Scheduled Reading:
Matthew 1:1; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:1-80; John 1:1-18
Did you notice that both Zechariah and Mary had a questions for Gabriel following his startling birth announcement? Zechariah asked "How can I be certain of this since my barren wife and I am old..." and Mary asked "How can this be, since I am a virgin..." But did you also notice that Gabriel had two very different reactions to the similar questions? Zechariah heard from an indignant warrior angel who pronounced him mute from that moment until the moment the promise was to be fulfilled. Mary experienced a patient teacher who carefully explained what Mary needed to know. Perhaps this warrants a closer look.
What do the two questions imply?
Zechariah's "how can I be certain..." demonstrates a lack of... well, certainty! Zechariah is not confident in either the accuracy of the message or the authenticity of the messenger. I can almost imagine Gabriel's incredulous reaction....
"Do you know who I am?? Was anyone else in here when you came in? Did you see me come in?? I am GABRIEL! HELLO! I have just been dispatched from the THRONE OF HEAVEN! ALMIGHTY GOD sent me to tell you this great news - and YOU are not CERTAIN as to whether I am for real???"
Compare that to Mary's "how will this happen?" Her question doesn't appear to be motivated from a skeptical heart. Instead, she implied that she was confident in the outcome. She was just perplexed as to how God was going to accomplish this in her. Regardless of her understanding, she was ready and willing to serve the Lord according to His will. Gabriel gave her what information she needed to know - information that would help her avoid her ancestor's mistake - - Abraham when he fathered Ishmael because he lost patience with the promise he believed by faith.
So what can we take away from this little noticed dichotomy? Never question God? Hardly. Both had questions. God has little patience for skeptical faith? That's probably more like it. Its not that we have to understand the HOW of everything God promises to do. But is that we are to be CERTAIN he WILL do everything He promises to do.
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Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year New Plan
This Blog is a work in progress. I started out trying to provide a daily devotional to supplement my church members' Bible reading schedule as we worked our way through the Bible in one year. Unfortunately, I didn't think about doing this until well into the year. So I initially planned to continue the devotionals after December and into the new year until I had devotionals for one full year. Then come about November a hectic pace sapped me of time for creative thought and the blog became sidelined.
Then, also in November, our staff really wanted to offer the challenge again since so many members provided such positive feedback over the experience. But this year we scaled the challenge back a little in an effort to encourage the success participation of more people.
So now I am excited to be a part of our challenge to read the New Testament through in a year. I have developed a schedule that will walk readers through the Gospels Parallel (or harmonized) between January through Easter (Late April). Then from May through December, we will read the remaining Epistles at a rate of a chapter a day. The entire schedule encompasses Monday through Friday readings, leaving the weekends free for catch up, getting ahead, or supplemental reading.
A schedule can be downloaded from our website at www.fbcsulphur.org. Look for the challenge anouncement on the left side, click it, and download the PDF of the schedule.
This year, I will attempt to provide regular supplemental devotional thoughts along the way. I'm not promising daily offerings, but I will give it my best shot!
Thanks for following!
Tom Bruce
Then, also in November, our staff really wanted to offer the challenge again since so many members provided such positive feedback over the experience. But this year we scaled the challenge back a little in an effort to encourage the success participation of more people.
So now I am excited to be a part of our challenge to read the New Testament through in a year. I have developed a schedule that will walk readers through the Gospels Parallel (or harmonized) between January through Easter (Late April). Then from May through December, we will read the remaining Epistles at a rate of a chapter a day. The entire schedule encompasses Monday through Friday readings, leaving the weekends free for catch up, getting ahead, or supplemental reading.
A schedule can be downloaded from our website at www.fbcsulphur.org. Look for the challenge anouncement on the left side, click it, and download the PDF of the schedule.
This year, I will attempt to provide regular supplemental devotional thoughts along the way. I'm not promising daily offerings, but I will give it my best shot!
Thanks for following!
Tom Bruce
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Eye in the Sky
Scheduled Reading:
Ezekiel 10:1-11:25; Psalm 122:7-123:3; Proverbs 28:3-4; Hebrews 4:1-5:9
Selected Passage:
Hebrews 4:12
The Eye in the Sky is not just an Alan Parson's Project song.... (To listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1IXQ1pKl_Q - my generation of 80's fans will appreciate that). I am not about to try to throw my lot in with the scholars who have struggled to understand Ezekiel's vision of the wheels. However, a way to try to understand one aspect of the wheels - the fact that they and the cherubim were covered with eyes - is to say that the Lord God sees all and knows all; a fact not ignored by the New Testament writer of Hebrews 4:12 many years later.
God sees all and knows all about all. Everything is laid bare and vulnerable before HIM. We WILL give an account to HIM one day for all that he saw in our lives. That fact alone sends a shudder down my spine. The verse just prior to the mention that God knows and sees all is the fact that Scripture is alive and active; penetrating to the very heart of the matter; dissecting our thoughts and motives. His Word is infallible, authoritative, and gives life to those who heed it.
Spending time feasting on God's Word, letting it change our hearts, attitudes, and perspectives is the surest way to bring pleasure to the "eye in the sky" and bring a measure of hope and confidence to that day of reckoning we all so quickly approach.
Ezekiel 10:1-11:25; Psalm 122:7-123:3; Proverbs 28:3-4; Hebrews 4:1-5:9
Selected Passage:
Hebrews 4:12
The Eye in the Sky is not just an Alan Parson's Project song.... (To listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1IXQ1pKl_Q - my generation of 80's fans will appreciate that). I am not about to try to throw my lot in with the scholars who have struggled to understand Ezekiel's vision of the wheels. However, a way to try to understand one aspect of the wheels - the fact that they and the cherubim were covered with eyes - is to say that the Lord God sees all and knows all; a fact not ignored by the New Testament writer of Hebrews 4:12 many years later.
God sees all and knows all about all. Everything is laid bare and vulnerable before HIM. We WILL give an account to HIM one day for all that he saw in our lives. That fact alone sends a shudder down my spine. The verse just prior to the mention that God knows and sees all is the fact that Scripture is alive and active; penetrating to the very heart of the matter; dissecting our thoughts and motives. His Word is infallible, authoritative, and gives life to those who heed it.
Spending time feasting on God's Word, letting it change our hearts, attitudes, and perspectives is the surest way to bring pleasure to the "eye in the sky" and bring a measure of hope and confidence to that day of reckoning we all so quickly approach.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Ezekiel 7:1-9:11; Psalm 121:8-122:6; Proverbs 27:27-28:2; Hebrews 2:10-3:19
Ezekiel 7:1-9:11; Psalm 121:8-122:6; Proverbs 27:27-28:2; Hebrews 2:10-3:19
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Do Hard Things
Scheduled Reading:
Ezekiel 1:1-3:15; Psalm 120:2-121:1; Proverbs 27:22-24; Philemon 1-25
Selected Passage: same
Recently I acquired a book from Life Action Ministries called "Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations". It is written by two young men, Alex & Brett Harris, twin brothers who took on challenges to do more with their life than the culture expected from them. They have since accomplished a great deal before the age of 19. Some of these things include leading efforts in a grass-roots political campaign, speaking to large international audiences, publishing a good-selling book, and authoring a popular blog for teens (http://www.therebelution.com)
All the passages in today's reading deal with doing the difficult; obeying God even when it is hard, even painful, to do so. It is easy to SAY we must be obedient. But when it comes to having to make willful decisions to obey God that will most certainly result in less comfort and security for US, we often have second thoughts, and third, and fourth, and so on until the urge subsides. (I speak from experience).
Here Ezekiel was "deeply distressed" by what he knew he had to do. The Psalmist spoke up for peace among a people who were bent on war; he was lied about and persecuted for his words and actions. The Proverb pointed out that only idiots don't respond to corrective pressure from the wise or the Spirit of God, but the pressure does come. And then Paul did a most difficult thing in sending Onesimus back to his rightful owner, even though he had no obligation to do so.
I leave it to you to examine how has God called you to obey Him in recent days. Has he called you to do something uncomfortable? Has He called you to go out on a limb? Has He called you to confront a person or a people like Ezekiel? Is He grinding some character flaw from you and are you resisting His refining work in you?
Do the hard thing: submit yourself to God and His leading. Obey Him with all your heart. Don't listen to your flesh scream "NO! ARE YOU CRAZY??" Yeah, you are. It's OK. The ways of the world (and our flesh) seem right, and God's sometimes make no sense to us. But trust HIM. He's right.
Ezekiel 1:1-3:15; Psalm 120:2-121:1; Proverbs 27:22-24; Philemon 1-25
Selected Passage: same
Recently I acquired a book from Life Action Ministries called "Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations". It is written by two young men, Alex & Brett Harris, twin brothers who took on challenges to do more with their life than the culture expected from them. They have since accomplished a great deal before the age of 19. Some of these things include leading efforts in a grass-roots political campaign, speaking to large international audiences, publishing a good-selling book, and authoring a popular blog for teens (http://www.therebelution.com)
All the passages in today's reading deal with doing the difficult; obeying God even when it is hard, even painful, to do so. It is easy to SAY we must be obedient. But when it comes to having to make willful decisions to obey God that will most certainly result in less comfort and security for US, we often have second thoughts, and third, and fourth, and so on until the urge subsides. (I speak from experience).
Here Ezekiel was "deeply distressed" by what he knew he had to do. The Psalmist spoke up for peace among a people who were bent on war; he was lied about and persecuted for his words and actions. The Proverb pointed out that only idiots don't respond to corrective pressure from the wise or the Spirit of God, but the pressure does come. And then Paul did a most difficult thing in sending Onesimus back to his rightful owner, even though he had no obligation to do so.
I leave it to you to examine how has God called you to obey Him in recent days. Has he called you to do something uncomfortable? Has He called you to go out on a limb? Has He called you to confront a person or a people like Ezekiel? Is He grinding some character flaw from you and are you resisting His refining work in you?
Do the hard thing: submit yourself to God and His leading. Obey Him with all your heart. Don't listen to your flesh scream "NO! ARE YOU CRAZY??" Yeah, you are. It's OK. The ways of the world (and our flesh) seem right, and God's sometimes make no sense to us. But trust HIM. He's right.
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