The Model Prayer (Lord's Prayer) Chart

Here is the chart I compiled based upon my 6 week Bible study of the Lord's Prayer as taken from the Gospel of Matthew. Those who have been watching or listening to the study may find it easier to print or download the chart from here. Below the picture there is a link to the file.

Link to Printable document

If you would like to see the videos that go along with the 6 week study please contact me via email and links for each of the 6 lessons will be emailed to you.

TAKE TIME: Off!

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Do NOT take time off from reading your Bible! As a matter of fact, today would be a good day to begin reading a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs: 31 chapters, 31 days.

But the TAKE TIME schedule is taking some time off.

This is a very busy time of the year. And if you are anything like me you get behind sometimes.

I'm behind. (You've probably noticed that.)

The schedule will resume on December 30 with the book of Song of Solomon.
 (Check the yearly chronological schedule above to see what follows I Kings 11. It will also show that we covered in 47 weeks the equivalent of what Take Ten readers read through June 15th of their Old Testament assignment.)

Remember that the point of reading the Bible is not to be able to check off a task accomplished each day. It is to learn more about Jesus.  Instead of doing a poor job in haste it is my desire to take the time to do a proper job of updating the journal without digging the hole further. After all, this is God's Word and I want to handle it respectfully and with proper meditation.

So there will still be frequent journal updates. And I'll probably show-and-tell more about our recent Peru trip, too.  ;)

Futility and Grief: A Study Taken from the Life of Noah

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(This is an edited and rewritten version of an article that previously appeared on this blog.)

FUTILITY AND GRIEF
Have you ever been required to do something that you knew was doomed before you even began? Or something seemed like a good idea at the time but later it became obvious that it was going to fail? Or perhaps through circumstances beyond your control you had to sit on the sidelines watching the game of life instead of participating in it?

This feeling of futility can result in grief which can then lead to depression. It can often be identified when someone throws up his hands in exasperation and says, “What’s the use?” This question signals that the person concludes that further effort is a complete waste of time.

Futility can strike anyone. Some examples are people having a hard time recovering from illness, the elderly who have been confined to hospitals and nursing homes, or preachers who pour their hearts into their ministries but see no evidence of lives being changed. There are many other circumstances that cause it as well.

It is not uncommon for those whose health was once vigorous to reach the point of depression when they become so ill that their recovery, if it comes at all, takes longer than anticipated. Perhaps the rapid advances in the field of medicine have tempted us to believe that almost anything can be cured instantaneously.

A frequent visitor to nursing homes will often hear the complaint, “Why has God left me here? He should take me home because I cannot do anything anymore.” Evidently a person in this predicament can still minister in some way even if it is only to teach the more vigorous people the lessons of patience and grace necessary for completing life's race. This is particularly true of those suffering from dementia.

Other suffering Christians that have their wits can still have a vibrant ministry even though their bodies are failing. They can be the retired soldiers constantly petitioning the Commander-in-Chief on behalf of those on the front lines. Everyone has an assignment from God even when they think they serve no useful purpose.

As a pastor’s wife I have met many families going to and returning from the mission fields. Those going are excited and challenged by their future. Those returning often show signs of depression caused by futility. Can you imagine learning a foreign language as an adult, uprooting your family to an area where the customs and culture are totally unfamiliar and then reaping a spiritual harvest of . . . no one. Not a single convert! This sometimes happens. These feelings are not reserved for those who minister in foreign countries. Many pastors in so-called "Christian" nations reach the same level of frustration when they prepare nourishing spiritual food each week only to see it rejected for worldly junk food.

Noah was just such a preacher. Like the Christians of today, he was only a sinner saved by grace. He believed God and obeyed Him by building the ark to save mankind and the animal kingdom from extinction. According to II Peter 2:5, Noah was preaching as he was building. It is evident that none heeded his message as the only ones who entered the ark were Noah and his immediate family. Preaching to the masses seemed futile, but obeying God is never futile. As a result Noah and his family did not suffer the same fate as the rest of mankind.

We rejoice in the story of Noah’s triumphant salvation from the flood but do we consider what his life was like after it? Noah became a vineyard keeper. Perhaps all those years of preaching without having even one convert tore at this heart and resulted in his drunkenness. Not only did all of his neighbors die a physical death but they died a spiritual one as well! That thought could cause one horrendous case of grief!

Only God and Noah know what went on in Noah’s heart during those years when the earth’s population was sparse and the memory of its former population lived only in his mind. Unlike Adam and Eve who lived alone with just their own family and knew no one else because there was no one else, Noah and his family had encountered many people.

Not only did all of Noah's acquaintances die in the flood as a consequence of rejecting his message, but his own descendants did not take seriously the consequences of disobeying God! The seeds of wickedness found fertile soil almost immediately. About 100 years after the flood Noah's extended family built the Tower of Babel upon the Mesopotamian plains, that monument to man's depravity that necessitated a restraining act of grace by God. This was an event Noah lived long enough to see. In comparison, it took Noah and his immediate family 120 years to build the Ark, that former monument to man's depravity and God's grace.

We preach the same message that Noah preached and work for the same God that he did. The Bible says that we live in a wicked world similar to the days of Noah, and like Noah, those who believe God find grace. There is destruction coming, but God has provided an Ark of safety. It was God’s message in Noah’s day and it is still God’s message today.

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Gal 6:7-10 (KJV)

Perfectionism: A Study Taken From The Life of Eve

This is an edited  and rewritten version of a devotion that I wrote a few years ago for this blog.

PERFECTIONISM

I have always aspired to be Super Mom, the woman who can juggle the needs of husband, children, the ministry, home-schooling, housework, extra-curricular activities, and extended family without breaking into a sweat that could ruin hair and make-up. The problem with aspiring to be a superhero is that as wonderful as it appears in comic books, one does not humanly exist outside the realm of imagination except within the realm of deity.

If my aspiration seems ridiculous then consider the women that you admire. Most likely you also are either envious of someone who seems to be Super Mom or you have taken a composite of several women and designed your own prototype. Her house and yard are always tidy, her children clean and immaculately dressed in clothing she tailor-made, and she herself is always beautiful, smiling, and happy. The meals she fixes are nutritious and economical, yet appealing. If this is your ideal woman, then you really must read in Genesis 3 about the one woman in the Bible who did experience perfection ever so briefly.

Eve was specially created by God to be the wife of the first man, Adam. She did not face some of the challenges we, her daughters, do such as whom to marry, where to live, what to fix for dinner, or what to wear. God had arranged all those details before she ever arrived on the scene.

Eve’s abode was within the self-watering, non-weed producing Garden of Eden. She, her husband, and their children were to have no wardrobe problems. Their food was nutritious and consisted of an ever-abundant supply. Her offspring were always going to be obedient to the point of not experiencing sibling rivalry, and their pets would never scratch or bite. Eve was designed by God to be Super Mom and the ancestress of many like herself.

So what happened?

Satan began to make her question whether or not she had the best of what God had to offer. The perfect woman became convinced that she was not quite perfect enough! If she took just one bite she would become a god herself! The thought of deification appealed to her and she succumbed to the temptation.

I have given into the temptation of trying to become my own god, too. Like what happend to Eve, catastrophic consequences result when I attempt to take on a role that I have no natural power to enforce. I actually cause the opposite to happen than what I desired: I become less Godlike! This sets up a vicious cycle where I feel the need to do more to compensate for being less than a perfect wife and mother.  The more I do, the less Godlike I become making Super Mom status even less obtainable. 

"God must be withholding something good from me," is the lie that Eve believed. It is the lie that every Super Mom believes.

It is time to admit that you are merely human and cannot achieve a godlike status. Try not to worry about what others will think of you when they discover your imperfections. Your failure will never be as notorious as is Eve’s. God inspired hers to be documented through His Word and intended everyone to read it. Failure cannot get more public than that! 

Hang up the Super Mom  costume - no, destroy it completely - and find something more suitable to wear. Unlike the one-size-too-small dress that hangs in your closet waiting for you to lose those extra pounds, the Super Mom costume will never fit no matter what you do.  Instead, Jesus provides a robe of righteousness that fits any Super Mom (or Superman) who is willing to make the trade. Only by His blood will you ever achieve that desired state of perfection. 

While Eve and all Super Moms are guilty of believing a lie, the truth is that God never withholds something good from me, even if it costs Him the Person most dear to Him. He gave Jesus, the only perfect human that ever lived, as a substitute so that Eve and those like her who desire to be like God may achieve the desire of their hearts.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

On October 11, 2014 this blog post was linked to:

October 11,2014

Biblical Timeline: Lamentations

God can take great tragedy and use it to ignite great creativity.

I wonder how many works of prose, poetry, photos, paintings, or other passionate endeavors are the result of the author's or artist's anguish and suffering? Perhaps more than we think.

We fear the valleys we encounter along our spiritual journey, but maybe these are the impetus behind masterpieces. Inserted into our reading of the book of Jeremiah is the prophet's other work, the book of Lamentations. Written at a time of great sorrow, the Holy Spirit uses the grief of the "weeping prophet" to artistically compose 5 poems. I suspect this isn't unusual.

The book of Lamentations is not usually recognized by readers as being a collection of acrostic poetry because it does not maintain its alphabetical integrity when translated from Hebrew into other languages. Unlike the segments of Psalm 119 which show each corresponding letter of the Hebrew alphabet (22 of them), Jeremiah's poems do not. Actually, chapter 5 is not an alphabetically ordered acrostic like the other 4 chapters. Also chapter 3 does not end in 22 verses, one verse per letter, but is composed of 66 verses, a trilogy of three verses per letter.

As horrible as the situation was that Jeremiah witnessed, he did not abandon his faith in God. "Great is thy faithfulness" (3:23) is the basis for his own hope and the inspiration for Chisholm's great hymn by the same name.

Also, contrast Jeremiah's reproach in 2:15, "All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?"  with what the psalmist, David, wrote in Psalm 48:

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. . . . Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughter of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments." (verses 1-5, 11)

 

As you read, remind yourself of the devastation that Jeremiah witnessed. This was war in all of its ugliness. He had been warning the kings of Judah for 40 years that it was coming and he had also privately counseled King Zedekiah how to avoid the razing of the city when that king sought word from the Lord but to no avail. After the city fell, the dead lay in the street, the royal family was abused, the city burned. Jerusalem, the city that Jesus would later stand and cry over, was a vivid illustration that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

 

The time of the last campaign and final destruction of the city of Jerusalem by Babylon was in July and August 586 B.C.  These mourning poems would most likely have been completed between that time and a few years later when Jeremiah was forced to accompany other exiles into Egypt.

 

 

Sources: as always, I have used notes from The Open Bible and The MacArthur Study Bible when preparing this synopsis. This time they were useful for understanding the acrostic poem format of the book. The devotional material and scripture comparisons are my own.



Blind Love and Blessings: Mirror, Mirror . . .

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Sometime during the week after my hair came out in the shower I found myself sitting in front of a mirror behind a curtain in a specialty wig shop. Thanks to my husband’s affiliation with the AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY someone was able to provide us with contact information to a discreet professional who was part of the program known as “Look Good, Feel Better.”

As I looked at myself in that mirror I found it hard to see anything through my tears. Actually, I was sobbing uncontrollably. I think that day was the worst day of the whole alopecia ordeal for me. First I was crying because of the grief that “it has come to this” and I was crying because I was ashamed of my own selfishness. Unlike most of the other women who had sat in that chair I did not have cancer, so what right did I have to cry? (I have since learned that hair loss is one of the major traumas affecting cancer patients but I’ll discuss that in a future article.)

In those days I wore my hair long. Well, shoulder length, which was long enough to be pulled into a pony tail. It had served me well through the first 6 ½ years of suffering with this autoimmune system disorder but a pony tail could do nothing now to hide the large horse-shoe shaped spot on the crown of my head.

The woman who ran the shop was truly a professional: very compassionate and sympathetic. She helped me find a bob in a color similar to my natural shade and then she thinned it so that it wouldn’t look like I had suddenly developed a luxuriant mane! She told me I looked like I had just had my own hair cut and highlighted. I guess I did because when I got home that’s what my children thought had happened.

Shortly thereafter I did go see my hairdresser and have my real hair cut and colored so that I could go back and forth between either wearing one of several face-saver caps that I owned over my real hair or wearing the wig. This either-or arrangement worked well for many years. Whenever my own hair grew back in the bare spots I had it color-treated and no one was any the wiser. (Except for that one time I had a reaction to the chemicals and I came out of the process with fire engine red hair! No matter how much Lisa begged me to keep it that way I decided the whole punk rock look just wasn’t my style. It did provide one of the more light-hearted moments in the whole alopecia saga, however.)

One day several years later when going through a particularly horrible attack I saw my face in the mirror and thought, “How can my husband bear to even look at me? I don’t look anything like the woman he married!” There are probably very few women in America over 30 who look like they did at 18 (there are exceptions, some of which are in my own family) but the thought that this grotesque individual was the first thing my husband saw first thing every morning was enough to reduce me to tears again. In a realistic moment I realized that if I saw my most trusted girlfriends as they rolled out of bed sans make-up each morning I probably would not recognize them either and that was some comfort. Most of the women I know do whatever it takes to make the façade presentable before facing the public!

While I stood there at that mirror peering at my image I felt God speaking to me through scriptures that He brought to mind. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) And again, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”  (Isaiah 61:10) I also thought about the Christian’s armor that Paul described in Ephesians 6. The point those scriptures make is that in its natural state my spiritual appearance is filthy, too, but once I was cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ my appearance became beautiful and righteous before my God.

This made sense to me. The persons or Persons who know my condition(s) the best love me the most because they see me with my adornments and not in my wretchedness. My husband doesn’t think of me in terms of my natural appearance. He sees the woman he loves as the one that everyone else sees.

I know that when God looks at me He doesn’t see me for what I really am either. He sees me clothed in the righteousness of Jesus! The mirror of His word tells me that I was a vile and disgusting sinner before the transformation took place but once the washing cleansed me Jesus was able to present me to the Father. What an awesome thought!

Mirrors are still a very important part of my arsenal. I try to keep one handy in case I need to make a quick adjustment to my appearance. I find that I must also keep my spiritual mirror – my Bible – handy to point out any adjustments that need to be made there, too.

To my husband I’m his beloved. To my God I’m accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6) That’s what I try to see whenever I look at myself in the mirror.

Hearing A Voice

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The Voice of A Loved One

“Hi! I just called to . . .” This is the way several of the people I love start their phone conversations. I know which loved one it is by his or her voice.

Until several years ago when Pastor Dad served on a sequestered jury we had never gone a day without hearing each other’s voice even when separated by many miles. Comfort is found in hearing a loved one’s voice and it goes beyond what text messages or emails provide. Hearing a voice gives even distant relationships a certain in-the-same-room quality.

My sister-in-law was telling me recently that she is so thankful to have recordings of her husband’s voice. She needs the peace that comes from hearing the familiar tone and intonations of her beloved who is waiting for her in eternity.

I understand that need. I remember as a child my grief when I realized that I could no longer remember the sound of my grandpa’s voice. I wish we had recorded it but back then we were just impressed to be able to make home movies, a major technological advance over still photos! Sound recorders were tape machines that were bigger than the speakers that hang from most church auditoriums and most people did not have access to them.

Obviously, hearing the voice of someone we love is comforting because of the relationship between the speaker and the hearer. Some voices are just music to our ears, as the cliché says.

The scriptures tell us that Jesus’ sheep hear his voice and follow him. We don’t hear him audibly like John, the beloved apostle did, but we hear by reading His words. By doing so we are able to discern direction for our lives, both for this temporal one and the eternal one to come.

The Voice of an Imitator

Sometimes our hearing is faulty. In a world of constant noise and confusion it is often difficult to tell if the voice we hear is that of our Shepherd. There are also some good imitations out there.

As I recently watched a cartoon movie with my grandson I was certain that I knew the voice behind one of the characters. I was surprised to see another name listed in the credits. I had others watch and then quizzed them on the identity of the voice. Their guesses were the same as mine. We were all fooled.

Our children tell a story about when Philip would call our house and mistakenly think he was talking to Karen. It wasn’t until Lisa gave herself away by laughing that he knew that the voice on the other end of the line was not that of his fiancée.

As Christians we can also be fooled by voices that sound almost identical to our beloved Shepherd’s. Satan provides an almost exact imitation in order to confuse the sheep. He tried the same trick by twisting scripture ever so slightly with the Shepherd Himself during the wilderness temptation. But the Word that became flesh and dwelt among men was not fooled and neither will we be if we search the scriptures like the believers in Berea did to determine what they really say.

Read your Bible daily. It is how the Shepherd talks to His sheep. Only by being familiar with God’s Word will the sheep be able to recognize His voice. Christians who study their Bible might still be fooled by a fake voice sometimes but the voice of the Shepherd will soon be heard calling over the sound of mayhem if their hearing is checked by the Word.

Those Without Ears to Hear

If you call yourself a Christian you might want to check to be sure you are interested in hearing what the Shepherd has to say. Are you interested in reading the Bible, God’s Word? If not perhaps Jesus is not your shepherd after and you have no ears to hear. When you really love someone you will want to hear his or her voice as much as possible.

Bible Reading Schedule for June 4-10, 2012

June 4-10, 2012

Monday, June 4, 2012

II Samuel 11-13

Colossians 1

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

II Samuel 14, 15

Colossians 2, 3

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

II Samuel 16-18

Colossians 4

Thursday, June 7, 2012

II Samuel 19, 20

Philemon

Friday, June 8, 2012

II Samuel 21, 22

I Timothy 1, 2

Saturday, June 9, 2012

II Samuel 23, 24

I Timothy 3, 4

Sunday, June 10, 2012
No scheduled readings; if necessary use the day to catch up if you are behind
ATTEND CHURCH!

Thursday Tune-up: Mid-year Reminder

Remember those New Year's Resolutions you made back at the end of December, 2011? I hate to alarm you, but that was 5 months ago! How are you doing with them?

Yeah, me too.

Or at least, that's the way it has been with some of my goals. There are things I wanted to do that I haven't done yet but there are other things that are becoming part of the fabric of my life. Let me review a few of my "successful" resolutions:

• Sing solos in church. Check. (The most recent time was last Sunday morning.)
• Ride my bike more than I did last year. Check. (Pastor Dad and I biked 11 miles this past Tuesday and yet we were still able to retain the ability to walk without wincing (Win-win!). Since we didn't even take the bikes off the ceiling mounts in 2011 this goal has already been completed. Every bike ride we take the rest of this year is considered a BONUS!)
• Regularly read my Bible. Check. (Keeping up with the schedule!)

Okay, I'm not even going to list the things that haven't come to fruition yet. I need to get busy on them in the 7 months that are still left in 2012.

What about you? Have you kept up with your Bible reading? If not, I can help. You can begin ANYTIME to read your Bible and with summer reading programs kicking off perhaps this would be the optimal time for you to add daily Bible reading to your routine. It is a lie to think you need to wait until January 1, 2013 to try again!

If you'd like to receive a yearly schedule designed to run from June 1, 2012 - May 31, 2013 sign up for the weekly email containing the week's assigned passages. Like the regular 2012 schedule there will be no reading on Sunday. But for this schedule there will be a highlighted verse that you might want to memorize or meditate on all week.

Or if you prefer, you can take 18 (actually, 19) months to read through the Bible. This choice is for those who do not want to read both Old Testament and New Testament passages simultaneously and would prefer to have no assignments on Sundays or holidays (hence the need for 19 months). This schedule is designed for June 1, 2012 - December 31, 2013 and will be sent each week by email.

Contact me by email if you wish to sign up.  Tell me which plan you want to receive. It is not necessary to give your name or in any way to reveal your identity. I will not use your email address for any other purpose than the weekly delivery of the assigned reading.

Timeline for Samuel and Romans

This week we continue in the same books that we began last week, the Old Testament book of I Samuel and the New Testament book of Romans. Is anyone besides me being blessed by reading Romans?! Wow!!!! Yes, I read it every year, but still, "Wow!!!!" What an encouragement to be more like Jesus!

Since I've mentioned Romans let's begin our synopsis there. This Pauline epistle was written near the end of Paul's third missionary journey, perhaps while Paul was in Greece (Acts 20:2-3). It's spot on the timeline would be about AD 57. Paul gave this letter to a woman named Phebe (Romans 16:1, 2) to deliver. As Lockyer's book, All the Women of the Bible, suggests Phebe (or Phoebe, as is the modernized spelling) was a woman Paul held in high esteem as evidenced by his glowing description of her and the fact that he trusted her with this important missive.

At the time of this writing, Paul had not been to Rome. The theme of the letter (doctrinal teaching) would suggest that he did not know many, if any, of the recipients personally and therefore was undertaking the task of educating them through writing.



Our other scheduled book, I Samuel, is one of two named for the beloved (and last) judge of Israel who reluctantly assisted the nation into transitioning into a monarchy. I Samuel is a historical book that was in part authored by the man for whom it was named. Of course, he did not write the book in its entirety because his own death is recorded in chapter 25. The complete book itself may have been compiled by Levitical scribes many years later but it seems probable that Samuel's notes and writings would be used.

Therefore, the date of the writing and the time of the events told in this history are not synonymous. This book was probably compiled after Israel and Judah were divided following the Rehoboam-Jeroboam confrontation. The events themselves  begin with Samuel's birth which occurred during the time of the judges. The timeline of Jones in his volume The Chronology of the Old Testament places Samuel's birth at approximately 1150 BC.  He also places the reign of Saul at 1095-1055 BC. The death of Israel's first king and the heir apparent are the final events of the book.

Bible Reading Schedule: May 21-27, 2012

May 21-27, 2012

Monday, May 21, 2012

I Samuel 14, 15

Romans 10, 11

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

I Samuel 16, 17

Romans 12, 13

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

I Samuel 18, 19

Romans 14, 15

Thursday, May 24, 2012

I Samuel 20, 21

Romans 16

Friday, May 25, 2012

I Samuel 22-24

Acts 21, 22

Saturday, May 26, 2012

I Samuel 25, 26

Acts 23, 24

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Attend church!

Catch up any readings that were missed.

Bible Reading Schedule: May 14-20, 2012

May 14-20, 2012

Monday, May 14, 2012

Ruth 3, 4

Romans 1, 2

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

I Samuel 1, 2

Romans 3, 4

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

I Samuel 3-5

Romans 5

Thursday, May 17, 2012

I Samuel 6-8

Romans 6

Friday, May 18, 2012

I Samuel 9, 10

Romans 7, 8

Saturday, May 19, 2012

I Samuel 11-13

Romans 9

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Attend church!

Catch up any readings that were missed.

Tuesday's Timeline: Let's Get Caught Up!

Four books will be highlighted today even though one of them has already been completed on the reading schedule.  (Sorry about that! But I hope all have kept up with their reading.)

Let's look at the Old Testament Timeline first. 

As we made our way into the book of Joshua we had just completed the Pentateuch which concluded the transfer of leadership to Joshua the son of Nun (descendant of Joseph through the tribe of Ephraim; see Numbers 13:8 and I Chronicles 7:22-27). I am always momentarily sad whenever I read of Moses' final good-by to the Children of Israel, his ascent up Mount Nebo, and his viewing of the Promised Land from the heights before his death, but the sadness gives way to thankfulness as I remember that God did not leave His people without a guide (even the name Joshua means "Jehovah saves"[1]) and that Moses' ascent went much higher than Mount Nebo that day as he was taken to the very presence of his friend, Jehovah. The impatient me grieves that Moses didn't get to go with this new nation into the land of Israel but the patient me that has 20/20 vision knows that Moses' feet did touch the Promised Land when he met with Jesus there on the Mount of Transfiguration.

With that in mind let's first survey Joshua. 

Joshua

If you are still keeping a timeline, and I hope you are, the year would be approximately 1451 BC or about 2550 years after the world's creation on a strict, literal timeline based upon events and dates given by Moses in the first five books of the Old Testament.  Joshua died at the age of 110 (Joshua 24:29) which would have occurred in approximately 1424 BC[2].

With the exception of the passage that details Joshua's death, it is believed that Joshua was the author of this history. Actually, Joshua was probably the author of the last few chapters of Deuteronomy that dealt with the death of Moses as well. Someone like Samuel probably added the last few verses to the book of Joshua.

The history given in the book tells of the seven years of conquest with the resulting land division. The spiritual description tells us of the failures of the Israelites to rid the land of its idolatrous inhabitants. Bible readers know that this sets the stage for the book of Judges.

Judges

After the death of Joshua the people had no strong leader. This was meant to be a good thing as the LORD Himself intended them to follow Him and Him only. We are told that the people served the LORD during Joshua's lifetime and that of the elders that had experienced the miraculous events of the conquest (Joshua 24:31) but that once that generation had died their offspring did not follow the Lord but worshipped the idols of the people they had allowed to remain in the land (Judges 2:6-13). Thus began the cycle of sin, slavery, and salvation (or degradation, depression, and deliverance) for which the book is known. The people turned from God, He punished them, they repented, and He sent someone to deliver them from their predicament. Oh, how like these people I am!

As for our timeline, we can put the date of the events that transpired from about 1425 BC to at least 300+ years later (see Judges 11:26).  This all fits within the framework that Paul gave for the 450 years in Acts 13:20. I Kings 6:1 tells us that construction on Temple began 480 years after the Children of Israel left Egypt and in the fourth year of Solomon's reign.  Using the date of 1491 BC as the Exodus and 1451 as the entry into Canaan we can date Jephthah's war with the Ammonites at about 1152 BC. We also know that the Philistines ruled over the Israelites for 40 years (Judges 13:1).  Added to the years that Jephthah judged, which were six, we can add the 40 years to see that the judges listed in this book judged until about 1095 BC which would be about the time that Samuel anointed Saul to be king. Add the 40 years of Saul's reign plus the 40 years of David's reign with the 396 years from the Exodus to the coronation of Saul, which ended the period of the judges, you will arrive at 476 years. Add to that to the 4 years of Solomon's reign when he began Temple construction and you will arrive at 480 years. (See resource #2 for a discussion of the 450 year period of judges.)

The main narrative that is the skeleton of the timeline ends with the death of Samson in chapter 16. Since it is believed that Samuel was the author of Judges it would be likely that he was led of the Holy Spirit to add the story of Micah and the idolatry of the tribe of Dan in chapters 17 and 18 to explain Samson's way of life. Chapter 19 sets the stage for the introduction of the lineage of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin in I Samuel. Samuel himself was the judge that followed Samson. It isn't stated which generation in Saul's family tree had to capture his wife from the women of Jabesh-gilead or the daughters of Shiloh that came out to dance but it is for certain that one did (see I Sam. 9:1 for Saul's lineage back as far as Aphiah, Saul's 3rd great-grandfather).

But before we get ahead of ourselves - and our reading schedule - let's take a look at the story of Ruth.

Ruth

Whereas King Saul's lineage merited the disgraceful last chapter of the book of Judges, King David's family history is told in the beautiful book of Ruth. This story also took place during the time of the judges. Boaz and Ruth were the great-grandparents of King David and this Boaz was the son of Nahshon and his wife, Rahab, the former harlot from Jericho.

Already it can be seen that this is a story of grace. Although David was of the tribe of Judah, his family tree included the former idolaters, Rahab the prostitute and Ruth the Moabitess. It's the story that explains to us the work of the kinsman-redeemer which would ultimately be fulfilled in their descendant Jesus (a word that means that same as Joshua: Jehovah saves).

The book of Judges might be labeled a tragedy. If Ruth were classical literature it would be labeled a comedy. After the depressing ending of the book of Judges, when every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25) give thanks for the book of Ruth where we find that "blessed be the LORD, which hath not left [us] this day without a kinsman (which means "redeemer'), that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of they life, . . ." (Ruth 4:14,15

*******

And finally, we will look at our New Testament book.

II Corinthians

This second letter to the church at Corinth was written while Paul was somewhere in the Macedonian region, possibly Philippi. It was not written much later than his first letter to them; perhaps about one year later. This would put the time of writing as approximately AD 56[3].

In his first letter Paul had used harsh words with the believers that made up the church at Corinth and in this second letter he rejoiced to hear that the notorious fornicator had repented. But he was sad to hear that the man was suffering much grief from his guilt. Paul encouraged them to welcome the man back with love and forgiveness.

Some of the other issues that Paul wrote about in this letter were false teachers who were trying to turn the people from their faith by insulting the character of Paul, collecting offerings for the poor at Jerusalem, defense of his apostleship, and the exhortation to avoid carnality. He stated his intention to come to see them again for the third time and warns them that he will not be gentle in his rebuke if they refuse to change from their wicked ways.

*******

Sources:

[1] The MacArthur Study Bible,  commentary by Dr. John MacArthur for the book of Joshua

[2] The Chronology of the Old Testament, by Dr. Floyd Nolen Jones, explanations for Chart 4

[3] The Open Bible, Thomas Nelson publishers, various commentators, notes for II Corinthians



The Consolidated "Everything" Post

Getting things posted lately has been a task of mega proportions. Getting ready for a new grandchild, having a new grandchild, helping with the new grandchild's older brother, holding my new grandchild as much as possible, Easter preparations, and waiting while the electric company trapped another squirrel who could turn the gerbil wheel that generates the power to our home all worked against getting this blog updated recently. Okay, I made that last reason up, but it sure seemed to take a long time for them to fix the power outage last week!

Anyway . . . this post covers material that would have appeared last Tuesday (April 3), Saturday (April 7), Monday (April 9), and yesterday so go get a snack and settle into a comfortable chair because this is gonna be a long one.  :)

April 9-15, 2012

Monday, April 9, 2012

Deuteronomy 9, 10

Acts 17

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Deuteronomy 11-13

I Thessalonians 1

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Deuteronomy 14-16

I Thessalonians 2

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Deuteronomy 17-19

I Thessalonians 3

Friday, April 13, 2012

Deuteronomy 20-22

I Thessalonians 4

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Deuteronomy 23-25

I Thessalonians 5

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Attend church!

Catch up any readings that were missed.

* * * * * *

Memory Verses

I omitted Galatians 2:20 from last week's list so add it as one of the possibilities this week.

Here are a few verses from this week's reading schedule that you might like to memorize:

• Deuteronomy 10:12
• Deuteronomy 11:19-21
• Acts 17:3
• Acts 17:24-28
• I Thessalonians 4:13-18
• I Thessalonians 5:2
• I Thessalonians 5:1-8

* * * * * *

Timeline

1. We finished reading Numbers and began Deuteronomy last week. This book was written to the younger generation of Israelites as they prepared to take possession of the Promised Land by Moses immediately prior to his death. It was a repetition of the Law, hence the name Deuteronomy, which means "second law" although technically it was not a "second" law but the same that their now-deceased fathers received.

On the timeline of events this book would cover the last month of Moses' life and would have been written in approximately 1400 BC. Most of the Jews at that time were less than 60 years old since anyone over the age of 20 years died in the wilderness after rebelling when the original spies returned with their report. The exceptions were Moses, Joshua, and Caleb but even Moses was about to die at the age of 120 due to his own disobedience. Joshua and Caleb were the only "senior citizens" of the Children of Israel allowed to inherit land in Canaan.

2. In the New Testament we read Paul's epistle to the Galatians following Acts chapter 16 where we were introduced to them during his missionary journey. Paul mentioned in Galatians chapter 1 that he was amazed at how quickly the churches in that region turned from the teaching of grace to that of a perverted gospel.

There are two trains of thought concerning the time that this letter was written. The early theory places the time of writing at about the same time that James wrote his letter to the scattered Jews (c. AD 49) and the later theory places it just a few years afterward (c. AD 55). It is positioned in the schedule according to the early theory.

One of the things that I find interesting about Galatians from a historical perspective is that Paul gave a timeline of his own ministry in chapters 1 and 2 that helps us understand the passing of the years in the book of Acts. He also told of the 430 years between the time that God gave His covenant to Abraham and its fulfilment. We're reading about the fulfilling of that covenant now in our Old Testament assignments.

3. This week we began reading First Thessalonians, which is a letter written by the Apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We read of the missionary journeys to the area in the early part of Acts 17. Not only did Paul and Silas minister in the seaport city of Thessalonica, but Timothy did also (I Thes 3:2). Paul and Silas were run out of town (Acts 17:1-10 and I Thes. 2:12) but they sent Timothy back to establish a church there. The date that has been given for the writing of this epistle is circa AD 51.

I Thessalonians contains some of the most precious scriptures given for understanding the hope that we have of seeing our deceased loved ones again.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Hallelujah! Amen!

Bible Reading Schedule: March 26 - April 1, 2012

March 26 -April 1, 2012

Monday, March 26, 2012

Numbers 15, 16

Acts 11, 12

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Numbers 17-19

James 1

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Numbers 20, 21

James 2, 3

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Numbers 22, 23

James 4, 5

Friday, March 30, 2012

Numbers 24-26

Acts 13

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Numbers 27-29

Acts 14

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Attend church!

Catch up any readings that were missed.

Wednesday Wisdom: Learning A Lesson About Fear From Pepper

Our dog, Pepper, doesn't "speak" in the usual doggy way, meaning that we can't get her to bark on command. Who am I kidding? We can't get her to not bark on command either. And yet, God used Pepper to speak to me last week.

Pepper has a fear of thunderstorms. She desperately searches for places to hide or finds someone to hold her while she shakes uncontrollably. Neither hiding nor holding provides her much comfort, but it's all she knows. And being a dog, any attempt to reason with her is useless, although I do the best I can when circumstances demand it.

One morning as I sat on the couch reading I suddenly found myself holding the shaking Pepper whose alert canine ears heard the approaching thunderstorm moments before the tell-tale bass-throated rumbles reached my inferior human ones. She laid her head on my chest, her eyes pleading with me for comfort.

"It's okay, Pepper," I soothed. "It will soon be over. I know you don't understand what's going on, but it won't be as bad as you think. And I'm here."

About that time I felt an uncomfortable stirring in my soul. I have things that I fear, too. It isn't the storms supplied by the weather that frighten me as much as the storms of life.

Just like Pepper has a master that helps her through chaotic weather I have a Master who helps me survive the upsets of my life. At the moment that I was mouthing words of consolation to my dog I felt as though my Master was saying the same thing to me, "It's okay, daughter. It will soon be over. I know you don't understand what's going on, but it won't be as bad as you think. And I'm here," as He held me near His heart and looked into my pleading eyes.

My Master understands what I don't. He knows that nothing I encounter is ever quite as bad as I think it is and He is always there to help me through any difficult situation. I'm sorry Pepper had to be frightened by another thunderstorm but glad that He used her fear to speak to me about my own.

Bible Reading Schedule: March 19-25, 2012

March 19-25, 2012

Monday, March 19, 2012

Numbers 1-3

Acts 1

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Numbers 4, 5

Acts 2, 3

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Numbers 6, 7

Acts 4, 5

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Numbers 8, 9

Acts 6, 7

Friday, March 23, 2012

Numbers 10-12

Acts 8

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Numbers 13, 14

Acts 9, 10

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Attend church!

Catch up any readings that were missed.

Wednesday Wisdom: When Real Life Mimics Jesus' Parables

This past weekend the Bible reading schedule (which can be found at the tab above) found us reading three parables in Luke chapter 15: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Jesus told these three parables as a means of getting across one message about rejoicing when the valuable lost is found. I wish to tell you three parables (actually, real stories) about something or someone lost.

Parable 1
See the picture of the bank envelope above? It once held cash that we received from our bank. Specifically, it held several $20 bills that The Bear needed to pay for his expenses while traveling to a distant tournament with his basketball team over Christmas break. I handed him the envelope on the way to meet his ride. We made one stop along the way at a sandwich shop to buy lunch.

Thirty minutes later we met his team at the designated meeting place. When the Bear got out of the car he decided to look through his bags one last time to make certain that he had everything he needed. He didn't. The money envelope was gone!

Need I describe the panic in those moments? Probably not. We unpacked everything. We almost turned the car upside down during the search, but it had disappeared.

His coach was anxious to get on the road but The Bear couldn't leave without money so we made arrangements to meet them a few minutes after going to a distant bank branch for more money. A very distraught and embarrassed Bear then left on the trip with his team while Pastor Dad and I made the journey home.

We decided to call the sandwich shop to ask if they had found the envelope in the store. Funny thing, though. I couldn't find the receipt! Evidently it had been tossed out with the sandwich remnants during the frantic search through luggage and car.

As foolish as it sounds, we drove back to the sandwich shop anyway. By this time over 90 minutes had passed since we had been there with The Bear. As we drove into the parking lot my eye caught sight of the envelope lying in the parking lot right in front of the restaurant door. Anyone that had gone into that sandwich shop or the barber shop next door had walked past it without bothering to pick it up. Needless to say, we were overjoyed at finding our lost money!


Parable 2
The first Sunday in March one of the ladies from our church had a flat tire in the afternoon on a busy viaduct with very little emergency pull off shoulder. She was concerned about her safety as she sat there barely off the road while the traffic rushed past at moderately high speed. That night she told me about her scary adventure.

We were in the nursery together the following Wednesday night. She told me that the day after the tire blowout she realized that she had lost her wedding ring. It had not been found even though she had searched her car, clothing, and personal belongings. She was understandably upset. There wasn't much I could do except to ask a few questions to help jog her memory of the events of that day. She remembered the last time she could verify having it on her finger but from that point forward her memory was not clear.

I began praying that Wednesday evening that she would find her ring. I asked her this past Sunday if she had found it. Her dejected "No" made me sad, both because she hadn't found it and because I had reminded her of the empty space on her finger. I told her I wouldn't ask again but that if she found it I would like to know. Yesterday I received the phone call from one very excited lady telling me that she had unexpectedly come across her ring in the bottom of a bag! I was happy but she was elated!


Parable 3
At the beginning of the year those of us who asked for them received index cards containing the names of teenagers that have attended our evangelistic outreach at least once this year. I don't know all of these young people because I work in a separate area of the building each Wednesday when these services are held, but I am acquainted with a few of the teens whose names are on my card. It is a little harder to pray for those that I don't know because their spiritual needs are unknown to me but the fact that the Lord knows their circumstances is enough.

A few weeks ago we had a workers' meeting which I attended because I am a van captain. This meeting concerned teens that were disruptive and would no longer be allowed to attend due to their behavior, some of which crossed the line into criminal. That's no exaggeration. I was saddened to see that the name of one of the boys on my prayer list is also on the expelled list. I was even more saddened to hear that he is one of the ringleaders.

So what does this third story have to do with the parables that Jesus told? Well, these days I'm feeling a tiny bit like the man who stood watching the road for a wayward boy who needed to repent. As happy as I am to have found that lost money envelope and to have a friend find her lost wedding ring these pale to insignificance to this lost young man that needs to be found so I'm praying. . . and I'm waiting on the Lord. He's the only one who can make valuable lost souls be found.

Timeline Tuesday: The Acts of the Apostles

source: clipartchristiansunite.com

Early next week we will begin reading two new books on the same day: Numbers in the Old Testament and Acts in the New Testament. We'll discuss Numbers next week. Today let's look at a brief preview of the Acts of the Apostles.

Luke, the beloved physician, was the author of two New Testament books, Luke and Acts.When we have finished our reading of the Gospel According to Luke later this week we will have completed all 4 gospel accounts. We'll transition from Luke's first book into his second, both of which were addressed to the same man by the name of Theophilus. Luke's first book, the gospel account, was written about the acts of Jesus. His second book was written to tell of the acts of the apostles following Jesus' Ascension.

As far as chronology, Acts most probably was not one of the earliest New Testament books written, but I have made it the historical skeleton upon which to hang the epistles that follow. I find that having the reading of the epistles inserted into its framework helps me study the background within the context better. I hope it will help you as well but be forewarned that we will be jumping about a bit in our New Testament study! We will not actually finish reading the book until the last week of June.

The book of Acts was probably written before several important events including the Fall of Jerusalem in AD 70; the death by martyrdom of James, the half-brother of Jesus and the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, in AD 62 (according to Josephus); and the death of the Apostle Paul but it encompasses several years, including the missionary journeys.

Thursday's Tune-Up: The Journey is as Important as the Destination

Mapping out the route for a trip is as necessary as knowing where you want to be when you arrive. There are some places you might wish to avoid along the way even if they are the shortest distance to the desired location. Conversely, there might be some things that you wish to experience along the way even if it means slower results.

Goal setting is very similar. Whenever we make goals it is because we have a set outcome in mind. This is a good thing, but it is not the only thing. The steps we utilize to get there are also important. As is often quoted, "The end does not justify the means."

It isn't enough to want to lose weight. The program you follow to get there should be somewhat enjoyable and it should definitely be healthy. Starvation can cause rapid weight loss but it is hardly the route anyone should take to meet the goal.

It isn't enough to want to participate in more recreational activities. Reorganizing leisure time so what you have might be used for new activities can be helpful. Quitting gainful employment in order to spend each day riding bike trails is probably not a good idea.

We all know these things, you say, and that's probably true. Funny that what we know about travel, weight loss, and leisure doesn't always translate into another one of our yearly goals, that of reading the Bible! Here's one of those journey/destination conundrums relating to it:

It isn't enough to want to read through the Bible in a year's time. Incorporating God's teachings into your life and allowing them to mold you into the image of Christ is the proper technique. Reading for the sake of putting check marks on a schedule is not.

Prayerfully look over your goals and map out the route to achieve them. Make the journey as important as the final destination!

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers* only, deceiving your own selves.      James 1:22 (KJV)

*Since many of us have our own copies of the Word of God and most did not in the time of James because the canon was not complete "hearers" would include "readers" as well.