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Today’s reading links: Genesis 16; Matthew 15; Nehemiah 5; Acts 15

Every day when I drive my kids to school, we start our 15 minute car ride by talking to God. In these few minutes, we affirm that we want our hearts to look like Jesus, and ask for God’s help to change them.  I’ll be honest, we’ve been praying this prayer for about a year and a half, but my heart still requires a lot of work.  Many mornings, especially on Mondays, this request is often followed by a prayer of thanks that God’s mercies are new EVERY morning.  Oh how I need them!

Since reading Matthew 12 on Tuesday, I haven’t been able to get the last phrase of verse 34 off my mind, “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

In reading Matthew 15 today, we find the Pharisees and scribes challenging Jesus about his disciples’ failure to keep some traditions. I love how he answers their question with question and begins to get at their hearts.  In verses 10 and 11, Jesus gets very direct with those gathered to listen to his teachings, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

My small group is reading the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  In this week’s reading, Lewis says, “…surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is.” Why? Back to Matthew 12:34, because what instinctively comes out of your mouth truly reflects what is in your heart.

Think about what’s in your heart. With my children and I, today will you ask God to help change your heart to look like Jesus?

Today’s reading link: Genesis 15; Matthew 14; Nehemiah 4; Acts 14

Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

In 2005, I felt God challenging me to come to terms with the fact that I claimed to be a Christian but I was living indifferently, without demonstrating any faith and without any action that might remotely resemble someone who loved, trusted, or followed Jesus. I was lukewarm on God.

The way C.S. Lewis boiled it down was the turning point.  Those words spoke to me saying: decide for yourself, man up. It was time to get rid of my bad assumptions as to what Christians believed or how they behaved.  It was time to act: read, seek, pray, get real and come to a final answer for these two very important questions. Was Jesus who he said he was?  And if so, what did he say?

I had previously dabbled in Bible reading but it was mostly half-hearted. This time I approached the Bible with reverence because I was actually afraid of coming to the conclusion that Jesus was perhaps a madman, and then I’d be left lost and empty.  Then I read the book of Matthew and it spoke to me like it had never done before.

Matthew documents how Jesus faced opposition even though over and over he proved his love for people, he wisely taught them, and performed numerous miracles for the benefit of those he loved and to give glory to God. Jesus healed every disease and became famous:

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains,those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. Matthew 4:23-24

People were going crazy for Jesus and his fame was spreading like wildfire but, in his hometown of Nazareth he was rejected. They had heard about his miracles but they didn’t believe, and this disbelief was why he didn’t perform any miracles in Nazareth. Isn’t this how we treat Jesus sometimes? Show me a sign, then I’ll believe.

Matthew 11 tells us that after a long day of teaching, Jesus’ disciples hop into a boat and after dismissing the massive crowd (of 5,000 who Jesus just miraculously fed), Jesus went up the mountain to pray. I’m thinking Jesus had a good heart-to-heart with his Heavenly Father and spent some time mourning the loss of John the Baptist. This John, whom Jesus referred to in Matthew 11:11 as “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater”. John was a relative of Jesus, he prepared the way for Jesus, he baptized Jesus. John served him through imprisonment and a brutal death so Jesus must have been in deep sorrow.

Faith saves, doubt destroys.

When Jesus returns from praying, he finds that the boat had drifted and he performs another miracle: He walks on water to meet his disciples. They see someone coming; they were frightened and thought he was a ghost. Jesus tries to calm them but Peter wants proof of who he is. Peter shows some faith by telling Jesus to “command him” to walk on water. Peter then miraculously walks on water, but even with this he starts to doubt and he begins to sink. Again, like us, we want a sign, we get a sign, but we end up doubting and sinking.

Before closing, I want to take the time to say happy birthday to Rick Jebb. Rick is one of our authors, a close friend, a mentor, a leader, a brother who cannot stop talking about Jesus (seriously, I don’t think it is in his power to stop).  Rick is the person who was integral in my own in-depth study of the Sermon on the Mount – which I am eternally grateful for. Rick, you’re a difference maker and a wonderful human being, I thank God for all that He has shaped you to become!

With that, we’ll close today with some questions to measure ourselves as we consider the Matthew readings thus far. First, please meditate on this verse for a moment:

And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” – Matthew 14:33

Finally, let’s ask ourselves:

1. Do I believe that Jesus is the son of God?
2. Do I live like I believe Jesus is the son of God?
3. Would my friends, family, and co-workers agree with my answer to question two? What actions should I take to reconcile any differences?

Genesis 14; Matthew 13. Nehemiah 3; Acts 13.

Choices have consequences. There is something ominous about this phrase. Seriously, I get really nervous when I think about it because, like most of us, I have made (am making?) some really poor choices. Today’s scriptures brought this to light in a new way for me. In order to explain, I want to consider Abram. To do so, we need to start in Chapter 13.

In yesterday’s journal, Michael wisely noted Abram’s response to the riches that he possessed. In verse 4, “Abram called upon the name of the Lord.” I think you will see that this sets the stage for many events that follow.

The first of these events begins with strife between Abram and Lot. In order to resolve the conflict, Abram leads the way, suggesting that they split apart. Now, the part that confounds my worldly wisdom is that Abram gives Lot the first choice.   I refuse to believe that Abram did not see the same things that Lot did, as described in verse 10.  He saw the Jordan Valley which was, “well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt.” Even so, Abram did not choose it. He gave the privilege of first choice to Lot. Why not? The simple answer is that it was not important to him. Abram recognized that his blessed life was not a result of his surroundings, but of God’s hand on his life.

The second choice Abram makes shows up in Genesis 14:21. The king of Sodom offers him the loot that was stolen from the city. Not unlike his refusal to take the land in the Jordan Valley, Abram refuses the easy and obvious choice. What is it about Abram that causes him to make such choices? Simple; he knew how to keep God the one thing. The one thing for Abram was crystal clear. His purpose in this life was to serve God. Neither the money (rich in livestock), nor the first choice of where to live (Jordan Valley) or even the enticements by the king were worth his attention.

This world is always falling victim to misguided purpose. In order to make good decisions we attempt to increase our will power or gain more wisdom. It occurs to me that Abram didn’t worry about those things. Instead, he “called upon the name of the LORD,” “gave him a tenth of everything,” and “lifted his hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.” Today is a new day. How will you choose?

Today’s reading link: Genesis 9–10; Matthew 9; Ezra 9; Acts 9

Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  A pure heart is one that is fully devoted to God; no hypocrisy; a condition in which outward actions reflect the true condition of the heart.

Always devoted? Never an impure thought or selfish motive?  We could never get here on our own.  But God gave us a guide, and a lot of grace, to help us.  God’s commandments aren’t simply a list of rules to make our lives more difficult, but a guide to help us purify our hearts and move toward full devotion to him.  This theme runs throughout today’s reading.

In Matthew 9, Jesus saw the thoughts of the scribes and affirmed his authority through a miracle:

When he saw the faith of the people who had brought him and the faith of the paralytic, Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. The scribes/teachers who were looking on said nothing, but Jesus looked at their hearts and saw their accusations of blasphemy.  He responded by also healing the paralytic’s physical disability.

In Ezra 9, Ezra mourned because the Children of Israel disobeyed God’s command to remain pure by refraining from intermarriage:

God commanded the Children of Israel to keep themselves separated from the people of the lands with their abominations. They were not to give their daughters to them in marriage, nor take non-Israelite daughters for their sons, and never seek the others’ peace or prosperity.  All these things would lead them away from full devotion to God.

In Acts 9, Ananias sought after a Saul, a known murderer of Jesus followers:

Saul’s heart, “…still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”, sounds pretty pure.  Purely in opposition to Jesus.  We read the story of his conversion, and know he goes on to purify his heart and become a great man of God.  But the pure heart that rings through in Acts 9 is of Ananias.  When God commanded Ananias to go to Saul, Ananias gently reminded God of Saul’s reputation.  God affirmed his command, but he did not play to Ananias’ selfish desires (like I would have) to convince Ananias to go.  My line would have sounded something like, “Ananias, I realize the risk is great here, but so is the reward.  This guy will go on to write almost have of the New Testament.  You’re going to make history.  This story will be recorded in the best-selling book ever written.  Billions of copies!”  See, God didn’t have to play to Ananias’ selfishness because had a pure heart, he simply followed God’s command.

In Genesis, God punished Ham’s impure actions:

Ham commits an impure act against his father Noah. God doesn’t punish Ham directly, but punishes Ham by making his son a servant to his brothers.  As a mother, seeing my kids pay for my sin is way more painful than suffering my own consequences.  Heart-wrenching is the word that comes to mind.

Samuel 16:7 says, “…for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  What does God see when he looks at your heart today?

Today’s reading link: Genesis 8; Matthew 8; Ezra 8; Acts 8

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) closes with two of my favorite verses:

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.  (Matthew 7:5-7)

Have you ever been astonished at someone’s teaching?  I am picturing jaws dropping, minds blown, tears of joy as well as tears of remorse due to hearts being convicted from this sermon.  They recognized Jesus’ authority and they were astonished because there had never been anyone like him. Still today there is no one like him, and there will never be anyone like him!

In Matthew Chapter 8, Jesus puts his authority into action and performs various miracles where he demonstrates his authority over:

1. Disease (v. 3, 13, 15-16) – healed leprosy and other diseases
2. Winds and sea (v. 26) – calms the storm
3. Demons (v. 16, 32) – cast out demons

Matthew tells the story of the centurion who demonstrated great faith. Centurions were captains in the Roman army and had authority over many soldiers.  We can learn from the centurion as a model for our own faith and prayer life (humble ourselves, honor Him, believe).  This high-powered centurion humbles himself and defines the relationship with Jesus addressing him as “Lord” and further states “I am not worthy” –  and he trusts and believes that Jesus can heal from afar.  Then the best part: kudos from Jesus.  Jesus recognizes the centurion’s approach as an act of great faith and is “marveled” by it.

I’d love to marvel Jesus today, how about you? How about right now? Today’s reading has a couple examples of urgency.

The first example is directly from Jesus and he makes it clear that following him must be on his terms, without delay:

Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:21-22)

The level of urgency in our response to the good news should match how good the news is. Our outward response indicates our true inward feeling. We’re talking about some seriously good news here – eternal life. The eunuch in Acts 8:34-39 gets it right when his immediate response to hearing the Good News is to become baptized in some water along the road and went on his way rejoicing!

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)

None of us knows what tomorrow will bring so the time to respond is now.  Jesus has all authority.  Authority over our past and future, our illnesses, ups, downs, jobs, relationships, needs, addictions, failures, fears, families, and most importantly, our eternity.  He’s proven it and has promised it for you and for me. We just need to trust and follow him.

Lord, I am not worthy.  Forgive me for not marveling enough at your greatness and your authority. Forgive my lack of urgency in following you wholeheartedly. Thank you for this new day and the opportunity to follow you. Amen.

Family: Genesis 7; Matthew 7. Secret: Ezra 7; Acts 7.

In any given circumstance, I find that I want to be part of the selected group. Not unlike choosing teams on the playground, I’ve always striven to be either the captain, picked first and at the very least, part of the best group. In order to maintain that status, there are certain things that are expected. In my adult life, a few of the worldly traits that get you into the boardroom are intelligence, influence and often status or wealth. Ironically, I have a tendency to transfer this worldly wisdom to God’s eternal kingdom. Surely, by doing these same things, I can get, earn even, God’s favor. Today’s reading sheds some light on how we get favor by God. Let’s take a look at all four of today’s chapters.

First, God’s favor was clearly on Noah. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I would have been working desperately to be chosen for that 40 day voyage! How did Noah get chosen? The answer lies in Genesis 7:1, where God acknowledges the righteousness that Noah displays. Where exactly did he become righteous? Turn back for a moment to Genesis 6:9, and see that Noah, “walked with God.” What we learn from Noah is that God does not choose his people willy-nilly. He puts out the invitation, makes himself known and allows us to choose Him.

Second, Ezra was also favored by God. Check out Ezra 7:9. It says, “ The good hand of God was upon him.” Wow, when I read that, I want to have it too! As with Noah, God did not choose Ezra randomly. Verse 10 describes Ezra’s passion for God. “Ezra set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” Again, God set out the invitation, with the law in this case; it was up to Ezra to respond.

Third, look back at Acts 7. Stephen was chosen to be a leader back in chapter 6. Once again, it was not a random selection but based on his heart. Acts 6:3 records that he was “of good repute [and] full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” Now, We may not get a description of how Stephen achieved his wisdom and fullness, but chapter 7 definitely gives us an indication. Most of the chapter consists of him reciting scripture to the men in the synagogue. How do you suppose that information landed in his head? More importantly, the information permeated his heart resulting in transformation. This is evident by the intensity of the Holy Spirit working in his life. (Acts 6:10)

Finally, turning to Matthew 7, we hear directly from Jesus about how we can be part of his chosen. God has sent us an invitation, in his son Jesus Christ. We must now choose him, or not. Our choosing Jesus starts with seeking. Verse 7 says that we should “seek and find, knock and it will be opened.” These are the activities that lead to a renewed heart. The benefit, you ask? “The good gifts.” (v11) While I cannot quantify what they are, history says that being chosen and favored by God are among them.

Seven days into our journey, I am praying that Gods wisdom is working its way into our hearts and minds. As it does, I know that we will find opportunities to be obedient to it. Noah, Ezra and Stephen are all great examples of how God’s word, when accepted whole-heartedly and personally, transforms us. I can think of no better favor from God than seeing for myself “the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56)