One Year Bible, May 1

JUDGES 13:1-14:20                                                                                                   

SAMSON: Although Samson is mentioned in Heb 11:32 as obeying "by faith", nevertheless, his failure came because he did not live a separated lifestyle. He was a Nazarite, the their key characteristic was their separation . Samson's name means "Sunshine" or "Brilliant" and the Holy Spirit came on him as a young man. Samson could "rend a lion", but he could not rend his own flesh. Although powerfully anointed, he was drawn away by lust and pressure.

RESPONSE:  What a warning! Just because you are spiritually powerful, does not mean you have God's approval.


JOHN 1:29-51                                                                                                                

"BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD":  John's Gospel is the only Gospel to call Jesus "the Lamb of God" (v.28 & 36).  This means that Jesus is the sacrifice for sin and that He saves sinners. Jesus was the meeting-place of God and Man, so that those who came close "beheld His glory".

"COME AND SEE":  The invitation of a lifetime.  Andrew saw "the Messiah".   Peter saw One who could change his character.   Philip saw Him Who was the fulfillment of Scripture.   Nathaniel saw "good out of Nazareth", the "Son of God", and the "king of Israel".

JACOB'S LADDER BECAME THE SON OF MAN. Communication between heaven and earth now takes place through Jesus Christ.

RESPONSE:   "Come and see". NOT "Try Me out" , but "Watch me".

PSALM 102:1-28                                                                                                         

FAITH TRIUMPHS OVER AFFLICTION. Prayer is like breathing; without prayer, the spirit will suffocate. Prayer sustains the life of God in us. V.12 turns the Psalm with "But Thou O Lord...." with unshakable faith in God. He is the never-changing, eternal God (V.27).

PROVERBS 14:15-16                                                                                                

The fool is without principles, and without foundation in Truth, lacks judgment and discernment, so he can be conned.  It is wisdom to be cautious. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thess 5:21)

Be grateful for the fear of the Lord.  It will keep you from willfully sinning.   I understand that God is great, terrible, earth-shaking, mountain-splitting, and stormy, yet He loves me.  Here is a definition you should never forget: FEAR OF GOD: Acute awareness of God's power that produces respect. Overwhelmed by the Greater One. Trembling awareness that life has meaning, and my choices have consequences.

Matt 10:28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Jer 5:22, "Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence?"

Fearing God means you have to act consistently with God's commands. So the fear of God is inconsistent with evil or deceit.

RESPONSE:  I laugh whenever people describe the fear of God as just "respect".  I think they are trying to keep God "manageable".  Of course, if by "respect", you mean submissive, then I could buy it.  But if you are a believer living in sin, you should be very afraid.  Part of what it means to have the fear of God is to recognize that our choices have consequences, and some of those consequences are eternal.

One Year Bible, April 30

JUDGES 11:1-12:15                                                                                                     
AMMONITES: Descendants of Lot, so they represent the FLESH. They speak of those who take the truth and pervert it and teach error, false doctrine that becomes part of our tradition. Like the FLESH, they were a self-indulgent people. We have all heard it in churches and may have even "bought into it" for a time. It is time now to strip the lies away and see what's under there!

JEPHTHAH: He had an ignoble past, but because of the grace of God, he is a type of Jesus. His name means "to open wide, to loose, to let go free, opening, doorway, to break forth". He was a "mighty man of valor" and the "son of a harlot". He was thrust out by his brothers, but called to be their Deliverer (like Jesus). He "opens up" Scripture to counter false doctrine (v.12). But alas, the enemy does not like to give up any territory.

"THEN THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON JEPHTHAH" (v.29) BUT.....he made a vow anyway. In light of his anointing, he didn't need the vow or the offering. But once it was made, he had to keep it, even though it cost him his only child.

CIVIL WAR:  "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." (Jas 3:17) The Ephriamites are still proud (chap 8).   Pride and jealousy are double trouble!   So Jephthah killed 2040 of them.  The Ephriamites were betrayed by how they talked!

IBZAN, ELON, ABDON:  These three together represent the Believer in Jesus.  "Ibzan" means "purity.  "Elon" means "strong".  "Abdon" means "worshipper" or "servant". 

RESPONSE: Jephthah is mentioned in Hebrews 11 as a hero of the faith. He was hindered by his ugly past, but he lived up to his name by breaking free himself, then freeing others. Even though the Ephriamites called him and his men "renegades", Jephthah prevailed because "the Spirit of the Lord was upon him".   He couldn't be stopped.    Victory was certain.

JOHN 1:1-28                                                                                                                   
JOHN: The youngest of the 12, probably 14 when he was called to follow Jesus, making him only 17 when Jesus died. John also wrote three epistles and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Before the destruction of Jerusalem, it is believed that John moved to Ephesus where he pastored the church. While in Ephesus, by order of the Roman Emperor Domitian, John was exiled to Patmos, where he wrote the book of the Revelation. When he was released from exile, he returned to Ephesus and lived there until he died about 100 AD.

BOOK OF JOHN: Written by "the disciple Jesus loved".  The book does not just explain the Kingdom of God, but demonstrates man's interaction and participation in it.   It is not a biography of Jesus, but revelation concerning the truth of John 1:14 (the manifestation of God). The key words of John are "Father" (122 times) and "believe" (the verb - 98 times).  John's book reveals that life is, by definition, utterly meaningless without Christ because He Himself is the "Logos", the Word of God, the root source of all Meaning.

"IN THE BEGINNING": This is NOT a time, but a place in God.

"LOGOS":  Life-giving Word which is the root-source of ALL meaning, Reality and authority.  It is Jesus' preincarnate Name. Grace and Truth are both found in Jesus because Truth makes demands on us that Grace makes possible.   "Glory" (Gr: doxa) is the outward expression of God's fullness.  Jesus IS "the glory of God." John 1:14 sums it up.

GOSPEL OF JOHN: The Gospel of John is fully expressed in the first 18 verses of the book. Chapters 1-12 are revelations gleaned from Jesus' public ministry. Each miracle listed here (7), serves as an introduction to a discourse revealing some spiritual Truth or application. Chapters 13-21 are about Jesus' personal ministry, the secrets of Jesus' life. They reveal how to live in this new relationship to and with the Godhead.

RESPONSE:   That's a lot to take in. HOWEVER, John also wrote "The Revelation of Jesus Christ", so that makes him an expert.  He has insights into spiritual truth that the other Gospels don't give.   He truly saw Jesus as the manifestation of God.  As the youngest of Jesus' "teenaged posse", John also connects us to the early Church fathers, such as Plutarch (who also pastored in Ephesus).  John is one of those books in the Bible that you just have to sit and soak in.   Every miracle in here has an application. Look for it.

PSALM 101:1-8                                                                                                            
TRUTH IN THE RULER AND TRUTH IN HIS RANKS: Written by King David. This Psalm tells us that when we really believe in the Sovereignty of God, we conduct ourselves with integrity.  "Within my house" and "in the city of the Lord" tells us that what he is in his private life, is what will determine what he is in his public life.  Noone should have power without purity.

WHO SHOULD RULE? "The ones who behave wisely, the ones who walk with a perfect heart, the faithful of the Land, he that walks in a perfect way."

PROVERBS 14:13-14                                                                                                 
"BACKSLIDER":  Original language means "to retreat or turn back". "To draw back". "To depart from God".  "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." (Heb 10:38-39)  It says here in Proverbs that the backslider is saturated with foolishness, sin, disappointment and death, for those are the ways of man.

"A GOOD MAN":   Obviously a "good man” is a believer, because in the original language to be "good", means you are in harmony with God, and are able to fulfill your purpose and assignments. You are doing what you were made to do. You will be filled with a good conscience, faith, love, peace, righteousness and exceeding joy.

RESPONSE: There was a time when I knew far more than I was doing. I was a miserable Christian - which is really a contradiction in terms. That is like being married to the best possible person, and not enjoying it. But that was me! I didn't know HOW to be happy! So, even though I was born again and loved God (sometimes), I was a "backslider" because I was constantly facing backwards in my behavior. I drew back in fear and departed from the Word. "What if Jesus won't help me?"  "What if Jesus doesn't really love me, but just IS love?"  "What if the Scriptures aren't true for me because I don't qualify somehow."  "Why is everyone else so happy?:   So my life was just like described: foolishness, sin, disappointment, torment and death.

NOW I got off the fence and have "gone for broke!" I practice being happy all the time.  How do happy people act?  They smile, they laugh, they refuse to think negative thoughts, they are friendly and trusting, they walk by faith in God.   At first, it felt contrived. But I wasn't faking it, I was practicing for when I was ready to be really happy.  I formed good habits of thinking the best possible thoughts about everything and everyone.  I became thankful and grateful and appreciative. It is impossible to be critical and miserable when you are appreciative.  I am not going to be miserable one more day of my life.

One Year Bible, April 29

JUDGES 9:22-10:18                                                                                                   
God sent an evil spirit: The spirit came between the two sides and God judged them both.

THE BRAMBLE KING:  Abimelech, who represents a "world-spirit" or "antichristian spirit" or self-preservation of the flesh - was killed by a woman crushing his skull. The woman is the church. Crushing his skull destroyed the "mind of the flesh".

THE WORM KING: Tola: Whose name means "worm". He represents the death principle, as worms live and breed in dead materials.

THE "ON FIRE" KING: Jair: Whose name means "on fire". He represents the Holy Spirit's resurrection power. Together these two judges symbolize the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His followers.

SEVEN (7) KINDS OF IDOLATRY:  "THE evil" included "Baalim, Ashtaroth, gods of Syria, gods of Zidon, gods of Moab, gods of Ammon, gods of Philistines." Israel was "vexed and oppressed" 18 years (see also Jud 3:14). In Luke 13:11 was a woman bound by Satan 18 years and was bowed over in oppression and could no longer look up. Eighteen is a Bible number for bondage. The question asked: "What man is He who will fight....?"

RESPONSE:   It appears that God is long-suffering, but yet He only goes just so far - then He sells the idolaters into bondage again. What happens is, the thing that they worship is the thing they end up serving as slaves. They worshipped the gods of Ammon, and Ammon then oppressed them. Etc. etc. etc. So, when we serve Mammon (whatever gives us a sense of safety, security, prestige, goodness, rightness - other than God) - we end up oppressed by Mammon. I become a slave of whatever I worship and serve. Then God has to bail me out because I can't get free on my own.


LUKE 24:13-53                                                                                                            
RESURRECTION OF JESUS:
(1) Women at tomb. (1-12)
(2) Road to Emmaus (13-35)

(3) Disciples (36-43)

(4) Final instructions (44-49)

(5) Ascension (50-53)

All on Easter Sunday, all around Jerusalem. Luke's account begins and ends in the Temple.

ROAD TO EMMAUS:  (V.31) Their eyes were opened (and they knew Him). (v.32) The Scriptures were opened (causes their hearts to burn within them). (v.45) Their understanding was opened (allowing them to understand that the Scriptures revealed Jesus).

DISCIPLES: Even with the resurrected Jesus standing right in front of them, the disciples had their doubts  (v.38).  Notice that Jesus had "flesh and bones" (no blood. We say, "flesh and blood".)  V.41 says that one reason the disciples had trouble believing is that it seemed "too good to be true".

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS: (1) Preach "repentance and the remission" ("freedom from sin, forgiveness") of sins".  (2) Preach it to ALL nations, beginning at home. (3) Tarry until you are "clothed with power from on high."

ASCENSION: The disciples "worshipped Him" - the resurrected Jesus. They finally got it! And they had "great joy!" (splendid joy, on a great scale, intense joy, abundant, exceedingly great joy)

RESPONSE:   In v.25 Jesus said that people who are "slow of heart to believe"  are fools".   But Jesus still took the time to explain.   In fact, it's too bad someone didn't take notes because Jesus actually went through the whole OT and interpreted it to them!  How everything in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms was actually about Him.   Being "slow of heart to believe" was "cured" with the Word of God (read with understanding).

PSALM 100:1-5                                                                                                            

MANIFESTED JOY: "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord" means "to shout out loud" - "to be earsplittingly loud".  And it's not limited to just us - but "ALL lands". Our Creator is also our Owner.   ALL our worship and obedience to God MUST be marked with joy and gladness.  We don't DARE come into His Presence with whining or disappointment, but with a knowing in our bones that He is good and He is God. V. 3 says I can know deep in my inner knowledge.

PROVERBS 14:11-12                                                                                                
The reason a man's ways ALWAYS lead to death is that man's ways are the way of self-indulgence and self-will, and anti-God reasoning (Rom 8:7).  Selfishness always leads to death. The book of Judges gives an awful illustration of "every man doing that which is right in his own eyes."

RESPONSE: One of the reasons that the godly flourishes is because everything we do has the mark of eternity on it. We may have nothing as far as external, material goods is concerned, but what we DO have goes into heaven with us. Our integrity, our righteousness, our peace, our love and goodness, our fruit (souls won, character development, works of obedience to God). This should be reassuring. We CAN "take it with us".

One Year Bible, April 28

JUDGES 8:18-9:21                                                                                                             

OUTLAW "JUDGE": Gideon's son, Abimelech, was an outlaw.   Abimelech was prophesied to be a "Bramble-bush" because he usurped his authority. He and his hired assassins executed all but one (Jotham) of his 70 brothers to get the throne. This time Israel's apostasy came from within. Abimelech is a picture of the murdering spirit, self-preservation, or antichristian spirit in every one of us that wants a throne for SELF. Jotham prophesied that Abimelech would destroy them all and himself with them.

RESPONSE:   Abimelech is what you get when you compromise and disobey the Word of God. It wasn't outside influence this time either, it came from within the country. You should never trust an assassin, as they were the ones who turned against him first. Abimelech is a picture of how self-preservation works - it does what it has to in order to save HIMSELF. He is self-promoted, and kills whatever stands in his way. This is the spirit that is ALREADY in the world. The Bible calls it a "world-spirit" or "antichristian spirit" (1 John 4:3; 1Co 2:12). THIS is what the Holy Spirit and the fire of God comes to purge from our lives - one "affection" after another. (Gal 5:24; Gal 5:17) When these thoughts and feelings get exposed, the best thing to do is to repent quickly. How do we know? It feels like pressure and relentless pointing-out of a "fault". It doesn't even have to be a BIG fault. Just own up to it and repent - and connect with God again for strength to leave it alone!

LUKE 23:44-24:12                                                                                                               
BORROWED TOMB: How tenderly Joseph claimed the body of Jesus and laid it in his own tomb. It was prefigured in OT Joseph being buried in Egypt - to be "resurrected" by Joshua and taken to Canaan on a Sunday!

DON'T FORGET WHAT GOD TELLS YOU:  All our errors in life spring from ignorance or forgetfulness of the Word Christ Jesus has spoken to us. The good news was carried by WOMEN - and the men thought they were making it up, and even in v.41 thought it was "too good to be true". They forgot what Jesus had said. This is important, because NOTE: In 24:9 they are called "the eleven" and in 24:10 they are now called "the apostles". They have the Truth, they have been trained, and NOW they will be sent out.

RESPONSE:   I think "the eleven" had a problem believing Jesus was alive only in part because the news came via women. I go with the "too good to be true" reason.   It is sort of like when we receive a miraculous healing and we "work it" - making sure we are really healed because it seems "too good to be true".   All the people who experienced the resurrection of Jesus asked all the questions WE would have asked, had we been there back then, until finally, Jesus' resurrection is one of the most-attested-to, proven, historical facts that there are.

PSALM 99:1-9                                                                                                                    

OUR GOD, THE KING ENTHRONED IS HOLY. His Kingdom, His throne, His administration of Justice are HOLY. He has absolute integrity.

OUR GOD, THE KING ENTHRONED FORGAVE US. God forgives us with losing anything. His witnesses to His great forgiveness are Moses (who struck the Rock unadvisedly), Aaron (who made the golden calf), and Samuel (who appointed his sons as judges (1Sam 8:1-3).

PROVERBS 14:9-10                                                                                                         

THE TRAP OF FOOLS: They get trapped by their sin, and their repentance becomes a mockery because they repeat their sin, even while they are "repenting"! They fall from one sin right into another one, then make light of it! Some even laugh it off!

ULTIMATE SOLITUDE OF THE SOUL: There is something in every sorrow, and in every joy, which no one else can share, because they are indescribable.

RESPONSE:      "...you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1Pet 1:8)   An old evangelist used to say, "it is better felt than telt."  And I've also had sorrow so deep that I thought my physical heart would tear apart.  Either extreme is hard to share with someone else. But Jesus knows.  Sometimes He is the ONLY ONE Who understands us.

One Year Bible, April 27

JUDGES 7:1-8:17                                                                                                             

SIFTING PROCESS: The Place: The well of Harod (means "Fountain of Trembling", "To shudder with terror and fear.")  Roughly 1 in 100 made it through the sifting process. The fearful and afraid were disqualified immediately (just like at Kadesh-barnea); and 9,700 were undisciplined, drank without vigilance. Actually 7:4 says that GOD sifted them. 300 made it through the sifting process. Noah's Ark was 300 cubits long (Gen 6:15) and the woman's anointing oil in Mark 14:3-6 was worth 300 pence, the Holy of Holies was 10 x 10 x 10. 300 in Hebrew is written with a shin, which stands for El Shaddai. Conclusion: Gideon's 300 were an elite, matured, seasoned, inner-circle, church-within-the-church group.

BARLEY CAKE IN THE NIGHT: Gideon took Phurah with him to listen to what the enemy was saying in their camp. A loaf of bread is symbolic of the Body of Christ - it rolled out of the church and into the tents of wickedness. It was "the sword of Gideon" and symbolized the defeat of the Midianites. With the assurance of victory, Gideon worshipped.

MEANS OF GIDEON'S VICTORY: He saw the immense resources and powerful confederacy of the world around him. The vast numbers of the enemy spread out over whole valley. He was just a loaf of bread:
(1) Trumpets - voice of God.
(2) Empty pitchers - Emptied men, only fit to be broken. BUT, they held
(3) Lamps - the Life of Jesus ("treasure in earthen vessels" 2Co 4:1-10).

SECRET OF GIDEON'S VICTORY:
(1) Attacked at night - pressed forward in the dark.
(2) Persevered even when there was internal discord.
(3) Endurance and perseverance after his breakthrough. Exploit the victory by utilizing
momentum.

DIFFICULTIES & SNARES:
(1) Contention with Ephraim (internal discord). Deep humility is the answer.
(2) "Faint yet pursuing". 2Co 4:16 "outward man was perishing". But we live from the life of God (energy of faith). Stay focused.
(3) Flattery from the enemy can lead to self-confidence.
(4) Flattery from the people of God can lead to idolatry (self-appointments)

RESPONSE:   Even good things can become a snare. After great victories, things can go to your head. The momentum gained through breakthrough needs to be optimized by plunging forward. Make the victory complete. Keep your eye on the prize: God's Presence and God's pleasure.

LUKE 23:13-43                                                                                                                  
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF TWO WITNESSES: Herod and Pilate both declared Jesus to be "not guilty".

THE KING ON THE CROSS: The cross reveals the deadly vileness of sin, God’s terrible judgment, God's amazing love, and our amazing Savior. For 15 hours Jesus was in the hands of wicked men. All that is behind him now. Wicked hands have done all they can do. Jesus now returned to his Father’s hands. He gave up His life, no one took it. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." (John 10:17-18)

HOW JESUS DIED:
(1) Jesus knew it was His time to die.
(2) He wasn’t afraid of death.
(3) He died with his life completed ("It is finished".)
(4) He died without anger or bitterness.
(5) He died in complete control of his senses and his circumstances.
(6) He died knowing where he was going—back into the Father’s hands. 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?  The death of Jesus is a model of how believers face death. We are not afraid. We are not filled with regrets.  If we suffer, we hold fast to the promises of God and know that heaven awaits. For the followers of Jesus, death has lost its sting and the grave its victory.

(1) Our body is buried and our spirit goes immediately into God's visible Presence.
(2) We pass from this life into the spirit realm. It is like passing through a curtain.
(3) We are in the Father’s hands.

RESPONSE:  Jesus handed Himself over to the Father, NOT to the devil. He was like a child in His Father's arms at that point. Completely trusting the Father. Isn't that how we want to die? No matter the circumstances, we turn ourselves over to the Father and trust Him. I want to die well! But first I have to live well. The fear of death is gone. See Hebrews 2:14-15 and with the fear of death, so too the phobias that get their strength from the fear of death. Death no longer has any victory. That last enemy is defeated!

PSALM 97:1-98:9                                                                                                              
THE CONQUEROR HAS ARRIVED! Psa 97 & 98 are another call to worship. There is cause to rejoice: Our God is far above all gods, and high above the earth. He preserves our lives and delivers us out of the hands of our enemies. When Jesus is Lord of our lives, His judgments bring order to our lives.

MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE: Literally "to split the ears" . To shout for joy.

GOD'S SPECTACULAR APPEARANCE: "All the ends of the earth shall see...." The seas roar. The floods clap. The hills rejoice. While we "make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praise."

PROVERBS 14:7-8                                                                                                          
"Stay away from a foolish man". Paul said, "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith." (2 Thess 3:1-2) Avoid intimacy with a fool, so you don't become polluted. Foolishness is contagious.

RESPONSE:   Keep reading these Psalms to yourself - teach yourself to praise God for Who He is, not just what He does. These are good Psalms for calming your heart, and getting it to submit to God's care. Acknowledge that God is in control and will restore right order. Despite appearances to the contrary, God is in control. God is at work. God sees it all.

One Year Bible, April 26

JUDGES 6:1-40                                                                                                                    
THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL: The Arabian, the Midianites and the Amalekites. The Arabians were known as "wild men", descendants of Ishmael. The Midianites were a seducing, cursing people who hired Balaam. Their name means "strife". The Amalekites were the first tribe to come against Israel's God, in an attempt to steal their miraculous water supply. They were a vicious, bitter foe who tortured their enemies.

MIND OF THE FLESH: The mind of the flesh is a destroyer in cahoots with the devil and the world-spirit, which is the antithesis of God. It says they "destroyed the increase of the earth." They left NOTHING behind. They were compared to "locusts" - (135,000 of them) which is the picture in Revelation of "the plague of sin and death" loosed by Satan on the world to corrupt and destroy and devour. Sin is deadly and brings strife, chaos and confusion. The church cannot take a neutral position while the world is being eaten alive.

GIDEON: Cowardly, yet called.  Angel of the Lord (visible manifestation of God) called Gideon "mighty man of valor" (fearless one) Gideon reacted in fear to the Presence of God. Gideon's call began at home, where he was proven.  Gideon received a change of name, which signified a change in nature and character (Jerubbaal - "with whom Baal contends"). Amplified Bible 6:34, "But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself and took possession of him."

THE DEW ON THE FLEECE:   The fleece on the threshing floor is symbolic of Israel being sheered by the enemy on God's floor. Dew is a sign of God's favor and is a type of the Holy Spirit. Dew on the fleece is the Holy Spirit on Gideon. Dew on all the ground is the Holy Spirit poured out on all flesh. Fleece is not for guidance, but for confirmation. We are led by the Holy Spirit and the Voice of God.

"FLESH IN A BASKET" AND "BROTH IN A POT": Symbolic of the Body of Christ, the church.

RESPONSE:   I should mention "Jehovah-shalom" (6:24) Gideon's altar. This refers to the God Who makes Whole. Gideon was made complete, with nothing missing, nothing broken. "Shalom" is the Hebrew word used to describe health, happiness, quietness of soul, tranquility, prosperity and security. JEHOVAH-SHALOM is the answer for the LOCUSTS the Destroyer and Devourer).  Above all else, God's peace IS the prevalence of ORDER.

LUKE 22:54-23:1                                                                                                                
SPIRITUAL FAILURE AND RESTORATION:  Under pressure: Jesus was faithful to confess that He is the Messiah. Peter failed to confess Jesus before a lowly servant girl.   Peter had earlier confessed, "You are the Christ of God." - and now said he didn't know Him. How did that happen? There are reasons we fail God and betray Him:
(1) Not submitting to the hard teachings of Scripture. Peter contradicted Jesus when he told Jesus that He didn't have to suffer.  (Mark 8:31-32).
(2) When we don't deal with and repent of our independence. Peter believed that even though the others may fall away, he would NEVER.
(3) We grow spiritually "sleepy". Peter slept when he should have been praying in the Garden with Jesus.
(4) We respond to pressure in the flesh. Peter was fighting when he should have been submitting (and lobbed off a servant's ear!) and compromise our witness.

PETER'S "CONVERSION": (Luke 22:32) The rooster crowed and Jesus looked at Peter and THEN (22:61-62):
(1) "Peter remembered the Word of the Lord".
(2) "Peter went out and wept bitterly." (conviction of sin with Godly sorrow and repentance)

RESPONSE:   What comes out under pressure is usually the hidden stuff in our hearts. Peter's doubts came to the surface. Jesus' goodness came out. Not putting the Word into our hearts leads to failure. Not teaching our hearts to go to God and depend on Him without fear - also leads to failure. Not praying will definitely lead to failure.

PSALM 95:1-96:13                                                                                                               
There is no author listed, but Heb 4:7 quotes Psa 95 as "in David".

INVITATION TO WORSHIP: Sing, make a joyful noise, give thanksgiving, worship, bow down, kneel, hear His voice, sing a new song, Bless His Name, proclaim His salvation and deliverance, declare His glory among the heathen. Give Him glory, bring offerings, fear Him. Come into His courts (presence). Be glad and be joyful.

PROVERBS 14:5-6                                                                                                               
In other words, a man who lies is a LIAR, not just a man who lies. A scorner or scoffer lacks the capacity of recognizing Truth.

RESPONSE:  I'm sure there are many, many other ways to worship God in the book of Psalms, but these are a good start! We could add dance, jump, leap, skip, clap, lift up our hands, BUT all of these imply GREAT IRREPRESSIBLE JOY.

One Year Bible, April 25

JUDGES 4:1-5:31                                                                                               
HERE WE GO AGAIN! Ehud is dead, so Israel did "THE evil". This time God sold them to "Jabin", whose name means "mind of the flesh", "intelligent".  Jabin was the "king of Canaan". "Canaan" means "to oppress or humiliate". The king of Canaan can symbolize the natural mind, but not the devil (because we are never told to "kill" a devil.) Rom 8:7 says, "the old sinful nature within us is against God. It never did obey God's laws and it never will." The captain of this antichristian nature within every one of us was named "Sisera". His name had produced fear in Israel for 20 years because of his oppression, his vast army and his 900 chariots of iron.

DEBORAH:  (5:1) Says she was raised up by God to "avenge Israel". The literal translation of that phrase is "when leaders lead."  BARAK: His name means "flashing sword". He has gotten a bad rap because he refused to go to war without her. But, in actuality, I believe he is a picture of the Holy Spirit - our "flashing sword". The Holy Spirit will go WITH us, BEFORE us, BEHIND us, and even HELP us - but that is His function: a paraclete (one called alongside, a helper). Deborah is not mentioned in Hebrews 11, but in 11:32 Barak is, as being a man of faith.  So I don't believe he was a coward. Deborah had a plan, but Barak implemented it and showed great daring.

AMBUSHMENTS:  Deborah and Barak poised on Mt. Tabor with 10,000 troops.   An unnamed captain gathered troops on Mt. Ephraim on the south side of the Jezreel Valley.  When Sisera and his iron chariots reached the Valley of Megiddo, it began raining and then a huge flood washed through the riverbed. That was Deborah's signal to attack!  But who actually ambushed the enemy?  5:20 says "they fought from heaven: the stars in their courses fought against Sisera." and 5:4 says that "God marched" and "the earth trembled".

JAEL:   After luring Sisera into her tent, she fed him milk and "butter in a lordly dish". When he fell asleep, she killed him with a hammer and nail (through the skull). 5:27 says, "At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead."   A three-fold victory: body, soul and spirit.

HOW TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY: Reuben, Gad and Asher valued their possessions more than their brethren and were rebuked for not fighting.   Zebulon and Naphtali "jeoparded their lives unto the death", exposing themselves to great danger in battle. (5:18 and Rev 12:11). By NOT loving their own lives, they got a great victory, even against iron chariots!  Our natural way of thinking has to be handled with a hammer and a  nail - crucify it!  Then don't be afraid to fight.  Just remember who/what it is that you are fighting against.

RESPONSE:   It was a situation where it was all or nothing. GOD FOUGHT FOR THEM. There is no question that heaven intervened when they OBEYED. Sometimes it takes great courage to obey God - especially when going against our own minds, our own reasonings, what seems logical and right. But it is good, and right, and safe to believe God and to trust Him.

LUKE 22:35-53                                                                                                        

SELL YOUR SHIRT AND BUY A SWORD:   Expect trouble. Forewarned is forearmed. Two swords for 12 people - some people are so literal! The times would be perilous, and unbeknownst at that minute, all 12 would die as martyrs.  Jesus never intended for them to USE those swords - as Peter did in the garden.  Jesus had to heal the servant whose ear Peter lobbed off!

PRAY UNTIL YOU BLEED!  What was all this praying for?   Was Jesus really trying to get God to change His mind? NO!  Jesus knew when He came as a baby that His death on a cross was already planned (Heb 10:5).  BUT, just as He warned the disciples, "Pray God that you will not fall when you are tempted." In the other Gospels He said, "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak".

RESPONSE:  Don't pray for ESCAPE.  That is pagan in nature and is not the way of the cross. But pray that you will obey God when you are afraid. Pray that you will obey God when everything in you wants to quit or run. Pray that you won't back down from laying down your life, your plans, your indulgences.

PSALM 94:1-23                                                                                                        
FOOLS: One whose carnal nature outweighs his spiritual nature and so he cannot discern spiritual things. He is so foolish as to think that God doesn't necessarily see and hear everything!

ENEMIES:  The natural mind and the world system. The enemy despises God and does not fear His vengeance. (Rom 8:7) They are bloodthirsty, blasphemous oppressors. The punitive judicial rule of God over the heathen is an undeniable fact. He who chastens nations will also punish the oppressors. He who teaches knowledge, knows the thoughts of man. I am my own worst enemy sometimes.

RESPONSE:   The world thinks God doesn't care because He delays judgment.  Actually God DOES care, and so He leaves time and space for people to repent.  It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to "forsake His inheritance." (us). "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul." "Thoughts" is "my distracting and perplexed thoughts". The picture is of the top of a tall tree that is being whipped back and forth by the wind. These are conflicting thoughts. God's comforts "intensely delight" or "rejoice" or "make me deliriously happy" (Rose translation). When I think about Jesus, and all He's done for me, and all His faithfulness to me, and all His wonderfulness to me....sometimes I have to run outside and yell!

PROVERBS 14:3-4                                                                                            

THE STRENGTH OF AN OX: This is the strength to go the distance, endurance. This is what is needed to bring in the harvest. Joshua and Caleb were as strong at 85 years old, as they were at 40! Isa 40:31 says that this kind of strength is obtained by waiting on the Lord so we don't faint or grow weary. As we WAIT (aggressively hold our minds steady through praise and thanksgiving) we grow stronger and stronger. Strong enough to get the job done.

One Year Bible, April 24

JUDGES 2:10-3:31                                                                                             
A GENERATION WHICH HAD NEVER SEEN A MOVE OF GOD (2:10): The original language actually says that they did "THE evil". They forsook the Lord and the Lord forsook them (2:23).

CHRONIC CYCLE THAT PLAGUES THE CHURCH:
(1) Departure from dependence on God.

(2) Bondage to flesh and worldliness.
(3) Cry out to God for revival (connection).
(4) A Deliverer raised up.
(5) Repent and return to the Lord.

Or: Sin --> Suffering --> Supplication  --> Salvation.

Now, understand something here: These people had done "THE evil" , forsaken and abandoned the Lord, (lived unsaved), AND were serving the same stuff as the world (money, prestige, adultery, etc.). God's anger was "HOT", it says.   It says that God "sold them into the hands of their enemies". God was "against them for evil". Then.....

NEVERTHELESS: God raised up deliverers (saviors, judges, redeemers, freedom fighters) which delivered them.  But even then......once they got free, they went right back at it! Here's another cycle that's happening in the church:
(1) From bondage to faith.
(2) From faith to great courage.
(3) From courage to liberty.
(4) From liberty to abundance.
(5) From abundance to selfishness.
(6 From selfishness to complacency.
(7) From complacency to apathy.
(8) From apathy to dependency on worldly props (independence from God).
(9) From dependency to bondage.

Each cycle gradually circled lower and lower in deterioration, until even their repentance became superficial. And so, God left nations in place that would punish and prove us.  And those enemies "sifted them like wheat" (Luke 22:31). Not surprisingly, the first judge to raise up to deliver them was Caleb's nephew: OTHNIEL.

OTHNIEL:   Although he was overshadowed by his uncle Caleb, God had his own anointing for him.  Israel had served the King of Mesopotamia for 8 years.  Mesopotamia is the precursor to Babylon.  The king's name was "Chushan-rishatham" which means "Blackness of double-wickedness."   He is a symbol of the ANTICHRISTIAN SPIRIT.  Othniel managed to enforce peace and freedom for 40 whole years - a whole generation!

EHUD:  (known as the left-handed prophet) After serving Eglon, king of Moab for 18 years, God raised up Ehud. The Moabites are descendants of Lot and Esau and represent the FLESH. "Eglon" means "to go in circles" which symbolizes instability and doublemindedness. "Ehud" means "singlemindedness, decisive." (no coincidence!)  What does it take to go from doublemindedness to singlemindedness? A two-edged sword to the gut to let the "dirt" out. (Ehud caught Eglon on the toilet with his pants down around his ankles. Because Ehud was left-handed, Eglon never saw the two-edged sword coming! Ehud drove that sword clear through the flesh.) Do I need to translate that? The Word of God is the two-edged sword that will go into the flesh and discern what needs to go (Heb 4:12). This gave Israel peace for 80 years!

SHAMGAR:  Killed 600 Philistines with an OXGOAD. (The oxgoad is a Hebrew symbol of "teachers and teaching or instruction.") The Philistines and the number 6 represent the FLESH - the literal meaning of Philistine is "to roll in the dust" - man is made of dust, the devil lives on dust (Gen 3:14)!

RESPONSE:   It is interesting that when Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat, that Jesus didn't say He would stop the devil from doing it! In fact, He pretty much said it would be allowed, in order to "convert" (to turn oneself about, turn back absolutely) Peter. I think that is step (3) - crying out to God to be connected again.   In being sifted, the chaff is removed - which is a picture of the flesh being killed and burned up. The word "prove" in Jud 2:22 means "to put to the test" or "to assay".  When our repentance is superficial, there is no re-connection with God. Our connection is what helps us to change. Otherwise we will repeat the sin and cycle again. Haven't you ever wondered why you repent-fall-repent-fall-repent-fall with the same sin over and over? To be complete, repentance has to include "conversion" - or a return to reconnect with God.

LUKE 22:14-34                                                                                                     
WHY CALL IT "THE LAST SUPPER"?  Jesus said He will come in and "sup with us" (Rev 3:20) anytime we ask Him! What Jesus DID say that that the next time we eat with Him, it will be after the prophetic aspects of the Passover meal "have been fulfilled in the Kingdom of God."

THE LEAST (BETRAYER) AND THE GREATEST: Talk about extremes! Which one would betray Him? And which one would be the greatest? Jesus proclaimed the greatest in HIS estimation to be the one that "serves". AND, we are all DECREED BY JESUS to eat at His table in His kingdom and sit on thrones. 

"SIFTED LIKE WHEAT":  The devil sifts us like wheat, and the Holy Spirit waits with the fire to burn up the chaff (Luke 3:16).   Instead of stopping the devil, Jesus prays that our faith will make it through the process and we would be "converted" (the pronoun "you" is plural for "you-ALL" and the verbs refer to ALL of us being sifted)   When wheat is sifted, the whole grain is tossed into the air with a pitchfork, and as it comes down, the fork is used to "twang" the wheat so the chaff comes off.  In order for life to come forth, the outer husk of the soul must be broken off the wheat to expose the Life of Jesus within.  Death and resurrection are the abiding principle of the life of God in us:  Death of the soul, resurrection of the Spirit. We USE the soul, but don't LIVE by it.

RESPONSE:   How do we cooperate with the Spirit of God when we are being sifted? By repenting. Peter was presumptuous. He assumed that his desire was enough to keep him faithful, and it isn't. Only God can carry us through tough times. As long as there is any self-preservation in us, we run the risk of betraying the Lord. That is what God is after. In Job 2:4 the devil stated to God: "Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life." The devil thinks we will do what we have to save ourselves - to prevent anything unpleasant, inconvenient, disgusting, difficult, pressuring to our flesh - that we will "escape" any affliction, pressure or trouble that we can. That we will try to "remove" or go around all mountains in our way. (The mountain, by the way, is PRIDE AND SELF-PRESERVATION).   Instead, we pray "not my will, but Thine, Lord". Obey God and the flesh will die. The husk will be burned. And the seed that remains will produce the life of God.

PSALM 92:1-93:5                                                                                                  
REST FOLLOWS DELIVERANCE: And Psalm 92 follows Psalm 91. Heb 3-4 tells us that the rest of God comes from the obedience of faith. And being "in faith" comes from instructing our hearts with the Truth. That is what this Psalm is about.....what we tell our hearts. That it is good, and right, and safe to give thanks and praise to the Lord for His goodness and His greatness. "A senseless man or a fool does not understand this. The only reason they are allowed to "spring up" is so that they can be discovered and destroyed."

WHO IS IN CHARGE?  Whatever God says can be absolutely relied upon in spite of appearances to the contrary. His testimonies and His house will endure forever. He maintains His rule effectively over against every power that would come against Him. His rule is eternal and will be acknowledged in the end. Tell your heart this until you are "in faith" and resting.

PROVERBS 14:1-2                                                                                              

Ladies, if you are not building up your house, you are tearing it down. You have a lot of power. Use it wisely. How do we tear it down? Neglect, self-indulgence, words, carelessness, acting in independence from God. How do we build it up?  "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches." (Prov 24:3-4)

Living and walking right and BEING righteous are inseparable, and so are perversity and godlessness. Each man's relationship with God is judged by the fruit of his life.

RESPONSE:   Did you get the part of bringing forth fruit "in old age"? Yeah! That is, if we are "planted" in the house of the Lord. Some people just "hang out" - they are without roots, and so they eventually wither and die.