New Life Student Ministries Blog

One Year Bible Reading Day 149: The Effects of Pride and Sin . . .

2011-06-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Wow. Intense readings today. As could be expected from Absalom's pursuit of his ego and pride the past few chapters, his sin catches up with him....literally....his beautiful hair that he admonished eventually became his undoing.

The last few days of reading had been very sobering because we see how the effects of David's sin stretch farther than just himself. Earlier, the prophet Nathan confronts David about him and Bathsheba and says that there will be division between him and his family. The consequences were huge because David was in a place of leadership both legislatively and spiritually. The division became so great that his own daughter was raped(Tamar) by her half-brother, then Absalom kills his brother who raped Tamar. Then Absalom forms a military coup against David which leads to further civil war against Judah and Israel.

When we finally get to today's reading, Joab kills Absalom and David mourns over his sons death. While on one hand I do appreciate David's grace and love for his son Absalom, I have to say that I really do appreciate Joab's boldness & wisdom in rebuking David in verses 5 through 8:

"We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed, as though we had done something wrong. You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that we mean nothing to you. If Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. Now go out there and congratulate the troops, for I swear by the LORD that if you don't, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than you have ever been."

That is quite a speech by Joab to David! And I believe he was right. David's love for his son was admirable in one sense - but it also could be seen as selfish in another sense. David seemed to care more for his son than for the nation of Israel, and Joab called him out on this. It is interesting how sometimes our love for one person can cloud everything else going on in our lives. Love for one person is a beautiful thing. But it seems that we should also be cognizant of others around us too - and love them. And sometimes, like David, we may need to realize that there is a greater good - a greater love - than the singular love we have been focusing on. This is not easy to discern of course... hopefully this makes some....

God allows us to go through these trials to make us stronger, It was not God's desire for David to sin, but to trust and obey, but thank God there was still forgiveness, grace, mercy, along with the opportunity for repentance and restoration on David's part.

The last part of our reading today I feel fits well with the others becauseI think the last 3 verses of this Psalm are worth us camping out on here for a moment. In verses 174, 175 & 176 the author of Psalm 119 closes out the Psalm with what I think is a prayer and a confession all in one - "O LORD, I have longed for your salvation, and your law is my delight. Let me live so I can praise you, and may your laws sustain me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands." Wow... not a bad prayer and confession, eh?

One Thing Challenge:

Is God's Word your delight?

Do you wish to live so you can praise God?

Does His Word sustain you?

Reminds me of this song that reminds of how much we ALL need to be RESCUED by Jesus!

P.T.

One Year Bible Ready Day 127: What God Wants You To Do

2011-05-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

"They replied, "What does God want us to do?" Jesus told them, "This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent."" John 6:28-29

This is what God wants you to do. Believe. That's it. It's that simple. Believe. Not give away all your money to the poor. Not do thousands of good deeds. Not become a perfect person over night. Just believe. Believe. Yeah, okay, maybe God will ask you to give away some money and do good and become better person after you believe... :) But the key is first and foremost to Believe. Do you Believe in Jesus, the One whom God sent?

Why is it so difficult for many to just BELIEVE? For the logical person, believing can be somewhat daunting because God doesn't always fit inside their nice and neat little logical reasoning abilities. Unfortunately, we, just like the people in NT times following Jesus, often don't and won't believe unless Jesus does something miraculous before our eyes. "I won't believe it unless I see it" philosophy.

One Thing Challenge: Do you BELIEVE in Jesus or just in the IDEA of Jesus and what He can do for you?

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 122: Is Jesus Your Savior?

2011-05-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

Today we finish the book of Judges! What a powerful and telling verse the book closes with in chapter 21 verse 25: "In those days Israel had no king, so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." Unfortunately, so true then. And perhaps so true for us today if we don't have a king. Fortunately, we do have the opportunity to have a king - through faith in Jesus. Otherwise, without Jesus as our king, we will surely do whatever seems right in our own eyes.

Had an interesting conversation with our students last night regarding the Holy Spirit, well really the lack there of the Holy Spirit is so many peoples lives. Left to my own thoughts/conscience, I can do some "good things" according to the world's standards, but my BEST ATTEMPT at doing good is but filthy rags to God. So it was true during the book of Judges. Too often we do what we want to do without giving God any thought at all in the process of our lives. So many times, God becomes and "after-thought" or "Well, I've already done this Lord, now would you please bless it?"

I'll have to be honest, this past week has been a struggle to stay continually in God's word and I've slacked off on my One Year Bible blogging, and my P90x workout's each morning. .....funny thing that just happened.....my wife, Misty just called me as I was typing this blog and asked if I would listen to a NEW song my John Waller called "As for Me" and I think that this song fits what we read today in our Bible reading about serving the Lord with all of our heart and I want you all to enjoy this song also!

One Thing Challenge: As for you and your house. Are you serving the Lord?

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 113: The Weaker they are, the Stronger they can become

2011-04-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

“But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:15 ¹⁶ The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”

I was reading this morning from the One Year Bible Blog www.oneyearbibleblog.com
and as I was reading through Judges 6, noticed how God chose the weakest tribe and the weakest member of this man's family to do God's work.

The writer in the oneyearbible blog said, "You’ll notice how this reply of Gideon’s is reminiscent of Moses’ reaction to God’s call to serve in Exodus chapters 3 & 4 – “Why me? How can I?” etc. etc. And I think it is very useful for each of us to note that God often calls the seemingly lowly – like Moses and Gideon – rather than the seemingly mighty to act for him. This should be encouraging to us! I wonder if you and I are sometimes like Gideon and Moses? I wonder if perhaps we are being called to do something incredible for God in our lives, and we are making excuses like Gideon and Moses made excuses?"

This reminds me of a similar text in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 1:27, "²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Then we see the response of Jesus before Pilate and especially Herod . . . . SILENCE . . . particularly to their requests for miracles. I wonder if there are moments in our life when we would do well to model Jesus here - to stay silent in the face of a ridiculous request - or in the face of a ridiculous attack on our faith. Silence may be the perfect thing in the face of ridiculousness...

Christ's strength was being made perfect through his weakness, because He was submitting Himself to His Father's will, plan and purpose to do for us what we could NEVER do for ourselves, appease the wrath of God and pave the way for us to have a right relationship BACK to God!

One Thing Challenge: Do I TRUST God to provide even when I'm scared, don't agree or don't understand?

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 112: Godly Women

2011-04-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

After reading today's scripture sections, I forgot that it was a woman who led the Israelites into battle and won! What an awesome testimony of how God used Deborah and Jael to fulfill his victory over an evil oppressing nation.

Never underestimate what God can do through you when you are submissive and obedient to the mission He has called you to. When God speaks through you, people notice, so much that Barak didn't want to lead the 10,000 troops by himself, but that Deborah would go with him.

Let us not forget what important roles women have played throughout the Bible. This is a reminder that God uses ALL of us to accomplish His purpose and will.

One Thing Challenge: Am I willing to GO THE DISTANCE when God calls upon me? Even when it's not easy?

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 108: Good Criticism

2011-04-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

"If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept criticism, you will be honored." Why is it so hard for many to receive criticism? Maybe at the very center of people, there is an innate sense of feeling insecure if someone else points out something they may already know or feel internally. I know in my own life, some of the greatest learning experiences have come as a result of mistakes I've made. Believe me, I don't go running, looking for critics to come my way, because they'll come sooner or later. However, I believe that God uses criticism to sharpen us, to humble us so that we can maintain a healthy perspective of ourselves and the world around us.

The key to receiving criticism is to NOT ignore it. Even if you feel that you are 99.9% RIGHT, God wants us to look at the .1% of that and evaluate to see if there is ANYTHING within us that can improve because of that criticism. I know many times, I've become defensive when I'm criticized and allow it to consume me. Nevertheless, I need to allow myself to be open to being pliable to allow God to mold and shape me into His image, not mine, and if that means receiving criticism then so be it.

One Thing Challenge: May we not ignore the criticism that God may be using to sharpen us into the image of Christ!

Check out this video that reminded me of how God wants to shape us into His image! :)

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 97: God's Blessing

2011-04-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

¹⁸ Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? ¹⁹ It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.” Luke 13:18-19

I love this parable because it teaches us how Jesus can take something so small and do such amazing things with it. When God plants the seed of the Gospel in our hearts at first, it's small and we may not see the impact on others lives around us yet. But, as we continue to seek God's will for our lives, He will continue to grow that seed within us to continue to bless others with the gift of the Gospel of Christ.

Also, it was encouraging to read the different blessings that God was placing upon the various tribes of Israel in Deut. 33. Soon, they would be going into the new land that God has promised them and the seed that God had planted within them would continue to grow within many of them. One person in particular that I think of is Joshua, whom Moses hands the baton over to.

How about you? Have you accepted the seed that God wants to plant within you? If so, are you allowing God to grow the seed or are you allowing it to dry up?

May I continue to allow God to water the seed within me.

One Thing Challenge: Is your seed dry or wet and growing today?

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 90: Remember Where We Were . . .

2011-04-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

²¹ Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
      and I was all torn up inside.
²² I was so foolish and ignorant—
      I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
²³ Yet I still belong to you;
      you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
      leading me to a glorious destiny.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
      I desire you more than anything on earth.
²⁶ My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
      but God remains the strength of my heart;
      he is mine forever.

²⁷ Those who desert him will perish,
      for you destroy those who abandon you.
²⁸ But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
      I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
      and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Psalm 73:21-28

Wow, the past 3 months seem to have flown by... It's now April 1 and we are officially 25%, or one quarter, of the way through the Bible! Congratulations! Give yourself a pat on the back! High-five God! Your marathon pace is going great!

This awesome Psalm is packed full of insights about all of us: Everything about humans always comes back to the condition of their heart, God can take our cold, hard hards and mold them, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you, God is bigger than any mountain you can or cannot see!

I was reading some one's blog this morning and he shared this video from Christ August, and after watching it, I felt the need to also share it this morning! Enjoy!

One Thing Challenge: Remember.....this journey is a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself and REMEMBER what God had done for you, doing in you and wants to do through you!

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 87: Born Again . . .

2011-03-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

¹⁵ And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

¹⁶ “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. Luke 8:15-16

This is a very sobering parable because it reminds us that we are not alone in our struggle . . . Satan is working diligently behind the scenes trying to steal, kill and destroy EVERYTHING that God has worked so hard for us to hear, obtain, accept, and live out!

I wonder how many seeds of God's words go by us everyday and we don't even notice? How many of us can remember the scripture passage that our pastor preached from last Sunday? God's Word will not return void and we need to understand that God can still hit straight licks with a crooked stick. Look at the people of Israel. God reminded them in today's reading in Deut. 9:1-6, how that it was NOT the goodness of Israel that allowed them the privilege to go into the Promised Land, BUT that God was a GOOD GOD. God knew that Israel was a stubborn people, but He loved them anyway and still reached out to them(correcting and punishing often, but . . .) are we any different today?

We THINK we know what is best for our lives and the beauty and stress of free will is that left to our own thinking, we will NOT choose God. But when the Word of God continues to be planted deep within us, the power of His Holy Spirit can HELP us give an account for the hope that is within us!

One Thing Challenge: What is the condition of your heart today? Have you been TRULY once and for ALL Born Again?

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 84: Got Faith?

2011-03-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” ¹⁰ And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed. Luke 7:9-10

Here is a Centurion who commanded somewhere around 100 men. He knew what he could do with the authority given to him, but he also knew that if he could do what he could do on his own, how much more could Jesus do because of the authority given to Him.

What can we learn from the faith of the Centurion? Well, some scholars believe that what Jesus says in verse 10 foreshadows the entry of the Gentiles into the kingdom of God. Jesus commends the Centurion(who is a Gentile) for his humble faith(vs 6.). This is one of the few places where Jesus commends the way in which someone approaches Him.

Where is your faith at today? Faith is the belief in the things unseen. . . .The Centurion had not even seen Jesus yet, but BELIEVED that He had the power and authority to heal. Don't forget, Jesus knew his name and knows YOUR NAME.

One Thing Challenge: May we BELIEVE that God has the AUTHORITY and POWER to heal you today . . . .and it starts with your heart!

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 83: Love Your Enemies

2011-03-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

²² What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. ²³ When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way. ²⁷ “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸ Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. Luke 6:22-23, 27-28

This is a tough section of scripture to read, process and live out, because it is so counter-intuitive to how we think as humans. When someone does something to hurt us, the natural instinct is to react negatively to them either passively or actively. However, the Scripture is clear about Jesus' standard for loving people, especially those who hurt you . . . .Love covers a multitude of sins and it's easy to forget about how in reality how much we've hurt God with our sin and rebellion against Him, but He has not only forgiven us, but has shown additional love through continuing to reach out to us.

God is crazy about us, so much that He was willing to do for us what we could not ever do for ourselves!

I don't know about you, but I struggle with forgiving and forgetting. I don't pray for those who hurt me as often as I should. Maybe God is allowing them to behave in that way so that we as Christians would continue to pray that God would draw them closer to Himself. It's so hard to remember that God works all things out for His good for those whom He has loved and called according to His purposes.

One Thing Challenge: How are you doing on praying for the happiness of those who curse you or hurt you? How are you doing in loving your enemies and doing good to them? Do you believe we should be compassionate in these ways?

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 82: A Day at the Doctor

2011-03-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

²⁹ Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?^[a]”
³¹ Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. ³² I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 5:29-31

I wonder how many sick people and how many well people are in churches across our country? Do we get uneasy when we see what we "think" as REALLY SICK people in our churches? Are we equipped to deal with their problems.

As a Christian, we should have more faith that God is mighty to save, not just for eternity but for the HERE and NOW!

Why is it so difficult to admit that we may be more sick than we care to realize. It's easy to put on a stain glass masquerade and act like everything is ok, because truth be told, many people don't want to deal with the onslaught of people's problems, because they're just trying to get through the day.

It's interesting to read the Pharisees reactions to Jesus' response to the NOT SO GOOD POPULAR CHURCH GOING PEOPLE of that day. The questions that we must ask ourselves though are:

Are you healthy or sick?
Are you righteous or a sinner?
Do you need Jesus?
Are you listening and answering His call to repentance?
Do you believe that Jesus is the one true Doctor who can heal you for eternity?

One Thing Challenge: May we be SENSITIVE to those who need the love of Christ today!

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 80: Man of their word!

2011-03-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

⁷ “Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the Lord has given them? ⁸ Your ancestors did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. ⁹ After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the Lord was giving them. ¹⁰ Then the Lord was very angry with them, and he vowed, ¹¹ ‘Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly. ¹² The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholeheartedly followed the Lord.’ Numbers 32:7-12

Moses is warning the Reubenites & Gadites to NOT repeat the mistakes their ancestors made earlier in the wilderness by NOT keeping their promises: "But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the LORD, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out."

I remember growing up and my dad telling me that your word is your bond; it's everything. If people can't trust what you say and that you'll keep your word, then your character and integrity is in jeopardy. We need to take a pause and THINK before we promise to do something. I know that I've struggled with this concept and my weak flesh will remind me of that sometimes. However, we should not say we're going to do something unless we are 100% positive we can come through on our words.

The problem is that when we do promise and don't follow through, people struggle with trusting us and ultimately we sin by failing to keep our word. Just like Moses told those two clans that if they failed to keep their word, their sin will find them out, the same is true for us today.

How are you at keeping your word these days? Is there an area of your life where you gave your word and you now are wavering? Can you keep your word in that area? Will you pray to God to give you strength to do so?

One Thing Challenge: Let us not be people who fail to keep our word or who stretch the truth!

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 77: Passing the Baton

2011-03-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

¹² One day the Lord said to Moses, “Climb one of the mountains east of the river,^[b] and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. ¹³ After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, ¹⁴ for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters.” (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh^[c] in the wilderness of Zin.) Numbers 27:12-13

That must have been a very difficult and humbling experience for Moses to be told that he would not lead the Israelites into the promised land. He had been through so much adversity and incredible experiences from the parting of the Red Sea, to speaking on behalf of God to the people, to so many other things.

However, Moses was still just a man, mortal, fallible, sinful . . . For a reason, God chose NOT to allow Moses to go into the promised land, but as we'll read later, he'll at least be able to see it from a distance.

Reading Moses' response to God was encouraging, because he knew his time was running short and it was his turn to pass the baton of leadership to a younger godly man who would lead the people in this new era......

²² So Moses did as the Lord commanded. He presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community. ²³ Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the people, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Joshua was ready to step up to the plate when asked upon by God. The question we must ask ourselves is:

Are we willing to step down and pass the baton to someone else when God asks?

AND

Are we willing to step up when God calls upon us?

One Thing Challenge: Be ready and willing to DO WHATEVER God asks of us even when we don't understand or agree at first.

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 75: The Sword That Pierces The Heart

2011-03-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

“This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. ³⁵ As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” Luke 2:34b-35

Simeon was a godly man that was told that he would not see death until he saw the Messiah, The Savior! What a cool promise that must have been, to be able to eventually hold the Son of God in your arms and know that through Jesus, the entire course of humanity and creation would never be the same again!

In John 1, it talks about how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us(Jesus Christ). When we get to Hebrews 4:12 , the writer explains, "¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Now, here in Luke, we see how God reveals to Simeon that this baby Jesus would reveal the deepest thoughts of many hearts and that a sword would pierce their very soul. It's neat to see how Scripture comes together to maintain unity and consistency.

Jesus has a way of getting straight to the HEART of the matter. He knows when we are fake, insincere, unforgiving, you name it.

We can put on a show for others about how we love Jesus and we're a follower of Christ, but as we'll continue to read in Luke, Jesus didn't want anyone following Him, unless they were willing to examine their own hearts, and allow Christ to live THROUGH THEM......often piercing their own soul with the words of life!

How about you? Have you allowed Christ to examine the deepest thoughts of your heart? Or are you trying to hold onto them as tightly as you can for fear of what Jesus may reveal or better yet, ask you to do?

May we allow Christ to open our hearts and be vulnerable to His masterful hands to work in and through us the way we were DESIGNED to . . . . FOR HIS GLORY!

One Thing Challenge: Read, Pause, Pray, Thank, Confess, Meditate and Wait . . . . upon the Lord! For He holds the keys to the kingdom AND to YOUR HEART!

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 73: God Uses The Weak Things of this world . . .

2011-03-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

⁴⁶ Mary responded,

   “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
    ⁴⁷ How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
⁴⁸ For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
      and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

I wonder what emotions Mary must have been feeling as a teenage girl, scared that she was going to be stoned for what the Jewish community thought about her pregnancy.

God saw something in Mary that she didn't see in yourself though. God wanted to display His glory through Mary in the birth of Jesus Christ.

Watching our students teach, lead worship, and serve in so many other areas during Youth Sunday was very humbling to experience. God was using our teenagers to display His glory.

There was nothing fancy about Mary. She was a lowly servant girl . . . a teenager. Our teenagers are just that..... adolescents. . . .

BUT,

They showed me yesterday, that God used them just as they were to draw men, women and children into the throne of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

and yes, they got tons of encouragement from adults and they should, because they deserved it, but the real growth was the fact that they were submissive to the work of God in their life to display His glory by proclaiming His GOSPEL through being FAITHFUL, HUMBLE SERVANTS

Never underestimate the power of God through our teens, because just like Bro. Mike said yesterday morning in the service, they may be our future pastors, deacons, or teachers . . . and we need to continue to pray for them!

One Thing Challenge: Never underestimate what God wants to do through YOU! Remember, WE are God's primary means of spreading His Gospel!

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 70: Japan's Tsunami

2011-03-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose. . . .³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[j]

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k]neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

May we remember that God holds EVERYTHING in His hands . . . and He is sovereign, compassionately desiring to reach out to the people of Japan with the Gospel of Christ . . . may Christians that are in Japan minister to those that are hurting and lost loved ones....

May we PRAY for God to use this to draw families to Himself

May we THANK God for our own families and REMEMBER His covenant with us as His people :)

One Thing Challenge: PRAY and meditate

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 68: Follow Jesus

2011-03-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

³² They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” ³³ He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. ³⁴ He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”. . . . ³⁷ Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? ³⁸ Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Why is it so easy for us to know what Jesus wants us to do, but for some reason we struggle in ACTUALLY DOING what Jesus asks of us. Even Jesus' closest disciples didn't follow Him completely and even eventually abandoned Him. Jesus was right when He said that our Spirit is willing but our humanly weak flesh is vulnerable to the enemy.

Jesus says it’s pretty simple. ‘When I say follow Me, you follow Me, you do what I do.
And when I ask you to do something, you just obey.” Is that how you see the commands of Jesus? Do you see them as something to study, or meditate on, or memorize … or do you see them as something you have to do? How will your life look different if you see them as something you have to do? When was the last time you heard Jesus telling you to do something, and you turned to your own way? Where did that get you?

Sometimes we’re not that honest with people … we neglect this other part that Jesus was very upfront with, saying, ‘look, it’s very, very difficult to follow Me.’” Have you ever found yourself telling people of the benefits of following Jesus without telling them about the costs?

What are the costs of following Jesus?
Are you willing to tell people the costs?

REMEMBER.....Even Jesus struggled in his human nature by saying, "³⁶ “Abba, Father,”^[c] he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

One Thing Challenge: Follow Jesus by DOING what He asks us to do in faith by surrendering our will to His.....

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 61: Serving Through Faith

2011-03-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

³⁷ They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” Mark 10:37

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, many scholars believe were Jesus' half-brothers. Matthew's account reveals that their mother came with them and spoke first,(Matt. 20:20,21), after which James and John repeated her request. If she was Jesus' aunt, the 3 undoubtedly hoped to capitalize on family ties with Jesus.

³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”

This encounter reveals yet again the disciples' failure to understand Jesus' teaching on humility. Even though Jesus had repeatedly warned the disciples that eventually He was going to Jerusalem to die, they still thought that Jesus' was going to resurrect the literal physical kingdom of Israel to a earthly power once again, so they were trying to get close to Jesus so they could get a good spot next to him when he came in power and authority.

Jesus did come in power and authority, not in the way though that the disciples and many Jews hoped.

Then in verses 41-45, Jesus' flips the whole conversation again on its head, by reminding His disciples that being great and powerful was about SERVING through HUMILITY rather than an iron fist or sword.

What about us? In America, often its the "strongest will survive" mentality that seems to help many to climb the corporate ladder to achieve a "temporary success" only to realize that it doesn't truly satisfy.

Unfortunately, it has also affected the Christians, because many of them have succumbed to the lie that they have to push their way to the top. It has even gotten to some pastors where they are tempted to look for the next big position or church to lead.

What about you? As we read Jesus' repeated comments about true discipleship, are you allowing Christ to be the CENTER of your life and rule from your heart and not just your hands.

One Thing Challenge: Serving God means loving God AND loving others from my heart!

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 60: What Are You Willing To Give Up For God?

2011-03-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

¹⁹ But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’^[a]”

²⁰ “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

How many of us can say that we have not stolen, lied, cheated and have honored our parents?

Here is a young man you asked how do go to Heaven? Jesus gives him a starting point by referring back to the commandments that the young man was familiar with, and the young man explained that he had followed those decrees.

Now, looking back to that, I ask myself that same question and I would have to humbly admit that I've broken every one of those things Jesus first asked the young man. . . .

But, Jesus then turns everything on its head by saying,

²¹ Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Wow! At first glance, this is pretty hard core stuff, but Jesus was not just looking at the young man's behaviors and his ability to "look good" and just "play the part", but rather, Jesus was investigating the young man's HEART.

²² At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Now, I don't believe Jesus said that only poor people are going to Heaven, but those that are "poor in spirit"......There are plenty of rich godly people throughout scripture and today, but Jesus was focusing on the root of the problem and that was the love of money . . .out from the heart flows, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

What about you? Are you allowing the American Dream, rob you of totally surrendering your WHOLE LIFE to God's purpose? Do you want all the benefits of knowing Christ without having to conform to WHO HE IS? Do we just want to put a Christian spin on the American Dream.

This reminds me of a book that I read last year by a young pastor named David Platt, who wrote the book, Radical.

Below is a link to the video that promotes his book, which radically changed my perspective on the American Dream and being a Christian in the so called land of freedom and opportunity.

One Thing Challenge: Who has my WHOLE HEART and am I willing to surrender it to the ONE who made my heart?

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 59: Phoneo Christou

2011-02-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

"Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else." Mark 9:35

What is it about us that we are so selfish? Why is it so hard to think about others before our own wants and desires? Self-preservation is a natural way that humans gravitate towards. Thinking of others higher than yourself is difficult. However, one can take it to the extreme and have such a low self view of themselves that they become the martyr and often depression can become a factor.

Here though, Jesus is not talking about having a horrible view of oneself NOR is He talking about having a prideful view of self, but rather one that encompasses HUMILITY.

This section reminds me of another place in the NT that Paul refers to Christ as setting the example for us to follow:

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
   and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:1-11

One Thing Challenge: May we have "Phoneo Christou" . . . the attitude of Christ

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 54: Love vs. Hate

2011-02-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

^{Proverbs 10-11-12:}
¹¹ The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

¹² Hatred stirs up quarrels,
but love makes up for all offenses.

I was watching the news this morning on my iPhone as I was getting ready for work and the unrest in the middle east, especially north Africa is pretty unsettling. Then I found out that the 4 Americans who were sailing around the world distributing Bibles were killed by Somalian pirates yesterday. So much hate in the world, but it's nothing new, it just get publicized more, because of instant access to media.

The conflict in Lybia seems to be much more hostile than in Egypt. The Bible says that "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9

Reading today's One Year Bible teachings, it's interesting to note how much FEAR can motivate someone to hate. Fear of losing control. Fear of pain. Fear of (fill in the blank here) ... you name it.

We're fearing the oil prices will go to $5 a gallon by this summer. We fear for our financial security. But where does our FAITH come to account?

In Mark 6:30-44, Jesus performs one of the coolest visual miracles by feeding 5,000 men, along with many women and children. Even his own disciples who basically lived with Jesus day and night didn't understand Jesus' methods. But, they trusted and obeyed, and Jesus provided for them.

Then, we see Jesus initially scaring disciples by walking on the water and calming the waves around them.

Then in Psalm 40, David speaks about the importance of waiting upon the Lord and thanking the Lord for what He has done for us. I love what he says in verse 10, "I have NOT kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your UNFAILING LOVE and FAITHFULNESS."

Which leads us back to the original passage in Proverbs that I posted at the beginning:

Are we telling words that are LIFE-GIVING? -or- are we concealing violent intentions.
Are we a pot stirrer who makes quarrels? -or- are we someone who speaks the truth in LOVE, which makes up for ALL OFFENSES?

I pray that we live TODAY as one who is a Loving Peacemaker, always ready to give an account for the hope that is within us when asked!

One Thing Challenge: God desires the love from our heart overflowing for Him MORE than our sacrifices to Him.

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 52: Hometown Boy

2011-02-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Why is it so hard for people to let go of the past? How is that Jesus' own family and friends who knew him as a boy....a son of a carpenter, could not see past what they 'THOUGHT' they knew about Jesus? But are we know different today? I mean, we put labels on people just as they put labels upon us. Labels are hard to peel off, particularly if we've already made up our mind about them.

The people in Jesus' hometown knew that He didn't have any formal education, proper upbringing, and some even said that he was illegitimate, that's why they didn't refer to Him as the son of Joseph, but rather the son of Mary . . . .kind of a slap in the face.

We do see though that Jesus did have an impact on his family, because two of his half-siblings, Jude and James would come to know Him and write an epistle that would be included in the Canon.

What about us? Have we allowed our past to shape what people think of us today? When we encounter Christ, do our friends and family know? Jesus' family saw it, but their own sin blinded them to the reality of who Jesus REALLY was . . .

We have to be faithful to following Jesus, even when our own friends and family may never believe us or come to know Him. Hopefully, we never get to the place where we have to shake off the dust from them.

One Thing Challenge: May we keep focused on Christ's mission, even when faced with opposition from family and friends!

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 51: Be Holy and Have Faith

2011-02-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

As I read today's reading, Leviticus 11:45 came to light, "For, I am the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy"

Holy- to be set apart. God was establishing a standard for the Israelites to live by: What would be unclean and common, to what would be clean, holy and worshipful. I listened to a message yesterday morning that really convicted me about the kind of worship that I often unfortunately bring to God. . . . a strange fire of worship.

It doesn't matter if I understand or even agree with God's standards......it' HIS STANDARDS and not mine! God called me out of darkness into His marvelous light just as He continues to call people everyday to Himself.....bringing them out of slavery to sin, much like the Israelites were in Egypt.

The woman in Mark 5 was a slave to her sin and condition. She had exhausted all options and was completely at the end of herself, when she met the one who could bring TRUE HEALING to her life: Jesus.

At the name of Jesus . . . . Every time people encounter Christ, their lives are turned upside down.....for the good!

We can't continue living our life seeking at the blessings of God without conforming to who He is.....HOLY! If we are going to call ourselves sons and daughters of Christ, heir to His throne, then we better start..... I'd better start living a life that is Holy and pleasing to the one who made me Holy......

How about you? Is your life one that the world would see is Holy? Do you allow your own sinful desires to creep in and overtake you, because even though the spirit is willing our flesh is still weak. However, may we boast in our weakness' so the power of Christ would be strongest through us and we are more than conquerers through Christ Jesus our LORD!

P.T.
John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 40: Hands of the Master

2011-02-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

How would you like to be the person who is responsible for constructing The Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, the Ark's cover--the place of atonement, all the furnishings of the Tabernacle and so many other items necessary for the priests to use during sacrifices?

I don't think I have ever remembered reading about Bezalel, son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. However, "he was FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts." Exodus 31:3

I mean, this guy was responsible for crafting these amazing items that helped the people focus on the Holiness of God. Don't get me wrong, they were not supposed to worship the THINGS CREATED BY MAN, but rather God Himself. As we'll read in Romans, unfortunately, man often worships the things that he creates.

It got me thinking though about being filled with the Spirit of God. When was the last time that I allowed myself to experience the filling of God's Spirit in my life. As a believer, Jesus promised to send us a helper, the Holy Spirit. However, many times I know that I quench the Spirit's work in my life by trying to take matters into my own hands because I can(or think I can) control them.

That's interesting, because when we get to Matthew 26, Jesus' own disciples(John's Gospel will enlighten us with the name of the swordsman and the one whose ear got cut off) took matters into their own hands and even then, they all fled in fear.

I wonder how many times God could have used me for His glory if I would have only stopped, listened and TRUSTED Him. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is always weak.

How about you? Do you allow your flesh to rob you of the joy that God's Spirit would like to do IN and THROUGH YOU? You never know, one day you may be building something AMAZING for God, because He filled you with His Spirit, giving you wisdom, ability and expertise in the field that He wants you to serve!

May I not quench the Spirit of God in my life!

P.T.
John 10:10

Got Blessings? :One Year Bible Reading Day 32: 2-2-11

2011-02-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

It's interesting to read how God provided for the Israelites needs and not just their wants alone. Even when they tried to hold back some for themselves, the provision soured. God takes care of his own whether they realize it or not. I can't count how many times God has provided for my family with exactly what we needed. The old saying, "God's blessings are new everyday" means something here because literally God was blessing the Israelites with just enough for that day and no more. It reminds me of when Jesus says in Matthew that if God provides for the birds of the air, how much more will He take care of us, His children?

How about you? It's the beginning of february and many are getting their taxes ready to file in April; some will get money back, while many will have to pay in. However, we should stop and think that when we render to the government what is the governments and render to God what is God's, I believe and trust that God will bless us with just what we need at the exact time we need it!

P.T.
John 10:10

Listen, Watch and Learn:One Year Bible Ready Day 32: 2-1-11

2011-02-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

I wonder what that would be like to witness such an amazing miraculous feat as parting the Red Sea? I watched some videos on youtube from the 1950's The Ten Commandments, and some other reenactments. Pillar of Cloud by day and Pillar of fire by night. Even after the Israelites witnessed God's mighty hand outstretched before them, they were still complaining about God not taking care of them.

Of course, God shows up in a huge way by rescuing them. Now, as we read in Matthew, Jesus is confronting religious leaders who have forgotten God's blessings and allowed their own sinful desires cloud there judgement. They are standing right before the very Son of God and can't even accept Him. They were so consumed in what they wanted for themselves. They had forgotten God's love for them, the blessings he had bestowed upon them.....where they had come from.....Egypt......slavery....

What are we any different in our country today? We parade around in our lifestyles of luxury and comfortable church buildings for what reason? Do people see the changed, forgiven, blessed life that Christ has given to us just so we can keep it ALL for ourselves?

May I be someone who is displaying COMPASSIONATE GENEROSITY towards those who need to HEAR the Good news of Jesus Christ....the broken, the ones who have fallen and feel as though they're in the pit and can't get out....just like in Jesus' day. May I be a witness to those that God is drawing to Himself....hopefully through my testimony of obedience displayed through LOVING PEOPLE ONE PERSON AT A TIME!

Watch this video and think about no matter where you are at or what you've done.....Healing is STILL IN HIS HANDS!

P.T.

John 10:10

Got Mercy?:One Year Bible Reading Day 31: 1-31-11

2011-01-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

We've heard it in a court of law, or maybe in a dramatic scene in a movie....."Have mercy on me" The dictionary says that mercy is the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing; the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate(lessen the gravity of the offense) punishment. Words associated with mercy: forgiveness, tenderness, clemency.

I wonder what the percentage of people who have been shown mercy in a court of law ACTUALLY lived DIFFERENTLY because of the mercy shown to them? It makes me think of the Israelites who were under Egyptian bondage for 430 years and God came through with His promise to deliver His people into the Promised Land.

The Israelites had to go obey very specific details regarding the Passover event, so their families and children would REMEMBER what God did for them. Their safety and deliverance were not a reward of their own righteousness, but the gift of MERCY. They were reminded that all the BLESSINGS came to them through the shedding and sprinkling of BLOOD. The covering of the blood of the people was a sign of God's atonement for their sins.

This was a symbolic future of what Christ's blood would for our sins as the believers' protection from the wrath of God, the curse of the law and the damnation of hell.(Romans 8:1)

How about you? Are you living your life in such a way that is overflowing from one who has been not only shown mercy, but acting upon it by being merciful to others?

May we REMEMBER God's Mercy and Grace displayed towards us by the shedding of Christ's blood on the cross!

P.T.
John 10:10

Turning The Tide: One Year Bible Reading Day 26: 1-26-12

2011-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

Exodus 2:11-3:22; Matthew 17:10-27; Psalm 22:1-18; Proverbs 5:7-14

Have you ever allowed the mistakes of your past to haunt your present? Maybe you've allowed your past to define your today. Well, when we read in today's passages, there was a young man who was born into a well to do family. I mean, he was practically royalty and yet he messed up royally and ran away from his problems. However, God met Moses right where he was at, and still wanted to use Moses for His Glory.

Moses is one of the very few people in history to see a glimpse of God's presence in such a close up encounter. It was so awe inspiring and sacred that Moses even had to remove his sandals because the very rock, dirt and grass that he was standing upon was HOLY GROUND. God revealed Himself to Moses and took him right where he was at in his current life and wanted to use him to do some amazing things through Moses.

As we will read on, we'll see God use someone with a broken past to exalt the name of the "I AM" to free a people who were slaves and destitute. Moses was called to tell the good news of who God was and what he had in store for them, and woe to those who would try to stop the hand of God at work.

What about us? Do we allow our past to define our present? Have we been holding onto the past so tightly that we are letting the present slip right out from under us? God wants us to be living in the moment for His Glory, to be ready at an instant to listen, trust and obey him completely whenever he calls upon us, just like with Moses.

You never know what God may have in store for you to work his mighty strength through our weak vessels.

May I be ready to respond to the Lord's drawing and calling upon my life!

P.T.
John 10:10

Joy Verses Happiness:One Year Bible Ready Day 20 1-20-11

2011-01-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Genesis 41:17-42:17, Matthew 13:24-46, Psalm 18:1-15, Proverbs 4:1-6

Have you ever wondered why certain things happen to some people and not to others? Have you ever compared your life with someone else's and wished that you had their life? Is there truly a difference between JOY and HAPPINESS? I can only imagine that we've all pondered those questions a time or two. Even as we read in Genesis 41, Joseph has been put in some pretty precarious and awful situations mostly by him still doing the 'right thing' and the 'right time'.

But God has continued to be faithful. Even in the midst of daunting circumstances and hardships, God was still using the pain, loneliness and dangers that he was facing to draw Joseph closer to God. He was allowing these situations to mold and shape Joseph into the man that he would soon become. God's hand was still WITH JOSEPH, even though it looked looked like he was all alone by the world's standards. He was away from his home, his people, his family, wrongly accused, imprisoned, and yet God's sovereign plan was still underway working in the midst of it all for His Glory!

How about you? Do you feel that the weight of the pressures of the world is suffocating you? Do you feel that you are all alone and away from your friends and family, or maybe your friends and family don't understand you and you feel abandoned or abused. Let me encourage you that the God who created the Heavens and the Earth is waiting patiently for you to come to Him. His arms are wide enough to caress you and you can find rest in Him. Even in the midst of pain and loneliness, God can still use your pain for His Glory.

Often we are so consumed with the worries and business of this world that we forget the simple things in life that God wants us to listen and pay attention to. I came across a video that my wife viewed, and I think that it fits well with today's reading!

--NOTE--

Turn off your phone, tv, get to a quiet place and watch this video with an open mind and heart.

Enjoy!

P.T.
John 10:10

May I find REST in MY GOD!

God Always Provides A Way Out: One Year Bible Reading Day 19: 1-19-11

2011-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Genesis 39:41-16; Matthew 12:46-13:23; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 3:33-35

After reading today's One Year Bible passages, I've come to understand that God allows many things to happen to us to shape us into His image a lot more than I tend to realize at first. I mean, how many times do people find themselves in situations that when they first woke up in the morning said, "Wow I can't wait to be tempted by Satan today or by my own evil desires." This past week, we've been reading about how Joseph's family basically sold him out, and God still continued to use what was originally tended for evil to display His Glory through Joseph.

It is interesting to see how Joseph responds to temptation. He was a good looking young man and his master's wife lusted after him. Joseph could have responded in many different ways to this temptation, but he knew that God was watching over him and blessing him and his masters household. He could have talked to Potiphar and told him that his wife was trying to seduce him. He could have just stood strong and defended his position when he was wrongly accused. He could have played closely to the fire of temptation like many people do in relationships outside of marriage. He could have tried to be super man and just tried to withstand it in his own strength.

However, Joseph knew his human limitations. He knew that when the heat of this particular temptation came upon him, it was time for him to run away from it.

This reminds me of a passage in the NT where Paul reminds the congregation at Corinth that, "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way OUT so that you can ENDURE." 1 Corinthians 10:13

I love that verse because it reminds me that I don't have to face these temptations alone. God is faithful to see us through the storms and temptations of this life and provide us a way out before the heat gets too hot!

So was the same true for Joseph. He realized that he needed to flee from this evil and leave anything behind that was hindering him from following God. He left his cloak and yes.....Potiphars wife did use this against him and he was punished and wrongly accused. But, God was STILL WITH HIM through the ENTIRE ordeal and God continued to bless him and grant him the JOY of the Lord which became his internal strength that the world could not give or take away from him.

How about you? Are you listening to God's words speak truth and life to you, so that when tough times and temptations come, you respond to His calling? Maybe God is asking you to get out of a situation that is dragging you away from Him. Maybe he is wanting you to re-evaluate your relationships that are causing you to take your eyes off of Christ and onto the situation or that person.

Is God truly all you need? It was for Joseph, and even through deceit, slavery, near death experiences, imprisonment, cheating, God still walked with Joseph and continued to bless him.....maybe not always in the way the world thought he should be blessed, but definately the way God could only bless him.....Eternal Joy....gratefulness.....peace......rest.....

May I take the time today to ponder God's goodness, faithfulness and joy in my life!

P.T.
John 10:10

All in the Family: One Year Bible Reading Day 18 1-18-11

2011-01-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

Genesis 37-38:30; Matthew 12:12-45; Psalm 16:1-11; Proverbs 3:27-32

Some may remember the show All in the Family. All in the Family was an American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, the show was revamped, and given a new title, Archie Bunker's Place.

The show broke ground in its depiction of issues previously considered unsuitable for U.S. network television comedy, such as racism,homosexuality, women's liberation, rape, miscarriage, abortion, breast cancer, the Vietnam War, menopause, etc.

I only remember watching it as a re-run when I was a little kid......pretty controversial show when in debuted. Compared with most of today's shows, it is pretty mild. We think that things are pretty evil and crazy today in society, but as some things have changed, others have stayed the same.

As we read in Genesis 37-38:30, we have a family that is very messed up. Isaac's sons Reuben(oldest), Simeon, and Levi are out of favor for incest and treachery, and Judah who is probably next in line to receive firstborn status reveals his moral character by sleeping with his daughter-n-law Tamar. It provides a contrast between the character of Judah and Joseph who gets sold into slavery, yet God will continue to go with Joseph wherever he goes......we'll find out what God has in store for Joseph soon! What is sobering about reading the Old Testament is a picture of how the evil of people's hearts has not changed that much throughout the centuries.

Then we get to Matthew 12:22-45, and Jesus is laying the smack down on the Pharisees regarding the state of their heart. What is the one thing that most non-believers say about Christians today? That we are hypocrites and judgmental........sound familiar? I pray that I do not allow my heart to grow cold to the voice of my Savior, that I continue to humble myself before Him and His plan for my life.

What about you? Do people around you consider you to be a good person of integrity and character. Do the words that come from your mouth overflow from a heart that is grateful, joyful, thankful and most important, a loving one?

"If I speak of the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am NOTHING!"

May we today, ask God to search our hearts and ask Him to reveal to us the places that need healing, so we can be His hands and feet to a hurting world!

P.T.

John 10:10

Who are you? One Year Bble Reading Day 17

2011-01-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

Genesis 35-36:43; Matthew 12:1-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 3:21-26

Have you ever thought about your name? Maybe your parents named you after someone in your family tree, or someone famous, or a biblical name, or it may have sounded interesting. My first name was named after my father and my mother picked out my middle name Travis. There was not any particular history or meaning behind my name, but they both just liked the name Travis. However, what if your name had a certain meaning behind it? What if your name meant "deceiver" or "heel"? I don't know if I would like to be known for someone who was a deceiver, but for the past few days of reading we see that there was someone in the Bible whose name sounds like the Hebrew word for "heel" and "deceiver".

Isaac's younger son, Jacob tried to deceive his older brother Esau out of his birth rite and his father from the blessing that he was to give the first born son. It caused such an uproar his own brother Esau wanted to kill him, so he ran to Paddan-aram. It took some time, but eventually God spoke to Jacob and told him to move to Bethel and get rid of all of the things that were keeping him and his family from truly worshiping God.

Jacob obeyed and went to Bethel, and God blessed Jacob and continued to keep the covenant He had established earlier with his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. Even though Jacob had made some mistakes, God had mercy on him and Jacob confessed and turned back to God and God forgave and blessed him and his family.

The encounter between Jacob and God was so powerful that God literally changed his name to Israel, which means "God fights".

What about you? Who are you? Are you being defined by what you do or whose are you? Jacob messed up, and was reminded of whose he was and what God would do through him and his descendants. What about you? What kind of legacy are you leaving behind in this world? . . . . through your family?

May I live today to continue leaving a legacy for my family to follow after God!

P.T.
John 10:10

He Knows Your Thoughts: One Year Bible Reading Day 12

2011-01-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

Genesis 26:17-27:46; Matthew 9:1-17; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 3:9-10

Do you ever read or hear something that you've heard many times before, but now something pops out at you? In Matthew 9, Jesus is healing a paralyzed man and the scripture says that some "teachers of the religious law" (other translations say "scribes") "said 'to' themselves" (other translations say "said 'within' themselves"), that's blasphemy! Does he think he's God?

As I read that in the New Living Translation it reminded me of a devotion I heard online during Christmas vacation. They were reading from the King James Version and the Greek Word used here is ἐν which means: in, by, with, with-in. Now I'm no Greek scholar, but it is interesting to note that how one word can make such a different understanding of a passage. When I first read that the scribes "said to themselves" I just thought that they were quietly talking amongst their group of teachers and Jesus had really good ears. However, when you read it that they "said 'within' themselves", I read it that they were thinking this in their mind and not saying this out loud so Jesus wouldn't hear them.

So what does all of this mean? Well, Jesus being fully God was still omniscient(meaning having total knowledge, knowing everything) In other Gospel accounts, He knew the thoughts of his audience (Matthew12:25; Mark 2:6-8; Luke 6:8)

His "all-knowing" is still clearly seen in the New Testament writings. The first prayer of the apostles in Acts 1:24,"Lord you know everyone's heart", implying Jesus' omniscience which is necessary if He is to be able to receive petitions and intercede at God's right hand. "He knows our very thoughts, even before we speak them." (Psalm 139:4). "He knows our hearts from afar; He even saw us in the womb" (Psalm 139:1-3; 15-16).

Solomon in(1 Kings 8:39, ESV)."For you, you only, knows the hearts of all the children of mankind."

Bottom line: Even though me may fool people by what we say, God knows our thoughts and our hearts. It would be scary to have all of our thoughts put up on the big screen for everyone to see . . . makes me really stop and think about what I'm REALLY THINKING and is it pleasing to God.

May the thoughts of my heart be a reflection of what God is doing in and through me today!

P.T.

John 10:10

Cost of Discipleship: One Year Bible Reading Day 11

2011-01-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

Genesis 24:52-26:16; Matthew 8:18-34; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 3:7-8

Is following Christ worth the cost? There are many people who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but if we look at their lives, often there is nothing really different about their life at all . . . nothing that separates them from anyone else within their circle of influence. In Matthew 8:18-22, Jesus lays out before the disciples and others that were in ears distance, the "true cost" of following Christ. He basically tells them that if you want to follow Christ, you could become homeless,(vs 20), and to let someone else bury your dad. Then immediately following that, Jesus is in the boat with His disciples when the famous storm comes to test their faith. . . . a test to them following Christ.

There are many who want to hear from a distance and maybe even get close enough to hear what God can do for them, but when we hear what it is truly going to cost us, many stop there and say, "I can't do that". There are many who want all the benefits of knowing Christ without having to conform to Who He is! Sometimes we get the impression that Jesus almost seems to discourage the halfhearted. Jesus emphasized the cost of being a Christian was more than just saying a prayer, walking down the aisle, getting baptized, sitting in a pew, and putting money in a plate. Jesus was using drastic and dramatic language to show people the level of devotion it took to be His disciple compared to their commitment to other relationships in their lives.

In Luke 14:26, Jesus uses the word HATE to give a reality check to those halfhearted listeners and followers who could not put Him first in their life. Jesus wanted to make sure his followers love for Him was so much greater than in comparison with their love and devotion to everything and everyone else, it was a kind of hate.

An easier way to understand this would be that we love those things less and love Christ the most . . . not just in words, but in action, but LOVE is an action of the heart. . . . of conscious choice to move in action. . . . and that is exactly the kind of radical devotion Jesus wanted from His disciples.

One thing challenge: Am I willing to count the Cost of following Christ today and if so, want am I willing to DO to achieve this?

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 5

2011-01-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

Genesis 11-13:4; Matthew 5:1-26; Psalm 5:1-12; Proverbs 1:24-28:

What is the main the one thing that I stood out to me today in my reading for today? PRIDE! There is a difference between the kind of pride that God hates (Proverbs 8:13) and the kind of pride we feel about a job well done. The kind of pride that stems from self-righteousness is sin, and God hates it because it is a hindrance to seeking Him. Psalm 10:4 explains that the proud are so consumed with themselves that their thoughts are far from God: “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” This kind of haughty pride is the opposite of the spirit of humility that God seeks:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The “poor in spirit” are those who recognize their utter spiritual bankruptcy and their inability to come to God aside from His divine grace. The proud, on the other hand, are so blinded by their pride that they think they have no need of God or, worse, that God should accept them as they are because they deserve His acceptance.

In the story of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-8, it was pride that blinded the people to defy God by building the tower. They were refusing to move on. Earlier, God had commanded Noah and his descendants to scatter the earth, be fruitful and multiply. Because they would not fill the earth as God had commanded them, God confused their language so that they had to separate and collect in regions where their own language was spoken.

Ultimately, this was a direct disobedience to God's commands. But are we that different today? I mean, it's my pride that gets me into a LOT of trouble. I often think I know what is best. Isn't that want Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden earlier in our readings this past weekend? Pride . . .

When we read the Beatitudes, Jesus emphasizes the importance of being humble, meek, pure in heart, merciful, peacemaker, all things that point AWAY FROM PRIDE. Believe me, it's easier to say Amen to these things on paper than to actually begin living these things out in my life.

When we get to Proverbs, Solomon is warning us not to stop listening to God's call upon our lives for wisdom. Unfortunately, it is pride that often steps between us and God in seeking wisdom, because yet again, we think we know what is best and our own pride overtakes us. I pray that my own pride does not block God's voice in my life as Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1:24-28, "because you ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered......Whey they cried for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me."

May we LISTEN to God's call and allow His Holy Spirit to convict, correct, encourage and motivate us to live a humble life filled with love toward Him and others because of His great love He has graciously lavished upon us! That is my ONE THING challenge today!

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 4

2011-01-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Genesis 8:1-10:32,Matthew 4:12-25,Psalm 4:1-8,Proverbs 1:20-23

Remember and Covenant: What comes to your mind when you think of these two words?
Webster defines REMEMBER as: "to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; think of again"
Webster defines COVENANT as: "the agreement between God and the ancient Israelites,in which God promised to protect them if they kept Hislaw and were faithful to Him."

God remembered Noah. God also established a covenant with him. ¹⁶ When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” ¹⁷ Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”

God is one who keeps His promises. Later in scripture, we will read how God establishes a covenant with Abraham and with the nation of Israel. Then, we will read about about how God wants to establish a NEW covenant with His people. The new covenant is spoken about first in the book of Jeremiah. The old covenant that God had established with His people required obedience to the Old Testament Mosaic law. Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), the law required that people perform rituals and sacrifices in order to please God and remain in His grace. The prophet Jeremiah predicted that there would be a time when God would make a new covenant with the nation of Israel.

"'The day will come,' says the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. . . . But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,' says the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people'" (Jeremiah 31:31, 33). Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and create a new covenant between God and His people. The old covenant was written in stone, but the new covenant is written on our hearts, made possible only by faith in Christ, who shed His own blood to atone for the sins of the world. Luke 22:20 says, "After supper, [Jesus] took another cup of wine and said, 'This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.'"

Now that we are under the new covenant, we are not under the penalty of the law. We are now given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through the life-giving Holy Spirit who lives in all believers (Romans 8:9-11), we can now share in the inheritance of Christ and enjoy a permanent, unbroken relationship with God. Hebrews 9:15 declares, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

I'm so glad that can partake in this NEW COVENANT as Christians and it was neat to REMEMBER Jesus' sacrifice and covenant with us as we as a church took part in the Lord's Supper this past Sunday.

May God continue to REMEMBER us and we remember His COVENANT with us for those who have trust ed by faith in Christ Jesus!

P.T.

John 10:10

One Year Bible Reading Day 3

2011-01-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

Genesis 5:1-7:24,Matthew 3:7-4:11,Psalm 3:1-8,Proverbs 1:10-1:

After reading each of the passages, something was brought to my attention; The effects of sin wreak havoc on us: Example: In Genesis 5, God was sorry that He had even made humans, but he found FAVOR in one man named Noah. I mean, EVERYTHING the human race was doing at that time was EVIL! Wow!! I can't imagine living in a generation like that today. But the sad reality is, we are not too far off from that place of depravity. In Matthew 3, even the perfect, sinless Son of God was tempted and had to face the effects of sin from Satan himself. In Psalm 3, the writer is crying out to God for refuge from his enemies who want to kill him, but he is not afraid, because he knows that God will see him THROUGH this storm. In Proverbs 1:10-1, the effects of sin have caused many to fall victim to the love and greed of money which has laid an ambush for themselves, such as Solomon noted in the passage.

Satan is very cunning and will continue to try different baits until he finds one or more that works with us. Moreover, Satan will relentlessly use those baits to entrap us and take our eyes off of Christ and onto our pain, circumstances, and even worse....ourselves.

If I am going to truly try to KEEP Christ CENTRAL in my life for 2011, then I need to STOP, LISTEN, WAIT, and then ACT BY FAITH!

Pastor Travis
John 10:10

A Brave New World

2010-08-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well, the school year has begun and for many it is a brave new world out there. As New Life Student Ministries, it is always good to evaluate the health of the student ministry. The question is though, what is the single best indicator of spiritual growth and health in a student ministry?

When you think about it, some people may say, "People coming to Christ", or bigger numbers, or more people joining the church, but I tend to lean more towards volunteers who begin to own the ministry. Let me explain . . .

First, anyone can volunteer. Anyone can stand up like crowd control at a concert, pointing their finger saying, "Hey you, sit down" or "be quiet, you're too loud", then folding their arms like a baptist bouncer in the background. However, volunteers who begin to "own ministry" are a notch above those who just volunteer out of a sense of duty, "I'm doing this because no one else is willing to do it."

When a volunteer begins to feel ownership within the ministry, they genuinely care about students spiritual growth,(becoming like Christ, testimony, sharing the gospel, etc.) and are willing to do "whatever it takes" to make the student ministry as strong as it can be and not just a place to entertain and maintain status quo. When you look at Jesus' ministry, He asked challenged His disciples to step out of their comfort zones in faith. Paul told his readers to think of others more highly than themselves.

As an adult, it is easy to let fear move us in certain directions. However, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

Leaders who feel ownership of the ministry make up the foundation of a healthy student ministry. A student ministry with quality volunteers who Love God, Love students and have a deep passion and desire to help lead those students to Love God, love others and lead THEIR generation are always within reach of a healthy, spiritually growing student ministry.

Volunteers are crucial to the development and health of any student ministry. We need each other! The student ministry is not the paid professional who says, "Don't do this at home, let the professional do it." Student ministry is messy at times, in the trenches, dirty, not a simple cookie cutter, box type of ministry.

When I look at Jesus' ministry and how the student ministry connects within the ministry of the entire church, volunteers who are interested in 'INVESTING in the spiritual development of teenagers' is what it is all about. We need volunteers who can be those Paul's to the Timothy's in our student ministry. Bottom line: When volunteers feel ownership(they believe what they are doing is impacting for the kingdom), they care more.

Pastor Travis
Minister of Students & Recreation
John 10:10

Super Mario Bros

2009-10-10T14:31:00.001-07:00

Click to Play!

The Truth

2009-08-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Jesus declared that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus asked His disciples who people thought that He was. Some thought He was a prophet or a good teacher. However, Jesus asked them who they thought He was. Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." The question for us is "Who is Christ to You" The answer you give to that question will determine how you live the rest of your life, and that's THE TRUTH . . . . .

P.T.

John 10:10

My First Blog

2009-08-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

well....it's 9:42pm and I've been redoing the New Life Student Ministries website. It may not look alot different but I've reduced the amount of pages by 8 and added an enter screen when you type in the url. Anyway, my lovely wife Misty is 38 weeks pregnant and we thought we were going to have a baby sometime this morning, but only in the beginning stages of labor. They sent us home last night because she was not in "active" labor yet. So.......here we are, frustrated, tired and ready for baby Eliza to come into the world. We are just trusting the Lord and am so excited that He is allowing us to parent another child!

Well....I need to get my oldest child Nathan to bed....he is making funny noises with his arm and saying, "daddy watch me....can you do this?" ha ha !

goodnight

Travis

John 10:10