One Year Bible, March 30

DEUTERONOMY 13:1-15:23                                                                          
REMEMBRANCE #7 (Deut 15:15): You were a slave to sin and Jesus redeemed you. Now you belong to Him.

CONDITION OF THE BLESSING: What is it that we have to obey in order to be blessed and not cursed? That's what Deut 12-28 is about.

(1) Utterly destroy the place of pagan worship (that is, the flesh) and it's "lusts and affections".

(2) You may not adjust your worship style to please people. Don't be snared by your enemies out of a desire to "fit in".

(3) False prophets, false relatives, false cities: Since the Bible says to "kill them all", it can't be talking about people for US to qualify.   Here we are talking about the INFLUENCE of evil.   The Bible says these things are anti-Christian, or anti-Christ - they lead you away from God.   Matt 10:34-37 tells us to crucify our natural affections (false relatives). Mark 8:34-35 tells us to crucify all self-preservation (false prophets) because they will cause you to put outward, eternal, temporary things above what is eternal. Luke 17:31-33 tells us to crucify the affection for any "treasure" but Jesus. Don't become more attached to the "gifts" than the Giver (false cities).   And while we are at it: John 12:24-25 says that YOU will have to die also. "Go into the ground and die" so that you will bear fruit for the Kingdom/Land. (death to SELF or flesh).

(4) Be Separate. This is talking about being DISTINCTIVE, not isolated. God has "chosen" us to be "a peculiar people". (which means "treasure". Oh yeah! We are His treasure!)  And so, we have holy bodies (don't become a "cutter"), holy food, holy motivations, holy money. God's chosen people pay TITHE.  If you don't want to bring a calf or a chicken to church, you may "turn it into money" and bring that. Tithing is evidence of gratitude at being a chosen and separated-out one! NOT tithing documents your ingratitude.

(5) Sabbaticals:   Our treatment of the disenfranchised must be holy. Sabbath means Rest and it typifies the Land (Kingdom of God, Life, etc)   What it meant was that every 7th year, everything was released: loans, indentured servants, land.  One exception: a "bondservant". This is a servant who wants to serve out of LOVE.  His ear was nailed to the door to pierce it for an earring. It signified he would ”hear and obey" for life.

RESPONSE:   Now you know the significance of the Israelite's golden calf in the wilderness being made out of earrings. They were pledging their obedience to it!   Of course we will serve what we worship - whether it is a person, an activity, thoughts, or things. Our own flesh is a hard taskmaster. This is why it must be put to death.

LUKE 8:40-9:6                                                                                                   
Here's something interesting: Raising up a 12-year-old girl, healing a woman who was sick 12 years, sending out the 12 apostles, and later picking up 12 baskets of leftovers. I believe that the number 12 in the Bible is symbolic of Kingdom rulership. If you think about it, there are a lot of 12's in our lives, beginning with 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. We know about the 12 apostles, 12 tribes, 12 gates of the city. Jesus is still talking about faith in Who He is, all authority. We believe the Truth, even if it means we have to change. We are not to be afraid when our world is turned around. He can heal, He can feed, He can provide. "Only fear not, believe only." Fear and faith are not compatible.

RESPONSE:   It looks as though the opposite of faith is not "unbelief", but "fear". Actually "fear" AND "unbelief" go together. They reside in the same heart together. They keep us from obeying God, and from inheriting His Kingdom rule. If I am afraid, I can't just believe - I have to take my heart captive and calm it's fears first. HOW? I talk to it, of course! "God, thank You for being faithful. God, You chose me and I am Yours. You are the Magnificent One. You are mighty and powerful. I am safe in Your arms. You will never leave me. You know all about me and my troubles. You are my Deliverer and Champion. Thank You for knowing all things and doing what is best for Your Plan. Nothing is too difficult for You."

PSALM 71:1-24                                                                                                 
Some Old Man wrote this Psalm.   Many in the Bible sinned in their old age and died "in sin": Eli (1 Sam 2); Judah (Gen 38); King Asa (2 Chron 16:12); Solomon (2 Ki 23:13). . I've been through some tough things in life, but through it all, God has been faithful. I don't want to be useless or cast off when I am old. "I will go in the strength of the Lord God." Before I die, I want to show the next generation what God is made of!

PROVERBS 12:5-7                                                                                         
NOTE:  The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and judges them (Heb 4:12).  We are mistaken if we imagine that thoughts are secret.  No, God sees and knows.  A righteous person may think bad thoughts, but he does not indulge them. We have a rule at our house: "if it is mad, sad or bad you may not dwell on it. Thoughts can lead to words. A man can do a very good work with one right word spoken at the right time. Remember, the triumphing of the wicked is short.

RESPONSE:   The old generation of Israel sinned within eyesight of their inheritance. (Num 25:1)  They were almost there! They could see it from where they were camped.   What lessons they could have taught their children.  Instead, they became a warning of what NOT to do. "My tongue shall talk of Thy righteousness all the day long."

One Year Bible, March 29

DEUTERONOMY 11:1-12:32                                                                          
One of the goals of Bible-reading is spiritual maturity. Truth is what frees us from SELF and selfishness. The first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) sets the pattern for man's spiritual growth and maturity. Deuteronomy specifically describes how God makes us fit for Canaan. This is a picture for God making us fit to live in His Presence, in the invisible spirit realms, otherwise called "the Land", "our portion", "our inheritance", "the Rest", "the Life," "Kingdom of God". The emphasis and our supreme duty to God is obedience. (Deut 12:26-28) If we obey God, we'll be blessed. If we disobey God, we'll be cursed.

Everything about the Land, the Life, (John 10:10) is by GRACE. God will not only give us the Kingdom/Land, but He will water it Himself, make the grass grow, cause other tribes to be afraid of us, give us joy and fulfillment in our work, give us plenteous fruit for our labors, and put His blessing on us. All we have to do is obey.

CONDITION OF THE BLESSING: What is it that we have to obey in order to be blessed and not cursed? That's what Deut 12 is about.

(1) "Destroy utterly" every place where pagan worship took place - and every "altar, pillar, grove, graven image, names of gods". The place is our flesh. The "altars, pillars, groves, graven images, names of gods" are our "lusts and affections" that are in our flesh. Gal 5:24 says, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." And Rom 8:12-13, "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live." And then Gal 6:8, "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Gal 5:19-20 tell us what that is - what is produced by the flesh. It sounds like it actually came from the devils in hell - but THE BIBLE SAYS it comes from our own flesh. Obedience gives us the opportunities to crucify the flesh.

(2) When you enter the Land of Rest, you can't do "whatsoever is right in your own eyes." You can't follow human reasoning. You can't live independent from God. You may not worship like everyone else, or do it because "everyone is doing it." There is to be no compromise with the people around you. You may not adjust your worship style to please people. Don't be snared by your enemies out of a desire to "fit in".

RESPONSE:   When we quote this verse, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Mat 6:21), do we really know what we are saying? If our "treasure" is anything but God, we will eventually be tempted to betray Him for our "treasure". A "treasure" is "anything that motivates us to some action". So, if it isn't God, it may be an "altar, pillar, etc." When my obedience makes me chose between something I want and something God wants, THAT is my opportunity to crucify the flesh - or kill a Hittite.


LUKE 8:22-39                                                                                                  
FEAR AND FAITH ARE NOT COMPATIBLE:  In fact, they are pretty much opposites. The disciples were rebuked for their lack of faith because they feared. What did they fear? V. 25 says they feared the Truth about Jesus! That fact that His authority caused them to fear, showed a lack of faith, according to Jesus' rebuke. Now look at the townspeople of Gadara. They preferred the status quo to the Truth. They cared more about their pocketbooks than about the monster who lived in the graveyard. They feared Jesus, too, because He upset the way things were. But the demon-possessed man has faith in the One Who rescued him from hell and wants to be a follower.

The disciples and the people of Gadara were fearful because of the Truth about Who Jesus is and the consequential requirement that they would have to change. The absence of fear (the demon-possessed man) was the result of believing faith in Jesus, Who is the Truth, and his faith changed everything.

RESPONSE:   Jesus isn't just a "nice man". He holds all authority, and isn't afraid to use it! He is savvy, compassionate, wise, and always knows what to do. That is scary if you don't want to change. Faith and "the fear of God" are not only compatible, but the fear of God is necessary for faith to operate. BUT, the fear of anything but God will hinder faith from working. Fear is actually a negative-faith.

PSALM 70:1-5                                                                                                 
This is a repeat of Psa 40:13-17 - and so it is called "Remembrance" when God seems to forget us.

PROVERBS 12:4                                                                                              

What kind of woman is a CROWN to her husband? The original Hebrew word is "chayil" which refers to the strength and force of an army; valor; power; wealth; substance; virtue. It is the word used in "mighty men of valour" in the Bible.

RESPONSE: Wowza! A good woman is a powerful woman, a useful woman, a strong, take-action woman. Contrary to what some people think, she makes her husband look powerful too!

One Year Bible, March 28

DEUTERONOMY 9:1-10:22                                                                            
REMEMBER #5: (Deut 9:7) We are a provoking people, but God has shown His mercy toward us. Without His grace, we would not be able to serve God at all.

REMEMBER #6: (Deut 9:27) We are God's inheritance, thus we belong to Him. We are INCLUDED, have an "inside track", are part of His Covenant - not to be rejected.

Overcoming the flesh is a lifelong battle, won through obedience and faithfulness to God. We don't get the victory over our flesh because we are so righteous, but because our flesh is so wicked that God drives it out.

Definition of OBEY:   If our lives depend on obedience, it would be good to know what God considers obedient. (Deut 10:12-13) "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God REQUIRE of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?"   Fear, Walk, Love, Serve, Keep.

NOTE: (Deut 10:14 & 17) The heaven, the heaven of heavens, and the earth with everything in it belong to God.  They do NOT belong to Satan, never have, and never will. Did you honestly think that Satan could take something that big away from God? Our God is "God of gods, Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty and a terrible..."  Satan is a USURPER, with no "legal" rights except what humans give him. He rules through deception, seduction, intimidation and force, not through authority.

RESPONSE:   "Do, "keep", "observe", "obey" are used 176 times in Deuteronomy.  It is not enough to just do as we are told.  God doesn't want just our "backs", He wants our "hearts".  And so part of obedience is to love Him and serve Him.  Being a Christian is not a JOB, but a CALLING and a PRIVILEGE.   We GET to "walk in His ways".  We GET to love Him.  I think it is interesting that God consumes our flesh and we are to obey QUICKLY to finish it off.  I think that's because we would go back to it if we didn't burn our bridges.

LUKE 8:4-21                                                                                                    

Fruit is brought forth from seeds "with patience" - it takes time, and "an honest and good heart".  This is a heart that shows respect and esteem to the Word of God as being the Word from God, and is able to understand it, digest it and use it to grow without giving up.  As those seeds sown in secret (in the ground) begin to sprout and grow, people will see that we had "an honest and good heart".

RESPONSE:   Have you ever asked your kids what the Sunday sermon was about?  Often they can't tell you because they received it carelessly or without respectful interest.  So I think a "good heart" also has to be a hungry heart.  After awhile, the little bit we DID understand will be taken from us if we don't practice at least that much. That works for anything we learn.

When I learned some Swahili in preparation for going to Kenya, as I put it into use, I learned even more. When I got back home, I quit using it, and forgot what little bit I already knew.  What little bit I thought I had was taken from me.  The Word of God has to be received and put to practice immediately or it will be gone before we know it!

PSALM 69:19-36                                                                                               

This is prophetic of what Jesus endured His last days of life on earth. Verses 19-21 are "the cup" that wouldn't pass from Him.  "Reproach, disgrace, shame, dishonor, heaviness, no pity or comfort, gall and vinegar to drink."   What got David first, then Jesus, through this?  Vs. 30 they "magnified the Lord with thanksgiving." They made Him great, boast, lift up, exceed, increase, promote, to make powerful. HOW? "with thanksgiving."   As we thank and praise God out loud, our hearts are encouraged and made to accept that it is safe to trust God completely. "This also shall please the Lord..."

PROVERBS 12:2-3                                                                                         
The righteous has his root in God; and therefore he shall not be moved. Evil is always variable: it has no fixed place or idea. Not only are evil people "not established", but they will be "rooted out".

RESPONSE:   When we magnify the Lord, everything else gets smaller. As we make Him bigger and more prominent in our lives, other things take on less importance. Pleasing God should be a priority. When I find myself shaken or upset, I get my mind back on God by magnifying Him with my mouth - out loud - and before I know it, I feel better. My peace and joy are restored, and I don't feel helpless any more. I can still be a sacrifice, but I don't HAVE to be a victim! Especially to my own emotions.

One Year Bible, March 27

DEUTERONOMY 7:1-8:20                                                                              
REMEMBER #2: (7:18) Do not fear the enemy; he is already defeated. Jesus defeated Satan FOR you.

REMEMBER #3: (8:2)  Remember what you learned when God dealt with you about the issues of obedience. Remember all the trials and proving you have been through and how God revealed Himself to you in those times.

REMEMBER #4: (8:18)  Remember that God is your Source of everything good that you enjoy in life.  Even what came from your own hand, came by the strength and endurance God gave you.

WHO IS MY ENEMY?  The enemies in the Land were to be annihilated - man, woman and child. We don't kill the devil, so it's not devils. We don't kill people in the world, so it's not people. We ARE told to crucify the flesh (Gal 5:24).   What is standing between us and our inheritance is our own flesh.  It is called "greater and mightier than thou" and we are to make no deals with it nor show any mercy on it and no compromise.  The names of the tribes and what they mean tell us what we are up against in our flesh:

Hittites - "fear, intimidation, confusion, terror"
Girgashites - "lack of commitment"
Amorites - "boastful, arrogant, proud"
Canaanites - "to humiliate, subjugate, bring low"
Perizzites - "Apathy, lack of vision"
Hivites - "Human effort"
Jebusites - "oppression, to trample under foot, to tread down, to bully"

Keep in mind, these enemies are encountered in the Land and cause pollution. So as we displace the inhabitants, we must also displace their gods.   How do we deal with all this?   Gal 5:24 says we not only crucify the flesh, but its "lusts and affections" - which are symbolized in Deut 7:5 as "altars, images, groves, and graven images".  It all has to be pulled down and destroyed.   "For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God; the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth."   ON WHAT BASIS WERE WE CHOSEN? Not because we were the best or the most, but because "He loved us". And He loves us because He loves us!

WHAT MAKES OUR FLESH SO DANGEROUS? (Deut 7:4)  It will turn us away from following God - betrayal.

BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE (Deut 7:13-16) God's mercy, God's love, God's blessing (empowerment), increase, prosperity, fruitfulness, take away sickness and "evil diseases", victory in overcoming the flesh.

PURPOSE OF THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE: (Deut 8:2-6) To teach us obedience. To strip away all self-reliance, self-sufficiency, self-interest, self-preservation, so we'll know how much we need God, how much we must depend on Him for Life, how much our outcome depends on obedience.

RESPONSE:   Obedience is not an option. Imagine spending 40 years being taught that one thing! Obey God or die! That was their choice. What is stopping me from being obedient?  Apathy (Perizzites), trying to do it in my own strength (Hivites), fear of people (Hittites), pride (Amorites), a bad attitude (all the rest of the "-ites"). My flesh is selfish, rude, demanding, harsh and bullying - just like all those tribes. It wants what it wants when it wants it. So I tear down its altars - getting rid of stuff, staying focused, saying "no way!" when my flesh makes demands on me for more sleep, more food, or whatever. Remember! Remember! Remember! You don't want to have to be reminded, believe me.

LUKE 7:36-8:3                                                                                                   
Jesus, "the Friend of publicans and sinners" is at it again! What the Pharisees considered "bad news" - Jesus associates with sinners - was actually "good news" to this woman - she believed that Jesus would not send her away. Consider her WORSHIP:

(1) Worship is an activity for sinners. Jesus allowed her to come close, reach out, and touch Him.

(2) Worship is not concerned about receiving something from God as much as giving something to Him. Worship is costly and sacrificial, or it is meaningless.

(3) Worship involves the emotions. She worshipped with all her heart because she loved him much as she considered the depth of His forgiveness.

RESPONSE: Sometimes I think we treat Jesus as if we don't really love Him very much, just like a wife who takes her husband for granted. Our worship music is a good reminder of the debt we owe God and of how much Jesus has done for us. The way the verbs are expressed in this story tell us that she was "weeping", "washing", "kissing" - continually, not just once. She loved Him far more than the self-righteous Pharisee. I sure don't want to be him! We have no record of his sins being forgiven.

PSALM 69:1-18                                                                                                 
Next to Psalm 22, this is the most-quoted Psalm in the NT. Psa 69-72 reveal the rejection and exaltation of Jesus Christ. This particular Psalm is a song of intense sorrow that has come because of loyalty to God. "Let not them that wait in faith on Thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me." Don't let me be a stumblingblock.  David's adversaries were in positions of power and overwhelm him in their numbers and their might and their ridicule.

PROVERBS 12:1                                                                                              
Couldn't have said it better myself! And stupid people can't be helped because they won't submit to correction - so they stay stupid.

RESPONSE:  A person who is easily offended has a hard time being corrected. Here it says they are stupid - or void of common sense. I have been there. No one could tell me anything, so I never knew why no one wanted to spend time with me.  If someone told me the truth, I got offended, hardened my heart, and avoided them. So I stayed stupid. Finally God broke me Himself, taught me the fear of God, and made me sit still while I was confronted about some things. Oh, it hurt.  I was tempted to run away again.  I was tempted to harden my heart some more.  But I was afraid to. Sometimes the Holy Spirit has to warn us not to harden our hearts because we will be destroyed.  "A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed--without remedy." (Prov 29:1)

One Year Bible, March 26

DEUTERONOMY 5:1-6:25                                                                             
OBEDIENCE:   Moses reviews the 10 commandments for the new generation, then tells them that Obedience is an expression of love and gratitude. And Obedience is a demonstration of the fear of God. Obedience will preserve us alive. It is the parents' responsibility to teach these things to their children!

REMEMBER #1:  (5:15) He brought you out of the bondage to sin, into His Sabbath Rest (Matt 11:28-30). Moses demonstrated to this new generation that God had purchased and purposed us for Himself. He brought us out that He might bring us in.  "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" (Col 1:12-13)

RESPONSE:    I think Deuteronomy was Jesus' favorite OT book, because He was always quoting from it. It is a book of OBEDIENCE.  It is Moses' dying words - Obey and you will be blessed. Disobey and you will be cursed. If you want to possess your inheritance, which is Life with God - you MUST obey.   I used to think that "obey" was a four-lettered word!   I could hardly even say it!   I thought obedience was optional!   Then I was put into a situation where obedience became a matter of survival.  I had no choice!   It was a place of safety for me to obey.  I learned that if I say that I am submitted to Jesus, but not submitted to those He placed in authority in my life, then I am just jiving with God and I am deceived. Isa 1:19-20 says, "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

LUKE 7:11-35                                                                                                   
Jesus could get into trouble just walking through town!   Of course, raising the dead got back to John the Baptist, who was in Herod's jail.

DEALING WITH DOUBT:   Two doubters here: John the Baptist and the Pharisees. The Pharisees weren't just doubters, they were scoffers and their doubt was a cover-up for rebellion against God.   John's doubt was probably the result of the tough circumstances he was in.   He had obeyed God and now he was in prison!   Had he heard God correctly?   What should he do?   What do WE do in difficult times?

(1.) He took his doubts to Jesus Himself.   He could have asked the Pharisees who would probably take sides with John in his doubt and shown him some sympathy, but that would have made things worse. John stayed submitted to God and did the right thing. 

(2.) He looked at God's goodness and greatness in Jesus.  Jesus told him to do that.   As he considered those things, his heart and mind calmed down.

CHILDREN AT PLAY:   This is a rebuke to the religious leaders for rejecting both John AND Jesus. John was a "hippie in a hairshirt", preaching sternly about sin and repentance and judgment.  Jesus, on the other hand, came preaching about forgiveness and healing and "good news for the poor".   Same Message, just a different presentation.  But the religious leaders, like those little children at play, don't want to play unless they can make up the game and the rules.   They rejected both presentations of Truth. 

RESPONSE:   Do you want sympathy or a solution? Don't use "doubt" as an excuse to disobey God.   We usually dress it up by saying things like, "I'm not sure".  THEN GET SURE!! We do that by going to God in prayer and asking Him our questions.   As long as they are asked in a submissive and honest attitude, God doesn't mind questions. Then, out loud, thank and praise God for His goodness and His greatness. God is always good and always great; but circumstances can change.

PSALM 68:19-35                                                                                              
God takes people who have no hope, and gives them "strength and power" so that they rise in triumph over their enemies.

PROVERBS 11:29-31                                                                                    
"troubles his own house" - to churn the water; to keep things stirred up - That person ends up with nothing!

The fruit of the righteous, which is his influence on others, itself is a tree of life for others, because his words and actions bring righteousness, peace and joy to them. By this the wise becomes a winner of souls, either to himself or to Jesus.

RESPONSE:   The Hebrew word used for the "strength" that God gives to the redeemed is "owz", which is the strength of the LION, the prevailing strength by which dominion is obtained.  It is vehement and majestic strength like the strength of a thunderstorm.   It is the strength to clean my mom's house when I don't feel like it.   It is the strength to get up in the night with a sick grandchild when I feel old and tired.   It is the strength to hear really bad news and to not only not cave in under it, but to actually move forward in prayer.                               

One Year Bible, March 25

DEUTERONOMY 4:1-49                                                                                
WHAT IS "THE LAND"? Other names are "inheritance", "portion", "allotment", "promise", "in Christ".   If we are going to fight giants (magnified troubles) to get "IT”, it would be nice to know what we are fighting for.

(1.) We know from the Hebrews 3 and 4 it is the place called "Rest". (Which is a condition in God of faith and obedience and safety.)

(2.) We also know it is a place called "Plenty" (flowing with milk and honey Ex 3:8; Lev 20:24; De 28:47) also called "all things", "all sufficiency", "riches in glory" (Eph 1:18; 2Co 9:8; John 10:10).

(3.) We also know from Scripture IT IS NOT HEAVEN. (Yes! I am shouting.) For one thing, I do not have to die in order to collect an inheritance - Jesus died and left it to me.). It is entered through rebirth.   And we know it is inhabited by "the righteous", "children of light", "children of promise", NO "flesh and blood", people of "faith and patience", "overcomers", the "forgiven", those the Holy Spirit "qualified - made meet", the receivers "of abundant mercy". (Scriptures too abundant to list here.)

We could call it "the Kingdom of God" and be correct.   That is the atmosphere of influence. But reading Ephesians, we find that it is a state of being "in Christ". In fact, Eph 1:18 and Isa 19:25 say that WE are HIS inheritance! Actually Ephesians altogether is a great definition of what it means to be "in the Land" or "in Christ". Psa 16:5; 73:26; 119:57; and 142:5 says that God Himself is MY PORTION and MY INHERITANCE. John 17:3 says that "knowing Him" is "LIFE".   Jesus came and died to give us God Himself as our inheritance.

POSSESSING THE LAND DEPENDS ON: (Deut chapter 4)
(1) (v.1-2) Stay in the Word (Truth).

(2) (v.3-14) Cling to God through obedience to the Truth. Guard your hearts with Truth.

(3.) (v.15-28) Stay pure, fleeing idolatry. Idolatry is hypocrisy and doublemindedness. It is believing a system of lies (substitutes for Truth), and depending on substitutes for God. God is jealous and a consuming fire and will forcefully remove your substitutes if He has to.

(4.) (v.29-31) Live a life of repentance. Repent every day and return to God as the Source of Life and reconnect.

(5.) (v.32-40) Stay faithful through obedience, knowing there is No One else like Him. He is our Life. Our lives center around Him. He brought us out of the world, and now He will bring us into His throneroom.

RESPONSE:    I remember the first time that I found out that God is my inheritance. I was disappointed because I had vengeance in mind, a payback for all my troubles, a real "I'll-show-you" attitude.   I was looking for a time and place here on earth where I could get even with my enemies (whoever they were).   I didn't understand that my attitude was my enemy. That bitterness and grumbling were keeping me out of my inheritance!   I was supposed to inherit "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost! (Rom 14:17)   We are opposed by the world, the flesh and the devil.   The only one we are told to kill is the flesh!   Oh-oh! Something tells me that "crossing the Jordan" might be painful!

LUKE 6:39-7:10                                                                                               
DisObedience:   Disobedience is a disconnect from God, and documents self-sufficiency and arrogance. It puts the disobedient one in the position of having to do all sorts of pretending.   When disobedience is resident in a "leader", it is doubly bad because now he is leading others into his own pit. Of course, his life will be tested by fruit-inspectors, water, wind and fire (Luke 6:48-49; 1 Cor 3:13; Psa 148:8; Heb 12:26-29, etc). To be obedient is to be submitted; and to be submitted is evidence of "great faith".

RESPONSE:   Did you see that? The HEALING was not evidence of "great faith" - but his submission to authority was!!!! Disobedience makes us blind. We not only cannot see to find our way, but we are blind to our own faults too. We can't see Truth; and we can't see our way out of our messes. The only way back is through repentance so we can reconnect with God - and cling to Him.

PSALM 68:1-18                                                                                                

Kingdom Psalm #8 - The March of Victory, probably sung as the Ark was moved to Mt. Zion by David.   It is compared to God's March through the Wilderness (Num 10:33-36 as the Ark moved out.) to Mt. Sinai and on to Mt. Zion (in Jerusalem).   The Presence of God causes the earth AND the heavens to shake.   God's Way is the way of victory.  In this Splendid Psalm the Names of God are poured out: "Elohim (23x), Adonai, Shaddai, Jehovah".  It is all about our irresistible Conqueror and His victory over all the earth. The highly exalted One, who sits enthroned in heaven, rules all history here on earth, and yet takes interest in the lowliest (widows, orphans, prisoners).

Zion: Elohim has chosen Zion as the inaccessible seat of His throne, and God will continue to dwell there forever. Grace is superior to nature, and the Church IS superior to the world.

Women: (Ps 68:11) "Of the female preachers there was a great host."  No matter what you may read, these were NOT just tamborine players, either!

PROVERBS 11:28                                                                                          

A withered tree vs a flourishing green tree. Can't trust in anything that's not ETERNAL. Money ain't.

RESPONSE:   Whose victory is it anyway? We share in Jesus' Victory over the world, over the devil, and even over our own flesh. The only way WE "get the victory" is when we say "no" to our flesh!

We aren't "marching TO Zion" (like the old song says) - we ARE Zion! We join the rest of Zion when we pray:

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect," Heb 12:22-23

One Year Bible, March 24

DEUTERONOMY 2:1-3:29                                                                              

Chapter 2 covers the journey from Sinai to Kadesh. The whole book of Deuteronomy covers only one month - the 11th month of the 40th year. So it starts with a remembrance of the faithfulness of God. God was with them the 40 years in the wilderness and they "had lacked nothing."                                                                                              

Zared: You can see the Land from there! The new generation are seriously going to do this. In 2:14 we find that the actual wandering was 38 years. That experience actually becomes the Bible definition of "38". The NT reference is John 5:5 where the lame man sat by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years with excuses. The actual reason for his failure was unbelief, fear and disobedience.

Giants:   Fear of giants will keep you from your inheritance. At the entrance to the new thing are the giants:  Anakim, Emims, Horims, and Zamzummin.  One of their beds was 13 feet long! Giants are an exaggeration of our difficulties! They are an excuse for refusing to grow up and go on with God. Jesus Himself quoted Deuteronomy against Satan.  Maybe it's time we did it too. 

RESPONSE:  Mom used to say that an excuse was "a skin of a reason, stuffed with a lie". There really are NO excuses for refusing to do what God said - excuses are a cover-up for unbelief. Delayed obedience is disobedience. So, it's time to just do it!

LUKE 6:12-38                                                                                                   
Blessings & Woes:   Blessings are pronounced on suffering believers, as happy people, though the world pities us. We not only bear things, but we rejoice and leap for joy IN them as a sign of our triumph!   What happens to us here is so far from depriving us of happiness, that it actually adds to it!   Woes are pronounced against prospering sinners as miserable people, though the world envies them. They receive all they're getting in this life, with "woe" to follow.

Enemies:   FAR from vengeance - we must actually do GOOD to people who hate us! Remember the (Phil 2) rules:
(1) Never defend yourself.
(2) Never demands your rights.
(3) Never complain.

But even more than forgiveness, we must show MERCY, which is what will be "given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over" --- not money! To love those who deserve it, does not set us apart as Christians! Even the heathen do that because there is nothing self-sacrificial about it.

WHY should we be merciful to people who hate us? Two reasons: (v.35)
(1) "For He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."
(2) "Your reward shall be great."

RESPONSE:   Boy! I needed this reminder. The name of the game is "self-sacrifice". It is far better to be a sacrifice than a victim.   We can lay down our lives, or have them taken.   It's all in how we look at it.

PSALM 67:1-7                                                                                                  
Kingdom Psalm #7 - The Nations: God's desire is to bless all the nations on the earth and then "all the ends of the earth shall fear Him."

PROVERBS 11:27                                                                                          
Looking for trouble: Actually, the meaning here is that people who are always doing kindnesses and good things for others, are liked; and those who are always making trouble for others,  make more trouble for themselves.

RESPONSE:   Be sure you will find trouble if you go looking for it.  If no one ever does nice things for you, maybe it's because you never reach out with kindness to others.   Maybe you are like I used to be - I was just too much trouble.   If someone was nice to me, I wondered what they wanted.   If they complemented me, I thought they were lying.   If they gave me something, I refused to take it.   After awhile, people quit trying.  No wonder I was unhappy.  I looked for, and expected trouble, and I got it.   BUT THAT CAN BE TURNED AROUND.

One Year Bible, March 23

NUMBERS 3:1-DEUTERONOMY 1:46                                                                   
The practical instructions are complete to the new generation and now everyone is gathered together on the plains of Moab, 11 days away from Kadesh-barnea for Moses' good-bye speech, the 40th year, 11th month. They are about to enter the Kingdom of God (the Land) - I would think Moses would give a military discourse as he walked up and down, reviewing the troops. Instead, he gave the conditions to obtain and maintain their inheritance.   Our "INHERITANCE" is God Himself and His Life formed and lived in us (Gal 3:29; Eph 1:11, 14, 18; Col 1:12; Heb 9:15; Psa 16:5). "GIANTS" are magnified troubles that minimize the power of God in our eyes. Remember: later obedience (delayed obedience) does not compensate for initial disobedience, and presumption is not faith.

The purpose of this great discourse is to remind us of the need to be faithful to the God of Covenant, and to prepare us to conquer and possess the Land. After all, we were brought out of the world, in order to be brought into our inheritance (Deu 6:3).  Continued possession of our inheritance requires OBEDIENCE.    If we hear and obey God we will be blessed; if we disobey we are cursed.

KEY WORD OF DEUTERONOMY: "REMEMBER" - and 14 times Moses reminds us of what we need to keep in our hearts in order to possess.  Luke 12:32 says it is God's "good pleasure to give us the kingdom".   Faith and obedience are the qualifiers, which are based on relationship to God.

RESPONSE:  Pay attention and learn. Hope and faith are not the same thing. True faith already possesses all things.  Faith is BELIEF BASED ON KNOWING, which knowledge is based on the spiritual realities of God in us. Faith perceives those things as FACTS. We aren't "believing for" anything, especially our inheritance! It's already an established fact. GRACE is NOT the opposite of "effort", but of "earning".    The obedience of faith  takes effort.   The Apostle Paul said he worked harder than any of the 12 apostles (1 Cor 15:10). We either believe or we don't believe. This is what disqualified the old generation from their inheritance: unbelief and disobedience. Wow! It's pretty simple, isn't it?

LUKE 5:29-6:11                                                                                                          
DINNER AT LEVI'S: Levi (aka Matthew) was a hated tax-collector, who probably collaborated with the Romans. Tax-collectors were lumped together with "sinners". Levi invited all his fellow-tax-collectors to dinner with Jesus! Those scribes and Pharisees, spying on Him again, asked first: Why eat with them? Second, for that matter, why eat at all?

THE REAL PROBLEM: When Jesus announced the arrival of Kingdom of God, He said the first and foremost requirement was repentance. REPENTANCE is the means by which we put our own independence behind us and cling to God. We turn from self-sufficiency to connect with our Life-Source, God.   God's Kingdom has its own King (Jesus), it's own law (love God and one another), it's own value system (self-sacrifice, which includes love, forgiveness, mercy). The Kingdom of God is a new paradigm, achieved ONLY through repentance - it requires a whole new life. Nothing is the same. God's rule demands a new life, new commandment, new covenant, new song, new man, new tongues, new doctrine, new heart, and NEW WINESKIN.   We (SELF) must die and resurrect to new life in Christ.   We cannot bring ANYTHING into the new way Jesus came to institute. Any attempt to hang onto anything from our old life and bring it into the new life, will eventually cause us to lose it all!   Like a flying trapeze artist, we have to let go of the swing we are on, in order to fly to the other swing.   First John the Baptizer, then Jesus proclaimed we'd have to repent. The old-time religion is NOT good enough.   Of course, the old wineskin left NO ROOM for healing on the Sabbath - so BAM! - there goes that wineskin, too!

RESPONSE:   Sometimes I try to grasp something about Jesus that I don't really understand - and realize right in the middle of it, that I am looking at it wrong. I was still looking at it from the standpoint of my own strongholds of unbelief. When we have Jesus in a box, we can "manage" Him! When He manages to escape, we have to deal with our own unbelief. That's what happened to the Pharisees. He didn't come to fix up my old life, He came to give me a new life.   However, I can't combine the two!  I'll be left with nothing, if I even try it. That's the rub! While I try to stretch my wineskin and add more new stuff to it, it's only a matter of time until the thing bursts like a balloon. Then watch me whine!

Can't take my baggage into the Kingdom! The rules have changed. The signposts have all been ripped out. There is no one to tell me what to do or when to do it! I have to depend on my relationship with Jesus! It's a good thing I'm reading Deuteronomy - at least Moses will give me some hints!

PSALM 66:1-20                                                                                                           
Kingdom Psalm #6 - in worship of God. Traditionally read on Easter Sunday.

Affliction of the Righteous: (v.10-12) This is a favorite topic of the Bible as a whole.   It is variously referred to as "troubled", "pressed", "tested", "break the shell", "remove the bushel", "break up the ground", "press as grapes", "chisel the stone", "purge the silver or gold". The purpose of affliction is the death of the flesh. All earthly desires must be replaced with longings for the King and the Kingdom of God (THEN you can "forget what lies behind you".) We must all die to SELF so that we can truly and loyally love God.   Our covenant with God DEMANDS an exchanged life - my life for His.   Affliction gives us opportunity to forfeit our lives. What we forfeit will go to the Cross and then we receive what Jesus gives in exchange: His Life and His nature.   His goal is not happiness, but holiness. The word "affliction" that is used here is the word for "pressing out the chaff" in the wheat. There is a reference to Numbers 31:23 where Moses instructed us that all spoils taken from the enemy MUST pass through the fire and the water if we are to keep it. If is doesn't pass through both, we can't keep it!   It's that simple. The results: "a wealthy place" - running over, fully and abundantly satisfied.

PROVERBS 11:24-26                                                                                                  
Giving never impoverishes the righteous. The opposite of "poverty" is not wealth, but stewardship!

RESPONSE:   It seems like the more we give away, the more we have. That includes tithes, offerings, gifts, stuff we give to people, meals, our time, skills, and things I can't remember. We never lack for anything. These verses even talk about someone who holds something back hoping for a better price. If we don't stoop to doing that, then "blessings crown" us. "Blessings” are empowerments. This is why I am "the Queen of Frontenac".

One Year Bible, March 22

NUMBERS 33:40-35:34                                      
Cities of Refuge:  All the 48 cities of the Levites had the right of asylum. But the six "Cities of Refuge" were bound to protect the involuntary manslayer. This was not to protect them from justice, but to insure that justice was done, and they would be protected from avengers until they had a trial. Heb 6:18 says, "We...have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us" (Heb 6:18). When a sinner flees to Christ Jesus for refuge he is safe from the "Avenger of Blood" (God). Our High Priest will NEVER die, so we are safe forever.

Just as Moses had his Aaron, Joshua has his Eleazar. The two together represent the King-Priest ministry.

RESPONSE: God lives in the Kingdom with us, so we must never pollute it with Bloodshed or anything else. In fact, Hebrews 12:22 calls His Kingdom  "the city of the Living God". We must always keep it holy. And the Roads that lead to Jesus must have good road signs and the roads must be in good repair - don't screw it up. Make it easy to reach Him.

LUKE 5:12-28                                                                                                               
What is the main point Luke is making in his Gospel? He is writing to Theophilus to convince him of Who Jesus is. Luke shows Jesus as coming "to those in need of a physician" (Luke 5:31) - especially the lepers, tax collectors, women, Samaritans, crippled. The real story here is to answer, "Who is this Man?" Again, the Pharisees are the ones asking only their version is, "Who does this Man think He is, God?" Forgiving sin AND healing a paralytic are BOTH impossible to man. First a leper, then a cripple, and now a tax collector!

RESPONSE:   The people approaching Jesus all seem to have some traits in common: desperation, reverence, urgency, humility, faith. Perhaps this is what it takes to receive a miracle. Desperation makes us bold. And Jesus nearly always gives two miracles for the price of one: healing AND forgiveness. The same traits apply to both.

PSALM 65:1-13                                                                                                            
Kingdom Psalm #5 - Worship our Bountiful God: This Psalm is all about God - "Thou" in reference to God is used 10 times. There are all kinds of reasons to praise God, but here the personal reasons given are that He hears prayer, purges away transgression, and satisfies us with goodness.

PROVERBS 11:23                                                                                                        
When the godless hope for anything, it is because of presumption on their part.

RESPONSE:   It is a privilege and a blessing to know we've been chosen to come close to God. That He actually WANTS us close by. He "calls forth songs of joy". It is IMPOSSIBLE to be depressed when worshipping God. Even nature "shouts for joy and sings." Jesus said Himself that He came to give us Life in Abundance (John 10:10). The original language means "superabundant, superior, excessive, preeminent, exceedingly abundant, beyond measure."