Genesis 33, Esther 9/10, Mark and Romans 4

Gen. 33:10 - "For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God." This is what Jacob says to Esau when they meet for the first time since Jacob has run away after stealing Esau's blessing from Isaac. He was expecting anger and violence from Esau and instead received forgiveness and love. Esau truly is reflecting the character of God as he chooses forgiveness instead of vengeance. When we choose to offer forgiveness where it is not deserved, we show the world the face of God.

In Jesus parable of the sower, he lays out for us the strategy of the evil one, when it comes to leading people away from God. The seed is out there...the truth of the Gospel...the working of the Holy Spirit, but there are forces at work trying to keep people away from that life-giving truth. First, Jesus says that Satan steals the truth from some. What does that mean? I think it means that Satan replaces the truth with lies...you are not good enough...God doesn't really love you...how could you ever be forgiven...there is no God...how could a loving God let things like this exist...these lies are believed and the truth is stolen away. Secondly, Jesus says that some believe the truth but lose it when they go through difficult times. Sometimes people with immature faith choose to blame God when things in their life become hard...they run away from God, which is heartbreaking because only hopelessness exists outside of God - especially when you are going through difficult experiences. When someone you love dies, why would you want to run away from God? There is no hope. There is no life after death. It is all just tragic happenstance, if you don't believe in God. Third, Jesus tells of faith that is destroyed by obsession with the world and the material possessions of the world. This seems to be the ultimate American destroyer of faith...we become so obsessed with "stuff" and comfort, that we forget about how desperately we need Jesus. Finally, there are those that hear the word, believe it and live by that truth. Jesus says that their lives bear fruit - their lives have meaning and purpose and hope and joy...needless to say, this is where you want to be. We need to understand the battle that is raging around us if we are going to be able to cling to the truth and to help others grab hold of that truth as well!

Genesis 32, Esther 8, Mark and Romans 3

Whoa there!!! What is all this talk of an "unforgivable sin"? Don't Christians always say that God can forgive anything...that Jesus blood can cover any sin? The sin that Jesus is talking about in Mark 3 is no accidental sin...it is not something that you are going to do without thinking about it...the sin that Jesus refers to is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. He even goes on to explain exactly what it is (Because I am guessing that he knew we would be confused about this)...this unforgivable sin takes place when people who supposedly follow God attribute the works of the Spirit of God in the world to Satan. That is some messed up stuff. Think about the Pharisees in chapter 3 who see Jesus miraculously heal a man (They see it with their own eyes!) but because they love only themselves and their own power they sneak off to figure out a way to kill him! They have seen the God/man Jesus at work bringing healing and redemption to the world and they want to kill him for it. Later on in the chapter, other Jewish people see his miracles and think his power must come from Satan. That is ridiculous! Satan brings chaos and pain...Jesus is restoring order and healing. Jesus is very obviously doing God's work (A good fit, since he is God!) and these self-centered, blind, arrogant, idiots think it is the work of the evil one! God has the power and the love to forgive anything, but I believe these people are so far gone into their corruption that they will not return to God. If they can see the works of God and think they are evil...I'm guessing they are never going to be throwing themselves on the mercy of Christ. Without turning to Jesus there is no forgiveness...thus they have put themselves in an "unforgivable" position.

Romans 3 is incredible...Martin Luther considered this passage to be the central passage of all scripture. If you want to know how to break down for someone our great need for salvation through Christ...Romans 3 tells the story in a nutshell. There is no one good...we all fall short of the glory of God (the glory we were created to reflect)...we cannot save ourselves through "good behavior"...but God made a way for us to become righteous through faith in Jesus Christ...that was always His plan...that is the ultimate testament to His faithful love...this is the picture of hope...this is our story.

Genesis 31, Esther 7, Mark and Romans 2

Jesus deals with the hypocritical Pharisees in Mark chapter 2...and Paul is dealing with hypocritical Christians in Romans 2. The Pharisees look down on Jesus for his interaction with sinners...what they don't understand is that by the very law they never they are shown to be corrupted sinners themselves. It is the sick that need a doctor...it is the sinner who needs the salvation that can only come through Jesus. The sinners around Matthew's table are actually in the better position because they understand their brokenness...the Pharisees don't know how sick (sinful) they are, so they refuse to go see the doctor (approach Christ for salvation). Paul is still dealing with the same issues years later with Christians. New converts who were once Jews are still trying to cast judgment on the people around them, while not realizing the depth of their own corruption. In Romans 2:23 it all comes to a head when Paul explains just how dangerous this kind of judgmental hypocrisy really is...when Christians act as if they are perfect while they wallow in the obvious imperfection of all mankind - they run the name of Jesus Christ into the ground. People turn away from the saving grace of Jesus because of our hypocrisy...because of our judgment...and that cannot stand!

Genesis 30, Esther 6. Mark and Romans 1

Whoa! Jumping into Romans after reading mostly narratives so far is crazy!!! There is no way I can do justice to a chapter of Romans in a short paragraph or two, so I will just write about something that really jumps out at me each day. If you want a more detailed handling of Romans chapter by chapter, you can look at my older blogs...I went through it two or three years ago.

I have Romans 1:14 underlined and asterisked in my Bible and I understand why after reading through it again today. In the midst of so much meaty theological writing by Paul, this jumps out at me because it levels a pretty intense challenge my way. In the verses that come before, Paul is telling the Roman church that he cannot come and see them...he really wants to spend time with them...encourage them...disciple them...but he cannot because of what he writes in verse 14 - he is obligated to continue the ministry that he is doing to those on the margins of the faith. The Greeks and the barbarians...the wise and the foolish. This obligation he has comes from none other than God. Paul's unshakable belief in Jesus Christ...his utter dependence on the Gospel message...demand that he share that truth with people who can be quite difficult. This is a powerful message for me to hear. It is so much easier to do ministry to people that want to be in church...people that come to your church...students who are genuinely great kids who come from Christian homes...that kind of ministry is easy. That kind of ministry is not often soul-crushing...heartbreaking...ulcer inducing...but much as I love hanging out with good kids who want to know Jesus more, I am obligated by the life-changing/mind-blowing/peace-giving/sin-removing Gospel of Jesus Christ to share that message with those who are on the margins of faith and society. The modern day barbarians...those who think they are too smart of be believers...those who seem to be too dumb to understand that they need help...those who are (whether they know it or not) desperately crying out for the truth that I just happen to know (Thanks be to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!). Paul understood his obligations...the obligations of a Christ-following Christian. Do I? Do you?

Genesis 29, Esther 5, Matthew and Acts 28

We closed out the books of Matthew and Acts, and I feel like it is truly fitting to close these books out together. Throughout Matthew we have read along as Jesus bring the kingdom of Heaven crashing to earth...as he shows what true humanity looks like...as he calls people to follow in his footsteps. In the book of Acts, we see the first Christians living out the call of Jesus Christ. Regardless of how the culture around them perceives their allegiance, nothing changes about their dedication. Much of the book centers around Paul who is a living breathing example of the Great Commission throughout the book of Acts. He is constantly going...he is ever in search of new disciples...he is unafraid to teach people about the truth of Jesus Christ...he is a great example of what the discipleship Jesus has called us to looks like lived out. What needs to change in our lives so that we can better reflect true Christian discipleship?

Genesis 28, Esther 4, Matthew and Acts 27

"Bethel" - the house of God. Jacob falls asleep on the way to Laban's land and God reconfirms the ancient Abraham covenant with him. He wakes and calls the place "the house of God" because he knows that God has met him there. Jesus, in Matthew 27, is put through a mock trial, tortured, ridiculed and slaughtered on the cross. This has been the plan since sin first entered into the world. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were told that the nations would be blessed through them...and there on the cross, the ultimate blessing takes place. Jesus makes the sacrifice that was required to offer salvation to the sinful masses of the world. Because of that sacrifice, we can become the "Bethel"...the house of God. Through the righteousness of Jesus, the chasm that sin caused between God and man is removed and God meets us where we are. We become the temple of the living God! Praise Jesus! Do you think about this amazing truth on a daily basis? Do you realize the guidance and strength that you have within you as followers of Christ? Do you live as men and women housing the Spirit of God?

"For such a time as this" - I love that phrase! Why was devout Jewish woman chosen to be the wife of a powerful pagan king (Other than the fact that she was smokin'...)...for such a time as this. Once again the children of Israel re threatened, and once again God has put events into motion that will bring about their deliverance. Esther knows that her life is on the line, but she is willing to step out in faith because she knows that God is faithful. Paul is trapped on a ship...in the middle of a storm...with no food...and everyone has given up hope. Yet, he knows that he has been placed there "for such a time as this." Surrounded by hardened criminals and seasoned warriors, Paul alone has the strength to stand up and lead because his strength does not come by human will. He holds a communion service and promises everyone that they will be delivered by the one and only God. Paul was ready to act because he lived every moment with the understanding that God had brought him to that place "for such a time as this." Do you live with the same confidence? Why had God brought you through the experiences of your life...why has He placed you where you are right now? For such a time as this!

Genesis 27, Esther 2, Matthew and Acts 26

The two meals that are depicted in these passages speak a powerful message of God's sovereignty. Esau is the firstborn child of Isaac, but through deception he loses the blessing of his father (Which is fitting since he stupidly lost his birthright over a bowl of soup before that). Jacob uses a shared me to lie to his father and cheat his brother out of a blessing...yet he is the one who becomes the Father of Israel (He actually becomes Israel himself - his name gets changed!) and ancient ancestor of Jesus. Skip forward 2,000 years and Jesus is sitting down at a meal with his disciples...a meal he shares with someone he knows is going to betray him. He breaks bread with the disciples who will abandon him and the traitor who will turn him in to the Jewish authorities. God eventually uses their cowardice to cement their commitment to the way of Jesus when he is resurrected and he gives them a second chance - almost every one of them is violently killed because of their unshakable faith in Jesus. God uses Judas' betrayal as the catalyst that will end with Jesus' death on the cross...a sacrifice that was willingly made to offer salvation to all who believe. We see over and over that God uses the imperfect...the rejects...the cowards...the betrayers to bring about His will. In our weakness, God is strong.

Fast forward another 2,000 years to now. You may have failed in some areas...you may have betrayed Jesus...turned your back on him...you may be scared of truly following Jesus because of the cost. Remember that you are in good company! You are a faith descendant of Jacob the trickster and Peter the coward. Use these passages as a reminder that it is true - you aren't good enough to change the world...you aren't smart enough to know what to do...you aren't ready to fight for the faith - but God is. We are made righteous through his sacrifice. We are made wise through His Spirit. We are given the strength to do things we never thought we could. Let God's strength show clearly in light of your weakness...trust your life to Him and see what happens!

Genesis 25/26, Esther 1/2, Matthew and Acts 24/25

Why eight chapters today? I'm trying to catch up for missing yesterday, and had a nice quiet morning at the house to read...so here we are! I would love to hear your thoughts on the texts or help you with any questions you might have...feel free to comment.

I have never read through the Bible like this - going back and forth, throughout scripture - and I really like the perspective it gives. Jesus teachings in Matthew today are focused in on improperly using the gifts God has given. We are called to honor God with every aspect of our lives. We are not supposed to wait around for a miraculous sign about how to expand His kingdom...we are supposed to be living to honor Him every moment. Our words...our thoughts...our actions...the little things...the big things...all of these things have been entrusted to us so that we can make a positive impact on this world and make God's name great. In the readings today we see the fallout from those who refuse to take up God's cause in the world and we see the world-changing influence of the "good and faithful servants."

Ishmael, though blessed by God by becoming a father of his own nation, can never move beyond the hurt that Abraham/Sarah caused him and leaves behind a legacy of chaos in his dealing with Isaac's descendants. The fallout from his choice to maintain bitterness instead of fighting for peace is sill felt around the world to this day (i.e. the craziness in the Middle East).

Esther uses her forced marriage as a launching pad for saving both the King's like (Though Mordecai's waning) and the Jewish nation as a whole (later).

Paul is bounced around from prison to prison...from trial to trial...from false accusation to false accusation...and never strays from his commitment to The Way. In fact, it is through these terrible circumstances that Paul is able to make a case for the Gospel in front of the most powerful people in the world.

I want to be that "good and faithful servant." I want to take advantage of every opportunity that is put before me by God...I want to be ready to impact His kingdom...make His name great...introduce people to the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faithful followers do that every day...in the interactions with their families...in their conversations at work...in the way they view the world...in the good times and especially in the hard times (where it seems that God often works the most powerfully!). May you see every day as a new opportunity to expand the kingdom of our awesome Lord (Because that is exactly what it is).

Esther Chapters 7-10

7:7 - Esther really does a good job of manipulating the king to get the perfect situation she needs to help save her people. She gives the king food and wine for two days. She waits until the king has had a little too much to drink and is entranced by her presence, and she springs the trap on Haman. Because the king's senses were lowered by the wine, he is angrier than usual with Haman and does not allow the man to talk his wait out of trouble. I wouldn't suggest getting people drunk when you want them to do what you want, but Esther shows us that it is important to use intelligence ad ingenuity when serving the Lord's will.

7:10 - Haman dies on the gallows he had constructed for Mordecai. How many people have been destroyed by their obsession with hatred and revenge?

8:11 - Not only are the Jews saved through the king' proclamation, but they are given more freedom and power then they have ever had in this empire. Clearly God is at work in the lives of the people described int he book of Esther. God may not be mentioned, but His fingerprints are all over.

9:10/15 - The Jewish people are given permission to plunder the people who are out to destroy them, but interestingly enough they choose not to plunder. Why do you think this is the case? Maybe it is because they don't want to take on the pagan possession...maybe it is to show the king how honorable they are and that they are not trying to make a power play in the kingdom.

10:3 - Mordecai's new found power only serves to highlight the fact that he is a man of integrity. How many times in the biblical narrative have we seen people, even god people, who were given power that abuse it? The more power Mordecai is given, the more responsible ad others focused he becomes.

Esther Chapters 4-6

4:4 - The Queen is actually more distressed about the embarrassment involved in her adoptive father wailing half-naked in front of the palace than she is about what is wrong with him. Did you notice that she didn't ask him what was wrong until he refused to put on the clothes she sent him? Sometimes we get so caught up in appearances that we fail to see the pain and hurt going on in peoples' lives.

4:14 - Is Mordecai offering a prophecy? A prediction? We do not know because fortunately, Esther responds to his call to action. I think we can see here that Mordecai is definitely a man of faith...he believes that Esther has been specifically placed as Queen "for such a time as this." I love that phrase - "for such a time as this"...which begs the question: why has God placed me where I am and what is He calling me to do for His kingdom? I am ready for "such a time as this?"

4:16 - Esther is also a woman of faith - she is willing to put her life on the line for her people, but she wants to make sure that she is covered in prayer by people who are fasting and crying out to God. She knows she needs God's strength to face the challenges before her.

5:14 - Haman's pride and arrogance lead to his downfall. He is blinded by his thirst for revenge and actually sows the seeds f his own destruction.

6:10 - This made me laugh...by trying to heap honor on himself Haman actually ends up personally showering gifts and honor onto his bitter enemy Mordecai.

6:13 - Haman's friends and family turn o him pretty quickly...they actually predict that he will fall because of his hatred of Mordecai. That actually become the prophetic mouthpieces of God, calling judgement down on Haman.

Esther Chapters 1-3

1:16-17 - The treatment of women during this time was deplorable, but the king's advisor actually hits on some deep truth in this passage. When people choose to rebel the consequences are much more far reaching than they can probably imagine. The Queen refused to see the king and the advisor believes that she has brought trouble for all men, because other women will see the example of the Queen and rebel against their husbands. The first thing that came to my mind when I read this was Christian hypocrisy. If people are going to call themselves Christians and then live totally opposite of that statement - they are not only sinning against God, but against all of Christianity and everyone who sees their hypocritical example. They sin against the non-Christian who sees their lack of wholeness and either rejects God because of hypocrisy or believes that Christians can claim faith and then do whatever they want. When we claim the name of Christ - we take on huge responsibilities.

2:11 - I am really impressed by the commitment of Mordecai in this passage. Esther is not his daughter. Esther is basically a slave trapped in the pagan king's harem. Mordecai could have written her off as unclean, but instead, every day he goes to the steps of the harem and inquires about her life. Great example of a man of honor.

2:17 - I don't know if you already know this, but God is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Though he is not mentioned by name, I think it is clear to see that His hand is at work throughout the events. Esther, the poor Jewish exile, is made the Queen of the most powerful empire on earth just in time to save God's people. Hmmmm...sounds like God may have been around.

3:2 - God is not mentioned here, but we see God honored through godly living. Mordecai will not bow because he is a Jew...he is a follower of the most high God and refuses to offer his worship to anything else. I wish there were a few more Christians, myself included that were so careful with where they offered their honor and worship.

Sidenote: We do not know who wrote the book of Esther. It was written years after the event to explain why the Jewish people celebrate Purim (Which commemorates the salvation of the Jews through God and Esther). Some believe it was Ezra or Nehemiah or even Mordecai himself. I personally lean towards Mordecai, because of the failure to mention God. In Ezra and Nehemiah, we see the two men instantly giving credit to God for every victory. Mordecai is an exiled Jew and may not have a sophisticated theology of God and just wrote the facts as he saw them.

3:13 - How many times has this happened in history? Over and over we see that God's people are hated because they are different. Because they have the audacity to stay true to their beliefs in the face of persecution...because they are willing to say there is one and only one God. I also believe there is something more spiritually sinister going on behind the scenes...I believe that Satan and his minions target the people of God to try to