Luke Chapter 13 - August 28, 2008

I'm going to continue to pray through the passages this week.

13:6 - God, thank you for your patience. I know there have been times you have come to me and found my fruit lacking...thank you for giving me time...thank you for building me up. God please let me continue to grow ad mature and bear fruit for your kingdom.

13:15ff - God, please never let me be a leader in your church that has the arrogance to put a dogmatic theological obsession before actual human beings. As a leader it is my job to guide people towards your truth..not try to bludgeon your children over the head with my understanding of your truth.

13:19 - Father, please take the tiny kernel of faith within me and make it grow. That can only happen through your power God...I am too doubtful...too fearful...I can only grow if your Spirit is within me. 

13:24 - God give me the strength to walk the narrow path. It is hard, but to be in our presence is worth it. 

13:34 - God, may we lead our church so that you never have to lament over us like you lamented over Jerusalem. Let us be a house of your truth - where you unadulterated truth can be spoken and accepted, even when it hurts. Let us be a home where you flock can gather to be built up and spurred on towards Christ-like living. 

Luke Chapter 12 - August 27th, 2008

Sheldon and I have been talking a lot about prayer, so I wanted to pray through the passage today. You simply read through the chapter and when you get to a verse that speaks to you, you pray it to God...

12:1 - God please give me the strength to stand true to your word and the life you have called me to...God help me not to live as a hypocrite in this world. Hypocrisy unchecked only leads to more hypocrisy and I don't want that to be my legacy.

12:11ff - God, please build up my faith so that I will never allow fear to stall my ability to share my faith. God let me remember it is not about what know or my slick answers, it is about your Spirit within me and you will give me the words I need. Thank you for that.

12:25 - (Great verse to repeat over and over as a prayer if you are struggling with worry) God, what am I doing...what does this worry add to my life, but more worry? God, please cleanse my mind of the lies of this world and help me to remember that you are in control ad you love me. Worrying only serves to destroy my life and exist as a sign of my lack of faith.

12:31 - God please let me be a man that replaces worry with a kingdom focus. God please help me to take captive my every thought of worry and make it obedient to you...God help me to take every worry and let it be a reminder for me to ignore the worry and seek your kingdom.

12:37 - God, please wake me up. God wake me from the zombie sleep I often walk through this life with...God help me to b fully awake and fully aware of your plan fr my life and your kingdom work. I don't want to waste the time you've given me God...I want to be serving you with everything I have when it comes to your return or my departure.

12:45 - God please help me to fight against the lies of Satan that tell me I have all the time in the world. The lies tell me I can lie however I want from time to time because I have a lifetime to make up for it...God you know that is sick and so do I. God I don't want live a life trying to take advantage of grace ad cheapening you sacrifice...I want to honor you with my life and I need you in me to make that happen.

I love you God, amen.

Luke Chapter 11 - Augst 25th, 2008

11:1 - Sheldon and I will be teaching on this in a couple of weeks. I love how the disciples desire to pray like Jesus. They have seen the power that he wields...they have seen that after every spiritual encounter and before every big decision - he prays. They come to him and say, "Please master, teach us to pray like you!" Do I have that same desire...am I allowing Jesus to teach me new and different ways to connect to my Father in heaven?

11:24ff - You can't just sweep out the bad through your own power and think it's over with...oh no, if you were weak enough to be overtaken before, you will be weak enough to be overtaken when the temptation comes back stronger with more friends. It is not enough to simply clean house in our lives...we must invite God in. We clean out the sanctuary and invite Him in, and when the evil spirits and temptations barged through the door and the all-powerful God of the universe is dwelling inside...uh, needless to say, it is ON!

11:32 - See, the Ninevites needed no miraculous sign...the only sign they got was Jonah and he didn't even want to be there. I imagine that he was kinds mumbling the words he needed to say, because he didn't even want the Ninevites to get a second chance...he wanted them dead. So this random Jewish dude shows up with the truth and the Ninevites are clued in enough to understand it when they hear it - what is our excuse? The Jews are begging for a miraculous sign and Jesus says, "Am I not sign enough? When you hear my words and see my life, is that not enough?" Do you really need to see miraculous signs to believe...I hope not...just look at the way Jesus is calling us to live out. It is so different, so beautiful, it cannot be anything but the truth. It is the truest thing I have ever come in contact with.

11:34 - The eyes are the keys to your own personal purity. What you let in, shapes who you become. Never forget that.

11:52 - What is the key to knowledge? I believe the key to knowledge is humility and teachability...understanding you don't know it all...understand that you cannot save yourself...understanding that you need God to show you the true path...understanding that we all need correction from prophets that come into our lives. See the Jewish religious leaders had destroyed the key to true knowledge by thinking they had it all figured out. They fought viciously against anything or anyone that tried to correct them in their folly. Not only did they destroy themselves...but they brought alot of other people down with them. Never forget that you are a human who has only a sliver of the picture of what is going on in God's universal plan.

Luke Chapter 10 - August 23, 2008

10:16 - There is a powerful responsibility described in this passage for Christians. We are the image bearers of Christ. If we are earnestly trying to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and people reject his way...woe to them. When we call ourselves Christians and reflect only selfish worldliness dragging the name of Christ along with us...woe to us.

10:20 - It is easy as a minister to get caught up in the victories and defeats you see every day. To cheer when great God-honoring things are happening and to weep when it seems like the systems of this world are insurmountable. This verse is a great reminder for me that I can always rejoice n the fact that I am saved. Every day, no matter what comes my way...I am saved...God is good.

10:21 - There seem to be truths that my 4-year-old son Dane can grasp that are almost impossible for many mature Christian believers to understand. It is all so simple...so cut and dry for him...God loves him and that is enough. He doesn't have to know why...he doesn't have to earn anything...he completely accepts that God loves him. He believes and he cannot comprehend how others do not believe...it is beautiful (I'm a little jealous).

10:36ff - Do I go through this life as a bringer of mercy...a dispenser of grace wherever I go and with whomever I come in contact with?   

Luke Chapter 9 - August 21, 2008

9:5 - when people reject you and the message of Christ...do not dwell on it and let bitterness take control of you...shake it off and move on. Getting worked up and angry only gives the opposition power over you. (Remember this verse for later in the chapter)

9:18 - Again, after a miraculous event (feeding the 5,000) Jesus spiritually recharges through prayer...I'm starting to see a pattern!

9:26 - How do you show shame for Jesus and his message? You refuse to let it make any difference in the life you live. You refuse to talk about it to anybody. You let the things and people and obsessions of this world shape who you are and what you believe instead of the message of Jesus. Lord, I ask that you give me strength to live like I am not ashamed of the gospel...I don't want you to be ashamed of me.

9:41 - Wow...harsh words Jesus! Why so hardcore? Because the reason the disciples couldn't drive out the demon is because they feared the power of Satan and his demonic forces. They doubted the power of God in the face of such evil. Jesus rebukes the generation that believes evil has so much power...and then he shows them what true power looks like by driving out the demon. Do you live like you are on the most powerful, victorious side?

9:54 - The disciples reaction was a typical human reaction - they want to repay the disrespect to Jesus with anger. How many times have we seen Christians in our culture angrily railing against anything they think is wrong and disrespectful. Jesus instead chooses to show grace (Just like he did in verse 5 when he tells his disciples to shake the dust off their sandals). Soon he will be entering Jerusalem and weeping for the lost generation that he sees - he feels empathy for those who are apart from him and offers them a second chance to come to him. There are times that Jesus does react with righteous anger...but that is usually in the face of religious hypocrisy. Maybe we should get a little more fired up about the hypocrisy in our own lives and the lives of our Christian brothers and sisters and show a more gracious, loving face to the utterly lost and confused people of this world? Maybe.

Luke Chapter 8 - August 20, 2008

8:12ff - Destroyers of faith: 1.) Lies straight from the pit of hell - the devil's deception. What are some examples of Satan's lies tat lead us away from God? 2.) Never growing - hearing the word and believing for a while, but never seeking to know God more or grow in maturity. What would be some examples of this? 3.) Getting distracted by worldly junk - allowing the temporary to take precedence over the eternal. Examples?

8:15 - The road to a strong faith an spiritual maturity starts with hearing the word of God and actually letting it shape your life. It goes along with what Jesus said in chapter 7, "How can you say, Lord, Lord, and not do what I say?" How is it possible to have a strong faith when you refuse to live out the word of God?

8:21 - They may have been trying to use their relational position to get better treatment, but Jesus wants it understood that all those who hear God's word and live it out are his family, and the spiritual bond is thicker than the genetic bond.

8:31 - The abyss - total separation from God - is no joke! The abyss is not some crazy fun-filled club where you get to hang out with all the cool bad people from the history of the earth, like something from Guitar Hero or Little Nicky. It is so scary and vile and horrible that demons would rather be sent to live in pigs - then sent back to the abyss. Abyss probably not a place we want to end up!

8:39 - Jesus immediately sends new converts out to speak about how God has moved in their lives. It doesn't require special training...it doesn't require years of intense study...it is simply a matter of sharing the love of God that they have seen at that point in their lives. Maturity and faith grow with time, but it is always time for us to share the story of how God has worked in our lives.  

Luke Chapters 6 and 7 - August 19, 2008

Sorry about all the bible blog slacking!

6:7 - There are people that sit in churches looking for reason to complain...looking for flaws instead of worshipping God. They aren't in the best company. Here is a list of the people at our church that fall in that category...j/k...hope you didn't get scared!

6:12 - Jesus prepares for big decisions through intense prayer...why would we do anything different?

6:19 - "And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and he healed them all." I would hope that the people of our community would long to come in touch with Northside because we pour out the healing power of Jesus into our city. That is my prayer for us.

6:22ff - Take a minute...read verses 20-23, and then read verses 24-26. Which one do you more resemble? A scary reminder to seek humility and live with an understanding of your insufficiency's, because in those insufficiency's Jesus is powerful and we are grateful.

6:40 - We have a never-ending quest to train to be more like Jesus ahead of us...sounds like a wild ride!

6:46 - Really good question!

7:9ff - We should sit up and take notice when Jesus marvels at someones' faith. The centurion has an understanding of who Jesus is that surpasses that of the Jews - he is observant and clued in to the Spirit of God that Jesus exudes. He has a respect for the power of Jesus and a faithful expectation that Jesus will move powerfully in his life. We can take some hints from that guy.

7:13 - Jesus compassion for the widow gives us a clue about where our compassion should be directed.

7:44ff - We wary of undeserved "righteous" complacency in your life. This woman lived a sin-filled life and had nothing to offer Jesus but broken-hearted remorse...she gave him everything...laid it at his feet. The "good" man who arrogantly saw himself as "greater than" or "equal to" Jesus offered the son of God nothing. Let's hope we never begin t think that merely letting Jesus "come into our presence" is enough.    

Luke Chapter 5 - August 13, 2008

5:5 - Jesus is no fisherman. Peter is a professional fisherman who has just had a lousy day and just wants to go home. Jesus tells him to stop cleaning up and go cast his nets again. Peter has got to be skeptical, "What does this guy know about fishing?" But even though he doubts - he believe sin Jesus enough to do what he says. We will always have doubts, I hope we will always have enough faith to step out in the midst of doubt.

5:8 - Peter is ashamed that he ever doubted Jesus and falls at his feet feeling unworthy to be in Jesus' presence. The cool thing is that Jesus' sees the potential of Peter...Jesus asks him to be a disciple right after this because he sees that Peter can act even in the face of doubt and that is important. I hope Jesus sees that in me too.

5:16 - We see that Jesus continues to recharge after spiritual warfare with solitude and prayer. Are we getting the hint yet?

5:23 - We all want signs from God...we want Him to tell us exactly what to do and spell everything out for us, but biblically, those kind of signs are reserved for the people with the weakest faith. Jesus hears the religious leaders begin to mumble and he says, "Oh, you need physical proof...that's how weak your faith is...well, here you go - get up and walk!" A greater sign of maturity and trusting God is to be able to act on faith.

5:38ff - These are some in your face object lessons. He is basically saying, "You are stuck in your ways and would never accept me, so I needed to find new vessels for the wild truth that I'm bringing to the table." The new paradigm Jesus was bringing didn't fit into the old "wineskins" of the Pharisees. This is a cautionary tale - don't get so caught up in your ideas of what Christianity looks like that you lose the ability to be molded into what Jesus tells us Christianity looks like.

Luke Chapter 4 - August 12, 2008

4:18 - Jesus applies this scripture to himself, telling his audience that he is filled with the Spirit...basically telling them that he is a prophet.

4:21 - He applies the scripture from Isaiah to himself...essentially he tells the audience at the synagogue that he is the promised Messiah....he is going to be the one to bring freedom and healing and make things right.

4:22-23 - At first the people are in awe of what he says, and then as humans like to do...they start to doubt. They start to say to themselves, "Wait, isn't this the son of Joseph...how could this be the Messiah?" They have their own perceptions about what the Messiah is supposed to look like and they reject the true Messiah when he is right in front of them. I sure am glad modern Christians don't allow their pictures of what they want Jesus to be distort who he really is and what he is calling them to be (Ewww...some sarcasm just dripped on me)!

4:24ff - Jesus sees their doubt and confronts them. He compares them to a time period in the history of Israel that is one of the most faithless and apostate generations. This naturally, ticks the audience off and they decide to kill him because they believe he is a false prophet. Of course Jesus has to die on a cross, so he slips out of the crowd. Each of us needs to be careful when some shares tough truth with us, to consider the validity of what they are saying before we indignantly blow up and metaphorically throw them off a cliff.

4:38 - Simon (Peter) is already showing that he has great faith in Jesus as he comes to Jesus to beg for healing for his mother-in-law. Maybe it is his spirit of trust that leads to his disciple invitation.

4:42 - Every time Jesus is involved is spiritual warfare - healing, teaching, driving out demons, etc...he immediately goes away to get recharged. He spends time alone with God. This is a discipline that is almost non-existent in most Christian's lives. How is it possible that we are able to perform under great spiritual pressure without spending quiet time with God, when Jesus needed that time? Oh wait...it's not possible for us, we just burn out and hamstring our ministries...that's a good plan!

Luke Chapter 3 - August 11, 2008

3:4 - "Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." In the same way that John went before Jesus to prepare the hearts of people to accept him...we need prepare the way for non-believers around us to accept Christ. We can make the path to Jesus straight through the way we live out Christ daily. Every Christian who lives in hypocrisy places obstacles in the path of the non-Christian on the road towards Christ. Prepare the way...don't turn them away.

3:8 - "Bear fruits in keeping with repentance." This means that our lives should actually reflect the fact that we have been changed by Christ. It should look like the sacrifice of Christ means something to us...it should change the way we live.

3:10 - The crowds ask John, what do we need to do to change and John gives them some standards to live by...some standards every Christian should carry around. If somebody has none of something you have two of...give it to them. If you have something somebody else needs - help them. Don't take advantage of the power you have...treat people fairly...accept what God has given you and don't be greedy. Pretty good words to live a life by.

with the Holy Spirit and with3:16ff - "John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you fire. but the chaff he will burn with His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, unquenchable fire." I heard Rob Bell say once that sometimes the flames of heaven are hotter than the flames of hell. Sometimes the path of Jesus...the way that he wants us to follow is a path so terrifying and difficult, that many will refuse to walk it. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire, and if you are not ready for things to change when that comes upon you - you'll be burned up...you will walk away from the fire that wants to burn everything unnecessary away. But the path of Jesus is the only path to true life.

Luke Chapter 2 - August 8, 2008

Mary, the shepherds, Simeon, Anna...all of these people are Israelites that were privy to the knowledge of the Savior before the rest of the country. They were people that caught God's eye as righteous and worthy of such knowledge...even when much of the Israelite religious system was rife with corruption and apathy, God set apart a remnant of faithful who were longing for the promised Messiah. I hope that I can be a part f the remnant of true Christ followers who remain faithful in the face of the secularization and apathy that plague the modern American Christian Church!

3:37 - Anna is a great example of godly widowhood...a woman that does not feel like she has "earned a rest" in life, but one who continues to chase after God day by day. Beautiful!

3:49 - I, just like every parent, want my kids to be safe and healthy, but I also need o be a father who understands that my children are called to a higher standard than living safe and comfortable lives. I must always remember that Dane and Aidan are called to more than just worldly accomplishments and monetary gain...they are called to be the sons of God in this world...thy are called to be followers of Christ, and often dangerous and difficult road. I hope hat I will understand that they are their Father's children...their heavenly Father.

Luke Chapter 1 - August 7, 2008

We have had a long enough Gospel break, so we will rock it out in Luke for a while.

I am unable to write commentary today, but I will verify that I read Luke Chapter 1 and it is my hope and prayer that I can look at the lives of my own sons like Zechariah did ans see that they are growing strong in the Spirit. That is what I want for my kids.

Peace be with you - B

Ephesian Chaper 6 - August 6, 2008

6:1-4 - As a parent, I know it is easy to focus in on a few words from this section: "obey your parents," "honor your father and mother," "discipline." But I need to remember that the command given to me in verse for is to bring my children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Am I raising my kids to be disciplined because they fear retribution, or am I raising my kids to be disciplined in their pursuit of God...to know the words of God in their heart. That is my job.

6:7 - There are people in our culture that feel like they are slaves to their jobs...I have heard many Christians remark about how secular their workplaces are and how much they want to get out, but those are the places we need Christians, right (I say passionately from my computer in the 100% Christian Northside office...I feel lame, but this is still true)? The people that Paul is talking to are actual slaves...they are owned by another person and he is calling them to forget about serving out of human reasoning, but to look at every day as a new day to honor God. That is what all of us should be doing in our places of work. Even if you feel like an underpaid, under appreciated, slave to your job...you can step into the office with an attitude of ministry. Seeing your secular environment as a great opportunity for mission work and service to God.

6:12 - In our ultra-modern, "educated" times, we spend very little time thinking about the spiritual warfare that is raging all around us. There are probably many Christians that don't ever think about the reality of the spiritual realm coexisting alongside ours. We are worried about the now...we are worried about the flesh and blood people all around us that can hurt our egos and hurt our bodies...but Paul warns that we need to wake up and understand that the spiritual war being waged is fought over your soul and your mind - this is a much more dangerous game.

6:18 - I have been reading a book called "Practicing God's Presence," written about a French monk from the 1600's who tried to lived every minute of every day in connecting with God. It is a beautiful concept, that Paul echoes in this verse. A key to spiritual growth and strength is to stay constantly in contact with God...constantly in prayer. It is detrimental to our faith to think about times to pray...segments of our day that we set aside for prayer...while other times are seen as "our time." Every moment is God's moment and I hope I can start to shift to a place in my life where I am constantly focused on God and constantly in connection with my master.

Ephesians Chapter 5 - August 5, 2008

5:5 - We can sacrifice our inheritance by refusing to leave behind immorality and idolatry. Ish was telling us the other day, that when he became an American citizen he had to break all allegiance to Mexico...if we are really going to become citizens of heaven - sons and daughters of God, we must be willing to leave our corruption behind.

5:7-8 - From time to time you see "Christians," (more aptly named "church attenders") who have heard the truth and have theoretically experienced the love and forgiveness of God, yet they refuse to even attempt to walk in the light. We are told specifically to disassociate ourselves with these people. This sounds harsh and ungracious, but they have made their choice and their continued rebellion against God will only serve to bring bitterness and temptation into your own walk.

5:22ff - This is really more about mutual submission than anything. Yes, wives should submit to their husbands...but husbands are supposed to be loving their wives as Christ loved the church. How did Christ love the church? Through servant leadership...he, like a slave, washed the feet of people he created...he left great power and perfection to meet us on our turf...he gave his life in our place. That is the kind of leader that anybody wants to follow. This isn't a passage about how men should dominate the house...this is a passage about how men should set the tone for their houses by making themselves nothing and making the lives of the members of their families better. Mutual submission. The secret to a godly marriage is both spouses putting the other ahead of themselves.

5:33 - There is no place for selfishness in marriage. Imagine the arguments and squabbles that would disappear into thin air if husbands and wives consistently put the other person's needs above their own.

Ephesians Chapter 4 - August 4, 2008

4:1 - A great challenge that goes along with my lesson in HS youth group yesterday. Walk in a manner worthy of your calling. You don't save yourself by living right...you honor the calling that has been placed upon you...you honor the sacrifice of Jesus.

4:4ff - If you ever have any questions about whether there is only one way to heaven...come read these verses. There is ONE hope...and that only comes through ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, because of the awesome love of the ONE God and ONE father of all. Pretty clear cut, huh? We are called into a community of oneness. We serve a God who is the only God and who is the only way...I wish churches could get there act together, so that we could present ourselves to the world with the same kind of unity.

4:14 - We should be always growing. The more you know Christ and seek to be like Christ - the less likely you are to be tossed about by the false doctrines of this world. A good challenge to remember.

4:15 - I like this, "we grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." In living the Christian life, we are saved by grace but our lives should grow up into Jesus Christ. If Jesus is the head - imagine that the head is huge - fully mature and the body (the church, us) is a tiny infant baby. To do justice and honor to the head we are attached to, we need to do everything we can to live lives worthy of the head - Jesus. Our lives should be a never-ending process of growing in faith and maturity...not simply staying the same and using the grace of God as an excuse to live sin-filled lives.

4:30 - Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. That is an intense little command right there. As followers of Christ, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of God...that Spirit lives within us...we are the temple of the living God. When we take this temple (our bodies) and live rebellious sin-filled lives, we are forcing the Spirit of God within us into those situations. That grieves the Holy Spirit...remember who you are and who you carry within you.

Ephesians Chapter 3 - August 1, 2008

3:1 - I always ask myself when I read verses like this...what does my faith cost me? If it's not costing me anything, am I walking in the footsteps of Christ?

3:6 - The mystery of the gospel has been revealed...the mystery is that all men are the children of God. For thousands of years the Jews saw only themselves as God's children, but when the mystery of the gospel is unraveled, the gates are thrown open and all men are welcome. It's a beautiful thing! We just need to remember that this revelation is still true...people that are not believers...people that think differently than us...people that live in countries standing in opposition to us or on the other side of the world...all these people are still God's children and the church needs to be reaching out to them.

3:10 - Great challenge for us as the church - it is our supreme job not to make each other happy or create a comfortable environment where we can go once a week to get a check mark on our checklist of holy living...the church exists to make known the wisdom of God. We make that wisdom known by living lives so freakishly different than the rest of the world that they can't help but sit up and take notice!

3:12ff - I love that the steps to experiencing the fullness of God are so simple (although we rarely get it right)...put your faith in Jesus Christ and let yourself fully drink in the depth of God's never-changing love for you - that's how you experience the fullness...by letting His love fill you...by taking your focus off of your faults and imperfections and how you compare to the rest of the world and allowing yourself to believe that you are loved unconditionally by the creator of the universe.

*Just got this one in under the gun! Ha!