The One Year Bible- March 28th

When I was in high school, I played on the basketball team.  My first year I warmed the bench for the freshman “A” team.  I would have liked to actually play on the “B” team but my coach was great and wanted me on his team.  My sophomore year was a blur and I think I played a total of three minutes but I loved being part of a team.  My junior year I got cut from the team and I poured my heart out to the coach and asked to just be able to practice with the team.  He said “no” but the varsity coach put me back on the team, (I think there is a story of redemption there but that is not where I am going).  Needless to say I played a total of zero minutes that year, but I never missed a practice and I worked my tail off.  My senior year I made the varsity team and was encouraged by a great coach.  Gene Campbell will always have a place of honor in my heart.  He not only put me back on the JV team the previous year, he gave me shot as a senior.  His pre-game speeches were amazing.  Our team was picked by the local paper to come in last in the league; we were small, un-athletic, and inexperienced.  That did not stop Coach Campbell from giving us confidence and inspiring us to be more than we were told we could be.  We finished the year in fourth place out of ten teams.  We missed the playoffs but made everyone stop and notice us.  I see Moses as that type of person for the people of Israel.  If the paper did a story on them, they would be picked last among the people in the area, they were small, un-athletic, and very inexperienced, but Moses had confidence in them.  As he stands at the boarder of the Promised Land, he recounts the history of the people and gets them ready and pumped up for the battle ahead.  This is how I view the book of Deuteronomy.  Keep this in mind as you read the rest of the book.  On to the rest of the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament

I want to spend some time this week talking about one of the most important passages in the Hebrew Bible.  “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV).  Mark Braun in his commentary on the book of Deuteronomy says the following:

“Israel did not worship a pantheon of gods; their God was one, undivided.  Because of that, God wanted them to give him undivided loyalty.  The Baals of Canaan were manmade pictures of the various forces of nature, but Israel’s God was one.  “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one” is the deepest statement of God’s nature as one Lord.  For centuries the Jews have called this their Shema, from the first Hebrew word of this phrase.  Observant Jews still say the Shema twice each day, as part of their morning and evening prayers, yet it is not so much a prayer as a statement of faith.”

This idea of one God is known as monotheism.  It was a distinctive feature of the Hebrew religion.  Many ancient peoples believed in many gods, or pantheism.  But the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of the whole earth, the only true God.  This was an important insight for the nation of Israel because they were about to enter a land filled with people who believed in many gods.  God reminds the people over and over again before they enter the land, not to have anything to do with these other gods.  We shall soon see that this is a bit of foreshadowing, as the gods of the land of Canaan are the cause of many problems and eventually captivity and exile for the people. 

Right after the Shema, Moses then gives some instructions to the people regarding education.  The LORD wanted to make sure that the following generations would hear the stories and know of the love and mercy of God and his statutes and teachings for His people.  “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 NIV). 

Mark Braun continues in his commentary:

“God wanted education in the faith to be a family thing.  God didn’t want his people confining it to Sabbath days, leaving it to the religious professionals to conduct.  Moses’ words in verses 7-9 were probably meant in a figurative way; parents were to talk about their relationship with their Savior God and they went about their day-to-day lives.  Many later Jews, however, took these versed literally.  Jewish males, thirteen and older, tie phylacteries on to their foreheads and their left arms—two little black boxes containing tiny parchment scrolls on which are written four passages of the Hebrew Scriptures.  Observant Jews also fasten mezuzoth to the door frames of their homes and public buildings—small wooden or metal boxes that hold two scrolls on which are written this verse and Deuteronomy 11:13-21.  The Jewish teacher Maimonides said that those who look upon the mezuzoth and the phylacteries as lucky charms are ignorant, yet by obeying Moses’ words literally, many Jews many have found these outward symbols served as strong reminders of their faith.  Crosses or pictures of Jesus serve a similar purpose in our homes.”

Jesus makes mention of this practice in Matthew 23 when he says, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you...

Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'”  Jesus points out that although the Pharisees seem to be doing the things on the outside right, they are not right on the inside.  They need to do what Moses intended.  The word must come out through our actions (tied to our hands) and should be always on our minds (tied to our foreheads). 

 

Here are some pictures of phylacteries and mezuzoths that may help:

 The New Testament

We continue our journey in Luke and there are some amazing passages from this past week’s readings. I like the quote from Jesus, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Luke 5:31 NIV).  We are all definitely sick because of sin. We are all in need of a doctor and the great physician; Jesus himself is there for us. You may have wondered about this “Son of Man” reference that Jesus keeps making reference to. I could write a book about it but the short answer is that he is most likely making reference to Daniel 7 where a “son of man” comes in glory from the clouds to rule. This was what Jesus was on earth to do. I will try to remember to talk about that when we get into Daniel (in November).

Jesus’ teachings on loving your enemies should make us all a bit uncomfortable. Do we really have to love them? Remember that because of sin we are enemies of God. He still loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die in our place for us. How many of you would die for your friends let alone your enemies. Just amazing. To a Jew the heart was the center of the emotions, as well as all reason and intellect. When Jesus talks about the good things and the evil things that come from our hearts would really hit home. He is not just talking about emotions here. This is the whole shootin’ match. What you say flows from what is in your heart. So that begs the question, what is in your heart? Is it sin or is it love. If it is sin how can you get rid of it? If it is love, how did it get there? The only way the sin will be removed is through what Jesus did for us. Because of his death he has removed that sin and has put in it’s place love. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

The Bethany Bullet - Week of March 21, 2016

Palm Reader

Text: Mark 11:1-11

It was Palm Sunday and because of a sore throat, little Johnny stayed home from church with his mother.  When the rest of the family returned home, they were carrying several palm branches.  Johnny was curious and inquired as to what they were for.  “People held them over Jesus’ head as he walked by,” his father responded.

“Wouldn’t you just know it?” Johnny complained, “The one Sunday I don’t go, and HE shows up!”

Indeed on this Palm Sunday, Jesus is here.  King of Kings and Lord of Lords so go ahead and raise those palm branches, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hail Hosanna, King of Kings!

This is also the beginning of Holy Week, that week where our Lord’s passion, His suffering, and His death are forefront in our minds.  But like we have said all of Lent, it’s just another 40 days, as these things should be in our minds every day. 

You heard the account at the beginning of worship. The crowd lifted the palms high, raised their voices and welcomed the King.

The pilgrims who witnessed the event, those who participated in the waving of palms, the laying down of coats would have to read the scene as one of coronation.  The future looked bright; the kingdom of David was at hand, Praise God! Hail Hosanna!

You might even say those who saw this triumphant entry were palm readers.  They wanted to know their future.  They looked, they read and they interpreted the events that played out in front of them and believed they pointed to a king!  The promised king!

The long awaited Messiah of God who had come to free them from the tyranny and oppression they faced.

In reality they had a king; whose predecessor sought to capture the Messiah at his birth, from the family of Herod, and soon enough the one whom Jesus would stand before as a captive before his death. 

Those who read the palms that day wanted to know that their future was filled with hope and not the despair they encountered on a daily basis. 

Have you attempted to read the palms?  I know that for many of you, your days are littered with despair or filled with the trappings of perceived tyranny and oppression as well, and you hope that the future will be better than the past and more pleasing than the present.  We all want to know our future. 

Some in the crowd that day were also hoping for fortune.  To see those palms waving back and forth they were transported in their minds to a tranquil palm beach, away from the hustle and bustle, the dog eat dog world, the daily grind, the never ceasing struggle to make ends meet.  They hoped that this king would set them on a new path filled with material well-being and earthly fortune. 

We all want that Palm Beach moment; to find, that tranquil beach where all our troubles will be far away. 

Many in the crowd waving palm branches thought that their fortunes were about to change.  That this king was to restore the fortune of Israel, to dismiss the oppression of foreign occupation and usher in a new world order filled with all the riches and wealth one could imagine.

How many of you wish Jesus would do the same for you today?

• The religious leaders of the day desired a future and fortune. 
• The political leaders of the day desired a future and a fortune.
• In our own sinful minds we too desire temporal safety and fiscal security.   But Jesus received neither!

Palms quickly gave way to a tree...From Palm Readers, to a Palm Beach to Palms nailed to a tree; the cries of “Crucify! Crucify!” would replace “Hail Hosanna! Blessed is He!” 

The curse of sin fell upon Christ.  Shouts of praise gave way to mocking and insults.  His future was bleak, His fortune was gone.

 

In many ways, we are to blame.  How often have our words been filled with hosannas one moment, and full of insults the next?  We struggle to worship the King of Kings and instead find ourselves worshiping the things of this world, making them our king.

It was our sin, yours and mine, our action and inaction, our words of false praise and untrusting ways that sent Jesus to stand before His accusers, to take the attacks of the mockers, to feel the searing pain of the nails and experience the utter loneliness of separation from His Father.

But even in our disobedience, Jesus pleads to the Father on our behalf. “Father, forgive them!”

Palm Sunday is not about palms to be read, but palms that bled. 

It is not about an idyllic palm beach, but a Savior whose love would reach each and every one of us.

It is a day that will find its culmination on a tree where we will be set free, and forgiveness is ours, because of Jesus.

A wondrous and glorious truth is this:  through the death of Jesus we receive a future and fortune. 

The future of heaven is ours, in Christ. We have the fortune of God’s amazing grace and His presence now as He shows up here again and again for you, to forgive you, to bring to you His eternal love and abiding presence.   

Next week we will celebrate with the world that tomb is empty, that sin has been defeated that a celebration that has no end is ours!

The heart of Palm Sunday is in the loving palms of Jesus, our savior, who went to the tree, to be separated from His Father, and secure your future and bring eternal fortune.

His palms bled so that we may be fed, here and now by His body and by His blood.

Because of Jesus, we can raise our own palms.  Because of Jesus our palms that have been prone to inaction and reaction might be used to bring healing to others, to reach out in love to those in need, to point to the tree and more importantly to the one who set us free.

May others be able to read our palms and in them experience Jesus who once again shows up here in this place, for us!        

-Pastor Seth Moorman

The One Year Bible- March 21st

As I have been driving around this past week I have noticed that many of the trees are starting to leaf out.  It is an exciting time of the year when we see blossoms on plants, the days getting longer and the temperatures climbing.  Spring is in the air and I think it is kinda neat that during this season we celebrate Easter.  As we look to the changes that are taking place on the earth, new life and new growth, I can’t help but think about the new life that has been given to all of us because of Jesus’ victory over death.  When you see the new life springing from the ground, think about Jesus and the new life granted to us and guaranteed by what he did on the cross and his wonderful resurrection.    On to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament
Numbers is a strange book. It combines the narrative with some rules and regulations and then the “numbers” of counting and census taking. It can be hard to keep track of the story. I found myself turning back the pages a few times to remember what we read (this is not such a bad idea to do once in a while). A few things stuck out for me this week. The name of Baalam comes up again in the New Testament book of Revelation.  I don’t know how much you know about the book of Revelation (and we don’t have time here to discuss in detail) but at the beginning of the book, Jesus gives John a message for seven churches. One of the letters warns of holding to the teaching of Baalam. This is the only place in the New Testament that makes reference to this story. Baalam knew about Yahweh but he took money from king Balak to give a curse against the people of Israel. Baalam gave in to the money and compromised his faith for the sake of material gain. I think that many in our world have compromised their faith or their beliefs for monetary gain as well. We outwardly worship the Lord but our hearts lust after wealth. This is the main message of the story. This lesson is important enough for John to mention it in the book of Revelation. Baalam ends up dying at the hands of the Israelites a few chapters later (31:8).

Another amazing event takes place in chapter 31. As the Lord commands the people to take revenge on the Midianites, they completely destroy them with the Lord’s help. This is amazing in and of itself but what really got to me was the fact that when the generals and captains gave a report to Moses they said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.” (31:49 NIV) How amazing is that!!! They go to battle and no one is killed?? No friendly fire, no accidents, not even one lost battle. This should have been a sign to the people to trust in God, but as we shall see, the people will start to trust in themselves and not in God and things go wrong. In chapter 33 we have a very important task and warning from God.  As the people are on the edge of the Promised Land, they get a command from God, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then  you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places.  And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it... if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.”  We will see that this is one of the main problems for the Israelites in the Promised Land. God told them what to do and they didn’t quite get the job done.

As we begin the book of Deuteronomy this week, don’t be puzzled by the fact that Moses retells almost the entire story of the history of God’s chosen people.  I will have more to say about that next week, but I like to think of this book as Moses’ pre-game speech to the team led by Joshua.  They were about to engage the enemy in battle and standing on the eastern bank of the Jordan, Moses encourages and motivates the people to do what God has been preparing for a long time.  They were on the verge of taking possession of the promise that was given so long ago to Abraham.  It is an exciting time, and time filled with some fear and expectation as well. 

The New Testament
Luke is a great storyteller. He weaves a wonderful story together. Luke tells of three “songs” in the beginning of the book; Mary’s song, Zechariah’s song and Simeon’s song. All three of them are wonderful examples of praising God. Mary gives glory to God for the gift she has been given, Zechariah praises God for his mercy, and Simeon thanks God for the fulfillment of his promises through the Christ Child. These “songs” give a depth of emotion not found in the other Gospel accounts.  If you grew up in a Lutheran Church that used the old 1941 hymnal you probably know Simeon’s song by heart (by the way it has made a comeback in the new Lutheran Service Book p.p. 199-200). I love that song. I will admit as a child I liked that song because that meant the service was almost over, but as I grew older that song and the words had an impact on me. Those of you who know the tune can sing along:

Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace
according to Thy word,
For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation:
which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people.
A light to lighten the Gentiles
and the Glory of Thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be
world without end AMEN.

After his baptism and a list of his earthly ancestors, Jesus’ ministry begins in earnest. He first is tempted in the desert and rejected in Nazareth. I could just imagine the scene in the synagogue where Jesus gets up to read for the service and at the end hearing him say “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” I think that would be one of the most exciting times for those who believed that the Messiah was coming soon. Was this guy the one that was promised? Could he be the Messiah that we have been waiting for? Can we like Simeon, now die in peace? For some this guy was a blasphemer and a troublemaker. I hope I would know that this is the Christ the son of the living God.  Soon we see that the Pharisees start looking for ways to get rid of Jesus.  They see him forgiving sins, and healing on the Sabbath. 

One other interesting point Luke makes is that he sets the story in a historical context.  One of the knocks on the Bible is that it is just some fanciful story that was made up by the writers.  One way Luke gives some credibility to his book is that he places it within the frame of history.  This makes the document have more legitimacy outside of religious circles because of the verifiable evidence of history.  At the beginning of Chapter 3 Luke writes, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,...”  All of these people can be verified to have existed using extra-biblical sources.  Luke wants to let his readers know that he is not just making this stuff up.  This was a very important point in the third century when the formation of the New Testament was happening.  The inclusion of this information (as well as other factors) gave Luke a solid historical footing for inclusion in the New Testament. 

Bits and Pieces

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

PURPOSE: To present the renewal of the Sinai covenant for God’s people before they entered the Promised Land.
AUTHOR: Moses (except for the final summary which may have been written by Joshua)
TO WHOM WRITTEN: Israel (the new generation entering the promised land)
SETTING: The east side of the Jordan River, in view of Canaan

LAW THEMES: Devoted to destruction; hard-hearted; laws of the covenant; snare of idolatry; cursing

GOSPLE THEMES: Redemption; “I am the LORD your God”; inheritance; righteousness by God’s Word; promises of the covenant; God’s love and calling; atonement; faithfulness; blessing.
KEY VERSE: “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (7:9)
KEY PEOPLE: Moses and Joshua

Bethany Bullet - Week of March 13, 2016

Just Another 40 Days: Until the Forever Days

Text: Philippians 3:10-15

Watch this YouTube Clip of one of the many “The Settlers” commercials currently running on television.

Click HERE to see one of these, if you are unable to open the link then copy/paste this into your browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iunxIzxpWjs 

None of us can imagine being a “settler” in our modern world of convenience right!  So why is it that probably all of us can admit that at times we’ve been willing to be spiritual settlers? 

Sometimes we settle for confidence in self and other times with comfort in sin.

St. Paul in writing to the Philippians (3:4-19) so beautifully declares that our confidence cannot rest on ourselves, neither our paternity nor our pedigree; rather it must rest on Christ. “I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses.  God’s acceptance is a gift given on account of Christ, for God has accepted me through faith in Jesus.”  (Philippians 8b-9)

St. Paul also pointedly reminds us that by nature we are inclined to become comfortable with sin and that ought not be.  “…many I tell you live as enemies of the cross of Christ…their god their stomach, their glory is their shame, the mind on earthly things.” (Philippians 18-19)

St. Paul shows in these verses that the key to not settling in ones confidence in self nor in becoming comfortable with sin is striving to not be a spiritual settler:  “I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me…this is what I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward t those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 12, 13b-14)

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year Bible- March 14th

With Lent in full swing and our calendars filling up quickly, it may be time to reevaluate your reading plan.  About every three months or so it is a good idea to do a little check-up.  Have you been able to keep up with your daily readings?  If not, do you know why?  What can be done to tweak your routine to find time to read?  I settled into a routine years ago and it has worked for me.  My weekends are quite busy so I have been doing two readings a day on Monday through Thursday and taking a break Friday through Sunday.  This plan gives me one day of wiggle room in case I really get bogged down with other things.  The important thing is to find a time that works and stick to it.  Soon it will become habit.  Please let me know if I can help out in any way!  On to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament

As we have said before, the book of Numbers has a general them of grumbling and complaining by the people.  Time and time again God tries to show the people his love but the people don’t seem to get it.  The phrase that God uses over and over to show is Grace is, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.” (Numbers 15:41 NIV).  This is almost the same phrase God uses when he gives the law with the Ten Words (Ten Commandments).  God reminds the people that the relationship he has with them is based on Grace.  That being said, God is still a jealous God, who is Holy (meaning without sin and hating sin), therefore he cannot just turn a blind eye to the grumbling and disobedience of the people.  A few examples to illustrate my point:

Their first complaint resulted in God sending a fire to destroy the people. Moses prayed to God and the fire left. One verse later the people start complaining again! Now they want meat. They were sick of this manna stuff and they longed to be back in Egypt. Moses even gets agitated with the people. But God, in his mercy, gives them meat to eat. So much meat that they get sick of it. Moses then selects 12 men to go into the Promised Land to check it out and when they return, 10 of the men say that Israel should not go in because the people are giants. Only Joshua and Caleb give a true account. They trust in God’s promises. So the people started complaining again. They even wanted to kill Caleb and Joshua. God gets fed up with this group and tells them that none of them will even enter the Promised Land.

Chapter 16 tells the story of the rebellion of Korah. This story serves as a lesson to all those who do not trust God. All those who followed Korah were either killed by fire or swallowed up by the earth. Then God wants to destroy all the people, but God in his mercy hears the cry of his people and spares them. (Do you see a theme here?) Surely this will put an end to the complaining. But as soon as they run out of water they rebel again. But God in his mercy hears the cry of his people and provides for them.

Then Moses gets into trouble by not giving credit to God for providing the water from the rock and he finds out that he will not enter the Promised Land. So the people start complaining again in Chapter 21. So God sends snakes to kill the people. But God in his mercy hears their cries for help. He tells Moses to put a snake on a pole and those who look at it will live. This is a foreshadowing of Christ, because those who look upon Jesus (on a pole a.k.a. the cross) will be saved (“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up” –John 3:14). Our readings for this week ended with the people looking for safe passage through some of the lands near Canaan. They get themselves into trouble by trying to fight when God said not to.

Then comes the story of Baalam. This is a story that tells about the power of God. Baalam knows the true God, but Baalam was not always faithful. King Balak wants Baalam to curse the people but Baalam will not because the Lord (Yahweh) is with them. God also shows his power by making Baalam’s donkey talk. God will use any means necessary to get his message across.

I hope you can see that our God is a God of mercy.  He showed that mercy ultimately in the person of his son Jesus Christ who was the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. 

The New Testament

We finished up Mark’s Gospel and it was a quick journey. It is believed that Mark was the first account of Jesus that was written. And it ends just as it begins, with action. In quick succession we have the Last Supper, the time in the garden, the trial, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and Mark’s version of the Great Commission. Like Matthew, Mark mentions the Temple curtain being torn in two. This was very significant. Remember from our readings in the Old Testament that there was a curtain that separated the holy place from the most holy place and that only the high priest could enter it and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. When that curtain tore, it showed that we no longer need a human person to go to God for us. Jesus has restored our relationship with the father and now we can approach him because of Christ. The book of Hebrews really drives this point home. It is also interesting that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all say that it tore from top to bottom. Thus signifying this was from God.  There is an interesting bit of text at the beginning and end of the book that serve as bookends for Mark.  In Chapter 1 he writes, “The beginning of the Gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God”.  Then in Chapter 15 verse 39 we read this that came from the mouth of the Roman centurion, “Surely this man was the Son of God”.  Everything in between these two verses tells us all about the ministry of Jesus.  Now of course the resurrection was coming but that was just more proof as to who Jesus is.  One other textual note, I am sure that you noticed that at the end of Marks Gospel there was some note saying something like “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20”.  That is not to say that they are not Biblical.  The translators want the reader to know that there are some textual problems with these verses.  For the most part the problems do not go so far as to place a great deal of doubt in these verses but theologians do not generally use these verses as proof texts for doctrine. 

As we begin the book of Luke I want you to notice the different style that Luke uses as compared to Mark.  Luke seems to take more time in the story telling and uses “songs” to show some of the emotion behind the stories.  Many have said that Mark is the Gospel for guys and Luke is for the ladies.  I know that is stereotyping but I hope that helps you see the difference in the books. 

Have a great week!!