by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Deuteronomy 30-31
If anyone doesn’t understand the importance of honoring Israel, let that person read Deuteronomy 30. Just as God had spoken to Abraham and told him that his descendents would go into another country and after 400 years be brought out by signs and wonders, God now speaks through Moses that the nation will eventually follow after other gods and be cast into many corners of the earth.
But at the right time, God will restore them. He will “gather them again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered them. ..If their outcasts are at the end of the earth, from there the Lord their God will gather them, and from there he will bring them back.” (V. 3-4).He will bring them back to their land and “they shall possess it”.(v.5).
In 1948, Israel was restored as a nation. (That’s what some of the ruckus is about over there. The Muslims don’t like them being there). Since that time, it has been a miracle what has happened.
Jews from all over the globe have moved to Israel – just like God promised in these verses. Without any good explanation, these people have had a desire to move to the land of Abraham, their father. Sometimes without even knowing it, they were being drawn by God Himself.
God will perform His Word. He knows the end from the beginning and when He says something will happen, rest assured, it will happen.
There are many more declarations which God has made, and they too will come to pass..
In the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. (Philippians 2:10). The blessed ones will say it this side of the grave.
Mark 15: 1-23
The crowds, the crowds. We love to be acclaimed by the crowds, don’t we?
That’s the nature of unregenerate man. He always wants to be highly esteemed.
So the leaders of the Jews fight for their place of honor, and deliver Jesus to the Romans. Now Pilate takes up his fight and pleases the crowd also.
He knows that the chief priests deliver Him because of envy, and that they stir up the crowds to want Barabbas, the thief, released instead of Jesus. But Pilate also wants to please the crowd, so he goes right along, in spite of his knowledge.
That desire for fame and reputation can be dangerous for any of us. Oh, I know that we won’t be called upon to kill Jesus. That day has come and gone. But when it isn’t popular, are we willing to stand up for Him?
Do we keep quiet when we should be holding Him up? Or is popularity more important?
In our day and in our culture boldness for Jesus may not be the norm. Yet there are many of our friends and acquaintances who have never met Him, and even may have a false idea of just who He is.
Are we willing to take the risk? If we get prompted by Holy Spirit to share with an individual at work, whom do we go with: God or man?
True disciples have to look foolish sometimes.
Lord, help me to be obedient, regardless of the cost. I’m Yours when its popular, and I’m Yours when it isn’t.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Deuteronomy 28-29
Woo hoo! We come to one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible.
People always seem to be striving to find God’s will. Does He want me healed? Does He want my needs to be met? Does He want my children blessed?
In chapter 28 we find God’s will in a nutshell. The “blessings of Abraham” are enumerated for all to see: God’s will to bless His people. In Galatians 3:13, we see that the blessings of Abraham are ours through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
This is our Promised Land.
Now let me make myself clear. I am not saying that God wants to “enhance” a life that is lived totally apart from Him. He is not here to “enhance” a sinful life. He is here to bless a life that belongs to Him.
In fact, if you read the whole chapter, it’s obvious that an evil person shouldn’t be expecting much at all from God – until they repent. There are some pretty tough curses out there. (The curses come from the devil and his cohorts, when you allow him to rule your life).
Being close to God and in His will allows you to stay under His umbrella of protection from the evil one. Those who are out from under His umbrella, can’t expect a whole lot. There is a devil out there. It isn’t that God doesn’t love everyone, but this covenant is for those who are His covenant people. (And now we can all be His covenant people through Jesus).
But if your life does belong to God and you are living in the light that you know, being obedient to Him, you can even look at the curses listed and know that those are not God’s will for you. In my Bible, I have “no” written in the margin of several of the curses. Just to remind myself when things don’t look so good.
What about where it says “your children will be taken into another territory?”(28:32;41). No. Or the one that says, “The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron.”(23). No. Or “You shall bring out much seed to the field but you shall gather little, for the locust shall consume it.”(38) No.
None of these verses are for God’s covenant people.
But hang on. I am not saying that these things won’t even try to come on you. I am saying that these things are not God’s will for you, if you are His.
There should never be confusion about His will. His will is always good for those who are His, walking in closeness to Him.
Often times, we have to fight for God’s will to be done in our lives. Just as the children of Israel had to fight for their land, we have to fight for our Promised Land. But we don’t fight people; we fight the demonic forces which try to stop God’s plan.
In this new day of a covenant with Jesus we have the power within us to overcome the evil one. By faith we fight for our territory by standing up for what God’s Word says. Through “faith and patience” we inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12).
If this concept is new to you, I hope you meditate on what I’ve said. In the days ahead, we will see more clearly God’s plan for our taking the Land.
Mark 14:53-72
How can these men be so cruel to God’s perfect man?
These are supposed to be God’s representatives – the chief priest and the council. Yet they falsely accuse Jesus, trying to put Him to death. Isn’t it shocking?
These men want prestige and power as their place of leadership. Jesus is rocking their boat. He is being merciful to the sinners, healing on the sabbath, raising the dead, and ministering to huge crowds. They just can’t have such competition.
Furthermore, these leaders have a good reputation with Rome, and they are afraid they are losing it.
So God’s supposed men fight against His plan and bring charges against His Son.
Yet God’s big plan goes on – with or without individuals. We can personally exempt ourselves from His covenant or His plan, but God will find someone else to cooperate with his will.
Just as these leaders chose not to go with God, we can too. We can choose for His will not to be performed in our lives, and He will get someone else to fulfill what He had planned for us. But God’s overall plan will succeed. He will search until he finds those who are willing and obedient.
I say, “Yes, Lord. I want to be in on what You are doing. I want to fulfill what You have for me.”
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Deuteronomy 26-27
If we are to walk closely with our God, there are certain things we must do.
First, we must be obedient. He has set parameters around our behavior and we need to regard those boundaries. If He gives us personal direction, we must obey Him.
Second, we must give to Him.
Now there is much confusion concerning our financial obligations. Some think the tithe is like a tax we pay the government. Those people just plunk it down in the offering plate, sometimes grudgingly. The same way they pay their income tax.
Others think that the tithe is only under the Old Covenant and we don’t pay it now. So they don’t!
Let me say this. Where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also. What your money is being spent on is where your heart is. Is it on your car? Your house? Your clothes? Your boat? You get the point.
What God wants is your heart. Sure, He does need money to run His church. But when he tells you to tithe, He is looking for your heart.
If you are wrestling with this topic and trying to talk yourself out of having to give that much to God, something is wrong. That attitude is like a barometer which is checking your pressure.
So if that’s you, and you are trying to talk yourself out of it, stop. Find some time to get away with God. Ask Him to show you what His desire is for you. He wants to be above all else.
One more thing is this. Satan’s kingdom runs on money. The main reason that people sell drugs, or prostitute themselves, or steal, or defraud others is so that they can have some of satan’s money. Greed is the juice that runs his plans.
When you give liberally to God, you are saying to the devil, “You lose. I am committed to my God and you can’t stop me.” It’s a type of warfare against the devil.
Then you know this. “What a man sows, that shall he also reap. If you sow to the spirit, you’ll reap spiritual things.”(Gal 6:7)
When you are giving to God, not grudgingly, but out of a cheerful heart, and very liberally, you are saying to Him that you love Him and you have faith in Him as your provider. Worship with your giving. Say those things as you give. Give with faith and conviction.
You will see great rewards.
Mark 14: 26-54
If ever there was a testimony to the weakness of natural man, this passage should be it. The hour has come for Jesus to go to the cross – the hour He has been telling His disciples about.
He asks them to pray with Him, and they can’t even stay awake. If you have ever had a child get sick during the night, you know that you stay awake. The adrenaline keeps you awake so that you can’t sleep.
Not so with these disciples. Their flesh is ruling.
And what about Peter? He has seen the glory of Jesus during the transfiguration and watched as his Master raised people from the dead.
Now it’s time for this disciple to stand up and be counted as one of the followers. But no. he denies his Savior three times!
Hang on. A new day is coming. A day when these guys will be empowered by the spirit of God. Then the story will be different.
But the flesh profits nothing, and that’s all they have to go on now.
That’s still true today. Our flesh profits nothing. We can’t live this life we want without God’s empowering Spirit.
Praise God, we do have His Spirit. Let’s count on Him to lead us into all that he has for us! And empower us to get there.
