Bethany Bullet - April 26, 2010

Now I sit me down to test,
This OS upgrade on my desk.
If I fail to install this junk,
Then my hopes and hard drive are surely sunk.
Yet if it works, I'll have a ball,
As I play the games I bought at the mall.
Chat with strangers, and email my friends,
And surf the web from end to end.
But now I sit and watch the bar,
That indicates my progress thus far.
And if this process utterly fails,
I pray the lord my backup will prevail

There seems to be a natural connection between technology and the Christian life. How many prayers have been said when installing software, trying to re-boot the computer, or figuring out that new program that was supposed to make your life easier? It is not just computers. Society has a fascination with technology. The automobile has been worshiped for over 100 years; we have committed relationships with our phones and blackberries, and we have tried to convert the unbelievers into getting TiVo or DirecTV.

Some may think that a simpler lifestyle is necessary. Take the Amish for example. They live a simple life and perhaps they have a few things right.

Perhaps technology has perpetuated a distracted lifestyle. Some days I think it would be nice to be transported to a place without cell phones or email, but most days I strive to find that balance between distraction and responsibility and often times I fail.

We live in an age where communication is instantaneous, convenience is coveted, and speed is worshiped. We are bombarded with what the world says via television, emails, and texts.

There are some who would like to retreat to a commune, move to a monastery or farm with the Amish to avoid the dangers of technology. But I think our text from Sunday gives us some information on how to find the protection that we need.

From John 10, Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” Sunday was Good Shepherd Sunday. We should pause and contemplate what it means for Jesus to be our shepherd; we need to hear his words “My sheep listen to my voice.”

Indeed in this age of technology it is difficult to hear the voice of Jesus. As the sounds of technology continue to ring in our ears, we need to be sure that we can still hear the voice of our Good Shepherd.

Dr. Bob Morehead, Pastor of Overlake Christian Church in Washington state wrote this piece a number of years ago that describes the world we live in:

The paradox of our time in history is that:
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints
We spend more but have less
We buy more, but enjoy less
We have bigger houses, and smaller families
More conveniences, but less time
We have more degrees, but less sense
More knowledge, but less judgment
More experts, yet more problems
More medicine, but less wellness
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, and hate too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We’ve added years to life, not life to years.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We’ve done larger things but not better things.
We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul
We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice
We write more, but learn less
We plan more, but accomplish less
We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.
We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

Has the fast pace life got you down? Are you distracted by technology that you have a hard time listening to the voice of Jesus? How do we protect ourselves from technology without becoming Amish? I have three things for you to remember and they might sound familiar.

#1-Trust your firewall.
No, not the one that protects your computer but the One that protects you from the fires of hell. It was given to you by Jesus. Because of Jesus, we have been protected from the fiery arrows of the devil. Through the power of the open tomb we are destined for heaven, not hell. Putting our trust in Jesus helps us to put aside the distractions and worries of this world. Because we can trust in our Good Shepherd, we can hear him say, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

#2- Keep your virus protection up-to-date.
This has nothing to do with software downloaded to your computer, but the Word of God downloaded daily to your mind. We are easy victims of the virus of sin. Take some time to lie down in the green pastures of God’s presence, to rest beside the quiet waters of His Word. We find protection in the Word of God, written, spoken, and found in bread and wine. This is something that should be done often and regularly. As we gather around Word and Sacrament in this place, we can hear our Good Shepherd say, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

#3- When all else fails, re-boot.
David had it right when he wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” There will be times that we are in the grip of fear, feeling the trials of temptation, and drowning in doubt. When all else fails, when we have messed up, when it looks like we cannot go on, and when we cannot hear the voice of our shepherd Jesus, re-boot. What do I mean?
• Re-alize that you cannot free yourself.
• Re-call what Jesus has done.
• Re-pent of your sins.
• Re-member that your name is written in heaven.
• Re-joice in the words of the Good Shepherd, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

It is not technology that is evil, but it can be used to distract us from the task at hand. Take some time this week to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and remember His Words.

-Pastor Seth Moorman

The One Year Bible- April 26th

When I was in college I worked at Arrowhead Lutheran Camp for many summers as a counselor. Right out of college I was hired to be the program director at the camp. I was just a young kid but I had quite a bit of experience working with children. As a counselor I always struggled with finding ways to get my campers to go to sleep. Some other counselors told ghost stories or scary tales but those freaked me out too much. Quite by accident one night I began to read stories from the book of Judges. I started with Gideon. That took about two nights then I went to Ehud, Samson, Deborah and others. My young boys really enjoyed the blood and guts stories that weren’t too scary. I liked them because they also taught that God was in control. Some people have a tough time with the book of Judges because of its violent nature and that is fine, but if you look at the stories through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy you might get some understanding. The key thing to remember is that God has mercy on his people and shows his love to them by sending a judge. Not a judge that comes to condemn, but one that comes to save. Sounds kind of like Jesus doesn’t it? On to the study for this week……

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament
As I have alluded to in the opening the book of Judges is all about God’s mercy. It seems like it is about his wrath with some blood and guts thrown in for good measure but when you really look at it you see a familiar pattern emerge with all the judges. We see this same pattern when Jesus is sent as the final Judge. Why was it necessary for the Judges to come anyway? Didn’t the people promise that they would be faithful to God? What happened to the promises they made? In the first part of the book we get the answer. “The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots.” (Judges 1:19 NIV) The story was the same with the other tribes. Reading a bit further, “The tribe of Manasseah failed to drive out the people….” Then the tribe of Ephraim failed, then Zebulen failed, then Asher failed, then Naphtali. Then Yahweh (LORD in all caps) sent his angel (some think this may be the pre-incarnate Christ) to talk to the people. Judgment was to be upon the people. “Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.” (Judges 2:3 NIV) This sums up the problems that the people will encounter the rest of the Old Testament. The people living in the land and their gods will cause major problems for the people. Remember this as we read the rest of the story this year. But the LORD (Yahweh) in his infinite mercy shows love to the people and sends help. The account of each Judge has a similar pattern. It usually begins with, The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, He turned them over to their enemies for so many years. Then the LORD raised up a Judge. The people followed this Judge and were saved. The land had peace for so many years. The Judge dies and the people return to their old ways and do evil in the eyes of the LORD. Get familiar with this pattern. This is some foreshadowing of the New Testament story of Jesus. We don’t have time to discuss each Judge (we will spend more time with Gideon next week) in detail so let me give you some highlights. Ehud is my favorite. He is left-handed. Why does the writer of Judges tell us this? He was able to smuggle his dagger into the presence of the king because, being left-handed he drew it from his right side. Most people carry their dagger or sword on the left side because they are right handed. Ehud was able to get close to the king and kill him because he was left-handed. You see, God uses all things for his good purposes. I also think it is funny that Ehud escapes through the outhouse in the kings chambers and the attendants are so embarrassed to disturb the king when he is in the bathroom. Some commentators even suggest that the king was actually sitting on “the throne” (the one in the bathroom) when Ehud stabs him (you see why young boys like this story?). The account of Deborah is good to show that God works through women as well. God raised her up as a Judge and she led the people in battle. In the story it was another woman, Jael, who took care of the evil Sisera. Talk about girl power (both the boys and some of the girls like this story). The story of Gideon is a bit longer and has some interesting insights for us. We will talk about him next week.

The New Testament

In our readings for this week we begin the story of the Passion. Luke makes an interesting comment about all the praise that Jesus is receiving on Palm Sunday. Some of the Pharisees tried to get Jesus to stop the celebration and Jesus says, “If they keep quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” (Luke 19:40) This is an amazing statement. We have read in the Psalms that all creation praises the Lord, but here is proof that it can happen. Can you imagine if no one would praise God and then the rocks start to cry out? What a sight that would be!

Luke does a good job keeping the action moving in the story but there are some rather significant things to see when you dig a bit deeper. When Jesus is before the high priest and is asked point blank if he is the son of God he says, “I am”. OK you say? No big deal? But, the words Jesus used are very important. When he says “I am” not only is he answering in the affirmative, he also is using the name God used when talking to Moses in the burning bush. Remember that God said his name was, “I am”. No wonder the High Priest and the others wanted Jesus dead after he had said this. Jesus goes in there and uses the name of God that the Jews to this day will not even use! Jesus was saying in no uncertain terms that he was the Christ, the promised Messiah. When we get to the Gospel of John we will see seven big “I am” statements from Jesus. Remember them when you read and pour into them the Old Testament meanings.

Bits and Pieces

We will finish the Gospel of Luke this week and we will start the Gospel of John. As a quick note, the first four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are grouped together and are referred to as the synoptic Gospels. The basically have the same form and tell the same story. They probably leaned on one another for source material. John is its own animal all together. John is the only Gospel that mentions three different Passover celebrations, which is where we get the three-year ministry of Jesus. John does not have a standard birth story. John begins with creation, but more on all this next week. John also makes heavy use of metaphor. We will see Jesus referred to as the door, the lamb, the good shepherd, the gate, the way the truth the life, and others. Here are the vital stats for the book of John:

Purpose: To prove conclusively that Jesus is the Son of God and that all who believe in him will have eternal life.

Author: It is never actually mentioned but most agree that it is John the apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of James, called a “Son of Thunder”

To Whom Written: New Christians and searching Non-Christians

Date Written: Probably between A.D. 85-90

Setting: Written after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and before John’s exile to the island of Patmos

Key Verses: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

Key People: Jesus, John the Baptist, the disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Jesus’ mother, Pilate, Mary Magdalene

Key Places: Judean countryside, Samaria, Galilee, Bethany, Jerusalem

Special Features: of the eight miracles recorded, six are unique (among the Gospels) to John, as is the “Upper Room Discourse” (chs. 14-17). Over 90 percent of John is unique to his Gospel. John does not contain a genealogy or any record of Jesus’ birth, childhood, temptation, transfiguration, appointment of the disciples, nor any account of Jesus’ parables, ascension, or Great Commission.

Have a wonderful week!!!

Bethany Bullet - April 20, 2010

“How to Live a Christian Life without Joining a Commune”

Just imagine if they ran commercials for MVP’s of the faith as they do for MVP’s of the Super Bowl.

“Peter, you’ve fearfully accompanied Christ to the judgment hall, and painfully journeyed with Jesus down the way of the cross; you solemnly ascended Calvary's lonely climb with Christ and mournfully watched His body be laid in a tomb; you’ve experienced the jaw dropping joy of seeing, touching, and hearing the Risen Lord Jesus – what are you going to do next?”

I’m not going to tell you yet where Peter goes, as the more important answer to that question is yours.

In reality, you could be the star of such a commercial. You, too, have followed Jesus to the High Priest and then to Pilate; you’ve seen Him stumble under the weight of the cross only to then be nailed upon it; you’ve seen Him breath His last and yield up His spirit; you’ve witnessed Jesus’ corpse be put in a tomb. Then wonder of wonders, jaw dropping joy of joys, you’ve come to know that truth that Jesus is risen. So, I ask you, what are you going to do next???

Peter responded by saying, “I’m going fishing.” Notice what Jesus didn’t do in response to Peter’s answer. Jesus wasn’t so furious at Peter that He said to the waters, “Tumult, be wild.” Jesus was not so disappointed in the disciple’s decision that He said, “Net, may you never produce a catch again.”

So how does this influence our response to the query, “What are you going to do next?” or in other words, “How will you live a Christian Life?”

I think perhaps this text (John 21:1-19) provides us with a few important implications and one vital truth.

Work the Net You Know
Use the gifts, talents, and skills which the Lord has given you to serve Him. Not all are called to go into full time church work, but all work is a calling to serve the Lord of the church. Can you imagine if every Christian spent their time preparing sermons and none prepared meals, or agendas, or portfolios? We might hear better sermons, but we’d be awfully hungry and unprepared and needy. What if no Christians drove squad cars, sat behind the bench, or argued a case in front of it? What if no Christians worked in class rooms, or board rooms, or operating rooms, or waiting rooms; what if none worked on the field, on the screen or on the deck of an aircraft carrier? What if none did what you do? Work the Net You Know trusting that the Lord will provide the catch He desires.

Sail the Sea You are Familiar With
Jesus doesn’t call us to retreat from the world but to engage it. He doesn’t call us to isolate ourselves from daily life but to incorporate Him into it.

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year Bible- April 19th

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I have been a big fan of the book of Psalms for many years. Remember, the book of Psalms was like the hymnal for the people of Israel. Unfortunately the tunes have been lost to history but the words are still there. I wish we had more time to dive deep into the Psalms and perhaps someday I will do just that, but every once in a while I want to highlight something that we have read during the week. This week I want to go back to Psalm 86 (April 17). This is a Psalm of David and has some great words of comfort and also can serve to refocus us when things seem to going wrong. In verses 11 & 12 we read, “Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.” I think that reading through the Bible from cover to cover is one way that God teaches us His way so that we might walk in the truth. There is just so much to learn from His word.

Lets get going....

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament

This week’s readings left the narrative story behind and we received a geography lesson. If you are like me it did not make much sense since the geography of the Holy Land is a bit of a mystery to me. The list of landmarks did not help me much. Please don’t get frustrated at this. The best thing to do is go to a map. I found this one on the Internet that shows how the land was divided. You may have one in the back of your Bible as well. For me this visually shows what we have been reading this week. (Click on the map for a larger version)

The geography of the Promised Land will be important later in the story. Eventually this land will become a kingdom under the rule of Saul. Things go well for a while but eventually the land is divided in two. The Northern Kingdom will have ten tribes, and the Southern Kingdom will have the other two (Judah, and Benjamin). Simeon will go with the North. This will be important later because the Northern Kingdom will be taken into exile never to return. A few years later the South will also be taken but some will return. This story points to Christ in so many ways but we don’t have the time to discuss this now. Trust me; we will discuss it later this year. One other note, the tribe of Dan will complain about their land and they will move out and head north to a city known as Dan. This is important because the city of Dan is in the far north of the kingdom and is part of a phrase we will see a number of times. When an Old Testament writer uses the phrase, “From Dan to Beersheba” they mean the entire land, since Dan is in the north and Beersheba is the city furthest south. Both places are on the map.

The New Testament

Jesus seems to talk a lot about money in this week’s readings. To Jesus, money is something that can be used for good but it can also be used as something to be worshiped. Jesus said, "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate (remember our discussion of hate from last week?) the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Luke 16:13 NIV) This was a direct attack on the Pharisees who loved money. The point is that God wants us to be faithful with the monetary blessings that we have been given but they are not to rule us and in reality become an idol that we worship. When Jesus talks to the rich young ruler, money is again an issue. Jesus tells him to sell everything he has and give the money to the poor. This man was not ready to give up his money. We all struggle with money. How much should we give away? How much is too much etc. Many of us are afraid if we do not save money we will not be able to survive. We sometimes forget the wonderful words of Jesus, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:27 NIV) God will take care of us, we should not have to worry about money because we can focus on money and it will rule us if we are not careful.

Bits and Pieces

We will finish up the book of Joshua this week and begin the book of Judges. Here are the vital stats on the book of Judges: 



Purpose: To show the God’s judgment against sin is certain, and his forgiveness of sin and restoration to relationship is just as certain for those who repent 



Author: Possibly Samuel 



Setting: The land of Canaan, later called Israel. God had helped the Israelites conquer Canaan. which had been inhabited by a host of wicked nations. But they were in danger of losing this Promised Land because they compromised their convictions and disobeyed God. 



Key Verse: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” (17:6) 



Key People: Othniel, Ehud (my favorite Judge), Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Jephthah, Samson, Delilah 



Special Feature: Records Israel’s first civil war

Bethany Bullet - April 13, 2010

How to Follow Jesus without Embarrassing God

President Obama the other day asked, “Can’t we disagree without being disagreeable?” He is not the first president I’ve heard ask this question. In fact, I believe, I’ve heard every president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the Pacific Southwest District of the LCMS asking that same question since I’ve been ordained.

While we might expect such to be the case in politics it should be quite alarming, dare I say embarrassing that such is the case in the church; and has been since the one founded in Corinth. Division, factions, jealousy, and rivalry all of it was found in that congregation. Read chapters 1-3 of 1 Corinthians for the full force.

The church in Corinth forgot and then they fought.

They forgot:
• Whose They Were
• Who They Were
• Why They Were

Then the fought over:
• Control
• Credit

THEY FORGOT…
Whose They Were - The replaced; The Lamb with a shepherd. “I follow Apollos, I follow Cephas, and I follow Paul.”

The names have changed. Like Peter and Paul, some have universal renown: Graham, Warren, Olsten. Like Apollos some are more local: Loesch, Bunnett, Kritzer – but how often have we too divided, pitted, and sided because we have forgotten whose we are?

Who They Were - They began to think of themselves as better than others; more deserving of grace than the unbelieving world. Clinging to their works like trophies in a case, they assumed God was lucky to have them. How often have we forgotten that? How often do we view or judge others based upon a self-righteousness and arrogant spirit?

Why They Were - Authority, notoriety, and glory such is what they sought. How often have we forgotten the reason we exist as church and members thereof?

THEY FOUGHT…
Over Who Got Control - We know what it is to want the final say, to believe everyone ought to agree with us to seek power and influence.

Over Who Got the Credit – Who doesn’t like a pat on the back? Who doesn’t want acknowledgement?

+ + +

Paul reminds them and us that the church is the Lord’s, it ain’t about us and He is the one who brings things into being and causes them to happen. “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is important because only God makes things grow.”

So following Jesus without embarrassing God means we start by remembering…

1. Whose We Are - We are not our own. Our lives have been hallowed by Christ’s perfect life; we’ve been redeemed by His precious blood, our future secured by His victorious Resurrection. We are His!

2. Who We Are - We are only sinners saved by grace, whose personal righteousness is like filthy rages and we are now to view ourselves as no more than servants as did our Lord.

3. Why We Are - We are called to engage in the mission not set up a kingdom.

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year Bible- April 12th

When I was in second grade our class was scheduled to sing in church. The song we sang was called “Everywhere I Go.” Why do I remember such a thing? Well, this song had a big impact on my life. It has a catchy tune and great words and I latched on to this song and sang it everywhere I went. I started singing this song every time I was scared or though I was in trouble. I sang it a lot while riding my bike. This song gave me comfort and security because even as I child I knew that God was there with me. This song came to my mind this week while reading the story of God’s people as they entered the Promised Land. I am sure many of them were scared and fearful of the future. But Moses and Joshua reminded the people that God was with them everywhere they would go, and to be strong and courageous. As we begin today, don’t forget that the same God is with you as well. We begin with the words of that song:

Everywhere I go the Lord is near me

If I call upon Him He will hear me

Never will I fear, for the Lord is near

Everywhere I go.

Everywhere God is there

Tending all in loving care

He is with me everywhere I go

On to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament

Let me set the stage for you once again. The people are on the edge of the Promised Land. Moses has gathered the people together to give them a pep talk and remind them of the promises of God and his continued faithfulness. Moses will not be joining the people because of his own disobedience but he is still God’s prophet. At the end of the pep talk he breaks out into song. This last bit of instruction for the people served as a reminder and a comfort for them. Just before Moses gets a glimpse of the Promised Land, he introduces Joshua as the new leader. We see in just a few short verses the phrase, “Be strong and courageous”. This is an important phrase, as the people will be doing some difficult things in the next few years. Moses as well as the Lord tells Joshua and the people to, “Be strong and courageous” at least six times. Indeed the Lord will be with them; and indeed he was. The Lord caused the Jordan river to stop as the people crossed it.

In the next few days we will see that the Lord delivered the fortified city of Jericho into their hands. The Lord blessed them, but true to form the people disobey. After Jericho was destroyed someone took some of the plunder that was to be devoted to the Lord. This caused a military defeat of the people and doubt started to creep in. It was just one small action that had big consequences. It seems that is what happens in our lives as well. Just one seemingly small sin causes us big problems. Even after the pep talk from Moses, the people disobey. This will be a theme we will see over and over again. When we look at the world today we see the same theme. We have heard what we should do, we know the right things be we find ourselves doing the opposite or not even listening to God. For the people of Israel this caused problems. Later we will see how sin begins to spiral out of control and eventually the people will be lead off to exile. We are in the exile of sin as well and we are in need of rescue. God sent his son Jesus to rescue us from our sin. Because we could not do it, Jesus did it all for us. Jesus fulfills the requirements of God and we get all the benefits. The Old Testament once again points us to Christ the author and perfector of our faith.

The New Testament

A few things jumped out at me as I read through the readings from Luke this week. After our readings in the Old Testament about washings, the section at the end of chapter 11 (readings for April 6th) where Jesus really blasts the Pharisees makes more sense to me. Jesus really lets them have it for only worrying about the outside things. He tells them in no uncertain terms that God looks at the inside as well and they need to get their act straight. In Luke 7 Jesus says some hard things. Jesus tells us that if we want to be his disciple we need to hate other things. I have always struggled with this statement. In one of my seminary classes we talked about the word “hate” and how it is used in the New Testament. This is another word that we translate the Greek literally but it has some Hebrew meaning. In Hebrew the word we translate as “hate” means that we prefer one thing over the other but not necessarily at the expense of the other. In the Old Testament we read that Jacob “hated” his wife Leah, but he still cared for her, he had children with her and he provided for her. This does not sound like the “hate” we think of. Now it is true that Jacob preferred Rebekah, but he did not “hate” Leah as we see it. I hope this sheds some light on this passage for you. We are to prefer following Jesus over all others. We will still need to carry our cross and count the cost and that will only be possible with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Psalms
One quick comment from one of our readings this week: In Psalm 78:41 (April 7th) a reference to the “Holy One of Israel” is found. We will see this term often when we get into Isaiah and some of the other prophets. This term refers to the promised Messiah and when you see it you can be certain that this is talking about the coming of Christ.

Have a great week and remember that God is with you everywhere you go!!

The One Year Bible- April 5th

*I am still having issues posting images so just words again this week*

As I was bopping around the internet this week I came across this Easter prayer and

I wanted to share it with you as we begin out study today:

Heavenly Father and God of mercy,
I believe that Jesus is alive and has
become the Lord of life.

From the waters of Baptism you have
raised me with him and renewed your
gift of life within me.

Increase in my mind and heart
the risen life I share with Christ
and help me to grow in your
wisdom and grace.

Lord Jesus, you appeared to your
apostles after the resurrection and filled
their hearts with joy when you said to them
"Peace be with you".

May the peace of your presence
abide with me and make each day you
give me the most beautiful day of my life.

Lord Jesus, you triumphed over death and
destroyed the power of death in me,
may I live only for you.

Risen Lord, you brought confusion
on the guards at your tomb but joy
to your disciples, grant me the fullness
of joy as I serve you in spirit and truth.

You promised to be with your disciples,
Lord, to the end of the world, stay with
me today and remain with me always.

King of glory, center of my life,
grant that when you come again, I may
be one with you in glory.

Lord, remember me as in my own way I
minister to your people, may my life
be holy and an example to your people.

Lord Jesus, purify my heart with your truth
and guide me in the way of holiness,
so that I may always do what is
pleasing in your sight.

Amen.

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament
In the midst of a lot of do’s and don’ts this week a few things caught my attention this week and I wanted to make mention of them. Remember the scene here. Moses is giving a pep talk and history lesson to the people on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The people are about to enter the land of the promise under the leadership of Joshua. Moses cannot enter because of his actions in the wilderness. The dietary restrictions of the people serve a two-fold purpose. First of all, God was setting these people apart to be special in doing so he has selected their diet. This was a health thing. Many of the foods that were unclean were also potential health hazards. These animals carried diseases and God was making sure the people were healthy. Secondly, these restrictions served as a way for the people to be obedient to God. They could show their willingness to follow by adhering to the dietary restrictions. Most Jews still practice many of these laws and they have been expanded and interpreted in many ways. You can find kosher foods in most stores now days. If you look for the kosher label (a circle with a K inside) you can be sure that this product is made under the strict standards of modern Jewish law. The question remains, why don’t we all follow these guidelines? A complete answer is complex but the short answer is that we have freedom in Christ. We live under the new covenant of Grace and we no longer are subject to all the rules and regulations of the law, part of which is dietary restrictions. Does this mean we can do whatever we want? Well, yes, and no. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “Everything is permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me—but I will not be mastered by anything.” More about this when we get to that section of the New Testament.

Another thing that jumped out at me was this: What is God’s deal with blood? He seems to have a fascination with blood. In our society and culture blood has become taboo. It carries disease and it reminds us of death and many get squeamish around it. I think this was probably the case for many back in the Old Testament as well. For the Israelites, blood means life. In fact the word for blood is sometimes used as a synonym for life. The life of the organism is in its blood. Blood was a key part of the sacrifice. God required punishment for sins and he accepted the life (i.e. blood) of an animal in our place. This concept gets further expanded when the blood of Jesus is shed for us. His life (and blood) were given for us for our forgiveness. Now in communion his blood (i.e. life) is offered for the forgiveness of sins. So the blood thing may gross you out but it is vitally important to understand the sacrificial system and how Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.

On April 1^st we read from Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord you God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him”. The same day we read from Luke 9:35, “A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him’”. I don’t think the compilers of the ONE YEAR BIBLE knew that these to passages would be read on the same day but it is pretty cool how they are connected. Jesus is the final prophet that Moses was talking about in Deuteronomy 18. The voice of God confirms it when he says, “Listen to him”.

The New Testament
A few books could be written regarding our reading for the past week in Luke. Just two things I want to touch on today. In Luke 9, right after the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus takes some time out with his disciples. They get away from the crowds and pray. This is just a short interlude, a mini-retreat if you will. But in this time we have some very profound events. Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do people say I am?” In the moment Peter gives a wonderful confession of faith, “You are the Messiah”. This was a big step for most Jews. They were waiting for the Messiah to come and when Peter gives this profession of faith he is saying that he now believes that the Messiah has come and that he is right in front of him. Jesus goes on to describe his mission on the earth, to suffer, be rejected, and to be killed, but be raised again. This was not at all the kind of Messiah the Jews were expecting. The key here is the profession of faith by Peter.

The other passage that I found interesting this week is in Chapter 11. Jesus talks about the sign of Jonah. What is Jonah doing here in the New Testament? Matthew records that Jesus talked about Jonah as well. You remember the story. Jonah was the prophet who was sent to Nineveh but he didn’t want to go. God made sure he got there by sending a storm and then a big fish swallowed up Jonah. Jesus uses this common story to describe his ministry. “But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son Of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.” Jonah is seen as a “type” of Christ. And his three days in the belly of the fish parallel the three days that Jesus will be in the belly of the earth. Very interesting stuff indeed.

Bits and Pieces

We will finish the book of Deuteronomy this week and start the book Joshua. Here are the vital stats for the book of Joshua:

PURPOSE: To give the history of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land
AUTHOR: Joshua, except for the ending, which may have been written by the high priest Phinehas, an eyewitness to the events recounted there
SETTING: Canaan, also called the Promised Land, which occupied the same general geographical territory of modern-day Israel
KEY VERSE: “Go through the camp and tell the people. ‘Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.’” (1:11)
KEY PEOPLE: Joshua, Rahab, Achan, Phinehas, Eleazar
KEY PLACES: Jericho, Ai, Mount Ebal, Mount Gerizim, Gebeon, Gilgal, Shiloh, Shechem
SPECIAL FEATURE: Out of over a million people, Joshua and Caleb were the only two who left Egypt and entered the Promised Land