* I was planning on doing chapters 2 and 3 today, but chapter 2 is so rich and intense I don't want to do that. If I am feeling super holy...maybe I will throw down chapter 3 tonight when I get home.
2:1ff - The picture of who we were - who we are without Christ: zombies walking spiritually dead through this world - wandering lost - controlled by the flesh...slaves to our nature - children of wrath...born out of anger. Uhh...that is not a pretty picture. (Shiver) I scared myself a little there!
2:5 - Even when we were living the life described above...when we were living opposite of God...rebels at war with the image of God stamped on and in every one of us - God loved us so much that He gave His one and only son as a sacrifice, so that we could be woken from the dead sleep walking existence of the sinful life.
2:7 - Why would God do this for us? Because He loves us. Because He created us and He knows what we were made to do (See verse 10 - that is what we were made for). So that He can continue to show His immeasurable love to us and to the world through our living reflect of His love.
2:14 - Jesus is our peace. Is that true for you? Is Jesus your peace? Is he the one and only well that you run to, to quench your spiritual thirst? Do you turn to Christ to be refreshed? Do you lay your worries at his feet and put on the mantle of peace that her offers? I find myself frequently looking for peace...looking for something to take my mind off of "serious" stuff...looking to sit in front of a computer or a TV and veg - just let my mind go. I am on this eternal quest for peace and I know right where to find it...peace is always there. Why don't I take it?
2:15ff - Jesus came to earth as both God and man. Both Spirit and Flesh. In stepped into the middle of a war that is raging between flesh and spirit. He broke down the barrier that our rebellious sin had placed between ourselves and God, and restored the peace that had been destroyed. He stepped in and reconnected us to the God we were made to be unified with...restoring our source of light and life. Jesus brought peace between two entities locked in the deadliest war that has ever existed.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Ephesians Chapter 1 - July 29, 2008
1:7ff - Jesus offers us redemption: meaning he paid the price for our sins through his blood...meaning we get a second chance at new life. He offers us forgiveness: meaning God does not hold grudges...the slate has been wiped clean. We struggle through life wondering what the will of God is, but we don't have to struggle because we know what God's will is through His love and sacrifice. His will is being worked out for all creation...His will is that all of creation will be reunited - that things will be right again, and that will is being worked out through the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. His will for your life is that you accept the gift of salvation fully and that you live to bring more heaven to earth than hell...you live to bring more unity than chaos.
1:13ff - One of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit is that the Holy Spirit living within us is a constant reminder of the future inheritance we have been offered through Jesus Christ.
1:23 - The church is the body of Christ - the fullness of him in this world. What picture are we painting? If I am the body of Christ - what am I making him do?
1:13ff - One of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit is that the Holy Spirit living within us is a constant reminder of the future inheritance we have been offered through Jesus Christ.
1:23 - The church is the body of Christ - the fullness of him in this world. What picture are we painting? If I am the body of Christ - what am I making him do?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Galatians Chapters 3-6 - CHrist in Youth Conference
I was at CIY during this week. I tried to do the quiet time each day, but missed two chapters. Please forgive me. If you have not finished out Galatians - finish it on your own and get ready to roll into Ephesians.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Galatians Chapter 2 - July 18, 2008
2:8 - Remember to never look down on other ministries because they are different or reach out to different people. God does not show favor - His hand is with those whose interest is spreading His Gospel...we just need to make sure that is where we fall.
2:10 - The poor are never far from Paul's mind...I think most of the time I try to put the poor out of my mind, because when you think about the poor and when you feel empathy towards the plight of the poor - you have to do something. If I refuse to think about it, I don't have to do anything. We are told that the poor will always be with us, and that does not give us an excuse to do nothing because they'll always be around...it gives us confirmation that there will always be someone for Christians to help - there will always be something for us to do!
2:12ff - There is always this extreme temptation as church members to look perfect...to act like you think others think you should act. To put on your church mask and pretend like everything in your life is just as it should be. We sometimes act as if we don't really need Jesus...as if we are blessing Him by showing up to worship Him. What Jesus wants is real followers who are willing to live real, uncensored life around one another...that is true community.
2:14 - Practice what you preach, or don't preach it!
2:17ff - If we are trying to follow Jesus and we continue to sin - is it Jesus fault? Heck no! Our sin is still ours, but because we have died to the law, even in our sin we can be justified through the grace of Jesus Christ.
2:23 - Your sin does not have the power to overcome the grace of God. You cannot sin too big to make Jesus' sacrifice meaningless. On the flip side...your life lived as perfect as you can possibly live it is still not good enough to save you. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can save you. Rejoice in the awesome love and grace of our God.
2:10 - The poor are never far from Paul's mind...I think most of the time I try to put the poor out of my mind, because when you think about the poor and when you feel empathy towards the plight of the poor - you have to do something. If I refuse to think about it, I don't have to do anything. We are told that the poor will always be with us, and that does not give us an excuse to do nothing because they'll always be around...it gives us confirmation that there will always be someone for Christians to help - there will always be something for us to do!
2:12ff - There is always this extreme temptation as church members to look perfect...to act like you think others think you should act. To put on your church mask and pretend like everything in your life is just as it should be. We sometimes act as if we don't really need Jesus...as if we are blessing Him by showing up to worship Him. What Jesus wants is real followers who are willing to live real, uncensored life around one another...that is true community.
2:14 - Practice what you preach, or don't preach it!
2:17ff - If we are trying to follow Jesus and we continue to sin - is it Jesus fault? Heck no! Our sin is still ours, but because we have died to the law, even in our sin we can be justified through the grace of Jesus Christ.
2:23 - Your sin does not have the power to overcome the grace of God. You cannot sin too big to make Jesus' sacrifice meaningless. On the flip side...your life lived as perfect as you can possibly live it is still not good enough to save you. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can save you. Rejoice in the awesome love and grace of our God.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Galatians Chapter 1 - July 17, 2008
1:4 - I love to hear people talk about end times and how people are getting more and more evil...it seems clear to me that we are always in the end times. The disciples and the apostles were in the end times, we are in the end times (The end of your life could happen at any moment and that is "en times" - the bible says that nobody knows when the end is really going to come, so don't put too much stock in the human theories)...they were experiencing an evil age, just as we are. Every age in a sin filled world is evil. The present "evil age" is always in the now, just as Jesus' sacrifice is always in the present and always overcoming the evil of the world...conquering death. We have the choice to tap into the death of this evil age or the life of the conquering Christ. I don't know about you, but I want to overcome!
1:9 - Are we as a church preaching and living in step with the Gospel of Jesus Christ or are we going against it? This s a question we need to take very seriously in our lives and in our church. There is only one gospel - period. There is no, "I'll take this part of Jesus, but not this part." Where do we/I fall when it comes to truly loving my enemies - loving at any cost - living a God-centered, not me-centered life? There is only one way...one gospel.
1:10 - Paul is so right...if you are living to please man, as in yourself or mankind, the way of Jesus is not for you. Who would choose to truly live as a Christian if they were living for themselves...that doesn't really work. Who in their right mind chooses Christianity if they want to be considered pc or cool or worldly wise or whatever...nobody! You can only serve one master...if you want to please human beings - Jesus is not for you. If you want to serve God - step on board and get ready for a wild ride.
1:24 - They do not glorify God because of Paul's incredible intellect or faith...thy glorify God because they have seen the miraculous life change in Paul. From Christian killer to Christian maker. People glorify God when they see Him at work in our lives...when they see changes that could not have possibly been from within ourselves. Go live out the resurrection of your life through Jesus Christ!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
2 Corinthians Chapter 13 - July 16, 2008
13:4 - Jesus chose to make himself weak and allow his creation to crucify him, so that he could live and rely on the power of God. We do not choose weakness...we are weak and we are broken, and if we want to live out the lives that God has called us to live, our only option is plugging into His power. We are weak, but we can be strong through God. Don't let your weakness destroy your ministry...let your weakness push you into the power of God, so you can do true ministry.
13:5 - This is something that many of us do not do...take the time to test yourself. We are really good at judging others and comparing ourselves to them, but we should truly block all of those comparisons out and look at our individual lives. Are we living as men and women of faith?
That is the question. When you look at your own life (block out the business and distraction and comparison and really look) - does your faith make a difference? Are your actions and thoughts dictated by the faith you profess in Jesus Christ. It is scary, but healthy, to truly examine yourself. What are you waiting for...go do it.
13:9 - "For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong." Did he just say glad? Because in the same situation, the only thing I could honestly say is this, "For I am jealous when I am weak and you are strong." I have a really hard time rejoicing the the victories and strengths of other people's faith, when it comes in an area where I am weak. And that is dead wrong. If I have my priorities straight and get my sense of worth from my awesome father in heaven...I should be able to rejoice in the giftedness and success of others - even when they are gifted and successful in areas of faith and ministry where I am lacking. God let me be a cheerleader for my brothers and sisters in Christ - rejoicing in their strengths and victories.
13:5 - This is something that many of us do not do...take the time to test yourself. We are really good at judging others and comparing ourselves to them, but we should truly block all of those comparisons out and look at our individual lives. Are we living as men and women of faith?
That is the question. When you look at your own life (block out the business and distraction and comparison and really look) - does your faith make a difference? Are your actions and thoughts dictated by the faith you profess in Jesus Christ. It is scary, but healthy, to truly examine yourself. What are you waiting for...go do it.
13:9 - "For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong." Did he just say glad? Because in the same situation, the only thing I could honestly say is this, "For I am jealous when I am weak and you are strong." I have a really hard time rejoicing the the victories and strengths of other people's faith, when it comes in an area where I am weak. And that is dead wrong. If I have my priorities straight and get my sense of worth from my awesome father in heaven...I should be able to rejoice in the giftedness and success of others - even when they are gifted and successful in areas of faith and ministry where I am lacking. God let me be a cheerleader for my brothers and sisters in Christ - rejoicing in their strengths and victories.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
2 Corinthians Chapters 11 and 12 - July 15th, 2008
11:2-3 - Paul says he wanted to present them as a pure virgin to God, meaning that they had lived only for Him...given themselves completely to Him, but he sees that they are being deceived by the cunning lies of the serpent. From Paul's analogy, we can see how deadly serious it is to reject God for the lies of the serpent. If we as the church are the bride of Christ, then when we turn away we are committing spiritual adultery. When we buy in to the lies of this world we are taking the Spirit of God that lives within us and forcibly joining him with Satanic evil. That is a pretty serious warning to always keep on watch for deceptions that turn us away from the truth of God.
11:7-12 - It is possible that the false teachers were saying that Paul was a lesser man than them because he didn't ask for money. The traveling teachers of the time would ask for differing sums of money...the more eloquent and passionate the speaker was, the more money they would ask for. They were probably saying to the Corinthians, "Look at that Paul guy, who is he? He doesn't even ask for any money - he is nowhere near our level!" How often do we judge the effectiveness of someones ministry by worldly standards (numbers, popularity, etc.)? The life lived and the heart and the message of the person is what I believe drives their effectiveness int he kingdom. There are unpaid ministers all over every church that do incredibly powerful ministry day in and day out, and I think there will be some shock in heaven when we see the humble honored and the arrogant laid low.
11:20 - How often do I put up with something that enslaves me and takes advantage of me? Nearly every day. I allow systems of this world to mold who I am...I sit by and bring things into my eyes and ears that slowly, one step and a time move me away from God...make me numb to the things that God's heart burns because of. There is a war being fought every day...am I taking steps towards God or away...am I making concessions with the world that lead me from God? We have to choose a side.
11:30 - I love how Paul's boasting has nothing to do with what he did...it all revolves around how horrible things have gone for him. He has gotten beaten and nearly killed at every turn of his ministry...that doesn't sound like the greatest resume ever! He is weak and broken and faces trials and temptation every day and the only thing that gets him through it all is the power of God. The only thing that keeps him going is God. The only way he can continue to preach in the face of such danger is because God is with him.
12:9 - Paul revels in his weakness! He allows the hard things of life to drive him towards God instead of away from God. He praises God for his weakness because it forces him to rely completely on God. This is such a different picture from the normal Christian existence. God I want to be like this...I want you to show me my weaknesses - even the ones I try to constantly hide from everyone, including myself...I want to know that I am weak so that I can know that you are strong. I want to give you my weakness and failure and fall into the power of God to make something of my brokenness. That is what I want...that is what I want to chase after.
12:11-ff - It takes a true friend to call you out on sin in your life. I think we sometimes shy away from accountability, because we don't want to be the judgemental jerks that have out own sins to deal with, that are always calling out other peoples' sin. But if we waited til' we were perfect to hold people accountable and call each other to the life that God has told us to live...there would be no accountability. We will never be good enough. That is why I love the way Paul set this up...he goes with humility...he lays out his own weaknesses and faults before he moves on to theirs. That is how you confront your brothers and sisters in Christ...in humility and love. If we truly care about the people in our Christian family, we will say the hard things to them. How could it possibly be love to let someone turn their back on God and fall into destructive sin cycles? That is not love...that is apathetic weakness.
11:7-12 - It is possible that the false teachers were saying that Paul was a lesser man than them because he didn't ask for money. The traveling teachers of the time would ask for differing sums of money...the more eloquent and passionate the speaker was, the more money they would ask for. They were probably saying to the Corinthians, "Look at that Paul guy, who is he? He doesn't even ask for any money - he is nowhere near our level!" How often do we judge the effectiveness of someones ministry by worldly standards (numbers, popularity, etc.)? The life lived and the heart and the message of the person is what I believe drives their effectiveness int he kingdom. There are unpaid ministers all over every church that do incredibly powerful ministry day in and day out, and I think there will be some shock in heaven when we see the humble honored and the arrogant laid low.
11:20 - How often do I put up with something that enslaves me and takes advantage of me? Nearly every day. I allow systems of this world to mold who I am...I sit by and bring things into my eyes and ears that slowly, one step and a time move me away from God...make me numb to the things that God's heart burns because of. There is a war being fought every day...am I taking steps towards God or away...am I making concessions with the world that lead me from God? We have to choose a side.
11:30 - I love how Paul's boasting has nothing to do with what he did...it all revolves around how horrible things have gone for him. He has gotten beaten and nearly killed at every turn of his ministry...that doesn't sound like the greatest resume ever! He is weak and broken and faces trials and temptation every day and the only thing that gets him through it all is the power of God. The only thing that keeps him going is God. The only way he can continue to preach in the face of such danger is because God is with him.
12:9 - Paul revels in his weakness! He allows the hard things of life to drive him towards God instead of away from God. He praises God for his weakness because it forces him to rely completely on God. This is such a different picture from the normal Christian existence. God I want to be like this...I want you to show me my weaknesses - even the ones I try to constantly hide from everyone, including myself...I want to know that I am weak so that I can know that you are strong. I want to give you my weakness and failure and fall into the power of God to make something of my brokenness. That is what I want...that is what I want to chase after.
12:11-ff - It takes a true friend to call you out on sin in your life. I think we sometimes shy away from accountability, because we don't want to be the judgemental jerks that have out own sins to deal with, that are always calling out other peoples' sin. But if we waited til' we were perfect to hold people accountable and call each other to the life that God has told us to live...there would be no accountability. We will never be good enough. That is why I love the way Paul set this up...he goes with humility...he lays out his own weaknesses and faults before he moves on to theirs. That is how you confront your brothers and sisters in Christ...in humility and love. If we truly care about the people in our Christian family, we will say the hard things to them. How could it possibly be love to let someone turn their back on God and fall into destructive sin cycles? That is not love...that is apathetic weakness.
Monday, July 14, 2008
2 Corinthians Chapter 11 - July 14, 2008
I do not have my ESV journaling bible (My wife has it in her van), but I will hopefully comment on chapter 11 tonight when she gets home from work. Feel free to comment on what God spoke to you through the passage.
Friday, July 11, 2008
2 Corinthians Chapters 9 and 10 - July 11, 2008
9:6 - I believe this applies across the board...sow sparingly, reap sparingly. Pray sparingly and you will only have sparing success in ministry. Share the gospel sparingly, bring people into the kingdom sparingly. I long to always sow bountifully from the gratuitous gifts that God is pouring out onto me every day.
9:8 - God is so huge everything matters - everything. He is big enough to care. He is big enough and in love with you enough to care about every aspect of your life. There are no hidden, insignificant parts of your existence...He takes great interest in you and your life and wants to see you come in contact with His will, to use the good gifts He gives to make a difference in this world and the world to come.
Chapter 10 - This is a little weird and pitiful, but I take great pleasure in the fact that Paul didn't have a perfect super-human ministry. People didn't always understand what he meant. Sometimes he found it harder to confront people face to face than from a distance (phone and e-mail are often much more appealing, though a much worse option for confrontation). Sometimes he came across as a little arrogant. I told you it was weird and pitiful, but it makes me feel better because I have many flaws as a minister and ministry leader. I am also happy to know that even though he was flawed God worked powerfully through Paul and Paul understood that he was nothing without God. I hope that I can continue to see that there is no true success in life without God and I know that because He is good and powerful He will continue to use me to do His work in spite of myself.
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