truth is for yourself.  Do the research, look at the evidence, and be able to communicate with others the evidence in a way that is easy and makes sense.  You should also know what others are saying against the truth and be prepared to respond to it.  Winston Churchill once said “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.”   For those who know the truth and yet try to cover it up or repress it, do the most damage.

It is amazing to me how many people have already made up their mind about  the validity of the Bible, but have never read more than a few chapters of it for themselves.  I do understand why some may have difficulties with it.  Miracles for example may be one reason.  In the near weeks we will look at the miracles within the Bible.  Maybe they even read through it once completely, and think that they have a good grasp on it, that might be more dangerous.  I’ve been reading and studying it for about 25 years now and I have much to learn of it myself.

As always questions, comments, and discussions welcome.

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Posted by John Weldon

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