#John4 - Ultimate Thirst Quencher

Click here to read John 4:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

In this story, this woman encounters Jesus and shares about it with her village. The people come out and encounter Jesus for themselves, and many become believers. They make a statement that really stuck out to me as I read the chapter: "We know that this man really is the Savior of the world." That statement would be pretty incredible all by itself. However, the little bit of background I know about this story makes it even more incredible. Jews hated Samaritans and avoided them at all costs, literally. They would take a long route around the Samaritan land rather than take the quicker major road right through it. So the fact that Jesus is preaching to the Samaritans who believe in his name and receive salvation really emphasizes that it is for the whole world. It crosses racial/ethnic boundaries. Since Jesus is talking to a woman (also frowned upon in their culture) we know that God's salvation crosses barriers of sex as well. Besides that, this woman was likely not an upstanding citizen, since she had five husbands and was now living with someone she wasn't married to. So Jesus reminds us that his love crosses all kinds of barriers that people tend to put up.

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

When Jesus was talking about living water and how it would quench our thirst forever, I thought of a psalm that also compared a longing for God to hunger and thirst. Psalm 63:1 says, "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water." Jesus used real life examples that were right around him like Jacob's well to "draw out" (pun fully intended) spiritual truths.

3. What does this mean for my life?

The woman at the well had every reason not to go share about Jesus with the village. She was probably an outcast. She would probably be ridiculed again. She would probably be rejected again. Nobody would likely believe her. But she did anyway, and whatever she shared with the villagers and however she shared it, they believed her enough to come see for themselves. I need to stop letting my fears and anxieties about what might happen keep me from inviting others into the presence of Jesus. Whether that means inviting them to church, to a Bible Study, to camp, or simply into a personal relationship with Jesus, I need to be unashamed.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

I know I didn't really comment at all about the last story in the chapter, but my question still goes back to the Samaritans. What happened after they became believers? The Bible doesn't really say; it just moves on to the next story. I wonder if they started a new church. How did they worship? Did many of them start to follow Jesus literally around the countryside?

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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#JoshuaDaniel - A Lesson in Names

Joshua Daniel - 8 lbs 6.2 oz, 20" long

Today, I became a dad for the third time. My wife and two daughters (6 and 3) welcomed into the world the newest member of our family - Joshua Daniel Antoine. He was a healthy baby, and though I don't have time to blog about the bible chapter (I'll get it tomorrow), I want to share briefly about our son's name.

Joshua means "God is my salvation" or "The Lord saves!" Daniel means "God is my judge" or "The Lord will judge me". These two names combined form an interesting lesson in the character of God. On the one hand, we will all stand before God one day who will judge the "living and the dead" according to our works during our lifetime. And the reality is, nobody can stand up against that judgment as innocent. We have all sinned against God and have fallen short of his glory, making us guilty and deserving of punishment. Yes (Daniel) God is our judge.

But God is also the one who has provided salvation through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus (a variant of the name Joshua). So even though God is the one we are accountable to, He is also the one who saves us. This may seem contradictory, but it's really not at all. It's just two different attributes of the same God.

It's like this. If I am a good dad, then I will protect and rescue my children at the risk of my own life. But I will also be the one to lovingly discipline them when they cross the boundaries we have set as acceptable. Disciplining my child does not diminish in any way my love for him/her.

Those are just some quick thoughts. If you want to read more about Joshua or Daniel as characters in the Bible, they both have whole books devoted to telling their stories that also happened to be named after them.

God bless, and keep digging in!

In Christ,
Dan

#Colossians1 - Paul's Goal And Mission Statement

Colossians 1:

1. What stood out to you from this chapter?

This is one of the most Christ-exalting passages in all of Scripture. There are many other people and passages which lift up the name of Jesus, but few (if any) do it as directly as Colossians 1:15-23. You can't read these verses and think that the Bible portrays Jesus as just a good person. There is no doubt that Paul exalts Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords above all other rule and authority. Verse 17 is really cool: "...in him all things hold together." Louis Giglio gives a really neat message on this passage and a fascinating illustration from biology. Click here to watch the YouTube video about it.

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

In the book of Ephesians we read together, I said that Ephesians 3:14-21 was the 2nd most powerful prayer in the Bible. Colossians 1:9-14 is easily up there in the top 5 with it. What an incredible prayer for someone, to know God's will through the Holy Spirit, to live a life worthy of God's calling, to bear fruit, to grow in knowledge, to keep the faith, to be thankful. Those are amazing prayers to pray for yourself, or for someone else.

3. So what does this mean for my life?

As I thought about this question, I am drawn to the last two verses of this chapter. If you listen carefully enough, it could be that this is the closest thing to a "mission statement" that Paul gives us for his ministry. Verse 28 shares that Paul proclaims Christ, teaches others, SO THAT he may present everyone mature (or perfect) in Christ. The "so that" in verse 28 along with the "to this end I labor" in verse 29 make it pretty clear that those objectives are Paul's ultimate goal. It was a good challenge for me to think about my personal mission in life. I want to keep in mind that someone's personal mission in life does not always have to reflect their career. The workplace is simply a place to live out your mission, whether it relates to your actual job or simply provides a new community of people to build into and to support you. Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps has the mission statement, "To know Jesus Christ and to make Christ known to all." Between the camp which has been a huge part of shaping my faith, and these passages from Paul's letters, I would see my mission as being almost identical. That really gives me a focus and filter for my decisions, my words, my actions, etc.

4. What questions do I have about this chapter?

Verse 23 seems to clarify the reconciliation and promise of forgiveness we have with the line, "if you continue in your faith." Paul's statement here does cause me to ask the question, "Once we put our faith in God and receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit, can we 'forfeit' that again by later rejecting faith and God and Christ?" I hesitate to use the word, can we 'lose' our faith, because it doesn't seem to me from Scripture that we could accidentally 'lose' God. In fact is says that Jesus will not "lose" any that the Father has given him (John 6:39). So it's pretty clear that God will not 'lose' us, nor do I think we can somehow 'lose' our salvation. That's why I chose the word 'forfeit' in my question. No matter what the answer is, this question has caused me to think differently about how I ask people about faith. The question is not "Did you put your faith in Jesus?" as if one prayer at one time, or one checkbox on a survey, or raising your hand at one conference would hopefully be enough to count. The question is not DID you put your faith in Christ, but DO you put your faith in Christ? Today. Now. Is your faith in Jesus Christ? If it is, you can have 100% assurance that you are forgiven of your sins, have heaven ahead of you, and have been given an abundant life with Christ to live out in service to others here on this earth.

That's it. Tomorrow we'll do Colossians 2, and then on the 24th we'll do Colossians 3-4 together. God's blessings.

In Christ,
Dan

#Ephesians 2 - Grace upon Grace

Ephesians 2: 

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

This whole chapter is filled with grace. It's leaking grace from every knothole. It's busting out at the seams with grace. But so is God. In one of the most quoted Bible verses we hear clearly that we are saved by grace through faith. Most Chrisitians believe that and understand that. But I think very few of us (emphasis on the me included) really understand how deep his grace is for people. His unending, unconditional love which compels him to provide for the needs of every person, whether they acknowledge Him or not. It's why Paul sets up the second part of the chapter with the first. Because of God's grace even the "Gentiles" can be included in Salvation and God's promises. 

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

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus is talking about loving your enemies, and he talks about how even God sends rain in the righteous and the unrighteous. That is a practical example of Gods grace. Another is in Romans 5:6-8. Here we discover that Christ came to die for us while we were still sinners. When we were still sinners. That's grace. That's getting what we don't deserve. 

3. So what does this mean for my life?

Living by grace is much harder than it seems until you practice it and realize that there is no better way to live. I was struck this time through the chapter that grace is the basis and the process for forming unity in the church - across racial, cultural, age, and gender lines. 

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

I really wonder why God didn't send Jesus sooner to reveal this whole grace initiative. That's not really a question I expect an answer for this side of eternity. 

God bless and we'll be in chapter 3 next. 

In Christ,

Dan

#Romans11 - Paul's Spiritual Botany Lesson

Romans 11: 

1. What stuck out to you from this chapter?

I am a very visual person. I tend to do well with charts, diagrams, and visual illustration. Paul's use of grafting branches into a tree really helps me understand what God is doing/has done here. Paul has already used language of being adopted as children into God's family, which is already an image that implies our helplessness and God's love. This image of grafting in branches is another one that really reveals how we are powerless to give life to ourselves. Paul also makes it very clear that the ingrafted branches were grafted in because of faith [in Christ], and the branches that God cut off were because of unbelief (although he even says that if they turn back and believe in Christ they will be grafted in again "to their own olive tree."). I especially love Paul's warning to those who are grafted in (namely the Gentiles, which includes anyone who isn't of Jewish descent) not to become arrogant, as if they deserved it. That's a reminder to all of us to be thankful for God's gift of grace.

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

One phrase caught my attention that made me think of some other verses. In Romans 11:25, he refers to the gospel message and the inclusion of Gentiles as a mystery. This also occurs in Ephesians 3 and Colossians 1 and 2. Paul talks about the mystery of the gospel that has been kept hidden but is now revealed in Christ. It reminds me that as cliche' and sometimes misused as this saying is, "God often works in mysterious ways."

3. So what does this mean for my life?

For this question, I turn to the end of the chapter - the Doxology. I am very eager to study the Bible, very excited to discuss truth, very enthusiastic about discovering more of God's character and plan for the world. Yet I was convicted tonight that I don't often enough just pause and praise God, regardless of what I understand or don't understand at the moment. I'm glad this chapter and this section came the day before Thanksgiving so I can be reminded to just pause and thank God for all he has done.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

In Paul's conversation about the grafted branches, he says that those branches who are cut off can be grafted back in again. He also says that the grafted in branches can also be cut off again. My question is this: "Is it possible to be 'saved' and then forfeit your salvation? Or is it 'once saved always saved' no matter what?" I tend to think that we don't just keep hopping in and out of salvation because of mistakes or doubts, but I do wonder if someone totally walks away from faith and rejects God and lives in sin if they won't "be cut off again."

Those are my thoughts. Time for bed. I'll need my energy so I can gorge myself tomorrow. Just kidding.

In Christ,
Dan

#Romans10 - Righteousness For Everyone Who Believes

Romans 10: 

1. What stuck out to you from this chapter?

Well, as if to answer my questions from yesterday, Paul gives a clarifying chapter which contains many repetitions of several words: Righteousness, saved, everyone, and believes/faith. Paul starts the chapter clarifying that he desires the Israelites to be saved, but they are missing the one who is able to make them righteous. While he generalizes Israel as a whole group, we know that there are many (but not a majority) who have put their faith in Christ. He states that the Israelites are still holding on to the law as the means to righteousness, as if they could somehow earn salvation. But Paul couldn't be any clearer in this passage. Multiple times he reminds us that God's love and offer of salvation is for EVERYONE, but it is those who believe and accept the good news who actually receive eternal life. "Everyone who believes," "Anyone who believes," "all who call on him," "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord." These are the phrases Paul uses throughout this chapter, and this is what compels him to preach, to teach, to equip, to send, to go.

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

One of the most well known verses in the Bible (arguably the most quoted), is John 3:16. Coming from a different author quoting Jesus, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life." That sounds a lot like Paul in this passage, right? Also, in verse 16, Paul states "Not all the Israelites accepted the good news." This isn't some theological philosophical argument. He is speaking from his personal experience. Prior to reading Romans I read the book of Acts. In it we see all kinds of cases where Paul's preaching and miracles turn many to believe in the faith, but still many harden their hearts and reject Paul and the gospel of Jesus.

3. So what does this mean for my life?

The first thing I thought of also happens to be from the first verse of the chapter. Even though Paul had been rejected, resisted, persecuted, ridiculed, and put on trial by the Jews, his heart remain unchanged. His deepest desire was for them to know the deep love of God through faith in Jesus Christ, that they may enter into the new covenant God was putting in place and receive the Holy Spirit to live out the life God has prepared for us. When Jesus said "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you," I believe this is a big part of it. I've seen it in missionaries who go to places where they may be killed. Their biggest prayer is not safety, but that the people they see would come to know Jesus is a mighty way. That's the heart I want.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

It's not so much the actual passage that I have a question about, but rather a second level question. In the previous chapter Paul says, "Not all Israel is Israel, and not all of God's children are descendants of Abraham." I understand that he is also referring to Gentiles coming to faith in Christ and being adopted as God's children. But what is God's relationship with the nation of Israel (or the Jewish people) now? Is there still a special covenant with Israel, or has that "dissolved" so to speak and been "replaced" with the new covenant for all who believe in Jesus? Do we take on the promises God made to Israel and apply them now to Christians? Or do they still apply to Jews who believe in God, but not Jesus as Messiah? Please don't read anything political into this question. It's a very honest question about the Bible that stems from this and the previous chapter.

In Christ,
Dan