CBC Stuff

Steve Fisher

2010-06-25T10:11:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
Our worship leader, Steve Fisher, was diagnosed with skin cancer this week. He has a number of tests scheduled for next week to determine if it has spread. He will also need to have another surgery to have the original area cleaned up further. He has a tough fight ahead of him, but he has complete confidence that God is in control.
Please pray for Steve and Judy and the whole family. Pray for healing and peace and that Guide will guide them through this.
I'll do my best to keep you all informed as new information comes in.

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Juanita

2009-11-28T12:45:00.000-08:00

Juanita went home to be with the Lord this morning. We are mourning her loss, but rejoicing that she is no longer in any pain. Please keep Fred, Veve, and Melvin in your prayers.

Blessings,

Pastor Andy

More on Juanita- October 7, 2009

2009-10-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Juanita continues to fluctuate between good and bad days. According to Fred she doesn't talk much, she seems more discouraged, and she is asleep a lot. He thinks she is just getting tired of the whole ordeal and wanting to go home to be with the Lord.
Fred had hoped that she would be able to make it home by the holidays, but she still requires more rehab and care than Fred is able to give by himself. At this point it is uncertain when she will come home.
Fred has been battling an ugly head cold this week and hasn't been able to go and visit her. Please pray for quick healing for him.
Please keep the whole family in your prayers as they rely each day on God's grace and mercy.

Thanks,
Andy

Juanita Back In The Hospital

2009-08-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Last night Juanita was taking in to the ER. She had a temp of 104 caused by the flair up of an infection. They were able to get her stabilized, but she was very sick. She is likely to spend at least a few more days in the hospital as they try to get the infection under control.
Most of the areas of infection have been improving, but she is still fighting them off. Juanita is still very much in need of our prayers! She has come a long way, but she is not out of the woods yet.
I'll keep you updated as new information comes in.

Blessings,
Andy

Juanita Update- 8/13

2009-08-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Juanita was moved a few weeks ago to a nursing facility in Carmichael. Her infections are continuing to heal up nicely and she is making good progress. They have cut back on the pain medication and she is much more coherent. At this point Fred needs to either find some home health service or wait until she is completely healed to bring her home. The facility she is in is nice, but she is anxious to come home.

Please pray for continued healing and strength. Pray for wisdom and patience for Fred as he tries to navigate the complicated health care system. Pray that Juanita will be able to some home soon!

Blessings,
Andy

Juanita News- July 29

2009-07-29T09:49:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Juanita and Fred continue to ride the health care roller coaster. As of last week the hospital told Fred that Juanita would have to be transferred to a long term nursing facility. But the only facilities that were available were either in San Francisco, Stockton, or Fresno. Not very reasonable options. Fred lobbied for something a little closer, and they were able to find a place for her in Carmichael. She is being moved there today.
The infection is getting much better, and she is getting closer to being able to come home, but she still has some healing and some rehabbing to do.
Pray for complete healing and good care while at the nursing facility and pray for her to come home soon! Keep praying for strength and encouragement for Fred too!

Thanks,
Andy

New Juanita Update- July 15

2009-07-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
News on Juanita still continues to be a mixed bag. She is feeling better, eating better, and seems to be in a better mood; however she has some very serious infections that are not going away as quickly as we would like. The doctors have even contemplated removing more of her leg in order to take car of the infection! Fred has refused to let them do any more amputating and has asked for them to ramp up the antibiotics.
- Pray for the infections to heal up quickly!
- Pray for wisdom for Fred and the family as they have to make tough choices about he care.
- Pray for strength and stamina for Juanita.
- Pray for God's grace, peace, and strength for them!

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Juanita Update

2009-06-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Again All,
Juanita was moved to the facility in Davis, but due to a UTI she had to be moved back over to Kaiser again for a few days. The hope is that she will be back in Davis very soon. I haven't talked to Fred since this morning so she might already be back.
She is eating better, moving better, and looking better. She still has a lot of rehab left and a lot of new things to learn. Please pray for her health to stabilize so that she can focus on getting stronger and getting home.
There will need to be some big adjustments made in order to bring her home. Fred will have to trade in her Cadillac for a van, the house will need some prep work, and some regular assistance will have to be set up to aid Fred.
I will keep you all informed as to how you can help them out in the weeks to come. For now, just keep praying. It works!

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Juantia Update- 6/2

2009-06-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Juanita is being discharged from the hospital today! She is scheduled to be transferred to Sierra Nursing Facility in Davis today at 2pm. Not only is she getting out, but they were able to find a nursing facility much closer to home! God keeps answering our prayers. She still has a lot of rehabbing to do, but she's now one step closer to coming home.
Keep praying for her and Fred as they move to the next phase.

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Juanita Update- June 1st

2009-06-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Juanita continues to make great strides each day. She is still in the hospital, but has already started some rehab and is getting stronger all the time. She is still in the process of being weaned off of the heavy pain medication she was on. That stuff is great when you are hurting, but it is nasty to get out of your system. Please pray for comfort through that process.

She is still on the feeding tube, but has been eating a little bit. Her food intake is much better this time around. Pray that she will be able to be taken off the feeding tube and be able to eat regular food again.

Sometime in the next month she is expected to be transferred to a facility in Folsom that specializes in rehab with people who have lost limbs. She will be there for a few weeks or so until she is strong enough to come home.

God is gracious. He has answered our prayers and healed her up. Keep praying for God's guidance and strength and provision for her and Fred.

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Juanita Update 5/20/09

2009-05-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
Juanita continues to improve day by day. She is currently being weaned off of the heavy pain medication in preparation for her discharge from the hospital! It looks like she might be moved to a nursing facility within the next few weeks. At this point it sounds like the nearest facility that her insurance will pay for is in Folsom. Our desire is for her to be able to be moved to a place here in Woodland instead. Please pray for God to open some doors so that she won't have to be all the way out there in Folsom. Keep praying for healing, comfort, and strength as she moves into a time of rehab.

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Good Report- 5-14-09

2009-05-14T08:34:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
The news on Juanita is all good today. She is still off the ventilator, she has been moved out of ICU, and she is getting stronger every day! She is still on a feeding tube until her throat recovers from the breathing tube, but she is talking better and feeling better. Her wounds are healing nicely and there is some light at the end of the tunnel finally.
Fred and Juanita enjoy visitors, If you would like to go up and see them Juanita is in room 5506 at the Kaiser on Morse Ave.

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Juanita Update- 5/12/09

2009-05-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Juanita was taken off of the ventilator on Sunday. She has been breathing on her own since then. It's been almost 48 hours and she is still going strong! They even moved her out of ICU last night! Her throat still needs to heal up a little so she can start eating real food again, and she is still being closely monitored to make sure her heart and other systems are working right. But at this point things are looking very hopeful again.

Her condition seems to change from week to week and day to day, but with each setback, she still manages to pull out of it. She is a strong lady and has a lot of people praying for her. Keep it up!

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I had a chance to go up and see Juanita this afternoon. They had just taken her off the ventilator and she was doing OK at that point. The next few hours and days will be critical. Please pray that she will be able to keep breathing on her own and will not need to be put back on any kind of breathing machine. Each step and each day brings small improvements and huge hurdles. But so far she seems to be managing to clear those hurdles. She has been through so much. Please pray for her breathing to improve and for wisdom for the doctors and the family. The whole family is very grateful for your love and support.

Thanks,
Pastor Andy

Juanita Update 5-9-09- Please pray for them today!

2009-05-09T11:48:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
I just spoke with Fred and it sounds like they have a difficult decision to make. She isn't able to breath well on her own, so they doctors have given the family a choice- either they take her off the respirator and let nature take it's course, or they insert a permanent breathing device and she will have to stay in a care facility for the rest of her life on the breathing machine.
There will be a meeting with the doctors and the family tomorrow at 10:00am to decide what they want to do. At this point it sounds like they are leaning towards having the respirator removed and leaving her in God's hands. He will either take her home, or heal her up. Either of those options sound a lot better than being bedridden and on a breathing machine for the remainder of her years. But neither of these choices are easy ones to make.
Please pray for wisdom and clear guidance from God for Fred and the family. Pray for an extra measure of peace in whichever choice they make. I will keep you updated as soon as I hear more from Fred tomorrow.

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Juanita Update- 5-7-09

2009-05-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Juanita has been off the ventilator and breathing on her own for the past few days. However, yesterday she had to be put back on it. Her incisions are healing, but her breathing is still so weak. The doctors fluctuate back and forth between hopeful and grim. This makes for an emotional roller coaster ride for Fred and the family.

She still needs a lot of prayer. She is getting better, but ihas a long way to go still.

Fred has also learned that his father's health is failing and he is not expected to live much longer. Fred is not able to go see him because he needs to be here for Juanita.

Please pray for comfort and peace for Fred and miraculous healing for Juanita!

What is Black Liberation Theology?

2008-05-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Since the recent blow-up over Obama's former pastor Rev. Wright, there has been a lot of talk in the media about black liberation theology. Rev. Wright is without a doubt the personification of liberation theology. He knows what it is, he knows where it came from, and he is a very outspoken supporter of it.

But what exactly is black liberation theology? How is it different from Baptist theology? Let me offer a brief definition...

Liberation theology is a belief system that focuses on Christ as a liberator not just a redeemer. It is a socially motivated belief system that is often focused on overthrowing an oppressive government or freeing people from governmental or social restraints. There may or may not be a strong focus on Jesus, but there is always a strong focus on freedom from some kind of oppression.

Liberation theology began in the 1960's in Latin America. It is often connected with Marxist ideology such as the struggle between classes and the use of revolutionary means to achieve freedom.

Some would suggest that liberation theology is merely an attempt to justify revolution and rebellion using the Bible. Often verses are twisted out of context and the eternal perspective of the Bible is replaced with a very temporal perspective.

Liberation theology is most often found in very liberal churches. Rev. Wright's church is a United Church of Christ denomination. UCC churches are among the most theologically liberal churches in the nation. They are generally more focused on social improvements, good works, and community involvement rather than the spread of the gospel.

What this means is that one of the current presidential candidates has spent 20 years being fed a steady stream of this liberal, socialistic, Marxist, theology. Even if he didn't happen to be present the day that Wright suggested that God should damn America or claim that the white man created AIDS, everything he understands about Christianity and religion is filtered through this very narrow, very unbiblical, very dangerous lens.

Regardless of which political party your prefer, this is an important factor to consider. Rev. Wright has had a big part in shaping Obama into the man he is today.

Something New

2008-04-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've been toying with different ways to use this blog. I'd like it to be more interactive and informative. Calvary has a web page, but we don't have a solid forum for sharing new things and keeping in touch.
My desire is to see this blog serve that purpose. I'm thinking of things like pictures, announcements, devotions, and fun stuff. If you have any ideas of ways we can make this blog more useful please let me know.

Thanks,

Pastor Andy

Question #3- What's The Difference Between A Catholic, an Evangelical Christian, and a Mormon?

2008-02-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

Answering a question like this one is difficult because there are a number of significant differences between these three theological systems. My goal here isn’t to offer an exhaustive list of differences, but to show some general distinctions. Hopefully this explanation will clarify things.

If you have any specific questions, or would like more detail on a certain area, please feel free to let me know.

Let me start with the most general description, and then work my way down to some details. In general, Catholicism is traditional, liturgical, and highly structured. Evangelical Christianity is a reformed, more casual, and more independent in structure. Mormonism is a more unified, organized cult of Christianity.

Let me start by explaining Mormonism. I described Mormonism as a cult of Christianity. A cult of Christianity is generally characterized by three main things:
1. Making additions or subtractions to the Bible. Teaching that is inconsistent with the clear teaching of the Bible. – In the case of the Mormons they have the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price, which are additions to the Bible.
2. Following the teaching of a charismatic man. In this case the majority of Mormonism is built from the teaching of Joseph Smith.
3. Highly legalistic, secretive, or controlling behaviors.

A cult of Christianity is a group of people, which claiming to be Christian, embraces a particular doctrinal system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders, or organization, which (system) denies (either explicitly or implicitly) one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian faith as taught in the sixty-six books of the Bible.
Source: "Unmasking The Cults" by Alan Gomes.

Mormonism offers a way of salvation that is largely based on good works, your connection to the church, and your service. Its teachings differ most significantly from Christianity in the following areas:
Understanding of what God is like
Understanding of who Jesus Christ is
Understanding of the work of Christ
Understanding of the way of salvation
Understanding of the Bible

Because of these differences it would not be accurate to identify Mormonism as a branch of Christianity or a denomination of Christianity, but a cult of Christianity. As such most Catholics and Evangelical Christians would consider Mormonism a false religion.

Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity have more in common, but still have some significant differences. I’ll compare and contrast these two theological systems based on two criteria; authority and salvation

First, Catholicism is built upon three kinds of authority; 1. The Bible, 2. The Magistrate(Pope & other leaders) and 3. Tradition. Each of these legs carries equal weight and importance. They would claim that they all work together to form the orthodox teaching of The Church.

While they hold primarily to the teaching of the 66 books of the Bible, the Catholic Church also recognizes Apocryphal writings. These are writings that were supposedly written during the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and during the time after Christ. These books were not recognizes as scripture by the early church, by early Christians, or by evangelical Christianity.

The Magistrate of the Church holds just as much authority as the Bible. Catholics believe that the Pope is the human representative or spokesman for Jesus Christ. This representative authority was passed down through history starting with the Apostle Peter, who is said to have been the first Pope.

When the Pope speaks “ex cathedra”, or “from the seat”, his ruling is completely binding and authoritative. It’s just as if Christ spoke Himself. Some of the “ex cathedra” ruling of the Pope have been things like forbidding birth control and forbidding priests to be married.

The third leg of authority in the Catholic Church is tradition. The traditions of the early church fathers, early church practices, and early church doctrines are given a high degree of authority. The weight of tradition is equal to scripture, and the magistrate.

By contrast, Evangelical Christianity would only recognize the Bible as authoritative and infallible. The Bible alone is the Word of God and the Bible alone is our guide for knowing God and living for God.

Christian leadership is still very important to Evangelicals. It is still important to have pastors and leaders who have studied the Bible and who can teach and preach from the Bible. However, the teaching of any pastor is always subject to scrutiny by the Bible itself. Every believer has the ability to read and study the Bible for themselves.

Evangelicals also view tradition as an important part of Christianity. There are great men who have gone before us that have helped to defend and define the boundaries of orthodox faith. Studying Christian history has great value and importance. But the ultimate authority always lies in the Scripture.

So one of the major differences between Catholicism and Evangelicalism is in our understanding of authority. But there are also some important distinctions in our understanding of the nature of salvation.
Both the Catholic and the Evangelical believe that salvation is by grace. But the definition of grace and the means of accessing this grace are very different. Both Catholics and Evangelicals hold to the importance of the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, but the way in which we access the work of Christ is very different in the two systems.

In the Catholic Church grace is found through the sacraments. A sacrament is defined simply as a “means of grace”. It is a way in which we humans gain access to God’s saving grace. The Catholic Church has 7 sacraments, communion, matrimony, baptism, confirmation, penance, last rites, and holy orders.

A person receives God’s grace by performing these various rites. These sacraments are in place to wash away our sin, atone for our guilt, and make us right before God. The historic teaching of the Catholic Church is that those who do not undergo baptism, penance, and communion won’t get into heaven, or at the very least, will have to spend significant time working off their sin in purgatory.

In contrast, Evangelicalism sees the Grace of God as a free gift, accessed simply by faith. In order to be made right in God’s sight a person simply has to put their faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ. No other external rite or work is required for salvation.

This view of salvation by Grace alone through Faith alone was the key teaching in the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, a Catholic teacher, was reading through the book of Romans and discovered that Paul was teaching that salvation was not found in good works, the Law, or sacraments, but simply through faith.

Catholics and Evangelicals differ in their understanding of how justification and sanctification work. Justification is the process of being made right with God. It is where God forgives our sins, restores our relationship with Him, and gives us a new heart. Catholics believe that this happens through the sacraments. Baptism washes away original sin and through penance we work off the guilt for any subsequent sins.

So in Catholicism justification requires us to work off our sin. The more sin you have, the harder you will need to work. Justification can be lost depending on your sinful actions. Justification is a life-long process of atoning for your own sin.

Evangelical Christianity believes that justification is accomplished for us by the work of Christ on the Cross. Justification is not something that we work for, but something that is freely given. The way we access it is merely by faith. When we believe that Jesus Christ is God and that He died to save us, and rose from the dead to give us new life, all our sins are forgiven.

Evangelicals believed that justification happens all at once. All our sins are atoned for, past, present, and future. All our guilt is erased. This is all accomplished by Jesus Christ for us. It can never be lost, never be taken away, and never reversed because of sin. Justification is not a work, but a gift.
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So in the Evangelical Church baptism, communion, prayer, and other good works are not there to save, but to sanctify. Justification is where God makes us right in His sight, sanctification is the process where God begins to clean us up. It is the process of building a healthy relationship with our savior. It is doing good things, obeying God, and rejecting sin so that we can grow in our relationship with Him, not because we have to do those things to stay saved.

This is such an important distinction between the two systems. Salvation by grace alone through faith alone is such a fundamental tenant of evangelicalism.

Both Catholics and Evangelicals see Jesus Christ as the ultimate source of our salvation. They both view Christ as fully God. They both believe that faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is essential. Ultimately we both ground our salvation in the work of Christ.

The differences come in the extent of the work of Christ on the cross. Evangelicals believe that Christ paid our penalty in full, He completely atoned for our sin, He totally removed the guilt of sin. Access to the work of Christ come by faith.

Catholics believe that Jesus atoning work comes through faith plus our own work of atonement. It’s what He did plus what we do that saves us.

Because of these major differences in the understanding of how salvation is attained there are many evangelicals who believe that Catholicism is just another cult of Christianity, or at least an errant form of Christianity. Some would claim that it has become more about rituals and rites than about a relationship with God.

Catholicism, just like Evangelicalism, has many different forms. There are those who hold fast to everything that Rome teaches, and those who don’t buy in to the whole package. There are those who only practice because of family history or tradition, and those who truly love God.

In my experience, many Catholics firmly believe that their salvation is found in Jesus Christ. They believe that He is God; they believe that He died for them and rose from the dead. They believe that the Bible is true and reveals God to them. They are less interested in keeping all the rules, and more interested in a relationship with God.

Because of this I personally am inclined to believe that many Catholics are in fact saved and sealed by God. Even though I also believe that they add a bunch of unnecessary rites and sacraments to their religious practice. At their core they believe in Jesus Christ as their savior, and that is the heart of Christianity.

The Apostle Paul spends a lot of time writing about the danger and futility of works based religion. For a better understanding of this read through the book of Romans for yourself.

There is a lot more that could be said about the similarities and differences between these religious systems. Hopefully this “brief” explanation will help. If you have any further questions or comments feel free to share them.

Next Week- Is Jesus Christ the only way to heaven?

Question #2- How Do We Know The Bible Is Reliable?

2008-02-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

How do we know the Bible is reliable?

Last week I offered a few suggestions as to how we can know that God really exists. When it comes down to it, we can only really know that He exists if He talks to us. Because God is infinite and we are finite, without Him revealing something of Himself we would be in the dark forever.

Fortunately God has spoken. He didn’t just create us and then leave us in the dark about who He is and what He is like. God has revealed Himself through different men, at different times, in different ways throughout the course of human history. These self-revelations of God were first passed down through detailed oral tradition, and ultimately written down in the Bible that we have today.

The Bible is a compilation of 66 separate writings. It’s split into two general sections. The Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament chronicles the entire course of human history from the creation all the way to about 400 b.c.. In the Old Testament we see the fall of man, God establishing the law and the sacrificial system to deal with sin, and God promising to send someone to deal with the curse of sin once and for all.

In the New Testament we see the fulfillment of that promise. We read about the birth of Jesus Christ, who was the son of God. Jesus Christ came and offered Himself as the final and fullest sacrifice. Because He was fully God and fully man Jesus was uniquely qualified to pay the penalty of sin that humanity had incurred. The New Testament describes the birth and growth of Christianity.

How do we know that it is reliable? How do we know that these stories are true? How do we know that the Bible isn’t just a man-made creation? There have been a number of great books written on this subject. Due to the limited space here, I’m simply going to summarize four of the most common arguments.

#1- The Bible is trustworthy because of the thousands of accurate prophecies it contains.

The Bible is a book of prophecy. It is a book where God speaks to man and tells him what will happen. In the Bible God proves that He truly is God by His ability to know the future. Many details concerning the Jewish people were told by God hundreds of years before they happened, the coming of Jesus was told in advance, the details of His life were prophesied, and there is even a glimpse into the future return of Jesus.

No other religious book makes the same claims that the Bible makes, and no other book is as consistently accurate as the Bible.

#2- The Bible’s reliability is seen in its remarkable consistent.

For a book that was written by over 40 people, over the course of 2000years, the Bible is internally coherent. The message, meaning, and purpose of the Bible do not change from book to book, or from section to section. The Bible is able to achieve a level of internal consistency unlike any other religious writing. The Old Testament jives with the New Testament. The story remains the same.

#3- The accuracy of the Bible is supported by significant historical evidence.

This is an important one. The Bible is not just a religious book, it is also a history book. It chronicles the history of the Jewish people as they came into contact with Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Romans, and many other cultures. So we not only have the account of the Jewish people from the Bible, but we also have written records and accounts from these others civilizations.

So far historical research and archeology have served to confirm the accuracy of the Bible. The Bible’s accuracy as a history book helps us see that the claims that it makes about itself can be trusted. The Bible wasn’t just written by some dude in his garage in the middle ages.

#4- The Bible is self-authenticating.

The Bible is true, and accurate, and really from God, because it says it is. I know, this is circular reasoning, but it is very important that the Bible make the same kind of claims about itself that Christians do. If Christians think the Bible is the Word of God, but the Bible doesn’t have anything to say on that subject, that would put us in a tough spot. Often myths or traditions will form around a religious writing that extends far beyond the intent of the writing.

This is not the case with the Bible. Christians believe it is the word of God because it says it is the word of God, not because of some evolved tradition. Here are just few of the biblical passages that confirm its divine origin:

2 Peter 1:20 - 2:1 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We can know God because God has made Himself know through the Bible. The truth and the power of the Bible are ultimately found when you read it for yourself. Don’t take my word for it. If you would like a free copy of the Bible so you can check it out for yourself, just send me an E-mail and I’ll get you a copy.

Next week- What’s the difference between a Catholic, a Christian, and a Mormon?

Question # 1- Does God Really Exist?

2008-02-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

The title of this blog is “Simple Answers”, but don’t be misled, we will wrestle with some difficult questions and I plan to offer detailed explainations. My goal is not to lob softballs that I can easily knock out of the park, but to answer tough questions that people really have about spiritual things. Many of these entries represent actually questions that people have asked me. Some questions, like today’s, are big questions that every human being needs to ask.

I also want this blog to be a safe and open forum for you to ask questions. Please feel free to pose a question, either through the comments section or by sending me an E-mail at pastorandy@calvarywoodland.org.

I am answering these questions from an evangelical Christian point of view. The answers here will reflect that worldview. I will always be respectful of other worldviews and I welcome dialogue and debate.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in biblical Theology, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree. I have been a senior pastor for a little over a year. There are plenty of people with more education and experience; I’m just sharing what I have.

Question #1-
Is there a God?

Historically this question has been answered one of two ways, either from the bottom up, or the top down. Humans try to prove God’s existence through their own reasoning or they look for how God has communicated to us.

A couple of the more famous attempts by philosophers to prove the existence of God came form guys like Anselm, Pascal, Aquinas, and Paley.

Aquinas believed that you could prove the existence of God from observing the world around us. His best argument was as follows:
Every event in this world is caused by some event prior to it.
Either- a. the series of causes is infinite, or b. the series of causes goes back to a first cause, which itself is uncaused.
An infinite series of causes is impossible
Therefore, a first cause, God, must exist.

This argument still has a lot of merit to it. Science can only speculate so far back. Evolution is an attempt to explain where humans came from. The “big bang” is a theory that attempts to explain who our universe formed. But the question as to where the basic building blocks of the universe came from still persists. Was stuff just always here? There has to be some starting point.

Another famous attempt to prove the existence of God is called the “watchmaker analogy”. If you were walking along a mountain path and found a watch you would deduce that it was designed to serve a purpose and that it had a creator. It would be reasonable to suggest that someone made the complex watch. It would be unreasonable to think that the watch came into existence through natural causes or some sort of accident. The created world around us is far more complex and intricate than the workings of a watch. The complexity of creation demands a creator who designed us with a purpose.

Another attempt to prove the existence of God through philosophy or reason is know as the “God-shaped Hole Theory”. This idea has been spoken of by Pascal, Augustine, and other theologians. It reasons that inside every person there is an emptiness; a longing for something greater; a deep desire to worship. This emptiness of the soul is often filled with work or money or pleasure, but the only thing that can truly fill the void is God Himself. God has created within humanity a longing for Him. So the fact of humanities need for God proves His existence.

These philosophical arguments, and many others, have been argued over by theologians and philosophers for hundreds of years. In the end, while these arguments for the existence of God are intriguing, they all fall short.

Even though the existence of God might be a reasonable inference from what we see around us, we can’t prove God’s existence using reason alone.

That brings us to the other method of determining if there is a God, from the top down. In order for finite, created beings to know something about an infinite creator, that creator would have to reveal himself to us. In other words, we can’t know God unless He makes Himself known to us some how.

There are a number of new age spiritual beliefs that teach that God is everything and everything is God. Some believe in mythical gods akin to the Greek gods. Some don’t believe in a personal God, but think of God as more of a force of nature or a power.

These belief systems suffer from a similar problem. None of them can adequately answer the question, “Does God exist”. Their understanding of God doesn’t come from logical reasoning, or from God revealing Himself, but from superstition, tradition, or humanistic theories.

As a Christian I can confidently answer, “Yes, God does exist, because He has told me so.” God has revealed himself to His creation. He has told us how the world came into existence. He has explained to us who we are and why we were created. The only way we can know if God exists is through this self-revelation.

And as a Christian this revelation from God came through conversations he had with His people, written down in the Bible, and ultimately revealed through the sending of His son, Jesus Christ.

While there are other books out there that claim to be a revelation of God to humanity, the Bible stands alone as the most historically accurate, intellectually defensible, and internally coherent.

This is why Christians hold the Bible in such high regard. It not only provides the way of salvation, but it teaches us about who God is and who we are. Without the Bible we could not know God. Without this revelation we could never really be sure if He even existed. Without it there would be no hope for a relationship with Him.

Our arms are just too short as finite creatures to be able to reach up and find God on our own. The only way we can know that He exists is for Him to reach down and communicate with us.

Does god exist? The answer is yes. We know He exists because He told us He does. Not only do we know He exists, but we can learn so much more about Him through the Bible.

That brings up another question, how do we know that the Bible is reliable? I’ll deal with that one next week.

Coming Soon...

2008-02-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

Simple Answers

A place to get answers about God, spiritualilty, and the afterlife.

A different questions answered each week.

Monday- Is there really a God?

Keep Going...

2008-02-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

http://www.bibleplan.org/#3

http://www.navpress.com/Magazines/DJ/BibleReadingPlans.asp

http://bible.crosswalk.com/

http://www.fbcj.org/site/?q=node/78

For those of you who have been following the read-through-the-Bible plan here for the past few weeks, I've attached some links that can help you keep it going.

I would like to use the blog to do some differnet things in the next few months. Stay tuned.

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Gen 19-22

2008-02-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

Genesis 19 - 22

NIV Genesis 19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square." 3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-- both young and old-- surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." 6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." 9 "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. 10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door. 12 The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here-- sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. 15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" 18 But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it-- it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." 21 He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.) 23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-- from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities-- and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. 30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.

NIV Genesis 20:1 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman." 4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands." 6 Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die." 8 Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done." 10 And Abimelech asked Abraham, "What was your reason for doing this?" 11 Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.' 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '" 14 Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like." 16 To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated." 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, 18 for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah.

NIV Genesis 21:1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." 7 And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." 8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring." 14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob. 17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation." 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. 22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown to you." 24 Abraham said, "I swear it." 25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized. 26 But Abimelech said, "I don't know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today." 27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a treaty. 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?" 30 He replied, "Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well." 31 So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there. 32 After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

NIV Genesis 22:1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." 15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." 19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. 20 Some time later Abraham was told, "Milcah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel." 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maacah.

Gen 15-18

2008-01-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

Genesis 15 - 18

NIV Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." 2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-- if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." 8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" 9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates-- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

NIV Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me." 6 "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered. 9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." 10 The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count." 11 The angel of the LORD also said to her: "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." 13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

NIV Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." 9 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner-- those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." 15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." 17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" 19 Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. 27 And every male in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

NIV Genesis 18:1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way-- now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say." 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. 9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. 10 Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" 13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh." 16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." 20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing-- to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." 29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." 33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

Back To Genesis

2008-01-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

Genesis 12 - 14

NIV Genesis 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. 10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you." 14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. 17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

NIV Genesis 13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. 8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." 10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. 14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." 18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

NIV Genesis 14:1 At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar. 8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar-- four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. 13 One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. 17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself." 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me-- to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."

Job 36-42

2008-01-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

Job 36-42

NIV Job 36:1 Elihu continued: 2 "Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God's behalf. 3 I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker. 4 Be assured that my words are not false; one perfect in knowledge is with you. 5 "God is mighty, but does not despise men; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose. 6 He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights. 7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever. 8 But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, 9 he tells them what they have done-- that they have sinned arrogantly. 10 He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. 11 If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. 12 But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge. 13 "The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help. 14 They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines. 15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. 16 "He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. 17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you. 18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside. 19 Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress? 20 Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes. 21 Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction. 22 "God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? 23 Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, 'You have done wrong'? 24 Remember to extol his work, which men have praised in song. 25 All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar. 26 How great is God-- beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. 27 "He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; 28 the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. 29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion? 30 See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea. 31 This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. 32 He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. 33 His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.

NIV Job 37:1 "At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place. 2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. 3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. 4 After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back. 5 God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. 6 He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' 7 So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor. 8 The animals take cover; they remain in their dens. 9 The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds. 10 The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. 11 He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. 12 At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them. 13 He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love. 14 "Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders. 15 Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? 16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge? 17 You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind, 18 can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze? 19 "Tell us what we should say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness. 20 Should he be told that I want to speak? Would any man ask to be swallowed up? 21 Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. 22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. 23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. 24 Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?"

NIV Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-- 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? 8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, 9 when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, 10 when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, 11 when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'? 12 "Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, 13 that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? 14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. 15 The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. 16 "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? 18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. 19 "What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? 20 Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings? 21 Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years! 22 "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, 23 which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? 24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? 25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, 26 to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it, 27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? 28 Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? 29 From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens 30 when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen? 31 "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? 32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? 33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God's dominion over the earth? 34 "Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? 35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? 36 Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? 37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens 38 when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together? 39 "Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions 40 when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? 41 Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

NIV Job 39:1 "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? 2 Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? 3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. 4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. 5 "Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? 6 I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. 7 He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver's shout. 8 He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing. 9 "Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? 10 Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? 11 Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? 12 Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor? 13 "The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. 14 She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, 15 unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. 16 She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, 17 for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. 18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider. 19 "Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? 20 Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? 21 He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. 22 He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. 23 The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. 24 In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. 25 At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, 'Aha!' He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry. 26 "Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? 27 Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? 28 He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. 29 From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. 30 His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he."

NIV Job 40:1 The LORD said to Job: 2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" 3 Then Job answered the LORD: 4 "I am unworthy-- how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer-- twice, but I will say no more." 6 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: 7 "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 8 "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? 9 Do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice thunder like his? 10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty. 11 Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, 12 look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand. 13 Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. 14 Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you. 15 "Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. 16 What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! 17 His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit. 18 His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron. 19 He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword. 20 The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby. 21 Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh. 22 The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround him. 23 When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth. 24 Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or trap him and pierce his nose?

NIV Job 41:1 "Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope? 2 Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3 Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words? 4 Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for life? 5 Can you make a pet of him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls? 6 Will traders barter for him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? 7 Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? 8 If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! 9 Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering. 10 No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me? 11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. 12 "I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form. 13 Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle? 14 Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth? 15 His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; 16 each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. 17 They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted. 18 His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn. 19 Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. 20 Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. 21 His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth. 22 Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him. 23 The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. 24 His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone. 25 When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing. 26 The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin. 27 Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood. 28 Arrows do not make him flee; slingstones are like chaff to him. 29 A club seems to him but a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance. 30 His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. 31 He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment. 32 Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair. 33 Nothing on earth is his equal-- a creature without fear. 34 He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud."

NIV Job 42:1 Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." 7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job's prayer. 10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so he died, old and full of years.

Job 28-35

2008-01-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Job 28 - 35

NIV Job 28:1 "There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. 2 Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. 3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he searches the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness. 4 Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft, in places forgotten by the foot of man; far from men he dangles and sways. 5 The earth, from which food comes, is transformed below as by fire; 6 sapphires come from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold. 7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path, no falcon's eye has seen it. 8 Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there. 9 Man's hand assaults the flinty rock and lays bare the roots of the mountains. 10 He tunnels through the rock; his eyes see all its treasures. 11 He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light. 12 "But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? 13 Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living. 14 The deep says, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.' 15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver. 16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphires. 17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. 18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. 19 The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold. 20 "Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? 21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air. 22 Destruction and Death say, 'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.' 23 God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, 24 for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. 25 When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, 26 when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, 27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. 28 And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord-- that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'"

NIV Job 29:1 Job continued his discourse: 2 "How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, 3 when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness! 4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house, 5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, 6 when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil. 7 "When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, 8 the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; 9 the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; 10 the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. 11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, 12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. 13 The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing. 14 I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. 15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. 17 I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth. 18 "I thought, 'I will die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. 19 My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches. 20 My glory will remain fresh in me, the bow ever new in my hand.' 21 "Men listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. 22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears. 23 They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain. 24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. 25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I dwelt as a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners.

NIV Job 30:1 "But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs. 2 Of what use was the strength of their hands to me, since their vigor had gone from them? 3 Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed the parched land in desolate wastelands at night. 4 In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food was the root of the broom tree. 5 They were banished from their fellow men, shouted at as if they were thieves. 6 They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. 7 They brayed among the bushes and huddled in the undergrowth. 8 A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land. 9 "And now their sons mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. 10 They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face. 11 Now that God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they throw off restraint in my presence. 12 On my right the tribe attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege ramps against me. 13 They break up my road; they succeed in destroying me-- without anyone's helping them. 14 They advance as through a gaping breach; amid the ruins they come rolling in. 15 Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud. 16 "And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me. 17 Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest. 18 In his great power God becomes like clothing to me; he binds me like the neck of my garment. 19 He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes. 20 "I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. 21 You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me. 22 You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm. 23 I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living. 24 "Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress. 25 Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? 26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness. 27 The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me. 28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. 29 I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls. 30 My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever. 31 My harp is tuned to mourning, and my flute to the sound of wailing.

NIV Job 31:1 "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. 2 For what is man's lot from God above, his heritage from the Almighty on high? 3 Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? 4 Does he not see my ways and count my every step? 5 "If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit-- 6 let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless-- 7 if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, 8 then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. 9 "If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door, 10 then may my wife grind another man's grain, and may other men sleep with her. 11 For that would have been shameful, a sin to be judged. 12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest. 13 "If I have denied justice to my menservants and maidservants when they had a grievance against me, 14 what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? 15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? 16 "If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, 17 if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless-- 18 but from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my birth I guided the widow-- 19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a garment, 20 and his heart did not bless me for warming him with the fleece from my sheep, 21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, 22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint. 23 For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things. 24 "If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,' 25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, 26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, 27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, 28 then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high. 29 "If I have rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him-- 30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against his life-- 31 if the men of my household have never said, 'Who has not had his fill of Job's meat?'-- 32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler-- 33 if I have concealed my sin as men do, by hiding my guilt in my heart 34 because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside 35 ("Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense-- let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing. 36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown. 37 I would give him an account of my every step; like a prince I would approach him.)-- 38 "if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears, 39 if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants, 40 then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.

NIV Job 32:1 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused. 6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said: "I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know. 7 I thought, 'Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.' 8 But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. 9 It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right. 10 "Therefore I say: Listen to me; I too will tell you what I know. 11 I waited while you spoke, I listened to your reasoning; while you were searching for words, 12 I gave you my full attention. But not one of you has proved Job wrong; none of you has answered his arguments. 13 Do not say, 'We have found wisdom; let God refute him, not man.' 14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments. 15 "They are dismayed and have no more to say; words have failed them. 16 Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand there with no reply? 17 I too will have my say; I too will tell what I know. 18 For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me; 19 inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst. 20 I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply. 21 I will show partiality to no one, nor will I flatter any man; 22 for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away.

NIV Job 33:1 "But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. 2 I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. 3 My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. 4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 5 Answer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me. 6 I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay. 7 No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you. 8 "But you have said in my hearing-- I heard the very words-- 9 'I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt. 10 Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy. 11 He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.' 12 "But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man. 13 Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man's words? 14 For God does speak-- now one way, now another-- though man may not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, 16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, 17 to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, 18 to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword. 19 Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones, 20 so that his very being finds food repulsive and his soul loathes the choicest meal. 21 His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out. 22 His soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the messengers of death. 23 "Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, 24 to be gracious to him and say, 'Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him'-- 25 then his flesh is renewed like a child's; it is restored as in the days of his youth. 26 He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state. 27 Then he comes to men and says, 'I sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved. 28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.' 29 "God does all these things to a man-- twice, even three times-- 30 to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him. 31 "Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. 32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want you to be cleared. 33 But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

NIV Job 34:1 Then Elihu said: 2 "Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you men of learning. 3 For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food. 4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. 5 "Job says, 'I am innocent, but God denies me justice. 6 Although I am right, I am considered a liar; although I am guiltless, his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.' 7 What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water? 8 He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with wicked men. 9 For he says, 'It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God.' 10 "So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong. 11 He repays a man for what he has done; he brings upon him what his conduct deserves. 12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice. 13 Who appointed him over the earth? Who put him in charge of the whole world? 14 If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, 15 all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust. 16 "If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. 17 Can he who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One? 18 Is he not the One who says to kings, 'You are worthless,' and to nobles, 'You are wicked,' 19 who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands? 20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. 21 "His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. 22 There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide. 23 God has no need to examine men further, that they should come before him for judgment. 24 Without inquiry he shatters the mighty and sets up others in their place. 25 Because he takes note of their deeds, he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. 26 He punishes them for their wickedness where everyone can see them, 27 because they turned from following him and had no regard for any of his ways. 28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he heard the cry of the needy. 29 But if he remains silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him? Yet he is over man and nation alike, 30 to keep a godless man from ruling, from laying snares for the people. 31 "Suppose a man says to God, 'I am guilty but will offend no more. 32 Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.' 33 Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I; so tell me what you know. 34 "Men of understanding declare, wise men who hear me say to me, 35 'Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.' 36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost for answering like a wicked man! 37 To his sin he adds rebellion; scornfully he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God."

NIV Job 35:1 Then Elihu said: 2 "Do you think this is just? You say, 'I will be cleared by God.' 3 Yet you ask him, 'What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?' 4 "I would like to reply to you and to your friends with you. 5 Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you. 6 If you sin, how does that affect him? If your sins are many, what does that do to him? 7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only the sons of men. 9 "Men cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. 10 But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, 11 who teaches more to us than to the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?' 12 He does not answer when men cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked. 13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea; the Almighty pays no attention to it. 14 How much less, then, will he listen when you say that you do not see him, that your case is before him and you must wait for him, 15 and further, that his anger never punishes and he does not take the least notice of wickedness. 16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words."

Job 22-27

2008-01-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

Keep it up. Don't get discouraged. Even if it takes a little longer than a year to read through it, we will get there.

Job 22-27

NIV Job 22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 "Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit him? 3 What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? 4 "Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you? 5 Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? 6 You demanded security from your brothers for no reason; you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked. 7 You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, 8 though you were a powerful man, owning land-- an honored man, living on it. 9 And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. 10 That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, 11 why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. 12 "Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars! 13 Yet you say, 'What does God know? Does he judge through such darkness? 14 Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.' 15 Will you keep to the old path that evil men have trod? 16 They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood. 17 They said to God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?' 18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked. 19 "The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying, 20 'Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.' 21 "Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. 22 Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. 23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent 24 and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, 25 then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. 26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. 27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. 28 What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways. 29 When men are brought low and you say, 'Lift them up!' then he will save the downcast. 30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

NIV Job 23:1 Then Job replied: 2 "Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. 3 If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! 4 I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say. 6 Would he oppose me with great power? No, he would not press charges against me. 7 There an upright man could present his case before him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge. 8 "But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 11 My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. 12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. 13 "But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases. 14 He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store. 15 That is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him. 16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. 17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

NIV Job 24:1 "Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days? 2 Men move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen. 3 They drive away the orphan's donkey and take the widow's ox in pledge. 4 They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding. 5 Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children. 6 They gather fodder in the fields and glean in the vineyards of the wicked. 7 Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked; they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold. 8 They are drenched by mountain rains and hug the rocks for lack of shelter. 9 The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt. 10 Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry. 11 They crush olives among the terraces; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst. 12 The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing. 13 "There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths. 14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a thief. 15 The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, 'No eye will see me,' and he keeps his face concealed. 16 In the dark, men break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light. 17 For all of them, deep darkness is their morning; they make friends with the terrors of darkness. 18 "Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one goes to the vineyards. 19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned. 20 The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; evil men are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree. 21 They prey on the barren and childless woman, and to the widow show no kindness. 22 But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life. 23 He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but his eyes are on their ways. 24 For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain. 25 "If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?"

NIV Job 25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 "Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. 3 Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise? 4 How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? 5 If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, 6 how much less man, who is but a maggot-- a son of man, who is only a worm!"

NIV Job 26:1 Then Job replied: 2 "How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble! 3 What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed! 4 Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth? 5 "The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them. 6 Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. 7 He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. 8 He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. 9 He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. 10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. 11 The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. 12 By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. 13 By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. 14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?"

NIV Job 27:1 And Job continued his discourse: 2 "As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul, 3 as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, 4 my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit. 5 I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. 6 I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live. 7 "May my enemies be like the wicked, my adversaries like the unjust! 8 For what hope has the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life? 9 Does God listen to his cry when distress comes upon him? 10 Will he find delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times? 11 "I will teach you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal. 12 You have all seen this yourselves. Why then this meaningless talk? 13 "Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty: 14 However many his children, their fate is the sword; his offspring will never have enough to eat. 15 The plague will bury those who survive him, and their widows will not weep for them. 16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay, 17 what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver. 18 The house he builds is like a moth's cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman. 19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone. 20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night. 21 The east wind carries him off, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. 22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power. 23 It claps its hands in derision and hisses him out of his place.

Bible Reading- Job 16-21

2008-01-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

Job 16-21

NIV Job 16:1 Then Job replied: 2 "I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! 3 Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? 4 I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. 5 But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. 6 "Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away. 7 Surely, O God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household. 8 You have bound me-- and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me. 9 God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes. 10 Men open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me. 11 God has turned me over to evil men and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked. 12 All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target; 13 his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierces my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground. 14 Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior. 15 "I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust. 16 My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes; 17 yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure. 18 "O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest! 19 Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. 20 My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; 21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend. 22 "Only a few years will pass before I go on the journey of no return.

NIV Job 17:1 My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me. 2 Surely mockers surround me; my eyes must dwell on their hostility. 3 "Give me, O God, the pledge you demand. Who else will put up security for me? 4 You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore you will not let them triumph. 5 If a man denounces his friends for reward, the eyes of his children will fail. 6 "God has made me a byword to everyone, a man in whose face people spit. 7 My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow. 8 Upright men are appalled at this; the innocent are aroused against the ungodly. 9 Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger. 10 "But come on, all of you, try again! I will not find a wise man among you. 11 My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart. 12 These men turn night into day; in the face of darkness they say, 'Light is near.' 13 If the only home I hope for is the grave, if I spread out my bed in darkness, 14 if I say to corruption, 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 'My mother' or 'My sister,' 15 where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me? 16 Will it go down to the gates of death? Will we descend together into the dust?"

NIV Job 18:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 "When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk. 3 Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight? 4 You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, is the earth to be abandoned for your sake? Or must the rocks be moved from their place? 5 "The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning. 6 The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out. 7 The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down. 8 His feet thrust him into a net and he wanders into its mesh. 9 A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare holds him fast. 10 A noose is hidden for him on the ground; a trap lies in his path. 11 Terrors startle him on every side and dog his every step. 12 Calamity is hungry for him; disaster is ready for him when he falls. 13 It eats away parts of his skin; death's firstborn devours his limbs. 14 He is torn from the security of his tent and marched off to the king of terrors. 15 Fire resides in his tent; burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling. 16 His roots dry up below and his branches wither above. 17 The memory of him perishes from the earth; he has no name in the land. 18 He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world. 19 He has no offspring or descendants among his people, no survivor where once he lived. 20 Men of the west are appalled at his fate; men of the east are seized with horror. 21 Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God."

NIV Job 19:1 Then Job replied: 2 "How long will you torment me and crush me with words? 3 Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me. 4 If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone. 5 If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me, 6 then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. 7 "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice. 8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness. 9 He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. 10 He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree. 11 His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies. 12 His troops advance in force; they build a siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent. 13 "He has alienated my brothers from me; my acquaintances are completely estranged from me. 14 My kinsmen have gone away; my friends have forgotten me. 15 My guests and my maidservants count me a stranger; they look upon me as an alien. 16 I summon my servant, but he does not answer, though I beg him with my own mouth. 17 My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own brothers. 18 Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me. 19 All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. 20 I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth. 21 "Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. 22 Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? 23 "Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, 24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! 25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes-- I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! 28 "If you say, 'How we will hound him, since the root of the trouble lies in him,' 29 you should fear the sword yourselves; for wrath will bring punishment by the sword, and then you will know that there is judgment."

NIV Job 20:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: 2 "My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer because I am greatly disturbed. 3 I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, and my understanding inspires me to reply. 4 "Surely you know how it has been from of old, ever since man was placed on the earth, 5 that the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment. 6 Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, 7 he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?' 8 Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found, banished like a vision of the night. 9 The eye that saw him will not see him again; his place will look on him no more. 10 His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth. 11 The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust. 12 "Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, 13 though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, 14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him. 15 He will spit out the riches he swallowed; God will make his stomach vomit them up. 16 He will suck the poison of serpents; the fangs of an adder will kill him. 17 He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. 18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading. 19 For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build. 20 "Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure. 21 Nothing is left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure. 22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him. 23 When he has filled his belly, God will vent his burning anger against him and rain down his blows upon him. 24 Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him. 25 He pulls it out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver. Terrors will come over him; 26 total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. 27 The heavens will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him. 28 A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God's wrath. 29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God."

NIV Job 21:1 Then Job replied: 2 "Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me. 3 Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. 4 "Is my complaint directed to man? Why should I not be impatient? 5 Look at me and be astonished; clap your hand over your mouth. 6 When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body. 7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? 8 They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them. 10 Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. 11 They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about. 12 They sing to the music of tambourine and harp; they make merry to the sound of the flute. 13 They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. 14 Yet they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. 15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?' 16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked. 17 "Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? 18 How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale? 19 It is said, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his sons.' Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it! 20 Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what does he care about the family he leaves behind when his allotted months come to an end? 22 "Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? 23 One man dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, 24 his body well nourished, his bones rich with marrow. 25 Another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. 26 Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both. 27 "I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. 28 You say, 'Where now is the great man's house, the tents where wicked men lived?' 29 Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts-- 30 that the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, that he is delivered from the day of wrath? 31 Who denounces his conduct to his face? Who repays him for what he has done? 32 He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb. 33 The soil in the valley is sweet to him; all men follow after him, and a countless throng goes before him. 34 "So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!"

Bible Reading- Job 10-15

2008-01-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

Job 10-15

NIV Job 10:1 "I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me. 3 Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked? 4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees? 5 Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a man, 6 that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin-- 7 though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand? 8 "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? 9 Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? 10 Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, 11 clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? 12 You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. 13 "But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: 14 If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. 15 If I am guilty-- woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction. 16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me. 17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave. 18 "Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me. 19 If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave! 20 Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment's joy 21 before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow, 22 to the land of deepest night, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness."

NIV Job 11:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: 2 "Are all these words to go unanswered? Is this talker to be vindicated? 3 Will your idle talk reduce men to silence? Will no one rebuke you when you mock? 4 You say to God, 'My beliefs are flawless and I am pure in your sight.' 5 Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you 6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin. 7 "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? 8 They are higher than the heavens-- what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave--what can you know? 9 Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. 10 "If he comes along and confines you in prison and convenes a court, who can oppose him? 11 Surely he recognizes deceitful men; and when he sees evil, does he not take note? 12 But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey's colt can be born a man. 13 "Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, 14 if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, 15 then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear. 16 You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. 17 Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. 18 You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. 19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor. 20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp."

NIV Job 12:1 Then Job replied: 2 "Doubtless you are the people, and wisdom will die with you! 3 But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things? 4 "I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called upon God and he answered-- a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless! 5 Men at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. 6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure-- those who carry their god in their hands. 7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. 11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? 12 Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? 13 "To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. 14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man he imprisons cannot be released. 15 If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land. 16 To him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are his. 17 He leads counselors away stripped and makes fools of judges. 18 He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth around their waist. 19 He leads priests away stripped and overthrows men long established. 20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders. 21 He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. 22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light. 23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them. 24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he sends them wandering through a trackless waste. 25 They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards.

NIV Job 13:1 "My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. 2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. 3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. 4 You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! 5 If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. 6 Hear now my argument; listen to the plea of my lips. 7 Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? 8 Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? 9 Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men? 10 He would surely rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality. 11 Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you? 12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. 13 "Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may. 14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands? 15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. 16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him! 17 Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say. 18 Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated. 19 Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die. 20 "Only grant me these two things, O God, and then I will not hide from you: 21 Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. 22 Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply. 23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin. 24 Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy? 25 Will you torment a windblown leaf? Will you chase after dry chaff? 26 For you write down bitter things against me and make me inherit the sins of my youth. 27 You fasten my feet in shackles; you keep close watch on all my paths by putting marks on the soles of my feet. 28 "So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.

NIV Job 14:1 "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. 2 He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. 3 Do you fix your eye on such a one? Will you bring him before you for judgment? 4 Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one! 5 Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed. 6 So look away from him and let him alone, till he has put in his time like a hired man. 7 "At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. 8 Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, 9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. 10 But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. 11 As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry, 12 so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep. 13 "If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! 14 If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. 15 You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made. 16 Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. 17 My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin. 18 "But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place, 19 as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope. 20 You overpower him once for all, and he is gone; you change his countenance and send him away. 21 If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it. 22 He feels but the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself."

NIV Job 15:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 "Would a wise man answer with empty notions or fill his belly with the hot east wind? 3 Would he argue with useless words, with speeches that have no value? 4 But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God. 5 Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty. 6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; your own lips testify against you. 7 "Are you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? 8 Do you listen in on God's council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? 9 What do you know that we do not know? What insights do you have that we do not have? 10 The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men even older than your father. 11 Are God's consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to you? 12 Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash, 13 so that you vent your rage against God and pour out such words from your mouth? 14 "What is man, that he could be pure, or one born of woman, that he could be righteous? 15 If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, 16 how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks up evil like water! 17 "Listen to me and I will explain to you; let me tell you what I have seen, 18 what wise men have declared, hiding nothing received from their fathers 19 (to whom alone the land was given when no alien passed among them): 20 All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless through all the years stored up for him. 21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears; when all seems well, marauders attack him. 22 He despairs of escaping the darkness; he is marked for the sword. 23 He wanders about-- food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. 24 Distress and anguish fill him with terror; they overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack, 25 because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, 26 defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield. 27 "Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh, 28 he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where no one lives, houses crumbling to rubble. 29 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. 30 He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God's mouth will carry him away. 31 Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return. 32 Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish. 33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree shedding its blossoms. 34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes. 35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit."

Bible Reading- Job 6-9

2008-01-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

Job 6-9

NIV Job 6:1 Then Job replied: 2 "If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! 3 It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas-- no wonder my words have been impetuous. 4 The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me. 5 Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass, or an ox bellow when it has fodder? 6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg? 7 I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill. 8 "Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, 9 that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off! 10 Then I would still have this consolation-- my joy in unrelenting pain-- that I had not denied the words of the Holy One. 11 "What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? 12 Do I have the strength of stone? Is my flesh bronze? 13 Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me? 14 "A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. 15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow 16 when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow, 17 but that cease to flow in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels. 18 Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go up into the wasteland and perish. 19 The caravans of Tema look for water, the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope. 20 They are distressed, because they had been confident; they arrive there, only to be disappointed. 21 Now you too have proved to be of no help; you see something dreadful and are afraid. 22 Have I ever said, 'Give something on my behalf, pay a ransom for me from your wealth, 23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy, ransom me from the clutches of the ruthless'? 24 "Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong. 25 How painful are honest words! But what do your arguments prove? 26 Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat the words of a despairing man as wind? 27 You would even cast lots for the fatherless and barter away your friend. 28 "But now be so kind as to look at me. Would I lie to your face? 29 Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my
integrity is at stake. 30 Is there any wickedness on my lips? Can my mouth not discern malice?

NIV Job 7:1 "Does not man have hard service on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired man? 2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows, or a hired man waiting eagerly for his wages, 3 so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me. 4 When I lie down I think, 'How long before I get up?' The night drags on, and I toss till dawn. 5 My body is clothed with worms and scabs, my skin is broken and festering. 6 "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. 7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again. 8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more. 9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return. 10 He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more. 11 "Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard? 13 When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, 14 even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, 15 so that I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine. 16 I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning. 17 "What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, 18 that you examine him every morning and test him every moment? 19 Will you never look away from me, or let me alone even for an instant? 20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you, O watcher of men? Why have you made me your target? Have I become a burden to you? 21 Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins? For I will soon lie down in the dust; you will search for me, but I will be no more."

NIV Job 8:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 "How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind. 3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? 4 When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin. 5 But if you will look to God and plead with the Almighty, 6 if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place. 7 Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be. 8 "Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned, 9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. 10 Will they not instruct you and tell you? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding? 11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? 12 While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass. 13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. 14 What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider's web. 15 He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold. 16 He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden; 17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks and looks for a place among the stones. 18 But when it is torn from its spot, that place disowns it and says, 'I never saw you.' 19 Surely its life withers away, and from the soil other plants grow. 20 "Surely God does not reject a blameless man or strengthen the hands of evildoers. 21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. 22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tents of the wicked will be no more."

NIV Job 9:1 Then Job replied: 2 "Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can a mortal be righteous before God? 3 Though one wished to dispute with him, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand. 4 His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? 5 He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. 6 He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. 7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. 8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. 9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. 10 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. 11 When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him. 12 If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?' 13 God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet. 14 "How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? 15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. 16 Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. 17 He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. 18 He would not let me regain my breath but would overwhelm me with misery. 19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who will summon him? 20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty. 21 "Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. 22 It is all the same; that is why I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' 23 When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. 24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it? 25 "My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. 26 They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey. 27 If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,' 28 I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. 29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? 30 Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with washing soda, 31 you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me. 32 "He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. 33 If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, 34 someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. 35 Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Bible Reading Day 4

2008-01-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

This Bible reading plan is chronological. That means that we will read through the books of the Bible in the order that the events took place. The book of Job is placed in the middle of the OT along with the rest of the books of poetry or wisdom literature. But the events of Job took place very early on. He would have lived during the time before the kings, before the exodus, and before Joseph. That's why Job comes next in our reading plan.

Job 1:1 - 5:27

NIV Job 1:1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. 4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom. 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." 9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." 12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. 13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

NIV Job 2:1 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 3 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." 4 "Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face." 6 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life." 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. 11 When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

NIV Job 3:1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said: 3 "May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!' 4 That day-- may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine upon it. 5 May darkness and deep shadow claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm its light. 6 That night-- may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months. 7 May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it. 8 May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan. 9 May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn, 10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes. 11 "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? 12 Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed? 13 For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest 14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins, 15 with rulers who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. 16 Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day? 17 There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest. 18 Captives also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver's shout. 19 The small and the great are there, and the slave is freed from his master. 20 "Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, 21 to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, 22 who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave? 23 Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? 24 For sighing comes to me instead of food; my groans pour out like water. 25 What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. 26 I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil."

NIV Job 4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 "If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking? 3 Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. 4 Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. 5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. 6 Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope? 7 "Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? 8 As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. 9 At the breath of God they are destroyed; at the blast of his anger they perish. 10 The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken. 11 The lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered. 12 "A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it. 13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, 14 fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake. 15 A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end. 16 It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice: 17 'Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? 18 If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error, 19 how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth! 20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever. 21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?'

NIV Job 5:1 "Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? 2 Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. 3 I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. 4 His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender. 5 The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth. 6 For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. 7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. 8 "But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. 9 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. 10 He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside. 11 The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. 12 He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. 13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. 14 Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night. 15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful. 16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. 17 "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. 18 For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal. 19 From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you. 20 In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. 21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. 22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth. 23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. 24 You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing. 25 You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. 26 You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season. 27 "We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself."

Bible Read Through- Day 3

2008-01-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

It's not cheating to skip the "begats"...

NIV Genesis 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. 6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. 13 By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you-- the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground-- so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it." 18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds-- everything that moves on the earth-- came out of the ark, one kind after another. 20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

NIV Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. 4 "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. 7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it." 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you-- the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you-- every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." 17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth." 18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. 20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." 26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. 27 May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave." 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died.

NIV Genesis 10:1 This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, who themselves had sons after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. 5 (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.) 6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD." 10 The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. 15 Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, 16 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered 19 and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. 21 Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. 24 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. 25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. 26 Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 30 The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. 31 These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. 32 These are the clans of Noah's sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

NIV Genesis 11:1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel--because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. 10 This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. 11 And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters. 18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. 27 This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. 31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

Bible Read Through- Week 2

2008-01-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

The first section of Bible reading is found in the previous post. Here is today's section of scripture...

NIV Genesis 4:1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. 24 If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times." 25 Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.

NIV Genesis 5:1 This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man." 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. 6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 7 And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. 9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. 12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. 15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 And after he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. 18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. 25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 And after he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. 28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

NIV Genesis 6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-- and also afterward-- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-- men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-- for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 16 Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark-- you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them." 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

NIV Genesis 7:1 The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made." 5 And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him. 6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month-- on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in. 17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. 21 Every living thing that moved on the earth perished-- birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. 24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

Reading Through The Bible This Year

2008-01-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

One of the most life changing experiences of my college career was when I spent about 8 months reading all the way through the Bible. Before that I had read each indavidual book and taken Bible survey courses, but I had never just picked it up and read it from cover to cover. I learned so much from that experience.

I learned that the Bible is a story. The OT part of the story ends with the book of Nehemiah. All of the prophets that come after that lived during the time of the kings and the captivity.

I learned that many of the events that seemed confucing made a lot more sense in their fuller context.

I learned that I actually understood a lot more than I thought I did.

I learned that God speaks when you are focused on listening to Him.

This year I want to encourage you to read through the Bible with me. I will be offering a chrinological reading plan. So we will read each book in the order that the events happened in history, rather than in the order they appear in the Bible.

I will give you the scripture here every weekday (you can take the weekends off), all you have to do is log on each morning and read.

Here is the first section of reading:
Genesis 1-3

NIV Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-- the first day. 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning-- the second day. 9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning-- the third day. 14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights-- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning-- the fourth day. 20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning-- the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-- the sixth day.

NIV Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. 4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-- 5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-- 7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-- trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." 18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman', for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

NIV Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me-- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." 16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." 20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Golden Compass Info

2007-12-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

A new movie out now has a very overt anti-Christian message. The following link will provide more infor.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1065

Andy

Promises

2007-12-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

Exodus 15:22 - 16:1 22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" 25 Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26 And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." 27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

God offers an important promise to the people. This verse is not usually placed among the great covenants between God and His people. But there are many small promises like this one. God repeats, over and over, "If you will listen to me, I will bless you."

That promise was so simple, yet the people couldn't seem to obey it. They would follow God for a short while, and then begin to complain and wander away. God kept saying, stay close to me!

This simple promise is still true for us today. God is still close. If we will listen, obey, and follow He will bless us and protect us. That doesn't mean that we will never face bitter water, life will be tough sometimes. But when we are faced with a problem we need to wait for God to provide the solution.

Prayer- Praise God for always being faithful to keep His promises to us, even when we are not faithful.

The Song of Moses

2007-11-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

Exodus 15:1-21 Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said, "I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. 2 "The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him. 3 "The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name. 4 "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 "The deeps cover them; They went down into the depths like a stone. 6 "Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. 7 "And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You; You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff. 8 "At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up, The flowing waters stood up like a heap; The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 "The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be gratified against them; I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them.' 10 "You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 "Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? 12 "You stretched out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them. 13 "In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation. 14 "The peoples have heard, they tremble; Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 "Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them; All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. 16 "Terror and dread fall upon them; By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone; Until Your people pass over, O LORD, Until the people pass over whom You have purchased. 17 "You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, The place, O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. 18 "The LORD shall reign forever and ever." 19 For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea. 20 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. 21 Miriam answered them, "Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea."

What do you do to acknowledge God's blessing in your life? Moses did a happy dance and sang about God's love and protection. Through this song he declared God's power. He sang of God's strength and power to save from even the most helpless situation. Do you recognize when God provides a way forward in the midst of a dark time?

Moses also declared God's holiness and majesty. God is awesome in His glory. Moses had seen it displayed in a mighty way. How have you seen God's majesty and glory in your own life?

Moses sang of God's unfailing love. God was active in redeeming His people. God saved them from slavery. God rescued them from captivity because of His love and grace. They were His people and they know that God would watch over them. What has God saved you from? How does He continue to show you grace and love?

Moses sang about their future. God had promised to give them the land of Canaan. Moses sang in anticipation of what God would do for them. He praised God for where He was taking them. God has a plan for our lives. Where is God leading you?

When you come to worship God are you singing praises to Him in response to all He has done for you? Can you come before the Lord with singing and dancing?

Prayer- Praise God for all He has done, all He is doing, and all He will do in your life.

Harvest Home 2007 Pictures

2007-11-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Connecting the Past with the Present

2007-11-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Exodus 14:1-31 Exodus 14:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. 3 Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this. 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians-- all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops-- pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon. 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" 13 Moses answered the people, "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." 15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." 19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." 26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen-- the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

When you read verses 11-12 it is like you're reading the words of a snotty, spoiled, confused child. The whining makes you want to slap them. I have a hard time understanding how they could be that foolish and blind. God had brought them that far, did they really think that He was going to abandon them there in the desert?

The problem with the Israelites is that they didn't make the connection between their past experience with God and their present situation. They could only see what was happening to them right now. They were not able to see the big picture.

How often is that true of us as well. God comes through for us in a big way, but ten minutes later we are complaining about something new. Then God comes through and sees us through tat problem, but we just find something new to whine about.

This tendency to forget the past is part of the reason that God commanded his people to set up memorials. The passover feast, the ten commandments, the pile of rock by the Jordan River, the various sacrifices, and even communion and baptism are all reminders. They are designed to keep us from forgetting what God has done for us.

But there are other ways in which we can remember the past. One great way is to create a prayer journal. Write down your prayer requests for the next few months and then make a note when those requests are answered. You will be amazed at how God answers your prayers in a way that is above and beyond your expectations.

Another way to remember the past is by celebrating important anniversaries. The Israelites had a party to celebrate just about everything. They commemorated the times when God answered their prayers. Celebrate the anniversary of a new job, or recovery from illness, or some other blessing. Not just as another excuse to party, but to honor God's guidance and provision in your life.

The more we remember what God has done for us in the past, the easier it will be to trust Him to see us through what lies ahead.

Prayer- Ask God to grant you wisdom to see Him working in your life, and confidence to trust Him in the future.

Forgetfulness

2007-11-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

Exodus 13:1-22 Exodus 13:1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal." 3 Then Moses said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving. 5 When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites-- the land he swore to your forefathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey-- you are to observe this ceremony in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the LORD. 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. 10 You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year. 11 "After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your forefathers, 12 you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons. 14 "In days to come, when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' say to him, 'With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.' 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand." 17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place." 20 After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

The Israelite people had just witnessed an amazing string of miracles. The kinds of events described in Exodus were not common. You would have to go back about 450 years to the miraculous visions that Joseph had to find another miracle. God showed them His power and His sovereign control.

But God also knew that the people would have a very short memory. That's why he told Moses to set up Passover as a annual holiday. It was to be celebrated every year to help the people remember what God had done for them. Maybe with a yearly reminder like that the people wouldn't be so forgetful.

But we see that in just a few verses over the people who just left Egypt and are being led by God in a miraculous pillar of fire, already start to complain. They already seem to have forgotten who God is and what He has done for them.

I don't think the problem is forgetfulness, I think it is something else. I think they suffered from a common problem that we still struggle with today. I'll talk about that tomorrow as we look closer at chapter 14.

Prayer- Pray for a soft heart, a clear mind, and eyes to see what God is doing in your life every day.

Bargaining For Freedom

2007-11-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

In this section of scripture where Moses is demanding that Pharaoh let the Israelites go is a great example of middle-eastern bargaining. Moses asks for permission to leave, Pharaoh makes a counter offer, and then Moses refuses. During the negotiations, Moses always asks for the same thing, the ability to go out from Egypt in order to pay tribute to God. He doesn't mention how long they will be gone, he only mentions the reason they need to go.

It seems clear that Pharaoh understood that they would not be coming back. That's why he asks them to leave the animals and only go a short distance. He wants to make it so that the people will almost be forced to return.

Moses told Pharaoh as much as he needed to. Really it didn't matter what Moses asked for, Pharaoh would have said no. The reason that things played out like they did was clear, it was a part of God's plan. It was for the purpose of making God's power known all throughout the land. And it worked. The Israelites were feared by the people in the land they went to take. The rumor of their escape must have spread.

Moses acted in obedience with God's plan, even though he didn't fully understand it at times. That's what we are called to do as well. We just need to do what God has called us to do, even though it might seem like a bad idea to us at the time. God is still in the business of bringing glory to His name through us. We need to learn to get out of the way and let Him.

Prayer- Pray that God would clearly show you what He has in store for your life. Pray for the strength to hang in, even when things are confusing and bleak.

Moving

2007-11-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry, after my move this weekend I am out of my routine. I'll be back soon to explain why Moses wasn't really lying.

Andy

Is Moses a Liar- Part 2

2007-11-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Exodus 5:1 xodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'"

Exodus 8:25-28 25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land." 26 But Moses said, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us." 28 Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me."

Exodus 10:24-26 24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go, worship the LORD. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind." 25 But Moses said, "You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the LORD our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the LORD."

Exodus 14:5-7 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.

When I read the progression of events, it appears that either Moses is lying to Pharaoh, or at the very least isn’t telling the whole truth. He asks for permission to go out into the desert and hold a festival to the Lord. He never says, “We want to leave forever.”

It appears from Pharaoh’s responses in chapters 8 and 10 that he expects the people to come back. He says, you can go, but don’t go too far, and leave the livestock. Moses came up with a quick response to each of these demands.

In chapter 14 Pharaoh hears that the people are bolting for the border. He realizes that they were never intending to come back. He has been tricked, and that makes him furious. He realizes that he never should have let them go and now they have lost their slaves.

So my question is, did Moses lie to Pharaoh? Did he trick him into letting the people go? What does your study Bible say? What does the internet say? What do you think the best answer is?

That’s the easy question, the harder question is, who hardened Pharaoh’s heart? We deal with that one next week.

Is Moses a Liar?

2007-10-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

Exodus 10:1-29 Exodus 10:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD." 3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. 6 They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians-- something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.'" Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh. 7 Pharaoh's officials said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" 8 Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go, worship the LORD your God," he said. "But just who will be going?" 9 Moses answered, "We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD." 10 Pharaoh said, "The LORD be with you-- if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil. 11 No! Have only the men go; and worship the LORD, since that's what you have been asking for." Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh's presence. 12 And the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts will swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail." 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail-- everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt. 16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me." 18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go. 21 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt-- darkness that can be felt." 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. 24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go, worship the LORD. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind." 25 But Moses said, "You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the LORD our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the LORD." 27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, "Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die." 29 "Just as you say," Moses replied, "I will never appear before you again."

Each time Moses appeared before Pharaoh he asked for permission to go out into the desert and worship God, and then come back. He wasn't asking for permission to leave forever, but for permission to go out and have a big party in the desert for a few days.

But we all know that Moses had every intention of leaving for good. He didn't just want to go out and worship and then come back. He wanted to free the people forever. That is clearly what God had promised Moses.

Is Moses lying to Pharaoh? Is he trying to be sneaky so he will be more likely to get his way? Why didn't Moses just say what he meant? Is lying wrong or not?

What do you think?

The Next Batch of Plagues

2007-10-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

Exodus 9:1-35 Exodus 9:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, so that they may worship me." 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field-- on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats. 4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.'" 5 The LORD set a time and said, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land." 6 And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on men and animals throughout the land." 10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses. 13 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every man and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.'" 20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field. 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt-- on men and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt." 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields-- both men and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. 27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he said to them. "The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer." 29 Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God." 31 (The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.) 33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

More Plagues

2007-10-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

Exodus 8:16 - 9:1 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,' and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats." 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals. 19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said. 20 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are. 22 "'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.'" 24 And the LORD did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials, and throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies. 25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land." 26 But Moses said, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us." 28 Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me." 29 Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only be sure that Pharaoh does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." 30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, 31 and the LORD did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.

Slight of Hand or Satan

2007-10-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

Exodus 8:1-15 Exodus 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 3 The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. 4 The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.'" 5 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'" 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. 7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. 8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile." 10 "Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile." 12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

So how was it that Pharaoh's magicians were able to duplicate the miracles that Moses preformed? They had sticks that turned into snakes, they were able to turn the Nile red, and they were even able to produce frogs.

My guess is that either they were the David Copperfield kind of magicians, or that they had been granted some level of power from Satan. It might have been that these guys were simply good at slight of hand. They had the ability to use slight of hand to seem like they were doing something miraculous. But really they were just good showman.

The other possibility is that Satan was able to give them the ability to do some miraculous things. I think this is a real possibility. While Satan does not have the kind of power or control that God has, he does have a a lot of power. Satan can't create something out of nothing, he isn't all powerful or all-knowing. But I'm sure he knew how to reproduce these plagues.

It's interesting to note that while the magicians could copy the plague, they couldn't stop it. They couldn't fix the bloody water or the frog storm. Whatever power they had was very limited and nothing compared to the power of God.

Don't ever settle for weak, impotent imitations. There are plenty of other gods that try to get our attention. Never forget that the God we serve is in control.

As we walk through the next few plagues, keep an eye on what is happening to Pharaoh's heart.

Prayer- Praise God for His power and His majesty and His greatness. There is none like Him.

Black Magic and A Hard Heart

2007-10-23T20:33:00.001-07:00

This is a large section of scripture, so I won’t add a lot of commentary. Pay attention as you read to two things- what Pharaoh’s magicians do and the condition of Pharaoh’s heart. I’ll comment more on those two things tomorrow.

Exodus 7:8 - 8:1 8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened. 17 This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'" 19 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt-- over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs'-- and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars." 20 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt. 22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river. 25 Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile.

Your Part In God's Plan

2007-10-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Exodus 6:28 - 7:7 28 Now when the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, "I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you." 30 But Moses said to the LORD, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?" Exodus 7:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it." 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

God had a plan from the beginning. He didn't tell Moses everything all at once, but told Moses just what he needed to know. God knows our limits. He knows what we can handle, and He doesn't give us more than we can deal with.

As we take steps of faith, God reveals more of his plan to us. As we move forward, God gives us what we need to take the next step. Unfortunately too many of us are afraid to even take the first steps. We don't really trust God so we don't do what He asks us to do. We can't see how things would work, so we give up. God isn't able to use us because we aren't willing to try.

Taking a step of faith can be a scary thing. But as we move forward in obedience, God opens up new doors and new opportunities. Our faith grows in proportion to our works of faith. IT grows and deepens and God blesses us with more opportunities to serve Him.

What is God calling you to do right now? Does it feel like something that is too much or over your head? It probably is, but God will give you the strength to accomplish anything.

Prayer- Ask God to clearly show you what He wants you to do. Let Him know that you are willing to be used by Him.

Do You Believe God?

2007-10-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

Exodus 6:1-8 Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." 2 God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'" 9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

Moses and Aaron and all the rest of the Israelites did not believe God. God appeared to Moses and promised to help, but Moses didn't believe Him. God gave Moses amazing signs to preform, but Moses still didn't fully believe Him. God gives Moses this pep talk, but Moses still didn't believe Him.

As we see in verse 9, the people didn't believe God either. They only knew that they were being treated more cruelly than before. They could only see what was right in front of them. As we we see late in the story, they only really believed in God when they saw some kind of miracle.

When I think about these OT stories I have always thought that it would have been so easy to believe in God at a time like that. There were miracles and mighty acts of God. But Faith in God has never been an easy thing for sinful humans. Even with God preforming miracles, the people didn't really believe.

Do we really believe in God? Do we only have faith when things are going our way? Do we only lean on Him when things are either really bad or really good? Do we believe the things He has said to us in His word?

I think that a lot of people suffer from the same problem that the Israelites did here. They believe that there is a God, but they have no faith in Him. They have no confidence in Him. They don't really think He will come through for them. At least not in the way they want Him to come through.

What is your faith based on?

Prayer- Ask God to soften your heart and open your eyes. Ask Him to grow and strengthen your faith.

New Worship Blog

2007-10-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Steve has started a blog geared towards the music side of things. He has information about the songs for this week, great worship videos, and inspiring articles. Take a minute to check it out and leave him some comments and feedback. I know He would love to hear what you think.

www.cbworship.blogspot.com

Blessings,
Pastor Andy

Things Somewtimes Get Worse Before The Get Better

2007-10-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Exodus 5:1-16 Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'" 2 Pharaoh said, "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." 3 Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." 4 But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!" 5 Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working." 6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: 7 "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' 9 Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies." 10 Then the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'" 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw." 14 The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's slave drivers were beaten and were asked, "Why didn't you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?" 15 Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people."

Ok so at this point in the story God has asked Moses to go to Pharaoh and ask him to let the Israelites go out to the desert and worship. God gave moses a bunch of miraculous signs and Aaron as a helper. Moses goes to the leaders of the Israelites and tells them what God has asked him to do.

The Israelites must have been overjoyed. They had been crying out to God for help, and finally God had sent someone to help them. Moses preformed the miraculous signs for the Israelites and then told them the plan. Next Moses headed over to Pharaohs to set him straight.

Instead of freedom the Israelite people experienced even greater torment. They were expecting to be freed, but they were just given more work to do. They were expecting things to get better, but things got a lot worse. How discouraging that must have been.

Have you ever experienced that in your own life. Sometimes when we are hurting or struggling we cry out to God for help, but instead of things getting better, they get worse. Instead of a healing we get sicker. Instead of financial stability, our car breaks down. This can be so frustrating and disheartening to us.

I'm not exactly sure why things happen this way. I think part of the reason is that we expect God to move a lot faster. But sometimes in order for God to do all that He intends to do, He has to take His time. In Egypt God intended to show His power and His glory through the stubborn Pharaoh, that couldn't happen overnight.

Another reason that things sometimes get worse before they get better is that God is trying to teach us something and we are slow to learn. He keeps knocking us off our horse, but we don;t get the message. Are we paying attention to what God wants from us?

Sometimes things get worse for no real good reason at all. Just like with Job. Satan kept attacking Him and Job kept trusting God. We are not promised comfort and happiness in this life. Bad stuff happens to good people. It isn't fair, but God will make sure that the scales are balanced in the end.

When you are struggling with something, it is natural and appropriate to ask God for deliverance and help. But be patient. It might not come as quickly as you want it, and things might get worse before they get better.

Prayer- Ask God to give you patience and perseverance and the ability to take on anything that comes your way.

Board Meeting

2007-10-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry I missed my devotion yesterdy. I had a late board meeting.

Andy

But God...

2007-10-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Exodus 4:1-23 Exodus 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-- has appeared to you." 6 Then the LORD said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow. 7 "Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. 8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground." 10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." 14 Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." 18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well." 19 Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. 21 The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'"

In this section of Exodus Moses tries to weasel his way out of the calling. God gives him a job to do and Moses keeps coming up with reasons he can’t do it. He keeps saying, "but God..." Now if God miraculously appeared to us and gave us a job to do we would probably do it. But Moses kept dragging his feet.

That is human nature though. Even if God spoke to us from the clouds and told us what He wanted us to do, we would probably think he was talking to the guy next to us. God doesn’t really want to use me does He? I’m not talented or skilled or smart or useful. Most of the time it is because we are such weak vessels that God wants to use us. He wants everyone to know that He is the one providing all of the power and ability, not us. He will call us to do things that are out of our range, but completely within His ability.

What is God asking you to do? He is asking you to do something. He’s not talking to your neighbor, He’s trying to get through to you. What does He want you to do? Ask Him, and be willing to listen and do what He says.

Prayer- Ask God what it is He wants you to do with your life. Ask Him to give you the strength and the courage to follow through.

Expect Great Things With God

2007-10-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

Exodus 3:11-22 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." 13 Moses said to God, "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.'" 15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. 16 "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-- the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-- appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites-- a land flowing with milk and honey.' 18 "The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.' 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. 21 "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians."

But God…what if I fail? Too often we go through life with low expectation, low standards, and meager achievements. Too often we don’t try because we don’t think it’s possible. Too often we give up before we’ve even begun.

Moses has the usual set of self-deprecating questions here in this passage. Who am I? What if they don’t believe me? What if no one listens to me? How can I be sure?

God is very patient with Moses, and fortunately He is patient with us as well. What is God calling you to do? Probably not something as big as He was asking Moses to do, but I’m sure it seems just as big and daunting to you. Is God calling you to something greater? Is God asking you to do the impossible? Is God challenging you to step out of the ordinary and do something that is above and beyond you own abilities?

That is such a scary thing. I bet Moses was freaked out. But when God asks us to step up it is so that He can be glorified. And if God is going to get the glory in what we do it has to be something that is clearly beyond our own abilities. Otherwise we might have a tendency to take the credit ourselves.

Don’t be afraid to follow an impossible dream for God. Don’t be afraid to do something new and different and beyond your reach. Don’t be afraid to ask God to use you in miraculous ways.

He will provide the power and the success and the ability. He will stretch you far beyond what you ever though possible. He did it with Moses, and He can do it with your life as well.

As we will see tomorrow, Moses still had more questions and more excuse for why he couldn’t do what God was asking him to do. Just obey and let God take care of the details.

Prayer- Pray that God would use you in amazing, miraculous, supernatural ways. Offer Him you life and give Him the freedom to do wonders with it.

The Burning Bush

2007-10-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

Exodus 3:1-22 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-- why the bush does not burn up." 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-- the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

I’m sure that there are times in our lives when we really wish that God would speak to us this way. Too often we feel confused, lost, and adrift. If only God would give us some definite direction.

God uses all kinds of methods to get our attention. But we have to be paying attention. Moses could have been so wrapped up in his job that he didn’t notice the burning bush. He could have been so tired that he didn’t have to energy to go over and check it out. He could have apathetic and disinterested and simply ignored the bush.

Instead, Moses paid attention to his surroundings. How often do we complain about God not speaking to us, when He has been lighting bushes on fire all around us? I wonder how often we simply miss what God has for us because we aren’t paying attention, or don’t care.

The Israelites must have been frustrated. They kept calling out to God to save them, but nothing every changed. He God let’s Moses know that He has heard and He does plan to do something about their problem. Have you ever cried out to God for help and felt like He didn’t hear you? Is He there? Does He care about your problems?

The answer is yes. God does hear and He does care. He is doing something about it. The answer might not be what you were expecting, and it might not happen right away, but God has a plan. God never gives up on us.

If we are going to do all that God would have us do, and if we are going to allow Him to help us in our times of need, we have to pay attention. We have to pray and then listen. We have to look for God’s direction and nudging and guidance. It’s there, it’s more than coincidence, its providence.
Prayer- Ask God to call you, guide you, and protect you. Call out to Him in times of need. Ask Him to help you see the burning bushes in your own life. Let god know that you want Him to guide you and lead you down any road.

God in The Details

2007-10-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

Exodus 2:1-25 Exodus 2:1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5 Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" 8 "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water." 11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" 14 The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known." 15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. 18 When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" 19 They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." 20 "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." 21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." 23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

When I was in seminary I took a class on Providence. It was an in depth study of God's sovereign control of His creation. One of the questions that my teacher asked in the class was, "To what degree is God involved with our lives?"

The question was designed to get us to think about how extensive God's providence is. Does He just care about the big important events; or does God direct the details of our lives for a reason too? I mean, does God really care about what color socks I wear or what I have for breakfast?

My answer was that God is involved in even the most intimate details of our lives. God knows when we lay down and when we rise. He knows how many hairs on on our heads. He is directing the events of human history towards an ultimate goal. And that goal is not just about the big things, much of that plan is found in the details.

Sections of scripture like this one help us see just how involved God is in our lives. Every aspect of the salvation of Moses is either a big coincidence, or divinely directed. Even the minute details, like when the Pharaoh's daughter would take a bath.

God has a plan. So often we fail to see or understand that. Even in our own lives, God has a plan. He is directing us towards a goal. He has a purpose in mind for each one of us. God isn't just dealing with the big picture, He is guiding our every step.

Prayer- Praise god for His divine guidance, protection, and Providence. Ask God to direct your every step and guide your path. God chose you and saved you, vow to Him to live a life that honors Him.

Unstopable Growth

2007-10-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

Exodus 1:15 - 2:1 15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." 20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. 22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."

I'm sure that you are familiar with this story. In an attempt to stop the Israelites from growing, the Pharaoh devised a plan to have all the newborn baby boys killed at birth. He asked the midwives to kill the boys as they were being born. That certainly would have limited their growth. But the plan backfires and the Pharaoh is forced to use a more severe method of dealing with the Israelites.

This section of scripture teaches us many different things about the nature of God and how He deals with His people. The one thing that impresses me about this is the great lengths that Satan is willing to go to limit our growth. Not just with the Israelite people, or Christianity, put even on an individual level.

Satan wants to limit our growth as believers. He wants to make us small, weak, insignificant Christians. He is afraid of what we can do if we live a life that is growing and sold out for God. He knows that if he can halt our growth, we will start to shrivel. We might not lose our salvation, but we won't do anything significant for God.

God has another plan for us though. God has given us strength and power and protection. There is no plan of the devil that God can't thwart. Every attempt to stunt our growth can be overcome. God has empowered us, commissioned us, and blessed us.

What are some of the ways in which Satan has tried to stunt your spiritual growth? Business? Substance abuse? Anger? Selfishness? Pride? Satan has a lot of tricks that he uses to trip us up. In many ways he is successful. More and more Christians have had their growth stunted.

In order to do the amazing things that God wants us to do we have to thwart the enemy's attempts at stunting our growth. We have to make a commitment to serving and obeying God. We have to have an excitement for our faith.

Prayer- Pray that God would halt the enemy's attempts at limiting you and stopping your growth. Ask God to use you to do amazing things for His kingdom. Be willing and open to allow God to work through you. Praise Him for all the ways He blesses and protects you.

Into Exodus

2007-10-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

Exodus 1:8-14 8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." 11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.

A number of months back I did a study through the book of Genesis. I believe that a proper understanding of the OT is very important to gaining a proper understanding of the NT. So for the next few months I want to keep studying through the historical events of the OT.

In this first section of Exodus we pick up with where the story of Joseph and his family left off. At the end of Genesis Joseph has risen to power in Egypt. He has seen a vision from God that helped him avert a terrible famine. And he was reunited with his brothers. They all moved to Egypt to join Joseph.

Exodus picks up about 400 years after Joseph and none of the Egyptian leaders remembered who Joseph was or what he had done. Because the Israelites were so numerous the Egyptian government began to fear them. But they more they punished the Israelites, the more they grew.

God blessed his people in spite of hardship and persecution. We will see as the story unfolds, how these same people constantly complained and grumbled and argued. No matter what God did to bless them, they still always found a way to look at the dark side of life.

The main lessons that we learn from the book of Exodus are, God is sovereign and completely in control; God has a plan of salvation; and we need to learn to trust Him in all things.

Prayer- Pray that God would give you a spirit of Thanksgiving and gratitude. Praise Him for all of the good things that He has done for you. Praise Him for all the tough things that you have to go through too, because even the tough times bring perseverance.

I'm Back

2007-10-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my month long absence. I am finally able to get back to my normal blogging schedule. My desire is to do a simple study through the book of proverbs for the next month or so.

Thanks,
Andy

Be Right Back

2007-08-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

I appologize for falling behind in my daily post the last few weeks. With vacation and then the extra work on the new house, I have been out of my usual routine. I promise I'll get back into my normal groove within the next few weeks.

Thanks,
Andy

The Details

2007-08-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 4:9-22 9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers. 22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

When I read the closing remarks of Paul in this letter I am amazed at how common and ordinary his personal issues sound. He is anxious to see Timothy again and hang out, just like we are always encouraged when we get a visit from an out of town friend.

Paul complains about the people that have left him and those who have harmed him. Just like in our own lives there are people who treat us poorly and disappoint us. We don’t wish them any harm, but it is still a bummer.

He asked Timothy to bring him his coat and his scrolls. It doesn’t get more practical than that. Paul simply asked Timothy to bring him some stuff he left behind.

Paul closes the letter out by asking Timothy to say hi to all of his other friends there. Again, this is the same kind of thing that we would write in our own letters to our friends.

All through this section of scripture I can see God providence. God was using the events in the lives of these people, God was clearly using Paul, God was directing their paths, and guiding them. Even in the face of illnesses, persecution, and abandonment, Paul understands that God is right there working. He isn’t unaware of the situation.

It also strikes me how God used this simple letter to a friend to help guide and direct the church. What Paul has to say in this book has edified the church for thousands of years. God works in our lives in common, everyday ways. Even though we might not be writing scripture, God uses our letters, E-mails, conversations, and phone calls to encourage, convict, and strengthen others. God is still sovereign and guiding all the events of our lives.

Prayer- Thank God for His providence, His sovereignty, and His guidance. Praise Him for never letting us go, but always holding things up. Ask Him for the confidence and peace that comes from totally trusting Him.

One Anothers

2007-08-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

This devotion was sent to me from Greg Mazeres. I thought I would share it. It is a good reminder of the importance of unity and relationships.

To-Do List This devotional was written by Kelly McFaddenMy command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13

I like to make “to-do lists.” Pick up groceries, drop off dry cleaning, buy gift for Sue, etc. When things get busy, it helps to have a list I can refer to that reminds me all I need to get done. All “to-dos” are compiled on a sticky note or pad of paper so I can (with great satisfaction) check each item off as I complete it.

Throughout the Bible, there are a variety of “to-dos” for Christians concerning how we are called to treat each other. They are referred to as the “one anothers.”

Here are a few of them:
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another.
Romans 15:7 Accept one another.
1 Corinthians 12:25 Care for one another.
Galatians 5:13 Serve one another in love.
Galatians 5:15 Don’t spitefully hurt one another.
Galatians 5:26 Don’t provoke or envy one another.
Galatians 6:2 Carry one another’s burdens.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another.
Ephesians 4:32 Forgive one another.
Colossians 3:9 Don’t lie to one another.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 Comfort one another.
Titus 3:3 Don’t hate one another.
Hebrews 3:13 Encourage one another.
James 5:9 Don’t bear grudges against one another.
James 5:16 Pray for one another.

When the day gets busy and time gets short, I must admit, these things tend to get put on the very bottom of my priorities. I tend to focus on myself and how others should be treating me, not on how I am treating and reaching out to others. However, as Christians, the “one anothers” list is one of the most important “to-do” lists to have on hand. All of these are ways we show each other love and respect. It is how God has called us to treat one another.

Vacation Pictures

2007-08-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Lilly in the tube, camille and Grace in the raft in the back.

Gracie playing on the beach.

Our fish. I mostly caught small ones, but we had enough to have a fish fry for dinner! The girls thought they were "slimey".

Lilly putting her feet in the pond in the back yard.

We had a great time on our family vacation. We went swimming, fishing, canoing, dirt biking, and did a lot of lounging and reading. What a blessing it was to spend the time with my girls.

Vacation

2007-08-06T00:12:00.000-07:00

I'm gone on vacation to Lake Almanor for the week. Hopefully my cell phone and computer won't work up there. :)

See you soon,

Pastor Andy

More Good Advice

2007-08-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 4:5-8 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Here is some more great advice from Paul to Timothy. Again this is the kind of stuff that I try to keep close to my heart every day.

Be sober in all things. A pastor needs to be level headed and balanced. This is true for all of us. We all need to demonstrate balance in all areas of our lives.

Endure hardships. I don’t like hardships. I’d much rather have everything go smoothly. But there will be difficulties in this life. A pastor needs to needs to demonstrate faith and forbearance in the face of trouble.

Do the work of an evangelist. My job is to share the gospel with others. Again, this is a responsibility that we all share. We need to have a heart for the lost.

Fulfill your ministry. I need to do what God has called me to do. You need to do what God has called you to do. Are you fulfilling your ministry?

In the end the reward for our labor is a crown of righteousness. The Lord himself will reward all of us who faithfully fight the good fight, and finish the course.

Prayer- Pray that God would clearly show you where He wants you to serve Him.

No Ear Tickling

2007-07-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 4:1-4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

This is a passage of scripture that all pastors should be required to memorize. It gives us such straightforward and simple instruction about what our job truly is. As I was reading through this I was struck by how many of these things are not being done by many pastors today.

1. Preach the Word. My job as a pastor is to preach from God’s Word. Not preach my opinions, preach stories, or preach life lessons. SO many pastors today are preaching something other than the Word. But there is true power and authority in God’s Word.

2. Be ready in season and out of season. That means that being a pastor is not a 9-5 kind of job. I need to be ready day and night to share the gospel, minister to those in need, and visit those who are hurting.

3. Reprove, Rebuke, Exhort. These are all words that have to do with correcting people and challenging them. A pastor needs to let people know when they are heading in the wrong direction. According to verse 1 it is God who does the ultimate judging, but a pastor has to be willing to correct people from time to time. This isn’t the easiest part of the job, but it is very important. I can’t tell people that their actions and behaviors are OK when they clearly are not.

4. …with great patience and instruction. This is the attitude that I am to have when I reprove and rebuke. Not an attitude of anger or frustration, but one of patience and peace. The goal is to see people free themselves from the tangled mess of sin that they gotten themselves into. Any correction has to be done in love with simple instructions.

A pastor’s job isn’t to always make everyone happy. There will be times when I have to stick to the clear teaching of the scripture, even if it makes people unhappy. Paul warns that there will be a time when people get tired of listening to the truth and just want to go somewhere that they will feel happy. They will find “ear-ticklers”.

An ear-tickler is a person that just tells you what you want to hear. It is a pastor who tells humorous anecdotes and gives inspiring pep talks all the time. They never rebuke or reprove or exhort. There are a number of these kinds of self-help kinds of preachers.

People will start to find teachers that teach them that it is OK to do the kinds of things they want to do. If someone doesn’t like to hear about the biblical teaching on women in ministry, they find someone who teaches something different. If people want to remain in their homosexual lifestyle, they find Bible teachers who will justify that lifestyle for them. If people want to live promiscuous, sinful, selfish lives they can always find someone who will tell them that it is OK.

It’s natural to seek out the advice of someone who will tell you that what you are doing is OK. But it doesn’t really do us any good in the long run. We should be more interested in surrounding ourselves with people who will tell us the truth in love.

There is a lot of pressure on pastors to just tell people what they want to hear so that they won’t be offended. I’ve come across a few pastors who honestly believed that their job was to fill the pews with more people. More people and more money help to validate the ministry to some people.

My job isn’t to fill the pews. My job is to preach the Word; to correct, and to teach the truth. I’m almost guaranteed to offend some people. But I don’t want the growth of the body to be based on my personality, but on the Word of God. I am comfortable doing what He has called me to do and leaving the growth up to Him.

Prayer- Prayer for strength and courage for me as I strive to live out this biblical mandate that God has given me. Pray that God would bring people into your life that would correct and encourage you in love, and not just tell you what you want to hear.

Our Anchor

2007-07-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 3:14-17 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

These are some of the most famous verses in the Bible. These words teach us so much about the importance of scripture. In many ways this passage is an anchor for those of us who believe that the Bible is to be our sole source of authority.

First of all, the Scriptures are holy. They are pure. They are something that should be treated as sacred and highly valuable.

The Scriptures are able to make us wise. They contain all of the information that we ever need to know how to live a happy, healthy, God-honoring life. They don’t just import general wisdom, but wisdom for salvation. There is no where else that we could go to get this knowledge.

The Scriptures are God-breathed. They are from God Himself. It is not merely the writings of men, it is the Word of God.

It is useful for teaching. It should be at the center of our studies. We can learn so much about who we are and who God is through the Bible.

It is useful for rebuking. There is a standard of right and wrong found in the Bible. We can use it as a guide for holy living. When we are headed off coarse, the Bible can direct our steps. We have a responsibility to show others where they are dishonoring God in their lives. We also have a responsibility to listen to those who need to rebuke us.

Likewise, it is useful for correcting. We all need a little correction from time to time. We have that sin nature that is warped and bent in on itself. We will have a tendency to make some mistakes and we will need people who can lovingly correct us.

The Bible is also useful in training in righteousness. It can make us better people. It will sharpen our lives, hone our walk, and deepen our faith. Regular Bible study will help us develop that close connection with God.

The end result of effective Bible study is a person who is ready to go. Someone who is equipped to handle anything. If you really want to have all the tools that you will need to succeed in life you have to be in the Word.

Prayer- Ask God to open your eyes and reveal Himself to you as you read through his Word today.

Expect Persecution

2007-07-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 3:10-13 10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings-- what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

“Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Is that true? Sure, Paul had been persecuted for his faith, but he lived in a different time and place. Can we still expect to be persecuted for our faith here in America in 2007? We have such religious freedoms here. We don’t have to worry about being thrown in prison for sharing our faith.

Are there maybe other ways in which we can expect to be persecuted for our faith in this day and age? Unfortunately, I think so. First, there will always be people who hate Christianity. For whatever reason, they hate Christians and they hate the Bible and they will do everything in their power to harm it.

Then there are those who want to make us feel stupid or naive for believing in God. There are some over educated people who only worship their own intellect. These people have no faith in anything but themselves.

Sometimes we experience the worst persecution from our own family. Family members who are not believers don’t understand us. They don’t know why we have such a strong desire to see them saved too. They don’t believe in heaven or hell, but we do, and we don’t want to see them there.

Some people persecute Christianity by teaching a weak, watered-down form of Christianity. They teach a different gospel and worship a different Jesus. These people are deceived and they deceive others. Paul says these people will go from bad to worse.

When we become Christians the victory is won, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t still be struggles in life. I think those health and wealth preachers on TV do a huge disservice to Christians by claiming that we should be rolling in dough and never hurting as believers. That is so contrary to the message of the Bible.

Christ saved us from hell, but there will still be struggles in this life. It doesn’t mean that you are lacking in faith, its just a part of the deal. If you want to live a godly life things might not be easy all the time. You will have to make hard choices sometimes.

The important thing to remember is that even though the Christian life isn’t worry free, it’s still the easiest way to go. Even though we won’t be exempt from poverty, sickness, and death, we are far better equipped to handle those problems. Even though we will face persecution, we understand that it is nothing in the big picture.

We are free from sin. We have the Holy Spirit. We have hope and power, and grace and mercy. We have the tools that it takes to make it through any hardship.

I often wonder how people who don’t know God cope with death and loss and sickness. What hope do they have? What meaning can they find in their lives? I know I can expect tough times as a believer, but I also know that I never have to go through it alone.

Prayer- Thank God for His never ending presence with us. Praise Him for shaping and molding our lives, even through the hard times. Ask Him to give you the grace and peace to make it through the dark nights of the soul.

Are We There Yet?

2007-07-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 3:1-9 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also.

Man, when you read a list like this it really makes you wonder of we might be getting close to the end. It says that in the last days things will get a lot harder. It will be harder to spread the gospel, people will live harder lives, and even religion takes a turn for the worse.

So are we there yet? Does this mean that the rapture is coming any day now? I don’t know. It could happen tomorrow, or in another 2000 years. Things could be a lot worse than there are now. There are some OT accounts of times when men were far more depraved, such as the time of Noah, or Sodom and Gomorrah.

The scariest description here is people who are, “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power”. I see that happening right now in so many ways. Not only from the cults, but from supposed Christian teachers who downplay the importance of God’s word and sideline Christ in the work of salvation. There is so much danger of these men leading well meaning Christians astray.

It doesn’t really matter how close we are to the end, our responsibility is still the same. We need to be on guard against these evil people and do our best to share the truth with everyone we meet. Sin, selfishness, and more attractive offers might make it harder to share the gospel with others, but that just means we need to work harder at it. Fortunately we have the Holy Spirit on our side.

Prayer- Ask God to grant you wisdom to identify false teaching and sin around you. Ask Him to grant you the strength to stand up against it. Pray for opportunities to share the truth with people who desperately need to hear it. Ask God to go before you and prepare the way to open hearts and minds to the gospel.

Out Sick

2007-07-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling a little under the weather the past few days. I've got one of those wicked summer head colds. I'll be back to blogging next week.

Andy

Pastoral Instructions

2007-07-10T22:28:00.001-07:00

2 Timothy 2:19-26 19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." 20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Here’s some more very practical advice that every pastor needs to know. First, “The Lord knows who are His”. I don’t know who are His though. One of my responsibilities it to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone I meet. I know that God is doing the real work of convicting and drawing people, but the process still requires people to spread the word.

Second, everyone has a purpose. God will be glorified through all of His creation. God uses those who have given their lives to Him for noble purposes. But even the unbeliever can and will be used by God to accomplish His plans. I’d rather obey God and allow Him to use me for noble things; than disobey God and have Him make an example out of me.

Next, flee those youthful, immature, irresponsible behaviors. Instead of acting childish, Paul instructs Timothy to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. These are the qualities that I want to pursue. My prayer is that God will protect me from evil desires and teach me righteousness.

Fourth, don’t waste time arguing. I’ve already learned how important it is to show kindness, gentleness, and patience with people. I would want others to show me the same respect. There will be people who oppose me, or have different opinions, or just have some disagreements. I have to learn how to provide gentle instruction so that these people don’t become more defensive, but soften.

Thanks for these important lessons on how to be a pastor, Paul. Keep it coming, I still have a lot left to learn.

Prayer- Pray that God would continue to teach me and mold me as I learn and grow in my role as pastor. Pray also for growth and maturity for all of us at Calvary.

Helpful Nuggets

2007-07-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 2:11-18 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. 14 Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

These nuggets of wisdom from Paul are very practical. Stay close to Christ, do waste your time arguing over pointless things, correctly handle the word of truth, and don’t get involved in godless chatter. Each of these things are something that can weigh down the life of a pastor and a church member.

Staying close to Christ is obviously important. He is the one who empowers us and sanctifies us. We need to make sure that we never turn our backs on Him. It is interesting to note here that even if we are faithless at times, He will still be faithful.

It is also easy to get involved in meaningless arguments and discussions. I spent a lot of time in college and seminary arguing over the finer points of theology. And I believe that it was useful in helping me to work some things out. There is definitely a place for theological debate. However it should not be done in such a way as to detract from the real purpose of the church. Our purpose is to spread the gospel, not argue over the end times.

Paul instructs Timothy to correctly handle the word of truth. Make sure that you treat the Bible with the proper respect and attention. That is something else that has the potential for causing a lot of problems. If the Bible isn’t treated properly it will lead to all kinds of heresies.

Finally Paul instructs Timothy to avoid getting involved in false teaching. There were false teachings then and now that divert our attention away from the gospel and cause a lot of frustration. Just steer clear of any teaching that is tainted. I believe that includes a lot of the junk on TBN. Many of those people might have started out with good intentions, but they have wondered away from the truth.

Prayer- Pray that God would help you see the little areas in your own personal life that you might need to work on. Ask God to give you the strength to confront those things and overcome them through His power.

Soldier, Athlete, Farmer

2007-07-06T01:04:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 2:1-10 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-- he wants to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

In this passage Paul gives Timothy some pastorly advice. First, take the things I have taught you and pass them on to trustworthy people. Make the teaching and preaching of the gospel your highest priority. Treat it like a treasure, only entrust it to people who will treat it with the proper respect and care.

Next Paul instructs Timothy to keep up the fight. There will be many hardships and trials in life, but we need to keep our eye on the prize. Paul offers three illustrations; a solder, an athlete, and a farmer. These illustrations show us the importance of keeping our focus, playing by God’s rules, and receiving a blessing for our work.

Are you like a solder? Do you know who your commanding officer is? Do you take your marching orders from God, or from someone else? If your are a solder in the Lord’s army you need to make sure that you know what God has for you to do.

Are you an athlete? Have you been able to run the race with integrity and honor? Are you able to follow the rules and honor God? An athlete performs with purpose and pride.

Are you a farmer? Just like a farmer should receive a reward for his hard work, we will be blessed by God for our service to Him.

These illustrations help us put things into perspective. We are not working for ourselves, but for God. He is the one in charge.

I love what Paul has to say in verse 9 here. Even though he is chained up, God’s Word is not chained. It is free and alive and active and able to change lives. Take it and run.

Prayer- Spend some time in prayer today asking God to give you opportunities to share the gospel with others. Ask for the wisdom and courage to take advantage of those opportunities.

4th of July 2007 - Mount Rushmore Singers

2007-07-03T22:59:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th Of July!

Pastoral Encouragement

2007-07-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 1:13-18 13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you-- guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

Full time vocational ministry is a huge blessing. But just like any job that involves people it can also be draining. Paul often spoke of his friends who encouraged him and supported him. He also mentions people who deserted him and made his life difficult.

So far I have been fortunate to be surrounded by encouraging, helpful, uplifting people…for the most part. There are always going to be those people who seem to take more than they give. Those people who can weigh heavy on a minister.

To those of you who really do give of yourselves to the church, thank you. To those who have more kind words of encouragement than words of criticism, thank you. To those of you whose love of God overflows to a real love of others, thank you. You don’t know how much you encourage me.

Thank you for not being ashamed of my age or my shortcomings, but refreshing me and supporting me. I have it easy compared to Paul, but I still appreciate those of you who go out of your way to show the love of Christ to me and to others in the church.

It is a blessing to serve with such a wonderful group of believers. I am learning that the job is tough at times, but more fulfilling, more amazing, and more joyful than I could have imagined.

Prayer- Ask God to show you ways you can encourage and uplift some one today.

A Lesson In Salvation Theology

2007-07-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 1:5-12 5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life-- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Paul has so much to say about our salvation in these verses. Take a few minutes and read each verse, one at a time. Write out two or three truths about our salvation and relationship to God from each verse. I’ll do the first few…

Verse 5- Timothy has a sincere faith. He faith is real and genuine. His faith was passed down from his mother and grandmother. There is something about Timothy’s life that has convinced Paul that Timothy is genuinely saved.

Verse 6- Salvation is a gift of God. It can be “fanned” or developed and increased. Timothy’s gift in ministry was established through the ministry of Paul.

Verse 7- We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not timid or weak, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline.

Verse 8-

Verse9-

Verse10-

Verse 11-

Verse 12-

I Long To See You

2007-06-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 1:1-4 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.

I plan on starting anew sermon series in the book of 1 Timothy starting next week. But I thought I would do some devotions in 2 Timothy at the same time. I’ve always liked these two books.

The first epistle to Timothy is more of an instruction manual for the church. But 2 Timothy is a little different. It is filled with more emotion, encouragement, and warnings about dangers and pitfalls in ministry.

As I started college and worked my way through seminary I discovered that there is a real joy in being around other people who have a hunger for God’s word. In college I had a group of friends who would meet every Thursday night to debate theology and discuss spirituality. In college I had a number of friends who helped sharpen me and encourage me.

I am very lucky to have a couple of friends who have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Two of my closest friends or Clint Letterman and Justin Wilder. We grew up at the Christian school together. We became close friends in high school. And we have maintained our close friendship all through college until now.

I look forward to spending time with these guys. This week I had the opportunity to go camping with them for a few days. Even though the trip was short, it was encouraging and uplifting just to see them and hang out together. We talked about church and ministry and theology. We also joked around and goofed off a lot.

When Paul writes to Timothy here in this book he says that he “ longs to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.” I think I understand what Paul means. Just the presence of Timothy brought joy to Paul’s heart. He felt more encouraged with fellow believers around him.

Do you have anyone in your life like this? Is there someone who you share a close connection with because of your common faith? Do you enjoy spending your time with other Christians? Do you feel a sense of peace and comfort with other believers?

So often we spend so much time around people who have very different morals. We have to be around these people at work or school. But we should long for the times that we can spend with other Christians.

Make it a point to set up a time for fellowshipping with other believers. Not just at church on Sunday, but that is a good place to start. Join a small group, or start your own small group. Become a part of a midweek Bible study. Not just so you can learn more about the Bible, but for the joy that comes from fellowshipping with other Christians.

Paul longed to see his friend Timothy. Do all that you can to develop these kind of friendships in your life.

Prayer- Ask God to give you a solid network of fellow believers. Pray that you may experience the joy that comes from spending time with other people who also love God.

Who's The Boss?

2007-06-25T22:28:00.001-07:00

Jonah 4:1-11 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." 4 But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?" 5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live." 9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die." 10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

You probably know the first part of this story. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn them about God’s coming wrath. Instead Jonah hoped a ship headed in the opposite direction and tried his best to run from God. Have you ever had a time in you life when you tried to run from God? It doesn’t work out that well.

Jonah was thrown off the ship, swallowed by a big fish, and then barfed up on the beach near Nineveh. God had to be a little more persuasive with Jonah. Has God ever had to speak a little louder to get your attention? Life would be easier if we would listen the first time.

Jonah went and warned the city that God was about to destroy them because of their wickedness. And I guess he must have been pretty convincing because they listened to him and repented. They collectively asked for forgiveness from god and God forgave them. He had mercy on them. He didn’t wipe them out like Jonah had hoped.

This fourth chapter of Jonah finds Jonah angry with God. Jonah knew that God was a compassionate God and that He would give the people of Nineveh another chance. That’s why he ran. Jonah wanted to see the people of Nineveh punished. Have you ever been upset with God for something that happened in your life? Did you have any right to be angry?

At the very end God tries to teach Jonah a lesson about priorities. Jonah went up to a hill to pout and God provided a vine to give him shade. Then God sent a worm that killed the vine and Jonah was upset. He was more concerned with that vine then he was for all the people who lived in the city. Jonah was not responsible for creating the vine or tending it, God was. And Jonah was not ultimately responsible for the people in Nineveh, God was.

The book of Jonah teaches many great lessons, but one of the most important lessons is about God’s sovereignty. From start to finish this is a story about how God gets things done. It is a vivid picture of how He uses us to do His will. It teaches us that we cannot run from God. We are His creation and He loves us and cares for us completely.

Looking back over the events of the story, it is clear to see that God had it all planed out from the beginning. He wanted the city of Nineveh to repent. He knew that a regular prophet would not be effective in such a hard-hearted place. So God used the free-will choices of Jonah to bring about the series of events that took place.

God knew that Jonah would run. He knew that He would provide the fish to save him. And God knew that the sight of a partially digested dude would get Nineveh’s attention. God had it all planned out from the beginning.

How does God do this kind of guiding and directing in our lives? Does He have a specific plan for us? Does God know what we will choose and how we will behave? Does God redirect our steps so that we will fall back in line with His will? Does God even use the sinful, evil actions of some people to achieve His ultimate purpose?

Yes, God has a plan for each and every one of us. Yes, God knows our choices, He knows our thoughts, He knows our hearts better than we do. Yes, God can even use sinful choices and turn them around for His glory.

God is in control. For some people that thought is demeaning or offensive. They want to believe that they are the ones who are in control of their lives. Some people really believe that God is limited by our actions. But that simply isn’t the case.

I find great peace and comfort in the knowledge that God is in control. There is nothing that can throw Him off. God is not merely in control of the big picture, but He is also in control of the details. He is not merely concerned with the destination, but with the journey. As we saw with Jonah, without the unusual journey he never would have arrived at his destination.

Prayer- Praise God for His power and glory and grace. Praise Him for His compassion and patience. Thank God for being near to us and guiding our every step.

The Simpsons - Church Hymn

2007-06-21T14:40:00.001-07:00

I'll be on vacation for the next few days. Here is something just for fun. Maybe we should sing this "hymn" at church on Sunday?

Pray Hard

2007-06-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

James 5:13-20 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Prayer is an important part of our Christian life. If you are not spending time in prayer every day you are missing out. Don’t let your connection to God grow cold. Pray at set times every day. Pray whenever something pops into your head. Pray during the drive home. Pray when someone ask you to pray for them. Pray with others whenever you get the chance.

Spend a little extra time in prayer right now. Make a list, write things down, and let God guide your thoughts as you pray all day today.

Jaames 5:1-12- Simple Instructions

2007-06-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

James 5:1-12 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you. 7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. 12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear-- not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

Don’t take advantage of others, don’t complain, and always keep your word. This passage of scripture teaches these three simple lessons. But for some reason we just can’t seem to get these things down.

We use other people. We treat them like objects. Every day we manipulate, con, persuade, and sweat talk. All too often other people are only valued for what they can do for us and how they can help us. How often do we give something from ourselves to someone who has nothing to give us. How many truly altruistic relationships do we have? There are homeless, sick, hurting people all around. But we prefer the company of the wealthy, healthy, and happy.

Is there a way in which you can reach out to someone who will never be able to pay you back? Do you have an opportunity to do something for someone even though they don’t deserve it? Can you find a way to reach out the those people who are undesirable to everyone else?

This passage isn’t just about not taking advantage of people, it is about giving some stuff up for the purpose of helping others.

Don’t complain. Life is going to be tough at times. James has already taught us that truth. When bad things happen it somehow makes us feel better to think about those who have it worse. James points to Job. Job had it a lot worse than us. He lost his health, his family, his wealth, everything good in this life. But even he didn’t grumble and complain about God like some of us do over minor things.

I think James is telling us not to act like spoiled brats. We have so much, but instead of praising God for all we have and all He has done, we complain that we want more. Just trust God. He is full of compassion and mercy. He will not let us down.

Finally, always keep your word. I like this figure of speech used in verse 12… “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t tell half-truths, don’t weasel around the truth, just be honest.

This is some very practical stuff from a very practical book. Be respectful of others, be thankful, and be honest. The instructions are simple, now all we have to do is follow them.

Prayer- Ask God to open up opportunities for you to be able to show love and compassion to someone who is struggling with something. Ask Him to teach you to be grateful and appreciative through that experience. And ask Him for the strength to be honest with others and honest with yourself.

Nooma 2. Flame

2007-06-18T17:26:00.001-07:00

I'm at my monthly board meeting tonight. Enjoy another one of these great videos.

Nooma 6.- Kickball

2007-06-17T08:11:00.001-07:00

Thank God that he doesn't give us what we want all the time, but that He gives us what is truely best for us.

James 4:11-17- Inductive Questions

2007-06-13T22:02:00.001-07:00

James 4:11-17 11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you-- who are you to judge your neighbor? 13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

??? What is slander?

??? What does it mean to judge the law or judge your neighbor?

??? Is it wrong to make plans for the future?

??? What is this passage referring to?

??? Usually we think of sin as doing the wrong thing. How does verse 17 define sin?

Prayer- Give God praise for His sovereignty and His control. Thank Him for guiding our steps and directing our lives. Praise Him for what He has done, and what he will do in our lives.

James 4:1-10- How To Get Anything You Want

2007-06-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

James 4:1-10 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

How do you go about getting the things that you want? When there is something out there that we really desire- maybe a house, a car, a relationship, a job, money, or even happiness- what tools do we use to reach our goals? Here are a few options:

Steal it- If you can’t have something you want through legal means, you could always just take it. Of course there are some negative consequences to this option.

Manipulate it- You can try everything in your power to use guilt, anger, even force, to try and make people do what you want. Manipulation works well for lots of people. Although it has a way of destroying your character and ruining relationships.

Fight for it- If you want something bad enough you just have to fight and scratch and claw your way to it. Don’t take no for an answer. Don’t let anything or anyone get in your way. It doesn’t matter who you have to step on to get there because the ends justify the means for you.

Bargain for it- Maybe if you make some sort of deal with God He will give you what you want.
Buy it- Some people have the luxury of simply buying anything they want. You would think that these people would be less likely to covet and obsess over stuff, but they are often worse than poor people.

Pray for it- Just keep asking God over and over for what you want. Eventually He will see things your way and give in. But what happens when you pray but still don’t get what you want?

This passage is really not about prayer. It isn’t giving advice about how to get the things we want. While it does help us understand why we don’t get the things we want, the real purpose of this passage is to point out the fact that the things we want are all wrong. It isn’t about how we ask for stuff, but what kind of stuff we should be asking for.

When we are living a life of greed and selfishness we will be disconnected from God’s will. James is encouraging us to make sure that our desires fall in line with God’s desires. Verse ten makes it clear, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

It is not about asking God to give us the things we want, but asking God what He wants from us. When we are living in His will He will give us the desires of our hearts because they will be the same as the desires of His heart.

Watch Your Mouth- James 3:1-18

2007-06-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

James 3:1-18 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

??? Why is being a teacher such a serious thing?

??? What do the illustrations about the bits and the rudder mean?

??? What are some ways that a tongue can cause damage?

??? Why are blessings and cursings from the same mouth so wrong?

??? What is wisdom from heaven like?

Prayer- Ask God to help you keep your tongue in check. Try to actively find ways to use your words to encourage and uplift people today.