Surrendered- A Gospel Ministry

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

March 4

Exodus 15; Luke 18

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 40: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS WHICH IN THIS LIFE DO ACCOMPANY OR FLOW FROM JUSTIFICATION, ADOPTION, AND SANCTIFICATION?
Answer: The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, fellowship with Christ, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, the privilege of prayer, and perseverance therein to the end.
Scripture: Romans 5:1-5; 14:17; Proverbs 4:18: 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 5:13; 1 Corinthians 1:9; John 15:7.

Exodus 15

Ready:
The previous chapter was about God delivering through tough circumstances even when their faith was failing. He did this to the praise of his name and to lift them up and set their faith upon his name.

Seeing what’s there:
In this chapter I see the response of Moses and the people of Israel as they magnify the Lord and praise him for his victory. Unfortunately this highlight fades with a few tough days and they are again prodding Moses with grumbling and they seem to be questioning the provision of God. God mercifully provides drinkable water for them and explains to them that he has set a statute for them that they are to listen to him and do right before him and then they will be kept from the diseases that overtook the Egyptians (perhaps the boils or maybe the whole lot of plagues). It seems here that this refers to Moses listening to the Lord and following the unusual instructions of putting the log in the water. It seems an action of faith is the response God is looking for when he speaks and I take it he is training his people like a young child learning his way from a loving father.

Key Verses:
Exodus 15:2, 6-7, 11, 18, 20-21, 24, 25-26

Theme:
It may only take a little adversity to turn praise into grumbling, but the Lord has called us to hear him and believe him and to respond in faith to what he tells us.

Thinking about the message:
    v1-21. A beautiful song about God and his might and his strength and his glorious power. “Who is like the Lord” they sing, “awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” They sing about God guiding them by steadfast love.
    v22-27. But then the song changes to a grumble when they seem to forget the lyrics and now they fear and doubt and challenge Moses to do something about their plight. It seems God has a message that it is well and good to praise him after a victory and when you are riding high but will we trust him and praise him in the mire of daily life when things are tough? Will we be pleased to listen and obey at those times? It could be he references the diseases of Egypt because he speaks of their hard heart (represented by Pharaoh). Could God be warning them against a hard heart that turns at the nearest thing that looks like trouble? God says that he is testing them perhaps their grumbling amounts to a failure of the first test. This habit of doubting and questioning the provision of God will plague them in the desert and result in a whole generation of people being kept from reaching Canaan.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
    I hear a message about praising God and trusting God not only when circumstances are amazing and wonderful but also when they look a little bleak and the resolution is not yet in sight. The implication is that God allows less favorable or even bad circumstances in order to train us in godliness. The significance in my life is that I should be cautious to not let praise turn to grumbling and when I sense a grumbling I may want to start praying and praising his name and trusting that there is a log near by.

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because it is easy to fall off of the perch and to come down the mountaintop experience and then be faced with a normal day where things don’s go right and where I don’t see the answer.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to consider my reactions to hardship and consider the swings in my attitudes toward God and my reliance upon him.

Questions to ask:

Do I trust God only after the victory or in the midst of the conflict?
Will I listen and act in faith with obedience or will I grumble?

Responding to God & Reacting to His Lesson:
Tell God about your observations and your thoughts and your struggles with the chapter and determine how it will change or impact your thinking and your decisions. Be sure to react in some way to the truth rather than remain silent.

Proclaiming the Truth to Others:
Decide who you can share what you have learned with and ask for God’s help in reaching out to love others.

Luke 18

Ready:
The previous chapter was about God taking our sin away and acknowledging his work and not expecting praise for obedience but instead offering praise for mercy. This is a good lead in for chapter 18…

Seeing what’s there:
This chapter is about how God saves by mercy and not by payment. Two parables, followed by four interactions make this point. Luke weaves together this chapter similar to Mark chapter 10 with the rich ruler contrasted to blind Bartimeaus and the children. Luke begins here with Jesus teaching a parable about a helpless widow who is all alone and seeks help and receives it by her seeking and asking with persistence. Then Jesus tells a parable showing the craziness of a self-righteous Jew who thinks he is right before God because of his own actions. Then the little children come to Jesus and he explains that this is the way anyone who comes to him does it. Then the man who would seek to show Jesus his own righteousness is disappointed to learn that he has none. Then Jesus makes it clear who in this scenario is doing the work and accomplishing righteousness as he describes his coming death and resurrection. Then Luke describes the interaction between Jesus and the blind beggar who is helpless like the widow and who is dependent like the children and who, unlike the Pharisee and the rich man, knows that he brings no righteousness to reveal but only brings a trust in the mercy of God. This man went home justified and not the others. A man who thinks he stands on his own merit is helpless and blind and he is the one who is alone.

Key Verses:
Luke 18:1, 7-8, 9, 11-12, 13-14, 17, 18, 23, 28-30, 31, 32-33, 38, 41, 42-43

Theme:
The one in need seeks mercy and is saved by the work of God to the glory of God.

Thinking about the message:
   v1. Here Luke is a very helpful narrator and he gives me the meaning of the parable before he even records the parable…thanks Luke!
   v2-8. Jesus presents a parable about a make believe widow who seeks help from a judge who is not God fearing and who does not even like people, yet she is successful in getting his help because of her persistence. This parable, with the help of Luke, is to teach me that I ought to come to God with persistence in my prayers for help and in dependence upon him. Jesus makes is known that God will surely deal with us with more love and compassion and more speed than such a judge. Thus is an encouragement to make my case before God and to be continuos in my cry, knowing that I am looking for help where I am myself helpless.
   v9-14. Here I am amazed at the pride and the gaul of the Pharisee who essentially boasts before God in his lack of sinning (remember the last chapter made it clear that this is not praiseworthy, but is expected). He offers up his religious practices as something God is supposed to be impressed by and he all the while is hateful and unloving and judgmental and harsh and proud and selfish. This man has a dirty house and a so-so porch and garden (see comments on Luke 11). There is no strong men there (Luke 11:21, 25-26). The Pharisee has a false religion and he is the rich ruler that actually sold everything (begrudgingly) only to wind up glorifying himself instead of God. Meanwhile the tax collector is spilled out upon the floor in contrition and he is broken before God pleading for mercy, probably with trembling (Isaiah 66:1-2). It is plain to see that this is the attitude of a born again grace saved believer, not the other.
   v15-17. Here Jesus illustrates that the one who would come into the kingdom will come as a dependent child or he will not come at all. Pretty clear.
   v18-30. Now here is the man who would set forth to merit his salvation, if only he had any actual righteousness. Jesus makes a point at the conclusion of this interaction that one who has devoted themselves to acquiring riches in this life will find it very difficult to give up this life in favor of Christ and it will take an act of God to work this in them. Peter pipes up and boasts that they have given up all they had but Jesus quickly corrects him by letting him know that there is nothing truly sacrificed in following Jesus, we do nothing but receive from God. What we think we sacrifice in our small view is no sacrifice at all. God is a giver now and forevermore.
   v31-34. Here is the sacrifice that is made, not mine. Here is righteousness, not mine. Here is accomplishment, not mine. Here is true surrender to the Father of lights, not mine. Here is the basis for all I would plead for. Here is the basis for all I would ask God to look upon. His is the basis for my ability to approach God. Here is the basis for my right to follow Jesus and enter the kingdom. Here is the basis for God’s mercy upon me and healing of my sin.
   v35-43. Here is the example that Jesus wants us to follow. It is the tax-collector and the blind beggar that are our models. I am to look to Jesus to be the one doing and accomplishing and earning. I am to fall on his mercy and acknowledge my need for repentance and for healing (Mark 2:17). Jesus came to rescue people like this (1 Tim 1:15)! This man does not seek to put his own righteousness on display but knows that he has none worth glorifying like that of Jesus.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
   Considering the rich ruler in contrast to the blind beggar I wonder this…The blind beggar followed Jesus and Luke records that he glorified God and the people who saw also glorified God. What if the rich ruler had met Jesus’ requirement that he sell all he had and gave it to the poor? Would he then have followed and glorified God? Or would he have been self-righteous and expected a personal thank you note from Jesus? Jesus is teaching that the question is not “what must I do?” but “will you please have mercy on me, a sinner?”. I take the meaning here to be that we are to come seeking mercy and not seeking an evaluation of our righteousness. The implication is that even the holiness that God does bring in my life is not something to look in the mirror at or to wave like a flag…only Jesus. The significance for my life is that I need always to put my eyes on him and to drop to my knees in thanks and to lift up his name…never trusting or measuring my own actions or righteousness. It is God’s grace by his mercy in Jesus from beginning to end.

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because I have a mirror that I look at every day and it is easy to be either satisfied or dissatisfied by what I see. I value the correction that my supposed sacrifices are not ultimate but are a trade for something far greater.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to stop looking there and look to Jesus in humility and in joyful worship of my great God who is my righteousness. I can avoid the swings in emotions and in contentment when I stop measuring my own deeds and start reflecting upon his. When I am walking in victory and enjoying a hunger for God and seeing fruit…this is the time to worship and to put my face down and to praise him and to look at him and to ask for mercy (Lam 3:22-26; Psalm 51:17). Sin is ready to pounce upon me and it will use every opportunity to cripple me (Rom 7:21; Gen 4:7; Prov 11:2).

Questions to ask:

Do I think that giving up filth and wickedness and idolatry in favor of glory and honor and peace is a sacrifice? Or giving up tin cans for gold?
Do I think there is something in the mirror that merits a right standing with God?
Do I think God is waiting for me to accomplish something or waiting for me to lay down at his feet and receive his mercy?
When I think I am at my best with God, who is getting glory…me or him? Am I the Pharisee at that moment or the tax-collector?

Monday, March 3, 2014

March 3

Exodus 14; Luke 17

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 39: WHAT IS SANCTIFICATION?
Answer: Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace by which we are renewed in the whole person after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 4:23, 24; Romans 6:11.

Exodus 14

Ready:
In the previous chapters Moses had led the people of Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness and they were led by a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire at night that was the Lord’s presence. They consecrated the firstborn boys and explained the pattern of redeeming the firstborn children and sacrificing the firstborn animals of Israel in remembrance of the passover in Egypt. The Lord led them toward the Red Sea and avoided the Philistines apparently to keep them from having to fight yet in favor of more display of him doing their fighting by use of the Sea. Interesting detail that he knew they would be disheartened by facing a battle and would return to Egypt.

Seeing what’s there:
In this chapter God directs Moses to have the people stall in an area and he seems to bring Pharaoh purposefully against them. Pharaoh comes against Israel with his chariots (pulled by horses that were not “in the field” during the 5th or 7th plague but were most likely protected in stables). God determined that he would receive glory by accomplishing another miraculous feat in defeating the Egyptian Pharaoh and it would be by Israel crossing the Red Sea on dry ground and then drowning Pharaoh’s army.

Key Verses:
Exodus 14:1, 4, 8-9, 11-12, 13-14, 18, 21-22, 28, 31

Theme:
Despite the failing faith of the Israelites, the Lord was determined to accomplish their delivery in a manner that would glorify his name and strengthen their faith in him and in Moses.

Thinking about the message:
    v1-9. Interesting here that God specifically chose to draw Pharaoh out against Israel instead of just leading them through the Red Sea without him in chase. God had a purpose of his name being declared in all the earth and this was how he intended to do it. He knew the people would turn back if he had led them into the area where the Philistines were. Contrasting his efforts to work around the failing will of the Israelites with his hardening of Pharaoh in order to bring him out in chase may indicate that his guiding of hearts at this point is being limited to releasing them to wickedness and not empowering them to godliness, other than the remnant perhaps (Rom 11:4-7).
    v10-14. Here is the crazy failure of Israel to keep their hope in God. They blame Moses for their impending death and tell him that they had already asked him to just leave them alone to serve the Egyptians. Crazy that after all that God has done to get them to this point and they seem to have hearts that are as hard as Pharaoh’s. Strikingly, Moses tells them to sit back and shut their mouths (Ex 14:14). It seems clear that God is going to do a work here for his name and for his purposes and not in any response to the faith of Israel. God is making a point (Rom 9:16-18). Read Joshua 2:8-11 and see the impact this event had upon other nations who would consider resisting or confronting Israel in the future.
    v15-29. Here Moses follows the Lord’s instructions and as God guards the rear of the camp by a cloud of darkness, Moses uses his staff the sees the Sea parted with walls of water on each side. Israel crosses and then God returns the waters and drowns all of Pharaoh’s army.
    v30-31. The final verse establishes the result of this deliverance upon the people of Israel. They went from fearing Egypt and wishing they were back serving them to fearing God and believing in his promises and trusting their leader Moses. This state of faith may not last too terribly long but there was indeed a great work accomplished in the hearts of the people this day that would fuel centuries of tradition and religious devotion.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
      I hear a message that God has large plans at work that involve more than I can know. The impaction is that the circumstances he allows or orchestrates may not always make sense but I can know that he works on a very large scale and my shortsightedness limits my understanding, especially in the middle of a situation. It was not until Israel reached the other side of the Sea they were then able to consider what the Lord had brought them through and they understood that he had delivered them by a mighty hand and they trusted him. The significance for my life is that I should not lose heart in the midst of trials or hardship but I should look ahead in hope trusting that the Lord’s arm is not too short to deliver me and I should trust that he is indeed working for my good in all that happens (Rom 8:28-29; Jer 32:40-41; Eph 1:19; Lam 3:37-38).

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because it is easy to lose heart and think I made a wrong turn somewhere because the results do not seem to be good. Sometimes “bad” things happen even though I might be “trusting God”. Probably my vision is too narrow and I need to hang in there and look to him to provide sustaining grace to get me through until I can see his purposes better.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to consider if my trust is only one circumstance away from failing and I need to prayerfully wrestle with God over giving me a better view of my life and of my circumstances and I need to ask him to give me a broader view of life that considers more than myself.

Questions to ask:

Is there something I am going through that causes me to think it would have been better to have done it my own way?
Does this event give me reason to hang in there and trust the Lord, regardless of the outcomes I see?
Has God promised me a particular outcome in this life as he had certainly done for the nation of Israel (Exodus 3:16-17)? There is one promised outcome for me. Read Rom 8:29, 1 Peter 1:9, 1 Thess 5:23-24. Temporal prosperity here on earth is not guaranteed and should not be a goal anyways if my eyes are set upon Christ (Col 3:1-4; Matt 6:20).

Luke 17

Ready:
The previous chapter taught about justification by faith alone in place of self-justification by works.

Seeing what’s there:
In this chapter I see Jesus teaching first on not being a source of temptation to others. Then teaching that mercy is not owed to us by God and thus should be treasured when it is received. Yet mercy from one person to another is expected because we are all recipients of God’s mercy and it is not a mighty deed that demonstrates great faith when we forgive. We are expected to forgive as a servant is expected to serve. Then Jesus goes on to teach on a coming judgement that will take some and leave others like the waters came for the unrighteous in Noah’s days and the fire came to Sodom in Lot’s day.

Key Verses:
Luke 17:1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 15-17, 21, 29-30, 33

Theme:
Not being a source of temptations and forgiving others are examples of simple expectations and not great feats of faith. God calls his people to trust him and recognize that he is the one who places expectations upon us and not us upon him. He does not owe mercy and we should be very grateful for it…because the alternative is judgement.

Thinking about the message:
   v1-4. Here are two simple expectations that God puts upon his people and these do not represent something praiseworthy…but are merely the right thing. Do not be a source of temptation…pay attention to yourself. This one is hard for me of course…JK. But really, women need to listen to this and think about how they present themselves for sure. The next is forgiveness. Jesus is shocked by the questioning on forgiveness and he makes the clear point that it is expected (Eph 4:32). Note here that the first response to being sinned against is rebuke…followed by forgiveness if the brother repents, to be repeated endlessly it seems.
   v5-6. Here Jesus reacts to the apostles request for more faith in a telling manner. He reads their plea to be a feeling that to act in the way he is saying is a great act of faith and that they will need much empowerment to do such a thing. Jesus comes against that thought and tells them it does not take great faith, merely correct faith. He explains further in the discussion that he is talking about simple expectations and not great feats.
    v7-19. Jesus makes the point here that our obedience is not something praiseworthy but it is expected. In contrast, his mercy should not be expected and indeed is praiseworthy. We tend to get his upside down and we feel entitled to mercy when we fail and praise when we don’t. Jesus is working to untwist the sinful lies that we are convinced of.
   v20-37. Still looking out for our selfish gain and misplaced hopes we too look for a kingdom sometimes that is made of mortar and brick instead of a kingdom that has been in our midst since Jesus walked with us. The Kingdom of God is now and not merely later in heaven. I am to pray for the continual coming of his kingdom purposes and I am to live now for his kingdom purposes. There will be a day when the kingdom is consummated but it will be a day of judgement and dread for many. This second coming will be no secret event but will capture the attention of the world and those who have sought after preserving their life instead of risking it for the gospel will face judgement.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
   I hear a message that it is not a praiseworthy thing to refrain from sin. I hear that I need to take my eyes off of myself and place them on my righteousness…which is Christ alone. He is to be praised and not me. I can offer God only my gratitude and praise in response to his mercy that has freed me and made me whole. The implication is that I should not only think of others and avoid causing them to sin but I should think of the ways that God keeps me and delivers me and I should be giving him thanks and praise because it is only due to his grace that I am anything but a wicked God-hater (1 Cor 15:10; Rom 5:10; Rom 8:7). When he frees me from sin I should not expect some thank you card in the mail from him…I should get on my knees and praise his holy name. Do I think it was in my strength and by my initiative that this was accomplished? I am probably one of the lepers cruising down the road still heading to show the priest how wonderful I am. The significance for my life is that sin may be my big problem in life, but its absence is not the big answer. Remember the empty house? I need Jesus. I need God filling me with his Spirit and making me his own. I need to be ruled and animated by God that I may live a life that is hidden in him (Col 3:1-3). Jesus is my righteousness, not my repenting or my lack of this or that sin…that is expected. Not being wicked is merely that. Righteousness is something that can only be received by indwelling and by transformation. Righteousness is bigger than me and bigger than I can imagine. The righteousness of God is Jesus and he alone if mighty enough to carry that weight of glory. I need to seek righteousness as my top priority (Matt 6:33) but let me not get the idea that his is a lack of sin…nope. Way past that and it is only achieved by Jesus through his Spirit and I get is by falling on him and by seeking him and by relying on him and by crying out for mercy…not by looking in the mirror or asking him to recognize what I am doing. Ask Job how that went for him…and I bet he was “more righteous” than me or you by a little bit (Job 38:1-3ff).

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable to me because it helps me to see plainly why I need to not be looking in the mirror when I should be on my face in worship and thanks.

Reflecting on the message:
Let me consider each day what my view of myself is and whether I have pride where humility should be. Let me consider if I am mindful of my influence on others and where I can be leading others to sin by my own actions. Let me be mindful of what God is accomplishing in me and let me give him thanks.

Questions to ask:

Is a lack of certain sins the goal?
Does righteousness consist of the absence of sin?
Where is God at work in me that I am not praising him adequately for?
Am I looking for some jackpot ahead or am I making his name known and living in the kingdom now?

Sunday, March 2, 2014

March 2

Exodus 13; Luke 16

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 37: WHAT IS JUSTIFICATION?
Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, by which he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
Scripture: Romans 3:24; 5:19; Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:16.

Exodus 13

Later...

Luke 16

Ready:
The previous chapter spoke on the celebration of recovering lost things and the recognition of what blessing we have in the family of God…we have God!

Seeing what’s there:
This chapter picks up from the parable of the prodigal son and illustrates that one can waste away resources without going anywhere. In a series of statements and another parable Jesus makes clear that being “found” involves a proper separation from the old contract of performance (which tends toward pride in the human heart) and an embracing of a new contract of dependance (which requires and sustains humility). Obedience of faith fulfills and now upholds obedience to a law that could previously only enslave.

Theme:
Death to self-justification by the law is required to enjoy Christ-justification by faith. To keep self-justification and add justification by faith is akin to adultery and will exclude us from union with Christ.

Thinking about the message:
   v1-9. This dishonest manager never left but he spoiled away the master’s resources right where he was. This manager was not interested in the purposes of the master but in his own purposes. So he was misusing what he was blessed with by the master. He then worked to justify himself before his friends by spending more of his masters money, which was wicked. However, surprisingly, the master praises the man for his shrewdness because he was planning ahead and was spending resources to bless others. The motive in this case was skewed, but the action was compassionate. This compassion, this mercy, is salty…it’s attractive. Christians should spend more resources like this and draw others into the kingdom by compassion like how the Philippian jailer was saved (Acts 16:26-30).
   v10-13. Here Jesus teaches that if I am in love with money and it rules me such that I use it for my own purposes instead of God’s purposes then I am like the dishonest manager and there is no reason for him to put me in charge of the gospel advancement. If I waste his money instead of blessing others and extending the gospel with it then I am serving money instead of God. The closing statement is that nobody can serve two masters at once and this leads into the next teaching.
   v14-17. Here Jesus speaks on the law vs the gospel. He suggests that the Pharisees were using the law to try to justify themselves by demonstrating godliness (Rom 9:31-32) when justification does not come through one’s own righteousness (Phil 3:9), but through one’s trusting of God to save the ungodly (Rom 10:9-13; Rom 4:2-5). The prideful thought of earning the mercy of God is abominable and a stench to God (Rom 11:6). He makes clear the John the Baptist was the end of the OT law based message and now the solution (grace) has arrived that will not nullify or erase the law but will fulfill it (Rom 8:4; Rom 4:30-31) by love (Gal 5:5-6; Rom 13:8-10)!
   v18. In a seemingly odd spot Luke decides to record what Jesus said about divorce but I take this as related to the preceding paragraph on the law vs. gospel. Rom 7:1-3, 4-6 spells out how we are bound to the law like a husband and we must die to be freed from this law of marriage in order to be joined to another. Jesus refers to the Pharisees as an adulterous and sinful generation that would deny him and his words (Mark 8:38). Jesus speaks in Ephesians 5:25-33 about the bond of marriage being a mystery that is actually about the bond between Jesus and the church. It becomes clear that it is adultery to maintain a trust in the law when Jesus is the bridegroom of the church. We must die to the law and put faith in Jesus alone or we are adulterers and we are not united to Christ.
   v19-31. Here the rich man received just what he desired in this life and the main point of this story seems to be that no signs will make a difference for this wicked generation, not even a resurrection. This is evident and for our day today this is Jesus’ word to us that the testimony of his Word is adequate and there are no special evidences due to anyone. God has worked wonders and it is all presented to us in his inspired Word. Let us listen and fear the Lord.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
   Jesus makes it clear that there is no room for justification by works. There is no room for boasting. There is no place for pride. The implication is that I need to drop any effort to win my salvation or my standing with God by any effort of my own. The significance for me is that I need to simply accept that Jesus did the work and rest in his wonderful provision. I do not need to stress out each day with how well I am doing or if I am living up to the Christian standard each second. I need to seek Jesus and trust his Spirit to be at work in me.

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because if I trust in the law or in my works then I am not under grace and I am doomed.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to consider my motives and actions and make sure I am not acting out of an effort to merit my position with God. I need to trust him and joyfully surrender in love.

Questions to ask:

Are their ways that I am relying on my works instead of on Jesus’?
Am I trying to serve the law and Jesus?

Saturday, March 1, 2014

March 1

Exodus 12:21-51; Luke 15

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 36: WHAT BENEFITS DO THOSE WHO ARE EFFECTUALLY CALLED RECEIVE IN THIS LIFE?
Answer: Those who are effectually called receive in this life justifica- tion, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life accompany or flow from them.
Scripture: Romans 8:30-32; Galatians 3:26; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11; Ephesians 1:5.

Comment: We must distinguish effectual calling from the general call of the gospel. Not all who hear the gospel believe. But all who are effectually called by God do believe. The call creates what it commands.

Exodus 12:21-51

Behind again...

Luke 15

Friday, February 28, 2014

February 28

Exodus 11:1-12:20; Luke 14

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 35: WHAT IS EFFECTUAL CALLING?
Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, to convince us of our sin and misery, to enlighten our minds in the knowledge of Christ, to renew our wills, and thus persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:9; John 6:44, 45; 16:8-11; Acts 2:37; 26:18; Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 8:30; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 12:3.

Exodus 11:1-12:20

Ready:
In the previous chapter Pharaoh became completely resistant and so hardened that he ended up threatening Moses’ life and refusing to hear any further argument or to see his face at all.

Seeing what’s there:
In this unit of scripture I see Moses deliver the warning of the final plague to Pharaoh and there is no recorded response but Moses leaves his presence in anger over his hard hearted refusal. God then reveals to Moses and Aaron detailed instructions on how the Israelites are to avoid the death sentence of this plague upon the firstborn. In this passage God directs them to change their calendar and to begin an annual ceremony to commemorate what is about to happen. It is clear that this is going to be a huge foundational event in the history of the nation and God plans to show up big time. The instructions include the offering of a sacrifice and the spreading of its blood on the door post as a signal to the coming angel called “The Destroyer”. The sacrifice with the dinner together inside the house is called by God “The Passover”, representing how the angel will passover those homes protected by the blood and he will cause no harm to the occupants.

Key Verses:
Exodus 11:1, 4-5, 8; Exodus 12:5-6, 7-8, 11-12, 13-14

Theme:
A great judgement is coming and God promises to protect his people from his wrath by the blood of a sacrifice. They are to demonstrate trust in him by following his instructions carefully.

Thinking about the message:
    v1-10. Here Moses has been ordered to leave the sight of Pharaoh permanently or face the consequence of death. Moses is in that moment (or perhaps prior to) told by God that there will be but one final plague and Moses proceeds to pass on the warning to Pharaoh on his way out the door. Moses details to Pharaoh that the plague will kill all of the firstborn and that Pharaoh and his servants will bow down an plead for Israel to leave as a result of the tremendous act of judgement that they will endure. Moses is also careful to let Pharaoh know that there will not be a hint of violence toward Israel during this awesome night that will bring death to many in Egypt. Of course Pharaoh has sufficiently hardened his heart and he seems to have no response and I can only imagine that he was not even looking upon Moses and he heard this. Knowing the pain and devastation that will befall the Egyptians as a result of Pharoah’s arrogance, Moses leaves in hot anger.
    cp 12 v1-6. Here the Lord explains to Moses that there shall be a lamb sacrificed and exactly when it will be selected and killed and interestingly he takes the time now to explain that this ritual will become for the nation an annual ceremony to remember the event that is about to unfold. This is indeed a foretelling of Christ’s passion week as he himself is “selected” for death by the Jewish council on the 10th day of the first month (after he cleanses the temple on Monday- Mark 11:18) and then killed on the 14th day (Friday afternoon- Mark 15:42) just as the passover sacrifice here is stipulated. The previous allusions to a substitutionary atonement include the animal sacrificed to take away the shame of nakedness in the garden and the ram in place of Isaac.
    v7-20. Now come the instructions on how the sacrifice of this lamb will be applied to the people of Israel. The sacrifice itself was not the end of God’s work. Next there was to be an application of this sacrifice to the covenant people of God who would trust in this sacrifice to be their protection. They are here instructed to place the blood visibly on the doorposts and to eat the sacrifice dressed and ready to go. Clearly there is an expectation that God will be doing a work that will be completed this night and they will need to be ready to leave right away. The Lord also gives greater detail on the other elements that will be part of the annual passover ceremony.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
     The passover that is here described and will shortly occur is the most significant event to happen in the story of the Bible since God established a unilateral covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15. This sacrifice is made here before God ever teaches Israel a system of atoning sacrifice and before there is a tabernacle. The blood of the sacrifice that protects them here is merely a representation of the blood or Jesus, which is truly what spares them from the wrath of God. The message I hear is that the only thing that distinguishes between Egypt and Israel (Ex 11:7) is the blood of the passover lamb (Ex 12:13). The implication here is that Israel and Egypt are in the same predicament of having sin and of deserving the wrath of God but that it is the blood of the lamb applied to the Israelites that makes the difference. The significance for my life is that I need not try to imagine or look for or consider that there could be anything different about me than anyone else, except that God, in his mercy, has applied the blood of Jesus to me. I am not better than an unbeliever and I owe them the truth of the message that hope is in Jesus only, not in ourselves. I have no chance against The Destroyer…only the blood of Jesus will turn the wrath of God away.

Valuing the message:
I value the message because God has established here a remembrance ahead of time that this deliverance he brings is against a backdrop of judgement. He does not save Israel from some mean nation and their oppression only…God saves them from his judgement that is due upon all. I have been saved from God’s wrath…by God’s mercy, in the person of Christ Jesus (Rom 5:9). The message helps me to see that salvation is not primarily from the circumstances of life but from the guilt and debt and enmity that has separated me from God. This destroyer who comes with the judgement of God does not enter the house and evaluate the condition of the person. No- he stops and sees the blood on the door and it is finished. There is no condition except for the blood on the doorpost. Thank you Jesus!

Reflecting on the message:
I need to reflect upon my life and consider if I am trying to accomplish something to win God’s favor other than painting the doorpost with the blood. I also need to consider what this blood is accomplishing for me.

Questions to ask:

Do I envision the blood of Jesus primarily giving me deliverance from the wrath of God or as fixing my circumstances?
Am I putting the blood of Jesus on the doorpost or am I hanging a glossy record of my prayers and Bible reading and giving and my repentance there?
Do I think that the Destroyer would see something in me that would convince him to skip me?

Luke 14

Ready:
The previous chapter taught on three pictures of true faith. 1. Repentance/fruit bearing 2. Love for others 3. Striving after Jesus.

Seeing what’s there:
This entire unit is about avoiding self-exaltation and self service. This chapter is all about humility and maintaining a proper view of self. It is captured by Luke 14:11.

Key Verses:
Luke 14:5, 10-11, 13-14, 17-18, 21, 24, 27, 28-29, 33

Theme:
Each person must humble themselves and live dependent upon Jesus…this is the message and any other message fails.

Thinking about the message:
   v1-6. Here Jesus is resisted by the hard hearts of the Pharisees who refuse to answer his question as they deny the truth or at least refuse to be impacted by the truth. They are silent. Jesus is here reframing the same question he asked in Luke 6:9-11. It is clear that we should be willing to set down our human traditions of lofty religiosity and roll up our sleeves and help someone out on the Sabbath or else it is not a Sabbath that we are honoring, but ourselves. Clearly Jesus demonstrates that helping someone in need honors the Sabbath, whereas not helping dishonors it.
   v7-11. Here is a straight forward teaching that we are to not seek honor directly but we should humble ourselves and rely on Jesus and we can then enjoy his glory and we will be transformed into his likeness and we will be partakers of divine glory in due time. This humility is key to a right response to the law and it means that I will not assert myself as my own savior by my supposedly worthy obedience but I will rightly evaluate my sinful state and fall face first at the foot of the cross.
   v12-14. Similarly here the teaching is to not honor yourself by inviting to eat with you only people who can return value to you and build you up, but it is better to pour yourself out and be generous in situation where you know that you will not receive repayment on this side of heaven (Prov 19:17) and where you truly are giving of your self to those in need (Luke 6:34-36). I take this to speak of having a banquet specifically to establish what is now called “social capital”. This means I have a party and invite the people I want to impress and earn credit with because I know they can help me in the future and so I am setting myself up here by networking and creating relationships that will pay me dividends in the future. Jesus is teaching that there is only self service and self-exaltation in that and it is a misuse of resources as compared to true mercy that gives for the sake of others.
   v15-24. Now back to the real banquet where Jesus eating with this Pharisees house. Jesus responds to a statement about the blessing of those who will eat banquet in heaven by making it clear that people resist this banquet in heaven. Jesus teaches that none who are invited actually show up. The problem is their pride and their self-exaltation that makes them believe that what they have going on is more important than attending the wedding supper of the lamb. What the world is offering is more pleasing or important that Christ. This is the natural state of man and therefore, none will respond to this general call of the gospel. I take the compelling of those in the streets to be the effectual call of the Holy Spirit bringing in by grace those whom God has chosen before all time and the only reason they respond is because of his compelling grace that opens their eyes to the truth. Alternatively, this may be taken to refer to Gentiles being invited in when the Jews refuse and can also be taken as lower class Jews being invited when the proud Pharisees refuse. The main message is a need for humility and a realization that we must not over value our own situation and our own little world of self. When I give these options I do not intend to say that they are all correct, but that each could be valid…but only the author’s intended meaning is correct…just hard to say with certainty which that is.
   v25-33. Picking up on this theme of turning aside from all the distractions of life that would be excuses from coming to the banquet, Jesus here illustrates that even our own direct family must not stop us. We are to make following Jesus a priority even over our family if we are to be a disciple of Jesus. The amazing part of it is that this is how we can best serve them anyways…by modeling a devotion to Jesus and teaching them to walk the same path. From there he explains that there are costs that must be considered if we are to avoid being the thorny soil that chokes out the roots with the cares, riches, and pleasures of this world that contend for our devotion. The cost of discipleship is a life on earth where we are going to need to strive for Jesus and rely on him to keep us from the temptations and distractions. We need to be aware that taking Jesus means dropping everything else.
   v34-35. The fact is that we are a gospel message only when we are finding our satisfaction in Jesus. Jesus is the true salt when we are abiding in Christ we are made thirsty for God and we are drawn into the kingdom. Here we are pictured as the salt as we reveal Christ as attractive and praiseworthy and we draw others into the gospel. But if we allow distractions to take over we will lose our thirst and we will not be a picture of dependance upon and love for Jesus and our life will not be a gospel message to anyone. This last verse can be an argument for the teaching that a so-called “carnal Christian” might be brought home early by God if they are useless. Regardless of that argument I can see that my witness can be valuable or worthless and it hinges on by renouncing all for the cause of Christ vs my trying to keep all my little idols and distractions and just add Jesus to my life. Paul give us a better picture than that in Gal 2:20.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
     The message here from Jesus is to put down self and the seeking of self-advancement and self-exaltation and self-fulfillment in favor of kingdom advancement, Christ exaltation, and serving others in love. The implication is that life should be ordered in a way that demonstrates this valuing of Christ and it will then be salty and inviting and a worthy message to a dying world. The significance to me is to remember that my choices and attitudes and priorities and where I place value is the message of my life…not just my words. The gospel will be attractive and opposite of what the world feeds people (humility and dependence upon Jesus) or it will be the same story as the world (pride and self-esteem) with a religious bow on it and so be completely unattractive and a worthless message. Who needs Christ to help them make much of themselves? Jesus is frankly a hindrance to this aim. I can live in a manner that makes much of Christ and reveals his supremacy or I can reveal my supremacy with a little Jesus added for flavor and thus destroy my witness.

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because I hear the instructions to humble myself and the reward will be an exaltation that makes much of Christ and not one that makes much of me. I see value in knowing that the message of my life is polluted by my selfishness and self-service. I value it because it is practical and helps me know where to spend my money and energy and it is not in building me…but in spending me.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to examine how I use my resources (time, money, prayer, labor, etc.) and consider if I am building myself up or if I am spending myself for the glory of God and the love of others.

Questions to ask:

Am I arranging my life to exalt Christ or to build up my reputation?
Am I living attached to Jesus with chains and to the world with velcro or the other way around?
Am I waiting eagerly for the wedding banquet in heaven?
Is my life a message of reliance upon and exalting of Christ or is it about me?
Do I often spend my “resources” purely for the good of others and for the gospel of Christ or is it usually for my entertainment, advancement, comfort, or protection?
Which banquet am I hosting? Who is it in honor of?

Thursday, February 27, 2014

February 27

Exodus 10; Luke 13

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 34: HOW DOES THE SPIRIT APPLY TO US THE REDEMPTION PURCHASED BY CHRIST?
Answer: The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.
Scripture: 1 John 5:1; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 16:14; 18:27; John 3:8; 6:64f.

Exodus10

Ready:
The previous chapter included plagues 5-7 and Pharaoh did not seem to have a reaction to the first two, which seemed very much like judgment mores than signs. With the 7th plague he pleaded for relief from but then reneged again once he had what he wanted.

Seeing what’s there:
This chapter covers the 8th and 9th plagues. In this chapter I see a few things jump out at me. There is a bit of a summary here from verse 1-2 where God seems to describe his purpose on this whole interchange with Pharaoh and it is about showing himself so that the Israelites would know that he is the Lord and so they would have a history of wonders and deliverance to pass down through the generations. God was creating legacy. In the eighth plague owes and Aaron challenge Pharaoh to humble himself before God in order to stop the judgement. Allowing Pharaoh and his counsel to speak Pharaoh’s counsel even urges him to let them go pleading that he open his eyes and see that Egypt is devastated already from this judgement of God. Pharaoh seems to proud to admit defeat or to see the true state of affairs. Thus Pharaoh tries to keep the children back and ends up ignoring Moses’ request that all of the people go and Pharaoh yells at him some lie about what he is asking or not and forces him out under the false pretense that he has only asked for the men to be released. This turns to the Pharaoh pleading for relief once more after the locusts come…followed again by a reneging due to another hardening. There seems a pattern here that there is additional hardening all along the way and not just a continuous state of hardness but that on a daily or even moment by moment basis the Lord may choose to mercifully restrain or to release us in freedom to express what is within us. Next the darkness. No dialogue with Pharaoh first, just a “darkness to be felt” as God said. Three days of darkness over the Egyptians (and light in Goshen) was the response God gave to Pharaoh’s impenitent refusal to humble himself. It could be that this darkness is representative of God withdrawing the final measure of his mercy and allowing Pharaoh now to even threaten the life of Moses and refuse to have any additional meetings after Pharaoh tries this time to get Moses to leave behind the flocks and herds. Alternatively the darkness can be a foreboding of the death to come in the final plague…or the darkness also could be a shaming of the Egyptian sun god named Re, who was responsible for providing sunlight and warmth and productivity. Pharaoh is intent to have some sense of control and he wants to ensure their return to his reign. But Moses agrees that they will have no further meetings and proceeds to describe to final plague to Pharaoh, except there is a bummer of a chapter break right before his emotional charged speech to Pharaoh that brings this for tomorrow.

Key Verses:
Exodus 10:1-2, 3-4, 7, 10-11, 14, 16-17, 20, 21-22, 24, 27-29

Theme:
The hard heart ultimately ends up surrounded by devastation and in complete denial of the truth.

Thinking about the message:
    v1-2. Here is a summary of the purpose of what is happening in this difficult Exodus. God is creating legacy for his children by demonstrating his wondrous and strong hand against the will and might of man and by demonstrating judgement against the proud and impenitent who would try to enslave his people.
    v3-6. Here it is made clear to the reader that the issue in Pharaoh is pride and a failure to humble himself before God. This is the failure of mankind from the Garden through today. Pride is the source of our troubles. Romans 1:18-32 demonstrates a spiraling affect of pride that takes us deeper and deeper into sin and rebellion.
    v7-11. Trying to hold back the young and the flocks and herds, Pharaoh tries to negotiate a compromise against God’s will again and ultimately he refuses the wise counsel of his servants that beg him to take note of the devastated condition of Egypt and to let the people go. Often times we may try to negotiate with God in order to protect our idol or our selfish interest and this is not what God is looking for…he is looking for our complete surrender (Luke 14:33). He wants all of our heart to be his and not just a part (Deut 4:29, Gal 2:20). Pharaoh abruptly ends the discussion and ignores Moses’ response about all of Israel being released together. Pharaoh is blind to the devastation surrounding him and he is too stubborn to admit defeat even though he is surrounded by death and destruction.
    v12-20. Here the locusts do their work and Pharaoh confesses his sin again and pleads for relief. As before, he reneges once the relief comes.
    v21-29. Now the Lord brings a darkness for three days that seems like an ominous indication of his disapproval and his removal of mercy and his warning of his coming final judgment. Pharaoh ends the conversation with a threat of Moses’ life should he come back again requesting the release of the people. Pharaoh thinks he can just deny God and send him away! Sometimes I may think I can just close my eyes and ignore a situation created by my sin, but this will not fend off the hand of God at work in my life (1 Thess 5:23-24; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 12:10-11). I need to own up to it and face God in brokenness and with a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
      I take from this chapter that God is exposing the pride and blindness of mankind in order to not only judge it but also to show how his strong hand delivers his people and accomplishes his holy will in spite of man’s rebellion. He is also demonstrating that father’s create legacy and leave a mark upon the generations to come that directs the focus of the people to the faithfulness and unstoppable power of God. The implication for today is that God is still unstoppable and that he still cares about legacy and that he still calls us to humble ourselves and to surrender to his will in repentance. The significance for me is that I might watch over my heart and ensure that I maintain a brokenness over my sin and that I create a pattern of confession and repentance rather than self-protection and manipulation. I can leave a legacy of pride and rebellion or one of humble surrender to my children and their children after them. One brings wrath and fury and the other results in glory, honor, and peace (Romans 2:6-11).

Valuing the message:
I value this message because it guides me in how I am to impact the generations after me. God cares about the message I send and he intends to be remembered as mighty and as a deliverer. My actions and my relationship with God can and will have a ripple effect through my family.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to consider all areas where I am still resisting God before the discipline increases in severity to get my attention. I need to consider the devastation around me that I may be ignoring and think more carefully about how I am reacting to God.

Questions to ask:

Is there devastation around me from my sin that I am denying?
What is the message I am leaving my children by my choices and my priorities?
Am I being stubborn and resisting any last areas in my life where God is needling me?
Am I doing anything to protect from the daily chance of hardening my heart against the truth?

Luke 13

Ready:
The previous chapters have made it clear that I am to ask, seek, and knock. I am to come to God with persistence and ask for the filling of his Spirit that I might see true transformation in my heart and mind and that I might live richly toward God instead of the default of living rich toward self with only a surface level appearance of faith. I am to be settled with God by trusting Jesus and living no longer for satisfaction in this life, but in Christ.

Seeing what’s there:
There seems to be three units of teaching here in this chapter as there are three separate settings. It begins with Jesus teaching the crowd and then moves to him teaching in one of the synagogues, and finally to him making his way through town and villages. The first unit is related to true faith resulting in repentance and fruit bearing (though the fruit does not often come in an instant). The second is related to true faith resulting in a love for others. The third is related to true faith resulting in a striving for Jesus in this life that looks like a daily death to self of a cross (Luke 9:23) and a whole-hearted devotion to Jesus (Gal 2:20) and not a casual acquaintance. These pictures of faith help make sense of James assertion that true faith is not alone but is accompanied by works (James 2:17).

No time to expound...moving on! In catch up mode :)

Soli Deo Gloria!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

February 26

Exodus 9; Luke 12

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 33: HOW ARE WE MADE PARTAKERS OF THE REDEMPTION PURCHASED BY CHRIST?
Answer: We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effective application of it to us, by his Holy Spirit.
Scripture: John 3:5, 6; Titus 3:5, 6.

Exodus 9

Ready:
The previous chapter spoke to hard hearts and gave warning about not letting the truth impact my thinking and my actions.

Seeing what’s there:
This chapter presents the 5th through 7th plagues in Egypt. Here the plagues seem evident as judgement upon Egypt and no longer merely a sign of the power and authority that Moses carries on behalf of the Lord. Still Pharaoh is hard hearted and in this chapter Moses makes clear that Pharaoh is to blame for this sin of hardening his heart, even though we already saw that there is a real sense in which God is hardening his heart by removing his restraining mercy. Pharaoh either has a true acknowledgement of his sin that vaporizes once relief is found or he has a false confession simply to try to manipulate God into making his life comfortable. Either way is a lesson in how the hard heart functions. The person who loves God’s blessings over God will likely also fear God’s judgment over God. We need to get down to the personal level with God and know him, not just interact with his actions. There is also a big statement made about Pharaoh and how and why he is who he is and where he is.

Key Verses:
Exodus 9:2-3, 6-7, 10-12, 15-17, 24-26, 27-28, 34-35

Theme:
The hard heart manipulates and abuses the grace of God and seeks only the comfort that God can give without a true desire to honor him, particularly because this could come at great cost to temporal personal comfort or an injury to the ego.

Thinking about the message:
    v1-7. The language that God instructs Moses to use here is different than in the preceding plagues. This time he is to tell Pharaoh that the “hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague” and it has a much more judgmental tone. I take there to be somewhat oaf a shift from signs for Egypt to judgements of Egypt. This 5th plague does not come with any statement about it’s purpose being in a sign but it seems to come as judgement. There is no response given to Moses at all.
    v8-12. The 6th plague follows Pharaoh again hardening his heart and giving no response to Moses. This too seems to be straight up judgement. The magicians could not even remain present because their were so affected by the boils. But Pharaoh remained stubborn and refused to budge.
    v13-26. Here Moses meets with Pharaoh and gives another declaration that the Lord will bring a 7th plague in order that he may know something about God…”that there is none like me in all the earth”. In verse 16 God says through Moses something huge. He declares that Pharaoh is in the position he is in for the very purpose of receiving these plagues and for resisting and for letting the exodus of Israel be a spectacle and a wonder for all the generations to follow…for all the earth to proclaim the name of God. So God is to performing these wonders simply to convince Pharaoh of something, but like Moses records in Exodus 10:2, God is doing this to show Israel that he is the covenant keeping God who has a strong arm and can keep any and every promise he could make.
    v27-35. Here Pharaoh calls to Moses and Aaron and wants relief from the hail. He confesses his sin against the Lord and asks Moses to pled with the Lord to stop the hail with a promise to release Israel. But again, once the affliction is lifted, Pharaoh sins again and hardens his heart to the truth. He reneges on the deal once more. All is of course shaping up just as the Lord told Moses it would…

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
       This chapter is showing acts of judgement and I believe that the believer will face only loving discipline (Heb 12:6; Rev 3:19; 1 Cor 11:32), not wrathful judgement (Rom 2:5; Rom 1:18), but the lesson is nearly identical. I hear a message that the hard heart reacts wrongly to affliction as well as blessing. Pharaoh reacts to affliction with a shallow repentance or even with arrogant obstinence toward the judgement of God. When he does relent and humble himself it seems to immediately vanish in a return of pride as soon as the affliction lifts. What he was seeking was relief, not God. The implication is that God holds people accountable for their reactions to his warnings and his lessons. If one hardens his heart against the truth and he resists submission to the Lord then judgment (or discipline in the case of the wayward believer) is sure to follow. The significance for my life is that I too am responsible for the reactions of my heart as God brings discipline or hardship to teach me and to guide me. If I love and fear God, instead of his actions, then I will be able to rightly react to his blessings and discipline in my life. In the end God put this man in the position of Pharaoh so that this exact thing would go down similar to how God put Judas Iscariot in the 12. Sin does not thwart God’s plan because he has no problem planning for its use from the beginning.

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because it trains me in knowing that I should focus on the giver of the gift or the discipline and not on the thing itself. It helps me to see the impact of letting my heart be hardened.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to observe the way I tend to react to affliction or to it’s removal.

Questions to ask:

Do I require some “sign” from God before I will listen to his Word, or even read his Word? If so, maybe I have a hard heart.
Do I make promises to God when I am under affliction that I renege on them once it lifts? If so, maybe I have a hard heart.
Do I sometimes stop listening entirely to God when I am in pain and I know it is due to my sin but I do not want to humble myself and repent? If so, maybe I have a hard heart.
Do I want the blessings of God or do I want God, even if he comes with some hardship? If I choose comfort or blessing over God (honoring him and enjoying him), then maybe I have a hard heart.

Luke 12

Ready:
The previous chapter was about seeking the influence of the Holy Spirit in my life and not relying on human effort to change myself. The inside of my dirty house can only be flushed out by the power of God and this requires that I understand the fear of the Lord.

Seeing what’s there:
Luke had spent chapters 10 & 11 establishing mankind’s need for repentance and a need to rely upon Jesus. A filling of the Holy Spirit is needed to accomplish this repentance by the power of God and not by human means. Now in this chapter Luke documents Jesus’ warning not to try to fool God regarding our heart level obedience of faith. He warns that God knows all we say and do in private and public and it is our words and deeds that will confess or deny Christ. The parable of the rich fool and the teaching on seeking the kingdom of God over the things of this world and the parable of the servants waiting for the master illustrate that a failure to seek the kingdom purposes of God in this life is itself a denial of Christ. The chapter closes with Jesus admonishing the hearer to pay attention and to be prepared and to settle with God before we are called to give payment on our insurmountable debt to our creator whom we have rebelled against.

Key verses:
Luke 12:2, 4-5, 8-9, 21, 31-32, 34

Theme:
Seeking God as the priority of my life is how I ask, seek, and knock and how I live richly toward God. Human effort at dressing up my life is a denial of Christ and God is well aware of my heart.

Thinking about the message:
   v1-3. A little hypocrisy goes a long way! I am warned here to not allow any. I am an open book to God and to think that I can have some portion of my thoughts or actions or attitudes or anything that is kept private is foolishness. God is all-knowing and all-present. There is no hiding or denying my sin. Having sin is not in itself hypocrisy, but denying it and covering it and failing to confess and seek repentance in Jesus is hypocrisy when I represent myself as a child of God.
   v4-7. Worrying about my appearance before men and the impression I leave upon them is one thing, but much more should I be afraid of the message I am sending the creator of my soul who will one day place me in heaven or hell based upon my obedience of faith or lack thereof. He knows all there is to know and cares much about the smallest creatures so surely he knows everything about me and cares deeply about what I am up to.
   v8-12. The Holy Spirit is here presented as one who teaches and leads by internal witness as in the case of when we may be held to give an account before man. As with Peter, a temporary denial of the person of Christ when he is externally evident is one thing, but denying the internal witness of the Holy Spirit convicting us of the truth is another thing altogether…this hardening of our heart to the truth is unforgivable because it is by the Holy Spirit alone that I am born again unto new life. I will surely be given opportunities to confess or deny Christ by my words and actions in this life. Will I fear man or God? Man looks at the porch and the garden and can take my life…God looks inside the house and in the closet and can damn my soul.
   v13-21. The rich fool here is focused on worldly riches and investments toward himself. Jesus teaches that this is a denial of God and that we are to be rich toward God by seeking him over and above the riches of this life (Matt 13:44). God is to be our provision (Psalm 73:25-26).
   v22-34. Jesus presents the picture of our life here in that we are to rely on God for our needs (Luke 11:3-4) and we are to focus out attention on seeking God and his kingdom purposes as the priority of our life. Our desires and motives are in what we value so if I value God this will show, but it will also be evident if what I value most is something other than God. My desires follow after what I value…I must ask God to tune my heart and mind to value him!
   v35-40. Seeking God now and always is indeed how we keep ready with oil in the lamps. Here Jesus teaches that we cannot know when the master returns and we deny him if we are not prepared day by day.
   v41-48. Jesus makes clear that those who have the law of God, or any other understanding of truth, have an increased responsibility to act upon the truth. There will clearly be a higher level of judgment or critical evaluation of reward based on what we do with the knowledge we receive. Knowledge brings responsibility and Jesus holds those with knowledge responsible for misleading others through their twisting of the truth (Luke 11:52).
   v49-53. Here Jesus seems to describe that he did not come to make everyone comfortable but to destroy the lies that bind us and to demolish the strongholds. Jesus speaks of a baptism to be baptized into and this phraseology reminds me of Paul in Roman 6:3-4 where he speaks of being baptized into death. Christ intends to die and he will die as a baptism that cleanses us. He was baptized by John in a baptism of repentance eve though he did not need to repent (Lk 3:3). He is taking on our sin and he is accomplishing our death to sin and to the law through his own body (Rom 7:4-6). Jesus is a stumbling block and a rock of offense (Is 8:14; Rom 9:33; 1 Pet 2:8) so peace between people on earth is not the goal…peace between his people and God is the goal (Rom 5:1). Therefore he calls on us to live peaceably with all when it is in our power (Rom 12:18) but Jesus is offensive to falsehood and he is sure to bring discord between us and many non-believers (Luke 12:51-53).
   v54-59. Here he speaks about the importance of not just looking ahead to likely occurrences in the physical realm of daily life but on the spiritual realm also. He urges us to think ahead and to be ready for his impending return. He makes the point that we have a debt to settle with God and it must be settled before we face judgement or we will spend eternity trying without success to pay off the debt. But in Christ, the debt is cancelled (Col 2:14)! He mentions the debt being paid to the last penny and this is the case with my sin. It is completely paid in the cause of justice and the glory of God,but not by me…it is paid by Jesus on my behalf by the grace of God. This is good news!

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
   There is no fooling God, though we can sometimes fool ourselves and others. God is after my heart and my devotion and my desires. He wants me to live for him (Gal 2:19-20; Rom 6:11) and not for comfort or anything else (Luke 14:33). He calls me to die to self provision (Matt 16:24) and to live dependent upon Jesus (Phil 3:9). The implication is that mankind is unable to live this out when they are focused on this world and we must be focused on Christ. The significance of my life is that I need to evaluate what I am seeking (Psalm 9:10; Prov 18:1; Luke 17:33; John 5:30; John 7:18; Rom 10:3) and where my value is (Matt 13:44) and where I may be denying Christ with my actions (Titus 1:16).

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because sin is deceptive and I can be in hypocrisy quite easily if I am not reflecting upon my own motives and my attitudes and thoughts.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to consider if I am living rich toward God or rich toward myself and this world.

Questions to ask:
Are my motives, thoughts, words, and actions denying or confessing Christ?

Responding to God & Reacting to His Lesson:
Tell God about your observations and your thoughts and your struggles with the chapter and determine how it will change or impact your thinking and your decisions. Be sure to react in some way to the truth rather than remain silent.

Proclaiming the Truth to Others:
Decide who you can share what you have learned with and ask for God’s help in reaching out to love others.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

February 25

Exodus 8; Luke 11

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 32: WHAT DO WE MEAN BY CHRIST’S EXALTATION?
Answer: By Christ’s exaltation we mean his rising again from the dead on the third day, ascending up into heaven, sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and coming to judge the world at the last day.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 1:11; Mark 16:19; Acts 17:31.

Exodus 8

Ready:
In the last chapter Pharaoh matched the first two miracles offered by Moses and Aaron, including the first plague of the bloody Nile. Magic produced similar results and made for an opportunity for Pharaoh harden himself to the truth. God had set them in to Pharaoh again despite the failure of the Israelites to listen to Moses or have faith in the coming deliverance.

Seeing what’s there:
In this chapter I see the second, third and fourth plagues (frogs, gnats, and flies) delivered by Moses. Pharaoh concede for the first time to let the people go, but he changes his mind when the frogs are taken away and there is some relief. Then he refuses to react to the gnats and then again he concedes after the flies only to renege again once the Lord removes the plague. The plagues seem to have an increasing intensity or impact.

Key Verses:
Exodus 8:1-2, 8, 15, 16, 18-19, 23-24, 28-29, 32

Theme:
Pharaoh’s hard heart resists or brings him to cry out for relief from the plagues only to renege on the agreement with God each time the affliction is lifted.

Thinking about the message:
    v1-15. Here the frogs are brought and they plague the land. Though Pharaoh’s magicians were able to bring frogs as well (which may not have been his request) it seems that they cannot get rid of them and he pleads with Moses to remove the frogs. Although he initially agrees to let the people go, things change once the affliction lets up. Now with a chance to think, the hard heart of Pharaoh takes over and he reverts back to his proud self and reneges on his decision to release Israel. This is a decent picture of the human heart that might call out to God, like the Israelites, when hardship arises but once the storm calms the desire and need for God subsides and pride resumes right where it left off. It seems critical that when the water is smooth…go deep! When times are easy- seek the Lord with fervor (Rom 12:11), and then when hardship hits- rejoice in hope (Rom 12:12).
    v16-19. Here Moses and Aaron deliver the Lord’s third plague of gnats and this is not reproducible by the magicians. They even declare to Pharaoh that they believe it to be the finger of God…but Pharaoh is hardened to the truth and refuses to budge. It seems the personal impact was not severe enough on this plague to cause Pharaoh to even ask for relief.
    v20-32. Here the fourth plague comes upon Egypt, which is flies. This gets Pharaoh’s attention and he again pleads for relief. Pharaoh negotiates with Moses attempting to keep them in Goshen performing their worship, but Moses refuses and explains that it must be out in the wilderness (no doubt he plans to go to the mountain of God- Hebron, aka Sinai). Again Pharaoh concedes and then reneges once the affliction is lifted.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
    I hear the message that a hard heart can see and even understand the truth but will not surrender itself to the Lord, taking every opportunity to resist and revert to sinful patterns, because it does not value or feel the impact of the truth it has been hardened to. Pain and affliction is the only thing that gets the momentary attention of the hard heart (Ex 8:15) so discipline or even judgement may be God’s response. The implication is that a heart is resistant to value what it sees to be true and it values comfort or the familiar more than truth (Mark 16:14; Matt 19:8). The hard heart is proud and seeks not to answer for itself when faced with the truth (Mark 3:5), so it covers the truth with lies (Rom 1:18, 21-25; Rom 2:5). The hard heart never learns the lesson because it chooses ignorance to understanding (Eph 4:18). The significance to me is that I must be on guard from hardening my heart against the truth. I must not exchange it for lies and I must accept it when I am guilty and need to confess my sins. I must not let patterns of sin break in and deceive me because this will bring hardening to protect my own selfish motives and desires that are contrary to the heart of God (Heb 3:12-14, Prov 28:14).

Valuing the message:
This message is valuable because it is a good warning against a common problem. I have heard it said that knowledge without application is damaging to the soul and I believe this is because it hardens me to the truth and keeps me resistant though I understand at a certain level of what is supposed to be. This message is valuable because the writer of hebrews makes it plain that a hard heart leads me away from God, which can eventually evidence that I never knew him. I can avoid unnecessary discipline of the Lord by humbling myself and surrendering rather than resisting the truth out of pride or worldly desires.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to consider areas in my life where I currently resist God and where I knowingly allow sin to remain unresolved and un-confessed. I need to be at war with sin, by the Spirit (Rom 8:13-14), because I am a child of God, not a slave to sin, who will accept affliction in order to gain Christ (Rom 8:15-17).

Questions to ask:

Am I unrepentant in any areas?
Is there anything in God’s Word that I am ignoring?
Am I resisting what I think God wants me to do?
Do I return to a pattern of distance from God when pain and affliction seem to revolve?

Luke 11

Ready:
The previous chapter seemed to focus on the importance of acknowledging sin and coming to terms with a need to repent and a need for deliverance from sin by dependence upon Jesus.

Seeing what’s there:
I see in this chapter that Luke opens with a transition to a different location and a new unit of teaching. He presents an slightly abbreviated version of the Lord’s Prayer but adds a section on praying with persistence to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit from our good Father who knows how to give good gifts. He then documents Jesus’ response to the accusation that he exorcises demons by the power of Beelzebul where Jesus explains his power and some of the nature of spiritual oppression. Jesus also speaks on the obedience of faith being more valuable than visible recognition or positional authority of any kind in the life of the believer. He speaks of an evil (and blind) generation that requires special signs and refuses to listen to the message of coming judgement because they have lost their fear of the Lord.

Theme:
Only the Holy Spirit can change our heart, mind, and body and teach us the fear of the Lord that we may have the knowledge of God and true blessing as we then walk in the obedience of faith. We must seek him and forget about the petunias.

Thinking about the message:
   v1-4. Here is the Lord’s prayer with an omission of the third petition of “Thy will be done”. It also leaves out some detail about the sixth petition of protection from the enemy in temptation, but he adds a whole section at the end (beginning in verse 5) on persistence in prayer. Jesus clearly fought that prayer was to be focused upon connecting with God and hallowing his name. The petitions all support a hallowing of his name and they descend from high and lofty requests that re about God and then move into very practical down to earth requests about sustaining us her on earth in our fallen state. The clear idea is a focus on the God who made us and sustains us and thus prayer should be more worship than a “to do” list presented to God. My personal request should be in support of the hallowing of his name and the coming of his kingdom in my life and all around me.
   v5-13. This section make a couple of points. The first is that we are to come to God with persistence and to not give up simply because we do not receive and answer in the timing that we expect. It also makes the point that God is a better gift giver and a better friend than any other and so if we know that we can find our needs met by an earthly friend who doesn’t have internal motivation to help us in every circumstance, how much more can we trust that our great God who is always there to do us good with all his heart and soul (Jer 32:41) will come through and give us what is good for us? He makes clear that the primary gift the Lord holds for us is his Spirit, not material blessings. If I am praying according to the Lord’s Prayer and I add this understanding of what the good gift he holds for me is the picture is plain. I need to be asking daily for a filling of the Holy Spirit. I need to ask, seek, knock with persistence and I need to know that this filling is an invisible thing that produces a slow progress of holiness in my life (Heb 12:9-11; 1 Peter 1:13-25; Titus 2:11-14). This is transformation from the inside out and it is not something excitingly visible or attention getting.
   v14-26. Casting out demons, however, is attention getting. This is an outward action that does not necessarily indicate that I am fearing the Lord of seeking his transforming power in my life. Jesus answers the claims that he works with the power of Beelzebul by explaining how a house divided against itself will not stand and that it takes a strong man to push out and keep out an evil spirit. Jesus gives a rebuke about not being for him is being against him and an assertion that a spirit who is pushed out but the house left empty ends up returning stronger and with more friends. In Matthew’s account he reveals that Jesus compares this hypothetical person to the evil generation. I take all this in relation to his teaching in this section about seeking a filling by the Holy Spirit with persistence vs the removal of wickedness from our lives here represented by an unclean spirit. I take it to mean that if we simply push out wickedness by some means other than by the filling of the Holy Spirit (strong man who takes new residence and stands to protect us) but instead use evil means (human effort- see Luke 11:13) then we will see our wickedness return with vengeance and we will not see lading change in our lives but we will see more oppression and enslavement to sin. If we are trying to remove sin my humans means and for self-improvement, then we are against Jesus and our house will not stand. If I am seeking the glory of God and the filling of the Spirit in my life, then the strong man will change me from the inside out and I will stand victorious and united with Christ and free.
   v27-28. Back to the attention getting. I think here Jesus is teaching that a visible place of honor or as in the casting out of demons, a visible sign of some spiritual power is really nothing compared to a quiet and even invisible trust of God that results in obedience (obedience of faith). He seems to minimize human efforts (like nursing a child) in favor of trusting God. He calls us to take him at his Word and to act upon it with fear of the Lord. This fear of the Lord becomes evident in the remainder of the chapter and I take it to relate to this here about true blessedness not being recognized human effort or our outward signs, but our holiness that comes from taking God at his Word alone.
   v29-36. Here Jesus rebukes the “evil generation” who will not repent at the message of judgment and the coming kingdom, but instead demand signs to special signs and evidence that they really do have a problem. Jesus goes on in verses 33-36 to blame this problem on spiritual blindness that has corrupted all that we see and hear. He speaks of us needing to have healthy vision and then we will be whole and then we will have understanding and knowledge and brightness in our life…and we will not demand more signs! He speaks of the fear of the Lord. He speaks of us needing to clearly see the Lord and thus have a holy fear of our creator. This is the beginning of knowledge and without this we are in darkness and we are blind.
   v37-44. In this section Jesus makes his way closer to the plain statement ahead (Luke 11:52) about the lack of fearing the Lord being the cause of our trouble and leading to our lack of repentance. He routs the Pharisees for their concept of cleaning up outward appearances and yet never repenting of the failure to love God and love others…which is the whole law! Keeping ourselves free of sin of various kind is good and will happen when we are being filled with his Spirit, but it becomes plain that our house is to guarded and the sin is not being pushed out by the Holy Spirit (strong man) when there remains a host of wickedness under the surface. We are not removing the problem but we are dressing up the pig. Having the best seats in places of honor or being seen as blessed because of our human effort fails us in the end if we lack the obedience of faith and we are not truly seeking God and his filling and reign in our lives. We need the Holy Spirit filling this house…we cannot just plant a new garden and hand new drapes that we close to hid the haunted house inside from those who pass by and make comment on how lovely are petunias look as the house fills to overflowing with wickedness behind the new drapes. This results in the injury of all who trust them and who come and sit on their porch to drink lemonade and smell their petunias…like unmarked graves that defile the one who walk on it since they do not recognize it as a grave and mistakenly walk where they shouldn’t…so is the one who is influenced by a Pharisee who is at best an empty house and at worst stuffed with all forms of evil.
   v45-52. The lawyer (specialist in the Mosaic law) here recognizes that the grave bit is a pretty big jab and he knows that Jesus is not speaking good things about the Pharisees and he plainly tells Jesus that he is offending them. Now he turns to him and opens up the firehouse on him! He explains that their expounding of the law as a ladder to climb in order to please God is abhorrent and they lay on burden upon the people that hey themselves do not and cannot carry. They put on this pious outward appearances with the petunias and all and the people see this and hear them teach the law and they are killing themselves to try to grow these flowers and they are without hope. The prophets after Moses came with messages of an everlasting covenant (Jer 31:31-33; Ezek 36:22, 26-27) and promises of a coming bridegroom (Isaiah 61:10) who would prepare his bride and a Messiah who would deliver his people from their sin but they have killed and ignored these prophets in favor only of this impossible law that was not meant as a ladder to heaven (Rom 9:31-32). The last verse exposes the problem and it is that they do not fear the Lord. They have focused on a law and not on their God who gave them the law. They have not entered into knowledge and they remain in darkness and they hinder anyone led to seek the knowledge of God while wearing the clothes of those who are supposed to be the guidance. Woe to you! Read Proverbs 2:1-5ff regarding how to find the knowledge of God.
   v53-54. Both of the main sects of Jews represented in the council are now thoroughly upset with Jesus and they want nothing more than to catch him in error. Again- they lack the fear of the Lord.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
I take a pretty clear meaning from this chapter that I am to seek a filing of the Spirit by persistent seeking, asking, knocking for this good gift from my Heavenly Father and that this is how I will get a clean house that is protected and sure. The implication is that human effort and visible shows of spirituality do not cut it and they result in an outward appearance of godliness that hides a problem of emptiness or worse. The significance for my life is that I need not try to impress anyone with my spirituality or my appearance, but I need to daily go deep in seeking my God in private and in asking him to do what I cannot do…clean house to the glory of his name and not mine.

Valuing the message:
I see the value in this message because it will help me avoid being a Pharisee who does not love God or others but who thinks he has it all together.

Reflecting on the message:
I need to examine the patterns of my seeking, knocking, asking and if they are not there I need to go to God and ask for help in this. If I see that I have been dressing up the garden and ignoring the failure to truly love and honor God and to love people, then I need to ask for a clearing of the house by the strong man. I need to pray with a focus on hallowing his name and seeking his will and his kingdom so that I do not get fooled into thinking that the garden and the porch are my only concern while I then host a party inside the house for vampires and werewolves.

Questions to ask:

What help am I to others? Do I teach and encourage them with open vulnerability and authenticity to seek the Lord in gladness or do I just show them how nice my flowers are and hope they figure out some way to grow nice flowers too?
Do I open the doors to the Holy Spirit and plead with him to come and own this home?
How often to I seek worldly blessing and use human effort to make change in my life?
How often do I seek the blessing of the Spirit of God and his working to change my life?

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Exodus 15; Luke 18

Daily Catechism

Exodus 15

Luke 18

Monday, March 3, 2014

Exodus 14; Luke 17

Daily Catechism

Exodus 14

Luke 17

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Exodus 13; Luke 16

Daily Catechism

Exodus 13

Luke 16

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Exodus 12:21-51; Luke 15

Daily Catechism

Exodus 12:21-51

Luke 15

Friday, February 28, 2014

Exodus 11:1-12:20; Luke 14

Daily Catechism

Exodus 11:1-12:20

Luke 14

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Exodus 10; Luke 13

Daily Catechism

Exodus10

Luke 13

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Exodus 9; Luke 12

Daily Catechism

Exodus 9

Luke 12

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Exodus 8; Luke 11

Daily Catechism

Exodus 8

Luke 11