Thursday, September 30, 2010
Isaiah 29:1-30:33; Psalm 111:4-9; Proverbs 24:5-6; 2 Corinthians 10:7-11:15

Selected Passage: Isaiah 30:9-18

Isaiah said it very well, and I cannot improve on it. (It's not like my simple writings anywhere else in this blog improves on any other Scripture anyway!) I find it alarming and eerily apt for the USA today. Read the passage again with us in mind.

Here is the specific passage: Is 30:9-18

Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Isaiah 27:1-28:29; Psalm 110:4-111:3; Proverbs 24:2-4; 2 Corinthians 9:1-10:6

Swimming in Our Septic Tank

Scheduled Reading


Isaiah 24:1-26:21; Psalm 109:29-110:3; Proverbs 23:35-24:1; 2 Corinthians 8:1-24

Selected Passage: Isaiah 26:10-11 


¹⁰ The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain;
       but Moab will be trampled under him
       as straw is trampled down in the manure.
 ¹¹ They will spread out their hands in it,
       as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim.
       God will bring down their pride
       despite the cleverness ^[b] of their hands.

 Swimming in the Septic Tank

I apologize for my irregular & infrequent posts of late. I don't make any promises at this time, that this will change any time soon. Our recent surge in activity and the revivals in our area have diverted my attention and resources to other, more pressing needs for the time being. I do not anticipate things returning to "normal" any time soon, nor do I wish them to do so. I pray that this will become the new "normal".

However, rest assured, I am keeping up with our challenge to read the scriptures through this year. Time just does not allow for daily postings of my thoughts on our readings. I will continue to provide the links to the BibleGateway.com website and occasional thoughts as time and opportunity allow.

For example, today's reading from Isaiah just struck me. What a word picture! God will trample Moab as straw is trampled into the manure. Compost comes to my mind. Then he goes further to say, that they "spread out their hands in it" like they may be swimming in the mess. A cesspool came to my mind. Gross. Nasty. No thanks.

But, guess what. When we are fool of ourselves and our self-sufficiency, our pride, even pride in our good works or "non-badness" we might as well be swimming in our septic tank. If we don't humble ourselves and jump in voluntarily, God just might give us a push.

So - confess your sins to one another - there is no faster cure for pride than that. Then repent. Confession also motivates us to never be there again.

Monday, September 27, 2010
Isaiah 22:1-23:18; Psalm 109:22-28; Proverbs 23:32-34; 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:16

Sunday, September 26, 2010
Isaiah 19:1-21:17; Psalm 109:16-21; Proverbs 23:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:12-6:10

Saturday, September 25, 2010
Isaiah 15:1-18:7; Psalm 109:9-15; Proverbs 23:27-29; 2 Corinthians 4:8-5:11

Friday, September 24, 2010
Isaiah 13:1-14:32; Psalm 109:3-8; Proverbs 23:25-26; 2 Corinthians 3:6-4:7

Friday, September 24, 2010
Isaiah 13:1-14:32; Psalm 109:3-8; Proverbs 23:25-26; 2 Corinthians 3:6-4:7

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Isaiah 10:20-12:6; Psalm 108:9-109:2; Proverbs 23:22-24; 2 Corinthians 2:1-3:5

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Isaiah 8:11-10:19; Psalm 108:3-8; Proverbs 23:20-21; 2 Corinthians 1:1-24

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Isaiah 6:1-8:10; Psalm 107:39-108:2; Proverbs 23:17-19; 1 Corinthians 15:58-16:24

Monday, September 20, 2010

 Isaiah 3:1-5:30; Psalm 107:33-38; Proverbs 23:15-16; 1 Corinthians 15:35-57

Sunday, September 19, 2010

 Isaiah 1:2-2:22; Psalm 107:26-32; Proverbs 23:12-14; 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Song of Solomon 4:3-Isaiah 1:1; Psalm 107:20-25; Proverbs 23:10-11; 1 Corinthians 14:26-15:11

Friday, September 17, 2010

Ecclesiastes 12:9-Song of Solomon 4:2; Psalm 107:13-19; Proverbs 23:7-9; 1 Corinthians 14:6-25

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8; Psalm 107:7-12; Proverbs 23:5-6; 1 Corinthians 12:27-14:5

Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Ecclesiastes 8:2-10:20; Psalm 106:48-107:6; Proverbs 23:2-4; 1 Corinthians 12:1-26

Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Ecclesiastes 5:8-8:1; Psalm 106:42-47; Proverbs 22:29-23:1; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Monday, September 13, 2010
Ecclesiastes 3:1-5:7; Psalm 106:35-41; Proverbs 22:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:16

Sunday, September 12, 2010
Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:26; Psalm 106:29-34; Proverbs 22:24-25; 1 Corinthians 10:6-22

Shut My Mouth!

Scheduled Reading
Job 39:9-42:17; Psalm 106:22-28; Proverbs 22:21-23; 1 Corinthians 9:15-10:5

 Selected Passages:
Job 42 & 1 Cor 10:1-5

Job covered his mouth with his hands when he finally heard from God. He essentially said "Shut my mouth! I wish I could take back what I said." God not so gently and very firmly put Job in his place. Job responded with repentance and humility. God restored to Job more than he had to start with. Job could have responded with prideful stubbornness, but he would have forfeited the blessing and provision of almighty God.

First Corinthians 10 recounts to some degree the story of the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage to freedom as the chosen people of God. Paul also parallels the story to the story of redemption. The Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians, we were in slaves to sin. They followed Moses through the waters of the Red Sea. We follow Jesus through the waters of baptism. As they trusted God and followed Him through Moses, He led them toward the Promised Land. We trust and follow God through the Holy Spirit as He leads us to Himself. When the Israelites lost faith and disobeyed God, the lost power and direction and ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.  When we loos faith and serve our flesh rather than our God, we loose power and direction as well.

Our church is experiencing revival like I have never seen before. this account gave me pause as I considered: "Could FBCS have been wandering in the wilderness for the past 40 years?" Ask yourself "What happened in our church 40 years ago?" The year was 1970. Bro. Joe Bartlett had been pastor of FBCS since 1958.

Answer Me!

Scheduled Reading
Job 38:1-39:8; Psalm 106:16-21; Proverbs 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 8:7-9:14

 Selected Passage: Job 38

"YOU answer ME! It's MY turn to ask you some questions now. It is YOUR turn to answer. You cannot even answer just ONE of my questions, and YOU desire to tell ME how to act?"

How arrogant we can be to think that we should advise GOD almighty on how to conduct the affairs of man. Our foolish and stubborn pride blinds us to the fact that we are but dust. From the dust we were created and to the dust we shall soon return. We are God's creation. We are the creature. God is the Creator. He is the potter. We are but clay. God has every right to do to us and with us as He sees fit. Furthermore, EVERYTHING He allows to happen to us, around us, for us, against us, good or bad, WILL serve to bring Him glory. Ours is only a matter of choosing to be a willing instrument to glorify God or an unwilling.

I don't envy Job and the plight that he faced. I can understand his arguments and protest. However, I cannot deny that God was in His absolute right to do as He saw fit with Job and his family. The very fact that the account is preserved for us in Scripture testifies to the fact that, although Job may not have seen the point in the test in HIS day, God has very effectively used those events to bring glory to His name in OUR day.

I wonder, how does Job view the trials he endured from his eternal perspective now?

The Beneficiary

Scheduled Reading
Job 33:31-37:24; Psalm 106:9-15; Proverbs 22:16-18; 1 Corinthians 7:25-8:6

Selected Passage:
Job 35:6

Elihu may not have had everything right in his counsel to Job in the middle of his suffering, but I believe he had this right.  When we sin, how can that possibly affect God almighty? Or if we do what is right, how do we think that could benefit Him in the least?

I believe we often forget that that reason we are to avoid sin, and the reason we are to pursue righteousness is not for God's benefit, but for our own.

God loves us unimaginably. His law has been established for our well-being. When we break the law, when we sin against Him, we only hurt ourselves. Then, as sin goes unchecked, we collectively hurt our society, our culture, our nation. Eventually, like Sodom & Gomorrah, the momentum toward decay is too much and the gangrene must be cut off.

When an infected limb on a person turns to gangrene, would we consider a doctor cruel, vindictive and unreasonable if he amputated such a limb? Absolutely not! We would understand that such a drastic measure must be taken to save the life of the individual. Better to lose the limb than to lose the life. Rather, to sit by and do NOTHING would indeed be cruel.

Similarly, in an act of mercy and compassion the Creator destroys the sin-infected nation. In such a move the Creator is merciful and compassionate. Otherwise the sin-infection would spread to other nations. Left to their own devices, the human race would utterly destroy itself.

The question is... where does the USA fit in this model. Or rather, more importantly- where do YOU fit? How's your sin-infection? You will be the beneficiary of your own repentance.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Job 32:1-33:30; Psalm 106:3-8; Proverbs 22:14-15; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24

Scheduled Reading
Job 28:16-31:40; Psalm 105:41-106:2; Proverbs 22:11-13; 1 Corinthians 5:9-6:20

Selected Passage: 1 Cor 6:18

Today I will borrow  a point brought out by our revival preacher - Lane Johnson, with Life Action Ministries in his message to us Sunday night. I thought it was so profound it was certainly worth reiterating here! In fact, if taken seriously, it should change our perceptions about what we, as Christians, should really be all about.

Matthew gives an account in his Gospel describing Jesus clearing out the temple. He threw out the money changers and had some harsh words to say about them. He reminded the people that God's temple was to be a house of prayer and chided them for making it a robber's lair. Then here in 1st Corinthians, Paul declares that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. In fact he does so previously in 1 Cor 3:16. In both cases Paul is admonishing believers to recognize that fact about themselves in order to help them monitor their own behavior. Since I can remember, I have been taught that there are things I should not do because my body was the temple of the Holy Spirit. Paul mentions sexual immorality. I was also taught not to smoke or do drugs because of this truth. This understanding is certainly valid and wise. However, they only deal with those things I should NOT do because of my "templeship". They say nothing of what I SHOULD be doing.

Jesus made it perfectly clear in Matthew's Gospel.  He said the Temple of God is to be a house of prayer. My body / life (God's Temple) should be characterized by an atmosphere of prayerFULLness.

Where is Wisdom?

Scheduled Reading
Job 26:1-28:15; Psalm 105:35-40; Proverbs 22:9-10; 1 Corinthians 4:7-5:8

Selected Passage - various

Where is Wisdom?
I remember as a young teenager that I believed that if I did some of the things I saw other kids doing, but I knew I shouldn't do them, that God would immediately strike me down until I was a greasy spot on the pavement. That healthy fear kept my behavior pretty much in check until I noticed that no one else around me were ever the recipients of that dreaded bolt of lightning. Eventually my halo began to slip and tarnish. (**wink**)

This morning, as I attempt to return to my discipline of reading and writing daily, (my apologies to the masses of people clinging to my every word! - again wink) I was struck by Job's description of man's futile search for wisdom. Although we can dig into the roots of mountains and extract precious metals and stones hidden inside the earth, no amount of our search can ever yield the most prized possession man could ever hope to find: wisdom. Where is wisdom? Wisdom, Job points out, can only be found in fearing the Lord. Wow. My theology as a 13 year old boy may have been a bit askew, but I was definitely on the right track to find wisdom! If only I had stayed the course!

Sunday, September 5, 2010
Job 23:1-25:6; Psalm 105:28-34; Proverbs 22:6-8; 1 Corinthians 3:11-4:6

Saturday, September 4, 2010
Job 21:1-22:30; Psalm 105:22-27; Proverbs 22:4-5; 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:10

Friday, September 3, 2010
Job 19:1-20:29; Psalm 105:15-21; Proverbs 22:1-3; 1 Corinthians 1:14-2:5

Thursday, September 2, 2010
Job 16:1-18:21; Psalm 105:9-14; Proverbs 21:30-31; Romans 16:17-1 Corinthians 1:13

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Job 15:1-35; Psalm 105:2-8; Proverbs 21:27-29; Romans 15:22-16:16