“When a Plan Comes Together”

April 17, 2024

April 17, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 1, Psalm 122-123, Acts 10

In my early years I spent just about every Friday night watching my favorite show, the A-Team. The four members of the A-Team would be out to help someone in need, and you could garuntee by the end of the program they were going to create something to rescue and save the day. The lead role of Col. Hannibal Smith had a tag line he would say when the plan worked out. “I love it when a plan comes together!” Cue the music and then the show was off.

As I read Acts 10 I find myself wondering if God might have said the same thing when it was all said and done. Infinitely more complex and knowledgeable God pieced together a plan to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. A Gentile Roman Centurion named Cornelius was visited by an angel. “One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter” vv.3-5. At the same time God had also given Peter a vision of a sheet with animals on it and then commanded Peter to kill and eat them.  “’Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean’” v. 14. Three times God told him the same thing. Just about then the men from Cornlius house arrive and ask for Peter to come with them. God confirms it and tells Peter to go with the men. On arrival at Cornelius’s house the rest of the story is made known to Peter. Then Peter understands the plan. “Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” vv. 34-35. God had to show Peter though a vision of food that the Gentiles were also clean and ready to receive the gospel from Peter. All these working parts came together to complete the mission and save the Gentiles that Cornelius had gathered at his home.

How have you been a part of God’s plan and seen God working together with others to accomplish the mission? What else do you see here in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Snake on a Pole”

April 1, 2024

 April 1, 2024

Read Numbers 21, Psalm 91, Mark 15

Most people are fearful of snakes and who would blame them since the first time we find on in the Bible it is busy deceiving Adam and Eve. Here in Numbers 21 we find an instance of snakes that were scary and that saved some lives. “They travelled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go round Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way” v. 4. Their impatience turned into talking bad about the leaders again. “they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’” v. 5. Here is where the snakes come in. “Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.’ So, Moses prayed for the people” vv. 6-7. The people realized just how their actions had stirred the Lord’s anger, and they confessed their sin. The solution to the snakes was another snake. “The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived” vv. 8-9.  Jesus mentioned this another snake on a pole in the Gospel of John. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” – John 3:14. The verb “lifted up” in John 3 has a deeper meaning than we might know. It’s not referring to being “lift up” as being praised, rather it refers to being lifted up on the cross. A few chapters later we see this in John 12. “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die” vv. 32-33. This is another symbolic reference in the New Testament that Jesus and the disciples connected to Jesus.

What else stands out to you in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes do you notice?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Once For All”

February 23, 2024

February 23, 2024

Read Leviticus 10, Psalm 54, Hebrews 10

What is something that you have done once that you plan to never do again? Ride a rollercoaster, file your own taxes, try brussel sprouts, or take a trip to a city or location. As we have been reading through the chapters in Leviticus and Hebrews it discusses a lot about the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. Over and over, the priests would have to perform the sacrifices before the Lord for the people of Israel. The author of Hebrews makes us glad we are living in the New covenant times and that we have Jesus who made the ultimate sacrifice once for all. “For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins” vv. 1-2. The author tells us plainly, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” v. 4. The sacrificial system only temporarily covered the sins of the people.

The last half of Hebrews 10 is instructions for the church to persevere. There are great instructions in these verses that true follower of Jesus cannot ignore. There are three exhortations that all begin with “let us….” First, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” v. 22. Our first goal is to work on our walk with the Lord and our goal is to have a close relationship with God. When we do this, it brings about the assurance of faith in us that we can confidently live for the Lord. Second, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” v. 23. We must look ahead in hope that comes from trusting God and his promises. Next, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds” v. 24. Our jobs as brothers and sisters in Christ is to encourage and push other Christians to continue walking with the Lord and it is all about our actions.

The author gives one admonishment to his readers also, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” v. 25. We are not to neglect the church, (not the building), but the people who gather. We are to encourage one another and for good reason, one day Jesus will return.

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

Flood

January 7, 2024

January 7, 2024

Read Genesis 7, Psalm 7, John 7

Genesis 7 is the continuation of Noah and the flood. When there are really well-known stories in the Bible that you read, I would urge you to pay very close attention to the details that you read. Many times, the details get changed unintentionally because they are repeated so often by people like the “telephone game” you may have played when you were younger. What things do you see that you may have forgotten or read too quickly. Verses 1-2 explain that Noah was to take seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of unclean animals on the Ark. Verse 9 explains that these animals “came to Noah and entered the Ark.” I’m sure Noah was glad he did not have to go search for them all.  Genesis 7:17 says that it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. All throughout the Bible the number forty is often used as a “testing” period in someone’s life. Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus fasted for 40 days before he was tempted by the Devil, and Elijah ran for 40 days to Mount Horeb away from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:8). What testing times have you had in your life? How did you weather them? God used the Ark to protect Noah and his family. How will you allow God to protect you during testing times?

Psalm 7 continues this same theme of protection. David calls God his “refuge.” He calls out to God to deliver him from “all those who pursue me” v. 1. David then does an interesting thing; he asks God to examine him. “O Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands – if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe – then let my enemy pursue and over take me” vv. 3-5. David is asking for justice from God no matter who is at fault. No doubt this is a rare character trait of many people today. People often only want justice when it benefits them all the while ignoring their own failings. The flood in Genesis 7 was God’s righteous judgment on the world for their wickedness.

John 7 records the time Jesus went to the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths as it was also called was a time where Israel remembered and celebrated how God provided for them when they left Egypt and went into the desert. They would celebrate it for a week by building “booths” to live it for the week.  Jesus had already stirred up some hate from the Jews to the point where they were looking for a way to kill him. Jesus’ own brothers were goading him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles. Why? Not because they wanted his ministry to grow, the Scriptures say “For even his own brothers did not believe in him” v. 5. I’m sure Noah had his nah sayers, but Noah still had his family. Jesus own earthly brothers did not believe in him. Jesus stayed at home and away from Jerusalem.

However, Jesus did delay his going but instead decided to go in secret. He went and began to teach the people. The people are amazed at his teaching and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” v. 15. The people start putting two and two together and realize this is probably the same man that they are trying to kill for healing on the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders sent the temple guards after Jesus but His teaching is so good that they cannot find it in themselves to arrest him.

The key verse in John 7 is verse 37. The scripture tells us that it was the “last and greatest day of the Feast.” The Jewish tradition tell us that a Rabbi or Jewish leader would take a jar of water and pour it out on the ground while they read from the account in Exodus where God provided the water for Israel from the rock. It is at this point where Jesus exclaims, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” v. 37. Jesus is claiming to be the living water from the Old Testament that was provided for Israel in the wilderness.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you? How has God provided an ark and protected you in past times? Write your comments below?

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Posted by John Weldon