Mark 13-14 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Mark 13:1-14:72.

“Peter said to him, ‘Even though they all fall away, I will not’” (Mark 14:29).

I believe Peter was absolutely sincere when he made this promise. He could not possibly imagine any future event that would make him fall away from Jesus. He was ready to die with Jesus. There was no way he would deny his Master. I’m certain that is true because the guy who pulls out his sword in Mark 14:47 and struck the high priest’s servant was Peter (cf. John 18:10). Peter was ready to fight. He was ready to die. But he was only ready to die on his terms. When Jesus told him to put his sword away, he was confused. He couldn’t understand. He was ready to die in a fight, but it never occurred to him that death might come without a fight. He fled.

How many times have I said, “I’ll never do that”? How many times have I thought that there was some line I would never cross? How many times have I told God, “No matter what, you can count on me to avoid such and such”? Or how many times have I said, “Alright, God, I’ve got this figured out. I’ll never do that again”? How incensed I would get if someone suggested I needed to be a bit more humble. “Oh no, no matter what anyone else does, I’ll never do that (again). How dare you think that of me.” How puffed up with pride. How much I have tried to stand on my own feet. And it was as if Satan was just waiting for that opportunity so he could kick my legs out from under me.

I’ve had to learn some humility. God is teaching me to turn away from rash promises and rather to say, “By God’s grace, I haven’t done that yet. I pray that God will keep me from it.” That reminds me that I have to rely on God and His strength if I will keep from whatever it is. If I ever start relying on me, I realize I will do whatever it is I’m committed to not doing (cf. Romans 7:14-24).

So, today, I’m not making God any promises. Rather, asking God to fulfill His promise to me and grant me the strength to overcome.

Keep the faith today and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Romans 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Romans 7:1-8:39.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32).

For some reason, I keep thinking I need to save myself. I want the reins of my life. I want to be the one in control. I need to get it all fixed and then bring it to God to show how pleased He can be with me. And I wonder why I continue to be covered up with stress, anxiety, and then wander back into sin. It’s like I want to be able to say to God, “What then shall you say to these things? If I’m for You, God, does it matter who else is against You?” I need to see that this is getting everything backwards.

Instead, God is for me. Who can be against me? Satan wants me to believe that my mistakes mean God is against me. He’s not. He is for me. He is so for me, He sent Jesus to die for me. If He did that, how will He not give me all I need to overcome? I simply have to let go of my control and grant Him control. I have to trust Him. When I do, then I start to have peace and joy.

I have a choice today. I can either focus on how bad I mess things up or I can focus on how powerful God is to fix things? The first leads to despair and sin; the second leads to peace and victory. Today, I want to focus on God and His power to fix things. How about you?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. The struggle with these two chapters is they are my two favorites, jam-packed with all kinds of helpful stuff to me. I return to these chapters over and over again. It was hard to pick just one thing to talk about . So, what struck you in today’s reading? I know something had to impact you on than what I mentioned. You can add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is Hebrews 13:1-25; James 1:1-27.

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:19-21).

I have a tendency to equate “save” with “forgive.” While being forgiven is part of being saved, the two are not completely synonymous. Being saved means being made whole, being healed, being fixed. That is what I want. I don’t simply want to be forgiven. I want to be made well. I want the sickness of my sins removed. I want the control of sin removed. I want my defects discarded. I want to be fixed. I want to be saved.

Sadly, I have learned I do not have that power. I cannot save myself. No amount of my good works will do it. No amount of my decision making will do it. I’ve tried that path but I have already let myself become sin’s slave. What am I to do? James says the word of God is able to save me.

Today, if I want to be saved, I need to be in God’s word. I need to be quick to hear it. That is, not only letting its words enter my ears but also allowing them to impact my life. I need to be slow to speak, that is, slow to say the way I think things should be and slow to speak against what I hear. I need to be slow to anger. I may not like everything God’s word says. If I give myself to anger against it, I will not attain the righteousness of God.

I don’t read the word today because God has given me homework. I read it because the word is able to save me and I want saving.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Mark 7:1-8:38.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35).

The depth of scripture is astounding. The layers in one verse amazing.

Those who preserve their physical lives by stepping off of God’s path will lose their eternal lives. Those who so surrender to God even to the point of physical death will be granted eternal life.

Those who want to hang on to their lives by hanging on to their goals, wants, desires, plans, possessions at the expense of God’s goals, wants, desires, plans, possession will lose the life that matters. Those who give up their own ends for God’s will gain an abundant life they cannot imagine.

But today I recognized a third layer. Those who believe they can save themselves by their own strength, power, will, self-discipline, strict adherence, will lose their lives. Only those who understand they cannot save themselves and therefore give control of their life to Jesus (cf. Galatians 2:20) will gain eternal life. As long as I think I will save me by doing God’s will good enough, I will never make it. Once I concede I won’t do God’s will good enough and just give myself to Jesus, then God will grant me the grace, by faith, to overcome and be victorious.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Philippians 1:1-2:30.

“…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

I can relax today. I don’t have to give myself ulcers worrying about how I’m ever going to be pleasing to God. I don’t have to fret that I’m just not ever going to be good enough for Him. He’s working on that. He is working in me both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Part of me wants to rebel against that. Part of me wants to say, “NO! I will do this.” But a very real part of me has come face to face with exactly how badly it goes when I am trying to do this. I have failed again and again and again. Today, instead of failing, I can just give up. That’s right. I can quit. I can surrender. I can admit I am powerless and only botch things myself, so I’ll just have to surrender my life to God and let Him be in control, simply doing what He says.

No, this doesn’t mean I sit on my backside and wait for the cosmic puppet master to pull my strings. It means I can have confidence to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. Why? Because God is working in me. It means all I have to do is learn God’s will and surrender to that. My job is simply to do the next right thing. God is working in me. I can trust that He will get me where I need to go if I simply surrender to Him today.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Romans 13:1-14:23.

Paul gives me some very practical help today. I need to read Romans 13:14 every day. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Today, I must not make provision for the lusts of my flesh. Whenever I go on a trip, I have to make provision. I gas up the car. I pack some bags. I check maps. I print out directions. I run through the ATM. I pack snacks and purchase food. None of these things is the same as going on the trip. They are making provisions for the trip. 

Sometimes I make provisions for the lust of my flesh. Making those provisions is not the same as pursuing the lust of the flesh, but I’m preparing the way for it. I heard a great phrase to describe this. A friend of mine called it making “lust based decisions.” Making these decisions themselves may not be sinful. I can even justify making them because no one can prove they are wrong, but they are packing the bags and paving the way for sin.

Consider an alcoholic. Walking into a bar is not the same as drinking alcohol. I’m not sure anyone can actually prove that walking into a bar is wrong. Sitting at the bar when the restaurant is crowded is not the same as drinking alcohol. I’m not sure anyone can actually prove that sitting at the bar is a sin. But if I’m an alcoholic, what am I doing? I’m making lust based decisions. I’m packing my bags to drink. I’m making provision to sin. I must not be surprised when I actually do what I’ve committed not to.

Consider sexual lust. I’m thankful that alcohol has never been a problem for me, but lust has. I am learning to take God’s way of escape long before I get to the point of lust. I can’t walk down magazine aisles in grocery stores or book stores. I’m not saying that is a sin or that you can’t. I’m simply saying I’ve learned I can’t. For me, that is packing bags and providing to lust. That is a lust based decision because I know the magazines my eyes will find and what my mind will do with them. Is walking down that aisle the same as lusting? No. But for me it is providing for it. As much as I wanted to see it, I had to pass on watching the second Transformers movie. I had seen a trailer and learned very quickly that there was at least one scene that I simply couldn’t handle. Is it a sin to watch that movie? I doubt it. Can others watch it and not be bothered? I’m sure. But for me, going to that movie would have been packing my bags and making provision to lust. There are certain search terms I simply can’t put into Google images no matter how badly I need an illustration picture for a powerpoint presentation or blog post. There are certain streets I simply can’t drive down because I know the billboards that are there. I’ve learned I can’t drink coffee on the sidewalk of the downtown Starbucks in Franklin. You’d be amazed what some women wear down there. (I know some of you are saying, “Man, Edwin, you just need to buck up and get stronger.” I’ve tried that and it hasn’t worked for me. Instead, I’ve got to learn not to even pack those bags because I’m not strong enough to make provision for my lusts and then decide not to lust.)

What about other fleshly lusts? What about hanging around in conversations that have turned to gossip? What about going to lunch with those who slander the boss? What about continuing to listen in on conversations that belittle the church’s elders? What about listening to music or watching shows that increase wrath, vengeance, hate? 

Too many times I get caught up in arguments about drawing lines of what is actually a sin. I become convinced something is not a sin so I think I can pursue that, but eventually it leads me to sin and I wonder how it happened. The fact is, if I pack my bags to sin, if I study the map to sin, if I gas up my car for sin, if I make provision to sin, I’m probably going to sin. 

Today, I need to remember that half-measures will avail me nothing. I’m not trying to be good enough to get into heaven. I’m hungering and thirsting for righteousness and I don’t want to do anything that will turn me from that. So, for today, I’m going to put on Jesus Christ. I’m going to pave the way, pack my bags, and make provision to pursue faith in Him. That is part of why I’m doing this reading every day. I hope it is helping you as well.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 2:1-3:18.

Paul said, “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5). 

This verse hit me like a ton of bricks. One of my great struggles is never believing that I’m good enough. After years of being trained that accidents don’t happen, mistakes only come to those who don’t pay attention, and perfection seems to be the only level of good enough, I really struggle with that. Because I do have accidents. I do make mistakes. I’m a long way from perfect.

I constantly beat myself up for not being a good enough person, good enough Christian, good enough husband, good enough father, etc. The struggle for me is that in trying to be good enough, I was still trying to find my sufficiency in me. Maybe if I just try a little harder, I can be sufficient or adequate. Maybe then I’ll be good enough.

Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that I’m good enough as I am so I don’t have to worry about growing or doing better. What I am saying is being good enough is not going to come from be. If I want to be sufficient, adequate, good enough, I have to quit trying harder and simply surrender myself to God and His will. My sufficiency needs to come from Him. Further, I need to quit trying to gain my sufficiency from other people. That is, I need to quit trying to impress other people so they’ll say I’m good enough and I need to quit trying to push others down so I can feel good enough in comparison. My sufficiency won’t come from either of those sources. 

Sufficiency won’t come from me. It won’t come from other people. It will only come from God. Therefore, for today, I need to put my hand in His and let Him make me good enough by His will.

***Question: How do you find sufficiency in God?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Colossians 1:1-2:23.

Once again, reading the Bible tells me I have gotten things exactly backwards. No wonder I’ve had so many struggles.

Colossians 1:11-12 says, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Then Colossians 1:29 says, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

The concept I have unwittingly had for years is if I endure, if I am patient, if I maintain joy, God will then be with me. But that is not what these passages say at all. Rather, they say that if I am with God, He will empower me to endure, He will empower me to be patient. He will empower me to have joy. If I am with God, He will empower me to toil and struggle and overcome. If I am with God, He will empower me to accomplish His work.

No I don’t believe this is saying God has marked out before time those whom He will empower arbitrarily. I must definitely choose to be with God. I must choose to trust Jesus. However, my power will accomplish nothing. If I’m waiting on me to be powerful enough for God to come be with me, I won’t make it. Rather, I must recognize how powerless I am and abandon myself to God. Then the God of power will be with me and empower me.

I need to get rid of this concept of, “God, I’m trying really, really hard to serve you.” Instead, I need to have the concept of, “God, when I try hard, I mess it up. I’m just going to surrender to you and you empower me to struggle, endure, and overcome. Thank you for qualifying me.”

Today’s reading is Ephesians 5:1-6:24.

Ephesians 6:12 scares me: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (ESV). That right there says the enemy is too much for me. How can finite, little me ever stand up to such powerful forces? Clearly, if my enemy were my next door neighbor, I could pump up at the gym a little bit and probably take him/her out. But my enemy is the devil and his spiritual forces. I’m sunk.

However, I don’t have to beat Satan. God already has. I don’t have to strengthen me and try to take on Satan. All I have to do is be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Did you catch that? Not in the strength of my might because I’m so spiritual. No, in the strength of His might. 

I can’t help but think of the psalmists. I encourage you to read the psalms with the thought in mind of  how they addressed God. Psalm 18:1-3 is a great example.

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

I don’t have to be strong in my might, I need to be strong in God’s might. I need to let God be my fortress, my rock, my stronghold. I simply need to rely on Him. How do I do that?

The text says, put on God’s armor. In other words, if I’m going to be strong in the might of the Lord, I need to put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. I need to prepare my feet by taking up the gospel of peace. I need faith as a shield to extinguish the darts of the devil. I need to don the helmet of salvation and carry the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. When I’m wearing this armor, I’m relying on God and His strength.

One question I automatically ask is where to get this equipment. Where is God’s armory? 

I know when we think of this list, we equate the Word with the sword of the Spirit. However, I cant’ help but notice the Word is integrally tied to each of these.

John 17:17 says, “Your word is truth.

II Timothy 3:16 says training in righteousness comes from God’s scripture.

Colossians 1:5 says the gospel is found in the word of truth.

Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ.

II Timothy 3:14-15 says scripture makes us wise unto salvation.

How do I put on God’s armor? Get into God’s word. That’s why what we are doing here is so important. Staying in the word is not the daily Christian homework assignment. It is the only way we’ll ever overcome the tempter. We can’t win this battle apart from God’s word. The issue is not can I read my Bible enough to be a good enough to go to heaven. The issue is life, strength, and armor are found in the Word, without which I can’t survive the battle.

Think of it this way. Can you imagine a soldier saying, “Do I really have to put on my body armor for today’s battle?” Of course not. Are they putting the armor on because it is their assignment in the military? Of course not. They do it because they know it will be the thing that preserves their life.

So, as always…

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out today’s reading?

Clipart from clipartheaven.com

What a great reminder John 15:4-5 is for me.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.“

Too often I think I can do things and only need Jesus for the really tough stuff. I even remember hearing one guy comment on prayer in a Bible class as he said that too often we pray for the stuff we can do on our own and we shouldn’t burden God with that. But Jesus said I can’t do anything apart from Him. I need to remember this today.

I breath today because Jesus strengthens me. I can walk today because Jesus strengthens me. I can read today because Jesus strengthens me. I can type this today because Jesus strengthens me. I can overcome sin today because Jesus strengthens me. I can teach the Word today because Jesus strengthens me. I can move spiritual mountains because Jesus strengthens me. If I don’t have Jesus’ strength, I have nothing. The fact is, I’m only doing the things I think I can do on my own because Jesus is working behind the scenes. I need to acknowledge Him in all my ways.

What did you get out of today’s reading?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC