ACK! Running behind on my posts in the Home Stretch!!!

Bible In 90 Days – Day 82

Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1 – Galatians 3:25

Take Away(s):

• Risen = Rise. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 20-21, 56-57.

• Short, but POWERFUL. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. A favorite verse…got it posted on my monitor at work as a reminder…it’s deep.
• Pass It On. 2 Corinthians 1:4- 6. Like many blessings and benefits from the Lord, we MUST pass on the comfort that we have so graciously been given.  FYI – the person who we think needs it LEAST, may need it MOST!
• Unveiled. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18. When I read this, I thought about lyrics from two songs:  Soon (Ligertwood) and Come For Me (Hall):

Soon
I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Come For Me
Finally the voice I have followed for life
Has a glorious face that is lit up with light

• New, truly NEW! 2 Corinthians 5:17. New and different…that is what we are in Christ.  I have read this many times, but I read a blog post the other day that gave me a different perspective.  When Jesus is in our life, our natural reactions get messed up – or at least they are supposed to if He is in control and we have truly yielded our lives to Him.  Our old self says, “I want to hate, I want to get even, I want to rebut, I want to have ‘justice’, I want retribution, I want “them to hurt just as much as I do”, I want…”.  Our NEW (Christ-controlled) self says, “Christ has forgiven me and, as much as I don’t want to, I must forgive.”  This is a hard one at times…
• A New Person. Galatians 2:20.  See above.
  

c

Bible In 90 Days – Day 83

Reading: Galatians 3:26 – Colossians 4:18

Take Away(s):

• Not Optional, but… . Galatians 5:22-26.  I think many (including me) like to think that this fruits of the Spirit are a menu of optional behavior…but they are not.  The cool part is that we can’t even scratch the surface of any one of them without God’s help.  We try – even succeed at some (though not on our own) – but we can’t truly possess any of them without the Holy Spirit’s help…power with some People or in some situations!
• We all Love Gifts! Ephesians 2:8-10.  We all love gifts, but the gift of salvation is often hard for people to accept.  We all have baggage – some may be in better shape than others – but we all do.  We think we need to do stuff to make up for our nicked, scuffed, and dented life – BUT WE DON”T.  God gave us the free gift of salvation through the payment of His Son.  Sure we do “stuff” – but it is in response to the gift…not to receive it.  Praise God!
• Work Life. Ephesians 6:5-9. Great passage to ponder for work each day…
• Ill-Equipped. Ephesians 6:13-18.  I think at times I am ill-equipped for stuff.  I need to be conscious of each of these part more.
• Lose the Pedigree. Philippians 3:4-8. In Paul’s day and in his culture – his pedigree was impeccable.  But Christ changed him.  We need to lose our quest for image and status (no matter how “humble we are) and appreciate the gift we’ve received as Christ Followers.
• Timely…and hard. Philippians 4:6-8.  O, the waiting!  We’re adopting (at some point in the near future…please GOD) and are waiting for the “call” – the call that our kids have been located and we’ve been matched!  Until then – we try not to be anxious.
  
• EVERYTHING. Colossians 3:17.  Just like Romans 12:1, this is another favorite verse.  I really like the way it reads in The Message paraphrase, “Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”

x

Bible In 90 Days – Day 84

Reading: I Thessalonians 1:1 – Philemon

Take Away(s):

• God’s Will. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  I really love verses where we see what God’s will is so clearly!
• Posture. 1 Timothy 2:8.  How often is my posture inconsistent with humility in prayer?
• Youth. 1 Timothy 4:12. A call to not let people look down on one’s youth.  I think many neglect the rest of the verse – I mean the section after the “BUT”.  I know I can get an attitude in this area – desiring respect by people who are older than me.  The KEY here is setting “an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”  A tall order…
• Blog. 2 Timothy 2:15. The source for the title of my blog! From my About page: “We traditionally associate the word “workman” with someone’s job. To me, this verse really goes beyond that narrow definition and represents everything in life. My heart’s desire is to be found (most importantly by God, but also by others) as someone who is faithful to the Lord in all that I do; whether it is at home, work, church, with friends, whatever.”
• Speed Reading is NOT Enough. 2 Timothy 4:2. The Bible in 90 Days has been a great experience – I will do it again.  That said, it is not the way to be prepared in and out of season (as this verse instructs).  Purposeful study of God’s Word is the key here.  BIND does have its purpose…

Bible In 90 Days – Day 80

Reading: Romans 1:1 – Romans 14:23

Take Away(s):

• WOW Romans 1:1-7. The fact that Paul is writing this – in light of Acts 8:1-3 and 9:1-2 – was MASSIVE.  The power of GOD to change even the hardest of hearts is difficult for us to grasp at times…especially when we simply base it on a character in the bible (even though we know they are true stories about real people).  STOP…RIGHT NOW.  Think about the roughest, meanest, cruelest, “whatever” person you know.  Got them in your mind?  Picture them embracing you and actually caring about you and your life – that is how HUGE Paul’s conversion was.  Imagine how nervous people were to invite him into their homes…  But GOD changed him.  That is REAL POWER!
• We Gotta Tell! Romans 1:8, 12.  I know Jeremiah says we are to make our boast only in the Lord, but we need to brag on what God is doing in people’s lives and in our churches more!  I know I need to!
• Don’t Skip This! 2:1. Re-read this verse…then re-read 1:28-32…then read this verse again.  <Repeat> [that was for me…not you]
• DONE, not “believed”. 2:6.  I think if some of us wrote this, we’d probably have written “God will give to each person according to what he has believed” or “God will give to each person according to what he has thought” or “God will give to each person according to what he felt in their heart”.  We gotta DO!
• I am Adopted. 8:15-17. I think we often forget that all who have accepted Christ as personal Lord and Savior are adopted.  The fact that Karen and I are in the process of adopting makes this especially cool.  I Just started reading a book titled, Adopted for Life, by Dr. Russell Moore (Twitter: @drmoore).  With BIND, I haven’t read too far; but so far, in the first chapter, I am undone and thankful at the same time.  More posts to follow on this book later.
• Misunderstood. 8:28.  Another verse that is often misunderstood and would be written differently if we wrote the bible apart from the Holy Spirit’s inspiration…
• SECURE! 8:38-39. Iron-clad salvation!  AMEN!
• I Love This Verses! 12:1-2.  I guess if someone asked me what my favorite verses were these would be near the top of the list.  I really like the way they read in The Message paraphrase:

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

• Government. 13:1. Even if we don’t agree with our governmental leaders, I think this is pretty clear that God would have us submit to their God-given authority.  That said, we see examples of civil disobedience for the sake of God’s Law and Christ’s message throughout the Bible.

x

Bible In 90 Days – Day 81

Reading: Romans 15:1 – 1 Corinthians 14:40

Take Away(s):

• Content. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5.  We sometimes think we need to rely on the content of our own lives alone to convince people to follow Christ.  Not taking anything away from the power of a changed life (re-read day 80’s first bullet), if we solely rely on our story – it is salvation through <insert your name here> rather than Christ…
• Cults. 3:11-13. When I read this, I thought about cults who have based their beliefs on anything but God’s firm and sure foundation.  Praise God that we have a hope and firm Foundation.
• Talkin’ Trash! 4:10 Paul trash talkin’ here!
• Wrong Application. 5:9-11. I think sometimes we preach/teach that as the Church we are to segregate ourselves from people who are not Christ Followers.  Christ didn’t…we shouldn’t either.  Honestly, if we are to obey the Mark 16:15 and Acts 1:8-type commands, we need to be like Christ and go where people are.  Now I understand that this should be tempered with maturity in Christ and with proper use of our freedoms in Christ, but we gotta get out of the boat where we can!  I like the way my friend Chris Tenny put it! (A shout out for Downtown Synergy/City Church. They’re ROCKIN’ downtown San Jose for Christ!)
• Careful, purposeful witness. 8:9-13, 19-23, 10:31-11:1.  Se above bullet…
• The Fully-Equipped Body. 12:18-20.  When I read this, I feel, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul is saying that God fully equips each body of believers to accomplish great things for Him and His Kingdom.  I think too many people hide their skills and gifts…leaving us ill-equipped.  I am just a guilty here…just sayin’ though.

Bible In 90 Days – Day 79

Reading: Acts 16:38 – 28:31

Take Away(s):

• Trust, but Verify! 17:11. Just as the Bereans did, we should search the scriptures and see for ourselves the truth of God’s Word.  I have to believe that any pastor or teacher of the Word would be tickled pink if they knew folks were doing this.  I guess it would be a little unnerving…knowing that someone may question you – but, the fact that ALMIGHTY GOD already hold them to a high standard should be adequate preparation!
• Don’t just talk…DO! 17:19-22.  Even though this is about the Athenians, when I read verse 21, it reminded me that we (I) am not called to sit around and learn about God and discuss how great and awesome He is at church.
• Reason. 18:4 (17:17). I appreciate the use of “reason” here.  Paul wasn’t shouting from the pulpit – he knew that style wouldn’t fly with the Athenians.  See 1 Corinthians 9:21-23.
• Vow. 18:18. About Paul’s vow, my study Bible says: “One would have undergone such a vow in seeking divine blessing for an undertaking or to express thanksgiving.”  That said, when I read this, I thought of the youth leaders in my past who have made promises to do things if students did certain things!  🙂
• Tombstone. Acts 20:24. What a cool epitaph.  Kinda morbid I know, but O, to be true in my life!  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Lord!
• I can fool one, but not the other. Acts 24:16.  This verse is something worth striving for (notice that Paul isn’t shooting for the “E” for effort goal)!  The hard part is that we can fool people – we can’t fool God (even though sometimes we live like we can.)  Forgive me, Lord.  Empower me, GOD!

Bible In 90 Days – Day 78

Reading: Acts 6:8 – 16:37

Take Away(s):

• Ahha, mk, ahha…then BOOM! 7:1-53. As I read this, it was as if I could see the Sanhedrin nodding and saying, “yea, ahha, mk, ahha” in agreement with most of what Stephen is saying.  Then BOOM!  He zings them and really (based on what we read in the OT) adversely compares them to their forefathers!  Talk about a royal “pulling the rung out from under you” moment!  Flip-side: How many times do we have similar moments with how people messed up things! OUCH!
• Power of a Changed Life. 9:22.  Paul’s words were no doubt impassioned, but his changed life is what also evidenced his changed and saved heart.  Our actions must map to our words – in some cases, they must speak louder!
• The AH HA Moment for the Spread of the Gospel! 11:18. This was HUGE for Jewish Christians…HUGE.  Another flip-side: Do we treat those “different than us” as if they don’t deserve to or can’t be saved just as much as we did or were? OUCH2!
• The “label” begins. 11:26. “…called Christians first at Antioch.”  Christians get a bad wrap – some deserved.  This “wrap” started here…  Think about it: if “Christian” means “little Christs”, the “wrap” will probably never be good…remember, Christ was tolerated by some, rejected by others,…and accepted by people from both groups.  If you’re reading this and are a Christ Follower (ok, “Christian”), you may have been a tolerator or rejector at one time too!  Thank God for His AMAZING and UNDESERVED GRACE!
• “What sin?” 13:39. This is what God says when we confess our sin: “What Sin?” ONLY Christ’s sacrifice sets free and justifies – keeping some rule or The Law doesn’t!  Praise God – if we had to rely on our keeping rules and The Law – we’d be doomed.

Bible In 90 Days – Day 77

Reading: John 15:18 – Acts 6:7

Take Away(s):

• He Overcame. John 16:33. I think if we were the author of this verse, it would read “Take heart! I have overcome the world – so you won’t have any troubles.”  We weren’t the author – but the Subject did overcome.  This is where real life meets true faith.
• Jesus Prayed…for me & you! John 17:20-26. It’s amazing to know that the Savior of the world prayed for me.  He loves me and prayed for me.
• True Control. John 19:11. Sometimes we think we are in control of things – even the things we “give” to God.  He’s in control.  I blogged about this one time…
• Hard. John 19:15. This, and the other similar passages in the Gospels, reminded me of acting out these scenes in Easter Musicals.  It’s one thing to read these – try shouting them in a way that is convincing to an audience…with anger and hatred toward the one who paid the price for your eternal life.
• Action. Acts 1:8. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit wasn’t just an event – it was a call to action.  It is the same for us – when we receive Christ as Savior and are indwelt with the Holy Spirit – we aren’t called to sit and savor.  We are called to go!  Sometimes we forget…
• CHURCH! Acts 2:42-47.  What a picture of church!  It’s not a building!  It’s a body that cares and loves and reaches out!
• Its not about Programs… Acts 3:6. Imagine if Peter said – “Hey, I really feel for you bud.  We have this group at church – I don’t go, but it may be helpful in comforting you in the place you find yourself…check it out. Oh, and I’ll be praying for you!”  Sometimes we think we need a program or system to reach people.  Actually, it is nothing more than…US and the ALMIGHTY POWER OF OUR SOVEREIGN GOD!
• THE Answer. Acts 4:12.  I caught part of Andy Stanley’s North point Online service this afternoon.  This was one of my scribbled notes, “Jesus didn’t come to be added to the list of options.  He came to embody the ANSWER.”  AMEN, and AMEN!

I used one of the two “flex” days from Bible in 90 Days today…my first.  I’ll catch up tomorrow and update the blog posts.

This song came on the ole iPhone today while I was running errands.   I kept it on repeat…

Thank You God!

Bible In 90 Days – Day 76

Reading: John 6:1 – 15:17

Take Away(s):

• Stones. John 8:7. I’m a stone thrower.  I think most of us are.  We need to imagine Jesus saying this to us more often.
• Simple Equation for Truth. John 8:31-32. =IF(ME=”hold_to_God’s_teaching”, Truth_Freedom, 0)
• Biff. John 8:43. Jesus sounds like Bif from Back to the Future here…
• Purpose of Suffering. John 9:1-12. In verse 3 we see the purpose of all the situations that we go through – God’s glory and fame.
• Indisputable. John 9:25. No one can dispute a changed heart and life.  The hard part is that we often feel as though we need to work hard at convincing people of our genuineness in our salvation.
• My God Cried. John 11:35. If Jesus wept and was deeply moved at Lazarus’ death – I have the freedom to have sadness too.  It bugs me when people feel that if you are sad, you are not trusting in God’s promises.  We don’t feel that way about Jesus here – why should we feel differently about others.
• Illumination. John 14:26. Some notes in the back o my bible I jotted down while reading a commentary on this passage: We need the Holy Spirit to clarify scripture for us.  God is different and we can’t understand His word without His help. The “fall” left us spiritually blind. Sin hinders our receptivity to scripture also.  We need the Holy Spirit’s illumination!
• Friend. John 15:15. We are God’s friends! Amazing!

Bible In 90 Days – Day 75

Reading: Luke 20:20 – John 5:47

Take Away(s):

• “Did I Just Say That Out Loud?”. Luke 20:21. I wonder if the spy who made this statement to/about Jesus thought, “wait, I can’t even ask my boss this question with a straight face?”
• If it was important to Him… Luke 24:27. By Jesus’ explanation of the Old Testament, we can see that knowledge and understanding of the Old Testament ought to be important to us also.  Think about this: He explained Exodus though Malachi to them…and by doing it, they connected it all.  How much more do we SEE and UNDERSTAND the completeness of the Bible when we read it ALL!
• Heavenly Father!. John 1:12-13. Amazing is HE and undeserving am I…Thank you God!
• Condemn – Pardon. John 3:16-18. I think many have this image of God as the being that seeks to condemn and punish…but He is a LIFE-GIVER!
• TRUE Satisfaction!. John 4:13-14. Ever notice how water tastes sooo good – is sooo satisfying.  Multiply that by eternity…that’s the satisfaction we find in God.  In our humanness (which is greedy and wretched) we just can’t comprehend that satisfaction – but it’s there for our asking!  AMEN!
• Good…but futile for Salvation. 5:39-40. Reading God’s word, praying, going to church, serving others,…all these things are good – God desires that we do them.  BUT – they don’t…can’t save us.  A price had to be paid for salvation.  A price we can’t pay by doing things.  IN fact, we don’t have to pay the price (even though we should’ve) – it was already paid…for you, for me, for all through Christ’s death on the cross.  We only have to confess, repent, and accept.  Those are the only actions we have to do for salvation.  After that, Reading God’s word, praying, going to church, serving others,…these become responsive, obedient actions.

Bible In 90 Days – Day 74

Reading: Luke 10:1 – Luke 20:19

Take Away(s):

• A Correct ‘tude. 10:20. It’s interesting that Jesus tells them to rejoice not in what was accomplished, but in their own salvation.  Sometimes we are tempted to lose sight of that and having that CORRECT attitude can greatly impact our insight and ministry.
• Mercy. 10:37. Just a reminder that God desires mercy more than sacrifice.
• The Better Thing. 10:41-42. Sometimes I’m too “martha-y”…  God, help me to discern when and where…and to have the courage and faith to make the right choice.
• Focus. 11:27-28. In our humanness (and pride) we often take compliments and forget the actual purpose and mission.  This is often true in ministry – but equally true for anything.  Here Jesus maintains focus on His purpose and message amid a compliment that may have distracted me…you.  There is really nothing wrong with the woman’s statement…but, if Jesus had followed that message and responded, His previous words would have had a completely different message and tone.
• Worth. 12:7. Satan would like nothing better than to convince us that we don’t matter in the world, much less to God.  He’s a LIAR – God knows us all intimately!  AMEN!
• Mind/Heart Check. 12:8. Can you imagine if we had this verse in our minds all the time?  We are so proud of sports teams, kids, cars, etc. and freely (even freakishly) acknowledge their worth and importance to all who would listen…how much more should be boast in and acknowledge GOD!
• Too Much…Enough. 12:18. I need to be mindful of this verse a little more…  Sometimes things are not a “need”…
• Prodigal God. 15:11-32. A while back, I listened to a great audio book by Timothy Keller on this passage – Prodigal God.  I recommend it – its a great reminder of the message of this passage.  The use of “prodigal” to describe God took me back at first, but if you look at the definition of the word, its appropriate in relation to how giving and loving He is!

x

Bible In 90 Days – Day 72

Reading: Mark 9:14 – Luke 1:80

Take Away(s):

• Belief Mark 9:24. Every time I read this verse, its like looking in a mirror. It is so easy to say it – but if we’re honest…we are just like the boy’s father.
• Pastor John. Mark 10:13-16. Each week at church, we have a children’s message.  It is an East Valley distinctive – I don’t recall attending any other church that does this on a weekly basis.  I always think of this passage when the kids come running and sit around John on the steps of the platform.  Their innocence and wonder and honesty is convicting at times – OK, a lot of times…  I have to admit, I get a lot from these messages!  When you think about it – aren’t we all supposed to approach God with that child-like innocence and wonder and honesty?
• Conversations. Mark 13:1-2. Three thoughts on these verses: (1) We have to believe that Jesus and the disciples had “normal” conversations.  Jesus was fully God & fully man and the disciples, well, they were like you and me.  The extent of their interactions couldn’t have been limited to the profound ones we read in the Bible.  They HAD TO have had conversations about the regular “stuff” in life.  I think sometime we miss that.  (2) From those “regular” conversations, Jesus sought to have “teachable” moments with the disciples (and others).  I’m sure they weren’t all like that, but He was firm in His purpose and had the discernment (He’s God…it was PERFECT!) to know when to teach and when to just talk.  (3) It may be lost in the translation of the Greek to English, but Jesus’ response provokes an image (at least in my Seinfeld-influenced mind) of the disciple doing a “Dooh!” 🙂
• We Don’t Need Anymore. Mark 13:23, 31.  I think sometimes we read the Bible and think, “If only we had a better explanation” or “If only God had been a little more detailed in this area.”  We must realize…it’s all here.
• Access. Mark 15:38.  This verse is HUGE.  I think sometimes we miss the significance of the curtain being torn: “Access to God is now provided by the unique sacrifice of Jesus, rendering the temple sacrifices obsolete.” -ESV Study Bible
• “Could it be me?” Luke 1:69-70. I wonder if those in the line of David thought “could the fulfillment of prophecy be from me?” when they heard this?  Imagine the pressure and disappointment.  Imagine the resulting pride by those who had some form of status?.  Think about how we handle the thought of potential in our children and friends – how much more would it have been to know that the Messiah would come from your family line!

x

Bible In 90 Days – Day 73

Reading: Luke 2:1 – Luke 9:62

Take Away(s):

• Reputation Luke 2:52. This verse shows Jesus’ humanness and the fact that as He grew, he had a good reputation.  We can surmise that he obeyed (with notice from all who observed) the commands of God and the laws of man.  It’s a little weird that it says that He grew in favor with God (since he was/is God), but I think the gist is that God’s favor was evident in people’s observation of Him and also in the blessings that He received as an obedient person.
• Power and Presence. Luke 4:28-30. It’s interesting to see how Jesus let the people go right to the brink of killing Him – then displayed His power as God.  We don’t know how it happened, but the mob let Him walk away.  Maybe some were convinced of His being the Messiah that day or after He was crucified when the recalled the experience.
• JDLR. Luke 5:5, 11, 28. JDLR…Just Don’t Look Right.  Simon and the others were savvy businessmen – they had to be in their respective businesses.  They knew when someone was putting them on – they knew when something JDLR.  Jesus assuaged that JDLR feeling in them and they cast their nets when they normally wouldn’t have done so (probably chasing anyone else off) AND dropped everything they were doing (life, business, etc.) when they followed Jesus.  Sometimes we have an opportunity or choice to make and we know it is from the Lord, but we hedge on the JDLR factor a little too much instead of the JTTL* factor.
• Imagine if… Luke 6:27-42. Just imagine if we actually practiced this – as a basic human trait…even if you are not a Christ Follower.  We went to Karen’s 25th High School reunion last weekend – I’m sure there were old grudges, hurts, and other junk that popped into people’s minds as they saw people from High School.  Hurt and hatred can be stifling – in these passages, Jesus is offering freedom.  Just think about how He practiced what he “preached” a short time later…now WE are free.
• Woe. Luke 6:46. Can you imagine Jesus saying this to your face?

x

*Just Trust The Lord