#John8 - Children of the devil!

Click here to read John 8:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

For anyone who just thinks that Jesus was a mild-mannered wimp in a white dress kissing babies and walking with sheep all the time, they do not know Jesus. John 8 is a prime display of the powerful paradox of Jesus' compassion and Jesus' strength and fortitude. Jesus is trying to teach the people about the unique relationship between himself and God the Father. The Pharisees come and challenge him with question after question. The ironic thing is that they are asking the right questions, they are just not willing to accept the answers Jesus gives. Because of their hard hearts, Jesus says that they if they were really Abraham's children, then they would believe in him. Instead he says they are children of the devil! That's harsh. Dem's fightin' words.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

Jesus talks about being a slave to sin, but if we believe in him we are set free from the bondage of sin. There are other passages that also talk about being a slave to sin and finding freedom in Christ. Romans 6 talks about being freed from slavery to sin and offering ourselves as slaves to righteousness. Galatians 3:22-5:1 also talks about this issue. Anyone who has struggled with sinful addictions would verify right away that slavery to sin is a good way to describe our natural tendancies to please ourselves. The only way to be free is to receive a new life in Christ.

3. What does this mean for my life?

In the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, Jesus shines as he wins the day with grace and restores the woman back to the truth. Jesus did not walk around in judgment over others, but he always spoke the truth. He never sugar coated God's plan for life, and he never watered down God's commands. But he stood in direct contrast to the Pharisees who were quick to throw stones (literally) at someone who sinned. Jesus knew while he was here on earth, people didn't need another judge to walk around and tell them what they did was wrong. He knew we would all stand before the judge one day to give an account for our life. He knew we didn't just need another teacher to explain why adultery was wrong. He knew we needed a Savior, someone to free us from slavery to sin. So he did that. I need to also remember that although it's important that we all know and understand God's word to the best of our abilities, we should exercise grace and even stand up for others.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

At the very end of the chapter, Jesus makes a statement that really sets the Pharisees off. He says, "Before Abraham was, I am!" Now, I don't think that was just a grammar slip. I think what he was doing was using God's holy name of "I AM" for himself. Is this accurate? I know that the New Testament was written in Greek and the Old Testament in Hebrew, so I don't know if that translates perfectly or not. That would be interesting to find out.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#Mark10 - Help for the Helpless

Click here to read Mark 10:

1. What stood out to you from this chapter?

It's not a stretch to say that this whole chapter in some way shows God's heart of compassion for the vulnerable and "helpless." Jesus shares that God's design for marriage is that one man and one woman would be united and never separated. One of the reasons divorce is not just "okay" with God is that it affects the husband, wife, children, family, and friends of those involved. It leaves many people vulnerable, hurt, poor, and insecure. Jesus then focuses on children being a part of the kingdom of God as well. When Jesus addresses the rich man, he says that whoever leaves behind their worldly riches and security for the sake of the gospel will certainly be provided for. He goes on to talk again about servant leadership and how it is not the rich and powerful who will be rewarded for being rich and powerful. Rather it is those who give their lives in service to others. He closes by helping Bartimaeus, who is blind and begging - virtually helpless in his society.

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

The story of Bartimaeus receiving his sight is one that reminds me of so many other healing miracles, not just because they were healing miracles in general, but because Jesus says, "Your faith has healed you." In Mark 5:34 Jesus says the same thing to the woman suffering from bleeding. In Acts 3:16, we see that the lame man was healed because of his faith. In Luke 7:50 the woman who washes Jesus' feet was forgiven of her sins, and Jesus again said, "Your faith has saved you." The word for salvation, saved, healing, and forgiven are all tied together and related. It is by grace we have been saved, through faith, and it is by faith we are healed in Jesus' name.

3. What does this mean for my life?

When Jesus shares about rulers and leaders serving others, I am reminded of my own leadership roles. Whether it's as a husband, a father, a business leader, a Sunday School teacher, or board member, we are called to serve others. I always need to keep that in my mind.

4. What questions do I have about this chapter?

How are we supposed to interpret the story of the rich man for us today? Does Jesus's command for the man to sell everything apply to every Christian. Is it wrong to own anything? To save anything? To store anything? My hunch is no, not to that extreme, but I still don't know to what degree it applies to us.

Those are my thoughts. I'd love to hear yours. God bless and keep digging in.

In Christ,
Dan

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#Matthew19 - God's Plan for Marriage

Click here to read Matthew 19:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

The chapter opens up with some Pharisees asking Jesus about divorce. Divorce is a touchy subject today, because it affects a lot of people and becomes very personal very quickly. But what I observed in this passage is that Jesus doesn't just address divorce, he basically reveals God's best plan for marriage. In verses 5-6, Jesus reiterates what God declared all the way back in Genesis about marriage, that it was designed to be between one man and one woman, for life. Anything outside of that design (divorce, adultery, homosexuality, other sexual immorality) is not approved by God. There is no place in the Bible where God speaks favorably of any of these other actions or behaviors. And every time God talks about marriage in Scripture, it says, "husband and wife," or "man and wife."

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

Jesus also talks about divorce and adultery in Matthew 5:27-32. He uses almost the same language. And what is notable is that many people read this part about divorce thinking Jesus allows it or even blesses it in the case of sexual immorality or unfaithfulness. When I read it, I don't think he is saying it's somehow "okay" under these circumstances, I just read it to mean that under these circumstances, you are not making your spouse a victim of adultery because they have already committed it. I don't think Jesus ever says divorce is okay.

3. What does this mean for my life?

PLEASE DON'T MISS THIS. It would be really easy to read the first two sections and think that I am standing in judgment over people who are divorced as if God hates them. NO. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), but he never stops loving divorced people. Are there second chances for divorced people? ABSOLUTELY. Just like I get second and third chances when I stumble in sin and repent. Is divorce unforgivable? ABSOLUTELY NOT. It is in no way my intent to condemn divorced people, but rather to point out my observations in this passage about God's design and ultimate hope for marriage. I need to remember that for all people, that we are all sinners saved only by grace through faith in Christ. Christians are simply believers who are being transformed into Christ's image daily through the renewal of the Holy Spirit.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

The story of the rich young man is actually kind of puzzling to me. When he honestly asks Jesus what good thing must I do to get eternal life, why didn't Jesus just say, "There's nothing good you can do to earn this, you must simply repent of your sins and believe in me?" Why did Jesus answer him by telling him to obey the commandments? Why did he say he had to sell everything he had? I realize that on some level he was pointing out his deepest sin, which seems to be putting all his trust in his wealth. But there's no follow up. The answer to the man's question from Jesus is, "Sell everything and give it to the poor." Weird. Then there's the challenge of applying this to us. Is every Christian really supposed to sell everything that we have and then give it to the poor? Or is it just for "wealthy people" which would describe a great majority of American Christians (myself included) when compared to the rest of the world. I don't know it's just a weird one.

I'd love to hear some thoughts. Oh, and speaking of marriage, there is a great marriage retreat coming up Feb. 13-15 at Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp which is using the DVD series of "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" by Mark Gungor. CLICK HERE for more info.

In Christ,
Dan

image from http://www.truthdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/I-DO-Marriage-Series.jpg

#Galatians3 #Galatians4 - Helpful Analogies Galore

Galatians 3-4:

**Just a quick note, I did miss two days of my reading/blogging, but I want to stay on track. So I chose to do 3-4 together today and 5-6 together tomorrow. As you may notice, chapter 4 begins in the middle of a thought process, so these two naturally flow into each other.

1. What stuck out to me from these chapters?

I noticed right away how many different analogies Paul uses to explain the gospel message. In the last chapter he very clearly stated that we are saved through faith and not by works. Now to help us understand what happens he uses all kinds of analogies, many of which are still relevant and helpful to us today. Here are just a few:

• Cursed vs. Blessed (curse removed by Christ on the cross) - 3:10-14
• Covenant and Promise - 3:15-22
• Prisoner vs. Freedom - 3:22
• Custody/Guardianship vs. Adoption/Sonship - 3:23-4:7
• Slave vs. Heir - 4:1-7
• Hagar/Flesh vs. Sarah/Promise - 4:21-31

All of these help me understand my sin and need for a Savior, God's grace in choosing me, my identity in Christ, and more. I'm a visual learner, and analogies (while they all fall short at some point) are very helpful for me.

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

There are several things that stood out to me as I made connections with other Scripture. The first is an obvious one as Paul directly references the Hagar and Sarah story. If this section didn't make sense, the original story can be found all the way at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 16 (and some of the surrounding chapters). 

Another one that really caught my attention was Galatians 4:4-6. This is one of the clearest references to the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) in the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible does it mention the word "Trinity". It's a teaching in Christianity, however, that is both mysterious and yet foundational bedrock to understand God's character and his work in the world. These verses contain very clear references to God, "the Son", and the "Spirit of his Son" all very distinctively. Other references are Jesus' baptism (Matt. 3, Mark 1, Luke 3), the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20), and Jesus teaching and prayer in John 14-17. There are other places as well that mention each of the Triune members of God separately, but these verses really pull them all together.

3. So what does this mean for my life? 

In 4:8-20, Paul shares some really valid concerns with the Galatians. He's coming back to what he first referenced in Chapter 1, with the father's heart. He reminded the Galatians of their time together, and how close they had become with mutual affection for each other. He's crying out to them as they turn back to their former ways to keep in step with the gospel and the Spirit of God. It would be easy for me to put myself in Paul's position and think of who I need to cry out to that they would turn back to God's truth. But I am humbled as I consider that fact that I first need to discern in my life where I need to turn back to God's grace and truth. It's easy to put ourselves in the hero's role, but first we must put ourselves in the role of the one who is saved, corrected, rebuked and recognize that Jesus is the one who rescues us.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

What, if anything, gets lost in Galatians 3:23-4:7 when we push for translations that are "politically correct?" Here's what I mean. It is clear from verse 3:28 that neither race, nor social class, nor gender keep anyone from the promise of God which is given to anyone who believes. But using the word "child" or "daughter" instead of "son" may lose some of the meaning of what Paul was actually getting at. If I'm not mistaken, in those days, SONS were the heirs who would receive the inheritance of the FATHER. Daughters, on the other hand, were not typically given the inheritance, but would be provided for through marriage. I'm not saying that's how it should be today, but if Paul would have said, "You are now sons and daughters of God," it may have different connotations. Would the daughters receive an inheritance? But since in the original language, Paul consistently uses the masculine word "son" (even though he knows this letter will be heard by women) he is actually ELEVATING women to the status of full heirs in Christ. I always hesitate, and even get a little turned off when "new" translations or editions are done solely for the purpose of "political correctness" because of situations like these. 

#Romans8 - I In Christ, and Christ in Me

Romans 8: 

1. What stuck out to you from this chapter?

As the title indicates, I was really blown away by the promises of God that appear in this chapter. Yet each of them is linked to the phrase, "in Christ" or "Christ in me." Paul reminds us here that as Christians we find our identity no longer in ourselves or in the world but "in Christ." He also reminds us that the Holy Spirit of God lives in us who trust in Him. It is that Spirit at work in us to transform us and make us more and more like Jesus everyday (that we let it). I just thought that dichotomy was really neat.

2. How does this relate to any other passage I know?

I know I referenced Galatians yesterday too, but there is so much in here that is similar to Galatians as well. For instance, verse 14 says, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." Galatians 4:6 says, "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'" These two strongly link being children of God with the Holy Spirit filling us and guiding us.

3. So what does this mean for my life?

Verse 28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." I need to always keep this in mind. This doesn't mean, "Everything will work out great," but it does mean that God will always work for our good, even in the middle of the hard times. I think especially of Joseph, who was beaten up by his brothers, sold as a slave, wrongly imprisoned, and forgotten. Yet he still said at the end of the story, "God brought me to Egypt. What you intended for harm, God intended for good." I need to have that perspective in life.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

It seems very clear after reading this chapter again that Paul is addressing Christians. How would this message change if he was addressing unbelievers? I think most of it would change. But I think verse 38-39 would remain the same. Nothing could separate anyone from God's love, but that doesn't mean someone couldn't still reject him and be separated from God himself. Is that a right way to think about it?

I welcome your thoughts, questions and comments. Read with me.

In Christ,
Dan