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Bible reading schedule, Daily Bible Reading, Jesus, listen to Jesus, Mark, Mark 9:5-8, New Testament, parents, pastors, peers, preachers, priests, professors, serving God, spiritual growth
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May 19, 2011 
Philemon (ESV) by Wordle*
1 Timothy 1 (ESV) by Wordle*
Today’s reading is Philemon 1:1-25; 1 Timothy 1:1-20.
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service…” (1 Timothy 1:12).
I am truly humbled by Paul’s statement here. Paul understood that whatever strength he had wasn’t his own. Therefore, he thanked Jesus for the strength he had.
I rarely thank God for my strength. Rather, I want to come to God and show my strength to Him as if it is something with which He should be impressed. “Hey, God, look at me and my strength. Have you seen everything I’ve done for You. Pretty good, huh?” That wasn’t Paul. No doubt, Paul recognized his own involvement in the work he had done. But he was no fool. Whatever he had accomplished had been by the strength given to Him from Jesus Christ. Without Jesus he could accomplish nothing. Thus, Paul’s strength was not his gift to Jesus. Rather, it was Jesus’ gift to him.
I don’t want to think this way. I want to think that somehow I can be strong and show Jesus how strong I can be. However, when I pursue that course, I always fail. How could I possibly think I can impress Jesus with my strength?
Today, I need to recognize I don’t have any gifts to give Jesus. I need the gifts He has to give me. I just need to turn to Him for that and be thankful.
Keep the faith and keep reading.
ELC
PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link in order to add your input: Post a comment.
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Today’s illustrations are provided by the wordle tool at Wordle.net. You can find my wordles here.
May 10, 2011 
Hebrews 5-6 (ESV) by Wordle*
Today’s reading is Hebrews 5:1-6:20.
“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17-18).
Yesterday we learned the #1 key to getting God’s promised blessings. Faith. Believing that God’s way really will work and thus pursuing God’s plans. Today we learn the #1 reason we can have that faith.
God never lies.
Honesty is completely underrated in today’s world. But God’s honesty and commitment to His promises is profound. We do not have to worry that He will go back on what He has said. We do not have to fear that He will change the rules midstream. We can give ourselves whole-heartedly and with reckless abandon to God and His way because we know He will do what He says. We do not have to go behind Him, checking up on Him. We can just act based on His promises knowing fully that He will keep up His end.
How great is that?
Keep the faith and keep reading,
ELC
PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.
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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.
Apr 26, 2011 
Matthew 13-14 (ESV) by Wordle*
Today’s reading is Matthew 13:1-14:36.
“He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” So the servants said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he said, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn’ ” ‘ ” (Matthew 13:24-30).
I think there is something here I need to learn. I recognize that I’ve spent too much time trying to do what God says even the angels shouldn’t. I recognize of course that there is a biblical principle which Christians and churches must uphold regarding discipline within the local body of Christ (cf. I Corinthians 5:1-13). Yet, too often I’ve seen it as my personal mission to clean up God’s church. It is too easy to go on a witch hunt of McCarthy proportions (is that too cliché to say?). Too often I see it as my job to hunt down all the weeds that have somehow made their way into the church and root them out.
Perhaps this parable teaches something different. Certainly, I am to teach the truth. Certainly, congregational discipline must be practiced. Certainly, I must not equivocate on the teaching of Christ. But, is it really my job to try to figure out who all isn’t completely toeing the line? Is it really my job to try to ferret out every potential error someone, somewhere might have? Is it really my job to figure out who all the weeds are and try to get rid of them? The Master said to back off and let Him deal with it at the end.
I admit, I’m not sure where the boundaries of congregational discipline are valid versus this witch-hunt mentality, but I see that somewhere I have to back off and say that it’s just not my job to figure out who all the weeds are and instead, just get busy planting more seeds.
What do you think?
Keep the faith and keep reading,
ELC
PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a Comment.
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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.
Apr 19, 2011 
Matthew 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*
Today’s reading is Matthew 3:1-4:25.
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! for it is written, ” ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” ‘ ” (Matthew 4:8-10).
Don’t miss the real temptation. Satan is not tempting Jesus with kingship, rule, and power. According to Psalm 110:1-7, Jesus was already promised all this from His Father. He was going to rule all the kingdoms of the world anyway. The temptation was that God’s way to the throne was going to be hard. He had already had to leave heaven to accomplish it. He was going to spend 3 years wandering as an itinerant teacher. He was going to be rejected, mocked, ridiculed, and eventually crucified to get to rule. Satan essentially said, “Hey, why bother with all of that? Here is an easier, softer way. Just bow down and worship me once. Just once. You don’t have to do it for the rest of your life. If you just worship me here and now, you won’t have to take up that cross.” But Jesus refused. He chose God’s way, though it included the cross. And I’m so thankful, because God’s way allowed me to be saved. Satan’s way might have given Jesus rule of the world (though I’m convinced Satan is a liar and would have yanked it out from under Jesus instead of really giving Him the rule), but it would have kept me and you from being saved.
I’m so glad to see this. First, because it lets me know I’m not alone. Satan tempts me all the time. Sometimes I begin to think I’m the only one going through this pressure. But even Jesus went through it. Second, it lets me know how to defeat the temptation. Just rely on God, His Word, and His way. God’s way always works. Third, I’m glad to read it because it helps me really identify Satan’s temptations. I often overlook temptation and sin with a dismissive, “Oh, surely God wouldn’t have a problem with that.” What I need to look for is when my choices include God’s way and the easier softer way. Satan often promises me the very same thing God does. He simply says I don’t have pick up my cross to get the promise. I need to be able to say, “Not today, Satan. I’m going God’s way. It may be harder, but it works.”
Which way are you going today? God’s way or the easier softer way?
Keep the faith and keep reading,
ELC
PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a Comment.
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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.
God’s Way Works
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