Category: Uncategorized

Welcome to the new year from our Bible Journal ministry!  As a team, we have committed to reading the Bible cover to cover this year.  As a part of this Journal, we will list Bible readings Monday through Friday that will allow you to accomplish this feat as well! No postings on Saturday or Sunday so you can take a break and attend a great worship service!

Let’s get started!   Day one: Today’s readings are Genesis 1-2, Psalm 19, and Mark 1.

As we enter a brand-new year.  New year’s resolutions are prevalent.

Most resolutions revolve around new goals, new beginnings, new perspectives, and a chance to start over.  A new year gives us a chance to have a “clean slate” and strive for goals we did not achieve or accomplish last year.

Mark chapter one is an interesting book where the writer describes various events that occurred at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  Pastor Gary Hamrick at Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA preached on this chapter and noted some very important verses.

Over the course of two days, Jesus cast out unclean spirits from a synagogue, healed one of His disciples’ mother-in-law, and healed “all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed” in Capernaum.  The Bible says the “whole city was gathered together at the door” where Jesus was located.  Jesus was likely overwhelmed by the crowds of people asking Him to heal them, to fix their lives, and seek His attention.

Verse 35 of Mark 1 says, “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”

The Son of God, who was ultimately God in the flesh, took time to pray.  Why did the Son of God take time to pray?  What lessons can we learn from Jesus and His example to pray?

• Discipline: Verse 35a, says Jesus “having risen a long while before daylight.” Jesus was focused about making His prayer time a priority.  He rose early and was disciplined about the importance of spending time in prayer. He made time for it.
• Deliberate: Verse 35b, says Jesus “went out and departed to a solitary place.” Jesus took time and made sure He was alone with God.
• Resolve: Verse 38, Jesus said “let us go to the next towns.” Prayer gave Jesus the resolve to minister and execute the purpose of His ministry. Pray rejuvenated Him and gave Him strength.

My goal in 2023 is to pray like Jesus did, read the Bible cover to cover, and commit to daily devotions. I will take time each day, in a quiet place, to read and study scripture, reflect on the events, happenings, and blessings in my life.  2023 is going to be a great year!

Today’s reading:  Titus 3

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people (Titus 3:1-2).

On December 11 my dear Grandma, Evelyn York, peacefully left this earth.  After 97 years of faithfully following Jesus, she finally got to meet him face to face.  She was ready.

Gram emulated the characteristics of a Christfollower described in Titus 3:1-3.  But just because she was submissive to authorities, helpful and considerate to other people, never quarreling and always courteous, she was as tenacious (or perhaps stubborn) as they come.  She was never afraid to stand up for herself or advocate for those she loved.  She tackled problems head on and never shied away from hard conversations.  One of the most valuable life lessons I learned from Gram was to play the hand you are dealt.  Your circumstances might not be what you would have chosen, but don’t wallow in self-pity.  Find a way forward.

• She fiercely loved my Grandpa.  As a preacher’s wife, Gram faithfully supported him wherever his ministry led their family.  While I’m sure they did, I don’t ever remember them quarreling or disagreeing about anything.  (Although Gram told me she she occasionally had to remind him that she was his wife, not one of his parishioners.)
• She loved and supported her family, even though she was quick to remind us who was in charge.  (When my sister and I were younger, Gram enjoyed playing “King of the Raft” with us.  She always won, but only because we were afraid to push her in the water because it would wreck her hair…note that Gram went to town once a week to get her hair “set”.  Do anything to mess it up and you would suffer her wrath…we all knew better!)
• She was a hard worker.  In their early 50’s, my Grandparents moved to St. Joseph, Illinois and Gram went to work for Carle Hospital in the medical records area.  Despite her age and initial unfamiliarity, she led the way in supporting technological advancements.  (Although every summer we called from the lake and talked Grandma and Grandpa into leaving work a few days early so they could spend a little extra time with us on vacation.)
• She served others.  After my Grandpa died, Gram served other widows in the Leesburg Christian Church and in her neighborhood for 25 years.  (Including her crazy neighbor Margaret who stopped over for “happy hour” most afternoons. As they enjoyed a cup of coffee, Gram listened to her stories and gently encouraged Margaret to go home and take a shower when she smelled like a billy goat…which was more often that not.)
• She did what she knew was best, even though it sometimes was not what she wanted.  In 2016, after another heart attack and some time at a rehab facility, Gram agreed it was time to move closer to family.  This meant leaving her beloved home in FL and moving to Illinois with my parents. (I was down visiting her just a few months before she moved.  While she knew this was the beginning of the end, she also acknowledged it was just the next phase of life and something she knew she had to do.)
• She did not fear the unknown, rather she put her trust and her hope in Jesus.  When the hospice nurse came to visit for the first time on November 29, Gram didn’t really know what to expect.  After the nurse was gone, Aunt Muriel asked her if she was scared.  Gram responded with a firm, “no, this is just something I need to walk through.”  (Gram’s final days weren’t as smooth as we’d hoped, but God made a way.  My Mom, who had been her primary care giver for the last 5.5 years, was in bed with COVID.  My Aunt Muriel, who had come to help my Mom take care of Gram while my Dad wrapped up a business trip, got COVID from my Mom and then gave it to my Dad when he got home.  While the rest of us couldn’t go inside for a week, we were able to care for them by leaving meals and whatever else they needed on the porch.  On December 11, when my Dad was no longer contagious, I went to see Grandma, kiss her face and tell her how much I loved her.  Two hours later, with my Dad and Aunt Muriel by her side, she went to Heaven.)

These last 5.5 years have been hard as Gram required increasing levels of care.  Thank you to my Mom and Dad, especially my Mom, for doing whatever it took to meet her needs until the end.  Thanks to my parent’s small group for befriending my Gram and helping support my parents.  Thanks to Dr. Kindred for overseeing Gram’s healthcare and doing a masterful job at making the last 5.5 years of her life as vibrant as they could be.

I love you Gram.  I’ve got a big hole in my heart right now with you gone.  I’ll see you soon.  Take care of things upstairs until I get there!

 

 

 

 

Today’s Reading : Luke 2:21-52

Joy. Excitement. Hope.

He is finally here. Christ has been born. Unlike with toys and games, when we have a new baby, joy and the excitement has only begun. On the third or fifth or seventh day after you receive your games and toys: Sometimes the batteries are broken, or we lost a piece of toy, or we just have play with us so much that we cannot enjoy it anymore. But with Christ and the news of his appearance, we get energized at each moment that we have with him. This energy does not stop, but it multiplies as we continue to have a relationship with him.

As we complete the Advent season and going into Christmastide, we have several more weeks of the season of joy and hope and wonderment.  In this passage, we see the perspectives of four different individuals. Individuals that we have here are: Mary, Joseph, Simmons, and Anna. Each of these individuals have a different perspective on this new child that has come into the world.

Luke 2:25-38 (MSG)

25-32 In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:

God, you can now release your servant;

    release me in peace as you promised.

With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;

    it’s now out in the open for everyone to see:

A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,

    and of glory for your people Israel.

33-35 Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,

This child marks both the failure and

    the recovery of many in Israel,

A figure misunderstood and contradicted—

    the pain of a sword-thrust through you—

But the rejection will force honesty,

    as God reveals who they really are.

36-38 Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.

Mary has the perspective of a new life, and a new beginning for her and the salvation of the world. She has known since the conception that Jesus was part of the new covenant to change the world. But you also know that he will be a part of her. He would be an extension of God into the world.

Joseph is an amazing person. One of the gifts that I received this advent season was a deeper understanding of the person Joseph. Joseph was a role model for all men.  He embodies compassion, love, support, caring, understanding, and rising above the occasion. After reviewing this passage, I had the realization that Joseph actually delivered Jesus. Joseph was the one who coached Mary through the pregnancy and the labor and actually delivered Jesus into the world. In my 40 Christmases this was profound for me. Joseph didn’t ask for any acknowledgment or gratitude, but he performed his role in his responsibilities with the greatest care.

Simeon is vital in this story as well. Simeon shows how to be patient and find comfort in the promise that God has given us. Simeon shows us how to acknowledge our frailty and wait with expectation of something new or something exciting that God has promised us. Simeon show us how to be faithful to God through all of his promises.

Anna, shows us that despite the changes in our life, God will supply everything that we need. No matter what the circumstances are: we can have wealth, or poverty, sickness, health, despair, joy, but in all of these things, God will be there with us from young age until our old age.

As we celebrate this Christmas season for the next several weeks, can we all observe ourselves and the  different people in our lives?  How has God placed them in our lives and can we see a little bit extra in them. Can we see the promises and the blessings that God has installed upon them? Can we acknowledge it ourselves that God has something in store for us that we may not be aware of but we are there for his purpose?

Continue to be blessed this week and weeks to come.

That night, in a field near Bethlehem, shepherds were watching over their flocks. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the sheperds were terrified!  But the angel reassured them saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard!  And it is for everyone everywhere!  For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah.

Luke 2:8-11

What are you waiting for today?

As I write this post this morning, I am waiting on my daughter to arrive at the airport. Earlier, I waited on her text that told me she made it to the airport at 5am (relief!!). There are other things I am waiting on in my life that are not answered so quickly and easily. Prayers I have prayed for years. Prayers for family members to come to know Jesus. Prayers of healing for myself and others. Prayers for my children to walk with the Lord. There are times I get tired of praying these prayers, but the Bible has shown me over and over that God hears our prayers.

Today in Luke 1:1-25 we see that God hears the prayers of Elizabeth and Zechariah.

Luke, the author of the entire book of Luke, begins in chapter 1 verse 5 introducing us to Zechariah and Elizabeth, a couple old enough to have quit expecting children.

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive and they were both very old.
Luke 1:5-7

They probably wondered why God had not blessed them with children, why their faithfulness to God was unnoticed and unrewarded. In their culture, childlessness was regarded as a curse for sin of some kind. In verse 25, Elizabeth calls it her “disgrace.”

As devout Jews, Zechariah and Elizabeth had long prayed and hoped for a child and certainly it seemed that God would never answer their prayers. And then, one day God began to speak to Zechariah while he was on duty in the temple.  The angel spoke the unexpected and much waited words to him.   After such a long period of waiting, Elizabeth was pregnant. Their hopes, longings and prayers were finally coming to fruition.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
Luke 1:11-13

What do we do while waiting for our prayers to be answered? Do we become impatient and try to fulfill our longings on our own? Do we give up and quit praying? Or do we, as Zechariah and Elizabeth did, wait on God to respond to our prayers and longing? How do we live while we wait?

Zechariah and Elizabeth teach us a very valuable lesson. Even though they were frustrated with God’s delay in their desire to have a child, they did not give up on God or stop living out their lives in service and in faith. Zechariah was an Israelite priest and was on duty in the temple when he learned that Elizabeth was pregnant.

God did not act immediately as they wanted and God did not grant their life’s expectations and hopes on their timetable. But, they had not given up on God. They remained active in their work as God’s followers.

Even though Zechariah and Elizabeth might have thought that God had given up on them and forgotten about their pleas, prayers and hopes. God was faithful to them just as God would be faithful to the Israelites and their prayer for a Messiah in the coming of Jesus. It was a beautiful reminder to them and to us that we can be assured that even when we have to wait for our hopes, dreams and prayers to come true, we can be sure that this does not mean that God is not active and at work in our lives.

Do we remain active and faithful to God in the midst of our waiting? Waiting for God to answer our heartfelt prayers? I love how the Bible is so good at reminding us through these stories that God is faithful and steadfast in caring for us, even if it is not on our timetable. Including today, we have 4 days to wait till Christmas, the day we celebrate the promise of and fulfillment of the Messiah. May we spend time reading the promises of god and reflecting on His Word.

The Book of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, begins with an interesting approach.  Matthew outlines the lineage of Jesus, beginning with Abraham, aligning to King David, ending with Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father.

Many scholars believe Matthew opened his gospel with the lineage of Jesus to demonstrate two things.  One, he had to establish that Jesus was a Jew.  The Jewish people would not believe Jesus was the Messiah if it was not clearly established that He came from the tribe of Judah. Two, Matthew had to establish that Jesus was of the lineage of King David, which goes back to when God promised to David that He would “raise up an heir from David’s line who would sit on the throne forever and establish an eternal Kingdom.”

Matthew highlights the number of generations from Abraham to Jesus, noting the number 14 as a significant number.  From “Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen years.”  God uses the multiple of 7 many times throughout the Bible, including the days of the week to create the world, as a number of significance.  Clearly God had a plan and He delivered on His promise to bring a Messiah to earth.

What does this sequencing say to me?  God is deliberate in everything He does, and He keeps His promises, on His time.  God promised a Savior, back in the Old Testament, and He did not deliver Jesus to the people until hundreds of years later.  In our world, hundreds of years is many lifetimes or generations.  It may seem God does not follow through on His promises because things may not happen in our lifetime.  God’s timeline is not in the timeframe of a human life but in the timeframe of hundreds of thousands of years.  God’s promises may come to reality but many of us may not be alive to see them.

Faith comes from our perspective to trust and accept the things we cannot see or touch.  Faith is about accepting that our belief is not about witnessing an occurrence with our own eyes.  Faith is about understanding that the Holy Spirit will work through us to show us ways in which Christ can impact our lives positively, through our good and the bad experiences.

God made promises throughout the Bible and kept them.  The challenge for us is the learn our Bibles and truly strive to understand God’s meaning and delivery of His promises, without inserting our own expectations and “worldly filter” on what we want to see.

There are promises that have not yet been delivered.  The Bible tells us that Jesus will come again to the earth and Revelations, written by the Apostle John, outlines Jesus’ return in detail.  Do we not believe it because it was promised hundreds of years ago?

Not sure about you but I am going with IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.  God ALWAYS delivers on His promises and Matthew was clearly outlining this in the beginning of his Gospel.