Bethany Lutheran Church- Long Beach, CA

Bethany Bullet - February 14, 2012

2012-02-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

For the past three weeks I have been sick. First it was a stomach bug, and then it was a cold, now I am on the mend from a sinus infection. I have used my Netti pot and sucked on cough drops; I have hugged the toilet bowl and cherished a soft tissue roll. Perhaps I should be calling out “Unclean! Unclean!” as I walk from place to place.

If this were Bible times I would probably not be able to enter society. From the book of Leviticus the 13^th chapter, “The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” (Leviticus 13:45-46) I’m not sure if ragged pajamas count as torn clothes or if my lack of showering constitutes unkempt hair but there were many moments I was alone, sleeping on the couch, living in isolation. But Leviticus is not talking about a cold or the flu, but about skin ailments.

Today, before us we have two texts that deal with just such a disease.

In our Old Testament Lesson a man named Naaman seeks out the prophet Elisha hoping for a cure. He travels from the country of Aram and his encounter with Elisha does not go as expected. The prescription? “Go wash yourself in the Jordan.” In the end, Naaman was healed, “…his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” (2 Kings 5:14b)

In our Gospel lesson we encounter another leper who falls on his knees and cries out to Jesus, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” (Mark 1:40) Mark tells us that Jesus was “filled with compassion” (Mark 1:41). This was not just a moment of pity, but Mark describes the idea that Jesus was deeply moved with an abiding affection that came from the depths of his being, with a strong desire to remove the man’s suffering.

In that moment, Jesus does something socially and spiritually risky - He reached out His hand and touched the man.

We don’t know how long this man had been afflicted with his disease. Perhaps he had been cut off from society for quite a while. In his condition he had not had physical contact with another human being.

The book of Leviticus tells us a little bit about the condition the man finds himself in. He suffered from leprosy. Now this is more of a general term as it is used in Scripture. It does not necessarily equate with the condition known today as Hansen’s Disease. It described any ailment of the skin making the person unclean.

In Leviticus chapter 13, leprosy is described as something that is deeper than the skin (v. 3), that spreads (v.v.5-8), that defiles the one who is afflicted (v. 44), that isolates (v.v. 45-46), and renders things fit only for the fire (v.v.47-59).

This is a devastating condition carrying a social stigma of fear and disgust. The one affected could not participate in worship, was isolated from their family and most likely experienced the psychological trauma and pain of separation and loss.

But we have been gathered in God’s house, not to talk about a skin disease, but something far worse; a disease that has many of the same devastating consequences of leprosy.

· It is a disease that is deeper than the skin.

· It spreads and invades all areas.

· It defiles all who are infected.

· It isolates the victim.

· And it renders things fit for the fire.

What is the name of this dreaded disease? SIN!

We are the ones who should be shouting out “Unclean! Unclean!”

Let’s get back to our Gospel lesson and that risky moment, the moment when Jesus stretched out His hand and made contact with a leper. “‘I am willing,’ [Jesus] said, ‘Be Clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.” (Mark 1:41b-42) In an instant, by one word (well, two in English) the man is healed.

This must have been an amazing moment for the man. In that moment Jesus touched the untouchable and cured the un-curable. But at what cost? Jesus, by making physical contact with an unclean man, became unclean Himself; well at least according to Old Testament Law. Jesus took upon Himself the affliction that the man bore.

Hear the words of Paul from 2nd Corinthians, chapter 5, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

On the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself as Isaiah foretold:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

On the cross, in one word (well, three in English) Jesus said “It is Finished,” and with that He cured the incurable and completely destroyed the disease of sin its devastating consequences. And by His resurrection three days later, He has given us new life in Him.

· It is a relationship that is more than skin deep.

· His Spirit makes contact with us and permeates all areas of our life.

· He cleanses all who have been infected.

· He incorporates us into His family.

· And renders us fit for a future, forever in heaven.

But let’s get back to our text, “Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ‘See that you don’t tell this to anyone.’” (Mark 1:43-44a)

But did the man listen? Listen to the text, “Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news.” (Mark 1:45a)

This man, having been freed from the prison of disease, can’t stop talking about Jesus. The Leper paid more attention to what Jesus did than to what Jesus said.

What lesson can we learn from this today? Well perhaps it is a simple as this. Often people pay more attention to what you do than what you say.

As we wrap up the season of Epiphany, a season where we are reminded that God manifested Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and He continues to manifest Himself in the actions of His people. We too have been called to action.

The world sees Jesus in the actions of believers. Quite often, people come to know Jesus not in our words, but through our actions. And perhaps I can take it a step further; people don’t care what you know till they know that you care.

We live in a time where “Do as I say, not as I do” has become the norm. But living on the mark is about action. We are not called to sanitize Jesus, but to publicize Him. Ministry is messy. People have problems, but we can risk our reputation to live on the mark.

· Jesus told the man to be quiet, yet he told everybody.

· Jesus has told us to tell everybody—yet we keep quiet.

Living on the mark means that people notice what you do, so live so that people can see Jesus.

This week, think about how God might use you to reveal Himself to the world. Is it in the actions done for a neighbor or co-worker; is it being bold and praying out loud at the restaurant? Perhaps you can start wearing that cross again, or put one on your car, (or go on tour with your classmates to give glory to God in song). Whatever it is, we have the amazing privilege to living manifestations of God in the world and care for others.

At the home for the dying, which the Missionaries of Charity have in Calcutta, there was a man who had cancer, his body half-consumed by the sickness. Everyone had abandoned him as a hopeless case. Mother Teresa came near him to wash him tenderly. She encountered, at first, only the sick man’s disdain. “How can you stand my body’s stench?” he asked. Then, quite calmly the dying man said to her, “You’re not from here. The people here don’t behave the way you do.” Several minutes went by. And then the terminally ill man murmured a typical Indian expression: “Glory to you, woman.” “No,” replied Mother Teresa. “Glory to Christ who eases our suffering.” Then they smiled at each other. The sick man’s suffering seemed to stop. He died two days later.

Mother Theresa became a manifestation of Christ for the dying man and her words speak loudly today, “Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do it.”

At the touch and by the word of Jesus, leprosy was gone, sin was destroyed and the grace of the God was manifest to the world. We all live on the mark, because of what Christ has done for us. We no longer cry out “Unclean! Unclean!” but we publicize the truth that Jesus has proclaimed us to “Be Clean,” this is something to tell everybody. Grant this Lord unto us all.

-Pastor Seth Moorman

The One Year Bible- February 13th

2012-02-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

This week we will start the book of Mark and right at the beginning of this Gospel there is a verse that jumps out at me, “News about him [Jesus] spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee” (Mark 1:28 NIV). Just think of the power of Jesus. Mark tells us “At once” everyone around knew about him. It reminds me of living in the Internet age. We can get information “at once” as soon as events happen. It is amazing how fast news travels. But what has happened to the good news about Jesus? Why is his fame not being spread everywhere? Well one reason is because the Devil doesn’t want it to. Satan is waging war against the good news of Jesus Christ and at times he seems to be winning. Satan is not happy that you are reading the Bible this year and he will work on your soft spots to get you behind and tempt you to give up. Don’t let his tricks get you down. You have the most powerful weapon in the fight, the Word of God. Remember that the battle belongs to the Lord and even though we may loose a few skirmishes here and there the ultimate victory is the Lord’s. Keep up the good work and fight the hard fight as you pick up the sword of the Spirit daily. On to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament

The end of Exodus is just a foretaste of what is to come in the book of Leviticus. We will be taking a break from the narrative story for a while and read about many of the nuts and bolts of religious life of the people of Israel. We usually do not read these sections of scripture in Church so they may be brand new for you. Exodus ends with the building of the tabernacle and all the furnishings. This place (and later the temple) is the physical representation of Yahweh on earth. It is quite literally, God’s house. The building of this structure is important for many reasons. First of all, it gave the people something tangible in their relationship with God. Secondly, it was a place where God could interact with his people bringing mercy and forgiveness. Third, it sets up the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus referred to himself as a temple that would be destroyed and build again in three days. Jesus himself came down to be a physical representation of Yahweh on earth. In John 1:14 we read, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The word we translate at “made his dwelling” literally means that Jesus “tabernacled” among us. When Jesus came to earth he becomes another tabernacle, this one wrapped in flesh and poised to be the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of the world. Now the tabernacle had its own purpose in the days of the Israelites, and the temple as well for that matter, but they both point to a greater tabernacle and temple in the person of Jesus Christ.

One other thing I want to do this week is give you an introduction on the many different offerings that are mentioned in Exodus and especially in Leviticus.

Burnt Offering: Leviticus 1; 6: 8-13; 8: 18-21; 16: 24 The burnt offering was for unintentional sin. This was a blanket sacrifice for wrongdoing in general. The price was a male bull, lamb or goat. It had to be a perfect animal, without defect. The poor could offer a pigeon or dove. The penitent would present the animal at the entrance to the tent, which housed the altar and the tabernacle. After presenting the animal, the sinner would place his two hands on the animal and thus, it was accepted as an offering for sin. Probably this act transferred the sin from the human to the animal, which paid the penalty and was sacrificed. They would kill their own offering and then the priests took over. The priests bled the animal and cut it up ceremonially. The priests sprinkled the blood on the altar. Some of the internal organs and legs were washed. They then burned it whole on the altar. The aroma was said to be pleasing to God. The fire had to be continually burning and was never extinguished.

Grain Offering: Leviticus 2; 6: 14-23 Voluntary worship and thanks: A grain offering is just what it says. The grain had to ground into flour and could be put into loaves or cakes. Olive oil and incense were added to make a pleasing aroma when it burned. Yeast was forbidden for this offering. The cakes had to be salted. The offering was presented to the priests who burned a small portion of it on the altar. The rest was food for them and the Levites.

Fellowship Offering: Leviticus 3: 7: 11-34 A voluntary act of worship, thanks and fellowship: This is called a fellowship offering because the sacrifice is eaten communally instead of burned. Any clean animal, male or female could be offered. Bread, both with and without yeast, was also part of the offering. These were presented at the gate of the tent. The priests would sprinkle the blood on the four corners of the altar. The internal organs, the fat on them and the best part of the liver were burned as a food offering. The rest had to be eaten within two days or else it was burned also.

Sin Offering: Leviticus 4: 1-5: 13; 6: 24-30; 8: 14-17; 16: 3-22 Mandatory for specific sins: All of these offerings for sins are for unintentional transgressions. If you were guilty of premeditated infraction, these offerings didn’t help you. Your stature in the community determined the kind of sacrifice that you were required to offer. A young bull was required for the sin of a high priest or for a community sin. Leaders had to present a male goat. The common people could bring a female goat or a lamb. The poor were permitted to offer a dove or pigeon and the very poor could get away with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour. The bull’s fat was burned inside the camp but the rest was burned outside. Leviticus 5 records the sins for which a sin offering was required. These include unintentionally touching an animal that is ritually unclean, touching something unclean of human origin or making a careless promise.

Guilt Offering: (Repayment Offering) Leviticus 5:14 – 6:7; 7: 1-6 Mandatory for unintentional sin requiring restitution: This is a repayment offering for a sin committed against God, like holding back your tithe. A ram or lamb was brought to the tent to be sacrificed. The debt would have to be paid plus an additional twenty percent. These were the offerings outlined in the first seven chapters of Leviticus. God could forgive mistakes but intentional sins were another matter.

The New Testament

At the beginning of last week we saw the familiar words of institution as Jesus gives his disciples communion for the first time. Remember that meals were very important for the Jews and the connection that this new meal of remembrance first occurred during Passover is by no means a coincidence. Remember that Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience and this new covenant made in blood would ring a bell with all his readers. This would cut to the heart of any Jew, hearing about this because blood equals life. It is not in our culture to think of that. In fact when people outside of the Christian faith hear about being washed in the blood of the lamb, they get turned off from Christianity. I guess my point here is we need to watch how we word some things. To a Jewish audience, Matthew does the culturally relevant thing; when we share the message of Jesus we need to be careful not to offend or even gross out someone when talking about blood.

I want to say a few words about the Great commission this week and I hope not to loose you when I start talking about Greek grammar. First of all every time we translate the Bible from its original languages we loose something. The phrase “Lost in translation” is really true. At times when we translate into English we then, without thinking place certain rules and meaning based on sentence structure and word order. Unfortunately many people, myself included, have misinterpreted portions of scripture because of our cultural bias toward English. In reading the Great Commission in English it seems to be that Jesus is giving us a command (called an imperative) in the word “go”, but in the Greek this word is an adverbial participle, not an imperative. What is an adverbial participle? The action described by an adverbial participle is primarily directed toward the verb. This kind of participle is usually translated with an adverbial phrase. “While studying for his Greek final...” or “While going through the world...”. So we see in Matthew 28 an interesting grammatical sentence that if translated properly is very poor English. A very literal interpretation would be, “As you are going, disciple all the nations, by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things...” The only imperative in the Great Commission is to disciple others—literally to make them learners. How do we do it? Well, Jesus tells us, we are to baptize and teach. Again these words are not imperatives but the natural flow of what will occur by “discipling” others. Don’t even get me started on the NIVs use of the word “obey”. What a poor translation that is. We are to observe the things of Jesus through his word and actions and they serve as a guide. They are descriptive on how we are to live not prescriptive. I could go on about this one but we don’t have time here.

One quick thing about the book of Mark. As you read look for the extensive use of the word “immediately” (or similar phrases such as “at once”, they are usually the same word in the Greek). This is a book of action. It hits the ground running and never stops. It is a good book to read as we slug through Leviticus. It will give us some balance to our readings for the next couple of weeks.

Bethany Bullet - February 7, 2012

2012-02-07T12:39:00.002-08:00

By the time we get to Mark 1:29, the demands on Jesus have already been consuming. He went to preach and the people didn’t want Him to quit. I realize not a problem most preachers have – but Jesus did. No sooner did He say, “Amen” then He had to perform an exorcism. The second He left the synagogue He had to make a sick call. Then, as the sun went down His work load picked up, “People brought to Him ALL the sick and ALL the possessed. The WHOLE TOWN gathered at the door.” Through the night Jesus did His thing. Finally, morning had come, the crowd had gone, and Jesus went – not to bed – but to a “solitary place, where He prayed.”

Now physically, Jesus got up and went to a solitary place, I wonder, if emotionally He was already there when He was still in the house. Jesus is God in human flesh. His emotions, even His actions, are pure and holy. Of course, we are not God and so our emotions, like our actions, at best bear the stains of sin and at worst prove sinful. However, it is no sin to feel alone. Many have felt like they were in a solitary place even when in crowded space.

Perhaps you feel like you are in a solitary place right now? Confining and frightening. Maybe like Jesus, your days are too long and laborious, you are feeling pulled in a hundred directions caring for everyone, and weighed down by all the demands being placed upon you.

Maybe your solitary place is wondering what’s next. You’ve graduated college and got a great degree but can’t find a decent job. For some it is not the beginning of making-a-living crisis but a full blown mid-life crisis. You’re not sure how you got here, if you want to be here, and what to do about it.

For others it is neither beginning nor middle crisis but an ‘end-of’ crisis. It could be an end-of-relationship crisis and you’ve never felt more alone. Maybe it’s an end-of career crisis and you’ve never felt more lost. It could be an end-of hope crisis and you’ve never felt more confused. Quite possibly it is an end-of wealth crisis, just years ago you were feeling fat and sassy or even an end-of health crisis as just months ago had you feeling lean and mean…whichever the case, back then you were able to do what you wanted, when you wanted, and how you wanted – but not now. Now, be it fiscally or physically, you’re confined in this place. This place can be and is a solitary one.

When in a solitary place you can bemoan the location, you can sit and stew, or stand and scream; you can bury in and become bitter or you can lie down in depression; or you can learn from our Lord. You can get on your knees and find this can be a great place to connect to your God. Yes, a solitary place can leave you feeling lonely and isolated, even forsaken and rejected, but your solitary place is a space that even God occupies.

In the solitary place Jesus went to His Father. It might have been helpful and wonderful if we had a little bit more ‘4-1-1’ on their interaction. Then again, maybe not; we are given no information about their communication, we aren’t told what Jesus said, nor what He heard; we are only told what He did when He left His solitary place. He followed His calling, fulfilled His vocation, completed His mission…He obeyed the will of His Father. “He traveled throughout Galilee preaching, healing, and driving out demons.” Can we too find the power of solitary release?

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year Bible- February 6th

2012-02-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

This week’s readings have been filled with many of the most theologically significant passages in all of scripture. I hope you have found that seeing some familiar passages in context helps in the understanding of them. We have a lot to get to so let’s get on to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament:
This weeks readings begin with the most revered event in Jewish history—The Exodus. After the plagues, Pharaoh finally relents and lets the people leave. As the people are leaving, God blesses the people by having the Egyptians give the people of Israel gifts of gold, jewelry and other valuables. These “gifts” will come in handy a bit later in the story. We begin to see what will become a pattern for the people. They start complaining. We will read about their complaints over and over in the upcoming chapters. This pattern continues once they get into the Promised Land as well and eventually explodes into open rebellion from God. God continues to show the people mercy even though he does not have to. He would have every right to get rid of them all but in His love He doesn’t. While they are in the desert God gives the people instructions on how to live, how to worship, how to conduct business etc. This is really a time of learning for the people. God is preparing them to be a Nation. One of the most significant things that God gives them is found in Exodus 20. Here we have what many have called “The 10 Commandments”. In Jewish tradition they were never called “commandments”. They were always referred to as “The 10 Words” or “The 10 Sayings”. They are as follows:

1. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt.
2. You shall have no other Gods but me.
3. Do not misuse my name.
4. Remember the Sabbath day.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Don’t murder.
7. Don’t commit adultery.
8. Don’t steal.
9. Don’t give false testimony.
10. Don’t covet.

Christians disagree about the numbering of the commandments because of a misunderstanding of what “The 10 Words” were all about. Many see the Ten Commandments as a list of laws and rules that the people had to obey. They are seen as only a message of the law. When we look at these from a Jewish point of view we see that all the “words” flow out of a message of the Gospel, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt”. Because of what God has done first then we are able to do the other 9 things. It is like saying; “Because God led us out of Egypt, is merciful to us, remembered us and loves us we would never think of having any other gods, or misusing his name etc.” The numbering of the commandments differs between Christians as well. Some make two commandments out of “You shall have no other Gods” and “You shall not make any idols”. In the Lutheran tradition, we have divided “Do not covet” into two commandments. So what is the point of all of this? Are we doing something wrong? Not really. The numbering of the commandments is a side matter. The big idea here is that the commandments are really our response to what God has done for us (this is a very Lutheran way of thinking anyway). Because God loves us our response is to follow his law. Some get it turned around and think that because I follow God’s law then God loves me. This was the thought of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.

In our readings this past week God gave instructions for the tabernacle and all of the furnishing that will go into it. This was to be a forerunner of the Temple that would be built by Solomon in Jerusalem many years later. It was a visible sign of God’s presence with His people. It was a place for sacrifice and a reminder of God’s law as well as his promises.

Another tidbit of foreshadowing comes in a warning that God delivers to Moses. God said not to have any interaction with the people who possess the land they will be inheriting. He said, “Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you” (Exodus 23:32-33 NIV). Eventually as the people enter the Promised Land they will not heed this warning and their involvement with the local people will cause problems for them for their entire history. Remember this passage and see how this plays out in the weeks to come.

The New Testament
In our readings we see a few encounters that Jesus has with the Pharisees. As Jesus speaks the truth to them he only makes them more upset and fuels the fire to arrest and kill him. One of the more interesting things I have seen in our readings came on February 3rd & 4th. On the 3rd we see Jesus restating the Law of Moses. When Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is he replies, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV). In a few short sentences, Jesus states the entire message of “The 10 words”. To love God with all your heart, soul, and mind is to have no other Gods, to not misuse the name of God, and to worship the LORD alone. To love your neighbor as yourself is to follow all the others. I find it fascinating that the very next day we see “The 10 words” in our Old Testament reading. I think the Spirit had something to do with this. Jesus also teaches quite a bit about signs of the end of the age. His main point is that we must be ready. Don’t worry about when it will happen or how it will happen, just know that it will happen and we must be ready. He makes his point clear with the story of the sheep and the goats.

We just started the story of the Passion this week and it will be good for us as Lent begins soon to read the whole story in preparation. Take some time this week as you read the Passion account to ready your heart and mind for Lent this year.

Bits and Pieces

We will be starting two new books this week. First off we will move into the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament. A word of caution here, many people do well getting through Genesis and Exodus but Leviticus is a different story, it can be a brick wall for some people. The narrative story takes a break for God to give some needed instructions to the people. The book of Leviticus is not the easiest reading, but remember it is still God’s Word. Be patient and remember that this is all part of the old covenant that has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It may take you a bit longer to get through the readings but hang in there. We will run into this again in a few of the prophets. But for now, remember that we are not the primary audience of this book. Put yourself in the context of the hearers and it will make some more sense to you. Here are the vital stats for the book:

PURPOSE: To teach Israel how God shares His holiness with them and how they should live in His holiness.
AUTHOR: Moses
SETTING: At the foot of Mt. Sinai. God is teaching the Israelites how to live as a holy people.
KEY VERSE: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God am holy” 19:2
KEY PEOPLE: Moses, Aaron, Eleazar (Aaron’s son)
KEY PLACE: Mt. Sinai
SPECIAL FEATURE: Holiness is mentioned more times (152) than in any other book of the Bible

GOSPEL THEMES: Cleansing; atonement; redemption; consecration; rest.

LAW THEMES: Uncleanness; sin requires a blood sacrifice; diseases resulting from sin; walking in God’s statues and commands.

We are also starting the Gospel of Mark this week. I love the book of Mark and I suggest that this is a good book to start reading with a new Christian. Marks favorite word is “immediately”. He uses it often. Mark has been called the action Gospel or the Gospel to the Gentiles. Mark is believed to be the writer of Peter’s story. Many scholars see the fingerprints of Peter throughout the book. Here are the vital stats:

PURPOSE: To proclaim Jesus the Son of God, who calls disciples to repent, to believe the Gospel, and to bear the cross.

AUTHOR: John Mark. He was not one of the 12 disciples but he accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:13)
TO WHOM WRITTEN: The Christians in Rome, where he wrote the Gospel
DATE WRITTEN: Between A.D. 55 & 65
SETTING: The Roman Empire under Tiberius Caesar. The empire with its common language and excellent transportation and communication system was ripe to hear Jesus’ message, which spread quickly from nation to nation.
KEY VERSE: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (10:45)
KEY PEOPLE: Jesus, the 12 disciples, Pilate, the Jewish leaders
KEY PLACES: Capernaum, Nazareth, Caesarea Philippi, Jericho, Bethany, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Golgotha
SPECIAL FEATURES: Mark was probably the first Gospel written. The other Gospels quote all but 31 verses of Mark. Mark records more miracles than any other Gospel.

LAW THEMES: Repentance; political and religious opposition; uncleanness; authoritative teaching; heard-heartedness

GOSPEL THEMES: The Good news; baptism; compassion; mercy; cleansing; authoritative teaching; ransom; Lord’s Supper

The One Year Bible- January 30th

2012-01-30T09:51:00.001-08:00

Congratulations on finishing one month in the journey of reading the Bible this year!! I have been thinking about the over arching story of the Bible. As we journey in the Bible this year we will see narrative sections as well as prescriptive sections. The narrative portions get the big billing since they tell the “story,” but don’t just skip past the other sections. There is some good stuff in there. Just over 40% of the Old Testament is devoted to telling the narrative story. The following Old Testament books are largely or entirely composed of narrative material: Genesis, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jonah, and Haggai. Also, Exodus, Numbers, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Job contain substantial narrative portions. People like stories, and the stories in the Bible are important. They are purposeful stories that tell the historical events of the past and are intended to give meaning and direction for a given people in the present. There is a difference in the Bible’s stories for they tell God’s story. As the book How to Read the Bible for all Its Worth says, “The Biblical narrative tells the ultimate story—a story that, even though often complex, is utterly true and crucially important. Indeed it is a magnificent story, grander than the greatest epic, richer in plot and more significant in its characters and descriptions than any humanly composed story could ever be.” (How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth, p. 90) Enjoy the stories and remember to try to see the overarching story of God’s love for his creation and his desire to save us from sin.

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament
Exodus is a well written book that is foundational for the faith of both Christians and Jews; within its pages lie some of the key elements of our faith (the Passover, the 10 commandments a.k.a. the 10 words). A reading of this book is not complete without seeing the awesome wonder and power of God. One of the key words in the Old Testament is translated as “remembered”, as in God remembered his people, the people are to remember to celebrate the Passover etc. This is a theologically significant word in that it shows God’s grace and his love for his people. This theme will be carried out to completion as God “remembers” his people once again as they are slaves to sin and provides redemption through his son. Before we get to the Passover lets take a closer look at one of the most famous sections in the book, namely the plagues. Much has been made of these events in movies and other media but they show how God works in systematic ways. One thing to remember is that even when God showed his mighty wonders, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. He said the right things but went back on his word. I think at times we are all a bit like Pharaoh. We like to have things our own way and when things are going badly we will promise everything. Things ease up and we go back on our word. Eventually this will end up badly for us. But I am getting off track, so back to the plagues...

Before the first plague Moses and Aaron have a confrontation with Pharaoh and his magicians. We see here that Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them. By looking at the first nine plagues in groups of three we can see some interesting things.

The Plagues:

1. Blood (7:14-25)
2. Frogs (8:1-15)
3. Gnats (8:16-19)

4. Flies (8:20-32)
5. Animal Disease (9:1-7)
6. Boils (9:8-12)

7. Hail (9:13-35)
8. Locusts (10:1-20)
9. Darkness (10:21-27)

In each series the first and second plagues are announced to Pharaoh in advance. The third is given without previous warning. The series of 3 x 3 leads up to a climax in number 10—the number that is the symbol for completeness. Within the plagues themselves there is a progression, an increase in severity. The last three are especially severe and destructive. The Egyptian magicians vie with Moses in duplicating the first two plagues. At the third they try but no longer succeed in their magic arts. They must confess, “This is the finger of God.” Beginning with the second group of plagues (4,5 & 6) a distinction is made between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The land of Goshen where the Israelites live is spared. The first nine plagues deal with phenomena that have to do with nature. Since the Egyptians worshiped the powers of nature, what more effective way could God display his power over all things, which they looked upon as deities? The tenth plague was the plague of the firstborn. With this plague all the first-born were to be killed. But the angel was to “pass over” the homes of the Israelites.

The Passover presents to us one of the most important Old Testament types of the Savior Jesus Christ. As we look at the directions for preparing the Passover meal, we see step by step how the entire ritual points to Christ, our Passover lamb. The Passover lamb was to be a year-old male. John the Baptist tells of the Messiah who was to be the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." In Corinthians, Paul says, “For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” God directed that this Passover lamb was to be “without defect.” Peter wrote that we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” The Passover lamb was to be slaughtered as a sacrifice. Paul reminded his people “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”. The writer of the book of Hebrews repeatedly refers to Christ as an “offering” and “sacrifice”. “Do not break any of the bones.” This was direct foreshadowing of Jesus. The Israelites were to “take some of the blood and but it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses.” God said, “When I see the blood I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” This points to the teaching that we are redeemed from the power of sin, death and Satan with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. God tells the people that they are to remember the Passover for “generations to come”.

I hope you can see how the Passover celebration is important to our understanding of who Jesus is and how he is the culmination of Gods redeeming work on earth. It is no coincidence that Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples the night before he was betrayed. Again it is no coincidence that Jesus instituted another celebration that is to be celebrated for “generations to come” as he gave his disciples the first communion feast.

The New Testament
I want to spend a little bit of time talking about parables this week since we have seen so many of them in the book of Matthew and we will see more as we go through the Gospels. In my seminary classes on the New Testament we spent quite a bit of time on parables because of their wonderful content and use for us not only as preachers but also as Christians. Today I would like to share with you some material from an article written by Dr. Erich H. Kiehl who was a professor at Concordia Seminary St. Louis for many years. He wrote an article titled “Why Jesus Spoke in Parables” in which he said:

A parable may be defined as “a story with a puzzling quality which confronts the hearer with the need to make a decision for or against Christ through the Spirits work.” Perhaps the most helpful is the more usual definition: “A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly (spiritual) meaning” with the addition “in the sense that it confronts the hearer with the need to make a decision for or against Christ through the Spirits work.”

An analysis of the content of the Gospels indicates that about one-third of the Gospel accounts are parables. Aside from their theological importance, parables shed much light on life in the New Testament era. Except for the Egyptian papyri, which emphasize life in Egypt, the parables are the best source of information about life in the Near East in the New Testament era. They reflect the innate love of graphic, pictorial speech and the great delight in a story, which is still true of life there today. Jesus’ parables demonstrate everyday experiences and events in the world of nature.

Since Jesus’ hearers would not listen to him on his terms, that is, the true meaning of the kingdom of God as revealed in Scripture, Jesus then began to speak to them in parables. His hearers had an innate love for graphic stories and pictorial speech. Jesus used this appealing parabolic approach to catch their attention and to seek to get them to ponder the true meaning of what he said. As people wondered and pondered what Jesus was telling them in his parables, the Holy Spirit could work in their hearts, seeking to lead them to the proper Biblical understanding of His message. In time, as the Spirit penetrated the hardness of the heart, hearers could grow in understanding of the true meaning and nature of God’s kingdom and of life in the kingdom. Crucial in this was the Spirit leading them to understand who Jesus truly is in His ministry and teaching as the fulfillment of the prophecies in his person and work, and its decisive implications for their life as members of God’s covenant people.

From The Concordia Journal July 1990 p.248-249.

Dr. Kiehl continues in his article to develop the skills of determining what Jesus actually meant when he told his parables. He warns us not to try to put our own meaning into the parables but to strive to find the true meaning, the one that Jesus meant for us to have. This is no easy task, especially when Jesus does not explain the meaning of the parable. Don’t worry too much if some of this flies over your head. The main point is not to force our own thoughts and insights on the text and miss the true point of the parable. When in doubt, pray, meditate, or ask your pastor if you don’t fully understand.

The One Year Bible- January 23rd

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We are almost one month in to our year-long journey in the Bible and this week we finished up the first book of the Old Testament. This is no small accomplishment. Genesis is a long book, filled with important stories that serve as important pieces to the overall story of the Bible. We will make reference to many of these stories and events as we go along. Each time we reach a milestone in our journey we should celebrate. As well as finishing the book of Genesis we will also finish one month in the word. Give yourself a pat on the back and you should feel good for your accomplishments. I also want to encourage you to keep going. If it is not already, your daily reading will become habit and spending time in God’s Word is one of the best habits you could ever have. On to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts  

The Old Testament 

We will finish up the story of Joseph this week. It has been a longer story than most and there is good reason for it. First of all, this is the back-story for the most important event in Jewish history, the Exodus. The Exodus tells of God’s love and mercy for his chosen people and how he redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. As a New Testament Christian this story foreshadows the story of how Jesus redeemed us from the slavery of sin. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As we read the Old Testament we see many similarities between it and some stories in the New Testament. I believe that this is one purpose. Theologians call this Biblical Typology.

I found this description of typology in a resource I have entitled “Fellowship With God” written by Rev. Henry F. Fingerlin:  

“The Bible is an amazing book. But something not too commonly know is that the Bible contains a unique kind of prophecy that no other book contains or could contain, namely, Typology. In Romans 5:14b St. Paul says that “Adam...was a type of the one who was to come.” (That is Adam was a type of Christ). In I Peter 3:21 Peter tells us that Baptism “corresponds” to Noah’s ark in which 8 persons were saved through water. The word translated “corresponds” in the Revised Standard Version is antitype in Greek. There are many such “types” and “antitypes” in the Bible. For example the Passover Lamb and the scapegoat, who bore the sins of the people, are types of Jesus; and the work of the High Priest in making sacrifice for the sins of the people is a type of his saving work. Types, copies, shadows, miniatures, scale model, partial, earthly, temporal, limited, imperfect—these are the people, observances and events of the Old Testament. Fulfillment, spiritual, eternal, perfect, unlimited—these are the realities, the completion, the fulfillment brought into being through Jesus and the New Covenant. This is the way Jesus and the Apostles understood the Old Testament and its fulfillment in the New. Only God who knows the future and also brings it to pass, could so thoroughly detail through prophecy and types all that would transpire through John the Baptist, Jesus, and the beginning of the New Covenant.”  

There is much to say about Biblical typology but one thing to remember is that Old Testament Biblical types are always less than the New Testament antitype. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:17, “These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”  How does this relate to the story of Joseph? Some theologians see Joseph as a “type” or Christ. Here are a few examples:  - Joseph is the “beloved” son of his Father(Gen. 37:3)—Jesus is the Father’s “beloved” son (Matt. 3:17  - Though innocent, Joseph is sold for silver (Gen. 37:28)—Jesus is betrayed and sold for silver (Matt. 26:15)  - Joseph finds himself in prison with two other criminals (Gen. 40)—Jesus suffered death (a kind of prison) between two criminals (Luke 23:32-33)  - Joseph foretells death to one prisoner and release and restoration of the other (Gen. 40:9-19—Jesus tells one of the thieves that he will be with him in paradise while the other dies in his sins (Luke 23:42)  - Joseph is freed from prison by a decree of Pharaoh (Gen. 41:37-41)—Jesus is freed from the prison of death by the Fathers decree of Life, Resurrection, for His Son (Acts 2:24)  - Joseph is exalted at Pharaoh’s right hand and given a name that is above all names (Gen. 41)—Jesus is exalted to his fathers right hand and given a name that is above every other name (Phil. 2:9-11, Acts 2:33-36)  There are others that we could talk about but these are the big ones. I will be highlighting some more typology as we go this year. Let me know what you think about typology. Remember you can't always say that something is a “type” of Christ, but if you see something that you may think is let me know and I will do some investigating for you.  

The New Testament 

We read a few more parables of Jesus as well as read about some miracles including the feeding of the 5,000 and just as amazing, the feeding of the 4,000. One of the most powerful passages we read came in Ch. 16. Peter’s confession of Christ is a powerful witness to the divinity of Jesus and his claim to be the Messiah. After hearing Jesus preach and witnessing his miracles he boldly professes, “You are the Christ (Messiah) the Son of the living God." Either Peter was crazy or he was convinced that this simple man from Nazareth was the promised Messiah.  

Bits And Pieces  

We will dive into the book of Exodus this week and here are the vital stats:  

PURPOSE: The Lord reintroduces Himself to Israel, rescues them from Egypt, and gives them a covenant of laws and sacrifices. 

AUTHOR: Moses 

KEY PEOPLE: Moses, Miriam, Pharaoh, Pharaoh’s daughter, Jethro, Aaron, Joshua 

KEY PLACES: Egypt, Goshen, Nile River, Midian, Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula, Mount Sinai

LAW THEMES: Plagues against unrepentant Egypt; God gives the Ten Commandments and requires an oath to fulfill the Law.

GOSPEL THEMES: God remembers and fulfills His promises to the patriarchs; atonement through sacrifice. 

SPECIAL FEATURES: Exodus relates more miracles than any other Old Testament book and is noted for containing the Ten Commandments

Bethany Bullet - January 17, 2012

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Mark 1:9-13

Jesus has just come up from the waters of Baptism. He has just had the dove (the Holy Spirit) lit on His wing and heard the Father’s voice sing, “This is my Son whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” Without any transition, without any interspersed action, and without any additional information we go immediately from the water to the wilderness. Jesus has no time to dry off from the Jordan before He is baking in the desert. Now the Holy Spirit (only 20 words prior) was landing on Jesus shoulder like a gentle dove is now unsheathing His talons and dragging Jesus into the desert with compelling force.

For forty days He who was acknowledged as God’s Son was questioned about His identity. If you are the Son of God…you remember the temptations recorded in the other Gospel accounts of this event:

Stones to Bread
Jump and see if the Father will protect you
Glorify the evil one to get gold and the globe

But Mark tells us none of that. Mark’s account (Mark 1:9-13) doesn’t only fail to record what Satan said, it also doesn’t inform us how the Lord replied either. There is NO…

“Man does not live on bread alone.”
“You shall not put the Lord to the test.”
“It is written.”

Mark just cuts to the chase. He gets to his point and tells us (i.e. those who have also come up from the waters of Baptism) that days in the wilderness are sure to follow. Jesus is surrounded by agendas, animals, and angels in our text. In our lives we are surrounded by the same.

We, in our journey through the wilderness of this world and following from the water’s of Baptism are surrounded by the agendas of the devil, the world, and our own fallen flesh. Not just temptation surrounds us, so does transgression. For unlike our Lord we have not always resisted sin by responding with Scripture to each temptation.

Yet, we are also ever surrounded by the agents of God. His Word and His life giving Bread & Drink (the very thing He went without during His time in the wilderness) is the very thing He provides us with so we might survive ours. The Cloud of Witnesses present and past, whose stories inspire, encourage and comfort us during our days in the wilderness. Of course, His holy angels whom we pray would watch over us; that the evil foe have no power (remember his power is chiefly manifested in temptation) over us.

So, as you find yourself surrounded by temptation on every side, look again, and notice you are also accompanied by that which is ever present too – His Word, Sacraments, Church, and Ministering Angels.

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year Bible- January 16th

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

In seminary I took a class called Biblical Theology and Exegesis. Don’t get too impressed. I am convinced that theologians want to sound smart, so they use technical names for most of the classes. For example, other seminary classes I have taken include Hermeneutics, Homiletics, and Old Testament Isagogics. In regular English that means I took Bible study, preaching, and Old Testament history (I hope I didn’t give away any company secrets). Anyway, part of Biblical Theology and Exegesis is seeing the whole story of the Bible. My textbook gave this definition, “Biblical theology is principally concerned with the overall theological message of the whole Bible. It seeks to understand the various parts in relation to the whole.” This is exactly what I try to do each week with our studies. I guess I didn’t even know that I have been teaching a class in Biblical Theology every week on the internet for over six years. Well, I hope that through these studies you will start to see the whole picture and the overall theme of God’s Word. At the end of the first chapter of my textbook it says, “The Bible is about humankind falling into sin, and God’s determination to put things right. It is about salvation, God’s rescue plan for human beings under judgment. It is about the worship of the one true God and the rejection of the gods that fail.” Lets all try to keep this in mind as we journey in God’s Word together.

Seth’s Thoughts

Old Testament 

The opening stories of the Old Testament revolve around what we call the Patriarchs. This includes Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. The first week of the year we sped through many generations as well as many years but this week we have been focusing on one family. This family has some issues. Jacob is encouraged by his mother to pretend to be his brother so that Isaac will give him the family blessing. If this sounds dysfunctional you are right. We will see plenty of dysfunctional behavior in the Old Testament. Remember the Old Testament is setting the stage for the coming of the Messiah, the one that was to save the people. Just wait until we get into the book of Judges and then we will see some real dysfunctional behavior. That PLR (people, land, relationship) promise that we talked about last week comes back (in whole or in part) quite often. We saw it multiple times this week. Each time I read it I put the letters PLR in the margin. I hope you begin to see that this is an important promise. This becomes the foundation for all the other promises that God will make in the Old Testament, including the coming of the Messiah. We read about Jacob and his rather strange relationship with his father-in-law, and then his odd relationship between him and his bickering wives. Once again we see some facets of dysfunctional behavior, but we also see that God will be faithful and keep his promise. The story of Joseph is one of the longest stories in the Old Testament. I will have more to say about this story later. For now be sure to catch all the details and see if they remind you of any other stories in the Bible. Perhaps some of you are familiar with the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical called Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This musical is a pretty faithful rendition of the story and if you get confused you may want to rent the movie version. It stars Donny Osmond (don’t let that scare you) and has an appearance by Joan Collins (well…that might scare you).

New Testament 

In our readings from this week we find that Jesus still continues to teach, and heal and now he is starting to generate some interest. John’s disciples start to question him about things and we get a deeper glimpse into the ministry of Jesus. Chapter 10 has some interesting things to say about going out and speaking about Jesus, but remember that Jesus was speaking to 12 Jewish men in Israel almost 2000 years ago. It can be dangerous to make a one for one comparison with these teachings and today. One very interesting section in our reading is found in chapter 12:13. Jesus uses some Old Testament stories to bring light to his earthly ministry. He gives us some clues about the end of his earthly ministry as he compares himself to Jonah. This is a fascinating passage for theologians as it sheds light not only on the work of Jesus but also the reason that the book of Jonah is in the Old Testament. For those of you at Bethany, we will be studying the book of Jonah this Lenten season. In that study we will explore this relationship ever further. Jesus also says that he is greater than Solomon. This was a big claim because no one was a wise as Solomon especially in the eyes of a Jewish person. It is also another place that shows the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.

Bits and Pieces

One thing I think I forgot to mention last week. Every time you read the word LORD (in all capitals) in the Old Testament, the translators are saying this is the proper name Yahweh. It is God’s personal name. Remember that Moses is the one writing the first five books and he was the one to whom God revealed that name. So it makes sense that he uses it in his writing.

Another thing I want to point out to you is the use of names. Names are important in the Bible. Like I just said above LORD is translated from Yahweh which means “I Am who I Am”. It sounds rather nebulous to us but how could you try to contain God in a few letters no matter what language it is in. On to my point, we have seen quite a few names, the names of people and places. If you are reading through the NIV or the ESV you will notice that every time we encounter a new name there is a footnote. If you follow those footnotes you will find some more information about the name. For example, when Isaac was born we read in the footnote that Isaac means, “he laughs”. Some of these names have some theological significance. The name Jacob means, “he grasps the heel” which is an idiom for someone who deceives which is just what he does to his brother twice. Later in the story we will get to Joshua. His name means “the LORD saves”. This is the same name that is translated as Jesus in the New Testament. Makes sense doesn’t it. The phrase Jesus Saves is almost redundant. I will try to point out some of these names when they come up but feel free to follow the footnotes to get some more information.

That is about all for now, but one word of encouragement. If you get behind in your reading don’t try to catch up all at once. Just double up your readings each day and soon you will be back on track. The other option is to just let some of the readings go, like water under the bridge and just pick up on the current day. Either way you are still in the Word, and that is a good thing. Have a great week and look for a new post next week!!

Bethany Bullet - January 10, 2012

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In the Gospel reading assigned for the Festival of the Baptism of our Lord, Mark’s description of the audience must not be overlooked or underestimated. “All the Judean countryside and all of Jerusalem was going out to see and hear – John.” -Mark 1:5

Sometimes, time tricks us.

Perhaps, this is never truer than in ‘church-year’ time. For the past two or three weeks shepherds and Magi have been all the rage. For the past three plus weeks the Baby has been our primary focus. But in real time (the time of Mark chapter 1), it has been two or three decades since they Magi and shepherds were on the scene. In lectionary time it’s only been a few weeks since we’ve been in the fields, but in real time it has been a lifetime (at least the lifetime of a Lamb). While the Baby was the star of the event these past few weeks, in real time it has been a few decades since He was a babe. By the time of Mark 1 Jesus is a man, but not yet a well known man. Here and now (Mark 1) the baby’s cousin, John the Baptist, is the headliner.

In the past (Luke 2) one Herod feared what the child might become, in the present (Mark 1) a new Herod fears what John the Baptist is. In days gone by, the teachers of the law gathered to ponder the question as to the place the Babe was to be born; in the current days of our text they gather to ponder who the man named John is.

If ever any servant was greater (at least more popular) than his Master it was the baptizer. The longer he worked the water, the greater the crowds that gathered and the more his fame grew. Had it been a few months or had it been a few years that we don’t know; but this we do, John was a household name before the general public had even heard whispers of Jesus of Nazareth.

I don’t know about you, but that would have gone to my head!

In the musical Wicked there is a scene in which the “good” witch Glinda, who does prove to be good, admits that her love for her friends is equaled if not surpassed by her love for the attention and adulation of the crowd. “Who could resist it?” she asks. “You know who, and she has.” says her fiancée Fiyero in reference to Elphaba the “wicked” witch. Of course this is just a fictional musical. However, in the real rhythm of history there was one who could resist the attention, adulation, and continue to serve in humiliation as well as offer the confession, “I am not worthy to untie the sandals of the one who is to come.” No small feat! John had everyone’s ear. It wasn’t only his action in the Jordan that dazzled the crowd, but his dialogue on the banks too. “Who warned you? The Ax is at root of trees. You Brood of Vipers! Repent, for kingdom of heaven is at hand. Behold the Lamb of God.”

The people came to see and hear HIM. John was the reason they were there. Yet, John insisted that another was the only One to whom we ought to lend our ears. John served humbly and believed his life was simply meant to glorify Jesus. Interestingly enough through Baptism we’ve had the same purpose put upon us.

Yes, Baptism comes with a promise. The Spirit’s entrance and guilt’s exit, we become God’s and heaven becomes ours, though living we die in the waters, and though dead we are raised to newness of life – yes indeed Baptism comes with promises supreme! It also comes with purposes sincere:

V to resist making life about ourselves,

V to resist to seek our own, and

V to live humbly to bring glory to our God.

As Luther wrote in his hymn, To the Jordan Came Christ our Lord:

“There stood the Son of God in love, His grace to us extending;

The Holy Spirit like a dove upon the scene descending;

The Triune God assuring us, with promises compelling,

That in our baptism he will thus among us make His dwelling.”

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year Bible- January 9th

2012-01-09T11:12:00.001-08:00

We are nine days into the New Year and I hope your reading plan is going well. Each week I will kick off our study with a short thought or some general words of encouragement. This week I want to give you some information about how our weekly studies will be arranged. Each week I will give you my thoughts on the week’s readings. I will not be commenting on all the readings but I will be giving some general comment as well as highlighting specific passages and trying to make some connections for you. My quotes from the readings will almost always be from the NIV. Please don’t get discouraged if I don’t write about certain parts of the reading. You can always ask me questions via the comment section or by email. If you want some more detailed comment on a particular reading you can visit The One Year Bible Blog (www.oneyearbibleblog.com). I visit this site regularly to get some insight as well. The readings for The One Year Bible are in audio form on the internet (the NLT version only). You can download these readings to your iPod, iPhone or other mp3 player. You can also just listen to them on the web. Information for this can be found at www.bibleonradio.com.

Each time we start a new book of the Bible I will give you some vital stats for it in the Bits and Pieces section of the post. This will help you get your bearings as you begin to read. The most important thing I will say today is that we must remember the context of what we read. The Bible is a Christ centered book and it tells one overarching story. Try to keep that story in mind as you read. My posts will try to help with that as well. Keep up the good work and be ready to let God lead you as you immerse yourself in His Word. On to the study for today…

Seth’s Thoughts:

The Old Testament
Like any good book the Bible begins with some great storytelling and some drama. The reason for the whole book is right there at the beginning. Because of mans fall and the steadfast love of God, a series of events takes place that will have an impact on the world and all humanity forever. In fact, the first promise of a Savior is found in Genesis. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15 NIV). The story of God’s love continues with Noah. God saw how sinful the world had become so, in his love, he destroyed those who disobeyed yet saved Noah and the promise of his love became more fully known. One of the great Old Testament words we see early on in Genesis and will have great meaning later is the word we translate as “remember”. God remembered Noah, he remembered his promises to Abraham; later in our story God will remember his people in Egypt and in exile. He will remember his promise from Genesis and send a savior for the world.

After God dispersed the people at Babel, he called one man, Abraham and gave him a promise. We will come back again and again to this promise. It is a three-fold promise that I like to call the PLR promise. We first see it in Genesis 13, but it will come back over and over again. The promise is that God will make Abraham into a people, a nation set apart, he will give them land, and he will have a relationship with them (PLR = people, land, relationship). This three-fold promise will not be fulfilled in Abraham’s day. The only piece of land he will ever own is a grave. But this promise will be fulfilled as the story continues with the people of Israel under the leadership of Moses and Joshua. It will be expanded in the New Testament era as we are all called to be God’s people, our land is in heaven, and we have a relationship with Jesus because of the empty tomb.

One thing to keep in mind while reading through the Old Testament narrative is that you need to try to keep the characters straight. Think of it like a program at the ballgame or the theatre. If you need to write down the characters and how they are related that might help out. This brings me to my first point about context. If you missed the fact that Lot and Abraham are related, you don’t quite get their relationship. Abraham loves his nephew so much and that relationship enters in to his decision making process. Also, two times Abraham tells others that Sarah is his sister and at first it looks like he is flat out lying but in Chapter 20 we find the following passage, “Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife” (Genesis 20:12). Now this may seem gross or unthinkable to us but remember we need to read this within the cultural context of the day and this sort of thing was O.K. It can be dangerous to impress our 21^st century American culture upon a people and a land far remove in time and place and make judgments. This sort of thing will come up again and we must place ourselves in the culture of the day to understand. We don’t have to like it, heck there are a lot of things in the Bible I don’t really like, but it is God’s Word.

The New Testament
The first thing I need to say about reading the Gospels is that they are not always written in chronological order. I hope I am not sacrificing any sacred cows for you with this but it is difficult to put a time line and chronology together when looking closely at the text. For example, in the book of Luke Jesus seems to be jumping all over the place in Nazareth and Judea. One moment he is teaching by the sea of Galilee, the next moment he is in Jerusalem, and then he is back again. Many scholars (and I agree) tend to see the Gospels written from a thematic point of view. They take the stories and events and use them to not only tell the story but to highlight certain events. Taking a look at the Gospel of Matthew we see that it was written to a Jewish audience. How do we know that? First of all Matthew was a Jew so it makes sense to write to an audience that he knew. Secondly, Matthew places the events of Jesus ministry into an order that the Jews would see as very interesting. First of all Matthew tells us that the baby Jesus was taken to Egypt. Right after the family comes back from Egypt, we get the story of the baptism of Jesus then immediately to the desert for 40 days. A Jew of Matthews day would immediately see the connection to the Exodus story of the people coming out from Egypt and going through the waters of the Red Sea and then into the desert for 40 years. It is no coincidence that Matthew uses this series of events to bring a greater meaning to his Gospel to the Jews. A casual, non-Jewish reader might miss this connection. Matthew also leans on many of the Old Testament prophecies that his audience would be well aware (especially in the birth narrative). As you read in Matthew try to remember his audience of the first century and try to see how we can gain even more understanding by studying the book as a whole instead of taking parts out and studying them in isolation.

Bits and Pieces

Last week I gave you some helpful tips as you begin your journey and I want to repeat them here again. I know that some of you have just started this week and may have missed last weeks post.

Tips for Comprehension
-Begin your time in prayer and ask God to send His Spirit to guide you as you read.
-Find a place to read that is relatively free of distractions.
-Read the passage aloud and slowly if necessary. The goal is not just to finish, but to understand.
-Make some notes in the Bible and underline key verses. Look back at them later.
-Remember the Bible tells one story. That story is about redemption from Sin by the work of Jesus. Keep that in mind as you read.
-Take your Bible to Church and read along to see what comes before and after.
-Keep a journal about what you read and how it has affected you.
-Memorize key verses.
-Look at a children’s Bible storybook to get a mental image of the stories. This is especially helpful for the Old Testament stories.
-Teach what you have been reading to your children. This will help reinforce the stories for you and introduce them to your children.
-Share what you are reading with coworkers or friends who are not Christians. This can happen especially if you are reading during your lunch hour at work. If they are interested in the Bible point them to 1 John and to Mark.
-Use a daily devotional book (Portals of Prayer, Strength for the Day, etc.) in addition to your reading.
-Look at some Bible maps and get a layout of the land. This is important when talking about events in the Old Testament.
-Don’t worry if you miss a few days. Just double up your readings for a while until you catch up. Don’t try to read it all in one day.
-Some questions to ask as you read: What is the Biblical context of this passage? What is the historical context? Who is speaking and to whom are they speaking? How can I use this information today? Don’t worry if you can’t answer all the questions.

Have a great week and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

The One Year Bible- January 2nd

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to post #1 for 2012. For those of you just beginning this journey you are in for a wonderful experience as there is nothing quite like being in God’s Word each and every day of the year. I welcome back those of you who journeyed with us last year. The format for this study will be the same as last year. I will try to give you some insights on what you have been reading and try to connect the dots the best I can. Then I will give you some things to look for in the upcoming reading for the week or some bits of information that I think may be interesting. This format seems to work well and you can always ask questions by commenting on the blog or by sending me an email.

Hopefully you have purchased a Bible that says “The One Year Bible” on it. That is the format that we will be using. You can also find the assigned readings for the day by going to www.oneyearbibleonline.com. There you can find the readings for each day of the year and you can use your own Bible.

Each day in The One Year Bible you will find a selection from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, a portion from the Psalms, and a selection from the book of Proverbs. January begins with Genesis, Matthew, Psalm 1, and Proverbs 1. When the year is over you will have read through the entire Bible and have read Psalms twice.

Getting in the Habit
If you are not in the habit of spending time each day in the Word it may be a struggle at first to find time. You will need to experiment and find a time that works for you. For many people, the morning works best, for others it’s after the kids are in bed. Others find that during lunchtime works well. You may want to divide up the reading and do part in the morning and part at night. It will take about 15 minutes to read through the passages for each day. Regardless of the time, you will need to do what works and then do it every day.

Find a Partner
It is always helpful to find someone who is willing to read with you. You can keep each other accountable and bounce questions off of one another as you read. There will also be a weekly on-line study to help keep you on track and to provide a place for questions and comments. Each week (usually Mondays) a new study will be posted at www.bethanylutheran.blogspot.com.

Tips for Comprehension
-Begin your time in prayer and ask God to send His Spirit to guide you as you read.
-Find a place to read that is relatively free of distractions.
-Read the passage aloud and slowly if necessary. The goal is not just to finish, but to understand.
-Make some notes in the Bible and underline key verses. Look back at them later.
-Remember the Bible tells one story. That story is about redemption from Sin by the work of Jesus. Keep that in mind as you read.
-Take your Bible to Church and read along to see what comes before and after.
-Keep a journal about what you read and how it has affected you.
-Memorize key verses.
-Look at a children’s Bible storybook to get a mental image of the stories. This is especially helpful for the Old Testament stories.
-Teach what you have been reading to your children. This will help reinforce the stories for you and introduce them to your children.
-Share what you are reading with coworkers or friends who are not Christians. This can happen especially if you are reading during your lunch hour at work. If they are interested in the Bible point them to 1 John and to Mark.
-Use a daily devotional book (Portals of Prayer, Strength for the Day, etc.) in addition to your reading.
-Look at some Bible maps and get a layout of the land. This is important when talking about events in the Old Testament.
-Don’t worry if you miss a few days. Just double up your readings for a while until you catch up. Don’t try to read it all in one day.
-Some questions to ask as you read: What is the Biblical context of this passage? What is the historical context? Who is speaking and to whom are they speaking? How can I use this information today? Don’t worry if you can’t answer all the questions.

Some things to help you out:
Here are a few websites that I have run across that help me when I am studying the Scriptures:
biblegatway.com - You can search on words or phrases as well as finding texts here.
www.oneyearbibleonline.com -Forgot The One Year Bible at home or even left it at the office? This site will give you the readings for the day. A great help when you don’t have your Bible with you.
www.oneyearbibleblog.com - Want get some in-depth information for the readings of the day? This is the place. It gives you the readings, some artwork and some commentary specifically on the readings for the day. This is a great site. I almost didn’t want to tell you about it because I get some of my info here.

There is also an app for your iPhone iPad or Android device that will help you. Just search for “The One Year Bible.”

Seth’s Thoughts

This week I want to give you some of the vital stats for the books that we are starting. Each time we start a new book I will give you the vital stats to give you a road map of where we are going and to give you some background information that will be helpful in understanding the context and the overall story of the book and how it relates to the rest of Scripture. Next week I will give you some thoughts to the readings so far and help answer any questions you may have.

The Old Testament starts off in Genesis. Here are the vital stats for the book:

AUTHOR: Moses

DATE WRITTEN: c. 1446-1406 BC

PURPOSE: To trace the passing of the promise of God’s Savior from generation to generation, to all Israel and to all nations.
KEY PEOPLE: Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph

LAW THEMES: The curse and death that come with sin and disobedience; humankind’s slavery to evil; families divided by sin.

GOSPEL THEMES: The promise of a Savior; God gives blessings, life, and freedom; God’s goodness and covenant promise for the faithful

The New Testament begins with Matthew’s account of the life of Jesus. Here are the vital stats on the book:

AUTHOR: Matthew (also called Levi)

DATE WRITTEN: c. AD 50

PURPOSE: To proclaim that God’s end-times rule has come in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.
KEY PEOPLE: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the disciples, the religious leaders, Caiaphas, Pliate, Mary Magdalene
KEY PLACES: Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Capernaum, Galilee, Judea

LAW THEMES: God’s rule in judgment; repentance; political and religious opposition; authoritative teaching; confronting a brother who sins.

GOSPEL THEMES: God’s rule in mercy; Baptism; compassion; ransom; Lord’s Supper; forgiving a brother who sins.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Matthew is filled with Messianic language ("Son of David" is used throughout) and Old Testament references (53 quotes and 76 other references). This Gospel was not written as a chronological account; its purpose was to present the clear evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior.

Psalms:

AUTHORS: David wrote 73 psalms, Asaph wrote 12, the sons of Korah wrote nine, Solomon wrote two, Etan and Moses each wrote one, and 51 are anonymous.
DATE WRITTEN: Between the time of Moses (around 1440 BC) and the Babylonian Captivity (586 BC)

PURPOSE: To express hope in the Lord God for salvation, using prayers and praises spoken by God’s people at the Tabernacle and Temple or by individuals.

LAW THEMES: Persecutors assail God’s people; suffering brought by personal failures; waiting for God’s deliverance; exile in Babylon.

GOSPEL THEMES: The Lord’s saving righteousness and steadfast love; the Lord provides for and protects His people; prophecies of the Messiah, Jesus; God’s gift of life through the Word.
SPECIAL FEATURES: For the most part, the psalms were not intended to be narrations of historical events. However, they often parallel events in history such as David’s flight from Saul and his sin with Bathsheba.

Proverbs:

AUTHOR: Solomon wrote or at least compiled most of the book with Lemuel and Agur contributing later sections.
DATE WRITTEN: Early in Solomon’s reign as king (10^th Century BC)

PURPOSE: To bestow God’s wisdom.
LAW THEMES: Because foolishness is rebellion against God, fools condemn themselves to destruction; instruction cubs the misdeeds of fools and guides the deeds of the wise.

GOSPEL THEMES: Christ, God’s wisdom, delivers us from self-destruction and brings forth forgiveness.
SPECIAL FEATURES: This is a book of wise sayings, a textbook for teaching people how to live godly lives through the repetition of wise thoughts. The book uses varied literary forms: poetry, brief parables, pointed questions, and couplets. Other literary devices used in the book include, antithesis, comparison, and personification.

If at any time you have some questions, concerns or just need a pep talk, feel free to contact me, smoorman@bethanylutheran.org, or (562) 421-4711 x. 13. May God richly bless you as you embark on this journey and remember: “All Scripture is god-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” –2 Timothy 3:16-17

The One Year Bible- December 26th

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

It is the last Monday in 2011 so that means this is the last post for the One Year Bible for this year. Next week will be post #1 for 2012 as we start fresh again. I hope you all will be joining us next year as well. If you were at all like me, seeing the end of the book is both exciting and rewarding. It is no small task to read the entire Bible. There are parts that are not much fun to read and there are parts that are hard to relate to. I think the best part for me is seeing how all the pieces fit together. The story as a whole is so much more powerful than some sections taken out of context. I hope that as you hear scripture being read in worship, you can fit it into its context and fill in some of the blanks in your mind to get the whole picture. I have finished my reading so this post will make reference to some things that you may have not read yet. Don’t worry, you can always come back and read the post again. With that, on to the last study of the year...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament

This week we spent time in the book of Zechariah. The book of Zechariah is a post-exilic book, meaning it was written to the people who had returned to Jerusalem at the end of the exile in Babylon. It has many interesting and detailed images written in apocalyptic form. It was nice that we were reading from the book of Revelation at the same time since John seems to have used Zechariah for some of his imagery. This is not to say that John plagiarized his book but he did use other sources to help him make sense of what he was seeing. Many scholars have a difficult time with the prophecies in the book because there is no consensus on the historical context of many of the images. We know that some are obviously Christological (The Branch, illusions of Palm Sunday (9:9), looking on the one whom they have pierced (12:10)) and others must have some context in the day that we are too far removed to see. Eric Hartzell has this to say in his commentary on Zechariah: Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai. He too had seen the captivity and had returned. With Haggai, he say the people’s apathy toward building God’s house. He joined in the message of Haggai who spoke for God...”Build my house!” The book of Ezra tells us. “Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them” (Ezra 5:1) There are many striking pictures in the book of Zechariah. Some of them are surrealistic and in kaleidoscopic colors. Some are stark and strange. Zechariah painted with prophetic brush on the imaginations and consciences of his people. We come upon these paintings today and see that over the years the colors have not faded and the images have not been blurred. He painted hell and heaven; he preached God’s law and his gospel. Zechariah was also a prophet who spoke words directly describing the coming Savior. In this book we hear words that we recognize from the Passion History of our Lord. Zechariah knew the Savior by inspiration and by prophecy.

A few more days in 2011 sees the reading of the book of Malachi and the finishing of Revelation.

Here are the vital stats for Malachi:

PURPOSE: To confront the people with their sins and to restore their relationship with God

AUTHOR: Malachi

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The Jews in Jerusalem and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: about 430 B.C.

SETTING: Malachi, Haggai, and Zechariah were post exilic prophets to Judah. Haggai and Zechariah rebuked the people for their failure to rebuild the temple. Malachi confronted them with their neglect of the temple and their false and profane worship.

KEY VERSES: “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace...But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall” (4:1-2)

LAW THEMES: Rejection of Edom; condemnation of unfaithful priests; divorce; unfaithfulness in offerings; the day of the Lord.

GOSPEL THEMES: Love for Israel; the Lord’s faithfulness; the messenger of the covenant; deliverance from evil.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Malachi’s literary style employs a dramatic use of questions asked by God and his people.

The book of Malachi is another post-exilic book and has many connections with the book of Nehemiah. Kenneth Barker in the book introduction of Malachi in the NIV Study Bible says:

Although the Jews had been allowed to return from exile and rebuild the temple, several discouraging factors brought about a general religious malaise: (1) Their land remained but a small province in the backwaters of the Persian empire, (2) the glorious future announced by the prophets had not yet been realized and, (3) their God had not yet come to his temple with majesty and power to exalt his kingdom in the sight of the nations. Doubting God’s covenant love and no longer trusting his justice, the Jews of the restored community began to loose hope. So their worship degenerated into a listless perpetuation of mere forms, and they no longer took the law seriously. Malachi rebukes their doubt of God’s love and the faithlessness of both priests and people. To their charge that God is unjust because he has failed to come in judgment to exalt his people, Malachi answers with an announcement and a warning. The Lord they seek will come—but he will come “like a refiners fire”. He will come to judge—but he will judge his people first.

Malachi ends with a warning of the Day of the Lord. As we have discussed before in this blog, this Day is always referring to the Day of Judgment; the day that God will put an end to the wickedness of this world once and for all. It is never a good day for those apart from God, but for those who believe it will be a good day.

The New Testament

It would take me weeks to give you all the info needed to understand the book of Revelation. One of my seminary classes was devoted to this book and we spent hours trying to figure out what it all meant and to try to make some applications for ourselves. For that class I read the biggest book of my scholastic career (almost 700 pages!!). I learned a lot and I am struggling trying to figure out how I can give you the condensed version. I will give you some highlights from my big commentary authored by Louis Brighton:

The book of Revelation is the last book of the Bible. Whether it was written last or not, the church was led to place it at the end of the canon because she saw in it the completion of God’s revelation. Nothing further would be revealed by God until the second coming of Jesus Christ. Revelation is thus the culmination of the entire story of salvation contained in the Bible. It is the end point of all that is written in both the OT and NT. for it draws all of revelation, both prophetic and apostolic, to its final goal: the exalted reign of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of lords and the fulfillment of the promise of the new heaven and earth. As the last book of the Bible and the completion of God’s revelation to his church, it is the lens through which the entire Scripture is to be viewed. Revelation reveals and confirms that Christ was prophetically promised and that his incarnation, death and resurrection happened so that God’s creation could be restored to its original glory and righteousness. Revelation thus points to the final meaning and the final answer to all that is revealed in the Bible. In addition, as the last book, Revelation puts an official stamp on all of God’s revelation, a final confirmation of the divine truth and origin of God’s spoken and written Word. This finality points to the urgency of the last times, in which all things will be brought to an end—an urgency which reminds the Christian to Hold fast to the faith and which encourages the church to complete her mission.

Brighton goes on to say:

The message of Revelation reveals two ongoing phenomena: the terrifying sufferings and horror on earth, and the reign of Jesus Christ as Lord in his heavenly exalted glory. As these two phenomena are described, God’s people on earth are encouraged to cling in hopeful faith to the eternal heavenly glory that beckons them in Christ. In turn they also are strengthened and encouraged for the work of Christ’s mission on earth. The tribulations and sufferings portrayed lead the Christian not to pessimism and despair but to realism. The adversities and troubles prophesied will come to pass, and Christians will suffer because of and through them, as will unbelievers. Such plagues and distresses demonstrate God’s wrath and judgment for the purpose of motivating the godless to repentance. God’s own people also experience these same sufferings and plagues, for the dragon, Satan uses these sufferings and plagues in his attempt to destroy the church and her witness.

With all this being said, the most important thing to get out of a reading of the book of Revelation is that God is in control, his wrath is coming, it is time to repent, God will be victorious and all those who put their trust in him will have the blessings of eternal life. If this is all you got out of the book, then great. The other stuff is there to help make this point clear.

Bits And Pieces

I think the best way to finish out this study is to quote from the last Psalm, number 150:

Praise the LORD.

Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,

praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD.

I cannot say it any better myself. AMEN!!!

Bethany Bullet - December 20, 2011

2011-12-20T11:48:00.001-08:00

All of us have heard the expression, most of us have felt the emotions that undergird it, and many of us have shared the message that we need to: “Keep Christ in Christmas.” There is another message I’d like to share, though perhaps you’ve never felt the emotion and probably not heard the expression: “Putting the mass back in Christmas.”

The term, mass is a middle ages reference to both the worship service and the Lord’s Supper. Eventually the term came to be synonymous for Holy Communion. The Roman church eventually co-opted the theology of communion to be as much Law as Gospel in viewing the supper as sacrifice rather than sacrament. That being said, the church of the Reformation never abolished the term and in fact simply sought to restore its true Biblical meaning. However, over time the term mass simply fell out of use among us. While I am not suggesting that we should restore the term, there is no denying we ought to keep the “mass” in Christmas. By that I simply mean we have an opportunity at the table to draw as near to the stable as a person who is living 2000 years after and 7,500 miles away from Bethlehem possibly can.

Christmas, after all, is of course, the celebration that God has come to us in the flesh to save us from our sin and make us a home in heaven. One of the most tangible and physical ways we today experience that gift is at the Lord’s Table. Where once again, God comes to us in the body and blood of Jesus to save us and grant us the promise of heaven.

So even as we remind our community that this season is really about the birth of Jesus and hence we ought to keep Christ in Christmas; it is also good, right and salutary that this community of faith remind itself that one of the most profound ways to experience the reality of Christmas is to receive the gift that is wrapped “in, with, and under” the bread and wine. And so, we also ought to keep the “mass” in Christmas.

Christmas “mass” Holy Communion, Lord’s Supper, Eucharist will be the center piece of our Christmas Day Worship Service on Sunday December 25^th at 10:00AM. This will be the ONLY service on Christmas Sunday at Bethany.

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year Bible- December 19th

2011-12-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

As Christmas fast approaches, so does the completion of our journey through the Bible this year. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. This journey never really ends but can be the beginning of some new habits. I hope this year has got you in the habit of daily time in God’s Word. I hope you will continue with this habit whether it is reading the Bible again in this same format or it is another way to study, please keep up the hard work. This is the second to last post for this year. Next week I will wrap up all the readings for the year and then on January 2^nd I will give the first post of 2012 starting the Bible from the beginning again. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. On to today’s study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament

The book of Jonah is famous for its fish story, and in many respects, that is one of the keys to this book. Jonah tried to run from God. His fear got the best of him and he tried to get away from it. I found it interesting that even in the midst of his flight from God, the Lord was honored. Did you catch it when the men on the same boat as Jonah threw him overboard and the storm stopped? “At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.” (Jonah 1:16 NIV). One great connection to Christ in Jonah comes from mouth of Jesus himself, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40 NIV). Jesus used Jonah to help teach what was going to happen to him; yet again another great connection between the Old and New Testaments.

Micah is one of those gloom and doom books of the latter Old Testament. It has a similar message to many of the other books, i.e. destruction is coming, turn back to God. But there is a huge gem of prophecy in chapter 5, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel” (Micah 5:2 NIV). This is one of the great Christmas prophecies and shows why the Messiah had to be born in the small town of Bethlehem. Just one chapter later we see some great practical advice to the exiles as they live in captivity. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV).

The prophet Nahum writes some of the most comforting and the most disturbing things in the Old Testament. He reminds us that the Lord is slow to get angry (1:3) and he is our refuge (1:7), but what will happen to those who don’t believe (i.e. Nineveh) will be something awful.

I am glad the book of Habakkuk is not so long because most of it is depressing and bad news. Thank goodness for the last two verses of the book, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:18-19 NIV). This is the key to the book. It reminds me in a way to the book of Job who said, “I know that my Redeemer Lives!”

The key to the book of Zephaniah is in Chapter 2, “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility” (Zephaniah 2:3 NIV). Even in the middle of this destruction that will come as a direct result of sin, God still reminds them to do right.

Haggai writes to those who have returned to Jerusalem but were busy building their own houses and not a house for the Lord. Haggai gives the people encouragement to get to work on building the new temple and gives them a reminder that God is with them

The New Testament

I think maybe I need to back up and give you some perspective on the book of Revelation. Without seeing the whole picture, the details will only confuse you. First of all as I have written before, the book of Revelation is in the genre of other apocalyptic books; as the American Heritage Dictionary defines as: Involving or portending widespread devastation or ultimate doom. The book of Revelation looks at this in regards to the end of the world and it looks at it from different angles. As one of my seminary professors said, John sees a vision of the end of the world from three points of view. Each point of view is like a different camera angle shooting the same scene. Each camera sees the action and the characters from a different point of view. Each angle provides certain aspects of the story to be emphasized. Some angles completely obscure the action and something may be lost. When John writes about what he sees we must keep in mind that this is not all happening in linear time as we are used to. John sees the complete destruction of the world with the seven seals on the scroll opened by Jesus himself. Then he sees the destruction of the world again with the seven trumpet blasts. This time different parts of the same story are emphasized. A bit later we will see the seven censers of God’s wrath being poured out. This time John will describe the end of the world from another point of view. In the middle of all of this is the cosmic war between Satan and Christ. We must remember that the war was won for us on the cross and the open tomb. We are part of the group that has been sealed in baptism and we have the mark of God on us. Therefore all of this bad stuff will not affect us. We are assured of our place in heaven already. I hope this give some perspective to you as you read. I will spend some more time next week getting into some of the details.

Bits and Pieces

Only two books to go... We will spend this whole week in the book of Zechariah. Here are the vital stats for the book:

PURPOSE: To give hope to God’s people by revealing God’s future deliverance through the Messiah

AUTHOR: Zechariah

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The Jews in Jerusalem who had returned form their captivity in Babylon and to God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Chapters 1-8 were written about 520-518 B.C. Chapters 9-14 were written about 480 B.C.

SETTING: The exiles had returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple, but the work had been thwarted and stalled. Haggai and Zechariah confronted the people with their task and encouraged them to complete it.

KEY VERSES: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey...He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and form the River to the ends of the earth." (9:9-10)

LAW THEMES: A call to return to the Lord in repentance; dishonesty condemned; the whirlwind among the nations; the doomed flock.

GOSPEL THEMES: The Lord chooses His people; the Branch prophecy of forgiveness; the temple restored; nations seek the Lord; the coming King; the day of the Lord.

SPECIAL FEATURES: The book is the most apocalyptic and Messianic of all the Minor Prophets.

Bethany Bullet - December 13, 2011

2011-12-13T10:53:00.000-08:00

The prophet Isaiah’s message to the people was clear, the Anointed One will:

proclaim good news
bind-up the broken
free the captive
release from darkness the prisoners
and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

These same words—Isaiah’s words—were spoken years later in a humble synagogue by a man from Nazareth. Luke picks up the story, “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” (Luke 4:20-21)

Prophetic words coming to fruition. Jesus of Nazareth has come into the world and He will accomplish exactly what Isaiah said. God’s Anointed, His Messiah, the Christ has come and He sees a world littered with brokenness, suffering, under oppression & persecution, captive to sin, flailing in darkness, and longing for good news. In the midst of this, the Christ has come, and the earth will never be the same.

It was other words of the prophet Isaiah that announced the great event, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)

This time of year we experience days filled with more hours of darkness than light. The same might be said of our lives, not just this time of year, but all year. And as we live, we find the dark corners of this world alluring. The darkness has a way of hiding things. Shadows mask reality and lurking in those spaces we find the sin that so easily entangles and we become captives. The darkness of sin surrounds us and soon we find ourselves bound, prisoners of the dark.

The Light of Christmas

By Helen Grace Lee-Scheid

The Second World War raged in Europe during Christmas Eve 1944. Mother, with four small children, had fled our native Ukraine with the retreating German army. Father had been reported missing in action. Now we were refugees living in a two-room shack in Poland.

The fighting front was only about 30 miles away. Frequent air raids sent us scurrying for cover. Explosions rattled the windows. Army trucks brought in the wounded and the dead. Hay wagons filled with refugees rumbled west; bombers droned overhead and army tanks rolled east.

Nobody in his right mind went out into the dark winter night. And yet…it was Christmas Eve and we had been invited to a party in a neighboring village. Mother, wanting to give us children joy, accepted. She instructed my sister and me to dress warmly against the winter's cold. "Tonight we're going to a party," she said. Being only eight-years old, I sensed no danger--only wondrous excitement.

Hurriedly, my sister and I dressed. A simple wick flickered in a saucer of oil--our only light. We could barely see her shadowy form as she bustled about getting my four-year-old brother, Fred, and almost two-year-old sister, Katie, ready. Finally Mother was putting on her heavy winter coat, kerchief, and warm felt boots. With one small breath, she blew out the oil lamp. It was pitch dark now. "Open the door," she called to me.

We stepped onto the crisp snow covering the farmyard. A moon crescent hung above a large house across the yard where the estate owners lived--kind people who treated us refugees well. It, too, was shrouded in darkness. At the road, we stopped. Although I knew it well from my treks to school, I could barely make out the houses on either side of the street. No street lights were allowed now. Windows heavily draped permitted no light to seep out of the houses. My mother hesitated for a brief moment. Then she said, "Come, we'll take the shortcut across the fields."

The snow crunched as our feet punched holes in the white expanse of open fields. Stars spangled the vault of sky above us. A blood-red glow smeared the eastern sky. At times an explosion sent flames shooting into the sky.

"Girls, recite your poems to me." Mother's voice sounded a bit shaky. Our recitations of Christmas poems made white puffs in the cold night air. Mother said, "Speak up loud and clear when your turn comes. No mumbling." On and on we walked. But we were far too excited to be tired. Finally we arrived at our friends' house. The door opened and we stepped inside. I felt I had stepped into heaven itself. Lights! A whole room-full of lights.

Candlelight flickered from a small Christmas tree and bounced out of happy children's eyes. Heavily draped windows kept the light inside--for us to revel in. Red paper chains decked the tree; delicate paper cherubs smiled down upon us. We squeezed in amongst women and children sitting on the floor. Soon the room filled with singing. We sang with gusto and from memory, songs that lifted our hearts above the terrors of war and inspired new hope for the days ahead.

I can't remember our long trek home that night, but I do remember the wonderful gifts I received; my right pocket bulged with the most beautiful ball I'd ever seen. The other pocket held three cookies!

Soon after that wonderful Christmas party, we were evacuated. Icy winds blew snow into our faces as we cowered on an uncovered hay wagon pulled by two scrawny horses. With the front so close behind, we traveled day and night. Once it was safe to stop, we slept in drafty barns. We ate hunks of frozen bread and drank the occasional cup of milk supplied by a Red Cross jeep. But the warm memory of that Christmas celebration shone like a small candle in the darkness.

Darkness, a deep heavy darkness has covered the earth. It holds us captive to sin. It surrounds our souls.

What holds you captive?

The regret of poor decisions
Remorse for what has been lost
A relapse into destructive behavior
Reservations of the future
Fear of reprisal for your actions

The prophet Isaiah speaks to you today in the actions of the one who fulfilled his words,

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

While the darkness of sin surrounds, we are reminded in this season of Advent that the light of Christ brings liberty! The Lord’s favor is at hand. Because of Jesus you have been released from the darkness, freed from captivity.

Regret has been removed
Remorse is changed to rejoicing
The relapse has been reversed
Reservations are now reunions
No fear of reprisal only the promise of redemption.

Living in the light brings refreshment, restitution, and a reinvigoration of the hope we have in Jesus. This time of year we gather in the presence of the light to sing songs, to receive gifts, and to revel in the wonder of what the Christ child brings.

The war of sin my rage on, but we can carry on reciting the poems of God’s word as we tarry along in hopeful expectation of the home that awaits us, filled with lights, it will be heaven itself. The light of Christ will flicker in our eyes, we will sing with gusto praises from memory and our pockets will bulge with gifts from the king.

Until that day, we find ourselves again and again in this place, filled with light, finding redemption in His word, filled with his meal, cleansed by his blood, revived to once again face the dark, this time with the hope of freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners and the proclamation of the Lord’s favor forever.

-Pastor Seth Moorman

The One Year Bible- December 12th

2011-12-12T09:14:00.001-08:00

Someone once said to me that every day is a battle between what is important and what is immediate. What did they mean by this? The important things are those items on your list; the things that you need to get done. The immediate things are those that other people need you to do for their lists or things that you have no control over. I think this time more than any other we need to find that balance between the important and the immediate. Where is Bible reading in all this? Well it is very important and when you have to write a blog each week it becomes immediate. Don’t let this struggle get you down and remember that in this season, we focus on the important fact that Christ came to be our mediator and that in a truth we can hold on to immediately. On to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament
We covered a lot of ground this week and we will cover even more next week. Finishing up the book of Hosea we continued to see the symbolism of Gomer and Hosea’s relationship compared to the relationship between the Lord and his people. There are some hard things in this book but the steadfast love of God will persevere no matter what. His love keeps his anger in check, his love wants the best for us, and in his love he will provide a way (think Jesus here) for us. We see this when Hosea writes, “I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man— the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath”. (Hosea 11:9 NIV). What comfort we have in our loving God.

Joel is one of those books that we see a lot about “The Day of the Lord”. We discussed this a few weeks ago. We will see its culmination in the book of Revelation as well. Since God is a just God, at some point, he will bring judgment upon those who have disobeyed. We read about the love of God in Hosea, but in Joel we see his judgment and it is not pretty. This will be a time of suffering and strife. One of the keys to the book comes in chapter two, “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” (Joel 2:13 NIV). We should have a change of heart before the Day of the Lord. The Lord says that he will be a refuge and a fortress for his people. There is some good news of grace but it is limited to those who believe.

The message of the book of Amos is similar. Amos describes that day like this, “Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him”. (Amos 5:18-19 NIV). Not a good day indeed!! There are many warnings in the book to come back to the safety of Yahweh. The book ends with a mention of the Davidic Covenant (9:11) and a message of hope for all those exiled (9:13-15).

The book of Obadiah gives a message to the land of Edom. Those who live in this land are the descendants of Esau and have caused many problems for God’s chosen people for many years. Judgment is again the main theme and the return of the exiles is secondary. Edom, and when reading between the lines, others like Edom, will be destroyed because of how they treated others.

The New Testament
The small letters of 3 John and Jude are tucked away at the back of the New Testament but that does not mean that they are unimportant. Third John gives us some great words on supporting mission work and the people that are engaged in it. The book of Jude has some interesting quotes in it that make it a bit suspect in some circles. We know that the letter is general in nature being that it is written to all but the author quotes from a book called The Assumption of Moses in his letter. This is a bit odd because that book was never granted status as scripture. Because of this many discount the letter in its entirety. This may be a bit unfair because the book still has some very good and doctrinally sound material in it the best being verses 20 and 21, “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (NIV)

On to the book of Revelation. This is one of the most intimidating books in the entire Bible. Outside of the Gospels, more has been written on this book than most of the others. I will admit to you that for many years I too have been scared of this book. Lutherans in general shy away from the book because for the most part we don’t sweat the details. We know that the world will end and that God has promised to take care of the believers. I think we have learned our lesson from many of the prophets in their description of “The Day of the Lord”. But just because we don’t worry does not mean we should ignore this book. We need to know what it says especially because other Christian groups spend an inordinate amount of time focusing on this book. We at least must be conversant when someone asks us a question.

The first thing to remember is that the book of Revelation is written as an Apocalypse (meaning revealed in Greek) to John and describes the end of the world using figurative language. We should not get carried away with the literal interpretation of the book. We also need to remember to keep the events of the book within the context that they were intended. John was writing from a first century point of view to people with the same worldview. He was attempting to describe future events so his hearers or readers could understand. We should be weary of placing too much of our own culture and time on the text and make it say things John never intended. Don’t try to read too much into the text!!

As we begin the book we see a vision from John that is remarkably similar to ones we just read in Ezekiel and in Daniel. I think John was trying to use things that he knew to describe amazing things. The four beasts and the halo around God were all seen in the Old Testament as well as the sea of glass. We will get into this more but almost all the time when we see numbers of things, there is meaning there. For example the number three is almost always associated with the triune God, six is the number of evil, seven is the number of perfection and of God, ten signifies completion. Multiples of these numbers give emphasis.

John is told to write letters to the seven Churches in Asia Minor. If seven signifies perfection and God then this letter can be seen as being written to all the Churches in the world; each one giving us a glimpse of ourselves in their strengths and weaknesses.

I don’t want to get you too confused this week so I will let you digest this information first. As you read, remember to keep it in context and remember that almost everything is written in symbolic language.

Bits and Pieces

We already Jonah and started Micah and I forgot to give you the vital stats for those books. We will also read Nahum, Habaakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and we will start Zechariah. I know it is a lot of info, but it is important to get some context before you begin reading.

Here are the vital stats for Jonah:

PURPOSE: To show the extant of God’s grace—the message of salvation if for all people

AUTHOR: Jonah son of Amittai

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Israel and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Approx. 785-760 B.C.

SETTING: Jonah preceded Amos and ministered under Jeroboam II, Israel’s most powerful king. Assyria was Israel’s great enemy, and Israel was conquered by them in722 B.C. Nineveh’s repentance must have been short lived, for it was destroyed in 612 B.C.

KEY VERSE: “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (4:11)

LAW THEMES: Evil; flight from God; indifference; fasting and sackcloth; God’s appointed testing.

GOSPEL THEMES: God’s appointed mercy; steadfast love; God turns/relents; pity.

SPECIAL FEATURES: This book is different from the other prophetic books because it tells the story of the prophet and does not center on his prophecies. In fact, only one verse summarizes his message to the people of Nineveh (3:4). Jonah is a historical narrative. It is also mentioned by Jesus as a picture of his death and resurrection (Matthew 12:38-42)

Here are the vital stats for Micah:

PURPOSE: To warn God’s people that judgment is coming and to offer pardon to all who repent.

AUTHOR: Micah, a native of Moresheth, near Gath, about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The people of Israel (the Northern kingdom) and of Judah (the Southern kingdom)

DATE WRITTEN: Possibly during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (742-687 B.C.)

SETTING: Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea

KEY VERSE: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8)

LAW THEMES: Nakedness and shame; remnant; exile; false prophets.

GOSPEL THEMES: Remant; Zion; shepherd; God’s patience.

SPECIAL FEATURES: This is a beautiful example of Hebrew poetry. There are three parts, each beginning with “Hear” or “Listen” and closing with a promise

Here are the vital stats for Nahum:

PURPOSE: To pronounce God’s judgment on Assyria and to comfort Judah with this truth

AUTHOR: Nahum

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The people of Nineveh and Judah

DATE WRITTEN: Sometime during Nahum’s prophetic ministry (663-612 B.C.)

SETTING: The particular prophecy took place after the fall of Thebes in 663 B.C.

KEY VERSE: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness. Whatever they plot against the Lord he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time. (1:7-9)

LAW THEMES: The Lord is jealous and avenging; Nineveh is destroyed.

GOSPEL THEMES: The Lord frees oppressed Judah; His Word and feasts are for His people.

Here are the vital stats for Habakkuk:

PURPOSE: To show that God is still in control of the world despite the apparent triumph of evil

AUTHOR: Habakkuk

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Judah (the southern kingdom), and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Between 612-588 B.C.

SETTING: Babylon was becoming the dominant world power and Judah would soon feel Babylon’s destructive force.

KEY VERSE: “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” (3:2)

LAW THEMES: Evil, which God permits to afflict His people; the need for patience; woes against drunkenness and idolatry; God’s wrath.

GOSPEL THEMES: The Lord supplies patience; the righteous shall live by faith; God remembers mercy; faith and joy in the midst of trouble.

Here are the vital stats for Zephaniah:

PURPOSE: To shake the people of Judah out of their complacency and urge them to return to God

AUTHOR: Zephaniah

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Judah and all nations

DATE WRITTEN: Probably near the end of Zephaniah’s ministry (640-621 B.C.) when King Josiah’s great reforms began.

SETTING: King Josiah of Judah was attempting to reverse the evil trends set by the previous kings. Josiah was able to extend his influence because there wasn’t a strong superpower dominating the world at that time. Zephaniah’s prophecy may have been the motivating factor in Josiah’s reform. Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah

KEY VERSE: “Seek the Lord , all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.” (2:3)

LAW THEMES: God’s wrath against the nations, including His chosen people; the day of the LORD.

GOSPEL THEMES: The day of the LORD; the remnant preserved; the nations seek the Lord; the Lord is in our midst.

Here are the vital stats for Haggai:

PURPOSE: To call the people to complete the rebuilding of the temple

AUTHOR: Haggai

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The people living in Jerusalem and those who had returned from exile

DATE WRITTEN: 520 B.C

SETTING: The temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in 586 B.C. Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple in 538 B.C. They began the work but were unable to complete it. Through the ministry of Haggai and Zechariah, the temple was completed.

KEY VERSE: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains in ruins?” (1:4)

LAW THEMES: Condemnation of self serving interests; living with the result of sinful behavior; shaking the nations.

GOSPEL THEMES: The Lord blesses the people’s focus on receiving the Word; the promise of the Spirit; chosen by the Lord.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Haggai was the first of the post-exilic prophets. The other two were Zechariah and Malachi. The literary style of this book is simple and direct.

I will give you the vital stats for Zechariah next week.

Bethany Bullet - December 6, 2011

2011-12-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

PK’s Twitter post on 12/1 was…

ADVENT:

Another

Day

Vaunting

Emmanuel’s

Nearing

Tenure

That is what Advent is about, on the one hand - waiting and proclaiming that Jesus is coming soon; on the other hand - the advent of the prophet Isaiah reminds us that while we wait we are also called to ‘Repent and Reflect.’

Isaiah 40:1-11

Repentance: Exile is what you deserve.

I confess exile is what I deserve and I’m not just talk ‘bout time served under Xerxes but eternity in Hades. Our sin is the same as that of Jerusalem’s years ago, for sin, all sin, is rebellion from God. Each trespass is an affront to His Lordship and a breach of our relationship with the LORD as our King. If that isn’t enough our very natures read like the pages of the Old Testament; over and over again we prove that we are prone to disobey God, wander from His way, and then complain that things aren’t perfect. We blame Him when the consequences of our transgressions are severe. Yet, though we ought to be exiled God pardons us twice over.

Reflection: You’ve been pardoned twice over.

The scales don’t just tip in favor of forgiveness, Jesus’ righteousness and mercy are so abounding that it hurls your guilt heavenward like a feather; not only our guilt but objectively that of the world and subjectively that of all those who call on the name of the Lord.

This is why Isaiah’s message is one of comfort! Yet, I wonder how many of us are still languishing under a load of guilt as if it is too great for God to lift?

Why do we continually claim as our own past peccadilloes (i.e. a sin or offense; a fault.) that God has already pitched as far as pole is from pole? I also wonder how often we simply refuse to let God grant forgiveness to those whose sins against us are first and foremost against Him?

This Advent we discover that, like God’s prophet, God’s people have been called to bring a message of COMFORT from sin’s guilt not CONFINMENT in the guilt of sin. The former leads to repentance the later prohibits it; the former affirms that we have no more to offer God than withered grass and fallen flowers and thus highlights the glory of His gracious acts in Christ, while the later alludes to a notion that we can somehow earn God’s grace or deserve it and thus diminishes the Advent of our God.

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year bible- December 5th

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Growing up the son of a Lutheran pastor has exposed me to some things from an early age. As a child I was always fascinated by the colors used in church. For many years I did not understand the church seasons or the church year, but I was always excited when the purple candles would be set out. To me this meant that Christmas was not to far away. Being older now I have a greater appreciation for the church year. Advent is the beginning of the church year and even though many churches have changed from purple to blue for this season, it still gives me butterflies when it begins. Just as an aside, blue is the color of hope and expectation so it is an appropriate color for the season. There has been some confusion as to the season of Advent and the following might help:

Advent is perhaps the most confusing season in the church year...Is it an appetizer to Christmas, introduction to the coming event and forward to the birth of baby Jesus? Is it a few more weeks of end times? Is this John the Baptist coming and the coming of Christ? Or is it the conclusion of Ascension- Jesus’ return? Some of all of the above works it way into Advent. However, Advent’s ultimate aim is to remind us that He whose birth we are soon to celebrate, the One we shall shortly witness lying humble in a manger, is coming again on the clouds, in full glory with His angels attending Him to judge the living and the dead. And we on our part are to be prepared and to be “prepare-ers” for that most wonderful event!

On to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament
We finished up the Book of Daniel this week with some strange visions again. One thing to learn from this section is that when you see a horn in a vision, like on a beast, it almost always refers to some sort of power. So the horns that get divided and grow all relate to power. With that being said, the vision hopefully makes a bit more sense to you. It is always nice to get the meaning to the vision right in the book, and Daniel helps us out on this one. “The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.” (Daniel 7:17-18 NIV). The last vision most likely had its completion in the person of Alexander the Great and those that followed him. Some see this as an addition to the book of Daniel to make him look good and to prove that he was a prophet after his time, but I believe that Daniel was given this vision from the Lord! In Chapter 9 we read the prayer of Daniel and I want to draw your attention to one fascinating line. In verse 18 we read, “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.” (Daniel 9:18b NIV). What a great phrase. Who said there is no grace in the Old Testament? What a wonderful prayer. With the end of Daniel comes the end of what is known as the Major Prophets. With Hosea we begin the section called the Minor Prophets. Minor not in significance, but in scope of ministry and number of words recorded. We will really start flying through books so get ready.

Hosea is a fascinating book that relies on one major point of imagery or symbolism. The marriage of Hosea to the prostitute Gomer describes the relationship between God and his people who have prostituted themselves by worshiping idols. This book needs to be read through this image. We can extrapolate this image further by saying this is similar to the image of the bridegroom Jesus and his marriage to his bride, the Church (a New Testament image). God loved us so much that he would still care for us even when we constantly go our own way and worship other things.

The New Testament
John likes to use imagery himself in his letters. Not unlike his gospel, we see many of the same images that describe our life in Christ (Dark and light, etc.) One theme that is constant in all of John’s letters is love. A bit must be said about love. In English this word has a variance of meaning. In Greek the word we translate as love can be one of four words which all have a range of meaning. Most often when we read the word love in John’s letters, he uses the word agape, which means unconditional love. It is more than just brotherly love, or love between members of your family. It is more than the love of husband and wife. It is pure, unconditional love that God has for us. It is not dependant on our behavior or actions. It is the kind of love Hosea has for Gomer, and what God has for us. Love almost overflows from the pen of John as he writes as he describes God’s love for us and the love we should have, not only for God but for other people as well.

Another thing we need to talk about is what John calls “antichrists”. What he is talking about are things and people who are against the message of Jesus. It is interesting to note that John talks about antichrists (plural) here and the Antichrist (singular) later. Are they the same? Not really. John warns against those whom he calls antichrists. We should be watching out for such people who do not believe in Jesus or show love to their neighbors. He also calls them “false prophets” that we should watch out for.

Bits and Pieces

The Old Testament
We will finish three books and start a fourth this week so a lot of ground to cover. Here are the vital stats for the book of Joel:

PURPOSE: To warn Judah of God’s impending judgment because of their sins, and to urge them to turn back to God

AUTHOR: Joel son of Pethuel

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The people of Judah, the southern kingdom, and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Probably during the time Joel may have prophesied from about 835 to 796 B.C.

SETTING: The people of Judah had become prosperous and complacent. Taking God for granted, they had turned to self-centeredness, idolatry and sin. Joel warned them about this kind of lifestyle and that it would inevitably bring down God’s judgment.

KEY VERSES: “ ‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and relents from sending calamity” (2:12-13 NIV).

LAW THEMES: Punishment brought by locusts; the day of darkness; fasting and mourning; judgment of the nations.

GOSPEL THEMES: Grace and mercy for the repentant; consecration; the gift of the Spirit; a harvest of blessings; refuge from enemies.

KEY PEOPLE: Joel, the people of Judah

KEY PLACE: Jerusalem

Here are the vital stats for the book of Amos:

PURPOSE: To pronounce God’s judgment upon Israel, the northern kingdom, for their complacency, idolatry, and oppression of the poor

AUTHOR: Amos

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Israel, the northern kingdom, and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Probably during the reigns of Jeroboam II of Israel and Uzziah of Judah (about 760-750 B.C.)

SETTING: The wealthy people of Israel were enjoying peace and prosperity. They were quite complacent and were oppressing the poor, even selling them into slavery. Soon, however, Israel would be conquered by Assyria, and the rich themselves would become slaves.

KEY VERSE: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream!” (5:24)

LAW THEMES: The nations condemned; the Lord as a lion; only a remnant; unfaithful worship; the day of the Lord.

GOSPEL THEMES: The remnant; seek the Lord and live; the booth of David; restoration of Israel; the Lord relents.

KEY PEOPLE: Amos, Amaziah, Jeroboam II

KEY PLACES: Bethel, Samaria

SPECIAL FEATURES: Amos uses striking metaphors from his shepherding and farming experience—a loaded cart (2:13), a roaring lion (3:8), a mutilated sheep (3:12), pampered cows (4:1), and a basket of fruit (8:1-2)

And the vital stats for Obadiah:

PURPOSE: To show that God judges those who have harmed his people

AUTHOR: Obadiah. Very little is know about this man, whose name means “servant (or worshiper) of the LORD”

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The Edomites, the Jews in Judah, and God’s people everywhere.

DATE WRITTEN: Possibly during the reign of Jehoram in Judah, 853-841 B.C., or possibly during Jeremiah’s ministry, 627-586 B.C.

SETTING: Historically, Edom had constantly harassed the Jews. Prior to the time this book was written, they had participated in attacks against Judah. Given the dates above, this prophecy came after the division of Israel into the northern and southern kingdoms before the conquering of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.

KEY VERSE: “The Day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head” (verse 15).

LAW THEMES: Pride in security; pillaging; the day of the Lord; fire; exile.

GOSPEL THEMES: The day of the Lord; escape; the Lord’s kingdom.

KEY PEOPLE: The Edomites

KEY PLACES: Edom, Jerusalem

SPECIAL FEATURES: The book of Obadiah uses vigorous poetic language and is written in the form of a dirge of doom.

The New Testament
Three books to go. Here are the vital stats for 3 John:

PURPOSE: To comment Gaius for his hospitality and to encourage him in his Christian life

AUTHOR: The apostle John

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Gaius, a prominent Christian in one of the churches know to John; and to all Christians

DATE WRITTEN: About A.D. 90, from Ephesus

SETTING: Church leaders traveled from town to town helping to establish new congregations. They depended on the hospitality of fellow believers. Gaius was one who welcomed these leaders into his home.

KEY VERSE: “Dear friend, your are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you” (verse 5)

KEY PEOPLE: John, Gaius, Diotrephes, Demitrius

Here are the vital stats for the book of Jude:

PURPOSE: To remind the church of the need for constant vigilance—to keep strong in the faith and to oppose heresy

AUTHOR: Jude, brother of Jesus and James

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Jewish Christians, and all believers everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: About A.D. 65

SETTING: From the first century on, the church has been threatened by heresy and false teaching—we must always be on our guard.

KEY VERSE: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (verse 3).

LAW THEMES: The ungodly pervert God’s grace; contend for the faith; God destroys unbelievers; blaspheming; eternal chains; gloomy darkness; stained by the flesh; judgment; eternal fire; way of Cain condemned.

GOSPEL THEMES: Called and beloved by God; Peace; Salvation; Mercy of our Lord; present you blameless; God our Savior.

KEY PEOPLE: Jude, James, Jesus

And the vital stats for the book of Revelation:

PURPOSE: To reveal the full identity of Christ and to give warning and hope to believers

AUTHOR: The apostle John

TO WHOM WRITTEN: The seven churches in Asia, and all believers everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: About A.D. 95 from Patmos

SETTING: Most scholars believe that the seven churches of Asia to whom John writes were experiencing the persecution that took place under Emperor Domitian (A.D. 90-95). It seems that the Roman authorities had exiled John to the island of Patmos (off the coast of Asia). John, who had been an eyewitness of the incarnate Christ, had a vision of the glorified Christ. God also revealed to him what would take place in the future—judgment and ultimate triumph of God over evil.

KEY VERSE: “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (1:3).

LAW THEMES: Deception of false prophets; call to repentance; beasts; dragon (Satan); God’s wrath; plagues; torment; woe; bottomless pit; tribulation; Babylon the Great; second death; judgment; call to patient endurance.

GOSPEL THEMES: Word of God; made a Kingdom of Priests; Jesus’ love; Lamb of God; Christ who conquers; tree of life; Bride of the Lamb (Church); God is faithful and true; water of life.

KEY PEOPLE: John, Jesus

KEY PLACE: Patmos, the seven churches, the new Jerusalem

SPECIAL FEATURES: Revelation is written in “apocalyptic” form—a type of Jewish literature that uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope (in the ultimate triumph of God) to those in the midst of persecution. The events are ordered according to literary, rather than chronological, patterns.

Bethany Bullet - November 29, 2011

2011-11-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

Matthew 14:24

The disciples found themselves in the middle of the sea tossed by the waves. Change a word here and there and we have found ourselves in the same situation haven’t we?

In the middle of life tossed by a crisis…
In the middle of a relationship tossed by pressure…
In the middle of a divorce tossed by guilt or regret…
In the middle of a school year tossed by an overload…
In the middle of a ‘Bullet’ tossed by a wandering mind…

The disciples did what sailors do - they battened down the hatches, trimmed the sails, bailed and bailed…and then bailed some more.

Then they saw something more terrifying than the storm they were fighting, a figure walking toward them on the water. As we discover it is Jesus, we respond with the same reaction as the fishermen - the center of the storm is the last place you expect to see God.

We know we will see Him in Word & Sacrament and in Christmas concerts & Easter services. Where His Word is read and prayers are said, we expect to see Him. And for good reason, for there, He has promised to be! It is His presence, in those places, He has bound Himself. It is our faithful experience and participation in them as well, that enables us to see Him where others least expect Him, the center of the storm.

Yes, we learn what the first disciples did, in the chaos and tumult of life is where our Lord does some of His finest work.

That is why He can say to ALL in the middle of *____________ tossed by *____________,

(*fill in the blanks)

“Take courage; don’t be afraid, it is I!

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

The One Year Bible- November 28th

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Holiday season is in full swing and now more than ever your Bible reading time may be impacted. With so many things to do and gifts to buy it is easy to forget your readings for the day. If this happens don't worry. First of all you may need to be even more deliberate in your planning for time in the word and if you fall behind remember my easy rule, just read two a day until you catch up. Don't kill yourself trying to get all the readings done in a day. Maybe you can take your Bible to the mall and take a shopping break and do some reading. This could be a great witness of your faith and may even spark a discussion with someone else. You can tell them about the real meaning of the season. Speaking of shopping, this may be the time to think about next year and your Bible reading habits. Perhaps you want to do this again but this time read a different version. I will be doing this same study in 2012 so you can do it again with me if you would like. Here is another idea. Ask a friend of yours to read with you. You can look at each week’s study and then talk about it over coffee or lunch or even via email. There are many ways to continue this great habit you have begun. You could also look at reading a book like “The Story” that uses just the narrative of the Bible text to tell the chronological story found in Scripture. I will keep trying to motivate you as we hit the stretch run and push on through to 2012 but for now, on to the study...

Seth’s Thoughts

The Old Testament
We finished up the last part of Ezekiel with the end of the vision of the New Jerusalem and Ezekiel gave a reminder to the people of God's commands including the keeping of the Passover. Ezekiel makes reference again to the three fold promise that was given to Abraham when the land was again divided among the tribes. Ezekiel ends with a sense of hope and looking forward to the return of the remnant back to Jerusalem. But it doesn't stop there. The hope of a continued future for God's chosen people goes beyond the return and into the future where there will be an even greater Jerusalem. I think we talked about this before but I will say again, to remember this vision of Jerusalem, because we will see a very similar one in the book of Revelation.

The book of Daniel once again picks up the narrative story of the people of Israel in captivity in Babylon. We see four important characters right away, Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego). These were all young healthy men that were put into the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. They all had special gifts from God, "To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds." (Daniel 1:17 NIV). The story reads like a novel and is easy to follow. There are some great Sunday School stories in its pages as well. One thing that struck me this time was that the story of Daniel has a lot of parallels to that of Joseph. Both of them were sent to a foreign country under duress. Both interpreted dreams. Both became important political members in their new country. Many of the other stories are familiar to us such as the fiery furnace, the hand writing on the wall and Daniel and the Lions Den. Each story seemed to point to the fact that God was still involved and cared about his people. He was active in creation and wanted the whole world to bow down and worship him.

The New Testament
So many great visuals to use when reading 1 and 2 Peter; for example the living stones (1Peter 2:5) reference really hits home with me. We are all just one piece of the puzzle that is part of the spiritual temple that is the church. We may look different and have different strengths and weaknesses but we are all important. Peter likes to use many references from the Old Testament in his letters. He uses them in great ways. Peter reminds us that we are “aliens and strangers” (1 Peter 2:11 NIV) and we are to conduct ourselves in a manner that will honor God. We must always love on another and not worry when we suffer, and we will suffer. Peter makes the connection between Noah and baptism in 1 Peter 3. This is important because it gives us an Old Testament story to describe a New Testament activity. This gives more substance to the teachings of the New Testament. The book of 2 Peter talks a lot about our response to God’s promises (2 Peter 1:5). As Christians we are not called to static, stoic lives. We are called to action in response to what God has already done for us. We must now work hard in the life we have been given, knowing that God will take care of us. Peter also gives us a glimpse of the spiritual war that rages beyond Earth. In 2 Peter 2 he references hell where the angels that sin were sent to. We never get a full picture of this struggle, but we know it was bad and nothing we want to be a part of. One of the greatest parts of 2 Peter is when he writes, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV). There were some in Peter’s day (and in our day as well) that can’t seem to wait until Jesus returns. They think he should have come back a long time ago. Peter wants to tell these people that it is not that God has forgotten; it is just that he wants as many people to be saved as possible. The longer he waits the more people will be in heaven. How long will he wait? Only he knows. Praise God for his patience!!!

Bits and Pieces

The Old Testament

We will finish up Daniel this week and move on to the book of Hosea. We will really start getting through the books in a hurry coming up. Here are the vital stats for Hosea:

PURPOSE: To illustrate God’s love for his sinful people

AUTHOR: Hosea son of Beeri (“Hosea” means “salvation”)

TO WHOM WRITTEN: Israel (the northern Kingdom) and God’s people everywhere

DATE WRITTEN: Approximately 715 B.C. recording events from about 753-715 B.C.

SETTING: Hosea began his ministry during the end of the prosperous but morally declining reign of Jeroboam II of Israel (the upper classes were doing well, but they were oppressing the poor). He prophesied until shortly after the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C.

KEY VERSE: “The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another adultress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods.’” (3:1)

KEY PEOPLE: Hosea, Gomer, their children

KEY PLACES: The northern kingdom, Samaria, Ephraim

SPECIAL FEATURES: Hosea employs many images from daily life—God is depicted as husband, father, lion, leopard, bear, dew, rain, moth, and others. Israel is pictured as wife, sick person, vine, grapes, early fruit, olive tree, woman in childbirth, oven, morning mist, chaff, and smoke to name a few.

The New Testament

We will read through 1 John and get into 2 John this week. First the vital stats on 1 John:

PURPOSE: To reassure Christians in their faith and to counter false teachings

AUTHOR: The apostle John

TO WHOM WRITTEN: This letter is untitled and was written to no particular church. It was sent as a pastoral letter to several Gentile congregations. It was also written to all believers everywhere.

DATE WRITTEN: Probably between A.D. 85 and 90 from Ephesus

SETTING: John was an older man and perhaps the only surviving apostle at this time. He had not yet been banished to the island of Patmos, where he would live in exile. As an eyewitness of Christ, he wrote authoritatively to give this new generation of believers assurance and confidence in God and their new faith.

LAW THEMES: Sin; walking in darkness or light; God’s commands; hatred; death; deceit; antichrist(s); love one another; lawlessness; deceivers; wicked works; imitate God, not evil.

GOSPEL THEMES: Christ, the atoning sacrifice; our advocate; eternal life; God perfects His love in us; light; born of God; children of God; truth; fellowship; reward; abiding in Christ’s teachings; Christ has come in the flesh.

SPECIAL FEATURES: John is the apostle of love, and love is mentioned throughout this letter. There are a number of similarities between this letter and John’s Gospel—in vocabulary, style, and main ideas. John uses simple words and brief statements, and he features sharp contrasts—light and darkness, truth and error, God and Satan, life and death, love and hate.

And here are the vital stats for 2 John:

PURPOSE: To emphasize the basics of following Christ—truth and love—and to warn against false teachers

AUTHOR: The apostle John

TO WHOM WRITTEN: To “the chosen lady” and her children—or possibly to a local church, and all believers everywhere.

DATE WRITTEN: About the same time as 1 John around 90 A.D. from Ephesus

SETTING: Evidently this woman and her family were involved in one of the churches that John was overseeing—they had developed a strong friendship with John. John was warning her of the false teachers who were becoming prevalent in some of the churches.
LAW THEMES; see above

GOSPEL THEMES: see above

KEY VERSE: “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love” (verse 6)